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[Pokémon] The Redwood Saga

Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
78
Posts
5
Years
  • Age 30
  • Seen yesterday
Chapter 17: Dragon Born



The Fairy King's Tower - Northern Norstad Region


"Fine. It's a deal." Caleb Pravus glared at the man across the unnecessarily long mahogany table that sat him, and the rest of his followers with room to spare in the sparse meeting room reminiscent of his cult's various unoccupied buildings around the world. Those that had managed to climb on Yveltal, anyway. He could send someone to retrieve the others later. If they were even alive still. There was a time when he wouldn't have left anyone behind, but he'd long since stopped caring about which of his sentient pawns lived and died after coming to control the billions who inhabited Fornia and beyond.

They were expendable, after all. And irritating. Always whining, complaining about morale, or the weather, or their lack of time with family. He was quite sick of it, frankly. He pulled the enhanced Dark Ball from the magnetic clips that held his other sentient tools on the inside of his suit jacket, and tossed it to the man.


He had to hold back disgust as a psychic aura of pink surrounded the ball, and levitated it towards the man, who examined it with a sigh. "Shadow Infusion, hmm? How…original. But not…I think…as potent an infusion as your Lugia had."

There were murmurs of distrust, and each of Pravus's followers eyed their 'ally' with practiced disgust. The only thing worse than psychic Pokémon were humans with psychic powers. They were considered to be among the greatest enemies of those who made Arceus's will manifest on Earth, rumored half-breeds whose parents were enslaved consorts to the ever-manipulative psychic Pokémon.

There was, of course, no evidence to support the theory that humans and Pokémon could successfully breed in the first place, none that Pravus hadn't fabricated at least, but thanks to the ever-expanding sources of smut on the Pokénet, his followers believed it, and the so very human urge to endlessly fetishize everything and then post it on the world wide network gave the cult all the proof they needed that there was in fact a secret psychic domination by psychic types in other regions.

It was these Pokémon, like the Ralts and Elygem lines, and their 'Trainers' that were responsible for whatever perceived attack the Church was playing victim to. In recent years, the most common complaint was easterners, and Unova in particular. The fact that one of their newest Champions had all but soloed the Victory League Elite Four with a Gallade also played into the conspiracy, and his propaganda arm had made good use of that footage on their 'news' networks.


The man who caught the ball holding Yveltal, destruction made manifest, was the epitome of what one might expect an 'eccentric billionaire' to look like. Fine light blue and white clothes with golden colored highlights the same shade as his strange, wider-than-average shining eyes. He had the same look in those eyes that those who trained fairy types gained, if they trained long enough. Thin, but classically good looking features, platinum blonde hair under a hat with a long pointed brim that flared in the back, and an ever-irritating smirk. Were it not for the fact that he had more money than anyone Pravus knew, he'd be a welcome enemy. One day, perhaps, he'd get his hands on this man's fortune, but for now, he could be patient.

"You have your precious Yveltal. Now talk. Where is Xerneas?" Pravus stared the man down, but he simply smirked, and thumbed the release on the ball. Nothing happened.

"Nice try, little Caleb, but you're going to unlock this before I give you so much as a hint." The man stared him down with his piercing, unnatural gold eyes. "Do it. Now."


His followers looked between their so-called ally, and their beloved leader. He was loathe to show weakness in front of them after spending so long literally beating obedience into them, but he had no choice. "Fine."

His two left pointer-fingers were limned with black energy as he waved them at the ball. There was a noticeable click. "It's unlocked. Now tell me what I want to know!" He didn't notice slamming the table, but his friendly adversary did, and frowned. He looked more disappointed than irritated.

He tutted at Pravus. "Temper, temper. I'll tell you. No need to get violent." Pravus's eyes narrowed dangerously. He was rapidly tiring of dealing with this man, but he knew he couldn't kill him, and he'd just given him the only Pokémon that might have been able to.

"When you woke this Yveltal up, Kalos's Xerneas went back to hibernating. This means, our Xerneas is now awake again, for the first time in millennia." The man tossed the Dark Ball up and down, seemingly taunting the 'Prophet', and he was admittedly enjoying the growing rage he saw in the madman's eyes. That would only motivate him more.

"There are only so many forested areas in Norstad. Xerneas shall be awakening soon in one of them. I can provide you with aerial transport, I have plenty of spare ships. Do try to bring it back in one piece." The man gave a grin to Pravus, whose knuckles were turning white against the table.


"Like I'd ever come back here…" He muttered.

"Oh, but you will be coming back here, Caleb." The man said, still tossing and catching the ball. "You'll be bringing Xerneas to me, before you leave these lands. Otherwise you won't be leaving them. Nod if you understand." The fae man gave the Prophet a smirk.

Pravus' left eye twitched with suppressed fury, and his adversary had no doubt that one of these poor bastards under him would be an outlet for that rage before long. "Fine. You need to make it give me what I seek, anyways. It only listens to you, or so the legends say."

The man's smirk widened into a knowing grin, "Oh, I wouldn't trust legends around these parts. They're a bit…unreliable."


Pravus sighed heavily, still glaring at the man. "What do we do about the Articuno riders? My men aren't competent enough to stop them, and that white one…well, even Yveltal had trouble with it."

The eccentric man paused in tossing the ball, it hung in mid-air, once more suspended by pink aura. "Articuno riders? Really? Huh. Well, if you avoid their village, it shouldn't be an issue. Send one of your more charismatic men there. They won't be able to resist being distracted by fresh meat. If that fails, you'll have to hope the ship's cloaking device doesn't break."

Pravus rolled his eyes. He made a point of making sure any rival charismatic personalities were culled, or suitably controlled. He didn't have any with him on this mission. He'd figure something out. "Fine. Show us to your ship."



Meanwhile…


Two Charizard in their Mega Forms did indeed prove effective against the snowy aspect of the storm, but the wind was a literal wall. Alex and Jess had camped in a mountain cave and managed to wake up at a reasonable hour, but now they'd lost several more, battering uselessly against the wall of wind. The storm was circular, and spread for miles, never moving. It was entirely unnatural, but similar in some ways to the one they'd passed through earlier.

Eventually, Blaze and Chari combined Dragon Pulses, and managed to blast a temporary hole in the wind. It was a struggle to fly through, but eventually, they made it through to the other side. Both were panting hard, and Alex switched them out for Shruikan.

He and Jess rode on his back this time, after he mega evolved, as he was flying slowly through the relatively stormy area. Even within the cyclone of black clouds, the weather was horrible, and the temperature well below freezing. Shruikan often exhaled a Flamethrower, just to keep his core heated.

They continued flying and searching until the sun began to set. He knew flying at night in a place like this wouldn't be a good idea. Their Charizard could keep them warm, but he didn't want to camp on the barren ground. Finally, Jess spoke up, sensing something.


"There's…what looks like a village, north of us. It's full of people, at any rate. Maybe they'll give us a place to sleep." She looked at him, shrugging.

Alex was more skeptical. "And maybe they'll kill us before taking our stuff. Might as well look. There's nothing else around here."

Shruikan banked towards the village, and as it came into view, Alex had to blink. To his eyes, it looked like a city straight from a video game, in classic 'nordic' style. Wood buildings, wooden and thatch roofs, dragon heads carved everywhere, wooden carts pulled by hardy looking Mudsdale. The resemblance was uncanny. There was a shriek from below, and Alex glanced down as he noticed they'd been seen by a woman of the town.


He had to blink again as the man beside her turned and ran towards the town shouting, "Alduin! The World Eater returns! The end is nigh!" He and Jess shared a look. She hadn't been half the 'gamer' Alex and her brother had been in the old days, but even she knew that name. The Dragon Who Ate the World, sometimes called the 'World Serpent', was an ancient myth, one which had gone on to inspire a certain antagonist of a certain popular RPG by the name of Skyrim from Old Earth's time, or so the story went. Naturally, it had been remade in the modern era as well and surprising no one, had sold very well. He'd known Norstad had similar tales to those in the game, that seemed to share a cultural history and tone, but the use of the same name was surprising.

He felt Jess pinch his arm, and he moved to bite at her fingers as she did. "Ow."

"Focus. You're in your head again. We need to act. For whatever reason, these people think your dragon is the World Eater. We should land before they start trying to shoot us down." Alex scanned the town, focusing as she spoke.

Arrows had indeed started flying up towards them, but they bounced uselessly off Shruikan's scales, and seemed poorly made, or heavily re-used. Eventually, he unleashed a Flamethrower, incinerating those still in flight. The archers ran then, towards a large building at the back of the town. Alex and Jess agreed that it was likely where they would find a Jarl, one of the major powers in this land, supposedly.


He saw a burly figure, wielding what looked like a giant two-handed axe stride from the largest building, axe resting on his right shoulder. He had a familiar looking helmet on, made of what looked like iron, with shed Skiddo horns curling down either side. It was uncannily similar to the one that had become somewhat iconic, as it usually was on the cover of the aforementioned game. "Is it bad that my first instinct is to try and sneak around him, steal the helmet, and then run to the nearest cave?"

He heard his lover sigh as she leapt from his dragon, landing gracefully moments before Shruikan did. Shruikan towered over all of them, though the burly man had to be pushing seven feet, and was awfully close in height to his dragon.

"Thees ees thee mighty Alduin!? Pagh!" The man spat on the ground. "I 'ave seen 'orses weeth lahrger clahws." Alex felt Shruikan's amusement at the large man's accent. He had muscles, an impressive weapon, but he lacked wings and the ability to breathe fire. In Shruikan's mind, that made him inferior.

He leaned down towards the man, and his maw sparked with electricity. The man stepped back a few paces, and then fell into a crouch, brandishing the axe. Shruikan looked to his Trainer for a cue, and Alex held up a hand. "How about we all…just calm down, hmm? We come in peace."


The burly man burst out laughing, and several of what had to be his goons came trotting up behind him, similarly garbed in bits of leather and iron, all wielding deadly looking weapons, as well as shields. "Peese! Ha! 'E vants peese, boys!" The man's jovial attitude shifted to a dark smirk. "Let us show heem vhat 'peese' he finds in Norstad!"

Alex looked around at the other men, and he didn't need psychic powers to guess what they wanted. Not one of them had stopped leering at Jess since she landed. He'd been training for this, and he nodded at Shruikan and Jess, before stepping up to the man. "I take it that means you wish to fight, then. Send out your Pokémon. I'll use Shruikan." He gestured to the Salamence, and Shruikan raised his wings, as he crouched low, ready to battle.

The helmeted man tapped the axe's haft against his free palm. "Dat's not 'ow we do things in Norstad, boyo." He raised the axe. "Here, we fight for Honar! Weeth our own 'ands! ZIINKRIF!" With the shouting of the strange word, he swung, bringing the weapon down in a diagonal slice.

Alex turned himself sideways, making his usually large form a smaller target, and leaned backwards slightly, letting the axe pass by harmlessly, and dig into the frozen dirt ground. It went into the permafrost several inches. The man wasn't playing around.

He pulled the black and white staff from his back, and it extended several feet, slamming into the ground as he held it before him. "Fine. I accept your challenge. I'm Alex, Champion of the Unova Region. In my country, we exchange names before fighting."


The burly man seemed irritated, and focused on pulling his weapon from the ground as Alex spoke. He grunted, nodding. "Eh. Too much talk, in your country... I ahm Jarl Arkyn. Now fight with your puny steek, 'champeeon'." Alex raised a brow at the man, bowed, and then dropped into a fighting stance that Jess and Shruikan were all too familiar with.

Seeing his opponent wasn't going to attack first, the burly Jarl charged him, bringing his axe up in the opposite diagonal direction. Once more it whipped past Alex harmlessly, as he spun in place, and moved around the sloppy attack. It left his opponent's guard wide open, and his footwork was appalling. He hooked his staff with his ankle, and used the two combined to trip the larger man as he stumbled forward, off balance.

"Pitiful." Alex said, taking on an instructor-esque tone he knew would annoy and enrage the fighter, making his anger blind him, ideally. "Your footwork is sloppy. Your strike is slow. How has nobody killed you yet? Did your Mudsdale teach you to fight?"

Roaring in irritation, the man let his upswing's momentum carry him as he stumbled and regained his footing. He spun, and guided the axe down behind him in another downwards slash. Alex barely had a chance to raise the staff, catching the absurdly large weapon by the haft and the base of the massive blade as he was made to kneel under it, the honed edge inches from his face.

The Jarl had a murderous grin as he tried pressing down on the staff, but Alex was already as far down as he could go. His base was solid against the ground. "Better."


Alex raised his stave's left side, tilting the weapon's balance, and letting the man's attempts at pushing his opponent down drive the blade into the earth once more. Furious, the Jarl let his weapon go, and moved to punch at Alex, but his fists only hit air, and he stopped suddenly as he felt the stave's tip press against his throat.

"I wouldn't do that." Alex said, staring him down. "Pick up your weapon. If you don't, honor demands I fight hand-to-hand as well…and if I do that, you will likely die." The man opened his maw, likely to spew more garbled insults in his rough accent, but Alex didn't let him.

The staff spun with a blur of white and black, and smacked him across the face, hard, stopping any speech, and giving Alex a sense of just how hard it would be to take a man this burly down. It had been like striking a dense, fleshy boulder.


Judging by the lack of any kind of give from a strike that hard, he knew the only way he'd win was to unbalance this man. Brute force would never work. His strength had never been an issue, as he'd always had enough physical strength to move boulders they dug up in their fields, and even stop a Tauros mid-charge. It was hard to admit this human mass of muscle could physically overpower him, but he didn't have time to nurse his bruised ego.

The man grabbed the axe again, yelling as he tore it from the ground in an explosion of dirt and snow, and spun blindly in Alex's direction. He jumped back, but the man kept spinning, letting his momentum do the work as he spun his weapon in a whirlwind of death. Alex swore. The counter to a move like that was relatively simple, but Jess and Arthur were better at it. He was usually too big to safely duck under the opponent's weapon.

He had a staff this time, however, and a poorly trained opponent. The three ghostly dragons had been much cleverer and stronger, even in the humanoid forms they'd sparred with. The Jarl was quite tall as well, which made ducking under the spinning axe much easier. By the time he noticed the foreigner he was swinging at had disappeared, he was already having his sloppy footwork knocked out from under him.


He landed on his back with a grunt, and he snarled, fully intending to rise again. A quick jab to his wrist's tendons caused his hand to drop the axe. The staff rested against his throat once more. "Yield." Alex said, looking down.

The Jarl laughed. "We do not surrender 'ere. We fight to a glorious end…you 'ave thee wrong veapon for thees country." His laughter faltered as the black edge of the stave turned sharp suddenly.

"I said Yield." Alex repeated, pushing enough to draw a small drop of blood. "I didn't come here for your women or your lands. I want information. You can keep your life, and everything else."

The man looked at his axe, and reached for it, only for a massive claw to hold it in place. Shruikan growled at his cronies, who looked ready to jump in, despite the cry of Ziinkrif. The closeness of the massive, and now sparking black Salamence seemed to erode the man's bravado. "Fine! Bloodee foreigners…I talk, you take your death dragon, and go avay."

Alex let up on the staff, and nodded to his dragon, who backed up several paces. "Good. You said you're a Jarl, right? Who is your High King?"

The man sat up, grabbed his axe, and then used it to push his considerable bulk to a standing position again. His face had a new look of fury upon it, and he looked ready to start attacking again. "How do you know of thee High Keeng!? We do not speek of him to foreign scum! Who told you! I vill keehl heem myself!"


Alex rolled his eyes. In truth, he'd been guessing, based on prior experience with this seemingly familiar culture, that a High King even existed. "Nobody told me anything." He let his eyes flare up with blue psychic power. His voice took on a deeper tone, and echoed with power. A simple, but effective trick. "I know he exists. Where do I find him?"

The man stared at the strangely garbed dragon-riding foreigner, and his demeanor did a one-eighty. The men behind him mumbled, and shifted uneasily where they stood. Offensive postures shifted to defense, and several made signs of what he assumed were warding with their fingers in the air.

The Jarl eyed him for a long time, and then shouldered his massive axe. "North…by thee edge of thee storms…he ees my fatha'. Do not kill him, Nahgah Gein."

Alex sighed, looking northward. He was accruing all sorts of new titles that he had no idea the meaning or significance of. He let the power fade, and his voice and eyes returned to normal. "I have no intention of killing him. As I said, we…did not come here to fight."


The man looked at him suspiciously, one eyebrow rising. "You come 'ere…not to fight? You are strange man indeed, but then, foreigners are always strange. Ah. I s'pose every man 'as his own vay of reaching Sovallah."

He eyed Alex again, and then his dragon, and the woman beside it, a bit longer than he needed to. Alex coughed, getting his attention. His cronies had noticed her now as well, as she'd approached with Shruikan. Red hair was uncommon here, judging by what he'd seen of the genetic makeup of the village, and her looks were likely more alluring than any woman in the region that they knew of, trapped as they were behind a massive wall of wind.

"Grrrm. If you weesh to spend thee night, I vill ahllow eet. You fight well, you fight with honar, you ride the Dovah vith no trace of fear! I vould not want to anger such a man. You are velcome een our village. For thee night." The man gestured to the village, and Alex heard the men murmuring. He didn't need to read their minds this time, either. The barely suppressed lust was obvious.

He glanced back at Jess, speaking mentally. "Well? Do you want to deal with oversized, pent-up men for an evening?"

She smirked back at him. "Is that a hint of jealousy under that irritation?" She winked, then pretended to ignore him as she patted Shruikan. "I don't mind staying. Connor is learning about the culture from the natives. We should too."


Alex nodded at the Jarl then. "Very well, your offer of hospitality is accepted. I just have one question…where can I get a helmet like yours?"

That brought laughter from the Jarl, and the gathered warriors, who'd sheathed their weapons. He patted Alex on the back hard enough to drive him forward a few steps as they headed for the village. "We shall geet you thee finest 'elmet we 'ave! And then, we feest!"

After Alex had his helmet and received sufficient mocking from his woman and his dragon after trying it on, he recalled Shruikan, and the entire village seemed to calm down. They set about gathering information, then. The village was called Frändiheim. Their leader aside, the villagers were, after a few pints of 'Nor Mead' and several cries of 'Skoal!', quite friendly.

Or rather, as friendly as one could expect sequestered people to be to outsiders. Jess found that the men spoke to her far more openly than the women did to Alex, and while they were certainly not ugly, what with their rustic charm and primarily blonde hair, they simply couldn't measure up to Jess in looks. The men were a bit different, mostly blonde, with a few brown and black heads thrown in, their features might've been pleasant, if a life of beating each other to a pulp hadn't warped them. With little else around to entertain them, the men, not one of whom was under six feet tall, had needed something to vent their testosterone on. The local fight club was very popular.


They didn't think highly of bathing, either, primarily because heating anything in this region took a very long time, if one managed to even find a source of fire, and something to burn. That more than anything assuaged Alex's ingrained fear of being romantically stabbed in the back. He knew Jess better than he knew his family, and yet, he couldn't quite shake the fear. It was certainly justified, what with her looks and the amount of attention she got. After his first real love had essentially cheated with the majority of the town behind his back, with no less than thirteen others (that he'd been told about), long before Jess her family had ever moved to town, he'd had the underlying paranoia.

She was well aware of that, however. Such details were hard to hide from someone you shared a mental link with all hours of the day. Thus, she never gave him reason to worry. Despite the men and their willingness to talk, all she really got from them was endless ego-boosting compliments towards her beauty. They spoke rough, but she could sense their honesty, and it was rather flattering.


Thus, Alex was the one who got the most useful information. From what he could tell, the women found his gaze too intense for their liking, and his beard was, by comparison to the villager's, scrawny.

Despite that, he learned that they were the only village allowed to live within the High King's 'Ven Vund' or Wind Wall. This was, supposedly, the most fertile land in Norstad. He hadn't really noticed a difference between it, and the other frozen, barren tundra but he took the villager's word for it.

When he asked why only their village was allowed here, he was told that it was due to the fact that each of them had blood ties to the High King himself. From what he was told, the High King was an immortal, a deity, of a sort. He was sometimes portrayed in legends as a prankster, other times, he was told tales of how he'd traveled the world, taming Pokémon, averting disasters, seducing women, and fathering countless children over the course of several thousand years.


He had power too, not unlike Alex's, or so the Jarl had said, once he'd brought up the High King again during dinner. He said that those like Alex were sent to live with the king in his northern fortress, where he trained them, and if he found them worthy, sent them to the Seidr's Isle. There, they were supposedly taught by an order of old men known as the 'Graybeards'.

Once more intrigued by the uncanny similarities to his favored RPG he was finding in this isolated village, he asked what power these Graybeards supposedly had, but at that, the Jarl clammed up saying, "You ask the High King. Ees not my place to speek such words to a foreigner." More and more, he was becoming convinced that there was a reason behind their cultural norms and the uncanny similarities, but the women had been as stubborn as the Jarl to talk about their origins, if they even knew of them. Many of the younger women had simply stated such things like legends of Alduin as old stories that had always been known. Whether they were true or not wasn't even questioned.

He then tried to draw out a name for this High King, but the Jarl was having no more talk of him, and instead began questioning him about his dragon and whether it was actually the harbinger of the end times. Alex assured him that Shruikan wasn't going to end their world, but even despite that, he knew the Jarl had doubts.

Apparently, they really didn't like black scaled dragon types around here. He scolded Alex, claiming his Salamence was probably one of 'Alduin's offspring'. Of course, that only made the fact that he had tamed such a creature all the more impressive to most of the villagers. Most had never seen a Pokéball, and when he'd recalled the dragon, they had been awed. It seemed these people were rather easy to impress with technology that must've seemed magical to them. Unlike the Articuno riders, none had heard of Pokémon Trainers before.


Eventually the two retired to the bed set aside for them, in the Jarl's own spare rooms. Alex sensed him sneak up to their room to summon Jess, and from what he sensed on her end, it was evidently to attempt to cuckold him.

He felt a bit smug as he sensed her deliver a bone-shattering kick to the man's crotch, before returning to the fur-lined bed. Now, he'd definitely be spending the night alone. The adrenaline kept her up however, and she nudged Alex, suggesting that they further incense the man by making it obvious as to what they were doing in the borrowed bed.

Both had discovered that, after a good night's sleep, the urges that had been muted in Tao's home had now returned, with a vengeance. Not that either of them minded.


The next morning, they were rather satisfied, even though the broken bed frame had interrupted their sexcapades, forcing them to sleep on the floor. The furs were padding enough, and they'd slept on harder surfaces.

They bid farewell to the Jarl's woman, or rather, the leader of his own personal harem, and then left. She claimed her husband was recovering from the drinking of the previous night, but it seemed Jess' kick had been quite effective in crippling the man. She hadn't held back.

They headed north then, to the fortress the Jarl had spoken of, and shared what information they'd found out the night before. It was clear something was off in this region. The similarities to the established lore of Skyrim was too much to be coincidence, but according to the locals, it had been a part of their culture for as long as they'd had a culture to be part of. Alex wondered if it was like this in the rest of the region, though the village of matriarchal Articuno riders was new.


They both agreed then, that this 'High King' was likely the one behind these similarities in this particular village. If he was the prankster he'd been made out to be by his own relatives, tricking an entire village into accepting a fake culture as their own, similar though it was to the rest of Norstad, was right up the alley of a being that was supposedly immortal.

That too wasn't all that hard to believe. They were in a region that was home to Xerneas, after all. It was rumored to grant eternal life to those it deemed worthy, and it didn't seem entirely impossible that a person given such a gift would then use it to influence people over generations. It had happened in Kalos. It would be even easier if he possessed some kind of psychic power as well. The people seemed relatively happy with their simple culture, despite the violence. That was more than most dictators allowed.


As they approached the northern edge of the third fierce wall of wind they'd encountered, they saw it completely vanish, for a moment. They were able to make out a tower as the snow and black clouds cleared. It was clearly metal, but it had been painted to be the same color as mahogany wood, and like the village, there was a Nordic vibe to the style of the building, with traces of what looked like Eous influence. Jess had even remarked that it looked similar to the tower she'd seen in Ecruteak City.

Something drew their eyes, as it shot from the top of the tower, where they made out what could have been a landing platform. It had extended from the tower, slowly, and they had agreed it was likely an invisible aircraft of some kind. Whoever this High King was could have just left, but as the outer wall of wind returned once the barely visible outline of the ship passed through it, the platform remained extended, and the wall of wind that surrounded the tower remained lowered.


The two Trainers shared a look. "Seems like an invitation to me." Jess nodded in agreement, and Shruikan began ascending towards the landing. The wall of wind turned fierce again as they landed, and Alex recalled his dragon, then took Jess' hand and made their way towards the entrance at the top of the tower. He walked towards where he assumed there was an entrance. It looked like a wall of mahogany brown metal, but as they approached, battered by the ever-increasing wind, the wall seemed to split in half, and opened to admit them.

Neither one of them could see the interior, but Alex trudged forward anyway, his free hand keeping his hat on his head. The room before them revealed total darkness within. Alex walked into it, and extended his senses. What he found intrigued him. Since he'd gained this ability to understand Pokéspeech, he'd found conversing with Ninetales to be that much more interesting. They were as clever as a Delphox, but much, much wiser. Not to mention shy. Always interesting, though.


Blue and white balls of flame lit the interior of the room, and once more, he noticed the theme with mahogany brown. It was real wood this time, even the floor. Covering the floor was a standard Pokémon field used for battling, usually indoors at gyms. The entire floor of the tower must have been devoted to the field, such was its size.

On the opposite side was the Ninetales, and though one might've expected the regional ice type variant, this one seemed just as fiery as the more common line of the species. Its fur was a silvery blue, however, and no Trainer stood behind it.

A voice rang out through the room, presumably via some sort of intercom. "Welcome, welcome! It's been so long since I've had such…interesting guests. The ones that just left were rather…prejudiced, but you two…you two are cut from the same cloth as me! How wonderful!"


Alex and Jess shared a look. It was clearly a man speaking, though he had an almost genuine-sounding Galarian accent. Most people could easily fake one though, and it seemed to be universally enjoyed the world over, given how often it appeared in televised dramas. His mother had watched a lot of them when he was growing up.

Alex spoke first, "Right…umm…who am I speaking to?"

"Oh, how ruuuude of me! Kurama! My entrance, please." The Ninetales, which had been sitting in the gloom and grooming a fore-paw seemed to roll its eyes.

One of the tails glowed, and pointed to the center of the field. Blue flames swirled as a very obvious opening in the field's Pokéball center raised up an equally obvious platform, upon which was a man.


His hair was whitish blonde, his eyes were gold, and his fine clothes and hat all had a theme of light blue, white, and bits of gold accents. He was built thin and wispy, and there was something almost...fae about him. Especially his wide, shining golden eyes that reminded him of Fairy Type Trainers. Alex just slowly raised one eyebrow at the man as he made a dramatic pose, before the flames dissipated.

Alex brought out his Pokédex then, and thumbed through it hurriedly, then closed it just as quickly as he confirmed exactly which Pokémon the man's color scheme was matching. It was a trend with Trainers, especially wealthy ones, and this man seemed to be emulating the 'shiny' form of Xerneas. Evidently, the one in Norstad did not look like its Kalosian counterpart.

"I am Percival von Guterstein Velhavende Locuples the Third. But you can call me Percy!" The man finished his absurdly long name with a flourish, and Jess golf-clapped, far more amused than Alex was. He had a growing suspicion that the man's previous guests had been their own quarry, which likely meant the jovial attitude and flamboyant charm was a farce.


"Percy…very well…I'm Alex, Champion of Unova. My lady here is Jessica Gladstone. We're chasing down a band of homicidal zealots that we have reason to believe came this way…" He paused, eyeing the man.

Most humans had the normal typing and his enhanced vision had, thus far, always confirmed this. Those who had dual typing were rare, but it was usually obvious. This man, to his eyes, seemed normal as well, but something was off. It was like he had a second typing, but for some reason, it was eluding his gaze, hanging at the edge of his peripheral vision.

"Oh, they did come this way. I assume you mean little Caleb and his…followers. Yes, they came here to deliver Yveltal to me. In exchange for information." Percy walked to his Ninetales, patting the lovely fox, before taking his place in the Trainer box on his side of the field. "I assume you already know what they're after. I'd be disappointed if you didn't. I gave them a clue and a ship, for you see, I have a vested interest in finding Xerneas as well."


"Do you have any idea what he's done with Yveltal? There are still reports coming in, from all over Kalos. Seemingly random people, turned to stone, their businesses and land are being legally fought over by the Kalosian government and the Arceans who want to buy them. And you just let him fly off to go gain eternal life? Why!? You don't look like any Arcean I've seen." Alex stared the man down. He wanted to like him, but something about him brought a deep-seated sense of dread. Jess didn't feel it, and he had no idea why he did. It was more of an instinct, than anything.

Though the signal had been spotty, his Holociever, which also functioned like a television, had kept them somewhat informed of what was going on in Kalos and Unova. After years of relative peace without random teams of criminals interfering with the affairs of the world's many regions, a new wave of them was evidently starting up again. On the heels of Tao's return, rumors were coming in across the globe of rising tensions and power plays between enemies. The dragon had predicted turbulence, for now that Unova was again a 'major player', others would accelerate their plans for domination.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Well you're right. I'm no Arcean. I've done the 'cult of personality' thing, and it was amusing for a while…but then I got bored. Little Caleb's group is…a bit too violent for my tastes."

"Then why help him?" Alex asked, reaching for Hydrus' ball.


"Because he's the only real connection to the outside I have anymore. The only one that will speak to me, anyways. And, he wants Xerneas as badly as I do. Fret not, Unovan Champion. He can't get what he wants without me…and I have no intention of letting that man persist for eternity." Kurama followed his Trainer onto the field and Percy gave his Ninetales a thorough petting as he spoke, and then took his place on the area for Pokémon. "Enough. No more answers! If you can give Kurama and I a decent Battle, I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Deal?"

Alex nodded his agreement, but as he went for Hydrus' ball, he saw the flamboyant man make a gesture that, to his eyes, registered as some sort of psychic power. His hesitation was momentary before throwing the ball, but he did a double-take as Leo, not Hydrus, was called out mid-nap.

"I'm not interested in your Swampert. Battle me with your Luxray, one on one, no type advantages…I find his thoughts intriguing…and that fur, oh, it's so lovely!" Percy's Ninetales stood then, tails flaring out behind it. A low growl filled the room, and Leo's ears flicked in annoyance.


Alex raised a brow at Leo as the large cat yawned, and glanced at his Trainer. They spoke with the speed of thought. "Well? How about it?"

Leo stretched and dug his claws into the field, smacked his lips, and then opened his intense gold eyes, taking in and staring down his foxy opponent all at once. A small smirk appeared on his lips.

Leo's words were slow, careful, and his tone had a persistent air of superiority. "Mmm…yes. I shall Battle this one…" Suddenly, his mane stood on end, electricity flowing through it. Sparks covered the rest of his fur, and he returned the intimidated fox's growl with a loud roar that shook the air.


Percy clapped excitedly. "Ooo. Careful Kurama…you woke the kitty from his nap." The Ninetales loosed a Flamethrower then, and Leo countered with a Thunderbolt. The two attacks canceled out in the air, and Leo's eyes lit up, piercing the smoke, and following his opponent. A condensed ball of dark energy came flying out of the cloud, but Leo dodged it easily. It exploded in a manner Alex recognized, and left a crater with a horizontal swirling pattern in the field.

Alex smirked. So, someone else had thought of condensing the energy of spherical pulse moves. So much for being original. "Get close, and strike hard." Leo was better with physical attacks, though his special ones were almost as strong, due to his training. It made him versatile, which was useful against the flying and water types he usually battled.


His Luxray wasted no time then, charging the fox, only to pause before attacking. There were nine copies of it now, and they began running, circling the electric lion, and smirking as they did. "Ohoho! What to do, what to do! I do so enjoy it when he uses this move. More Shadow Clones, Kurama!" Percy seemed to be enjoying himself, but Alex only smirked.

"Double Team is an effective move, I'll grant you that…but…" Thunder manifested in Leo's jaw, surrounding his formidable fangs as he leapt at one of the foxes, clamping down hard on it with the Thunder Fang, and throwing it from the field. "You can't fool the eyesight of a Luxray."


"Can't I?" Percy snapped his fingers, and the bluish white flames lighting the room vanished. "Confuse Ray."

Though the change in light didn't affect Leo, it did cause him to lose track of his opponent for a moment. The ray hit him from his left, as soon as Kurama ran back onto the field. Flames shot from its tails again, lighting the room once more, only to reveal eighteen images of the fox. Leo's head was spinning, and he growled, arcing a Thunderbolt through three of his best guesses.

They vanished, only to reappear seconds later. "Seems like your Luxray is having an issue with aim!" Percy chuckled, and this time, each fox formed a condensed orb of dark energy. Fifteen of them shot towards Leo, who strafed to his left, and dodged three, before the real one struck home.

He rose from the hit slowly, shaking his head. The confusion was gone, luckily. "Pretend to stay confused." Alex said through their link, smirking. Leo walked forward shakily, and then ran for one of the Ninetales, attempting a Crunch attack. He bit through the illusion harmlessly, and hit the ground hard. He looked around, panting on purpose, still pretending to be confused and pulling it off rather believably.


Percy sighed. "Oh well. It seems this is decided. Finish it." The fourteen Ninetales formed Flamethrowers this time, but by then, Leo had singled out the real one. As the flames approached, he shot a Thunderbolt towards the real Flamethrower, just as the others hit him. He pretended to go down in the cloud of smoke from the collision of the moves.

Percy opened his mouth, but paused, seeing Leo rise again. The cat gave him a grin, before unleashing a Discharge across the field with another air rattling roar. He chased after the edge of the electric wave quickly. As it passed through each clone, Percy shouted, "Dark Pulse!"

Leo's Thunder Fang caught the condensed dark ball of energy, tossing it elsewhere in mid-air before he came down with a Crunch attack, causing the fox to flinch. He finished the fight with another Crunch, tossing his opponent across the field. Kurama struggled to stand, but his Trainer was by his side.

"That's enough…pretending to still be confused…clever. I almost bought it, until I realized he'd hit the real Flamethrower. I'm sufficiently amused! Well fought, both of you. You are welcome in my abode!" The man turned, and paraded through another door, this time made of real wood, at the opposite end of the field.


Alex glanced at Jess, shrugged, and followed the man. He still had questions. Percy led them into a posh lounge, complete with everything one might expect a rich snob to have in such a room. Fireplace, large screen television, adjoining kitchen that also had a bar. It had the same color scheme he did, light blue, white, and bits of gold.

"Go on then," Percy spoke as he settled behind the mahogany bar. "Ask away, I can sense you have a thousand questions."

Alex raised a brow. "Can you? I'd heard you also had psychic abilities…"

It was their host's turn to raise a brow. "Heard? Oh, from that village. Hmm. Yes, I suppose some of them are psychic in nature. Like switching your balls to call out your Luxray." Leo and Kurama had followed them in, and the large fox settled on a couch as Leo stayed by Alex. Both he and Percy pet him, and he purred in delight. "I meant what I said. Your fur is gorgeous. I love unique Pokémon."

Alex glanced at his Ninetales. "I can tell…have any others? Like, say, Xerneas?"

The man gave him a grin, then hid his expression behind his long, flamboyant hat brim as he set about making drinks. "Yes…once. A long, long time ago. Before she fell asleep…she granted me eternal life, and we traveled the world together. Then, she left me alone to rot in this tower…"

Alex tried peeking under the man's down-turned hat as his tone changed and he'd lowered his head, to no avail. "Can't you leave?"

The hat shook side to side. "Not anymore. Xerneas deemed my attitude…destructive, and confined me to this prison until I learned my lesson…I've been here ever since…for thousands of years."

Alex nodded, taking the information in, when Jess spoke up. "How old are you, then?"

Percy gave her a look. "I'd expect better manners from someone like you…but if you must know…I was around for the final years that Arceus's last true Holder spent on this plane. I saw him die, I saw his cult crumble, I saw the chaos of the first ages of the Dark Times…and I got a bit too involved in them for Xerneas's tastes. Among others. Thus, the tower. So to answer your question...over ten thousand. Give or take."

"Why have you molded an entire town's beliefs and culture on a video game?" The question came from Alex, and the two men stared each other down for a tense moment before Percy answered.

"Because I was bored…and because after the tyrant that caused Arceus to interfere in the first place was dealt with, there was no culture left. The people of this region lost any kind of connection they had to their past in the flames of war…that is, until the Pokénet was created. The village outside is…more influenced than the rest of the region, and you'll find many of the other village's legends more tied to the Draconids than to any video game. Though I doubt the rest of Norstad really wants or uses the Pokénet. I helped create that, you know. I got the idea from the Old Net."


"The Old Net?" Jess asked, confused. This time, Alex answered.

"It's what our ancestors had, and what the PokéNet was based on…much of what we know comes from it. Science, technology, culture, there was a ton of information found…but it was never entirely released to the public." Alex stared Percy down again, who was in the middle of fixing drinks for them.

"For good reason." He muttered. "Our ancestors were violent, stupid people. They killed each other, the local fauna, and almost killed the planet, before inhospitable conditions tore their society apart. Things got so bad, our entire race eventually reverted back to living in caves. Until Arceus showed up, anyway."


"That doesn't mean that knowledge shouldn't be available." Alex growled, crossing his arms.

Percy gave him a look. "Yes yes, the Unovan ideal of free information, speech, etcetera. I've read Professor Aristole's treatises. You know not what you're asking for. There are some things on the Old Net that are best left there. Dead and Forgotten."

"That didn't stop you from using it to warp an entire village's culture." Alex shot back. "Why choose such a violent model, anyways? The rest of the world gets on fine without killing each other these days. Why convince these people to avoid technology and embrace violence?"

Percy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if he'd had this argument a thousand times. "You're just like him…look, all these people knew after they were dumped here on me was what I told them, when I was able to break free of my prison here…if only by a few hundred miles. They were my offspring, and I taught them what I had to, to keep them alive in this region."


Alex raised a brow. "I suppose you could call that noble. Why do they call you the Fairy King?"

Percy grinned at him. "I may have helped avert a disaster or two…or, at least, armed one of the Heroes of the day to face it. Galar got to survive and thrive, in the end, and all it cost me was Caladbolg. I've seen what Galar has become, the inherent rot in their society is growing, thanks to their power consumption and reliance on technology. One of the many reasons you won't find such things in Norstad. They don't need technology. They don't want it."

Alex rolled his eyes. "We'll just have to disagree on that. Your kinsmen would benefit greatly from it. At the very least, they'd stop dying of disease so often. Or avoid freezing to death."

Percy slid a glass of what looked like orange juice in front of Alex. Jess's drink looked similar, though hers was red on the bottom. "They might, but in time they might also become so high on their own sense of self importance that they get convinced the entire world should share their culture. By force, if necessary. It's happened before. Before the Old Net revived the old gods and knowledge of them, this land was called Hyperborea. I promise, the people of modern Norstad are far better than those 'alpha' personality types preceding them. Technology will only revive that sense of self important and toxic nationalism. It's better off dead, and forgotten."

"Oo! A sunrise! How'd you know?" Jess spoke then, breaking the tension between the boys.

Percy gave her his best knowing smirk. "After a few millennia, you learn how to find a person's favorite drink."


Alex glanced at his, and sipped from it, blinking once. "A screwdriver?"

Percy nodded, sipping from his own. "Not unlike mine. A sonic screwdriver. Everything's better with a bit of sonic. I had a friend who absolutely loved these."

There was silence as the three enjoyed their drinks, not awkward persay, but more like a pause. Finally, Alex broke it saying, "Why did you tell Pravus where Xerneas is? He could ruin the entire world with eternal life, and you're assuming he won't just take it and run."

Percy put his drink down, and met Alex's gaze. "Like I said, he's the only one who will talk to me anymore. All of my friends are long dead or not speaking to me, and the only new ones I can make think I'm a deity, and are also trapped in here. I need to get out of this tower. He was my only option. I can leave for a few hours, by foot, but that doesn't really help. And I'm eventually forcibly Teleported back. It's quite painful. I'd much rather have a 'hero' like you off retrieving Xerneas for me, but I don't think you understand just how isolated I am up here."


Alex raised a brow. "Are you saying you'll tell me where Xerneas is? Because I'll gladly go and try to bring her back here. You don't strike me as an evil person. Perhaps Xerneas will feel the same."

Percy looked down at his blue drink for a long time, then nodded. "I'm not the man Xerneas locked in here. It's been thousands of years…the only interaction I have is with my Pokémon, my bank representatives, and people who only call on my expertise when their precious 'transfer system' has an error. You should know that if you help free me, you'll gain quite a few enemies. The people leeching off my fortunes won't appreciate losing access to them."

Alex glanced at Jess, and she agreed, mentally, that he seemed nice enough. It wasn't that hard to believe someone this ancient didn't have access to money, either. The general interior of this prison wasn't spartan in the least, and certainly looked comfortable. There was one thing that still bugged him, though. "I want your word, Percival. That you won't abuse the gift you've been given. Help your people, 'High King'. Bring them into the future, don't just assume they're too violent, or primitive. Like you said, it's been millennia. People change."

"Not as much as you'd think..." Percy said, sighing again. "Fine. You have my word. Get me out of here, and I'll see to it that my people join the rest of you in your technological bliss. Don't say I didn't warn you."

He stood then, and his hands glowed pink as an evil smirk appeared on his noble features. "Let's make you suited to the role of saving Xerneas from the Shadow, 'Hero'."


"Wai-" Alex didn't get the word out before Percy pointed at his clothes, and they warped as his large frame was covered in pinkish white light, changing in appearance, and feel. The white robe became hardened, bone-like, while the black sections became dark colored chainmail, and they shifted around, covering his vital areas, and leaving the joints protected by the 'chainmail' at the joints.

He stared in disbelief. Not only was his appearance now a fair reconstruction of the 'dragonbone' set he'd gotten for his character back when he'd wasted his time playing games, Percy had left his head uncovered. As he drew out the obvious homage that was his helmet and souvenir from this icy land, he found it shifting in color and feel, to match the rest of the dragonbone. He turned, and saw a long bluish-purple cape as well, the symbol of dragons burned into the back, hanging from his shoulders.

He gave Percy a look as Jess burst into laughter once he donned the helmet. "You can't be serious…I look ridiculous."

Percy raised an eyebrow as he saw the cape, and then shrugged. "You look like suitable 'world-saving' material to me, Hero." He winked at Jess, who burst into another fit of giggles. "Oh? You find his attire funny? Perhaps we should change your appearance too!"

"Don't you da-" But it was too late. Whatever fairy nonsense Percy used worked its magic on his one true love. Her hair turned brown, her clothing became a combination of steel and leather. Her shoes were replaced with steel boots, and she sighed, looking at all the changes. "Seriously? Who am I even supposed to be?"


Percy grinned. "One sworn to carry the burdens of the 'chosen one'." It was Alex's turn to burst into laughter. Jess just stared at him, not getting the joke. "Don't worry, the locals will think you fit right in. It's not permanent either. By the time you bring Xerneas back, you won't even notice it."

Alex drained the rest of his drink, and nodded at Percy. "How far, exactly, did you personally warp the region's culture as a whole?"

The wealthy man raised a blonde eyebrow. "Oh? Why do you ask?"

Alex smirked. "I have an…idea, should we need the aid of the locals. It might even help put them on the right path to rejoining the rest of civilization. But first, I need to be able to speak their tongue."


Percy eyed him for a long moment, and walked out from behind the bar, blinking in surprise at their capes as he moved around them. Jess had one as well, crimson, and emblazoned with the symbol of fire types. The leather in her armor was similarly crimson colored, and the whole thing worked nicely. Percy had some fashion sense, at least.

"Oh my…now isn't that interesting…no wonder you two get along so well…" Percy looked up from their capes, and then at Alex.

"What, what is it?" Alex said, eyeing the cape in the classic blurple that represented dragon types hanging from his back.

"These capes are…part of this glamour. They're special. They reflect the type someone is most in tune with…and you two are very strongly tied to Fire and Dragon it seems. Are you of the Draconid clans, Redwood?" Percy said, staring at him intently, but with no fear whatsoever.

"I'm…not sure. My great great grandmother might've been from one of the clans…but the family history isn't something I've ever really looked into."

Percy tutted at him. "You should. Understanding from whence you come can sometimes help you understand where you're going and perhaps even keep you from repeating past familial mistakes. Regardless, the power of Dragons flows within your blood, of that I'm certain. You asked how much I influenced the region? Well…there is a legend…of those who gain or are born with the affinity for Dragon Types. Dovahkiin, is the word they call them. One I'm sure you know the meaning of, if you recognized my influence in the village below. The legends Norstad has for them are different from what you know…but I can share them, and the knowledge of the Dragon Tongue, with a pair like you two."


"Now as for actually learning our tongue...that will require you two to lower those mental shields of yours. I can share with you my knowledge of the Words, but unless you can use Hyper Voice properly, they won't help much."

Alex stared at him for a long moment. "Wait…Hyper Voice? The Move? Are you telling me that you know how to Shout? Are you telling me that Shouting is even a thing!?" He fought down the excitement. The urge to rush headlong into this absurd scenario that he was definitely here for was all but overpowering. There had to be a catch.

Jess just looked confused. "Shouting? You're a bit soft spoken normally, Alex."

Percy grinned at him. "Nii los ol hi saag, Dovahkiin." Alex took that as a 'yes'.

"It's an…ability that certain dragons from certain media possess…and now that I recall just how many Dragon Types can actually learn Hyper Voice…it seems media is mimicking reality." He said to Jess, still suppressing the excitement. "Share the knowledge, Percy." He lowered his mental defenses then, and he could already feel his lover's disapproval. Tao had warned them to never lower their guard, but now, the two men's minds linked.


It wasn't the same as his link with Jess, or even his team. It was a minor connection. Brief. Limited. Percy's haughty accent rang in his head. "Oh my...yes...yes, you will do nicely indeed. You were born for this role."

Alex's suspicion rose, as did Jessica's. She had, of course, heard every word. "What do you mean?" He said, warily. The unease remained, and it only grew now that his very being was brushing against Percy's. It was like something about the man was fundamentally opposed to a part of his own core.

"Don't worry about it..." Percy said, "This knowledge will only aid you. I'm sharing my knowledge of Hyper Voice as well. With both of you. You'll be able to use it, but how strong it is will depend entirely upon your ability to master the Move. Prepare yourselves...this is going to hurt."

The pain was, for Alex, instant, and unbearable. He felt Tao's sudden concern, distantly, and he felt his body slump back into the bar stool. His head throbbed, and his ears refused to work as thousands of Words thundered in his skull all at once, each one with their own meaning. Finally, the painful torrent ceased, and one last bit of knowledge came from the strange man.


The knowledge of Hyper Voice. The sacred art of Shouting. It wasn't all that different to how he drew his psychic power for a Confusion level attack, and he knew that, had he not unlocked it, this knowledge would've eluded him. He also sensed that his years of practice inhaling Leaf smoke had increased his lung capacity. He now knew how to Shout, as did Jess, but he knew his would be stronger. For a time. His size, for once, was beneficial rather than hindering.

His vision swam as his ears started to work again, though it was a long time before he heard more than the throb of his heartbeats. He looked up to see the eyes that snared his soul, full of concern. With a start, he realized their connection had been cut. From his team, as well. He hadn't been so alone since battling N on the Victory Plateau. It seemed like a lifetime ago, but in reality, had only been roughly half a year. Slowly, he reconnected with them, assuaging their fears. The shock of the knowledge transfer from Percy had disrupted his mental links to them.

And as he looked at the man again with his psychic sight, he now had an inkling as to why.


Alex kept his revelations to himself for the moment and stood, meeting Percy's gaze. The hints of his powers had now, in hindsight, seemed so obvious, but Percy's revealed typing now only confirmed what he suspected about himself. Still though, he hesitated. He needed more before he fully accepted what his psychic senses were telling him.

Percy spoke with his mouth this time, their connection was also gone now, and Alex's mental defenses rose once more. "The mighty hero awakens. And how do you feel, Dragonborn?"

It took Alex's ears a second to register that Percy had spoken in the tongue of dragons, the language of Norstad. He understood it perfectly. "I'm...fine..." He managed, and he sensed Jess' concern grow again.

"Alex." She said, shaking him slightly. "Focus. You're speaking their words. Not ours."

He nodded again. His skull was still pounding, but Jess, for her part, seemed far less affected. He felt terrible, and as he groaned softly, he felt a drink being pushed into his hand. He looked up to see Percy, and a refilled Screwdriver.

"Drink." The eccentric man said softly, "It will help with the nausea...though I imagine you'll need a rest before your skull stops pounding."


The fact that Percy knew how he felt didn't surprise Alex. The two had stared into the other's very core, and found them to be opposites, but not necessarily enemies. As expected of the fairy typed man, Alex's mind had zero effect on his mental state. Apparently the title of Fairy King was literal. Percy was every bit as sly and tricky as advertised, but Alex had sensed a genuine goodness, likely the same Xerneas had, when he'd been given eternal life. It was buried deep after ten millennia of maddening isolation, but it was there. He stood with a grunt, and drained roughly half of the drink. It did help. A little.

"We should head out..." He said, speaking his birth tongue, but still sounding groggy.

Jess looked ready to protest, but Percy cut her off. "I expect you to return with Xerneas, Hero. And tales of adventure, of course."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I have an idea as to what I might need to do…now, where do I find your friend?"

Percy shrugged. "Xerneas does her own thing, and I've been cooped up here too long to know exactly where she is. She does tend to move her tree from time to time. Here's my advice, Dragonblood. Life needs life to live. Where you find an abundance of it, you'll likely find her. Oh, and look for an Ash Tree. She prefers that species for some reason."


Alex nodded again, then looked at Jess. He could tell she was already planning to mock him for the obvious wish-fulfillment he was about to enjoy, now that she knew he was fine, but he honestly didn't care. How often did one get a chance to fill such legendary boots? To literally step into a story like this? It was unheard of. But, if he was honest, he genuinely hoped it was real, and not some fever dream caused by leaving Tao's realm.

"Ready to go?" He asked Jess as he recalled Leo into his ball. His loyal feline had also been silently mocking his appearance. The rest of his team had joined in, and found it quite amusing, once the link was re-established. He'd spent much of his time in the Swamp playing the very game that Percy had based his town and this armor on, so they had a second-hand grasp of the situation, and how outlandish it was.

"Yes…just don't get too distracted, 'hero'. We have a mission to fulfill." She sighed, and shook her head at him. She looked just as lovely as a brunette, but he did admittedly miss the red.

He headed towards the door, striding with confidence as he straightened his posture and let his tone even out. He could pretend to be whole, for the moment. If only for her sake. "Oh, I know…but I'm fully intending to use this to our advantage in that regard. Fare well Percival. We shall return soon!"

The man simply laughed. "As you say. Go! Save the world, Dragonborn." He shook his head as he watched them depart, and looked at Kurama. "You were right once again, my friend. A descendant of the Dragon Clans, and a Psychic. That…is a bad combination to be enemies with."


The blue fox had been lounging on one of the white leather chairs in the posh room as the humans drank and chattered. "Of course I was right." He said, his telepathic voice filling the room. "My premonitions always come to pass. You, of all humans, should know that."

Percy joined him on the couch, and petted his fur again. He gestured to the brushes he used on the tails, and they floated over, grooming the lovely blue fur, mussed from the earlier battle. "I'm surprised you let the Luxray win."

The fox snorted. "I did not. He caught me by surprise. But we will Battle again, that much I know."

His owner raised a brow. "Oh? Another vision? Does that mean our would-be Heroes will be victorious?"

The fox smirked slyly. "Perhaps. I never said his Human would be using him." The fox yawned, drifting slowly to sleep. "Truthfully, the next series of events is…muddled. Anything could happen."

Percy sighed, still brushing his fox. "I don't care anymore…I just want out of this damned prison." He gestured at the wall then, and it lifted, revealing the ceaseless storm outside. He longed for lovelier vistas. Like Alola. Oh, how he'd missed the sun.



Somewhere over the Jhötunn Forest - Norstad Region


Caleb Pravus tapped his pointer finger in mild irritation. "Anything?"

"No sir!" One of the ship's pilots said immediately. No doubt spurred by his new blackened eye. "This forest appears to have no trace of the Fairy Aura either."

Pravus swore, and the entire bridge of the ship held its breath. Upon leaving the strange half-breed's tower, their Prophet had begun swinging at anyone who was in reach. Naturally, that had meant the entire bridge crew. They all had fresh bruises, reminding them of their leader's ruthless power. None dared speak against him, though. That would ensure their families disappeared. Quietly. Without a trace. They were expected to take his brutality, and smile. For the glory of Arceus and his Prophet.


"Enough of this." Pravus snarled, standing, and moving to the front window. He scanned the area below himself. A massive forest, surrounding a massive mountain that was separated from the rest of the region by an equally massive river.

They had checked the forest south of this one as well, and extracted information from the locals, who had been resistant, at first, until his Darkrai made itself known. They had said that if anyone knew where the 'rainbow hart' was, it would be the Jhötunn miners who hunted these woods, fished these rivers, and mined this solitary peak that loomed over the area. He was getting sick of mountains, and thus far, the woods were devoid of human life.

"Is the analysis of the culture complete?" He waited to a count of five before snapping his fingers.


One of the bridge techs spoke up nervously. "Yes, my Prophet. It seems to be a blend of the lore you'd expected, and mythology from some ancient culture called the 'Norse'."

"And? Is integration possible?" Pravus turned his head slightly to glance at the technician.

He stood up straighter, and Pravus decided to hold off on beating him. "Unlikely, sir. The people of this region are uneducated, isolated, and wholly devoted to these entities they believe walk among them as friends, guardians, and…even lovers, apparently. It would take a full-scale Inquisition to establish a useful foothold. Given the lack of available resources and infrastructure, it wouldn't be worth our time."

The Prophet nodded, returning his gaze forward, and the tension bled from the bridge. Slightly. "Infiltration it is, then. Who or what are these barbarians most likely to open up to?"


He heard the blonde-haired man once more examining his computer, and allowed him a minute to gather more information. One minute stretched to two. Then three. He sighed.

"U-uh…let's see…the patriarchal figure of their beliefs is someone by the name of…Woden, Odin, or the Allfather. The titles are interchangeable. It says here he has an eye-patch, a spear, and is flanked by all manner of beasts." The tech spoke hurriedly, knowing he'd pushed the Prophet's patience. The information they'd extracted had been high in quantity, but details had been scarce.

Pravus sighed once more, and shook his head. "No. I'm not limiting my vision, and spears are so…easily broken."

There was more clacking of keys on the board, before the tech spoke again. "Here's something. A figure by the name of Shor. Also known as Thor. The son of Woden. It says he's clad in heavy armor, wields a hammer that sparks with lightning, and is regarded as the ultimate warrior-hero. Something the locals greatly approve of. He's even known to, supposedly, wander from village to village seeking a worthy battle. He's the 'favored deity' of the peasants, and a few even see him as a King…or something. It's not clear...but there's mention of some sort of 'great hall'."


The Prophet looked down at the woods again, and sighed. "Fine. It will do. Load the Kecleo data." He turned to the pilot. "Set a course for the other forest. Try to find our people, and stay unnoticed. I don't want those damned birds taking another ship down."

He pulled up his PokéPad, and transferred the data on his newest persona. The macho fire-and-blood type wasn't really his thing, but this was Norstad. It was inevitable. So be it. The Articuno riders no doubt knew exactly where his quarry was, and for all their power, they were still barbarians. They'd fall over themselves to let the 'mighty Shor' speak with the beast. They might even let him drag it away without a fuss.

For the first time since arriving in the frozen hellhole that was Norstad, Pravus allowed a smirk. It quickly faded as he heard the voice of his lieutenant. "My Prophet, we've received a comm from the Dominus. It was text only, and marked for your eyes alone."


"Send it." Pravus waited patiently as this new message made its way to his personal pad. He turned as he read it, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the pad tighter. A black aura surrounded his body, and the feeling of imminent death permeated the bridge. For all who were not him, all they could feel was the ever-growing, creeping terror, a chill on their very souls that indicated their mortal lives were about to be snuffed out.

Very rarely had he gotten so angry. Very rarely had anyone survived seeing him in such a state, but this time was different. He needed these pawns. Fornia was on the other side of the planet, and reinforcements were not coming. He exhaled slowly, and the cloud of black miasma that crept from his mouth floated harmlessly into the air, dissipating.

"So…Unova's Champion continues to nip at my heels…and now Kalos' newest has joined with him as well, and has befriended the riders…Samson…" The man in question, his lieutenant, still recovering from the undiluted fear he'd felt, blinked twice before answering.

"Y-yes, my Prophet?" He even threw up a shivering salute, fist to heart.


Pravus grinned, only his eyes now radiated that terrifying color, but it was enough. "Send the word to Headquarters…kill the Unovan nuisance. I care not how. I am through being lenient…" He turned again, glaring out the window as his will was done.

He would avoid the intrepid Trainer, for now. This was a mission for stealth, and Unova's newest 'hero' had an annoying tendency to interrupt his plans. None of his agents in the Swamp had reported back. Bradley, the only one to make headway with the Sage, had vanished, and the signal from Ghetsis' frigate was offline, and had been for days now. He had been the one in charge of making sure Redwood stayed occupied and frustrated. Once more, the aged criminal had failed. If he wasn't dead yet, he soon would be, but his Shadow Triad minions would continue to be useful. Upon saving their beloved master from crippling madness evidently brought on by a combination of age and losing to not one but two teenagers, the shadow beings had been awed by the Prophet, and he had shared with them the identity of his true patron. Despite the return of Ghetsis' competence, more or less, the Triad's loyalties had shifted to a man who was not unlike them, and had much bigger, and likely more successful, goals.

Few Pokémon Trainers had been so irritating in so short a time, but that was why he had assassination squads, and Doctor Ein, to keep the kids with potential from ever becoming Trainers. His death squad was composed of Trainers who had traveled through each of the Fornian satellite states, beaten their gyms, earned their badges, and trained their teams. They would eliminate the pest posthaste. But before he could savor Redwood's head on a plate, he had to play dress-up. Pravus left the bridge then, eyes returning to normal, as he descended and strapped on the Kecleon Belt.


It modified his appearance in looks and feel. Within moments, he was clad in iron and leather armor that hid his face well under a full Skiddo horned gray helmet, and a square-headed hammer appeared on his waist, covering over the black baton he used on especially deserving subordinates. He grabbed it, testing it out, and it sparked as he swung it. Good enough, he supposed. He sat then, and waited patiently as the stealthed ship shot over the mountains, back towards the 'sacred woods' the fliers evidently defended.

All he had to do was beat Redwood to the prize he had no doubt the greedy Trainer also sought. Once he had the Life Pokémon, he could easily depart, and nothing the trapped 'Fairy King' could do could keep him from departing with his prize. There were things to do back home, and Fornia would provide a sufficient barrier from any more Redwood interference.

In truth, he was surprised there was interference at all. Gilroy Redwood had been flagged as a potential enemy, and any relatives of his that were found to have serious potential had been labeled 'incompetent' as Trainers years ago. The only one to receive such a label had been this very boy. He had no idea how he'd obtained a Trainer ID anyways, but it didn't matter now. The order had been given. There was only one punishment fit for those who meddled with the Prophet's affairs.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 18: The Way of the Hyper Voice



Hrothofkiin – The Seidr's Isle, Norstad


On the Seidr's Isle, there is an order of men, rather than Pokémon, who make their home in the volcano-riddled hellscape and use the power of their Voices to keep the elements from annihilating their fortress. It is known, as Hrothofkiin.

Pokémon do inhabit this fiery island. Species like Magmar, Magcargo, even a smaller breed of Charizard, but they take little notice of the humans within their midst. Indeed, most have no idea what humans even look like. This balanced ecosystem of fire and ice is one of the last places on the planet free of human meddling.

In this high fortress among the volcanic peaks of flame and ash, the 'Graybeards' as the locals call them, watch over their homeland of Norstad, from one of the three highest locations in the region, the other two being Ymir's Wahlom, and Valaskjalf, the home of those who ride Articuno.

It is as their nearest and greatest of volcanic peaks erupts, with a fury they've not seen in generations, that the Graybeards consult with the two elder members of their order. Koraaviik, the only man known to be able to read the Dragon Scrolls, and Zuwuth, the leader of their order.


The assembled men, all gray, bearded, and cloaked in similarly colored gray robes, bow to their leader. Zuwuth's Voice is rarely heard, for he rarely speaks. His power is truly fearsome, but today, he must speak. Luckily, all those assembled can withstand the power of his Voice. For a time.

"My brothers…" He says, speaking the tongue of Dragons in but a whisper that causes the innermost chamber of their fortress to shudder, and shake loose dust and rock, "The Fairy King has passed on his knowledge of the Voice…to an outsider…and it has awoken something… something perhaps better left...asleep."

A few of the younger and not-so-gray bearded men murmured softly to each other, but the elders continued to listen. "Hush." The command from their leader filled the room, and silenced all other tongues with his thunderous whisper.


He spoke again, once more in soft and hoarse tones. "The Scrolls have been consulted…Koraaviik senses not malice from this outsider, but hope. For our people. For the future. Clad in the bones of dragons...he brings change wherever he goes. This is only part of what the Scrolls foretell. Koraaviik believes that now, where the Scrolls become vague...is our best chance to positively influence...this new Speaker. If we do not...the power of his Voice may unbalance everything. According to what we know...he hunts a foul presence, recently come to our lands. You have all felt the presence I speak of."

Indeed they had, for a brief moment. Pure, undiluted anger, rage, fury, all backed up by a power that, to their finely honed senses, had seemed utterly foul. "For this reason...this outsider must be brought here." Zuwuth continued to speak, and the soft, but powerful reverberations of his Voice continued to shake them all. "He must be taught our Way. His Voice must become stronger, for this outsider's presence has been noticed by more than just us. The World Eater stirs once more...and we must venture to the mainland to give what aid we can, preferably before He rises again."

The bearded men shared several looks, and then, as one, nodded, and waited for their leader to appoint someone to leave. They did not leave often, and did not do so lightly. The people of their land had a tendency to worship them as minor deities because of the power their Voices had, something none of them wanted, but admittedly enjoyed. While it lasted. Always, they returned to Hrothofkiin.


"Koraaviik shall fetch him." The murmurs started up again, largely in protest, but Zuwuth cut through them once more with the power of his authority, and his Voice. "Koraaviik has yet to leave this place...but there is none more skilled in our Way. He will bring this outsider to us as quickly as he can...and then we shall test his Voice."

The murmuring stopped. There was a reason only twenty or so Graybeards existed. They rarely recruited, and often, those they did recruit would be torn apart in this very test. The applicants needed to survive the unbridled power of four Voices for as long as they could. The minimum was thirty seconds.

Only Zuwuth had lasted longer, though how long exactly, nobody knew. He was a private old man, and kept to himself. Often, applicants would barely last five seconds, and be torn apart by the sheer power of their better's Hyper Voice. That was simply how it was, and the people of Norstad knew this. Yet every year they came regardless, seeking power. It was their way.


This stranger, whoever it was, would likely die if tested so quickly. The fact that Zuwuth knew this, and proceeded anyway, was odd. Their order valued all life, an unpopular opinion in Norstad, and thus they thoroughly disliked testing applicants. Often, the masters who did the testing needed months to recover from the sadness of losing a promising pupil.

This was a stranger, though. A foreigner. It was likely that only a few would feel sadness if he failed. The universal dislike of outsiders pervaded even here, in this fortress of tolerance and ancient knowledge.

Koraaviik departed then and with his Voice, tamed one of the Charizard in the nearby volcanic areas. Though they were small, due to a lack of berries, their forms were actually capable of diving into the freezing sea, for what they truly lived on. Fish. Like most Charizard, their tail flames could handle being under water, for a brief time. This offshoot's tail's burned even in the water, making longer dives possible. Their wings had also adapted to cut through not only air, but water, and would not freeze.


They were strong fliers as well, for often they had to range many miles from the island just to find enough fish to satiate their hunger. Koraaviik's mount had been forced to aid him, but in appreciation of the strength of his Voice, agreed to bear him for as long as his journey lasted. The Charizard of the isle often did this when the Graybeards needed to leave, as they were the only local species with wings. They didn't mind, provided they were fed.

Koraaviik had seen the nature of this new force of change within the Dragon Scrolls. Once they'd been returned from Unova's Elite Four history specialist, who had deciphered new passages about future events, he had been eager to meet the hero described, face to face. Zuwuth had, at first, denied him. But his skill at Tinvaak was unmatched in their order, and finally, the aged elder had agreed to let him go. He hadn't been back to Norstad's mainland in decades. He was eager to see his home.

A sound like thunder boomed for miles as the seer and his mount approached the fierce winds surrounding the mountains between the island and the mainland. The wind stopped. The snow halted. His Charizard flew through, unfazed. The Pokémon had sometimes seen the powerful humans stop volcanoes with their voices. Wind, by comparison, was nothing.



The Revak Feykro - Norstad Region


After several nights of sleep while Alex and Jess crossed the incredibly vast, barren tracts of icy tundra, Alex finally felt better after his encounter with Percival. Indeed, at that very moment, as he rode atop Shruikan's head, he felt wonderful.

He could feel this new power, and whatever it had awakened, eager to push forth. To be used. But both he and Jess had agreed that until he knew what he was doing, he shouldn't try using the Hyper Voice.

The desire to do so anyway burned brightly despite this. He was like a spoiled child on Festivus Eve, staring at a large present that he had an inkling about the contents of, and wanted to enjoy. He wanted to shout to the heavens in this new, strange, tongue. Just to see what would happen. But he resisted, and patiently rode on. Bad things tended to happen to those who just blindly jumped into using new powers and Alex had read enough comics to know better. That didn't curb the temptation, though.


After two days of hearing his thoughts, Jess was rather sick of reminding him not to start using this new power. They'd agreed to go and get Connor, before trying to find out where Xerneas was. It made sense to visit the Articuno riders first. They had implied they knew where Xerneas was after all. Pravus would likely seek them out as well. Probably in a disguise. It's what Alex would've done, in his situation, now that he was evidently stripped of Yveltal.

Finally, Shruikan brought his riders over the 'sacred woods' they'd stumbled onto previously. The downed airship was all but buried in snow. There was no sign of human life. Alex swore quietly, and continued on. If Pravus had beat them here, this could get a lot harder. Shruikan circled the downed ship thrice before skirting around the eastern edge of the woods.


They flew slowly, obviously, unthreatening, or as unthreatening as a black Salamence could be. Alex had even tried taking the helmet off, only to discover that it wouldn't budge. None of their glamoured armor would, it seemed, unless they needed to relieve themselves. It seemed they'd be wearing it forcibly until they brought Xerneas to Percy. The lack of freedom to copulate would speed their journey considerably. The 'High King' had read them well.

Alex's neck hairs rose as they flew further alongside the edge of the forest. He could feel eyes on them and more than one Articuno could overpower Shruikan. He'd hit them as well though, with an electric attack, before they plummeted to an icy death. The clouds were always stormy in this region, and his electric bolts were quite strong. To attack the intrusive dragon was to ensure fainting of all parties, and a likely fatal drop for their riders.

"Jess…you should join me up here, and do the talking. I get the feeling they don't care for men, and right now, I look like a local." He sensed her amusement at his mental words, and Shruikan slowed again, as the woman floated up to hold onto the free head spike, limned with her deep scarlet pinkish aura. They could both fly true, but Tao had warned them ceaselessly, almost to the point of madness, that they were not to, under any circumstance, waste their power.


Small tricks like glowing eyes were easy. Flying, especially for Alex and his larger form, wasted too much energy at the moment. Jess had a smaller build though, and thus could fly whenever she pleased. In terms of psychic power, she had gained an advantage. Her Delphox had favored her, and Arthur was bound by the Swamp Sage not to teach Alex any more until he was told to do so.

Not long after Jess joined him upon Shruikan's larger head spikes, a pair of Articuno gracefully arced down to them, and flew on either side of their dragon. He eyed the Articuno, as they eyed him, ready to attack if provoked. Though as they saw the ferocity of the dragon's gaze and the sparks around his intimidating fangs, the birds seemed to drift away, slightly.

They spoke the tongue of Norstad, and for the first time, Jess was glad Alex had pushed Percy into sharing it with both of them. It had seriously affected her lover, enough to make him too exhausted for copulation. Even though he'd recovered now, she still had suspicions about Percy, no matter how well he made a Sunrise.


"Hail, strangers. Why are you flying in this region?" The blonde haired female rider on their right had spoken first. The left rider, a severe looking woman with raven hair, simply stared at Alex, and he gave a slight nod. The severe expression lessened slightly from outright disgust to cold ambivalence.

Jess answered, as they'd both mentally agreed she was the one being addressed. "Well met, rider. We fought alongside your clan at the airship by the edge of the forest. We've come to see my brother, Connor."

Alex and Jess shared a look as they saw the blonde woman blush. Her stony demeanor melted in an instant, and she looked almost shy. "Right…Connor…right…he's umm, this way." The Trainers shared another look as the two riders pulled ahead of their dragon, who sped up to match them. Shruikan knew if he lost sight of them, this mountainous area would make them hopelessly lost. He had no idea what Norstad looked like, he'd seen no maps, and his Trainer hadn't thought to ask for one.


Thankfully, he kept pace easily. They banked up, suddenly, and Shruikan followed, every bit as graceful. At least to Alex's eyes. They could both sense Jess watching the birds, and felt how badly she wanted one. She didn't know what one had to do to acquire such a partner, but she was so very willing.

The two riders paused at the edge of a sheer cliff, and waved them over. The three looked down, and took in their first view of the rider's home. "Welcome…to Valaskjalf."

Thus far, Norstad had looked like a frozen wasteland, acted like a frozen wasteland, and felt like a frozen wasteland. It was cold. Barren. Cold. Icy. And cold. Alex sighed in relief as he felt the warmth coming from below, and spied the source of it. Hot springs. A village full of lovely Legendary Bird riders, and they, even now, were bathing in hot springs.

Jess punched him, hard, as she knew where his eyes were wandering, driven by instincts older than their race. While the women below were indeed as lovely as their icy mounts, he knew they couldn't compare to his love. Even if their 'endowments' put hers to shame, he was glad he didn't feel any temptation to try to seduce one. Partly because he guessed how that would go, but mostly because Jess was all he needed and he refused to even contemplate an action that might ruin things with her. He didn't care about size of 'assets', either as by this point he knew how to handle her body. After so many days of camping in icy caves he was tempted to find a secluded hot spring for them, but that wouldn't happen, so long as their damned armor didn't come off.


He just smirked, looking up from the mostly steam-shrouded ladies below to meet Jess and her eyes. "Connor must not want to leave. I can't say I blame him."

Unlike the rest of Norstad, Valaskjalf was nestled in a lush clifftop valley of green grass, trees with leaves of gold and red, and below, in the depths of the fjord it occupied, was a massive black lake, dark and foreboding. Both he and Shruikan felt their gazes drawn there.

Their view was interrupted by the massive form of a white Articuno flying up in front of them. There was a screeching sound as the Articuno's rider brought her spear up to Alex's neck, covered mostly by the horned dragon bone helmet. His staff, which was now disguised as a Greatsword, had caught the spear, and the weapons shivered as they pushed against each other.


"Lokra! Stop! We're allies!" The spear lowered at the sound of his voice, and the words of the dragon's tongue. The ice and electric attacks that had formed in their mount's maws faded. Neither had wanted to take the first shot. Lokra, however, never hesitated.

She eyed him for a moment, then smirked. "I know those eyes. You're the Trainer. An…interesting outfit you've chosen...and you know our words, too...so quickly..." The massive white bird flapped backwards, twice, and was over the village again. "Come! Your friend awaits!"

The large bird arced then, swooping back down into the village, where Alex finally got a sense of scale for it. Next to Iizlokraan, the buildings were quite large. She was too big for most of them, though, as he got a sense of her size against fellow Articuno as well. They seemed to be thriving here, and he was glad places like this still existed, even if there was a bit of a confusing bias towards men. In fact, looking around, he saw exactly zero males, but every woman he stared at too long seemed to glare back at him.


They landed soon after Lokra did, and much of the villagers, entirely women and small children, who were also female, stared at the massive black Salamence in their midst. Some murmured whispers of Alduin, and Shruikan finally asked who this Alduin was, according to these humans. Alex gave him a mental explanation of what he knew of the character, but warned that there was likely more to it. Reality always had more to it. If a dragon type had earned that name even from humans who flew on Legendary Birds, it had to be formidable indeed.

A nugget of Percy wisdom floated up from his brain then, and he shared that with his dragon. The people of Norstad often used many names for their gods, demigods, and Pokémon of importance. Alduin's other names, ones not influenced by Percy's nerdiness, would give more clues as to the dragon's nature, though, Alduin the World Eater seemed to sum him up in the local's eyes.

Jess spoke for them, only half paying attention to his mental words. "So. Lokra. What has my brother been up to, exactly?"

The aged woman smirked, hopping down from the lofty perch her mount had taken. "See for yourself." She led the way into the largest building, one that had steam leaking from the roof of it, and with one look inside, Alex knew they'd found the center of this village.

"And that's how we recombined the three Legendary Dragons of Unova into One Dragon, and brought about a new golden age for our people." Connor's voice wafted out nearby, and Alex smirked. Someone might as well use that line. He didn't need it.


There was Connor, his friend, half nude, and surrounded by a spring's worth of similarly un-clad women. Many didn't even have clothes on, and the steam did nothing to hide any of it. Looking up, Connor saw the fuming face of his suddenly-brunette sister, and the smirk of his rival, underneath what looked like a helmet straight from a video game that he too was quite familiar with. "Oh, Muk."

The girl's attention suddenly shifted towards them, and Alex crossed his arms, staying silent, and hopefully imposing. His instinct said to let Jess talk here. This was clearly a matriarchal society, and he didn't want to know what they did with the males of their tribe. Historically, such villages never had very humane methods used for regulating the gender not in power, and as pretty as the village was, this was still Norstad. Everything was earned here, including reputation, and often done so through violence.

"Making maps are we, brother?" Jess walked up to the edge of the spring, which was still the natural rock that it had formed in. The villagers had built around it, and carved it a bit in certain places. Being a main spring, this one had depictions of Articuno all over it.


Connor laughed, scratched the back of his head, and shrugged. Alex had rarely seen him in such good spirits since their reunion. He'd been edgy, short tempered, and sharp tongued. Apparently steam and breasts had returned him to something resembling his younger self. "Yes, well, there was no need for a map. After I rescued Billy, there was nothing to really…do…until you two returned. So. What did I miss in the giant freezing wind vortex?"

Jess looked ready to chew him out some more, when her brother snapped his fingers. Gren appeared, suddenly, and judging by the gazes of the many women in the spring with him, they were impressed.

Gren offered an egg to Jess, not fooled by the illusion around her, and she stared at it as it began to shiver in her hands. A crack appeared on the shell, and she looked slightly panicked, thinking her touch had somehow ruined an egg, until she looked at the women sharing the spring with her brother for guidance. The girl's faces had gained smiles at the sight of the egg, their eyes wide with wonder. This was expected, then.


Realizing what was likely about to hatch, Alex put a hand on her shoulder, and told her his suspicions, via their link. She grinned. No one on record had ever seen a baby Articuno. No one, on record, had even seen a Legendary Bird egg, let alone a hatching one. The sound of lovely chirping filled the immediate room, and the shell didn't last long as it glowed a bright white, before a small burst of icy breath split it apart, shattering it into tiny frozen chunks of ice.

Like her kin in this feminine paradise, the little female was a lighter blue than the Articuno seen in other parts of the world. Each talon stood unsteadily on Jess's hands as the baby bird met her Trainer's lovely eyes. She chirped happily, and lifted her damp wings towards Jess' face. Her Trainer didn't seem to care that the baby was covered in egg juice still, they nuzzled each other, and knew their bond was permanent. She named the baby Articuno in the tongue of her homeland. Folokraan, or Fo, for short. She pressed a blue and gold Luxury Ball to the little Pokémon, and it dinged shut almost immediately. The bond was cemented.

She let the baby out again immediately, and it chirped, happy to see her again, and now suddenly more dry and fluffy than damp and gooey. It was a lovely sound. Jess walked out of the hall then, completely forgetting her brother as intended, and onto the unoccupied wooden walkways that surrounded the main hall of the village, and allowed its inhabitants to traverse it by foot. Not that many of them walked.


She pulled out her Froslass, and showed her the Articuno. Then, Jess asked Lassi to consider staying in this place, to train, and live. There were signs all over the village about missing daughters, but nobody seemed to be investigating them.

Lassi looked around at the entirely female paradise, and then at one of the posters. She nodded. Using her powers over the night, and over the cold, would likely overwhelm whoever was stealing little girls. This village was, also, beautiful. She could spend eternity looking at it. It truly was the ideal place for an icy, female ghost to spend an afterlife.

She looked at her Trainer, and then her Articuno. She would be safe with a Legendary Bird by her side. Her voice was light and airy in Jess' head as she floated away into the paradise. "This is where I shall spend my eternity. Thank you, Trainer, for bringing me. The Snorunt will always be your friends."


Jess turned to find Alex behind her, watching the ghost float away. "It's quite an honor, you know, to be allowed to spend your afterlife in Sovallah. This place…this is the hall that guards the gate, according to Percy's lore."

Jess and the adorable little bird stared at him. Alex had a feeling the hatchling understood them perfectly. Jess spoke then, "I don't know about you, but I don't see a hall…I mean the village is nice, but it's not exactly Thor's Hall." She knew the legends as well as he did. They both could trace at least half of their lineage to Germania, a land known for worship of the 'old gods'. They'd been stamped out, buried, lost to time, and then recovered, but the stories had never left. With the recovery of the Old Net, they had simply regained their old names, which was fine, for the 'gods' in this area of the planet had always possessed many monikers.

Alex found his gaze drawn back to the ominous lake of dark water below the village. "There's...something off about this place. You deal with Connor. I need to...look around." He'd been feeling a pull towards the lake below the village since they arrived. As if something in there demanded to see him. Shruikan felt it as well. Exactly as his Trainer did. It was a call to the dragon, and one who would call himself such. A challenge. He knew it then, as he watched Jess with her newest, and now fluffiest, party member. Percival's gift was calling to one of them more than the other. He'd altered or awakened something in Alex that simply hadn't happened with Jess.


He stepped close to Jess then, and lifted his helmet, effortlessly. His eyes snared hers for once, and they kissed. The helmet came back down by itself once they'd parted, and he winked at her. "Train your new partner. I have a feeling this is going to take a while."

With that, he raised a fist toward the heavens. He spoke the tongue of the dragons. "Rise."

Shruikan's massive form shot past him, and he grabbed a head spike as it did. He climbed atop the dragon's thick neck, and the two flew out, slowly, over the basin below. Their senses tingled as they spied hundreds of icy, watchful eyes from the Articuno above.


As they hovered over the lake, Alex sighed. He saw the telling shimmer of massive white feathers, and Lokra, upon her mighty mount, descended to their level. She spoke in the tongue of Norstad as well. "I thought I recognized your armor. It is not what you wore last time, Unova Champion."

Alex nodded. "I went to see your High King. He gave me this outfit, and the...title of Dragonborn." He turned so she could see his cape, and its symbol. "Apparently it's in my blood. This...Well is calling to me…I must face it."

Lokra regarded him for a long time. "The High King…pagh…fine. If Oberon thinks you are ready, by all means, awaken Nidhogg."


Alex tilted his helmet-horned head at her. It seemed Percy also had other names, so he let that slide, and instead asked, "Sorry…Nidhogg?"

Lokra nodded. "The dragon we sometimes call Alduin. The World Eater. He Who Sleeps At The Foot Of Yggdrasil. Go on then, Dragonborn. Summon him with your Voice!"

Alex looked down at the well's churning, black waters, and nodded. Lokra ascended, and raised her hand. The riders, and their mounts, began to sing. He let the breath build within him as he prepared his Hyper Voice. His first Hyper Voice.

He didn't know what he would say, and as he hesitated, he noticed something. A small flame, coming fast over the mountains to the west. Only one flying species had a flame-tail like that, and Alex let the breath go. That Charizard was coming straight for him. He decided to wait.


The song faded as the fiery tailed intruder soared down beside the bone-covered Trainer, and his black scaled partner. As the song started to pick up again at Lokra's command, the man upon the smaller Charizard's back opened his mouth.

Thunder boomed. The air itself shook, and any trace of the song the riders had been singing faded under the force of his power.

"Not. Yet." The old man said, his voice echoing through the fjord. The very air shimmered between himself and Alex as they locked eyes.

Alex nodded, and looked to Lokra. She swooped down to them, saw the man, sighed, and then flew up once more. "Sisters! The Graybeards come to interrupt our challenger. They mean to train him before the test commences." She turned to the old man. "You have two weeks. That is how long Nidhogg can wait for his meal, now that he has their scent."


With a grunt that was more of a snarl, the gray-robed man motioned for Shruikan to come along as he and the Charizard took off. Alex looked at Jess, finding her easily despite not having the hair of flame to catch his eye. He nodded, and she did the same.

They would stay connected, but it wouldn't be as…intimate as a connection was when in close proximity. That had been one of the first tricks Alex had asked Tao to teach him properly. Jess had asked as well, and he'd finally relented. Tao had also generally refrained from giving Alex too many advancements where his psychic power was concerned, as he was well aware the Sage was teaching him, but communicating across thousands of miles was useful, and, the dragon had surmised, necessary for Norstad.

Shruikan followed the smaller Charizard until they came over the stormy peaks of the western mountains, sometimes referred to as 'Alduin's Wings'. The sky darkened, and the man on the Charizard began to speak.


An approximation of his face appeared in the clouds as they rode along, and Alex just stared, impressed.

"This is the only method by which I may speak without a whisper…"

His words boomed for miles, but luckily, this was Norstad. Nobody was around. These mountains were deadly, and inhospitable.

"I understand." Alex said in a more normal tone. Shruikan was next to the Charizard now, and the bearded man's ears would be able to hear him without having to shout. "Can you tell me how to use the Hyper Voice?"


The old man looked at him for a moment, and then Shouted. A wave of Unrelenting Force pushed against Shruikan, and while it hurt, his flight was uninterrupted. Alex and his dragon shared a look.

"I guess he doesn't understand." Alex smirked, and looked back at the bearded man with sunken eyes as he reached for his own power, inhaled, and finally Shouted as he chose three random words, "Dovah! Nagah! Qo!" His thus far suppressed Voice harnessed the power he and Shruikan had at their disposal, dragon, psychic, and electric. The Sediidah, or Threefold Attack.

Shruikan channeled the summoned power as Rayquaza had against Groudon, and unleashed a Hyper Beam level move. The man and Charizard were blown away by the Taijitu move as the three energies combined into one intensely powerful attack. To Alex, it seemed that the long hours of endless training under Tao had finally started paying off where it mattered. In battle. It was also useful to know what shouting an element's name in this tongue caused. Shruikan had taken command of that summoned power with ease.


Zuwuth hadn't appointed Koraaviik the Scroll Reader for nothing, though. His Charizard was damaged, but was revived by a whisper from the old man. His gray form bent slightly, and the Charizard was fully healed once more, almost instantly.

They faced off again against the dragon and his equally fearsome rider. The clouds spoke once more. "My apologies…Dragonborn. You are as the Scrolls have foretold. Forgive our… skepticism. The Fairy King Oberon is devious and sly."

Alex simply nodded. It made sense that men like this would fear Percy. The gray cloaked and bearded man was dual typed, as normal and dragon. The inherent fear of fairy types was ingrained in all dragons. Not because of their cute, fluffy, adorable shapes, but because of their total immunity to dragon energy, which as a rule, could bind or enhance the other types as its wielders saw fit. When he'd asked the First Dragon why Arceus had decided to make his most powerful creations weak to such fluffy, but rather rare creatures, he'd simply rumbled something about humility, being brought down a few notches by Arceus, and had moved on with his lesson. In human form, Alex had first hand experience of how irritating such energy could be. He was after all, at that moment, encased by a glamour that would not come off. He'd lifted his helmet by pure instinct earlier, but hadn't actually expected it to move.

"Oberon shared his knowledge of your Speech with me, and the knowledge of Hyper Voice. Combining the elemental energy of combination Moves is something I've long since mastered." Alex let his eyes flare with his psychic power. "Go ahead. Test me. And when I pass…you share your knowledge of a particular ability…"


A single agreeable boom of thunder answered him from the clouds, as the face disappeared. The Graybeard and the Trainer flew on, back to the fortress of Hrothofkiin. As they landed, the clouds darkened to signal the speech of the Graybeard, but Alex paused him with a tap on his shoulder.

He gave Shruikan a nod, and had him continue on behind the fortress. Alex guessed there was probably a training area back there. The fortress shook as the massive dragon landed, and as the inhabitants of the fortress rushed to the main chamber to investigate the shudders, they came upon a sight straight from legend. They had all heard the scroll-read prophecy of how the next dragon-blooded human would appear.

A figure clad in the bones of dragons, his brothers, who his Force had overpowered, would come to the summit of this fortress, and shake the island to its core with his training in the Voice.


Zuwuth stepped forward from the crowd of men, and Alex faced him down, standing several inches over him, as he did with most humans. He opened his mouth, and requested a taste of his Voice. Traditionally, that would be his shouting of Force, which was essentially what a regular Hyper Voice attack was, but Alex had tapped into another word he knew quite well, thanks to Koraaviik.

Yol.

The small wave of flame that appeared from nowhere singed the bearded man, and Alex chuckled. The fortress chuckled with him, as Shruikan found the little human's reactions amusing. They thought themselves powerful because they had learned an old trick of the dragons.

His kind had legends of Nidhogg too, and the mocking tone of his downfall in these human's songs irritated Shruikan. Humans always knew just enough of the truth to be dangerous. They couldn't all be like his Trainer, it seemed.


Zuwuth eyed the shaking fortress suspiciously. Then looked at Alex again. "You are the foreigner the Fairy King has shared our knowledge of Hyper Voice with…I admit your Voice is powerful…" He paused as Koraaviik whispered to him. "Yes. Right. Quite powerful. Oh?"

He looked at the foreigner again, his face as unreadable as a cliff side. "Let the Trials begin, then."

Four Graybeards, Zuwuth, Koraaviik, Arngeir, and Bjorn surrounded him, and as one, unleashed the power of their Hyper Voices. And with it, they awakened something that, until that moment, had been mostly asleep within Alex. Alex looked down at himself as the smoke and dust of the shivering fortress obscured him for a moment. The sheer power these men were producing with this attack appeared, visibly, as waves of air, and from four directions, they slammed into his form relentlessly. More than that though, their Voices were empowered with draconic energy, something his own Shouts hadn't had.

Yet.


Despite their power, he was unhurt. He stood before the unbridled power of four trained Hyper Voices, and didn't flinch. Instead, his eyes flared, and the familiar deep blue glow of his aura deepened into something else entirely, becoming a potent mix of blue and purple. His irises retained the light blue of his psychic typing, but the power of dragons was surging within him, and radiating off his larger form. The overwhelming presence he was giving off as he mentally pushed the change further almost overpowered the men responsible for testing him. There were limits yet to break with this energy he thought, as he clenched a glowing fist with immense satisfaction, but for now, this would do. It was power enough to rival Pravus, which was what he was still after. Tao's training promised to keep him alive, but this awakening power might just be enough to cage the bastard.

He blinked, and as he looked down, he couldn't deny it anymore. It had been staring him in the face, really, throughout his journey. Dragon types always seemed to have a connection with him. He could even, technically, breathe fire now. Soon, that ember would become an inferno, in a form akin to a Flamethrower. Gone was the normal typing common to almost every member of his race that his psychic eyes had seen. To his eyes, he was part dragon, part psychic now. He'd never seen a human with anything other than normal typing, and wondered what that meant for him.

He eyed his skin, but no changes were visible. As far as he knew, he would appear normal amongst humans. He felt he could tap into this new power though. Push it to its limits. Who knew, perhaps he'd even gain a proper dragon form. His granduncle had investigated rumors of people who could change their shapes into those of dragons. It was a myth of Draconid tribes from foreign lands, but it had ended in disappointment, and with the assumption that such things simply weren't possible.


As he looked around the chamber, Alex realized all sound had vanished. The fortress still shook, as the Graybeards focused their power on him, and he stood in the midst of it, unfazed. Shruikan's voice echoed in his skull. "Finally…I knew there was power akin to mine in you. I knew it from the moment we locked eyes…Dragon and Psychic…hmm. You will be strong, even among our kind…few are able to combine those types together."

He thanked his draconic brother, and as the old men ceased Shouting, for they'd done so for roughly a minute by now, their leader stepped forward. "You are, indeed, Dragonborn! The blood of the Clans flows within you!" He said, shaking the fortress with his proclamation in the tongue of the Dovah. "I dub thee Dragon of the West…it is an honor to be in your presence."


As their leader bowed, so too did the other bearded men. "Alok." Rise. Alex said the word, and it rippled through the gathered men. None could deny that his Voice had serious power…but it still needed training and refinement.

"Come." Zuwuth said, turning and heading for the courtyard. "We begin your training immediately." Koraaviik had informed him of what the Dragonborn had started, and they had little time to waste. Every few hundred years Nidhogg would awaken to try to break his ancient prison. Each time, the Articuno riders of Valaskjalf were able to lull him back to sleep with their own Shouts. In years past, they had begun to summon the Graybeards to help them. His last attempt for freedom had taken the lives of Lokra and Zuwuth's predecessors.

"Brother…you might want to see this…" Alex heard Shruikan's voice again as he headed up the steps within the fortress, to the doors leading to the back. Even the design of this temple was uncannily similar. His suspicions rose as he sensed his dragon bow his head to…whatever awaited them outside. That was strange. Shruikan had only ever bowed to Tao.


As Alex joined the Graybeards outside, they looked up, startled by both the huge, black scaled Salamence, and the figure it was bowing towards. Arcing through the ash-filled sky was the green form of the First Rayquaza.

"So." His own Voice thundered in the sky, clearing it of smoke and ash. "I see you have found my home away from Unova." His mouth moved as he spoke the language of Norstad better than Alex did, as if he'd been born to it.

The Graybeards had all bowed as well, but the Dragonborn walked towards the large dragon, smirking. "It's been a while. How is Brad's-"


"There will be time for that laterrr." The Rayquaza snarled. "You have set into motion events you cannot understand. Because of this, I must train you far sooner than we had intended."

"Y-you intend to train him, master? Personally?" Zuwuth asked, daring to look upon the jade colored dragon.

The Rayquaza nodded. "The training of his Voice will be left to me, and me alone. You are strong, for mortals, but you are not worthy of the name dragon. Not yet. Shruikan, join us." A giant green paw enveloped Alex as he stepped into it.

The great dragon then arced into the sky, and headed for his home on this island, the biggest volcano, recently erupted. It was also close to the fortress. Within the volcano, in the lava below, which glowed blue for some reason, not red, was the resting form of the red Rayquaza that Brad had tamed. It was still injured, as the battle with Groudon had been somewhat recent.


Once they landed, the Rayquaza looked them over, and nodded. "I see. The Original Dragon trained you. That makes some sense. In any case, you were not supposed to learn of this for several years yet…you've only just acquired Psychic abilities. But now the power in your blood has woken up…and in turn it has been noticed by Nidhogg. Know that the World Eater enjoys the taste of Dragonblooded Humans. In the past, he traveled far and consumed many of them. The Draconids never completely recovered from that, as a people."

The massive green dragon brought his eye to their level then. It was as tall as Shruikan. "You have shown remarkable restraint, control, and prowess already…Dragonborn…" The large dragon chuckled. "I hardly even recognize you. You've changed much in the space of a few weeks."

Alex had to agree. He'd been expecting to relax with this time away from the Swamp. Not that he minded getting stronger. His team was full of powerhouses, and he knew that he was the weakest link in it. Oranguru had said as much, but had refused to make him stronger. Now, in some ways, he'd made up for his weakness.


Alex met the dragon's eye, nodding. He could see the similarity to Tao's. Not in color, for none had the golden eyes burning with inner light like Tao possessed, but in the very shape. This Rayquaza, more than any other, was as close to a copy of the First Dragon as one could get. Others had been formed from their surroundings, like Brad's, and had taken on different subtle attributes based upon which mineral essences they formed from. This one had evidently been a piece of Tao himself, and like the dragon, did not require a female to procreate.

"Train us." Alex said in the tongue of their kin, "Teach us to use this power."

The dragon eyed the two young ones, and smirked. "Very well. Let us transform your Hyper Voice into what it was meant to be. The Strunzul. The Storm Voice."



Valaskjalf, Upper Cliffs - Norstad Region


The armored form of Shor, the God of Thunder, looked down upon the village below, and grinned. These women were notoriously…eager…when powerful male strangers visited. Or so his sources had said. He would blend in quietly, and work his way to their leader.

As he walked into the first inn he found, the eyes of every female rider there stared at him. He walked up to the counter, smirked, and said, "By Woden's saggy left testicle, give me some Nord Mead."

That brought on a familiar drinking song, and he proved he could 'chugga'mugga'mead' like no mortal could ever hope to. In short, he blended perfectly, despite his choice of character. The intel about Shor sometimes visiting the taverns of Norstad had proven accurate. Several weeks passed and the season slowly shifted to the heat of spring in the small village, while the rest of Norstad was still entirely frozen. Jess didn't mind it though, her 'Lil' Fo' kept her quite comfy when it came to temperature.


There had been some hesitation when Connor suggested the villagers give his sister an Articuno as thanks for him giving them many daughters. The village's seeress had eventually agreed to his skillful persuasion. She was the only one he'd been denied carnal access to, to keep her 'pure' or something. Apparently, like most ancient cultures, these riders valued the preservation of 'innocence' that they attributed to certain aspects of the female genitalia.

With her golden locks, she was easily one of the loveliest women around. She was a strong fighter, too, and often she and Connor would spar for roughly eight hours at a time with his team facing her Articuno, and the other members she'd added since meeting him. He would be lying if he'd claimed that he hadn't been interested in the seeress. He'd had more than a few partners in the days Alex and Jess had been away, and like any breathing male, he'd enjoyed himself. The whole situation had gotten stale quickly though, as he realized that, while the riders enjoyed themselves, reproduction was regarded as necessary, and emotions were kept out of it. It was hard not to feel like a dispensary after the twentieth such visit, gorgeous as his partners were, they did have a tendency to openly tell him, to his face, what his role was, and how they viewed him for filling it. It was just as he'd been tiring of being a reusable seed bag that he'd met her.

The seeress was different, for out of all of the women he'd had the pleasure of speaking with, she'd actually regarded him with more than lust, and had proven to be as skilled at battling as he was. Jess had explained, poorly, the thrill she got from sparring with Alex, but Connor hadn't quite understood what she'd been referring to until he battled the seeress. Judging by the looks she'd given him in return, the attraction was mutual, but custom kept him from pushing their dynamic further.

Then, 'Shor' had appeared, and his golden-haired beauty had been stolen away with little more than a glance and a pointed finger. Connor was furious, but none of the elders seemed to care. One did not deny a 'god' his desires, and it was well known that Shor needed a wife. From a legal standpoint, Connor was an outsider, and worse, a male. He was for reproduction and genetic diversity in the clan, nothing more. He had no voice.

After his threat to simply stop procreating entirely, they'd given him an egg, and said that if it hatched for his sister, she could keep it, provided she raised it for two weeks around the village, to learn how to properly handle a Legendary Bird's care.


As time passed, Connor grew to have doubts about this Shor character. Like his sister, and Alex, he had learned the old stories as well. They were the myths of their ancestors, carried on by songs. Those mythical beings had many names. Shor also went by Thor. Woden was sometimes Odin.

This Shor acted nothing like the character portrayed in the legends. He was dark, brooding, and clearly hiding something. Connor was not alone in his suspicion. Lokra suspected this figure as well. He was far too interested in her daughter, the aforementioned seeress, who she'd skillfully paired with the strong Trainer for a reason. She knew men well, as she knew her offspring, and the taboo denial would only, eventually, result in a vigorous, and likely fruitful furthering of their bloodline. Someone would have to replace her eventually, after all. Iizlokraan would need a new rider, and someone else would become the Konaar Boiik. Despite the expected pairing with Norstad's favored god, the seeress avoided Shor whenever she could, and Lokra kept him from their sacred spaces, declaring they were very much for women only.

It was hard to deny him without offending his divine authority but the more they interacted, the more Lokra was sure that this man had taken Shor's visage through some kind of magic. Unlike her fellows in this region, she knew what technology was, to a point, and knew what modern technology could, theoretically, be capable of. If this was the case, then it was heresy, and even more of a reason to not embrace technology.


Lokra was one of the few to have actually seen Shor before. While this pale imitation made a good visual recreation, it lacked the thunderous power the true being emanated. She did not have the words to describe a holographic projector, but she could smell Bouffalant stool a mile away.

Finally, when she had kept him from her daughter for as long as she could manage over the course of several weeks, Lokra challenged him. "Mighty Shor. If you have truly returned to us to rule in Woden's stead, open the Gates to your Hall, and the Life Pokémon." That, had got his attention, and he asked to be reminded of the exact procedure required to open the gate. He didn't want to mess up. Pravus also acted quite drunk at the time, but that wasn't unusual for Shor.

Shor had stood once he heard the relatively simple steps involved, and nodded, then walked outside. He had sensed the growing power of the presence in this place over the weeks he'd stayed here. He had a feeling subduing it would lead to what he truly sought. The Shadow whispered to him, telling him that what he needed was right here, in the village. He was too obsessed with his prize however, to fully heed what it was telling him.


What looked like storm clouds surrounded him then, and he floated out over the deep lake. The riders watched, but Lokra stayed perched, shaking her head as her proclamation rang through the fjord. "Nidhogg does not want this one. He wants the Dragonborn that was promised."

Pravus looked at the elderly chief, and noticed a small Pachirisu chattering to her, on her shoulder. It then ran away, disappearing into a crack in the ice her mount perched on.

She grinned, continuing. "He says this one has an aura that would taste foul. Nidhogg desires a Human with Dragonblood."


Shor looked at the Well, fuming. He couldn't just whip out Pokéballs as the God of Thunder. He only had one option. He drew his hammer, and pitifully small sparks of electricity played over it. They had impressed in the taverns, but right now, he needed more. More his belt simply could not provide.

A familiar Voice cracked the air over the fjord. "If the World Eater wants a Dragonborn…he shall get one!" Thunder boomed, and then, riding a bolt of electricity down to the disguised Pravus, Shruikan appeared, carrying the large dragonbone armored form of his Trainer.

They pulled to a stop in front of him, but held off on attacking. He was still Shor, God of Thunder…for the moment. Shor gestured to the Well, but Alex shook his head. His Voice reached every rider, who like before, had gathered on the cliffs. "I would dishonor myself and our hosts by taking a God's sport from him. By all means, summon the World Eater, mighty Thor." At his words, Lokra had the riders begin singing again. Their song quickly filled the fjord.


Pravus stared in disbelief. He knew that smirk. He'd faced this human before…but something was different. Just different enough for him not to realize who was playing the part of hero. For the moment. It was as the look of recognition came over his now-helmetless red-bearded face, that Alex Shouted, "Al! Du! In!" Destroyer. Devour. Master. Thunder boomed as the fury of the three words echoed into the water, and unbound the World Eater.

A dark chuckle echoed through the fjord. "Heh…heh…heh…ahst laat…" A pair of truly enormous wings lifted out of the well, and as they rose, they expanded, darkening the sky as the leathery appendages unfolded. Rayquaza had warned them of the World Eater's size, but he'd left out just how gargantuan he really was. Massive serrated black scales made up his crest, which like Tao's went from his curled horns pointing upwards all the way to his tail, which seemed more like a mace. The waters of his prison glowed an icy white blue with the rider's song, but the World Eater ignored it. He was not going back to sleep, this time. This time, he was free. A Dragonborn had undone his binding.

The rider's song faded as they realized not even the magic of old could cage this dragon now. He would either be defeated here, or once more rule over their land with a scaled fist. His power had, after millennia, finally built up enough for this. The Dragonborn whelp would help him regain what he had lost over the eons, or bring his doom.


Every aspect of him was black. Wings, scales, everything but his eyes, which burned yellow, and seemed to spark with electricity. He was a Black Salamence, though his similarity to Shruikan ended there. Massive plates of hardened, jagged scale covered his gargantuan body, from snout to tail tip. Even the wings were edged with razor sharp spines, though the leather parts of the appendages remained free of such scales, indicating that the World Eater could likely fly. Air filled the massive classic draconian wings as they pulled his titanic girth from the bowels of Norstad. Alex surmised they'd probably changed to accommodate their host's incredible size.

The fjord shook as the beast's head rose, and then, after four thunderous booms from each clawed foot, the dragon was standing in the well's water, finally free of his icy prison. The fjord was barely big enough for him anymore. "Go ahead, mighty Shor!" Alex let his voice carry. "Show us all the power of Woden's own son! Mjolnir can handle the serpent!" His words reached everyone watching, and as Shor remained motionless, murmurs began to rise. The true God of Thunder would never hesitate to battle his nemesis. Or battle in general, really.

Shor was instead staring down Alex as he hovered in the air, fists locked in what was undoubtedly white-knuckled fury. Alex smirked at him. After several weeks of training, he could do many things with his Voice now, and not all of them had to split the sky with thunderous power. Those kinds of Shouts were, admittedly, his favorite though. He could also sense the mad mind of Pravus, or rather, the dark absence it left in reality. He was not the only dark typed human, but each human who acquired that typing gave off their own personal 'wavelength' of darkness and Alex recognized his. It was hard to forget after their encounter on top of the PNN building.


In a desperate attempt to stay in character, Shor twirled his sparkling hammer, and shot towards Nidhogg. It was like trying to take a brick wall down with a small coin. His 'hammer' bounced off the dragon's snout harmlessly, and it didn't take long for the dragon's massive black paw to swat him into a nearby building.

Alex saw Jess and her Articuno, who was almost half her height now, head for the ruined building. She knew Alex had a plan, as right before arriving they'd psychically shared information, amongst the feelings of joy now that they were close again. Now she played her part: keeping the disguised entity that was probably Pravus, or some other Arcean, from slipping away.

With the nuisance gone, Alex turned to his own part of the plan. Subduing Alduin so that the way into Uppsalir would be open once more. Permanently.


Before he could act, the dragon turned his gaze up, and snarled in the tongue of dragons. "For your words, you will Die!" His roar shook the entire mountain chain. In this instance, his fury was well justified. There were two last lines of defense for Valaskjalf, a Braviary, and a Talonflame, a pair of birds charged with guarding the gate and the lake by Woden himself.

Over the years, they had, naturally, become bored, and had convinced a Pachirisu to ferry messages to the trapped Nidhogg for them. Or be eaten. The electric squirrel had done as it was told, but the contents of what it had said to the caged dragon, via electric shock, was always antagonizing, infuriating, and mocking in nature.

In that moment, the Pachirisu in question had fled when it realized Nidhogg was going to probably be free soon. The pair of birds had only seconds to cry their rage at the betrayal before a blast of lightning obliterated them. They had been told Nidhogg was actually doing fine, trapped beneath the water, and was grateful the birds bothered to speak to him at all in his solitude. They had been wrong in their assumptions, and now the Pachirisu in question was nowhere to be seen.


His millennia long irritant disposed of, the dragon turned his focus back to Alex, and the other Black Salamence that dared to challenge him. Another amused chuckle filled the fjord, and the dragon pulled in his wings. They still blocked out most of the sky, for Alex, but keeping them extended constantly was unnecessary.

His words shook the entire fjord as two gargantuan yellow eyes stared them down. "You are the Dragonblood? Ha! I thought you'd be bigger…"

Alex looked up at the massive dragon, arms crossed. "I could honestly say the same thing. The songs say your wings 'darken the sky', but from what I can tell, you could maybe block the sun for a few miles. If that."

The dragon snarled. "Ignorant worm…I am the Night!" He puffed his chest up, and roared again. Everyone and everything held their ear orifices as the dragon's furious Hyper Voice raged through the area.

Alex waited until he was done, unfazed. "You are the night, hmm? Impressive, considering this is the land of the midnight sun. You are aware it doesn't set at this time of year, right?" His Voice echoed in every ear gathered, especially the dragon's, the hate filled eyes focused on him, and his smirk, as he stood arms crossed atop a smaller version of his own kind.


There were chuckles from the surrounding village on the walls, and the dragon glared at the human females. The World Eater's Voice needed no enhancement to be heard, but somehow, this gnat's words were just as loud. The dragon snarled again. He'd had enough Tinvaak.

Alex and Shruikan had been waiting for the very moment his eyes narrowed and began to spark again. They zipped up, high, and Alex Shouted down at the still land-bound dragon. "Come, wyrm! Your destiny is upon you!"

Alduin's massive wings flapped downwards, and the concussive blast tore apart several of the houses near the water. He flapped again as he gained air, and every thatched roof in the village blew away like dandelion seeds. His head turned towards his prison, and his Shout was heard for miles. "Viidost! Praakem! Fonaar!"


The well of water bubbled, and then, slowly, the heads of thousands of Pokémon began to break the surface. Arbok and Ekans, though they were dual poison and ice types. They dwelt in the lowest parts of Norstad, preferring to hunt in the dark, but over the long centuries, Nidhogg had become a source of warmth and life for them and his Shadow was only too eager to corrupt them, as well.

Then he had left, only to call them to the surface. The day had finally come. The gate would open, and the snake's rage would ravage the land as much as their draconic master's.

"Blaze Kick!"

As the first slithering intruder crept forth from the Well, it found itself facing down a flaming foot, which fainted it easily. In large numbers, the snakes were unbeatable, but there was only so much room on this shoreline.


Ardor flipped back into the line of defense on the fjord's beach as his opponent fell, and pounded his chest as he stood side-by-side with Gar, and Sophos, the Alakazam. Being the Champion of Kalos, Connor was more than capable of handling a swarming mass of poisonous, icy snakes.

As the eternal light of the midnight sun shone down on them, more than a few slithered back to the water, rather than faint. They lived underground, and the light was irritating. As was the heat from the fire ape. Their master did not notice however, for the massive dragon had followed his dinner into the clouds.

Only then did he realize his mistake. Norstad's airspace was always full of dark, snowy clouds that never completely stopped dumping snow on the region, and today was no exception. Even over Valaskjalf, they were present. Though the steam from the village was one of the few places that melted the snow before it ever came close to its inhabitants.


Given his massive size, Nidhogg had long since lost the rapid speed and maneuverability most Salamence had, but there was another advantage Shruikan and his Trainer had that the large dragon did not. Mega Evolution.

The dragon's eyes widened as he saw the smaller dragon change, and grow considerably stronger, and faster. "What!? No! How has a mortal gained such power!?"

The clouds lit with his fury as he fired a Charge Beam, but it might as well have been moving in slow motion against the smaller, faster dragon, who barrel rolled out of the way, and responded with his own mocking roar, goading the beast further as he followed them.


As the apocalyptic battle raged above, giving only brief glimpses of the massive dragon's form hidden within the clouds as it discharged another Charge Beam, the snakes of the Hvergelom began to slowly overwhelm Connor, and his three defenders. The cleverer ones had slithered up the rocks, and the less clever ones had followed. The cries of Articuno filled the air as they joined the battle, and pelted the snakes with their Ancient Power.

Jess stood beside Folokraan, glancing at the two battles. Alex could use ice against a dragon, but Connor needed all the aid he could get. He was already burning through elixirs. Jess looked down at her newest partner, and then nodded. There was really only one choice they could make in a situation like this.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 19: The World Eater



The World Forge – Mountain Adjacent to Hrothofkiin, Two Weeks Earlier


"Show me what you already know. Let me taste of your Voice, Champion of Unova." His Rayquaza's semi-mocking tone echoed throughout the volcano. For some reason, Alex could not sense the Legendary Dragon, and it made battling him much more difficult. Even Shruikan could not follow his stealthy movements through the smoke-filled magma chamber.

The inside of the volcano was largely obscured, and had Alex not spent so much time around smoke, both from the Leaf and a certain super powerful dragon, he likely would've coughed himself raw, but it didn't seem to bother him. Whatever the Graybeards had done had changed him, it seemed. He was eager to test his new limits.


Suddenly, Alex's vision shifted, and he recognized sight through Leo's eyes, which cut through the obscuring smoke, and were all but immune to trickery. Alex gave the mental equivalent of a glance to his Luxray, who preferred to keep his eyes closed and napping.

"Teach me this 'dragon-tongue' of yours and Shruikan's. In return for my Sight Beyond Sight." Alex rolled his eyes. He was really nicknaming his ability. He wasn't the only team member to do so. Blaze echoed that he wanted to speak it as well. The fact that he couldn't speak the language of what his own species supposedly was, was irritating.

Arthur wanted in as well, and soon the entirety of their team had made their wish to understand this strange tongue for themselves known. They had second-hand knowledge of what was going on in this region from Alex's interpretation of what he saw and shared, but it wasn't enough.


Eventually, Shruikan caved to their wishes, and shared with all of them, the trick many dragon types used to make themselves seem Legendary. Not the Hyper Voice, but the very words it used to shape reality. Tao informed Alex that he would be drawing on his knowledge of this tongue as well. It was a strangely familiar power, but it was also new and unexplored. The Dragon's Tamer could only imagine how the white scaled behemoth was using this new power. He found it odd that the Original Dragon did not seem to recall his own species' language.

Alex glanced at his disguised staff, wondering if what he sensed about Tao, and this language, was true, but he put that thought on hold for now. Tao could wait, his patience was literally infinite. It was good that he focused, for as his eyes had moved, distracted by his internal shenanigans, Rayquaza had decided to strike his distracted pupil, and his Dragon Tail, limned with purplish-blue energy, came hurtling towards Alex.

He was reminded of Lizardon's attack, and had a feeling the similarities were purposeful. Using his borrowed visual prowess, he dodged the tail, which seemed to move in slow motion to Leo's vision. It really was almost unfair how much slower everything else was to him these days. No wonder he napped so often.


His eyes tracked the Rayquaza, and as requested, he unleashed his Hyper Voice. "Yol! Toor! SHUL!" The Rayquaza raised his brow at his pupil's choice of words as a torrent of bright flame, on par with a Flamethrower, not an ember, hit the dragon squarely in the face.

He was singed, clearly, and even had small, but still irritating burns. So much for fire not harming dragons. The burns healed instantly, but the dragon was still impressed he'd even needed his regenerative ability at all. Every human he had trained over his long life had always started with small Voices.

Then again, he realized, he had never actually properly felt the Voice of a true Dragonblooded mortal. They were rather rare. He'd been in their presence, but none had unleashed their power on him. It sent a chill through his ancient bones, bones so similar to his apprentice's attire. This power, unchecked, could devastate his fellow dragons. It had before. He grumbled inwardly. Tao had been right, the Sages were indeed crucial to dragons, and every other living thing on the planet.

They kept events like that from ever occurring again, trusting that their powerful human pupils would not, if put in a true position of leadership, abuse the powers that set them so far above most of their kin. Oranguru had told the green scaled dragon, on his latest visit to the Swamp, of the human from Unova and his potential, and so far, he had been correct. The human showed no signs of dark temptation. Yet.

He was calm, easygoing, sarcastically witty, and clever. When he needed to be. His use of this newest power would be a truer test of his right to rule. Dragonborn always had an inborn desire to lead. Power was intoxicating to them. That did not always end well for them, and more than one empire had been founded by such a person across the epochs. The lineage of the Draconids may have been shattered by Alduin, but their bloodlines continued all over the world as a result.


"Good. Very good. You understand the nature of Fire…" The dragon eyed his pupil and Alex shrugged, smirking.

"I had the Graybeard who collected me share his knowledge of stringing a few particular words together…though, I knew what these, when combined, would do." The dragon raised his scaly brow further, and Alex chuckled once more. "Well…it was more like an educated guess."

The dragon stayed silent, hovering in the air as he usually did, resting on his coils.

After several long minutes in the sweltering heat of the volcano, he finally spoke. "I see." The ancient Legendary Dragon took another long pause, during which he sighed. Heavily. "That silly game has prepared you already, somewhat, but you must have noticed by now. The reality of using the Hyper Voice is a bit different, isn't it."

Alex nodded. The first chance he had, he'd tried breathing ice, electricity, speaking words of death, combining words of death into three-word Shouts that, in his experience, were devastating. Many had not worked. The few that did either did something completely different, or didn't have a visible effect.

Moreover, there were words in Norstad's tongue that he simply didn't recognize the origin of, though he knew the meaning. Many times, as he'd mentally examined his new vocabulary, he had noticed that there were often two words, with identical meanings, but were definitely not rooted in prior languages, like so many other languages were. The most universal was 'Common', originating from Galar, but it was standard practice to teach youngsters the language of their homeland as well as Common. In Unova's case, Common was the only tongue they had ever needed.


Tao's voice echoed in his head again. "When your kinsmen worshiped me, and followed my guidance to govern them, they too spoke the dragon tongue…my memories of that time are…still clouded."

Alex focused on the dragon, as he was being unusually talkative. He'd sensed Tao's thoughts, more or less, through their bond, and this 'dragon tongue' was naggingly familiar to him, and bonded as they were, Alex could tell he did not like this gap in his knowledge. "I shall help you gain clarity…when I return."

He heard the Tao's chuckle echo in his skull. "If you return. You've stepped in it this time, apprentice." The human's unease swelled, but the First Dragon continued, "But, you are more or less prepared…or you will be, once Rayquaza trains you. Listen well, do as instructed, and you will find Victory again."


The large, coiled green dragon sighed again. "You are not the first Human to have some prior knowledge of this power, but you need to listen, and listen well. This is not the Shouting you know, forget everything you were taught by your fantasy world. The real one is quite a bit different and if you continue blindly with guesses and improper verbiage, you are going to kill someone."

Alex stared at the dragon in return for a moment, and then nodded, deciding to trust Tao's advice as well. Neither of them had steered him wrong. He regarded Rayquaza again, and for the first time, sensed just how much stronger the dragon was. He was a dragon type now as well, but Rayquaza was far older. Wiser. And his looks matched his typing. Alex still appeared as a normal human, albeit one in heavy bone armor.

Alex bowed in the Unovan style, fist to palm, towards the dragon. "Teach me properly. Master."

The dragon grinned, and acquiesced.


Over the next several weeks, Rayquaza began molding the flood of knowledge Alex had gained, giving it the structure of an actual language. The difference between learning this one and, say, Japanese, was that after each lesson he could use these new words in varying combinations. Between that and repetition, his Hyper Voice grew stronger at an alarming rate. The Graybeards would have feared such rapid progress, but Rayquaza had other fears. Nidhogg, Alduin, The World Eater, this being had many names even amongst dragons. Even with such rapid progress, he feared it would not be enough to stop the prehistorical calamity that had been sleeping for so very long now.

It was through this ancient tongue that Arceus had imbued his dragons with the ability to manipulate their world with ease that no other Pokémon type had. With naught but their Voice, they could stop natural disasters, provide water for humans and Pokémon alike, even heal. Evidently, the humans of old had also discovered it at one point, but thankfully, none had possessed the power of Hyper Voice needed to activate the Words.

The Hyper Voice, when empowered with draconic energy, had the ability to manipulate the other types, provided there was a source for them. This also included fairy energy, though it was unwieldy, and natural sources of fairy energy were extremely hard to find, well guarded, and typically immovable. Alex had then realized that his crystals could serve as such sources, and just like that, he felt the need to collect the rest. He knew he'd eventually need all of them, but had put them from his mind when Tao warned him of greed.


With this great ability, the dragons of their world had kept the peace, devastated violent armies bent on conquest, and had even battled against the Successor's minions. But few of those yet lived, and those that did, did so in prisons no mortal was likely to find.

Unless they gained knowledge from a fairy king and flew to one such prison that happened to have a village around it.

Alduin was another subject of his training, for the human had blundered onto him, and the imprisoned dragon had finally sensed a source of raw, unrefined power that he could use to regain his own. Even when newly awakened, Dragonborn had immense power buried within them. Alex had felt it during the long hours of training under Rayquaza. The dragon warned him that his newfound strength was indeed finite, but even after hours of Shouting, he felt he could do more, if he needed to.


To better prepare him against his foe, Rayquaza gave the human and his team a crash course in history. Not human history, full of holes, inaccuracies, lies, and agenda's, but history as viewed through the very eyes of the Sky Guardian, and his kin, over uncountable years.

He started, with Giratina. Ever since the discovery by humanity that the white Arceus both did exist and were actually clones of the true Arceus, which presumably resided within his own dimension, the rumors and legends around the ghostly dragon had only increased.

Some said he was the destroyer, the opposite force of Arceus, who brought creation and life. That could only mean Giratina was the harbinger of death and destruction, surely. The truth was much more complicated, and as they were short on time, Rayquaza gave the young human just enough to whet his appetite for the full legend.

Arceus was as much a force of destruction as he was creation. He did as he pleased. He was the Alpha. From him, he had created Guardians, or as humans called them, Legendary Pokémon. There were twenty-three other such powerful Pokémon, or so Rayquaza said, each coming from a piece of Arceus' infinite power. Despite some being older and some younger, they were all more or less matched when it came to power, but all fell short of Arceus. Twenty-three beings on Tao's level was still a lot to grasp, but Alex filed much of this information away for later. His Gruncle would love it.

Giratina had been designated the Omega, but instead of being created last, had spent much of the early ages of creation as a valued, loved, and trusted friend of the masters of reality, time, and space. Then, came his betrayal. For reasons Rayquaza had glossed over, despite loud protests from Alex and his partners, Giratina had been imprisoned.


This imprisonment came with a cost, however. Beings that held that kind of power were not so easily un-made, as Arceus soon learned, and thus, an entire dimension had been created to imprison Giratina. From there, he could watch as creation grew ever-brighter. That hadn't been enough for Giratina though, Rayquaza had said, so he had used his dimensional prison to his advantage, infecting one world after another with the essence of his new power, acquired after falling from Arceus' good graces. Shadow energy.

All throughout creation, aberrations had begun appearing. Pokémon sometimes turned inexplicably dark, enraged, powerful, but the cost was high. Their very minds were warped by this new force, and often, those infected with the Shadow would eventually fade back into the nothingness from whence they were created. Some Pokémon possessed the ability to cleanse them, but they were usually on par with Legendary Pokémon, and as such, weren't commonly found. Much like their creator, they required long naps to keep their power from fading entirely.

This Shadow energy was not like the dark type energy some Pokémon had, and such Pokémon were not, automatically, drawn towards those with evil intentions. In reality, it was the very antithesis of existence. Anti-matter. The domain over which Giratina claimed lordship, for not even Arceus could handle the volatile substance with ease. With enough anti-matter, ghost energy, and dark energy, one could manifest the Shadow's power. The Aura Guardians of the past had abandoned such research when the Shadow had started talking to them, but the not so wise had listened eagerly, and grabbed at power as soon as they had the chance.


Nidhogg was, in Rayquaza's own words, a 'unique' situation. As a Black Salamence, he had been extremely strong, especially amongst his own kin, and like most dragons with such an advantage, had come to rule over them. Norstad had, once, been green and lush, with marshes, ancient forests, and fertile coastal islands.

A human wielding the power of Giratina had come then, and through trickery, infused the black dragon with Shadow. Unlike the Arceans, this wielder had known what she was doing, and thus, the Shadow and the dragon had become one, a perfectly closed heart that science still could not quite replicate.

Nidhogg, then named Alduin by the locals, had entered into an unstoppable frenzy of raw emotion, a true tyrant, a second tyrant, for he first appeared not long after Arceus had Judged the primitive human warlord from Norstad, his Tyrantrum, and his army of bloodthirsty conquerors. Up until his infusion, Alduin had killed the humans that tried to slay or tame him, but otherwise let them go about their insignificant lives in relative peace. Dragons did not often concern themselves with the opinions, or lives, of humans. Many in that age had considered them lesser beings, hampered by their mortality.

Not long after Arceus returned to his rest after losing his Tamer, Rayquaza had been tasked by Tao with helping to put Alduin down once it had been devised that the Renegade's Shadow had infected him. Indeed, forces from across the planet had united, at the Sage's behest usually, and the battle had been epic…but costly. Norstad had become a frozen wasteland after that conflict. Xerneas had gone to sleep, expending her remaining energy to save her land from becoming entirely desolate, and the Dark Times began in earnest.


Alex had been eager to know more, but his mentor would not budge. The rest of that tale was too long to speak of at the moment. He knew what he needed to know about Nidhogg. Now, he would gain the power that might suffice against his weakened, imprisoned form.

Rayquaza warned that even with the Strunzul, or Storm Voice, Alduin was unlikely to be an easy opponent. He was not at his peak, but each moment he spent free of his cage would see his dark power restored. This would not be a battle to the faint. There was only one outcome now.

In truth, they had simply not possessed the strength to end Alduin back when he was first imprisoned. He had been too unstoppable. After millennia in the Hvergelom though, he might have been weak enough for a Dragonborn to handle. Taming, subduing, and in unfortunate cases, slaying, was something they were literally born to do. A counter-balance to the dragon's powerful Voices, so that one evil minded dragon did not dominate humanity with no hope of ever unseating such a beast.


Slowly, Alex began to grasp how to properly wield the dragon's tongue, and with that understanding came a new level of strength. The entire fiery island had quaked as he practiced his Hyper Voice, and eventually, even the sky thundered at his words. That was when Rayquaza had deemed him ready.

The red-orange scaled Rayquaza, now somewhat healed after a few items from Alex's bag helped stabilize him, had vacated the pool of blue lava in the caldera known as the World Forge. Rayquaza claimed to live here, but Alex didn't entirely believe him. His mentors were sly, and the details they gave about themselves were usually lies to avoid the question entirely. He didn't know what the Rayquaza was avoiding, but mountains were large, and he was well familiar with just how many caverns they could have.

The two dragons circled the volcano's peak, and once more, the Graybeards had gathered in their courtyard. Something was about to happen, they just did not know what, exactly. "Step into the lava." The green dragon's voice echoed in his head, and Alex nodded.


He would've stripped, but aside from his helmet, his armor was thoroughly stubborn when it came to removal. He'd found that it would shift when he needed to badly relieve himself, but then it would reform shortly after, and once more be unmovable. As it was, he'd left his bag with Shruikan, as well as his belt.

His team watched him now, from the relative safety of the circular rock ledge surrounding the pool of strange blue lava. Whatever this was, he'd said, he would face it alone. He'd kept his staff however, and it still looked like a greatsword, strapped to his back.

He'd expected heat once he stepped into the pool, but was instead met with a tolerable, invigorating warmth. "You know the Words." His Rayquaza thundered. "Use them."


Alex glanced at the sky then, and inhaled slowly, then exhaled. Using this attack, he'd learned, required near-perfect breath control. Something he'd long since unknowingly mastered thanks to his shenanigans with the Leaf.

He drew in a deep breath then, and the clouds darkened. His Rayquaza smirked. It was time. Alex's trained Voice rocked the skies. "Naal viilut do dii sos, faal Strun Du'ul engein wah zey!"

The clouds parted with each word of his Hyper Voice, forming a circular hole in the stormy gray clouds. Then, from the center of the hole in the dark clouds, a massive bolt of pure white lightning shot down, striking his form. As his mentor had instructed, he called upon both his psychic and dragon power for this moment. It was a good thing he had, for his form was still very much susceptible to that much raw energy, and being torn apart by it.

He looked down as the pool glowed bright with a fierce bluish-purple color, electricity sparked over it and his own body, and Alex lifted his head to the sky again through the massive pain he felt, and endured. A torrent of dragonflame erupted from the volcano as his human yell became something much deeper, a true roar that ended in fire.


He looked down again as the pain subsided and his shout ended, but aside from a few admittedly cool looking sparks of electricity arcing over his armored façade at various points across his body, there was no physical change. Mentally though, he felt renewed. The long green form of Rayquaza, followed by the red-scaled form of his younger western counterpart, descended to the lava pool once more.

"The Storm Crown has accepted you, Dragonborn. Cherish it, for in these times, you will be challenged for it. Unique individuals are appearing all over the world lately, even in Norstad." Alex nodded, listening to the dragon carefully. Rayquaza was usually not so forthcoming with facts like this. More and more he had a feeling there was some sort of global communication setup used by Sages and other such powerful Pokémon, but he kept his curiosity in check for the moment.

"So what exactly does this 'Storm Crown' do?" The dragon sighed at the Trainer. Humans truly understood little, and always having to re-educate them was tedious. Then again, now, this one would actually live long enough to pass on this knowledge to many generations, but he too would eventually end. Dragons, while functionally immortal, could still be slain.


"You are a newly formed Dragonborn, and while your Voice is strong, it alone is not enough. The Graybeards awakened your potential to wear this, and now that you have it, you can harness the power to bring down the World Eater. Doing so will make you worthy of keeping it upon your head." The large green snake brought his giant eye so close to Alex, it towered over him. This seemed to be some sort of 'thing' dragons did for emphasis in Tinvaak.

"I know of the Sage's reluctance to enhance your psychic potential. Dragons, however, are beholden to no Psychic Type. And you, now, are a dragon as well. As you grow older, this 'crown' will keep your body from degrading. It takes time for Humans to gain the immortality of this typing, and many Dragonborn before you have failed to attain it. Mostly because they tried building an empire too early, and were slain in the name of greed."


Alex looked down, but even then, the giant eye was unavoidable. He started to understand. To dragons like Tao and this Rayquaza, he was a hatchling. All dragons helped younger ones, when they were this small. It was a general fact amongst their kind that their numbers had dwindled during the Dark Times. All newborns needed to be given the chance to fully mature, at least. Where they would live was another matter, but any dragon worth their scales could defend their territory from a young upstart, and if they couldn't, many simply disappeared from the world to pass on quietly, knowing their time was ending. This behavior had been observed by the humans, of course, but none had so far figured out where exactly the elder dragon types went, when their end was upon them.

Once the Pokédex became a standard item to hand out to new Trainers, many of the myths about dragon types had faded. Professor Dracaena, of Fornia supposedly, was the one responsible for discovering most of the new info on them. Nobody knew where her lab was, though, for Caleb Pravus and the Arcean Church had labeled her a suppressive heretic. For Trainers clever enough to find her, it was rumored she gave out rare dragon types.


"So…it makes me immortal? Just like that? I don't think I believe it…" He met the eye's stare, then.

"You were just struck by the natural fury of lightning and lived, unscathed, while standing in a pool of molten rock." The dragon smirked as he spoke.

"Good point…" Alex sighed, and Rayquaza rose again as he spoke. "Moreover, you can now summon the power of your crystals, with naught but your Voice. You won't have to rely on your partner's power alone to fire beams of energy at my Scroll Reader."

As Alex awkwardly chuckled, he noticed six bright flashes from the ring around the pool of lava he still stood in. He smirked. His team had, upon hearing this news, attempted to speak the name of the elemental type they controlled, and the result had been Mega Evolution. Supplying the power for all six was taxing, but not as bad as he'd expected.

No longer did they have to wait for him to connect them to the power. They were always connected, and as long as the Plates were on his person, they could draw from them with the right draconic word. Doing so took far more stamina than having Alex help them ascend, though. Still, it was a useful ability to have, when needed. Only Terra and Blaze had done this previously, on their own, but they'd both admitted it had been pure instinct, and had been unable to do it again.


Alex looked up at the large green dragon once more. "This will likely make us stronger, true, but from what you told me, it took an entire planet's worth of unique and powerful Pokémon to bring Alduin down before. How are seven of us going to manage that?"

The dragon again smirked, and then, hatched a plan.



Valaskjalf – Present Day, Norstad Region


Folokraan and Chari launched into the air, and since Fo was still too small to ride, Jess remained on her almost red Charizard, who even then, mega evolved as they headed towards Alex, and the monstrous outline of Alduin in the clouds. The rest of her team had followed her orders, joining Connor's below against the horde of ice and poison snakes. Both Alex and Connor had warned her to never 'split her party', but she had enough partners on hand to help both of them, and she trusted her girls to do their best.

Delphi alone was making short work of the Ekans and Arbok with her cunning mind. Her flames bathed the cliffs in fire, and when that wasn't enough, she and Gar combined their power to rain fiery meteors on the lake. Along with Sophos, she was also distributing items to those who needed them via telekinesis. With the cliffs out of the fight, the snakes soon found themselves in a very large barrel, pelted from above by Articuno's Ancient Power and hit from the shore by the now reinforced team following Connor's orders. Seeing their tides turn, many fled beneath the water before ice or fire or ground attacks could make them faint. Getting her own stash of healing potions and elixirs had been the first thing Jess had done once she'd left Alex for the first half of her own final semester, and now, the decision to build up her own stockpile was paying off.

As her Charizard took her up into the dark clouds, she came upon a sight straight out of a legend passed down from her ancestors. Many Unovans hailed from the supercontinent, and in the northern parts, full of mountains, snow, and danger, the people had, in the absence of society, reverted to following the beliefs of their ancestors, preserved in stories older than any existing civilization.


It was in this way, with a bit of help from the Old Net, that the stories of the 'old gods' as they were commonly called, lived on. Now, she saw the bone-armored form of the awkward, tall farmer next door facing down a dragon that could probably eat a mountain, and still hunger.

There was something different this time though, and as Jess took a closer look at Alex and his dragon, she sighed. He'd gotten stronger. Again. Just when she finally had an edge thanks to Delphi and Folokraan, he'd gone and unlocked something new.

Then, she saw it with her psychic gaze. His shiny new typing. He'd told her that most humans had normal as a default, and he'd never seen anyone that proved otherwise. Somehow, it seemed, he'd either gained a dragon's power, or awakened what had already been inside. Her own psychic power had given her vision akin to a psychic type's, a useful trick for someone who hadn't memorized the Pokédex. Unlike some Trainers, she'd had a social life, while her brother and Alex spent their days playing games in between bouts of extensively reading Pokédex entries. They claimed it was the best way to study. Given their top tier grades in subjects relating to common Pokémon knowledge, she couldn't really argue.


The plan they'd cooked up rather quickly soon became void as she realized even an ice attack from Fo would do next to nothing against a beast like this. She felt her lover's focus turn to her for a moment, as his dragon continued the admittedly beautiful spectacle of dodging and weaving between Charge Beams that could likely tear apart mountain ranges. With each dodge, a Dragon Pulse would slam into Alduin's face, hitting his eyes or nose. It was full of soft parts, and breaks in the armor that was his massive scales.

"Don't worry, the plan will still work. Find Terra below. Rayquaza gave us a strategy to bring him down, and we're going to need ice." His focus shifted again as Alduin's maw lit up with electricity, and the dragon, enraged, charged at the irritating gnat with enough persistent rage to keep him attacking constantly. Seeing this, Shruikan began flying ahead of him, only outpacing the massive beast thanks to the speed of his Mega Form.

While Jess was initially worried for them, she'd felt better once she'd heard his Rayquaza returned, and had trained his 'voice'. Whatever that meant. She'd tried using Percy's knowledge too of course, but nothing had happened, and the riders hadn't taught her their songs. She looked down again, and spied the three riders that Lokra had left to keep 'Shor' confined. He was, to all appearances, still encased in ice.

Nodding to herself, she took off towards where she sensed Alex's earth turtle was patiently waiting in the cold. He'd been reluctant to come out during this adventure, as he had no desire to experience winter, and while he had Thick Fat to protect against attacks, that did little to mitigate the freezing temperatures of Norstad. He was, after all, still a grass type, and they hated the cold.


While his lover may have been worried about the gargantuan dragon snapping at them now, it was in truth what Alex and Shruikan had been goading the Shadow infused dragon into. Blind rage.

In this way he would hopefully waste his power, enough for their final attacks to bring him down. For once, his belt was empty, as the rest of his team was positioned around a perimeter that was several miles long, and just outside the sacred forest. He'd been leading the dragon from the Hvergelom for several long minutes now, mocking him with his words with each missed bite from the massive Thunder Fangs and Charge Beams. Just one hit was likely to seriously injure both of them but Shruikan was too small for Alduin's slow attacks.

He glanced back again, and the scene had not changed. Alduin was still furious, and still using his Thunder Fang to snap uselessly at where he thought his opponent would be. He was having a hard time adjusting for the speed of Shruikan's Mega Form, and while he was smaller, he was definitely faster. Though, as their course had been somewhat straight, the massive dragon had gained more and more speed. It seemed, in a straight line and with enough build-up, a dragon this massive could indeed still be fast. Alex expected no less of a black Salamence.


Finally, Alex took Shruikan down below the clouds, emerging right over the remains of the Arcean's ship. He felt his team sound off as they caught sight of them, and then felt the numerous reactions to the sight of an enormous Black Salamence descending right behind them from the clouds, attacking with blind fury. The massive jaws snapped shut again with an ominous crash of teeth, but both Alex and Shruikan were focused on getting where they needed to be, as quickly as possible.

"He's using a Charge Beam!" The warning came from Arthur, who had perched in one of the forest's trees. Already in his own Mega Form, as were the rest of them, he began moving towards where he felt the dragon was likely to fall. His role was the most important, for out of all of them, only he possessed a weapon capable of truly ending Alduin's rage. Or so they hoped.

Now only feet from the snow-covered ground, Shruikan turned in mid-flight, and saw the familiar build-up of the move in question. He launched his own Charge Beam into the sphere, and the cancellation of the moves caused an explosion within the beast's mouth. The dragon roared in pain, and Alex spied serious burns on the insides of his mouth. "Hmm…not so fireproof on the inside…noted."


Pained as he was, the angry, hungry, and now wounded dragon slammed into the ground, from his perspective, out of nowhere. He let his left front limb stop his momentum, and as he slid along the frozen tundra, he made giant hills of ice and dirt in his wake. Alduin looked around, and paused as what little of his former self remained stared in horror at the wasteland his home had become. Even when he'd been locked away, it had never been this bad. What little ember of hope had remained for his homeland faded. It was all dead. Buried in snow. Gone. There was no point in holding back anymore.

The dragon's shock was short-lived, as he felt a super-effective attack slam into him. The gnat had launched a Dragon Pulse, rather than use his own electric power against his. If he wanted a battle of type advantages, that was no problem for Alduin. He raised his massive, spined tail and it began to glow with the purplish-blue energy of dragon type moves.

"Dragon Pulse!" The command came from Alex who, atop Shruikan's head, had a good view of the dragon. Shruikan, Blaze, and Chari all responded, and as the Dragon Tail came moving forward, it faltered, and the power faded as Alduin's tail was left minus the power he'd summoned. It slammed into the ground uselessly, as Shruikan once more avoided it.


The dragon's sparking eyes looked around, but failed to find the source of the other two pulses in the kicked up snow and dust. Then, he remembered he was on the ground. His wings rose to propel himself up once more, and then stopped, frozen in place. He looked up only to find his wings lifting into a Blizzard attack, followed closely by three more Dragon Pulses. The attacks tore through the thin wing membranes, and he roared in pain. A quick look at the damage told him he wouldn't be flying for a while. That was fine. These gnats would taste just as good on the ground.

Another Charge Beam lit the area, as the dragon shot in vain at where he suspected his enemies were hiding. The massive torrent of electricity tore a half circle of destruction in the landscape just north of the sacred forest, but Blaze and Chari had kept moving as soon as they'd attacked. Because they had such useful moves, and were ranged special attackers, they were key to bringing this dragon down. Now that he couldn't fly, Alex felt victory was more realistic. When he'd seen the sheer size of the World Eater, he'd been half convinced they would fail, and everyone would die, but now…they had a chance.

As the Charge Beam faded, the Dragon Pulses came once more, from three different directions. Furious, Alduin ignored the other two, and charged the one he could see. Shruikan. Alex and his dragon had chosen their location in his eye line for a reason, though.


The earth shook whenever he breathed, and after millennia of such things, Alduin rarely took notice of it anymore. He flew in battle, and did not fear ground attacks, he'd grown in Norstad, and did not fear the ice, and dragons alone could not hope to outmatch him. Not with the power the witch had bestowed on him. He'd been reluctant to accept it at first, but he could not, in that moment, recall why.

It was as the ground shattered that he remembered the warning of the Black Witch. If he stayed on the ground against clever opponents, he would die. She had seen it. Suddenly finding himself knee deep in rubble, and at least fifty feet below the surface of Norstad's tundra, the dragon snarled, deep and low. Deep as the hole was, his head still poked out of it, and he glared at the smaller Salamence, and his rider who were standing on the new cliff's edge, smirking at him. He was tiring of these games. This Dragonborn had more than one creature at his command, and this fight, while initially in his favor, was rapidly turning.

He saw the earth turtle with the massive Ash Tree in the center of its shell stomp out through the snow, where it was soon joined by four other Pokémon, all surrounding the new pit the turtle had created. It was large, for a gnat, and powerful judging by the size of the hole its Earthquake had caused. But that would not be enough.


Shadows began rising from Alduin's scales, and a purple fog leaked from his mouth. He'd never gotten a chance to truly use the dark powers the witch had granted him, but now was as good a time as any. He would not be imprisoned again, and if he was truly to fall here, he would make the songs of his death worthy of his glorious life.

The dragon roared, and a foul stench filled the air, one Alex, Shruikan, and Blaze were all instinctively familiar with. They'd scented it before, though this was far more…pungent. Lizardon had given off a similar stink…right before mega evolving.

"All of you! Attack! NOW!" Using his Voice rather than telepathy, there was no hesitation. Even Fo joined in with her own Ice Beam alongside the Taijitu swirls of numerous dual-typed spheres of power that were even then slamming into the dragon. Many had a type advantage over him…and yet, they did little to stop Alduin.


One massive black claw gripped the edge of the pit. Then another. The dragon's head rose further from it as well, into the sky, and where once there had been remarkable eyes of pure electricity, there were now only two vacant sockets leaking what could only be described as pure Shadow energy. Rayquaza had been correct then. Someone had infected Alduin with it, and now, he was benefiting from it.

Alex raised a hand, and the attacks stopped. The dragon continued to rise over them. His wings stretched once more, and blobs of shadow filled in the holes in his wings. "Umm…Alex…do something!" Jess' voice filled his mind, but he stayed motionless. They needed perfect timing. There wouldn't be a second chance.

The dragon rose further, and his horned head blocked out the midnight sun of Norstad, blanketing the upturned snowy battlefield in darkness similar, but different from the night's. The dragon opened his maw, and a ball of pure black energy formed within it. Anti-matter.


Basic physics was a staple of any education in their world, and one did not need to be a scientist to know that an attack composed of that many antiparticles slamming into normal ones would create an explosion far greater than one caused by slamming a single regular particle into its' opposite. The ball forming in this dragon's maw could, quite possibly, literally eat the world, and at the very least, decimate Norstad. It seemed the ancient people of Norstad had been quite literal when they named him 'World Eater'.

Alex nodded at Shruikan. Now was the time. He raised a fist and shouted a word, and from the sky, a bolt of white lightning struck and illuminated both of them. "Dragon Rush!" Shruikan shot forward, sparking all over, and limned in the energy of his kind, straight towards the dragon, but as he came close, his trajectory shifted, and the attack shot past the dragon's head with no effect.


Jess stared for a moment, shocked, awed, and then terrified. The attack had missed, and that ball of death was only growing. Yet, all she sensed from Alex was calm, and intense focus usually only required for Taijitu moves…suddenly suspicious, she glanced at the massive dragon's neck, and grinned.

While Alex wished to comfort his lover, and the few others he sensed watching this battle, he didn't have the luxury. He and Shruikan had a part to play, if Arthur was to have a chance. The electricity still sparked over them, and Shruikan held the power.

Then, with a roar of 'Dovah', the smaller dragon shot back towards Alduin. Instead of a Dragon Pulse or Claw however, his fangs were limned with the bluish-purple energy this time. They sank into the scales of the dragon's neck easily, and then, Shruikan's form began to grow. Fifteen feet…twenty…as he absorbed the millennia of built up draconic energy, Alduin rapidly shrunk. Rayquaza had not lied when he said the prison had weakened the beast. Only consuming a Dragonborn would let Alduin's body stay as large as it had been. Now, Shruikan and his rider took a piece for themselves, leaving the dragon withered.


He was still large, almost forty feet tall, and as Shruikan's fangs left his neck, he began to plummet into the pit. Arthur, who had jumped onto Shruikan and then Alduin, suddenly found himself without a dragon to stand on.

That too however, was part of the plan. Sacred Sword alone was not enough…but a Sacred Sword attack from several stories up might be. Arthur glanced at the shriveled dragon below him. He was smaller, his muscle gone, and his skin hung on the ancient bones of his frame loosely. Their eyes met, and the World Eater closed his as the Shadow left him. He knew this was his end. Arthur smirked. His friends had given him a perfect target. Now, all he had to do was let gravity make the hit connect.

He poured as much power as he could manage into his right arm, and then combined the fighting type energy with his psychic power. Neither had an advantage, but Sacred Sword was not a normal move, and the additional psychic power only sped his form towards his target. He was a streak of blue and blinding gold in an otherwise gray sky as he shot down towards his prey with a burst of speed.

He drove the sword home, into the dragon's skull, right between his massive horns, and his Sacred Sword cut through Shadow, scale, sinew, bone, and then brain. With a final, terrible, almost pitiable cry, the World Eater departed from the mortal plane. His last act was to launch the death sphere he'd been building up towards the sky. Eventually, it would connect with something that would spark a reaction. What it met first though, was Arthur's second sword arm. Satisfied that he'd stabbed the dragon's brain, he'd launched himself back upwards at the ball of antimatter and with a perfect thrust, the ball of darkness dissipated harmlessly before the Light.


Alex recalled the rest of his team, save Arthur and Shruikan. His Gallade floated victoriously over the pit, Excalibur raised in victory, as Shruikan landed beside Chari, Folokraan, and her rider. They had all had attacks hit the dragon, the victory belonged to all of them. Alone, they would've surely perished.

As Alex dropped from Shruikan's new lofty height of thirty feet, at his best guess, and landed on the snowy ground with a thump, he felt himself immediately tackled into it by a familiar presence, in feel if not looks. "Forget what I said earlier. I'm glad you got stronger. You had me worried for a minute…"

Alex sighed, relaxing into the snow which, against his otherworldly garb and 'enchanted' armor, felt cool, not freezing. He brushed a brown lock of hair from her face, only to realize it was mostly braided now, not unlike the other riders. Evidently, they'd accepted her into their fold quite easily. It hadn't been especially hard, as she now looked like a native, retained her beauty, and had a knack for battling. Upon hearing Unova had many female Trainers, held in just as high regard as their males, some of the riders had considered, for the first time, making use of the outside world's technology. Having multiple magical Pokémon on hand was, as demonstrated, incredibly useful in preventing world-ending disasters. Perhaps if they had held more Pokémon, then Norstad would've been able to handle this reawakened menace with its own power.


"Pfft. No need to worry. This is what top-tier Trainers do." He let his speech switch to telepathy, which was by its very nature, far more intimate. "Besides…you should know by now, I'd die, gladly, before I let anything harm you. Even world-devouring dragons." She rolled her eyes, but her face flushed regardless, which was all he'd been trying to see, really. A few weeks apart hadn't seemed all that long, but he had, quite literally, missed her face.

Once the following session of intense kissing had ended, the two headed towards the pit, and looked down. Shruikan and Arthur joined them. Alex spoke softly, glancing down at their fallen foe. "I know he was destruction incarnate…but it's still a shame such a powerful dragon had to die like this…"

A mental voice thundered in their skulls, and the four looked up to see a pair of Rayquaza descending from the clouds, one crimson colored, and one that was jade. "Do not mourn him. His tale may seem tragic, but that traitorous egg-breaker deserved far worse than this. We will take care of his remains." The green dragon winked at Alex as he and his red counterpart used their combined telekinesis to lift the massive form from its grave. "We will bury him where he hatched. It is the very least we can do…and even that he does not deserve." As they eyed the body, Jess winced in disgust as the green Rayquaza reached a claw into the dead dragon's skull, through his eye socket, and pulled from it a small, shining orb. He tossed it to Alex, who pocketed it in his bag without a word.

Alex and the pair of Legendary Dragons had discussed what was to be done in the event of their success, namely with the World Eater's corpse. They had also made contingency plans for failure, but those were no longer needed. Alex had been the one to argue against burning the corpse. Dragons had their own rituals for death, and while he did not know them, Tao had offhandedly mentioned it during the training on his extra-dimensional plane. The pair of Legendary Dragons would set what remained of his essence to rest, and then they would make good use of the World Forge, and all that spare dragonbone.


With the body safely handled, Alex and Jess headed back to Valaskjalf on their Charizard. Shruikan was exhausted, and needed time for his body to adjust to the sudden growth spurt. The rest of his team was tired as well, but Blaze always had strength to fly with Chari. Many of his partners had fired multiple Taijitu attacks, and Alex had no illusions that, without them, and the final Sacred Sword, it wouldn't have been enough to end Alduin.

The village was mostly intact, save for where a few of the ice snakes had climbed up. As they reappeared, Alex withdrew the orb Rayquaza had tossed to him. Jess eyed him quietly, as he'd promised to explain it later. As they flew over the Hvergelom, every eye in the village once more was drawn to the lake.

The orb in Alex's hand flared, and then shot forward, arcing over the village, and slamming into a stone wall behind the main hall. Runes appeared around it, a door became visible, and the massive stone slabs that comprised it slid open.


For the first time in quite a few centuries, a male Voice rang through the village of the riders. "Behold, Riders of Valaskjalf! The way to Uppsalir is open once more! Your charge remains the same: guard it with your lives." Shor's Voice reached all of them, but none moved towards the shining doorway. Beyond it, even more red and gold leaves could be seen. Green, untouched grass made a path through it, but beyond that, the view was obscured by light.

Lokra's massive Articuno met them over the lake. "You…you retrieved Woden's Eye? We thought it lost forever." Alex nodded, and the Chief Flyer looked him over again, as if just then gaining a measure of true respect for him. Both siblings had spoken of his strength, but Lokra was the kind of woman that believed what her eyes told her, and the Trainer had not appeared all that intimidating when they'd first met. Strong, yes, enough for breeding, but respect was another matter entirely. "You will be sung about for all of our days…Dovahkiin."

Alex chuckled. "Thank you. I've always wanted that, honestly. Your songs will outlive all of us. They've done so before."

Lokra glanced at Jess then, and sighed. "You were right. I will not doubt your words again. All of you, despite being foreigners, did everything in your power to keep this village intact. To keep this world intact. You may consider the Riders of Valaskjalf your friends until your days end."


Alex smirked, and enjoyed the moment, but soon, the smirk faded to a look of dark determination. "There is one more matter we must address…the changeling in your midst…"

The two women followed his eyes, and Lokra's narrowed. "Aye, you speak true. The deceiver will pay for his crimes. None may imitate the Gods, and live."

The three flew towards where Folokraan had imprisoned the 'mighty' Shor with her Ice Beam. The armored man stayed silent as they landed, and then grinned, showing blinding white teeth once he saw Alex.

"You've much to answer for, Pravus." Alex said, as he made a three-point landing from Blaze's neck. "You can't wriggle free this time. Unova knows your true colors, as does Kalos, and by now, the world. Your cult will never recover from this."

"Won't it?"


The voice came from behind them, and not from the figure trapped in ice. Alex turned, and glared. Of course he'd escaped. Arceans always managed to slip free. "No tangible evidence exists to tie the deaths in Kalos to me, or my people. They're casualties of the mighty Yveltal…and as for Unova…well, the world knows how you people view my glorious western coastline. Your opinions will be seen as bias, and nothing more." Pravus was floating as he spoke, and the disguise was gone. His figure was outlined in darkness, and his grin was entirely too confident. "Imagine what they'll think when they hear fair, equal Unova has denounced Fornia for their beliefs."

Alex raised a brow. "We haven't-"

Pravus cut him off with his sinister, almost greasy baritone. "Oh but you have." He held up a black baton that had hung at his side, and presumably served as a base for the hammer he'd used earlier. He clicked a button just above the handle. Alex's voice came out, easily recognizable, but filled with pauses, and clearly out of context. "I- swear, I will- see- the- Arceans- fall! Their- cult will never recover from this!"

The Prophet laughed as he saw the rage in the boy's eyes. "You must thank your granduncle for me, he gave me the idea. Having recording devices on hand is so very convenient…"

"Yol! Yolos! Sook!" Though his Shout was quick, Pravus' form easily moved to the side as a spinning torrent of flames shot up around the space he'd just been floating in. "I see you've learned a new trick…irritating, but it matters not. You cannot hit me…and I have better places to be."


He moved like Arthur did in the air, quickly, and able to suddenly adjust his trajectory. In the space of an eye blink, he was out over the Hvergelom again, and heading straight for the newly made door. Alex made a move to follow, as did Jess, but Lokra held them both back with a hand on their shoulders. "Patience, young ones. Do not think us unprepared for filth of his kind."

Alex looked at her. "He's after Xerneas! If he gets through that door, he may very well attain immortality!"

Lokra shook her head. "You should listen well to my words, Dovahkiin. I know my home better than you do. Besides…our King wishes a word with that one."

Alex and Jess shared a look. "King?"



Faarangar, Hall of The King - Uppsalir, Norstad Region


Pravus sailed victoriously through the gap in the stone walls. He'd discovered the spot days earlier, but had known it needed a key of some description. He'd wheedled the information from some of the more infatuated riders, about the key's location. The dragon Nidhogg held it, and had done so since his imprisonment. The way to Uppsalir had been closed for millennia, and though the riders were loath to admit it, without the Life Pokémon's power freely flowing from that sacred place, Valaskjalf would eventually suffer the fate of the rest of Norstad. Only the Articuno had prevented it thus far.

He ignored the beauty of the place, the large, gorgeous trees with their equally gorgeous leaves, the warm, green grass that seemed to invite him to lie upon it and rest. His Darkrai, ever present in his shadow, propelled him through all of it, until they came before a massive hall. "What is it? Xerneas? Why do you stop?" Pravus's words were directed towards his 'mount', but his questions were answered as thunder boomed, and lightning cracked the sky.

A massive torrent of volatile plasma arced down from the top of the hall, and slammed into the ground before Pravus's hovering form. It was a figure, male, by the build, clad in a dark brown cloak and hood. He rose slowly from the smoking crater his arrival created. A strong baritone echoed through the glade surrounding the nordic hall. "No further will ye tread here, Shadow minion."


Pravus glared at the man. "Who are you, to bar my way?"

A light breeze blew the hood back, revealing an all-too-familiar face. Long, red hair, a long, red beard, and burning crimson eyes met his own. For the first time in a long while, fear crawled up Pravus' spine. The man grinned, letting the cloak fall behind him, and as it fell, he drew a weapon.

It was, of course, a hammer. The hammer. The true God of Thunder raised it towards the ever-present gray clouds that surrounded Norstad, and bolts of electricity arced down towards it. Electricity sparked over the God's heavily muscled and golden armored form. He gripped the hammer by a sturdy looking bit of leather hanging from the short handle. The weapon began to spin, glowing with the white-blue shine of lightning as it did, and Pravus swore, silently.
 
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Sahqoreyth

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Chapter 20: The Best Laid Plans



Valaskjalf's Main Hall - Uppsalir, Norstad Region


Alex and Jess looked up at the sky, as the clouds had suddenly turned dark, not dissimilar from when he used the Strunzul. Then, the sounds of battle became clear. Heavy booms of thunder echoed from the gap in the newly formed door behind the village's main hall.

Alex shouldered his way free of Lokra's grip, and met her weathered gaze. "No offense to your…King, but Pravus is our quarry on this hunt."

He glanced at the sky again, as the clouds arced with streaks of lightning. He remembered then, something his granduncle had told him once about this particular weather formation, when he'd been younger. When the clouds boomed and lightning cracked the sky, it meant Thor was hammering away at something. Growing older, he'd learned his ancestors had also considered it a sign of rage sometimes, and a bad omen at sea.


Jess picked up on his thoughts, and the same underlying excitement was shared by her as well. She'd heard the same legends, and the chance to see one literally smiting evil before their very eyes could not be passed up. She gently moved the Chief's hand as well. "We will try not to interfere with, or disrespect your King…but Alex is correct. Pravus is the sole reason we came here. We cannot let him gain what he seeks."

Lokra sighed, and then shrugged. "Fine." Then, she jerked a thumb at the red haired, red bearded figure behind her, still grinning, and still encased in ice. "What do we do with this?"

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but Arthur popped free of his ball instead, his voice echoed to all within earshot, but his mouth did not move. His arms extended into swords as he glared down at the figure. "I will handle this." His eyes narrowed, and Alex raised a brow as he sensed his partner's thoughts. "I am well acquainted with the trickery of Zoroark…the one thing they can never hide is their foul stench."

The man hissed at Arthur's words, and then, changed form. As the form that had been entrapped was rather bulky and muscled, the lithe form it took then was easily able to slip free of the ice, but not before Arthur had mega evolved, and leapt after it, arms shining gold. As was the running theme with Pravus' team, the Zoroark had not been the color most of its species shared, appearing instead with fur that was black and purple. It had also appeared infected with Shadow, but of all of his team, Arthur was best prepared for that. His sword arm had, after all, stabbed Alduin's ball of dark matter, and dissipated it.


"I…think he can handle it." Alex said, watching as the malleable form of his Gallade caught up to the creature easily, and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick, whilst hovering, to its jaw, sending it sailing into one of the many rock cliff faces that surrounded the village.

The women nodded, and Lokra spoke then, "If you are intent on intruding upon the King's sport, I shall go with you. He is not aware that you are allies…and he sometimes sees treachery where there is none."

Alex and Jess shared a glance. If the legends were true, the god in question had a 'brother' well known for mischief and redirection. Such a sibling would make anyone paranoid. The excitement only grew, and they had to struggle not to fly ahead, propelled by their power. Lokra could've kept up with them regardless, as she was quite fast, and ran in a manner similar to Connor with her center of gravity forward and her arms out to the sides, though where his form was perfected, hers was still somewhat unsteady.


Eventually, the trio came upon a sight that awed them, as it seemed straight out of an old legend. It was indeed Thor, or Shor, as the locals had named him, and he was going blow for blow with Pravus, whose form had…mutated, into an approximation of himself, and what looked like parts of a Darkrai.

Massive fists of dark energy met the thunderous fury of what could only be Mjolnir, and as the three watched, smiles slowly came to their faces. The God of Thunder was toying with the man, laughing as he swung away at the energy hands. As they arrived, he glanced their way, eyes widening as he saw Lokra. The glance was exactly what Pravus had been waiting for.

The wind picked up and howled with ominous fury, as Pravus' arms, which were purple and identical to a Darkrai's, spun in slow, circular motions as balls of pure black energy formed within them, and then merged together, growing larger. Alex's eyes widened, as he recognized the move. "Watch out! That attack will put you to sleep!"

The ball of darkness shot forth, and Shor swung his hammer, sending it skyward, where it dissipated harmlessly.


Snarling in irritation, Pravus glanced his way, noticing the intruders for the first time. His eyes were glowing a lighter green, but the irises were still human, and still as dark as ever.

The God of Thunder gave him what seemed like an appreciative nod, and Alex had to fight down the fanboyish excitement. It was just a nod. No reason to lose his cool. "If you start calling him 'Senpai', we're over." His love's mocking tone echoed in his head, and he fought down a chuckle.

Instead of rushing forward with his hammer, Shor raised it above his head, and began spinning it by the leather bit attached to the handle. "You like to play with the wind…let us see if ye truly know its fury…" At his words, a tornado rapidly formed and surrounded the pair, almost obscuring them from sight. Thankfully, Leo was interested in watching as well, and he shared his sight freely. He was an electric Pokémon after all. This 'God of Thunder' could be a fantastic opponent.


Pravus and his opponent glared at each other, and slowly, a black haze began to fill the swirling air, coming from Pravus's own body. Even to Leo's sight, it made things murky. It seemed that the Prophet had yet more up his sleeve.

For his part, Pravus had deemed this whole weeks long infiltration venture a failure. He had not expected a God, or whatever this red haired being really was, to be waiting at the threshold of his prize. He was so close, he could feel the Fairy Aura. It permeated everything in this place. Life bloomed all around him. He needed that power.

At that moment, two things happened at exactly the same time. An airship, no doubt Percy's borrowed one, de-cloaked over the forest, further in, and dark figures began dropping from it. Pravus grinned. Perhaps his minions weren't as inherently useless as he'd thought…though he'd need to keep their task from being interfered with. The Unova Champion and that older woman with him were fierce fighters. He did not recognize the brunette beside the Champion, but assumed she would be capable of defeating his people as well. Why else would they bring her?

As he took a moment to ponder his options, his Darkrai's instinct caused it to suddenly shrivel up, and fade back into his shadow. Pravus fell to the ground, powerless, and snarled at his shadow. Then, he noticed. The area around himself and Shor had turned pink and glowed with the power of the fairy typing. He recognized the move as one of Xerneas's own.


Then, it appeared. The clattering of hooves echoed through the glade, and a kind, almost motherly voice echoed to all within earshot. "You come for that which your foul form cannot take in, Human."

Shor looked up as well, at the topmost roof of his hall, and he caught his hammer, causing the tornado to fade as well. The gold and red leaves of the glade swirled atop Shor's Hall in a miniature cyclone, and slowly, a form manifested within them. Within moments, Xerneas, she who gave life eternal, stood upon the hall's roof, and gazed down at them with x-shaped irises.

She was, in a word, lovely. White fur, light blue in some places, and deep blue horns that lacked the rainbow coloring at that moment. Xerneas' grace was unmatched as she leapt down to the pair of fighters, and trotted right up to Pravus.

Nobody moved.


"You have gained the Dark Typing. My power would drive you to utter, crippling madness. Forever. Take your forces, and leave. I will not have senseless fighting in my own grove." The hind spoke, and as she did, Shor grimaced, but otherwise stayed silent.

Pravus stared at Xerneas, his own expression unreadable, save for an eye twitch. Here she was, the one Pokémon capable of granting him what he'd sought for years, and now, it was beyond him because of his past choices. He was furious. His shadow formed a perfect circle around his feet, and the air grew colder. The stench of death filled the area, and the pure, undiluted rage that was of his very core, surfaced.

"It…matters…not…" Pravus snarled, glaring at the Life Pokemon. "I will draw what I need from you by force…if necessary. Or, you could give me what I seek, and I shall leave…"

Xerneas stared the human down, towering above him. "Your kind has not changed. You do not listen. You do not heed those Arceus himself put in charge of balancing your planet. You are as greedy and vile as every other Human who has come here before you, seeking my power, all but drooling at the thought of living forever…" The hind lowered her head to Pravus's height, meeting his gaze directly. "You know not what you meddle with…nor what you are truly asking for..." Her horns began to glow with every color of Infinity, and Shor stepped back several paces. "It is better for all, if you simply…cease."


"You Guardians are all the same…" Pravus said, looking down at the pink terrain surrounding him. "You think you have a choice in any of this…you think the decision is yours…" He looked up again, and Xerneas flinched, visibly. His eyes shifted color, and now burned with red energy, radiating from them in wavy lines of power. "You are tools on my belt…nothing more…" He drew a Pokéball that was entirely black from his pocket. "Now, get into your ball…"

The Life Pokémon brought her head up again, horns radiating with power. Being so close, Alex resisted the urge to fidget. Then, he remembered. Fairy types and dragons mixed poorly. What she said of Pravus was likely true of himself, as well.

The sky, for once, cleared over the area above them, and Xerneas was no doubt responsible. From behind the clouds, the moon appeared, despite the ever-present light of the sun during this season. It was full, and seemed to glow as Xerneas drew more and more power.


"Cease." Xerneas answered. An orb of light blue, similar in appearance to the moon in many ways, formed between Xerneas' horns, and at almost point-blank range, the Life Pokémon launched the Moonblast at Pravus. The man grinned, and opened his Dark Ball.

Much like the Ultra Ball, the Dark Ball had undergone a series of advancements as well over the years, despite being highly illegal. In the Fornia region, they had increased its ability to capture Pokémon beyond that of any other Pokéball, going as far as to include move-dampeners, and not even require it to touch the Pokémon it was aimed at. In a show of cleverness, Doctor Ein had turned the opening of the ball into a vortex, of a kind, that had the power to draw in even those considered Legendary. The first Pokémon it absorbed would be the one it caught, and Xerneas was directly in front of him.

Pravus grinned as the ball began to drag the massive hind towards it. The fairy type attack had been completely swallowed, and it looked as though the Life Pokémon would be as well. The four onlookers leapt into action, as they'd been waiting for the man to either retreat, or try something.


Alex and Jess, having expected Pravus to attempt a final, desperate act to catch Xerneas, launched a combined Psychic attack at Pravus' ball. It was the immediate threat, after all, but it was intercepted as his Darkrai rose from his shadow, and canceled the attacks with a Dark Pulse.

Jess' eyes widened as she met the Darkrai's gaze. "Wait…that Darkrai has-" Her words were cut off by the sound of thunder, booming almost directly beside them. Both Shor and Lokra had leapt into action as well. Shor's hammer created a fissure in the ground, and Pravus's Darkrai retreated into his shadow once more, levitating him above the attack.

Xerneas's hooves dug deep into the lush grass, but the ball's pull was incredibly strong. It had been made with the sole intention of capturing Legendary Pokémon, and Alex began to understand how the Arceans always seemed to have a Legendary up their sleeve. Even Tao would be susceptible to such a thing, if his defenses were down.


Seeing his attack had failed, Shor spun the hammer quickly, and let it pull him through the air towards his target. Lokra, for her part, had kept her spear handy, but the dark limned man moved away from it easily as she cast it towards him. She pulled it back to her hand with a yank upon what looked like a rope of some kind, but was pure white. Fallen tail feathers from Iizlokraan no doubt, tied to her weapon for easy retrieval. The spear nicked Pravus' face as it returned, but he didn't seem to notice or care.

The ball pulled Xerneas ever closer, and the Life Pokémon became truly desperate as her capture became inevitable. Before anyone had time to do anything more, she turned into a swirl of black light, entered the ball, and after a violent series of shakes, was caught with a ding that sounded more like a tolling bell than anything else. The Fairy Terrain faded, and Pravus grinned, eyeing his prize, only then remembering that an increasingly furious 'God' was hurtling towards him. The fun was over now, and it was time for this foul entity to feel his wrath.

Shor's hammer smashed into the Dark Ball with unerring accuracy, causing it to smoke and spark in Pravus' equally smashed hand. It released its occupant as the man dropped the ball, and snarled in pain. The Life Pokémon appeared again, horns once more lacking their golden color. She was motionless, and her head was lowered, but she seemed unharmed.


With a battle cry that echoed through the glade, Shor brought Mjolnir around in all its sparking glory once more, intent on finishing this, but Pravus dodged it gracefully in the air, and once he did, a familiar looking hand reached out from Pravus's knee, and grabbed the god's leg. Pravus spun, and the hand threw Shor towards his hall. The armored form of the Thunder God's body sailed through the air, and smashed through the wood of his hall easily, as he disappeared from sight.

Pravus' triumph was short-lived though. Alex had called out the first ball he reached for, which meant Terra was now on the scene, and had mega evolved. An Energy Ball containing the power of the ground and grass typing slammed into Pravus, and with its sheer size, drove him into the air, and over the trees. He snarled and pushed, but could not free himself from the massive, spinning Taijitu sphere of balanced grass and ground energy. Of all his team, Terra remained the best at condensing the layers of his Energy Ball.

All eyes went to Xerneas, but she hadn't moved, and looked more like a statue than a living Pokémon. Her x-shaped irises didn't move either, her gaze was locked on the spot Pravus had been. In the distance, they heard a pained yell, and a loud boom. Then, from the trees, a pillar of swirling dark energy rose into the sky. They could all guess its source.

Dark energy began to rise from Xerneas' form in small wisps, but before anyone could notice, Pravus once more appeared in the air, furious, and hurtling towards them. He was changed again. Alex began to wonder just how many transformations he had.

Dark energy covered his body like a robe, flaring out behind him as he flew through the air towards them, eyes burning with rage. Literally. The sound of splintering wood and thunder boomed from behind them as once more Shor flew into the air, and met the man wrapped in darkness hammer-first. Finally, Mjolnir met its' mark on the Fornian autocrat's cheek, and Pravus sailed towards the ground, impacting with a boom that shook the area.


Shor followed, as did more thunderous crashes, the sound of truly titanic combat. It said much that Pravus was able to hold his own at all against a being that was called a God, and had, if the legends were to be believed, been alive for countless millennia. The sound of cracking branches filled the area near them, and seconds later, the two men came hurtling out of the nearby forest, and back to the front of the hall. Pravus's jaw was askew, and already bruising, no doubt from a hammer blow.

Pravus bounced across the grass once Shor stopped, and groaned as he slowly rose again. His face was partially caved in on the left side, but that didn't seem to be stopping him. "I don't know…what you are…but you will not…win this…" He raised both hands towards the red-haired figure, and a look of pure rage came across his frightening countenance, black and red lightning arced from each fingertip towards his quarry.

At first, Shor laughed, loud and booming, until the first sparks touched his form. His visage grew grim then. "You meddle with power you do not comprehend…" He spoke through gritted teeth, and slowly raised Mjolnir to intercept the streams of burning plasma. Though it arced across his skin, it left almost no trace upon it, in fact, his skin appeared more like metal than anything else, in that moment.

"I am Power!" The lightning grew larger, more uncontrolled as Pravus poured everything he had into it. It was striking Mjolnir now, and Shor was doing everything he could to not be blown away by the ferocity of the attack. It had definitely caught him off guard.

Xerneas watched the display while remaining motionless.


"Qo! Ner! Kaask!" The Storm Voice boomed through the glade, louder than anything so far, and the power of it warped Pravus's lightning back on himself. It formed a spherical cage of volatile plasma, and burned both the ground and the air as it entrapped Pravus. He turned, slowly, towards Alex.

"You…are going to die…slowly…" His entire form was trembling, and small cracks had appeared by his burning red eyes, sundering his very skin. Blood had begun to drip from each of them. Finally, he was reaching a limit of some kind. Hopefully.

"Not today…" Pravus' head turned suddenly at the voice to behold Shor, hammer in hand, smirking. With another mighty upwards swing, Mjolnir sent the spherical cage of lightning into the air, but this time, in the direction of Valaskjalf itself.


Pravus gripped the electric 'bars' of his cage, searing his hands as he screamed at them in a manic frenzy, "You will all perish for this! Grrrraaagh!" He shook the bars with a rage that could only be described as manic, but the Storm Voice had effectively entrapped him. For now.

"For the Prophet!" A new cry from a new voice came from their left, in the woods, and from the trees came Pravus's lackeys, surrounded by their Pokémon. By this point, anything resembling the 'rules of battle' had long since been discarded. Every Pokémon they had was out, and the sheer numbers looked to be ready to overwhelm them.

That is, until an enormous beam of ice formed a massive wall in front of the newcomers, and around Shor and the three humans. Iizlokraan's telepathic voice echoed to all as she spread her wide white wings and shrieked, "They are safe, begin the Purge!"


The four looked up as the sky filled with what seemed to be all of Valaskjalf's riders. Ice Beams and flying type attacks began to rain down upon the comparatively small group of Arceans. Hydrus and Leo joined Terra, as they were the ones with the most energy left, and soon the Arceans had once more been effectively corralled by the riders.

More than a few openly and loudly complained about being frozen in the same manner twice, but before anyone could give orders for what to do with these new captives, a blur of black and purple zipped through them, freeing many of the Trainers, but only some of the Pokémon. As before, many had been cleansed of the Shadow's influence by the Articuno, but those who hadn't were now free, and were quickly recalled as cries of "Retreat!" echoed through their ranks.

A green and white blur followed the black and purple one, and they began to clash atop the wall of ice. It was, of course, Arthur, still engaged in battle with Pravus's Zoroark. At first it had seemed at a disadvantage, but now, the cunning fox-like creature was taunting the Gallade, who despite his speed, could not land his sword strike on it.


In seconds, Leo joined Arthur atop the ice wall, and with a combination of Iron Tail and Sacred Sword, kept the Zoroark from escaping. The tail of Leo's Mega Form, when using Iron Tail, became shaped like a scythe. He also gained saber-teeth, which made his Thunder Fang quite a bit stronger. He was even just as fast as the other two, a fact the Zoroark soon became aware of.

Alex glanced at how the dark fox fought, and then noticed something. It was using Night Slash to cancel out Leo's Iron Tail, but the other claw was bright with white energy, which parried the Sacred Sword, and kept Arthur at bay. Of course it knew Aerial Ace.

Iizlokraan landed before them, and Lokra hopped on her back, and then nodded at Shor. The Thunder God gave a nod as well, and then the Chief joined her fliers in the air. Various fire and rock attacks kept most of the Articuno at bay, but the dwindling group of Arceans soon found themselves between two walls of ice, as Iizlokraan created another, and prevented retreat into the forest.


The few who had gotten away were dropped back amongst their fellows, and their hard landings caused havoc and broken bones as they slammed into their comrades. It was as close to seriously attacking the Trainers as the Articuno came. Seeing the tide turning, the battling Zoroark suddenly vanished as Sacred Sword and Iron Tail bisected the dark, grinning figure. It vanished in a wisp of darkness, little more than an illusion. One that had fooled even Leo's eyes. The sly fox appeared again atop the Thunder God's hall, and let out a chilling howl that echoed for miles.

Arthur and Leo quickly leapt after their prey, only to find it recalled into a Dark Ball. They looked up, and beheld a very haggard, very burned Caleb Pravus. He called down to his minions, "Enough. We have what we need. Retreat." With that the man, who was still clad in a robe of dark energy, flew further upwards, before vanishing entirely.

Leo shared his sight with his Trainer, and Alex grimaced. "Their ship is above us."

"Not for long!" Lokra and Iizlokraan launched into the air beside Shor, at the same time the Arceans were ascending towards the ship as well. Some had what appeared to be jetpacks, but most rode their Pokémon up.


"Sandstorm…" The air around the ship became filled with harsh sand, enough to make even the massive Articuno, and Shor, pause. "Power Gem." The voice was Pravus's, and it echoed through the area, but the Pokémon launching these attacks was nowhere to be found. Thus, the rock type energy slammed into Iizlokraan from seemingly out of nowhere, and brought the massive bird down, hard. She was wounded, by the joint that connected her left wing to her body, but she managed to land relatively safely on the grass below.

Shor, for his part, had smashed the beam meant for him away with Mjolnir, and continued upwards, towards the faint outline of the ship in the whirling sand. Suddenly, with no warning, a massive Gigalith appeared above Shor, and though he paused for a moment, he continued towards the dropping mass of rock Pokémon.

"Explosion."

The grin on the God's face faded as the Shadow infused Pokémon did the only thing it could do: obey. A massive explosion usually would not have harmed him so much, but at that point, it was too close to avoid. Shor took the hit full force. The sound of engines burning filled the air as the smoking form of Shor fell earthward, alongside the fainted form of the Gigalith, which slowly faded into nothingness as the Shadow energy claimed another life. Pravus did not even bother trying to recall it. There were plenty of replacements in the Fornia region. The ship powered through the fading vestiges of the Sandstorm, and then, was gone.


Before Alex could spring into action to save the Thunder God, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and glanced at Jess, who pointed. In the ensuing battle and confusion, Xerneas had been momentarily forgotten. Now, it was evident that ignoring her had been a mistake. The Life Pokémon was almost entirely dark purple, and Shadow was radiating from her form. Her white fur was slowly turning purple, and still, she remained utterly motionless.

Alex moved towards Iizlokraan, potion in hand. If anyone could cleanse the Life Pokémon, it surely would be this Articuno, but another of the Legendary Birds got to the massive hind before he even reached her, and her rider. Up above, a pair of riders caught the falling form of their King, and carried him to the ground. He too would need healing.

Jess and Folokraan approached the Life Pokémon. She remembered the last time she'd faced down a Legendary Pokémon battling with the corruptive power of the Shadow. The Life Pokémon's horns glowed with a dark power, and a ball of bluish-purple energy formed between them. Jess's eyes widened. She'd recalled reading about Xerneas being able to use Outrage, but nobody had ever survived seeing such a thing. She'd hesitated the last time, against Tao, when Alex hadn't. She would not make the same error twice.

She nodded at Fo, and despite being young, the little Articuno flapped towards the Life Pokémon, and touched her beak to the hind's snout. The purifying light was all Xerneas needed. The orb of dragon energy faded back into her body, and the Shadow burned away in the face of her multicolored power as it surged across and down her form. With her horns once more golden, the giant deer shook her antlered head before regarding the ones who had saved her.


"Thank you, little ones…I almost lost myself…" She looked between Jess and Fo and almost seemed to smile.

"We should've acted sooner…we're sorry for not doing so." Jess bowed low, and her Articuno copied her Trainer as best she could.

The Life Pokémon eyed them for a long moment, and then seemed to nod. "I understand, Human…things often become confused in Battle…now tell me…why do you and your mate wear a veil of Percival's power atop your clothing? What has the Fairy King done now?"

Jess began explaining the events leading up to the most recent battle, while Alex tended Iizlokraan's wing with a Max Potion. The great bird nuzzled him in thanks, and he gave the under feathers of her chin a good scratch. Soon after, he rejoined Jess, patting the smaller Articuno once he did. She chirped, and pushed into his hand. It was nice to see even Legendary Pokémon enjoyed it when he patted them. Magic fingers indeed. "…and that's how we ended up here." Jess finished.

"Percy asked us to try to convince you to end his imprisonment…" Alex said, picking up the conversation, "He wanted us to capture you, but I have a feeling doing so would be the wrong way to free him."


The large Pokémon brought her gaze to him now, eyes widening slightly as she saw his typing. As with all Legendary Pokémon, she too had the sight psychic types used. "And do you believe the Fairy King has changed? Will letting him out benefit, or cause strife to the world? From what I have heard, you have not known him long."

Alex shrugged. "I can't claim to understand Fairy Types, but I do know this: His mind and mine touched, briefly, and in that moment, I saw true, honest regret. It's buried, but it's there, and he feels it daily. He's desperate to be free again…desperate enough to ally with a lunatic like Pravus, and convince him to bring you to the tower. The thought of freedom consumes him. If he was actually released, he'd probably be fine..." Alex looked down for a moment, subconsciously stroking his beard as he thought. "How about a compromise? Free him, and if he returns to his darker persuasions, I will personally help you jail him again, in a much smaller tower."

Xerneas took a moment to think as well. She had curled up on the grass as Jess had told the story, and then, finally, nodded. "Very well, Dragonblood. If you speak true, I will release him from his imprisonment…in truth, I did not intend it to last so long…but I was…waylaid. If you speak true, and he has repented, I shall grant him his freedom. But I will need to see this for myself, before I believe it."

Alex nodded, glad that they'd at least managed to fulfill one mission successfully. He had no idea why Pravus had suddenly retreated, but it couldn't be a good thing. He wasn't the type to leave empty handed. Even in Castelia, the smoking remnants of his tri-energy cannon had disappeared after the battle, and building camera footage caught him taking it into his shadow, and then vanishing instantly. "Thank you…I'm sure he will do anything to avoid imprisonment again, even if it means behaving…now that's settled…can you make these outfits disappear?"


The Life Pokémon seemed to chuckle, a light huffing sound, and then nodded. Her horns glowed for an instant, and Alex and Jess sighed in relief as the armor faded away. They made a show of stretching, and Alex shoved his now once more iron helmet into his bag, trading it for his hat. He avoided holding eye contact with Jess though. Now that they were free of the armor, weeks of suppressed urges were rapidly bubbling to the surface. The danger was gone, but the adrenaline was still pumping after facing Alduin, and then Pravus.

Xerneas stood and a small smirk appeared on her mouth. "I will grant another favor. To the both of you." She focused her x-shaped irises on Jess. "Your mate has acquired the immortality of the Storm Crown. For saving me from that…pestilence, I grant you the same. You can still be wounded, maimed, or slain, but should you avoid such things, you will live a span of years akin to Percival's." The antlers upon her head began to shine. "Be warned, Human. That which I give, I can also take. Do not squander this gift. And always remember…every living thing has an end…do not think you have avoided death. It comes for us all, eventually."

Jess knelt, both knees resting on the grass. "I understand. You have my word…I will not waste my chance for a longer life."


The golden light flared, and from each of the seven multicolored orbs on Xerneas' antlers, a drop fell to the ground, halting before it hit. Slowly, each drop formed above Jess' head into a multicolored orb that radiated life energy onto her, her belt, and Alex's. It was pleasant, warm, but inherently infused with fairy power. It descended into Jess's head, and then she began to glow as well, though it soon faded.

"It is done." Xerneas said, looking slightly exhausted, "Now pardon me…I must see to Shor."

Alex thanked her again, and then knelt beside his love. "How do you feel?"

She shrugged. "Rejuvenated…but otherwise…the same."

Alex nodded, smirking. "I felt the same way. Who knew immortality would be so easily found…"

Jess raised a brow at him. "You call all of this easy?"

He shrugged. "No…but think about it. Some people spend their entire lives seeking out what we've gained in the space of a few weeks…

"The difference is obvious, love." She put a hand on his cheek, "We weren't looking for it. You gained yours to fight Alduin and save the world. I gained mine by keeping the balance in check. A Shadow infused Xerneas awake at the same time as Percy's Yveltal would bring even more death to this land…" She looked at the white and light blue hind. "The balance would've been disrupted, and the repercussions…worse than I can imagine, I'm sure."

She flushed as Alex's arms wrapped around her. "Tao would b- er, is proud." He said, as the dragon corrected his speech with the speed of thought. "Apparently, we've done well."



Percival's Airship – Somewhere Over Norstad's Western Edge


"S-sir? Not that I'm not glad but…why did we run? Xerneas was righ-" The sentence was cut off as the haggard looking Prophet of the Arceans struck his lieutenant across the other side of his jaw. Now he'd have matching bruises.

"Listen when I speak, Samson. I said we had what we needed." Pravus grinned, a macabre expression given that half of his face had a hammer indentation. The cloak of Shadow was gone, and the streaks under his eyes had scabbed over, the blood that had wept from them had also been washed away, yet he still knew he would need time to recover. His hands were a mess, but he had repaired them. Somewhat. Battling Shor had been more taxing than he'd anticipated, and the 'God' had very nearly killed him.

Pravus held up an object then, and Samson managed a small smile as well. It was damaged, sparking, and utterly useless for its original purpose, but they'd done more with less. His favored Zoroark had, out of all of his tools, performed the best. Not only had he deceived the riders, and kept the Gallade with the irritating sword at bay, he'd retrieved the Dark Ball from where Shor's hammer had knocked it to the ground without the 'heroes' even noticing.

This new generation of Dark Balls was tied directly to their lab back home, and sent a full genetic profile of whatever it captured to their lab in Sacreus. They didn't often try cloning Pokémon from said profiles, as it was a long, arduous process, but in this case, the replication of the Life Pokémon would be worth it. Though it was no longer bound to the ball, Xerneas had been within just long enough to be infected with Shadow. The ball had finally run out of power once Xerneas cleansed itself, but that no longer mattered. They would make their own Xerneas, and from it, draw the secret of immortality.



The Fairy King's Tower – Northern Norstad


Several days had passed since the fall of the World Eater. Alex, Jess, and Connor had all been welcomed as heroes in the hall of Faarangar, and had earned the aid of Shor as well, should they one day require it. Naturally, Alex had been fascinated with the 'God', for upon getting a proper look at him, not distracted by a major battle, he'd discovered that he too had a dual typing. Fighting, and electric.

Shor, who preferred to go by Thor in private, had soon realized that humans were no longer as…gullible as they had been in the past. They had grown up, fallen, and then rose again. Even the Earth was vastly different to how he remembered it. Eventually, after several mugs of mead, Thor hinted that his origins were in the stars, but beyond that, refused to reveal more. That night had been spent singing songs, drinking mead, smoking plants, and enjoying the hard-won victory against the dragon, and the Prophet. The fact that he'd retreated at all still nagged at Alex, but he was too comfortably numb to care at that moment.

Then, when the dawn came, they'd met once more with Xerneas, who offered Alex and Connor a reward for their part in keeping herself and her home free of the shadow's taint. For Connor, she gave a Flame Plate crystal, and though it wasn't immortality, he still appreciated it. He'd been given an Icicle crystal by the riders, and had two more for his allies as well. A gift from the village they'd helped defend. For Alex, Xerneas's gift was a bit different, as his body was incompatible with her power, but his team's was not. For each of their Pokémon, she gave a gift of strength, and life saying, "A reward for their part in bringing down the World Eater. So long as your Humans continue to live, you will be allowed to stay by their sides, well past your own normal span."

The two humans again thanked the immortality granting Legend, and then departed. That had, in truth, been their biggest fear in earning immortality. Now, that fear was somewhat allayed, and Alex fully intended to return the Life Pokémon's kindness, when he was able.


Shruikan received enough energy to forgo recuperating and adjust to his new size entirely, while Blaze had been healed, and had grown several feet taller as well, reaching a new height of fifteen feet. Such was the power of the Life Pokémon. Shruikan and Blaze had, naturally, begun to spar, eager to test their new strength. Despite it, Blaze remained more than a match for him, for he was a cunning flier, and by far the best battler on their team. In his opinion at least.

Terra had received power as well, in his Mega Form, and the tree upon his shell had grown. He had grown bulkier, and was now easily one of the largest Torterra on record. He'd nicknamed the tree 'Yggdrasil', after Xerneas, which was what Shor called her. Much like Nidhogg, she had many names. Hydrus had been given a similar boost, and now the massive mud-fish was large in his own right. He was now as tall as his Trainer, who had gained three inches of height himself, from drawing power from the World Eater. They were both 6,5 now, and Alex guessed correctly that his Mega Form would be even taller. His little Mudkip wasn't so little anymore.

Leo had accepted a healing from the Life Pokémon and had filled out with muscle as well, but otherwise was content with his strength. Upon hearing Blaze's 'best battler thought, he'd joined in the sparring match between the two fliers, and had brought both down rather easily, demonstrating that Shruikan had not mastered his electric power as well as he thought, and Blaze would always be weak to it. Though their pride had been bruised, the lesson appeared to stick.

Arthur had been a different story altogether. He asked not for healing or power, but rather knowledge. Unfortunately, Xerneas had not been able to answer his questions, which were focused on his true identity, or his mother's, but with her latent psychic ability, she pointed him towards one who did know such things. The Foggy Swamp Sage. Needless to say, he was now even more determined to get back to the Swamp quickly. Out of all of them, the Sage had taught him the most, and after battling that Zoroark, he knew he needed to get stronger.


Before they could all return home though, they had one last thing to take care of. Xerneas accompanied them to Percival's tower, and a trail of life stretched all the way from Valaskjalf to the circular northern wind wall. It would no doubt fade, in time, but wherever Xerneas walked, life followed. Once the three humans and the Legendary Pokémon reached the wall of wind, Xerneas took the lead. She summoned a wind of her own, and opened a path through the howling barrier. As she passed through, it faded entirely, and they continued north to the tower.

That too was surrounded by wind, but this time, Xerneas approached the north-western side of it, and waited. Then, after several minutes, the wind rapidly increased. The circular tornado surrounding the tower moved, condensing, and reaching far above into the clouds. A figure descended from them then, spinning rapidly in the wind. Down it came with blinding speed, rising again just above the group as it spread its wings. The red-finned Lugia responsible for keeping Percival and his descendants behind the wind walls appeared, and dispersed the last wall of wind with a single flap.


"Yggdrasil. You come, at last. The Fairy King suffers greatly. I did not think you would jail him for so long." The Lugia's telepathy reached all of them, and his baritone was soothing, and full of concern.

Xerneas responded in the same manner. "I was…waylaid. Shortly after I left, my Kalos counterpart was awakened early, forcing me into slumber. While that region grew lush, ours all but died…the time has come for Norstad to be reborn…and I would have Percival's help…if he allows it."

The Lugia descended as she spoke, and then landed, folding in his massive wing-arms. He briefly glanced at the humans, and then ignored them, focusing on the Life Pokémon. "He may not…long has his hatred of his jailors burned…he wants nothing more to do with me…" The Lugia looked down, but the expression of sadness was easy to read.

"He may have spoken out of desperation, Sea Guardian. Do not lose hope so quickly. It is in his nature to despise being caged." The white Pokémon seemed to perk up slightly at her words, but the look remained unchanged. The three humans watched quietly, but said nothing. Alex noticed Connor fidgeting, and guessed he was eager to finally capture a Lugia. This one, however, already seemed to have a Trainer.


"I will open the tower…but do not expect warmth from him…being imprisoned for so long has…changed our King." The Lugia turned then in a single graceful motion, and raised its arms. Alex held onto his hat, as he could guess what was coming next. The air moved rapidly as the Legendary Pokémon flapped its wings, and the resulting wind forced the tower's lower doors open in an instant with a loud boom.

Then, they waited. Several minutes later, Percy appeared in the doorway, Kurama was behind him, tails extended. The fire fox snarled, but Percy patted him. He stayed put as his Trainer walked out of the tower, or rather, stopped at the very edge. As he did, a faint barrier of pink energy appeared. It had been invisible before, and now began to glow in front of him as he approached. He was still trapped, for the moment.

Xerneas started forward as she saw him. "Percival…" She stopped as she noticed a Pokéball in his hand. It was entirely black, and disturbingly similar to the one that had entrapped her.

"Yggdrasil…you finally come…but what brings you, I wonder? You are not in a ball…nor do you appear forced…have you come to gloat, then? To mock your former Tamer as he rots in this Hel?" Alex and Jess shared a look as they noticed his body language. He was tense, like a coiled spring. Or a trapped animal. Connor reached for Gren's ball. He had no doubt they could strike before this 'fairy king' tried calling out whatever was inside that ball. From what Alex and Jess had mentioned of their meeting with him, he could guess at what was within.

Xerneas seemed to sigh, and then, her deep blue horns began to glow gold. The barrier of pink energy appeared in its entirety then, and it encased the whole building. Then, it began to shrink. The energy flowed into Xerneas' horns, and once it had faded entirely, the Life Pokémon looked renewed. To Alex's eyes, she'd seemed fine, but only now did he realize how strained she'd been. And she'd bore that strain for millennia. While asleep. The power of Legendary Pokémon never ceased to amaze him.


Percy stepped into the snow, and gave a short bark of laughter, his expression one of disbelief. He then looked up at Xerneas. "Why…why, Yggy…why set me free now? I could be just as evil as before for all you know…just as twisted…"

Xerneas' horns glowed with psychic power then. A Heal Pulse. It washed over Percy, and he visibly relaxed. "I did not wish you to be entrapped for so long…there was a war, in Kalos…my counterpart was awakened, and thus, I was…"

"Turned into a tree…" Percy finished, sighing. "Of course…nobody could reach you while comatose, and I would guess you only awakened recently…I took your silence as a sign that you were ignoring me, content to let me rot, but you had no say in any of it…"

Xerneas nodded. "Several years ago, I awoke once more…but I was drained. It took a long time for my form to adjust to maintaining this barrier, and staying awake…I am sorry, Percy…you did not deserve to be trapped for so very long…"

Percy looked down. "I didn't…but that's just how things happened…and nothing can change it now." He met the Life Pokémon's gaze again, and pocketed the Dark Ball. "It matters not, I suppose…I am immortal, after all…what's a few millennia to someone like me?" He managed a weak smile.

"A very long time…" Xerneas said, and she brought her snout to his forehead. "Far too long…I knew you would snap out of it eventually…now, we can finally bring our family back together." She gave a meaningful look towards the Lugia, who still sat several yards away, and kept his gaze fixed on the ground.


Percy walked over to the Lugia, and gave a sad smile. "You deserve an apology old friend…the things I said to you…I was not myself. Will you join me once more on our journey?"

The Lugia regarded him for a long time, and then nodded. "That is all I have longed for over these long centuries…" Then, the Lugia brought one of its large hands forward, and with a blink of psychic power, three Pokéballs appeared in his hand. Percy took them, and put them on his belt, before finally regarding Alex and Jess. He didn't even glance Connor's way.

"You two made good on your promise, and for that, you have gained an ally." He took his hat off, and bowed low. It was formal, perfect, the kind of bow one gives to a king. "I am at your service, whenever you require it."

Alex nodded, and Jess thanked him. Alex spoke then, "You should know, Percy…there is a condition to your release…if you turn out to have not changed at all, if all of this is a trick of some sort…" He leaned in close to the man's face, eye to eye, as he mimicked Tao and Rayquaza. His tongue shifted to the language of Norstad. "I will jail you again myself, in a much, much smaller prison. Do you hear me, Fairy King?"

Percy grinned, despite the chills running down his spine from that glare. "Ooo. The little dragon has teeth now…very well. I've no desire to be imprisoned again, nor to make an enemy of a Dragonborn. I'll be on my best behavior…" He offered his hand, and Alex glanced at it for a moment, before grasping his wrist. They shook once. "One final token, Dragonborn." Percy said, reaching into his pockets. "A reward for setting me free." He pulled out a white crystal, with the symbol of flying types within it, alongside a pink one with the symbol of fairies. "Flying for you, and Fairy for your lady. Make good use of them."


Alex eyed the pale crystal even as Jess eyed hers. "Oh…I intend to…" He could already feel Blaze's excitement. Being the only one not able to use a Taijitu move had been…irritating for the proud Charizard. Now, they could finally practice combining the two types he embodied most.

Percy brought out a blue and white Luxury Ball then, and offered it to Xerneas, who entered willingly after bidding the foreigners farewell. He hopped on his Lugia then, and called down to them. "I'm leaving, I've spent far too long in this frozen Hel. You have my number. If you need me, I'll be in Alola!" By that point, Kurama had been recalled as well, and with his belt now five members heavier, Percy took off on his Lugia, and shot into the sky with a loud whooping shout, arms stretched wide as he breathed the free air again.

The three Unovans decided to leave as well then, and they traveled aboard Shruikan's now much roomier metallic undercarriage. Once they'd made it halfway down the trail of life Xerneas left, Connor announced that he had a few more loose ends to tie up, and that he was leaving. He wished his sister good luck with school, gave Alex a nod with the promise of seeing him soon in the Swamp, and then leapt off of Shruikan, and into the air. His Garchomp appeared then, mega evolved, and carried him southwards, towards Valaskjalf.


The flight back to Unova was a long one, but since they were no longer in a hurry, the massive Salamence took his time. His speed, when moving in a single direction at least, had increased as well, but the whole trip still took several hours. Several hours less than it previously had. Alex knew traveling the world would be much easier with such a fast flier.

Once they were back in Unova, Alex did much the same as Connor did in Kalos. They'd had a chat in Faarangar after the battle, and had agreed that they needed to cement their reputations as Champions in their respective regions as soon as possible. Both Alain and N were still around, and they knew from past Champions that the passing of that torch would not be so easy. They were both legends and heroes in their own right. They agreed that Unova and Kalos should remain friendly rivals, but Connor made it clear that he had his own path to tread now, and he wouldn't be following Alex and his sister everywhere like a third wheel.

Unova had, thankfully, been calm in the short month or so that Alex had been gone. N had only remained for a few days after the New Year, before leaving to travel the world. With him gone, Tao had kept the region in balance, and the region had prospered as a result. Ancient ruins had been cleared out and raised, old buildings repaired, and expanded upon. Unova had always had a knack for building, but with the return of their dragon, the desire to regain their position as the head of a legitimate continent-spanning empire had returned.


Since there was yet a month remaining before Alex had to return to the Swamp and the University's second half began, he spent the time resting. For about three days, he and his team recuperated from Norstad, mostly by sleeping. They were still recovering from the effects of Tao's world as well, and Jess did the same thing he did, as did her team. Folokraan was the only one who wanted to be awake, but she learned to be patient in those long days. With nothing pressing to deal with, they and their Pokémon enjoyed a well-earned break.

Eventually, they'd started to get fidgety, it was back to training. The training weights returned, and once they were adjusted for size, Alex realized there was a limit to how effective their original method would be. At some point, the weights would simply be too heavy to transport, and even now, they were already incredibly hard to move. Still, they trained with them daily, both at the Redwood's ranch, and across Unova.

Alex and Jess had landed in Castelia upon returning home, and had spent three days there in a spare room that John Crimson offered them. It was there that Alex first got the news. His granduncle had finally passed on. It was a crushing blow after all he'd accomplished in Norstad, and he realized just how distant he was from his relatives once he understood he now had nobody to call home to. He returned home then, and his better half kept his family distracted as he went to have a chat with his brother.


Eric was, as usual, at the local swimming center, riding around on his Blastoise. When he saw his brother, clad in strange white and black clothes, arms crossed by the edge of the pool, he'd guided Squirt over to him, and gave the water turtle a rest. The pool was only so big, but they often swam hundreds of laps, which tired out even the strongest of his swimmers.

"Let me change. Then we can talk." His brother blew past, and headed to the locker room, while Alex was left to stand awkwardly beside his Blastoise. Several minutes passed in silence, and eventually, Squirt leapt back into the water with a content sigh.

Once he'd changed, his brother returned, wearing their granduncle's lab coat over his usual blue attire. He'd gotten glasses as well, and almost looked like a Professor. He was still too young to pull it off though. Alex also spied a familiar diamond-shaped blue crystal pinned by the collar. It seemed the new method for Mega Evolution had reached even their backwater region.


"Where the Hel have you been?" Eric said, arms crossed. Alex raised a brow. He could count the number of times Eric had genuinely been angry with him on one hand, but he still knew that look.

"Norstad. There was…pressing business to deal with, after the New Year. Maybe you missed it, but the Arceans decided to give Ghetsis an airship, and throw him at us. Along with the Forces of Nature." Eric pinched his brow at his brother's word, and Alex only smirked. Even that looked grim, however.

He'd been more depressed than usual of late, but had put off proper mourning. Castelia had been full of fans, friends, and Trainers he'd battled on his first pass through the region, and Unova had required their Champion to keep his composure.

"You missed the funeral, you know. You missed quite a bit, actually. Malina came back, and she wasn't the only one wondering where you were." Eric's tone wavered as he spoke, and Alex looked closer at his brother. His cool demeanor was gone, and then he realized, this was hitting him just as hard. He supposed it would. His Gruncle had taught many Trainers, and had been hard not to like. He and Alex had been close, but so had the rest of their generation. The Professor had taught all of them.


Alex sighed, and they stood in silence for a moment, before he gestured for his brother to follow him outside, behind the pool building. Their conversation had been attracting too many eyes for his liking. It was especially unnerving since he knew many of those who were staring. "How did it happen?"

Alex knew he'd asked the right question as he saw his brother wince. "I…found him. He'd been missing for several days, nothing new, but he missed John Crimson's news report. Twice. When I went into his lab, I knew…I could…smell him."

Alex did the math. Two weeks. It had taken two weeks for someone to notice the Professor wasn't around. Alex fought down the sudden rage that had been mixing with his sorrow for the past three days at the thought of his favored relative literally rotting, alone and forgotten. He fought the emotions down into a clenched, shaking fist as Eric continued, "He opened the old door to his room in the basement…I found him in the bed."

Alex stayed silent for a long while. They were outside now, and he stared at the countryside of their hometown. The sky was gray, but the grass had remained gold, even under the harsh snow of winter, which was now almost entirely melted. "This is the price. He said being Champion would come with a cost. I'd even bet the old bastard knew this would happen. I'd be off on some epic journey, and he'd pass on while I was away." He swore silently.


"Have you been home yet?" Eric asked, his eyes also on the countryside. Alex shook his head. "You should go home…Malina might still be around. She missed you."

The thought of facing his favorite cousin after missing her father's funeral was too much right then. He shook his head again. "No…I'm going to leave again. Soon. There's nothing left for me here. I should've moved out years ago anyways."

"So you're just going to leave your family behind?" Eric said, turning to him.

Alex sighed. "No. Not entirely. I'll keep in touch, specifically with you. His lab is yours now. Go home, clean it up, use it. He left it for you, and knowing you, it's still a dusty mess covered in white sheets."

Eric shifted in place uncomfortably. Once more his brother's words had been unerringly accurate, and for some reason he could not fathom, they were ringing with an indescribable truth that he couldn't ignore, even if he'd wanted to. "I'm no Professor…" He mumbled, "And you should stick around."

Alex let his eyes flare blue, and his voice came out changed as the power added reverb to his voice. His brother flinched. "I have larger concerns to deal with now." He let the power fade just as quickly as it came. "He knew that. You should all know that too. N was always the one keeping the region safe, and not just ours. The entire eastern half of the continent has been saved by him, and the other Champions. More than once. That's my job now. Keeping the world in balance."


Eric rolled his eyes. "And who gave you that job? Does it pay well? What do you earn in a year? Will it pay for the house? How about the ranch? The lab?" Alex raised a brow, but his brother continued his tirade. "You have responsibilities here that you haven't even begun to deal with, brother of mine. You need to take care of those, too."

Alex shook his head. "No, I don't think I do." Eric opened his mouth again, but Alex cut him off and Eric found his forming words crushed by the forceful tone of his brother's voice. Something had definitely changed him, in Norstad. "You have always been the favored son. We both know you are first in line to inherit the house. Not me." Eric pinched his brow again, and turned back to the view. "And yes, it does pay rather well." Alex said, resisting a smirk. While his allies in Norstad didn't use traditional currency, they had given him several artifacts that were useless to them, but were priceless to the right collectors, or museums, here in Unova. Having currency was useful, sometimes.

He watched as his brother looked up again. His demeanor had changed. The cool façade was back. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that…the whole 'favorite son' thing." Alex stared him down now, arms crossed. He'd been expecting something like this for a while, now that he'd essentially proven his skill. "You're right, of course…in hindsight, you've been right quite a few times. You are the better Trainer, Pokémon listen to you more than they do with me. You have a talent for this…and I should've helped you out a long time ago. I'm sorry."


Alex let his eyes soften. Eric had turned to him as he spoke, and Alex waved his words away. "You had your own pressures to deal with. I understand the fear of dad's wrath quite well. Even if you had gotten me a Pokémon or something…we both know what he would've done with it." He offered a hand then, and Eric went to shake it, but Alex shook his head. "Not like that. Here…"

He showed his little brother how men shared a sign of trust in Norstad, and then began regaling him with the tale of his adventure. He hadn't seemed too interested at first, shifting uncomfortably at his harsh words towards the Arceans, but after he mentioned a certain hammer-wielding 'God', Eric's attention was hooked.

Once they'd finished talking, the two brothers went home, and set about cleaning up the lab. Eric agreed to take over maintaining the PC dimensions holding their other Pokémon, something he'd been doing anyways since the Professor passed. They both avoided the basement. Alex did so because he still couldn't stomach the thought of his Gruncle rotting down there, Eric did so because he hated the stink of Leaf and dead human. Eventually he'd brought in their cousin Aria's Bellossom to fill the basement with a more tolerable odor, but without windows, it would likely hang around for a while.


The rest of the family welcomed him home, as Jess had used her charms to cut through their anger, and explain why they'd needed to be away from Unova. What had started out as a trip that would take a few days had extended once Pravus had disappeared, and Alduin had woken up. His own parents were noticeably quiet, distant, and it took Alex a whole evening to realize they were avoiding him.

He guessed correctly that they were somewhat ashamed for holding him back for so long, something he'd confirmed after briefly sensing their thoughts, but he made no effort to forgive them for it. Evidently his battle against N had finally proven that he was, in fact, really good at being a Trainer. He'd spent most of his life ostracized thanks to them, a guilty conscience was the least they deserved. Twenty years, and a day. That was what he decided they could guiltily wait through, before he let the past go completely, and made any kind of attempt to reconcile.

He spent the next several days resting more, between bouts of training, alone in the lab's basement with Jess, and sometimes Eric. The door to his granduncle's room had been shut once more, and he had no desire to open it. He was more determined to fill the room with the stench of the Leaf, and after a few sessions with his Gruncle's old bong, the room returned to its usual odor. For him, at least.


Alex and his team had been home for a week when Leo discovered something that would once more further their journey. He'd been prowling through the barn behind the house, enjoying the unease he caused in the Tauros, Miltank, and Bouffalant. It was only right that prey should fear him, after all. That was when he noticed a pair of sad yellow eyes watching him from the rafters.

A quick sniff told him it was a Noctowl, and he briefly recalled hearing that his Trainer's now deceased relative had owned one. He was by no means the most articulate member of their little family, but he felt he should at least try to say something. Reaching out with telepathy was Arthur's domain however, so instead, he settled for 'Pokéspeech', the universally understood tongue that only Pokémon could truly speak.


"I heard of your loss, feathered one. You have my sympathy." The eyes blinked at his series of growls, and a voice echoed in his head as the Noctowl responded.

"Thank you…my partner had something for yours. Some…information. Papers. That sort of thing. He tasked me with passing it on before he…" The voice trailed off, and even Leo's usually cold hunter heart lurched for the sadness emanating from the bird.

Before he could try to comfort the Noctowl, it fluttered down from the rafters, a wooden box in one taloned foot. "Here." Came the voice again. "It is his. Now…leave me to my grief."

Leo moved towards the bird, and gave a low, rumbling purr as he nuzzled it. It was his kind's way of sharing affection, and the electrical current, while normally damaging to a flying type, only brought warmth then. The owl blinked again in thanks, and then flew out of the barn, and into the night. Leo then began the arduous task of trying to lift a large, square object with his fangs, but found his mouth too small. In this form, at least.

He growled the draconic word for electricity and mega evolved by drawing on his Trainer's stash of shards. Then he picked the box up, lifting it easily. His actions did, however, draw notice from his Trainer. He brought the box outside the old man's lab then, and soon, his Trainer appeared from within with damp eyes that were also rather bloodshot. The rest of his team were asleep, as only Leo ever prowled around at this hour. He dropped the box before Alex, and then let the power of the Plate crystal fade.


Alex gave the large cat a thorough scratch as he wiped the slime from the box, and opened it. Once he saw what was within, he walked into the abandoned lab, and took a seat in one of the lounging chairs by the back window. They still smelled like his Gruncle, and Leaf, of course. Inside was what the Noctowl had promised. Documents, yellow with age, but atop them was a much newer device. A Holociever, the resulting combination of the Cross-transceiver and Lysander's Holocaster technology. Alex had one of his own of course, everyone over the age of thirteen usually did despite how popular Rotophones were becoming, but this one was the familiar mahogany brown of his Gruncle's.

His team had taken to lounging around outside their balls since coming home, and all of them focused as Alex got their attention. Terra and Hydrus woke from the naps they'd been taking in the puddle of mud they'd made just outside the lab. Shruikan opened one giant, yellow eye which was visible from the lab's window, and though he was otherwise occupied, Blaze paid as much attention as he could.

Arthur and Leo usually stuck by their Trainer. Arthur did so because he was fond of speaking with the other humans, especially the little ones, and Leo did so for much the same reason, though he was mainly after belly scratches and many pets. Alex looked up at his Gallade, who had just taken a decent hit of the Leaf, and had put a sword-arm on his shoulder. The Holociever was, of course, capable of recording messages as well as sending them, and as Alex powered it on, his Gruncle's voice filled the room.


He heard dainty footsteps rushing up the stairs from the basement, and he looked up to see Jess. He paused the message, and started it over for her. He hadn't really listened anyways, after hearing a voice he was sure he'd missed ever hearing again. He wiped away the tears in his eyes he hadn't even noticed had formed, and then played the message again, for them.

"Alex…by the time you hear this, I'll likely be gone. Cliché, I know, but it is the truth, and a sad one at that. I can only imagine what you've achieved in Norstad. Knowing you, it's something you're not ready for, but have already somewhat mastered." Alex fought down a laugh as the holo-image of the old man coughed and wheezed, then looked at the hand that had covered his mouth. He wiped the bloody smear on his coat absentmindedly, and continued on.

"I can only hope that what the Dragon taught you has helped you survive that barbaric land. And yes, I was the one who asked him to train you up. He thought you needed more time to mature, but I know better. I've seen how you get when you have new knowledge to devour. Just remember that not everyone is used to seeing supernatural power. Humans have a history of persecuting those with psychic abilities, so keep them secret, if you can." Judging by the Professor's smirk, he knew how well that would go.


The old man coughed again, and thumped his chest. He took a hit then, and Alex realized he'd recorded this in the very chair he now sat in. "Ah…I've so much to say…and not enough breath to say it. Good thing these silly devices don't have hard time limits." The bong in the image went away, and the Professor entwined his fingers. A serious look came over his old, haggard face, and Alex leaned in subconsciously. He knew that look. What came next was important.

"I don't need psychic power to guess that Pravus wormed his way away from you. He's escaped professional Pokémon Rangers with ease, and Fornia is essentially a fortress. Try not to dwell on it. I can say that if he did retreat, it's because he found a way to get what he wanted. Eternal life. Don't look so surprised, he's been after that for years." Jess chuckled then, as they had both looked surprised by the Professor's knowledge. "Listen. If he gets what he wants, then our species is doomed. Pravus has mastered the art of indoctrination through his cult, and once he has this continent, he'll move on to another. He already has roots in Sinnoh, but that's Japan's problem. Let their Champions handle it. You have more important things to do."

Alex raised a brow, but the Professor continued on, "In this box, and in my room, are several hundred hard documents that are essentially a record of what that bastard has done. You'd think anyone with a brain would burn that kind of information rather than record it, but that's just how the Arceans operate. They record everything so they can use it later. On their enemies, and their own. It's part of what keeps people in their cult. Blackmail and fear are powerful tools…and with them you can finally dismantle this foul cult."


A Noctowl flew into the scene then, and landed on the chair. The Professor gave him a scratch, pondering his words before speaking again. "I tried exposing the Arceans for what they were, and was labeled a pedophile for my trouble. I caught one of their 'teachers' diddling students, and they put me on a PokéMeter until I 'confessed' to only having accused the man because of my own supposed desires. I said whatever I had to, to get out of that room. But this isn't about my name anymore. After this latest attack, Unova has a good idea of what the Arceans are about, and that means the end-game is coming. Unova was never meant to be indoctrinated, it was always a scapegoat. A focus for loyal Arceans to center their hatred on. Ghetsis was supposed to lay the foundations for future conversion of Unovans, but you stopped that plan cold when you united the dragons. Now that Tao is back, Unova will never follow Pravus. He learned that the hard way when he captured Tao, and all but started a war."

The Noctowl hooted once, and the Professor nodded. "I'm getting to that, Soren." The old man shook his head. "I've already told Tao of this, and he assured me that Unova would be ready for a surprise invasion. He said he could rally the entire eastern coast if needed, but that remains to be seen. In any case, it's not where you're needed. You need to travel to Fornia, and expose this bastard for the slime he is. Without the support of his people, his empire will crumble. Pravus has always underestimated the value of his own supporters, and that is the weak point that you need to strike at."

The Professor made an imitation of a building falling with his hands. "Expose Pravus beyond the shadow of doubt, and the entire thing comes crumbling down. The trick, as I'm sure you know, is getting Arceans to see, and believe, that their Prophet is a lunatic. I can only give you the tools lad. You'll have to figure out the rest. My advice? Start from the ground up. Most Arceans have never seen the Pokénet. They have no accurate idea of how the world sees their home. From their perspective, their cult is helping people all over the world, rooting out 'psychic warlords', and even curing 'drug addiction'." He demonstrated how effective that had been on him, by once more toking on his bong. "You'll understand how deep the indoctrination goes once you get to Fornia, and meet them. But don't give up on our western brothers. They may have their brains baked by all that sun and wildfire, but the people of the western regions were a part of what made the Dragon Empire so feared. If you intend to unite us, Hero of Unova, you'll need them on your side too."


The Professor let out a hacking cough again, and frowned into his hand. Blood trickled from either side of his mouth, and he wiped it on his sleeve. "It seems my mortality is catching up with me, so I'll end this, and hope you return from your journey alive. I've recorded other messages on here, for the rest of the family. This is the last. Pass them on once you're done with this." Soren hooted again, and it was a low, mournful sound.

The Professor leaned back into the chair, and sighed. "I don't know what the future holds for you, lad. All I can do is help you with this enemy, but you need to understand something…there will always be another Pravus. Another madman, another power-hungry intelligent being bent on dominating the entirety of Mankind. Knowing you, you're going to stop quite a few of them, but eventually, one of them will find a way to break you. This is a task too big for one Trainer, even a Champion, to handle alone."

Soren's eyes widened and his head turned rapidly towards his Trainer, but the Professor continued on, "The Pokémon League has a group of people within it, an adjacent branch with the same goal, specifically, people who run things behind the scenes, and operate in the shadows against other, more…dark-minded people, in the same shadows. There's a reason only a limited number of Mewtwo clones were ever made. There's a reason there always happens to be a heroic Trainer at the right place, at the right time, to stop a disaster. Someday, this group is going to contact you, as they did me, and when they do, I'm going to ask you to do something I told you never to do. Trust them. They may not be perfect, they're as Human as we are, but they're the best hope for our race's future. At least in this old man's opinion."


The old man coughed again, and gave a weak smile to the camera. "I can't guide you on your future adventures…but they might be able to help. Good luck, lad…remember what I taught you…keep your greed in check…and don't spend too long mourning my wrinkled ass…I've lived long enough." He held up his right hand then, and split his pointer and middle fingers from his ring and pinky finger, making a V-shape as the thumb curled up against his hand. He winked. "Live long, and prosper." With that, the recording ended.

Alex choked back a laugh. Tears had started flowing down his cheeks, and his repressed emotions were rapidly demanding a release. "I can't…did he really just…ugh…he would go out on a note like that… nerdy old bastard…" He wiped his face dry, only to look up and see that Jess and Arthur had done the same.

"I…I do not understand his last sentence." Arthur said, tilting his head at his Trainer. He'd tried mimicking the symbol the old man had made, but it was hard to do with three fingers.


Alex laughed again. "Don't…don't worry about it." He shook his head, and met Jess' gaze. "Shall we have a look in the basement?"

He could see the worry she was trying to hide. She more than anyone could feel the emotional turmoil within him, but as always, his practiced stone-faced façade stayed passive and unreadable, if a bit tear-stained. Only his eyes gave him away, as he had to blink back more tears. "Sure…" She said, after a long moment, "Let's…see what the old nerd left for us."

Alex raised a brow towards her as the four of them headed into the basement. "Does that mean you're coming with me to Fornia?"

He knew the slap was coming, but didn't dodge it. It was a good distraction from the pain everywhere else. The back of his head still hurt, though, and he adjusted his hat. "Like you even have to ask. That old nerd should've predicted I'd be going too. Besides, I know how golden coast girls act around Trainers like you. I'm not letting you out of my sight."


The four approached the door, and as they entered the old bedroom, Leo snarled in disgust. It was faint, but the smell of decay still lingered. To his keen senses though, it seemed almost fresh. Alex gave him a pat. "Wait upstairs…but lend your eyes. I'll need them." Leo did as he was bid, and soon, the night hunter's vision became Alex's.

With a glance, he could now make out shuffling foot marks on the old brown carpet. The indentation on the bed where his granduncle had laid down. There were clues all around the room to his hiding spots. A hand on his shoulder brought his focus away from the bed, and to the closet instead. It had been opened recently, judging by the pattern on the floor, and he knew nobody but his favored relative had reason to go digging in there.

Within, he found a much larger cache of papers, and after a bit more searching, found back-ups as well. He personally wouldn't have hidden them all in the same room, but it was good enough. He dug through the first box, and at the bottom, found a folder labeled 'Elaine'. Within, he discovered why his granduncle had been so Hel-bent on bringing the Arceans into the light, if not bringing them down entirely.


It was clearly a covert report, detailing the actions of 'Doctor' Ein as he infiltrated a large soon-to-be-purchased hospital in New Tork City in an effort to collect more stem cells for Shadow Infusion into Pokémon eggs, in order to create a Pokémon that was both monstrously strong, and could still evolve. Apparently, something had gone wrong while he was collecting from an unnamed 'female subject', but Alex could guess who they were talking about. The fools had even listed her room number, if not her name. Given the number was manually highlighted, Alex guessed his granduncle had known it was his wife's.

He shared what he'd found with Jess, and they both agreed then. These people needed to be stopped, or there would be more cases like Elaine's of collections gone wrong. For all they knew, there already had been in the intervening years. They hid the back-up caches away in different spots, and made digital copies as well. It was as they were finishing up that Alex decided to check his Gruncle's Holociever for other messages.

There were indeed more as his Gruncle had promised, including a smaller text based one for him, apparently. It read "Send these to their intended recipients lad. No peeking." There was one for everyone in the family, even his father, and he had to resist the temptation to open that one. He could only imagine what the old man had to say to him. He did as the note instructed, and knew it was likely to cause a stir in the main house.


Once everything was ready, Alex and Jess agreed that they'd need to leave at the start of the summer. That would give them time to finish school, study with the Sage a bit more, stock up on items, and prepare disguises to enter Fornia with. The last few days of their break went by swiftly, and though parting again was sad, it was made bearable by the fact that they could, if needed, reach out telepathically to each other, despite the distance.

Alex had an idea to solve the issue of distance, and after he'd helped her move into her room for the latter half of the semester, he began traveling south along the coast once more, heading for the Swamp.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 21: Taunts, Tales, and Teleportation


transylveticut_mk1_by_pokefan1337_df3fihz-pre.jpg



Jinia Town - Transylveticut Region


The first thing Alex had done on his way south from dropping Jess at Unova University was return home, to show Eric the cache of documents their granduncle had found on the Arceans. Once he'd read through several, including those detailing what had happened to their aunt Elaine, Eric understood his brother's disdain for the group, and admitted he'd been skeptical about what Alex had told him a few days earlier about Norstad. It seemed like something out of an old legend, a cult that powerful, led by a man so blatantly evil, but he couldn't deny hard evidence when it was right in front of him. He still didn't buy into that bit about feasting with Thor though. The World Eater seemed believable enough, given what he knew of how those northern regions matched the power of Mega Evolution, and the size Shruikan had gained. What fascinated him was that for Alex and his dragon, their size gain was permanent, which meant it wasn't Dynamaxing.

Eric had offered to go to Fornia as well, but Alex had convinced him to stay in Unova, to study, and run the lab instead. He also gave him a method of contacting Tao, and once he'd announced that the Redwood Lab was open again, something strange had happened. Applications from potential aides, who were really just students roughly Eric's age, came flooding in. Apparently, working at the lab of a Champion's relative was a big deal, even if said Champion wasn't really running it. In fact, many people had started moving to Derrion Town, and the surrounding areas.

Curiosity about their region's newest defender brought them, but they stayed for the gorgeous views, and clean air. Alex headed south again once he'd said his farewells to his family after a last home-cooked meal, and before he left his home region, he found Tao, who was helping to repair New Tork City, resting atop the Empire building. It was the tallest skyscraper in New Tork City, and gave a decent view of most of the Unova region's capital. From up there, the damage from the 'civil war' became easier to see. It had been extensive, and expensive. Saboteurs were also still an issue, as what few Arceans remained refused to give up on their Prophet's dream of bringing New Tork down.


Aside from that, Tao had things well under control. Rosa and Nate were busy hunting the cabal down, and the sly dragon had informed his Trainer that he'd ordered them to do so together because, once upon a time, he had helped Unovans find love, as well as balance. He had sensed that hunting the remaining Arceans would bring those two closer together. Hearing that from Tao had caused Alex to laugh for a full minute. Not just because after extensive discussion, Alex knew he had no conception whatsoever of what instinctual drive sparked most human relationships, but because many Unovans had been waiting for that exact development between those two Champions. It was obvious to anyone that saw them together, except them, apparently.

Hilda, he'd been told, had remained at the Plateau, and had a winning streak that was getting to be as long as his own. He'd rolled his eyes at that. He did actually lose battles. Most were one on one, but a full six on six usually saw him the victor. Only in the Swamp, against much more seasoned Champions, had he had trouble claiming the win.

He asked the dragon what his infinite wisdom said about his own romantic entanglement, but the First Dragon refused to answer. That, was when Alex proposed a trade of information. He claimed to know why Tao was having such a hard time remembering the so-called 'dragon tongue', despite having access to Alex's knowledge of it, and also claimed he could solve said problem. In return for wisdom.

The dragon could easily tell when Alex was lying, but he'd agreed after a long few moments regardless. In this case, Alex wasn't bluffing. There was a benefit to being part psychic type, and sometimes, even Legendary Dragons needed an extra pair of eyes to see what their own could not. Through their mental connection, Alex had sensed a block on what he assumed was Tao's speech center, buried deep in his brain, and locked by…something. He also sensed his new Voice could remove said block, and make the dragon even stronger. Had it been any other Legendary, he might've paused, but the last Pokémon he worried about having more power was Tao. He had always ruled fairly, even when the offspring of the first Dragon Emperor's lineage had not. There was a reason Arceus had placed him in charge of an entire continent, let alone the north american continent, the one historically that was the most in need of balance.


Instead of shouting, Alex whispered a series of dragon-words into the ear slit of his white scaled friend, words relating to memory, blockage, and the recovering of such things. For a moment, the dragon's eyes turned half white, and half black, before swirling into a familiar circular pattern, and regaining their pure golden color. The dragon thanked his Trainer, as that particular memory block had been a result of being torn in three parts for thousands of years, and then haphazardly shoved back together as two thirds of a whole Pokémon several times. It was enough to scramble anyone's mind, and Tao had simply hadn't noticed the block upon regaining balance.

He also quickly demonstrated that, while Alex may have had the Voice of a dragon, the Original Dragon's would always be superior. He did more with one word than Alex ever could, but then, that was par for the course with Legendary Pokémon. That word had been 'Yol', and the torrent of fire Tao shot into the air around them burned hotter than any Flamethrower, and had somehow been rainbow colored.


What exactly he remembered of the past, he did not say. Instead, he addressed the knowledge Alex had wanted in regard to his own relationship. His response was thus: "To understand how I guide lovers to each other, you must first dismiss the fanciful nonsense your species has created around the entire institution. There is no such thing as a 'soul-mate'. The concept of 'souls' is an ancient, outdated, and entirely Human one. The body and mind are always connected, not separate, and what affects one will affect the other. This is how all of existence functions. In Balance. This is why maintaining it is so important. Death. Un-death. Immortality." He grinned knowingly at his Trainer, who rolled his eyes. "They all effect the body and mind in different ways, but they effect both the body and the mind. One cannot be, without the other. Usually. The reality of my ability is simple. I use my Divine Sight to gaze into the…core…of a Human, and then use my psychic abilities to divine something about their strongest, and closest, potential match. Then, I lead them to each other. The result is usually positive. But there are always exceptions. Sometimes, running across another strong match can tear the first apart."

He leaned down to his Trainer, his massive golden eye towering over him as his soothing psychic baritone thundered in his skull. "You will be hard pressed to find a better match than that of Fire and Dragon. Though she may not have the typing, yours is as fiery a Human as I've ever seen. She burns brightest in your presence, and you in turn are fueled by hers. It is a rare match, but a good one. Cherish it, for it will not come twice."

Alex pondered the dragon's words, and then finally bowed, thanking him for his insight. Evidently his opinion of Jessica Gladstone had risen during their training in his home dimension. It's not that he wasn't glad, he was more curious as to how he hadn't noticed, and then, slowly, he recalled the long hours he'd spent focused on perfecting his martial arts forms while his love and Tao had been off in the rock garden on top of the tower. He'd assumed they were meditating, but evidently, they'd talked as well. It hadn't seemed strange, as the dragon had often isolated them from each other when teaching.


Once Alex departed from the building, he continued on his way south, riding on Shruikan, who had never seen their home continent from the air. Not with his own eyes, anyways. The eastern coast of the States was, in a word, gorgeous. New Tork was not the only metropolis on the way south, but Alex had no intention of going near a city. He got enough challenges from flying Trainers as it was. Something as unique as a Black Salamence would be mobbed in a foreign city. In Unova, the locals had quickly learned to associate the massive dragon with the Champion who rode on his back, clad in white. While many still wanted battles, far more often he was asked for autographs, or given Holoceiver numbers so he could set up future battles.

Jinia Town was the largest town on the eastern coast, and the last one of significance before the Swamp. Alex hadn't stopped there last time, as he'd been in a rush, but this time, he decided to pay a visit. He rode in atop Leo, though that didn't really do much to stay subtle. His golden-furred Luxray attracted almost as much attention as his giant black dragon. They stayed at the Pokémon Center that night, before heading further south towards the grassy plains north of the Swamp in the morning.

He soon discovered that he was not the only returning Trainer who wanted to continue south the next day. There were tons of other Trainers, some he knew from the last time he'd been down here. They had made it to the Sage. The vast majority however, had not, and were new Trainers who had been invited due to their skill, and not their station as Champion. Evidently, Oranguru had lowered the standards one had to meet to attempt to cross into the Swamp.


Not only that, but Alex soon discovered, over a bowl of Leaf with several other Champions, that these new Trainers were all given guides of some sort to the Sage himself, rather than wandering the Swamp aimlessly until they had a vision, or went mad from having too many. Eventually, Alex had, at the behest of the other primarily grass type favoring Champions, singled out a girl, clearly from Unova, and used his 'natural charisma' to find out why she was here. Said charisma consisted of 'Hey', the most common way to start a conversation in Common, and the question 'What brings you down here?' He was clearly a wordsmith.

It was clear she recognized him, and she even claimed that they'd battled once, but after a few hundred road battles, the faces start to blur. She didn't seem to mind his lack of recognition, and answered his blunt question about her purpose for being here, claiming that she had come to learn from the Sage. He was half tempted to ask why she hadn't gone to Tao instead, but he had a feeling that it was none of his business, and wisely avoided prying.

The returning trainees shared a look once Alex explained what he'd heard, and a few were understandably irritated. Getting to the Sage in the first place had been difficult for all of them, many had experienced their own personal Hel as they'd relived past traumatic events, and came through them, again, unscathed. But now these new Trainers, not even Champions, were getting a free pass to an island that had been cramped with a few hundred humans. Now, there would likely be thousands.


They decided to head out at midnight, while the newbies slept, and found they weren't the only Champions with that idea. The returning students had figured space would be limited, and Arceus only knew how many had already reached the Sage. By the time their mixed group of flying types reached the Swamp's edge, the first light of dawn was filling the sky. Then, they saw her.

The purple-haired woman from their last exam was standing on the open plains before the Swamp, arms crossed, her Dragonite by her side. She waved down the group of twenty or so Champions, and once they landed, she began explaining what they'd evidently missed in the two months they'd been gone.

"I know many of you may have mixed feelings about these newcomers," She began, eyeing those who nodded at her words. Alex remained impassive, stone-faced. This woman had acted like a sifter before, separating the skilled from the unworthy. He had no doubt she was doing the same thing now. "Understand that they are here because they wish to learn from the Sage, and nothing else. They will not be competing to become his top student, though they have that option, many have chosen to avoid potential death, and simply be guided to the Sage."


She looked ready to say more, but a familiar sound cut her off as a helicopter, blades whirring away with obnoxiously loud noise and wind, set down beside the group of Champions. They collectively groaned as they saw the symbol on the side of the machine, and Alex looked down, embarrassed. There was only one news network global enough to be interested in a story in this place. Naturally, they had a HQ in one of the largest tech-savvy cities on the planet. New Tork.

Thankfully, it wasn't John Crimson who stepped out of the chopper, but rather a woman, blonde hair, curves in all the right places. The men amongst the group eyed her openly. Some looked away quickly, fighting their instincts. Others did not. Alex just chuckled, as he recognized the woman who'd been summoned by Joey after his first attempt at an interview. He couldn't really blame the others for staring, her cleavage remained glorious, but he'd already developed an immunity. Praise Arceus.

The purple haired woman crossed her arms, and glared at the blonde, her harsh voice cutting through the sound of the whirling blades with unusual ease. "We've already had this discussion. No."

The blonde frowned, and then turned her gaze to the crowd of Trainers, several of whom looked ready and able to 'assist' her in whatever way they could. A familiar feeling of 'oh shit' tingled up Alex's spine as he saw her eyes catch his hat, and then his face. She smiled, and waved obviously. "Champion! Alex Redwood! Remember me?" The group slooowly turned to look at the white and black clad Trainer as Alex moved up to the two women.


The examiner eyed him with a severe look. "You know this…floozy?"

Alex gave the blonde a nod, and then met the examiner's sharp gaze. He had no earthly idea what a 'floozy' was, but knew a derogatory term when he heard one. "I do. She's from Unova. In fact, if it wasn't for her and her cameraman, I might never have run into Ghetsis at the PNN, Reshiram and Kyurem wouldn't have been freed, and the Original Dragon would not have been reunited."

The cameraman in question was, of course, Joey, who had evidently stopped training at the Dragonspiral Tower, and was now outfitted with a camera on his shoulder. His Raticate had a similar device strapped to its back. The symbol of balance remained on his t-shirt, and his shorts, as always, remained the same. He grinned, and waved over-excitedly at Alex as he saw him. Alex waved back, smirking. He knew how badly Joey was crushing on his coworker. Evidently Tao had guided him, as well.

The purple-haired proctor looked between the three of them, and then settled on Alex. That same nervous feeling returned. He had no idea why this woman always put him on edge. "They want access to the Sage, so they can…'document' his training with their devices."


At that, Alex frowned. The last thing they needed at the compound was the distraction of being on live TV. Especially with so many new, untrained recruits. He turned to the blonde then, and met her gaze evenly. "Go home, Haley. I'll give you a story when I come back, but this…this place isn't for the modern world. There's no PokéMart in there. It's literally just a Swamp. A girl like you wouldn't last five minutes in there. The Krokoroks here are Human eaters."

"And this clearly dangerous Swamp is taking in thousands of skilled Trainers." Haley countered, "The world has a right to know where their loved ones are disappearing to."

Alex nodded. "It does. I agree, but this is something to learn about after the training is done. Not during it. You have my word, exclusive interview. With you, not John Crimson. But only after we're done here. It could take a while, though, so you should go home, and find a better story. Like where the Swords of Justice have run off to."

She raised a manicured brow at him. "What, they've disappeared?"

He raised a not-so-well-kept brow at her. "Nobody has seen them since that Beheeyem invasion fiasco. Anywhere. They're not around Unova. If you really want to give people a story, find out where they've gone. We could've used their aid this year, no?"

The blonde nodded, sighed, and then snapped her fingers. "Joey, we're going home." She glanced back at Alex as she left, and he resisted watching anything but the back of her head. The view was, of course, glorious, but he had never been an 'ass man' as his fellow males so eloquently put it. He had endeavored to understand all aspects of the great mystery that was women. "You'd better keep your word, Champion."

"When have I ever not?" Alex said as the chopper began taking off again, and headed north. He sighed. "Bloody reporters…"


"They're not the only ones to try to enter." The woman said, once they could hear themselves think. "But I do appreciate you getting rid of them. They've been pestering me for two weeks."

"You were about to tell us something else…?" Alex prompted, smirking.

The purple haired woman brought her plain wooden staff down towards his head. By pure instinct, he caught it, and she seemed genuinely impressed. "Not bad. You've improved."

Alex smirked. "I try."

The staff spun with a blur, and he grunted as it slammed into his stomach. He'd seen it coming, but he wasn't nearly fast enough to block it. He was however, fast enough to tighten his abdominals to take the hit. It had moved past his guard far too easily. "Do. Or do not." The woman said, smirking down at him.

"There is no try…" The Champions groaned, in unison. It was a lesson Oranguru had drilled into all of them. Painfully.


"Right, listen up!" She began again, pushing Alex back to the front of the crowd. "Things are a lot different this time around. For you veteran disciples, you have the chance to gain access to the air space over the Swamp." The Trainers shared a look. More than a few had been shot down by absurdly powerful Hyper Beams because they'd tried flying. "Don't worry, our snipers know who to target, and who to let pass…of course, this gift does not come free." She grinned down at them, and Alex noticed it was similar in many ways to the way Leo grinned at his prey before pouncing. He felt the large cat's ball hum on his belt. Evidently that was a compliment.

"To gain access to flight in the Swamp, your task is very simple." The woman gestured to her Dragonite. "Beat him, and you may fly with the best." The Champions murmured again. This woman had been absent during their first stay here, but the few times she had appeared, usually after shooting down a student breaking the 'no flying' rule, she'd let her Dragonite battle some of the more eager Champions with their own dragons.

While the absurdly proportioned dragon looked silly, its power had been monstrous. On the level of the Sage, or at least very close to it. It had taken down renowned dragon types belonging to rather strong Champions from across the States with a single blow, usually a Dragon Claw. Naturally, this had made everyone even more uneasy in her presence. Alex stepped forward unfazed, and smirking. "Challenge accepted. One on one?"

The purple haired woman grinned as her unnerving stare fell on him. "No substitutions. Will you be using your Charizard? Or perhaps that lumbering black beast you rode in on?" Blaze and Shruikan immediately began arguing, via their telepathic link, over who would fight the Dragonite. Blaze had seen it first, but Shruikan needed the battle experience. They were silenced and shared their surprise with the examiner as Leo sprang forth from his ball, and snarled at the Dragonite.


The woman raised both eyebrows, and walked towards the Luxray, who was sparking with electricity already. "I didn't know you had such a…fierce warrior on your team…oooh…his eyes are…uncannily similar to yours, actually, now that I look..." She said, looking up at Alex, comparing the two.

Alex smirked, and his normally blue eyes turned red and gold as Leo shared his sight through their link. "They are, aren't they? I like his colors, too. Black and gold just…it just works."

The look of awe at his Luxray's coloring faded, but the smirk remained. It was his turn to unnerve her with his gaze, and though she'd never admit it, a chill went up her spine. Those eyes had fire in them, even when they returned to being blue. "Dragonite. Go." She gave the command once she returned to her side of the imaginary field they were using. There would be no 'ring outs' here.

Leo's form had begun to glow as she'd walked back, and the two fliers on their team protested. Leo had fought Kurama after all, and this Dragonite deserved to face a dragon. Leo roared as his saber-toothed Mega Form crouched down into a battle stance. "He who strikes first, gets the meal…" Leo's mental voice growled to the other two. Alex chuckled, and his two overeager battlers quieted. They had argued, while he had struck. It was too late to change now.


Seeing his opponent had mega evolved, the Dragonite glanced at his Trainer. She shook her head. Alex fought down his disappointment. He hadn't seen a Dragonite's Mega Form, and Draco Plate crystals were exceedingly rare. If anyone had one though, it would be a Trainer like this. He smirked at her. "Not a wise choice. Leo's Mega Form is…deadly."

The purple woman rolled her eyes. "You'll excuse me if I'm not intimidated. He may have a unique color, but I'll bet he's spent most of his life fighting Flying and Water Types. He's never faced down a Dragonite." Alex just shook his head. A Black Salamence was, in his opinion at least, far deadlier than a Dragonite, and Leo often sparred with Shruikan.

Leo snarled at the woman's words, and she raised a brow. His new form's mane was, unlike his normal one, sleeker, though it extended under his jaw as well, not unlike a Pyroar's. Electricity shot through it, and it flared out in an array of black with gold streaked fur. It would provide the conduit that would guide the plasma he generated with his attacks. There was, in truth, a reason Alex had let his proud cat take the lead again. None of his team were as good at night battling, and though the sun was coming, the night was still their ally.


The Dragonite assumed the battle was on, and launched forward, its fists encased in fire and lightning, one claw for each. Alex frowned, as Leo dodged the fire one. The electric claw hit, and he snarled in surprise and pain. Usually such attacks didn't damage him much, but then his Trainer realized, these weren't actually punches. Fire and electric type energy had covered the dragon's true attack, Dragon Claw.

He saw the purple haired woman moving her mouth, but no sound came out. The electric claw turned to ice, and he swore as he and Leo reached the same conclusion. She knew the dragon tongue. Since returning to battling regularly, Alex didn't use it in battles, as it put a target on his back, and was unfair against Trainers who couldn't power their partners up with their Voice. He did much the same with telepathy, though he kept their battle strategy silent, only shouting moves verbally.

He whispered his own words, and the sky darkened again, as dark, ominous clouds rolled in from seemingly nowhere, and covered the rising sun. His Luxray grinned, and melted into the much heavier shadows as an Ice Claw sliced through an apparition of his form. Then, like the night hunter he was, Leo came out of the shadows from seemingly nowhere, his massive saber-teeth wreathed in lightning. They sank into the Dragonite's bulky leg, and then the cat disappeared just as quickly.


The woman frowned, but said nothing about his tactics. As far as using the Voice went, augmenting one's Pokémon was more of a legitimate rule violation than changing the weather. Plenty of Pokémon did that anyway, just by appearing. Leo struck again, this time with his claws. He and Alex had discovered that his bones were actually quite good at conducting electricity, and since his claws had the same composition as his teeth, they'd figured out how to use an entirely new move. Thunder Claw, they called it. He was still getting the hang of it without mega evolving, but in this form, Leo had no issues controlling his elemental typing.

Three red gashes appeared across the Dragonite's chest and exploded with electric energy, and it roared in frustration, then glanced back suddenly at its Trainer. It nodded once, and Alex knew they were shifting strategies. "Careful, Leo…use a ranged attack this time."

While Leo much preferred physical attacks, his special ones were almost as strong. He agreed with his Trainer, and did as ordered. He didn't take opponents this strong lightly. A bolt of Thunder arced down from the sky, and the Dragonite hissed as he narrowly dodged it. The searing plasma had struck his tail, but it was a glancing blow.


Suddenly, the woman shifted her head, right towards where Leo was hiding. Alex had enough time to swear, and his lithe cat was already moving in the shadows, but they might as well have been in slow motion.

The Hyper Beam tore across the grassy plains they were battling upon, and hit Leo directly. He began panting, and winced. It had hit his bulky abdomen, namely the muscles, and while nothing was broken, he'd almost been taken out in a single hit. Had he not been in his Mega Form, he would not have held on, but a sliver of strength was all he needed for a counter attack.

The Dragonite was panting as well, and Leo took the chance to hit him directly with Thunder. That was the downside of Hyper Beam. Monstrous power, but it left a Pokémon unable to dodge, or attack for a moment. In a battle like this, that was a dangerous strategy. Evidently, the examiner had expected it to take Leo down.


She reached the conclusion the same time he did. Alex could see it on her face. The next hit would decide this, and he knew what move she'd be using. "Hold your breath…" Alex said, watching her. "She found you somehow, last time. Shield your mind, and hold your breath. Don't move."

Moments passed, as the Dragonite waited, a smirk that mirrored his Trainer's on his face. Alex growled softly. They were waiting for him to strike, but, they didn't know where Leo was. He hoped. "Use it." He finally said to his partner. They might as well try. Their spherical Taijitu attacks had stopped Hyper Beams before, after all.

Leo formed the Electro Ball, and Alex's Zap Plate crystal flared from within his pocket. Leo would provide the dark type energy, as in this form, it was a part of him. The examiner narrowed her eyes. She had once mentioned her distaste for 'Z-Moves', after thrashing a particularly cheeky trainee on one of the rare times she'd visited. He had a feeling she didn't consider his new variant any better.


Darkness formed one half of the condensed ball, and the electric shard flared, powering the Electro Ball that made up the other half. Leo swirled the energy in his maw, condensing it. That, more than anything, was what made these moves so deadly. Unfortunately, they were also a bit flashy.

The Dragonite leapt into the air and hovered there on his tiny wings as the orange sphere that was his Hyper Beam built in his own maw, and Alex suddenly had an idea. Leo growled, but affirmed that he could at least try to do it. As expected, the Hyper Beam blew away their Taijitu sphere formed in haste and partial stealth in a massive explosion that sent a concussive wave billowing for miles across the largely uninhabited grasslands this close to the Swamp.

Moments later, the sky boomed, and had the clouds not been overhead, Leo likely would've had a much harder time calling electricity down from it. Especially while he was trying to use a complicated move. The Thunder attack slammed into the Dragonite, and it gave a pitiable whine as the electricity struck its wings.


Leo appeared behind the Dragonite as it readied another Hyper Beam, not dissimilar to the way a Greninja did. The condensed Electro Pulse was smaller than he could make it if he had time to properly focus and prepare, but it was still quite powerful. Powerful enough to slam into the Dragonite's back, and send him spinning into the soft earth below them.

When the dust cleared, a crater with horizontal swirling patterns surrounded the fainted Dragonite, who was lying on the bottom. Leo landed, and let his Mega Form fade as he trotted towards his Trainer. Alex fed him one of his preferred treats, Moomoo Milk from back home, and the large cat purred, then rolled on his back, expecting a belly rub.

Alex obliged him, smirking, even as he felt the static charge run up his arms, and make his hair flair out. It was curly, so often it was deceptive as to how much he actually had up there, but when he pet his thunder cat, it became quite obvious. He needed a trim. "How did you keep dodging, anyways?" Alex said, speaking mentally to his large cat. "You looked like a Zoroark for a minute."


Leo didn't respond for some time, during which the purple-haired examiner healed her partner, and made her way towards the two. "I did what the fox did, in Norstad. Used Dark energy to make an approximation of my image that's so lifelike, it can fool the eyes of a Luxray. I call them Shadow Clones."

He purred as Alex broke into a laugh. "No. Just…no. Call them Anything but that. Please." Leo rolled onto his stomach then, purred against his Trainer, and tapped his ball's button with his nose. He rather enjoyed the inside of his Pokéball, and he'd earned a nap. And he was definitely still calling them Shadow Clones. Alex sighed. Felines.

Looking up, Alex noticed the examiner waiting for his focus to return, and once he stood, she spoke. "Well done…I admit, I didn't think you had a chance. Not without your Charizard, and a type advantage. You've improved while you've been away."

Alex nodded. "I got some training from Tao and my Rayquaza…who should be here by now…but yea. I went to Norstad, too. Saved the world. Met some Legendary Pokémon."

She gave him a smirk, and that feeling of nervousness returned. "So basically, the same thing every other Disciple did."

Alex smirked. "It really is the best job in the world."


A smile cracked the usually stone-faced woman's weathered features, and she gestured to the Swamp behind her. "Fly on in. The others know not to shoot you down."

As he stood atop his massive dragon's head, holding onto a head-spike that was taller than him, he could see he needn't have worried about Shruikan being able to fit in the Swamp. The Swamp's trees were gargantuan. They might leave a dragon-sized hole in the canopy wherever they descended, but he should be fine battling.

The air above the Swamp was, surprisingly, full of Trainers. Evidently, he really wasn't the only one who'd improved. The examiner had demonstrated early in their training that they had no chance against her, something the usually proud Champions had not accepted until they'd actually lost to her. Alex had been no exception. Now, it seemed, many had passed the test to earn the right to fly. He sensed many more Trainers below, as they flew over.

There were likely some who assumed they could follow the guides to the Sage without attracting attention, but Alex knew better. He'd spent three months in this Swamp, and had learned early on that the Swamp did what the Swamp wanted. There were no shortcuts to the Sage, not for those who, like the other Champions, had come to try and become his honored student.


Shruikan, as always, gathered looks wherever he flew, and thanks to his size, they created a swathe through the many flying types in the air. More than a few looked irritated enough to attack, but a glare from the massive dragon usually made them think otherwise. Deciding to check on his 'home' first, Alex had the large dragon descend on the western side of the Sage's Isle, only to find that his home away from home was occupied.

Alex felt Arthur's irritation rising, and sighed. He also spotted Red, and figured he could let the second most well-known Trainer in the world give a chance to explain why his Mewtwo was sitting suspended in the air atop his wrecked home. The cat-like psychic type was meditating in the midst of the ruins of their little 'house' that had been made of mud, wood, bark, and no small number of vines. A psychic barrier encircled the meditating Pokémon, who had evidently landed on the roof, and then pushed it downwards, demolishing everything.

It was repairable, but it would never be the same. Hydrus was just as irritated as Arthur, and as the rest of his team noticed, all except Terra were genuinely mad that their sleeping space had been crushed by the Pokémon arrogant enough to claim to be as strong as Arceus. Red's Mewtwo was something of a legend, and after Blaine had passed on and given his ball to Red, the only Trainer he trusted with Mewtwo, the psychic type had grown…vocal. And disobedient. There was a reason Red usually kept him in his ball.


As Shruikan landed, he snarled at the meditating Pokémon, who opened one eye, and then the other as he did a double take. "Its going to pay for crushing our home…" Shruikan's snarls only made the Mewtwo smirk, and Alex patted his horn, before leaping down.

"Peace, Shruikan…" He said, speaking to the dragon's mind. "This is Arthur's fight…"

The dragon grumbled, but spoke mentally to their Gallade. "Make sure my words ring true, sword-hands."

As if in response, Arthur popped free of his ball. He'd been quiet on the trip south, and Alex knew Xerneas's words still rang in his head. The Sage knew who he was. Why had he not told him? That thought had steadily grown more and more irritating. Thus, now that they were finally here, he was ready for some answers, and was in no mood to deal with Red's Mewtwo.

Blue psychic power surrounded Arthur as he walked up to Mewtwo, who blinked in irritation as the Gallade marched through his Barrier with ease. Arthur stared him down, his face an inch from the genetic Pokémon's as he projected his words. "Get. Out. I won't ask nicely again." There was a low 'oooo' sound from the few Trainers besides Red that had come to, evidently, see what the Mewtwo would do next. Shruikan's arrival wasn't subtle, and their crushed domicile seemed to be a recent event.


Red came up to Alex who was already moving towards the two psychic types. "I'm sorry, he just…he randomly popped free of his Pokéball a few minutes ago and vanished. Then I found him here. I have no idea why he's doing this…"

The Mewtwo gave his Trainer a brief, irritated glance. "This does not concern Humans. Go away. This is between me, and the little prince. The Dragonslayer." Mewtwo smirked again, and before anyone could blink, he was suddenly sent flying to his right, and everyone else's left. Arthur's Night Slash was humming, and radiating dark type energy.

He glared towards the hole in the foliage the Mewtwo's body had caused. "I told you...to get out." His right arm, the arm which had struck first, was shaking, and Alex blinked as he sensed his Gallade was dangerously close to losing himself to rage. Where had that come from?


Given that their telepathy was being broadcast audibly, everyone noticed how mad Arthur looked. Around the compound he'd been, by far, the most active of Alex's team. Sparring every day, with humans, Pokémon, anyone really. He'd trained relentlessly, as he had been convinced that he was their team's weak link at the time, due to his inability to Mega Evolve. That was no longer the case now, though.

This Mewtwo in particular had often mocked the Gallade, 'sparring' with him in his Mega Form, which gained the fighting type. Arthur had withstood the verbal abuse though, and kept his cool, something everyone had admired, even as the Gallade lost consistently. Arthur's noble demeanor and nickname had only irritated Mewtwo, and Arthur had become the focus of his irritation on a daily basis. It had been good training, but the harsh words often struck a nerve he had, until now, ignored.

The other Champions around the area, evidently brought by Red, or just curious to see what his Mewtwo was doing, all visibly flinched as the Genetic Pokémon's voice rang through the area. "So…you've gotten proper training…" The two sides of the Mewtwo-sized hole in the foliage were wrenched apart with psychic power. His eyes were shining deep blue, and the Mewtwo approached Arthur slowly, levitating above the ground.


The gathered Trainers, Alex included, winced again as the Mewtwo turned his gaze towards Red, lifted the human into the air, and forcibly drew a Mega Stone from his bag. They all knew which one it was. Mewtwo raised a finger, and Red's keystone activated the Mewtwonite X. He sighed contently, as he finished mega evolving, and flexed his larger muscles as he landed before the Gallade. "Go on then, little prince. Hit me with everything you have. Make your dead mother proud."

Arthur's eyes flared blue, and the area between the two psychic types began to break apart as each one called on their power. Sparks flared as their auras brushed against each other. Arthur did not Mega Evolve however, despite being given the chance to do so. Mewtwo's eyes narrowed, and he began to form a sphere of black energy between his palms. Arthur did the same, and his sword arms were glowing gold.

The gold light formed a similar orb between his palms as he condensed the energy into a sphere he knew his opponent could not match, and though Mewtwo's grew darker as he poured more of his awesome power into it, Arthur's only grew brighter.

"ENOUGH!"


The force of the psychic shout disrupted Mewtwo's concentration, but Arthur's held fast. He gave his opponent a grim smirk as the Shadow Ball Mewtwo had been forming vanished without his focus. The Foggy Swamp Sage descended through the canopy above them, staring down each fighter, before focusing on Arthur, who had kept the shining ball of power between his hands. "I said that's enough, Arthur…"

The Gallade seemed to growl, but then paused as a single, massive claw rested on his shoulder. Shruikan brought his head down to the Gallade's level, and met his gaze, blinking once. Arthur sighed, and let the energy go.

The Sage sighed, and pointed at Red, specifically one of his Pokéballs. A red light shot at the Mewtwo, who seemed ready to attack the Sage, but was forcibly returned to his ball instead. It shook violently, but the Sage's deep pinkish aura of psychic power kept it shut. He turned his gaze to the Gallade, and his Trainer.

"You two. Come with me."


Alex gave a nod, and bowed, but the Sage had vanished with what he assumed was Teleport. He let the rest of his team out of their balls, and then turned to Red. "They're going to start reconstructing my home. Help them out, if you can, hmm?" He gestured to his wrecked hovel. "This is partly your fault." Red simply nodded, keeping the brim of his hat covering his face.

Arthur gave Red a pat on the shoulder before following Alex. "Know that I blame your Mewtwo for this. I know you wouldn't do something like this with no provocation. You're a good Trainer. One of the best, in fact, if what Alex says is true. Many have failed to tame a Mewtwo. Don't let this incident keep you from trying. You'll reach him…eventually." Red met the Gallade's gaze for a moment, and then nodded.

The walk to the Sage's chamber would take several minutes, and Alex spoke quietly to his Gallade as they moved. "Are you okay? I've never seen you that angry…"

The Gallade flinched, a frown on his usually happy face. "I…I just…I have no excuse. I lost control, for a moment…I let his words get to me…"


Alex stopped, and faced his Gallade, putting a hand on each shoulder. "Anyone would have. I know how much you liked meditating in your room, and I know my own emotional turmoil hasn't helped with yours."

Arthur looked up, at that. "That's not-"

Alex cut him off. "We've had a rough week, my friend. Focus on the positive. Nobody got hurt, and you kept your head, in the end. Which is good because that attack, which was incredibly cool by the way, would've seriously hurt an Oranguru."

Arthur looked down again, and sighed. "I don't know what it was…I just used Sacred Sword and pooled the energy…"

Alex smirked. He'd thought that's what had happened. "We'll work on it. Now let's go."


The Sage's compound was, they realized, much larger now. Several more dorm buildings had been added, and several others were yet being built, just to accommodate all the new people. There was even a second mess hall, built onto the side of the first.

The Sage's chamber seemed unchanged, at least. They found him where he usually was, meditating in his wooden bowl-throne, perfectly balanced upon one of Swamp Tree's roots. Alex mentally reached out to the tree, grinning. "Hey, Swamp Tree."

"Redwood, my man. Welcome back."

The tree's voice was as casually chill as it always was. "Thanks Swamp Tree. How've you been?"

A hint of sarcasm entered the tree's voice as it responded. "Pretty good, you know, pretty good. I've just been sitting here for a few months. Being a tree. Winters over, so that's good. I love spring. It makes me grow taller."

"Yea?" Alex said, resisting a chuckle. "Do you ever, y'know, consider maybe not growing? You're already pretty large, Swamp Tree."

"Asking a tree not to grow is like asking the sun not to shine, Redwood. Trees gotta do what a trees gotta do." Even the Sage was smirking now, though Alex could tell he was trying to hide it. "You're one to talk. Look at you. Last I saw you, you could barely lift a pebble. You were smaller, too. What happened?"


"I'll tell you all about it." Alex said, as he walked up to the throne, and bowed. Arthur did the same.

The Sage opened his eyes, examined his student, and raised a brow. "So. You awakened your Dragon blood. Well, nobody saw that coming, I'm sure." He shifted his gaze to one of the rafters in the hall, and the lead Passimian guard dropped down, and reluctantly handed over a very large, very juicy looking Sitrus Berry.

Alex had a feeling he'd just seen the conclusion of some sort of berry bet. The Sage split the fruit in half, and offered some to Alex, who broke his piece in half, and gave some to Arthur. They munched quietly, sitting together as Alex recounted their adventures in the land of ice and snow.

"So. Tao trained you to use your psychic powers, did he." Alex nodded, and the Sage sighed. "Well, he didn't teach you anything too damaging, so that's something. Besides, you showed control in Norstad. You could have that region worshiping you as a dragon-god hero, but you didn't stay."

Alex nodded again. "Norstad's better off being led by a hero of their own. And, Jess was better at using her powers. She surpassed me during our training. She also had help from her partner. Mine refused to teach me anything because you forbade him from doing so."

"For good reason," the Sage mumbled, "You had yet to unlock the other half of your potential. Now, we can move forward. Arthur, consider my ban lifted. Teach him whatever he wants."


Arthur smirked, as did his Trainer. "With respect, master," He said, "I think you already know what he wants. He's determined to learn it from you, and if I'm honest…it's been a while. I've kind of forgotten how…and I wouldn't have the first clue about teaching it to a Human…I can move fast enough to make it seem like the real thing, but that's just a ninja technique I picked up from Gren."

The Sage raised a brow, and looked between the two. "What does he wish to learn now?"

Alex's smirk widened. He'd been shielding his thoughts, and it was nice to know the Sage hadn't pried, though he had no doubt his mental defenses would be no match for his power. "I want to Teleport, master. It seems like something that could be incredibly useful, to a Trainer. Especially one with a power base to manage."

The Sage tossed the last of the fruit into his mouth, and raised a brow. "How?" It was weird, seeing his mouth occupied, and yet hearing him speak, undeterred by it.

Alex blinked. "Well, for one thing, I could continue my duties as Champion, and study here."

The Sage nodded, and then a look of understanding came over his face. "I see what you're after…it also lets you visit your woman. And anywhere else you can remember. Hmmmm." The large Pokémon stroked his chin, which had a respectable white-furred beard on it. "Very well. I see no reason to keep you from such a skill. You have proven that you can handle power. The World Eater was no small threat. I'll expect you to bring her here, for training. If what you say about Pravus is true, she will need it as well, before you venture to Fornia."


Learning to Teleport wasn't exactly difficult, as he was, after all, a psychic. It was an ability most of them had, and one Arthur was glad to remember. It would be incredibly useful in a battle. The trick, as the Sage showed them, was to tap into the global field of energy surrounding their planet, and use their psychic power to move along it. It was, in actuality, quite simple. All you needed was a clear image of your imprinted destination, though Alex soon realized, he could only go to places he'd already been, and remembered quite well.

That was fine, as it gave him a reason to travel the world. He'd gone back to his room once he'd gotten the hang of it, and while there, grabbed extra clothes, and shoved them into his bag. His shirt, pants, and robe didn't really need washing since they were clothes from Tao's world, but having extra underwear was always a good thing. He appeared back in the Sage's hall, grinning like a child. "This…is amazing. Thank you, master." He bowed low.

The Sage seemed amused that the human was so glad to get underwear. Naturally, the Sage didn't need any. Teleportation was something most unevolved psychic types did with ease. Seeing a human use it was interesting, but his student had no issues picking it up. Once he'd done it successfully, he had the move down. "Remember there's a limit to how many times you can use it. Don't forget. Or you'll have to spend time resting wherever you end up."


Arthur glanced at his Trainer once he sat back down, and Alex nodded. "Master, there's something else…when Xerneas thanked us for saving her, and her home, she told Arthur about his origins…or rather, she told him that you knew of them."

The Sage sighed, but shifted his gaze to the Gallade, who was looking down at his crossed legs. "She was correct. Since the moment you arrived, I had a feeling, but seeing you both now…it's clear my instinct was spot on. I did not tell you because…the situation is…complicated."

Arthur looked up at the Sage. "Who am I?"

Oranguru usually prided himself on being emotionally distant. Unattached. Wise. But seeing this Gallade, the sadness in his eyes, the lack of understanding…it moved him in ways he thought he'd been immune to. "Settle in, both of you." The Sage said, "This is going to be a long story…"


"Arthur, you hail from the land known as Albion. I'm sure you've never heard of it. Small, just north of Wyndon City. It's a nice place, really. Rolling fields of green, kind people, the weather is terrible, but then, that's just a part of living there. In actual fact, Albion is where your species first originated from, though you've all spread out over the eons. Your ancestral roots are in Albion, and your egg, young Arthur, was likely created there." The Gallade looked ready to respond, but stayed quiet. He needed to hear this.

"As I said…the situation in Albion is…complicated. Fragile. You see, the Humans of that land have lived there for uncountable millennia, but, unlike any other society on the planet, they actually allowed Pokémon to rule over them, and hold positions of governmental power. Specifically, your line, Arthur. You are, in my best guess, the Lost Prince of Albion."

Arthur blinked. "What…? I…hmm…tell me about my mother."

The Sage nodded. "Your insight serves you well. Several years ago, there was…a shift in the balance of Albion's power. A group of Humans, for no discernible reason, rose up against you and your family. I know for a fact that your line always ruled with the inherent grace and kindness your species is so naturally imbued with. These Humans though…they had a benefactor. A woman in the shadows, pulling their strings. She became Queen after she killed your father, and your mother was forced to run, with no mate, a fresh egg, and a Houndoom on her heels."


The Sage sighed, and sank into his throne. "I will be honest…when they drove your mother to flee her home after they'd killed your father, I did not allow her to stay in the Swamp. She came to me with an egg, I'm assuming it was yours, but I could not let her stay. You see, to this day, there is a…dedicated…group of Humans and Pokémon alike under the new Queen whose sole purpose is to hunt you down, and end any chance of the old line returning to power. Anyone who helps refugees of the 'royal family', is severely punished. I wasn't willing to start a war. They would've torn the Swamp apart to find her, and keep you from hatching." The Sage kept his gaze on the floor. "I know that her egg hatched, and that she fled to Unova, seeking the protection of four Pokémon, three of which had, in the past, served her family."

Alex broke in then. There was only one quartet that could possibly fill that role. "The Swords of Justice…but they've-"

"Disappeared." Oranguru said, nodding. "I am aware. I know this much, young Arthur. Your mother fell to the hands of this group that hunts you, even now. I also know that shortly after she died, the Swords went missing. When you return to Unova, go to their Pledge Grove. That is where my Future Sight led my gaze when I meditated on this. If there are answers, you will find them there."

The Gallade glanced at his Trainer, and Alex nodded. There was no question. Arthur was going to the Grove immediately, to remember what he'd forgotten. He Teleported away, and Alex sighed at his master. "He never stops."

The Sage smirked. "I know. I wonder who he gets that from."


Later that night, as Arthur handled his business, Alex returned to his 'home' to find that Terra had seriously outdone himself with reforging their hovel. The design was essentially the same, but the combined mastery of the earth and water that made up the Swamp from Terra and Hyrdrus allowed it to be molded in ways humans could never dream of achieving. Not without years of work. It was even big enough for Jess, and had passable shelter from the rain that would no doubt come as summer approached.

He recalled his tired team, amazed at their work. Blaze and Leo had also helped sculpt the stone, so everyone was thoroughly exhausted, which was perfect, because Alex had a feeling his belt wouldn't be on all night.

Alex was finally free to Teleport wherever he wished. His possibilities were limitless. He went to Alola first, and bumped into Percy at a restaurant his family had visited on an earlier trip. Percy suggested he get something for his lover, and deciding to actually trust the fairy type's advice, he let his random, wandering gaze, and the universe, guide him. It was a trick he'd picked up from Tao, and was often a good way to make decisions his conscious mind focused too hard on. Once his eyes read the familiar, and hilarious words on the random package they'd settled on behind the counter, Alex knew what he'd be getting her.



Unova University - Unova Region


"Thanks for the Tapu Cocoa." Jess said, smirking. He'd returned to his lady's dorm, only to find that her new roommate had invited her boyfriend as well. Naturally, Alex had enough to share.

Her roommate smirked. "Yes, thank you…it's seriously good." She pouted at her partner. "He never gets me anything."

Jess buried her face in his chest suddenly, and she stifled a giggle fit as Alex nonchalantly sipped his drink, and said, "I know what the ladies like." The boyfriend, whose name he hadn't been told, nodded, as he got the reference. Alex chuckled as well.

They'd Teleported away then, as upon hearing he could take her anywhere, his better half had demanded to see Lumiose again, namely because she needed to shop, or something. He didn't mind, and managed to use her own memory of the city to appear there, right outside Lumiose Tower. The great thing about Kalos, he discovered, was that everyone was ready to battle, and usually with Mega Evolution. Those battles were always interesting. Especially since he was down to Hydrus and Terra, whose stamina was quite impressive. Everyone else was still tired from constructing their home again.


Alex and Jess gave themselves three months, before they headed out for Fornia, as upon prodding its outer defenses they had learned the Professor had been correct. Fornia was a fortress, and entering it was not simple, even for Arceans. Training in the Swamp by day, and adventuring at night Alex was battling tons of Trainers, and seeing many battle styles. More than once, a wandering blackbelt had even challenged him to a battle of martial arts, and not Pokémon. Some, had even fought alongside their fighting types, claiming that was how people battled in the Imperium of Man, and both he and Arthur found those kinds of matches rather enjoyable.

Arthur, after returning from his Pledge Grove adventure in which he reunited with Keldeo, was no closer to finding the missing Swords. He informed his Trainer that there were many Gallade who were considered great knights in the Pokémon Leagues throughout the States. For a reason he kept private, he wanted to travel to those Leagues, and battle those Gallade. Having read the same legends Arthur had, Alex could guess why.

The Sage had been right, as always. His species had a thing for tournament battling. Shruikan and Blaze helped expand the number of places they could Teleport to, by the day. Alex was making a trail essentially, slowly reaching ever closer to Fornia. It was impressive just how massive the continent was, and he knew once he got in range of Fornia that he'd be battling Leagues all the way back to the Swamp. He wasn't trying to become Champion, but he did have a series of six on six wins against the Champions he came across randomly on his travels west. He also challenged a few gyms, both with his main six, and his other partners who were eager to train after their holiday hiatus. Some of them were, he discovered the hard way, simply not strong enough yet to solo gyms as his main six had, so he resolved to train them more, and thus focused mainly on road battles and sharing experience as they moved quietly ever westward.

Jess was with him, of course, and despite being trained by Alex, Arthur, and even Delphi, she just could not grasp how they used Teleport so easily. She'd had the hardest time grasping the universal energy web that she was supposed to reach out to, and move along. She hadn't realized just how connected she was to the planet at large, and Alex teased her for it all the time. Being a rancher, he'd always known he was a part of a larger, interconnected web of life.


One night, they'd visited Percy, who'd heard about Jess' inability to learn Teleport. He gave them Tapu Cocoa, and had then told Jess that the key to understanding teleportation was understanding how every living thing was connected, and tapping into that web to move through space. He'd finished his lecture with the words "Life needs life, to live." She giggled for a moment, pondered his words, and then blinked away. Moments later, she returned, still smirking.

Once she learned how to Teleport, Alex brought her towards the Swamp, as instructed. She was eager to learn, of course, but with their new ability to be literally anywhere at any time, they'd been rather distracted on the way down.

With sudden access to places the world over, Alex felt less guilty about catching multiple partners. Being able to Teleport, and only needing four hours of sleep since his training in the World Forge, meant he could finally train his other partners, or at least tell his cousins to let them out. It was summer, after all. He'd found the right evolutions for each of the Eevee he'd caught together, and once they were all trained up, he set them to guard the ranch from their tree-home in the nearby forest. With powerful moves learned by way of TM, and perfected with training.

At first, the proud group of genetic variants claimed to have better things to do. Then, they'd realized just how many reporters, tourists, rabid fans, and even wild Pokémon came around the Redwood Ranch lately, and would, if ignored, trample the wild Pokémon's homes. More than once a Pokémon intelligent enough to pay attention to human media had sought him out, for training. Sometimes they wished to be caught, other times, they left after learning to incorporate elements of the Dragon Style into their battles. His eeveelutions grew stronger as they battled off more and more people, but the two that shone strongest were his Espeon and Umbreon. He wasn't all that surprised. One guarded the ranch during the day, and the other took the night. Always their patrols were in balance. He was glad at least two of the litter had picked up his lessons.


Alex gave similar tasks to his other partners as he had with the Eevee, and slowly, his family noticed that certain chores were just randomly being taken care of by his Pokémon. His Muk and Garbodor cleared the garbage by splitting it between themselves fairly, before wandering away to find more. His Machamp helped his uncle and older cousin with ranching. His Leafeon and Chikorita tended the plants. He also knew that his cousins could find uses for those he sent over. More than once now, they'd bonded with the Pokémon in question, and he'd simply given them to the relative in question. Slowly and subtly, the younger generation of Redwoods gained full belts from the prolific Champion. Evidently, all those hours chucking pebbles at the now-exploded stump just outside their home were paying off.

Thus, it was well into summer by the time Alex and Jess finally arrived at the edge of the massive Swamp. She too battled the dragon woman, and earned the right to fly in on her Articuno. Folokraan was quite large now, and had proven herself by beating down a certain Dragonite with icy ease born of a quadruple weakness. Once they returned to their swampy abode, Arthur had popped out, just in case a certain Mewtwo decided to make an appearance again. It didn't.


Connor eventually made his way to the Sage, and then back through the Swamp again to earn the right to fly. There was a reason Garchomp was feared, and a favorite of Champion level teams. He'd smirked at Alex and his sister, who were in the middle of sparring, as he sliced down through the canopy of the island. Evidently, he'd been victorious against the Dragonite as well, and had also acquired power he supposedly wasn't ready for.

Once Alex, Jess, and Connor had all arrived, finally, it wasn't long until Hilbert showed up as well. N remained nowhere to be found. Since Alex could Teleport now, Hilda didn't have to battle quite so many Trainers, which had given her time to finally visit this Swamp her brother constantly pestered her about. She was surprised to learn that the Champion could travel so far so fast, and hadn't expected him in the Swamp, but her brother was glad she'd finally made it down. Naturally, the other Champions were quite eager to 'get to know' the girl who'd beaten down the original Team Plasma. When they asked Alex for an introduction, he'd smirk, and send them to Hilbert. He knew how that would end. The elder twin was overprotective, quiet, and ruthlessly strong. Even if they got through Hilbert though, Hilda usually wanted to face them next, and most discovered pretty quickly that the female half of the duo that brought down the original Team Plasma already had a romantic interest. It wasn't hard to guess who.


When everyone had finally returned, they were almost halfway through the summer. The Sage gathered his first generation of pupils, and told them, and other worthy disciples, why so many regular Trainers had been allowed to the Swamp. They weren't unskilled persay, they just hadn't all won a League yet.

Part of proving one could be the honored student of a Sage was being able to teach, as well as learn. In fact, often the advanced lessons on achieving inner peace were based solely on how well one could train a pupil.

Alex had been doing this already, in a fashion, and once he had time, he'd organized the Trainers who wanted to learn from the man who'd united the Original Dragon. A change happened in the training ground over the next few weeks, after the Sage told them to let those who wished to learn, do so. With the influx of Trainers had come plenty of fan bases, and Unova's was, naturally, rather large. Even though all the Champions had not come down, the Trainers who showed up before him seemed more than eager to learn from the twins, and Alex as well.


Some Champions had convinced others to learn from them, but the more Alex taught about balance and especially the martial arts of the Dragon Style, and how they were related, the more trainees he had who were both newcomers, and old Champions. Everyone was eager to learn a new style of 'Kung Fu', which was where Connor had chimed in.

His meteoric rise to the rank of being able to fly had been gotten him rapid recognition among the other Champions, and he too claimed that he could teach Kung Fu. Apparently, he'd also said the Tiger Style could easily beat the Dragon, but Alex hadn't much cared. His disciples spoke for themselves. It also helped having Jess around, for her skills were almost as good as his. When it came to using psychic power however, Alex was entirely outclassed.

In truth, he'd essentially copied Tao's method of instruction, though it would take much, much longer to complete on this plane. Some students didn't care, and went weeks without rest, determined to master everything they could be taught.

Those were the disciples who soon unlocked a second typing, like their mentor had. Dragon and psychic was rare enough that Alex was the only human around the Sage's compound who'd had that combination, and most of the combinations that did appear in the Champions were normal, and something else. He also soon noticed that the Sage didn't care if his honored disciple was a psychic type or not. He trained and groomed many Trainers personally, Champions and regular Trainers alike, and Alex gained a bad habit of beating them in battles of Pokémon, and fist.


Eventually, Oranguru suggested Alex battle his longtime neighbor, and the scarlet headed Champion of Kalos had grinned at the offer to battle. He opted for a battle of fists. Evidently, he knew how a six on six would go. The so-called 'masters' of the Tiger and Dragon styles met on the Pokémon battlefield towards the back of the island. It was surrounded by trainee housing made from the bamboo that grew in the swamp, and almost felt like a stadium.

Connor summoned his Raikou, and Alex rolled his eyes. Evidently, he wanted his mentor to watch. That was fine by him. Tao appeared in a psychic Teleportation flash, towering over Alex, and setting the crowd watching them abuzz with murmuring. Many people still hadn't seen the Original Dragon in the flesh, but he always made an impression. The massive white and black dragon grinned at the tiger-like Legendary. This was a bet long in the making.

As the two humans clashed after sharing a nod, it soon became obvious who the more skilled fighter was. Alex hit Connor's balance points with every move, and the explosive strikes, which made Raikou's style so deadly, simply couldn't hit his opponent in return. The Champion of Unova was a black and white blur. He moved like water, and struck like thunder. He almost reached for his staff, but Connor hadn't allowed that.


Seeing defeat looming too quickly for his ego, Connor had given a shout of "Haaaa!", and flared his second typing's power, and as fighting type energy claws formed around his fists, Alex smirked at him, and mouthed a word in the tongue of the Dragons.

"Dovah."

His eyes shifted from shades of light blue and bluish-purple to almost pure white as he pushed his limits. His power flared, and then condensed around his form in a shield of aura, and the smirking Unovan Champion launched forward again, as he began to, finally, attack without pulling his punches. Everything thus far had been a warm up.

Though Connor scratched his opponent many times, his claws never seemed to leave much more than a few marks, and each time Alex struck in return, Connor nearly doubled over. He glared at his rival, and wondered when he'd gotten this good.

Connor flared his fighting type aura again, with more shouting, and as he did, it turned yellow, and began sparking with electricity. Alex's smirk grew as he recognized the trick Thor used in battle. "Really? Are we going there?"

Connor grinned. "Come and find out." He dropped into his stance again, and Alex sighed. His rival didn't seem to get it.

Though the Kalos Champion's muscles had grown exponentially, he was simply not fast enough for the advantage Teleport gave to his opponent. Each strike from Alex slammed into his target's weak points, and given that he had limited uses of Teleport, he didn't pull his punches.

As his fighting type energy faded, revealing just how hurt his body was, Connor grinned at his rival, who remained seemingly immune to the bloodless slashes all over his face, chest, back, and legs. "Alright, I give. I know when I'm beaten."


Alex let the power fade, and smirked at his rival. "You've become rather good with fists. You almost had me." The numerous slashes sparked as the skin sewed itself closed, and the tears in his robe sewed themselves shut. He stretched then, and glanced at Tao, who glanced at Raikou, who snarled in irritation.

The large tiger stalked over, and placed something at Alex's feet. Ghost, Dark, Steel, and Fighting type crystals, shards of Plates from Arceus himself. Each flared as Alex connected to them, and lifted them up via telekinesis. "Thank you. We should Battle again in the future. I still need more of these." The tiger glared at the human, and then blinked, as Tao growled at him in return.

Raikou stalked back to Connor, and returned to his ball without a word. He'd had enough of draconic smugness for one day.


The dragon had followed Alex back to his 'home' of course, and watched him pocket his new prizes. "You should have Arthur bond with them. And there is more to know, before you set off for Fornia."

The retrieval of these particular Plate crystals had been the final step in their plan to leave. The Swamp was unbearably hot, as it was the middle of the summer, but they knew Fornia would be hotter. Alex had mentioned that they planned to look at Albion eventually, assuming they survived Fornia, and the Dragon hadn't missed a beat.

Arthur had practiced forming 'energy balls' of many types now, but only ghost and psychic ever really worked. Once he had access to a fighting crystal, his 'Excalibur Sphere' as he called it, was easy to use. Especially in his Mega Form. He knew he needed to be stronger than Mordred. He'd read the legends, and, he remembered just how close their first encounter had been.


Once he'd bonded to each, and formed spheres with each, the Gallade had returned to his ball to continue practicing. It was safer in there, and it was designed to help his power grow. Perfect for training. Alex and Tao chuckled at his behavior. He really was always on the move.

Jess had been busy gathering crystals as well, like Steel, Water, Electric, and Grass. They would need to find more before reaching Fornia, but they'd manage. It was no secret that the regions Fornia controlled around the Stoney Mountains were literally brimming with ancient stones and fossils. Blissfully ignorant Archaeologists were more than willing to join the Church, if it meant discovering and reviving an extinct species of Pokémon.

Scientists had hypothesized that the Stoney Mountains were some of the first places Mew began to copy DNA from. Life flourished in those regions, but the Arceans kept a lock on all of it. One thing Alex was looking forward to most, was finding all those new species nobody had yet been able to freely catalogue.

Tao looked between the two Trainers, and sighed. "You're ready to leave, and yet you aren't disguised." Jess smirked at the dragon, and summoned the fairy type energy from her crystal. Ever since being immortalized by Xerneas, she'd had a knack for using it to disguise things, which was good, for she had no Pokémon that could make use of it. Yet.

With a wave, their appearance changed, and they gained the dark tanned skin, and golden hair so common in the Fornia region. At least among Arceans, which was who they were trying to infiltrate. Their features had changed as well, though to those who knew them, like family, they were still recognizable.


The dragon nodded, seemingly satisfied by their attempt at disguise. "Very well. The first thing you'll want to do is gather the other Plate crystals. If you do that, Pravus will never overpower you. Next, comes having Pokémon who can use those crystals. In times long passed, Battlers carried ten partners, and the strongest among them was decided by going head to head in clashes of ten on ten. This will be the same rule set in the upcoming World Tournament: Ten partners, no substitutions, and the freedom to use whatever Move your Partner can learn. The limit of four will be removed, for World Tournament Battles."

The Sage descended then, floating down through the foliage on his fan, and yawned before giving Tao a nod of respect that was returned in kind. "Mm. You're telling him? Fine." The tired eyes shifted to Alex, and the Sage spoke again. "For this particular tournament, Trainers and Pokémon are encouraged to use as many Moves as they're capable of remembering, in whatever style they wish. Items and healing implements will not be allowed, with the exception of potions. Every Trainer will have one, per match, and it is up to them to know when to use it."

Alex arched a brow at his two towering mentors. "What's the purpose of such a tournament? Ten Pokémon? Most people can barely go six on six."

The Oranguru chuckled, and munched on what appeared to be a Pinap berry, seemingly immune to the rough exterior, the massive, flat teeth crushed it without a thought. "This tournament is meant to draw out the strongest Trainer in the world. What happens after will be for that individual to find out. To that end, the League's founder wanted this particular test to be as fair as possible, with a focus on making participants rely on strategizing with what abilities their Pokémon have, without item usage getting in the way. Essentially...it will be a contest in the style of the ancient world, in a time when Humans were able to draw much, much more from Pokémon in terms of power. This competition will reawaken that knowledge, and set the stage for the final act."

Alex's brow rose further. "Final act?"

The Sage chuckled. "You'll find out, if you manage to win. For now...gather your four new team members, and prepare. I will inform the other Champions. Most will already have four more partners ready to fill out their belts. Once more, you are behind, Redwood."


Alex nodded, as the Sage floated off to dispense more wisdom, and Tao returned home with a 'bamf' sound common to Teleporting. He already had several Pokémon in mind for his four new slots.

His original six would be used for full battles, and the other four would be useful in Fornia. He fully intended on training the new four just as hard as the rest of his team. He needed battle-hardened partners who could use the other crystals in his possession, and most of his thus far captured partners back home simply didn't want to battle as much as his main six did. Jess was still trying to decide what she wanted for her team, but Alex already had his first pick. He needed an Aron. An Aron from the mountains around his home region, of course. He and Jess bamfed to Unova as well, and parted, to go about finding more partners. Having four new ones would further help hide their identities in Fornia, as they could pretend to be mediocre Trainers who had Pokémon more as pets and friends than as competitors.

It was as he began searching the mountain closest to the ranch, and caught the gaze of a particularly ravenous Aron, that he knew he'd found his partner. He needed an Aggron that was powerful, and hungry. It was literally the key to his plan against the Arcean's defenses working. He offered the Aron an Ultra Ball, once he'd convinced him that it wasn't food. The little Pokémon asked to see his team, and Alex took his request by reading his thoughts as he spoke.

They appeared behind him in a multicolored flash, smirking, and the little steel type's eyes widened as he saw just how outclassed he was by his new teammates. Hydrus terrified the little one, but the others he didn't mind. Blaze was only slightly impressed at how fearless the little Pokémon seemed around him. Steel types usually took one look at the Charizard and refused to battle. His flames often turned blue against real opponents.

Alex knelt down to the still-chewing Aron, and smirked. "Come with me. The time is right, and there's no better team." The Aron blinked, and then pushed the Ultra Ball button, which dinged shut. One down. Alex smirked at the ball. "I'll call you Cenomons."
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 22: Rise With The Storm



Unova University - Northern Unova Region


Once Alex had his Aron, he'd visited his brother, who was in the middle of a summer-long experiment at the University's lab. He looked around as he entered the lab building, and he felt his team drawing his gaze towards one of the lab's habitats. Then, he saw why.

It was an Amaura, clearly a hatchling, and it was as white as the snow within its habitat. It looked to have once produced berries, like the other Amaura and Aurorus habitats nearby, but evidently the little one had frozen all of it. He was huddled up, alone, and shivering.

Each of his team told him to go to the little one, and Alex hopped into the habitat, and approached the Pokémon, reaching out to it in a manner not unlike a Ralts, with emotion. Good feels flowed into the shivering Pokémon and his tiny head rose to look at the large intruding human. That was when Alex noticed. This Amaura was pure ice type. That explained why the air around it was noticeably colder.


"He's the most recent hatchling in this line that we've been breeding specifically for Special Attack power. Moreover, like most second and third generation 'fossil' Pokémon these days, the rock typing impurities have been lost. We have their entire genome, finally." Eric said, approaching as he noticed his brother, staring at the tiny Pokémon.

Alex smirked. "My team insisted that I pet him. He doesn't seem to mind." Indeed, the habitat had started to look slightly greener since the Trainer had started scratching the hatchling. The sounds of enjoyment the little male was making were adorable.

He'd almost thought the little one was female, but he had then noticed the tips of the frilly ridges along his neck. They were more of a deep blue, rather than pink. There was that, and the electronic sign on the door of the habitat that had listed his sex with true Pokédex accuracy. The ridges had been pure white a moment before, but the blue was actually working nicely with the pure white of the skin. He was adorable.


He felt Terra give the mental equivalent of a nudge. "Can we keep him?"

Alex smirked. His team was becoming clever. They knew he'd be reluctant to take an ice type because of Terra's dislike for it. Having him ask, was supposed to remove that hesitation, apparently.

He spoke directly to his first Pokémon then, and stared at his oldest partner, with his third eye for a long moment. "They freeze the air around them, and you heard Eric. He'll be strong. Are you sure you want an Ice Type like that around?"

Terra seemed to chuckle. "If I did not, I would not have asked." He gave the mental equivalent of an eye roll. "Humans."


Eric handed the Pokémon an Oran berry as Alex's focus snapped back to his surroundings, and the little long-neck stared at the lab-coated student, motionless. Alex scratched the spot under his chin again, and then gave him a Sitrus berry. It made adorable sounds of enjoyment as it devoured the fruit, and Alex smirked at his brother. "Is this the first time he hasn't frozen what you've given him to eat?"

Eric rolled his eyes. "We get it. You're psychic."

Alex smirked. "You don't need psychic power to know a hungry hatchling. Where's the mother?"

Eric's expression grew dark for a moment. "Frozen. Passed on. The others abandoned him after that. He needs a social learning environment, or he's going to end up losing control of that power. He needs to learn his limit, and not fear it…"

The Professor-in-training paused, as he saw his brother's smirk shift to a grin.


"No."

"Oh come on!" Alex said, chuckling as the tiny Pokémon rolled on its back, and demanded a belly rub, entrapping Alex's stupidly large hand with its tiny feet as he paused in the scritches. Leo had joined him, for that. They all enjoyed their Trainer's hand scratches, but sadly, they all could not fit in the lab. "Look at him, he needs us. And, I need an Ice Type. As well as my Plate crystal."

He looked at Eric, and Eric sighed, pinching his brow. After a moment, he pushed his glasses up, and the lighting in the lab turned them white. Alex resisted laughing. "Fine. He's yours to take care of. But I expect regular reports on his health. I'll get your crystal." Since returning from Norstad, the lab had three whole months with the Icicle Plate shard while Alex was off 'preparing' to study it. Evidently, it had come from a village of Articuno riders. Eric supposed if anyone would have shards of an Icicle Plate, it would be such a village.

Alex was painting a Luxury Ball in the white and blue colors of his new partner, who seemed eager to enter the ball for some reason. Finally, he booped his nose against the button, and it dinged shut immediately. It twitched in his hand then, and made sounds of enjoyment as the little Pokémon ran around within his new home. Alex smirked. Hatchlings. At least this one wouldn't eat his ball. Four times.

Cenomons, or 'Ceno' for short, was now in a Heavy Ball, one that had stood up to his jaw strength. Evidently the Ultra Ball had been unacceptable, so the little Pokémon kept eating through them until his Trainer got the message. Alex had brought him into the mental 'web' that made up his team then, and the little one learned to use words, rather than brute force. At least with them.


As Eric finally returned, crystal in hand, he eyed the newly painted ball. It wasn't so much 'paint' as it was using a stylus to draw, color, and pattern Pokéballs to suit their Trainer's preferences. Naturally, the woman who'd invented this tech had made a fortune when the Pokéball companies bought it from her. By this point, it was standard with most balls. Styluses were, of course, sold separately.

Alex eyed the Icicle crystal, and Eric sighed again as he handed it over. "Don't teach him anything ridiculously powerful right off. His affinity for Special Attacks is…off the charts." Alex rolled his eyes, and his brother glared at him. "Seriously. Don't teach him Ice Beam until he learns it on his own."

Alex smirked, and gave Leo a scratch. The large cat had come for the belly rub, but had stayed, waiting for a moment like this. He gave Eric a feral grin, and the Professor-in-training shifted uncomfortably as he recalled how well Leo had handled such attacks, despite being fresh from the shop.

Alex smirked. "I think he can handle it. If he can't, I'll teach him." In reality, he was planning to let the little one mature a bit. Pokémon grew faster than humans, as a rule, so a few weeks wouldn't be too long of a wait.


Eric raised a brow. "Teach him what? Those overpowered C-Moves?"

Alex held up a finger. "No. Just no."

Eric's brow rose higher. "But the 'c' is for cryst-"

Alex's finger pushed against his brother's nose, booping it. "I said…No. We're not just replacing one letter. That's just lazy, and presumes they're related."

The younger brother waved his sibling's finger away in disgust. It reeked of Leaf. Of course he'd had a bowl before coming. Typical Alex. "Fine. Tye-jee-too Moves." He mumbled something about 'foreign moon languages', and then his gaze fell to the crystal. "Do you really need it so soon? We're learning so much. That thing literally gave us the perfected Aurorus genome. I touched it to mine, and it turned pure Ice Type. It rewrote strands of DNA! With a touch! It's incredible."

Alex shrugged. "I'm sorry, I need it back. It's high time we got to Fornia. We've given Pravus far too much time with…whatever he managed to escape Norstad with. Hopefully we can find and destroy whatever path to immortality he's trying to make."

Though he'd gone over the events a hundred times, Alex still couldn't figure out why the Arcean Prophet had retreated. He'd gained the upper hand with his Gigalith, and then just vanished. It defied logic. Most likely because Pravus knew something he was as yet unaware of. Finding out what he'd learned or retrieved was one of their main objectives. For now. And it required quite a bit of stealth.


Eric pushed his glasses up by the center rim again, and sighed. "Alex, those crystals are shooting pure Arceus-level Infinity Energy into the Pokémon who use them. For attacks, and for evolution. It can't be healthy."

"If it isn't, we'll soon find out." Alex said, eyeing his new Pokéball, as he teased it with his mind. It glowed blue, and was rocking slowly. The hatchling within was already sleepy. After going so long without food, or family, he needed a nap. He too was now in the mental web, and his older brothers had taken in his story, short though it was, while Alex talked. He could tell they felt protective of the powerful little ice dinosaur, but before too long, he wouldn't need protecting. "I've been monitoring those using the crystals for evolution for a while now. Where I can, anyways. There's rumors of problems with Mega Evolution in general, but I can never find anything solid on it. When and if there is a case, I'll deal with it. Personally. Then I'll stop it from repeating."

Eric stared his brother down. "And what if your 'case' ends up being unfixable? What if every case results in a death? Will it be worth the risk then? What if it can't be fixed?"

Alex smirked at his brother. "Can't? There is no can't. There is no try. If something needs to be fixed, I'll find a way to fix it. It's that simple."

Eric sighed at his brother. "Tell your Sage that giving you Teleport was a bad idea." Alex smirked.



Several Days Later – Victory Plateau, Unova


Alex waited patiently at the top of the Victory Plateau. He'd Teleported in five minutes ago, and this Challenger was still walking up the stairs. The Unova League tournament had just ended, and this summer's newest hotshot had fast tracked his way to the Champion. Through the Four, and through Rosa.

Five minutes became ten, and though the wind howled across the barren battlefield, Alex didn't mind it. It was cold on the plateau, true, but Norstad was much colder, he could wait hours up here, despite the relatively hard wind. It was rather nice, when one had it to oneself. Finally, the Challenger came in, looking confident. They always did.

Being the Champion of the hardest League in the world, Alex had the option to give his challengers a choice.


Battle six on six against his team, and claim victory over the entire Victory Plateau, or, battle six on one…against the Original Dragon, and become the Champion. Given that they had enough Champions already, Tao had come up with this system early on in Alex's reign, and nobody in the League had objected. Tao knew what having too many Champions could do, and even Hilbert had agreed that there were enough, for their League at least. The Victory League was not the only League in Unova, but it was home to the strongest Trainers they had. With this system, genuinely good Trainers could challenge and potentially beat two of Unova's Champions, one former, and the current one, and move on with that kind of record on their Trainer Card. Those who wanted to dethrone Redwood could still make an attempt, but would accept the likelihood that they'd leave the Victory Plateau without two Champion level victories.

All who fought the First Dragon, lost. Alex refused to battle them again immediately after that, not that the six on six match would've helped. Alex's team was, supposedly, just as strong as Tao. Stronger even, if one believed such rumors. Most Challengers went for the dragon, always staring blankly in surprise as their Master Balls failed to capture the dragon that already had an 'owner'. It was depressing how many Trainers with enough skill to beat the Four and one of the four past Champions opted to try for an easy victory to claim the title of reigning Champion. Those, did not get invited to the Dragonspiral Tower.

What few Challengers that did decide to battle Alex, or whichever Champion pair was available, also usually lost. Alex had a perfect record in such battles, and only Hilbert's record, who had a much, much longer string of wins and a single digit number of losses, came close to the newest Champion's win streak. He privately counted his most memorable loss from the Swamp, which would always keep him below a perfect streak, but he and Hilbert remained far above the other Champions, each of whom had many more losses. Evidently Hilbert had not been the 'easy pick', though Nate and the others were very much on his level. Being the Champion, Alex had naturally practiced with each of them, and the Four. It had been surreal at first, training alongside the Heroes who'd brought down Team Plasma, but the Champions themselves were quite over Team Plasma. Nate was an aspiring Dragon Tamer, and while he was genuinely ferociously strong, he was also easy to counter with ice, dragon, or fairy moves, all of which the other Champions and Elite Four members had. Had he been using the team he'd traveled with for League matches, Hilbert claimed Nate would likely be unbeaten, but it seemed the powerful Trainer was determined to learn how to wield dragon types despite their weaknesses. He and Damon often trained together. Will and Shauntal kept each other quite sharp, and nobody interrupted the romantic vibes their sparring had, which left Alex and Nick with Hilda and Rosa.

Hilda was far more outgoing than her brother, not to mention beautiful, in a rougher sort of sense. She was built thicker than most women and her chosen profession had made her rather muscled. Not that that dissuaded any one of her hordes of male fans from lusting over her. The real knockout beauty was Rosa, though. Rising into the starlight of Pokéstar Studios in her teen years, she'd grown into a proper movie star, and had the dazzling looks to match. The word was, her fanbase had eclipsed even Elesa's, though both she and Elesa had quite a lot of overlap in their respective fan bases. While Rosa was undoubtedly the most famous of Unova's Heroes, Hilda's team was superior to hers, and easily on par with Hilbert's. Alex had eventually been told to rank them, in terms of team strength, and he had done so. From the lowest overall level, which was where Rosa's team was at, followed by Nate, then Hilda, and finally Hilbert. His own team was reaching their level, and he could battle Hilbert to a draw, but it was like playing chess with a master. Their moves and counter moves always ended in a stalemate or a mutual KO, hence Hilbert's top ranking. Despite his strength though, he was also the one least likely to be around. Nobody knew where he wandered off too, many assumed it was to a women he'd fallen for, but Alex had a feeling he flew out on his Braviary and found places with absurdly strong Pokémon to battle against in the wilderness of the States.


While some of the Victory Leagues challengers did seek, and lose in their attempts at claiming the title, others simply wanted the prestige that beating the Victory Plateau's Elite Four would bring them. A record like that, especially with a win against a pair of Unovan Champions, could open doors for a Trainer. Alex's own record had caught more than a few eyes over the past several months, as he had many wins. He'd stopped keeping track of the exact numbers ages ago, but evidently one of his devices was just automatically recording the data.

Hilda and Rosa had all but ordered him to start 'marketing himself', and once he realized just how much demand there was for random Champ-themed merchandise, for some reason, he'd allowed their 'marketing guy' to start 'selling his image' or whatever. Evidently, that meant giving him shelf space next to the other Champions on the Join Boulevard. He'd suggested selling copies of the black and white hat with Tao's symbol on the front, identical in style to both Hilbert and N's classic hats. Apparently, what was once old became new again, as the marketing guy claimed they were flying off the shelves. He'd then suggested a range of new products they could make simply with stills captured from his public appearances, branded onto said merchandise, and Alex had given him the go ahead to give the people what they wanted. He still found it hard to believe someone would want an item like a lunch box or bag with his face on it, but apparently, they did.

He didn't understand half of the obscure business-like nature of selling these random products, so he'd left it to the strange man who seemed to gleefully enjoy and revel in it. As long as the impressively large paychecks kept coming in from the sales, he didn't mind doing the occasional cameo in Pokéstar Studios, either. Whenever the strange man called, it was usually with such an offer. Or to talk about how comfortable his 'ballroom pants' were. How they had plenty of ball room. He really liked that joke.


Finally, the Challenger crested the top of the stairs, but before Alex had a chance to speak, the Trainer on the opposite end of the field spoke first, as he stepped into the light, and pointed a finger at the Champion. "I want your team, Redwood. Not the Dragon."

Alex glanced at the Trainer harder. He seemed familiar…and then the Emboar on his undershirt, below the black leather biker jacket, reminded him. The kid from Aspertia, with the Tepig he'd passed over for Terra.

He hadn't lost any of his protagonistic charm. The flame tips of his hair were now done all the way to the roots. He'd acquired black sunglasses, and Alex didn't need psychic power to know he had a motorcycle downstairs.


Alex shrugged, still clad in the primarily white robes from Tao's otherworldly tower. "Time to see what you've learned from your journey. Single or double? I don't do Triple Battles up here, or any of that rotating nonsense…sometimes, less is more."

The flame haired kid, who had to be fifteen going on sixteen, swiped his thumb across his nose, and smirked. "Double, then. Doesn't matter, I'll crush you in any Battle!"

Alex rolled his eyes. Then again, for all he knew, he was about to be blindsided by a plot armored protagonist. Unova had a habit of making Trainers who, sometimes literally, bulldozed through every Trainer they met on the road. He kept his guard up, suspiciously. The kid was only normal typed…still, he had managed to beat the Four, and Rosa. While Rosa was more acting focused than battle focused, she was still easily strong enough to stand with the other Champions.

Alex had recently begun to help each of them, including Nick, to embrace their inner power, and gain the ability to use Plate crystals. Then, he'd taught them how to do one Taijitu move. The others, they would need to learn on their own, if indeed they could learn them at all. Most Trainers seemed to be able to handle one or two.

Down in the Swamp, it was another story. Everyone there was a professional, and almost all of them had every kind of Plate crystal already. Alex hadn't believed there were so many crystal users in one place, until he'd lost several one on one matches to Trainers who outmatched him because of their versatility with attacks and combinations, all fueled by crystal power.


Alex had surmised that there were only a limited number of types, and thus, a limited combination of balanced energy attacks. Some, like fire and flying, he'd discovered, had simply been incompatible. Blaze could power up his Flamethrower with the Sky crystal, but forming a balanced sphere of fire and air was quite difficult. The result was usually an explosion, as the air simply fed the fire and caused it to expand beyond Blaze's control.

Many Trainers had begun to spread word of what this supposedly super-strong Champion had on his team, and he knew there would be Trainers designed to break him, but that was what his other four were for. Honestly, they needed the experience more than his original six.

They were his best kept secret, though they were still quite young. His newly evolved Lairon had lived up to his name, and devoured everything he could in the obscure, unmineable mountains Alex discovered via Teleport. He'd needed quite a bit of metal ore to evolve, but there was always metal being formed on this planet. The humans of this era did not want for resources, and Arceus's gift of Infinity Energy continued to replenish them, no matter how fast humanity mined.

The Aron species was often where builders got their materials from. They were super strong, literally shed usable sheets of steel, and were quite good at battling. It was just common sense to have them around work sites. There were more than a few decent Trainers who also worked construction.


Focusing on the Challenger again, Alex shrugged. He hadn't noticed that he'd been silent for a good minute. The intimidation factor was starting to wear off as the Challenger waited, impatiently.

Hilda and Rosa always gave him crap for not being 'menacing enough' to scare off most Challengers. Back when Kanto had held the title for 'hardest League in the world', Lance, their leader, had been shrouded in mystery, and dragon types. The Champions who beat him were likewise rumored to be strong. After battling against Red in the Swamp, Alex understood the hype, as that had been one of his one on one losses.

Alex decided he could always attempt the 'edgy but cool' thing Lance and even Gary Oak had done, at one time, and this poor kid would help spread his reputation. He'd send him to Tao, as well. He'd be fierce, with a bit of training.


"Very well. A double. That'll make it shorter." The flame kid's smirk faltered, as he saw Alex's. It was way too confident.

A flash of green and black came from the belt of the Champion, and he spoke to his team, "Hold off. Let's see if this one is worth evolving for." He could hear the cameras whirring around them as they floated into the air, and began recording as his Pokémon took the field.

The League ref's voice came over the intercom, hidden both out of sight, and away from anything the Champion could break. "This League match will be a Double Battle. The Champion may not substitute. The Challenger may do so as often as he desires. Begin!"

"Verrignus! Leif! Go!" The same Emboar from last time appeared alongside a Leafeon now. They both looked strong, but Alex saw no reason to worry. Terra and Shruikan were quite tough, and made an excellent team. Shruikan respected the earth tortoise's strength, and Terra had the dragon sometimes use his claws to help maintain the living verge growing on his shell.


"Flamethrower."

Shruikan flapped into the air, and as he bathed the plateau in flame, Terra looked unfazed. Ground types could handle fire easily, and this wasn't directed at him. The air became distorted by the heat. The Leafeon countered with a Razor Leaf, only to find that in the new heat of their battlefield, the leaves were all but useless, as they turned to ash halfway across.

That applied to Terra's leaves as well, but that didn't matter much for this battle. He wasn't using Razor Leaf, or kid gloves. "Earthquake." Alex spoke again, and his starter reared up onto his hind legs, before coming down. The force of the slam shattered the ground. Massive, steaming boulders rocked both of their opponents as the entire mountain shuddered.

"Verr, punch the boulders!" The Emboar turned, smashing them apart with Brick Break as the attack rocked him. He managed to take less damage, but his Leafeon partner was down. "Bufo, you're up!"


A Seismitoad appeared next to the Emboar now. "Hyper Voice!" Alex tried not to smirk, and failed.

The large frog's seismic tones were rather impressive, as they shattered the rest of the boulders, flattening the field once more, and while his Voice was untrained, it was actually somewhat strong. The Emboar ignited his fists on the flaming beard around his chin, and charged as his Trainer pointed at Terra and shouted, "Fire Punch!"

"Aerial Ace." Alex kept his arms crossed as he gave the orders, and stayed completely unreadable. Both Terra and Shruikan knew many moves by now, in preparation for the World Tournament. So did his entire team, but usually he tried to limit himself to four. In League battles, at least. Perhaps if the World Tournament proved appealing enough, he'd change Unova's ruleset, it would certainly make things more interesting, but also had the potential for abuse. He made a note to find a specific rule book on the next World Tournament. Since it had been officially planned for next summer, Trainers the world over had embraced the new ten Pokémon limit with eagerness, and many claimed that the ruleset the World Tournament would be adhering to this time was rather exciting.

Thunder boomed through the clouds above the plateau as his enormous black dragon arced down through the air, causing it to whistle ominously as he approached. Shruikan mercilessly slammed the fire pig with a type advantaged move. His punch never even came close to searing his scales, such was Shruikan's speed, even with all his added size. The darkness of the night also helped. Shruikan was quite hard to see, when he didn't want to be seen.


The Emboar smashed into what was left of the stairs Challengers ascended to reach the plateau, and Alex sighed. Aside from not being menacing, constantly breaking the plateau's marble foundations was another thing he received crap for. He could fix the earth of the field itself, but marble and stone were different. Apparently. He took Terra's word for it.

"Seed Bomb." Terra's attack bombarded the Seismitoad, who managed to catch one of the dense energy spheres, for a moment, with the vibrations from his hands. The other 'bombs' landed around the valiant toad, and the resulting explosion of grass energy knocked him out.

Alex glanced at the fainted pair of Pokémon. He knew one of them was the kid's starter, and when your first Pokémon went down, it usually meant the battle was as good as done. He'd been wrong before, though.

"You can back out now, if you like. Your record will still have four victories, and a Champion level win on it. Nothing to sneeze at, since they're from this League." The Champion still had his arms crossed, as he waited for the Trainer's response.

"I still have three left-"

Alex cut him off. "That's your first Pokémon lying by the stairs there. Do you really want to make your other three fight a Battle your strongest couldn't win?"

The spiky, flame haired kid called his three out then, and Alex eyed them. A Noivern, Weavile, and Aegislash, all fairly strong. He had to admit, the kid's team had most of the types covered for. It was balanced well.

"What do you guys think?" The kid asked, as the three eyed their opponents.


Alex gave the next command, mentally as two beams of light shot into his partners, awakened by his Voice. "Alok."

The Plate on his Salamence's chest flared, and his form became that of a Mega Salamence. The storm clouds around the Plateau increased in size and darkness. The heavens thundered at his arrival, and his roar was just as loud and intimidating as the fury of nature. Terra was similarly changed as the light from the Meadow Plate crystal shot into his form, and helped him ascend to the next level. The tree on his back moved to the center, and three more spikes, the same size as his others, sprouted from the shell. The now clubbed tail, ideal for Woodhammer, rose into the air.

One roared, and the heavens roared with him. The sky flashed, and the massive form of the Mega Salamence glared down at the three remaining Pokémon. Terra, for his part, slammed the plateau with his clubbed tail, shaking the entire conical mountain their League was perched upon. The very earth felt ready to shatter under the power of that Torterra.


Whatever enduring confidence the kid's team had, vanished in the face of these masters of the earth and sky. These battles were as much a head game as they were a contest of strength and skill. Too many people forgot that.

He was being kind again, though, and he knew it. Lance would've crushed his opponent's entire team with the ferocity of his dragons, and sent them back to the Pokémon Center. Laughing.

He decided then to be the Champion he'd always wanted to be. A kind one, a strong one, someone Unova could rely on, just like N. If everyone became too afraid to battle him, he'd never get challenged. Still, there were times, like now, when a Challenger's team simply had no chance, and needed more training, lest they get seriously hurt.

"Go to the Dragonspiral Tower. Train there. The Original Dragon will make you strong enough to challenge me, team to team." The two Trainers locked eyes. "After all, that's what made my team so strong." He left out the whole traveling dimensions and space-time differentials thing. Years of training had the same effect, no matter the plane you were on.


The kid glanced at his Emboar again, then nodded. "Right…we'll be back for you. My Emboar will never stop until he proves that you should've chosen him."

Alex raised a brow. "Your Emboar will never win until he accepts the Trainer he has, not the Trainer he wanted, a very long time ago. Good luck getting that through to him, though. There's a reason I didn't choose a stubborn Tepig."

The kid chuckled, wearily. "A wise choice…but I can handle his stubbornness. I'll take your advice, Champion. Then we will return, and win." The two bowed in the Unovan style, fist to palm, grinning. They shared a hand-made sandwich with their teams, before the challenger departed, and Alex started a fresh bowl of the Leaf while he let his team run around or nap as they pleased.

Alex watched them go, and patted Terra and Shruikan, now once more in their base forms. "Well done, you two. At this rate, we'll run out of Challengers."


"You've got to be Mukking kidding me! Again!?" Alex shared a look with his partners as the enraged tones of Rosa climbed up the stairs to the mostly-smashed entrance. He sniffed, and the familiar scent of burned Leaf was still hanging around. That too was another thing Rosa had forbidden both him and Hilbert from doing up here. He glared at the cameras, which were still on. Bloody robots never turned off.

He chuckled, "Time to go!" With that, he recalled his partners, and Teleported himself and his team back to Jess's dorm room. It had become their unofficial preparation area for the impending cross-continent journey. She'd gotten the room to herself, as after a month of listening to the 'famous couple' going at it in the privacy of the bathroom (what little there was), her roommate had requested a transfer. Being ultra-rich, Jess hadn't seemed to mind that the price of renting her room doubled for the rest of the semester.

They'd spent a lot of time in the room over the course of the semester, though it was mostly sans clothing. Being able to Teleport almost anywhere gave them a wide range of places to enjoy each other, but they both agreed her room was nicer. Cozier.

Final exams were over by now, and the only students left on campus were either flunkies, or people who really needed to take a break. Eric was in the latter category, as were his lab buddies. Alex had taken to calling them the 'Brain Trust', and the nickname had stuck. Even amongst their Professors.


With him sleeping at the campus of his alma mater, Alex's hovel in the Swamp had turned into the island's local recreational area, and had grown to include more beds, most of which were hammocks, designed solely for relaxation. Battles were held, Leaf was smoked, naps were taken, and it wasn't long at all before it was unofficially dubbed 'The House of Perpetual Chill'.

After finding crumbs and what he sincerely hoped was jam in the hammock that passed as his own bed in the Swamp, Alex had decided to sleep in civilized quarters at night from then on. Jess hadn't seemed to mind. They'd tried looking for a real house somewhere, but the prices were truly insane, and the upkeep was even more so. And, why should they pay for a view they could get just by visiting a memorable spot they could Teleport to?

Eventually he'd offered to build her a house, something his instincts immediately regretted, as he saw the look in her eye. She'd kept her thoughts on the matter hidden as well, a hard thing to do given that they were but a thought away from each other all the time these days. She'd accepted his offer, which had led to research, some math, and the conclusion that Cenomons would need well over forty years of shedding, as an Aggron, just to get him some of the materials he'd need for such an endeavor.

Then there was everything else that went into buildings that he'd never considered, as he'd literally built a home out of mud and vines, and had been content with it. Now he had to account for plumbing, wiring, heating, power, air flow, location, and thousands of other tiny yet important things.

Needless to say, he put it on the back burner. They'd be camping for a while anyways, until they found lodging in Fornia, though he supposed they could always sleep elsewhere, and Teleport back in the morning. The only problem with that was risking not remembering where they'd stopped the day before, and losing yet more time playing catch-up.


Thus, they'd decided to try to camp out as they crossed the Stoney Mountains, sneak into Fornia, and then find a hotel or something they could use as an anchor. The reason they didn't already have one had been yet another factor in what had kept them waiting well into June to depart. The only way to get into Fornia was by land, or sea.

The sea routes were all thoroughly patrolled by the many battle-capable yachts that the Arceans used to advertise how well-off and prosperous being one of them was. Given how their airships had been constructed, Alex didn't really consider their navy a threat. Not yet, anyways. Sacreus, Fornia's capital, was landlocked so it made little difference.

With the sea cut off, and no desire for plane travel and the level of danger it brought, as Arceans had a bad habit of bringing down unfriendly aircraft, that left traveling over the land, and after a test-incursion, they realized just how famous Blaze had become. He'd been recognized and chased for miles outside Fornian territory, and only a quick recall and Teleport had saved their bacon.

The footage of him battling Lizardon was still one of the most popular things on the Pokénet, even though a year had almost passed. Evidently, they'd seen it in Fornia too. Alex hadn't even tried Shruikan, much to the dragon's dislike. He'd claimed the night could conceal him, and Alex had countered that his 'hundred-foot wingspan' blotting out the stars would give them away. As would literally any light, for the night was dark blue, not entirely black.


Thus, they'd decided on going full tourist, and playing the role of conversion-friendly newlyweds. Two tan, blonde, blue eyed strangers on the precipice of breeding. The Arcean who'd approved them for travel in their territories had practically drooled when he realized the potential. Evidently, recruiting couples was a big deal.

Now, everything was ready, packed, and as Alex bamfed into the dorm room again, he blinked, as he noticed his love, talking to a strange man. It took him longer than it should have to recognize the student in charge of dorm housing, but he was kind of proud that his paranoid, skeptical mind hadn't immediately leapt to worries of romantic backstabbing.

The man just stared at him, and Jess sighed. They'd tried keeping the ability to Teleport somewhat secret. Like most secrets, it had gotten out almost immediately that the Champion could get where he needed to instantaneously. Apparently, Unovans thought that was a good idea, and he supposed having a defender who could pop in literally whenever was a somewhat comforting thought. And probably a decent deterrent against crime.


"Don't mind him. He's carrying the bags. Here's the key." Jess said, as she handed it over. The man nodded, and then promptly left.

He was glad to be rid of them, honestly. They were quite loud, and had stayed well over a month past the end of the year. Since the girl was rich, the increasingly absurd room rent hadn't driven her off, and since her lover was the Champion, and an Alumni, they couldn't really just tell him to scram. Especially since he could just poof right back five seconds later, and nobody would be the wiser. Thus, the University had quietly accepted the ever increasing rent, and had then proceeded to do what schools usually did in the summer months.

There were four bags in all, their usual two, and two solely for sleeping bags. They hadn't bothered with a tent, as that was what Shruikan's massive wings were for. Arthur popped free of his ball to grab the extra bags, and then they all Teleported once more, to the rendezvous spot.



Somewhere Near the Sippi River - Kentu Region



The Sage had informed them, after some deep meditation, that their journey would go as well as it needed to if there were three entering Fornia, not two. Tao had divined much the same, and even had a suggestion as to who else should come along. He'd grown up in Fornia after all, and though he'd needed a better disguise than tanned skin, Brad had still proven himself somewhat capable.

He'd had only a Charmeleon when Alex first found him, and as the son sparred with his father, Blaze, the two humans had talked. Brad had been reluctant, at first, to go back to the region that had essentially controlled his entire life. After only a few months in Unova, he'd started to understand just how bad things were back home. Just how strong the delusion really was, and what kind of effort would be needed to remove it.

Alex had reminded him that his family, though they likely claimed to be willing to serve, were still under that regime, and his disappearance had likely made life difficult for them. That, more than anything else, was what convinced the Trainer to come along. If they'd been mistreated, there was a good chance some of them would defect as well. Alex had tasked his rival with securing aid from the north of the massive region, and while he was doing so, he could find his family as well, for that was where they'd lived. Once he had them, he'd send word to Alex and Jess, and they would help free them.

Alex hadn't really wanted a third wheel, but he supposed it would keep himself and his woman from lusting after each other all day on the golden coast's famous beaches. They'd still be doing that, of course. They were 'honeymooning' after all, and he had no doubt the Arceans watched everybody they let in.


Brad had promised to build up his team, in preparation for the journey west. Within only three months, he'd actually managed to pull a decent one together, as he brought them out for inspection by Unova's Champion. There were several species most Fornians had, like Lycanroc, Ursaring, Gogoat, and the regional variant of Marowak that was both fire, and ghost. Alola and Fornia were culturally similar, but Alolans always said their neighbors were a bit…weird. They too could see through the devout façade. This hadn't stopped the Fornians from acquiring, and then breeding, the rare variants of known species found on the islands, though.

For her part in gaining four new members, Jess had found a Swablu, who she'd called Aria after they sang together, near the University's campus while Alex had been hunting for an Aron. The randomness of the universe had guided him to the little Amaura, who he'd nicknamed Gelauros. Eric had immediately shortened it further to 'lil G', and it had been Alex's turn to sigh as every other lab student had agreed it was better than using Imperium High Gothic for 'ice lizard'. Such was the future of the scientific world.

Brad was surprised when Alex and Jess had showed up with belts carrying over six Pokémon. Then, he saw them unstrap their bags, and begin to pack their main six balls away.


Alex put his balls in his bag, as Jess did the same, leaving them with their newer partners. The others hadn't particularly liked being shoved in darkness, as they wanted to see what was going on themselves, but until the plan came to fruition, they could wait. For now, their function was helping their newer, younger teammates, and Alex was glad that his team was mature enough to be okay with waiting a few weeks. Of course, if he needed them, they could pop free and help, but they had all agreed that should be a last resort.

Once the balls were away, they donned their disguises. Brad's had gained pale skin, and blue hair, for some reason. He'd stick out in Fornia, but nobody would recognize him. No Arcean would associate with such a person, or so the former Champion had said. As long as nobody official took a harder look at him, he could blend in perfectly.

He entered the region at the northern port where the Kanadia, Fornia, and Dakota regions all intersected. Being one of the larger ports of entry, Brad could slip in amongst the hordes of people unnoticed, and once in Arcean territory, he could once more act like a loyal Arcean. He was more worried about the 'newlyweds' blending in.


Alex and Jess had gone in the southern route, and had been forced to blend in to the mind-numbing obliviousness of the local population of the Sippi region, which was heavily influenced by the Arceans, and would likely join them soon. Some of the hardcore ideologies, and the mindless undiluted hatred, towards Unova in particular, had given the pair pause as they started to subtly listen for rumors of invading the east.

Evidently, the residents of the Sippi region believed that the Unovans had, somehow, caused the massive Swamp that now covered their ancestral homelands to grow out of control. Apparently, many of the people here had once lived in those southern areas near Floria, or what was left of it.

Since they couldn't actually blame nature for stealing their homes, this conspiracy theory of how and why the Swamp had grown so large had gained massive popularity once the Prophet claimed, through 'Divine Insight' apparently, to know beyond the shadow of doubt that Unova and the Swamp's rapid growth were connected. From there, the people of Sippi had run with baseless, asinine, and genuinely stupid conspiracy theories, and hadn't stopped.

As the two realized the extent of this kind of zealot-like thinking, they both agreed that, even though they had to gain allies, they were better off working towards ideological change from the inside out. The people here were angry over a 'crime' that had likely been 'committed' millennia past, and were speaking of war with Unova based on what essentially amounted to a rumor from a foreign government. If Fornia changed, it was likely that these 'support states' as they referred to them, would change as well. Eventually.

Thus, they did not actually look for trouble on their way through the lush Arciana region's plains once they crossed the border. Despite this purposeful obliviousness, cracks in the Arcean façade were literally everywhere, as were posters of their faces, untanned, and unchanged, listing them as 'threats to the Prophet'. Those, more than anything, had forced them to silently, angrily, ignore the perversions they came across, even here.


They could've gone through Utado, which had once owned the Arciana region, but anyone who entered Nevouri from Utado was closely watched by the Arceans. Being as yet 'unconverted', the further they went into Nevouri, the more looks they received.

They would've gladly pretended to convert to blend in, the only problem was that doing so took months, and thousands of units of currency. They had an alternate plan.

After a last look through his granduncle's room, Alex discovered a note, with a name, location, and Holociever number. The words 'Do not call until in Fornia' were underlined below it. As were the words 'trusted contact'.

This, more than anything, was the riskiest part of their plan. They had no idea what this contact could do for them, and planning alternate routes of hiding in Fornia's wild, Stoney Mountains had taken time, but they had agreed having multiple places to flee to was always a good idea.


Fading into the background of Nevouri had been simple, and as Cenomons dug them a tunnel towards the iron-rich mountains, he was all but drooling. Usually, he was hard to motivate, but the promise of these ore rich mountains had always gotten him going again, as he learned to battle. His patience was finally being rewarded.

Once the voracious Lairon had found his way into an ore-rich cave within the massive mountain chain, the two humans had made camp. Cenomons continued munching away, until he discovered something that was rock, but unlike anything he'd seen before.

He grunted for his human, as he'd learned to show things like this to him, and the human stared back at the Pokémon. "Holy…Ceno just found a fossil. A Pokémon fossil." He held up his Pokédex, and the device scanned it, then came up blank. It beeped loudly then, echoing through the cave, and the words: New Species appeared on the screen.


Then, came a blank space, for a name. The two humans just stared, and shared a look. "Let's find out what it is before we start naming species…"

"Redwoodsaurus." Alex said, smirking. He grunted, as an Iron Tail sent him flying towards the tunnel they'd entered through. He'd just laughed, as it had been kind of fun, smashing through various rock formations and feeling almost none of it. He hadn't realized how much tougher his body had become since Norstad, but evidently, the Storm Crown was doing its work in making him more durable, and eventually immortal.

Once he returned, he found Jess scouring the Pokéweb, and then as he sat down, she showed him what she'd found. "I thought it looked familiar. See? The ancients have data on this. The horns are identical."

Alex glanced at the name, and then at the creature. Three horns, located on the western part of the very same continent, herbivore, quadrupedal, and not actually unlike an Aggron, save that it apparently couldn't stand on two legs.


While the two humans stared at the glowing noise maker, Ceno returned to eating, as he was ravenous. His Trainer's regimen was exhausting, but the results showed, and he'd rather enjoyed winning what few road battles they'd come across.

Even Fornians challenged each other, it seemed. None offered to share a bowl, however. The Leaf was strictly outlawed, but Alexander Redwood had long ago perfected hiding his stash. It was nice to see his instinct for choosing smoking spots held up to even oppressive government-level scrutiny.

It was as Ceno returned to the fossil's spot, that he noticed something. Another one. Another horn shape, all but identical to the first. He was both curious, and ravenous, though mostly ravenous. With about a second of hesitation, he began loudly crunching the rock and bones, and as he did, he ingested the crystallized life-force of the Pokémon that had once been. Since the Pokémon had been a direct descendant of one of the first Mew, as were most fossil Pokémon, the latent gene-altering power had a peculiar reaction with the Lairon's own genetic make-up.

He didn't notice any immediate changes, except that now some ores looked more appealing than others. Pure instinct guided him to a specific blend, but his Trainer barely noticed as he and his counterpart smoked a bowl, and then fell into their usual grunting session. Ceno had also learned to not bug them during those. Humans could be gross.


The next day was mostly spent waiting for Ceno, who hadn't slept, to stop eating, so he could tunnel them out again. Alex had asked for patience from his lover, as he'd seen the look in his young partner's eye, and his responses, and emotions, labeled the meticulous munching of specific ores as incredibly important. Something was up, but Alex didn't bug him. When a Pokémon did something seemingly odd, there was always a reason. That's what his granduncle had said, anyway.

Jess was eager to get back to society, because she'd found a Shield fossil. She'd never resurrected one before, but Alex had a feeling it wouldn't be so easy in Fornia. They had the technology, the problem, was getting someone to lend it to them. He didn't let that dampen her excitement though. A Bastiodon would fill out her team nicely. As they were forced to wait for the mountain eater, Alex and Jess decided to split the party, and explore for more potential teammates. The Pokémon of the Stoney Mountains could be quite strong.

As Jess began to wander, she found a lone female Nidoran, and while she hadn't been entirely newborn, she'd still been a bit young to be on her own. Jess had decided to copy Alex at that moment, and tried asking if she wanted to come along. While she was off winning a partner through trust, Alex had decided to ignore his methods for once, as he spotted something unique within the many cave tunnels.


Typically, Drapion on the eastern side of the continent were more popular, as they were strong, versatile, and purple. Many good teams had Drapion, many villains also seemed to enjoy using them. Alex had spied a red Skorupi however, and realized that was simply the color they took here in Fornia, as he spotted a whole nest's worth with identical red tones. Like their eastern counterparts, they varied in shades, but he saw no purple among them.

Now the trick would be isolating one that wasn't too young, or too weak. Seeing his Trainer hesitate, Gelauros, or Gel, as he'd started being called, simply walked into the nest, all smiles. All of the Skorupi immediately began hissing at it, but backed down when they felt the young one's Frost Breath freeze the air. They backed away as the human followed. Many had learned not to attack Trainers if they wanted to continue living here unbothered. Most humans threw first and asked questions later, and the Stoney Mountains were a popular tourist spot. They had seen many resorts, but very few people using them, on their way in.

Gel went from one crimson Skorupi to another, his Trainer in tow, until eventually he pointed at one Skorupi in particular. It had been near the back of the nest, silently working on perfecting its strikes. Alex noticed it was a male, though he guessed he couldn't have been too much older than Gel.


The two had locked eyes, and it had taken Alex a moment to realize that his little long neck wanted to battle as badly as the Skorupi. The others watched, the hissing muted as they took in the strange white Pokémon, and the human it dragged with it.

The Skorupi accepted the challenge, and the battle was fierce, but short. Thankfully, the pair had practiced turning the little dinosaur's Rock Throw into a Rock Slide, and thus, the advantage was his. The Skorupi was utterly blindsided by the rocks, buried even, and the little long neck essentially pounded him with Rock Throw, for fun, until he agreed to give up, and let the hatchling win.

Gelauros crowed, triumphant, and before he could blink, there was a maroon-colored Net Ball freeing the Skorupi from the rocks by taking it inside. Surprisingly, the ball dinged shut with only a few shakes, and Alex quietly retrieved it as he suddenly noticed the hundreds of eyes staring at him. Gel nudged him, and they left quickly, but unharmed. The battle had been fair, after all, and their brother had accepted the challenge against a Trainer. Trainers caught Pokémon. If he hadn't wanted a Trainer, he could've refused easily.

Despite all of that, Alex called him out anyways as they began the trek back to their camp, and explained exactly what he needed from the Skorupi, and if that was too much, he could easily return home. Much like Ceno, he'd asked to see his teammates, but was less impressed by the Lairon and Amaura. Gel's hatchling eyes had eventually convinced the scorpion, at which point, it returned to the ball. With only one member left, and since he really only needed a ghost type now, Alex decided to let the universe guide him to his last partner.


Jess had been somewhat disappointed when she returned with Nidoran of both genders, only to find Alex already had a poison type in his crimson Skorupi. She'd named her Nidoran Maria, and had called her partner Tony, because it was adorable and nostalgic. She hadn't been as much as a nerd about the anime detailing Ash Ketchum's heavily embellished early years, but she had liked the story of how he and his travel companions had helped a pair of star-crossed Nidoran. Alex agreed to let the Nidoran male stay regardless. His ears were rather large, the clear poison they secreted was potent, and Tony's personality worked well with the rest of his team. Neither of the humans wanted to split them up. There was more room in Jess' bag, so Tony typically stayed there as they moved through the mountains, but Alex trained him as well. He was a good sparring partner for his team of younger Pokémon, and he knew he would never mind having a Nidoking around, in the future. Tony didn't seem to mind either, as his female partner was clearly the better battler. He was just happy to stay with her, grow stronger, and be a part of a larger family.

Once they'd packed up camp, Ceno had agreed to tunnel, and eat as they went. He was still picky about what he ate, so the going was slow, but Alex had a feeling it would be worth it. Eventually, he'd had to let the Lairon roam solo, just so progress could be made through the caves.

Being what he was, he had no trouble finding the group for an occasional nap, but for most of those long days under millions of tons of rock, Cenomons was absent, eating away at the endless supply of ore. The other Lairon he encountered were more relaxed, and less willing to battle, given the abundance of food. Ceno ignored those too weak willed to fight for good ore, and thrashed those who tried to take it from him. In this way, he beat those Lairon worth beating, and earned his experience. His Trainer had taught him useful moves, but he did notice that without him, battling was a lot harder. Despite that, Cenomons found that he relished the challenge, and the rocky steel type slowly realized he actually enjoyed battling quite a bit. Almost as much as he enjoyed eating.


Finally, after almost a week within the mountainous tunnels, which were Pokémon habitats, and largely quite far away from any kind of dig site, the two humans emerged from the darkness, and several minutes later, Ceno joined them. He was finally content, his voracious appetite sated…for now. It was good timing.

Ceno used his mastery of the rock to make a platform for the humans to stand on, as they'd been clinging to a relatively steep cliff side, and as they took in their first look at Fornia, Alex burst out laughing. His hand, halfway to his Holociever, paused.

Before him was a valley filled with trees, and not just any trees, of course. The tallest, the oldest, the biggest. The species for which his family was named. A stand of Sequoia sempervirens trailed through the valley below them, in a very obvious line, only visible from such a high perch, or from the air. As oblivious as he was, Alex knew a sign from the universe when he saw one. He pocketed the Holoceiver number, and then the pair began to follow the very obvious line of massive but also rather young Redwood trees.


Not far from where Alex and Jess had emerged, there was a irritated sigh.

"There's no sign of them. Report back to HQ. The Rebels have them."

The captain of the Arcean Task Force, or A.T.F. as it was sometimes called, spoke into his Holociever. He'd been perched up here for hours, alongside his Mega Lucario, keeping tabs on the strange 'married couple' that had gotten quite deep in Arcean lands, without actually joining the Church, before vanishing for almost a week.

When they'd reappeared, he'd almost missed them, but their classic Fornian looks made them stick out against the gray stone of the mountain they'd perched on. Once they disappeared into the Redwoods, he knew it was only a matter of time. The only people who went to such places were those who wished to rebel against the Church.


Once the new face of Fornia's so called 'great enemy' had forced their Prophet out of Norstad in a clash that was reported as completely different to what had actually occurred in Norstad, naturally painting Alex and Jess as despicable psychic-controlled villains, a strange thing had occurred in the Fornia region. Those who were tired of the blatant lies and mistreatment, and were savvy enough to know what shady business Pravus was up to, gathered in groves of ancient Redwood trees, where they met other people who shared their views on the ruler of their lands.

Though it had been centuries since any of the Tribes had been recognized as a people by the Fornian government, they still remained in what areas of the massive Fornia region the Arceans had not yet plundered in the name of resources. Together, those Fornians who wished to rebel made an alliance, a Rebellion of sorts, and small bases and outposts full of these so-called Rebels had been popping up all over the region, causing havoc to the Church.

Tourists were especially dangerous, for the A.F.O was in charge of keeping them oblivious to the goings on of the government. Once the Arcean Fossil Organization had lost track of the couple, they'd called in the Task Force. They dealt with threats to security.

A response came over his Holociever, "Stay where you are. This hunt is being given to the Hand of Death." The captain stared at his communication device, mouth agape. A Hand of the Prophet? For two random tourist Trainers who probably got lost in the caves? At most, they'd meet the native Tribes and find a way to go back to civilization. While letting them speak to the Tribes was an issue, it was nothing a PokéMeter session couldn't fix. He didn't understand why such a response was warranted, but then, this was a Hand who was coming, the Hand of Death specifically, who was supposed to be a rumor. A bad nightmare.

Despite the grisly nature his missions no doubt entailed, if he was being sent in, it meant the Prophet himself wanted these tourists dead, and there was nothing the Prophet of Arceus did without reason. He nodded at his Lucario, and the loyal hound leapt down from their own perch to follow the tourist's scent. They needed to be useful to the Hand, or he would likely dispatch them as well, for incompetence. Given the strength of the couple's aura, something the Lucario found strange, but was unable to comment on, tracking them was easy. When the Hand appeared, he would have a strong trail to follow, and hopefully, his Trainer would continue to live.



Yavano Tribe Lands - Eastern Fornia Region


Alex and Jess had all but stumbled into the local Yavano Tribe's main camp, and after giving them a moment to cool their surprise and lower their strange metal spears, they'd used words to avoid a conflict, though, as he'd told them something of who they really were, and that they were Pokémon Trainers, several of the 'red-skinned' men had grinned. Even here, there were people up for a battle. It was a pair of battles that Alex nearly lost, as they steamrolled over Gelauros and Tony, and only Cenomons had stopped them from getting the win, in the end.

After hearing they were from Unova, the tribe's Chief, Long-Fang, had made an appearance, and invited them to enjoy some of their Leaf. It was quite a bit stronger than anything they usually smoked, but it went a long way to easing the tension of a first contact. The Chief himself had unusually large canine teeth, but given that Alex had a fair bit of strangeness himself, most notably the tips of his ears which became more pointed by the day, he didn't comment, or stare. Jess hadn't seemed to mind either, and found his ears amusing, claiming that now, he could follow his granduncle, and become a 'full Vulcan'. He considered that a noble goal, but his hair usually kept them hidden all the same.

The tribesmen, over the flames of Chari's tail, explained the current state of Fornia, and the Rebellion they'd created with other 'pale-skins', and after a night of rest and a proper wake-and-bake, the tribe gave them food, supplies, and then pointed them towards the nearest 'Rebel Base'.


The base, as it turned out, was none other than the Majestic Canyon. Surrounded by the massive Great Mohave Desert, the canyon was a massive series of red rock walls, carved away by a river that was older than any tree, person, or Pokémon alive, and would likely outlast them all. It was at least a thousand miles long, or so the Yavano had said, and if you didn't have a guide, getting lost was easy. Many Pokémon also lived in the canyons and waters of the area, which had no qualms about killing humans. Usually, they were fine with subsisting on the enormous Wepear berries that grew in abundance amongst the rocky crags.

Within one of the many smaller canyons that made up the massive one, the local Tribes and Fornians had created a base from which to operate. In an amusing twist of fate, they'd also given them a Holoceiver number to call to get in contact with the Rebel's headquarters, and it was identical to the one they'd been given by Alex's granduncle. They'd told him to use it near the canyon, so he'd waited to do so.

Jess had found a Heracross on their way down to the Canyon, and the powerful female, who she'd called Hera, had been quite useful. Not being able to fly was rather irritating, especially for skilled Trainers. Having a partner that could carry you really was incredibly useful. Especially on stealth missions. She'd proven her strength to the skeptical Redwood by carrying both of them to the Canyon. Evidently, drinking the essence of Redwood trees had made these Heracross quite strong. Jess had remarked that she had done something similar, and had also grown stronger soon after. They'd had to land, as the ensuing laughing fit from the pair made flying hard. Thankfully, they had already arrived.


Alex ignored the giggling females as he dialed the number. The conversation was as awkward and brief as any random phone call, but once he'd mentioned the Yavano, and his granduncle, he'd been told to stay put. Someone was coming out to meet them, apparently.

That someone turned out to be the Dragon Type Expert, Professor Dracaena. She'd rode in on a female Charizard that truly highlighted just how much of a runt Chari was, despite her strength and almost crimson coloring.

More than that, there was something familiar about her coloration. It took Alex longer than it should have to notice that it was identical to Blaze's, which had always been a bit more red-orange than most. Considering the amount of variation in scale patterns Charizard had these days, that hadn't been too noticeable. Pokémaniacs didn't exactly ooze excitement when facing a slightly-deeper-red-orange-than-normal Charizard.


The Professor approached, leaving her own Charizard to laze in the hot sun. She was an older woman, who looked ready to raid a tomb, and had the gear to do it. The traditional white lab coat was shortened, just barely longer than her beige shorts, and a pair of what looked like a hybrid of goggles and glasses hung from the neck of her ordinary white undershirt.

As she looked the pair of them over, she focused on Alex, and smirked. "Now that's a Redwood. I'd know those eyes anywhere. I'm Professor Dracaena, an expert on Dragon Types. I knew your granduncle. I heard he passed on."

Alex nodded, his face as impassive as ever. He nodded at Jess. "This is Jessica Gladstone. She's helping me liberate this region." The two women shook hands, but otherwise didn't speak. He couldn't tell if they liked each other or not. They were as unreadable as felines, and he had long since given up trying to divine the many moods of the fairer sex.

The Professor raised an eyebrow. "Liberation, hmm?" She glanced at Jess again, who kept her own face as impassive as Alex's, and then, the Professor shrugged. "If that really is your goal…you've come to the right base."

They all flew in on their Charizard then, as the Professor had assured them that this was one place Arceans avoided. The Charizard that called the Majestic Canyon home gave no Muks about chasing off humans, and retaliating for stolen Charmander by burning Arcean crop fields. Jess left Alex to take the lead in asking questions this time, and after explaining why they'd come, the Professor agreed to help them. When asked why the Arceans avoided such a gorgeous canyon, she answered.


"There was once a city out here, in the desert, around three centuries ago now. Vega City. Or so the ruin experts call it. It was a hub of…entertainment. Music. Lights. Food. Water shortages. People from all over the world came to enjoy themselves in Vega City. Then, in the space of one night, the Prophet himself obliterated the city, claiming that it was the 'Will of Arceus' that such a hive of scum and villainy be erased from the world. They declared the Canyon a preserve, after trying to mine it, and being burnt out by the local Charizard. What remains of Vega now is just a desert."

Alex raised a brow. "Was it actually the will of Arceus, or his Human mouthpiece?"

The Professor smirked. "The word came from Pravus...spend long enough in Fornia, and you will find he's quite fond of speeches, and hearing himself talk. Officially, the Church blamed the tragedy on the 'unknowable will of Arceus', but the Tribes remember who committed the act. They have a good idea of exactly how Vega became a ruin."

Jess chimed in then, "Could we hear the tale as well? From them?"

The Professor smirked. "If you really want to know, all you need to do is ask. Chief Sike has a powerful Noctowl. With his help, they've shared what they know of the 'Vega Event' with whoever wishes to see."


Having learned several of the customs from the Yavano, such as how to properly greet a Chief, and interact with their fellow tribespeople, the couple had managed to surprise the local tribe here, as well, by showing genuine respect. They were led into one of the many caves the tribespeople used for smoking, and once they'd settled into a circle around Blaze's tail, as he'd offered it freely, the flames shifted to blue, and the napping fire lizard smirked. Alex rolled his eyes. At least he hadn't mega evolved in the middle of the Chief's toke on the pipe.

Chief Sike was an elderly man, though whether he was actually feeling his age, or just had wrinkled, weathered skin from the sun and desert, was hard to say. His hair was entirely black, but then, Alex had yet to see a tribal elder with grays.

A smirk appeared on the old man's weathered face as he eyed the Charizard supplying their fire. He looked harder, as he recognized something he hadn't seen for a long, long time, but then remembered he was in the presence of foreigners. He kept his composure as he spoke, "His fire is strong. Eastern Trainers are as powerful as the legends say they are."

Alex shrugged, and then looked around the circle. Jess glared at him as she read his intentions, but he ignored her, for the moment, as he took in the people they were sitting with. A brief, cautious glance at their minds told him all he needed to know about these people.


Their mental defenses were quite strong, as strong as their own at least, and actually reading their thoughts would be a challenge. Unlike most humans, it seemed the Tribes had learned long ago to guard themselves on that level, even if they did not possess psychic ability. He'd seen Trainers use Aura, and still lack a psychic typing. Alex had discovered a new dislike for crowds after acquiring and developing his psychic senses, for many of the huddled masses of Unova kept their minds completely unguarded. It was hard to ignore, and he'd begun to understand why the Sage lived isolated in a Swamp.

That was when he finally noticed, since actually going undercover and suppressing his power, everything was so much quieter. It was strange, in a good way. "Thank you. I was wondering, Chief Sike, if you wouldn't mind sharing the tale of Vega's destruction with us. We haven't heard of it in the east, and I have a feeling we should have already."

The Chief eyed the stereotypical Fornian tan and blonde hair, but those blue eyes…those, looked genuine, and they possessed the fire of a Trainer. The Chief nodded, and as he did, there was a low hoot above them. As his grizzled Noctowl used its power on the fire, images appeared in the flames, and they shifted as the Chief spoke. "To understand Vega, you must understand the history of Fornia. Long ago, there was peace between the entirety of the western lands. We had peace with the east as well, for the Dragon God ruled us fairly, and maintained the Balance of nature, upon which all of us live. His Empire was vast, and his Tamers fair in judgement. Those were good days."


Alex looked down then. He knew what came next, and resisted sighing as the Chief continued to speak, "Then, over time, the Dragon was passed down his Tamer's family line, and after a few generations, most ignored his wisdom entirely, until finally, the Original Dragon was torn apart by his current Tamer's two sons. Their rivalry split the dragon in three, darkness chose one brother, light championed the other, and the balance was lost to war." He packed a long, wooden pipe as he spoke, but Alex couldn't get a clear look at it.

"At first, we of the western regions did not experience any noticeable difference. Indeed, after several centuries of peace and prosperity, the Dragon became a myth, and the fertility of the planet was attributed to the planet itself, and its connection with Nature, rather than a Pokémon that may or may not have existed, long ago. Protecting the wilderness became a top priority of the newly forming governments who, since the Dragon Empire had collapsed, began to govern themselves."

"We were a naïve group of nations, young, enjoying the new freedom from heavy imperial taxes. No longer did we have to fund a war in the capital that did not concern us. Our wealthy grew great...but we had no idea what our wealth would attract. Eventually, these new, rich, former farmers gathered in a single place to enjoy their surplus of currency from selling their surplus crops. Without an empire to give them to, they had seized the power from the dead empire's infrastructure, and set themselves up as large kingdoms."

The Chief's eyes narrowed, slightly. "Basically…we were a region ripe for conquest. Nobody remembers exactly how long ago Caleb Pravus took power, but he's well past his normal span of years, even by today's standards of old age. Though, recently, it's been rumored that his 'immortality' is fading."

The old man focused on the two foreigners then, "When he first arrived here, he was weak. He destroyed Vega, and all living things around it for thousands and thousands of miles. This desert quadrupled in size because of him, and this Canyon is but a shadow of what this land used to look like. I have a feeling he's going to try something more drastic, now. To make sure he doesn't have to deal with the consequences of destroying a city again. Immortality is his sole desire, and he would gladly disrupt the Balance of the world to gain it."

Alex's eyes narrowed then. He'd had a feeling this might be the case. "He's dangerous, and he has to go down. I understand."


He looked around the circle again, and decided to trust these people, if only a little. He knew removing his disguise would be painful, for it was fairy typed in nature, and Jess could always force him to keep it on, for she had no issues using the crystal. For him, it seared his skin, and ignored his attempts to connect with it. He'd had difficulty with the ice crystal as well, for it made him quite chilled, but in Fornia's heat, it was a perfect balance of temperature.

"Thank you, for sharing that with us. There is something you should know, too. The Original Dragon has returned, and I am the one who made him whole once more. Understand who you're allying with, because the only way a Cult like this comes down is with coordinated strikes at its foundations." Jess gave him the mental equivalent of a hard pinch, but he resisted wincing as he took his own toke on the 'peace pipe', and let those gathered absorb that information.

That, was when his obedient partner and friend for life decided to tap into the power of Arceus, and take his Mega Form. Alex barely dodged the sudden increase of the blue flames, but the other tribe members just stared in awe. He still had eyebrows, but the pipe had been a bit scorched. He glared at Blaze, who continued to nap, and smirk.


The chief was silent for a long while, and as the silence grew, he felt the room's eyes upon him. Unova's newest Champion was, supposedly, as strong as the dragon he'd reunited. A dragon in his own right, apparently, or so the newest rumors claimed. Those rumors had also come with a title. The Dragon of the West.

A long look at the awakened form of the Charizard bonded to this Trainer finally convinced him of what was needed. "The Arceans have much hate for you, Champion… I don't know what you did to Pravus, but I have never seen him so…openly furious at a person. You are, quite literally, the face of the Unovan threat he's preparing his people to fight against. Normally, I would decline your aid, for it is costly, but you come to us with trust, titles, and a Charizard from this very region. Even your surname hails from here. I would be a fool to ignore these signs, but I would also be a fool to ally with you, for when the Arceans discover you, and it is a when, not an if, they will use everything they have to eradicate you. Their Prophet recently labeled you as the Spawn of Giratina, and commanded your death. You'll be hard pressed to find true allies among his Cult."

Alex passed the pipe on as the Chief spoke, and the Trainer beside him, a member of the tribe, took his own toke from the newer, stronger flames eagerly. The scent of their Leaf was similar to the Unovan variants, but stronger. Alex eyed the Chief, but his weathered face was as unreadable as his own usually was. "So…what will you do?"


The Chief grinned as the Redwood spoke. "I'll test you, and your Charizard, and if you prove worthy, you will have our support, now, and should your mission succeed, forever."

One of the female tribe members around their fire coughed hard, as she'd been in the middle of a toke of her own when she'd heard the Chief's idea. "But they're ignorant foreigners! They can't face that Trial. They'll be crushed."

The Chief smirked at the woman. "Our Alolan cousins survived it."

The young woman's brown eyes narrowed. "They had a full set of Z Crystals. And Plates. You know well that these two do not.

The Chief eyed the foreigners again, and Alex suppressed a shiver up his spine as he felt the man's gaze staring straight through his disguise. The Chief smiled slightly, and shrugged. "They have what they need."



The Majestic Canyon - Fornia Region


After some sleep and some breakfast, the Chief led the two foreigners to where the Trial was held. Deep within the Majestic Canyon, even deeper than the Rebel's base, was a series of large valleys that were home to Fornia's Charizard. They were known for being hard to control, as well as for their love of battling. The only other concentration of their species large enough to rival these canyons was the Charicific Valley, in Japan, who were known for exactly the same thing. This was a place for their species to grow stronger.

The Dragon Mountain of Unova was considered a home for them as well, but in truth, Charizard were not as abundant there as they were in these valleys, given that the mountain was shared by many species. Here, only one predator reigned supreme, and the only other carnivorous species were ones who fed on the remains of what the fire lizards ate. When it wasn't entirely ash.

It was a perfect environment for them, really. The sun burned brightly, and made the battles that much more intense. Alex stared down into one valley in particular. Most of them were lush and green on their narrow bottoms, save for the dots of orange and red that marked the younger members of their species. Caves marked the sides of these fertile areas, and flashes of orange could be seen within them, as well. Nests, then. Avoiding them would be a good idea.


The tribespeople had a tradition of battling the strong Charizard, and instead of capturing them in Pokéballs, they were given an egg, if victorious, and judged worthy. It was what made this particular tribe able to live so close to Arcean territory. As long as nobody outright attacked them, their partner's flames wouldn't be a threat to 'civilized society'. That hadn't stopped Pravus from trying, but in recent years, he had focused on fossil hunting, rather than the potential ore the Canyon could give.

The threat of annihilation didn't stop the Tribes from helping the Rebels, for they knew well that there needed to be peace, trust, and above all unity between their people, and their pale-skinned neighbors. They could not ignore Pravus. He wasn't going away. Tales from eras so far past the modern world had forgotten them, always kept the tribespeople wary, and while in the beginning there had been suffering, eventually, peace had been reached. The fall of the human race had ensured that. In the chaotic aftermath of humanity's downfall, they had been faced with a similar decision: ally and work together with the pale-skins, or die.


"Why do your people wish to help the Rebellion?" Alex asked the Chief, as they hiked. Though it was easy to mistake from up above, these valleys were truly massive in scale, and traversing them on foot was sweaty work under the blazing sun. Still, this too, was a tradition. He had no intention of disrespecting the tribe's ways. From what he'd learned of them, there was likely a very good reason they needed to walk. In a canyon this large he doubted the only things that flew were Charizard.

"Caleb Pravus is a blight upon the land. His Cult has mined the earth relentlessly for fossils, though, recently they've lessened…rumor is, they found what they were mining for. But they've ignored the cost. Homes, destroyed. Pokémon, captured…or worse. This land needs to heal, and it will not be able to until the Arceans are no longer spurred into destroying it in the name of their leader." The Chief's tone was even, calm, but Alex could feel the latent tension in his words, a simmering rage. The Arcean's Prophet had done…something to earn the Tribe's fury.

"If you'll pardon my bluntness, Chief…this seems to go beyond a simple desire for a change in leadership. Your people are as involved in the base's operations as the former Cult members. The Yavano educated me, somewhat, on my way here. I know how much you're risking."

The Chief paused in his walking, and then turned his head towards Alex. Given that they were at the back of their group, which included several other Trainers, the others kept going. "Mmmmm. Your words are indeed blunt…but honest. Your…insight…serves you well, Champion of Unova." He continued walking, and speaking, for their journey was long. "You are correct. My people have a personal stake in seeing Pravus brought down."


Alex kept his words short, and direct. "Why?"

The Chief did not answer for a long time, but eventually, he spoke, "When he first came here, Pravus convinced your fellow pale-skins to follow him with…disturbing ease. We suspected treachery, for even then the Arceans began slandering us, despite our long-standing friendship. Their attitudes changed…almost overnight. Then, Vega was destroyed. For well over a century, he had his minions persecute and belittle our people, making us out to be worse than savages. Any who associated with us, were shunned. Trade stopped, and tensions grew…then, one day, many years ago, we received a message. An offer for peace, an apology, and the promise of trade. The first in generations."

He was silent for a long time again, but Alex let him think. He hadn't been lying when he said he'd understood just how much they risked by helping the Rebels so much. His entire tribe, if things went poorly, would likely be wiped out. All their history, stories, practices unique to them, and their home, gone. He was, in short, risking everything to help stop a tyrant. They all were.

"My…daughter offered to meet with Pravus when he sent word that he wished to establish more…concrete ties to the Tribes, and to stop the slanderous lies his followers perpetrated about us. I told her not to go. I told her it was a trap. She did not listen. She went to the Oasis of Glory, and for a while…we had peace." He almost spat the word.


Alex couldn't see his face, but he did notice the reddish skin on the Chief's knuckles turn white as he gripped the strange metal staff that marked his station, a long silvery metal rod essentially, decorated and carved with runes he couldn't rightly place. It also served as his 'belt', for Pokéballs in the colors of his tribe, brownish red, yellow, green, and blue, filled each slot on the staff. Alex did a double take as he noticed there were ten balls, not six.

His distracted gaze took in something else, a symbol of sorts on each ball. A circle split into four parts, depicting what looked like the waterfall that hid the entrance to the Rebel's base, rocky outcroppings in the red stone of their home, an image of the food they grew, Cornn Berries, amongst other things, and an image of a Gogoat with a Charizard circling above it in the sky. Each image surrounded another two toned circle in the center, and he had to resist a smile. He'd know that black and white symbol anywhere. Tao's influence still remained here, even after so very long.


It was good that the Chief paused for long periods of time between speaking, but as he spoke again, Alex's attention refocused. "One day…we received a summons to the Oasis, the place where, supposedly, Arceans go to relax and enjoy the fruits of their toil, for a time. Pravus and my daughter had decided to wed, and he invited every member of every Tribe in the region..." The Chief sighed, heavily. "With his natural charisma, he offered peace, and all the while his followers continued to call us savages. I did not go, as I did not approve. I could not speak to my daughter either, for Pravus had his claws in her, and she refused to speak to someone who wasn't a part of 'Arceus's calling'."

"Obviously, it was a trap. I warned my fellow Chieftains, but even our combined words of caution could not dissuade all of our people who were curious, angry, or a mix of both, from going. I…am told that my…my daughter addressed the crowd of her own people who came to see a ceremony our tribes simply do not practice, and with a word…betrayed them. The Arceans in this 'Oasis of Glory' are little more than soldiers, and underneath the pretty resort façade, lies a labor camp, full of prisoners…and anyone Pravus doesn't want causing trouble. To this day, he claims my people can leave whenever they wish, and yet they do not return. The bars and electric fences make that rather difficult, as do the armed Humans, and their Pokémon. Only a few have managed to escape, and apparently, many do not survive their attempts."


The Chief glanced at Alex again, as their group stopped before the edge of the flame-marked valley of rock that served as the arena for the fearsome fire lizards that called this place home. "This is why every Tribe has agreed to help this Rebellion. We must free our people…and theirs. Fornia must be free, again. Then, perhaps, balance can return to our home."

Alex pulled out Tao's Pokéball, and he resisted a smirk as he heard the other Trainers, mainly those of the tribe, inhale sharply at the symbol upon it. They had all listened quietly as they realized the Chief was telling a story, essentially. Now, this foreigner pulled out a ball that, to their eyes, was infused with the Original Dragon's aura. Or rather, a trace of it.

This ball had held him at one time, evidently, but this Trainer had wisely kept him free of it. Alex offered the ball, and the Chief eyed it closer, and then handed it back. Alex held his hand on it, for a moment, as he spoke "I am the bringer of that Balance. The Dragon's will works through me. You have my word, Chieftain, I will see your people free. We will set them all free."


He took the ball back then, pocketing it. The Chief nodded, once, and then stopped walking, and raised his staff. "We shall see. Behold. We are here."

The valley in the center of this area was a canyon in its own right. It was also where most of the contests of strength were held, and as a result, the once red rocks had turned black from centuries of fire duels. As they looked into the blackened valley of stone, they saw him. Every colony has a leader, and this one was no exception to the rule that such leaders were, usually, large, powerful, and stronger than normal.

The Charizard that served as the king of these fierce Pokémon, for no other title fit his bearing, was massive, and napping. As the group approached the edge of the blackened canyon, the massive fire lizard opened one eye, and in an instant, a fiery aura of red and white surrounded his form. Alex swore, loudly. He had no illusions as to what this trial would likely entail. Battling a beast like that, that had mastered its own power to such a degree, promised to be a challenge.

The Charizard of the tribe's Trainers popped free of their balls as they watched, and the two foreigner's partners were called out. Blaze and Chari twisted high into the air, before heading down towards the Totem Pokémon. Apparently, that was what they were called here, as well.


As Blaze landed before his opponent, he glanced at his Trainer, and nodded. Alex called on the crystal again, and empowered his partner, who took what he needed to reach his Mega Form, and then cloak himself in a similar aura. The power faded, and the magma colored aura held perfectly. Alex smirked. Blaze had been trying to perfect that for months. Naturally, he understood it when he needed to. That was how he'd always learned, after all.

As the older Charizard stood, Alex noticed that they weren't all that different in appearance and skin tone. It was the shape that was different. The king's wings were smaller, but his claws were enormous. He could likely fly when he needed to, but this Charizard obviously preferred the ground. That meant he likely preferred physical moves as well.

A torrent of Flamethrower burned over Blaze, and the fire lizard yawned, as he inhaled the intense flames, and grinned. His tail flame turned blue, and his claws became shrouded in deep sparking red, and orange colored energy. The same as the magma from which he'd evolved.

The younger Pokémon shot forward, and after a flash of red, Chari was behind him. The older Charizard glanced at the pair, and snarled. Technically, one's mate could join a duel. If it was to the death, or for leadership. He glanced at the humans, and then understood. They wanted his help for something, and they were fighting to prove they were worthy of it.


The older Charizard smirked, and rapidly spun in place. A tornado of flames shot into the air, then, a similarly dark red and sparking pair of Dragon Claws rose out of the flames, towards the two fighters. Though the claws were massive, they missed Blaze, or rather, skirled off his aura. Chari went down, landing hard, but relatively uninjured, save for her wing which had taken the impact. Blaze eyed her, and then bid her to stay put as he rejoined the battle and roared.

The female did as she'd been asked, as she'd smashed a wing into the canyon's hard rock wall after being hit. There was no reason to go in now. In the air, Blaze would have to defend her and also attack, and on the ground…well, this Charizard could handle her there, too. She stayed back, as the two males smashed together repeatedly.

For all the fire and claws, neither one seemed to be damaged much, and once it was clear they were drawing towards a stalemate, Alex gave his partner useful information, and a strategy. Battles were as much mind games as they were fights, in contests like this, anyways. A moment's distraction would tip it.


Blaze smirked as he heard and agreed with the plan. His Trainer was convinced that this Charizard was his sire, or at the very least, related by blood. They shared the same facial features, though Blaze's wings were nowhere near as small.

Blaze's Dragon Tail canceled out another Dragon Claw, and the younger fire lizard snarled in the tongue of their species to the older one. "You…are related to me, aren't you…we are similar…"

The elder paused, and the battle did as well, as he eyed his opponent properly, and then nodded. "I did not smell it, but now I see it. You are of my blood…a son I thought lost." He raised a claw and it burst to life with red draconic energy, "But that changes nothing. You started this contest…I will finish it!"

Blaze then did his best imitation of a human shrug, which actually looked halfway decent. He fell backwards in the air as he dodged under the enormous claw. His own Dragon Claw ran along the outer edge of his opponent's. "Very well. I just thought you should know, I have offspring as well."

The older fire lizard's attack paused, eyes widening at the news, for it was always a wonderful thing to have more family. Blaze took the second he needed, and slid his Dragon claw up the older Charizard's burly arm, neck, and then face, in a powerful upwards slash.


The two broke apart then, and the elder was panting. A critical hit, and one that had taken out an eye. Not permanently, but it would need to heal. The claws hadn't actually cut his skin, either. Only faint black marks showed where they'd passed, scraping against the elder's aura shield. Blaze had actually gotten through it around the neck area, and it had not re-formed. In fact, the aura had dissipated entirely now, once he'd broken through.

Slightly irritated with this new injury, the elder snarled. "Enough, whelp. What do you and your Humans want of me?"

Blaze glanced up at his Trainer as he mumbled softer growls. "Something about a Trial…"

The older fire lizard grinned. "Ahh. The Trial…why didn't you say so?" He rose again, and though the aura didn't re-form, two other, smaller, Charizard stepped forward to join him. They were comparatively large, but against the King and his offspring, everyone was small. The two arrivals engaged Blaze immediately, but he had fought battles like this before. He could handle a pair of his kin, but he flew higher into the smoky air regardless, as their flames followed him. He didn't want his sire interfering as he dispatched these two.


Occupied as he was, for the two the King had chosen were skilled aerial fighters, Blaze did not notice what went on below. Five other Charizard, each an elder in their own right, surrounded their king, and tented their wings as they freely gave their power…so that he might attain the same level as one bonded to a human. Focused fire type energy poured into the massive Charizard, and like his offspring, he retained his typing and colors as he Mega Evolved. He was stronger now yes, but most importantly, his wings were now capable of lifting his massive form, which was mostly muscle.

The air boomed as he lifted off, and the weakened elders below curled into circular piles of orange scale, their wings forming a tent above them as they meditated, and kept their own power supplying their King's.

Luckily for Blaze, he had a pair of eyes in the back of his head with a cliff-side view, and saw his sire coming. There was a layer of thin cloud between them, though it was mostly just smoke, it obscured one's vision regardless. Blaze maneuvered his opponents into position, and then kept them there, as his father ascended.

He burst through the clouds with a powerful Dragon Tail, unable to pause as he realized who he was swinging at. The two new opponents went down, and once more, the battle was even. Like Chari, they had smashed into the stone canyon walls, and would need time to recover in order to battle again.


Father and son clashed again and again as the sun turned the sky red, and began to set. Getting here had taken almost a full day, and the days had begun to grow shorter. The summer was halfway finished, and the days were once more shortening to reasonable length.

Seeing another stalemate approaching, Blaze knew this would likely be it. Though he wouldn't admit it, those two had damaged him, almost as much as he'd damaged his sire. The next decisive blow would finish this contest, and he intended to win.

"Wait for an opening…do not rush…" His Trainer's words echoed in his skull, and this time, he listened. His partner had become a skilled fighter of his own kind, and what worked well in battle for him had often translated just as well into his team's battles. "Move with the wind, and let him strike the air. He is tired, though his stamina will likely outlast yours. Use your speed to deliver a blow, you can't match him physically."


Blaze did as ordered, looping through the air as his sire's claws furiously slashed through it. He was picking up speed now, and could feel his wings starting to strain. Moving fast enough just to dodge was taking a lot of focus. He would need that focus for a useful attack. Then, he had an idea of his own. His Trainer smirked, and encouraged him to go for it. His Charizard's battle instincts were great, after all.

He flew high then, high into the smog-filled clouds over this part of the Canyon. Each wing beat cleared it away, and Blaze knew he couldn't use it a second time. He'd need a different trick.

Finally, he flew straight up, and in a masterful display of aerial maneuvering, he came down at his still ascending opponent with a Dragon Tail propelled by gravity. Two large claws came towards him, and then his sire launched them at his progeny and an x-shaped cris-cross of their uniquely colored dragon type energy flew through the air. Blaze smashed through the energy claws with his tail, and rolled in the air until he was soaring downwards with his own pair of Dragon Claws. He used the momentum and opening from the Dragon Tail to minimize the damage, and then roll into an attack from above.

The elder had let his upwards momentum stop, but Blaze had far more speed. Smashing through the dragon energy had slowed him only slightly, and once more the offspring scored a hit upon the king, who grunted, and fell back first towards the ground. He turned slowly in the air, and let his massive wings stop him, but he still slammed onto the ground quite hard, and did not rise to battle again. His Mega Form faded, and he lifted his tail up into the air, the sign amongst their species that told their enemy they were done battling. Charizard did not typically kill fellow Charizard, after all.


Up on the cliff's edge, the Chief turned to Alex, and smiled. "You have trained that one well. If all of your partners are that strong, Pravus is doomed."

Alex shrugged, scratching his blonde hair. "Well, six of them are. The other three are a work in progress…and I still need my last one."

The Chief eyed him again, and then nodded. "A Ghost Type…I think I know one who will work well with you…if you can convince him to Battle."

Alex raised a brow, but the Chief spoke before he could. "But we will see to that in the morning. For now, let us feast among our fiery brethren!" The other fire lizards standing and watching with their Trainers shot their flames into the air, and as they did, Blaze flew past them, spinning into the air, and then fanning his wings out as he came down again, and landed on the cliff. Chari followed soon after, favoring her wing, but still capable of flying straight up. It was, after all, one of the easier maneuvers fliers used.

That night was spent around the King's tail flames, and as the entire group of humans gathered around, their own partners joined their tails with his. Blaze did as well, and together, they shared and recovered energy as the humans partook of their intense fire to burn and inhale their smelly plants.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 23: The Long Night Begins



Lab Ein – Fornia Region


"Tell me the odds again, Ein." Caleb Pravus said, as he stared down at his prize, grinning.

The lab coated doctor would've flipped his brown hair flick, if Pravus hadn't made him cut it off. For amusement. Instead, he pushed his glasses up by the brim. "Given the species' popularity, incompetent archeological preservation methods of our race at the time, and the tectonic upheaval of the Stoney Mountains, the odds of finding an intact specimen, let alone one a Mew fused with..."

He was silent for a good thirty seconds as his brain mathed out the numbers. Finally, he sighed, his monotone voice sounded bored. "Astronomically small."

Pravus gave him a look, but let it slide. They had other things to discuss. "Gender?"

"He hasn't figured that out yet." Ein said, smirking.

Pravus rolled his eyes. "Spare me the politically correct BS, and just say 'male', or 'plug' if we must use analogies."


Ein sighed, looking down at his creation. "It doesn't really matter. He's the only one we can make. We used all the other samples to make this one. And he's still part Rock Type."

Pravus grinned. "Oh, don't worry, we'll have a Draco Plate soon enough. It's on its way here as we speak." Ein rolled his eyes. Given the absurd rarity of Draco Plate shards, let alone full Plates, his deranged boss planned to take one from the reigning Unovan Champion. One didn't need to be a genius to know how that encounter would go. Hundreds of team bosses, every bit as strong as Pravus, had fallen to younger Trainers, with less experience. All of whom had also gone on to be Champions as well. Unova especially, had a habit of forging strong Champions. Ein was still wondering how Redwood had gotten around his diagnosis but he rightly surmised the late Professor Redwood was responsible.

Ein looked down at his creation again, and sighed. Pravus did have numbers though, and when it came to Pokémon, that was all one really needed. Empires like this cult were what made creating beings like his Veloraptar possible, and he would be perfect to lead their numbers... when he was finished.


The Pokémon being admired by the two men high above his paddock looked up at the pair of humans. They smelled delicious to the creature within. He eyed them, still hungry after devouring the Gogoat they'd all but dangled in front of him. He knew they'd been testing his leaping height, and soon after that first meal, the metal bar had been built overhead.

He hated how it loomed over him, but he especially hated the 'human' with dark eyes that eyed him like a meal. When he had been alive before, the humans had run from him in terror, but then, he'd been much faster, almost able to fly in those days. This new body, while physically stronger, was still flawed. He could run roughly the same, but he always felt slow. Imperfect.

His intelligent eyes turned to thin vertical slits as he scented more prey. Evidently, this…circular…thing they'd trapped him in had prey within it. He trotted off through the foliage, wincing at how loud his steps were as the new rocky protrusions across his bipedal form brushed and scraped against the foliage. How was he supposed to hunt like this?


Colville - Northern Fornia Region


Brad had, like his partners on this stealthy endeavor, made contact with friendly allies in Fornia's northern areas. The north was a natural forested buffer between the Takoma region and most of Fornia, and with the exception of the city of Pravia to the east, the Arceans didn't seem to mind the Tribe's presence to the west.

Brad had trained his Charmeleon against the Rebel Trainers, and he had finally evolved the previous evening. They'd camped out that night, with the young Charizard folding his wings into a tent, as his father had shown him. Evidently, it was something Alex had him do often, though usually Shruikan was the better choice, as he was now enormous.

It had been a jarring thing, being shoved back into Arcean society, falling into old habits, like praising the Prophet in every sentence he was mentioned. From his new perspective, Brad now saw how deviously ingenious Pravus's set-up was. It was designed for subtle, effective brainwashing. So subtle, the average person couldn't even tell they were being molded, if living the life of an Arcean was all they knew. Some resisted, of course…but they soon either fit in the mold, or vanished. This was why everyone wanted to stay out of trouble. Justice in Fornia had a tendency to be swift.


Though he'd initially entertained thoughts of rejoining his people, the corruption in the world Pravus had built soon became obvious to Brad's awakened eyes, and fear no longer made him ignore it. He knew there was no way he could ever go back now. Taking a cover job as a member of one of the Church's many 'media branches' had been tedious, but the monotony of doing seemingly meaningless tasks had been broken up one day when a group of Task Force members entered the writing room of their little studio, by force.

They'd asked for a specific writer of a specific article that, evidently, Pravus himself had read, and not liked. The consequences for producing 'sub-par work' involved every member of the twenty-man squad taking their chance to mercilessly beat the writer in question, long after he'd lost consciousness.

The job, which Brad had admittedly lingered at due to his feelings of nostalgia, was quickly abandoned soon after that incident. Indeed, Brad had simply vanished one day, and nobody, not even the security in charge of keeping the writers writing, could tell how he'd left. Nobody knew what Pokémon he had at home, as he was new, and Pokémon were not for the workplace. Not at their level, anyways. Those who allowed their Pokémon to be infused with Shadow were granted a higher rank, and since Brad had refused to subject his Rayquaza to the infusion process again after it had failed the first time, he had been sent to discover if the rumors of a 'Heretic Sage' in the Great Swamp were true.

Oranguru had figured him out in seconds, but had convinced the Trainer, with aid from his Rayquaza, to stay, and learn the psychic arts. They had promised the powers he possessed, if awakened, would be enough to help him attain the power he'd craved. He had witnessed the raw power of one of the east coast's Trainers, twice, after being beaten by the Charmander he'd left for dead in the Great Mohave Desert, now a Charizard. Alex's mercy, and indeed the strength of the other Trainers in Unova, had been a good example of how a free society could make seriously powerful Trainers. As he'd trained his Charmander, the bond they'd formed had awakened his potential, enough to lift small objects, at least. That too had been another factor in keeping him from returning to the Arcean fold. He was a 'psychic half-breed' now, at best. If not a traitor.


Brad had put the Sage's training to good use, and eventually, had discovered the northernmost Tribe in Fornia after wandering blindly through the wilderness. The more he had thought during his trek, the more he'd noticed. The Arceans had seemingly no interest in this beautiful, fertile land. It was hard to find in southern Fornia, but the areas he'd hiked through were full of mountains, forests, and even rare Pokémon. It was entirely out of character for Pravus to ignore it.

When he discovered Colville, a city among the massive trees that grew throughout the region, he began to understand. The Okanagan tribespeople here were not only expert Trainers, they could also move stealthily through the trees of their land with almost unnatural skill. Their guerrilla tactics were all but unstoppable, and every time the Arceans had tried setting up a site to dig for fossils or cut lumber, the Tribe had stopped them. Given how far they had to transport everything, the losses in equipment, fuel, and even manpower were significant.

Eventually, Pravus had given up on the area, though why, nobody quite knew. Some guessed he would deal with it later, after the Unova threat was taken care of. Most Arceans didn't seem to care either, for they only had cities on their large water sources, and were happy to leave the mountainous wilderness to the 'savages'.


Colville was not unlike the base hidden within the Majestic Canyon. Though most of the people and supplies moved through the massive trees with a relatively complex pulley system, those who could, preferred having their partners use Vine Whip to swing through the trees. These were usually the stronger Trainers, sent on guerilla strike missions at supply lines.

Like Alex and Jess, Brad had acquired a fossil on his way to this surprisingly modernized city in the trees, and after some training, his new Archeops moved through them just as silently. Once his newly assembled team was ready, after he'd caught, trained, and evolved the partners he needed, Brad asked the Tribe to help him with another mission that required stealth.

Tracking down his family had taken days, and he'd already stayed in Colville longer than planned. Alex and Jess were likely on their way to Mewsia, the only city on Fornia's lovely coast that wasn't entirely under Pravus's thumb. It was through this port that foreigners were allowed to trade and converse with specially selected Arceans, who would give the best impression of the culture their leader envisioned. Their loyalty was, apparently, unbreakable and it made the cult seem enticing to travelers.


Alex had said to take as long as he needed, though. They were going to contact him when they made their move. Until then, Brad didn't have to rendezvous, so he stayed, and he searched. The Pineus family, to which Bradley belonged, had owned a simple estate in the mountainous area of north-western Fornia. An entire mountainside, which had been in their family for generations.

Proud Arceans had been raised there, but none had risen like Bradley. He'd been the only Hand of the Prophet, but not the only Champion level Trainer to come out of their family. He could only imagine what was left of his home after defecting, but he wasn't expecting what he found. Ash covered everything, and the entire mountain had been burned bare. Machinery belonging to the Arcean's fossil recovery branch was already boring into the mountain, and from the looks of the lights over where his home had stood, they had met with success.

Brad smirked, as he mentally whispered to his Archeops. "What do you want to bet they've found elemental Plates and crystals?" His smirk widened. He'd memorized what the three of them still needed, and aside from dragon, and probably psychic, the other crystals could be found.


Brad had always known that his family's mountain contained power. The Pokémon raised on those once fertile slopes had always been powerful. He had not, however, expected to find at least ten of every elemental Plate, including Mind but excluding Draco, just lying around the camp. It made some sense, as in reality, nobody but Brad and his family lived out here, but it still seemed careless. Evidently, the leader of this operation was a 'fun boss', and rewarded hard work before safely storing assets. Brad's smirk grew grim as he eyed the Plates haphazardly stacked about. That was definitely against protocol.

Taking them all but guaranteed ruining someone's life, career, even marriage potentially. Some worker here would talk, the overseer would be replaced…ruined, and the digging would continue. But then, if he did nothing, what had already been dug up would be exploited further. The Arcean Fossil Organization was famous for digging deeper than they should.

A familiar voice echoed in his head. "Examine the man whose life you fear to ruin. He has no mental defenses. These people's minds are wide open. Go. Look. But do not influence."

Brad tensed atop his mount as he replied in the same manner. "Yes, Master." He reached out, and examined the man's mind. Thankfully, the illegal alcoholic beverages, and other substances, were clouding what senses the man did possess. Brad's intrusion went unnoticed, as he examined each memory, each thought, feeling, emotion.


What he found sickened him. This was a man who enjoyed his power, and while he could keep his workers happy, he enjoyed those who needed to be punished in truly disturbing ways. He reached for the Plates, when he paused. "I'm not seeing every angle." He felt the Sage's approval.

The bad emotions were easy to notice because they stood out. Among the kinder memories were his children. But even here, Brad was disappointed. They were far too reminiscent of his own childhood. He'd never seen his parents enough, as he'd been off being educated, at their expense. It had all paid off when he'd become Champion of the Arceus League, and had attained the rank of Hand of the Prophet, but that had almost been worse than being a strong Trainer with a Rayquaza.

He saw that this man's own offspring truly mattered little to him. Beyond making sure they were decent Arceans, he didn't seem to acknowledge their existence. The work he did, for the fate of the planet, was far more important. Finally, Brad left the man's head, his hope in humanity fading slightly after such a thorough look. He shoved the Plates into his bag, but surprisingly, they were incredibly light. His eyes counted each of the types, three times over. No need to be greedy after all.


As he looked at just how many there were though, he reconsidered. The Rebellion could use Trainers with Plates…and the knowledge of how to tap them. Between his Marowak and Scizor, the stealthy trio managed to grab many sets of Plates, before he'd felt they'd pushed their luck. They left when someone shouted, drunkenly, that the pile of Plates had shrunk.

The overseer had laughed, and said they'd just dig up more, but nobody had cheered at that. They'd just finished working, dammit. They needed, earned, this reprieve. As the mood in the camp turned dark and mutinous under the influence of the alcohol, Brad and his loyal flying, stealthy partner headed south.

He'd found the remains of his home, of course, and had been able to access some of the tech that survived in the mostly stone and metal interior. They may have been isolated out here, but his family had never lacked for gadgets. The last record, from several months prior, said they'd been moved south. So south they went, following the trail.


Though the area around the massive Mohave Desert in the region was sparsely populated by humans, what towns did exist, Brad searched through. There had indeed been a large truck with his family name on it that passed through. On their way to Sacreus, or so they said. Brad resisted swearing aloud once he found out.

Sacreus was a unique city, in that it had once existed in an age before Pokémon. Then, a massive meteor-like object had struck it, leaving nothing but death and destruction. Some said it was that event that sparked the final fall for humanity, but nobody really remembered why their race had fallen anymore. The ancient past was the ancient past. They hadn't even had Pokémon, so why learn about them? The ancient's way of life had failed. To most modern people, they were irrelevant, save for the rebooted entertainment franchises resurrected from the remains of the Old Net. As before, the Pokémon Wars Saga was an instant hit, and had again become a cultural icon. That had been the first of many rebooted movies, with Pokémon added in as either support or the main characters, and Unova was to this day still churning out more of them.

Sacreus itself had been rebuilt over time, as people came to live in the crater. It had once been fertile, but the city that grew within the crater soon drowned out what natural life had come from the ancient impact and destruction. Sacreus had natural defenses, massive crater walls for miles around it, and a plasma shield that could cover the upper airspace of the city in times of need. Just in case of impending meteor strikes.

The city had, over the years, also extended downwards. For hundreds of miles, it was said to be a steel under-city that people actually lived in, sometimes for their entire lives. Pravus' headquarters was at the bottom-most level, and reaching it any other way but through the Cult required one to magically dig through tons of rock, and then several feet of metal. Thankfully, they'd brought a mountain-eater with them. But he was, if the plan was on track, still training.


Alex had wanted to avoid Sacreus entirely, as being recognized in Pravus' home turf would be quite bad. The city was thoroughly checked for traitors, and people were switched out all the time if they became suspects of some usually imaginary crime.

Ignoring the upper levels and going for the head of the snake via Cenomons was the best option while they had stealth on their side. Brad had agreed. Much of Arcean society depended on the Prophet. He was a 'holy' man, touched by Arceus, and blessed with apparent immortality. He was the will of the 'God Pokémon' as the locals called Arceus, made manifest. He was also what everyone secretly feared.

Anyone who went against Pravus tended to vanish. But the mere thought of betraying their leader was, to many Arceans, unimaginable. A concept they couldn't even consider…not while he yet lived, at least. Oddly enough though, a few of the latest generation had begun to outright leave because of the rampant abuse within the system. Brad hadn't seen many of them in Colville, but those Fornians were the ones who'd sparked this Rebellion. He did wonder how they might react to seeing their cult leader fall, for from his point of view, anyone who'd suffered at his hands knew there could only be one fate for such a person.


With his parents likely sequestered within the fortress crater-city, Brad resigned himself to waiting. As for his siblings, he knew exactly where they'd be. He was quite familiar with where the Church put children with 'suppressive' relatives. He'd wanted more than his parent's aid to free them, as he was familiar with how heavy security was at the living quarters for children, but he could manage on his own now that he had a team of partners that grew stronger with every battle against wild Pokémon.

He had his stealthy Scizor zip around the camp, once he'd reached it. They called it a dig site, but in reality, it was a work camp, where children of loyal Arceans toiled away, mostly mining useless rocks for enough shards to make a Plate. They were considered done when they found enough shards for Plates of every type, but naturally, 'accidents' regularly occurred, and kept those mining from freedom when their caches of mined shards 'vanished' from the storage sheds, and returned their count to zero. Occasionally some would find a fossil, but those were always taken away quickly. His Scizor returned several minutes later. It had been hard finding two specific blonde, blue-eyed, tan skinned children amongst so many others, but the intelligent bug type had managed it.

Brad eyed the building for a long time, and eventually recalled his Scizor. He would do this himself. He reached out with the psychic power he'd previously ignored. It was a part of him, and now one he embraced. Upon learning from the other Champions in the Swamp that humans could not, in fact, reproduce with Pokémon, he'd come to terms with psychic types. It was hard to claim they were evil when they could speak to you, and emanated genuine kind emotions. It was more emotion than his Arcean handlers had ever shown, and after failing twice against Redwood, he'd accepted the truth. With the truth, had come research of the many claims Pravus himself often spewed at his crowds of brainwashed cultists. Using the Pokénet, he'd gained answers to most of his worldly questions, and also learned that checking one's sources was always a good idea. Biased views existed outside of the Church too, it seemed. After several minutes of mental scanning, Brad found the mind that he recognized as his youngest brother's, and made contact.


"Sam. Wake up. It's your brother. Think your responses, and I'll hear them. Do you understand?" It took a few moments for the groggy preteen to come to consciousness, and realize he was not in fact dreaming.

"Brad? How are you…"

"Later. Listen to me, you need to get ready to leave. Bring our sister." He sensed their youngest sister lying near him, but of the elder there was no sign.

The boy's mind lit up at the thought of not being in the living hell that was the labor camp, but fear kept him hesitant. It was, after all, the Church's strongest tool. "We can't just walk out. The guards will see us. The others will tell. We'll get beaten again..."

"Don't worry about them, just pack your bags. I'm getting you both far away from here. Where's Lisa?"

The younger brother paused for a moment, and then thought, "I don't know…she's…changed, Brad. She's on the fast track to becoming a Hand of the Prophet."

Brad sighed. He knew what that meant. His defection had only served to inspire 'loyalty' to the cause, and Pravus was all too glad to keep a potential hostage nearby. The fact that she was also rather attractive certainly had nothing to do with her meteoric rise to the Prophet's side.


That meant that over half of his family, his parents and sister, as well as any aunts or other relatives who hadn't cut ties already were likely to disconnect from them once it was discovered they'd escaped. Still, he'd decided early on that if he could only save a few, he'd want to get the young ones out first. He knew far too well what teenage years in the Arcean Church were really like.

His Lycanroc and Cloyster had taken out the guards around this particular building, and while those who were unconscious would recover, those frozen in ice would have a long wait to melt, at least until the sun rose over Fornia. But sunrise was far off. Brad had his Lycanroc guide the two children out, and once they were out of the building, he put them on the wolf's back, and had him carry them to Archeops.

He covered their tracks, mended the barbed wire fence that surrounded the work camp, and left no trace of which direction they'd gone. The security here was competent enough to follow tracks, but if there were no tracks to follow, they'd be significantly slowed. Enough for them to get away.


As his large, female Archeops carried them into the sky, his brother babbled away about fossil Pokémon he'd found, while his youngest sister, who was six and considered old enough to work, simply clung to her big brother. She would likely be pretty as well, though Brad also knew the camps were home to many with darker perversions. Such people had an unfortunate tendency to rise to positions of power within the Church. He sincerely hoped she'd avoided such men, but didn't have the courage to sift through her memories and find out. She'd been through enough already.

As his Archeops flew north, towards the relative safety of Colville, she flew just high enough for Sam to reach up into a cloud, and discover they were rather wet, not fluffy. Then, the large Pokémon stopped, and squawked for her Trainer's attention.

They went into a steep, gliding dive and came out over the forests of the north-eastern part of Fornia. Brad swore, and quickly turned the ancient bird around. It would be a longer flight, but he could use his Charizard if necessary. The Canyon Base was now the largest one the Rebellion had left.



Deep Within the Majestic Canyon – Fornia Region


Alex approached the strange orb at the end of the cave the Chief had led them to. Jess had remained at the base, and began the arduous task of learning who everyone was. She wasn't irritated though, as she knew he'd be joining her very soon.

As he looked at the orb, he noticed that it was black on the edges, and white within. Alex glanced at the Chief, who watched him, silently, probably musing to himself with his inner monologue. He did that a lot, and never noticed his tendency to mutter aloud when he mused after toking his pipe.

Alex put a hand on the orb, and smirked. The strange sphere shifted to a familiar swirling pattern of Eternal Balance, and the Pokémon within woke up.


Electric and ghost. That was the first thing Alex saw, and then he realized what he was looking at. It was Rotom, of course, but its black and white form was tied to a similarly colored crystal at the bottom. As the ghost saw the human, it reflexively melded with its crystal, and a pair of golden eyes stared at him from the object he currently possessed.

Alex knelt down and lifted the crystal up. The ghost within eyed him the entire time. "Hello there." The crystal blinked its golden eyes once. "I'm Alex. The Champion of Unova. The one who reunited the Original Dragon." At the dragon's title, the eyes grew brighter.

"The dragon is whole?" The voice was almost incoherent, and faint.

"He is, Old One." The Chief said from the back of the cave, waiting patiently.

The Rotom seemed to stare through him as it processed his words. Alex had no illusions about the intelligence of the Pokémon before him. He could sense the power the ghost had, and knew it was at least as intelligent as Tao, and probably almost as old. The ghost's mind felt ancient.


The crystal suddenly flared with electricity, searing his skin, and he winced. He'd learned to hold in a reaction to pain early in his martial training with the dragon. He noticed the small crystal mirroring his smirk, and Alex arched a brow. "Is that it?"

The Pokémon stared at him, and the voltage increased. He was ready now, though. His eyes flared as he guided the current harmlessly through the parts of his body that could handle such intense shock, and into the stone below him.

The ground flared in a familiar Taijitu swirl as electricity poured into it, and revealed a hidden carving below them, as the two bonded. Sparks began arcing through the air as the tiny Pokémon gave the human as much of a shock as he dared. The equivalent of a Thunder attack. Hopefully, it would only knock the human out, but he could never judge how much they could really take.


Finally, it stopped. The crystal shivered in approval, and then glowed entirely white. Alex stared at the crystal for a long time before deciding it was too similar. He tossed the crystal into the air, on a hunch, and the Rotom within burst free with a satisfying, and sparky, yawn. "I really hate not being able to leave that thing! At least you figured out how to open it. The last guy took two weeks." His voice was higher now that he was free, and he sounded vaguely like his new Trainer when he spoke. It was, somehow, both familiar and strange at the same time.

The small ghost type continued arcing his plasma body in ever more twisted shapes. Alex's eyes were on the crystal though. He'd heard of ancient devices that could contain Pokémon, and those that still existed always had unusual Pokémon within.

Alex pocketed the strange crystal, and shrugged. A Pokéball was a Pokéball. It was common knowledge that ancient civilizations from the early years of the Dark Times had been able to capture and battle with Pokémon. Devices like the crystal had been common, and far more unique than Pokéballs could ever really be. Battling, as a sport, was ancient in their world. An honored tradition that went back to the rebirth of the human race. In a time of chaos, it had united the world. For a while.

He found the small ghost eyeing him, and where his crystal went. He valued it, clearly. Alex reached out then, and brought the new member of their team into the mental web that connected his partners. He could tell the ghost was impressed, and Alex smirked. The plasma being was already conversing with several of his partners, and giving them battle advice.


The Chief approached the suddenly still pair of Trainer and Pokémon, tapping Alex's shoulder. The two blinked, in unison. "He sounds like you..." the Chief remarked. Alex simply nodded, flexing his hand as he focused on healing the burns. Recover was, unfortunately, still a mystery to him, move wise. He could make it seem easy, as he had against Connor, but if he was honest, Tao had mainly healed those wounds. They'd been rather serious. "We should return to the base. Your partner apparently just checked in…with news."

Alex raised a brow, momentarily blank on who was being referred to. "My partner…? Not Jess…then…oh. Ohhhh. Brad? What news does he bring?"

The Chief stared at the Unovan for a long moment, then sighed. "Nothing good…" He pointed to the north then, as they'd reached the top of the footpath that led up the canyon wall.

Alex's team joined them, staring in disbelief, and perhaps for the first time understanding just how depraved their foe was, and the lengths he would go to in order to crush rebellion.

The entire sky was turning black, and not with electricity. That, he could've handled. These clouds had something dark drifting down from them, and they were blowing in from the north. The Chief grimaced. "It has begun. Colville has fallen."

Alex shared the Chief's grim look. He recalled everyone, Rotom included, as Shruikan leapt into the valley below, and circled around for rapid ascension. "I need a better look. I'll meet you back at the base." Before the Chief could respond, the Unovan Champion had grabbed his Salamence's tail, and was already in the air, climbing the massive back of his black dragon. The huge beast flapped into the sky, through the ashy clouds, and then above them.

Shruikan picked up speed by the time Alex had grabbed onto one of his head horns. Dragon energy surrounded both of them as he mega evolved, and accelerated. A normal Salamence in this form could cross continents in mere hours. Flying a few hundred miles north was easy.


It took an hour, but eventually they figured out where the smoke was coming from. Ash clouds blanketed the area for miles around them, and as Alex recalled his dragon, he fell through the foul clouds, and let gravity control him for a minute.

He had time before he'd need to float, so he fell, and as he plummeted, he saw the land below him. Normally, he imagined, the trees that had made up this base of tribespeople were likely indistinguishable from the rest of the massive, ancient forest. Now though, there was a disturbingly perfect circle of charred trees, miles in diameter, that had encompassed the entire settlement based near a slope of a well forested mountain. Nobody had run away unscathed.

Just as he was wondering what sort of Pokémon could unleash this kind of flame in such a perfect circle, he felt eyes upon him from below, and reached for his power. His large form stopped, hovering in the air, and he rapidly ascended towards the clouds again.


It was already too late, though. Blaze popped free of his ball, wings and body enveloping his Trainer as the cone of flames shot up at them from the ground. Though they were intense, it would take far more than that to take his Charizard down. Alex slid onto his back, as his partner glowed with red energy from the Plate shard on his Trainer's hand. They shot into the clouds, and waited above.

They heard the wing flaps as whatever had struck at them rose into the clouds, and Alex felt a familiar sensation of 'oh shit' run up his spine as he spied his opponent, and what his opponent was riding. It was a Noivern, but something about it was…off. It had traded the flying typing for dark, and Shadow energy emanated from it. Its eyes only wanted to kill, and as it saw Blaze, it began to drool. Its mouth was covered in blood, and it took Alex a moment to realize where it was likely from. Picking off stragglers of a disaster. This was a special kind of depraved Trainer then, and likely one of Pravus's chosen Hands. He fit the description.

The man atop the monstrous dragon was clad in similar garb to what the examiners in the Swamp wore, though where theirs was 'camouflaged' this man's was entirely black. Though he wore a similarly colored beret, and though Alex had always found them a bit silly, it did nothing to detract from the imposing presence the burly, extremely pale man gave off. A familiar chill filled the air. The sense of dread that so often accompanied death. It seemed Pravus wasn't the only one with tricks.


The man wore a green monocle-type device over his left eye, and as he stared at Blaze, his smile grew. "That's the one." He said to the Noivern. He raised a gloved hand, and it flared with dark type energy. "Feast, Carporian."

At the man's words, an almost invisible Plate crystal, for it blended well with the man's choice of attire, began to glow, and the Noivern began to change. A smaller pair of wings sprouted from its sides, and the tail gained fin-like appendages. Most notable however, were the pair of massive fangs the dragon now sported. It panted as the change finished, ready to run wild. It's eyes were a mixture of rage and pain in equal amounts, with one fueling the other.

Normally, Alex would've enjoyed seeing a new Mega Form, but he knew a bit about Noivern, and could only imagine what their Mega Form was like, let alone under such a dark Trainer. It was very likely that he'd lose control of that dragon. Even Blaze could tell it was growing annoyed with its rider. It had grown larger, angrier, as his Trainer formed a leash of dark energy from the crystal, and wrapped it about the dragon's neck.

Shruikan, for his part, agreed with their assessment, and used it to his advantage. He'd been called out again once they'd come up in the clouds, and had been told to fly even higher. Now, the low whistling sound of his wings slicing through the air was the only prelude to the Charge Beam that followed. The Noivern glared at where the sound came from, but did not expect what was streaking down from the sky to be a Salamence of massive scale.


The electric beam struck the Noivern with deadly precision as the massive dragon zipped past. Not only was the beast weakened, but his rider was struggling to stay on, and cursing at his mount for being so blind. Preoccupied with his Trainer and their shared paralysis, the Noivern did not see the Dragon Hammer Shruikan aimed their way as he zipped past them again. The more heavily plated tail wreathed in dragon type energy hit with expert aim on the Noivern. The sheer size of it caused the bat-like dragon to sail rapidly through the air before slamming into the ground below with a thunderous boom.

"Time to leave." Alex said, as he recalled Blaze, and hopped once more on Shruikan. He headed south again, before the Noivern could recover. By the time it did eventually fly up again, they were long gone. The bat-like dragon was furious, and with a single sonic-flap accompanied by a Hyper Voice mixed with a Boomburst, it cleared the ash clouds for miles. It hadn't had a chance to use its power at all, and thus the enraged dragon type struck out at the obscuring clouds with obvious rage. The Salamence had robbed it of a battle with a rather strong looking Charizard.

The Hand of Death, now once more perched on the dragon, grimaced. He hadn't even had time for banter. He loved banter. Of course to him, banter was the screams of pain he drew from his targets. His dark expression shifted from an unusually jovial mood fresh from the slaughter of Traitors, to one more accustomed to the hunt. His sharp eyes searched the skies as his mount threw a temper tantrum, and then, a grin appeared on his face. The grin of a hunter who sees prey. By pure chance, the clouds obscuring the black Salamence had been within Carporian's range. Though the attack probably hadn't damaged the dragon from so far away, it had revealed him, and his rider. They had yet further to go until the undisturbed clouds of ash could cover them again.


The Hand's mount was already moving, for he'd spotted the prey as well. Though to him this would be more of a match between rivals, rather than a hunt. The Noivern had felt the thunder of that dragon first hand, and he would not underestimate him again. Each flap of his wings propelled him towards his target, and from below, he heard the obvious tread of the annoyingly fast hatchling that followed them. So far, the promise of food had kept it obedient, and it seemed to like the idea of getting stronger. What they had done after Colville's burning had been sport, to the newly revived Fossil Pokémon. It was bound to the land, but had proven effective in hunting down the humans that had fled from the burning tree-city.

The Noivern ignored the hatchling, and instead unleashed the power of his Voice, now that they were in range. The boom had shocked Shruikan, making his entire system tense up from the sheer power of the vibrations behind the attack. The dragon had continued soaring, but was slowly descending, and couldn't dodge. Alex had been trying to find the pressure point by the back of his skull that would release his tensed muscles for several minutes, but his scales were too thick in his Mega Form.

He'd had Shruikan drop it, and of course as soon as he let the power go, the damned Noivern noticed them. By the time Alex pressed the pressure point, causing Shruikan's wings to work again, they had fallen several hundred feet, and the fanged dragon had gained on them with the kind of speed all Mega Forms tended to have. Then, they heard its Hyper Voice. It was untrained, but the sheer power of it was all that was really needed. Shruikan took the hit hard, and Alex knew they needed to turn this around quickly.


Shruikan used his own Hyper Voice, and Alex smirked at his choice of words as the Black Salamence roared, "Dovah Envok!" The dragon's eyes flared, and an aura of bluish-purple energy formed around him as he circled in the air, and rapidly moved towards the Noivern.

A perfect circle of flame came hurtling towards them, but Shruikan cut through it. His Dragon Ascent wasn't perfect like Rayquaza's, but it was still strong. Where the Legendary dragons like Rayquaza could use such a move to Mega Evolve, other dragons manifested it as a powerful physical attack, and used dragon-typed energy to fuel it.

The energy surrounding the Salamence hit the Noivern hard, and this time, his Trainer knew there would be no second wind. The Hand leapt off his mount, and let it crash below in the mountainous forests that made up much of this part of the region, and had not yet caught fire. The Hand himself floated, a dark aura surrounding him. Much like his servant, he simply hadn't had time to use it before. The black dragon had been too quick.


He drew another ball from his belt, and Alex recalled his own partner, as he floated with his own power as well. Apparently, this battle was happening. He could just Teleport, but he wanted to see how strong the goons Pravus had at his disposal really were. The black clad man grinned at him. "There's no running from Trainer Battles."

Alex rolled his eyes, and as he did, the man threw a Dark Ball. An Absol appeared, as dark and shadowy as the Noivern it was partnered with. This one's expression was entirely different. It took one look at Alex, and began trying to resist its Trainer. To no avail. The power that controlled it now, and bonded it to the Hand, was too strong. It looked on helplessly as its Trainer commanded a Razor Wind.

Arthur appeared in a flash of purple then, from the ball Alex had drawn as well. A Psycho Cut canceled out the attack, but that didn't stop the Absol. It kept shooting the bursts of wind, but luckily, Arthur could use Psycho Cut just as much. It was one of his favored moves now, mostly because of its versatility as a ranged or close up attack.


Eventually, the fight had devolved into a Night Slash tradeoff, between the Absol's horn, and Arthur's blades. When he tried a Shadow Ball to gain some distance, the Absol copied him, and the resulting explosion pushed both back. That, was when they mega evolved. Arthur's arms were limned with gold-orange fighting energy as soon as he finished, but the Absol looked downright miserable as the power of Infinity Energy forced it to the next stage.

Arthur reached out to it. "It's okay…I know you can't stop attacking. Don't stop fighting his control. I can free you of this curse, but you need to keep resisting!" The Absol blinked as it processed the words.

"Aerial Ace." The Absol shot forward at the command, and Arthur met the attack with a Night Slash, cancelling it out. The stalemate resumed, and the usually smirking knight, this time, had a look of irritation on his face as the battle dragged on. Neither Pokémon could get an edge, and what kindness Arthur had shown at first had melted away in the ferocity of the pointless, yet epic clash. "Dammit...it's not working...the Shadow is too ingrained..." His irritation echoed in his telepathy.


Each Night Slash counter parried the attacking Absol, and as it continued to strike, it grew more and more berserk. Finally, the Shadow in its aura flared, as it entered the frenzied state commonly known as Reverse Mode. Arthur's eyes narrowed, as he realized the Absol was too far gone to the Shadow. The dark type energy shifted back to gold, and the Gallade focused his fighting energy into his blades. The almost fiery cascade of Light energy hardened into a glowing pair of golden Sacred Swords as he went beyond his limits with that move, making it into either something new, or a stronger variant of the same attack.

"This ends. Now."

Alex watched his Gallade, one eyebrow raised, as he noted the typing of the energy radiating off of his Gallade once again, the symbol of the Alpha Pokémon was unmistakable, which meant it had to be Light. It made some sense, as Shadow existed, and Tao's teachings all but guaranteed that Light must exist too. He'd suspected for some time now that his Gallade might have a tie to the Light. He supposed it made some sense… legendary fighters usually ascended to the heavens, in the legends. He guessed it was fairly rare though, but if anything could counteract Dark Matter…that would be it. It'd worked before, after all. This move he was readying now seemed different, though. Stronger. More focused. Perfected, one might say. Perhaps, enough to free the Absol of the Shadow. He knew how much Arthur wanted that ability, as he viewed Shadow Infusion as an unforgivable crime. Like most Pokémon.


Arthur glanced at his Trainer and smirked, before shooting forward with his Sacred Sword assault. The Absol, seemingly seeing an opening, powered up an Aerial Ace. Or rather, he tried. His horn simply didn't glow as he charged forward and struck regardless. He'd run out of power, but his Trainer's commands were still absolute. Arthur's strike caught the Absol as they passed in the air, and the Mega Absol's form dissolved.

The Gallade wasn't done, though. He refused to give up on this Pokémon. He landed and turned in one smooth movement. Arthur touched a burning sword tip to the downed Absol's bluish-black oval on its forehead. "Please..." He said softly, to himself, though Alex heard him in that moment. The Shadow faded, in the face of the Light. The Absol sighed, then collapsed, fainted. It could've gone several more rounds, like Arthur, but the sudden removal of the Shadow had knocked it out cold.

The smile Arthur had gained from the warmth of the Light shifted to an expression of cold rage as a black light hit the Absol, and recalled it. "Pointless." The Hand said, smirking, as the ball tolled with the immediate sound of a renewed infusion of the occupant. "I admit…I did not expect this kind of strength. I should've brought my Legends. Pravus suggested as much. You're yet another monstrously strong Trainer that's appeared from nowhere. I get it. But that doesn't mean we'll give up. Not even someone like you can take all of us down. We are relentless. We are immortal. We are legion. You cannot win."

He flung another ball. "Go! Tyrannus!" The Tyranitar had barely appeared, before it's master forced it to the next level of power. It roared not in rage, but agony, seemingly bent over in pain as its body split apart with the infusion of Infinity Energy. Alex stared, trying not to wince. He'd wanted to see what mega evolving with these stones could cause, and now, it was obvious. He had no illusions about who had started this Plate crystal evolution trend. The Arceans were the kind of group to analyze and then copy their enemies. What didn't take them out, made them stronger.

He'd battled other Tyranitar, though, who'd achieved this state the right way. Their power had been even greater, because the crystals could empower attacks. What had been learned in the Swamp was spreading, but it didn't have to result in harm. They just needed a way to keep this kind of power away from people like Pravus and his Hands.


"Send as many as you want, I'll take them all down!" Arthur shouted in fury as he rushed in again, swords blazing, and right as the Tyranitar loomed over him, the Gallade Teleported, and reappeared behind the Hand himself. The swords crossed over his neck like a blazing guillotine. He stared down at the Tyranitar then, as they were still floating in the air. "You don't need to obey him anymore." His arms moved, and the man's head fell. Then, it started to chuckle.

"That's adorable. So righteous. Tyrannus, remove the princeling. Sweep his legs." As ordered, the giant Pokémon turned his sights on Arthur, who frowned. It was clearly obeying, not rampaging. "It's not out of control…it's loyal…" Arthur confirmed mentally to his Trainer, as his opponent's form charged forward, claws wreathed in ghost type energy.

Where a normal Sacred Sword used fighting energy, Light energy evidently had a strong effect on ghost types. The attacks cancelled out, but the Tyranitar was relentless. Several claws got through Arthur's guard as they traded more Sacred Swords and Shadow Claws. After fighting the Absol, Arthur felt his power for the move, extended though it was by a PP Max, starting to run low. The perfected strikes took more power. Tyrannus was unstoppable, and monstrously strong. Eventually, Arthur was cornered from the relentless assault hammering him onto his knees. Alex recalled him as the Tyranitar formed a Hyper Beam with one intent. It shot the energy anyway, not caring that its opponent had escaped as it blew apart the land around it, roared in fury, and set its sights on the Trainer that had robbed him of his kill.


His master's head, which had been caught by his body, now smirked from the palm of his hand. "End him."

The Tyranitar paused, panting, which gave Alex the time he needed. "Hydrus! Finish this." He drew the ball, smirked, and then threw.

The Swampert in question shifted almost as rapidly as the Tyranitar had. Their method was definitely slower, though. The dark shift had been almost instant. Tyrannus recovered, and charged once more. The dark claws returned, but Hydrus smashed the blazing limbs away with well placed Hammer Arms, and followed that with a Water Pulse immediately after opening his opponent's guard.

The Tyranitar took the condensed energy pulse to its face, and went soaring back into the wilderness they were fighting in, unable to stop the powerful and dense ball of water energy from driving him away. The flames from Colville and the dark clouds made the setting ominous. All it needed was lightning. An Ice Beam shot at the Tyranitar, and then arced towards his Trainer, freezing both, as Hydrus burned power to make the beam last. He'd also created a small ice ridge on the landscape, but it would undoubtedly melt, if the ominous orange inferno in the distance was any indication.


Alex recalled Hydrus and Teleported before the Hand broke free, to the tent he'd been given at the Rebel's base. He'd recalled everyone and left quickly more times than he'd like to admit, but being able to be somewhere else instantly made terrifying situations a lot more interesting.

He looked around the tent, and then smirked, as he spied his lover. It shifted to a frown of disapproval as he saw his newest partner was here as well, and not in his ball…crystal…thing. Apparently, he'd snuck away with the Chief, rather than join the others in danger.

"You need a name, don't you… hmm." He eyed the ghost, who shook its head as it spoke.

"If you rename me, I'll have to change crystals. It's an ancient tech thing. Names have power. Just call me Rotom, Human. It's easy, and you can pronounce it."

Alex raised a brow. "Are you telling me I couldn't pronounce your name?"

The ghost stared at him, deadpan. "I'm saying my name, and your language, aren't even compatible."

Alex smirked. "You're not a Terran Pokémon are you…" The Rotom's eyes went wide. "Hah! I knew it. Your mind felt different to any other Pokémon I'd sensed, but after that battle we just had, I noticed. Your life energy, what's left of it, is from a different world."

The Rotom sighed. "I mean…technically…not really…but if that's how you want to understand it, you can work with that." The Plasma ghost yawned then, and twirled something between his plasma appendages. Alex blinked.


"You little…did you steal my staff!?" Jess giggled from across the room doing…whatever she was doing to her hair. Beauty products. Girl things. It was foreign to him, as she had a whole entire array of items that he could probably only name the function for half. It took effort to look as good as she did, though he'd repeatedly told her she didn't need it, but she kept the case anyway. She usually didn't speak during these morning rituals, but now, she did. "He totally stole your staff. We've been toying with it all morning."

He eyed it, but it didn't appear to be covered in unidentifiable liquids. So that was something. He stared at the Pokémon holding it, and then got an idea. An idea that just felt right. He sent it to Tao, who approved, and chuckled as he did so.

"Phaspiro." He said, smirking. "That's your name."

"Phaspiro? Did you take 'phasma' and add 'piro' to it? Why? Because it sounded cool? If we're going for cool, why not call me Stormageddon, Destroyer of Worlds? Honestly, you Trainers-"

Alex shrugged, cutting him off. "I like it. Round Table?" He said to their partners. Arthur had been given a Max Revive, but was still tired. He gave an 'aye', though. Everyone did. Alex smirked, and responded mentally to the snarky sparky ghost type. "It is decided. I dub thee Stormageddon. Welcome to the team, Stormy…you can reside in this, now."


He made a gesture with his hand, and wrenched the staff free of the ghost's grip easily. With a thought, it went from hair-curler length to staff length and formed an opening just the size of the ghost's crystal in the center. The Rotom's eyes went wide. "Waaaiiit wait wait, that crystal has untapped electrical power, to control it you'd need-"

Alex cut him off again with a confident smirk. "The essence of the Master of Fire, Ice, and Electricity." The Rotom tilted his head, then nodded, as he agreed that would probably work. Before he could say as much, the plasma ghost was recalled into the crystal, as Alex pushed it in, and the staff closed around it.

It gained a pair of eyes, and grinned at the Trainer. "Oh, I can work with this…" The staff began to change from within from something simple, to a container with much more…potential. It retained the colors, but shrunk. There was a hollow center, through which, Alex could see the shine of the crystal. Something was obscuring it though, that almost looked like…wiring? "Don't look directly into it, you idiot." Stormy growled.

Alex turned the strange device away from him, and then noticed a button on the small object. He hadn't been expecting the Rotom to change his staff so much, but he let the Pokémon do as he wished. Their newest ally only wanted to make them stronger, or so he'd claimed. Stormy's eyes and smirk appeared above the button he'd created. "Push it. Push the button, little Human."


Alex gave the ghost a look. "It's not going to fire some plasma projectile, right?" He asked, remembering how the ghost Pokémon was classified in the dex.

The ghost grinned. "Not a projectile."

Alex's eyes went wide as he realized what he was probably holding. "Ohhh…yes. So very much yes…" He looked around, realizing their tent was a bit cramped. "This needed a more dramatic reveal anyway. Outside we go!"

He ran out, object in hand, grinning like a child. Jess was behind him, more curious than anything. Evidently, she'd fixed whatever needed fixing. It was clear he wasn't going to mention her slightly curlier hair, but she was more interested in what her thick headed boyfriend had done to his Rotom. "What exactly are you up to? I was only half paying attention in there."

Alex simply smirked. "You'll see." He ran to the topmost cliff of the base, and then shot into the air, not caring about hiding his power at that moment. Once he found a suitably far, suitably high ledge to perch on, he pressed the button.


The now smaller former-staff blazed to life, as a dual colored beam of plasma extended from the hilt where the crystal now resided, white on the inside, black on the edges. Alex laughed in disbelief. It was a fairly long black and white blade. Deadly looking. It hummed as he twirled it around, still not quite believing this was actually happening.

The hilt of the sword-like weapon smirked at him. "You can call me Lux. Luxundus is the closest approximation in your tongue, but literally everybody calls me Lux. You probably should've asked my name, rather than assumed I needed one."

Alex rolled his eyes. "I was irritated. You stole my staff."

The hilt grinned. "And turned it into a plasma sword. And the best part? I can fight like this, and stay perfectly upright at all times."

Alex raised a brow. "Why...what would happen if you fell perfectly vertical?"

The ghost's eyes narrowed, and he shuddered in his Trainer's giant grip. "Bad things, Redwood. Bad things."

"Fair enough..." Alex twirled it around again. "You know…I've heard some of these can extend from both ends…"

The ghost laughed. "Find another super rare extraterrestrial crystal whose origins are a mystery to you, then. I'll make another blade."

Alex smirked, and lifted his sleeve, revealing where he kept most of his crystals. Each fit into the edge of his gloves, around his wrists in an obvious homage to a certain first season of a certain old Earth anime involving cards, dueling, and monsters, but were less bulky. The gloves were, like the rest of Tao's clothing, super comfortable, and form fitting. "I have thirteen."

The ghost eyed them, then blinked affirmatively. "I can use all of those. With this container, anyways."

Alex chuckled, "I like the sound of that. I'm probably better with a saberstaff anyways." He turned to Jess, who'd followed him, and had thus far been staring with a knowing smirk. She'd been in his head. He'd always wanted a laser sword. They were iconic. And so very useful.


He pressed the button again, and let the hilt hang from his belt in his tenth slot. Under his robe-like jacket. He smirked, trying not to laugh at the similarities to his childhood heroes, specifically a combination of the Aura Guardians, and several people from the Pokémon Wars Saga. There were some differences, though. The nine miniaturized balls that hung alongside the hilt on his belt. He wasn't going to hide them anymore. Their surprise advantage had literally gone up in smoke. Had he been wearing regular pants, they would've surely fallen with all the extra weight, and he wondered if that was why the League limited Trainers, usually, to six partners. Alder, one of Unova's now passed Champions, had carried at least nine openly, but then, they had been mostly on his shoulders.

He turned his gaze northward, towards the clouds of ash as Jess joined him, and examined Lux's new form. "I found one of Pravus's Hands. He managed to take Arthur down. Hydrus cleaned up, though. Whatever chance we had at stealth is gone, now. We don't have time to wait in enemy territory while we train Ceno."

Jess stood next to him, eyes wide as she saw the sheer scope of it. The entire sky was darkening, bringing with it an artificial night. "That just came from Colville alone?"

Alex shook his head. "It's spreading. The entire northern part of the region is probably catching fire."

She looked up at him, eyebrow raised. "So, what do we do now, oh wise Tamer of the Original Dragon?"

He gave her a look. "Plan B, obviously. That one's more fun anyways."

Jess rolled her lovely blue eyes. "You only think it's fun because you and the Council of Dorks like smoking together."

He winked at her. "You could join us…but I know how you get around that much testosterone. And Leaf."

She sighed. "Just tell your dragon. I'll go talk to the people I already know. You get the Chief."


Alex nodded, and then reached out to Tao. While he was a part of their mental web, he was more…web-adjacent, connected to Alex, but not the others, if only so the stray thoughts of a Legendary and ancient mind, full of things sometimes best left forgotten, did not reach the ears of his impressionable hatchling of a Trainer and his partners.

"Plan A failed. Pravus burned the north." Alex gave the dragon a moment, either to process his words, or finish whatever business he was in the middle of.

Finally, a response. "Plan B it is, then. Come home, young Hero…there's something you need to face here. A challenge that you are finally ready for, I think."

Alex let the contact fall, and smirked. There was always something else to face. It had a habit of making him stronger. He opened his Pokédex, out of habit as he checked the time, then paused as he saw the date. They'd been in Fornia much longer than he'd realized. Almost half the summer, which was now ending. "Two years to the day…huh. It feels longer. Right Terra?"

The giant grass tortoise joined him with a flash of green, and inhaled the warmth of the late summer day as he gave his slow, measured, mental reply. "It does…but I would not change a second of it."

His Trainer gave him a scratch under his mossy, dirty chin, and then hopped on his back. He began packing a bowl of the Leaf as the turtle brought him down towards the other humans the long way, so he could enjoy the sunlight while the sun yet shone. The clouds were clearly unnatural, and they were spreading. Alex knew this was likely the first step of whatever Pravus had planned for Unova, and knowing him, it would be brutally effective.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 24: Into the Abyss



Three Days After Colville's Burning, Dragonspiral Tower – Unova Region


Word reached the Original Dragon that the Governors of the thirteen 'States' who had come when he'd called, had finally arrived. Tao had expected the first plan to fail. They'd given Pravus too much time while trying to penetrate Fornia's defenses. Time to mobilize his Cult. His armies. Whatever he'd escaped Norstad with. He'd had half a summer to set things in motion, and he certainly had now. As soon as Alex entered Fornia, the Prophet had started mobilizing. The Rebel spies had been fed false information, and the 'holy army' formed undisturbed and undetected. Now, they'd illegally invaded Orre, made their way up Mount Battle, and had claimed it in the name of the Arcean Church. Evidently, it was now a part of Fornia.

Almost immediately after hearing this news of aggressive action by the massive Fornian army that numbered in the millions, the other Governors not under Pravus's thumb had received the Original Dragon's summons to the ancient seat of his empire. The Dragonspiral Tower. It was now much as it had once been in ancient times, a castle that awed those who looked upon it, as well as a fortified seat of power that could, if necessary, house the citizens of Unova in times of strife. Tao had been working to clear the underground levels as well, which were just as numerous as the upper levels, and much wider. Much of Icirrus Town's plumbing and other services had been disrupted by the excavation, but Tao had been able to re-work them with minimal inconvenience.

The followers of the dragon attended to their guests between martial and Pokémon sparring sessions. After a night of rest, for many Governors had traveled far, they'd gathered at the top of the tower, which now acted as an open-air meditation area under a dragon-sized pagoda-esque structure. Like his tower in his separate dimension, this area not for training or learning was covered with trees and grass at its top, and typically served as a place to meditate. Today though, it held a meeting of the strongest political figures on the eastern coast.


"Thank you for coming. We've much to discuss." Tao was upright, resting on his coiled body much like a Rayquaza did whilst sleeping. "As you've no doubt heard, the Church of Arceus is mobilizing. They're determined to spark a war with the east. They've raised a massive army to do so. Make no mistake, their ultimate goal is to conquer us, State by State, region by region, until they can reform the old empire under their Prophet."

The leader of the Kanadians spoke then, an elderly man of tribal descent with the classic black hair, and darker skin tones. Kanadia had several tribes that sailed on its frosty oceans, and this man's garb marked him as one of them. "Is there no way for peace to be maintained?"

The dragon shook his head. "They're marketing it as a 'holy war'. Their soldiers are devout, and fanatical, to the point of violence. Evidently, my powers and philosophy are the antithesis of everything the Alpha Pokémon stands for. So sayeth the Arcean Church."

The room stayed awkwardly quiet before someone among the crowd of leaders spoke. "Are they?"

The golden eyes of the massive dragon narrowed as his lengthy body arced over the suddenly slightly terrified men who, in that moment, suddenly remembered they were very very small compared to this Pokémon straight from prehistory. His massive golden eye stopped beside the Governor of Transylveticut. A thin man in a nice suit, with a thin moustache, that curled up at the edges into little swirls.

Of course. The man who lived in daily fear of the Swamp. Transylveticut was famous for its massive Swamp, which was too deadly to enter, and its superstitions, that most of the other States simply found silly in this age of rationality and reality-bending science. The dragon spoke once more. "I will forgive that impertinent question, for it has been millennia since I was last whole, and you humans have a tendency to forget, what with your short life spans."


The dragon rose slowly as he spoke, wings expanding, as he towered over all of them. His eyes flashed with psychic power. "See now, leaders of the States, and behold the history you have forgotten." He linked to each of their minds, and was pleased to see that among the many emotions the group of leaders were feeling, treachery was not one of them. These were hard-working men who wanted to see their people safe, and live through a time of peace. Unfortunately, nobody ever really wanted to be the target of a madman with an army. This was simply another stumbling block they needed to surpass. Tao had a feeling it would make them stronger.

The scenes he displayed for the gathered leaders showed the details, at least some, of his own creation by Arceus himself, a melding of three dying dragons, unified in a single balanced whole that emerged from a very bright spherical object. Time skipped forward, and next the humans watched as Tao was bid by Arceus to guard this continent, and use his awesome power to promote peace, and balance. Of course, in those days, the people who lived upon the continent had other ideas as to who should rule it. The wars of the ancient past had been large, and brutal, but Tao had sought out those who did not want to fight, who did not give in to their anger, bigotry, and base, greedy emotions. He taught them the secret of true power. They were his first students, and they were legendary for being all but unstoppable in those ancient conflicts. The combination of divine wisdom, and power had made them superior to any foe.

Tao spoke then, to each of them. "I have always been a peaceful minded being. I do not like violence. I do not like killing that which I've no intention of eating. I do not enjoy wasting the potential of a life. But mark me, if the Balance is disturbed, I will do what I must. Every time, regardless of who my foe is."

"What if Arceus broke the balance?" Someone asked.

Tao gave a heavy sigh, and the smoke from his nostrils filled the pagoda, and covered the round wooden table they'd gathered at. Thankfully the windy benefits of being thousands of feet high meant that it didn't linger. He didn't bother looking for the speaker. "If the Alpha Pokémon ever willingly disrupts the Balance, then weep, little Human. For the end of existence will be nigh."


What he showed next was a series of disturbing images. Humans, and Pokémon, who could not be dissuaded, lay dead by the thousands as Tao hovered over their battlefield. His sparking claws were covered in blood, as was his maw, and he wept openly at what he'd been forced to do to quell the senseless bloodlust of those ancient days, and restore balance to his new land.

From that senseless destruction though, came something truly impressive. The Dragon Empire. The golden age of the land whose capital would eventually be known as Unova, had stretched from coast to coast, and flourished under the Original Dragon's guidance. Each of the leaders was treated to a sped-up view of the Empire growing, flourishing, and many could not believe just how large it had truly been. The history books didn't do it justice. Coast to coast, their continent had once glowed with the light of civilization, and peace, for the Dragon Empire was not once successfully invaded in all its long years.

As the visions began to fade, the men were given an aerial view of three spires on a recognizable chunk of land. Unova's center, the capital, so created and named in the days of the Dragon Empire's apex, the glorified capital alienated many, and would eventually become the stage upon which all Tao had wrought was undone. The Dragonspiral Tower stood to the west, the Imperial Palace had stood on the easternmost coast, and finally, one massive tower that, to this day, stood over Castelia as a home to visiting foreigners of political importance. Unity Tower. There had even been a city around the one in the past, as well. In fact, as the men looked closer, they saw that all of what was generally referred to as Unova's capital had, at one point, been one single massive city. Seeing this, and knowing what the region currently looked like, was humbling. Nature had reclaimed their dying ruins of an empire in the chaos that had followed the dragon's split.


"You asked if my power and philosophy went against the Alpha." The dragon spoke, "My power is of the Alpha, as are my teachings. None understands the importance of maintaining Balance, and the price it takes to do so, better than Arceus."

The Governors looked amongst themselves, as they spoke quietly, even though many assumed the dragon could hear them anyways, which of course, he could. He let them bicker though. They were politicians after all. Arguing was their forte. Finally, Unova's Governor stepped forward. He gave a bow in the old style, right fist to left open palm. The dragon returned it, and then, the man spoke. "What do you suggest we do, Dragon of Unova?"

The dragon, who had remained hovering over the group, now returned to the coiled position he'd started in, and gave the man a grin that sent…not fear, but a chill of what could almost be excitement up his spine. It only grew as he processed what the ancient Pokémon said.

"Reform the Empire."


Thankfully, nobody seemed to outright reject the dragon's words, though there were more than a few rumbles of discontent. It warranted discussion at least, and it wasn't like everyone in the room hadn't considered it before. There had always been one point of contention, though. The Unovan Governor repeated it to the Original Dragon. "And who would be our Emperor?"

The dragon's grin only grew. He found it amusing that humans, even after thousands of years, had changed so little. A taste of power, real power, and many would salivate at the thought of ruling it all. He could sense the building greed in several of the humans before him, right that very moment, their twisted egos mentally listing reasons they just knew the dragon would say their name, and catapult them into the position they deserved over their rivals. His response shattered their ambitions. "I've already chosen my Champion. And given that he's just spent the summer in enemy territory, and is quite frankly the strongest Trainer we have available, he's the right Hero to lead our forces."

"What about N? Or the other Champions?" Someone asked. The Dragon's eyes softened.

"N has returned to the wilds…defending Unova for so many years against the shadow of his father…it took a toll on him. He realized that his obsession with hunting Ghetsis down had caused him to ignore something as obvious as reforming three dragons into One. Once Ghetsis finally passed, his drive to Battle faded. Consider him unavailable, for this conflict. It will take time for his Pokémon team to draw him out of this state, but when they do, he will be...fierce. As for the other Heroes...they too will have parts to play, as Generals of my legions." The dragon retained his unsettling and entirely too confident grin as he finished speaking. The men took in his words, and began to bicker while the dragon mused to himself.

Every aspect of Tao had liked N. He'd saved Unova, and several other regions, many times over the years. He'd said he was leaving to train, to find a new level of power the bond between humans and Pokémon could give, but Tao doubted he would have success. Not any time soon, at least. Only one other power truly rivaled the potential of Infinity Energy, and Mega Evolution, but nobody had rediscovered that method, as far as Tao knew. It had been effectively purged from history, and for good reason. Some things were best left forgotten, and undisturbed.


The Governor's debate was far more intense this time. The majority were opposed to the dragon's suggestion. Unova, and a few other State leaders, remained neutral for the moment. There would need to be a vote, but it seemed obvious how that would go. The leader of the eastern half of Texico spoke up then. "We've always seen fit t'govern ourselves, pard. Why would we put a whelp in cherge of our people? Any ijit can battle Pokémon."

The dragon's golden gaze fixed on the man with the classic Texican hat, which was white, and matched the rest of his fancy suit. Few of these men had issues with flaunting their material wealth. He resisted a sigh. "Because he is the one among you who proved himself Worthy. Billions of Humans on this continent. Thousands of years, and yet not one of you managed to do what he did. I lost count of how many times the Balance of the world nearly fell because one of your kind found one of the Orbs of my sleeping halves and tried to use it to take over other Humans. Even when both parts of me were awake, you all viewed me as two separate dragons, and that was how I remained. Even N did this, though he more than anyone understood my situation, and was aware of my reclusive shell."

The dragon stared at each of them as his commanding mental voice rang through their skulls. "Redwood is…different. He looked at me, and saw a being torn apart. He had the power, and the instinct, to reform what was sundered, and ever since, he's done nothing but use his considerable strength to keep the peace. Only one other Human has ever absorbed my lessons so…thoroughly. The First Dragon Emperor." The Governors who opposed, quieted then. All knew the legends of the last Emperors who had ruled the Empire. They'd been reduced to kings after the Original Dragon was torn apart, but the difference in authority had been minimal. Their descendants had still held power enough to call up armies, and sunder the capital in a chaotic, violent final battle, after which, the Orbs were hidden.

But the first Emperor had been a dragon of a different scale. Wise, powerful, and fair he had crossed the continent on foot, and slowly, convinced the disparate warring peoples to unite. It had taken a lifetime, but when he'd finished, his offspring had inherited the largest empire the Earth had seen since the old civilizations fell six millennia earlier.

Were it not for the curse of mortality, he could have gone on to unite the planet. Alas, his daughter did not possess his abilities, and despite Tao's best efforts, her...desires...had led the burgeoning superpower to the brink of civil war when the time came to name a successor. Thus, the Trials had been devised, first by humans, then by the dragon. Seven times the sagest humans of that age passed the rules for the criteria of an Emperor between them, until it was finally done, but the results spoke for themselves. Peace and prosperity reigned for millennia in a world darkened by madness, until the dragon was torn apart, but given that the last Emperors after the dragon's split had not faced the Trials, many Unovans still believed them to be infallible at picking a successor. They had never failed.

The men huddled again, and while a few had changed their minds at the dragon's words, most remained unconvinced. Unova's Governor spoke again. "Wise dragon, we would like the opportunity to examine your choice, if we may, if only so that those with doubts may have them assuaged. I know how strong your Champion is, I've met him. I agree with your choice. With guidance from us, and yourself, he could be a fine Emperor, but the others are proud, independent leaders. They need more than a verbal voucher for something this…monumental. With your blessing, we wish to test his capabilities. As we did in the old days."


The dragon pretended to ponder for a moment, and hid his smirk. He did feel slightly guilty using the human leaders like this, cleverly baiting them down the path he wished this conversation to take. It was necessary though. Fornia was a legitimate threat, and the east needed a figure to rally around, if they were to have any chance of stopping Pravus. "Very well. How will you test him?" He already knew, but he knew how humans got when they realized he could read their minds.

After another huddle, though this one only lasted five minutes instead of twenty, they agreed, and told the dragon what they intended. He'd tried not to break into laughter, and as always, kept his composure. He told the group that he would summon the Champion, and that they were free to enjoy his tower as his honored guests.

Once they'd all left, he began packing a bowl in his favored piece, the storm-forged glass he'd made but recently. Though it was new, it was growing on him. He'd almost decided on a nickname for it, even. He chuckled quietly to himself as he puffed the clouds of smoke into the cold autumn afternoon. "Humanssss…sssso very predictable." He shook his head, and then turned his golden gaze east across his barely recognizable lands. His divine gaze could just make out the murk of what the humans now called the Abyssal Ruins. Once, it had been a palace so lovely, even Arceus had enjoyed visiting it. Now…nothing remained but sand and ruin. The dragon grinned to himself.

For now.



Rebel Canyon Base - Fornia Region


Alex stood from the shell of his Torterra, who received many looks from the gathered Rebels. He was rather pleasant to observe. The perfect melding of earth and nature was…calming, almost. This was fortunate, for his Trainer's words would likely confirm their worst fears.

"Fornians, Tribespeople, Rebels, I know I am new here, but bend your ears for a moment. It's important." He was in the main room of the base, a massive cave, really. It was full of tech, supplies, and equipment. A gleam of something bright and multicolored caught his eye. He did a double take. Were those Plates? What were elemental Plates doing here? And how were there so many? So many questions. He buried them, for the moment, as the base gathered around. The Chief had told several of his underlings to run down the halls when the Unovan began speaking, and they had done so. Within minutes, the entirety of the Rebellion, or most of it, had gathered in the cave. There was almost not enough room.

"Many of you have seen the clouds." He started, and the murmurs began immediately. The sun had just begun to set, but rumor was that the sky had been darkening unnaturally all day. Given the intense and oppressive heat outside the canyon, many did not leave the caves. "They are ash clouds, from the trees of Colville. That's where it started. I saw the destruction first hand, when I ventured north. The northern Tribe's lands burn, and the Prophet's own Hand lit the blaze." He'd kept his battle cam recorder on, as it had proven incredibly useful, and now was no exception. He expected footage of what was basically a zombie would go viral quite quickly. He'd let someone else put it on the Pokénet this time. Like the media figures he'd sent it to. He had enough eyes on him already.


The murmurs increased to panic, as the most common first thought was 'what if we're next?' A few former Arceans even started shaking where they stood. "This is what we get for defying the Prophet!" Someone shouted, but she quickly clamped her hands on her mouth as everyone glared in her general direction. "Sorry…old habits…" She was trying not to break down completely. Fear had that effect.

"Rest easy, Rebels. I did not say he'd come here next, though he will eventually." The growing hysteria died down slightly as Alex used his Voice in a different manner. Tao had taught him the trick, and he had to admit, it was useful. A bit of power, the right tone, and humans were naturally, subtly influenced to focus harder on what he was saying. So long as it was the truth. Naturally, the result was silence.

"I have a way out of this place, a direct line to Unova. We can get there today. All of us, even those in the other bases."

Alex gave them his best smirk, and tried not to shudder with anticipation himself. He'd been preparing for this for months, and now, the war scenario was actually happening. A bit quicker than any of them had expected Pravus to attempt, but it was happening all the same. Tao had expected him to have an army of well armed zealots, he just hadn't expected it to materialize so quickly. It was clear now, that the western States had been planning this for some time. Two more army groups aside from the one at Mt. Battle were already reportedly heading east, or so the rumors claimed.

"How?" Someone asked.

Alex gave the dragon the mental equivalent of a nudge, and in an instant, the Original Dragon appeared within the massive cave as he Teleported to his Tamer. He floated above them in a long circle, and had just enough space between the crowd and the pointy, potentially deadly stalactites above him. His scales would protect him, but the humans below looked somewhat fragile. But then, they always did.


The dragon smiled as, almost in unison, the people put their fists to their palms, and bowed in the old style. It was a style that was universal on this continent. Vestiges of his Empire were everywhere. If he could but unite them, they could rebuild rather quickly. His serpentine form arced gracefully over all of them, taking in their faces, and already noticing some hereditary features from his time, faces so familiar, he could likely guess family names with accuracy. For whatever reason, even with Arceus' own blessing, the human race seemed unable to physically change their form much. Their minds had grown, but their bodies remained largely the same, if a bit taller. All that really changed was how well the humans took care of them in this age. Though he supposed that millennia of eating nothing but berries and Pokémon, two things Arceus's gift had directly effected on a genetic level, might also be a factor in their longer, if still pitiful life spans.

"Hello again, children of the land. It has been some time. Come, and I will once more take you to the safety of Unova, with the promise that we will one day return. Though your homes may be burned…" He trailed off, hoping one among them would yet remember the ancient words.

Chief Sike stepped forward, and smiled. "The land endures. We remember your lessons, great Dragon. Our loyalty is, as it was in those golden years, yours. And your Tamer's. We will follow your counsel, and the ancient accords, when the conflict ends."

The Dragon eyed the Chief. "If this conflict goes poorly, it may mean the enslavement of everyone that is not an 'Arcean'. That is how close we are to Unbalancing, my friends."

The Chief's eyes were wide, as were all of the Tribe's. "Are we so far gone already? How did we not see?"

A massive talon, currently not on fire or sparking with electricity, rested upon the Chief's shoulder, and a golden light filled the cavern. Every human there, sighed softly as it filled them. "Have hope. Every night must have a dawn. Though this one promises to be long. It will end." With that, he lifted back into his circling in the air, and then spoke to them all. "Gather your possessions, little Humans. We Teleport to safety in five minutes." He knew it would likely take them longer, but he could wait. His patience was infinite. He scanned for his Tamer, and sensed his thoughts.


The dragon's voice echoed in his skull. "Where are these Plates? Show me."

Alex directed his gaze, and the dragon followed it. He floated over, and the people around watched, clearly interested, but also tried to pack at the same time. The dragon looked at each, and then glanced to his left. "These are from a cache. Evidently, one of those tasked with safeguarding these did not do their job well enough."

"Do not be in a rush to judge, mighty dragon." Came Brad's voice, as he came around the left corner, and stepped next to the pile. "The Arceans dug these up, and I can guarantee you that if they had a guardian, it's either enslaved and corrupted with Shadow Energy, or was killed off for resisting too much."

The dragon's eyes went wide. "They would not dare kill mythical species. They are unique, precious, powerful. Pokémon born of the fusion of Arceus and the infinite potential of the evolutionary spiral."

Alex blinked. "The what now?"

The dragon literally brushed him off, with his massive tail, the way a male Pyroar did to its cubs. He forgot how attentive his latest Tamer was. It was almost irritating, not being worshiped as a deity anymore. In the past, humans had simply smiled, nodded, and accepted that he sometimes used strange terms they could not dream of understanding. But then, he'd never asked to be deified in the first place. The humans had done that by themselves, and they'd outgrown most of those tendencies over the millennia. He had no intention of dragging them backwards. "Never mind. You, Fornian, are familiar with where these were dug up. Now tell me. Did you ever hear legends of who specifically guarded your mountain?"


The once more tan and blonde Trainer thought for a moment. Like Alex and Jess, he'd ditched the disguise once subtlety had been thrown out the window. "Azelf, I think. There was a crater-lake atop the mountain…but I guess the Arceans drained it. Before they burned everything."

The dragon sighed. "If they have one of the Lake Guardians, we may be in serious trouble." The two Trainers raised a brow as the dragon spoke to them, and them alone. "As you know, Mew was one of the first Pokémon Arceus created. As such, it's quite powerful, and you've seen how messing with the base genetics can increase its strength. The Lake Guardians appeared not long after interacting with Humans and their powerful but latent psychic emotions. They settled by lakes the world over. Typically, there are three on every continental landmass."

Brad spoke then, also within his mind. "So they're strong. And? Pravus has plenty of Pokémon stronger than Azelf."

The dragon sighed, as he shook his massive head. "You don't understand, and I do not have time to enlighten you. Just know that if Pravus has Azelf, and the other two, he could very well tame me, and force me to obey him. Like the...Spear Pillar incident, in the place your kind calls Sinnoh."


The two Trainers shared a look, as they both very much understood. Everyone had heard the rumors of the mysterious power that had literally bound Time and Space in one place, and summoned Giratina's epic wrath. Pravus could not be allowed to replicate those events. This time Alex spoke. "I have an idea of where Uxie resides. Jess knows about Mesprit…but she refuses to talk about it."

The dragon stared at him. "Have her go confirm whether Mesprit is still in her lake. You do the same for Uxie. Send Arthur to check."

Alex nodded, and called the Gallade out. He affixed a Psychic Plate to the horn on his chest, and the two merged, turning it to a more scarlet color. Then, Arthur mega evolved, and Teleported to where they'd once come across traces of the mythical psychic type, as they were traveling west. Alex picked up a crystal from the nearby pile, and raised a brow at the dragon. "I thought these felt weird…they're dead. Just rock. Fakes?"

The dragon shook his head. "Merely dormant. Their energy is infinite. It would take divine energy, like mine, to wake them up again."

Alex nodded. "Then we should take what we need, and you can give the rest to the Trainers you deem worthy of leading. I trust your judgment, oh wise dragon." He couldn't resist his smirk.

The dragon sighed, and stretched a massive claw over the pile. The plates and crystals were illuminated by a golden circle of light that appeared on the rock surrounding them. A golden triangle outlined it, and various runes not based on Unown filled in the gaps between as the dragon, offhandedly, constructed this magic circle. The Light flared, and then, Alex felt it. Any human within a hundred miles that had any kind of latent psychic senses, felt it. It was power. The Infinite power of the Alpha Pokémon.


As Alex and Brad took what Plates they needed, Jess joined them. Brad eyed one of the Plates. "What do these even do, anyways? I get how the crystals work, but these seem…different."

Tao took the Plates and crystals the two Champions did not require, and with a twist of his claw, hid them somewhere safe. A temporal pocket dimension that he alone could reach into from anywhere. "The Plates are essentially just crystals, and the crystals are shards of one of Arceus's own Plates."

Alex blinked. "What? What do you mean? How are there so many if they belonged to the Alpha?"

The dragon's massive eye focused on him, as it usually did when the dragon grew irritated at his constant questions. "Arceus had to shrink his form to interact with this planet, and even then, he was still so large, his mass accidentally pulled in a planet-killer of a meteor towards the Earth. He shattered it with ease, and then noted how the remnants covered the planet, albeit briefly, before burning up. He then decided to give this fallen world a gift. He used his Judgement, and found the Earth worth saving. Alex and Jess have been shown this already." He stated, glancing Brad's way, before focusing back on Alex. "That, little Human, is why there are so many shards over your planet. With them scattered, the Alpha infused them with enough Infinity Energy to restore the Earth ten times over, and the result is the fecundity of Pokémon and natural resources that your race continues to squander."

Alex opened his mouth to speak again, but Tao cut him off, reading his thoughts, and simply answering. As he did, when the questions of the secret history of their world could not cease from spewing from his Tamer's mouth. His hunger for knowledge was ravenous, but then, most of his student's shared that trait. The promising ones, anyways. "Your burned, frozen, and drowned husk of a world was so out of Balance when the Alpha found it, his gift was necessary. It was the sorry state of your world that had even garnered his notice at all. This is why most of these Plates have grown dormant over millennia. Much of the Light powering them was drained to help nature regain Balance, but that which was lost can be re-awakened, by a being such as myself."

Alex simply nodded then, as Tao continued. "Your ancestors, while not as advanced technologically, had a very good grasp of how to wield and manipulate the energy introduced to them by the Alpha. Your kind called it 'magic', and yes, I will teach that to you too. When you are ready. With this knowledge, they took the broken shards of Arceus's power, and made them into items that boost the power of a Pokémon's attacks just by holding them. They mistakenly named them Plates, as they assumed that was what they originally looked like. The real ones were much, much bigger, and had differing shapes, but the re-forged ones work with about twenty percent of the power they once had, while attached to the Alpha."

The three Trainers shared a look, and Brad nodded, then spoke. "I knew that much…but given what they are, I figured there was…more…to them."

The dragon brought his massive golden eye down to the humans, and they remembered just how small they were. "There is more to them, but if you wish to draw out that power, you will have to figure out how by yourselves."


The three simply nodded, and began attaching the Plates to their partners. All save Shruikan, who could not fit in this cavern anyways, and Gelauros, who was still a bit young for such power. As with Shruikan, each of the plates bonded to the Pokémon it touched, and infused them with power. They stayed where they'd been affixed, melding seamlessly, and apparently painlessly, to the Pokémon in question.

Once everything was finally gathered, Tao Teleported.



Icirrus City - Unova Region


Moving objects and humans to a space thousands of miles away wasn't hard, persay, it simply took energy, depending on what was being Teleported. After several trips back and forth to each of the bases, Tao was genuinely tired. The results though, were impressive.

The entirety of the Fornian Rebellion sat in the shadow of the Dragonspiral Tower. There was a wide, circular moat that enclosed the base of the massive structure properly now, and to the immediate north, a forest. One which had grown to immense size, despite the upheaval the raising of the tower had caused. The Pokémon that had once resided within the tower had been relocated, at the behest of Tao, to the forest. They hadn't seemed to mind.

Icirrus Town had changed quite a bit since Tao's return. In the space of a year, the population of the usually remote town had exploded, and the locals soon became a minority, forgotten in the flood of Unovans desperate for the dragon's wisdom. Now, the newly crowded town, and all its inhabitants, surrounded the new arrivals as word spread that the Original Dragon arrived. His long snaking body was obvious, even from a distance.


There were a few murmurs as the Unovans noticed the Rebel's weapons and tech, which had been Teleported with them, when possible. There was a flash of green in front of the new arrivals, and then the very earth shook.

Slowly, the unmistakable form of the Champion rose above them all on a rising pillar of earth. He was standing, arms crossed, on his Torterra's shell, newly adorned with a beautiful jade colored Plate. Once he was high enough, the turtle stopped lifting the ground. "Unova! Welcome our friends from the west. These are the people who stood against Caleb Pravus when fear held back all others. Consider them our allies, in these dark times." The crowd murmured, at first, but it wasn't long before those of the east walked forward to help those of the west move their supplies and technology to the old fighting gym that had only served as a place to smoke Leaf and practice martial arts thus far. Now, it seemed like a good place to house these Rebels, for the moment.

Alex reached out to his media connections then, reporters and the like that he'd met and befriended as he'd traveled towards Fornia over the course of the summer. It didn't take long for them to respond to his summons, as Alex had advised each of them via text messages, Haley included, to stay around Icirrus once Plan B had been pushed into effect. As he saw the blonde amongst the varying trendy neon colored hair styles her cohorts were sporting walking through the crowd, he smirked. They stopped at the edge of his 'pillar', and then they gasped in unison as their bodies were raised into the air by a strange blue power.


Once they reached the top, a few looked disgruntled, but Haley cut off any words of anger with her eagerness. "Champion! You've…returned." The look of excitement faded into one of disbelief as she saw their mysterious Champion sitting on the shell of his Torterra, several cups of steaming tea floating by his head.

He sipped his own nonchalantly, and smirked as the cups floated to each of them. "I did promise a story…"

"You said you'd tell us about the Swamp." She remarked, crossing her arms as the others joined her, each taking their cup.

"Wow! This is good…sorry…" Haley glared at the one who'd spoken, and sipped her own tea. She blinked. It was actually delicious, and her brain said, 'drink more of this immediately', but there was a story here. That came before all else. She raised a brow at the Champion, expectantly.


"And I will tell you of the Swamp, for it's a point of contention among those who would war with us. But right now I need all of you rolling. This is important. For those of you who haven't noticed yet, there's a reporter here from every State not currently under the sway of the Arcean Church." A few of them shifted uncomfortably at his words. He took another sip as the cameramen with the reporters switched their equipment on.

"Look, Alex, we don't want to get in the mid-"

"It's too late for that." Alex interrupted whoever had started speaking. "War has broken out, and the front lines are already being drawn. The east and the west are once more headed towards war." He gave them a moment to process. "This isn't about me, or my feelings on the Church. Or their issues with me. This is about Caleb Pravus's ambition to become the next Emperor."

Haley spoke, once they were ready to start recording, "What do you mean?"

"Tao has informed me; the time has come. One way or another, this continent will once more be united. Either under the Dragon, and whoever he names Emperor, or under Pravus, who will force his doctrine on all of his subjects, one way or another."


"Wait a minute," The man he'd invited from Kanadia spoke up now, "Are you saying there's a chance Tao would name you our Emperor? Politics and Pokémon are two very different things, Redwood. I will freely admit you're very good at battling, but what do you know of running an Empire? Our Emperors of old were trained from birth to rule fairly."

"And look how that turned out." Alex retorted. "It doesn't matter if it's me, or N, or Hilbert, or any other worthy candidate in the eastern states at the moment. The point, is that we're on the brink of war. The Governors are in the Dragonspiral Tower at this very moment, waiting for word on who the Dragon will name."

"Not quite."

The two words thundered in the air as the massive serpentine form of Tao arced down from the fog of wonderful smelling clouds that had subtly sprung up around him as the humans dithered. "You have their eyes?" He spoke mentally, to his Tamer. Alex nodded.

"Behold Humans!" His telepathic baritone thundered for all to hear then, "Your leaders have an announcement." The massive dragon circled the entirety of Icirrus, his equivalent to hovering, and the fog he'd created faded under the beat of his enormous wings. The gathered leaders of the eastern States had come onto the balcony right above the tower's entrance for their announcement.


Unova's Governor stepped forward then, and bowed to the dragon above before addressing the Champion, and the gathered media representatives. By now, most eyes were upon them. Word of war traveled like wildfire. "After some advice from the Original Dragon, we have agreed. With this brazen move by Pravus and his Church, especially after the unprovoked burning of Colville, we cannot ignore it any longer. War is inevitable."

Kanadia's Governor spoke then, looking down at the new arrivals. "Fornians, brothers of the west, who would you follow in reclaiming your home?"

Each of the Chiefs had been gathered, all save for Colville's, and it was the Canyon's Chief, Sike, who spoke for them then. "We support the Dragon, my northern brother. We will support his Tamer, the one you call Redwood."

"We are all in agreement, then." Unova's Governor said again, "The Dragon has chosen, and as in ancient times, his candidate will be tested. Champion, do you accept this test? Understand that you may very well die if you even attempt it."

Alex finished his tea, and placed it on Terra's shell. The grassy surface covering the shell swirled around the cup, holding it in place as his Trainer launched into the air, surrounded by psychic energy. He floated up to the tower, and bowed in the air, fist to palm. "If you are all in agreement with Tao's choice, then I accept. What is my task?"

The Governor nodded at the Champion. "Go to the Abyssal Ruins. Find the center most chamber, and retrieve what lies within. You will know it when you see it. If you are worthy, we will know. If you are not…you will never leave that place. Good luck."

If the Champion was concerned, he didn't show it. He instead nodded, and floated back down beside Terra. He motioned for the gathered representatives of the media to come down from the shell. Luckily, they'd finished their tea. The cups were rather tiny.


Haley crossed her arms under the ever-impressive cleavage. "You promised a story."

Alex smirked, and flashed a pair of UPBs, or Universal Poké Bus. "On these, you will find a firsthand account not only of hard evidence that Caleb Pravus's own Hand lit the fire that burned Colville, the source of the darkness that now blankets Fornia, but also of several…let's call them 'indiscretions' committed by several of the Arcean Church's own higher ups." He offered them to the group. None of them moved. At the mention of the Prophet, all but Haley and Joey, who was still filming all of this, had gained expressions of reluctance.

"Listen, Champion, I know I owe you and your Swampert for stopping that avalanche back in Ontarec, but I don't want to get involved with the Arceans. The rest of Unova has no interest in this ego war between you and their holy man." The man who spoke then looked little different from most other Unovans with his black hair, pale skin, medium build and brown eyes, but then, beyond incorporating elements of black and white in their outfits, they didn't really have 'cultural clothing'. Unova was huge, and humans came in many varieties.

Alex sighed, and then walked forward to the only one of them who still had fire in her eyes, that instinctive need that would drive her to dig into this. He nodded once at Haley, and then looked at the man who'd spoken. "Watch the videos, Kyle. You'll understand then what Tao and I already know. What our enemy really is. This is unedited, first-person viewing of the people Pravus knowingly puts in positions of power. You can't fake this level of realism." He looked down at the pair of devices in his comparatively oversized, white gloved hand. "I wasn't able to stop any of it over the summer. Not without revealing myself neck deep in unfriendly lands. But I did leave my BR in the rooms they used to commit these acts. Triggered by the door opening. I had to shorten the recordings to thirty minutes, rather than just let them record indefinitely. The battery burnt out the first few times…but I soon discovered I didn't need thirty minutes. These…pathetic excuses for men didn't waste time. Ever."

After a reluctant nod from Kyle, Alex recalled Terra, packed his cups and teapot away into his bag, and shot into the air on his own power, headed east. He hadn't noticed at first, but flying was ridiculously easy now. In fact, most of his abilities had seemed stronger, since he'd stopped hiding them.


Picking up on his thoughts, he heard the dragon, who yet circled the city, speak to him as they passed in the air, with the speed of thought.

"It's the build-up. You've expanded your reserves by not constantly draining them with training. Now, lifting even your large form is easy. You'll find your Special Attacks are stronger as well."

The Champion smirked, and patted his unlit plasma sword. "I'm better in close range anyways. I always wondered why you taught me the sword and the staff. Did you foresee this or something?"

He saw the dragon smirk, "No. I trained you in the sword because, if you recall, you were so bad with the staff, you accidentally knocked Arthur out while practicing basic moves. Twice. A practice sword is essentially half of a staff. If you could master one, I knew you could grasp the other. Eventually."

Alex rolled his eyes, and continued flying further away from Icirrus. The dragon coiled directly above the growing city, and shot an awe-inspiring spectacle of ice, fire, and lightning into the air with a single breath. "Go. I know you will overcome this. Dovahkiin."

The Word reverberated in his head in a familiar, and not unpleasant way. He'd gone far too long without practicing his Shouting, too. Tao had stirred the urges he'd buried through the long summer, but now, he felt like one peep could crack open the sky. He decided to take a minute to balance the motivation with the calm he needed for battle. That, more than anything else, was the key to Tao's fighting style. The unifying balance of harmony and focus.


The gathered crowd of people, which had only grown larger as word had spread like a Fornian wildfire across the region, gave wild cheers. Some even chanted, though they didn't seem to be able to agree on shouting 'champion', 'emperor', his name, or any of the other titles he'd evidently gained, but couldn't make out in the din. The people seemed to agree with the dragon's choice as well. He only hoped he was worthy of their admiration.

The cheers audibly faded as he flew away from the town, and he hovered on the outskirts. After discovering a shared love of the Leaf, the Fornian Trainers within the Rebellion had introduced the Unovan to something they called a 'vape'. With this strange pen-like device, they inhaled the oils derived from the Leaf in a relatively harmless fashion. It had a stronger effect, a lack of smell, and was incredibly portable. He had to admit he liked the ease of access, but he'd always prefer a bong.

Still, it was convenient to have on hand, for times like now, when he had to give Jess a minute or five to realize that they were leaving. He'd just finished packing the absurdly portable device back in its safety-container within his backpack when a familiar ball of red hurtled into him with the full speed of a psychic-powered tackle.

By pure coincidence, he'd parked himself by a clearing within the forest that spread between Icirrus and the center of the region. They landed hard on soft grass, but since he'd manage to toss his pack somewhat safely out of harm's way, Alex didn't mind taking the hit on his back. Nor did he mind the beautiful, smirking redhead who shifted into a straddling position atop him.


"Emperor!? Seriously? When the hel did you two come up with this?" She was trying to sound irritated, but she kept giggling. The good mood was infectious. Their surroundings also helped. Golden grass, leaves with fall colors all around. As spots went, it was not bad at all.

"It was Tao's idea. He said the east needed someone to rally behind, or they'd end up fighting each other." Alex smirked up at her, though it faded slightly. "Even with me leading our forces, he thinks there's a strong chance Pravus could win this. Fornia is a fortress. The best the east has is Unova, and they've attacked directly several times now. The closest thing we have to Sacreus is the Dragonspiral, and that's surrounded by innocent bystanders these days."

Jess shook her head, and suddenly, Alex found himself surrounded by hair. Not that he minded. She always managed to smell amazing. "You'll be fine. You have a plasma sword. That pretty much beats everything. Especially when combined with psychic powers."

Alex rolled his eyes. "We don't even know what Pravus is. From what the Chief showed us, he seemed to devour the very life around Vega. What kind of…thing…can even do that?"

"Whatever it is, I'm willing to bet it's susceptible to being sliced in half. By plasma. Have I mentioned how much I love your sword?" She sighed, and laid her head on his chest.


"You know, some people could take that as innuendo." His words had a sarcastic tinge to them.

"With you, everything is innuendo." The redhead tilted vertically to look at him. "Make me an Empress. Then you can have your 'innuendo'."

He let the quiet grow for a moment, holding his tongue until he felt her gasp slightly. He smirked, and winked for good measure. "If that is what you wish." He reached for the power needed for Teleportation, but she stopped him, with the speed of thought.

Her face was crimson after that. "On second thought…you should probably take care of that before you go wandering into underwater ruins…that you might not come back from…"

He rolled his eyes, and their bodies as well, and smirked down at her. "Stop. You know my tendency to survive these things. Besides, every other Unovan Champion has already gone down there. I'm probably not going to be able to find anything, they picked it clean."

Mentally, they both doubted that, as he always found something, but it was having that same thought at the same time that made them pause in amusement. She smirked up at him. "Stop talking."



Sacreus – Fornia Region


"Turn it off."

It was a brief command, but like all of his commands, it was obeyed with machine-like swiftness. Caleb Pravus, Arceus's own Prophet, sat on the obsidian throne-like structure within his command center, thousands of miles below the fortress that was Sacreus. Shrouded as he was in a spherical blob of darkness that was deeper than the rest of the red tinted command room, all that was visible to his obedient minions of their Prophet was his eyes, which flared a deep purple when he spoke.

The glow faded, as it did when he went silent, and the room waited for his commands. His Hands, the important ones anyways, flanked him on either side. The room was octagonal, and filled with various screens showing different data. The one that was now silenced, had been broadcasting one of several eastern media networks.

Redwood's message had reached the entirety of the east, which presented an opportunity. "Why didn't you interrupt it?" A female voice, belonging to the sister of his former Right Hand, a position she had now willingly filled, broke the silence. It was a long moment before the eyes flared again, and the prophet answered, his mental, ethereal sounding baritone echoed in their ears with sarcasm and hints of mirth.

"Did you not hear? War is...inevitable. And their Champion is on his way to the ruins." The eyes shifted in the shadowy blob, and stared down the Hand of Death. "Make sure the ruins act as a tomb to yet another failed candidate. Understand that there will be no more 'mistakes'. Accomplish your mission, or die trying."


The Hand in question was sporting a new scar on his neck, the edges of which peeked just enough over his uniform to be seen. His pale skin made the sutures holding his head on stand out rather obviously. His words were monotone, and low as they rumbled through the room. "What is dead, may never die." His eyes narrowed. "But…the Redwood whelp yet lives. I will correct this...oversight. They do tend to happen when I am not properly equipped. I need my team. For all the ridiculous rumors around him, I will grant that his tools are quite strong."

After a long moment, the eyes blinked once in acceptance. "Granted. Use them well. I do not have time to waste replacing them." The Hand bowed, and left the chamber to begin the long trip to Sacreus's surface. The eyes turned to one of the minions working the tech that served as a direct line to the Arcean forces currently in Orre. The posturing had done exactly what he'd wanted. His enemies had gathered. Now all he needed on this fire was fuel.

"Tell General Marius the time has come. I want the stone as soon as possible. Don't let the locals hide it." His words were followed by the usual 'yes sir', and those assembled watched as the blips representing their troops surged down Mount Battle. Taking it had been easy, and after cutting power to Phenac City, the residents of Orre were essentially blind to their presence, and even if they had noticed the army, they had no method of sending word of the attack to their allies. None that would arrive in time, anyways.


In one move, Fornia gained thousands of miles of land. Most of it was desert true, but the border was all the Arcean Prophet was focused on. For the first time in centuries, the western states had a hard border. They also could now easily defend Fornia from both sides. It had taken longer than he'd wanted, to solidify his western coast, but it had been done. Now, he didn't have to worry about an attack from two sides. He was wary of Alola, but wanted their rather strong Champions unwilling to test the rumored strength of the Arcean fleet.

It was about five hours before the 'mission accomplished' signal came from the General in charge of the southern lines. If the shadowy Prophet was pleased, he didn't show it. "Good. Have them split in half. Reinforce Texico City, and Utado's border. Any word from the Dakota region?"

The response was quick. "Yes, my Prophet. The Dakotans have pledged fealty. All criteria have been met."

The shadowy ball that had encased the Prophet since the burning of Colville swelled, and then faded away. Pravus sat comfortably on his throne of blackened stone, and the grin upon his unblemished face could cause nightmares. "Send word to our media, then. The time has come."


The shadows faded as the tech crew set up the lighting the public would need to see their leader on screen. Finally, the lights turned green, and the Prophet stood. He was the picture of what every Arcean strived to be, and as his charismatic crowd-wooing tone began being echoed across the western states, it wasn't hard to see why his people loved him so much. While in public, he was quite charming.

"My people! Faithful Arceans, trainees, converts, and new allies, I have an announcement. The Alpha spoke to me last night, by way of a vision. He showed me who was responsible for burning our forests, and blackening our skies." He paused for effect, and then focused his dark eyes on the camera directly. "Unova. More specifically, their Champion. My own Hand confirmed his presence in the area, atop his Charizard." A grainy picture was shown then, captured from the camera they'd placed on the resurrected raptor, depicting a vague figure in black and white atop a Charizard. Pravus continued, his diligence to 'evidence' satisfied for the simple minds that populated his power base. "His crimes are obvious, and he cares not. Now, I know many of you have heard rumors, of our 'aggressive actions' in Orre, but know this. The people of Orre have always claimed to be peaceful. Loving. Uninterested in politics between the east and west. This reputation is nothing but a farce. After sending my own Hands to figure out the true intentions of our neighboring region, we found hard evidence of correspondence with Unova, and those who would oppose our Alpha. They were the ones who let the psychic puppet into our lands so he could enact his nefarious deed for his deranged psychic overlords."

The Prophet's tone grew grim as he steepled his fingers, and leaned towards the main camera. "Though it pained me to do so, my only option was to take their lands quickly and secure our front line, before the Unovans entrenched themselves on our border, and began spreading their psychic heresies to the populace of Orre. I am proud to report that our forces were able to take the region without the loss of life. Now, we have a strong, united eastern border that will keep our enemies at bay."


The Prophet stood then, raising both arms as he continued orating. "This is not the only news. With the blessing of the Alpha, the Church has decided to erase the borders separating our allies' lands. They are no longer necessary. Nor is any reading material, digital or otherwise, originating from Rebellious sources, like Unova. Stay tuned to your Church-approved channels, and you will know the Alpha's rewards." Pravus lowered his left arm, and the right's hand curled into a fist as he continued his tirade. "The Alpha has decreed it! With the removal of these restrictive, unnecessary borders and new policies, once more, our land will be whole. We will not roll over for the Unovans, we will take their lands, by force if necessary, and show them the true Path to the Alpha! One Fornia, under Arceus, now and forever!"

The Prophet made a motion across his throat with his hand, and the recording lights switched off. "Send word to the Kipnuk and Arciana regions. The time has come. They know their objectives." The person he'd commanded fiddled with his device for a moment, before nodding to his Prophet. The word was given. Pravus grinned. "Now then…give me a report on our star player."

A female minion, clad in the usual navy-blue suit that bore all sorts of medals, proving her years of dedication and loyalty to the Church, and the Prophet, came forward at his words. "The subject was extremely effective in combat, exceeding even our lowest parameters as he hunted stragglers from Colville…however…he did hit…a snag...on his return from Colville..."

The Prophet's eyes flared red as he recognized the tone of fear that accompanied news of incompetence in his subordinates. "What kind of snag…"
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 25: The Trial of Eight Paths
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The White Wolf looked down upon the Dakota region's capital city of Fargo as the latest blast of freezing winter air slammed into him. Judging by how early the winds were rising, he knew this one would be a bad one. Typical. Winter was always worse during wars, and nobody had ever really wondered why. Close as they were to Kanadia, the city was almost perpetually covered in snow, and the gray stone buildings made the entire city look bleak, and sketchy. Tonight though, something had changed. The streets were alight with golden beacons bearing a symbol that once stood for peace. The people rallied around these light-bearers, despite the cold.

Even in the howling wind of the year's first snowstorm, Geralt Redwood's enhanced ears could hear the chanting, and it wasn't staying civil. Quickly it had gone from Arceus, to something about Unova, which involved blood, and then devolved into continued, unnerving chants of just 'blood' as they started marching en mass towards the west. He pressed the device in his ear. "This is Wolf. You can consider the Prophet's words in this regard to be true. Fargo is lit up with their symbol. They're whipping the locals into a frenzy, and taking them west..."

A woman's voice responded in his ear after a large yawn. "Copy, Wolf. You can go to sleep now, you know. It's four in the morning."


He tried to think of a clever quip, and then realized he had nothing. Being awake for over a hundred and fifty hours took a toll on one's creativity and wittiness. "Perhaps you're right." He muttered into the device. "Wolf out."

His ears twitched as he heard crunching snow behind him. Two footsteps. Then, as it came closer, the two became four. His partner's evolved form had taken on an appearance similar to their species' Day Form, but anyone with eyes could see that Ghost was special. By the time they figured out how, the battle was usually over. Geralt gave his huge, pure white furred Lycanroc a thorough neck scratch as they eyed the city. "Find anything?" The wolf huffed, irritated. "Lycan."

Geralt sighed. "I figured…come, Ghost. Let's get some rest. You've more than earned it." The large ice and rock type yawned, displaying his long, sharp fangs, before huffing in agreement. Though neither would ever admit it, they were both exhausted.


Scouting Arcean territory had become quite difficult of late, but the Pokémon Rangers were a part of the League as a whole, and they didn't skimp on winter gear. It wasn't his usual dark leather, but he didn't mind. It was warm enough.

Geralt and Ghost had been all along the 'new' border between east and west, and what they'd seen had not been promising. The League had wanted a situation report, before deciding whether to aid a side, or withdraw from the north-western quadrant of the world until things calmed down.

Either way, it seemed that either Fornia or Unova would become the next superpower to control these lands. He wished them luck. Those who claimed that mantle, with the exception of the divinely created Original Dragon, had a tendency to overreach with their power, and eventually collapse. It was a historical fact that, before the dragon first came, humanity's ancestors had tried re-establishing old world powers, with little success. Once the land had fractured, it had stayed that way until Tao appeared, despite humanity's best efforts.


Everyone had, apparently, had their own idea of how to govern properly. The eastern cities had wanted to retain their control of the continent, but the western cities had refused. Sides formed, but oddly enough, a line of States in between both agreed to not war with either side. In the end though, they hadn't had a choice. History was vague on how exactly they got involved, but all anyone knew these days was that east, west, and center had collapsed into senseless wars of revenge, and their factions grew more and more splintered as greed and betrayal in a fallen society ran rampant. Naturally, the result had been a war that ravaged the land from coast to coast. It had taken another war declared by the Original Dragon and his first Tamer, the man who would become the first Dragon Emperor, to unite them all again. Before that, no one had been able to stop the carnage

Despite Tao's best efforts, it was only after taking out almost all of the armies who'd opposed him that the war was brought to a blood-soaked end. Even then, the ideologies of the past had persisted, and when the Dragon Empire fell, east and west resumed their feuding, though admittedly, their conflicts had been little more than skirmishes. The forced migration from Floria and formation of several new middle States had reinforced the buffer between east and west, and the fighting had been with Pokémon, rather than firearms. Bullets did little against most final evolutions, and they certainly had never matched a Hyper Beam's power, or destruction.


Geralt sighed in disgust at the city below, and turned, heading towards his partner's massive form, easily big enough for a human or two to ride comfortably. "And so once more, Humanity repeats the past, blood is spilled, families are torn apart…and none of them will remember how terrible it truly was in about three centuries."

He felt a freezing nose push at his ear, for Ghost stood as tall as his shoulders. "Lycanroc. Roc, Lycanroc."

"Hmph. If you say so, but whatever hope I had in them vanished a long time ago. Be honest, Ghost. You've seen what I've seen. Humanity's only special power is to step on the backs of their fellow man so they can spend their brief span in obscene luxury. Over and over, we repeat this." The wolf grabbed his fuzzy white hood, and stopped him for a moment. He made a high-pitched sound, almost like a whine, but with more of a questioning inflection.


Geralt laughed, yanked his hood free from his partner's jaws, and then shook his head. "What about him? The goofy kid I knew was always more interested in where his supply of Leaf was going to come from, than politics. His first decree as Emperor would probably be Leaf dispensaries in every university campus. No. I don't believe Alex can handle this. He is in way, way over his head."

Ghost snorted, and then moved his massive head between his Trainer's legs, lifting him up effortlessly onto his back. The white furred and primarily ice typed wolf trotted atop the snow, which was reaching four feet of height, minimum, as they headed down a slope, through the dead trees. "Lycan. Lycanroc."

Geralt settled into his usual riding position, and sighed. "Sure, he might've changed and gotten quite a bit stronger, but what if he's changed for the worse? What if who he's become is little better than the man he's fighting?" The wolf turned his head, looking at his Trainer with one eye, while the other navigated. "Roc? Lycan. Lycanroc." Ghost snorted, and picked up his pace. Evidently, he remembered the kindness he'd sensed in his Trainer's relative, and doubted it had turned so sour so quickly.

It was Geralt's turn to snort now. "I suppose you have a point…and last I saw him, he didn't seem too different...but again, that just means our new 'Emperor' is probably more focused on Leaf than politics." He felt the growl from his partner, and sighed, letting the issue drop. "Fine. I'll be skeptically optimistic, but you know what those ruins hold. If nobody tells him, he's going to die in there."


Ghost gave a softer growl, of agreement, as they cleared the trees that covered the rise they'd perched on for several hours now. Any further conversation was put on hold as the wind began to pick up again, and howl. Ghost howled in return, and then began sprinting across the snow. It was risky, but in a storm like this, especially at night, he doubted any Arcean would see their white-furred figures against the blinding white of the snow. This was a satellite territory for them, and a newly gained one at that.

His doubts were proven incorrect as, after several hours of running towards their rendezvous, a hail of red tipped arrows arced down in front of Ghost, forcing the large wolf to stop hard. A quick glance told the Ranger that they were being toyed with. The arrows had formed a perfect circle around them, and then he saw the brown feathers that served as the arrow's fletching. "Muk." There was no point trying to outrun Decidueye.

They came quickly then, roughly six Trainers, each with a Decidueye. The leader of this merry band of soldiers, atop a blue and black feathered Decidueye, hopped down into the snow, and crossed his arms as he looked Geralt over. "What business have you in the Prophet's lands, stranger?"


He was thankful the gear he had on was concealing the League emblem on his usual attire. Not only did it show who he served, it marked him as a Top Ranger. One of two, assigned to this part of the world. He raised his hands, showing open, empty palms. "I'm just passing through with my partner here. We're not looking for trouble."

The man, who was as blonde and tan as most other Fornians Geralt had seen, gave a smirk that told Geralt this was going to devolve quickly. Still, he might as well attempt to avoid a fight. The officer speaking was as tall as Geralt, and clad in similarly white clothing, suited for winter. He was still deep in the Dakota region, as they'd been heading east after moving far enough south of Fargo to, he had hoped, avoid detection. The fact that they'd even seen himself and ghost in the snow and storm in the dark of night was a credit to their Pokémon's sharp eyes.

"Trouble has found you, stranger. I'll need to see your ID. War is brewing, and we can't abide spies. You understand." He gave another smirk, and then raised a fist. His squad was garbed much the same as he was, and though they lacked the adornments that marked their leader as an officer of the Church, they each had helmets, whereas their leader only had what appeared to be a naval beret that didn't look like it could repel the cold very well. Arceus' emblem was emblazoned on the forehead of each of the squad's white helmets, and though he hated to admit it, he rather liked the look of their black T-shaped visors. Sleek, intimidating, and likely made of something strong. What they lacked in manners was made up for in aesthetic, and as he looked closer, he grimaced. Cipher's hand was in their armor's design. It made some sense, given where they'd fled to avoid the Jennies. Had he been a normal Trainer, he might've been intimidated.


Ghost gave a low growl as the men approached, and Geralt hopped off of him, patting his raised hackles. "Easy, boy. They're just doing their jobs." He looked at the soldiers, and then their leader. "I'll cooperate, there's no need to get rough."

The man chuckled, and Geralt fell to his knees as one of the men smashed the stave he carried against the Ranger's back. Each had ten slots for Pokéballs, five on each side, and was adorned with Arceus' symbol at the top. Just below that, were three bars of some kind of material that could light with the power of fire, ice, or lightning as their wielders desired. He doubted the metal was high quality, but then, that didn't make it hurt any less.

"There isn't. But we're going to be rough anyways…search him." Their leader had approached, seemingly immune to the ever-increasing sound of Ghost's snarls. Ghost was eyeing the Decidueye, each of whom had an arrow trained on the large Lycanroc. For all the good they would do against an ice type.


Geralt smirked as two of the soldiers tried to find pockets on his jacket, and then remove said jacket, but doing that while he was on his hands and knees was rather difficult. He met their leader's eye, and in that moment, decided he'd had enough of playing nice. He sat up onto his knees, slowly. "One would think…with all that 'divine guidance'... you people wouldn't la-"

He was cut off as the squad leader backhanded his face with a clenched fist. "I'm sorry, I missed that last bit. What were you saying?" The smirk had returned, and Geralt's reluctance to injure these men was rapidly fading. He'd been awake too long, and these idiots were keeping him from his bunk. Worse, his mouth was going to taste like blood for quite some time. The bastard hadn't been gentle.

His eyes met the leader's, and the man flinched, as they'd turned into thin vertical slits, like a cat's. The irises around his thin vertical pupils had turned an icy blue. "I said…you lack Manners." At his words, Ghost lunged, and the snow around them turned red with blood and feathers.



Unova University – Unova Region


The tumble in the autumnal trees and golden grass had lasted well into the night, and though Alex had been eager to move on to the ruins, a text from his brother via his Holociever stopped him. He was needed at the University's lab. Immediately. The time stamp marked the missed calls and message itself around right after he'd flown out of Icirrus, and he hoped whatever his brother needed didn't take too long, but then he remembered he needed to pay the lab a visit regardless. The sooner the better.

Thankfully, Teleporting cut his travel time down to nothing. He appeared in the middle of Gelauros' old pen, and the little Amaura popped free of his ball, crying with delight as he recognized his old home.

He looked up at his Trainer, and made a questioning noise. "Go ahead, bud. But don't get too distracted. We're leaving soon." The little Pokémon had run off to the other nearby members of his species as soon as he'd heard 'go ahead'. For all his training, he still had the ability to ignore commands that all hatchlings and young Pokémon seemed to share. They did as they pleased, and had a blast doing so.


"Finally." Came the irritated tone of his brother. "I sent that four hours ago. I thought you'd be in the ruins by now, and that we'd missed you. What were you doing?" Eric's arms were crossed, and the blue eyes, so similar to his own, examined him through the glasses on his face.

Alex coughed. "Things. Stuff. What do you want? I'm kind of on a short timeline."

Eric rolled his eyes. "You're the one that found four hours to…jump in a pile of leaves?"

Alex looked down at his clothes, and sighed. He'd removed the leaves in his hair, but a few had evidently managed to hide in his pants. It wasn't all that surprising. He'd tossed them aside, and the wind had picked up several times. He yanked them free of his belt and pockets as he spoke. "Something like that. What do you want, brother?"


"Well, first, I guess I should congratulate you? Does this make us royalty now?" He had a teasing tone and smirk. Alex had no patience for either. He'd dallied enough, and only because Jess had kept refusing to let him get dressed. Not that he'd minded.

"I have no idea. What. Do. You. Want?" He repeated, letting the irritation show, slightly.

Finally, the all-business-no-nonsense look came over his brother. "Your plasma sword. Jess mentioned you had one. May I see it?"

Alex gave the mental equivalent of a glance to Lux, who gave the mental equivalent of a nod. He tossed the hilt to his brother. "I was planning to show it to you anyways. I want you to-"

Eric cut him off as he examined the hilt. "Reverse engineer it, and distribute copies to those the dragon deems worthy?" Alex nodded. "Well…we'll take a scan, and then see what we can do."

"Lux." Alex said, as Eric turned towards the part of the lab that held the equipment, as well as the rest of the still-working Brain Trust. "Come on out. I don't want your energy messing with their scans."

"Oh fine." Eric jumped in surprise as the black and white Rotom departed his container. "I was going to have some fun with them. The smart Humans always get so panicky when their little machines stop working."

"I know." Alex said, smirking. "But we just don't have time, and they need these machines. War is brewing, and knowledge is going to help us more than pranks."


The ghost, much like his Amaura, had stopped listening and floated over to the group of Aurorus and their young who had welcomed Gel back with reserved warmth. When it became clear he wasn't going to freeze them all by accident, they each nuzzled him, murmuring apologies for their past behavior. Gel, from his emotions, just seemed happy to finally be able to socialize and not freeze everything solid. Teaching him to control his power had taken Fornia's heat, and most of the summer though.

Alex sighed. "Champion of Unova…Tamer of the Original Dragon…and these are my ever-loyal partners." He shook his head. They were still new. He wandered over to the rest of the Brain Trust. There were five in all, including his brother, who was currently working on the scanning device. It would examine his plasma sword's composition down to the core, and more importantly, provide the bones of what would become a schematic, hopefully.

"How goes it, Frankie?" He asked, casually leaning against the side of his workstation.


Frankie was as thin as Eric, though he lacked glasses, and a proper lab coat. His attire was sufficiently nerdy though. The green eyes met his, and the Professor-in-training grinned. "Alex. Always a pleasure. In short…it's not going well. But it could be worse."

Alex raised a brow. "Oh? What have I missed?"

"Professor Juniper came out of retirement for this, and Professor Bianca gave us the Elektross data you said we'd need. Moreover, Professors from all the other eastern States are arriving every day. I could name them for you, but we don't have all night. Tao is putting them to good use, or so I hear, but we're still woefully unprepared for this war. There's already been blood."

Alex's eyes went wide. "Already? Where?"

Frankie shrugged. "Not sure, but skirmishes are happening all over. Utado has already fallen, and Texico is apparently where most of the fighting is happening for the moment."

Alex chuckled. "Well that's not too surprising. They've been ready for this for centuries."


"True, and that's why they're still holding." Frankie nodded, and then sighed. "But everyone else is not. The Illinowa and Tenina regions are also reporting attacks, asking for aid. They're likely to be overrun before we can reach them, though. The Prophet's army is enormous, early estimates are saying they number in the millions, and those are the low estimates of those on the border."

Alex glanced at his brother. "Then I need to move quicker. I could be out there, on Tao, stopping them. We could halt their advance fairly easily…"

David, another of the Brain Trust, chimed in then as his station was next to Frankie's. "Are you insane? That's the worst thing you could do!"

Alex raised a brow, and David continued. "What kind of General marches onto the front lines, no army, no support? Even if you do become the King, it's wasted effort if you're killed off in the first skirmishes." The Champion shifted uncomfortably. The words rang with logic.

"You really think they could take on the Original Dragon?" He said, quietly.

David, who was as pale and nerdy as the rest of them, made even more so by his green sweater-vest and tan khaki-esque pants, simply shrugged. "You'd know that better than I would, Tamer, but this isn't the ancient past. Generals don't go one on one in this era. We have weapons capable of handling Legendary class Pokémon. You need to assume Pravus already has access to such things, and is hoping you fly out to make yourself, and the dragon, a target."


Alex sighed. "I bow to your wisdom. Regardless, I need to move. Brother, are you done yet?"

"Annnnd…yes." Eric said, as the scan dinged, and flashed a green light, showing a successful compositional analysis. He tossed the hilt back to Alex. "As expected, the scans indicate that we can indeed reverse-engineer these. The power source is going to be an issue, though. Your Rotom's crystal is…unlike anything I've ever seen. It's from the old civilizations. We won't be able to replicate that. Their technology might as well be magic, to us."

Alex nodded, as that was what Tao had called it. He pointed the hilt at Lux, who was absorbed by the black and white beam of light, not dissimilar to a Pokéball's, that recalled him. He recalled Gel as well, giving the young Pokémon a moment to say his goodbyes. He chirped cheerfully once he had, and returned to his ball as well. "Hmm. Call up the scan data."

His brother did so, and the two eyed the information, which was now displayed on the large screen that each of their work stations was placed around.


Eric began chattering away, as he assumed it was too complicated for his brother to grasp with a glance. "You can see here how each of these…let's call them wires…connect to the crystal. It acts as both the focusing lens, and the power source. I can make a suitably sized replacement for focusing the beam, the real issue is a suitable power source."

Alex eyed the data. While it was, for the most part, beyond him, he'd had enough basic engineering lessons from his Gruncle, who'd given them while he'd worked on his old car. During his years in high school and then University, it had been his main mode of transportation, and fixing it had been his job. His father refused to pay for maintenance, and had told him he could always walk if he didn't want to bother learning how to fix various car parts. That had backfired, when he'd not only maintained the vehicle, but upgraded it with tandem rotors, and hover technology.

"So…if I'm reading this right, it's going to require a crystal regardless?" He was absentmindedly stroking his bearded chin, eyes still on the data.

Eric nodded. "I tried punching in the calculations for the Plate crystals, but for some reason, they won't work, apparently."


Alex reached out to Lux. "Is there a way around this?"

The ghost seemed to chuckle in his head, and the hilt of his sword floated before him, the face once more appearing on the handle as it spoke to all of them. "Those crystals contain Infinite energy. Without a Pokémon to control them inside the weapon, activating it would be like turning on an infinitely powerful laser. It would slice through anything in whatever direction you pointed it at. Before exploding with overloaded energy."

"So we need crystals like yours…or with less power…damn." Eric sighed, and pushed the brim of his glasses up. "I don't think this is realistically possible anymore, brother."

Alex, however, was smirking. He walked over to the machine, and began typing in commands. It was easy enough to run a simulation. Such things were covered in the basic science classes the University taught. "I disagree. You forget, we're in Unova. We have an entire mountain's worth of…viable crystals." He said, as the simulation flashed green with acceptable parameters.

Frankie spoke up then. "Of course! Chargestones! That's…kind of brilliant."

Alex continued on. "They should have enough energy to last twelve hours, and if you add a way of recharging them, we'll be fine. Moreover, the crystals grow quick enough to give us a suitable supply without ruining the cave. The Pokémon that rely on the magnetic field they give off will likely be undisturbed."


Eric shook his head. "Mining them is going to be tricky. If anything disturbs the Pokémon, it'll be the equipment."

The six of them sighed, quiet in thought as they tried to think of a way to avoid permanent damage to a beautiful natural environment of their home. Alex spoke first. "Then don't mine them."

Five pairs of eyes looked at them, and more than a few had eyebrows raised to Spockian levels. He continued on when nobody interrupted. "These blades shouldn't be mass-produced. In fact…" He punched in more numbers to the simulation, a base estimate cost for the materials they would need. They all gasped at the number of zeros. "That's what I thought. The metal components are precious, but we should have enough in reserve to arm those Tao wants to lead our troops. Have the Trainers go into the caves themselves. They can find their own crystal. If they're competent enough for the Original Dragon, they should be able to retrieve one without harming the local wildlife. Hmm...we could even make a test out of it, were we so inclined...maybe when we're not on the precipice of war."

Eric nodded, and then took over, punching in yet more to the simulation. "It'll take some time to finalize the schematics but…this could work." His voice took on a tone of command, and Alex watched, somewhat impressed, as he started giving orders. "Sarah, get to work on the recharging station. It'll have to be in the hilt, and don't skimp on the quality. We can't have these become unusable with wear and tear. They need to last. Also, account for the effect of temperature. It's going to be a long winter, and our leaders shouldn't need to worry about the battery dying from the cold."


Sarah, who looked as masculine as the rest of them thanks to her short haircut and muscled body, nodded, and then Eric pointed towards Frankie. "David, you and Frank focus on the emitter. It shouldn't be too complicated, but make sure the length of the blade can be adjusted. The people using these are going to come in various sizes." The two nodded, and then began chatting quietly as they called up the data, and began to work. "Zack," Eric said, turning to the last of their group. "You and I are on materials. We need to figure out what these components are going to be made from, they need to be relatively cheap, durable, and easy to acquire. Furthermore, we need to make sure that, when combined, the metal doesn't melt, or negatively impact the weapon's function."

Zack, the only one among them who didn't have brown hair, but instead sported a fauxhawk of light blonde got to work as well, and Eric turned back to his brother. "Why are you still here? Go! Become an Emperor. All of this is pointless if you can't rally the people."

"Good luck!" The Brain Trust said, with remarkable cohesion and timing, despite the fact they were working. "Don't die." Eric added. Alex gave a nod, put Lux's hilt back on his belt, and then Teleported.



Scandaga Lake – Upper Unova Region


While Alex had focused on getting the Fornian Rebellion to Unova, Arthur had been tasked with finding Uxie, the Lake Guardian of Knowledge. During the first part of the summer, Alex and Jess had come to this lake for a few days, mainly to recover from Norstad. During said stay, the Giver of Knowledge had made himself known to the Gallade, and his Trainer. He'd even had a name, given to him by a Trainer, now long passed.

"Merlin!" Arthur let his telepathy echo over the water. "Wake up! Azelf has been captured!"

The lake was silent, the water calm. Arthur scanned it with his third eye, and found nothing. He was still sleeping, then. Sitting cross-legged by the lovely shore, Arthur began to meditate, keeping track of his Trainer, while simultaneously scanning the lake, inch by inch, for the telltale disturbance that would mark where the mythical Uxie rested.


It took the better part of the day, and the sun had set before Arthur finally located the mythical being. He nudged the sleeping Uxie mentally, and felt the mind of the creature stir. He nudged again, but it remained asleep. Having an idea then, Arthur tapped into his newly acquired Mind Plate, which had fused with the now scarlet horn on his chest, and let the energy flow through him, as he mega evolved.

He raised an arm then, and moved it in a slow circle. Within minutes, the water of the lake was churning in a clockwise spiral around where he sensed Merlin resting. This, combined with a third persistent nudge, awakened the Lake Guardian.

Uxie appeared, rising from the waters by the shore. "Well well. The young Prince returns. Alone this time, are you?" Arthur nodded as the small Pokémon stretched and yawned, but his eyes remained closed. "I know of Azelf already. I also know that Nimue, the one you call Mesprit, is safe in her lake."

Arthur's eyes went wide. "She has a...nickname as well? Who named her?"

The powerful psychic type smirked. "It's not important. What matters, is that she is safe. Now, given these developments, I have decided. You and your Trainer could benefit from my wisdom, especially in this, a time of war. Take me to him."

Arthur shook his head. "I'm to take you to the Original Dragon. He asked for you specifically. By name."

The Uxie tilted his head at that, though his eyes remained shut. "Did he now? I see. Very well, take me to Tao, then." Merlin floated over, and one of his tails touched the Gallade's unsharpened hand. With that, they Teleported.



The Dragonspiral Tower – Unova Region


They appeared instantly before the Dragonspiral Tower, and there were murmurs around them as they did. Arthur sensed his Trainer nearby, rapidly heading east over Unova. He'd only half focused on what Alex had been doing once he finally got a response.

As he looked around, he noticed the humans from Fornia had set up in the old fighting type gym, and since it had largely been empty, it suited them well. The two psychic types floated into the air then, and shot towards the top of the tower, where the massive form of Tao encircled the top. He was meeting with the human leaders, and even at rest, his length encircled the topmost tower of the castle-like structure three times over.

"Here they are now." Came the dragon's pleasant mental baritone. "Welcome back to civilization, Merlin. Your skills are sorely needed."

The Uxie made a bow to the dragon, and then to the humans, who seemed surprised by it. "My knowledge is at your service, great dragon, free leaders of the States." The closed eyes shifted back to Tao then. "I am glad you have been made whole again."


"Let me bring you up to speed." One of Tao's tendril-like whiskers, which dangled down from his snout, reached out to tap the psychic type on his forehead.

Merlin nodded, then. "I see. Things are dire indeed if they're strong enough to block your vision. Let us determine the state of Illinowa and Tenina."

Merlin raised his stubby arms, and between them, an orb of psychic energy formed, not unlike the various ball attacks that served as the base for Taijitu moves. It floated over the round mahogany wood table the humans were sitting around, and expanded. Electricity sparked over the orb at first, but then Merlin opened his eyes, focusing the shining rainbow colored orbs on the psychic sphere alone, and the sparks faded, revealing the two regions.

They all gasped, collectively. The view was aerial, and even from the height Uxie displayed, they could make out many of the cities and towns of the two regions, engulfed in flame. A low growl rumbled through the pagoda as Tao saw the destruction.


"He burns territory he would claim as his own?" Unova's Governor spoke, disbelief in his voice. "How does he expect to quell rebellion? The people will despise them for this..." He spoke again, as Uxie's view zoomed in, and showed what must have been the Illinowa region's militia being marched towards an encampment surrounded by strong bars of metal, and covered with razor wire. Within, the citizens of the region were huddled together. It was cramped, cold, and muddy as most prison camps historically were. Such things had not been used in ages, however. They'd been deemed too cruel. In wartime, non-combatant civilians were supposed to be locked in their homes, but evidently the Church was done pretending to care.

Merlin answered the Governor, as he enjoyed answering questions. It was his nature to share knowledge. "The Arcean Church will likely subject them to long hours of indoctrination. Given their past success rate, the locals will likely bend the knee to the Prophet in a matter of days."

Illinowa's Governor, who had attended this meeting late, spoke up then, the desperation clear in her voice. "Surely his people will decry this…barbarism. Burning homes? Imprisoning soldiers? Indoctrination? The Arceans I know would never stand for any of this."


Tao's eyes flashed, and gathered the attention of the group. "The Arceans you know are little more than delusional puppets, fed only enough information to keep them sincere. Most of the Prophet's followers are completely oblivious to what their army is actually doing, and Caleb Pravus is a master of manipulation. Observe."

They sat in silence for a moment, before a portable television set floated up to the pagoda by way of telekinesis. One of Tao's tendrils switched it on, revealing the dark suited form of the ever-charismatic Prophet of Arceus. He'd added to his attire, presumably under the pretext of being at war. A symbol of the Alpha Pokémon now hovered directly behind his head, encircling the man's head like a halo of sorts. Tao's nose tendrils lashed, angrily sparking with blue at the sight of the Alpha's symbol adorning the head of a Champion of Shadow who'd sunk so low as to infuse unhatched eggs with that foul substance.


He had his hands raised, as he was in the middle of orating. The soothing tone of the Prophet's words filled the small building. "Many of you have sent in questions. The most common of these is 'Do the Tenina and Illinowa regions belong to the Arcean Church?'" The Prophet chuckled for a moment. "Do you think Arceus wonders if this tiny ball of a planet is loyal to Him? No! Because he is the Alpha and it does not matter what our opinions might be. Tenina and Illinowa are both a part of the world we're going to build with the power of our righteous Crusaders!"

He raised his hands higher, and the cheesy triumphant-sounding music that had been in the background as he spoke swelled with far too many trumpets. "The future belongs to Arceus' chosen people! We will do whatever we must to achieve the world we dream of!" A grim look came over his face. "No matter how many psychic heretics stand in our path."

The broadcast ended, returning to a view of a standard media news set, with a pair of Church officials dispensing 'news' to the populace. As they started gushing over their 'brave Prophet's words of wisdom' Tao flicked the screen off, in disgust. "We are dealing with a man who has mastered illusions, and has been preparing for this conflict for over a century at least. Do not expect aid or sympathy from his people. To them, we are all heretical blasphemers, and short of Church-officiated rehabilitation, all we have earned for our 'sinful actions' is death."


Unova's Governor looked around the table, meeting the gaze of each of his counterparts, and nodding. "We are agreed, great Dragon. Our forces will answer to you, and your Tamer, should he survive."

Tao nodded, but otherwise remained silent, his eyes instead focused on Merlin. "Arthur." He said suddenly, breaking the silence, "Your brother has arrived at the ruins. Join him. He's going to need your aid." With a formal bow, the still mega evolved Gallade Teleported to the city closest to the ruins, one he was thankfully familiar with. Humilau.

Merlin tilted his head at the dragon. "You never told them? Either of them?"

Tao shook his head. "If they are to be proven worthy, they must overcome the Trial by themselves. We've given all the aid we can. Now, it is up to them."



The Abyssal Ruins – Unova Region


Arthur zipped through the air with impressive speed. By levitating his lighter body, he was able to fly faster than either of the humans with whom he usually spent his time. As he came over Undella Bay, the full moon was reflected on the water's surface, and in the bright night, the primarily white robed form of his Trainer hovered over the gentle sea.

The Gallade joined his Trainer, and the two eyed the ruins below. From where they hovered, the structure was little more than a slightly darker blue blob, just barely visible thanks to the faint glow of the Marine Tube. "This lack of light is going to hinder us." Arthur spoke through their link, and the rest of their team welcomed him back. Gelauros had been included now as well, though his mental voice was still child-like, he was learning as quickly as Cenomons had.

Alex nodded, and then descended. Arthur lowered himself as well, and the two stood on what passed for a beach in this area. Arthur whirled, glaring at the cliffside above and behind them. "Alex…we have gawkers."

He gave the mental equivalent of a nonchalant hand wave. He'd sensed them as well. "Let them gawk. As long as nobody interferes, I don't really care who watches." He wasn't all that surprised they had a crowd. Undella Town was right behind them, for the ruins were directly east of the coastal town. They'd had time to gather, and despite the late hour, his ears told him many had made the trek. This did, he realized, have the potential to make history. He was only reviving the ancient culture of his entire people. No pressure.


"Alright boys." Alex spoke softly, "Come on out."

At his words, nine Pokémon appeared beside him and his Gallade, and all but Gel ignored the murmurs of the crowd behind them. Shruikan flew over them all, and circled in the air as the sliver of a sandbar would never support his size. The little Amaura gave a happy shout, and when those watching waved at him, he let loose a Frost Breath, which received a smattering of applause.

Alex chuckled, and let the youngling do as he wished, for the moment. The others would be enough. "Terra. We've never been able to get a proper scan of these ruins. Reach deep. I want to know how far down this structure has been covered by three thousand years of silt and dirt." The earth turtle slammed his feet into the beach, and closed his eyes. His entire form glowed with brown energy as he merged with the earth.

"Arthur, take Lux, and Blaze. Clear the water of bystanders, as well as the beach to our south. Don't terrify them. Be polite." He eyed his Charizard more than his Gallade, but they both nodded, and flew off.


Lux stayed, however. "I think you're going to be needing the sparky kitten and I." He said, yawning, and stretching his plasma arms.

Alex shrugged, for once, not in the mood to argue with the plasma ghost. "Ictus, Ceno, Leo, keep an eye on Gel. I'll let you know if we need you. And make sure nobody comes down the beach."

At his words, his Lairon moved towards the sliver of sand that connected their sandbar to Undella Town. One Rockslide later, and the path was sufficiently blocked from bystanders. Ceno marched back then, and dug into the sand, which was still warm just under the surface. Leo joined him, thoroughly enjoying the sand, as felines do, while the crimson Skorupi and Amaura had a sparring match, much to the delight of the onlooking crowd.


For his part, Alex had Hydrus Mega Evolve, and then set off across the water, the white and black ghost trailing behind him. Eventually, he zipped back into the hilt, as Hydrus's swim speed made it hard to keep pace while floating.

Under the darkened water they went, and Alex's eyes flared blue as he looked around. The glow kept the water from interfering, and his vision was surprisingly decent. He attributed it to the brilliant full moon above the bay. On any other night, he would've preferred to find a solitary spot and enjoy the stars.

Instead, he moved through the cold water, ignoring the foul salty taste leaking into his mouth, thanks to the speed at which Hydrus was zipping through the water. There were faint traces of power all over, and as they approached the first, he knew what he had to do.


Each of the other Champions had visited these ruins before, or so they'd told him, and they had all agreed that while the area certainly had an interesting and mysterious history, anything of worth had already been 'recovered' by themselves, and other divers.

As usual though, his eyes spotted something the others had missed. To him, someone who had grown up with RPGs, and the various puzzles therein, it was obvious. To Trainers who'd been doing little else but battling since they were teens, he could understand how they might miss something like this.

He turned Hydrus towards the Marine Tube, and smirked as he saw the unnaturally triangular 'rocks' by the edge of the enormous trench the tube had been built over. He'd always thought their sides were too perfect to be natural. Evidently, they had not been disturbed, which was fortunate. He spoke mentally to his mudfish, "Can you lift those?" He gestured at the stone pyramids, and the Mega Swampert swam over.


He nodded. "Heavy…but not too heavy. I'll be slow, though."

"That's fine." Alex said, hopping off his back. "I can swim on my own. Big hands. Bring these to each entrance of the Ruins. I think you'll find there's exactly enough for two apiece."

The mudfish blinked, and then raised a brow at his Trainer. "How did you know these were here?"

Alex smirked, crossing his arms. "Every kid sees the Marine Tube at least once. I did tell you we've vacationed here, did I not?" Hydrus shook his head. "Hmm. Well, you were still a bit young the last time we came through. Right before Nimbasa, remember?"

Hydrus thought for a moment, then nodded, and smiled. "I was so…small."

Alex gave his head fins a pat. "We were all small. Now get moving, bud. The others should be done by now." Hydrus nodded, and then further impressed his Trainer by lifting two of the pyramidal objects at once.

Though his hands, and thus the jets on his upper wrists, were occupied Hydrus could alternate between which sacs held his oxygen, and which propelled him through the water. The ones on his shoulders folded open, and two streams of water shot behind him from his shoulders as they propelled his hulking form towards the dark outline of the ruins, his large tail-fin guiding his trajectory.


After surfacing, and inhaling deeply, Alex propelled himself over towards the ruins once more, hovering above them. His unearthly clothes were already dry, and his bag was watertight. It made diving much easier. Lux floated beside him, his ghostly tail still attached to the hilt of the blade he called home. "What makes you so certain those pyramids belong by the ruins?"

Alex shrugged. "I noticed that when I was younger. My brother and I went diving by the ruins. I couldn't go inside, as I didn't have a Pokémon, which meant wandering around underwater for a few hours."

The floating ghost raised what passed for an eyebrow for his species. "Wait…you're guessing?"

He smirked. "Something like that. Just trust my instincts on this." The small ghost sighed, and returned to the hilt. Alex flew back towards the sandbar, and took a closer look at the people occupying the cliff.

They were cheering, as the rest of his team had indeed finished, and now Arthur and Blaze were sparring, though they'd refrained from using moves. It was an impressive display, seeing a Mega Gallade go hand-to-claw with a Mega Charizard. He gave Ictus and Gel an Elixir, and then recalled everyone but Terra, Leo, and Cenomons. Shruikan still circled above them, his massive form occasionally blocking out the moon.

The giant earth turtle blinked once at his Trainer, and his Lairon yawned, then trotted over. He scratched them both under the chin. "How does it look, Terra?"

"It goes down quite far…further than the records say it should. There is a secret within, and the land below feels…odd." He looked over at the dark blob beneath the moonlit waves. "I sense much power within…old power. The kind the Sage warned us not to test."

Alex nodded. "I expected as much. Well done." He shifted his eyes to Ceno. "Can you make eight long, straight rods of metal?"

The Lairon tilted his head. "Why?"

"I…you know what? You'll see." He winked at his partner. "Trust me. It'll be quite the show."

Ceno grunted. "Mmph. How long?"

Alex glanced back towards the bay, and made a generous guess. "Fifty feet apiece should do it. They don't need to be high quality, they just need to break the ocean's surface."

The Lairon looked at the mountains just west of the bay, then nodded. "I can do it. Will take some time."

His Trainer nodded. "Go then, find the ore. We can wait."


It took the better part of several hours, during which Alex meditated, floating over the sand and sitting cross-legged in the air. The voices from the cliff had grown quieter, and he resisted the smell of food that occasionally wafted down. Evidently there was a party up there. Finally, he blinked out of his trance-like state as he felt the cold metal nose of his Lairon nudge him. "It is done." Ceno yawned. "I need a nap." He pushed the button to his ball, and returned to it.

Alex stood, and stretched. Hydrus had finished some time ago, and contented himself by burrowing into the sand by the edge of the risen tide. Now, he rose as well, and lumbered over, still in his Mega Form. Each of the long rods floated into the air, surrounded by blue energy, and he ignored the shouts from above as he set out across the bay again.

The speed of his Swampert made placing each of the unwieldy rods relatively easy, though if he was honest, Hydrus did all the work. They placed each one in front of the pyramids, and once that was done, he gave his mudfish a well-earned rest.


Floating into the air, he got the attention of his team. Lux and Leo woke from their naps, and after a few moments, Shruikan appeared in the sky once more. He'd been hunting while they'd waited. Thankfully, Wailord was not an endangered species in this part of the world.

"Leo, you have the one closest to the shore. Shruikan, take the north. Lux, the south. I'll get the eastern one." As each of his team moved into position, he nodded at his dragon, and the black Salamence turned his maw to the sky. With a roar that sounded more like a thunderclap, dark clouds rolled across the otherwise beautiful night sky. "Ready? All together now…Thunder!"

His Pokémon summoned the energy for the attack with ease, and with a Shout of his own, Alex managed a similar effect. Eight bolts of searing plasma struck the rods, traveling down their length, and into the sand below. Then, eight glowing triangles appeared in the dark water.


"Again!" The Thunder attacks struck once more, and the glow increased. It took five in all, but eventually, eight beams of white-blue light shone up from below the water, and into the sky. He didn't feel the earth rumble, but he could hear it, and once it stopped, he smirked. It was the ever-welcome sound of a door, far away for the moment, being opened. "Well done, all of you. Return."

Lux didn't need to be told twice, and once Leo and Shruikan were in their balls as well, the Champion flew over the ruins. Thunder sounded again, but this time, it cleared the roiling clouds the dragon had summoned, once more illuminating the bay. The full bright white moon was hanging low in the sky by now, but he was finally ready.

He raised two fingers in the victory sign towards the cliff full of gawking Trainers, and then dove into the water. Originally, people had been against excavating the ruins, but over the years, and completely by accident, the eight square stones by each entrance had been uncovered. Usually, one's path through the ruins depended on where one dived into the water, but now, the deceptive structure revealed its four entrances, and from each one, a soft light radiated.


Alex smirked, and headed in. He waited for the telltale click that would signal he'd set off whatever trap lurked in these ruins, and expelled would-be trespassers, but evidently powering the pyramids had not only disabled said trap, but drained the water from the interior as well.

Each entrance was covered by a strange, malleable membrane that admitted his form with ease, and after seeing that, and the cuneiform symbols on the wall, he realized which written language they belonged to. "Atlantican? Odd…nothing in our history suggests we had much contact with them…" There was a theory proposed by leading anthropologists that suggested the people of Atlantica had migrated from Unova, but both Unovans and Atlanticans had found said theory either ridiculous, or unlikely. Then again, he realized, Unova and Atlantica both had lost large portions of their history when the old empire fell. It couldn't be a coincidence that both had gaps in their history centered around three millennia past.

The Dragon Empire had been little more than a small kingdom, in the end. Who knew how many people had fractured away from it over the course of its violent decline? He walked through the ruins at his leisure, navigating by way of one of the numerous maps that detailed the insides. As expected, the area had indeed been picked clean by scavengers, but now that the water had vanished, and the trap was inactive, he could explore at his leisure.


Eventually, he made his way to where the map marked a path upwards, and while there was indeed a hole in the ceiling, there was one in the floor, as well. Given that it appeared to be new, Alex jumped in, and floated down slowly. Or rather, he started slow. About halfway down, something interrupted his power.

Thankfully, he only dropped ten feet or so, landing in a three-point pose, hard enough to bruise his knee, but otherwise unscathed. He stood slowly, looking around, and as he did the blocks that made up the chamber began to glow with the same whitish-blue energy as the fields above. Comparing this room to the ones he'd gotten maps for, he realized he was indeed off the map.

It was a smaller room than the maze of tunnels upstairs, but like the upstairs, it had several blocks containing script. Thankfully, the cuneiform did not seem to extend down here. Instead, he noticed the letters were written with the shapes of Unown, the very creatures that the language spoken the world over, known only as 'Common', were derived from.


There was only one exit from this room, only one path forward. Above it, he softly spoke the words that had been placed there. "To restore Balance to the world, you must first find Balance within yourself. Hmm…"

He crossed the threshold into the next room, and stared in awe. There was no doubt now. This was the Throne of the Dragon Emperor. One of them, at least. The last heirs to that legacy had both claimed that title, and had both sat upon thrones, but history claimed the one that supposedly sat within the Relic Castle was the newer one. This one, was thought to be the one used by the first Dragon Emperor, and most others throughout their civilization's reign. The chamber itself was large, larger than anything the maps had detailed, and the room was shaped much the same as a ziggurat, save for the ceiling, which was flat. No doubt, that was what served as a floor for the upper levels. As with most pyramidal structures, it became much, much wider underneath.

Perched atop a smaller, and yet equally flat-topped ziggurat within the chamber was the throne itself. The rooms above had to be newer additions, because despite three millennia of ocean currents passing over them, the stones that made up this room were much, much older, judging by how eroded everything was.


The throne was in a state of disrepair as well. He'd begun climbing the smooth-edged steps, and found that the back part of it had been shattered in some other time. The armrests and seat itself were also rounded and marked with signs of wear.

Who dares to approach the Dragon Throne?

The voice echoed through the ancient chamber, sourceless by its very nature, though Alex was sure he'd heard multiple voices layered within the question. He stepped before the throne, and then turned, eyeing the vast chamber beyond.

He let his Voice echo through the chamber, as he Shouted back. "One who would be King!"

The white-blue energy suffusing the ancient stones shifted then, almost seeming to move. Then, he noticed, it was moving. Towards him. It gathered in eight spherical blobs on the stones around him, as the light was drawn from the entirety of the chamber, darkening it to his eyes, and illuminating only the throne now. The orbs rose into the air, and he could tell most were different colors. Red, blue, white, green, black and white, gray, gold, and in the middle, pale yellow


He is no Harmonia. It was the centermost orb of pale yellow light that spoke now, Leave, intruder. You are not welcome here. Be glad to have seen what you have seen, and depart with your life intact. Seemingly finished, the central orb floated away from him, but the other seven remained. It paused, almost like it was watching them. The seven spoke in unison.

Speak, Tamer. Why have you so diligently sought out this chamber? What quest brings you here?

"The Original Dragon has been revived."

Each of the orbs seemed to shimmer, and glow a little brighter at his words. The one that had floated away coalesced into a humanoid figure, a ghostly shape of a man, tinted the same color.

Each of the orbs did the same, and Alex knew as he saw their robes that these were the Sages upon which Ghetsis had based his own. The central figure wore a crown, though it was as phantasmal as the rest of his form. That marked him as the last true Harmonia. N had declined to even examine the Relic Crown, and when Rosa had found one as well, he suggested they were fakes, though their purpose was beyond him. Who would put a fake crown deep within a maze?


The ancient King floated back towards him, hovering over all of them, above the final steps before the throne itself. His hair was long, and unremarkably styled, and his beard went about halfway down his chest. His eyes though, were what held Alex's attention. He knew them. There was no mistaking the familial similarities, the inherent kindness, and sadness as well. This had to be one of N's ancestors.

As his form coalesced, so too did his words. "Who? Who has reunited the dragon? Name him, so that we may prepare the Trial."

Alex bowed properly, as Jess had shown him, and then glanced upward at the King, smirking. "You're looking at him. Alexander Redwood, at your service."

The King blinked. "You? Impossible. You are nothing. Where is my heir? He's the one who really reunited the dragon, isn't he?"


Alex shook his head, slowly. "I'm not surprised that you do not know, but I can guess how you came by what little knowledge you seem to possess. I'm not the first Human to come here in recent times, am I?" The ghostly King looked away, frowning, and then glared at Alex once more as he spoke. "I thought so. The man who came to you, Ghetsis I presume, you entrusted him with finding and training your heir, didn't you? The man who could reunite the dragon and rebuild the ancient empire."

"A lucky guess." The King snarled, and the Sages looked at him, several raising eyebrows at the venom in his tone. "Speak then, if you know so much. Where is my heir?"

Alex sighed, softly. "Gone, now. Traveling the world, seeking greater wisdom and power to draw forth from his partners."

The King's eyes narrowed. "Then we shall await his return as he gathers wisdom. Your news is appreciated. Now leave, and be glad you do so with your life. We usually take it from those who see this place. Leave the dead to rest."


Alex shook his head, and continued speaking. "I cannot. Your heir, known to us only as N, failed to unite the dragon. He couldn't even envision it, after what Ghetsis subjected him to throughout his life." The King's eyes went wide, and the rage in them was obvious, but he kept speaking. "I'm guessing you told Ghetsis where to find your heir, but I know what he did after. All of Unova does, N himself told us as much." In reality, it had been more due to John Crimson's determination to unveil the story of Unova's greatest hero, but the result was the same. Unova had only cheered their Champion more once they knew his origins.

He went on then, to explain what he knew of N's history, how he'd grown up, and what Ghetsis had forged him into. How he'd eventually freed himself of that destiny, but never quite finished walking that path. How he'd become the Champion, and kept Unova safe from Ghetsis' madness for years. How he'd traveled across the lands that had once also been called a part of Unova with Zekrom, and kept them safe as well, and finally, how he and N had battled for the title of Unova's Champion, faced down the rampaging Kyurem, and reunited the dragon.

"So you see," Alex said, finishing his tale, "He never had the chance to become the King you wished for. He was diverted from that path the moment Ghetsis found him, turned into little more than a puppet with just enough knowledge to be a competent leader. He never understood Humans, he barely understood Pokémon, and even as the Champion, the idea that the three dragons were One was simply never pursued. Mankind attempted to fuse them again, and only managed it with Kyurem."

The rage in the King's eyes had faded to sorrow once more as the tale had continued. Once Alex finished speaking, he resumed the form of an orb, and left without a word, sinking deeper into the pyramidal structure, to the floors that were presumably below.


The seven remaining figures shared a look, and then as one, nodded. One of the Sages, whose green tinged clothing bore a green circle with a square within it on his shoulders and chest spoke then. "You have proven your worth, Tamer. By your hand you restored the dragon's balance, and kept Unova safe. You succeeded where our King's own bloodline failed. At the very least, you have proven worthy of taking the Trial of Eight Paths. We will determine if you are worthy of bearing the crown."

"And if I fail?" Alex asked.

The man's countenance grew grim, and this time the Sage whose red tinged clothing bore a circle with a red flame within it spoke. "Failure means death. You must be willing to give everything, to become this land's rightful King. Will you face the Trial?"

Alex nodded.

The man with the green markings spoke again, as the seven other ghosts did as the King had, and floated into the lower levels. "Come, then. I will be your first challenge." With that, he vanished as well, and below the steps leading to the throne, another staircase of stone appeared. Though it seemed just as old, it had not been exposed to millennia of water, that much was evident.



The Path of Earth


Alex descended the stairs, until he came to a doorway that lacked a door. Above it, the words 'Path of Earth' appeared in the language of the Unown. He stepped through the doorway, and a wall of hardened stone rose behind him, sealing it off.

The ghost from before appeared again. Though it was hard to tell in the light of the throne room, he'd noticed each of the sage's phantasmal forms had a colored tint to them. This was what had made their clothing appeared colored, despite being ghosts. "Welcome. I expect you have many questions."

Alex smirked. "You have no idea."

The ghost seemed to chuckle at that. "Ask then, and I will do my best to sate your curiosity."

Though a torrent of questions came to mind, Alex paused, until he thought of one that seemed more important on an instinctual level. "What is the nature of this Trial?"


The ghost tilted his transparent head, as if eyeing the Trainer for the first time. "What a question. This Trial was designed by the Original Dragon, and ourselves, to test the aptitude of those who would be King."

Alex smirked. "But there's more to it, isn't there?"

The ghost nodded. "By traveling each of the Eight Paths successfully, you will unlock your true power. Each of the dragon's candidates possesses such potential, always, but only this Trial will draw it forth."

"How, exactly?" Alex said, arching a brow. "I'm already stronger than most Humans, and I don't really need more strength. Nor do I desire it."

"Oh, but you will require it, and soon, should you succeed here." The ghost said, nodding as only a Sage could, "There are many Humans who can match, and surpass, your current level. A true King must transcend all others. Now, let us begin."


The ghost's form sank into the floor, and the square blocks that made up the simple chamber flared green, before fading away to white nothingness. Alex looked around, reminded of Tao's world. The Sage's voice echoed again, "Kings are brave. Kings never lose hope. No matter what they face."

The blankness shifted, and an image straight from his memory appeared around him. The green tinged ghost stood beside him, as they watched the memory unfold. There he was, younger and with a patchy face full of newly grown beard, as he stood in the midst of an icy cavern, surrounded by two Legendary Dragons, and his childhood hero. Kyurem stared him down, and beckoned him forward for battle.

The scene shifted again. Arceus floated before him this time, and the Sage gasped in shock as it unleashed a Judgement attack upon the figure before it, who spread his arms wide, and welcomed it. Only now, seeing it from a different perspective, did Alex recall actually raising his arms. He'd done it on instinct, then. He hadn't even noticed. He'd been more focused on his failure and imminent death at the time.

More scenes followed. He faced down Tao himself, on the verge of rampaging, and calmed him. He flew into battle atop his Charizard as they faced down a golden Groudon. He faced down the Forces of Nature, and willingly battled their leader into submission. He dove headlong into the enormous wind wall that surrounded Norstad, atop his black Salamence.


As the scene shifted to him stepping into Rayquaza's volcano and being struck by the Storm Crown's power, the Sage turned and looked at him. The scene paused, and stopped moving forward. "You bear the Storm Crown?" Alex nodded. "I see…then the dragon's will is made clearer." He waved a hand, and the visions continued.

Another slight gasp came as he saw the maw of the World Eater snap behind Alex and Shruikan, as they led the great beast towards his doom. He'd never realized just how close those jaws had come. It was a matter of inches. The memories increased in speed as they flew by, more for the ghost's benefit than his own by this point, or so he assumed. His journey across the continent had included several close calls, and eventually, the room portrayed his current predicament.

The shadowy form of what could only be Caleb Pravus loomed over him, and those terrifying red eyes he'd displayed in Uppsalir filled the room. The ghost nodded. "I understand now. War has come once more. You were right to take this Trial." He pondered for a minute, and then spoke again. "You have faced down dangers most Tamers of my era would have run from. Even some of our Kings would not have held fast before the World Eater himself."


He gestured to the still-looming presence of Pravus. "This fear is different, though. You've seen the effect he has on the common people, and how easily he controls them. You've seen him go toe-to-toe with a being our species once labeled a God. Your fear is justified, but you must let it go. Do not allow it to hinder you, to cause you to pause. You faced down each of these tests by remaining steadfast. Your actions were well-intentioned, and honorable. Hold true to your courage, Tamer, and you will make a fine King."

Alex, for his part, nodded, and let the apprehension he'd had about facing Pravus down melt away. He might very well die if he faced Pravus as Thor had, in mortal combat. But if nobody faced him at all, his home, his people, his allies, would all be turned to little more than slaves. Jess entered his thoughts. There were worse fates as well for the women of the east. The Arceans were disgustingly blunt about wanting to 'breed with ideal females' as they called it. He felt his resolve burn to life, and a surge of energy ran up his spine from its base, giving him chills.

"What…what was that?" He asked the ghost.

The green tinged figure grinned. "That, was the first step on your path to awakening. You have traversed the Path of Earth. Go on, Champion. Face your next trial, and be aware, my counterparts share my knowledge. The more they learn of you, the harder this will become."



The Path of Fire


"Great…" Alex muttered, as the room returned to normal. One of the walls opened, and he moved towards it. Another doorway without a door. Another inscription in the language of the ancients. 'Path of Fire'.

Within the next room, he found the red tinged ghost, bearing the mark of fire, meditating the same way he did. Legs crossed, floating in the air. Though each of the Sages looked different, this one had been the only one to have a long, thin mustache that dangled down past his chin. Long beards that would be at home on a storybook mage's countenance had been the norm with his peers.

The Sage did not waste time as Alex stepped before him. "A true King has the willpower to remain good and moral in the face of overwhelming evil. Shame, doubt, anger, fear, sorrow, these emotions will cloud your judgement, and make you susceptible to corrupting influences." He opened his eyes, and examined Alex. "I sense much anger in you, though you bury it well."

The room flared white, and once more, an image from his memory came forth. One he'd repressed. He couldn't be more than eight or nine, but unlike some of the other visions he'd seen in the previous chamber, this one had crystal clarity to it. It made sense. Negative events always left a larger impression, and were more easily recalled.


His younger self was on the playground of his local school, building a castle that, he realized now, looked remarkably similar to the Dragonspiral Tower. An ordinary day, at least for him. Alone, but suitably entertained in his solitude. And like most of his early days, this one included the arrival of a group of older children, each flanked by a Pokémon, as they circled him.

Their leader, a typical brat with a bandage across his nose, clad in red and black, stepped forward, stomping on his castle. "Alright Redwood. What've you got for us today?" His younger self held up handfuls of now-crushed sand, that slipped through his fingers. "Not good enough." The older boy bent to lift him up by his shirt, but his younger self stood, instead.

He'd been taller than most, even back then, and he glared the boy down, before pushing him away, and freeing his shirt collar. The boy stumbled back, and gave a command. "String Shot!" The boy's Cascoon sprayed his younger self with the sticky, purple substance, and his younger self struggled to move. The boy pushed him over then, and delivered a swift kick to his stomach. Alex winced, and he could swear he felt something stir in his stomach as well, but he was too focused on the image of his younger self.

With each kick, the sensation increased. That had been but one day, in the middle of years of such taunting. Always he was at a disadvantage, for he'd always lacked a partner. He felt sympathy from his team, but he ignored it. The old feeling of painful solitude was returning with a vengeance within him. Ein's sneering face filled his vision, and the room, as he taunted his seven year old self through the stages of grief. Pure, undiluted hatred built as he realized just how much he actually hated Doctor Ein. Being a generally chill person, it was rare for him to actually hate someone. There were those he disliked, those he saw as trash, due to their own choices, and he simply did not associate with those people, usually. But Frank Ein held a special place in his heart, as the direct source of his ruined childhood.


The red ghost eyed him, and the scene shifted once more. It was his father's study, back in their house, and he immediately knew which memory this was. His father had not been pleased that he'd earned a Trainer Card. "What were you thinking!?" His father shouted, slamming the desk angrily. "Sneaking off after we told you not to! Shirking your chores for weeks! All so you could do what, play around in the woods!? You are not a Trainer, Alex. You will never be a Trainer! You heard the Doctor, and I know you're not that Stupid!" Alex felt himself shudder, as he realized he had more than a bit of hate for his parents as well. He did love them, of course, his mom moreso. They hadn't beat him or anything. His mom often made very good food, and his dad had gotten him his car, probably so he could do endless menial tasks around town easier, but still, the amount of emotion he felt towards his father specifically in that moment, shocked and scared him.

The memory faded suddenly, and the room was empty. Normal. Even the red tinged ghost had vanished.

"We sure showed him, didn't we."

A cold chill went up Alex's spine, as his own voice came from behind him. He turned, and beheld a perfect likeness of himself, but something was off. He couldn't figure out what, though. The doppelganger kept speaking. "We were quite the little rebel! Playing with Pokémon every chance we had. Trying to Battle…though it wasn't like real Battling, was it?"

His clone chuckled. "Oh no, nothing could compare to that thrill. Well, almost nothing, right Leafhead?" Alex glared at himself. "Don't deny it. I'm you. We spent our wonderful teenage years getting stoned in Gruncle's basement, just so that we could get through every single Mukking day we were forced to live through without a Pokémon of our own."

Despite himself, Alex looked away from his clone. His words rang with too much truth. The copy of himself was in his vision though, no matter where he turned. "Now now, don't ignore me…I've been ignored enough! You remember, don't you? The pure, undiluted rage we felt for father…you never wanted to admit it, but it felt good to hate him. It was right. He wronged us, and you know it. He wronged us just like Doctor Ein did, that Bastard. Honestly, by comparison, you could say our father wronged us worse than Ein. It's his fault we spent half our life in misery! Ein gave the diagnosis, but it was our parents who bought into the Bouffalant Stool. You might have repressed the past, but I recall it clearly! A few good years will never change that…"

"And what are you?" Alex said, finally forcing himself to speak. "An illusion, nothing more. A trick. An amalgamation of bad memories."


The red ghost appeared then, standing between the two of them. "Not quite." He gestured to the clone. "He is as real as you are. He feels your feelings, thinks your thoughts, and if you fail to overcome him, it is he who will go on to walk the other paths. You, will remain here, and when he leaves, you will vanish into nothingness." The ghost grinned. "This is your Trial…" He raised his ghostly hands, and Alex looked down, noticing a familiar looking hilt in his palm. His plasma sword.

The snap-hiss of his blade filled the room, but it had not come from his weapon. Though similar to Lux's container, it was simpler in design, a combination of gray and black metal, all but identical to Eric's schematics. His doppelganger's blade was pure red, and it sparked with electricity. He activated his own, and found it to be similar, though the color was blue.

He barely moved his blade up in time, as the red-illuminated face of his clone struck, and forced a blade-lock, as he sneered. "Finally…I will be free…no more repression…no more being buried under your other emotions, forgotten, and left to fester…I will right the wrongs done to us, and I'll start with our dear old dad." The clone struck again, and it took Alex a second to realize his fighting style was the same as his own. His clone's eyes flared with psychic power, and the two identical humans clashed within the small room, moving with impressive speed. They spun into a blade lock, and then spun away, each using the spiraling motions that made up Tao's fighting style.


"Perhaps some music, to make this more appropriate!" His clone said, grinning as he gestured to the room. A familiar tune echoed in the chamber as violins started humming a low, but building beat and his opponent grinned, dragging the crimson blade along the stone of the floor as he stalked ever closer, not caring for the damage it did. "Remember this? From those old Earth games you enjoyed so much. A classic piece of music from the Old Earth orchestra they kept in the Pokémon Wars Saga. You immersed yourself in that nerdy nonsense to dull the ache of your life, your lack of friends and Pokémon. Do you remember what this one was called?" His clone smirked.

Alex grimaced. He knew as well as his doppelganger did, the name of this particular song, and as the music swelled, he finally gave in. He hated fighting. Battling was one thing. It was sport, to his people. A contest of strength and honor, but always one that had good natured emotions behind it, or was supposed to, anyway. For Alex Redwood, it wasn't about winning or losing. It never had been. It was about the thrill of battling alongside the partners of one's heart and mind. Of understanding one's opponent, and overcoming them with the bond Trainer and Pokémon shared. This, however, was not a battle. This was a duel.

He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, letting his nerves fade as he found his center. He met his own gaze, and smirked, as he saw an unnerved expression cross his own face. His clone hid it well, but these were his own features. He knew what he looked like when he was worried. He fell into the stance Tao had drilled into his muscle memory, and let his power course through him. It flared off his large form in waves of deep blue aura.

"Duel of the Fates." He looked down at his sword, and his smirk widened. "Appropriate. I couldn't have chosen better."


Rage came over his clone's expression, and with a yell, the two clashed once more. Sparks flew from their blades each time they hit. The speed of the music increased, and so did their strikes. The room shook, and Alex realized that his clone was every bit as good as he was. He needed an edge.

"Is this really the best I can do?" Alex smirked, as he yawned, and made a circular motion, disentangling their latest blade lock with one hand, as the other covered his mouth. "I thought you were supposed to be the embodiment of my wrath." He smirked at his clone, and raised his sword above his head, holding it horizontally, as his free hand made the universal gesture for 'bring it'.

"You want wrath!?" The veins in the clone's head bulged, and his psychic aura of power coalesced from faint waves, to a proper aura, not unlike Connor's had been. It was rounded at the bottom, and flared uncontrollably at the top. The color changed as well, from a lighter blue, to a deeper bluish-purple, more akin to dragon energy. Then it began to turn dark red, and his clone's form sparked with red lightning. "Repress this!"


His clone lunged again, and Alex barely managed to deflect the first strike. The others were just as strong, and his arms ached as they took the repeated impacts. Still, it had the desired effect. His form was sloppier. Slightly. He needed more goading. Alex gripped the blade with both hands now, and the impacts were slightly easier to handle. He forced them into a lock again, and the plasma hissed and screeched as the swords met.

"Is that it?" Alex managed, still outwardly smirking. "Years of being kicked around. Mocked. Insulted daily. Cast aside like a worthless dimwit without even being given a chance! Perhaps you're not as full of rage as you let on." He swallowed, as he saw the look in his clone's eyes change from incoherent fury, to the cold stare he'd reserved for those who had truly managed to piss him off. A chill went up his spine. Was that what he'd done to those who'd been on the business end of this glare?

"You want to see our rage? I'll show you our Mukking rage!" A wave of psychic and draconic energy slammed into the real Alex, sending him flying back into the stonework by the entrance to this chamber. He hadn't noticed, but this time, the door was blocked by fire. Another chill went up his spine as his doppelganger began speaking in the Dragon Tongue.


The draconic energy flared as the clone Shouted. "Mul! Qah! Diiv!" While the effects were not identical, they were close enough to the original Shout his other self was purposefully copying. His teeth grew longer, sharper, his hands were clawed, and red scales appeared across his face, and presumably, the rest of his body. His ears were pointed, and a pair of horns jutted up from his brow, and curled backwards, slightly. The copy of his hat had fallen to the ground, and his hair had become a similarly colored crest of red scales that trailed down under the white robe that covered his clone.

Alex grimaced as he looked over that which had once been himself. Twisted, and evil. That was what he would become if this clone was allowed to leave. Though, whether he could match him anymore was a mystery. He got his answer, as the crimson scaled form of his clone seemed to vanish, and he barely had time to duck as the crimson blade cut horizontally across the wall where he'd been standing a moment before.

He spun away, once more in his dragon stance, but he might as well have been hopping on one foot for all the good it did him. "They will all PAY!" His clone screeched as he slammed their blades together, and effortlessly forced his large form toward the other end of the room. Looking down, he saw that the clone's shoes had been torn apart by a pair of massive, clawed feet that could only be described as draconic. There were only three claws on them, but they had better traction than his shoes, and Alex grunted as the draconic aspect of himself slammed him into the other wall. He could feel the heat of his own blade pushing ever closer.


That, was when he recalled a useful trick from the aforementioned games their epic music had originated from. He Teleported behind the furious copy of himself, and once more fell into his stance. His own power flared, and instead of wildly billowing above him, it coalesced around him like armor, outlining his form with at least an inch of protection. Though how well it would hold up against focused plasma remained to be seen.

His clone charged him again, and once more, their blades locked. Once more, he was being driven towards a wall. A corner, this time. Evidently his clone planned on doing this as many times as it took to work. He knew as well as Alex did that his Teleport had limited uses, and he'd used quite a few of them today.

That was when he switched his blade off, ducked under the slash that followed with his opponent's momentum, and elbowed his clone in the abdomen. Despite being scaled and durable, his strike had hit with enough force to make the dragon-man gasp and let out a hacking cough. It stopped midway through, becoming a soft sigh as Alex reignited his weapon under his opponent's guard, and felt his sword slash across the abdomen, dealing a serious, if not fatal blow. Evidently, not even his scales would protect him from a weapon like this.


The power faded in a red mist, as his clone doubled over. His eyes were bloodshot, but they still retained some of the blue. Alex caught his clone as he fell, letting the blade he'd used for this fall to the ground. His doppelganger still seethed with rage, but it was dying out quickly. "Make…them pay…make all of them…suffer for…putting us through that…hell. We never…we never deserved it…"

Alex nodded, sagely. "We didn't. But we never gave up, did we? Every single person in our life, save one relative, told us to give up on being a Trainer. Even Jess thought that, though she never said it plainly. And we became the Champion anyways. These emotions you revel in…they helped get us there." He brought his clone close, in an embrace. "I never forgot you. All the rage, anger, sorrow…I always felt it. But I balanced it with the joy and love we gained once we finally had our chance…" He met his own eyes. "You are as much a part of me as every other emotion. Now come home." There was a warm sensation in his stomach as he felt the weight in his arms vanish, and once more, he felt power surge through his entire being, originating from his stomach.

The soft sigh of his clone was all that was left of him as his body vanished. Alex found himself kneeling in the red tinged chamber, and the similarly colored ghost rose up from the floor, arms crossed, one hand stroking his thin chin in thought. "I've rarely seen a manifestation with such raw power…and you still tamed it. You have walked the Path of Fire and come through unburnt. Advance to your next challenge."


 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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The Path of Water


Alex bowed, and moved on to the door that appeared on one of the chamber's walls. Once he approached the next chamber, he looked up, reading the words once more. 'Path of Water'. He entered the chamber, and found it cooler, more refreshing than the previous one. The orb of spectral energy that was the blue ghost coalesced before him, and he blinked in surprise.

He hadn't noticed before, as he'd been placating the former King, but this ghost was undeniably female. She was beautiful, but had features akin to her fiery counterpart that marked her as hailing from Eous. Her voice was softer than the others, but just as confident and inherently wise. "Hmm. I was sure the fire would end you."

Alex raised a brow, and then smirked. "Fire cannot truly harm a dragon. Let alone one who would be King."

The ghost seemed to chuckle. "Keep telling yourself that, 'your highness'. A true King acts with love, and accepts all of his subjects. I've seen your memories. How do you expect to rule a people whose defining aspect of their society is the antithesis to everything you believe?"

Alex tilted his head. "I don't follow your thinking…"

The blue ghost walked around him in a clockwise circle. Like her counterparts, her ornate robes bore a symbol within a circle. A crescent moon, and three wavy lines that no doubt represented water, or the ocean. Like the others, it marked her shoulders, and her chest. There was no cleavage to speak of, which was in line with the clothing of ancient times, if he recalled correctly.


"The people of the west view Arceus in a manner that is entirely foreign, both to you, and the Original Dragon. They worship him with blind devotion, and are so bound to their Prophet, they would, and have, gladly maimed themselves to demonstrate their loyalty." As she spoke, the room shifted with her words, though this time, the image was not from his memory.

It was the interior of an Arcean Church. Having never been inside one, Alex looked around, curious, and realized that it was disturbingly similar in layout to the numerous Pokémon Stadiums that littered the world. A circle of plain chairs in rows that stretched to the building's ceiling surrounded a central raised dais, upon which was a pulpit for speaking. Behind it, was the Arcean Cross, supporting the Alpha's symbol for all to see. Around the chairs, images of Caleb Pravus's admittedly appealing features, a bit exaggerated naturally, adorned the walls and free spaces in the form of paintings, and statues.

The ghost spoke again. "You've seen how the Church negatively impacts its followers, but you've completely ignored the beneficial aspects of cult worship that the Fornians have incorporated into their cultural psyche."

Alex frowned. "I fail to see how forced brainwashing is beneficial to anyone."

The ghost nodded. "And thus you've remained blind to a potential weak spot in an enemy, or even a beneficial way of thinking for your own would-be empire."


Alex's frown deepened. "I will not subject my people to brainwashing. Of any kind. I couldn't care less what they believe in, it's what that belief drives them to do that I intend to stop."

The ghost's arms were linked in her kimono-esque robes. She raised a perfect eyebrow at him. "And what happens when you claim victory over Fornia? Let us pretend for a moment that you win this war you are not prepared for. You march into Sacreus, burn the city, and kill the Prophet in an epic clash that will be sung about in Unova for millennia to come. Is the Church going to disappear because you've cut off its' head?"

"Well I-" Alex started, but the ghost cut him off.

"Is the faith and belief in Arceus going to vanish from the hearts of Fornians simply because you, an invading and victorious conqueror, tell them to stop believing so blindly? What are you going to offer them in its place? Science? They know more about genetics than your Professors could learn in a lifetime. They have machines capable of shooting elemental energy as easily as projectile weapons fire bullets. Your scientific mindset is not going to sway them. Pravus has already blended their beliefs with the basic truths of the universe. Are they going to stop following the Prophet of Arceus's command to kill you on sight simply because you dismantle their Church?" The ghost eyed him expectantly, and he was allowed to answer this time.

"I expect not."


The ghost sighed. "Consider this your Trial then, you who would be King. Half of a continent's worth of Human lives will be affected by your actions. Many already have been. The people of Fornia have held these beliefs for centuries. How do you expect to free them from this?"

"I don't know!" Alex finally said, raising his voice. He looked down at his feet. "If I had my way, they would have never been subjected to this foulness in the first place."

"And many would likely be happier for that." The ghost said. "But you cannot change what has already happened. Not without angering the God of Time. Bad things happen. All over the world, and many of these things are much, much worse than indoctrination into a Cult that fills the basic needs of living for millions of people. What do you intend to do about these terrible things? As King, your actions will eventually affect the world as a whole as well, like a stone cast into a calm lake. Can you truly handle that responsibility?"


Alex thought for a long moment, and as he always did when faced with a philosophical question that stumped him, he relied on Tao's teachings. "What can I do, but try to prevent what atrocities I am able to stop? I can't be everywhere. Even as a King. Even if I could Teleport freely, anywhere in the world, I could never stop all of it."

The ghost nodded, and smiled. "The dragon's wisdom has reached you, then. That is promising. Now, answer the question I first posed. How do you expect to free the people of Fornia from the stranglehold their Church has on them? How will you prevent the rise of another Pravus?"

He thought again, and then the ghost's own words echoed in his skull. "A true King acts with love, and accepts his subjects, no matter who, or what, they are." He nodded, feeling more confident in his answer, though the ghost's face was as impassive as his own usually was. "All I can do is try to show the people of Fornia what they have lost in their blind pursuit of their Church's 'divine truth'. Families torn asunder. Childhoods ruined. Genetic experiments. Shadow Infusion of Pokémon Eggs. Murder, destruction of the land, these are just a few of the Church's own actions that, without Pravus, I can illuminate. They can't ignore my words forever. Even if I have to go to every single one of them and convince them face to face, I will free them from this oppressive mindset."

As he spoke, he felt a strange sensation in his stomach. Then, he realized it wasn't his stomach, but his abdomen. A surge of energy moved through him, cooling the heat that the Path of Fire had seared him with. The ghost smiled again. "I believe you. I've seen the strength of your willpower, as well as the power of your Voice. If anyone can reach the Fornians and help them rejoin the world in peace and prosperity, I believe it is you. The dragon has, as always, chosen well. Remember my words, Champion, and move on to your next test."



The Path of Air


The wall of water that blocked his path backward remained in place, and another entrance appeared on the opposite wall of the chamber. Alex bowed, and continued on. If he was being truthful, the issue of the Fornian's indoctrination had been one both he and Tao had been unable to find a solution to, but after this, he expected the dragon would agree with using Words over violence.

He was, like Alex, not a violent creature. Pravus had earned his fate, but his followers yet had a chance to be redeemed. Most of them, anyway. He sighed, pausing against the wall of the tunnel that connected the Path of Water to wherever he was heading next. He almost would've preferred another plasma duel. Almost. He hummed the tune of the Duel of the Fates as he moved on to the next room.

As with the others, the door to the next room bore the same lettering. It read 'Path of Air'. He moved into the room, and blinked, as it resembled, strongly, the rock garden that Tao had in his other Tower, the one that resided on another plane.

"Look familiar?"

The voice that echoed through the square room was lighter, but unmistakably masculine. An airy spherical orb floated before him, and coalesced into the pale gray form of a bald man, with a short beard that resembled a chin strap. On his robes was a circle similar to the other three, though this one had a swirl of gray and blue within it, that evidently represented air.


Alex nodded. "It looks like the one Tao has in his…other tower."

"So it does." The ghost nodded, and smiled. "What brings you to me, you who would be King?"

Alex blinked. "Erm. I'm trying to complete the Trial. I'm here to walk the Path of Air."

The ghost nodded, still smiling. He was sitting cross-legged in the air, and his hands, both curled into fists, joined at the knuckles. They weren't threatening, however, as the pose seemed more meditative than anything. "And how do you think one walks such a Path?"

Alex thought for a moment, and then floated into the air, mimicking the ghost's sitting position with a smirk. This brought a chuckle from him, that devolved into a full-bellied laugh. "Oh…oh that's good. I set myself up for that one. It's been an age since I've had such a clever challenger. Literally."

Alex smiled as well. This ghost was one he inherently liked, and he suspected he'd been friendly with Tao as well. Had he yet lived, he expected the two of them would've become good friends. "I'm glad I could entertain you. Now then, might I ask what this test will entail?"

The ghost nodded. "To open your next Chakra, there are several lessons you need to know, though judging by your partners, you already know them!" He chuckled again.

Alex blinked. "Open my what now?"

The ghost blinked as well. "Has…nobody told you? Surely you've studied the secret behind the ancient King's powers. Nay, you must have felt them opening. You wouldn't be here if they were still closed."


Alex shook his head. "Most of the knowledge of the old empire was lost in the war that the two brothers started. What we know now was only kept alive via oral traditions, until someone wrote it all down again, but much of that is considered historically questionable, and with the return of Tao, much has been revealed to be false."

The ghost sighed. "I see. I never liked those boys, but I believe the one who sought Truth would have ruled us better. I have always been partial to living in the light, though." He shook his head, and put aside the topic of the ancient 'heroes' for a moment. "The surges of power you've been feeling after each test. Have you not wondered what they are? Has the increase in your strength not been significant?"

Alex shrugged. "I was told that this test would grant me more power. I just assumed it came in bursts. Evidently there's more to it…?"

"So much more!" The ghost exclaimed. "I would've thought the dragon would tell you of what exactly this Trial does, no?" His eyes went wide. "You do know what happens if you fail to open them all, right?" Seeing the blank look on Alex's face, the man frowned. "How has nobody explained this to you!? This is why I should go first. Air is first in the cycle anyways!" He sighed again.


"Perhaps…" Alex said carefully, "You should start from the beginning. Explain it now. Knowledge acquired late is better than total ignorance."

That brightened the ghost's expression, and his demeanor became cheerful again. His moods seemed to shift as often as the wind changed direction. Which was appropriate, he assumed. "True enough! Knowledge is indeed power, and if the empire's knowledge is gone, you must not know anything! Do we at least still have contact with Koria?"

Alex raised a brow. "Koria? They're on the other side of the planet. Moreover, that's Imperium territory. If you value your freedom, you avoid the Imperium. That's just common sense."

The ghost stared at him for a minute. "Imperium? Wait…the Imperium of Man? They're still around!? How in the name of the Dragon's divine dong did the Imperium of Man outlast our own empire!?"

Alex blinked. "The Original Dragon has a dong? Odd. He implied he didn't have…parts." When it came to typically genderless Legendary Pokémon, he went by the tone of their psychic voice. They could, after all, change it on a whim. He'd always assumed it was based on preference.

The ghost laughed again. "Oh, he does, hence the masculine terms we use to refer to him. He simply lacks the urges that drive Humanity. Well. Not so much 'lacks' as ignores entirely. It's hard to procreate when you're literally one of a kind. Anyways!" he said, waving a hand, "On to the topic of Chakras."


Alex nodded, listening attentively. It wasn't all that different from how he'd been educated by Tao himself. Many of their philosophical lessons had occurred in his rock garden. The ghost began explaining. "Chakras are pools of energy within oneself. They flow throughout your body…much like a river. Unfortunately, some aspects of this material world can block the flow of this energy, and without training, it becomes blocked off, and useless, trapped behind the emotional baggage of one's life."

Understanding flooded Alex, and he spoke as the ghost paused. "And this Trial is meant to unclog those…energy pools, and thus, the King appears to be powerful…"

"When in reality, he is as strong as anyone who has learned to let their energy flow." The ghost finished. "For you though, there is much more energy than normal. Such is always the case with the candidates the dragon chooses. This too, is why the Kings of old were so strong. The dragon would seek out these powerful individuals, and teach them his ways, unlock their power, and with it, they maintained peace in the Empire. The last King's sons never took this Trial, and while they were educated in the dragon's teachings, they never proved worthy of the crown, or attained the power their father did. Instead of making one of them face the Trial, the dragon chose to side with both of them, rather than tear the empire apart with civil war... Alas…it tore apart anyway."


Alex nodded. Their offspring had gone on to have a war anyways, with Unova as their battlefield. The final conflict had seen both Reshiram and Zekrom, emboldened by rage, truth, and ideals, clash repeatedly, and destroy much of Unova in the process. "I think I get it…so how do I open this…Air Chakra?"

The ghost chuckled. "A true King lets love and good emotions guide his actions. He uses them, to fight against the hatred that is unfortunately so common in the world. Or rather…used to be. I sense much has changed over the millennia. This is not a bad thing. This Chakra's energy is located in the heart, and is blocked by grief. I sense much grief within you, though you've buried it deep. What makes your heart so heavy?"

Alex looked away, face becoming impassive. "My…granduncle. He passed, recently. Not even Tao could heal him."

The ghost tilted his head. "Tao?"

Alex nodded. "The Original Dragon. I gave him a nickname."

At that, the ghost burst into laughter again. "Oh! The stones on this one! You gave a nickname to a creature of the Alpha, formed from the energy of Creation itself! Oh, oh ho ho! That is…genuinely amusing. But fitting! Very well. Tao. It works, I think." He made an 'ahem' sound. "Now then, you were speaking of your granduncle?"


Alex looked away again, then sighed. It had taken a Trial he couldn't afford to fail to finally face this particular demon, and as he felt the grief, he understood how it was blocking his energy. "He was the only family I had that believed I could be a Trainer...the only adult, anyways. He never gave up on me. He taught me everything I know. It's…a darker world without him in it."

The ghost nodded, his jovial amusement faded now. "I see. You are versed in…Tao's teachings, yes?" Alex nodded. "Then you know about the energy that makes up…" He gestured to Alex.

Alex blinked. "You just gestured to all of me."

The ghost chuckled lightly. "Indeed, and that is exactly the point. All of what makes you who you are, the energy that formed in the unique pattern that is your conscious mind, that never truly fades away. Energy cannot be destroyed, young Redwood. Only changed in form. The energy of life is infinite. An infinite Spiral of infinite possibility, if one can but reach for it." He gave the Trainer a minute to process his words. It was something he'd already learned, as it was literally basic science, but hearing it again drove the ghost's point home.

An ephemeral hand touched his shoulder. "The love your granduncle had for you has not left this world. It still lives, within you, within your memories of him, and perhaps, even in Arceus' own realm. He is a loving Alpha, and if your granduncle is the kind of man who could produce a student that has passed three of these Trials, I think he has found a spot amongst those of our kin the Alpha deems worthy to spend eternity with.


Alex smirked. "I don't think he'd like spending an eternity with a deity."

The ghost nodded. "Indeed, I got the sense from your recollections that he was a man of science and knowledge. Fret not though, Arceus is a being who can be...very rational. Now, as I said, energy can only change in form, and should one wish it, one may re-enter the world as whatever they wish. A bug. A Pokémon. Another Human. Some stay in the Alpha's realm for uncountable millennia, but eventually, everyone wants to experience this prime material plane once more. Even if doing so causes them to forget who they are…for a time. The urge to live…it's instinctual, even for a ghost."

Alex raised a brow. "What of you then? Do you not want to re-enter the cycle?"

The ghost nodded. "I feel the pull every day. The urge to come back. But if I did, the Trial would be incomplete. My knowledge would vanish until whatever I returned as passed on, and even then, who knows if I would ever remember all of it. No, the dragon commanded I stay to test and educate the Kings of the future, and if my happiness must pay the price for that, then I pay it gladly."

"Thank you…" Alex said, forcing himself to smile. Slightly. "Perhaps someday I can find another to take your place. Then you can all, finally, move on, hmm?"

The ghost shook his head. "My duty is eternal, young Redwood. I will be here, even after you and your long legacy are gone. But I appreciate the sentiment."


The ghost removed his hand, and nodded at the Trainer. "Now, let the sorrow and the grief flow away. You may yet meet your granduncle again. Or you may not. Either way, I do not believe he would want your thoughts of him to hinder you. Remember the kindness he showed you, and go forward knowing that it will never truly leave you. More than most, it has shaped who you have become."

It took several minutes, but eventually, as the ghost said, the memories of the many, many fun times they'd shared eased the heaviness in his heart. He was right, in a sense. The Professor's legacy went beyond just himself, too. He felt the energy surge again, and noticed that it was indeed quite a large pool. If the ghost was to be believed, it would only grow larger. He hoped he could contain it.

"So passes another walker on the Path of Air. Move forward, Champion, and remember what you have learned." Alex stood as the ghost spoke, and let his feet touch the ground once more, though if he wished it, he felt he could've floated with ease. Even with his oversized body.

He bowed, fist to palm. "Thank you, wise Air Sage. I will keep what you've taught me in my heart." The ghost returned the bow, and smiled as he watched what was likely but the first of many Redwoods to come, proceed in his trials.



The Path of Light


Alex moved on to the next room, genuinely curious as to what it would be, now the four basic elements had been covered. He read the letters at the entrance of the next door. 'Path of Light'. That, more than anything, piqued his interest. Learning about Light energy would be invaluable against a man who'd found a way to infuse Shadow into eggs, amongst other things. He stepped quickly past the threshold, into yet another square room. At least, he assumed it was square. The blinding golden light within seared his vision, and he brought the brim of his hat down, though it did little to help.

Eventually, the light coalesced into a golden colored ghost, who bowed to him in the Unovan style. Arceus' symbol adorned his robes where the elemental symbols had adorned the others, on the shoulders, and the front of the chest. His gray beard easily went down to his waist, and his ephemeral eyes were kind. "Greetings, you who would be King. Welcome, to the Path of the Light."

Alex bowed as well. "Thank you. Tell me, what must I do to…wait a minute…I know you!"

The ghost blinked. "What? You…do?"

Alex nodded. "We lost much knowledge in the ancient war, but not all. Not the face of the man who advanced our world's technological capabilities by leaps and bounds thank to his scientific research!" He bowed again, lower this time, and in the formal style Jess had made him practice to perfection. "It is a genuine honor to meet you, Professor Aristole."


The man smirked under his golden beard. It was full and curly, and unlike the other ghosts, he'd apparently kept his hair fairly short. "It is…a relief, I will admit, to know my work has not been forgotten, or unappreciated. Now then, on to the Trial. I've learned much of you, Alexander Redwood, over the course of these trials. I know you have the ability to Teleport, as I once did, and this means you must already possess part of the understanding required to unlock this Chakra."

Alex nodded, and the ghost continued on, one finger raised, as if he were lecturing. It was, in fact, the exact pose the Aristole Archive in Castelia City had him immortalized in by way of a statue. "Tell me, Tamer. Why do you wish to be King?"

Alex tilted his head. "Unova needs a leader, and the dragon has deemed that the time to reunite our fractured land has finally come. He's chosen me to lead them. Until I die, or he finds someone better."

The golden ghost nodded, and looked him over a second time. "And what of when this war ends, hmm? For one way or another, it must surely end. What then will you do with your Kingly title? Pass it off to another?"

Alex blinked. "I…hadn't really considered that."

"Consider it now, young defender of men. One must always be mindful of the future, especially a King." The ghost gave him another smile, but there was a glint of light in his eyes that seemed to indicate he was enjoying this.

Alex thought over what he knew of the man, and then nodded. He'd been famous for teaching, and his students had been a large part of what held Unova together after the empire fell apart. Now, he was likely going to try to educate him, as well. He met the ghost's eyes. "Defender of men?"

The ghost nodded. "Your name. Were you not aware of its meaning?"

Alex shook his head. "No…but it's starting to seem appropriate…very well…once this war ends, I suppose I'll do my best to rule. If I turn out to be terrible at it, someone else will be taking this Trial I imagine."


The ancient Professor chuckled. "And what if you turn out to be great at it? What if, under your rule, this continent flourishes in a manner it hasn't experienced since last the dragon was whole?"

Alex frowned, slightly. "Speak plainly, Professor. If there's a point you're trying to get at, I'm not seeing it."

The room shifted to blinding white, and then, as with the others, displayed an image. An image of the world. From his perspective, Alex and Aristole were standing above it. "Consider our planet." The ghost began, gesturing at the world. Lines appeared across it, and it took him a minute to realize they were the boundaries humans had drawn on their maps. "Many cultures, many peoples, many civilizations. For eons, we have fought each other in the name of one of these things. One culture does not like another. One kingdom invades a neighbor to gain more resources, power, and land." The lines shifted as he spoke, and he blinked at Unova and Fornia. They were the more recently drawn ones. "Over and over the cycle repeats, and when a leader dies, the result is usually a fracturing of everything said leader created. Our last King is no exception to this rule. Nor, I expect, will you be."

Alex shrugged. "Tao told me the Storm Crown would turn my body immortal, provided I'm not slain by way of a weapon. In fact, he implied disintegration would be the only thing that would stop my regeneration."


The ghost nodded. "Such is the power of the Storm Crown. What do you know of its history?"

Alex shrugged again. "Very little. Rayquaza and Tao have never told me much of it."

The ghost chuckled. "I expect they haven't. If you were aware of it, you might not want to bear it. Yet bear it you must." Alex raised a brow, but the ghost continued on. "Once donned, the Crown cannot be removed, until your disintegration. In you, our wise dragon has finally created a Human with a lifespan long enough to, perhaps, realize his ultimate dream."

Alex crossed his arms. "He hasn't mentioned this dream to me."

Another chuckle. "I expect he wouldn't. The dragon is a private being, always waiting for the right moment to impart knowledge so that he may turn things in his favor, but always remember, his dream is what guides his actions and words. It is the base of his truths, the heart of his ideals."

"And what dream would that be?" Alex asked.


The ghostly Professor gestured at the world, and Alex watched. Slowly, the lines began to shift. First, Unova covered the whole continent it had once reigned over. Then, the border stretched south. Then across the ocean. Slowly, to every region, land, and government. The end result was a single, unified, globe-spanning empire.

Alex stared, not quite believing what he was seeing. "Are you telling me the most peaceful being I know is ultimately after world domination?"

The ghost laughed then, and nodded. "Indeed. Though I imagine that phrase still carries the negative connotations it once did. The dragon confided in me during my life, and told me of the world he envisioned. A utopia, where all of Humanity and Pokémon could live and flourish together. But not just on this planet. Across the stars, as well."

Alex shook his head. "I…I don't believe it. Humanity already tried the interstellar empire thing. It didn't even last a century before the colonies demanded independence, and started a war. That war ended our interstellar journey permanently. That's basic history."


A subtle change came over the ghost, and Alex had a feeling he was about to finally reach his main point. "This is true. But do you know what happened to those colonies, after their war?"

Alex shrugged. "I imagine the old governments of Earth eradicated them, their families, and then nuked their planets. We were…a very violent people. Nothing good happened to them."

The Professor shook his head. "In actual fact, one of my students discovered an ancient document. 'The Mars Accord'. Evidently, all of the colonies, and the Earth, agreed to a ceasefire and to cut all communications and trade. Given what we know of ancient history, this was likely around the time our home planet was rapidly falling into chaos as the environment lost its balance, and pushed Humanity to the edge of survival."

Alex stared at the ghost. "So…what, you expect me to conquer the world, head into space, reunite the old colonies, if they even live still, and then…what? Spread across the universe?"

"If you manage to achieve world peace on Earth, would you not want that to be shared by our forgotten brethren? What of other sentient species? What if our Human methods of unity could help them keep from murdering each other as well? What of primitive races, still growing? What if we could enlighten them, and lift them up to join us in the stars? Is this not an ideal future to pursue?" The ghost eyed him, expectantly.


"I mean…" Alex thought for a moment. Then a longer moment. A minute. Five. The more he thought about it, the less absurd it seemed. He was, according to beings created by a genuine deity, a human who'd achieved immortality. At the very least, his span of years would be longer than most. He asked himself, for the first time since donning the Storm Crown, what kind of immortal he intended to be. One like Percy? Going around the world, influencing people, entire cultures, with knowledge from old video games? He could, he realized, do more. A lot more.

Then, his realistic skeptic side kicked in. Humanity would never stop killing each other long enough to get along. There was too much hate. He'd likely be killed by it long before he ever made it to space. "It is a good dream." He said, finally, "But no more than a dream. You are not an idiot, you know how our species acts. Our default is violence. We stab each other in the back the first chance we get, all so that we may climb to heights of power and wealth on the backs of others, and live in absurd comfort for our brief span of years. Humanity will never overcome its greed. Not as long as Money is our God."

"Those…" The ghost said, "Are not your words. They are your granduncle's. Realism can be a useful thing to have. Skepticism has it uses as well, but you should know by now, all it takes for the greedy to control our world is good men, like you, with the power to change what we are, standing aside and doing nothing to stop them. Do you intend to spend your years watching Humanity devour itself over and over again?"


"No." Alex said, before he could contemplate the question. He knew he was the kind of person who would act. He'd never hesitated in trying to help before.

"Will you stand idly by as unworthy men try to achieve this dream before you?" The ghost asked.

Alex blinked. "What do you mean?"

"The Storm Crown is a unique item. It was originally bestowed by the Alpha unto the Human he deemed worthy of Taming him." Alex's eyes went wide, but the ghost continued, "Once he died, it passed to another, the Successor, who reveled in its power and brought destruction wherever he went. Others saw this power, and claimed it for themselves. Ninety-nine times it passed through the hands of different Humans, each one killing their predecessor just so that they could enjoy the crown's gifts. Eventually, Tao had your Rayquaza take it from them, the way a parent takes a dangerous item from a child. We were not ready to bear it during the Dark Times, but now, here you stand, crowned and tested. Unless my instincts are wrong for the first time in my afterlife, you will pass this Trial."

Alex stayed silent as the Professor continued. "I ask again, Champion of Unova. What do you intend to do with these gifts of life and power?"


He sighed. "What can I do that better men have not already tried? I can't erase the borders." He said, gesturing to the Earth. At his words, the lines reappeared. "We're too divided. The Imperium and Eous alone would be impossible. They've been fighting for centuries. There is too much hate. Too many divisions. One person can't remove all of them."

"The last one to Tame Arceus did." The Professor's words were quiet, and Alex realized his tone had risen above civilized levels. "For a brief time, he managed to unite the world. Would that the Storm Crown had been on his head longer. By the time he donned it, he was already lost to our mortal coil. You, though, have a chance to succeed where he failed."

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but the ghost cut him off, and gestured at their planet. "You should know this already, you who would be King. These lines…" He gestured at them, and they vanished, revealing the Earth as it was. "They are Human inventions. Little more than an illusion. A true King accepts all beings. Something you are more than capable of doing, based on your training so far."


Seeing it before him drove it home, and he felt a surge of energy in his forehead. His third eye opened, and the world took on a new appearance. He gasped. Lines of energy surrounded and connected the planet, gathering at various points across the globe. Everything was connected, and he realized that unless he did something, humans and Pokémon would continue to walk down the same violent path they always came back to. They'd be trapped in this cycle forever, as they had for the past ten millennia since Arceus departed. They would continue to rise and fall in an endless cycle. Unless someone broke it.

"I understand." He said, finally. "I will remember your words, Professor. I have to ask, though…N seems like he was far, far better prepared to achieve this…ultimate destiny of our people. He can do things with numbers that make my head throb. How am I supposed to lead without that kind of knowledge?"

At his words, the Professor frowned. "That knowledge was passed to the one you call Ghetsis by our last King, but this did not ensure Ghetsis in turn prepared the Harmonia heir with everything he learned here. The King is capable of passing it to you, as well. He has the means. Whether he will actually give it, is another question entirely. One that depends on you, and your actions. Now go. Your next challenge awaits."



The Path of Resonance


Alex continued on from the chamber, pondering the ancient Professor's words. After that, he genuinely had no idea what awaited him next, and as he approached the next doorway, every bit as identical as the other five had been, he read the words at the top. The 'Path of Resonance'. He blinked. A sound-based trial?

He supposed he'd find out, and he continued on to the chamber itself. He found yet another square room, and the only thing that made it unique was a spiraling staircase that ascended upwards, with no railing to keep one who ascended it safely on the steps. A familiar orb of gray light hovered by the stairs, and it gave off a twinkling sound as it bobbed in the air, and then ascended upwards.

Alex followed, and soon realized the stairs did not require a railing. They were surrounded on all sides by rock once they reached the ceiling. He kept climbing, eventually floating as the monotony of climbing steps was straining even his legs, made strong by countless hours of training and travel.


Finally, he came to a much larger room, and as he glanced at the floor, he realized it was the very room he'd entered through when he'd first come to the ruins. It had changed, though. The maze of walls had sunk into the floor, and a staircase had appeared in the center, not far from the one he'd just left.

The gray ghost manifested before the stairs, and he was greeted not by a man or woman, but by a mask, plain and unreadable. The figure's robes bore a G-clef on the chest and shoulders, and said robes did much to hide the shape of the ghost.

As it spoke, Alex's usual method of determining gender failed, as it had two voices, male and female, and they blended together perfectly. "Welcome, you who would be King. You have already unlocked your Voice's power, so for this Trial, you shall aid me in setting the stage for your final tests."


Alex gave a short bow to the figure. "I am at your service."

The ghost seemed to chuckle, and its voice switched to the Dragon Tongue. "A true King can stir the hearts of their people with their Words. A true King does not speak lies, and refrains from divisive speech. This is something you have not always succeeded with, and even now, your Voice is being twisted, Dragonborn."

Alex blinked, but before he could ask how, the chamber was alight with Pravus's voice, crowing to his followers about how he'd captured 'hard evidence' of the Unovan Champion's supposed bigotry. Said evidence was, quite obviously, pieced together from different recordings but he supposed with enough fear and delusion, one could believe it was genuine.

The ghost's mask shifted to a sly, smirking expression as it watched him fidget uncomfortably. "Is your skill at Tinvaak so weak that you will let it be turned by a machine?"


"Nid."

The Word reverberated through the chamber, and the ghost shuddered visibly. "Interesting…the Storm Voice has grown strong within you, who would be King…unleash it! Raise this ancient ruin, this seat of our people's ancient power, and show your people the strength of your Voice!"

Alex looked around the room, but saw no other path forward. He only hoped the raising of this structure didn't accidentally hurt anyone. He let his Su'um build, and then, began to speak. As he did, he felt the newly gathered energy in his body flow through his throat, and his Words seemed stronger than they ever had before.

"Alok, hil do faal Lokoltei.

(Rise, heart of the Empire.)

Naal dii Zul dreh hi daal wah lein. Alok.

(By my Voice do you return to the world. Rise.)

Naal dii Su'um fen faal Dovah Lokoltei daal. Alok.

(By my Breath will the Dragon Empire return. Rise.)

Naal dii Fen dreh faal Dovah Krund daasin ont zos. Alok.

(By my Will does the Dragon Throne surface once more. Rise.)

Aal nunon bahlaan praal voknau nii."

(May only the worthy sit upon it.)


The ghost eyed him as he spoke, head tilting at his choice of words. The mask shifted to a smile though, so he assumed that was a good thing. It took a moment for the reverberating Words to stop echoing in the chamber, but as they did, the entire room began to shine, and the ghost gave a bow as the entire structure rumbled, and did as it was commanded.

"You have mastered the ancient tongue. Normally, this part of the Trial would take days. I have never seen it finished so quickly." The ghost bowed. "Ascend to the final challenge, you who would be King. Rise…or die." The figure vanished then with a genuinely disturbing giggle, and Alex headed towards the staircase to the top, even as the building continued to shake of millennia of silt and dirt build-up. It said much of his Voice that it continued to rise, despite the metric tons of weight upon it. Not even Tao's tower had been so deeply buried, but then, nobody had wanted to bury the Dragonspiral.

The last King Harmonia had not been a popular man, once his sons and grandsons tore their capital, and their dragon, apart with genuinely senseless war for centuries.



The Path of Battle


The stairs led up to another level, and seemed to continue. Alex would have gone straight up, had something not caught his Trainer's eye. A familiar shape, a battlefield, and an opponent upon it. Their eyes met, and Alex stopped ascending. It was too late to back off now. He didn't need a sign to guess what kind of Trial this would be. His team, thus far watching his progress, stirred from their earned rest, ready to battle. Their Trainer's awakening power had revitalized them, and the surging energy had only made them all eager to prove their worth. Even the young ones.

The palace structure stopped shaking by the time Alex reached his side of the field. His opponent was another ghost, one Alex hadn't been able to make out clearly before. Now, he knew why. An appearance like this would've distracted him. She was clad as he was, in robes from Tao's tower, in the same pattern of white and black. Her hair was as black and curly as his, though it was longer. Even her eyes were blue, and intense, like a Luxray's. The woman smirked at him. "Hello there. Care to Battle?"

Alex decided to take the advantage. If this ghost, presumably some sort of shape changer, was going to mock him by gender-bending his own appearance, he was going to make use of the absurdity. "Ladies first."

The ghost chuckled, and as she did, her skin turned pale white, and the rest of her became equal parts black. The most noticeable change was their eyes, unnerving, and devoid of pupils. One was pure white, on their black half, and the pure black eye was on their white half. "So be it. One on one...no substitutions. Best of three." They called out a Pokémon then, and it coalesced in a flash of green. A Tropius appeared, and he found his hand drawn on instinct to Gel's ball. He paused, as he saw the smirk on his opponent's face. He had a feeling then, that they knew exactly what was on his team, and what was needed to counter it. The Tropius was a lure, judging by how strong it was. It had been trained, but not nearly as thoroughly as his team.


He sent Gel out then, and nodded at the ice type, as they joined their minds. Alex shivered, but he could endure the close contact for this. "If you feel the urge this time, my friend, do not repress it. The time has come. Give it all you have."

The white and blue Amaura gave a battle cry, and the air around the field turned cold. The Tropius fidgeted in discomfort. "Sunny Day!" The long-necked grass type, no doubt a distant genetic relation to the Amaurus before it, raised its head high in the room, and suddenly, heat filled the field. It felt not entirely unlike Fornia had, during the daytime hours of the summer.

That, was what Gelauros had trained in. He breathed deep, and exhaled frost, keeping his core as cold as he needed. The Amaurus had a feeling he knew what was coming next. Against orders, he fired an Ice Beam at the Solar Beam the Tropius shot towards him, and the two moves canceled out in an explosion of energy. It was a credit to Gel's strength that he managed to stop a Solar Beam that powerful.

The two Pokémon fired another series of beams, each one colliding with the other, and Alex found himself smirking. The ghosts knew what was on his team, but they hadn't accounted for Gel not having the rock typing that evidently even their era had been unable to remove entirely. In short, the Sages were not as omnipotent as they appeared. He gave Gel the plan then, and the Amaura sighed, but agreed it would be worth it.


The Tropius prepared another Solar Beam, and this time Gel took the hit as he leapt into the air, and found a shot on this particular opponent's weak spot. For Tropius, it was usually between their wings, or their fruit. Either would do. The blast from the solar beam faded, leaving the white skin of the Amaura smoking with heat, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed. Barely inconvenienced.

The little mouth opened, and a powerful orb of ice formed within it. With pinpoint accuracy, a thin beam of ice slammed into the Tropius, and froze it solid. Given how much damage it had done, the battle was over. Gel began to glow as he ascended to his adult phase amidst the spiraling bright white energy, and grew larger, taller, Alex guessed, than even his kin back at the lab. He pulled out the Pokédex, and it listed his height at an impressive nine feet, five inches. Growth patterns suggested he'd max out at twelve, when he'd aged a bit.

The air around them, despite the move from Tropius that yet lingered, was freezing cold. Especially on Alex's side of the field. He gave Gel the affectionate scratch he was looking for, and then recalled the tall Aurorus, who'd retained his coloring of pure white, and deep blue.


Next up came a Feraligator, and Alex answered with Hydrus, rather than his Torterra, to the evident surprise of his opponent. Within moments, the two Pokémon mega evolved. Having not seen a Feraligator ascend before, both he and Hydrus took it in. It was most comfortable on all fours now, and seemed to have reversed along its evolutionary path, rather than gone forward.

Now part water, part rock, the light blue plates of armor covered the Pokémon's form completely, but the muscle beneath suggested the Mega Feraligator could still move rather quickly despite them. Hydrus charged forward, only to, in the blink of an eye, find both hands occupied and wounded as the bulging arms struggled to keep the predator's deadly jaws from crunching shut. They had barely seen it move, and Hydrus had relied more on instinct than battle technique to avoid being seriously chomped.

Hydrus glanced at his Trainer, and Alex nodded. The Swampert focused then, as Pokémon and Trainer glowed a deep blue, and an aura of power settled over his Mega Form. Hydrus wrenched the jaws open with sudden strength, and then rotated in place, tossing the Feraligator into the nearest wall with a seismic impact. With a new unfamiliar weakness to fighting moves, the gator winced in pain, long enough for the aura-covered form of the Swampert to appear behind him as he struggled to stand.

Hydrus eyes shone an ominous blue as the bulky mudfish ended the match with one swift, merciless Drain Punch.


Alex flashed the victory sign. "Best of three. What am I unlocking next?"

The black and white figure turned into a blur of gray then, vaguely in the shape of a humanoid. A mouth appeared on the head, but only when it spoke. It was unnerving to watch it move as the ghost spoke. "This Trial is not for a Chakra. The others do not care for me, because I represent something they all detest. Combat. Conflict. And the honor inherent to Battling in this world. If they had their way, I would simply not exist, but they cannot deny our species' will to compete. This is the drive I test in all applicants. Tell me, you who would be King, are they right? Would our world be less prone to violence if Battling for sport was not so commonplace?"

Alex smirked. Unovans in particular had already had this dilemma before, not surprisingly, from N. "I would argue that because everyone, more or less, knows how to Battle, the world is less...unfair. Those who are otherwise weak can become strong with the right partner. They don't need to sit idly by, trampled by those who are stronger. They have a chance to resist, and it is that very chance that dissuades so many would-be criminals."

"And what of Trainers like you? Do you not crush all who oppose you? I know your record, you know. Not bad at all. But to an average Trainer, they have a better experience not facing you at all. Defeat stings." The ghost paused, which was the only way Alex knew it was time for a response. There was no face to read, which was also unnerving.

"Defeat does sting...but I generally try to leave those I beat with some sort of wisdom. If they want it. If they don't ask, I don't push it on them." He shrugged. "Sometimes a reality check is useful. I've needed one more than once, and I've lost as well. I know exactly where my strength is, more or less, I know my limits, and how to surpass them...though I expect I'll have to re-evaluate them once I'm out of here."


The strange mouth smirked. "Do not assume you will get out so easily...our King is not likely to surrender his family's legacy."

Alex glanced towards the stairs then, "We will see about that." He turned back to the ghost. "To answer your question, Trainers like me have an obligation to not run around crushing the hopes and dreams of whoever we meet. Obviously, sometimes only a Battle from someone on their level is the only thing that can set them straight. Those are the kind of Trainers I enjoy beating the most. They're always a challenge."

The ghost-smirk widened. "You understand, then, the responsibility of power. Intriguing. If only there was an organization in this world that could monitor and keep such Trainers in check."

Alex smirked back at the ghost. "If only." He headed for the stairs then, more than ready to finally pass this test, and start turning the tide of this conflict.



The Path of the King


Alex glanced briefly at the words above the door to this, the final challenge. He knew he should've felt tired, but seven pools of energy within his large form had been awakened, and now flowed freely. They demanded release, though he knew not what would occur when and if they were finally freed.

He stepped into the final chamber, and knew from his map that it was where Hilda had first found the Relic Crown. Evidently, that had not been the real one. The ancient King from earlier stood before him now, crownless. He gripped the ethereal crown with his right hand, and as Alex eyed it, it became corporeal.

"So. You've actually made it." The ancient King gestured at the walls of the room, and they lowered, revealing the topmost room of the ancient ruins for what it was. The ancient lighthouse of Unova's eastern coast, once regarded as one of the Wonders of the ancient world, and one thought lost to war. Four pillars supported the crest of the ruins, and as the King gestured again, blinding light formed where the walls once stood.


"A true King must always be mindful of how their actions can, and will, affect the world at large. They see the consequences of said actions, and with that sight, are able to guide their people towards the path they deem worth following." The ghost had his back to Alex, but then, he turned, and the two locked their gazes. "A true King remains detached, impartial, and chooses what he believes to be the right course of action. This is his duty. His curse."

Alex met the ghost's eyes evenly. "I accept the burden."

The ghost chuckled. "Do you? Heavy is the head that wears the crown. You will never be rid of it. As long as you live, and you will live for a very, very long time, Alexander Redwood, you will be bound to Unova in ways you cannot possibly understand. Not yet, anyways."

Alex let his smirk play across his normally impassive face. "I accept the burden."

The King's sad eyes narrowed. "A true King inspires hope. In himself. In the future. Do you have any comprehension of what that means? Do you have any idea of what awaits you, once you take this crown?"

Before he knew it, Alex was standing directly before the old man. He could read every line on his face. His psychic gaze was telling him far more than ever before. Each of the ghosts had possessed dual typing, not surprising, given who must have trained them, and the King was no exception. Ghost and psychic. He could tell this specter of a bygone age longed for his own heir to be here, standing before him, but that was simply not how events had unfolded.

"I accept the burden."

With those words, the ancient King sighed, and the crown vanished from his hand. His ghostly form faded into nothingness as he whispered his final words. "Then may you carry it better than we did. For Unova."


Alex bowed again. "For Unova." As he straightened, he felt the gathered power surge once more, rising high into the sky where it touched...something. The normally blue aura of his psychic energy shifted to gold, and his power formed in a familiar shape atop his head. The crown reappeared, and thunder boomed while lightning cracked the sky outside the now risen palace.

Eight bolts of plasma arced down from the heavens, and struck the glowing chamber, and its sole occupant. The crown pulsed with power, as the incorporeal Storm Crown merged with the corporeal vessel that could contain its awesome power. A circular opening appeared in the top of the room, and Alex ascended through it, lifting his form easily. He didn't even notice the weight of his large build anymore. Indeed, as the energy flowed freely through his body, his eyes saw what he imagined N must see regularly. Numbers that would have made his head spin but a few hours earlier. Patterns. Shapes. Paths half seen, and yet still very much there. It would take time to be able to read them properly. Apparently, this was how the Harmonias had seen the world, but to Alex, it was just another thing to master, with time and effort.

Then, he looked down, and his good mood shifted to one of unease. Undella Town was thoroughly wrecked. The Marine Tube had shattered, and now only a small salty lake, directly south of the upturned town, was what remained of the beautiful bay that had once drawn crowds of rich tourists. The pyramidal structure that was the Dragon Palace rested atop a newly risen land mass, and as golden light shone through it from the inside out, the weathered stone renewed.

Ancient carvings made themselves clear again, and the damage of eons of water flow faded before the energy surging through the building. Seven orbs of light joined him in the air above the palace, forming into the various ghosts he'd seen below.


For your service, a second life I grant. Use it well.

A quick glance at the Sages told Alex that they had not, in fact, expected the hauntingly familiar tone of pure power that came from the heavens at that moment. Each of their multicolored forms shone bright with blinding gold light, and in the space of an eye blink, the seven of them were transported to the main entrance of the palace, now once more revealed and made whole. A pair of dragons were carved into both sides of it, one black, one white, and both reminiscent of the Original they'd no doubt been made to resemble.

Alex looked again at the Sages, and smirked. Each now once more possessed a body, though their skin tone remained the same color their ghostly forms had been. Evidently their 'service' would continue, even after these new forms expired. But for now, the pleasures of corporeal existence were theirs to once more enjoy.

As one, they bowed towards him in Unovan fashion, and with one voice said, "All hail the return of the King!" A roar followed their words, and Alex glanced up to see a familiar dragon, arcing through the sky. Tao smiled down at them, and then, went sailing through the air as a purple colored Outrage attack slammed into his left side, catching him completely off guard. Alex followed the trail of the beam, and spied a familiar Noivern, with a familiar Trainer on its back, head once more attached. Pravus' Hand of Death. Below him, running quickly over the mountains in the distance, he made out figures garbed entirely in black armored suits, their features covered by helmets with T-shaped visors.

"Muk."



Chapter 26: The Fornian Blitz



Unova University, Main Lab – Unova Region


"Work, damn you." Eric Redwood muttered to himself as the fabrication machine, which usually produced Pokéballs, attempted to create yet another plasma sword hilt.

The screen before him flashed green, all the components were in place, but once more it all shifted to red, and gave an error message. The probability of the finished product exploding on ignition had lowered by three percent, but unfortunately the whole number remained in the low eighties. An almost assured malfunction. Unacceptable for war.

The younger Redwood sighed, and ran the faulty blade through the machine dedicated to deconstructing the parts, and it spat them back out in small reusable piles. The rest of his team had long since passed out, and the sun was rising on a new day. He knew his brother would likely be done soon, one way or another, and he was determined to not be completely outshone.

A loud, powerful, and yet somehow calming mental baritone thundered in his skull, "How goes the work?"


Eric didn't need to ask who or what was speaking, as this was at least the eighth time the Dragon God of his homeland had asked. All night he'd been putting off giving up completely, but he was at his limit now. The last configuration had failed.

He knew it was no coincidence that Tao had reached out to him moments later. His understanding of focusing the power of Chargestones had helped reduce the probability of failure from the ninety-nine percent that had demoralized his team into mental exhaustion after almost a day of consistent failure to create a suitable hilt.

Beyond that though, the dragon's knowledge ended. Eric responded in his head, somewhat familiar with it by now. He could almost vaguely sense the same feeling he had when in the dragon's presence, but in his head.

It was a strange feeling, and he had no idea how his brother had gotten used to it so quickly. It was almost too calm. "I'm out of ideas, great Dragon. The Tesla lenses are converting plasma fine, and the crystals can handle the energy flow. The insulators keep overheating though, and we simply don't have the kind of heat sink necessary to handle focused plasma. The emitters are fine, theoretically, but with such limited insulators we haven't really been able to test them. As it stands, they'll blow apart in our hand after roughly five seconds. The containment field has the same heat problem."


The dragon seemed to rumble in his head, a noise he'd come to associate with pondering. "I think I know how to give you some aid. Only one other, that I know of, has wielded a weapon like this before."

Eric waited patiently, but Tao remained silent. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Eric began to drift off, and soon, he'd joined the rest of his team in deep slumber. They were all awoken by a thunderous bampf from the back of the lab, near Gelauros' old pen. Eric groggily made his way towards the noise, and his brow rose to Spockian heights as he beheld the smoking form of the figure that had appeared in their lab.

He was a thin man, skin as pale as snow, which almost matched his hair. That, however, was tinged with the golden color of a pale blonde. His clothes were a strange mix of white, cyan, and whitish-gold, and as he rose from the three-point stance he'd landed in, he raised a fist in the air.

"You'll pay for that, you pompous lizard! Bloody arrogant Dragon Ty-" His words paused, as he saw the five nerds standing before him, half asleep. "Hmm. So you're the 'group of experts' trying to cash in on my expertise, eh?" His eyes settled on Eric. "You must be the little brother. He wasn't kidding when he said you were total opposites. Same eyes, though."

The man sighed, then glanced skyward. "Fine. But you owe me, Dragon. You, and your whelp. Twice now I've had to get involved in his affairs." He paused, as Tao presumably responded. A genuine smile came over the man's features. "Now that is the kind of gratitude I deserve! Very well." His gaze turned back to the Brain Trust, and he gave a flourishing bow. "Percival von Guterstein Velhavende Locuples the Third, at your service." He grinned up at them, golden eyes alight with mischief and maybe a hint of madness. "But you can call me-"


"Percy." Eric said, breaking the 'spell' the charismatic figure had over them, that had kept them silent through his shenanigans. He gave a bow in the Unovan style, and the other members of the Brain Trust did the same.

Alex had, in recounting his frankly ridiculous trip to Norstad involving demigods and giant dragons, mentioned the aid and irritation the 'fairy king' had given them. He'd also mentioned that he was Xerneas' Tamer. That likely meant that he was immortal. Eric only knew of one other such Trainer, blessed by the Legendary hind's Kalosian counterpart, the once more enthroned King AZ.

Percy's unsettling grin focused on Eric, and the younger Redwood again wondered how his brother kept meeting such ancient beings. And befriending them. "So, my fame runs before me. Alright little Redwood, show me what you have so far, and I'll make it work."

Eric's brow rose higher. "Just like that?"

Percy nodded. "I am now extremely invested in getting the lizard's minions properly outfitted, though, if you ask me, you're all doomed. Pravus's troops carry mass-produced weapons that are essentially advanced, portable versions of what they used to keep all of Unova from retrieving the Original Dragon, in the middle of New Tork City. Pravus may be madder than a hatter, but he's been preparing for this. By the time Unova is ready, assuming you get even that far, you'll be in for a long, bloody, war."


Eric pushed his glasses up with one finger, and let the fluorescent lighting hide his eyes. "With respect, 'Fairy King', we're not going to lay down and let him conquer us. This is Unova. We bow only to One. Before we're through, the Fornians will remember why."

Percy's grin widened. "Even if that One is your brother?"

Eric flinched, but nodded again. "If even half of what he told me about Norstad is true, he can…handle it. With the Dragon's help."

Percy chuckled softly. "Fighting spirit in the face of hopeless odds. I like it."


By now, they'd walked over to the machine responsible solely for testing the components that would make up the blades. Percy's golden eyes flew over the data, and he smirked. "Having heat trouble, hmm? I ran into a similar problem. And Chargestones? Interesting choice...but it works. I guess. If you like blue."

A tired looking Frankie yawned, and joined the two, followed by the others. "Can you fix it?"

Percy's grin returned. "Do Ursaring defecate in forests? I have a solution, little nerd, but you're not going to like it."

The group looked at him expectantly, and he continued. "There exists on this planet a type of metal suitable for handling high powered currents of energy. It's actually quite plentiful...if you know where to look."


Eric spoke up then. "And where, exactly, would we find this metal?"

Percy chuckled. "On this continent? Only one source exists, and Caleb Pravus has been...thorough... in keeping it all for himself. Where do you think he got so much for Sacreus' bunker city? His troop's armor and weapons? Where do you think all that ore the Church has been mining goes?" The five tired nerds stared at the Fairy King, too tired to deal with this kind of high-energy pep at the break of dawn.

Percy raised a finger, and gave his best impression of a Professor. "There exists a special Pokémon, in some parts of the world, worshiped since ancient times for giving Humanity the means to rebuild their towers that scrape the sky. On this continent, they exist only in one place, and any others that are discovered, or that manage to escape, are rounded up by the Prophet's own Hands."

Eric pinched the bridge of his nose. "Muk."

They'd all heard the stories, of course. Of the supposed living fields of metal that the Arcean Church used to build their infrastructure so quickly. Naturally, such absurdities were common amongst the many conspiracy theories made by those who claimed to have successfully left the Church, and were convinced that they needed to 'spread the truth'. The problem, was that the Church had countered them by releasing pretend conspiracists, until any and all rumor involving them was seen as most likely baseless. They'd buried the truth behind nonsense. It was common tactic of theirs, to flood the 'zone' as it were, with BS.

The Church had, of course, denied the existence of such efforts, or people making them. Now though, much of what had once been considered 'hate speech' from 'disgruntled thieves, unworthy of the Church' now rang with an unnerving air of truth.


Percy gave a dark chuckle. "The word came from the Church's own members. At Unova's peril, you all ignored it. I mean, even I knew about the metal fields, and I've been locked in a tower for thousands of years." He glanced at the main monitor, and smirked. "Here. Pictures will do better than words. You lot have at least one satellite, aye?"

"Yes..." Eric said, recalling how Alex had spoken of the reason Percy had been in his tower. "But they don't like us using it..."

Percy immediately began typing commands into the console, grinning like a madman. "Please. They won't even know I was in here." The screen flashed, as he easily bypassed the passwords both for the computer, and control of the satellite. Usually used by students whose goal was to one day report the weather with some accuracy, it didn't have the best zooming-in capabilities, but Percy made do.

The screen lit up with the University's campus, and then moved thousands of miles in the space of a few seconds. They gasped, as they saw Fornia, and the thin man swore in a language that none of them knew. "Draaf. I knew it was bad, but…" Fornia was, in a word, on fire. The entire northern part of the region now burned, with the exception of a few small patches of green, due to water Pokémon no doubt.


The problem, was that most of the sky was now covered in smoke, for the winds favored Pravus' plan, and were blowing in a southern and eastern direction. They were winter winds, and they had come early this year. Once over the Stoney Mountains, the air currents brought it all east, in an ever-encroaching blanket of ash-filled darkness. The cloud avoided the populated areas of the regions under Arcean control, namely the cities, but as it moved ever eastward it would, eventually, cover Unova as well.

After zooming in through the ash clouds, they witnessed a scene straight out of one of old Earth's fairytales. It looked, for all intents and purposes, like a scene from tales of Armageddon, or Ragnarok. Fire, smoke, entire herds of local Pokémon heading in whatever direction they thought would provide safety. Too many hadn't escaped the flames, but thankfully, the region's many ground types seemed to be capable of extinguishing the wounded, and clearing temporary paths in the flames.

"Enough." Eric finally managed, after noticing the looks on the faces of his team. Those images would likely haunt them, but as Percy shifted the camera, a new horror covered the screen. Fornia's southernmost peninsula, to the west of their half of Texico, was mostly desert and scrub.


The only city of note that far south was Arcino, but with their aerial view, they spotted something else, silver against the reddish brown of the ground. Percy zoomed in, and again, the group gasped.

While a relatively new discovery, the Hex Nut Pokémon had exploded in popularity…on other continents. Unovans, amongst others, had eagerly waited for more to appear in their regions after their discovery in Alola, and yet, very few had. Within a few years, the Meltan had all seemingly vanished completely, even from the islands. Now, from an aerial view, they saw where they'd all wound up.

Meltan had a tendency to explode in population, and their evolution was, in some places, considered a mythical Pokémon. The large silver pools, visible from orbit, appeared to be filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of the species, all forced together as molten ooze, stuffed in giant craters upon the ground. Unable to form singular bodies, the nuts that passed for their heads floated helplessly in the pools.


Percy's tone was grim. "This, is where the Arceans get their metal from. I have it on good authority that, through means I'll leave you all to imagine, they've managed to make the Melmetal produce something much stronger than iron. In my day, such a thing was accomplished by a bond with a Tamer, and an appropriate diet. They just toss in the ore, and these pools produce a building material on par with ceracrete."

David spoke up then, looking just as pale and disturbed as the other four. "S-so how are we supposed to get what we need?"

Percy chuckled. "Leave that to the professionals." He set the satellite back to its original position, and left as tracelessly as he'd entered, even going as far as deleting the logs of the machine's use and movement. He turned then, to the fabrication machine, and examined the in-progress schematic. "I'll handle it, at any rate, but first…let's adjust this…"

His fingers flew over the keyboard, and the other five watched, somewhat amazed, as the strange man with the fancy clothes and hat reduced the percentage of failure upon completion to acceptable parameters. Once they had the materials they needed. "The holy lizard wants you five focused on armor, now. The east has great Trainers, and strong Pokémon, but they keep dying because their opponents are far better equipped. Solve that, while I get your metal."


"And how do we do that?" One of the nerds asked.

Percy chuckled again. "Speak with Rayquaza. The older one…er, you may know it as the 'eastern one' as well. He's the one in charge of supplying your…materials. Get to it!"

Percy gave another flourish with his hat as he bowed, and then vanished with a flash of energy the five had come to associate with those who could Teleport. "Bloody psychics…" Eric muttered, still eyeing the schematic, and what changes had been made. He couldn't argue with the fact that Percy was either brilliant, or knew what he was doing. Or both. He glanced at the others. "You heard him. Back to work. I'm going to take a nap."



The Dragon Emperor's Palace – Unova Region


Tao, thankfully, was not so weak as to go down from one Outrage attack. His scales were scorched, but he managed to right himself over the ruined, empty buildings of Undella, only to find that the focus of his awakened fury was already going claw-to-claw with Shruikan, in a rematch both had evidently wanted. A Tyranitar and the Swampert called Hydrus were engaged as well, trading titanic punches. Both were surrounded in a shield of aura, but the Tyranitar's was blackish purple, and shocked to the touch. Thankfully, Hydrus was part ground type, but it still stung with every hit.

Alex had been surrounded by seven multicolored lights once the mega evolved Noivern had struck Tao. His team had popped free on their own, their power surging as their Trainer's did. He split his mental focus with ease, and helped each of them fight simultaneously as they moved to engage the Hand's team, including his younger members, who had teamed up, and taken on a group of black clad Arceans that had made their way onto the remnants of the beach.

He'd worried, for a moment, until he sensed Ictus. Evidently the surge of power, and fresh victory with Fell Stinger, had been enough for the crimson scorpion to evolve. Between him, Gelauros, and Cenomons, they could handle things.


Alex's eyes were still burning with golden light, and the Sages each withdrew a crystalline spherical 'Pokéball' that was evidently common to their era three millennia past. They had called out their revived partners once the Arceans had begun charging the palace. Evidently, they were here for the new 'Dragon Emperor', but capturing the newly risen seat of the Empire would deal a telling blow to morale.

The nearby Trainers perched on the cliffs above Undella, who'd sensibly hauled ass once the ground started shaking, were now engaged as well. From seemingly nowhere, the Hand had appeared with a small army of elite Trainers. Blaze joined Shruikan in the sky, and the three dragons cartwheeled over the former bay, lighting the area up with their flames and beams of energy.

The Seven Sage's Pokémon went forth to help as well, only to be met by three figures who appeared seemingly out of nowhere, in the blink of an eye. Evidently, the Shadow Triad had found new employers.


Lux spoke then, eyes widening at what he sensed. "Go to the dragon! Merge your power with his. That will…handle this." The ghost flitted back into the hilt, which Alex then ignited, as he sailed through the air towards the Original Dragon.

The Hand of Death chuckled, appearing before him from seemingly nowhere. Alex shifted in mid-air, and zipped past him, but he followed behind, shouting, "What is it with you, and running from Battle? I bet N never turned his back to his enemies this often!"

Alex ignored the obvious goading, meant only to distract him from uniting with the dragon. He was Tao's Tamer, and it was time Fornia understood exactly what that meant. It was a lesson Unova had learned long ago, and it was one that had stuck in their cultural psyche.

Spiraling through the air towards Alex, the two met, and the human landed atop his icy crest, that made up his horns, and formed a ridge down his back. Ice swirled up around his shoes, holding him in place. The dragon snarled, glaring at the sky. "We're too low…"


Alex was busy focusing on his plasma sword, as the base opened to admit his Draco Plate crystal, when an ear-splitting screech tore through the sky. His focus was broken. There was power in that cry, that could only have been a Hyper Voice. From above the clouds gathered by the lightning that had struck the still-glowing lighthouse atop the palace, a figure straight from pre-history appeared.

Where the east coast had Tao, the western coast also had a Legendary Guardian of their own, in the distant past. Some claimed it had been Ho Oh, but the most infamous Legend was the Pokémon known as Ignavis, though whether that was its nickname or its species name, no one was sure. Ignavis had been the product of 'dark sorcerers' in the western regions, evidently created by infusing Shadow into a Moltres egg via ancient and lost magical arts from another region. The stories claimed that Tao had slain the bird after it scorched half the Empire, but evidently, it had risen again several times through the ages.

Where once flames of red, orange and white had covered the wings, purple now dominated. Alex could see the resemblance to Moltres in the gold and red feathers, now tainted with blackish purple, but this creature was now far beyond that species and seemed more similar in appearance to the Galarian variant of the Legendary bird, cursed to an existence of constant and painful rebirth if the legends were true. The enormous bird's blue eyes were, even from this distance, filled with pain. The dark form of the Hand of Death appeared atop the bird's head, and he guided it towards the pair. It let out a shriek of rage as it spotted Tao, and once more, the dragon and the firebird dueled in the sky.


Ice formed in a protective block around Alex as he knelt low to avoid the massive flaming razor sharp beak of the Legendary bird. "Focus on empowering the crystal." Tao's voice came, calm as ever, even though he currently was whirling and slashing about in the clouds so quickly Alex could hardly follow his spiraling movements. "It will take much for me to achieve the next level."

Alex smirked. He'd figured as much. He began chanting low, in the dragon tongue, hilt grasped with both hands as dark fire met the three elements at the dragon's command just beyond his icy protection. Finally, he felt Lux give him the signal. It was ready.

His eyes shifted from gold to blue, though he hardly noticed, as he raised the hilt, ignited it, and sliced through his icy shield. Tao had just forced the Shadow-infused bird back with a torrent of fire that sparkled with blue electricity, and the hilt flared as the Original Dragon's Tamer finished his incantation, and activated the power with a final Shout.

"Dovah Envok!"


The Light energy that had been surging through him now transferred into the Original Dragon though his sword's hilt, and his form turned pure white as the infinite power of the Alpha remade him. A second pair of wings jutted out from above his hind legs, looking more akin to Reshiram's than Zekrom's. An aura of brilliant gold formed around Tao's altered form, which was significantly larger in size, at almost a hundred and fifty feet in length. His facial tendrils now constantly sparked, and a pair of blue flames that looked suspiciously like eyebrows now adorned the dragon's scaly brow.

The most notable change however, aside from a noticeable increase in size, was his tail. Where before it had resembled a lizard's save for the icy crest on the end, it now was entirely encased in sparking ice, and took the shape of a wicked looking serpent-like appendage that resembled a tail with the sharp head of a lance. Despite the ice, it seemed to move as fluidly as his regular form's appendage. His wings were covered on their edges with icy spikes, and his claws were now much the same as the crest running down his back, in that they too burned with fire.

Tao gave a roar that echoed across the former bay, as he ascended to his Mega Form, the symbol of Infinity flashing briefly above his head, before he refocused his attacks on his quarry. That roar got everyone's attention, and many paused to stare in awe at the dragon above them. The Unovans cheered, and the tide began to turn as Tao's tail rearranged the ice surrounding it, momentarily obscuring the deadly weapon that was the tip as a mix of Zekrom and Reshiram's tails formed around the serpentine appendage, and roared like a rocket engine, sending the dragon and his Tamer straight towards the dark bird at unmatchable speed.


Like Alex, Pravus's Hand had come prepared, and while each of their teams were battling, the two of them were yet perched atop their Legendary partners. That is, until a powerful Air Slash, which was also somehow sporting dark purple flames, slammed into the dragon's head as he charged, and sent his Tamer plummeting.

Tao focused on fighting the dark phoenix, as he assumed his human would be fine. He'd survived the Trials after all, and had successfully walked each path. He could handle the corpse-being that, at that very moment, followed the Champion through the air, down into the forests just south of Undella. The two massive Pokémon had drifted further west, as they clashed, and there was no doubt that Nimbasa was getting quite a show.

Alex managed to halt his fall, stopping his momentum at the last second, and then landing gently. The Hand of Death had no such respect for their terrain. He came hurtling down, and his landing left a crater within the small, wooded clearing they'd found. There was a small river just behind it, that sounded like it connected to a waterfall of some description not far from them.


Finally down to just his sword, but still, even then, mentally aiding his team in their own respective battles, Alex ignited the blade once more, as he connected with his Rotom, and fell into his usual fighting stance. He had no doubt the Hand had orders to take him alive. Though he imagined dead would work just as well.

The man gave a dark chuckle, and black energy swirled in his palms, coalescing into a deadly, and admittedly cool looking pair of scythes that curved up along each of the man's arms perfectly. Fighting him in melee combat would be unwise, it seemed. "Come quietly, Redwood…I don't want to be in this backwater region when the army gets here. The Blitz has already begun. It's not going to be pretty…but you were all given plenty of time to join us."

Alex gave the plasma sword a twirl as he shifted his stance, and the lower end of it sprang to life as well. The new blade remained the same black and white color, but an aura of draconic energy surrounded the entire weapon as Lux drew on the crystal still within the hilt. "We were never going to join your cult…not by force. We value our freedoms too much on this side of the continent."

"Exactly…" One of the dark blades sliced towards him, but it seemed to be moving in slow motion to his new, strange vision, and he dodged it with ease. Alex chalked it up to the recent power-increase, and let the energy of the universe flow through his eight opened chakra points. His eyes shifted to dark blue as he reached for the energy, and formed an aura shield of dragon and psychic typing over his form. Not unlike the ones most of his team were slowly getting the hang of controlling. "You all value your pointless freedoms far too much…you have no structure, no goals, your governments are weak, and your Trainers…leave much to be desired."


Alex decided to strike then, or try to, only to find that the strange black metal repelled his dual-bladed sword. So far, it was the only thing it hadn't cut clean through. Their exchange of blows occurred faster than normal eyes could follow, but in the end, Alex only managed a small singe mark on the man's thigh. It healed before his eyes, and he grimaced.

The Hand found it amusing, though. "Cut me as much as you like…it will make no difference. I'm just toying with you." Another furious exchange of blows came then, and the truth of the Hand's words became evident as Alex realized who the better fighter was.

He forced himself to smirk, despite the increasingly dire circumstances. "I had a feeling you were holding back…time to stop playing around, then." Though his words were confident, the bravado was empty, as yet another lightning fast exchange resulted in yet another stalemate. He couldn't break the man's guard, but neither did he seem able to get through his own as easily as he claimed.

The Hand chuckled. "If that's the best you've got, we started this war early for nothing."

"You haven't even seen a glimpse of what I have in store for your Prophet…and I'm not expending it on you." Alex's smirk widened, and the Hand's face went cold, neutral, unreadable.

"Then you shall die."


The blows came faster then, and the man assaulted Alex's dual-bladed guard with the relentless power only undeath could give. He was a corpse. He would keep fighting long after Redwood was exhausted. For his part, Alex tried every combination of moves he could, but it was never enough. No shift in fighting style worked, and he could barely keep the incoming blows from cutting him.

The Hand's scythes dripped with crimson, and the pale man licked one. His eyes widened, slightly. "So…that's the difference…interesting…but not enough, Dragonborn." The Prophet's Hand stopped playing around then, as both blades forced the dual-bladed plasma sword up, leaving the little hero's midsection open, for a moment. A moment was all he needed.

Alex watched the scythes twirl impossibly fast. His new, and still unfamiliar heightened perception could track such things easily, but his body was nowhere near fast enough to dodge this. Not after the injuries he'd taken. His arms and legs bore the most cuts, but Tao's clothing really was invaluable, as it stitched back together, it also mended his skin with makeshift stitching, made of pieces of the strange fabric. It would need tending later, but for the battle at hand, it was useful, and kept him from bleeding out.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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  • Age 30
  • Seen yesterday

The Hand's weapons did something strange as he arced his weapons up for the finishing blow. They came together at each handle, and formed a proper length dual-sided scythe, right as the man brought it down towards his tired opponent with a vertical two-handed strike. The pale Hand growled in his throat as he saw his weapon stopped by a blade similar in curve to his own, one that was black, and bore streaks of red.

"Not today!" A triumphant voice crowed from atop the waterfall. Alex glanced up to see a black scaled Haxorus blocking the path of the deadly scythe's blade with a blade of his own. "Dual-Chop!" The dragon began smashing his head at the man, who struggled to hold it off, for a moment. Long enough for the Haxorus's Trainer to jump down, grab the large form of the Champion, and leap away.

Alex only got a brief glance at his would-be rescuer, before their escape was halted. A gleaming metal shackle had the man around the ankle, and as Alex got a proper look at him, his eyes widened. "Lance!?"

It was indeed the blue haired boy he'd battled some years before, the grandson who'd been named for his famous relative, and apparently puberty had finally hit him. Moreover, his attire seemed familiar, and it took Alex a minute to recognize the Opelucid Gym's new outfits.


"Glad you remember me." The Dragon Tamer said, somewhat sarcastically. "The Dragon called for reinforcements. Nate answered." He gestured at the sky then, and Alex stared, as did Pravus's Hand. The skies over Undella, and the area immediately south and west, were teeming with dragon types, each fully evolved, and many trained by Nate's own hand. Leading them, arms crossed atop his Hydreigon, was the Champion turned Gym Leader, and one of Unova's many Heroes. A man arguably as ruthlessly strong as Hilbert, who was set on becoming a true Dragon Tamer.

The battle between Tao and his shadowy opponent quickly turned. A hard crunch on the phoenix's neck stunned it long enough for the ice-covered, sparking tail to stab it in the heart. Blue flames overwhelmed purple, and the firebird fell from the sky, landing in the salty puddle just south of Undella's ruins, and all that remained of the bay. The heat from the Pokémon's passing burned away any remaining water, but thankfully, any Pokémon in the bay had quickly followed their instincts, and swam east, towards Unova's harbor once the ruins had begun shaking. There was plenty of room for them there.

Sensing the conflict had shifted, the Hand of Death began to move to escape, only to find himself wrapped up by a pair of Dragonair. Lance's equally blue-haired sister came through the foliage surrounding their little clearing then, and gave a nod towards Alex. "I'll make sure he stays put. With the others we've captured."

"Keep him wrapped up." Alex said, caution in his tone, "If we give him a chance to flee, he will take it. My team has his Pokémon handled." Indeed, each of them had subdued the Hand's Pokémon, usually by way of fainting. Only the Tyranitar had escaped underground, quickly outpacing his Lairon in digging speed.


Blue light surrounded their little group, as Alex lifted them into the air, ignoring the cries of surprise. They paused, as they saw the field of battle. Plenty of Trainers had, evidently, fallen to the surprise attack. Most had been out hoping to see history, not die in the first skirmish of the war. Only the strong had survived the Arcean's unified brutality. This would not be the first time their better equipment and tactics would kill all but the strong, and indeed, it was happening even at that moment, all along the newly established front between east and west.

Alex landed them next to Tao, who was still in his Mega Form. His long neck turned towards them, and focused on the prisoner they'd brought with them. The eyes narrowed, and began to glow with bright golden Purging Light as they focused on the Hand of Death, who began to laugh.

It was an unnerving sound, one that almost hurt to hear, but eventually it was silenced by the thundering Voice of the Original Dragon. "Ahvakaar…" The eyes flared, burning with impossibly bright Light energy, and the laughs turned to a brief, pitiable scream as the Hand was incinerated. The Dragonair, who to their credit had not moved, had been untouched, and even healed, in the Light the Original Dragon now wielded.


Tao raised his head again, and snorted in distaste. His eyes focused on his Tamer, and he spoke only to him, then. "If ever you doubt why Pravus needs to die…remember the creature you just saw. Undeath is the antithesis of what we stand for. There is life, there is death, always in Balance. Undeath disrupts that Balance, usually by increasing the amount of death, and the world around such creatures suffers as a result. They are beings to be pitied, for they should not be, but are."

Alex nodded, responding the same way. "I hadn't intended to like it, but…it really is inevitable. If he takes total control, the number of things like that Hand is only going to increase. But that does make me wonder…what of Ghost Types?"

The dragon's eyes glanced away, "They…are quite different. Mainly for guiding the dead who get lost or diverted on their path to Arceus' realm, though they can also be lost themselves, and be very powerful because of it. Some, like your little spark, were simply composed of Ghost Type energy originally, and imbued with sentience. What gives said sentience varies between ghosts. Undeath is…different. Ghost Types come to be when those with Normal typing pass on. Usually, their energy goes straight to the Spirit World, but there are always exceptions. Abominations are…different. They can only be raised with the Shadow energy you've seen, given the freedom to once more roam among the living, but do not forget, always their goal is to empower the Shadow. It's not surprising Pravus figured out how to bind the dead to his will. There may yet be more of these."

Alex raised a brow at that, his third eye glaring at the dragon. "And if I encounter them, what am I supposed to do? Slicing this one didn't really work."


The dragon sighed. "It would have, if you'd found an opening…but his form was impressive, even I have to admit. Most cannot use dual-scythes so effectively. If you want to put these creatures down, you will need to Purge them, as I did. You meet their gaze, you hold it, and then you summon the Light. If they are not part of the natural order, they will be burned away. It has other uses as well, but stick to using it to cleanse the abomination's partners for now. I will make sure they do not cause more trouble."

Alex mulled that over as he did as instructed. The Hand's team had eventually been corralled, and all but the Noivern had accepted being bound. Once they were free of the Shadow's taint, they each apologized for what they'd been unable to control, and Alex found he understood them completely when they spoke. Likely a result of King Harmonia's gift. With the team cleansed and the purple egg of the phoenix in the Sage's capable hands, Alex climbed onto the Original Dragon's back, after thanking the siblings, and the two soared towards the palace. It was covered with lazing dragon types, all who had an eye on the massive form of Shruikan circling them overhead, like death itself. Alex spied Nate by the front entrance, speaking with the Sages.

The newly raised palace had been hit quite hard, but the Sages had earned their keep, and had kept any Arceans from entering. Now, they were barring Nate's way. Alex hopped off of Tao, who then perched by wrapping around the building. In his evolved state, he encircled all of it, easily. The dragon gave Shruikan a look then, and the massive dragon landed on the newly raised earth, then curled up for a nap.


Nate glanced at the Champion, and the two shared nods of mutual respect. He hadn't been around as often as Hilbert, and Alex hadn't made too strong of an effort to hang more. Namely because of the man's obnoxiously loud friend Hugh, who hung around him almost every day, trying to beat the Champion turned Gym Leader. He had not, according to Hilda, beaten Nate even once, but that hadn't stopped him. Nate hadn't seemed to mind their lack of contact, as he'd been focused on Rosa at the time, and little else.

Alex spoke first, "Thank you, for responding so quickly. Without the dragons, we would've tasted defeat, not victory."

Tao chuckled, and a murmur of draconic laughter rumbled from those also perched on the steps of the enormous pyramidal palace. The two humans stared up at him. "Victory? No…not victory. Not yet. This is only the first of many sparks that will ignite the flames Pravus craves." The dragon's eyes focused on the Gym Leader then. "We are going to need her. Wake her up." Nate bowed, and nodded, evidently quite aware of who Tao meant.

He turned to Alex then, and shrugged. "Tao told me to guard our homeland. That's what I've been doing. I hunt them, and Rosa jails them." His expression seemed to indicate he didn't care for the current state of affairs, and neither, frankly, did Alex. Tao sent a mental wave of agreement as well, though his mind was engaged now with the Sages, who had each floated up to him, and bowed in unison.

Alex spoke then, "I think it's time we change that. I don't need Arceans in Unova. Not while we're at war, at least. They've demonstrated that they'll do whatever their cult leaders order them to. No matter how morally questionable. They're a risk to our people, while this conflict exists."

Nate raised an eyebrow of his own as the Champion spoke. "So what do you intend to do about them...Dragon Emperor?"


Alex gave the man a grim smirk. "I'm going to give them a chance to redeem themselves…and I have a feeling many will take it."

Nate flinched as the Champion summoned his massive, napping Salamence with little more than a glance. The man leapt atop the dragon's head with a jump that no normal human could ever match as he flew by the formerly buried palace, Nate followed on his Hydreigon, as Tao and the Seven Sages properly conversed for the first time in millennia. Other dragons followed them into the sky, each carrying several prisoners bound to their backs by rope.

Now cleansed of the Shadow, the Hand's formerly enslaved Pokémon had agreed that, with their master gone, their loyalty to the human's cult was void. They'd taken off south, to the verdant forests, with Absol leading them. Said Absol had also promised Arthur that, should he ever need their aid, he would have it, for what he'd tried to do by freeing them in Fornia. Alex had listened in, mostly by accident, but again found himself understanding Pokéspeech with no difficulty.

The thunder of dragons headed north, towards Opelucid City once more, and as Alex and Nate peeled off and landed in Lacunosa Town just to the east of New Tork City's northern borough, he grimaced at what the town had become. Gone was the sleepy little walled village. After being turned into a prison by the Arceans under Ghetsis, and then reclaimed by the Unovan residents, the town had become the unofficial holding area for any Arceans that had been deemed a threat by the Unovan's police forces, and newly expanding military.

Conditions were, compared to the Church's prisons, luxurious. Three meals, time for exercise, and even access to TV. Nobody…official had come to the quietly forgotten town, and thus the 'prisoners' had never been interrogated.


"I'll need to see them one at a time." Alex said to Nate, as they headed toward the now militaristic camp's main building.

Nate chuckled, as he saw who'd come out to meet them. "That's not really my call."

The two Champions were as awkward and flustered as they'd ever been in the other's presence, and Alex waited patiently as the awkward small talk between he and Rosa dragged on. When there was a painful pause, he spoke. "It's time we freed up these people for the front line. You included, Rosa. One way or another, today, these Arceans are no longer our burden. I need a room. Soundproofed. Send them to me one at a time."

The woman glanced between him, and then Nate, who just shrugged, and then she nodded, seemingly glad for the chance to be free of watching these people. After weeks of hearing them whine and threaten litigation, which due to the current state of war, and governmental reorganization, would be pointless, she was ready to push them on someone else.

He ended up being given the mess hall, which had once been one of the townspeople's homes. The original occupants had been 'transferred' to Fornia, and the new Arcean occupants had been trampled to death in an icy stampede from Kyurem. Thus, it had been repurposed.


The first of the two hundred or so people he'd be forced to speak with came in, and set the tone for how most of the 'interrogations' would go. She was evidently someone who'd been captured from Castelia, in the sewers, amongst other militant Arceans who had been planning sabotage for use in this very conflict.

To his credit, Alex tried every other method first. He asked about her family. She had a husband, and three children. He asked where they were, and found they'd been scattered effectively around the Church's territory. He asked when she'd last seen them. She hadn't answered. He asked if that was what she'd wanted, and he came to learn that she'd been raised in this cult, and didn't know better. Staying apart was what families did. Saving the planet was too important.

He turned on the TV he'd had brought in then, and showed her the video that he'd asked Haley to work on over the summer. A guide for someone who'd been brainwashed into the Arcean cult and the many, many things they didn't know about it. He knew it needed some updating now, but it got the point across, once she watched. She saw how easily Pravus had whipped her deluded countrymen into a bloody frenzy. Getting her to watch had been a conflict in itself. Only by forcing her eyes and ears open by way of a brief, controlled burst of psychic power did she finally literally see the long history of sketchy violence and practices her Church was party to.

In truth, he'd only forced her eyes for a moment. Once they'd seen the screen, they'd stayed open out of pure human curiosity, and she'd been engrossed in the hard, disturbing evidence behind the Church's activities, much of which she knew the Church had already very specifically denied. From her perspective, it had been a little odd. At random times, the Church-run news network would make announcements about events they hadn't been openly linked to, with no other information about why they denied these claims officially being released. Most of their people hadn't known about the incidents in the first place, but they just assumed that the Prophet, for whatever reason, knew they had to be aware of this information. If they were going to Save the world.


It took several hours, but eventually, he felt certain that the woman understood, to a degree, the truth of things. Her resistance towards him had eroded to irritated acceptance, rather than outright shunning. He gave her a choice then, in exchange for turning infiltrator, Unova would find her relations, free them, and show them what she'd seen as well. He offered to help de-program them to the falsehoods they'd been fed, and eventually she agreed. She would claim to have escaped custody, and would be churned back into the machine that was the Church.

From there, the Rebels would guide her, as they were most familiar with what they needed to find. Tao had them focused on gathering as much intel on their foes as possible, though those among the Tribe that had wanted to fight, had been encouraged to do so. They were the ones currently in charge of whipping Unova's many skilled Trainers into physical fighting shape, and some semblance of an army.

Alex called in the next candidate, and after a few more hours of similar tactics, he'd convinced the man in question to settle a farm somewhere in Unova, and leave saving his family from the Church to the Dragon Emperor himself. He suddenly had a long list of names and locations to memorize, but Alex found that it was actually quite easy. His mind categorized information in a useful, and entirely new way since his trials. He found he could feasibly Teleport close enough to many of the people in question, and for those he couldn't, he always had other methods of travel.


Sorting through the entire 'camp' took several days, but Tao assured him that he had the war handled, for the moment, and that what he was doing was more important. There were billions of Fornians under the Church. The better he became at breaking their delusions, the quicker this war would end.

In the end only eighteen had refused his offers, even after learning, and more disturbingly, accepting, what their Church had done. They'd told him that it was the only way the Prophet could Save the planet. Before he could, he needed to dominate it, and because he was immortal, in time, he would. They had believed that they were the first generation of an army that would one day spread Arceus' Word to the stars as well. A Star Crusade, they called it. Where humanity would expand rapidly under the Church's influence, and cleanse any unworthy sentients or psychic-heretics they encountered. According to them, Pravus already had a working ship as well, one that could travel the stars in hours, rather than years.

It was a convincing tale, Alex admitted, and one he might very well have believed if he, like these people, had grown up with indoctrination in every hour of his early life. The more he broke their illusions however, the more he wondered. His granduncle had nurtured his skeptic side, but he'd always had a rational outlook on things. He'd figured out Santa shared Mom's handwriting when he was five, by comparing presents. He probably wouldn't have fit in, in Fornia.


That thought prompted a final round of interrogation. He let the now all but belligerent prisoners each ramble on for five minutes exactly, before cutting through whatever parroted nonsense they were spewing with a Word that silenced them as it shook the very air. He'd then asked what became of kids who had been like him, who were inherently skeptical. Or at the very least doubtful, of what the adults claimed was truth.

Each of the men had grinned at the question. It was a disturbing look, one his instincts told him was genuinely evil. The worst side humanity had to offer. What they told him was, in so many words, the same. Children like him were shipped off, sometimes for years at a time, to the Navy. There, trapped on a ship with naught but open sea for miles, they would learn to obey…or be thrown overboard to the Sharpedo swarms that acted as their battle-yacht's engines.

Many of the Sharpedo grew quite massive, and the strongest of those, were captured and infused with Shadow. The Navy had held their largely unnecessary blockade of the ocean for years. Japan had no interest in their land, and Eous was busy fighting the Imperium. Alola was isolated, but they hadn't weighed in on the current conflict yet. Word of it probably hadn't even reached them.

It seemed once again the Prophet had engineered a useful tool that accomplished several things at once. A powerful navy, which would keep the Alolans from going anywhere near the western coast regardless of what they decided, and a system that sorted the weak, and created strong water type Trainers. Still unnerved, he'd finally asked Tao what he thought, and the dragon seemed surprised. Evidently emperors of old believed their decisions were the right ones. Rarely did they consult him, after taking power.


The dragon had mentally watched his protégé interrogate the Fornians, and he had quietly grown cold in dread. This rhetoric was being spewed from low-level information gatherers. He knew, based on what he'd learned of the organization, that this 'devotion' would only be stronger the higher ranked one was. The army of 'Crusaders' were considered soldiers, and therefor were relatively high in the pecking order. They, and their families, were given the best lives the Church could offer in return for service, and thus, their loyalty was quite strong.

Finally, he gave his Tamer an answer. "Men like these are going to be the majority in those who've taken up arms against us. Their…certainty will be much stronger, their faith unquestioning. You will need your Voice to make them listen…or…you can try to Purge them. It is not always an attack, but can sometimes remove a being's inner conflict with…let's call it 'divine insight'. Once Purged, even their Bishops are likely to bow to you."

He could feel the dislike of the option in the human, and it was a long while before he responded. "And what would those I Purged be like, when this war ends? Will I be ruling over a bunch of devoutly loyal subjects missing half their natural emotions?" The dragon let silence speak for itself, and he sensed the human sigh. "That's what I thought. I can Purge men like these…the infiltrators, the soldiers, if we must…they'll never turn…but for the general masses, the civilians, I will need the right Words. First, I think I need to visit someone whose likely found them before…"



Shor's Hall, Uppsalir – Norstad Region


Alex felt a bit awkward, just Teleporting to Thor's own hall, but he did remember it well enough to do so. His stupidly large fist pounded the door three times, and after a moment, one of the Einherjar opened the door, and nodded at him in greeting. "Dovahkiin. You are welcome in Thor's hall always, for bringing Doom upon the World Eater. Come. Feast. I will retrieve Thor." Alex nodded, briefly examining the warrior as he entered and followed him. Most of Thor's warriors looked identical, well over his own height of six feet and five inches, bearded, and with similar skin to Thor's though where his was golden, theirs was silver, and up close he noted, faint straight lines ran across the warrior's skin, much like Thor's. It was not long before the God of Thunder himself appeared, grinning broadly as he saw Alex.

The grip hurt less, Alex noticed, as he and the Thunder God clasped the other by the wrist, in the manner of his people. "Welcome back, Dovahkiin. What brings you again into mine hall?"

He met the god's eyes then, and saw them widen. "You may have heard…I recently became the ruler of my people. You may have also heard that we're at war…and it is not going well. Not yet, anyways, or so the Dragon says. He claims to have a plan, and I trust his word." He saw the being casually rest a hand on the hilt of his hammer as he listened and nodded. "I come seeking your help with…a matter of the Voice. I know your people would usually just charge in, fight, and let nature decide who the strongest is, but I don't want to kill millions of people. Especially as I intend to rule them, as well. If I don't kill as many of their relatives, I'll have less…revenge-driven enemies, in the long run."

The Thunder God nodded his golden-haired head once more, "I understand. You believe the power of the Storm Voice will sway them from their…religious indoctrination. You would be correct. This means you are also aware, or at least assume, my people did something similar once."


Alex nodded. "Something like that…but from what the legends say, it wasn't a hostile takeover. The Aesir and Humans interacted plenty without…too much senseless violence."

That got a chuckle from the Asgardian, as they sat, and ate of the feast that took up most of the central room of the hall. To Alex's knowledge, the food was always fresh, and always present. And always delicious.

"The Humans were not that difficult to bend…we came to this world, shooting lightning and healing wounds, stopping natural disasters with skills we all, to a degree, possess. The belief that we were superior, and therefor divine, came naturally, in many cases, and it was not something we discouraged." The gold-skinned being put a hand on his shoulder then. "I know you hesitate to cause more bloodshed, and more violent cycles of revenge, but you need to understand something. These…Fornians, they are not like the Humans we encountered so very, very long ago shivering in the cold of this very land under straw-thatched roofs. They are smarter. Cunning. Aware of the natural forces, and unnatural ones, at work around them. They are more like the Jotuns. And I assume you have heard tell of how many of those we had to kill. Many by mine own hammer. There are some minions of Shadow that will not break, not even to a Hyper Voice."

Alex munched quietly on a random piece of meat, attached to a perfectly sized bone jutting from it. It was delicious, easy to chew, and none of the meat got on his hand, for the bone-like protrusion accommodated his ridiculously large fingers. Seeing the young human still in distress, Thor sighed.

"Very well…to know the Word to break them, you must know who they are. What the bedrock of their belief is. You must shatter the wrongness of it in an impactful way…then, at least, they will be confused, and hesitant to fight. They will think, and in that moment, many will understand what they are a part of. The good ones will rebel, and the number of dead will…lessen. The good news is that you are fighting a cult mentality. What breaks one thoroughly enough will likely work on most of them. But first…"


The Dragon Emperor smirked then, as the understanding slowly came across his features. "I must know my enemy. Thank you, Thor…I do appreciate the wisdom. And the food." They both chuckled at that, and bit into their respective hunks of meat. Alex caught the god's eye then, and saw a crimson eyebrow rise suggestively. Alex smirked, and rolled his eyes, but swung his backpack around anyways.

After several minutes of casual chatting, and setting up the instruments involved with enjoying the Leaf, the Aesir spoke, "And you say this…bong…can be fashioned of thunderclouds?"

Alex shrugged, but then nodded. "That's how the Dragon made this one. It's practically unbreakable. Do not." He said, as he saw the grinning god reaching for his hammer. He had a bad habit of smashing it into unbreakable things.

"I will forge you a new one!" Thor said, grinning at the dark grey instrument. He wanted to try Mjolnir's strength against that of the Original Dragon's. He'd heard the legend of the serpent's power, and now there was a chance to test himself against it right in front of him.

"After we smoke. I have a spare he made as well, just as useful, and a bit cleaner if I'm honest. It is always wise to carry a spare. You can bang on that one." That, thankfully, kept the God of Thunder from smashing the already packed instrument, and the two enjoyed the brief hours of peace, before the war that was to come.


Norstad had changed quite a bit since Alduin fell. The Everwinter had finally broken. Sun returned to the land, and Percy had made great efforts to regrow the forests. It was still cold, of course, but nothing compared to what had once been. While the Fairy King had rounded up the strongest of Norstad's new Trainers, each of whom had been inspired by the songs regarding the Fall of Alduin, and the role a Trainer had played in it, Thor had promised himself, his host of warriors, and a squad of Articuno flyers to reinforce their Unovan friends as well. He claimed to have a score to settle, with the Prophet. They were due to rendezvous with Professor Buckeye's forces in Ohiana over the next few days.

That only left Kalos unusually quiet. In all the long years the two had been allies, whenever the Imperium threatened Kalos, Unova would come to aid. When previous incarnations of Fornia had done the same as the current one, Kalos had come to Unova's aid, but now, after four attacks on the capital, and the outbreak of war, there was naught from Kalos but silence.



Lumiose City – Kalos Region


"It is time, Venu. Dark Burst." Four shadowy wings, akin to a Venomoth's, surrounded the figure under the full moon. He was a man, garbed now in a skin-tight suit that looked quite breathable, despite the skin-tightness. It was mainly purple in color, though there were hints of black as well. In the night sky, he was hard to see.

He soared high over Lumiose, and grinned. "Finally…those Hearts will be mine…"

The darkness in his wings flared as they continued to carry him ever higher. A voice came quietly from them, one he'd rarely heard of late. "Do not forget to whom you promised those artifacts, Dark Moth…"

"I remember, hag…" The man muttered. The legends said that whoever possessed both would be granted unlimited power, and while he'd been tempted to use that himself, another had made her interest in them known. She had been quite persuasive in convincing him that having ultimate power all the time was something that, inevitably, would ruin his relationship with the one he wanted revived. Therefor, he would bring the Hearts of Life and Death to her, and she would revive, in all capacities, the woman he'd lost. He did not doubt her skill, and did not desire any errors in such a revival process.


"Now…descend, my Shadow Spore!" The wings flared again, and orbs of darkness descended upon the sleeping citizens of Lumiose. Over the past few weeks, incidents involving people turned into 'super villains' had been an almost daily occurrence. It hadn't been long before most of the city had been affected by the oddness.

Normally, the Gym Leader would call in the League's help, but Clemont had, supposedly, locked himself in Lumiose Tower. In reality, nobody had seen him in public for quite a while. It wasn't all that unusual, as he'd created an automatic Gym Leader to handle his challengers while he invented decades ago, and the people of the region were now quite familiar with Clembot, but it had been months now with no word from anyone in the Gym. Aside from the machine, who wasn't programmed to answer questions about his maker.

With the absence of any official response, two Pokémon Trainers had answered the call to action. In their own words, these citizens turned dark called themselves villains. The two who stood against them figured there might as well be heroes, too. Nobody knew how the two heroes had acquired the Burst Hearts the turned citizens always seemed obsessed with stealing, but they'd given the ability to fuse a Trainer with their Pokémon, and become something new altogether. When normal Mega Evolution had failed, they'd stepped up, continuously, to drive off the unnaturally powerful opponents, and eventually cleanse them of the Shadow's influence.

Now, most of those who'd been cleansed were once more given the power, and once more, the Dark Moth's minions rose. The abilities his own Burst Heart gave him empowered both the citizen in question, and their Pokémon partner with varied supernatural abilities that made them quite strong. As expected, this usually led to chaos, but thus far, it had been relatively isolated chaos as Dark Moth tested his powers. It wasn't long before Lumiose was alight with the sounds of battle, as the local Trainers rose to meet the overwhelming numbers of brainwashed 'villains'.


Thankfully, the two Trainers who had become Kalos' newest faces of justice hadn't been slouching when it came to figuring out what was causing these transformations. They'd discussed the possibility of what might happen if the Shadows hit more than one person at once. After that, they'd reached out to the League itself by physically visiting the Elite Four's home, and in response, the Champion had been sent.

He'd rallied the other Gym Leaders of course, and their mission was to break into the Lumiose Tower, to find Clemont, and have him activate the city's defenses. They had a stun setting, as well as a violent one, for when the invaders came for blood, and plunder. Given that the people attacking currently were citizens, stunning would be enough.

Connor Gladstone had joined the two 'heroes', and quickly realized this…'Heart power' was easily as strong as Mega Evolution. His Infernape Ardor had put up a good fight against the dark-winged moth man, but it was soon clear that their side needed a boost. That was when the female Trainer, who was part Ledian at that moment, handed him an empty Heart. Since it belonged to another, they could only use it once, but given that it was empty, it would work. Maybe.


The fused combination of Trainer and Pokémon on a Champion's level quickly brought the villain down, hard. They'd only traded a few blows, and that had been all the burning ape man had needed. Raikou's fighting style, and their shared fighting typing, had enhanced the fusion, and Connor was almost disappointed that they could only use it this once. It would definitely smash through Alex's aura shield.

The 'Ledi Girl' proceeded to use what appeared to be some variation of a bright Silver Wind, and managed to engulf all of Lumiose within it, effectively cleansing the city of the shadowy balls of energy driving the citizens mad. Connor let the power fade, and both he and Ardor stretched, still in sync, as they became themselves once more.

"Oof. That's going to be sore for a bit. You two do this all the time, hmm?" He approached the girl, and her partner 'Night Cat', a Trainer who evidently had a Liepard, who'd held the swarm of powerful minions off while the Champion removed the source of their power. He handed the girl the empty Heart, and she stuffed it away.

Night Cat spoke then, "Our Pokémon fused with the Hearts when we found them. One was, apparently, once Xerneas's, and the other held Yveltal. We inherited some of their power. When a Pokémon becomes tied to a Heart, it's…painful to remove them from it. But it can be done, the plus side though, is no lingering side-effects. Borrowing the power of a Heart not your own can be…strenuous, on both the Trainer and the Heart crystal. It's best not to do it too often."


Connor frowned at that, mulling over the information. Kalos' entities of life and destruction had likely been subjected to significant pain, if it was true. Perhaps that was what made them so much more shy than their Norstad counterparts. The heroes left then, to protect their 'secret identity', and Connor joined the Gym Leaders in Lumiose Tower.

They were in the midst of tying up a struggling Clemont, whose entire body was radiating a dark, visible aura. His eyes were constantly rolled back, and he appeared to be unconscious, like a puppet almost, when he moved. The struggling ceased as Connor stood before him. Clemont grinned then, but an elderly woman's voice came from his mouth. "Ahh! The Champion…good, good. I'm glad you are here. Now my collection of Heroes is complete…I finally have the entire Kalosian set!"

Connor raised a dark crimson brow, as the others readied their Pokéballs. Despite being tied up, Clemont rose into the air, and his face's grin was…unsettling. "What do you mean? You're speaking nonsense…" Connor said, also readying a ball.

Clemont raised his arms then, and the Champion swore as the three heroes of his homeland, the Swords of Justice, stepped from the shadow. They were engulfed in the same purple energy as Clemont, but none more so than Cobalion. The steel and fighting type's eyes looked tortured, and the veins around them had taken on the same color as the energy coursing through him, and his counterparts.


"Fall back!" Connor ordered, and the Gym Leaders quickly did so, before the Swords could strike. Kalos was no stranger to strategic withdrawal. They moved into the Gym's battle arena then, and summoned their partners. All of them. Clemont's own team of a Diggersby and a Luxray joined the Swords, burning as dark as they did, and the battle quickly devolved into chaos.

Then, tearing through all of it, came a dark purple Flamethrower that threatened to engulf the Champion's whole party. An aura shield of scarlet-pink energy surrounded each of them before it hit, as well as their partners, and moved each of them away as another equally large, but normal colored Flamethrower collided with the first.

The pair of Delphox who'd cast the attacks stepped onto the Gym's field then, and Connor stared as a member of his own Elite Four, and hero in her own right, came shambling out to stand beside Clemont. He was busy reviving his partners, who had not been shielded or moved. The Swords had each defended themselves, seemingly on pure instinct, with their Sacred Swords. It had diverted most of the flames from them.


Kalos's newest Champion turned to see their rescuer then, and pinched his brow. It was, of course, his sister, once more in a different outfit. It was frilly and Kalosian, but she'd kept the black and white color scheme. "I had it handled, sister."

Jess smirked at him as she joined her partner in the Trainer's box of the field. It seemed they'd be doing this properly, as Clemont had shambled backwards alongside the Swords, leaving only Serena to face her. "If you'd had that handled, you wouldn't have been falling back to this entrance. Take care of Clemont, would you? Bind him. I can cleanse them all once we settle this…"

Connor followed his sister's gaze, and raised a brow as he eyed the two Delphox. They both had unsettling grins on their sly features, and their eyes burned with psychic power. He summoned his Garchomp, and moved for the electric type Gym Leader.

The two foxes made an unseeable motion with their arms, and two more massive Flamethrowers collided. By now, their field was clear, which was good, for the intense heat had charred it, thoroughly.

The Delphox who opposed them had an aura that seethed with Shadow, and it flared as the voice from before spoke again in the same unsettling tones, tilting the Fox's head sideways as it spoke. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours…"

She brought out a staff of dark wood then, another Flamethrower already prepared. Delphi brought her own staff out, a similar attack readied as well, which manifested as a small but intense burning sphere within the reddish brown colored wood claws that made up the tip.


The voice's owner laughed. "What the Hel is that supposed to be? Everyone knows Ash staves are the best."

Delphi glanced at her Trainer, nodded, then turned her sly eyes back to her opponent. "I prefer Redwood." She seemed to chuckle as she attacked, and her opponent quickly did the same, only to find that she'd been outclassed. The Blast Burn tore through the Flamethrower, and hit the enemy fox, her Trainer, and Clemont as well in a massive explosion of flame that left Delphi panting, and leaning on the sturdy Redwood staff. Of the Swords, there was no sign.

Gar had been handling the Luxray, and Connor let him battle on his own instinct, as he knew it would be good practice for the real Luxray they were preparing for. Gren had struck the Diggersby from the shadows, only to be countered by a quick Thunder from the electric lion.

Strong as Gren was, he was not the hardiest of Pokémon, and though he managed to hang on through the critical hit, Connor recalled him. Gar could handle the Luxray alone, and as Clemont fell, singed by magical fire, The Luxray in mid Thunder Fang had paused, instinctually drawn by the pain from his Trainer despite his being possessed. Gar gained the distraction he needed to strike, and he brought the thunder cat down, hard, shaking the entire gym with his Earthquake.


The dragon type roared triumphantly, and Connor used an escape rope to bind the possessed Gym Leader, as Jess did the same to Serena. She brought out her Articuno, then. Though it was nearing winter, it very much felt as though it had arrived as Folokraan materialized from her ball. The entire gym became akin to a storage freezer in temperature, and ice began forming over every surface in the gym.

Gone was the hatchling, as after she'd begun to battle, she'd grown rapidly in size. Few could withstand the power of a Legendary bird. Compared to her kin in her village, she was still noticeably young, but given that most people never got the chance to see an Articuno this close, it wasn't very noticeable.

The spectacle she put on was enough of a distraction. Icy blue light enveloped the Trainers, and their partners, and the Shadow burned away as it burned intensely white. The humans regained consciousness, but their partners remained fainted.

Connor stared at his sister in disbelief. "When did she learn that? Is that a move?"


Jess nodded. "Purge. Her sisters know it as well. The strongest of them can cleanse Shadow with it." She left out picking it up from the Original Dragon, when he'd assigned her to call on Kalos' aid. Officially. She'd dressed for Kalos, but hadn't expected to be ambushed by civilian 'super villains', and then face down one of the Elite Four in Clemont's gym. Despite all the flames, she'd managed to remain unsinged.

"Useful…" Connor muttered. His own lover, the village's seeress, hadn't mentioned that it was an actual move. She'd claimed it was just something Articuno could do. Moves could be shared, with enough training, and having a partner that could cleanse Shadow would be useful. He glanced at their cleansed allies, and then back to her. "Why are you here, anyway?"

She raised a crimson brow at him. "Because Pravus is invading us, idiote. Unova calls for aid."

Connor chuckled. "The mighty 'Dragon Emperor' needs help eh? Well I'm employed by the Pokémon League. And they are, for the moment, taking a neutral stance. If you want Kalos's aid, you need to speak to their Prince."

Jess rolled her eyes at them, patting her Articuno, and then recalling her to the recolored Luxury Ball that she seemed to enjoy. "And where is Calem, hmm? I'd heard he vanished."


Connor glared at her. The only ones who knew the Prince's public identity were the Elite Four, and the Champion, and he had a feeling she'd been reading minds again. The League had an agreement with those who governed Kalos. Their people would both protect and train their royalty, and nobility, and in return the League had gotten to use one of the region's oldest castles for their Elite Four to face challengers in.

Calem had certainly proved that the region's royals could still battle with the best of them after he'd gone from helping Professor Sycamore to being dragged into the Flare Incident, but after his Chesnaught had fallen to Alain's flames, he'd simply vanished. "Probably at the palace. Good luck getting in." Connor muttered, as he looked around for the Swords of Justice. It seemed in the chaos, whoever was puppeting them had made a strategic retreat of their own.

Jess smirked, recalled her partner, and headed for the exit. "Compared to this, getting in there will be cake."



Unity Tower, Castelia City – Unova Region


The encircling form of the Original Dragon shifted outside of the window as the room within was a mix of chaos and activity. From the tower, the eastern forces had been coordinating. They were retreating on all fronts, save for the Kanadian one. Their massive border wall that spanned the majority of the continent's width proved quite useful in repelling the Crusaders, and the Trainers manning it were some of the best Kanadia had produced.

Each of the eastern Trainers who now found themselves soldiers in a reborn empire were given leave to, if they desired, take ten partners, rather than six. Their enemies had capitalized on the trend once the League officials running the World Tournament had announced the raised Pokémon limit cap. Most serious Trainers had enough partners in their storage systems to fill four extra slots, and the Original Dragon himself had given them leave to expand their belts, as soon as possible. Statistically, larger teams meant more squads surviving. Being the largest population on the planet had its advantages, and new Trainers from the capital were arriving to reinforce what remained of the State's militias by the day. Slowly, something resembling a proper front had formed, but the Fornian advance was relentless. It was also slow.

It had troubled Tao that these Crusaders, all decent Trainers who had full teams of ten, only ever walked towards their forces, on foot. Plenty had capable mounts, who would make useful firepower as well, but the Church's legions remained on foot as they marched. When his Tamer had mentioned the abomination's talk of a Blitz, Tao had called in his ace in this war.


From the east, Norstad specifically, Rayquaza came at the head of roughly fifty Graybeards, each of whom had been trained for, and seen, war. They had been busy as, at Tao's request, they had taken the bones of the World Eater, purified them of any potentially lingering taint, and then forged them into armor the likes of which had never been seen this far west.

It wasn't long before Texico too eventually called in the retreat east. Despite being prepared, the Crusaders were too relentless, and the desert didn't provide the kind of food the greener lands to the north did. Tao had told them to retreat towards the Swamp, which had, of course, been met with trepidation.

Many who lived in the central areas of the continent could trace their roots back to that salty, ever-growing Swamp. It had forced their ancestors west, towards lands not occupied by humans for quite some time. They had flourished, especially under the dragon's empire, but they never forgot, and the Swamp grew larger all the time.


It was from the Swamp, that their secret weapons were coming. The Champions of the east, many of whom had thus far been forced to sit by, training, as their homes were invaded, had been summoned by their master. The Sage had given them a choice when war broke out, and panic, as well as anger at those whose States had willingly turned and supported the Arcean Church, surged through the now bustling island that had become akin to a small city with how many Trainers now resided there.

Their options were stay, and be considered allies in the war to come, or they could go home, be found out for their psychic powers, end up in a camp, and help no one. Only a few had left, and contact with them had quickly been lost. Gone were the mud huts that had littered the island, as the clever Champions, ever in search of more ideal places to chill, had learned that combining certain energies from their Plate shards created useful, sturdy building material. The dormitories had changed as well, becoming properly furnished apartments that eventually rivaled the Swamp Tree in size as more floors were added to them, simple in design, small, but private. With such a large surge in population, getting everyone comfortable had been their first priority, and everyone had helped build, if they wanted a roof over their head when the rain came. Slowly, the long days of hard work, and equally frustrating training, drove out many who had come to the Sage seeking 'magic powers'.

By the time Tao called on the Sage, they were mostly ready. A squad of the hundred strongest Champions had been drawn together, Trainers who had, like their 'Emperor', awakened a typing-based power. Some had even changed their normal typing as well. It was these hundred that Tao had called to the tower in their capital.

There, they had met the new Dragon Emperor, and had each, eventually, pledged to help. In some capacity. Nate, Rosa, Hilda, and even her brother were there with Alex. Evidently, they were all being given command, as they had all successfully bonded with the Dragon of Unova at some point, and understood his methods and battle style quite well by this point.

Their confidence was reinforced when Tao addressed them with his thundering mental baritone. "Champions. Each of you has been called here because the very Balance of our land now lies with whoever wins this unfortunate conflict." His head rose slowly within the room from the window it was leaning in through on the tower as he spoke, and his Tamer smirked, long familiar with how the dragon manipulated his fellow humans during Tinvaak.


"I am forming a force of…elite fighters, in both martial combat, and Battling. You have each demonstrated a gift for both. Now, I am calling on you to fight. Unova requires your aid…and should you choose to accept, we will outfit you with the…appropriate gear for the station you'll be holding." The dragon gave his Tamer a nod, and the Champions of Unova each smirked. Rumors of what Alex had on his belt now had exploded after the skirmish outside the newly raised Imperial Palace.

Naturally, the rumors about copies of his weapon had also spread, and the Brain Trust, in conjunction with the smiths of the Graybeard's order, had perfected armor for their elite troops.

Eric had explained how the armor was compressed into the device on his belt, but Alex had lost track after he'd sidetracked into explaining something involving 'nanofiber-bots'. Evidently, he'd copied the usefulness of Tao's clothing into the mesh joint-coverings each suit had, and the suits would, upon being damaged, attempt to repair both the wearer and itself. The pieces of dragonbone had been forged into unique designs, and given 'enchantments', based on the Champion who'd be wearing the armor. Many had held their titles for years, but nobody had questioned how the Graybeards had acquired a list of traits and abilities that could only have come from the League. Alex's own armor had been Voice Forged with Plate shards of every type, the majority of which had come from his own gathered collection. He'd held onto the Flame, Meadow, and Earth crystals, as they had sentimental value to him.

The Dragon Emperor stepped forward then, and addressed the group as he hit the new bone-white belt, and activated his own armor. It covered his tall form from head to toe, and the white bone armor made a good contrast with the black mesh beneath it. It strongly resembled what Percy had garbed him in, namely the Dragonbone set from the video game he'd influenced Norstad with, albeit with some key differences. Each forearm sported a carved Salamence head with its jaws open, though thankfully the carved teeth didn't obstruct his hand's mobility. His helmet covered most of his face, but kept the classic styled horns as well. Each step clanked heavily on the metal roof as he strode towards them. His fellow Champions activated their own armor, which formed up from their belts in the same manner that his had, namely with a flash of energy as the belts reconstructed the protective coverings around their wearers.

Alex saw many of the hundred gathered smirk, as they recognized his helmet's design, as well as the armor's. Spiky protrusions of dragonbone in Percy's aesthetic adorned the man's wide shoulders now, and he brought forward the leathery black cloak that hung from the back, concealing most of the armor from sight. He raised his right hand then, igniting Lux and the other Champions did the same with their own freshly made weapons. "Who will join us?"


The hands rose quickly, and the Dragon Emperor smirked. His lower jaw was the only part of his face still visible, aside from the intense, and bluish-purple eyes, now burning with energy. "I'm glad you're all ready…you'll have to find your own Chargestones, but once you do…you will have your sword. It will be a symbol of your rank out in the field. Do. Not. Lose. It. And don't forget to keep it charged."

The Champions were each given armor then, and they soon discovered that each suit had already been tailored to their fighting styles. Their emperor then bid them to go into the Chargestone caves, and come out with a crystal that felt right to their senses. They had each gained a heightened perception from the Sage's training, despite it not always being psychic. It took several hours, but eventually each candidate returned with a crystal. No one was harmed, and the wildlife remained somewhat undisturbed. Galvantula had a reputation as a fast special attacker, and many 'foreign' Champions had been eager to add an electric spider to their teams, but beyond that, the local Pokémon seemed intact in population density.

When they returned to the top of the Unity tower, they found the Unovan Champions, each covered with a leathery black cloak similar to the Dragon Emperor's, in that it concealed their forms well and hung down from their armored shoulders. Each set of the armor came with one, but nobody else had figured out how to activate theirs yet. They were called down to a certain level of the tower then, and it didn't take long for the Champions to realize they were being sorted by region, as each floor of the tower had been repurposed to connect with and coordinate the forces in the corresponding region.


The Dragon Emperor met with them once they came in, and gave each a freshly fabricated hilt. Evidently, Percy had returned only hours earlier, but his Melmetal were already proving invaluable. Percy had been given a blade as well, though according to Eric, he'd somehow changed it to be pink, before rushing off somewhere else.

Once the Champion in question managed to ignite their new blade, Alex welcomed them into the Scales of Balance, the chosen moniker of their new order. They were then sorted, by their personal preference, to one of the Unovan Champions, and put into their squad. After some minor shuffling, they each had sixteen fellow Champions under their banner. Nate and Rosa were deployed to reinforce the south then, and would be getting those the Sage next deemed ready. There were several who were worthy, but an even hundred had been required first. Now, the others would be called up in waves determined by their readiness, outfitted, and split between the two commanders in the south.

The twins were sent to the north and center part of the lines, where they had been told to dig in when possible, and combine the local militias into a proper force. Jess had left picking her squad to Alex while she was off in Kalos, and naturally, she'd ended up with an all-female team, with an even split of Champions and Articuno Riders she'd befriended in the Swamp. Quite a large group of riders had agreed to join this new fighting force after his latest visit to Norstad, and were given blades as well. Armor, they declined, as they claimed they did not need to wear Alduin's bones to be safe. Alex's own squad was comprised of mostly men, for there hadn't been an even split in sexes. Many of the female Champions had learned quicker than their male counterparts, and thus, there were more of them amongst the first hundred.

Those under him were the comrades he'd known best while training, and fellow Leaf heads, one from each of the eastern regions currently being invaded. By no coincidence, they were also, usually, the strongest of the Champions from their homeland. For the moment, he led both squads, as Jess was busy. They would be in charge of relieving the Kanadians in the far west, and taking the arctic regions there. Then, they would push down into Fornia itself, and force the Church to defend, rather than attack. The Blitz had, according to the dragon, begun in earnest. Crusaders had begun running down exposed eastern camps, and the Scales were needed desperately. Within five days, the Dragon Empire had managed to provide an answer to the soldiers charging towards them. It remained to be seen if they would be enough.



Melting Point

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(The following is a short story that fits snugly into Chapter 26, and introduces several important characters. Skipping is not advised, for this one.)



Sacreus' Bunker Base – Fornia Region


Doctor Ein made a noise of disgust, as the name 'Wes' was read aloud from the report that had just come in. Their scouts had discovered where the Veloraptar had gone in only a few short days. Evidently, the presumed-dead Trainer called Wes had come out of retirement for this conflict, and somehow, had stolen Ein's prized creation. Ein assumed he felt somewhat embarrassed that his own state of Orre had fallen so…quickly. This was retaliation. His precious Veloraptar had been 'snagged' apparently, or so the locals who'd witnessed the event claimed.

Though the beast had been fast, the time power of a nearby Celebi, one thought previously to be only rumor, had given the aged Snatcher a fair chance at catching the Pokémon. He was too young, and frankly unstable, to handle a Dark Ball, and thus the capture had worked. The promised Draco Plates had been delayed by some seemingly random act of thievery, and now, the chance to mold the Pokémon's mind, and evolution, was gone.

He turned to his ridiculously garbed employer, who quite literally fancied himself a demigod, and said with all the reverence he could muster, "We need to retrieve him, my Prophet. Without that specimen, we have no chance of de-thro-"


The doctor was interrupted by a fist, encased in Shadow energy, slamming across his cheek. He was on the ground then, and Pravus loomed over him, glaring down with those awful eyes of red. "Do not presume to give me orders, Doctor. You'll get your pet back…or we'll mine up another. Our destiny is before us…do not spoil it by having such a loose tongue. His eyes glared at the technicians around them, working at their stations. Most, the smart ones, simply tuned out events like this, and focused on work, unless specifically called by name.

The ones who did not last long at their posts, and there were always a few, were the ones who listened too obviously, or in some cases, dared to watch said events unfold.

The room turned an eerie red, as black and red arcs of lightning flew from the Prophet's outstretched fingers, and into the workers who'd let their eyes wander. The Prophet had not been gentle, and many of the burns were serious. He had expected things in Unova to, finally, work to his advantage. But evidently, a sky full of enemy dragons was impossible to fool.

"It is time we put the Redwood whelp in his place. Begin marching the lines east. Tell the Generals the time for the Blitz has come. No stopping! No rest! I want this land conquered before the Unovans can form a hard defensive line." The Prophet's words had a hard edge, and his loyal minions worked rather quickly, despite their injuries, to accomplish the Leader's orders, and send out messages to the commanders on the border.

They had already begun pushing, though in reality, they had been marching rather slowly. Now, each of the Crusaders would summon a Pokémon to ride into battle, and the already retreating easterners would quickly be overwhelmed by their combined speed. All across the border, the Arceans advanced.


His lieutenant, Samson, stepped forward then. "My Prophet." He bowed his head. "The Texicans have known this was coming for a while…their Champion learned far more than he should have in Orre. I'm afraid this has caused a drive for unity amongst their people. As far north as Kentu's borders, we've had reports of organized resistance…and Ohiana has Professor Buckeye, and his Suicune."

That got the Prophet's attention. "He's summoned the North Wind? It seems the first part of this war may begin in earnest. Prepare a ship, a fighter. Make sure there are plenty of Dark Balls. I'm going to declaw his forces, too."

The lieutenant saluted, quietly glad that, for once, relatively bad news hadn't been met with a random, brutal beating. "Yes, my Prophet." The man might've felt sympathy for the Trainers about to lose their beloved partners to the Shadow, but they were heretics. They deserved no less for daring to oppose the savior of mankind.



Fifty Miles East of Arcino – Fornia Region


"You know, when I said you could disguise me, I had something else in mind…" The voice belonged to Wes, the unofficial 'hero' of the Orre region, and the man he was speaking to was quite a long way from home. But Percy had a task to complete. And a promise to cash in on.

The Fairy King smirked at his last-minute partner, who was now guised as a little girl. Cute, blonde, and complete with pigtails. He'd bumped into Percy on the only road that went into this part of the desert, and they'd found that their destinations were the same. Thus, they had joined forces, for a time. Everything had gone smoothly until they came closer to their goal. Percy had insisted on disguises, and though they'd made good time with them, Wes had been demanding a different guise for over an hour now, as they'd traveled across the dry brush landscape to their destination.

Percy was guised as an old man, with a beard of gray that covered most of his face. He'd even gone with an eyepatch, over his right eye. The story was, supposedly, that this random grandfather just happened to be wandering through a desert with his relative. Completely believable.

His argument had been that people in Norstad traveled across vast swathes of wastes just to survive all the time, but Wes had a feeling Arceans avoided that. Their Church paid for everything, which included transportation to wherever they were 'assigned'.


In the end, it hadn't mattered. They came upon their destination without encountering anyone. Now up close, Percy could see many details his abrupt satellite scan of the area hadn't picked up on. The facility was in what had once been a crater, which could only have come from a meteoric impact. Pools of undulating silvery metal were all over the crater, and had plenty of space between them. Oddly enough, there was no wall, not even a fence, surrounding the crater. Only several large, and easily avoidable turrets, placed about the rim.

"I can feel the heat from here…" Wes muttered, his adult man's voice sounding entirely unnatural coming from the little girl he currently was.

"Hush." Old Percy said, smirking. The Trainer had a point, though. It was hot down there. That was likely what was keeping the Meltan, and their evolutions, in a constant liquid state. Then, the wind shifted, and the two shared a look. There was a…noise, of a kind, on the wind. A terrible high pitched groaning sound. The sound of hundreds of Melmetal, and their prior evolutions, crying out in pain. Apparently being forcibly melted together in burning holes in the ground was something they didn't like. "If we can free them…they would make powerful allies."

The little girl glared at the old man. "Or, they could run amok, and be disintegrated by those turrets. We need to find a way to help them out of those holes and disable the heat, as well as take out those guns. Seems we have two tasks."


Percy was already moving. "Dibs on the heater. Have fun with the giant guns!" He gave a casual wave as he strolled down the crater's steep edge, moving slowly, and letting his magic camouflage him. Wes was on his own. As a rare act of mercy, he dispelled the poor man's fairy typed disguise, and gave him a robe of shadows instead. It wasn't as stealthy as a genuine one, but tricking one's perception was a trademark of fairy energy.

Knowing the Arceans as he did, for Caleb Pravus had sent many a brainwasher to his tower, over the years, he knew their buildings typically went for a fortified underground approach. After many failed attempts to convert him, Percy had been 'given' inside secrets usually only reserved for Church members who'd put in their time, and worked for it. Evidently Pravus' reasoning was that he'd already done his time, and had still been doing it, thus he could be trusted. If he joined. The Prophet himself never actually visited him though, not until he'd been useful.

Eventually, Percy had acquiesced to their requests to 'ally' with their organization. It was better than rotting away in that tower, forgotten by the mortals of all but his home region. Technically, he was considered to be at 'stage eight' of twelve on their Church's 'path to enlightenment'. The completion of which, made one 'immune' to disease, and supposedly death. There was, of course, not one shred of evidence that completing each stage, something the people had to pay thousands, if not millions, of units of currency for, actually worked. The first Prophet, the man who'd founded the cult, and set up most of the current rules and regulations, had himself died of a sudden heart attack. Then, Pravus had seized control, and those who questioned him disappeared. Or so the rumors claimed.


It was an unusual death, to non-Arceans at least. In those early days, they'd been the largest of several regions in what was now Fornia, and the east kept an eye on them. Under Pravus, they had dominated, and expanded, uniting the Fornia region under one banner in a matter of years. The Prophet's.

Evidently the first Prophet, a normal, if charismatic human by all accounts, had been sequestered on one of his naval ships after their cult was sued into becoming ocean-bound refugees, and the advanced medical technology that could've saved him was too far away to do anything. Or so Pravus had told his mourning followers. All anyone knew of the man assuming control of what the original Prophet left behind was that he'd appeared one day on the coastal beaches, and had been helped by the original Prophet, who'd just happened to be strolling by that morning.

It wasn't long before the strange castaway had befriended the first Prophet, become his confidant, and upon his death, took over the, at that point, almost entirely naval cult whose only land holding had been Port: Land, close to the Kanadian border. The official Church statement had been that Pravus' predecessor had been called to Arceus' side, and therefor had to abandon his body. Or something. Getting those details had been a slog, for many had not wished to speak of the first Prophet. Only the current one mattered, apparently. After well over two centuries of control, it wasn't surprising that the current generation was so unflinchingly loyal. Percy knew how malleable humans could be, if one influenced them young enough. It was why immortals and long-lived tyrants were so effective.


Once Percy finally found a bunker entrance, he used what skill he'd honed over the long millennia to subdue a guard, examine his mind, and take his place in the order of things by way of disguise. In this manner, he slowly made his way through the rank and file, until he made his way lower into the facility, broke a machine, and then found a maintenance worker, and took his identity as well. The illusions hiding their unconscious (and possibly deceased) bodies would hopefully last as long as their mission here would.

The room he was looking for, he had learned, was indeed located deep underground. A furnace, evidently powered by not one, but two male Heatran. As he finally came upon the chamber in question however, he found the armed guards, in standard soldier attire, already violently and permanently dispatched. Someone was inside, mumbling to themselves.

The room only had one entrance, from a walkway that, thanks to the technician's knowledge, Percy knew was over sixty percent Dolomite, a durable, heat resistant blending of metal. The walkway was above the chamber, most of which was taken up by the machine within. The two Heatran were there, and they were massive, held unmoving in some kind of stasis, constantly giving off as much heat as they could manage.


Percy decided on stealth at that moment, and listened in. "No…No. No. Nonono. Where the hell are they? I know there's *burp* some here." The man speaking, and belching in between sentences, looked like a Professor, and had the hair for it. Wild, spiky, with a bald spot only visible from behind. It was pink, save for faint streaks of white within. For the most part, he seemed like a normal human, but he'd already taken down four soldiers of the Church's Task Force, who lay unmoving on the floor of the underground prison with gaping wounds in their vital organs. Looks were deceiving.

Another, far more annoying voice came then. "Aw geeze, Rick. I don't think this guy is alive. Rick? Rick! I don't want to be an accomplice to murder, Rick! I want- I want to go to school!"

A loud belch filled the small underground cavern, followed by more speech from this Rick person. "School? You want be some *belch* miiiindless sheep that comes at the call of a *burp* bell? Fine. If all you're going to do is *burp* biiiitch, then you can go. Here. Go on, Grampa is right behind you." Percy glanced down, and his eyes widened as he saw the man fire a device with a pink crystal embedded in the top. At the push of a button, it tore open a portal in reality. It was a pinkish scarlet color, but the smaller owner of the annoying voice walked through without complaint.


The belching figure went back to rummaging, and moments later exclaimed, "Woahoho! Jackpot!"

Deciding he'd had enough stealth Percy dispelled his illusion as he leapt the stairs down to the machine, and winced at the intensity of the heat. He turned to his fellow intruder, who hadn't noticed him, and said, "Hello there."

Rick stood and turned slowly, and Percy got his first good look at him. Bored expression. Bloodshot eyes. Pink hair. Professor's labcoat. In one hand was the device that had torn a hole in the very fabric of space for travel. In the other was a large, almost plant-like seed looking object that seemed to pulse with heat. Rick handed him the seed then.

"Here. *Burp* Hoooold this. I can only carry two." He reached down to grab more of the strange objects, and Percy winced as he examined it in his reluctant grasp.

"I'm Percy by the way… erm, What…exactly am I holding? And why?"

"Heatran Seeds. The only thing that *burp* burns hotter than these babies is my eternal devotion to Szechuan Sauce. I need them for my…uhh…science. Just follow me through the *burp* pooortal, quick trip, in and out." Rick stood then, and Percy observed that his 'seeds' seemed to be more…fresh, as they were dripping some kind of ichor.


"Not so fast…" A new voice crowed from above them. The two men looked up to behold a new figure, another man, though almost as flamboyant as Percy. He had a long brown coat, and under it, a suit of clothes whose color scheme seemed oddly familiar. Deep blue, steel gray, and a light blue as well.

He too held a device. It was thinner than Rick's and had a blue crystal embedded at the tip that was the same light blue hue as his clothes. He was staring at them with what seemed like disbelief, as he pointed it at them, and it buzzed for a moment, then stopped. Percy felt a brief intrusion into his mind, but it was so quick, he almost missed it.

The crimson, almost scarlet haired man spoke again, then. "Ahh…Humans. Of course, it's Humans." He stared down at them with sad, angry eyes. "I thought you'd been wiped out…all that effort, and you destroyed yourselves anyways. Gave in to your 'inevitable doom'. It's enough to make a man give up…for a time. The running never really stops."

Percy raised a brow at him, ignoring the unsettling throbbing from the seed that, the more he looked at it, seemed more flesh than plant. "You seem to have outdated information. We bounced back. Have you really not seen a Human since Old Earth fell? How old are you?"


The red headed man adjusted his bowtie then and smirked, "Old enough, actually…right. Humans. Earth. House call. Imprisoned Meltan in a hellish crater." He looked down at his side then, and Percy spied a rather small Meltan, clinging to his pantleg. "You never said you were from Earth. But I'm here now. The Doctor is in."

He strode down the steps then, past Percy and a silent, unnerved Rick. He had visibly tensed at the man's words, specifically 'Doctor', and was looking at the strange man like he knew him, but the newcomer no longer seemed to care that they existed. The Meltan clinging to his right leg was struggling to stay somewhat solid in the intense heat the machine holding the Heatran gave off.

There was a familiar noise as a pink portal opened, and then closed rapidly, as Rick stepped through, leaving Percy holding the throbbing seed. "That's not a plant seed you know." The 'doctor' said as he scanned the machine with his tiny stick, and appeared to, somehow, read what it had to say about it.

"What is it then?" Percy asked, holding it away from him.

"It seems Humanity is as brutal as ever. Heatran give off the most heat when they're in intense pain. What you're holding in your hand is what whoever put these poor fellows in there had cut off, to keep that pain fresh, to keep the heat coming, to keep…the Meltan melted." He stared at Percy then, as if noticing him for the first time. It wasn't an unpleasant stare, nor was the man ugly. Not Percy's type, for he'd had both sexes and everything in between in his time, but attractive enough. "Where am I, anyway? Location, Year, etcetera? All I found was empty tunnels on the way in."


Percy set the 'seed' down, and then summoned his Glaceon, who formed a Water Pulse in a small, spinning sphere that he could wash his hands clean with. "You're some miles west of Arcino, in the Fornia region, some giant underground crater facility. The people running this operation are called Arceans. They're a…religious group. Big on militancy."

The doctor sighed, voice dripping with sarcasm as he examined the machine's controls. "Fan-tas-tic. I love a cult. Militant, eh? Let me guess. Plenty of guns?"

Percy shrugged. "A few firearms, like pistols perhaps, but their main weapon is the staves they make from the metal here. They're capable of shooting elemental beam attacks in the form of flame, ice, or lightning. They're quite strong. Are you telling me you just appeared in this place with no idea what was going on?"


The redhead nodded again, then blinked. "That's kind of my MO. Wait. What? Are you telling me you've all already gone and surpassed projectile weaponry for beam energy?" He looked at his bare wrist the way one might look for a watch, paused for a moment, then shook his head clear of old habits.

Percy chuckled. "Most modern regions are capable of producing capture-spheres that hold their partners in their own pocket dimensions. They're quite cozy, too. Beam weapons aren't that hard to reproduce, but it's cheaper to just teach a Pokémon how to use Hyper Beam."

The doctor raised a brow, and then lifted his dark brown long jacket, revealing a team of his own. "Capture-spheres? You mean like these?"

The Pokéballs looked rather old, to Percy's eyes, a bit knackered, but ordinary, to him. A nice combination of red and white in the classic style. He'd quickly reacquainted himself with the modern world's capture technology, and had even begun sneaking it to those in Norstad he knew could benefit from having them. This 'doctor' and his team looked several decades off, but then, some claimed the older balls worked better than the new. He hadn't been around for that era, so he didn't know if such things were true.

"Humans who can Battle…right. That…complicates matters. Deal with that later…for now, friend Percy, white-clothed, pale-skinned Percy, you have ice types yes? Like your Glaceon here? I want you to have them use Ice Beam on this console." He gestured to it, and then took several steps back.


Percy's Glaceon, who was already out and listening, used Ice Beam then. While it did cool, it evidently wasn't enough. His Beartic got involved as well then, and that was when the doctor deemed it ready. "Alright…we should be all set. L-9, would you do the honors?"

A Lucario materialized from his belt then, shaking his head as he once more became corporeal, and not energy. He gave his partner a nod, and with a motion so fast even Percy's eyes had trouble following, the console split in half diagonally. The Lucario gave his aura-bone a twirl, and it faded then. The redhead gave his friend a pat on the head, and then eyed the tanks.

"Oh…that seems to have woken them up…" He slowly turned to Percy, awkward smile on his face. The kind one makes when they know they've accidentally messed up.

His Glaceon began growling at the tanks, and Percy glanced from her, to the doctor. "What does that mean?"


"Well, do you know what happens to cold glass when it's rapidly heated?" The glass on both tanks began to crack, as the fluid holding the Heatran began to boil once more. The two angry males were awake, in agony, and the area around them would boil for it. It didn't take long before the entire holding cell began splitting apart.

"It means run!" The Doctor shouted as he bolted for the stairs and Percy sprinted after the redhead. He wasn't all that worried about stealth, for not many people were authorized to be this far down, and the roars of the pained Heatran began echoing through the tunnels as they broke free of their prison, incoherent with rage. Anyone with sense, would run from a sound like that.

"Not that I don't like exercise…" Percy said, panting after several minutes of running, "But do we have a destination in mind?"

"We do!" The Doctor said, taking a sudden right. He led them into a large cavern, big enough for aircraft, and with an equally large exit, which was open. On the 'landing area' outside, little more than a slab of poorly made metal, was the sleeping form of a God. Or the closest thing Pokémon, and humans, had to one. The beast that controlled and maintained the very flow of the Time Vortex.

Dialga.


They sprinted out of the enormous hangar, for indeed there were several aircraft which were currently stored away in the walls of the red stone common to the area. Behind them, almost forty feet of wall rapidly melted, as a pair of massive Heatran, eyes burning with purple shadows, came charging after them.

Dialga opened one eye as the Doctor approached it, and Percy, who had run before with other Tamers of Legendary Pokémon, found himself suddenly cautious as he saw the sad, angry eyes of the Time Deity.

"Right…" The Doctor said, as he saw Dialga's reaction, stopped, turned, and raised a hand. The two massive Heatran prepared another Magma Storm as they rapidly approached. "This is where it gets complicated." The man snapped his fingers, and Dialga Roared.



Meanwhile…


Wes had decided to test his recently snagged Pokémon on the Arceans guarding the large, imposing energy cannons that encircled the base. Having had an interest in fossils and the creatures his ancestors had named 'dinosaurs' since he learned that was what Orre was most famous for, he knew exactly what species this Pokémon had come from. That was why he'd laughed when he saw the ID on the vest he'd been wearing, and the name the Arceans had evidently given this revived species. He'd called the Pokémon out some hours after escaping the Arcean onslaught, but quickly realized that bonding with a Pokémon like this could help turn the tide of the oncoming war.

After taking down the entire crater rim's defenses in less than twenty minutes, Wes knew he'd made the right choice. Oddly enough, he hadn't been tainted with Shadow, which was a nice change of pace from the Pokémon he usually took from Arceans. He'd tied them to continued Shadow Infusion for years, had even told the League, but nobody had acted on the information. Now, his home had paid the price.

He gave the raptor a scratch under his thin chin as he came trotting back, and the beast made a trilling sound that anyone could tell contained joy. "Not bad. Not bad at all. Now we go get ready to help the Meltan. This way."


The creature did something then that surprised the Trainer. It crouched low, and stared directly at him with an unnerving amount of intelligence. He wondered what exactly the Arceans had done to the creature, or if said intelligence was just a part of this species, but decided to trust the inherent kindness of every Pokémon he'd ever befriended. He climbed onto the creature's back, and wrapped his arms around his neck.

They began running then, and though he was slowed by the weight, the Pokémon's speed was still, especially for a part rock type, quite impressive. They assaulted each pool quickly, and Wes called out his Espeon and Umbreon to give them a hand once they quickly found their opponents overwhelming them by disregarding any kind of battle etiquette, or rules.

There was a reason he was a top-ranked Trainer, even if he did come from the sparsely populated Orre region. He'd handled far more grunts in his time than the Church had garrisoned here. Thankfully, this was only half of the population. The others were, he had learned after studying a map and shift schedule by one of the turrets, all garrisoned in the tunnels below, and were off-duty.


Once they were done, they could only sit and wait, until Percy disabled the heat. A few of the Nut Pokémon had, upon seeing their torturers beaten, tried climbing out of their rocky prison. The heat always melted them however, and they oozed back down into the pool of silver and eyes.

After five minutes of pacing, Wes sighed. "I'm done waiting. I'm doing what I came here to do." His Pokémon perked up at his words, which had broken the 'silence' between them. In truth, this close to the pools, the Meltan and their evolutions drowned out the chance for conversation. They sensed freedom near, and all of them yearned for it. The sound was overpowering. "You three stand guard. E.S.P., help them up with Psychic when the heat goes off. I'll be back." His Espeon nodded, and sat himself by the rim of one of the central craters.

With that, Wes dashed into the nearest tunnel. His contacts in the Fornian Rebellion had given him a map of the complex that revealed enough of the structure to get him where he wanted to go, and nowhere else. Thankfully, it was easy enough to follow.


When the Arcean Crusaders had overwhelmed Mt. Battle, and then the entire Orre region in a few hours, and claimed the region theirs, they had taken prisoners to ensure that the 'heroes' of the region didn't stir up any trouble.

Naturally, this had meant kidnapping the girl who could see auras. Rui. Dear to both her cousin Michael and Wes, the Church had claimed that she was in a safe place, being well treated, as long as everyone obeyed the new order. Before long, what few residents the region had were suddenly giving their conquerors their hard-earned money, to take 'classes' on the cult they now had the pleasure of paying to be part of. Those who resisted usually conformed once they were threatened with being shipped away to a mining camp in Fornia. Even in Orre, the locals had heard dark rumors of the Church's protocols in such places. War had, undoubtedly, made them worse. It always did.

Only a few had persistently resisted the Church, but it was enough for Wes to decide he'd had enough of sitting around. The disappearances had started slow, but eventually, he kept an eye on those who did defy the Church, and it wasn't long before he had tailed the black clad Task Force members to the only road that existed in this part of the desert.


Now, finally, he was here. After hearing the Meltan's cries, he doubted these people were treating her well. Humans who could do that to innocent Pokémon were the worst kind of scum. He needed to free as many people as possible.

The tunnel before him read 'Prison', but the letters were in the shape of Unown. After hearing several rumors about such things, Wes moved slowly past them, down the hall, and towards the cells, which were little more than Iron bars and melted out caves. It was oppressively hot, and the entire place stank of unwashed, sweaty human.

Forcing himself to ignore the stink, he listened, and his ears caught a hint of her voice. He knew it quite well. Wes stalked towards the noise, until finally, he found Rui's cell.

She was repeating something. Over and over, hunched in a corner of the small cage carved into the rock. As cells went, it was rather nice. A real bed. A real pillow. A toilet that evidently had been cleaned, and recently. He raised a brow as he tried to make out what she was mumbling. "Rui?"


She twitched at the sound of his voice, and began rocking in place. "I can't see them, I promise…I can't see them… I can't…"

Wes glanced at the bars, and then called out his Typhlosion. The air shimmered, and the bars melted quickly as the Pokémon turned his back to them, and snorted, causing his flames to rise. He then moved to stand guard in the tunnel, hiding low on all fours.

Wes gave the bars a second to cool, and then stepped into the cell. The entire time, she had kept repeating the same words. "Rui? It's me. I'm getting you out of here."

She stopped rocking in place, and glanced at him, eyes wide in terror. "No…please Doctor…I can't see them, I promise…I can't…"

Wes' eyes narrowed. "Doctor who?"

Rui looked back at the corner, still repeating the words. He moved to touch her shoulder, and when she didn't strike at him, he picked her up, and set her on his Typhlosion. "Typho…get her out of here. Run all the way back home if you have to. But keep her safe."


Typho was one of his best trained Pokémon, who Wes had trained almost as long as his Espeon and Umbreon. The powerful Pokémon nodded, but followed behind his Trainer as they tried to quietly move back through the tunnels. Rui kept whispering however, and every few minutes, she'd grow louder. Typho would calm her by generating some heat from his neck, but it never stopped her mouth from moving.

They parted as they returned to the central hallway of the prison. After examining the locks he hadn't melted, Wes figured there was an electronic 'open' switch somewhere, and indeed there was. He defeated the man guarding it, who called himself a 'Bishop', and had claimed superiority to a Trainer like him. After a quick battle, Wes took the man's ID card with the bored expression of a man who'd done this several hundred times, and eventually, found the switch to open the cells. He smirked as he saw many residents of Orre stumbling free.

They each looked tired, but determined as they recognized the Snatcher, and it wasn't long before they began rushing for the exit. Wes joined them, and led them out of the tunnels. Right as they ran out, and returned to the craters of Meltan, the entire complex began to shake, and roars of pure rage echoed throughout.


Wes told everyone not fit to battle to flee, and all but a small group of Trainers did. They had Pokémon partners that had been taken, and refused to give up on them. Wes had explained that they were likely infused with Shadow now, and lent them his Snag Machine. At least until they recaptured their friends, and left this hellish place.

Once they'd left, his Espeon got his attention. The Melmetal were climbing up, forming cohesive bodies. The craters glowed with the white energy of evolution, as many of the Meltan came together to reach the next stage. They'd been unable while melted, but now, they all sought revenge, and that fueled their evolution.

In the end, the craters produced roughly twenty of the giant living metal beings, who began moving, unified, in each compass direction of their crater prison. They would cleanse all of it. They moved into the shaking tunnels, and exacted revenge upon the humans that had inflicted unimaginable pain upon them for decades now. Each giant had been surrounded by a crowd of Meltan at their feet, who aided their evolved kin with unified and timely Flash Cannons. Collapsed tunnels were easily fixed as they moved through the complex, but the metal used to prop them open was weak, and would eventually break if the shaking continued.


With Typho and the residents of Orre on their long way home, Wes recalled his eeveelutions, and decided to try to find Percy. He had no love for the man, but it felt wrong to abandon a fellow traveler when they'd come here together, and he wouldn't wish being captured by this cult on anyone after getting a firsthand look at their prison. Thankfully, he didn't have to look far once he climbed to the crater's rim again. The exploding hangar caught his attention, as did the unmistakable figure of Dialga, facing down two giant Heatran.

He was already moving towards the massive figures atop his raptor, but quickly realized he was too far to do anything. Dialga roared, and Wes watched as he ran. The two Heatran shrank in size as the Roar's power surrounded them, and seemed to calm them, slightly, though they still attacked with a pair of Magma Storms. He saw a Glaceon freeze the waves of molten rock in place, and then watched as a Lucario smashed them to pieces with a single strike from a bone club that looked like it was made of pure energy.

Things seemed to calm down then, and by the time Wes had run over, the same Lucario had subdued the pair by using its aura waves to keep them calm, and somewhat docile. Percy was speaking to a red-haired man with a unique fashion sense. "And they won't remember any of it?"

The man grinned. "Nope. It's like their trauma never happened. Now, all I have to do is bring them home, and their sense of time will return fairly quick. They'll have a few nightmares…but in time, they'll fade. Provided they're not disturbed."


The doctor chuckled as he saw Wes approach them, and raised a brow at his choice of mount. "Is that...what I think it is? Oh you are...gorgeous!" Wes opened his mouth to warn the stranger away, but the initially hesitant Veloraptar allowed the man to touch his snout, and then trilled as he began scratching the underside of his neck. "You'll want to get him right under the jaw, back here...that's the spot he likes best. Isn't it you beauty."

Wes raised a brow at the man. "How do you know that, exactly?"

The man winked at him as he gave the beast, whose tongue now lolled out of his razor-sharp toothy maw, a thorough scratching. "I speak raptor."

Wes shifted, and he glanced down at the raptor's legs. Dangerous looking claws adorned each limb, perfect for gripping and tearing prey, but now, one of them was twitching, in direct time to the man's attentions. He felt himself laugh, despite the absurdity of the situation, and the looming form of the Time God above them.

Percy and Wes gave a bow as the man made his way towards Dialga, though they didn't quite know why. It seemed right. The Doctor placed a hand on Dialga then and gave them a wave with the other. The two were then encased in a cube of blue energy that floated into the air, and shot skyward, where it shortly disappeared. Percy smirked, as he'd heard the strange doctor shout with glee as they vanished.

Wes raised a brow at him. "Was…was that Dialga's Tamer?"

Percy nodded. "He called himself the Doctor…"

Wes' eyes slowly hardened, and he glared up at where the cube had vanished. "Doctor who, exactly?"

The Fairy King shrugged. "He never gave a name, just…doctor. Why?"

Wes went on to fill in the events he'd dealt with while Percy had chatted up strangers who seemed to be able to warp space and time as they pleased.


Once he was finished, the light blonde man shook his head, and recalled his Glaceon. "I don't think that doctor was the one your Rui mentioned…he's not tied to this place, in fact, he seemed surprised that Humans still even existed on Earth."

They had begun walking again, on their way from the base. The crater now smoked from every entrance, and destruction was everywhere. Wes followed Percy, as he seemed to have a destination in mind for them. "Really? Well then who was she talking about?"

Percy glanced at him. "Like you have to ask. There's only one doctor I know of that meddles with Shadow infusion. That would have the...depraved idea of creating a place like this. You've met him, if the legends are true."

"Ein…" Wes spoke the name like a curse.

"Exactly." Percy said as he crossed his arms, and stopped. The Meltan that had traveled with and then been left behind by the Doctor was now stood beside him jiggling with excitement. They were before one of the larger rock formations just outside of the crater. Before Wes could ask why they'd come to stare at a rock, he got an answer.


The stone exploded outward, as a roughly ten-foot-tall hole appeared in the side of it. From it, came no less than twenty lumbering Melmetal, all surrounded by small groups of their prior evolution. Dark red drops circulated through each of their bodies, and Percy didn't have to ask where they'd come from. There was a reason humans had been warned not to anger powerful Pokémon. This was often the result. The Meltan that had been with them thus far rejoined its kin, and was soon lost in the swarm of golden hex nut heads, and silver.

Percy spread his arms as each of the giants stood before them, forming a semicircle. "Hello Melmetal! And hello Meltan as well. I expect your revenge went well, aye?"

Each of the creatures began readying an all-too-familiar sphere of normal type energy that presaged the use of a move absurdly common to powerful Pokémon like these. "Now now, no need for that…I'm Percy. This is Wes. With efforts from both of us, we freed you, and now, we'd like your help."

The balls of energy stopped growing in size, but still remained. One of the Meltan by the centermost giant wobbled forward, and Percy touched its mind.

Gratitude for freedom. Let us live in peace.

The Pokémon let their attacks fade, and turned then, but not before Percy spoke. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Hear me out, please." The giant's eyes moved back to him, and waited, motionless.


Percy took the pause to speak, "I for one, am fully behind letting you all get back to what you were doing before you were imprisoned here, however, I imagine quite a few of you still yet hunger for revenge, yes? I saw…I saw the data for how many Meltan had simply fallen, dissolved to the heat. You have my condolences…as well as an opportunity to strike back at those who've been abusing you. Unova and Fornia are at war, and the east could use a supply of metal, gathered properly of course. In return for your aid, I'm told that the Original Dragon, who is indeed now once more whole, intends to give you land in which to live, undisturbed, once this is all over."

The Melmetal looked at each other, and three of them wandered away, evidently not interested in revenge, only rest. Percy didn't blame them for leaving, but thankfully, the Meltan following them stayed, and began to shine, as they combined with the other swarms around the giants to form another Melmetal. That left them with eighteen.

"Good." Percy said, smirking now that he had their attention. "The lizard will work out the details with each of you. You will have your chance for revenge."

The newest Melmetal intruded on his mind then, and Percy winced. The contact was powerful, and, he realized slowly, boiling with rage for all those who'd died senselessly. There are others. Must find them.


"Leave that to myself, and my allies. Your prison was obvious, easily found from orbit, but if there are others, they will be harder to track. They're all likely underground. We'll begin searching for them as soon as we return to Unova." A single Meltan oozed from one of the giants as Percy spoke.

This one knows of others. Give them same agreement? Land? Home?

Percy nodded. "I'm sure the dragon won't have an issue with that. I'll use this one's memories to find the others. Now prepare yourselves…this might feel strange."

Each of the Melmetal placed their fists on the ground, and knelt on both 'knees', as they sensed what Percy was about to do. He turned to Wes then, and chuckled. "It seems this is where we part ways. Tao will move you to Orre…since apparently that's what you want. Are you sure you wouldn't prefer somewhere less…hostilely occupied?"

It was Wes's turn to chuckle. "If I wanted unoccupied, I wouldn't go east. That's where the soldiers went. My moneys on south. No Church down there."

Percy shrugged. "South of Orre, and free of Arceans eh? Well, if you really want to test the legend of the 'Dark Continent', you go right ahead. I'm bound for Unova…I've a debt to collect on." Percy offered a hand then, and Wes gave it a shake, before taking the three-point stance he'd been told, by Percy, was the best way to survive Teleporting, as it could be tricky.


He reached out to Tao, then linked with each of the Melmetal, and with the dragon's aid, Teleported all of them to Unova.

Wes was redirected to Orre with little more than a thought from the Original Dragon. It was where he'd wanted to go, and he didn't mind when he reappeared in Phenac City. It was close enough, and, his ride was parked here, conveniently.

The Trainers from earlier approached him, and returned his Snag machine. Evidently they had gotten their partners back and flown home. They had even cleared them of Shadow with nothing but the strength of their bonds, and rather quickly at that. The local Trainers had learned how from the best, after all.

He'd half expected them to take the machine for themselves, but the people of Orre had come to associate such things with two particular Trainers they considered heroes. Nobody would willingly rob their remote region's icons of their ability to cleanse captured Shadow Pokémon.

Back in Unova, Percy set to work on getting the Melmetal comfortable, and it wasn't long at all until the Brain Trust began fabricating the war's first plasma swords. Only time would tell if they would be enough to shift the oncoming tide in the east's favor.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 27: The Red Winter



Parfum Palace – Kalos Region


There was a knock on the ancient mahogany door that marked the entrance to the quarters that had, historically, played host to all manner of Kalosian nobility. "My Prince your, erm, Grandfather has requested your presence in the…'space between war and peace'… He said you would know what that meant…"

"Of course he did…" Calem muttered, but the servant who'd delivered the message was already gone. He was no longer the young teen he'd been when he'd first met his 'legendary' relative. After they'd battled before most of Lumiose, he'd revealed that they shared blood, though how many generations separated them was a mystery. Realizing Lysander was likely also a relative had taken a long time to come to terms with, but it made sense, in hindsight. He too had been tall. Calem hadn't gained bulk however, just size. He'd already been tall before Xerneas had blessed him, but in the years following, he'd grown to one hundred and ninety-six centimeters last he'd checked, which admittedly, had been some time ago.

After regaining his beloved partner, the returned King of Kalos had reclaimed his Palace from Calem's cousin Allie, and took charge of the complex and delicate system of power the Kalosians had been peacefully ruled under since the last war, three centuries past. Nobles of their region were expected to be expert Trainers, for the King had decreed that only those with strong bonds with their partners were fit to lead.

Up until the Team Flare incident, Mega Evolution had been a closely guarded secret of the Kalos nobility, several Gym Leaders, and usually the region's Champion. When the young prince had gone to aid the very man who made Kalos' secret power so popular with his research, Calem had gained a bad reputation with the nobles, which had included his parents. That hadn't stopped him from thrashing them, however.


He'd been given the title of Grand Duke thanks to his skills, but any influence he might've had only became significant when the King returned, and publicly revealed their blood ties. Kalos was now once more ruled by a single figure, and he'd suddenly found himself a target of every noble in the region, who had, for the past three centuries, enjoyed the absence of taxes to a giant, ill-tempered monarch.

He might've been crushed, had his Chesnaught not become his bodyguard. Surprise hit-and-run Hyper Beam attacks had become far too common, and lately, he'd been forced to stay in his room.

"Come, Chesalier. I expect we have more Battles to win…" The sleeping form of his Chesnaught, which took up a large portion of his palatial quarters with his size, slowly unfolded, and the irritated, half-awake eyes of the massive Pokémon fell upon his Trainer. He opened his mouth expectantly, and received an Oran Berry.


Now smirking, and munching happily, he wiped the sleep from his eyes and lumbered after his Trainer, ready to form a protective shield around him at a second's notice. Calem glanced up at the ceiling as they walked, and were joined by the only missing member of their newly extended party of ten. Like many Trainers, he definitely intended to join the next World Tournament, since he'd missed the last one, though lately, it seemed like the next site for it would be a war zone before long. Or so the rumors said.

"Anything, Guivre?" The Noivern dropped from the ceiling in an elegant and spiraling movement that, in the dim lighting of the Palace, was hard to follow. He gave the dragon a jaw scratch as he rose up before his Trainer, and blinked his eyes once. Nobody around, this time. It seemed his route to the Hall would be clear today.

He recalled the dragon into his Luxury Ball, and continued on. The Hall of Mirrors, as it was sometimes called, was typically used, in ages past, to hold peace summits. The one that had ended the last war had been held here, and ever since, the nobles had preferred it when battling each other for political power, as they did almost daily, to further their personal agendas.


It seemed it was empty today though, save for his gigantic relative. AZ had said that, thanks to Xerneas, he too would one day grow to tower over his fellow humans, that like him, the power of the Legendary Pokémon had done more than make him immortal. He had been proven correct, despite Calem's initial skepticism. He'd also hinted at some strange power related to their blood, but they'd been interrupted before he could say more, and they hadn't spoken of it since.

The King had cleaned up since his return to power, and looked eerily similar to how he had several centuries past, though his hair was definitely grayer. Calem had walked by giant paintings of the man's face numerous times in his childhood, and talking to the man himself often made things seem surreal to the young Prince.

The ancient King was staring out of one of the windows that were as tall as he was, his Floette perched on his shoulder, as usual. AZ's attire once more befit a ruler, though his young relative still looked like a Trainer, albeit a well-dressed one. He'd matched his Chesnaught's color scheme of green and tan, and hadn't regretted the change.


"Good. You've come quickly…there is much to say. As you may have noticed…we have a guest." The giant man gestured, and a new figure joined them, separating smoothly from the few shadows in the room. Calem beheld the only other woman he'd ever classify as being anywhere near Serena's level of beauty, though comparatively she was still rather young, and a decade at the very least separated them in age. The more he looked, the more he realized the two women really were quite similar, though this one had sharper eyes, a satisfied smirk, and hair as red as fire.

Jessica Gladstone introduced herself with all the proper manners of one born to high society, and though she hid it well, Calem knew a Kalosian accent when he heard one. He returned the introduction with a bow, and his own list of titles. Once the niceties were done, a silent pause filled the room, and Calem resisted smirking. He knew a bit about the current Champion's sister. She was a good Trainer too, or so rumor said.

He quickly glanced between them, as his Chesnaught, sensing no danger, curled up into a spiky sphere once more to snooze while the humans talked endlessly. They both wanted him to speak first, or so it seemed, and he did. "So. What brings the youngest Kalos Queen in a decade back home, hmm? Last I heard, you and that new Unovan Champion were enjoying the homeland… though I expect things have changed…"

"They have." She absently ran a hand through the fiery mane, and adjusted her black and white sun hat as she ignored the title he'd given her. She had spent her most recent spring break from University in Kalos, and during said visit, had managed to match Serena in a Pokémon Contest. She'd denied the title though, and thus it was currently, technically; unclaimed. That was when the Prince's instinct-driven eyes finally noticed the color scheme of her outfit. Black and white. Of course. Unovans never changed, it seemed. "Fornia has declared all-out war…and they're letting their Church pay for the whole thing. Their…'Crusaders' are hitting us hard…in short, my Prince, Unova calls for aid."


Calem glanced at AZ, who had resumed staring out the window. He nodded, once. Calem gave his best smile, and as always, it drew a faint flush to the woman on the receiving end of it. "Then Kalos will answer. Though what aid we give will be up to the King…"

AZ finally turned then, and regarded the woman properly for the first time since meeting her, as his gaze often drifted towards the sky. Slowly, his eyes widened. "So…the Tree of Life gave another gift…let us hope you wield its power better than her first choice…" The giant began pacing then, and the two humans watched, and waited. "Unova has ever been our ally…and in ages past, even when split, the Original Dragon has aided my people against the Imperium's encroachment…I will send our Prince, and a legion of our best Trainers. I will ready them myself. Will that satisfy your needs, Dragon Empress?"

The woman blinked once, and then smirked. Her voice seemed to purr as she bowed low, in the Unovan style. "Thoroughly. Thus, the ancient pact is honored again. You have our gratitude, King of Kalos."


"That's…the thing." AZ said, interrupting what sounded like the woman's exit. She seemed eager to get moving, and given the current dire situation, or what little Kalos knew of it, it made some sense. "I no longer desire to be the King of this region, indeed, even the nobles grow tired of my ancient games. My Kalos has moved on in my…absence. This is no longer my little kingdom…it's grown much larger…but it still requires a leader."

The giant turned and approached the redhead. "Send your…Dragon Emperor…to speak with me, when this conflict abides… I wish to…test his mettle. If it's good enough for your Dragon…it may be good enough for my Kalos."

Calem and Jess's eyes went wide at his words, and their implication. "I-I'll inform him as soon as possible. You have my word…thank you, again. Truly. It's nice to have reliable allies."

With that, and to the Prince's shock, the woman vanished in a flash of light that he'd only ever seen his Gallade use. "Did…did she just Teleport?"

AZ chuckled at the Prince's expression. "Yes…it seems the next stage of our species' evolution is upon us my young Prince…those with intensified psychic power are becoming more and more common as they manifest their Will."


His eyes began to shine with a familiar blue and white glow. "It is a trait you too possess…and before we honor our ancient alliance, I will unlock your…potential."

The Prince raised a brow. "Is it just psychic powers that have been appearing? Or are there other types as well?"

The King grinned. "Clever clever grandson. Come…summon your Gallade…we are short on time…"

Calem threw the Luxury Ball, colored green and white, into the air. "Sol! Come." He turned to his relative as his partner appeared. He'd almost gone with a Meowstic, but when he'd learned his old neighbor Serena had acquired a Gardevoir from traveling in Hoenn, a Gallade had been the only logical choice for him. "Do you really intend to hand over Kalos to the Dragon Empire?"

AZ shrugged, as he finished bumping forearms with the young, but eager Gallade. "Potentially…yes. I do have a method to my madness…but we'll deal with all of that when and if he manages to make it here...for now, focus."

Calem nodded, and with a flash, his Gallade mega evolved. Nodding in approval, the giant human met the Mega Gallade's eye and said, "Show him."



Meanwhile, in Unova…


They were tearing the eastern forces apart. The Arcean's Crusaders were almost unstoppable, for each of them had strong teams of ten Pokémon, as well as a staff that could fire three kinds of energy. The same three that had subjugated an empire in ages past. Fire, ice, and lightning. Evidently, the Arceans brief, strange, and also completely denied capture of the Original Dragon had yielded something. Most of the Arceans never had to draw their Pokémon, so outmatched were the Unovans, in those early days.

As in all conflicts, the hard toll of war separated the weak from the strong, but the eastern forces could never muster a force to match their foes in a proper battle line. Their superior weapons, literal beams of energy that could take out squads of ten humans in a single shot, had forced a hard retreat in every such conflict, and the eastern commanders who survived had been forced to adapt. The mainly militia forces had been quite effective at evacuating, though.

Every Gym Leader throughout the eastern states had, without a word from the League, acted in unison, and moved as many people as possible eastward, towards the supposed 'capital' of this newly reconstituted empire. Those soldiers who had been Trainers tended to excel, and many suspected they were funded by the League, for those who stood out against the invading army were somehow always well equipped.

In Texico, the east's knowledge of sailing the Texican Gulf came in handy, as the west half of the split State had not held control of the waters for some time. Though initially forced into a hard retreat, the tides had changed after Champion Rosa and her Scales had reinforced the Texicans. After scavenging more than a few of the Church's own weapons, the Texicans of the east had forced a hard border line between both sides, one that had extended from Texico up to the center of the continent. That was where Champion Nate and his dragons ruled the air with a string of unbroken and overpowering victories.


While the Church had manufactured planes equipped for war, they proved inferior to Nate's dragons, who could fell over ten at a time with a well-placed Hyper Beam. It wasn't long before the advancing Crusaders with flying partners were organized into proper air squadrons, but superiority belonged to the dragons, who dove on the ranks of mainly ground-bound Crusaders with devastating Outrage attacks every chance they got. The front lines shifted most in the middle, and Nate was the first to lose Scales under his command when the Church had ordered a regimental shift to ice typing, and filled the sky with beams of ice.

The Unovan's new elite forces were, thankfully, hard to kill. Their armor proved invaluable, so much so that the head Professors of Unova University had granted their creators the rank of lab assistants. Eric Redwood, the leader of the so-called Brain Trust, was supposedly at that moment taking the exams to become a proper Professor, but while he did, the war raged on.

Illinowa and Tenina had fallen, willingly according to rumor, but the Kanadian border held as strong as it ever had. Their wall's strength was legend, for it had even resisted the Dragon Empire, though truthfully, Tao himself had never tried to take it. When the Dragon had led armies, they had won, and in the past Kanadia had willingly joined the Empire with the promise that their culture would be kept intact, along with their border, should the empire fall. Kanadians usually laughed, whenever 'southerners' mentioned the wall and asked after its origins. The Kanadians would then tell them, almost verbatim in each encounter, that the two hundred foot tall structure, made mostly of steel and old world building methods, had been built 'ironically' by their ancestors in ages past, to shield Kanadia from insanity. Whatever that meant.


Their northern neighbors were a bit…odd, but to their credit, they had taken in many who had begun running as soon as they heard the Arcean's 'holy army' was invading. The Kanadians found themselves reinforced by the Dragon Emperor himself, several days into the conflict. He'd led thirty-five of his heavily armored troops along the border, using the Black Salamence called Shruikan to eradicate entire companies of enemy Crusaders with massive Charge Beam attacks.

They eventually learned to shield themselves, but by the time Shruikan struck, he was usually gone, and the damage was already done. These men too had tried shifting to ice typing, and while effective, Shruikan would always make them regret their choice when he demonstrated that he could unleash a torrent of flame, as well as electricity. Alex charged him with helping to guard the wall, a task he accepted, for it both provided food in the way of Wailord in the icy waters of the north, and entertainment, when the Arceans would try, and then fail, to take his wall.

While the Kanadians along the massive structure appreciated the reinforcement, the new Emperor was something of an unknown, in their region. Rumor had spread, of course, of the 'first skirmish' of the war, in Unova's own territory. None had been surprised at the outcome, for Unova had always created powerful Trainers, by the dragon-load. While the new Gym Leader of Opelucid City had undoubtedly distinguished himself, their Champion had, quite publicly apparently, dismembered one of the Prophet's own Hands by way of incineration. He never bothered correcting the tale tellers by saying it had actually been Tao who'd removed the abomination. He would've done the same if the dragon hesitated, but Tao never did.

Indeed, the dragon was proving invaluable as a commander. He had retained his Mega Form, and from Unity Tower, mentally guided the thousands of troops under his command, usually by way of mental contact. Every human he spoke with, and the soldiers under them, fought ten times harder after hearing his Words of inspiration, and though many innocents were saved by noble sacrifice, many more continued to die to the relentless advance of the Arcean's Blitz.


It was an old practice in Unova, but after several days of besieging the border wall all along their territories, the Kanadians had, at the giant black Salamence's suggestion, adorned the wall with the enemy dead. Those with weak stomachs declined to help, but there were plenty who'd suffered under the relentless march of the Church who were willing to do the grisly work. The corpses placed atop the Kanadian's wall sent a clear message. Death awaited anyone who tried to take the north, and the attacks all but ceased as the futility of facing Shruikan gave the Kanadians enough bodies to line the wall across several states. Any attempts to take it were routed whenever Shruikan would so much as scratch his neck. He had proven he could strike the humans whenever he wished, day or night, but he was defending, and that meant staying put. For the moment.

Most easterners had latched on to the news of a new Dragon Emperor with hope, for every State had legends involving the first. The governments of each eastern State quickly reaffirmed their loyalty to the Dragon in writing, as they had quite openly supported the trade between the eastern states for years, hoping for this exact development. The people were ready to start growing again, all they had needed, was a spark.

A spark was exactly what the Dragon Emperor had created. Most didn't believe the rumors, about him taking on a Hand, alone, and living, unless they saw him in battle. The Prophet's 'limbs' had made a lasting and early impression in this war, striking many States on their own turf free of easterners, before vanishing in a hail of destruction, and usually carnage.

The rumors came to slowly be believed however, once the Scales of Balance arrived to even the odds all across the front. Wielding plasma swords straight from a combination of science fiction and fantasy, as well as 'magic' powers and teams of incredibly strong Pokémon, the Champions who'd survived the Great Swamp were almost impossible to stop, especially when they struck in force. Rumor had it that they could even slice through the energy beams of their enemies, deflecting them from their soldiers, but nobody quite believed that one.


It took a long, bloody week for the Blitz to ground to a halt against the Scales and the invigorated eastern forces, but it wasn't long before the Church's drums of war thundered once more. The Arceans set their sights on the Ohiana region, and the straightest path towards Unova, by reinforcing the northern border's Arceans army group with what remained of their soldiers after the attempts on the Kanadian Wall, and charging once more. Conflict erupted, as the head Professor for the region commonly referred to as the 'breadbasket of the north' resisted the invaders with surprisingly effective guerilla attacks.

Professor Buckeye, the man leading the militia, and Trainers, resisting the invasion quickly became a legend. This was mostly due to the Legend of his own, which he had summoned. As the days had begun turning colder, everyone knew winter was coming, and in the north, it had come early. Though the fact that a Suicune was nearby may have had something to do with the sudden shift in weather. At the very least, the snows were bad enough to make the Crusaders pause. Those who were sent out anyway, returned with ice burns, and tales of a ferocious 'snow demon'. If they returned at all.

With the north shutting down for the oncoming cold, and the border being held by Unova's Champions, Alex had taken his comrades to where they had been needed most, first. With a brutal takeover of the far north-western state of Kodiak, all the way up in the arctic, the Yukon and Takoma regions had joined the Kanadian soldiers, who had slowly been gathering on their new, unwalled western border, ready to reinforce it.

Winter was a constant in those lands, but given that these were the harshest months, the Arceans in the far north west seemed content to wait in their metallic bunker-fortresses along the border once they'd taken control of the sparsely populated regions. The Church, in truth, technically owned part of the Kanadian's wall, and were bombarding the men manning it on both sides. The call for help had gone out, and Tao had sent an answer.



Arcean Northern Command – The Border of the Yukon and Kodiak Regions


Their black cloaks made them stand out against the snow, though thankfully, with a little psychic manipulation from their Emperor, they were able to walk above the waist deep, or higher, drifts. Each of their feet glowed blue as they walked, yet unlike most armed forces, they left almost no trace of their passing.

The Arceans, naturally, had them surrounded in short order, popping up from the snow around the entrance to their aesthetically simple tall, round fortresses. Most of their forces had Beartic as partners, for little else could survive this far north, and still be strong enough to meet Church standards. Their leader, the only man with a gold-furred hood surrounding his white T-visor helmet, stepped forward, his staff raised. It was quite imposing, for a mass-produced weapon, and the black-cloaked figures knew, this was the type of man who 'modified' his weaponry for 'effectiveness in battle'.

"State your purpose here, strangers." He said, leveling the stave at them. Evidently, this far west, the Arceans hadn't yet heard about the east's 'secret weapons'. That, would be their undoing.

One of the cloaked figures stepped forward, a woman, judging by the shape hidden under the strange, almost leathery garment she seemed to be wearing. It was entirely black, and hid much of the person underneath. The woman spoke, and what could be seen of her mouth beneath the black, leathery hood obscuring her features was smirking. "Haven't you heard? There's a war on."

The wind gusted then, and even the heavy leather-like cloaks flapped in the ferocity of the arctic blast. The strangers didn't seem to notice, though. After the heat and intense training of the Swamp in summer, arctic blasts were refreshing. What they wore beneath their cloaks was bone white armor, with some sort of black suit beneath the molded bones, and protecting the joints. Evidently, it made moving the incredibly heavy dragonbone less arduous.


When it came to headwear, some of the cloaked figures had various dragonbone head coverings in a variety of styles, always in a mix of black and white coloring. The one leading them however, needed no helmet. She drew back the leathery hood that hid her face, and her hair billowed like fire in the intensity of the wind as she raised her blade, and ignited it. The Arceans did the same with their weapons, as they switched from ranged to melee. "Come, Champions…we fight!" The low hum of fifteen or so plasma swords burning to life filled the air, and each gave off a pale blue glow against the snow beneath them. The one leading them narrowed her Serperior-esque eyes against the wind, as she marched forward with purpose. "In the Emperor's name."

Chaos erupted, as the Crusaders found their beams of energy, regardless of type, sliced in half as each of the cloaked figures bisected the attacks of those who had not prepared for close combat. Then, the Scales fell upon their enemies, and gave no quarter. Nearby, a similar conflict had broken out. Alex had split his group of thirty-five into three units, and given command of the third to the leader of the Norstad Trainers Percy had called up, a man by the name of Bjalfari. His group was more of a motley combination, as his people used steel weapons, and the Scales among them had plasma blades.

After a brief battle, Alex had allowed the eager Norstadder to craft his own plasma blade, since he'd been using a longsword anyway. He knew how not to cut himself, which was valuable, as many were still adjusting their combat styles to avoid accidental loss of limb.


As the three giant monolithic structures fell to the Scales, the call went out to the Kanadians behind them. It took almost two weeks from that initial encounter, during which much of the rest of the war was stuck in a freezing, bloody stalemate. Alex led his forces all across the north-western territories, and reclaimed them for the Empire. As soon as the sparse regions were claimed and manned with yet more Kanadians, he rushed to aid the Kanadians on the westernmost side of the border wall that had, thus far, been bombarded from two sides.

Over the course of a day, he and his Scales had eradicated the soldiers north of the wall with brutal efficiency, losing not a single member of their company. This was namely thanks to Jess' skill with using Recover, and the Emperor's refusal to let his comrades die. More than once he'd had to channel energy through his Chakras, and unleash a storm of psychic power on their foes. Confusion and terror had gripped the Crusaders, and their terror was mercifully ended by his Scales. That night, not one of the Scales had joined the celebrations of the men who were no longer besieged, and evidently forgotten this far out west.

Taking the northern areas had been easy enough, and they'd taken several hundred soldiers as prisoners before they were through. None of the Champions turned super-soldier had yet experienced true, pitched battle against the Crusaders who, as it turned out, were usually just as effective in melee as they were from a distance. That hadn't kept them from being cut down like wheat before the burning plasma of the Scales, and after seeing, and often causing, such horrific wounds the former Champions had recoiled at what they had wrought. In the end, the battlefield had been littered with cauterized limbs and bisected human. What bugged Alex most though, had been the smell. He could still scent it with every breath, and resisting the urge to hurl was growing tiresome.


That night, as they sat within one of the many barracks that lined the interior of the Kanadian Wall, a familiar voice came to each of them. The Foggy Swamp Sage.

"Now you know the horrors of war, my Champions. I apologize…truly…I could not prepare any of you for this."

Alex, for his part, had been wearing the same grim 'smirk' since ordering the end of the bloody conflict. His body count had, easily, outstripped those under him as he'd been in the vanguard, and he'd gone quite quiet after they'd returned. As had Jess, and many of the other younger Champions. All of them now understood the true difference between a battle, as a sport, and war, as a fight for survival that had a steep price for losing. As the Sage's words echoed in their heads, their Emperor stood, and addressed them all. "Those of you who wish to leave…may do so. None of you signed up for…for that…and I expect that I, and those under me, will have to experience that kind of senseless slaughter quite a few times before we're done. We're the strongest soldiers the east has…which means our body counts will be large indeed. This is your chance to avoid a future of blood and death."

The gathered humans looked around, and his grim look faded as none moved to leave. He went quiet then, expressionless as he spoke softly. "Run, you fools…avoid this…you still have a chance…"


One of his Scales stood then, and Alex recognized him as a League Challenger who he'd sent on to the Dragonspiral Tower, and had then apparently made his way to the Swamp. His armor was much the same in general body design as the rest of them, but his helmet had horns that swept up and curved, not unlike Tao's.

The man, whose name was Nikolai if Alex recalled rightly, saluted him then, by pounding his right fist across his chest, and against his heart. "We already got this speech, Redwood. You weren't there for it…but we knew what we were signing up for. We've had plenty of chances to leave before now…and we haven't. We're fighting for the Empire, for the chance of peace. If that means bloodying my hands on those overzealous Arceans, so be it. They started this…they burned Colville, attacked crowds of innocents in our own capital by enslaving the Forces of Nature, and by ambush, and they even had the nerve to bind our Dragon, and try to use his power against his own people."

The others stood then, and the Emperor felt each of their eyes on him as the man continued. "I will never enjoy what we had to do today…I know the aftermath of what we had to do to them is going to haunt me. Forever. If it means my family stays safe though…I'm okay with that. I'm trusting you to lead us sensibly, so we don't have to do this too often…so if there must be battle…let us make it swift."

Alex glanced around at each of them, and saw not one single eye waver. "Very well…but understand this…these weapons, this armor, they are going to be central to what the Scales become when and if this conflict ends…you will never be free of them. The only way out of this little group of ours will be death, and it likely will not be a peaceful one…this is your last chance to leave."

None took it. It seemed Oranguru had weeded out anyone that might have not adhered to his rules regarding their psychic abilities.


He felt the Sage address him, specifically. "Heed their advice, student of mine. Revel not in war, but accept the necessity of it."

Alex looked at each of them once more as he replied mentally, "I understand the necessity. I am Dragonborn…I have a better idea of what that means, now. I need soldiers who also understand…and it seems that these Champions do…thank you, for Instructing them so well."

He heard the Sage chuckle. "You're quite welcome…it was difficult, and without Instruct we never would've come close to giving an even hundred…but it seems it was all worth it. I'll have more for you before long. Many more." With that, the connection ceased, and the Scales retired for the evening. Alex spent his time sparring with Arthur, as after his Trials, he too only needed four hours of rest for a full recharge, and like his Gallade, his sleep was more of a trance. When he wasn't exhausted.

The next day, Tao gave them new orders. It seemed the Arceans were once more fortifying for a hard push straight for Unova, through Ohiana. The winter storm had finally let up, and it was rumored that Pravus himself was leading the attack, alongside no less than ten of his Hands.



The Border Between Urbe Monachus and Ventosus



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With the reinforced border between Kanadia and the blackened northern Fornia region taken care of, as Shruikan claimed he could guard the entirety of the wall easily thanks to his speed and the quick response times of the Kanadian sentries manning the wall, Alex moved his Scales to join with the defenders in Ohiana. Hilbert and Hilda had been given the northern parts of the border line, and along with Nate, Hilda had kept the center lines from collapsing. She had evidently, at some point before the conflict, gone through the same training her brother and Alex had, one Champion among many who had been Instructed in the Swamp.

Hilbert had drawn the short straw, and had been given the northernmost area, the very one Pravus now intended on charging through. The Champion turned General hadn't been idle, though. They had, while the fierce winter storm raged, built several underground hide-outs for the inhabitants of the region, who were mainly farmers, not fighters. That didn't mean they'd been short on volunteers though. Most farmers usually had at least one well trained Pokémon. Ohiana had many ranchers, and after learning of their new Emperor's humble origins, many of said ranchers had also opted to fight. Despite their salt of the earth toughness, many had fallen in the early hours of the Blitz to the superior firepower and tactics of the Arcean Crusaders, and until Professor Buckeye arrived, the local forces had been in the process of being routed. Were the Church's forces not also infused with Shadow, they might have held better, but they had no answer for the advantages Shadow Pokémon gave their enemy. Their intel suggested every single Crusader had at least one egg-infused Pokémon on their belt. This was, in both Tao's eyes and his Tamer's, a crime that would apply to every single Crusader. They had no doubts that Pravus had ensured his forces had as many egg-infused Pokémon as possible.

As Alex brought his combined group of Scales in, he realized that Tao had called in as many special units to this area as possible. The rest of the Norstad forces were already here, and it was mainly they and the Scales who had done the fighting thus far for the defense of Ventosus, the largest city bordering the Great Lake. Neither group had minded the cold winds or heavy snowfall, and indeed, they and their Pokémon thrived in the harsh storm. Newly reinforcing them were Trainers from what he assumed was Kalos, judging by their clothing. They were a small group, but as he looked closer, he recognized several faces. Old or semi-retired Gym Leaders who had been all too eager to come to the aid of their Unovan allies. It seemed Buckeye was leading them, as he appeared to know them, and Alex became more convinced that all old people knew each other. Not that it was a bad thing, given their circumstances.


He met with Hilbert, and found that he too had not lost anyone in his squad yet. This was mostly because they had, for the majority of the early weeks of the war, been stuck in a blizzard. Festivus would have already begun, had a war not been raging across the continent. Ventosus had the unique benefit of bordering the Great Lake, as well as the Kanadian's wall, and their skirmish lines extended south from the lake's shore.

Hilda had, apparently, sent word that she was coming from the south, but thus far there had been no news. The rumor was that the central fighting had suddenly flared again. She'd likely been distracted. They weren't alone though, for Kanadia's Champion, who'd diverted from Alex's squad as they'd passed over his sea-bound home island, had brought his own battalion of skilled Trainers from the icy north to reinforce Buckeye as well. Trainers from the northern Tribes, that also had little trouble with cold climates. Much like their Fornian cousins, they seemed, at least to Alex's eye, to be skilled Trainers in their own right.

Alex noted that everyone bowed when he entered the command tent, even the League-employed Professor, who had no reason to, as far as he knew. That was going to take getting used to. Having been mostly among trusted friends who had dropped the 'yes, my Emperor' nonsense on day one, he was still getting used to having authority, and having people many years his senior acknowledge it.


He sensed the Original Dragon as he took his place at the rounded table, and had to resist smirking. He felt a current of psychic energy between Tao's imposing mental presence, and his belt. Arthur joined them then, sitting beside his Trainer at the rounded, foldable metal table. A pair of disembodied golden eyes appeared above the table, burning with Light, and all who had seen Tao's Mega Form recognized those holy, vengeful spheres.

"You again have my gratitude for coming. I will not forget those who came when I called for aid. Should we prevail, you will not regret joining us. Now then, what spies we do have recently confirmed that the Prophet is in Urbe Monachus. A city that, judging by its name, will have no shortage of his followers." The Dragon went quiet for a moment, presumably to deal with something on his end. "We are expecting him to come to us much the same way the Blitz did. He will be fast, relentless, and if he gets through our line, he could devastate many of our farmer's land. The less damage he does now, the easier recovery will be. With that said, we will likely never have a better chance than now to strike him down, and that is why I have gathered you here. We must stop their advance, and remove their figurehead. Thor will engage him first, as he has experience battling the man in close combat, and Mjolnir can damage the Shadow abomination."

The red-bearded giant with gleaming skin smirked from his place at the table. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, but he seemed focused on the moment as he listened, golden arms crossed. "I may have to break out mine second hammer for this." He chuckled, and then elbow nudged Percy, who was to his right.

Alex, who had removed the imposing dragonbone helmet styled after his iron one, raised a brow at the alleged deity. "You have two? I thought those stories were made up."

The God of Thunder laughed, and the booming sound echoed loudly in the ears of those gathered. "I usually only use one because it is more of a challenge! But against that one…yes, I think two should do."


Percy chimed in then. "Just how many bloody hammers do you have anyways?"

Thor just winked at him, and laughed again. The others gathered seemed to sigh. He was, thus far, enjoying this war a bit too much. Not that they minded. When he exercised his boredom, enemy troops died. Every little bit helped.

The group of gathered leaders was interrupted then, as a courier entered the tent. "Sorry to disturb sirs, my Emperor, but you…you need to hear this. It's Pravus." Tao remained quiet, and his Tamer had a feeling the dragon already knew what was going on. The courier produced a miniaturized TV screen then from his giant, square backpack. The 'Dragon Army' as it was being called, didn't have much of a standard uniform yet, but the color scheme was to be expected, and this man was no exception. His heavy leather coat was primarily white, but underneath, his clothes were shades of black, with more white as well. At the very least, they blended with the snow, and could, like most modern clothing, be turned inside out for longer use, or a change of color.


The screen displayed a feed direct from the Arcean's main Church-run media network, Arc News, that was considered mandatory viewing for all 'loyal followers'. Through it, the people living, working, and even flourishing, despite the current 'conflict', were given a steadily monitored version of events as the Church displayed their 'Enlightened Crusade' for all to see from monitors that were in every home, workplace, outpost, work camp, and naval ship. The Prophet had ensured he would always have an audience for his bloviating speeches.

In reality, what was displayed was indeed battle cam footage, but only scenes that did not contain 'subversive content' were ever allowed to be shown. One of the Prophet's own Hands was in charge of making sure nothing slipped into the public's attention, and her skill was legendary. Despite numerous hacking attempts, she'd thwarted any and all content that would display the war for the atrocity it really was, and the visible Shadow auras many of their beloved Crusaders had. Despite the atrocities they had committed, naturally, the Church vehemently denied being party to a crime so egregious, the entire world had laws specifically designed to punish those who infused Shadow into Pokémon eggs. Both for individuals, and laws targeted at organizations.

Rumors still spread of course. Of camps, full of civilians from central states that wanted no part of any of it. Of the dark forces the Hands were, allegedly, using to slaughter their enemies wherever they appeared. The Prophet himself often addressed such rumors, live on his own network, and it demonstrated to his people that he was indeed listening to their concerns, and knew what to say to keep them loyal. If his charisma ever failed, there were always PokéMeters on hand for 'private sessions' as well as people who knew how to use them properly. Those who asked questions Pravus deemed subversive, or simply did not like, usually ended up in one of the longer grueling meter sessions, as Gilroy Redwood had.


It was a touted fact that the Prophet's PokéMeter was different from others, and the Church considered it a holy relic, infallible in its accuracy. All who beheld it agreed, there had to be a touch of Creation in that machine. Only one man had ever successfully used it, or so the legends claimed.

The screen of the portable television showed the Prophet in yet another of his 'private chats' with his people, and the PokéMeter in question sat before him shining with what seemed to be genuine golden Light. The gathered eastern forces exchanged glances. It was radiating what could only be Light energy, and as Tao sensed the thoughts of his allies, the pair of golden glowing eyes that had manifested above the table flew into the screen then, and reproduced the video's feed, but in a four-dimensional manner that, no matter what angle you looked at it from, was centered properly, as it had been on the screen. It gave them all a much clearer look at their opponent, and they realized he was on a presumably mobile set, made to look like his 'home quarters'. With their unique display angles, they could see the city around it. A city teeming with the all too familiar T-visored faces of the Church's own armed forces.

An alarm rang outside their tent, as the military was mobilized by a direct order from the Dragon. It did nothing to impede the leader's view of the scene though. The cheesy, trumpet heavy opening theme music, which strangely lacked the edited in title that usually accompanied this ridiculous 'show', finally finished, and the Prophet smirked at the cameras.


"Hello again, loyal followers…as is expected in times of war, there are many questions, and each day, more arise. I'll do my best to answer your concerns, going by majority. Many of you have called your Church, warning of a massive fire, raging in the north. Worry not." He winked at the camera. "Forests must sometimes burn away the old, Deadwood so that newer, better trees may grow from the ashes." He smirked, and gestured with a purple, hand-fitting gauntlet that was part of his standard 'war outfit', at what was presumably an image on the screen, that remained empty to the easterners sneaking a peak. "Now, it is true this blaze is particularly large; however, our land has always had enormous fires, and it has always recovered. Your cities will be protected by our strongest Water Pokémon Trainers, and those of you who live in the afflicted area will be relocated, as soon as possible. Until then, we have many Optimal Org building facilities that will not only house you, but allow you to contribute to the cause as well." He paused, to enjoy one of his notoriously long tea sips, common to his broadcasts.

"Slave labor." Professor Buckeye snarled, before spitting on the dirt 'floor' of the command tent. "The only people who live in forests like that are people tryin' to escape notice. The Church'll tak'em back alright, but they'll be shipped to a mining facility within a week." He shot a glare at Percy. "They've been doing the same to our people, the ones they captured, but in far worse conditions. It's only grown worse as their sources of metal vanish."

Percy shrugged. "I consider the lives of Mythical Pokémon above those of Humans who have absolutely no right to claim they're 'more important' after how they've been treated." He gave the Professor a glare of his own, and the older man flinched at the ice within it. "You haven't seen what I have. Every facility finds a new way to…sicken me."


"Relax, both of you." Alex said, and his voice cut through the growing argument the Professor was forming. He raised a brow at the now unhelmeted Emperor. "We'll save all of them. Percy, you yourself told me that the number of remaining camps is becoming 'manageable'. Finish freeing the Hex Nuts, and then focus on freeing our people. It's going to take time to find the camps anyways, let alone infiltrate them."

One of the fliers from Valaskjalf, the right hand of the Chief, who had better things to do than talk endlessly, spoke then. "We have found several, Dovahkiin. My people alone could free all of them."

Alex smirked at the pale woman with raven hair. "I don't doubt it Yennefer…but you're too valuable to send in alone. What if they ambush you? What if they manage to capture your mounts, and infect them with Shadow? You really want them to have that kind of power? Shadow Articuno in the winter? No. Patience. Scout their defenses, learn how many Crusaders the Church has deigned to put on guard duty, and then we will give you enough firepower to overwhelm them in one swift attack. And realistically, by the time we set that up, Percy will likely be done. He's rather fast."

"That he is…" Buckeye grumbled. "Fine, but just remember, the longer we take, the more of our people break…many might even turn. These are center region dwellers after all, and bowing to the invaders is easier than resisting their new order."


Tao rumbled then, filling their heads. "The center regions have always chosen the path which grants the most stability, as it suited them. In war, they turned the tide always, and often, and kept both east and west from obliterating each other more than once. Do not underestimate their cleverness. Now quiet, he speaks."

The Prophet lowered his stein full of…whatever he was drinking. It certainly didn't look like 'tea'. He wiped away the red stain on his mouth, and grinned at the camera with what seemed like genuine, slightly mad, amusement. "Now that's addressed, let us move on to current events! Behold!" A disembodied sound that, for lack of a better description, sounded like lasers from a sci-fi movie, played as the Prophet made a grand gesture, and the set folded down, revealing the entirety of the scene.

Tao cursed, loudly, and his irritation was felt by all of them. Behind the charismatic ruler, was a large group of seemingly normal people. They had the look of people who did not like where they currently were, and they were kept from leaving by several large men with armor who'd told them to accompany them. Or be dragged.


"Long have I denied that the policy of disconnecting from family members who leave the Church, quietly or not, exists. My enemies would have you believe that this old, and admittedly abhorrent practice is still very much enforced. The truth, however, is that the only people my Church orders cut off, are those who are traitors to the Holy Arcean Alliance. These people, gathered here before you, had relatives who were chosen by one of my own Hands to live in Unova, and try to show these backward primitives an enlightened way of living. Instead, their relatives largely turned traitor, and tried spying on us…and we all know what happens to spies, unfortunate as it may be. This…is war."

The Prophet gestured then, and a blade of pure dark type energy formed in his hand. He leveled it at the crowd of guilty-by-relation civilians, and stared into the camera. "Not all of the traitors died, however…" He grinned. "Many came home, to be forgiven…Purged of their sins, you might say."

His free hand gestured, and each of the eastern leaders flinched as they beheld what a Purged human really looked like. "Behold, those touched by the Light of Arceus! They have ascended to a new form of being, and will now serve the Church more devoutly than ever before! Their Crimes are forgiven, now that the Light has shone upon them!"

The humans in question lumbered onto the scene then, which had turned out to actually be placed on a raised dais, surrounded by Crusaders, as the Prophet delivered his almost daily 'chat'. It was large, as it had much to fit, and it seemed recently made, but their view was too focused to see much of the city beyond. It certainly looked like Urbe Monachus, going by the ever-present ever-darkening clouds.


One of the relatives of the Purged cried out as they saw what their loved one had become. As they came into clearer focus, one could see their pale, entirely white eyes, and almost corpse-like gray skin. They moved as if on strings, mouths hanging open, and each breath rasping in their throats.

The woman who'd shrieked was immediately enveloped in Shadow, and then vanished, with but a wave from the Prophet's weapon. "Those who are guilty of Crimes and dark Sins cannot help but flinch at the sight of those touched by the Creator! Rejoice for them, for they have experienced Divine Truth…though it cost them their sight. They will still be used effectively, for the furtherance of our divine Mission!"

The gathered Crusaders around the dais, in one uniformed motion, rested their imposing staves in the crook of their left arms, and began to clap in perfect unison. The result was applause that definitely sounded forced.


"Now, you may be wondering why I have gathered all these people here. As it turns out, the Enemy enticed these people with promises of freedom for their families. He and his psychic Serpent are tyrants indeed, for now, he cannot fulfill his promises. I possess their families, and to be sure we have no heretics or traitors among them, I will be personally Monitoring them over the next few hours, one by one, until their Crimes are revealed, and the traitors among them are Judged." He gave the camera a look then. "As Meter sessions are considered sacred, and one's privacy within one Divinely protected, we will not be airing them. Until then, my loyal followers, enjoy your regularly scheduled cultural entertainment, developed here, in Fornia."

The scene vanished then as the feed turned off, and the Light faded from the TV, though Tao's mental presence did not. The screen now displayed a movie, a generic superhero tale that, in actual fact, starred Rosa as the protagonist. Which meant it had been made in Unova. Alex heard Hilbert sigh, as he watched. He'd starred in several movies himself, in his time, and reportedly loved acting. The past few years had been focused on training however, as the World Tournament once more approached.

Tao's voice echoed again in their minds. "I received a report while we've been talking…as it turns out, Pravus does indeed have the families you promised to free, Alex but most of our spies evaded capture. The only Purged are those he showed us…probably. Some may have chosen suicide over capture, and some might have simply run off. Most, however, are reportedly safe. This means his little show was meant for us to see…their network has never been that easy to access."


"So it's a trap." Percy said, frowning. Thor nodded in agreement. "He's baiting you, Redwood, but, those private sessions are probably going to leave those innocent people worse off than the Purged. Somehow, he has access to a Light wielder. This should not be possible, Diist Dovah." He said, looking upwards.

"The Alpha's Light works and responds to those who open themselves to it. For Psychic Types, they can open their bodily energy pools, and absorb it from the general flow of the Universe. Fighting Types tap into it by embracing their emotions, and pushing their power past its limits. Not unlike Legendary Pokémon who also use Light energy. For normal Humans however, at least in this era, devout belief may have a similar enough effect, enough to be usable. Though it depends greatly upon the mind summoning the energy, and their purpose. The Light cannot be used to kill senselessly, but it can most certainly purge a Human of thoughts and beliefs another Human may consider to be 'corruption'. This is very hard to do though, as the Human in question must have both unshakeable trust in the Alpha, and a righteous heart. Whoever Purged those people has been practicing for a while. They're just sentient enough to be profitable. That is no accident. That's practice."

The Dragon Emperor spoke, as Tao finished and Alex put the helmet on once more. The bluish-purple eyes burned to life, causing his voice to echo slightly with psychic reverb. "And you said there is no way to save them?"

The Original Dragon radiated genuine sorrow. "No…what the Light burns away, it burns away entirely, if not properly shielded. It surged through their brain's circuitry. That doesn't grow back, not without focused treatment anyways, and given the Arcean standard of living for prisoners, they will likely deteriorate over time, if they haven't already."

There was a low rumble in the tent that radiated from their Emperor. The dragonbone sections had begun to glow. Fused by the Voice with elemental Plate shards, they acted similarly to the crystals. Alex had long since figured out he could Mega Evolve his partners by using parts of the armor. His set had been customized specifically with his team in mind, and it gave his outline a unique glow of their many colors.


The cascade of rainbow light hardened into a proper Aura shield as the bluish purple dragon energy in the bones bent the other types to its indomitable will. "Those people are only there because I gave prisoners a chance to be decent Humans…they're going to become little better than vegetables, because of my kindness." He looked around at his gathered allies. "I don't know about you all, but I'm not going to sit by and let it happen. I'll charge Monachus alone if I have to. I guess what I'm trying to say is…who wants to come with me?"

"Aye, I'll come. And I'll bring enough wind to fill the sail of that ego of yours." Professor Buckeye said, smirking. "I only chatted with your granduncle a few times…but I never got the impression the dark rumors about him were true. I've seen what his wife looked like. Do you think he'd approve of you charging into the enemy's headquarters?"

Alex smirked. "Not at all. He'd say it was a 'damn fool suicide mission', or something. And he'd keep saying it, all the way there, until he saw people in danger. That's when he'd become a Trainer, and try to save them. He was too good. That's what got him involved in their business in the first place. I guess it runs in the family…"


Percy chuckled. "I'm out. I have things to do. You have fun fighting in a city though, Redwood. Enjoy urban warfare. Maybe after you get trapped, you'll understand why I forbid them in my region." Thor and the black haired Articuno Rider gave him a look.

"Valaskjalf is as much a city as any-" The rider had begun to speak, but Thor raised a hand.

"Do not rise to his bait, Yen." He fixed his red eyes on the Fairy King then, "It does not matter, Percival. Norstad will regrow regardless, and eventually, the Humans will form cities. You know this, Fairy King. You are the one who lengthened their lives by lifting the technology ban."

Percy gave the flame-haired 'god' a blank stare. "I made a promise, didn't I." He stood then, and left with a sigh.

The Rider of Valaskjalf stood as well, shaking her head. "I have camps to scout. Good luck, Dovahkiin."

Thor stayed, grinning as he said, "You may consider me 'in', Dovahkiin. Whatever we find in that city, I shall smash! Two hammers!" He left then to go prepare for the imminent glorious combat, and kept laughing all the way to his own tent, his loud voice still very much in their range as he started boasting to his warriors about the last time he and Pravus had dueled.


"Tao will be ready to join us by way of Teleport, if necessary. And if they block that, somehow, he can also just fly over. Many like to forget, but he can ignite his tail still. He's faster than a Rayquaza." Alex smirked, and the remaining leaders chuckled. "Go then, you know your assignments…the Scales can handle this with Norstad's aid."

They each departed then, and all along the line, the word went out. Another strike was coming for Ohiana, and both sides had brought their best. What the north did not know though, was that communications had been cut in the center and southern regions, all the way down to Texico. The Church was leading another simultaneous offensive, and had begun to attack before the Prophet had. It was a good strategy, as those areas had, thus far, held the longest under the onslaught. The Church's best minds had been gathered, along with several Hands, to break the Texican stalemate.

Alex went to his own tent, and loaded the various ball holder clips spaced evenly along the cloak's inside with many of the partners he had captured in the past, and recently began properly training. The old training weight vests his original six had used had been passed on, and now he slotted in those who had proven themselves strong in the many battles he faced daily. This included his Sceptile, Staraptor, Umbreon, Espeon, Flygon, and Chesnaught, who had become like an unofficial backup team to his main ten. Now, in war, they would augment his ten, as no such carry limits existed in warfare. He would have had his Combusken and Rowlet trained up as well, but he'd only had so much time, despite the fact that there were always Scales willing to spar with him.


Percy had apparently been consulted for the cloaks as well, and had somehow managed to create a link between one's PC boxes, and the small four-pronged metallic ball holders that lined the interior of the dragonhide cloaks the Scales wore. Once a Trainer put their partner's ball in, they would be ready to be retrieved from their PC, and if the cloak was damaged in battle and the sockets with it, they would remain safe as the PC system automatically recalled the ball into storage. If a ball was damaged, though its occupant would remain safe, their new ball would need to be retrieved physically at a Pokémon Center.

Naturally, due to the expensive nature of this new technology, only the Scales had been outfitted, and many among them had begun training more partners to fill their cloaks. It was always nice to have backup on the battlefield, if they needed it. Alex hopped onto Blaze, once he was ready, and he'd memorized where each of his partners were with his new, strange mental abilities to compartmentalize basic information in massive quantities.

It had been a while since he'd ridden his Charizard, and he was surprised at how wide his neck had become over the past few months. He bore his Trainer, dragonbone armor and all, into the air with ease, and roared into the sky as he ascended to the next level with a flash of red from his Flame Plate. Echoes came from the Pokémon of the other Scales, and Hilbert joined him on his Braviary. Jess and Chari followed as well, and then the three Unovan's squads ascended after them, each Scale riding on unique mounts, though there was some species overlap, naturally. Charizard was also a very popular choice.


A horn sounded to their west, and they saw Thor, riding what looked like an iron chariot, pulled by two flaming Gogoat, soaring through the air just above his loyal soldiers. Each of those was armed with a sword and shield, and covered in golden armor that was from the same culture that had created Thor's regalia, judging by aesthetics. They were all mounted atop a Rapidash with blue flames for manes. Though the breeds of Norstad retained their fire, their home region's numerous ice types had made them considerably more burly than their kin across the planet. That, and their additional pair of legs, for a total of six, and evidently, more speed. Their supposedly immortal riders roared as they followed after the Thunder God, and once they left the camp, just outside of Ventosus, they spread out in a proper 'flame wall', as they called it. The Scales joined them, alongside the other fighters from Norstad.

It was a short trip to the enemy, and they knew they were seen long before they came up to the Sippi river. Thor's men leapt it with ease, as did the Scales. The normal Norstad forces, most of whom had thus far kept pace on foot, steamed in the cold night. Hot as they were though, they knew that entering that river would mean death. It was still flowing, despite the cold.

Their leader, Bjalfari, stepped forward then, and awed his men by summoning his Wailord from a tiny, almost laughable ball. A generally unchanged species across the world's oceans, the massive creatures had the fecundity of rabbits. This was good, for many ocean dwelling Pokémon were indeed carnivores, and had limited berries to draw from as an alternative. The men climbed atop the creature quickly, and with one flap of its limbs, it crossed the river that all but bisected the continent. They still had to sprint along the slippery length of its back, but none of them had too much trouble.


The sky above them seemed red, which meant it was dawn, or dusk. Given the nearly perpetual cloud cover that was becoming darker by the day, time had become wobbly for those who'd not seen the sun, only battle and snow, for over a month now. Thor was the brightest object for miles, but Alex wasn't concerned. They'd crossed the river. If the Arceans wanted to stall them, they'd lost their best chance.

Another horn from Thor split the air, and the Rapidash riders sped up to attack speed as their mounts began uniformly Flame Charging across the snowy plains, leaving their mortal comrades even further behind, but with a melted path to follow. Eventually, they saw the reason for the sudden increase in speed. Urbe Monachus lay before them. It didn't have much in the way of a skyline, being more of a spread-out grid like deal, but they didn't have to wonder where the Prophet's dais was.

A recently made 'pyramid' of circular edifices, each of which seemed to hold yet more Crusaders, was lit up like a beacon on the city's skyline. A shield of blackish purple energy appeared seemingly from nowhere at the edge of the city limits, where it met the urban sprawl that was, evidently, abandoned. The riders charged through, doing their best not to cause wanton destruction. There would be plenty of that once they got into the city. By that point, each of their mounts had charged enough to reap the benefits of constantly increasing their speed, and the area around them managed to go mostly unburned.


Thor leapt from his chariot and smashed both hammers into the shield. It wavered, and then reformed itself. A voice rang out above them.

"Ah yes, the 'thunder deity'. I was hoping the Dragon would send you to me…and with all your precious warriors no less. You haven't yet seen what my Crusaders can do, have you? This weather…inconvenient for war maybe, but not for the determined workers of the Church. I wish to negotiate, Asgardian. Send in your Emperor."

"Not alone!" Thor shouted, smashing Mjolnir into the shield again. Cracks across the opaque purplish darkness formed where it struck, and lightning moved across the entirety of it in seconds. "Your defense is not so great that it can withstand me, worm…but if ye wish to parlay, I'll…resist killing your men. For a time…"


The Scales caught up to the host of the Thunder God then, at the edge of the shield. They'd moved in formation, and Blaze had kept pace with them. "By all means…" The Prophet's voice continued. "Bring all your little friends…we've been expecting them." The shield vanished then, and without its opaqueness obscuring their vision, even to their psychically enhanced eyes, they saw now what lay beneath.

Crusaders lined the main avenue into the city, on each side of the street, where normally citizens parked their vehicular transport. None were around today however, in fact, there was no sign, physical or mental, of anyone, aside from the delusion hardened minds of the Crusaders. All their psychic themed paranoia resulted in a culture that trained its best soldiers to be all but immune to mental Mukkery. The assembled forces waited for their ground-bound warriors on foot, and then moved together, through the city, weapons drawn, but relaxed.

"This be most definitely a trap…" The crimson-haired Asgardian growled under his breath as they strode quietly down the Crusader lined streets.

Alex nodded in agreement. "Look at their mouths." The mental words came from Jess, and as he did, his glacially slow to awaken anger, twitched. He knew his smirk well, and whether by individual practice or hidden holoprojector, it was plastered on the face of every helmetless officer they passed.


Alex ignored it, after a mental nudge from the First Dragon, and continued onward, pretending to ignore the armed enemies around him. He was tense though, and he knew it. It was more due to the cold than anything, as it was low enough in temperature for ice to have formed over the smirking soldier's armor and visors. He remembered being more resistant to it in past winters, but for some reason this one kept him properly shivering, even in his armor.

The temperature only lowered as they neared Pravus's monument to the effectiveness of forced labor. The laborers were, like the city's civilians, evidently hidden, likely by dark type energy. Only Merlin's power had, to Alex's knowledge, been able to see through such things before.

Pravus stood atop the dais, at the end of the only ramp that allowed access to each rim, and of course, the top. "We have a special treat today, loyal viewers." Alex, Jess, Hilbert, Bjalfari, and even Thor sighed in unison, along with their squads and assembled fighters. The Prophet glared at them, and then smiled, continuing on with his shpeal.


"It seems the Dragon Emperor wishes to have a word about our last broadcast, and being the peaceful man that I am, I've decided to hold a summit, here, in the city of our most devout monks!" He gestured then, and suddenly, those with psychic senses knew exactly where the civilians and laborers were.

The city had a fair amount of high-rise buildings for one of the smaller cities on the continent, and atop each of the now lit buildings, was the population. They each appeared to be wearing the same blank white robes, adorned only with Arceus' symbol on the chest, and nothing else. He felt Tao's revulsion then, and the Dragon's voice echoed among his troops. "They are…they are all Purged…" Righteous fury at the sheer amount of wasted, discarded life spread through each of them, and Thor twirled his hammers as he shouted at the Prophet.

"Oi! You and I have a score to settle, Vul Sos! Nobody on this good Earth tries to steal Yggdrassil, and lives to tell of it! You came to my home, and tried to strip it of Life! That...is an act of war. Privileged am I, to be able to smash your foul face live, on your own bloody show!" It seemed Thor, like the rest of the easterners, were sick of hearing Pravus talk. The Asgardian bolted forward with the speed of a lightning bolt, and a pair of massive hands, formed of pure dark energy, and shaped like a Darkrai, grabbed the heads of each. Thor pushed him across the dais slowly, grinning as his golden muscles strained under his battle armor. It was Asgardian tech, and was barely distinguishable from his skin in color.


"See what your beloved Prophet really is, Fornians!" He shouted, and Pravus made a cutting gesture with his own hand. True to form however, 'technical difficulties' had begun as soon as Thor charged. For once, it hadn't been entirely untrue, as the lightning from the god's presence was making the tech atop the dais go wild.

"Look." Jess said in his mind. "The energy. I saw it last time, but I wasn't sure…it's definitely a Darkrai, but those eyes-" "Are Human." Alex finished. They'd been disguised by the usual invisibility of the Pokémon's form which seemed to have been merged to the back of Pravus in an all-encompassing shield. "The question then becomes…whose eyes are those…"

He had the thought at the same time the Dragon did. "I will show the Chief, do not move your gaze." Thankfully, Pravus and the dual-wielding Thunder God were trading blows, and had, after several minutes, each gained grins of genuine amusement. They were both powerful fighters that rarely, if ever, had a chance to go all out in a melee.

Tao's voice returned a moment later. "We were correct in our suspicions. The Chief was deeply shocked by the sight of that Darkrai, and her eyes…there is only one place in the world that has, ever, successfully created, and fused with, the Pitch Black Pokémon." He paused for effect, and spoke then only to Alex, Hilbert, and Jess.

"There is a reason the lands on the continent to our south were given the title of 'Dark Continent'. It's mostly covered in jungle, though the coast is taken up by Rio's size, or rather, the ruins of it. It is a place where Dark Types and Grass Types flourish. Just south of Fornia's side of Texico, there was a civilization that, around three thousand years ago, began fusing their entire population with Darkrai they created through artificial means that eventually got them wiped out. Zigma, the Guardian of that land was split in the fury of the conflict, but the fused Humans were all turned to ghosts, vengeful ones, able only to lash out at those brave, or foolish, enough to venture into their ruined city in the mountains. It was believed that after a few centuries of starving, the ghosts would fade back to the Spirit World. The last I heard, Rio fell into some kind of internal city-wide civil war that wiped out almost all of them. Now their city is mostly in ruins as well, though evidently they still occupy a small part of them."

"So…you're saying Pravus is what, some kind of Darkrai enhanced Human who…swam out to sea? Perhaps to escape whatever wrath was brought on his people…but he was dragged north by the current to…oh…" Alex paused as, the more he thought about it, the more the facts fit into place. It would explain why he'd known how to fuse with a Darkrai, and evidently make one as well. "So if he had to create the one Thor's fighting now…presumably by using energy from Vega, and a…suitable Human…"

Jess finished for him, this time. "What happened to the first Darkrai he had?"

They looked up as the two whirling, dueling figures having, and evidently enjoying, their epic clash split apart with a forceful boom that had come from Mjolnir and its twin smashing into a Dark Pulse that Pravus had evidently been attempting to condense into a much heavier, damaging attack. He felt Arthur's amusement, for he too had struggled with the absurd density of condensed dark energy. Until he'd infused a bit of psychic to keep it light enough to move. In his experience, the orb devoured what little psychic energy he put into it long before it made contact with whatever he was striking. Such was the nature between the two types.


Thor's crimson cape had been torn away in the fierce clashes of energy between electric and dark, but the god himself looked unhurt elsewhere. Pravus similarly was all but unscathed, for whenever Mjolnir came close to smashing him once more, one of the hands would reform, catch it, and push it away.

Furious at the constant redirection, Thor hit harder, using both hammers at once, over and over. The hands slowly withered as the Darkrai took damage, and seeing his chance for final victory, an end to the war, and even more fame and glory from humanity, Thor swung them both up with a flourish, and brought them down.

Or he would have, if the dark arms hadn't reformed suddenly, very much still corporeal, and caught Thor's burly arms in each hand. That left his chest open to the Prophet's dark sword, and it was as he struck that the man's private show came back on, the tiny robotic drones once more whizzing to life and recording. On the Fornian's side, the Prophet's aura, powers, and other such abilities were always, always shaded to be portrayed as golden light. The same held true for his Crusaders. Only the soldiers themselves, and those who saw them in person, knew the truth of his 'divine power'.

The smart ones hadn't questioned the disconnect from television and reality, and had reasoned that one must use both darkness and light to fulfill the Alpha's mission. It wasn't all that different from what Tao taught, though true to form, the cult structure had abused their people's honest devotion at every single turn. The ones who dared to suggest that 'using the essence of evil on our friends' was wrong, were the ones who ended up in labor camps for asking questions above their station about the Leader, and the wisdom of his decisions.


Thor's armor proved its worth as the Prophet struck the struggling Asgardian, but the Darkrai had a firm grip, and refused to let go. Thor shifted his chest, causing the blade tip to slide harmlessly along his golden breastplate, and kept the sword from piercing him by finding a seam in the alien metal. For the moment.

Snarling in irritation, and seeing the eastern forces starting to rush in to aid their ally, and potentially end the war, Pravus let the darkness envelop him, the sword grew larger, the hilt formed a v shape just below where the wide, black blade grew, and it took the man two of his own human hands to swing. He thrust up at Thor from a low angle, and the Asgardian gave a breathless gasp as the Shadow blade tore right through him.

Alex was at the top just in time for the spray that followed, and then the sickening sound of the heavy body hitting the ground as the blade phased through it. He glanced at his armor, covered in the blood of one he considered a friend. He stared Pravus down, and the purple-blue energy in his eyes and aura shifted to golden Light.


"Now now, little dragon, you might not want to Purge me in front of the entirety of my following…I'll only come back stronger, and the people's faith will be rewarded again and again. I have a different proposition…" He gestured to three bodies that lay, smoking, beside his PokéMeter, at the back part of the rounded stone dais. "Have a session on my PokéMeter. We'll even lift the rules, for this one special circumstance, and show it live for the first time ever…lives are on the line after all, and this is history." His smirk widened to a grin.

Alex tightened his grip on the ignited plasma sword, and felt Lux' eyes on him. Thor's blood had, apparently, brought out the electric type's rage. He was urging his Trainer to use him, and strike the darkness dead. This game was what he wanted, it was all part of the trap. Alex quickly thought over his options, and then took a deep breath as with naught but a whisper, he made a third option. He met the Prophet's grin with his usual smirk, and powered down his sword. Pravus did the same, and they both moved towards the machine, eyes never moving from the other. Behind them, Thors soldiers rushed to attend to his wound,but Pravus seemed not to care, now that he'd proven his dominance.


"I don't understand what you get out of…this…" Alex said, gesturing to the elaborate measures that had evidently been taken just to get him on this machine. It was undoubtedly from a source of Light, but this close, his third eye could see how skewed it had become. Twisted, until it could do little more than burn those who touched it, or not, at the reader's command. He resisted laughing, as he had a feeling that was what the Prophet intended. Pretend to give him a fair, honest, meter session, a hallmark of his people's culture and religion, and have him 'die accidentally' as a result. Evidently it wasn't unexpected, on this machine. He supposed it was a good plan, given that his Hand hadn't gotten the job done.

"My people consider these sessions sacred, young Redwood." Pravus said, sitting properly, as he powered up the machine. The camera drones buzzed around him, and from behind each of the sitting leaders, Scales and Crusaders flanked their backs, staring the others down, ready to start fighting if something went awry. They all knew it was a trap, there was no way things wouldn't go sideways. They were ready for sideways.

"This Machine, and those descended from its Most Holy design, are specifically tuned to hone in on one's Crimes, and advise a Judgement for the severity of them. The Light, praise be, is merciful, and usually only leaves small burns that heal in short amounts of time, but sometimes, one's crimes are so great, the Light eradicates them on the spot." He smirked. "Down to the last atom. This Judgement, we have determined through our advanced science and technology, comes straight from the Alpha himself. Therefor…it cannot be wrong. Once we are done here, it is my hope that this war will finally end, and my loyal soldiers can stop dying."


Alex nodded quietly as the Prophet spoke, and casually glanced upwards at the clouded sky. Reassurance flooded him, and the Scales behind him shifted. "Very well. I agree to your tests. If I prove worthy of the Alpha's Judgement, you will stand down, at once. We all serve the same Maker, we do not need to keep killing each other."

"My thoughts exactly." Pravus said, grinning, and gesturing to the silvery metal canisters at the opposite end of the PokéMeter. "After this, there will be no reason to keep fighting."

"You're running out of time, Alex…" Tao muttered in his head, both amused and satisfied that they had just gotten more than enough from the Prophet, in his own words, for future de-escalation. The Dragon had warned that the clever villain might not use his silvered tongue, but in hindsight, there was no way his ego would've let him stay quiet. He appeared confident in victory, or at the very least, winning this part of the battle, and then charging straight for Unova, and total domination.

"Then let there be peace." Alex said, winking at the floating cameras as he gripped the cylindrical canisters of Melmetal essence. Tao had taught him much about how energy could flow, any energy, theoretically. If one knew how to harness it, one could turn it on their opponent. Such tactics were a trademark of the Dragon's fighting style. Control, balance, and upsetting that balance, in combat, making their energy work for you instead of your opponent.

Moreover, he and his enhanced brain had gotten familiar with what they were using to make the plasma swords function, and he could, and had, often repaired those that had been damaged after a hard battle. The best part of the Melmetal's gifts was that, if you used a steel type crystal or plate, you could repair damaged parts in the field relatively quickly. Other metals did not mend so easily, and Tao had said they simply did not have time for him to learn how to properly wield and build with steel energy.

Thankfully an Iron Plate crystal had been fused by way of the Voice to his armor, as an Aggron would, eventually, be part of his team. Cenomons still had yet to evolve, though he was a good battler in his own right. He braced himself, and felt the cylinders grow hot beneath the black mesh that also protected his hands, as well as his joints.


The Prophet smirked, and began to read the instrument. "This isn't the first time you've been on a PokéMeter…you've done this before, haven't you?"

Alex glared at him, and the grip on the canisters tightened. The smirking Prophet knew full damn well what he'd caused with his first meter session. The last time he'd been on such a machine, albeit a normal, non-glowing one, he'd lost his chance to be a Trainer. Or so he'd believed, for a very long time.

"I have. It may interest your people to know that you sabotage the futures of innocent children, whose only crime is being related to an old man that subverted your 'legendary security' after being wrongfully imprisoned." He stared at the cameras then, for they were indeed still rolling. By the Church's own rules, a session could not be interrupted, and this one had been ordered to be performed live, by the Prophet himself. "I doubt those you've put in your labor camps are seeing this…but if they are, I want them to know that escape is still very much possible…and even if you fail, worry not." He shifted his smirk and gaze back to Pravus. "I'll free you myself, soon enough…"

"Oh, will you…" A surge of what could only have been Light energy came from the machine then, surprising Alex entirely as it broke through his Aura shield with little to no effort. He quickly guided the energy, and kept it in his arms, before forcing it back from whence it came, through the canisters, but the meter seemed unchanged. Pravus appeared satisfied though, for all intents and purposes, it seemed as though the sturdy Dragon Emperor had been thoroughly shocked. "How about now?"


Another surge came, and he played along, the snarls of pain were real enough, but Alex kept his posture, and his grip. His hands were on fire, but he didn't release the canisters. That would give the Prophet an excuse to end things early, rather than continue toying with him. A quick glance at the man's not unpleasant face told him what he needed to know.

The Darkrai around Pravus, still invisible to normal eyes, seemed to be looking down at him with sorrow. He winked at it, too, as another surge of energy traveled further up his arms than he would've liked. Both were shaking now, and flaring streams of light energy escaped from the joints between the dragonbone of his armor.

"I've bought you a few minutes…" Tao's voice came, and Alex got the mental image of the dragon, likely from centuries past, bashing a plain leather ball, evidently from a human, higher and higher into the sky with his tail. He started to chuckle, and immediately regretted it as another surge of Light ran up his arms. He controlled it once more, and forced it back into the machine. The pain was intense, and he bit his lip. He couldn't feel it though; his brain was preoccupied with the intense pain in his arms. No distractions, then.


"Seven bursts, and the Dragon Emperor still retains consciousness. Impressive, to say the least. Only my Hands have ever endured so much. Admit to your Crimes, Alexander Redwood…and you may yet be forgiven…I'll even offer a one-time chance to join me, my people, my Church. We don't need to kill each other, right?" The carefully controlled sarcasm irked Alex, but to his followers, sounded as genuine as everything else their beloved leader said.

"What…crimes…" He said, surprised at how hard talking had become. Another surge, but he'd been expecting it, this time. Once more he let the energy travel up his tortured limbs, and then guided it back down, which was just as painful, straight into the machine. Finally, he sensed a shift within it. An imbalance, small, but enough.

Pravus raised an eyebrow at his reading, but continued on anyways. "Come now, use that clever brain…everyone has things they regret. Choices, they wish they could undo. Share yours with us. There is no judgement, at least from us, during a session. You are with friends…"


The Prophet's voice seemed to cut through the pain he felt in his arms, which trembled every few seconds now. Still, his grip remained iron. He glanced up again, and hid a smirk as he 'pretended' to double over in pain before another surge of Light. He felt a strange, unnatural compulsion in his mind, to share his pain, things he would normally never utter aloud, to let all of it spill out, and let the Light decide if he was too terrible to keep living. He could see why normal people, without crystals or armor or psychic powers, fell to a machine like this so easily.

The metal cylinders had, he'd slowly realized, formed a direct connection to his nervous system, piercing his gloves, as the session went on. Normally harmless, this connection allowed the reader to measure the potential of the human linked to the machine, though in this era, meter readers had strict orders to extract secrets from their parishioners, which were then used to the Church's benefit, and the result had been the PokéMeters becoming little more than very glorified 'lie detectors'. The promise of privacy was, as with so much else in their cult, an illusion meant to reassure the person on the receiving end of the meter that what they said would be kept hidden.

Thankfully, the Light was not a mindless, all-destroying force that left death in its path when unleashed. It only came from one known source, and Arceus was a merciful deity. Alex knew if it reached his brain, as Pravus likely assumed it already had, he wouldn't be able to recover. Another surge came through his nerves, and the pain was almost too much. He'd retreated from his mental link to Jess and his partners, as he knew them well, and knew they wouldn't be able to sit by if they had any idea of just how bad he was hurting. Arthur knew, of course, as their link was far more ingrained thanks to his typing, but the Gallade also knew he had to resist the urge to charge in and help. For now.


Sweat fell from his jaw and beard as he panted, but his arms, he forced to stay in place. Slowly, he sat up again. Pravus gave him a magnanimous smile. "Confess, and the session will be over."

When another burst was slow to come, he waited. A minute passed. He waited. Another, and he knew time was fading fast. He forced himself to sit up. "You want…to hear what I am guilty of? What I regret?" He looked down again, composed himself, only to hunch further forward as another burst of Light surged into him. That was all he needed. Sadistic types like Pravus likely didn't know just how ineffective torture was, as a rule, but instead of lying to end it, he had other plans.

Part of his leg armor began to glow with steel type energy, but he kept it out of sight below the table, hoping the sadistic man wouldn't notice, enjoying the session as he was. He widened the connection to the cylinders, and redirected as much Light as he could through them. One more, he thought, as he sensed the imbalance in the device grow. One more…he could handle one more. But, he realized, he was out of time.


The sky above them took on a dark red hue, and the Prophet looked up, eyes narrowing. "All I regret…" Alex said, letting the pain fade from his mind, and replacing it with his growing rage, "Is that I let a worm like you control my life for so long…my biggest regret? Giving up my Venusaur, when I earned my Trainer ID…that's the only time I've ever been forced to abandon a friend…" The eyes narrowed, and the dragon energy flared to life again as he focused his anger. His aura shifted from blue, to a deep crimson, that matched the sky above them. Pravus stood, rage coming over his features as he realized, somehow, his opponent was not as weak as he should be. "And you are the reason I had to in the first place!"

He focused his power then, empowering his psychic energy until it let the Light energy flow into him from the universe, and his entire form began shining with golden light. He directed it into the machine's imbalanced internal energy, overloading it. "What!?" Pravus switched the knob that powered the machine off, but the needle displaying the energy reading remained where it was, entirely too far to the right side of the display, in the red. Nobody had ever forced the needle into the red before on this machine, not even Pravus had enough power to force it. He took half a step back as he realized he couldn't stop it, only to have it explode in his face with a flash of blinding Light.

When the flash faded, Alex found himself on his knees, arms hanging limp, still panting. He slowly reconnected to his team, and assured them that he was okay. Jess hadn't waited, reforging their link herself, and shielding him with a Barrier right before the machine went critical. She too, had seen the imbalance, what he'd been trying to do, and as usual, he'd forgotten to leave enough energy to defend himself.


His entire form was smoking, as he slowly stood, and he looked over at Pravus. The man was on his back, obscured by the table, and smoking more than he was. It was at that moment that his whispered Words manifested. Coming down from the clouds, seven massive meteor-like objects, wreathed in crimson, sparking flames, hurtled towards the dais, in a disturbingly perfect circle. The Crusaders, who had begun powering up their staves when the light exploded, barely had time to react before the massive spheres of draconic energy, summoned with naught but a whisper hidden in a deep breath at the start of this charade, came down on them.

The smart ones had shifted their weapons to fire type energy, and formed personal shields around themselves. Unfortunately for their comrades, panic had won out by majority, and once the ashy clouds of meteoric impact blew away in the fierce winter wind, the dais stood all but unoccupied, as it was covered with burned, wounded men. The Scales moved through them with brutal efficiency, and ended their pain with merciful strikes to vital organs.

With the dais suddenly free of their control, and their Prophet's status unknown, the remaining forces in the city began to converge on them, and the eastern forces reinforced the top level of the structure, turning the long ramp down to the street into a killing zone as Pokémon joined the fight. Eventually, Crusaders stopped charging blindly into the various attacks from the gathered Scales, and bided their time to make a concentrated charge.


In short order, they began climbing, alternating positions to form defensive spheres of elemental energy powered by their armor, which joined together when close enough. The Scales drove them back rather easily though, as those defending were Champions, and had their powerful partners using rock type attacks, which both severely damaged or cut through the Crusader's fire and ice counter-attacks, and were entirely immune to electricity. Moreover, they could also make the ramp very smooth, and difficult for the heavy humans to climb, especially while defending themselves.

The gathered host of Thor who had ran to their fallen leader, reported that he was comatose, self-induced, to begin the healing process. Evidently, he expected his allies to stabilize him in time, which they did, though how exactly, the others could not see, as the tall riders obscured any foreign eyes from peeking through. When asked how they were going to heal a wound like that, the only answer the stone-faced warriors gave was, "Asgardian technology."

The remaining eastern forces spread out atop the large stone structure, as Alex and Jess went to examine Pravus, to make sure he'd been fully ended. She'd already managed to use Recover on his right arm, and was tending to his left, as he froze, and shifted back to combat readiness. The spot where Pravus had lain was empty, only a charred mark on the stone remained where he'd been lying only moments before. "Bloody Darkrai…we need to separate him from it. Every time, it saves him."

"We need…" Jess said, as she focused her scarlet-pink energy on his arm, "To get out of this city alive. And figure out how he fused himself to a Darkrai in the first place."


Alex reached out to Tao then. "How did that go? Did they cut off broadcasting?"

"No. The feed is still live, somehow." Tao responded, sounding perplexed. The camera drones were, like everything else after the explosion of power, smoldering wrecks. Alex mentally ordered the most tech savvy of his Scales to secret them away, for they needed a back door into the Church's propaganda machine. "As far as I can tell, they gave your abilities the opposite coloration of the Prophet's."

"So it looks like I just blew him up with a giant darkness bomb. Great. Even when we win, we lose…" Alex muttered, flexing his hands as Jess finished. He used them both to hug her, murmuring, "I'm fine, really…" before letting her go.

An irritatingly familiar voice echoed above them. "Win? You have won nothing, half-breed." They looked up at the dark cover of the ash-filled clouds, as a familiar looking ship descended from the upper atmosphere. It was Percy's but it had been given the Arcean treatment. That meant more guns, more shielding, and a giant symbol of the Alpha, jutting up from the rear this time. "I'll give you points for being clever, overloading my machine with too much energy…you would've made a powerful Hand. Now, all you'll make is a corpse. Such a waste…"

Singing came through the sounds of battle by the edges of the dais, and they glanced to the rooftops of the city's few skyscrapers. The shield from earlier reformed, once the Prophet's ship was low enough. It began heading straight for them.


The pair of bow-mounted triple barreled cannons on the formerly stealthy airship formed six orbs of energy, two for each typing the Church had adopted as weaponry. Bjalfari gave a sharp whistle then. "Mount up with Thor's men, lads! We're getting out of here!" He met Alex's gaze, and the Unovan tilted his head questioningly. "Thor is severely hurt, and, well…" Bjlafari gestured, and the city below them teemed with the white armor and visored faces of thousands of soldiers, all heading towards them.

"Right." Alex said, shaking his head free of the painful daze springing the trap had caused. "Of course…fall back, all of you!" Hilbert took his Scales into the air, and headed southeast, over the city, and towards the battle lines that, presumably, needed reinforcing. The rest of them leapt atop their mounts as well, just as the beams from the ship fired. The entire top half of the stone monument was blown away, but the resulting dust and rubble only hindered the Church's troops, and gave the easterners cover to get away.

Thor's men had retained their Rapidash, and each of the blue-maned beasts had Bounced high into the air with the rest of them, some gaining additional height as massive chunks of stone flew past them. Not all the regular Norstadders escaped unscathed however, but the survivors knew that anyone who fell to the teeming horde of Crusaders below was already lost. They didn't take non-civilian prisoners very often. Alex's squad, which was essentially three in one at this point, saw where the Thunder God's warriors were landing, and battle erupted as they cleared the space for the descending fire horses. They were surrounded before long, all of them fighting and blocking as best they could.


 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Each of the Scales had called out their partners then, and many had bolstered their ranks by summoning Pokémon from their cloak holders. With unity acquired through practice in combat, those who could defend, merged their defenses, which were mainly rock type, and any ice attacks that came close to hitting their barriers were burned away by the Charizard, Talonflame, and other aerial fighters as well. Blaze was leading them, and the Scale's entire defensive strategy worked like a well-oiled machine as they covered for each other's weaknesses. None of them fell, as the Champions defended the landing host of Thor, and once the Rapidash were all down, they needed an exit.

As if on cue, a pair of very angry, very on fire Gogoats burst through the Crusaders on their eastern side. Bjalfari and two other warriors helped Thor into his chariot, though in the chaos it was hard to see how the red-haired Asgardian was faring. Once loaded up, the Gogoat both reared up, and then began charging back down the path of fire and death they'd created to reach the embattled eastern soldiers. The Rapidash needed no urging, and the gathered forces began moving as they beat a hasty retreat.

Then, for the first time in their brief history, the Emperor's own squad suffered losses. Moving so quickly back towards their lines had left gaps in their defense, which the Arceans abused to great effect. Bjalfari lost three of his Scales, and ten of his warriors, Jess lost two of her own, and Alex's own squad lost three. The Sippi region had only contributed eight former Champions to the cause. Some regions had as many as twenty, others as few as two. Sippi's in particular unanimously resented the Arcean plant that had taken their region, one Valarian Nocturne. The former Champions had, evidently, formed a plan in the quiet of their minds, and had chosen to sacrifice themselves, and their partners, to the hordes of angry Crusaders to buy the others more time.


Alex felt each of them fall, his sense of helplessness and anger rising with each death, and as the third of his own squad gave her life, he'd had enough. Three Champions, and over eighty Pokémon at their command…all brought down with merciless efficiency by the Church's horde of loyal men, and their own partners. Any rules of battle had been utterly tossed out the window. Alex reached out to his ace in the hole as they approached the wall of opaque darkness. "Are you here, yet?"

Alex smirked, as he was answered with a thundering roar, that made the Crusaders pause. Jess had reached the opaque barrier first, and with a single aura enhanced punch, had smashed a usable hole in the darkness with focused fighting energy. Rapidash began streaming through, and she moved to open another. Above them, thunder boomed as the upper part of the shield was blasted apart. Many of the Crusaders stationed within the city had been sent against the Kanadian Wall before now, and that roar haunted their nightmares. A cry escaped from one of the soldiers, a woman, who sounded several rows away from the current mob of chaotic Pokémon battling and combat. "Black Death comes! Switch shields to-"

The words were cut off as a massive pillar of electricity came down from the darkened heavens, and obliterated the speaker, and any who'd been near her general vicinity. Night had fallen by now, and the night was where the Black Death had earned his nickname. The Charge Beam moved in a tight circle around the easterners, and those fighting made short work of the few who escaped unscathed, before continuing to retreat after the fiery column of Norstadders following the unstoppable charge of Thor's Gogoat.


For the first time, Alex actually saw the Crusaders pause. They'd switched their weapons to ice typing, but the sky was a mess of reforming smoke, and chaotic Pokémon battles between Scales who excelled on their flying mounts, and aerial mounted Crusaders. The moon reappeared abruptly as Shruikan winged away for another destructive pass. As he circled, which took him just outside the city, and out of range, he mega evolved.

The Crusaders, instead of aiming for him, aimed for the similarly glowing Trainer giving him power, only to find their ice attacks smashed apart by blade arms, burning with Light energy from the Emperor's Gallade. Just as quickly as they'd struck, the Gallade retaliated, and entire squads of Crusaders fell to the whirling dervish of death that was Arthur. There were always more to replace them, though. Alex fell back as he let the others run the final stretch to the suburban outskirts, as he turned in the middle of the main road leading out of the city, and prepared to stall their foes. Otherwise, they'd chase them all the way back to command.

As Shruikan turned to deal with the advancing airship firing ice beams at him at a rapid pace, Cenomons appeared before his Trainer from underground, where he'd been making well-timed Dig attacks against soldiers who shifted their energy to electric. He'd followed the current then, and struck at the source. Usually, it wasn't an ally, and he'd have to dig again before retaliatory flames hit him. Thankfully, he was still rather fast. When it came to digging, at least.


"Alright Ceno, just like we practiced. Bearing Shot! Spread it as wide as possible!" The Lairon hunched his entire body, growling as the enemy, and their Pokémon, came closer. With a sound like cannon fire, tiny balls of glowing steel shot from each of the Pokémon's holes, along his back and head. Five times he repeated it, and the Crusaders paused, as the multitude of orbs stuck themselves to the nearest enemy target that the Lairon had marked. It was possible to hit allies with this as well, but he could usually spot friends from foes, with his Trainer's help. A piece of his attention was always there for him, in the back of his mind, if he needed it. It was reassuring to have on hand.

The Dragon Emperor raised a hand towards the Church forces who, upon seeing the orbs didn't really do anything but stick to them and glow, began charging him once more, intent on ending the war by taking his head. These were no back-woods soldiers that had never heard of the Scales of Balance. They knew how to kill Scales. Overwhelming them with varied melee strikes was the easiest method, while one had their Pokémon firing from mid to long range behind them as well. Their swords couldn't block everything.

The grimly smirking horn-helmed figure's eyes flared as he summoned the power of electricity, and the surrounding area took on a yellow hue. Sparks flared along every surface, and the internal systems of the Crusader's armor went screwy…for a few moments. They had been built to channel this very element after all. The fingers snapped, and the gathered forces, who were only a battling field's length away from him now, glanced skyward as they heard an all too familiar whooshing sound. The sound of Death inhaling. In the quiet before the strike, Alex's Voice reached Shruikan, and his victims as well. "Thunder."


The now mega evolved Shruikan had once more blocked the moon, and given the nature of formations that were chasing fleeing soldiers, a long line of the fastest had formed while the slower soldiers swarmed in behind them. The dragon opened his maw, but instead of a pillar of electrical death that only left charred, useless armor and smoking skeletons, the very clouds bent to his will as he used his Thunder.

He took his best shot at the closest opponent who'd been marked, and as the bolt struck home, it spread. Like a line of macabre dominoes, the Crusaders fell one after the other as the deadly energy spread through the silvery orbs, through the line of the fastest soldiers, and then into a good portion of the advancing front. Chaos erupted as divisions were left leaderless, and the charge faltered. Alex raised his hand again, and grabbed onto the black scaled tail that was all but invisible in the dark night to human eyes as Shruikan picked him up, and quickly matched pace with the rest of their war party.

"Not again! Fire everything!" Pravus' mad voice failed to hide the pain the eruption of Light had evidently caused him. It made some sense, as he'd discovered dark types were weak to that kind of energy. Alex recalled the various partners who had, thanks to his eeveelutions, not lost a single member. Between his Sylveon and Espeon, they had been an effective force, both defending and healing, as well as attacking when the moment came, but now was the time to pull back.


It was good he did, for Percy's ship had begun firing random beams of energy at any remaining enemy forces, which at this point, were his own partners. Eventually though, he recalled all of them from Shruikan's back. Seeing his prey fleeing, Pravus gave another command. "All soldiers! All ships! Ice Type attacks now! Fill the sky with them! Fire at will!"

Alex swore, and ran up the length of his dragon's neck, leaping off his snout, and recalling him as ice energy filled the air. His aura flared, and he propelled himself towards his troops, who were waiting by the Sippi River. While delayed, the Crusaders had regained marching patterns minutes after the Emperor's attack, and were now marching in pace with Pravus' newest flagship.

Alex raised a brow as he landed, and saw Jess and her squad ascending into the air. He found Hilbert, and their squads merged as they formed a defensive perimeter. "What are they up to then?"

Hilbert looked at him. "She said you were the one who gave her orders to fly into the air…"

Alex glanced up quickly. "I did not…wait, she's shielding herself from me." He went quiet as he gave her the mental equivalent of a loud knocking sound. He knew he'd made her wince. So she could hear him, at least. "Care to tell me where you're going?"


He sensed her wink at him. "Hush…and enjoy the show."

Alex raised a brow, and then turned his gaze towards what she'd mentally gestured to. His eyes went wide. He'd never seen a Suicune up close, but there was no way they were supposed to be this big. Moreover, its mane was blue, rather than purple just as Connor's partner was orange furred, and not yellow. Even Connor's Raikou hadn't been so…imposing, though. Professor Buckeye was atop the Legendary Pokémon, and he gave Alex a nod as they trotted by, following after Jess and her Scales.

She'd found her lover's choice of squadmates for her amusing, and had run with it once she returned from Kalos, going as far as bringing in five additional Articuno riders she'd befriended in her time at their village. They stood out among her Scales, and flew in a V formation of Articuno just above them. Jess was on Folokraan now, and Chari was with Blaze amongst the Pokémon of Hilbert and Alex's combined Scale force. Below them, there was a soft boom, and a cloud of snow as Suicune accelerated towards the enemy.

When both it and the Professor were about ten miles from the Sippi river, the old man let out a sharp whistle. The fliers above began circling his position, and from the distance, came their foe. Pravus's ship continued to charge towards them as fast as it could. It was much slower now, laden down as it was with all the upgrades. It had lost any chance of being stealthy, but it still fired ice energy beams as it advanced.


Below the ship, the Crusaders came as well, once more mounted as they had been for their Blitz. This was, evidently, meant to be their second attempt, a strike all the way through Unova. A howl tore through the air, and the relatively barren grassy plains that made up this part of the continent were flooded with mist that rose from the river and the snow, and encompassed what was supposed to be the battlefield.

The Asgardian forces led the charge back to Ventosus, their main focus on healing Thor. Alex didn't mind though, for he agreed with their priorities. His Scales could handle this. "Everyone heal up! If you need items, come to me. I want full health, and power on all your partners. Don't worry about how much you use, just give anyone who fought what they need to handle another round."

Arthur handled using items on their own team, and Shruikan made a brief appearance as well, healed himself, and then rapidly headed north once more to make sure the Church hadn't grown bold in his brief absence from the wall. The air had slowly grown even colder, and snow fell anew from the ash covered sky. He knew Jess had something to do with it, but she was still being dodgy about what they were up to.


As the Scales under Alex and Hilbert healed and restored their frankly absurd number of usable partners, Jess and her squad prepared to stall the advance, and perhaps end the battle before it properly began. Percy's ship fired beams uselessly into the fog-covered battlefield, and eventually ceased. Beams of ice fired back at the Arcean lines, and the Crusaders adjusted as necessary. Once they had ice shields however, a massive Blast Burn appeared from the mist and tore through most of the Arcean front line. The airship that held Pravus got to experience the power of a Thunder attack from a mega evolved and pure special attacker as Jess ordered Amphi to aim for one of the engines, and shared her psychic sight to account for Thunder's inaccuracy. Other fire moves immediately followed the massive thunderbolt. The Crusaders shifted their shield's typing again, and were met with ground and water moves in response.

Rightly assuming their attackers were on flying types, beams of electricity filled from the Crusaders soon filled the air, and actually managed to pierce the mist. Only a few of the Articuno were hit, and those managed to land and recover to get back in the fight. The misty cover was invaluable, but Suicune wasn't done.

Suddenly, the airship halted its forward momentum, as did the winded, and diminished lines of Crusaders. More streamed in from the city, and it became clear Pravus was giving his slower men a chance to mass up. When bunched together and shielding themselves in unison, few attacks could bring down the Church's soldiers. Or even manage to hit them, and as their lines reformed, their shield once more protected the airship from damage. What smoke there had been, ceased, as Fornian engineers handled and solved for the problem. Crafting a new part or six was easy when one had a living metal Pokémon on hand.



As the Church forces regained their composure and formed a proper battle line, as they had in the first Blitz, they charged again towards Ventosus, and entered the mist covered battlefield. They knew where they were headed, and it was Pravus' belief that they could handle whatever surprise the easterners had prepared. Without the Thunder God, they would be mowed down.

Another howl filled the air around them, and the mist turned into a Blizzard. There was a faint icy blue flash ahead of them within the storm, and without warning, the Blizzard became something else entirely, as the five remaining Articuno riders took control of the energy. That was when the Crusaders heard something on the wind.

It wasn't a howl this time, but a song, one in a deep, unknown tongue. Those aboard Pravus' ship knew it well, for many had been in Norstad, and hadn't left their posts in the months since. Flying type energy exploded from the airship in a circular wave that dispelled the clouds, if not the snow. Above them, the large once more full moon hung in the sky, and blocking their view of it was a rider, with fire for hair.


She raised a dragonbone covered fist, and the following snowstorm blinded the entirety of the Arcean lines with its intensity. The temperature dropped, rapidly, and Pravus gave the command. "All forces, switch to fire typing." The airship, for it had defenses as well, used the energy in its weapons, and merged it with the cohesive fire-shield blob the soldiers made up just below them. The result was a rather warm, comfortable dome that would burn away any ice attack. Or so they'd believed.

"Kun Iirik!" The Shout echoed across the battlefield, even through the shield of fire, and from the white void surrounding them, came an Ice Beam. It didn't look normal however, and it was Doctor Ein who realized what it was, though he couldn't convey it quick enough to matter.

When infused with Shadow, an Articuno could use a devastatingly powerful move that was, essentially, just an Ice Beam enhanced by Shadow energy. Now, it seemed, one of the irritating riders from before had thought to combine it with Light energy. The beam shattered the shield, and as a result, the enhanced armor of every Crusader suddenly lost power, burnt out by the overheating power units built into the back of each Crusader's armor. The suits had tried to output enough heat to match the frigid beam, but between it and the rapidly dropping temperature, the heat had been too much for the suits to sustain. Their weapons still worked though, and their leaders immediately ordered a barrage of fire typed beams into the sky.


It wasn't enough, though. The Sheer Cold attack from no less than five Articuno, each much larger than the one that had broken their enemy's shield, struck home as their defenses failed, and the beams of fire were swallowed up into the howling storm of ice and snow. As the roughly two hundred thousand Crusaders began to freeze, those at the back of their respective division began to flee for the city.

Seeing the first few lines already frozen solid in painful, horrific death poses, morale shattered, and the entire army began to flee. Or rather, they tried. Suicune had not been idle, and the impossibly fast Pokémon had run around the entirety of the Arcean lines, forming a barrier of ice with its Ice Beam as it ran.

Buckeye kept his partner healed and energized as they penned in the troops, and closed the jaws around the trap Tao had set. The Dragon had expected his forces would need a fast exit, and fast exits against men like Pravus meant a hard charge to follow. Using the river, and a few Legendary Pokémon, the clever Dragon had cut off his opponent's sight, attack and defense strength, and now had sealed off their escape as well, as the first fleeing soldiers soon found out.


Regular soldiers from Ohiana itself, made of mostly Trainers and militia who had thus far been under Buckeye's command, quickly traveled along the flat top of the new wall of ice, and began firing down at the soldiers quick-witted enough to realize that this wall was going to turn the battlefield before it into a killing zone if they didn't bring it down.

Some reinforced it with rock type moves, while others moved all the way to the far end, to make sure everything was covered. They knew it likely wouldn't hold if the entire field army began retreating, but they'd been told most of the soldiers would be frozen before they ever reached the barrier.

Tao, who had spent several minutes filling in Alex on what exactly the Hel their plan was, sent his Scales back into battle, and Alex and Hilbert's squad's once more joined with the ladies. They charged through the ranks of frozen Crusaders, their armor protecting them from the worst of the still ongoing Sheer Cold.


They did come upon the edge of it however, and as they saw the Riders of Valaskjalf freezing entire battle companies solid they also once more found the Prophet's ship. It was ascending, rapidly. Evidently Pravus realized his people below were already lost. Jess gave the order for the Sheer Cold to cease, but the damage had been done. Out of the two hundred thousand loyal Crusaders who'd followed their Prophet into the latest battle of this war, only two divisions, roughly fifty thousand men, remained.

Twin Ice Beams shot from either side of the field then, illuminating the sky with their brilliance as the clouds and snow faded. They struck the airship on each tandem wing rotor, freezing them both solid, and the massive ship began to plummet. This, more than anything, was what killed most of the soldiers.

Pravus did not, however, go down with his ship. Indeed, it seemed the wreckage was entirely empty of non-frozen or Crusader helmed victims. As usual, the slippery Shadow abomination had a way of quick escape, if it was necessary. Alex knew though, that the fact that he'd had to use it would likely mean incredible rage from the man, and new bruises for his subordinates.


Once the Prophet's ship crashed and the Scales hit it with several Hyper Beams, and elemental variations of similarly powerful attacks, the remaining Crusaders had surrendered, after a grisly chain of murdered lieutenants, and anyone with any kind of authority in the Church. The man who'd led his fellow soldiers in rebelling against a suicidal charge on the Dragon Emperor, called 'Reggie' or 'Reg' by his companions, had offered conditions to Alex that he'd accepted.

They would renounce their ties to the Church, and in return, the Unovans would imprison them somewhere far, far away from all the death and murder until the war ended. At that point, he said, he would like to return home, but he would leave that decision to Alex.

The Dragon Emperor had thoroughly shocked them all when he'd accepted the terms, and began speaking to them. "I know you all have heard plenty of things about me from your Church. Well the leader of that same Church just abandoned you to, presumably, die by my hand. The thing is, I don't want to kill you. Any of you. We never wanted this conflict. We wanted Pravus, for all the atrocities he has allowed in his long reign, and as you will soon see my Fornian foes, we had good reason to want to take him down. I will speak to as many of you as I can, when and if this conflict ends in a Unovan victory…if it doesn't, I'll be sure to leave the coordinates of your prison in a…obvious and easily found database. Somewhere. Maybe the Church will bother rescuing you. But don't count on it." He gestured then to the field around them. "Your frozen comrades who weren't shattered by your own airship will be thawed, but we'll leave convincing them to follow your lead in surrendering up to you…they're not going to believe anything I tell them."


If he'd made an impact on the Crusaders, it didn't show, but given that they all had visors on, that was expected. He pulled Reg aside once he'd finished addressing their new prisoners. "You're going somewhere near Ontarec. It'll be cold, damp, and probably cloudy, but you'll all be alive. I need you to figure out who the…dangerous ones among the frozen are. We have different facilities for them. You give me their names once you're all settled in, and our deal will stand. If you decide to try to betray me, or escape your new prison, you will all die. Do you understand me, Reggie?"

The man, who'd removed his own helmet, nodded. He had the usual Fornian features, though the tan had faded back to pasty white skin, from all the snow and near-constant cover from his armor, and his hair was black. "I hear you, Dragon Emperor…you don't need to convince me. I saw what you did…what your woman did…tell me something. Honestly. Are your powers evil?"

Alex chuckled, and shook his head. "Not…inherently. Obviously, not all with abilities like mine are…good natured, but I like to think I'm good at resisting the urge to brainwash people with them." The man seemed to chuckle at that, but it faded as he saw the Emperor's mouth grow grim. "I think you understand…there are more ways to brainwash people than with psychic abilities, and don't think your Prophet isn't using them, either. He has a Gallade of his own, you know."

"I'll take your word for it…" The man muttered, seemingly ready to return to his comrades.


Alex smirked. "You'll see for yourself. We have a video record, developed since this war began, for those Fornians we happen to capture. We show you the unedited truth of what your government and your Church have been up to for the past few centuries."

That piqued the man's attention again. "And does that kind of tactic work?"

Alex chuckled again. "About as well as you'd expect. Around fifty percent usually refuse to watch. The other half that do, don't take very long to deconvert. We offer a chance to save their family members then." He gestured again, and the very people Pravus had captured earlier, who'd been spirited away somewhat unwillingly by Thor's riders, were huddled around the Scales, and the fire Pokémon with them. "We don't always succeed. Most of the time, they're already dead, but sometimes…sometimes we have a happy ending, a family reunion, and people who won't try to unravel my government when and if this all ends." He met Reg's eyes then. "I don't want your people to die, Reg. I want your people to flourish, as they should have been, for the past three centuries."


The Crusader looked down again, shook his head, and sighed. "It's…a lot to process…"

Alex chuckled. "You'll have time to think it over. But the offer stands for you as well. Soldier or civilian, spy or diplomat. We offer the chance to be free to those who have the will to take it. Good luck…and may the Alpha's Light guide you truly."

The common Arcean ending to a conversation seemed to startle the Crusader, as it had come from the very man he'd been told had zero respect for his people's culture or beliefs, and wanted to see all of it in ruins. They would all have much to think about.


For his part, Alex had floated into the air, and headed for the windy city's Encampment, which was serving as the military's headquarters. As he landed and entered the command tent, Tao's voice filled his skull. "We have a problem. The other fronts have been cut off by dark type interference. For all we know, there's several divisions heading our way from the southern lines. All we've been able to divine is that the Church launched a second attack on the south and center lines while we were focused on Monachus."

"Well…Muk." Alex said, sighing. "Focus on re-establishing our communications. See if Merlin can't pierce whatever barriers are blocking us."

"Arthur can handle that…" Tao said, sounding slightly amused. The Gallade popped free of his ball then, bumped fists with his Trainer, and then Teleported. "There is more, though…I was wondering why we had such an easy time today…"

"You call that easy?" Jess said, shaking her head. "You try fusing an Ice Beam with Light energy without being able to 'summon it from the universe'." She'd added air quotes, but mostly for the benefit of the leaders present. Bjalfari had survived, but Hilbert was being treated for a harsh burn to his shoulder. Evidently he'd run afoul of a Crusader's Arcanine while fighting and leading the melee on the ground.


"I never said you weren't impressive. Regardless, did none of you notice something was missing? What does the Prophet always have with him, according to reports?" Alex glanced at the others, but Jess figured it out first.

"His Hands…we didn't see any. That is strange. All reports from his past appearances on the field have had him surrounded by at least ten, with five in reserve." She glanced at Alex then, sensing his own thoughts.

He spoke them aloud for those not psychically connected to him. "I imagine some are leading the offensives in the south, to counter the Scales, but…he's supposed to have thousands right? Where are the rest?"

"Unfortunately…" Tao said to all of them, "We know that, too…they're in Sinnoh. They've been in Sinnoh this entire time, and until today…Sinnoh's Champions were holding them off but…we just received word from the PNN. Reports are coming in from Japan…there's a second Blitz, apparently, and it's heading down the entire island chain."


Alex's eyes went wide, "But why? Why make another enemy, fight a war on two fronts, when he's barely been able to secure the land his Church has claimed here?"

"I imagine this was supposed to happen before we were ever engaged, but given Fornia's industrial might, they can handle two fronts. Especially since one has evidently been planned for a very long time…Sinnoh was betrayed from within, and the locals apparently surrendered without much fighting, in almost every city…the Crusaders there are already heading south, towards Kanto." The Dragon seemed to pause, and as it dragged, Alex fidgeted.

Finally, he spoke. "I'm sending Red. I'm sending Red, and whoever he wants with him. If Kanto is going to be their ultimate target…let's keep it from them. Japan is no industrial slouch either…and I'd rather not give them a chance to brainwash their stronger Trainers."

The Dragon radiated agreement, and was silent for several more moments. Then, "It is done. He and a squad's worth of Scales will have to be enough reinforcement for now. He said he would mention the Empire's wish to aid them in this sudden invasion to the local government, but until they actually accept, sending our troops there en masse would technically be an invasion as well."


Alex glanced back to the map on the table. "So what now? Pravus is probably healing in a bunker somewhere. Where do you need me next?"

Tao's eyes manifested once more, as he got a better look at his Tamer. "Rio. We need to learn more about that city Pravus came from, and my information is three millennia out of date. Go there, find out what you can, and if possible…bring home some allies."

Alex stared at the pair of golden orbs. "You're kidding me. Rio? People are going to think I'm vacationing in the middle of a war!"

Tao's voice was silent to the others then, even to the female he'd bound himself so close to. "You can't hide it from my Divine Gaze. You're exhausted. I can see your eyes. When was the last time you slept?"

The dragon energy flaring from his eyes shifted to Light, obscuring even Tao's sight, and the others in the tent exchanged looks. Alex responded in the same manner though, so the others heard nothing. "I can sleep when this war is over…or at least, until we free the civilians they've captured."

"Leave them to me. I have led many wars more difficult than this. Pravus has overextended, as we demonstrated today by taking out the northern part of his army…or most of them, anyways. I'm sure the city is still well fortified. In any case, you are not a military general of my caliber. I can still take you with four moves in chess."


"Five." Alex interrupted.

The Dragon continued. "Everyone has a mission to accomplish if we want victory. Yours, right now, is to find out who exactly our enemy is…the people of Rio may have a way of killing these abominations of Pokémon and Human. You detonated a relic of Arceus in his face, and he came away with mild burns. We need to know what he's vulnerable to."

"Fine." Alex growled, severing the connection. He turned his focus back to the others. "Jess. Your Scales and mine are going on a little…trip. First, back to Unova. Bjalfari, you remain here and help Hilbert. Once Thor gets up, have him take Monachus. Without Pravus and his highest-ranking goons there, they'll be weak for a while."

He left the tent then, smirking as the redhead pestered him for details, mentally of course. Eventually, he admitted that they wouldn't need their armor, for a time, and he'd then proceeded to retract his, for the first time in at least three days, into his belt. They would need to be less noticeable, where they were going. Many Champions in their squads had been quite famous in their time, or still were, so disguises were necessary. Rick Astley in particular had gained fame after his adventures in Galar, and the writing of what was, apparently, one of the hottest new songs in existence. It had been at the top of the associated charts for months now. He and his friend Drake were also among those Alex had chosen for his own squad.

They made good time to Unova, and were on their way south as the sun rose. The ship was a luxury yacht that Jess had actually owned, or rather her father did, but she insisted he wouldn't mind lending it to the cause. Having also been to Rio in her time, she claimed they'd fit right in. The ship was littered with the sleeping, now casually dressed forms of the Champions. They were all exhausted.


Only one of them stirred, the only one who ever remained up this late. Normally, he'd be training, but he'd gotten his four hours of rest, and was fully recharged. His eyes had even become slightly less bloodshot, though the bowl of Leaf he was enjoying didn't help with that.

Alex looked up as Arthur Teleported beside him. Being able to recall to his Pokéball was a useful skill that Alex wished he could use. The closest he had was his room at home, which he'd flown out of more than once when a recall failed.

His Gallade joined him at the top of the ship's cabin. The captain, a salty old man by the name of Fergus who was enjoying his golden years captaining leisure cruises, had joined him for a spot of Leaf, and had even shown him how to properly blow smoke rings, a skill that had eluded him for years. He taught Arthur, as the Gallade took his own hit from the bowl, and the two filled the morning sea air with the foul Skunky-esque scent of the herb as the dawn finally came.






Chapter 28: The Shifting Tides


Camp Straviken – Somewhere in Fornian Territory


The man inhaled and sighed with what seemed like relief. Or at least, that's what it sounded like. It was muffled, by his once pale white helmet, fitted with the standard t-shaped black visor every Church Crusader bore. It was gray now though, which meant they were somewhere under the ash clouds the winter winds were bringing east.

"Full moon tonight." He said, with what sounded like amusement. His prisoner snarled. Often his torturer had begun their sessions like this, with that very phrase…but this time, if Geralt was right, was genuine. The moon was indeed full. As usual his luck had seen him imprisoned on the night of a half moon. He'd missed his first chance to escape, as this very Crusader had been busy with him, and he'd still been…sensitive, and barely conscious. Now though, he had adapted to the pain, and forced himself to ignore it. He could writhe in agony once he was free of these damned chains. Tonight, he was finally getting out of this hell, or dying in the attempt.

"Let us see if we can't remove that gem of yours on this special night…." The prisoner chuckled mirthlessly at the man's words, and met his captor's eyes. The pupils had narrowed again, like a very angry feline. His fangs were more akin to a canine's though, or so the science nerds had claimed when first examining his newest, most durable pet's unique incisors. The icy blue stare always held the promise of death, during their sessions, but that feat would require the mutant to be able to escape, first. That, of course, was impossible.


Tonight, as with so many nights before, the man's focus was on the Lycanroc-head shaped crystal embedded in Geralt's chest that, when active, burned with the seven colors that had attracted their Leader's notice in the first place, amongst the general prisoner population. He'd been singled out when the uniqueness noticed by pure chance amongst the crowd yielded an unexpected treasure that, if things went wrong, could serve as a replacement, or even create another mutant. Stones like Geralt's were rare, unique from all the other various kinds that had littered, and been influenced by, the magic wrought on their world by a foreign deity. Whatever experimentation had been done had given the man's body a healing factor greater than any normal human. While he'd been unconscious, he'd healed as quickly as he'd been cut open, and the closer they'd cut to the crystal, the quicker the wounds had mended, eventually becoming too tough for even his torturer's instruments after many failed attempts. Geralt's skin and muscles had adapted, and even hardened after so much abuse and regrowth.

It had taken a few weeks, but the mad Doctor's tools from home had finally arrived. The Church was already analyzing the 'Scale Swords' captured from the Unovan's special forces, and focusing beams of plasma had already been achieved. Unfortunately, they were nowhere near the length of the Scale's blades, but the Church had given their medical and…otherwise inclined staff the use of such devices as soon as they'd been able to mass produce them. Given Fornia's status as an industrial and scientific giant, the whole process hadn't taken more than a few weeks after the first blades were recovered.

A low hum and a crimson light from the instrument's synthetically fabricated red crystal filled the blank, ceracrete chamber, as simple in design as it was in aesthetics. No windows, one entryway, and locked with a genetic scanner. Moreover, the hall outside was fifty yards in a single direction, and lined with death-spitting turrets embedded in the wall. Once they'd learned who their newest prisoner was, no chances had been taken. The Prophet himself had wanted him imprisoned, studied, and then replicated once he'd read the report on his physiology.


The plasma burned white between the emitters on the scalpel-sized instrument that had yet to be given a name. Thus far, the Church had been labeling them as 'Plasma Scalpels', and nobody saw a reason to call them anything else. The masked Crusader began to cut around the top of the gem, and Geralt snarled in pain, but his restraints kept him from shifting an inch. This was precise work.

Everything they had learned of the strange man suggested that this gem, whatever it was, gave not only a power to rival Mega Evolution, but was the source of the physiological changes in whomever it was implanted within. They needed it intact, for replication.

As the plasma parted flesh, Geralt tensed up, his entire body going taut. The Crusader lifted his instrument, watching with masked interest as the crystal flared, and flesh regrew, before then producing something that looked akin to white fur around the man's chest. Then, it began to spread. The gem flared to life, and within, the Crusader saw the crimson eyes of a Lycanroc, mad with rage. "Of course…" He said, chuckling in a slightly manic manner as he backed away from the now entirely white-furred human, realizing just exactly what had been implanted in the Ranger's chest. "A Burst Heart…we thought they were all destroyed…"


The chuckle became a full-on laugh, despite the fact that the man was yet reaching for the door, rather than his stave weapon. It was usually too bulky for him, a man who delighted in precise incisions and symmetry. "You're linked to your Lycanroc, aren't you? Oh Arceus, this is delightful…now we'll have two…"

Geralt's features had begun shifting into a passable replication of his Lycanroc's two-legged form. He could shift between this, and one resembling the Midday Form, but on nights like tonight, the ferocity demanded release. He had no doubt Ghost had given them trouble the last time the moon had risen. In fact, his torturer mentioning it in a previous session had been the only thing to get more than two words out of Geralt that weren't "Muk yourself."

Geralt had warned the man not to infuse his partner with Shadow energy, as the transformation, empowered by such darkness, would be more than they could ever leash safely. Naturally, these idiots had gone and infused him with Shadow anyways, and gloated about it. Now, things would end with blood. "You…" Geralt snarled as his entire form went taut, "You fools actually did it, didn't you...I did warn you…you're all going to die for tainting him with Shadow…" His eyes were the last to change, and the fusion of man and Pokémon snarled at him before barking a single, and final, intelligible word. "Rrrrun!"

He doubled over then, and the metal chains holding his arms tore from the wall, and then snapped off as the man's limbs became much bulkier. His entire form had gained a similar muscle definition to Ghost's two-legged form, and any trace of the human was gone. His eyes flared with darkness, and starting from his wolf-like face, the white fur became a mix of black and purple.


The door slammed, and the dark wolf's eyes snapped into focus at the sound, jarring him from the dazed state transforming had left him in. A howl of rage echoed down the tunnel, followed shortly by the sound of crumpling metal.

The turret defenses activated, firing various beams of fire, electric, and ice energy, but Geralt plowed through all of them, as his massive form easily lifted the now bent door, and used it as a shield. The fire and ice tended to cancel out, but he was glad he was resistant to electric energy. At least in this form. He yet retained some control over his limbs, though he felt his body moving on instinct towards the one to whom it was bonded. It would kill anyone that got in its way on the journey there. He knew he couldn't stop it, though he tried anyway. The Shadow had made them both berserk.

He'd snarled when icy protrusions had, taking longer than they usually did thanks to the new scar tissue on his…everywhere, burst from Geralt's much wider and now brawny neck and shoulders to hit the turrets he passed with Accelerock before they could fire on his backside.


He cleared the tunnel of death in a few bounds, and then doubled over, as the overwhelming desire to rampage filled him. His instinct took over completely then. All Geralt could do was remind his rapidly enraged body to head towards Ghost, and not get caught up on the prey the base was filled with. Their faces were a blur, usually soldiers, but they were still human. The least he could do was keep this perversion of their bond from snacking on what remained. Reuniting was their only chance for surviving, and together, they could escape. Probably.

It was this single-minded determination that kept Geralt from killing anyone who might not have deserved it. He managed to shift his gaze away from those in the garb of prisoners, and those not wearing armor, though several times he'd had to take out what had appeared to be a lieutenant or leader of some description sans armor. It would make sense that they trained their men to stay fit in the same place they'd keep dangerous prisoners. Arceans never wasted space.

Eventually, the dark purple furred wolf loped into a large, hangar-like room, within which were several aircraft. The human in him wanted to try escaping in one of those, but Ghost knew better. His instinct told him that he and his Trainer were more durable than a human and a Pokéball inside a metal flying machine. Humans often believed their constructs were stronger than the natural forces of the earth. As a Rockruff, Ghost had demonstrated that his rocks beat metal contraptions every time, much to the irritation of his Trainer.


Geralt went still as his eyes locked with Ghost's, and then, at once, their hackles rose. Light flooded the room, and Geralt saw the truth. Ghost was bound, the same manner that the One Dragon had been subjected to, and he'd needed help to get free…but help hadn't come. The Shadow flared in his eyes, and Geralt moved towards his partner. Ghost growled, and to Geralt's ears, it sounded like a very pained 'Don't'. His altered form stopped then, and stomped the ground hard, cracking the ceracrete beneath his foot. The movement, by way of what Geralt could only describe as 'rock sight', revealed what Ghost was trying to warn them of. Namely, the Arceans hiding above them.

Arcean Crusaders descended, as they sprung what was evidently meant to be an ambush. Geralt let his body dispatch the armored men, tearing them apart with disturbing ease, as he used Darkest Lariat to full effect. He didn't have time to lament at the lost life however, he needed to get Ghost, and escape. He was impeded of course, as best the Crusaders could manage, but his body's single-minded focus would not be denied. A power stronger than all of them was urging the two to become one, so that they might both survive. Some part of the White Wolf was worried about how many men he was ending, and that he couldn't even recall if he'd done his torturer in, but none of that mattered now. Ghost needed him.

His body raised both fists, and brought them down, hard, shattering the floor of the hangar with an Earthquake. His form had no problem traversing the newly raised bloody boulders, but before he'd made two leaps, he paused, and dug into one that had, moments before, been host to a lingering soldier. There was a chill in the air, an unnatural one. While in this form, he shared the ice typing as well and Geralt knew his senses were detecting something that embodied the element. Something powerful, that was approaching rapidly.


His ears twitched, as he heard what seemed like singing. Ghost shared his curiosity, and as they were both relying on raw instinct at this point, they couldn't ignore it. Those Words stuck in their ears too long, and they only grew louder before the massive fifty-foot doors leading outside were blown apart by a pair of Pokémon using Sky Attack.

Instinctual fear went through Geralt and his suffering partner. A Legendary Pokémon would make anything pause, rampage or not. Before the attacks had faded, revealing the light blue feathers of the Articuno, and the forms of their riders, Geralt's form had moved for Ghost. He was so close.

His arms lit with the power of Stone Edge, and once more, the Lycanroc demonstrated that human contraptions would always fall before the raw power of rock and stone. "Don't let them merge!" The now freed Ghost looked up at the same instant Geralt did at the source of the voice. A rider with hair like a raven, standing out amongst her primarily red and blonde haired kin.

Their eyes counted five in all. Each of the riders was dressed for war, and had been geared up by Unova, including the dark haired one, judging by their belts, and black and white metal armor plates that tastefully merged with, and further reinforced, their usual leather attire. Now free, Ghost moved before Geralt did, rising slowly, and snarling with pure, undiluted rage. He smelled his Trainer, but the wolf before him looked more like a rival, than an ally. For his part, Geralt returned the snarl, by pure instinctual response to a challenge. The enraged wolves soon fell into a savage melee of claws and fangs as the Shadow induced rage overcame their bond. Had they not fallen into Reverse Mode then, they might've fused together, and then, the Shadow corruption would've likely been permanent enough to infect Geralt's Burst Heart.


To the rider's eyes, they knew what was necessary. They formed a circle around the fighting wolves, and ended what straggling Arceans remained amongst the rubble. Several had tried hitting the new arrivals with fire energy beams, but the riders were quick enough to call a Reflect. The charred bones of the soldiers spoke to the latent power of the Articuno's psychic abilities. As one, they began to summon the Light, and their riders sang in unison.

All but one, that is. Geralt found his gaze focused on her for reasons he couldn't fathom, even as his best friend was tearing away at his arms. He felt the Reverse Mode's rage fade as his eyes shut and he saw the growing light. Once more by instinct, his claws clashed with Ghost's, locking together as they struggled against each other in a contest of muscle and rage.

The combined Purge hit them before Geralt met Ghost's gaze, which was lucky, for that was all they'd needed to finish fusing. Now both once more white furred, the two came together in a flash of light as a massive two-headed wolf. Both heads unleashed a howl that split the air, gave the Articuno rider a slow nod, and then sprinted for the exit.


Another howl split the air, followed by what sounded like meat in a grinder, as the soldiers stationed outside, who hadn't been frozen, or who'd thus been thawed once the birds moved on, tried to prevent their prisoners from escaping. Once more, Geralt felt himself covered with human blood as their new combined form used Drill Run through anything they ran into, and this time, the stench made both he and Ghost wince in disgust. Still, he was glad they were alive, and in control. Whatever the riders had done had cleared their minds, had allowed them to find harmony again, even joy, as Ghost realized they were free, and the near constant pain was finally over.

The Articuno soon joined them, several minutes after they saw, on the horizon, a massive glacier split the prison in two. Not by accident had the prisoner and 'work detail' quarters been missed, and eastern prisoners as well as disillusioned Fornians who'd been pressed into a work detail as punishment, ran together towards the rising sun in the east, and the rumor of safety under the Original Dragon. All he had ever asked for was loyalty to his Empire, and the desperate refugees found themselves willing to give it after their time under the reality of Arcean governing.

The Unovans had countered hard, and regained much of what was taken in the initial Blitz, even stymying Pravus himself, in the north, halting the 'Great Charge to Victory' as his propaganda networks had called it. Some soldiers in smaller Arcean compounds had been suffering from low morale, and even rebellion. They too did not mind the idea of pledging loyalty to a being that they had seen using genuine Light. The poorly paid soldiers in the camps along the Stoney Mountains were not typically amused, once they learned how the media covered the Shadow usage among the Church, but they didn't have any choice but to stay quiet about it, or be cut off. For soldiers manning these camps, there was no 'disconnection policy'. Those who left, died.

Even the central region dwellers among them, for there were more than a few, agreed that the east was their best bet. The Dragon had ever ruled them fairly, and the riders had borne his mark on their shoulder armor. He'd likely had a claw in this series of events, and frankly, anything was better than toiling away pointlessly for a cult they didn't wish to be a part of, or had entirely lost faith in.


The further the two ran as one, the more exhausted they grew. Ghost had barely been fed during his imprisonment, and Geralt had endured mind-altering pain. They needed to rest for a few hours, or days, and then report to the League. Geralt had no idea what he'd say, and left figuring that out to his future, well-rested self.

When running in such a large form, they'd covered much ground, and the Articuno riders never strayed far behind them, though they kept a respectful distance. Eventually, the sun hung in the morning sky, and the dawn finally brought an end to the bloody night. Ghost had mainly guided them, following his nose to a wild Lycanroc den that, from the smell and numerous jagged stone protrusions scattered about, was used for raising Rockruff in warmer months.

It wasn't pup season thankfully, and all the wild packs were wintering in their Stoney Mountain dens, ones much older and larger, that had housed their species for millennia. The two headed white wolf became two separate entities once more, and Ghost wasted no time in falling straight asleep after chomping down several berries. Geralt did the same despite being nude, as he was human once more and Ghost was a fine pillow. Though they both heard the riders land not long after, they were already asleep. If Ghost wasn't worried about the riders or their mounts, Geralt decided not to be either. His wolf had far better senses for such things, and he trusted them.



Several Days Later, Pokémon World Tournament Building – Unova Region


The riders had indeed turned out to be allies, scouting for, of all people, Geralt's own cousin. He'd singled out the raven-haired rider, as lovely as he'd come to expect from those females who tended to save his rear. Prying for information about the supposed 'Dragon Emperor' had led to a very stern informing of exactly what had transpired in Norstad. An awkward pause had risen when he'd questioned why Pravus would ever venture so far from his home region, and reluctantly, she'd told him of Yggdrasil, and the Fairy King's role in events as well.

He'd stayed quiet, retaining all of the information the League was, as far as he knew, yet unaware of. He was unable to read the woman, who'd named herself as 'Yennefer', and given no other titles. The other riders hadn't given him half as much information, preferring to mock him while he washed the month and a half or so of dried blood and grime from his still rather tender wounds in the only nearby stream. He ignored the fact that winter, and the nearby presence of his ice wolf and several Articuno made the ambient temperature cold enough to cause bodily shrinkage, and gave the mocking riders the same cold glance, before ignoring them entirely as he coalesced.

When his rapid healing was done, he'd discovered that much of his torso was scarred now, and he'd gained several small marks on his face for good measure. It had taken three days for Ghost to be well enough to travel to the spot where they'd stashed the rest of their team members, and then finally report in. They had done just that, and Geralt had used his skills as a Ranger to give the wolf a longer rest and not have to carry his Trainer. The Shadow had twisted his thoughts, and Geralt knew it would take time for the Lycanroc to sort them.


He had a job to do in the meantime. He'd arrived in front of the as-yet still under construction League building, meant to one day hold the next World Tournament, though he'd remarked that after he gave the information he'd gathered, it would likely be some time before such sport was held again.

He'd landed atop a Latios, and after thanking the creature he'd summoned via a Ranger Sign, sent him on his way. He identified himself as the Top Ranger to the guards out front, though he'd long since lost his ID, which had only confirmed his identity as a high value prisoner. He would've left it with his belt and other assorted tools he'd secreted away in the unlikely event of his capture, but that was against 'protocol'.

It didn't take long for Unova's League Chairman to summon, by way of Holoceiver usually, the other high-ranking members of the International Ranger Force, the Pokémon League, as well as the men who had invested in keeping them funded. Though the Rangers and Interpol had somewhat recently joined together, nobody could deny that the two groups had been far more effective in recent years after sharing information, and training methods. Geralt and his generation of similarly modified counterparts had been dispatched all over the planet to great effect, but the IRF was understandably hesitant about making more like them. As far as Geralt knew, the decision had been to keep the number of mutated Rangers at five, and only create more as the IRF needed them. So far, none of his contemporaries had been killed, or even captured, as Geralt had been.


Geralt highlighted the events surrounding his capture, as well as what he'd witnessed and been subjected to as a captive of the Church. When he'd finished, the gathered men conversed quietly, and Geralt waited patiently. Finally, the Victory League's chairman addressed him again. "Top Ranger, what do you think the League's response should be? We have always stayed out of wars, leaving other regions to handle them, however…the League representatives in Sinnoh have gone dark. We've lost communications with Almia, then Fiore, and now Holon as well. Kanto is their next likely target, and this very building is very much in the Arcean war path as well. Many among us wish to throw our neutrality away, but I hesitate. I would hear your opinion."

Geralt regarded the man, short in stature, but long in his pompadour-esque hairstyle and thin curled moustache. Like the others, he was in a dark colored suit, all business, but his eyes seemed genuine. Geralt decided to be blunt and honest. He liked to think they expected that from him by now.

"My opinion? The Pokémon League has stood against evil, and those who abuse Pokémon, since its inception. This is no different, really. The Arcean Church is just as culpable in crimes of abuse and mistreatment as every other Team we've put in Black City, only they're much larger, and have entire regions supporting their goals. The main difference is that these Arceans know your weaknesses, and are abusing them. They know you won't fight back for fear of political entanglement, and by the time you realize you need to, they're counting on it being far too late to turn the tide. If you want to maintain your presence in Japan and Unova, help the First Dragon."

The men conferred again, and this time an older gentleman with thinning auburn hair addressed him. "And what if, when all this is over, the Dragon demands yet more aid from us? How long until the Pokémon League becomes a part of the Dragon Empire?"


Geralt chuckled. "You're already technically a part of it. We're in Imperial territory right now, this entire building only exists because Unova has always been your ally. These people are brainwashing civilians, Trainers, and Pokémon into joining their little cult, and those who resist?" He opened his jacket, and lifted his shirt, though not high enough to show his crystal. His abdomen was enough, as that had been where his torturer had inflicted punishment for his failure to respond to questions. The gathered men recoiled in appropriate disgust and looks of discomfort at the still raw wounds. "These people have helped you, and looked to you for guidance in the past. Let me ask you all a question. Do you intend to let the Arceans continue all but unopposed, here and in Japan?"

The man looked at the Chairman, who glanced at the others. As one, they nodded, and answered. "No."

Geralt grinned. "And that, gentlemen, is why you have my loyalty, and aid. I understand your hesitation, and mark me, I will personally make sure my Leafhead cousin doesn't abuse your aid or future trust. If it comes to that. For right now though…we need to help the east, and Japan. You won't like what they become if the Arceans control them."

One of the men who was physically present, who Geralt hadn't noticed until now due to his quiet demeanor and simple features, snorted. "And what if we do, and we still lose? The Arceans have been preparing for this conflict for centuries. They have millions of Crusaders in Fornia, and are always making more to send our way. Meanwhile, the east can barely call up a hundred 'Scales' to match them. War is a numbers game my friends, and the math has spoken."

Unova's League Chairman answered him with narrowed eyes and obvious dislike. "One Scale is easily worth a hundred Crusaders. At least. They're the bravest Trainers we have, and, most of them are our own Champions. Would you really have us abandon them, Charles?"

The thin man sneered. "I would have us live. Since when has the League bowed to the wishes of its Champions? If we did, we'd be in chaos, and no small amount of debt. The point of this organization, as some of you seem to have forgotten, is to ensure that there will always be Trainers to rise up, and prevent disaster when a Legendary Guardian goes berserk, usually from Human interference. If we get involved, the Arceans will dismantle us. Then who will be around to train the next generation? To prepare them?"


Arguments erupted then, and Geralt marked those who were for, and those who were against. The latter was the minority, but there were enough of them to make the others pause. Geralt sighed, and let them fight. He'd said his piece, and that was all he could do. At least they'd respected his position as a Top Ranger this time. When he'd first joined up, the newly established organization in the States hadn't had a very good rep, or a very large roster. He had personally endeavored to change that, but ultimately, he still had little real influence in a nation that was still figuring out exactly where Rangers belonged in the social pecking order.

A sharp whistle blew from behind him, and Geralt turned to look at the source, glanced at the men, who'd paused in their argument, and then looked again, as his male instincts told him a second look was required, immediately. Had his weakness not been darker haired women, he might've considered making an effort to woo this one. Beautiful didn't begin to do justice to her features, but he at least resisted staring at her cleavage. Unlike the rest of the room. To be fair, her endowments had nowhere to go in the formal suits the League gave to employees, and the result was, in a word, glorious.

Finally, the Unovan Chairman spoke. "Ahh, Haley. I'm glad you're here. Gentlemen, our newest hire, one we snagged from the PNN. I knew as soon as I saw her work she was wasted on John Crimson. I assume you have something important, my dear?" Geralt looked the man over quickly, and his opinion of him rose further. It was genuine, almost grandfatherly eyes that were on the girl, entirely devoid of lust. As far as he could tell. The rest of the room was making little effort to hide where they were staring, though he couldn't blame them too much. Even his eyes were drawn like magnets, despite his focus on her face, ear, anything above the neck, really.


The blonde nodded, and then made a gesture on the tablet device she carried. She raised a hand then, and tossed something invisible towards the back wall of the room, upon which an image was projected. Not missing a trick, the Chairman, with aid from his taller compatriots, set the screen up. "You're missing the Prophet's latest speech…and seeing as how our Top Ranger has a personal mention…" The blue eyes shifted to him, and gave him a look he wasn't too familiar with. A mix of apprehension, disgust, and fear. "You should probably watch too…"

The video buffered for several increasingly awkward minutes, until finally, it played from the start. The opening title cards for the Church's programs had not lessened in absurdity over the past two months, but eventually the alluring baritone of Caleb Pravus, now taking on a tone of fake empathy, at least to Geralt's ears, filled the room. His visible skin seemed rather shiny and pink, as though he were sweating or covered with water, but evidently make-up had not been enough to cover the slight aberration in the usual bad tan. Caleb Pravus was far too pale to pull off the 'classic Fornia' look, but naturally, nobody said anything.

"My people…these past few nights we have suffered several setbacks, it is true. Many have asked what happened at Urbe Monachus and Straviken. Rumors abound, stories are flying, and I am here, as always, to set the public's record straight. This is a glorious time for us, and events should be recorded in detail, and in proper order." He gestured to an image on the screen, and Geralt's insides went cold with dread. It was a standard Arcean command center, one he'd charged through whilst transformed…and it was drenched in blood. Various body parts still lay strewn about, despite the numerous Crusaders who were, even as the cameras rolled, cleaning the mess.


"The Slayer of Straviken is responsible for this. Who is this foul creature you ask? An abomination, created by Unovan scientists, part man, part Lycanroc, and every bit as evil as the Psychic Types who no doubt pull his strings. More importantly…he is the Top Ranger of this continent, and a man held in high esteem by the Pokémon League. After this bloody night's events, and the resistance from the League Champions in Sinnoh's glorious conversion, the Church has decided. The Pokémon League are now among those we consider to be Suppressive Persons, and shall henceforth be shunned by Arceans across the world." There was a crowd before him this time, and he appeared to be speaking from the inside of an Arcean Church. A raised dais bore the solid gold pulpit from which he was orating.

Murmurs filled the room, and the Prophet silenced them with a glance. "Many of you are no doubt concerned. The League has ever been a close ally of Fornia, even though they refused to fund our Gyms and Champion halls, many of you have friends among their ranks. There is no word appropriate for a House of Arceus that fully encapsulates the kind of organization that would hide such dark deeds with so many kind ones, but alas, any kindness from them is but a mask, a distraction from what they don't want you to see. It may also interest you all to know that this Butcher is the Dragon Puppet's own cousin. I have told you all time and again of the foul corruption in the Redwood lineage, and now…unfortunately, I have hard evidence of their murderous tendencies. But the men we lost will not have given their lives in vain. Rest assured my people; your Church will not relent until our enemies are ground to dust before our righteous crusade!" He raised his arms, and cheering filled the air, as did applause.

The video ended, and all eyes shifted to Geralt. Finally, he moved his gaze from the floor, to the Victory League's Chairman. "Don't bother explaining. I know something of your…abilities, and after seeing those scars, I imagine whatever you had to do to get out was ultimately necessary. They were the ones who decided to prick our hide by capturing you, it's their fault they couldn't hold you. No Human like yourself has ever experienced Shadow Infusion lad, that you left anyone alive at all in that state is a miracle." Geralt had shifted his gaze to the floor again, as hazy memories of death rose from his subconscious. He looked up as he felt a small, but still masculine hand pat his arm as the Chairman had stood, and made his way to Geralt. "Any men who were caught in the madness of your escape likely knew full well who they were guarding. Caleb Pravus has a serious hatred for your family. In either case…the situation has already changed. We've no choice, now. He's forced our hand. All in favor of allying with the Dragon of Unova?"


The hands of those not present went up first, and though Charles was the last to raise his, he eventually did as well when it became clear nobody would support another refusal. To deny the others now would only cause more pointless dithering. The Arceans had already demonstrated what happened to governing bodies who didn't organize a response against them, after being declared enemies. None of the other State officials from the Arcean's new territories, League or governmental, had contacted them either.

They had asked Tao to look for the missing representatives, for they had heard rumors that he was quite adept at finding seemingly random Fornian citizens, usually families, with his awesome sight. He'd told them that by now, they were likely Arceans themselves, or prisoners slaving away under them. He'd added their names to whatever list governed which Fornians he personally had a claw in saving though, so it was better than nothing. Looking around, the Chairman nodded. "It is decided, then. Facilities in Kalos, Unova, and the remaining regions of Japan will mobilize to aid the local governments and Trainers in repelling the Church's 'crusade'."

His gaze moved back to Geralt. "I hope you're ready for more, because I have a feeling we'll need you, lad."


A voice interrupted them then, as Haley set about gathering her equipment. Oddly enough, she was the only one among them who hadn't flinched at the sheer power in the mental baritone thundering in their heads. Even those joining them by Holociever hadn't been immune. "I will be utilizing the White Wolf. His skills are needed for the next phase of this conflict."

While most of the gathered men looked about in confusion, the Victory League Chairman didn't miss a beat. He addressed the air above the table, "Then he is at your disposal, mighty Dragon, as are we all. It is unanimous, as you wished it to be. The League will aid you. Without you, we would all be dead and conquered by now anyways."

"You would." A pair of golden eyes manifested above the table, and scanned each of them. Finally, they rested on Haley. "I will be borrowing her, as well. She will be useful, down south."

Haley glanced up at the eyes, seemingly irritated rather than honored. "Really? You're sending me to Texico?"

There was a deep chuckle, and a pause. "Much further south."


The room went quiet, and the occupants shifted uncomfortably. Everyone knew what going to the Dark Continent brought, unless one went by cruise ship. Only the coast of that foul place played host to humanity now, and their city was almost entirely ruins, though admittedly, the parts of it yet inhabited were reportedly quite nice. Typically, Unovans tended to head for Alola or Kalos when they vacationed. Nothing good was ever reported about the Dark Continent, in fact, most reports involving it, as well as news, were only related to those who had ventured south into the jungle on a journey, and had not returned.

"My Tamer will know how best to use your skills. I will send you to him, when you are ready."

Haley frowned. "I'd have to go home and get my ba-" and with a flash of psychic power, she vanished. The eyes shifted to Geralt then, and the dragon's voice, somewhat muted as it was now confined to just his head, thundered loudly.

"You know of the Trainer called Wes? One of the Orre region's strongest?" Geralt had uncertainty, but as the Dragon shared a mental image of the man, albeit a bit older than when he'd brought down Cipher, Geralt recalled what stories he'd heard of the 'Snatcher'. "He has the key to bringing Fornia's technological advancements to a halt. Find him, and then I will share what task I have for the two of you."

What Alex had described of speaking to the Original Dragon helped here, and Geralt responded with his thoughts directing them as best he could, towards the Dragon. "And what if he says no?"

Another chuckle, though this one seemed, to his mind, a little sinister. "Worry not. He'll agree. Go, White Wolf."


The eyes vanished then, and Geralt was left staring at the assembled men who, the more he looked at them, seemed to represent more organizations than just the League. Several had logos of the major businesses in Unova on their suits, specifically the ones with the large, memorable buildings dotting New Tork's skyline. "It seems I have my mission. I, erm…need a lift to Orre."

The men shared another look, then chuckled. "Orre is enemy territory now, lad. We can get you to Aweston down in Texico, but beyond that, is a war zone. One of the Scales might be willing to help you, if you can find'em." Geralt nodded, and then gestured to the door, seemingly undisturbed about the idea of charging through enemy lines.




Rio – The Dark Continent


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After reclaiming Shruikan from the Kanadian Wall, the east's Rayquaza had taken charge of the wall's defense, and the 'Emperor's Scales', including Jessica's, had split into numerous smaller groups to help train more Scales for deployment, as their Generals went south to gather information. After several days of travel, their luxury ship had cruised up to the free port city of Rio, famously known for their hospitality, though rumor had it that, if you wanted to leave, you should avoid drinking the water. Nobody ever seemed to quite know why, but more than a few tourists who had ignored that advisory had ended up moving in over the years, after visiting. Once more the Dark Continent proved that it kept those from the north who visited it.

For all the sketchy rumors though, compared to Black City, Rio was rather welcoming. There were familiar clouds of skunky-esque haze, and other flamboyantly dressed Trainers aboard other, and usually smaller, ships waved at them as they joined the clusterMuk of ships that made up the massive city's harbor. The harbor itself was home to even more strange, floating sights. More than a few men in flamboyantly colored suits on little more than rafts seemed to be playing an admittedly smooth jam on what appeared to be Saxophones as they cruised through the wake of the many passing ships. The Scales Alex and Jess had brought with them noted most of the fishermen, or other people on their boats smoking and generally chillaxing, tended to be singing along with the Saxophone fueled jam. The words were hard to make out, but the name of the city and the region they were entering, Rio, was repeated several times. It seemed to be some sort of anthem for the city. Once they found a dock, they realized that, comparatively, they were one of the smaller ships here. Rio's Dark Fleet was legendary, though the ships comprising it evidently hadn't seen real action for quite a few centuries. That didn't make the resting and numerous gargantuan cannons any less imposing to dock near.

They had finished their morning bowl of Leaf, and had donned disguises via the Scale's on hand Pixie Plate crystal. The basic facial changes, along with clothing, and the usual perception filter Fairy disguises had, were enough to blend in against Arcean level security. Here, for once, nobody was supposed to be looking for them. Seeing the sky was filled with Trainers and flying types, usually battling, Alex and Arthur had hopped on Blaze, as they surveyed the city in a casual manner. For a Trainer, anyways. Nobody seemed to notice or pay any extra attention as they went high, and looked down.


"Holy…that's the biggest city I've ever seen…" Arthur said, "I thought New Tork was supposed to be the biggest. This…covers the entire coast."

Alex gained a grim look, and nudged his Gallade with an elbow. "Look closer. Most of it is in ruins…and those who can't afford to inhabit the good buildings, reside in those that are derelict. If we stick to the areas that have legitimate ship traffic it shouldn't be an issue."

Arthur nodded, after taking a closer look. "We should find a place to scan from…Blaze, see anything?"

The Charizard growled. "There's a pedestal on a nearby mountain supporting what looks like giant white human feet. A little jagged maybe, but I could perch on it."

As they arced towards it, Alex glanced around. Nobody seemed to live within ten miles of this mountain peak, and the closest 'houses' were more jungle than shack. It was strange, because literally every other inch of available coast by the harbor had primarily tall white buildings shoved together to save as much room as possible. Several such clusters had even grown into something resembling a skyscraper, though the towering Dark Fleet ships were bigger than all of them.


"Alex…what are you doing…?"

He chuckled as he heard Jess' voice in his head. "We're going to scan the habitable areas around the harbor for…I don't know, something interesting. You know how this works."

She gave the mental equivalent of a sigh. "This is how you get involved in regional affairs. Every time!"

"I'm just a casual dude riding a Charizard. Obviously, a Trainer. Obviously foreign. But totally normal. If you worry about sticking out too much, you will." He felt his partners nod, agreeing with that logic. Blaze had been disguised as well with reddish orange stripes along his rather sizable form. They had been thorough in their preparations.

Another sigh. "Casual. Right. You're just landing a massive fire lizard on the most noticeable mountain peak for miles. If you need us, we'll be doing the subtle approach." Alex's Scales had been given assignments from Tao in squads of two or three, usually paired with women from Jessica's squad, and sent throughout the many areas that needed reinforcement once contact with the southern lines had been re-established. Only a few of her Scales had joined them on this trip, as had Haley, a day earlier by way of Teleport. Evidently, holding a piece of the Dragon was enough for him to make an accurate transfer.

Slightly more aware, the three came upon the peak in question, but as with the air space around it, nobody was here. No security, no Pokémon, no sentient minds. Just them, and whatever this strange pedestal thing was. "Land in a manner that suggests we're taking a pause before flying towards our real destination…what direction we face won't matter. Arthur, let's do it."


Blaze landed, folding in his wings, and sniffed at the air. It seemed like a relatively nice peak, a bit misty this early in the day, but he couldn't smell anything that would explain the lack of life in the immediate area. Even plant life hadn't grown here, which was a large part of what made it such a good landing spot.

As soon as their ride steadied himself, the two psychic types had begun. Immediately, they noticed something strange in the ground around them. "Fairy aura…" Arthur said, and Alex sighed in annoyance. He left scanning it to primarily psychic typed Arthur, as he'd long since given up trying to fight a type advantage directly. "It's…containing something…something foul…Human made contamination…we shouldn't linger… but if we don't poke at it, we should be fine."

Alex was still staring at the aura covered mountain, wondering what his race had done to whatever statue had seemed to once stand here. As Arthur turned his third eye to the city, Alex felt the Gallade's extended elbow smack his head. "I said no poking, silly Human. Leave it. We have a task, remember? If we waste time, more people die."


They both looked then, and immediately, their third eyes were drawn towards the eastern parts of the massive city, just at the edge of what buildings seemed lived in still, and the ruins of the ancient megalopolis that extended northward, along the continent's curve. Rio truly had been quite massive. The area in question was teeming with powerful minds. Shielded minds. That was good enough for both of them, as the rest of the city seemed sparsely populated, only showing the usual latent psychic signatures of the humans living within.

Blaze flapped into the air again, and once more, nothing hindered them as they flew towards the jungle, and prepared to curve around the long way. They'd fly over ruins, but they wouldn't come close enough to be attacked until they'd reached the area with the other strong minds. They stayed very high over the massive rainforest below, but even from so high up, they could see it teeming with life.

"The river…" Blaze rumbled, and he shared his sight with the two on his back. A massive form of what could only have been a snake, or creature akin to one, moved as a dark shadow through the largest river in the area below them, that had to have been the Amazon. Alex guided them to the opposite direction of the creature, as he had no wish to test something that strong this early, nor was he aware of what Legends lurked on the Dark Continent. Eventually, they curved around, and came down the ruined coast line.


Then, they saw the structure within which they'd sensed others with similar abilities. It was a palace of sorts, pyramidal in shape, but ultimately made of several larger white stone circles stacked atop each other, with only one set of stairs leading to what appeared to be the main entrance. Water flowed down every other side of it, and into massive tunnel-like structures that, presumably, brought the water throughout the city.

Blaze sniffed the air, and Arthur glanced around as they flew over the ruins, and came down near the sea for a better view of the building. "We are not alone."

Something moved in Alex's vision, and Arthur's eyes locked onto it, easily seeing through the invisibility the intruder had hidden herself with. Before his Trainer could utter a word, he'd leapt into the air, and began flying on his own power. The figure stopped, and Alex finally got a look as well, though he didn't need enhanced eyes as Arthur approached the figure, and booped it on the nose, before shooting backwards with a mirthful cry.


The tiny Latias he'd booped became visible, shivering all over from the touch and the good feels that came with it, and then with a smirk of her own, chased after the Gallade. The two zipped through the air, and it soon became clear Arthur was more maneuverable, barely, and the Latias had a speed advantage over him. That is, until his heart piece flared with psychic energy.

His Mega Form took off, and the Latias had zero trouble keeping up with Arthur, though he was almost as fast. He didn't have the most stamina of their party, at least not for flying, and soon found he lacked the energy to keep outpacing the Latias who, by all appearances, was enjoying the game of tag.

For their part, Alex and Blaze had simply hovered in place and watched, taking note of how she flew, but also knowing full well neither of them could come anywhere near matching her speed. The Eon Duo was said to be as fast as (if not faster) than Rayquaza, but no human had ever successfully compared their flight speeds, as they varied greatly between individuals.


As the fire lizard and the human watched the two with amused smirks, their necks began to tingle, as another presence, similar to the Latias, appeared behind them. With a unified glance, the two looked up and over them as the once invisible head of the large Latios (larger than anything the Pokédex said, at any rate) appeared above them.

His eyes flared with a familiar light blue glow, and a telepathic voice echoed in their heads. "What are you…I know that typing, but…" His nostrils flared, and his eyes widened. "Dragon blood? Here? But there's another scent…"

Feeling a nudge from Lux, Alex raised the plasma sword, but didn't ignite it. The handle wasn't too obvious, but the black and white blade belonged to only one person, and Alex was aware that the Pokénet had made it a bit of an icon. Arthur, who had stopped when he felt his partner's surprise, felt a tug on his 'cape'. Seeing the Latios, he realized this little one was much younger, and likely a direct descendant. He continued zipping through the air, playing tag, though he was more cautious with how hard he tapped her.


The Latios inhaled again, and nodded. "I see. So it is time…come to the palace when you are ready." He glanced at the Latias then, and his eyes flared once. She stopped in place effortlessly, and Arthur whizzed by, trying to avoid crashing into her.

She joined the Latios then, and the two disappeared from sight as they headed for the castle. Alex landed on the beach then, and as he brought Blaze in, several Trainers stared at the fire lizard, and reached for their Pokéballs. Unlike many Unova Trainers, not one of them had kept the original red and white, and their colors, patterns, and combinations were almost painful to look at.

Smirking, Alex accepted the Triple Battle, calling out his Aurorus and Lairon to help Blaze. Gelauros did the most damage with his Blizzard, as it seemed grass types were common here, and the Vileplume and Ivysaur they'd faced hadn't lasted long. An Air Slash and Crunch had been enough to finish the Azumarill, and for three more rounds, the local Trainers found themselves consistently losing to the trio. He'd kept them from mega evolving, and hoped his newer members weren't as well recognized as some of the rest of his team yet.


 
Last edited:

Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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  • Age 30
  • Seen yesterday
Nobody seemed to notice or ask his name though. The beach was full of flamboyantly dressed Trainers who, by unspoken agreement it seemed, kept talking to a minimum. They were here to train, and all one had to do to blend in was battle. True to rumor, the battles being had were typically between grass, water, and dark types. Apparently, this was the ideal habitat for them, though the jungle housed every type of Pokémon, and likely several that had never been seen before. Eventually, Alex recalled everyone but his Lairon, and the clever steel type managed a hat trick of victories, and sometimes against a serious type advantage, as they made their way to the nearest boardwalk. Ceno seemed to be enjoying the sights and sun, so Alex kept him out.

He came upon Jess and the others, and raised a hand, catching a pair of what smelled like breakfast burritos in his oversized grip. He took a seat as he tested a bite of one, and nodded, giving the other to his patiently, and eagerly, awaiting Lairon. The steel type rumbled in pleasure, vibrating the ground slightly as he enjoyed the meal.

He looked between the gathered women, and Haley pinched her brow. "Only you would consider playing with a Latias in broad daylight subtle. Seriously, we're supposed to be low-key."


Alex smirked. "Well, my low-keyness just got us an invite to the regional palace, within which said Latios and Latias currently are. Do you want to go speak with the Eon Duo, or should we keep sitting around eating the food? I don't mind either, really. This is delicious." He nommed the rest of the burrito then, and only paid half attention to her response.

She rolled her changed green-blue eyes. "We should find a…library, or something."

Jess chuckled then. "While useful, libraries aren't the best source of information in new, unfamiliar regions. The ones who've spent their lives reading from them are. I imagine a palace has plenty of myths…perhaps even ones on old enemies, that are likely to not be in the public record."

The blonde-turned-brunette relented, and the other Scales chuckled. They knew better than to test those two with 'Tinvaak'. "Fine. Let's go." Cenomons poked his ball as they began walking in the intense humidity, but the Scales were used to much, much worse heat and dampness. Haley was sweating, but didn't otherwise react to the hot, humid weather.


As they casually strolled towards the palace complex, they saw the guards responsible for its security. Each one had a long, blue, seemingly metallic staff that held slots for ten Pokéballs, not at all unlike those used by the Tribes up on the northern continent, and universally blue clothing, though there was no strict uniform to speak of, the uniformity came from the ocean blue every outfit sported. Evidently, this place was not as flamboyant as the rest of the city. It sat between the eastern edge of habitable houses, and the western edge of the ruins that extended along the continental curve, isolated from both by a wall that included a little bit of ocean, and a beach. There were other inhabited areas further north, but Rio was by far the largest of any population inhabiting the massive city ruins, having eventually absorbed all the other population centers that had once lived on their part of the coast as well.

The guard that appeared to be in charge waved them over as they came near. He was sporting a metallic serpent-headed helmet, that shared the deep blue coloration of his peers. Now that he looked, Alex noticed that those closest to the palace did have a kind of scale-like armor, which was the same deep blue. An aura of that same blue spread from the guard, and examined each of theirs. He was surprised to find that the foreigners had already formed aura shields, and could even hide them from view, when they needed to. They'd been keeping them going, casually, for constant defense. Against a few attacks, anyways. There was potential in each of them.

"We were told of your coming. Enter as an honored guest, Dragonblood."


The aura receded, not finding anything truly foul amongst them, or their partners, and the man raised a fist. The nearby gate opened, and a pair of guards guided them, with weapons at rest. They were led to a large library, several rooms into the massive white stone structure. Even here, water flowed continuously, including over the door. Though they hadn't gotten damp, their disguises had been washed away.

The sound of the constant flow made their spicy throats dry, and the numerous pools around them seemed suddenly tempting. The group of Trainers smirked at each other as they almost simultaneously reached for their personal water containers. They could all feel the urge to drink, but common sense dictated that they avoid the glowing magic water, no matter how alluring it looked.

A chuckle came from behind one of the spiral helix shaped book stacks that, on closer inspection, appeared to be floating on their own. "Northerners are always so quick to avoid our water…it really is safe, I promise…" The woman speaking came out from browsing then, and a small, redheaded girl came behind her. She ran up to Alex, who noticed she came to about his waist, and she then proceeded to raise a hand, and open Arthur's Pokéball with a psychic tap.


Arthur appeared with a flash of purple, and soon once more found himself playing tag, and keeping the energetic youngster from knocking over anything too valuable, by way of telekinesis.

Alex watched for a moment, still amused, then focused back on the woman. She shared the same deep blue coloration as her guards, and wore a dress that looked like it wouldn't be out of place in a Kalosian palace, but he knew a regional leader when he saw one. From the strength of her mind, he had a feeling she was, in some manner, tied up with this region's Legendary Guardians. Those at the top usually were. "I only know of one dragon blooded Human with such a handsome Gallade. So tell me, Emperor Redwood, what brings you to my home during these dark, and bloody days?"

He glanced around, saw they were alone, then shrugged. "Oh, you know. A bit of harmless, and entirely neutral reconnaissance. I assume you've heard of my western counterpart." The woman nodded her head, and her equally deep blue waist-length hair shifted with the motion, not unlike a pond when disturbed by a pebble. "Well as it turns out he has, somehow, managed to fuse himself with a Pitch-Black Pokémon. At least twice. A...draconic friend of mine suggested I'd find more on him down here, since there was, according to him, once an entire city's worth of Humans who did something similar in the old days."


She nodded, and her eyes went hazy as she seemed to recall what information she did know. He sensed Jess give Haley an elbow nudge, but the reporter turned administrator was more focused on the Gallade and what she assumed was the aforementioned Latias. They'd shifted into a much more complex, and quicker, game of clapping hands together in a repetitive motion, and upon seeing the woman's gaze, the girl waved her over, all smiles. Soon, she'd joined in as well, but that didn't keep her from paying attention as the blue-haired woman began to speak.

"Around three thousand years ago, in the mountainous and largely inhospitable mountains to the west, those we deemed too…criminally inclined for our glorious Rio were sent to live out their existence in exile. Over time, the banished grew into a village, then a town, and finally a city, after we expelled a cult of foul sorcerers who, at the time, we believed to be in league with Atlantica. Zigma banished them to the west, and we thought the matter was handled…" Jess coughed politely, and the woman paused, raising an equally blue eyebrow.

"Sorry, it's just…you speak as though you were there…also…Zigma?" The woman regarded them again.

"Do you really not know of Zigma up north? Do tales of the Zigman Empire not continue to inspire friendship, camaraderie, and the search for knowledge?" Seeing the puzzled looks on the faces of the women, she frowned, but Alex's was as impassive as a cliff face.


"Tao mentioned the name to me, once, but did not elaborate." He admitted with a shrug.

She raised a brow at the name, but assumed she knew of whom he spoke. "Well, since we're on the topic of names…I am Iara, leader of the free city of Rio, and Tamer of Yacuma, water aspect of our great, and long-sundered Guardian, Zigma. As Arceus left the northern continent the First Dragon for a Guardian, we were granted Zigma and under her rule, our people flourished as no other human civilization did. Our technology for taming Pokémon was unmatched, our Pokémon Tamers, the strongest on the planet. The sorcerers I mentioned…they were but the first spark in the war, about three centuries past, between us and Atlantica. They plotted and goaded each side into the war which ravaged our city, as well as the entire Atlantican civilization…once we returned to our shores, battered and exhausted, the sorcerers poured from the jungle, wielding the power of Shadow and nightmares. Lightning shot from their hands, and they fed on the life essence of my people as they sacked what little remained of Rio."

She paused, and her blue eyes fell to the floor. She glanced up, as the little girl, who'd temporarily abandoned Arthur and Haley, tugged on the sleeve of her flowing dress, and radiated emotions of peace and calm. Iara smiled, and tousled the red hair, before sending her back towards the Gallade. "I was indeed alive during those times…like I said, you should drink the water. In those days, I was still young. Zigma drove the dark ones back alone, in a battle that shook the entire jungle. For three days she barreled through the forests of Selva Muerta, attacked on all sides, but relentless in her determination. Eventually, she forced the dark ones back into their mountainous metropolis of stone, and with a display of power that killed her previous Tamer, my father, and split her in three, she turned every one of the sorcerers to ghosts, bound to the city for the rest of their unnatural existence, and doomed to die of gnawing, insatiable hunger for life."

"You said you are the Tamer of but one aspect of Zigma…who are the other two? Do they have Tamers as well?" Alex met her gaze as she looked up at his question, with some measure of surprise.


"I do not know of other Tamers, but then, I rarely leave the palace. As for other aspects…there is Mamboa…the Guardian of the jungle. He is…considerably more ill-tempered than Yacuma, but beneath his scales, his heart is yet gentle…towards Pokémon, at least. My people know how to traverse the jungles without incurring his wrath, but the Humans who live on the west coast, usually pirates in shoddily made port cities, have made a habit of chopping away at the forests, as our ancestors did, with reckless abandon and no regard for the damage and wanton destruction they cause. It is these Humans with whom Mamboa usually interacts…and kills, for their actions. The other is Sombrador. I have never seen it, but Yacuma said that aspect of Zigma stayed behind to guard the Kingdom of the Dead, and make sure that the specters within all died of starvation. To that end, it stayed to keep any more Humans from entering…though there have been exceptions, of course. Usually, such exceptions only end up as a meal for the spirits, but a few with the Sight have made pilgrimages to our dark defender, to thank it for guarding us. Since they returned alive, we assume the dark one favors, or at least tolerates, our presence in this darkened land."

Drake, one of the other Scales that Alex had elected for this mission, along with his partner Rick, spoke up then. "What's the Sight?"

The women nodded. "What the sorcerers wrought on our land infected all who live here. Some among us gain eyes that can see the ghosts of this world, always. They can see more, with training, and this allows them to safely travel the jungles. Naturally, they're also our strongest Trainers."


Seeing as how she evidently already knew their identities, Alex let his eyes flare up with psychic power. The entire chamber seemed to pause in its constant flow as he did, and the foreigners shifted nervously. "Would these eyes give us a similar immunity to death, were we to traverse them?"

The bronze skinned woman leaned in uncomfortably close, as she examined the eyes. The back of his neck tingled with instinctual fear that, he realized, he'd experienced before, when facing down an Arbok or Seviper that belonged to particularly powerful Trainers in a particularly large Swamp. Finally, she spoke, and he exhaled as subtly as he could. "Perhaps. I'd recommend some kind of armor, our Trainers have the ability to fashion such from obsidian, but I think…you would be fine. If you stay together, and don't…irritate anything. Don't try flying either. Humans irritate the aerial hunters, and I promise, you will be dead before you ever see them attack you. Travel on foot when trying to cross Selva Muerta."

Arthur, who had since rejoined them, and had apparently mega evolved at some point while playing with the Latias, chuckled as he rejoined the conversation. The little girl had taken to hanging on his various limbs now, but he could, finally, actually manage to talk despite that. "I have moves of almost every elemental Type in this head of mine. All physical, all strong. Let the Dark Types come. I can handle those." The arm not occupied by a young Pokémon in human disguise flared up with gold, which of course drew her attention. She leapt for it, but it ceased glowing as she caught hold. His now free blade lit up instead.


If Iara was impressed, she didn't show it. "I have given the warning. I don't care if you die. Less competition, really. Unova and Albion will be… 'helped', if you perish." She gave her best unsettling grin, but the dragon blooded Emperor had grown used to the look by now. She'd had her chance to strike them, but he was still curious. "Would you really get involved if we did not return? You'd commit to aiding two foreign territories so easily? Even when one is embroiled in war and the other puppet to a witch?"

The woman raised her other brow now, "To rule them, yes. The Dragon Empire must have fallen far to not recall those over which they once held power. That would explain much, actually…"

Alex continued the conversation, satisfied that he'd learned something of the woman. From what they'd heard, not one single person, in the entire city, went without water. It was what made their seemingly immortal Queen so loved, by those in houses, and those with nothing. If she cared that much for those under her, Unova at least might not be in bad hands. But he had no intention of dying. "These former hybrid ghost sorcerers…let's say that, hypothetically, one escaped, say about three hundred years ago…" He resisted smirking as he saw her eyes widen with recognition. "Let's say, hypothetically, he was carried north by the current, and landed on a beach, where he met a man. A man who happened to be the leader of a cult. A cult which may or may not have grown into something truly foul, and massive enough, to cover the entire western half of our continent, when said cult leader eventually died of mortality, and his successor, did not."


It was his turn to move into her face now, and his eyes shifted again as he embraced the dragon's power. He felt his neck tingle again, seemingly from the chamber itself, but it did nothing to hinder him, and he genuinely had no intention of harming anyone. He broadcasted that intention as effectively as he could. "How would a hypothetical dragon blooded Human go about killing such a creature, who let's say, hypothetically, created and fused with another Darkrai at the expense of a city."

The woman raised her right hand, and the instinctual fear faded, slightly. "Hypothetically…you would need a sword, or some other hypothetical sharp implement, to sever the connection between the two. Finding where they're fused should be easy for those eyes…but the first Darkrai, will not be able to be excised. They're fused, you see, and I imagine the new one is powering them both with dark energy that only a Darkrai can pull directly from the Nexus, from a place as far as Fornia…"

Alex let his eyes fade, having got his point across. The flowing within the chamber resumed, though perhaps a bit slower than before. "What Nexus?"


At that, the woman glanced up. "You know more of it than I do. You were there."

The increasingly familiar fear that they'd all been feeling now had a moving source, as water fell from the ceiling, and rose from the floor, to form a truly gargantuan, deep blue scaled snake that, with a glance, they saw was both water and dragon typed.

The unease faded somewhat as the Legendary Pokémon's soothing, and unquestionably feminine, voice echoed in their skulls. "You…Dovahssssosss…you are the one who reunited the Original Dragon? Issss what Eo tellsss me true? The Dragon isss whole again?"

Alex nodded, having a fair guess at what Pokémon within this place would bear a name like Eo, and be on speaking terms with a Legendary Dragon. "Yes. I'm the one who brought him back. Though, I had quite a bit of help."

The vertical slits within the blue eyes of the giant reptile widened slightly, as they went to his belt. "Clad in the bonessss of his brothersss indeed…very well. Pay attention, Ssscaless of Balance," She seemed to smirk at the name, though the more she spoke the more at ease they felt. She had the ferocity of a mother, but, as they were no threat to her people, they had nothing to fear. "The Nexusss iss a Human creation. Old technology, from three millennia passst, wass usssed to sssacrifice an unknown number of Humansss from the junglesss, and the ssouthern partsss of the land known asss Texico. The sssorcererss we exiled to die, endeavored to live, and eventually, found a way to form the gathered dark energy into what your ssspeciess callsss Darkrai, and fussse with it. The Nexusss is fueled when a Human diesss, and leavesss behind Ghossst energy. It convertsss it to darknessss, and the ghossstsss within the city persssssissst." She finished with an angry hiss, and looked to her Tamer, as she stroked the water serpent's leathery and slightly lighter blue underbelly.


"I tell all of my people, daily, not to venture into those mountains. The longer the Nexus exists, the longer Sombrador must guard it, and the longer Zigma must stay split. Mamboa grows ever darker towards Humans, and eventually, his rage will be sparked, enough perhaps for him to attack she who is his counterpart, and her people. If the two snakes fight, our people are doomed. That is what our last Seer prophesied, anyways." She nodded towards the Latias who, by this point, had dropped her human form, and was zipping around Arthur's head, dodging, narrowly, the sharp spike on his 'helmet' with numerous aerial barrel rolls. "That one, will be like her mother, but until she matures, we cannot get a…clearer depiction of these events, and how to avoid them. We have been without a Seer for some time, and this one only recently hatched."

Alex glanced at Jess, as she had the thought, and the redhead spoke. "So…I guess hypothetically…if this Nexus were to suddenly vanish, what would happen?"

The large snake's head tilted to one side, and they got a good look at her fangs. Naturally, they were made of ice, as like most water types, she used ice attacks frequently, and it made her and Mamboa more or less equal in strength. Were his typing to shift from grass and dragon, to grass and dark, he would have an advantage, for she had no doubt he would retain his Outrage. Even with a quadrupled weakness to ice, he had ever been difficult to keep in check. "Your foe'sss body would weaken, and he would begin relying too heavily on hisss new Darkrai for sssusstenance. Though he isss far away, the Nexusss iss large, and sstill sssusstainsss him, asss it doesss all hisss people, thossse who fussssed themssselves with manifesssted darknessss. He would likely ssseek yet another place to ssssuck the life from. If he addsss a third Darkrai, he will become a Champion of the Sssshadowsss. I trussst you know of the lassst one…"

The Unovans nodded in unison. Giratina had, according to new finds in Sinnoh from the former Champion Cynthia, gone on a rampage because, somehow, it had been infused with foul energy, that she had eventually confirmed was Shadow. It had taken Arceus himself to put Giratina away, which implied that the deity either couldn't kill Giratina, or didn't want to. Many suspected it was a combination of both.


"When and if you sssucceed in sssevering him from hisss newessst acquisssition, bring him home…he will rot, with hisssss people, asss a ghossst..." Alex bowed in the Unovan fashion, and the dragon once more became water, and flowed throughout the palace, and into the city. It had never stopped, though the flow had slowed, slightly, outside of the room they'd occupied.

Iara looked them each over again, and smirked. "You have a plan to destroy the Nexus, don't you…do you know anything important about Shadow and darkness that you'd like to share?"

Alex smirked. "This is the Dark Continent, correct?" She nodded. "Then you have your answer, if you consider where we're from. Think it over, it's not complicated."

Still puzzled, but not willing to show it, she pushed for more. "How did you combine the dragons of Unova again? Was it technology?"

He shook his head. That knowledge, he'd give freely. "No. Technology could only bring Kyurem and the other two together one at a time, and while those fusions are strong…they're nothing compared to the Original. The means I used were…divine, though there was a bit of complex energy manipulation as well…nothing someone down here couldn't try to replicate, I'm sure. Should the Nexus say, suddenly vanish in the next few days."


She blinked at him, twice. "Well Sombrador would have to come back as well…"

A familiar voice echoed from all around them. "Mamboa would come…if Sssssombrador did."

Alex nodded. "We'll see what we can do."

The Scales left the palace, and traveled incognito once more until they came upon the jungle's edge. It wasn't hard to find. Around the populated areas, pairs of deep blue clad guards stood watch between the city and the jungle. Death within was very real…if one was not prepared. They'd waved them in with nods and rumblings of 'good fortune' for their journey.

It was at the edge that they'd split their party. Haley and six others were going to stay behind, and try to find additional information on weaknesses these ancient human-Darkrai hybrids had. The only three who could use Light energy, namely Alex, Jess, and one of her Scales, would enter Selva Muerta. Drake and Rick Astley would also search the massive rainforest, and psychically pass on word of their discovery, if they managed to find the Kingdom of the Dead before Alex's group did. Together, they figured they could probably do something about this supposed well of darkness. They didn't need to ask Tao for guidance either, as they knew well what he would do, if the opportunity to weaken an enemy presented itself.

The two Scales waited patiently as their chosen companions prepared for the trek into Selva Muerta, already sweltering beneath the heavy leather-like cloaks covering the stifling armor. At the very least, it kept the smaller insects, namely mosquitos, from biting at them. They had been eradicated on the northern continent, more by damage from nuclear warfare than anything else, but it seemed here the infamously annoying bloodsuckers thrived. They were an Old Earth species that refused to die, though he imagined more than a few had become Pokémon at some point. Once their newest female travel partner, an Articuno rider who went by Svelka, had her own armor on, she'd pulled out an Icicle Plate from her bag, and it fused to her chestpiece. The resulting freezing aura kept the bugs, and many blood-sucking bug types, from going anywhere near the other four Scales as they journeyed into the dark jungle.



Chapter 29: Forest of Death, Sage of Rain



Selva Muerta – Rio Side


They'd made good time through the jungle, considering they were riding a massive Torterra. After mega evolving, for they were frequently challenged by locals, some familiar, and some that made their Pokédex randomly stop working, the pace had increased slightly. Arthur handled the poisonous ones, as well as any with flames or flying moves. He remarked that he was becoming remarkably good with Aerial Ace, but needed more speed. They'd gone through several potions by now, for the Pokémon had, true to what they'd been told, been strong enough to not go down in a single hit. Usually. They only managed one counter hit, but the damage piled up quickly.

As the hours crept on, almost as slowly as their ride, the Gallade grew tired. The five Trainers decided to let the others get a workout from whatever challenged them next, while the Gallade meditated within the hollow on the Ash Tree that grew from Terra's back. After growing so large, the Ash tree was slightly askew, but Terra didn't complain about it. Arthur didn't mind the awkward angle, as he was floating while he meditated.

Though Svelka eventually questioned why they were riding on, quite literally, one of the slowest Pokémon known to man, Terra had demonstrated why multiple times. Any shallow emerald green rivers they came towards, filled with what had to be water and dark typed familial relations to Krookodile, were easily crossed by the massive turtle. None seemed interested in testing a type advantage against that kind of obvious strength. There were exceptions, of course, but the Torterra would open his mouth, unleash a single Seed Bomb on them, and then continue on, unfazed, and without breaking his still incredibly slow pace.


As they'd been traveling north west, they eventually came upon a gargantuan river with a name so old, even Unovans knew of it, though admittedly most knew nothing about it. Though Terra hid it well, Alex knew when his starter was tired. There was no reason to push their limits just yet. He called out Hydrus then, and Jess summoned her Empoleon. Drake and Rick revealed an Intelleon, and Walrein respectively, and it was at the Amazon river that they split off from the group, leaving Alex alone with the ladies. With the girls on the massive penguin, Alex had the large mud-fish, who had mega evolved as well due to the strength of the water types, namely the disturbingly ferocious packs of water and dark typed Floatzel, around them, all to himself. One look from the Mega Swampert had dissuaded the opportunistic and carnivorous pack hunters to find an easier meal closer to the shores of the river.

He heard giggles as he began the seemingly complicated, but in reality, quite simple process of enjoying a bowl of Leaf. Having a bag that was seemingly bottomless was always useful. He was rather quick too, as the women had, upon seeing his shenanigans, zipped ahead to the other side of the Amazon River in only a few minutes. He let them, enjoying the beauty of a slow ride as he and Hydrus took it easy. The waters were just swampy enough for his partner's liking, and the view was rather nice. He'd always liked green, and on the wide river, he saw many shades of it from the water, to the tree line. The sky was clear as well, making it perfect Leaf weather.

He was packed up in roughly two minutes after finishing, with the skill of someone who'd done this many, many, many times, and Hydrus caught up to the two, who had continued on into the jungle.

Evidently, they'd intended to lose him in the trees, but his mud-fish had become rather adept at leaping from a swimming position, and hurtling towards a specific spot on the ground. He even kept his Trainer on his back. Usually.


They traveled by foot from there, and the two Unovans let their newer members test themselves against the local Pokémon. Jess had found a moment to take the fossil they'd taken from the Stoney Mountains to Nacrene City, and the result had been a revived rock and steel type they'd taken to calling 'Triceradon' due to her similarities to Bastiodon, upon evolving from a Pokémon that the Museum's scientist had been convinced was just a slightly different, but still genetically normal Shieldon. What differences there had been were due to her being from so far west, and were therefore probably regional, not a new species. The Shieldon, nicknamed Cera, had proven otherwise upon evolving though and her Trainer had then proceeded to train her newest member with repetitive battles.

Thankfully, Unova never lacked for Triple battles, and shared experiences. Upon evolving, Cera's head had become more akin to an Aggron's, as two of the three horns the female possessed jutted forward from her skull, and the third was like an extension of her nose. She retained the metallic frill Bastiodon usually had, and it was similar in both color and pattern. The two species clearly shared a heritage.

Ceno and Cera cut a path through the dense number of regularly attacking grass, and far more common, flying types. They were more common than bugs on this side of the Amazon for some reason, but as the sun began to set, Ceno and Alex continued training against the many dark types, namely Salandit, that jumped at them from the shadows. Since the ladies were carrying their tent, they'd set it up, and left the two battle-eager boys to stand guard duty. The constant attacks, while annoying, were great experience.


Even against fire types, the Lairon had adopted a battling style that involved slowing, and then hammering with a ground move. His defense was high enough that he could withstand three attacks, typically. As the losing Salandit fell to the latest Earthquake, the remaining two began to call for help. Alex smirked, and healed his partner. They didn't wait for what was in the trees to come out. Ceno had already lifted onto two feet, and brought them down just as their opponents charged from the trees.

They got two of the Salazzle matriarchs, but the other five readied what could only be Flamethrowers. Ceno dug underground before the flames reached him, and retaliated. Then there were four. Gravity brought him back down into the tunnel he'd dug, yet another tactic he favored, by digging straight up to strike. He limited any counter attacks to one, but one was all their opponents needed. Poisonous smog filled the air as the four belched it into his hiding place, but he was already digging again.

At a suggestion from his Trainer, he'd shot up from behind the poisonous fire lizards, and as he landed, hit them with an Earthquake. This time, none dodged, and they learned the painful lesson of a quadrupled type disadvantage as the ground around them shattered and crushed them. Only one managed to hold on, barely, and she began making a similar sound to the Salandit, who had, in the series of yet more Earthquakes, also fainted.


Ceno formed a condensed Flash Cannon to silence her, but Alex held him off. The ground was shaking, and they could both sense the size of what was coming. A Full Restore brought the Lairon back to fighting strength as it cured his poisoning as well, along with a Max Elixir, for he'd used quite a few moves thus far. There was no question that they'd need to restock after this trip, but then, being able to travel in regions like this rainforest required one to have absurd numbers of items on hand. The Trainers he'd met so far never seemed to lack for them, though common courtesy seemed to suggest one didn't use their hoard to persist in a losing battle.

Ceno glanced at his Trainer, who had, after readying him for more, pulled out the reddish mahogany brown colored device he'd been pointing at fellow Pokémon all day. The red beam shot through the trees, scanning their opponent. "Salazzle…? But that's not… Are you Mukking kidding me? Again!?" Alex's eyes had narrowed then, and he began typing in system commands, as their opponent finally came through the trees.

Seeing he was on his own for the moment, Ceno engaged the massive fire lizard. He was more dark than poison, and there was no doubt from the heat emanating around them that he had the fire typing as well. With yet more cursing, and a final sigh, his Trainer pointed the device at the lizard again. Their newest opponent hadn't attacked, after seeing one matriarch yet retained consciousness. He'd kept an eye on Ceno, but had growled at the nearby bushes.


A swarm of Salandit flooded around their wounded females then, feeding them more than enough Sitrus Berries for a full recovery. They wisely slinked back into the trees, and away from the strange human with the powerful mountain dweller. The Lairon had demonstrated that he was stronger, and they'd lost enough Salandit. Once the field was cleared, the massive hulking male, who probably knew some fighting type techniques as well, growled at the Lairon.

The challenge echoed through his body, and deciding that it was, finally, time the Lairon let his stockpile of evolutionary spiral energy carry him to the next stage of his species' evolution. He felt something awaken within him as he did, and the energy surged with an unexpected burst of power that almost felt divine, but not. Cenomons, true to his nature, consumed all of it. The light faded, and the Aggron rose, slowly. Alex just stared as he looked up from the Pokédex. Ceno easily towered over his Trainer now. Judging by his mass, he also guessed he now outweighed even Terra. His best guess put his new Aggron at twelve to fifteen feet, not counting the horns.

He did a double take, as he got a proper look at said horns, and the 'helmet' of his Aggron in general. The flared steel plates, which would shed with time, flared not unlike Cera's own, though they lacked the patterns of a Bastiodon, and remained a steel color. Feeling the enlarged crest clink awkwardly on his shoulders, Cenomons returned to all fours, and looked rather comfortable on them. The very structure of his body seemed similar enough to an Aggron, but evidently his would remain on four legs primarily. It seemed to fit, and Alex didn't mind. He had a feeling he'd be pretty fast, once he got some speed going.


It would limit what fighting moves he could use, if any, but they had more than enough coverage from Arthur, and Hydrus in that regard. Alex had told him they'd focus on rock and steel moves anyway, and they had. Overall, Ceno's head seemed more akin to his species Mega Form than anything, though it wasn't quite there. His nose had a similar upwards curve like Cera's for whatever reason, but the 'horn', while sharp, was shorter. His two larger horns also had a slight, but similar curve, though they were just as impressive as he'd expected them to be. Ceno had trained hard to get this strong.

Snorting, the Aggron lowered his head, as if to charge, and their opponent, who was rapidly reconsidering this battle, reared up and backwards slightly, from his usual forward slouch. The muscled arms hung low under the equally muscled chest, and ended in a pair of claws that, upon closer inspection, were indeed dripping poison. Alex slowly reached for his Pokéballs, but that slight shift had been enough for the battle to start.

Flames engulfed the lizard, bursting from the dark red markings all along the primarily black scaled body, and it charged Ceno. Much like its female counterpart, it was rather quick, when it wanted to be. As it roared, Alex listened closely for the species name, but all he got was 'Sala' before the roar made the rest incoherent.


He swore again as the two Pokémon attacked simultaneously, "Sala what!?"

The Flamethrower was blocked by a Rock Tomb, which had been placed defensively when Ceno slammed his front feet down, and made the earth rise. Alex glanced at his Pokédex. He'd manually scanned the creature, and this time, the machine had registered the unidentified species, which meant a blank page with a captured image of the body now dominated his screen. Alex decided to leave it for later, and focused on helping Ceno.

Temporarily obscured, Ceno proceeded to smash through his own move, turning it into more of a Rock Throw, as he crushed the boulders with ease, and assaulted the lizard with the debris. Their opponent had charged through the rocks, shrugging them off, before switching to physical attacks, and Ceno met him with an Iron Head. Fire wore away at the steel power of the move, but Ceno, like most Aggron, had plenty of stamina.


The Aggron made a rumbling sound in his metallic and rock body that one could've called laughter as he heard his Trainer's command. "Sweep the legs. Then finish it."

A Fire Fang overpowered the already weakened Iron Head, and Ceno moved back, clearly unused to his new bulky form. An Earthquake followed as he steadied himself, and it kept the lizard at bay as the ground beneath it shattered. Ceno blinked. He'd been skeptical about the strength differential between evolutionary stages, but he'd just seen evidence that his abilities were now quite a bit stronger. The Sala-whatever's claws began to glow with poison energy then, and as it charged, Ceno ducked low, and swept his now similarly strengthened Iron Tail through both of the comparatively skinny legs.

The creature fell with a loud boom that echoed through the jungle, and Ceno finished him with a Rock Tomb. Or so they'd thought. Upon smashing said rocks with Iron Head, they found a tunnel. Evidently, the lizard could dig, when it needed to, and the shattered landscape had only helped him. Terra popped free of his ball then, and guided Ceno as he showed him how species like them could repair what they tore asunder, to a degree.


The whole battle seemed to go unnoticed by the women, who had grown used to the Earthquake happy Trainer early on in the day. He insisted that the noise they made warded off the weaker Pokémon, and those who simply didn't wish to see humans. What new or varied species he had managed to catch, had been sent to his brother's box, as the word was that he was rapidly focusing on Evolution for his final thesis, and he'd attacked the subject broadly. They'd lost anything resembling a signal after entering the jungle though, not unlike Oranguru's Swamp.

The two women went within the tent, once the outside was apparently set up, and somehow, he just knew that it too would be bigger on the inside. It was a running theme with what Jess brought from home and she'd refused to explain it. As had his granduncle, and her brother, who had a bag like his own as well.

As Alex mused on seemingly impossible dimensional engineering that, as a formula, confused even his new math-friendly method of thinking, his attention returned to his yet unfinished manual Pokédex entry. Naturally, his team all had opinions on a name, with the most popular being 'Saladon' at nine to one. Blaze had stuck with 'Salazard', but his Trainer had ultimately gone with the former choice due to the ruthless battling style, and the apparent influence it had over at least a hundred of its kin. He listed what moves it had used, and then filled out the rest as best he could. At the very least, the data would help anyone else with a Pokédex that ran into such a creature.


The girls came out of the black and white tent to the sight of Alex, arm wrestling his newly evolved Aggron, who was lying at ease, and yawning as his paw easily stomped his Trainer's hand. When asked how he'd evolved, Alex was dodgy about the exact circumstances. Finally, he'd said, "We found something leading the Salandit attacking us. They'd already called for help from their Salazzle, so when the matriarchs began making similar calls, I had a feeling we were in trouble. The Pokédex didn't recognize this species either, it was convinced that we were just facing another Salazzle but…it was male. And much stronger, definitely a physical attacker. Though, once Ceno evolved, we took care of it…it may be back though, so keep a Ground Type handy tonight."

Ultimately Leo and Cera had been left on watch, and the now hungry thunder cat, after sleeping all day, made himself useful with his 'unmatched visual prowess' as he called it. Alex had no idea where his cat was picking up these terms, but he didn't really mind them. Salandit did indeed come by, but they were loners, not a part of the swarm from earlier, only following their scent. Nothing bugged them once they met Leo's eyes, and saw the equally imposing, and equally foreign Cera guarding all of them with a dead stare that suggested she would Earthquake any fool that so much as sniffed in their general direction.

The tent had not disappointed, though it was nowhere near as luxurious as he expected of his wealthy neighbors. The furnishings were normal rather than ornate and high-tech, and, they were under a century old. He still resisted poking at the seams of it though, no matter how much his new thought processes, which were still puzzling out the 'how' of his surroundings, bugged him to do otherwise.


They rose with the sun, and continued on, making significant time since the attacks were less frequent in the earlier hours. Eventually, they'd decided to form a 'herd' of sorts, with Terra, Hydrus, Cenomons, Cera, and Melodi, who had long since become an Altaria, and a nuisance to whoever Jess battled. Few challenged them as they made their way ever northward, though as they came through the latest patch of jungle, they once more found the emerald waters of the Amazon.

"How far does thees river go, again?" Svelka asked of Jess, who like Alex, smirked. Giant rivers were a foreign concept in a land of ice and snow, though more than a few had apparently formed with the dissipating storms, and subsequent thawing of the ancient land.

"The Amazon is, by last measurement, the largest in the world. It has apparently only grown in size, throughout the years, so…we will likely be crossing several branches of it on our way, but this is apparently the largest, according to Haley's map." She glanced at her Pokédex, which was storing said map because it had the memory storage, and was practical.


The girls zipped around Hydrus several times before pulling next to him, and they smirked at the Gallade and his Trainer sharing yet another bowl on his back. Alex smirked back at them. "Finally decided to join us?" The arm holding the bong and bowl in question stretched to the side, as he was tackled by the redhead, who somehow ended up in his lap after a flurry of limbs and shifting movement. She reclined on him like one might on a Pokébean chair, and fit rather snugly in his crossed legs.

She manifested a flame of her own on her pointer finger, a trick of pyrokinesis she'd refused to share with him, and hit the piece before passing it on. Alex, who was good by then, passed it to the Norstadder, who'd taken a seat by Arthur. "We have thees in Valaskjalf, but ours does not smell so…foul."

Alex smirked. "Try it. I think you'll find ours is stronger. Just don-"


She cut him off, inhaling far too deeply before he could finish, and he winced as the slow-smolder turned into a proper 'blaze', and created enough smoke to make anyone's head spin. The only downside was that she'd also likely just ashed the remaining Leaf in the bowl, but luckily, he had more. Svelka only managed to hold the smoke for a short while before exhaling, and devolving into a coughing fit. The other three shared a look, and then his Gallade began instructing her on the finer points of bong manipulation, as he'd all but made the process a science after finding he rather enjoyed the Leaf. Alex didn't mind sharing his stash and his equipment, so long as the Gallade put them back where they belonged, which he always did without fail.

They were roughly halfway across this latest river channel, when Hydrus felt a chill run up his spine. Few things startled his Swampert anymore, so Alex glanced up from the rather gorgeous view of the emerald colored scenery, and looked at the water around them. He rose slowly alongside Jess, and as they stood, their belts flared, summoning their armor. They'd eventually had to relent to the heat and travel without it, or be forced to consume amounts of water their Pokémon would never keep up with if they wanted to keep traveling without dehydrating. As it turned out, an Aura shield had been more than enough to avoid the old Earth bugs, the diseases they carried, and various other dangers.

As he saw what now circled them within the emerald waters of the world's largest river, he knew even dragonbone was likely to do little. They were called 'Legendary' Pokémon for a reason, after all, and going by the size of their new encounter, it was very likely an aspect of Zigma. He hoped. It was a snake, that much was certain, and it was undoubtedly male, judging by the mental presence which had, after they'd armored themselves, finally revealed itself.


The mind that reached out to theirs was similar, in Alex's opinion, to how Yacuma's had felt, in that it made the back of his neck stand on end. Though, where he'd felt the urge to run or fight, now, his instincts were telling him to hide. Death was all around him, and then, it spoke.

"Unovan Leaf…that…is a smell I have not sssscented in a long time. A long time. What brings Unovanssss to my domain?" Given that most of the Legendary encounters he'd had so far had mental ranges somewhere in a baritone, he was surprised to find this one was more… charismatic. Lighter, still definitively masculine, but anger seethed just beneath the surface. Hydrus stayed put as the grass and dragon type circled them below the water. A quadrupled weakness to an Ice Beam would let them get away, but any retaliation would take their ride out, and they knew enough about the river's locals to know that the following feeding frenzy would reduce them to bones in minutes, and if the Carvanha didn't get them, the packs of Floatzel in the area undoubtedly would seize the chance for an easy meal.

Alex glanced at the other two, who had not spoken, when he realized the being that could only be Mamboa was speaking to him directly. If the massive grass snake felt threatened by the sudden boost their armor gave their natural abilities, it did not show. "We're on our way north. Yacuma…all but tasked us with taking care of the Dark Nexus."


The yellow-orange eye that rose from the water before him shared a similar structure to most other dragon types, though in this one, the most obvious relation had to be the Serperior species. The vertical slit of black focused on him, after glancing about their little group. "You think you have the sssstrength to overcome such darknessss? It has grown beyond your ancient Human technology, and while your current level is impressssive, you have a ways yet to go before you can comprehend thisss. You journey to your deathssss, and you will only feed the Nexusss."

Arthur stepped forward then, and bowed, as the eye focused on the Gallade. The head moved away slightly, as it appeared to recognize the Pokémon as more of a legitimate threat, with his access to Ice Punch. All the battling thus far had definitely made him grow. It was exactly the kind of training he'd been itching to test himself against, and it paid off now as the psychic type's aura appeared around his body, and flared blue with obvious waves of power.

Mamboa's head rose completely out of the water now, ready to strike, if needed. The fangs he bore were longer than Yacuma's had been, and seemed to be made of an almost black wood. They were still quite sharp though, and no doubt served well when the Legendary summoned grass energy.


Arthur powered up with a flexing of his arms, and his aura shifted to Light, as he shone brightly in the center of the river. The sun had begun to set after almost a day of straight travel, and Alex didn't need to wonder who would have the advantage in the darkness. Mamboa was most likely a night hunter, like many snake species. They'd seen him before in the early morning, likely searching for somewhere to sleep, and as the current night came, he'd apparently awakened, and noticed them. The dragon type arched a scaled, but still very much leafy eyebrow, as he watched the Gallade. "I ssssee. One who wieldsss the Light. Yet, alone your strength will fail. You should know thisss…"

Two blue colored flashes later, the Gallade was joined by a pair of Articuno, who made the snake recoil. He was now a bit outmatched, as he knew the Gallade could use flying moves too. They were no longer prey, but he did not let them free just yet. There was another scent amongst these foreigners that drew the Legendary dragon's curiosity.

He moved back to where he'd smelt it, his nostrils very obviously flaring. His tongue licked the air, scenting it as the Pokémon hovering in the air watched him, and tensed as he neared their humans. "I know…that ssssscent…" The eyes focused on Alex, and the nostrils flared again. Once more, he drew the plasma sword, and the snake's eyes went wide. "The Original Dragon…livessss. Perhapsss...now is the era. The Nexussss…to be destroyed at long lassst…yesss…it is finally time!"


The group moved back as the massive snake sank under the water again, and then exploded from it with a burst of water as he leapt through the yellow-orange sky before coiling back in the water, and surfacing away from them, but still close enough to chat. They had given him the best news he'd heard in millennia, and he could hold off on breakfast. He'd need something more than a few man-apes and a mudfish to sate his appetite anyways. His lengthy coil swished in a manner that they could only perceive as happy, as the large snake all but grinned at them.

"It is as you say, Mamboa. Yacuma wished for you to return to Rio, though she expressed doubts that you would, until Sombrador was freed…" Alex let the helmet fade, and donned his hat again. The heat had already made it uncomfortable, and sweat had begun sliding down his face at annoyingly close intervals.

The grass snake's eyes darted to the symbol on the Trainer's hat, and the water rumbled as he chuckled. "Rio…it hasss been some time sssince I went there…they may not welcome me with open armsss."

Alex raised a brow at the Legendary. "Are you not a part of their region's Guardian? Go there, tell them you come in peace, and you'll be fine. You have my word, Sombrador will join you two soon…and then I guess you'll have to find someone strong enough to unite you."


"You cannot?" The snake leaned in again for another look. "No…I sssee your logic…one of our own mussst unite what the darknesssss tore apart." The snake's 'lips' formed into an approximation of a smirk. "We will have a Battle Tournament…and sssee who issss worthy! But firssst…your partners. Summon them. If you are to dessstroy the Nexusss…you mussst be ready…"

The humans glanced at each other, and then resumed swimming towards the nearest shore not occupied by territorial Floatzel. With a sigh, Mamboa did the same. This time, it seemed they were at the westernmost edge of the river's many diversions, and the mountains that marked the western side of the continent loomed behind the large, white sand shore they came in on. Their goal was still many miles north though, and they had been warned against trying to travel the mountains.

Mamboa soon joined them, and upon seeing their party, immediately focused on Serpi. Grass energy flowed between the two as they touched noses, and the Serperior came away looking not unlike Hilbert's Caesar, though she was much prettier. Her fronds had grown in the shape she'd desired, and the naturally elegant Pokémon pulled it off. She'd also gained at least ten feet of body length. Alex was still eyeing her, when he noticed instinctual fear from Terra.


Mamboa had shifted his gaze to his turtle now, and Alex gave his head a pat as he met the snake's gaze. "Thisss one is…crooked. A Guardian has already sssstrengthened you, but…you've grown asssskew. I will…fix thisss, and then, you will owe me a favor..." The snake hissed what was apparently a chuckle.

Before Alex could respond, vines extended from the grassy fronds that had, as he'd dried off, flared out from Mamboa's neck, making the similarities to a Serperior undoubted now. Though he looked far more regal than any of his apparent descendants could ever dream of, he still encouraged them to grow as large as they could. The vines glowed bright with grass energy as they flowed into, and slightly adjusted, the grass turtle.

With Terra, the changes were more…explosive, and a brief flare of pain seared through his bond with his Trainer as the energy of a Legendary grass type fixed what had grown askew upon his shell. Namely, this meant his straight-trunked Ash Tree had moved, shifted to the center of his shell, the roots extended down to, and encircled each of the stone-like spikes on his shell.


As the tree had moved, another three stone spikes had appeared on the other side, evening him out weight wise. Those were encircled by the roots as well, and Alex winced as his newest batch of Green Monster was lost in the shifting swirl of energy. He sighed, but he could always make more. He had several jars full anyways, and plenty of seeds. Still, it made him slightly sad, though that faded as he felt his starter's happiness. He no longer felt lopsided, which was what had made him resistant to being ridden for long periods. Now though, he felt right. Balanced. Like Alex had, after the Trials in Unova. The turtle genuinely thanked the Legendary, as he moved back to dote on Serpi.

Alex glanced at his pocket as it began beeping, and he drew the Pokédex. The light centered on Torterra, and to his genuine surprise after having it spazz out and crash over ten times so far, it successfully scanned the grass turtle, and an addendum to the usual species data appeared.

Though it is reportedly a rare mutation, individual members of this species have been known to grow an additional three spikes, without evolving, over a period of, at minimum, centuries. This usually occurs when the Torterra's tree becomes too heavy for the left side of its shell, the shell then apparently adapts, to support the weight of the ever-growing tree, by growing three additional rock spikes. It is theorized that Torterra this large also use these spikes to contain enough water to support themselves, and stay mobile. All variations with this mutation have been well over standard recorded size.

The device beeped again, and the words 'new mutation' appeared. He stared at the screen as it prompted him to enter a description under a still image of Terra. He smirked, typed in 'Yggdrasil Form', as it was she who had blessed his starter with this growth and vitality he had no doubt, and then hit enter, before closing the device. He gave his turtle a chin scratch then, "We're contributing so much to science lately, aren't we." The turtle snorted in his version of a chuckle, and then moved to dig himself into the still-warm sand, and absorb what heat he could.


The Legendary grass snake eventually left them, but not before mentioning that he was heading to the southwest, to remind the pirates there that he was very much still around, before heading to Rio. Once Mamboa swam off, Rick Astley and Drake returned, on their respective water types, amazed and awed by the Legendary they'd been hesitant to sneak up on. They told Alex of the Sage they'd encountered deep in the Amazon, who upon learning their tale and purpose, had invited the rest of them to visit his home.

Traveling the jungle was no less difficult, but for every day that crept by, they traveled hundreds of miles. They had veered away from the western mountains, as they were still very much south of their goal, and had instead shifted east, following Rick and Drake's directions as best they could.

Serpi had replaced the fatiguing Empolia, and appeared to take to swimming the emerald waters as gracefully as Mamboa had. She carried both of her humans easily, still brimming with the energy the Legendary had shared with her. She was not the only grass snake around though, as they had spied several other Serperior lurking in the trees as they ventured towards the subtle pull the river's current guided them towards. Chonkley, Rick's Walrein, had claimed that it would, if followed, lead them to the Sage.


Ultimately, it took four days to reach the center of the massive forest, and their supplies had dwindled to roughly half of what they'd started with. The battles with wild Pokémon were just as intense, the experience was just as strengthening, and Alex was more and more convinced that having Scales come down here to test themselves and train might not be a terrible idea. If they were prepared.

The others in the group that had stayed in Rio had contacted them one night as they camped. Signals were spotty at best in the jungle, but within the tent, they were rather clear. Apparently Mamboa had indeed returned to Rio, and the reunion with his watery counterpart had caused a few waves, as they'd tumbled in the shallows of the ocean, but there was little in the way of destruction. Apparently, the other half of their party had entered into the eager snake's tournament when he'd declared that the winner of said tournament would both need to be strong enough to unite the three again, and become Zigma's newest Tamer. The people of Rio had, naturally, accepted this challenge, and had begun setting up and registering the thousands of Trainers who surged forth to participate.

Rio was apparently celebrating the imminent return of Sombrador, and the atmosphere of good emotions and a chance at unity was welcomed by all, poor and housed alike. It was a common belief that Zigma would restore their city, and then everyone could have a roof, and access to water.


The two women had been worried of what might happen to the city should they fail to take on the Nexus, but Alex reassured them. If this 'Rain Sage', as Rick and Drake had titled them, was even half as wise as Oranguru, they would likely gain an advantage of some kind, if they heeded the Sage's wisdom. He didn't know what form said advantage would take, but his instinct said this was a good idea, though he still tread cautiously. His own mentors had been suspiciously silent with their mental guidance on this matter, but he decided that was for the best. Oranguru had hinted that relations between the Psychic Masters were strained, more or less, and he had no idea what to expect from this one.

They came upon an island eventually, and like Oranguru's, it sat in the middle of a swirling merging of several different branches of the emerald colored Amazon. Unlike Oranguru's island, there was little in the way of structure. Where the Foggy Swamp Sage had one tree on his island, this one had many, and among them, the group saw a massive, red-furred figure lumbering about its business.

Alex summoned his Gallade, and the two leapt for the shore, projecting their mental presence as obviously, and non threateningly as possible. They felt a response, though instead of words, it was a simple emotion, one his Gallade read as 'hurry up and come in'.


Alex nodded to Jess, who'd also proven herself in such a place, though as Svelka made to enter, she found her way blocked by a mass of roots and vines that appeared from the ground and surrounding trees,separating her from the Unovans. A deep-toned voice rang out over them then. "If you do not have the power, you cannot enter. Wait by the shore. You will be safe in this part of the forest…for now." A flash of blue, and her Articuno joined her. She gave the two a nod, and then proceeded to start brushing her bird, as she did every night.

Alex and Jess walked towards the presence, as did Arthur, and as they approached, their eyes saw more of what appeared to be the Sage's home. What had looked like trees from the shore became revealed to have been shaped, grown, or otherwise turned into a sort of pagoda-esque structure, made entirely out of leaves, vines, and the massive tree trunks that were common to the flora of the rainforest.

The first thing that hit them was the stench, and as they winced and continued on, they realized where it was coming from. Another, far more welcome, but still ultimately foul stench covered the one emanating from the Rain Sage. It was Leaf, of that Alex was sure, and as they came upon the Sage itself, they saw a familiar sight.


Sitting comfortably against what must have been the largest tree on this isolated island buried within dense jungle foliage was a massive red-furred creature. It had four limbs, and each ended in a curved set of claws akin to a Giant Sloth's that, while sharp, seemed poorly suited for advanced bong manipulation. The Sage's device of choice seemed to be a long, simple wooden pipe, and even Alex had to admit he liked such things. They didn't need water, they were fairly easy to clean, but he knew what happened to them after hundreds of sessions of holding burning herb, and had opted for glass instead, back when he'd first taken up the hobby.

The pipe in question floated up to the shaggy head of the creature, and after a deep inhale, smoke slowly drifted from either side of the 'head', and surrounded the seemingly perpetually damp fur, covering the other foul scent entirely. A single eye, purple within an iris of gold, appeared on what he would've expected to be the forehead of the creature, and the pipe once more levitated down towards a stand, upon which it sat while the Sage enjoyed its effects.

The Leafhead within him winced at the waste of perfectly good Leaf set to smolder, but he wrenched his focus back to the task at hand, and bowed in the Unovan style. Arthur and Jess did the same, but he took the initiative in speaking. "Rain Sage, the grass and water aspects of Zigma, Mamboa and Yacuma, have bid us to head into the northern mountains, and put an end to the Dark Nexus. We were wondering if you could give us advice as to how we might eradicate it."


The voice that responded was neither male nor female, but also had elements of both. It seemed as loud as Oranguru's voice, but was impossible to read for emotion. The tone was even and simple. "What would you have me say, pupil of the Swamp?" There was a chuckle from the shaggy creature, and he spied an additional pair of glowing yellow eyes, hidden in the fur of the creature's face, staring back at him. "You may have been away from it for a time…but the scent always lingers. In any case…my contemporary already told me of your imminent arrival…"

"Then you know our mission is good natured." Alex said, folding his arms within the white robe that had become his casual garb of choice. "We wish only to help this land…and reunite that which darkness has sundered."

Another chuckle. "And how do you seek to accomplish this feat? The Nexus has existed for millennia, and not even Zigma and I combined could end it. I know of your Gallade, I know of your skills with the Light, but it will not be enough."

Jess spoke this time. "Then tell us what we need to do to be ready. Light energy is quite effective against darkness, and Dark Types. It can purge Shadow. Why wouldn't that work on a Nexus created by Human methods?"

The creature sighed. "What your species has wrought cannot be undone by your technology. Or the Light. Too many have been sacrificed to empower the darkness. The time to strike this foul creation was before it began to manifest Darkrai."


Alex sighed as well. "I don't suppose you know of a Celebi nearby who would be willing to-"

The Sage cut him off. "No. You cannot meddle with this, it has affected too many lives, set into motion events which cannot now be undone. Not without seriously angering the God of Time. Were you to travel back to destroy it when it was yet possible, you would erase your very reason for coming this far into the jungle, and a great many other events besides. The timeline you create would be entirely foreign to you, and you, as you are, would cease to exist. Let me spare you centuries of agonizing over 'what if', and simply tell you: do not meddle with Time. You will die."

Jess eyed the red-furred figure. In body shape it was similar to Oranguru, and her eyes labeled it as a normal and psychic type as well. "There has to be a way to neutralize it. What caused it to come into being in the first place? What technology spawned this Nexus? Everyone we ask is vague on that. If we knew what started it, it could help us unmake it now, without shifting the timeline."


The Sage scratched its shaggy chin with the left claw, and tiny bugs fell from the foul-smelling fur as it did. "Hmmm. I do not know, Zigma would, but her mind and memories will be…scattered, even if successfully reunified. You have seen the same with your Dragon, no? Splitting apart Guardians has consequences." The pipe floated up to the 'head' again, but the fur covered from view anything resembling a mouth, and the smoke did not flow from where it was evidently inhaled. "There is a Time Guardian near the mountain you seek, one that has befriended Sombrador. Seek her out before you attempt to approach the dark one…Sombrador is not as…understanding as its counterparts."

The Unovans shared a look. Evidently the final aspect of Zigma would be playing the counterpart role that Kyurem had. That also meant Sombrador was likely the strongest of the three, and would be the boundary within which grass and water would be bound. Arthur spoke then, "This…Time Guardian. She can show us the past?"

The eye on the Sage's forehead focused on the Gallade, then narrowed. "You would be wise to limit what you ask her to show you…but yes, to a degree, the past can be shown to those like you, without upsetting the Time Vortex."


As Alex felt the Gallade's mind whirl at the possibilities, namely what he strongly desired to learn from the time traveler in regards to his own past, he bowed again to the Sage. "Thank you, Rain Sage, for your wisdom. We will leave in peace."

The red-furred creature chuckled. "It is custom to cement new friendships with a sign of good will…come, partake of my Leaf, Trainer. Your Sage mentioned that you'd probably wish to try it."

Alex glanced at the leaves that acted as a door, then Jess, who shrugged. They'd gotten here early in the day, and perhaps a few more minutes could get them a friendly Teleport. They did not know places in the jungle that were safe to bamf into, but if any would, it was the truly rancid smelling creature before them that, despite the stench, seemed genuinely good natured.

"Very well." He finally said, "We will partake, but then we must depart for this Celebi's home with haste. Could you…?"

"Teleport you? Hrmmmm. Yes, fine, I suppose. Speed will be needed, and Oranguru warned that the longer you take here, the more dire things become up north." A pyrokinetic spark lit the bowl of the pipe, and Alex inhaled deep as the creature kept speaking. "With that said, the news is relatively good…he mentioned something about shifting borders, but I will be honest…I do not care. You should visit him when you return."


The three spent the better part of a half hour in total with the Sage, and eventually were sent on their way. They were Teleported to a place in the north where the Amazon finally ended, in one of its many rivers, and from there, the five Trainers headed west through the equally dense jungle, that was home to equally strong and unique Pokémon that, for once, tended to avoid them, rather than jump out, and start a battle.

The jungle soon mercifully gave way to relatively barren rocky mountainside, and the group paused, healing their partners. Arthur came out then, as did Rick's Gallade, Gallahad, and the two Articuno. The boys shared a ride as the birds lifted them up towards the peaks, and brought on a soft snowfall with their flight. They didn't have to look far to guess where their destination was. The castle-like structure had been carved from the stone of the surrounding mountains for simplicity rather than aesthetics, but the mile or more of death surrounding the peak the structure called home was obvious, to those who were looking for it.

The darkness permeated most of the mountains, and any life that might've normally enjoyed such a home, for there were many mountain-loving Pokémon, had been driven away by the total lack of vegetation, and foul taint on the air. They shared a look then, and wondered if something that could warp the planet might be a bit out of their league. That meant bringing in Tao, which while possible, would not be worth it until they'd exhausted every other option. They didn't want to pull him away from commanding literally everyone.


Arthur had spoken to all of them then, as only a psychic type could. "We have two Legendary Birds with us, and I have Excalibur. Moreover, our redhead can empower her partner's Ice Beam, and Gallahad can help too. With his help, we've definitely got this."

They spotted the Celebi's grove, for it was the only patch of vibrant green that stretched this far up into the mountains. Hiking had required putting their heavier hitters away, but the near-constant humidity had, for the moment, seemed to fade. As they approached the grove, the chill in the air only grew, as did the sense of impending death. It was muted in the Time Guardian's grove though. Like most shrines to Celebi around the world, this one had also been carved of stone, but the patterns were ancient, and different from anything in Unova. The closest they resembled in design was the buildings of Texico City.

Jess let her own helmet, which resembled the Articuno riders to a degree but remained composed of dragonbone, fade away into the rest of the armor as she wiped her brow. "Now what do we do?"

Alex smirked. "It's the home of a time traveler. There's only one thing we can do. We must wait." She raised an eyebrow at him as she gave a familiar smirk, and he laughed. "Yes, we can do that, too. It's a good way to pass the time." His granduncle had always told him that Celebi was, to this very day, very much a mystery. Were there multiple across the world, or were they all the same Pokémon? Did it work for Dialga, or had it been created to keep the Time God's anger, and the damage it could cause to the fabric of space and time, from tearing reality apart by accident?

One thing had been clear throughout the research he'd shown Alex. The Time Guardian appeared when and where it chose, and nothing any human could do would change that. He'd also mentioned bringing an offering, and after spending time with the Rain Sage, he had a feeling this Celebi might actually appreciate what they were about to start doing in its grove, and even wish to partake.



Bunker City Beneath Sacreus – Fornia Region


It had taken the better part of a week, but the Prophet of the Arcean Church had finally recovered from the explosion of Light energy the draconic brat had ruined his PokéMeter with. More and more rumors, he had been told, had begun to spread about what exactly the events in Urbe Monachus meant. Their Bishops had always told the people that the Relic would only short out and refuse to work in the presence of one deemed worthy by Arceus himself. The Dragon Emperor had caused it to explode, to the view of the public, but only the Prophet had seen the needle's truth. There was no scripture detailing what an explosion meant, for all had assumed the divine machine could not break, but the well-spoken Unovan had done it regardless. The Church was spinning it as a bad thing, naturally, claiming it was a sign of the dragon puppet's impurity. That said, the needle had indeed moved to the red before it had blown, but nobody alive yet remembered what that signified.

Understanding the PokéMeter had taken a long time, for much of its history and the methods of proper use had been lost in the tumult of the Dark Times. Psychics good and bad had vied for the machine, and in the course of the fight for possession of it, more than a few records and notes on how to operate it had been lost, until in the end, nobody on the Earth had remembered. He had found precious few records on how to read it, and what said readings meant, but not one mentioned the needle in the red. From what he'd found, it was suggested that his relic's needle simply couldn't be pushed that far.

The 'meditation sphere' he now chilled in, Doctor Ein's newest project, and one Pravus had thus far very much enjoyed, opened, and the surrounding minions in his bunker base snapped to attention. He was in a good mood for once though, as he often was after being in the sphere. Ein had warned him that his temper was blocking his vision, making him little better than everyone else who had claimed to desire domination of the planet. This device would, so he claimed, enhance his 'mental abilities'. The sphere was crafted from the last stores of the Melmetal essence, but it was well spent.


It enhanced his powers, and kept them from ravaging his body. Moreover, it could project a shield of Aura, empowered by the Shadow his other half wielded. The flight capable sphere remained to be tested against the Unovans, but he had a feeling it would prove sufficient in keeping the nuisance's plasma blade from bisecting him, something his other half had warned him was quite possible, upon seeing it. As the spherical device that had, of course, incorporated his favored throne lowered, the command center beneath Sacreus went silent as the Prophet spoke. "Report."

His Lieutenant saluted, "Sir! The situation in Japan and Alola is going as well as you expected it would, though we've been…stalled…by a pair of Mewtwo north of Kanto. One belongs to Red, we were ready for that one, but the other appeared from nowhere to save it before we could successfully use a Dark Ball. Your Hands report that your intuition was correct, Red's is the ideal candidate for conversion."

Pravus eyed the Lieutenant evenly, arms folded within his black colored robe-like garments. They covered his body armor, an advanced design of the Crusader's kit that Ein was calling 'Mark II'. His crown, outlining his head in Arceus' symbol by hovering just behind him at all times, was pure gold though, and, in his mind, went nicely with the rest of his ensemble. "What of the other Mewtwo? Does hatred burn in its heart as well?"


The Lieutenant shook his head. "That one recognized your Hands as being…erm…special…as soon as it took the field, apparently. Somehow, it knew Luster Purge. The move had a similar effect to a Purge attack with Light energy…given what kind of move it is, we're theorizing that it too might be a formerly unrecognized dual-type attack. Nobody has studied it in detail, so the possibility remains. The Y strand Mewtwo took down two of the Hands before fleeing with the X strand Mewtwo."

Pravus' eyes narrowed. "Two? Hrmmph. Recall the leaders. Send Nonagon and Lucien to the front lines here, in the north and south. They will be far more…effective, on open terrain. General Marius will take over the duty of leading my Hands in Japan. Have the Navy begin blockading Kanto, Johto, and Hoenn. If Alola breaks our accord, and decides to intervene, you have my full permission to release our trump card over the region."

"But sir…what of the Kyogre Tamer? She has been a…persistent nuisance on the water." The Lieutenant spoke sheepishly, but his tendency to point out flaws Pravus missed in his plans was why he kept him around. He couldn't genuinely remember every detail of the minutia his minions considered important.

"She has." A dark grin appeared on the charismatic face. "She's been taking out valued members of our naval forces for almost a decade now. She has an idea of what transpires on our ships. Admiral Nauta will be more than eager to finally have leave to take her, and her little pet, down. While he hunts her, have him move in on Hoenn. That will divert their Champion's attention from Kanto, and Marius should be able to handle them once he eradicates Red's little…coalition."

The Lieutenant saluted once more. "It will be done, my Prophet. What of the war here?"


Pravus glanced at the screen detailing the current state of the war on his continent, and grinned. "The Dragon overreaches in the south…and the north has not yet seen a recovered Thor take the field?" The Lieutenant nodded. "Then unleash the aerial squadrons. Capture and convert any who try to resist…I want Ventosus. It is the gateway to Unova. When Lucien arrives, send him north. Nonagon can handle the south." The Lieutenant nodded, bowed, and then retreated to enact the orders. Pravus watched as the majority of the squadrons he'd placed in the Stoney Mountains appeared as a mass of red dots that slowly began moving east towards Urbe Monachus on their map. They would reinforce the ground troops, and this time, their objective was to push through, or die trying.

Straviken had been but one of many bases he'd placed within the mountain chain, and now, they would deploy their flying types and man-made aircraft. The Pokémon would block attacks from below, and the planes would counter by firing the one thing every eastern fighter feared coming up against. A device capable of capturing even owned Pokémon, and infusing them with Shadow. Dark Balls.



Aweston – Texico Region (East)


Geralt had been ordered to make his own way down to Texico, and after a helpful Teleport from a mind that was not Tao's, he'd ended up on the shores of the Swamp, just east of the Sippi River. The massive trees behind him set his neck hairs on end, as did the many pairs of eyes watching from the swampy murk that lurked beneath the trees.

Ghost made good time to Aweston, and mostly, they came across many easterners, fleeing north towards the safety of the Original Dragon, and away from the cloud of ash that covered the Crusader's advances. Naturally, he'd been asked into gathering a few items, crafting a few healing tonics, and of course, averting the regular natural disaster with the aid of whatever Pokémon happened to be around. It was nice having his full team back, as well. Most other Top Rangers sneered at him for having six, but now that ten was apparently becoming the norm, as it had been, allegedly, thousands of years before, many Rangers had done as he had, and filled out at least six slots on their belt.

Once they'd arrived in Aweston, which was acting as a critical location on this border of the war, Rosa had barely regarded them with a glance, before assigning them another Ranger as an escort to Orre. His name was Walker, and according to the grim-toned dragonbone clad Champion turned General of the southern legions, he was the best Texico had to offer. Apparently, nobody could avoid his eyes in these lands. He dressed simply, though that seemed to be the norm in Texico, even in war-time. He did, at least, have a black and white vest for a measure of protection, but his dark leather duster had gone over that, too.

He was pale skinned, but clearly well-toned, and his beard was, in a word, magnificent. He had a standard Texican hat that matched his jacket, and his Pokéballs, all normally colored, were slung diagonally across his chest. He only had three partners, but Geralt had a feeling he knew the secret of the Signs as well. Ranger protocol dictated using those only in times of duress. Though he personally was on good terms with the Latios that seemed to come every time he used the Sign. His granduncle's last gift continued to prove its worth.


Needless to say, Geralt had a suspicion about who Walker's family was, and he was sufficiently impressed by the fellow Ranger's record. The two had made their way as only those of their skillset could towards Orre. Namely, that meant traveling through territory of angry, and notorious Pokémon, more than a few of which had body counts tied to their League given 'nicknames'. At the very least, the Pokémon in question weren't looking for them, and the Arceans seemed to keep their camps and supply lines well away from such nuisances.

He'd been told that most of the Hands had been sent to Japan, and the fact that Pokémon this strong were still untainted by Shadow was a testament to just how many had to be over there. Luckily, the island nation had just as many freakishly strong Trainers as Unova did. They would be fine. Probably.

The trip through the southern half of the Stoney Mountains was enlightening, as the two men realized that, for Pokémon, it was also a war zone. Evidently, the leader of the local Nido species had come up against an Aggron that, true to rumor, was fully mega evolved, all on its own. It was a phenomenon that, as Rangers, they'd been seeing more and more of in recent years. The only explanation the League had come up with was the distortions from Arceus's dimension, ten times the size of the ones that had been recorded in the Alamos Incident. The power being given off was apparently affecting random Pokémon all over the world, and naturally, many were caught before a scientist had a chance to study them. Like other forms of Mega Evolution, this one was temporary, and usually required a power source to begin, but once started, as Tao had demonstrated for months now, a Pokemon could keep such a form as long as they wished, provided they had the energy.


They snuck by the warring species, neither of which seemed to be able to find an advantage, and made their way into the vast desert of Orre. From the perch they'd had on the mountain, Phenac City seemed not so distant, but as they traveled, they realized the heat from the sand had distorted their vision. Geralt and Walker crossed over the sands with their steel gray Corviknight and Pidgeot respectively, and they had an easy ride over the warm air. The fact that they'd hydrated helped as well. Walker had known exactly where to find water, no matter where the labyrinthine caves of the Stoney Mountains had deposited them.

They arrived in Phenac City rather quickly, avoided the Arceans patrolling it, and it didn't take long for a black clad man with a Snatching Machine on his arm to lead them to Wes, once he heard they were Rangers on a mission from the Original Dragon. They found him standing over a young woman who seemed to be having a nightmare, deep within a random box canyon fort just outside the city.

Once they'd isolated themselves, Tao's eyes appeared, and gave them their orders. "The three of you are to travel west, through the mountains, and into Fornia. The way has already been marked by your cousin, Geralt, but things may have changed in the interim months. Stay on guard, and don't get captured. Once you make a suitable base in the mountains, move through them, and take out the 'secret hangars' I've highlighted on Walker's map."


Right as always, the First Dragon had indeed marked several otherwise un-noted spots within the mountain chain on the Ranger's map, and Geralt nodded. "We can hit those easily."

"Take out any aircraft that have not yet launched. If they aren't invading now, they soon will. I would prefer to cripple their ability to take our Pokémon on the front lines. We're outgunned as it is." The eyes shifted to Wes. "Once in Fornia, as agreed, you will take point, Snatcher. Lead these two to Lab Ein, and you will have your earned vengeance."

Wes stared back at the eyes, clearly angry, though it seemed not to be directed solely at the Dragon. "You know what I want. How will this help?"

The eyes floated directly in front of Wes. "You will have what you desire when your mission is underway, and I have a moment to spare."

Wes's eyes narrowed. "No, please, by all means. Take your time. Nobody has their life on the line or anything."

The eyes hovered silently for thirty seconds, then, "It is done. I have dispelled the nightmares the Darkrai hit her with, but I can only do so much for psychological scars. The nightmares likely made those worse, though I have...lessened their effect, there is still psychological scarring from what was done to her in that Crater. It may very well never heal entirely."

Wes' expression shifted several times, and finally rested on a mixture of relief, and sadness. "Is there no way to undo the damage?"

The eyes shifted, as if they were focused on something out of the room entirely. "At the base of the path you will take to the mountains, you will find a lost Ralts. She could use a Trainer. I…cannot see if it will help, getting her another partner, but it is what will start her on a better path. That is all I can give you, Snatcher. Now be about your mission." The golden orbs vanished then, and the three men were left in awkward silence. Geralt, for his part, was just impressed, and now understood why humans had long followed Tao's path. Those in contact with the dragon, which was pretty much everyone fighting under his mark, noted the change in behavior in his Mega Form. He was more curt, strict, ruthless even, at least to his enemies, but even in this state that Geralt imagined must take quite a toll with the strain of maintaining a Mega Form so long, the Original Dragon remained true to his nature, using his gifts to help the people of his continent, as he had ever done. Even when the Dragon Emperors of old lost popularity, the people had never lost faith in the Original Dragon.


The silence persisted through their mission, for the three had all but non verbally agreed that being stealthy was their best chance. The Arceans still had their Task Force, but it was no secret that their recruits had been drawn heavily upon for their Crusader's ranks. Fornia was still likely very much patrolled, especially near Sacreus, but Lab Ein was out near the coast, on the region's smaller set of mountains, tucked away where nobody decent could stop the progress of science with things like limitations and morality.

They had indeed found a young female Ralts all but on the path Walker had chosen to take them into the mountains with. Wes caught the little one, after explaining how she could help, and though the psychic type seemed to understand. Geralt privately believed that she had simply read the emotions Wes was very obviously suppressing, and drawn a conclusion from those, but the Ralts seemed alright with helping someone injured, and as her ball was transported to Wes' boxes, they continued on after he ordered one of his people to retrieve it. After Geralt mentioned how Alex's own Ralts had once helped with amnesia, Wes had made sure to send the ball to Michael, who was standing guard over his cousin while Wes was away.

They made quick work of the hangars they found in the mountains, and Tao had added another three to their path as they made their way through. It took the better part of a week, but they finally emerged to see Fornia after four days within the tunnels, and found that the view was little better.

Smoke clogged the sky, and the mountain tunnel, as the winter winds moved the clouds east. Fornia was still on fire, apparently, but Rangers came equipped for travel through forest fires. Between the heat and the smoke, few would notice them, and thus they crossed most of the Fornia region undetected.


They traveled by way of the mountains that, at the start of the blaze, had burned to ash early on, but there was plenty of forest yet to go. The ash on the ground and in the sky kept the dark-clothed trio from sight as they curved around the large desert, and came down on Fornia's smaller chain of mountains. Wes told them where the Lab would be, as he'd seen it before, but Walker was the one who sighted it first, along with a pair of guards.

Before either of his partners could summon a Pokemon, the Ranger had spun in place kicking high, and taking the first easily by the chin with a Roundhouse kick, sending him spinning to the ground. The other received a jab to the stomach, doubled over, and then found a similarly merciless knee in his face. The whole thing was over in moments, but Walker still cuffed the pair, and then dragged them into the nearby woods, which had avoided the fire. He'd apparently left them by a stream, and had then convinced an Ursaring to watch over the pair for a few hours.


Wes was already scrawling in the dirt when Walker returned from double checking that they were alone. "The Dragon was clear about my mission, once we arrived, and he left the task of data retrieval and destruction to you. I'm going after Ein, to make sure this evil does not regrow. Again. Download what you can, and then destroy the rest. I don't care how. I just don't want these zealots having anything left to go through."

Walker frowned at the Snatcher. "Having strong beliefs doesn't make them bad people...they're part of a cult. What Caleb Pravus tells them to do, they do, or they suffer for their refusal. Also remember, these are scientists." The Ranger put a hand on Wes's shoulder, and the Snatcher raised an eyebrow, but was soon drawn in by the kind but unwavering stare Walker gave him. "Doctor Ein has earned this fate, but try not to go on a murderous rampage while you deliver it to him. These people are probably just trying to do their jobs."

Wes shrugged off the rough hand of the Ranger, and glared at him. "These 'people'," He said, using genuine air quotes, "Have been infusing innocent Pokemon and Eggs with Shadow Energy. For years. Usually after stealing them from children. Have you heard of what they did to the Meltan in one of the impact craters further south?" Wes shook his head. "If they have nothing to hide, they have nothing to fear." He called out his Espeon then, and the psychic cat's eyes shone with wavy lines of scarlet power. "E.S.P. will determine which ones have earned their deaths…" He threw another ball then, and a truly pissed off looking Typhlosion appeared behind him as the Snatcher started forward. "Come, Typho."


Wes entered the base then, through what appeared to be, going by its size, an exit for aircraft. The hangar shook as a roar echoed within it, followed by the sounds of battle. Flames then spewed from the hangar's exit, and the Rangers shared a glance, before hopping on their flying types, ascending high over the complex, and then dropping quite a few feet onto the ceracrete building's roof, just above what was supposed to be the record room. Once more, the inertial dampeners that could double as 'hover shoes' for a time over empty air, proved their worth in stopping serious falls. Interpol had all the best toys, and the Rangers had been instructed on how to use most of them.

Geralt unsheathed his shiny Doublade, and had them cut a hole in the roof with Sacred Sword. The red bladed, gray hilted swords hopped on Geralt's back once again, and Walker proceeded to punch through the carved circle with his bare fist, making a hole big enough for them to slip through as the chunk of ceracrete fell to the floor below. With that, they too entered the lab, and began their work in relative isolation, as all defenses had been shifted to deal with whoever was in the hangar.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 30: Lightbringers



Lumiose City - Kalos Region


Clemont chuckled, stroking his light beard as the light hitting his glasses kept his companion from seeing his eyes. They sat in the 'guest room' of Lumiose Tower. Aside from the slightly messy decor, it had an impressive view of the city. "How long has it been since we were caught together in some villain's evil scheme?"

Serena kept her gaze focused outside the window of Clemont's private quarters within the gym's tower. "Years...so very many years."

"Did you hear who else she has? The others? My sister, Tierno, Trevor, Shauna, they all seem to have vanished." Clemont kept staring, eyes locked on Serena, but she was focused on the window.

"I wouldn't know...I remember about as much as you...though it seems there's a large gap between when she took us...going by the last date we remember." She kept her eyes on the outside, but Clemont knew her well enough to know she was genuinely shaken.


He was too, in truth. His mind had always been his, a tool that never (usually) failed him, and it had been taken away without so much as a battle. "I guess all we can do is Purge the Shadow from the aura of the others, when and if we find them. Know anyone who could do that?"

She met his eyes suddenly, and the slight smirk he'd been wearing vanished under her stare. "No." Her eyes went back to the window. "That...red haired woman, the one from Unova. The one who beat me. She could do it. She's a strong Trainer. Like her brother, the Champion." She gave him a meaningful look, and Clemont nodded. They'd both had the pleasure of being beaten by his Greninja, and eventually his Garchomp as well. He didn't seem like the type to wield Light, though, as he very obviously favored the dark, like his starter.

Clemont sat back then with a familiar smirk. "There is another...did you hear we have super heroes now?"

That brought a slight smirk of her own to the blonde's face, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That sounds familiar."

Clemont shrugged. "They may not be taking on Yveltal, avatar of Destruction, single-handed but they're doing alright against that...Venomoth Trainer. His outfit is silly, but he's pretty strong. I have a feeling he's the one responsible for hitting me with that Shadow energy. He might've gotten you, as well…"

She nodded. "Probably. The League isn't as secure as we pretend it is, but we don't really mind intruders. We're the Elite Four. If common thieves can take us down, we deserve to be robbed."

Clemont chuckled. "I'll never get why you enjoy it up there."


The silence grew as Serena avoided answering. She was a strong Trainer herself, and even after the surprise loss that, technically, lost her the Kalos Queen crown, people had expected her to return for the next cycle of contests. They had already begun though, and so far, neither Serena nor Jessica Gladstone had participated. Serena had ultimately ended up on the Elite Four when they called for a fire type specialist to replace Malva. After her adventures with Calem and the Legendary Pokémon of their region, the League had deemed her strong enough to apply, and from what Clemont had heard, she'd passed their tests quite easily.

The television in the room, a standard installment in every suite of Lumiose Tower, switched on automatically, as the local PNN reporter mentioned the Lumiose Gym, and the incident. It was more annoying than anything after so many weeks, but as Clemont moved to shut it off, he paused, and listened to the woman speaking.

"...for the attack on the Lumiose Gym has reportedly been sighted fleeing north, towards Galar. There is no word yet on whether the Galar region police will help detain the criminal, or give him sanctuary. All local Kalos police forces are currently giving chase before the criminal Dark Moth gets away."

Clemont glanced up as he saw Serena stand, and move to one of his windows. "Hey! Wait!"


But it was too late. She was already on her Talonflame, a larger individual of the species, as she was female. They soared northward in a streak of fire and Clemont, who had moved to the window by that point, grabbed her hat with his ever-useful Aipom arm as it flew off her blonde head. They weren't wasting time, it seemed.

He shook his head, and chuckled. "I'm sorry about that. The TV interrupted before you had finished changing, and she left rather quick…"

The black and purple clad fusion of a blonde haired Trainer and a Liepard melted from the shadows, and shrugged. He was a bit slender, but as Clemont took a second look, he noticed the so called 'Night Cat' did not skip leg day. Or ab day. Or any day, for that matter, despite still being a teen, or slightly older, he and his partner had been defending Kalos for quite some time now, since this Dark Moth first appeared. Night Cat still managed to keep a tan as well, despite the winter season."It's alright, I can catch her. I am curious though, who else do you know that can cleanse auras?"

Clemont grinned, and pushed his glasses up with one finger. The light hit them perfectly, hiding his eyes, and the blonde haired cat-lad sighed inwardly. "Your Ledi Girl of course! Probably. But failing that...there might be another who could help. He could catch that Venomoth...person, at least. He's fast."

The feline humanoid shook his head. "I already have a partner. Besides, stealth is important for our style of Battle."

Clemont chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about stealth. He's more than your equal, I think."


The blonde sighed again, turned, and found himself face to face with a legend, in his own right. Everyone in Kalos knew this Greninja.

Night Cat's smirk widened into a grin. "Oh. He'll do. Come on, froggy." He dashed out the still open window, once more leaving before Clemont could so much as utter a word.

The Greninja nodded at Clemont, and then vanished as he dashed forward with speed that few could match, quickly catching up to Night Cat. As Ledi Girl flew down with his bug wings to join the pair, the Greninja sped up even more, pushing himself to his limits as he chased after Serena's faint aura trail. He eventually caught sight of the comet that was Serena, though he knew he'd never catch up to her. Not without a boost.

As he reached for the link required for such a boost on instinct, the eyes, quite by accident, shared their sight with the human to whom he was bonded. Then, just like that, they were in sync once more, for the first time in years. Despite distance, despite their time apart, their bond had not eroded. Ash Ketchum's mind was there, so the Greninja fully embraced the power they shared as his form shifted with a flash of impossibly white light, and his speed quadrupled.


The Kalosian police in pursuit of the rapidly fleeing Dark Moth were rather good at taking down criminals with, primarily, Arcanine. As fast as their fire hounds were, the streaks of red and blue shooting past them far exceeded their pace. The Arcanine began sprinting as they realized the prey was about to be taken down. They knew how this Greninja handled villains, especially in that form.

This particular 'super villain' was, admittedly, much stronger than their usual targets. Kalos police could usually handle Mega Evolution, but whatever this madman had discovered, and then infused with Shadow, put him in a league of his own. He'd slipped through their forces in Lumiose with unsettling ease after being thrashed by the Champion. After being incarcerated for a few hours, he'd managed to infuse the Police Chief with Shadow as well, turning him into a puppet strong enough to distract the rest of the force as the suit clad criminal made his break for freedom. He'd kept up the chase from the capital for weeks, causing chaos across the countryside, though before now, he'd been much more stealthy about it. Apparently, the only way to reach wherever in Galar he was heading required speed over stealth. Thus, his final desperate charge for the coast line that even now left chaos in its wake.


Nobody chasing him considered that the villain might be audacious enough to try resisting. Not after so long running, at least. But resist he did, as he narrowly dodged the massive Water Shuriken that threatened to bisect him, and released a cloud of his spores into the air. To his surprise, they burnt to ash, as Serena's Talonflame burned them away with her Flame Charge. The fiery comet of a bird arced in the air, hurtling straight for the fusion of human and Venomoth.

Evidently, he shared a type weakness to the bug he partnered with, as the flames left him badly burned, and falling through the air. The Talonflame soon had him in her claws, and she returned to her Trainer, dangling the injured man before her.

Serena had no pity. "You're going to tell me where the others are. Now. Don't waste your breath on anything else."

The man chuckled, wincing as the sharp talons dug into him. The large beak moved close to one of his bug-like eyes, as her Trainer stepped closer. He spoke then, "I have...no reason to tell you anything."

She raised a brow. "You're not exactly in a position to deny one of the Elite Four...now talk!"

He chuckled again, seemingly ignoring the pain now. The darkness surrounding and corrupting his aura flared. "I may not be in position...but you are! Open fire!"


All at once, the unfolding scene became chaos, as three elemental Hyper Beams of water, grass, and fire typing surged towards Serena, her partner, and their captive. Behind them were, as expected, her friends. Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno were beside their starter Pokémon, a Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise, respectively, and each of them had an eerily familiar ominous purple glow to their eyes. One that still made her neck tingle. She hadn't let being possessed get to her, but seeing how it affected others for herself was profoundly unnerving.

She knew she was protected, as the bonded Greninja formed a pair of massive spinning Water Shuriken, one per fin, and deflected what he could from Serena. The Hydro Cannon spun uselessly against the powerful offensive attack turned defensive, and the Blast Burn fell to type advantage and the ridiculous speed with which the Ash Greninja was spinning his Water Shuriken. The Frenzy Plant almost hit him, until a dark purple and yellowish blur tore through the massive vines, and covered his flank with claws of ice. Night Cat didn't have time for a witty remark though, as the Shadow-infused plants continued to attempt to strike at him. Moments later, he too was aided by a pair of red and black spotted fists glowing with Light. Between the two fused Trainers, the ferocious attack from the Venusaur eventually ran out of steam.

"Fine. The hard way it is." Serena spoke as she raised her oldest Pokéball, and called forth her Delphox. "Psychic."

The fire fox grinned, raised her Ashwood staff, and hit the villain full force. The man's connection to his pawns was cut as his Venomoth wings took the brunt of the intensely powerful attack. The damage behind the attack was halved by the Shadow protecting him, but the force behind it sent him flying into the base of a nearby mountain. They were on a thin strip of land, surrounded by river on one side, and Kalos' final mountain, the last in the Mediterra range, on the other. The weakened and exhausted Dark Moth fell to the type advantage, and his form split once more into human and Pokémon as Venu (V-noo), his partner, ran out of steam.


Upon winning the battle, Serena had a moment to examine the help that had rushed to aid her. She knew this Greninja too, but did a double take as she saw his form, and then his eyes. The two stared at each other for an uncomfortably long time that nobody immediately around them had the nerve to interrupt. Ultimately it was the Kalos League's Elite Four member that rose first, and approached the downed criminal. No longer fused, he was far less impressive. His muscles lacked definition, but his body showed signs of battle damage, and not just from her. In truth, she had only dealt the last in a series of harsh attacks that had taken weeks to whittle this criminal's strength down.

"So they've found a way to infuse Shadow in Human auras..." She looked up as the bonded Greninja joined her, and nodded. Meeting his eyes again, she instinctively looked down to hide the rising redness in her cheeks. "I guess it's time, then..."

The Greninja looked up and to the left suddenly, but Serena continued anyway. "Will you be back for the World Tourn-" She stopped, as she looked up, and realized she was just talking to a Greninja. A good friend, a wise friend, that more than understood her. He placed a webbed hand on her shoulder, and nodded once. She nodded as well, eyes hardening, and turned back towards the man lying before her. Her Delphox joined her side, and a few moments later, Kalos police had arrived, and subdued their friends. Still infected with Shadow, some resisted the restraints as the raw emotions of hate and fury overwhelmed their better judgement in attacking an officer.

The Greninja hopped away as the situation around Shauna deteriorated, with several angry Arcanine readying Flamethrowers. She was fighting the officers cuffing her, and her loud tones filled the air. "I'm not into that stuff! Perverts! Get off!" Before her Pokémon, namely her own Greninja and Venusaur could get involved as well, one they all respected, to a degree, arrived to mediate.


"I want names and locations...I'm tired of chasing false trails." Serena spoke, and her Delphox growled in acknowledgement as the staff flared with a powerful deep red aura. She raised the staff and let the power flow, but the man before them simply laughed as the darkness surrounding him utterly dispelled the psychic power a second time.

"You want a name, little girl? You want a location?" He cackled again, and then went entirely still as the Shadow overtook him. His eyes radiated an unsettling Shadow aura that expanded from his glowing purple eyes in waves. Despite the enhanced possession, his face continued to smirk, and he spoke two words that made the gathered officers and Trainers flinch at the ominous reverb to his voice. "Morgana. Albion."

His chuckles grew into another laugh as he saw their expressions, and the direct control lessened, as Dark Moth was once more in control, with new orders. "I have one more word for you! Supersonic!"

The weakened Venomoth, apparently feigning a fainted state, flapped up suddenly, and the officers around it went still as they inhaled the dust from its bright wings. It aimed its mouth at the rest, namely Serena and the remaining officers, and loosed a screech that scrambled their world. By the time they could see straight, the man and his Pokémon had fled from sight, and given that they were in the wilderness, he could go any direction. Especially if he had other Pokémon. The word was that, in all the time they'd chased him, he'd only used a Venomoth so anything else he'd caught would be presumably ready to fly or battle as needed.

"Dammit! He got away again..." One of the officers growled, but Serena held up a hand, and the recovering law enforcement waited as she knelt low, and retrieved something from the ground.

"I just love it when they drop important things..." She eyed the Burst Heart, and spied the essence of a Venomoth within. A dark look came over her face. These apparently ridiculously powerful crystals, that induced a fusion between a human and their partner, as she understood it, were the source of Dark Moth's strength. According to the news, he had several in his possession that he'd stolen from Ledi Girl's care, but his Venomoth's was undoubtedly his favorite. "I wonder what happens if we remove the essence while its body isn't nearby...probably death, I'd imagine..." She turned to the nearby officers. "How many of your people did he kill?"


The officer blinked twice as he saw the look in her eyes. "None, actually...some serious injuries, but those were mostly caused by pursuit, not the man himself...Lumiose City is a different story."

Serena nodded, and pocketed the crystal, deciding she could determine who should have it, and when. "I need to find a way to cleanse my friend's auras."

"I think I can help with that." A new voice chimed in on their conversation, and the gathered police turned as one, and raised their Pokéballs. Some, namely the women among them, lowered their hands slightly as they saw who had arrived, and found themselves staring at, arguably, the most handsome man in the region.

Through no small effort, the Trainers infused with Shadow were brought before the new arrival. Calem, who had grown quite a bit taller since Serena had last seen him, knelt down to each of her friends, placed two fingers right between their eyes, and with a bright flash of energy that felt warm and shone like the sun, cleansed their auras of the Shadow's taint.


Serena followed him as he repeated the process for their Pokémon as well. "When...did you learn how to do that? I've only seen a Legendary Bird with that kind of power..."

Calem gave her one of his better smirks, and as usual, Serena found her cheeks matching her hat in color. "It's a...family trick. Only those who awaken the power in their blood can learn it."

Serena nodded. "So Xerneas did it." Calem nodded as well. "I suppose it makes sense...but wait, does your...does the King have this power too?"

"This, and several others, though he has a difficult time using them anymore. He only regained the Will to exist a few years ago, it takes time to recover from millennia of apathetic wandering. Thus, this is the only technique he was able to pass on in time. Using them multiple times in a row is especially taxing, and his recovery takes longer each time. Something we no longer have." Calem went on, as he usually did around her, spouting everything of import he thought she needed to know. It was something she enjoyed about the analytical mind of the Kalosian Prince, and what had made taking on the rest of Team Flare that much easier without Clemont, Bonnie, or anyone else from her first group of traveling friends. Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor had proven themselves too, and even earned a hero's award for their willingness to face down a legend that spewed death with each wing flap.


Serena's eyebrows came together as she listened. "Why are you in such a rush?"

The Prince chuckled, and looked westward. "Haven't you heard? Unova has called for aid in their war." Serena's eyes widened, and the prince nodded. "The King has been readying an entire legion of elite Trainers to rush to aid them. I am to lead them. The foe is apparently using mass-produced Shadow Pokémon, many Infused as mere Eggs, and the power to cleanse it has never been needed more."

The Elite Four Trainer's eyes went distant as she realized he too was leaving. Unova was fairly far, and Fornia even farther. "Well, good luck...don't die...I'd go but...we've seen how much use I am against the Shadow. Besides, I have League duties."

"Actually..." Calem said, interrupting anything else, "That's one reason I'm out here. The League has been trying to reach you. Japan is under attack too, and now the Pokémon League is involved. They're calling in everyone...things are bad over in Sinnoh...and every region north of Kanto has gone dark. The Kalos League is sending aid as well, though the Unovan Dragon redirected them to Japan, not Unova."

She nodded, and recalled her Delphox. "I see...so we're at that point already. Alright...let's go."



The Timekeeper's Grove - Selva Muerta


Time was a tricky medium, and Alex Redwood was fully aware that he had, at best, a minimal understanding of how it actually worked. Thankfully, he also had several mentors, each of whom spouted wisdom almost like clockwork each time they trained. The current nugget of wisdom his mind was nomming had come from the Rayquaza of the East, when he'd asked what to do, or how to behave, if he ran into a Celebi.

Evidently, the time traveler would only willingly appear in times of peace, and places full of life. If said life vanished from a place visited by Celebi, it had a habit of not returning until the flora regrew. It also apparently left a trail of blooming life behind it wherever it flew, but he personally doubted that bit. If life responded to its presence by growing, it wouldn't avoid scorched areas that needed such energy the most. With Legendary Pokémon, there was usually more to their powers than most humans guessed. Given Celebi's nature, his granduncle had theorized that it was stealing time from the plants it flew over, making them blossom yes, but also stealing their youthful energy in the process, presumably so Celebi could continue living. Its equivalent to eating.

In the grove they found themselves in, the surrounding areas were rather withered, with the grove being the exception. Though even its flora seemed weakened. The energy surrounding the relic stone in the center, a simple, pyramidal shape with tiered sides, was overwhelmed with darkness, and he didn't need to guess where it was coming from. The similarly tiered pyramidal fortress loomed over everything rather prominently, always in view.


The best way to cleanse a space's energy, he'd learned from the Dragon of Unova himself, was to have living beings, preferably Pokémon, radiate good feelings and emotions. Between the five of them, they had enough partners to heavily shift the energy of the space from one of impending death, to something else. The good vibes only flowed stronger when the Leaf smoking instruments were pulled out once more. All of them, even Shruikan, partook of the smoke, shielded from the wind by the massive wingspan of the giant black dragon.

The hours ticked by slowly, and the sun began to set as Rick made his rather delicious Berry Curry. Once everyone had eaten, the humans watched their partners drift off into Leaf naps. Jess had fallen into one as well, though she jolted awake at the same moment Alex abruptly turned his head towards the emanation those with psychic power suddenly felt. A distortion in the very fabric of the world. Their eyes let them see what was invisible to the others, and thus they silently watched as a Celebi floated out from the portal, glancing around cautiously. A smirk appeared as the psychic and grass type grasped what they had been doing in her grove, and she floated out towards the Pokémon yet awake.

The others grew silent, and nudged those sleeping back to consciousness, as they watched the Celebi appear from seemingly thin air. The time traveler looked at each of them, arching all the way backward in mid-air as she turned to try to take in the enormity that was Shruikan. The dragon actually nodded his head in respect, but sat quietly as he watched the time traveler. He'd become quieter since the war started, and especially on this journey, as he had time to mull over just how many humans he'd felled in their efforts to take the Kanadian Wall. He had discovered he wasn't alone in such thoughts, as the rest of his team had also seen genuine warfare, and not one had been left unscarred by the sights of death and destruction for human and Pokémon alike.

They, like their Trainer, understood the necessity behind all the death, but would never be comfortable with it. Pokémon more than most creatures understood that survival meant fighting, but humanity had, with eons of advancement, tactics, and ever more powerful weapons of death, turned the fight to survive into something else entirely. They called it war. When Shruikan had inquired as to just how many wars humans had fought against themselves, and heard the rough estimate, his opinion of the two legs shifted again. He was not the only Pokémon to wonder why the Alpha had given a second chance to such a violent race, but he continued to watch, as both Tao and Rayquaza had told him that there was much, much more to humans than their ability to kill each other in new and exciting ways.


Shruikan blinked out of his musing as he noticed the tiny fairy-like entity floating by his nose. The Celebi gave him a shy smile, and a pat on the nose. A feminine voice filled his head, and his alone. He did not share what the time traveler said to him, but his inner turmoil lessened, slightly. Then, finally, the eyes shifted to the humans. Alex stood with a swirling motion, and then bowed in the Unovan fashion after stepping forward several paces. The Pokémon's face had gone from smiling to unreadable, upon seeing the humans. "Time traveler...I am Alex Redwood, of Unova, and these are my companions, Jess, Svelka, Rick Astley, and Drake. We are here, in your home, on the precipice of another dark era, because we require your aid. The aspects of Zigma have tasked us with removing the Dark Nexus here, permanently, so that they may once more be whole. Will you aid us in our search for knowledge?"

The Celebi regarded him for a moment as she perfectly grasped what he said, and her mental tones were soft, feminine, but otherwise plain. "This is what they send to remove the Nexus?" Her eyes moved to Shruikan again on instinct as he purposefully adjusted his bulk. When she looked back, the human was smirking. "Very well...the locals of this land have referred to me in many time zones as Pacha. You may do the same. Now ask your questions, Trainers."

The two Unovans shared a nod and a look, and Alex addressed the mythical Pokémon. "According to the Rain Sage, we need to see how this Nexus was created if we wish to have a hope of stopping it. Can you show us without distorting the timeline?"

The Celebi eyed him again specifically, eyes shifting side to side as she read his apparent typing, and so much more. Finally, she nodded. "Do not touch anything, and stay out of sight...if you die in the past you cease in the present as well, and the Humans of that era, in this part of the world at least, were rather...brutal. If they see you, they will end you, and if you try fighting them, I'll end you. We cannot interfere, no exceptions. Everyone you will see is already beyond saving. Do not try to alter their fate, or you will prematurely end your own."


The group of humans shared a look, and then Alex turned back to the Celebi. "We understand. Once we arrive, we should find a safe place to Teleport back to. That way we don't have to be tempted to save ourselves." They recalled their partners then, all save for Alex's Gallade, who very much wanted to see the past, and was providing Pokémon eyes for the rest of his team to watch through. He knew how each of his teammates saw the world, such was their link, and with his power, it was a small effort to distort what he saw for them in a manner they were familiar with. Linked like this, they had the same view they would were they not in their balls.

"Arthur, stay close to Svelka, and the others. If we need to bamf out, you need to help them." The Gallade nodded at his Trainer, and gave another nod to the Norstad woman. Her lovely face was unreadable under her tribe's standard crested half-helmet, but after almost a week of traversing a humid jungle, the Gallade could sense she was ready for a real rest, in a hot spring, surrounded by females and only females.

Once they were ready, the Celebi raised her arms, and the gathered psychics watched as she pulled energy from the nearby Time Ripple, to open a smaller portal, just in front of them. "We will not have long, so move quickly!" The humans rushed towards the new portal, and the time traveling Pokémon followed just behind them.


The six humanoids emerged almost instantly into the past in the middle of a dark night, at the top of a nearby mountain peak. Below, Alex spied the grove they'd just left, though it was much harder to see, as it was surrounded by jungle. Evidently in the past, the flora was much more abundant, and indeed, it seemed much healthier than it did in the present. Even the mountains still teemed with life, and Noivern, judging by the silhouettes. Not far from the edge of those trees that no longer were in his era, he saw the mountain that formed the base of the tiered pyramidal fortress that played home to the Nexus in the present.

With a view of the past, he now made out other carved structures, an entire city almost, that had seemed to be all but completely weathered away in their time. He glanced at the Celebi as she joined them, floating beside Arthur. "Just how far back did we go?"

Pacha glanced around, and shrugged. "You wouldn't understand my calendar. Time tends to cross fate at many axes, so we should be near something interesting. Most likely, the start of the Nexus. When you travel the Time Vortex, you'll usually find yourself drawn into major events if you get careless. Only madmen jump in without a heading, but this time, we were looking for such an event, so it was relatively simple. Prepare your Teleports, and let us move with haste." The Celebi flew to each of them as they focused on memorizing the immediate area, poking them, and making their forms incorporeal. "I've moved you three seconds out of sync with time in the current era. The inhabitants will look right past you, as long as you stay quiet. Even if they catch a glimpse of you, their focus will shift from you easily, so if you think you've been seen, try to blend in, and they should return to ignoring you."


With that, the group set off towards the pyramidal top of the mountain fortress. Looking around, Alex realized he was seeing the southern continent in a very different stage of its life. The land was teeming with Pokémon, and what humans he saw walked through the jungle without constantly being attacked by them. The jungle seemed a lot more peaceful, compared to their time. The land itself felt different too, seeming more akin to Unova than the land of harsh survival he'd come to know over the past week.

They eventually reached the entrance to the fortress, following silently beside a slow moving line of humans dressed in rags and covered with bruises. They were being herded by other humans with pale skin, black armor that resembled a beetle, light blue eyes, and white hair. Some of their number lacked the hair, but they seemed to be apprentices, rather than whatever the people they were serving had become. He had a fair guess as to what they'd done to attain such visages. He could see the Darkrai hiding in their auras, surveying the prisoners as they marched by. The menacing eyes of each guard slid right over them, and even the Pitch Black Pokémon, it seemed, was powerless before the trickery of time.

Within the fortress, they came upon a truly gruesome sight. The people gathered, Texico West natives, by their clothing, were being marched up to an altar forebodingly covered in more lifeblood than one human could produce.


The four moved quietly through the straight entrance to the pyramid, which led directly to the central altar. Other doorways led from the pyramidal chamber that housed it, no doubt digging into the mountain itself below, but this central chamber was where these people were evidently attempting to create the Nexus. They split from the group of captives eventually, following a pair of guards who took up a post on the walkways that lined each wall of the pyramid's interior. They weren't lit up, in fact the entire chamber and area surrounding the fortress had been consistently dark. It had aided them in passing unnoticed, but now, they could just barely see the altar, and the area immediately around it, as it was glowing with a faint whitish energy. Alex grimaced as he saw what type it was, but stayed silent.

The gathered crowd of people eventually made it all the way to the staging area immediately below the altar, where its victims waited to be summoned to the top, and ended. A man appeared behind the altar, and gathered the attention of those below with a single snap of his fingers. He was garbed in a robe that was more purple than black, and he possessed the same unsettling eyes and white hair that his cohorts did. He appeared to hold some status though, as his robes were more ornate.

The man raised both hands, and in perfect Common, began orating to the crowd of captured victims. "People of Texico, welcome to our humble mountain home! Some of you may be wondering what fate could possibly await you upon a blood-soaked altar, and you are right to guess it is a rather gruesome one." Mixed looks of fear, and anger, came over the crowd, but the man continued on, his charismatic and even tone cutting effortlessly through their murmuring. "Let it not be said that we are cruel however, for before your lives are ended in the name of our glorious God, you will all understand His glory before facing the abyss!"


The people within the crowd shared a look, and a pause developed as the man by the altar received information from a black-haired underling. Alex turned to their Celebi guide, and spoke in soft, entirely mental tones. "This is the ancient past right? How are they all speaking Common?"

The Celebi chuckled silently, and responded in the same quiet manner. "Thank the Holder of Arceus for that. He may not have achieved world peace, but he gave the Humans of his future the two things they would need to unite. Battles of sport to test their skill and curb Humanity's bloodlust, and a language by which you could all attempt to understand each other. Many tongues once existed in your world, especially in these parts. What you are hearing is the direct result of a deity's meddling with time and space to fulfill a wish. Now hush."

The man atop the raised altar had nodded at what he was told, and then grinned down at the crowd. "You are all in luck! The moon is gone tonight, and the barriers between our world and the Shadow are thin...be glad, Texicans. Tonight, your lives will finally summon our God!"

"A curse on your false god!" A man shouted from the crowd. Another took courage from him, and shouted as well. "The people of Texico follow the Alpha Pokémon, and his Guardians! We will never bow to your pale imitations!"


The man in the dark purple robe chuckled. "Blind faith in the face of certain death…" He glanced up and behind him. "They may drain natural resources at an alarming rate and breed like rabbits, but you have to admit...these Humans have potential, under the right deity."

A pair of red eyes appeared from the darkness, and a silhouette formed from the shadows around them, but it was vague, lacking detail, and colored not unlike the Shadow energy they'd seen manifest thus far. Pacha floated backwards on instinct as she saw the eyes. "Oh no...no, no, no...we need to leave. Now!" She stared at Alex as her warning echoed in their heads. He gave her a blank look, as did the other humans. Seeing they needed prodding, she explained, while slowly urging them backwards, towards the exit. "That's the Renegade...no good can possibly come of being near it, and if it catches me, well...the universe as you know it is over. We leave. Now!"

The humans below the shadowed god cowered, as expected, but it was the unexpected and well-hidden shift in the chamber, as well as the faint tones of a psychic type's mental conversation, that drew the attention of the final member of the Creation Trio, and its gaze. The red eyes narrowed, and a genderless voice entered the head of each of the time travelers. The unfettered hate and malice in the tone sent shivers up the spine of each human.

"Do not leave...you are going to miss the show…"


The four began being dragged towards the ominous, massive figure but thankfully his pawn didn't seem to notice. The man was preoccupied with fashioning a blade of pure Shadow energy around his hand, sharpening it into a tool appropriate for murder. Pacha tried to stop their movement towards Giratina, but the obscured Legendary had them where it wanted them. A power darker than anything they were used to, and one that was entirely immune to psychic interference, raised them into the air of the pyramidal chamber.

One of the captured locals of Texico had been dragged up to the altar by that point, and made to kneel by a pair of black robed, snowy haired men with more bulk to them than they'd seen on the other figures with such looks. The man himself was as typical a native as one could get, with his reddish bronze skin, black hair, and relatively hairless body. He was pleading silently, offering what Alex realized after a moment was prayer.

His plea for help was never answered. The blade of Shadow came down on his neck, and the contents of his body spilled out onto the altar, giving it a fresh coating of red gore. The man in the dark purple robe raised the severed head of the man, and displayed it to the people below. They recoiled in disgust, which only seemed to make the man happier. He gave them a mad grin, raised his sword-encased hand, and snapped his fingers. Blackish purple flames lit the linear lines of the pyramidal chamber's roof, resulting in four straight lines of flame that coalesced at the top of the pyramid, and provided some much needed illumination to the pitch black interior.


The lights, while visually dramatic and impressive, were far overshadowed by what they revealed to the humans awaiting their turn at the altar. Each of the pyramid's four upwards slanting walls played host to skulls mounted upon metal spikes that had been carelessly driven through each of them, presumably dismembered prisoners of the past. There had to be thousands, and the humans out of their proper time could only stare in silence as they were forced to take the scene in. They could not even blink.

Alex's gaze shifted to the shadowed form of Giratina. Something still seemed off to him. Physically, the Legendary Pokémon seemed entirely focused on the ongoing, and equally gruesome sacrifices below, but there was more to this cosmos traveling entity than what he saw. Some part of the ghostly dragon was making sure that he and his companions saw every moment of this, though he could not rightly fathom why.

Despite that, Giratina still had a role to play that history, and their timeline, depended on having occur. It was as the second human lost her life, that Alex noticed. The eyes burned fiercer with every sacrifice, and as the minutes crept by, with them unable to do anything but watch, he noticed something else. Jess felt it first, but it was Alex who figured out what was causing her discomfort, something he'd become rather good at sensing, and fixing. The gravity in the room was becoming more oppressive with each lost life, but to the force keeping them suspended in the air, it was nothing. Still, the sensation on their own innards was uncomfortable, as gravity strove to force them down, and Giratina kept them stubbornly suspended in place.


One by one, the five humans, Gallade, and Celebi watched as the crowd of over a hundred human lives was sliced down to the single digits, until finally, only one remained. Young, old, weak, strong, there had been no differentiation made by the captive's butcher. They had each fallen, their life energy passing on directly to the half-manifested ghost dragon, and they had each had their skulls added to the long gore-stained poles that made up the majority of the macabre display on the walls of the pyramid. The people responsible for these acts, whatever they called themselves, had finished their final uncovered wall with the last of the sacrifices.

There was a pause as the last Texican lost his life as well, and Alex shifted his gaze to Giratina. Maybe it was the addition of firelight, and over a hundred human lives, but the shadowed entity seemed far more corporeal than it had at the start. It turned its hateful eyes to the human who'd eagerly played the role of butcher, and the man nodded again.

He turned to the two guards that had, in turns, dragged each sacrifice to the spot of their death. "Fetch the last one...the Emergence is upon us…"


Silence filled the chamber, as the two guards left, leaving only the purple robed man, who now had a robe covered in gore. He dispensed with it, revealing a similar set of shiny black armor that, from his perspective, Alex saw resembled a Liepard's bodily features. It made some sense, as the local cruel cats they'd come across had made the Unovan's look like common house cats by comparison with their bulkier frames, saber-teeth, and downright foul temper.

The man behind the altar, presumably the leader of what appeared to be some sort of dark cult, was not alone for long. Slowly, from each of the myriad tunnels leading below, other figures joined the man in the chamber. It took a moment for the temporally hidden humans to realize they were Pokémon. Not one of them lacked the dark typing, and at their head, floating before the altar over the space the captives had until recently occupied, was a Gothitelle. She raised both arms directly upwards, towards Giratina, and spoke with telepathy audible to those gathered. "Great one! We have prepared as you have asked! The next Successor has been chosen, and all is ready. With this, your freedom is a certainty!"

The eyes shifted from the executioner at the altar, to the Pokémon in question. She shuddered, visibly. Her god was, finally, going to answer her. Giratina leaned close, an easy feat, with a lengthy neck.

"Well done."


The two words made the Gothitelle faint in mid-air, or pretend to, but the focus of the chamber was drawn from her antics as Giratina's head moved to take in their new arrivals. Another pair of black-armored men arrived in the chamber, dragging between them a boy in the robes of an acolyte. He yet lacked the white hair of his betters.

Alex took another look, calling on Leo as he did. The Luxray's visual prowess illuminated the features of the young man they'd dragged in. His skin was a paler shade, though more sunburnt than tan at the moment. Facial fuzz covered his mouth in a circle, and the features of the face, high cheekbones, narrow eyes, everything seemed unnervingly familiar.

Within the space of his mind, he aged the individual a few years, accounted for a lack of sun, and more than a bit of cleaning up. The passive expression shifted to a dark grimace, and despite being held, Alex's fists clenched on instinct. The opportunity to wipe out one's enemy did not often parade itself so obviously, but he knew he had to resist, if they wanted to return to the time they belonged. He resisted thinking about all the lives he might save with a command and an arm movement. Out of sync as they were, which was all that was keeping Giratina from crushing them, the inhabitants wouldn't even see where the move originated. Each of the Scales realized this, and though they struggled against the power holding them, they stayed motionless as time replayed the events they had been so eager to see.


Other white-haired individuals flooded into the room now, taking a viewing position where their captives had stood before. They watched eagerly, each bowing as Giratina's eyes moved over them. They shifted to the distorted group of humans as well, but the intruders had ceased struggling against his power. They weren't worth the effort to kill. Not at a time as critical as this. Displaced as they were by the Celebi, he could do little more than hold them. For now.

The man who'd thus far been the executioner of the hapless victims raised his Shadow-bladed hand over the neck of the young Pravus, who'd been laid atop the still very much blood-soaked altar. He looked down at the youth, and spoke in grave tones. "Will you give all you have for Humanity?"

The younger human suddenly ceased struggling as, to the eyes of the psychics watching, a small piece of the Shadow within Giratina's aura attached itself to his, and sent him into a state of what seemed to their senses to be a euphoric, primal mix of arousal, rage, loyalty, and unwavering devotion to a greater entity. He made a movement hidden to the eyes of those watching. "My heart and soul to the cause!"

The blade came down, and the body grew still. Arthur, who had watched and engraved every single lost life into his psychic memory, had also seen every blade movement the man had made. He'd turned wholesale slaughter into an art form with his technique, and one had to admire how little his victims suffered, though it was entirely possible he was simply in a hurry, and not taking his time. Those who had tried to fight at the end had been slower to pass on.

It was as the blade came down, presumably for the final time, that the Gallade noticed it was in a different manner from every other merciless cut the man had made. The blade stabbed into the back of the young man who would one day become Caleb Pravus, and as it did, the Shadow in the older man's aura moved from him, to the body on the altar.


Giratina roared, and the entire mountain shook. The skulls lining the walls of the pyramidal roof began glowing with what little essence yet lingered, and the waves of normal energy shifted to ghost in the Legendary Pokémon's presence. Each otherworldly light flowed into the Renegade Pokémon as it cried out, and the onlookers stared on in disbelief.

In the light, Giratina split into two forms. One, affected by the gravity, manifested on the prime material plane, while the other yet remained a Shadow, trapped in the Reverse World. The two entities seemed to pull apart, until the shadowy one used its tendrils to draw the other back to it. It encased the ghostly dragon completely, and after a few moments, the massively heavy form hit the bottom of the pyramid again, shaking the mountain.

A fully materialized Giratina looked around the chamber, and the eyes were alight with Shadow, but those burning red orbs were still visible in its darkness.

"Finally...with this, all my plans are suddenly within reach…"


With a howling shriek that made everyone present cover their ear-holes, Giratina began to writhe, or rather, the corporeal one did. It seemed to have two heads for a moment, one real one Shadow, but the Shadow did not take long to regain control. It looked down at the corpse upon the altar as the foul energy sank back into the struggling Legendary Pokémon.

"Finish what you have begun…"

The corpse in question had, upon being suffused with the power and aura of a Darkrai, turned pale skinned. The hair once black was now entirely white, and had lengthened even, to the shoulders. The eyes had shifted from the white, brown, and black of a human to the green of one possessed by a Darkrai of varied color. Slowly, it rose from where it had been struck down, and raised both of the boy's thin arms. A larger pair of darker purple claws enveloped them, and from his perspective, Alex saw the young Pravus grin. It was a look he'd started to notice, and be unsettled by, more and more often, especially in times of war. The gleaming eyes of a human who had acquired new and unfamiliar power, and was gaining a hunger for more.

Purple and black electricity came down from the topmost point of the room, and struck the altar, which began shining with the accumulated normal typed energy of all those given to it. What little Giratina had not taken in directly had saturated the stones, and had continued to do so until the ghostly dragon had told them to stop. Now, what was left of the energy also turned to ghost as Pravus placed both hands on the altar.


The air gained a sudden and inexplicable weight as the gravity increased tenfold. A sphere of total darkness engulfed the altar, and Pravus, hiding him from the view of all present. After a few moments, the gravitational force increased again. The Shadow encasing the Legendary Dragon began to be sucked in by a forming whirlwind of dark energy, the natural byproduct of shifting so much normal energy to ghost typing. The foul clouds encircled Pravus' sphere with an ever increasing pace, until the entire inner area of the pyramid was filled with swirling black clouds. Suddenly, the sphere of black dropped, and Pravus leapt down to the other spectators, landing in a three point stance that left a small impact crater.

With another roar, the Giratina shifted into its flight-friendly form, and dove into the center of the forming vortex, while simultaneously returning to the world that acted as its prison, and inevitably pulled it back in whenever Giratina managed to leave.

The forces drawing Giratina and its dark passenger back to the Reverse World tore a hole in both space and time as the entity returned, and within, the Shadowmind finally let go of its ancient host, releasing Giratina as it prepared to find a new host. It traveled deep into the Reverse World, hiding easily from Giratina, who had become the Shadowmind's victim, and jailor in the uncountable millennia they'd shared this prison. Unable to separate the Shadow from the natural force of gravity and antimatter that was Giratina, Arceus had locked them both away. Now, ghost typed energy would enter the prison each time the humans on the other side of the new Nexus sacrificed yet more humans, and the Shadow as a whole would grow stronger as a result.

Alex and company found themselves hurtling outside the blood-soaked pyramid with a rapidly flying Celebi, just in time to avoid the chaotic backlash of energy that ripped through those who remained in close proximity. Once they were clear, and things within settled, Alex and the others approached the entrance, and looked within. The humans fused with Darkrai had been struck in numerous areas across their bodies, but even now those had begun to heal. A few figures began to rise. Those among them that still possessed common decency began the lengthy, but ultimately not too costly task of returning their fellows to life. The majority of those who'd managed to regenerate lacked decency, and thus sat back and waited with cocky smirks as the others slowly returned from the brink.


"We need to leave." Pacha insisted, pushing them from the entrance, and towards the cliff they'd come in on. The Celebi glanced at the sky. "As I recall, it did not take Zigma long to respond to the energy emanations here...we don't want to be around when she arrives…"

The time traveler's insistence led to no complaint from the humans, and indeed, upon reappearing in the present from the rapidly fading Time Ripple, the humans could see where Zigma had struck the once flourishing fortress. Most of the ruins had eroded by their era, but a few scars of the ancient battle remained.

Once back in the grove, Pacha bid them a short farewell, and returned through her original Time Ripple, on to a timezone not embroiled in war. Alex turned to Arthur and the others once she'd left. "Did you see what it did at the end?"

The Gallade nodded. "It went home, and linked the Nexus to the Renegade's prison. We cannot simply shove Light into it. That could end up opening a permanent hole to the Reverse World, and the effects on this land would only worsen."


By the time they'd returned, not very much time had passed, and the night continued on as normal as the present ever was. Alex fumbled through his bag for the herb-smoking instruments, and began unpacking them with practiced skill. "Obviously...we need a new plan. And when is the best time to plan, oh Gallade of mine?"

The psychic fighting type smirked at him. "At dawn, of course."

Jess plopped down on Alex again as he took the usual crossed leg position that was her chair. "It's settled. At dawn, we plan." Their partners joined in a circle around them, as they had earlier, always eager to partake of the smoke. Funnily enough, the effects had not translated across time zones, so while they had technically just finished a smoke session, soon enough for the bowl to still be warm to the touch, the effects had faded after the fear and adrenaline that came from watching history unfold.

Shruikan's leathery sky-darkening wings surrounded them, as they were more than large enough to encircle the Celebi's grove, and Alex gave the massive chin of the dragon a thorough scratch as he hit the piece one handed, and passed it onto the redhead using him as a chair.



Lab Ein - Fornia Region


A shadowy figure appeared in the large entryway of the hangar that supplied Lab Ein. It took the inhabitants a moment to notice, and it wasn't long before the entire room's soldiers had their energy stave weapons pointed at the intruder with varied lights of red, yellow, and light blue. "This area is for enlightened personnel only! In the name of Arceus, and his true Church, put your hands up, or we'll ruin your day!"

The command came from the evident leader of this bunch, a man whose armor was red rather than the standard white, for some reason. Wes looked him over again, and a dark smirk broke the otherwise impassive glare he'd been wearing for this. "Rosso...I had a feeling you might be here." Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the Crusader armor on the men under his command had indeed drawn inspiration from Cipher's aesthetic. The helmets were far superior though, as was the armor plating, and of course, the weapons.

The man in question held up his hand, and the glowing weapons, newly dubbed Power Staves by the Church, powered down slightly. "What!? Who the hell do you think you are? And how do you know my...oh Muk…"

Wes chuckled. "That's right. Round three...lets see if blind faith has made you less of a pathetic Trainer. Typho...Eruption!" The Pokémon appeared in a flash from where he'd crouched by the entrance, but the soldier's leader did not command an immediate volley. His gaze was locked on the Typhlosion that had once been his Cyndaquil. The same Cyndaquil that had gotten him a promotion to Cipher's Mystery Squad. The same Cyndaquil that he'd infused with Shadow energy once it evolved, thinking it would be unbeatable.


Unfortunately, he had not understood then that Shadow energy essentially made training useless. He'd been effectively stomped by this very Trainer's Umbreon and Espeon, and by the end of the battle, his partner was gone, snagged by a machine that should've belonged to them in the first place.

The Typhlosion met his gaze, and there was anger, but not the kind that had sent him into the Shadow. This was fueled by the shared desire between himself and his Trainer to prevent that foul energy from ever infecting a Pokémon again. Yet every time they closed down an operation using such Pokémon, they'd just pop up again a few years later. This time, they had decided to be thorough. Fornia had advanced the production of Shadow Pokémon into the low billions with their sheer factory power once Doctor Ein 'converted' to their organization, and the numbers only increased when Ardos, bearing Lovrina's notes, had joined Fornia after Cipher's second attempt at world domination. His contributions, while disdained openly by Ein, had nonetheless earned him a promotion to Hand of the Prophet, and Ein had used the notes regardless. The result had been a third variation of Shadow Pokémon, one far more difficult to purify with friendship and good feels. It required an egg to be prepared, but having a powerful tool that also gained experience from battling with the Shadow's power was invaluable to the strength of Fornia's soldiers.

As Shadow Pokémon had pervaded Fornia, the Church had given those who questioned the sudden increase in power, and decrease in kind emotions of the Pokémon to the Church's care. The running excuse for this behavioral shift was that this was caused by the 'blessing' the Arcean priests bestowed upon the Pokémon, turning them into righteous weapons of the Alpha Pokémon's vengeance. Naturally, anyone who'd been able to see such tainted auras, and thus the truth, had quickly disappeared, or fled the region, and the technology used to both identify and purify had been destroyed on sight once they'd taken over Orre.

The order to fire came several seconds too late, as the volcano Pokémon began prepping its signature move. The Eruption was quicker than the energy beams. Most went wild, as the move's fire typed power slammed into the human who'd subjected him to the Shadow so many years ago, and essentially blew that part of the hangar to rubble as it manifested an erupting mini volcano. Rivers of magma formed down the volcano the Pokémon had drawn up from the earth, as burning rocks filled the hangar with death, and the exploding transport aircraft took care of the rest. Wes and his partner strode through it unfazed, shielded by their Espeon's Barrier.


The move had seriously weakened the already vulnerable foundations embedding the lab in the mountain. Wes informed his partners of the imminent danger over their Holociever, and their time table moved up. They'd already confirmed what he'd expected. These servers had media news files, and little else. As per usual, the good stuff would be in the lab, no doubt buried deep under defenses and mountains, hidden from moral eyes. It was a theme with Ein's labs, ever since his first had been so easily discovered.

Wes continued moving through the base, alternating between his team of ten as their opponents varied their lineups. He was a ruthlessly strong battler, and he burned every human opponent to ash, after snagging their teammates. The ones who persisted, at least, by turning their weapons on him after losing a battle. The few who fled, he let go. Peons were redeemable.

Typho was as angry as his Trainer was, but these guards, evidently composed of a majority of inexperienced Power Stave wielders, were only the warm up to their desired target. Every other outward exit of the compound had, by way of his Noivern, been melted shut. The bat-like dragon now waited above, hiding in the darkness for their quick getaway.

Eventually, Wes discovered tunnels that went into the mountains themselves, leaving the shell of a heavily armed base to defend it from intruders. As per usual, the soldiers he came across supplied the needed card IDs to advance, though not one gave it up willingly, even after losing.


Eventually, he came to the true Lab Ein, an impressive affair that was suspended over a dormant, but still very much hot volcano. Protected from heat and intruders by an enormous glass pyramid whose edges dug into the sides of the rocky cone of the mountain, there was only one entrance, and all along it Wes spied Crusaders, ready for battle.

At their head was someone he had only heard rumors of. He hadn't been around for Ardos' attempt to revive Cipher, and without Doctor Ein's smarts, the 'un-purifiable Shadow Pokémon' had indeed been saved, but he reasoned that if the two had ended up in the same amoral cult, they'd likely perfected their projects by now. Ein had had plenty of time, after all.

The bridge leading into the pyramid of what appeared to be special glass, as it wasn't melting, was covered at its head by an impressive archway that doubled as a sentry lookout. Wes came up to it, and met the gaze of the man above. "Fire at will!"

Any hesitation he'd received from Russo was due to their history, it seemed. Evidently, the order was to take his head. He wished them luck, as he sensed his Espeon's mind meld with his, and together, they used their shared sight to dodge through the field of elemental energy beams.


As he spun horizontally over the last straight line of elemental death, Wes hurled a purple Pokéball marked with an 'M' into the center of the soldiers. Those who saw what now appeared in their ranks either cowered, or switched their staves to ice, but the first strike belonged to the Tyranitar. "Dark Pulse...wide spread."

The Pokémon roared in acknowledgement of his Trainer's command, and the dark energy formed a sphere in his jaws. It swirled, condensed, grew in size, and then launched a series of small, rapid projectiles made of dark energy into the soldiers, blowing those hit by the move to pieces with the kind of power that had made Pokémon more valued in war than firearms. Those he initially missed retaliated, and found their beams useless against Protect. They were then ended with a harsh Stone Edge.

For his part, Wes had charged with his Espeon, and leapt up to Ardos' perch. The powerful special attacker held the man with Psychic before he could so much as draw a Pokéball. Wes gave the cat a nod, and began walking towards his Tyranitar, past the carnage of his wake, and across the bridge. The Espeon held the man until they reached the bridge, at which point the psychic cat coldly stopped levitating him, over the lava pit below.


Wes held up a hand as he heard a familiar Psychic thrum, and spied the falling form of Ardos, levitated now by his Alakazam, saving himself from death once more. "Dark Pulse." The single, focused beam of energy struck the psychic type, and the two plummeted once more. Wes quickly threw a ball at the Alakazam, and the Snag Machine brought it into his care with a manifested claw of bright energy, focused around a Pokéball. His Espeon saved the other five balls, each of which was likely also infused with Shadow.

There had been much snagging on this mission already, and while he knew he'd probably missed some, he also knew trying to save them all alone was a lost cause, especially in a war. As always, he would grab as many as he could, open their hearts, and send them on their way. Those who wished to never again let another Pokémon be tainted, were the ones who stayed, and found true power.

Ardos mercifully did not last long in molten rock, and the three continued on past the bridge. As they came up to the door, Wes spied an irritatingly familiar card key slot, and glanced down again. "Damn. He had it on him, didn't he."

His Tyranitar assuaged his worry by empowering his tail with steel energy, and reduced the barrier to crushed glass and metal with a few powerful strikes. He gave his Espeon the phallic Melmetal hacking spike he'd used on the terminals in the 'lab' above to gather data from. The psychic cat would download their databases, including their current work, while Wes and the Tyranitar took the lead in distracting the Doctor. Of all of the Shadow Pokémon made by Cipher's first wave, none had been so thoroughly experimented on as this very Tyranitar, a pet project of Doctor Ein's.

It had taken a strange green-haired man claiming to be an Aura Guardian, who could speak with Pokémon, to tell Wes the extent of what exactly Ein had put them all through. Thus, he'd hunted the man for years, whenever he dared to leave his base. The base's location itself had, until recently, remained hidden to Wes, safe behind Fornia's strict border policies.


Vengeance was finally at hand now though, it seemed. None of the Arcean scientists had the fortitude to go toe to toe with a Tyranitar that furious, and as he recognized a few faces, Wes understood. His reputation preceded him. In his time he'd taken down Trainers and scientists alike. This time, they just ran. They found Ein at the top of the building's interior, smashing through every door and Trainer that decided to try to slow them down when they'd reached a lab terminal. His Espeon had become rather good at hacking databases on psychic intuition alone, as his instinct always led him to the juiciest information first, and if the enemy did somehow interrupt their download, all they would miss was extraneous data.

The Doctor turned, and sighed as he saw who had entered. Time had not been kind to him, nor had the Church, it seemed. His jawline bruises were relatively fresh, and his trademark hair flick had been shoddily chopped away, leaving an awkward raised clump as a remnant. He'd stopped combing as well, and the wild tangle of black hair, rapidly turning gray at the roots, suited him, as did the exhausted, sunken eyes. "Of course...it would be you...and with my Tyranitar, of all things. The nerve…"

Wes smirked, but his eyes had no pity left for this man. Not after so long, and so many Pokémon traumatized in his wake. "It's over, Doctor...from now on, you will never again make a Shadow Pokémon...Blizzard!"

The Tyranitar opened his maw once more, exhaling a furious flurry of icy death towards the human he had zero reservations about harming. He had seen all the others, fellow Pokémon of all genders and ages in those days, one by one, turned to the Shadow, and all the while the Doctor had continued 'perfecting' his masterpiece.


Despite his rage, the ice didn't reach the smirking, aging human, who had reached for and subtly pressed a large red button on his console moments before the strike. As he did, he finally noticed the Espeon that was hacking his database. The AI interface in his workstation gave the 'Download Complete' tonal signal, and the smirking psychic cat Teleported away with the data spike in its jaws.

The Doctor angrily slammed his workstation, now devoid of data, as the heat in the room suddenly grew more intense, and the ice attack, for all its power, was essentially melted into a harmless puddle. The Tyranitar and his Trainer narrowed their eyes in unison. Wes glared at the Doctor as he recognized the terrain effect now taking place all around the cone of the volcano. "Tell me you didn't…" Deep veins of red pulsed along the rock, and he had a strong idea of what was coming.

"The key to a perfect Shadow Pokémon…" The Doctor said, straightening as he turned with a hint of mania in his voice, "Is to make them as strong as they can possibly be, before infusing them...and then once infused, have the door to their heart almost opened, and then shut again, no less than ten times! Until the Pokémon understands that it will never be free of this rage, and power. Not surprisingly… Primal Reversion makes Legendary Pokémon, usually so heroic, far more susceptible to the Shadow…" Ein grinned down at the Tyranitar. "You were only a prelude to this, even Cipher itself was little more than a setback...now, be burned away by the true power of my work!"

There was an all too familiar roar from below them, and Wes sighed. Only Ein would bury a Shadow Groudon underneath his lab. He eyed the Doctor again, and began to understand. This was his line in the sand...he would finally win here, or be burned away, likely by magma, which even then was rising.


The heat was intense, and the two humans were sweating profusely as the lab was turned into an oven by its proximity to a Legendary Pokémon that really should've been asleep. Ein leapt backwards, atop his workstation, and pointed at Wes. "This is the man! We had Realgam Tower for a day thanks to him! Wipe him out! Precipice Blades!"

Wes swore, as he understood he needed to pull back. The mountain shook as the angered, Primal Groudon's eyes focused on him through the lab's giant window, and summoned the power. Surprisingly, this Groudon was not red, but rather a deep black, and radiated an aura of rage and Shadow that even he could see traces of, such was its strength.

Wes had his Tyranitar charge through the glass, which had finally started to melt under the desolate heat, and he recalled his partner as they jumped out over the bridge below, and landed. He glanced back, and saw four massive earthen spikes rise through the bottom of the lab, breaking it easily. The bridge he was standing on began to groan as the structure descended into the lava, and Wes quickly moved to the rocky edge of the mountainous interior.

He thought perhaps the move might've caught Ein with it, but alas, the mad Doctor appeared atop the Groudon's head after a few moments, and with a manic cackle, the pair rose towards the rock-covered top of this long dormant force of nature.


Walker and Geralt had made a similar retreat after Wes's warning, and had been encircling on their flying types, alongside his Noivern. They'd been told that some kind of large explosion would likely happen, and that if Wes did indeed go in solo, they would help him better by waiting for his vengeance to run its course.

They figured said vengeance had gone poorly, when the mountain erupted with all the fury of a Primal Groudon. They quickly ascended over the thousands of flaming, burning rocks, and past the rising cloud of ash as well. The two shared a look, as they spied a man in a lab coat, with white armored plates beneath it, atop the head of the Legendary Pokémon. Evidently this Doctor Ein didn't care that he'd just taken out the shell covering his lab, and everyone inside of it.

They saw him point, and the Groudon answered his command with an Eruption. Chunks of metal slag that was once a lab now filled the sky alongside yet more rocks, and the surrounding area, which had thus far been unaffected by the firestorm to the north, now joined it, and made the ash cloud as a whole that much larger.


His target had evidently been Wes, as the Noivern had, upon seeing the man responsible for infecting him with Shadow, raced down towards him, only changing course at the last few moments when he heard his Trainer call for him.

It wasn't long before Wes was on the back of his newest dragon typed snag, one that had proven quite strong, once purified. Like most modern Shadow Pokémon not captured as an egg, he'd been trained to a decent level of power, and then boosted with Shadow. The accumulated years of experience build-up had driven the relatively new party member to a level that almost matched the rest of their team. Evidently now was the time for him to pull his weight.

"Extremespeed..." The Noivern gave his Trainer a nod, as he inhaled deeply, and made the cones of his bat-like ears shift direction, and invert. With a boom, they shot towards the Groudon, namely the Doctor, as sound was expelled behind the dragon, sending him and his Trainer hurtling towards their opponents. His aim was just shy of the Doctor, but he hammered the Legendary Pokémon's skull with surprising strength, enough to shift even its colossal weight.


Reeling, the Primal Groudon focused on the now poorly positioned dragon type, and as it rose to fly away, the massive Pokémon raised a claw, and Shadow energy surged forth around the four of them, forming a barrier of darkness, and preventing their flight.

"Oh no you don't...Shadow Break!" Ein's voice had kept its manic tone, though now irritation had sunk in. He'd be set back quite a ways after this, all of Fornia would feel the loss of the lab. Moreover they would soon also learn that most of the quicker fleeing scientists, who'd hauled tail as soon as they'd watched the Snatcher stride through their workplace with a Tyranitar, had offered themselves to Geralt and Walker's mercy, in exchange for their expertise. Geralt had found a way to send the Original Dragon a message via his own Espeon, and the Legendary Pokémon had transported them into the arms of Unova.

The shadowy fist, which had now manifested even to Wes' eyes, came slamming down onto the Noivern, who'd dumped his Trainer from his back, rather than flee. Wes recalled him as he fell roughly ten feet, landed hard, and summoned his ace in the hole. That particular partner would no doubt draw Ein's interest. He hopped atop the back of the rock and dragon typed raptor that had been playing the role of ace in the hole in his squad for several months now, and had proven himself invaluable in keeping Orre in the fight. Whatever Ein had done to this Pokémon, it had made him as fast as a Lycanroc, with the capacity to hit twice as hard, and he hadn't even evolved yet.


The Doctor was quite obviously fuming, and sweating, as he was standing on a Groudon. He didn't seem to care at that moment though, as his near-perfect genetic masterpiece took the field, took the Snatcher on his back, and then began leaping across the smaller, nearby mountains in preparation for an attack, likely another Earthquake.

They skirted just around the barrier's shadowy edge, and Ein called another command that they were too far away to hear. Shadowy flames came their way in a torrent of fury, but the Veloraptar once more proved just how agile he could be. They did not strike though, and continued dodging the flames, to Ein's evident and increasing frustration.

Soon enough, they ran out of room to run, as much of the massive area the Shadow Hold encompassed now burned with purple flames of Shadow that eagerly reached for them whenever they came close. With a final leap, the raptor met the Shadow barrier with his feet, and using it for rapid redirection, launched himself at the Legendary Pokémon.


His Trainer hurled a familiar purple ball, the very one that Ein had seen, from the safety of Realgam's stands, snag his masterpiece of a Tyranitar. A dark look came over his countenance as he realized the Snagger's plan. "You bastard Trainers...and your damned STAB…" The truth was that his Groudon had taken far more damage than he cared to admit, and it seemed like Wes was looking to knock the Legendary out, and then snag it. Such tactics, like capturing fainted Pokémon, were usually frowned upon, but Wes had zero Muks to give. This was war, and victory meant survival.

The Tyranitar reappeared with a roar, appearing almost twenty feet in the air, understanding his role as he took in the battle, and made his move with the momentum his ball had shifted to him. He slammed into the ground just before the shattered mountain the giant Groudon was still standing in, and the ground responded to his power, shaking the entire chain of smaller mountains with its fury as the energy was guided into slamming the Groudon once more. The cone of his volcano, what little remained, shattered, and the steaming, wounded primal Legendary began stomping angrily towards the Tyranitar.

The barrier of Shadow keeping them low in the air fell as the move struck home, but not before Ein shouted a counter-command lost beneath the roar of pain from the Groudon. One of the Legendary Pokémon's claws lit with fighting type energy, as it charged his Tyranitar, and sent the massive beast flying as the move connected.


Wes had taken to the sky once more, this time on his Skarmory, and recalled his fainted partner before he crashed into a mountain from the force behind the quadruple effective move. It seemed Ein could play to type advantage as well. The transferred inertia nearly ripped the ball from his hand, but thankfully, Master Balls could handle such stress. Wes looked the Groudon over again, only to notice that the human on his head was administering a familiar potion.

He swore, as he recognized a Full Restore, and he contacted his support. He was two powerhouses down against a revitalized legend. He might as well use the aid he'd been given. Geralt and Walker swiftly joined the fray, as did Ein's other Pokémon soon after. A Gyarados and Rhyperior joined the Legendary, each undoubtedly sporting the same Shadowy curse, and battle was joined.

Anything resembling the rules of combat quickly fell apart into utter chaos, as wide-area Shadow moves whittled down their strength, and kept them from fleeing. It seemed that Ein had mastered using Shadow moves and had even come up with a few new ones that Michael had never reported seeing. The battle raged for almost two hours, before the Doctor and his opponents had exhausted their store of potions, and their final partners were on their last legs.


Surprising no one, Wes's Umbreon and Espeon were the last standing on his team, though the revivified raptor was still acting as his method of avoiding Legendary scale attacks, and Geralt was down to just Ghost, who he was riding to avoid flaming rocks and lava. Only Walker still had all three of his partners, though he stayed on his Pidgeot, keeping it from battle as his monstrously strong Tauros and Sandslash abused the advantage of the Primal Groudon's single weakness with yet another series of Earthquakes and same type attack bonuses.

The area around the lab, for at least thirty miles in a circle around the now volcanic crater, had been turned into an inferno of ash, fire, and shattered ground. Other Arceans had appeared over the course of the fighting, drawn by the eruption, but the three humans Tao had assigned to this mission could handle peons.

Like an increasing number of Pokémon the world over, this Groudon had not been limited to four moves either, and its rampage seemed unstoppable. Out of Revives and potions, the three men gathered for a final stand against the beast, alongside their partners.


Over the course of the battle, Ein's boots had slowly started fusing to the heated Groudon's black scales, effectively sealing his fate to the enraged Legendary. Everyone was exhausted after the ferocity of the fight. Even damaged as he was, the Groudon had not relented. It was uniquely colored, Legendary, and infused with the most advanced methods of Shadow Infusion to date. Ein had crafted the perfect beast for defending his lab, but the three men the Original Dragon had launched at him, not unlike an arrow at a perceived weak point in Fornia's armor, had stymied his plans in less than a day, again, and now his strongest weapon was on its last legs.

The Doctor reached for a Max Potion, finding only one, but as he tried spraying it, the bottle fell to pieces, and the coagulated boiled contents of the potion covered the front of his robe with an appropriate yellowish smear, amidst the black caused by the rain of ash he was all but standing in constantly, thanks to Groudon's height. The Doctor looked across, from what remained of his mountain, to the only slightly scorched tops of the peaks nearby, where his enemies had retreated to in the massive wake of the lava and Shadow attacks.

Wes and Geralt were speaking, and then, a grin came over the Snatcher's face. Ein didn't fancy himself a lip reader, but "Do it" wasn't exactly hard to make out. Ein slowly raised an eyebrow as the two other men with him, reported as members of the International Ranger Force that had taken to being irritatingly effective all across the globe, raised their arms, and began tracing a pattern in the air, or rather, practicing it. Then, he saw their fingers begin to glow, as they traced the same pattern again, in perfect sync, and left the glowing emblem hovering in the air between them.


Ein had focused mostly on Shadow Pokémon throughout his career, but even he had heard the rumors of the Rangers supposed 'secret power', which put them on par with the Aura Guardians of old. The ability to summon Pokémon, if they knew the Sign for it. A familiar cry, one which had often echoed in his dreams immediately after leaving Cipher, rang through the air. From the first embers of the rising sun in the east, just under the cloud of ash covering the sky, marking an end to the tumultuous night, came a comet of Sacred Fire. A similar ball of fire had ruined his boss' and thus Ein's, chance of continuing with their plans. Instead of slamming into a helicopter, this time, it took the form of a massive multicolored bird, and landed behind his three foes, leaning down towards them.

"Shadow Fire!" Ein shouted, before they could get comfortable and start talking, sharing power, or handing out magical game-ending items. The mystical bird turned its eyes to the fire typed attack, and as the flames purified, they seemed to think better of striking Ho-Oh, the source of what many called the 'Sacred Flame' by avoiding it entirely and fading into nothing. It was an old story in the western regions, but one that claimed the Trainer who could tame Ho-Oh would gain the secret of its powerful fire, along with immortality. Naturally, the greed of anyone seeking such a thing kept the bird from being so much as sighted for many years, until word of it had turned to legend in the face of limited human lifespans.


While not as active as its counterparts on some continents, the northwestern hemisphere's guardian, who'd had one of its favored trio stolen by this very man, now decided to get involved. They had tainted the Guardian of the Sea in these lands, which very much needed the presence of a Lugia. Though the Lugia in question had indeed been saved from the Shadow, the man-made rot had persisted, and the sacred bird had done as it always had, since the First Dragon tamed the continent. It minded its own business, and out of that lack of attention, the Shadow had flourished. No longer.

The Legendary bird eyed the three humans, and the red eye centered on Wes. A feminine, but no less thunderous voice echoed in his skull with, at his best guess, a volume that matched Tao. "Long have you been fighting the Shadow…" Memories came rising to the surface, but none of it was worth remembering before a certain event which occurred not long after he decided to leave Team Snag'em. The acquisition of the item that had made him a legendary Trainer among those who called the Orre region home.

His mind was once more drawn back into the same cycle that had been fueling his state of fury, as he remembered his first journey. As before, he determined Ein was irrevocably, unequivocally, responsible. For all of it. He glanced down at his left arm, as it began tingling, though not from any natural stimuli. His Snag Machine was shining. Cracks appeared in the casing, golden light shining from beneath them, and in an instant, the device that had been on his arm for years now, shattered to pieces. He knew where the power had come from, and he glared up at the Ho-Oh.


"How am I supposed to save that Groudon now? You just doomed us!" Wes swore colorfully, and turned towards Ein, and his partner. The Groudon was still panting, but he knew better than to give an enemy a chance to catch their breath.

"All I did was release the restraints on your power. You no longer require such a device." Wes turned back to the bird, as the angry look deepened at her words.

"I don't have magic powers. I can't burn the Shadow from Pokémon with a wave of my hand." Wes swore again, and then whistled to his last two Pokémon. They joined him, and he began to walk towards the 'path' down their chosen peak.

"Would you like to?" Ho-Oh asked. The Snatcher stopped in his tracks, and again met the bird's gaze. Patient as stone, she had not moved. "You have snatched thousands of Pokémon by this point. Have you not wondered at the energy that fuels their snagging and purification?"

Wes turned completely. "Celebi does it. It's Time Vortex energy, used to revert the Shadow infused cells back to normal, once the Pokémon's mind lets its body achieve a measure of homeostasis, of course. Usually through a bond with a Trainer, as its heart opens, the darkness is purified."


The Legendary bird's rainbow feathers ruffled as she made her version of a chuckling sound. "Almost...but not quite. You Humans have come far in the fields of scientific understanding, but you yet lack the ability to understand just how many types of energy exist."

"Nineteen." Wes muttered, unamused.

"That you know of." There was mirth in the voice, but it seemed the bird was finally going to stop irritating him, as it leaned forward, and gained a serious look in its eye once more. "Listen well, little Humans." Geralt and Walker leapt a foot in surprise as the voice, which had not reached for their minds before now, as Ho-Oh pulled them into the mental web of conversation at the speed of thought. "The dimensions of Time and Space, and those who maintain and make use of their awesome power, can always be traced back to the Light, and the being who resides at the center of it. For He is the one who created, and ordered them, such as they are." A look of surprise came over Wes' face as he processed the bird's words. He could've sworn the rainbow phoenix was smirking at him, but then, birds didn't have lips. "You have been using the Light the entire time...all your machines did was tap into what was residing in the Vortex's energy, and draw out the powerful purifying qualities within. If you do not believe Humanity has come far enough to manipulate Vortex energy, you need only ask your flame-haired friend why his backpack is bigger on the inside, for proof."


With that, the Legendary Pokémon once more ascended into the air, and leveled a gaze at the Groudon. "Go...I grant you the means to save as many of those fallen to Shadow as you can. All three of you. Do not abuse your gift, it will not be given again." As the calming feminine tones ended, the three men looked up at the majestic sight of a Ho-Oh in flight, and even through the ash-covered sky, a pillar of Light forced its way through the cover in a very bright, very obvious beam from above. The three gasped in unison as they felt it, a brief surge that caused their hands to shine gold, and their bodies to be filled with a genuine sense of peace.

Geralt looked nauseous, Walker had a calm, knowing smile, but Wes was smirking. He let the power fade, then summoned it again. It appeared as a sort of claw around his hand, one that seemed very familiar. The smirk widened, as he realized Ho-Oh had not been as full of it as he'd assumed. Walker had managed a similar test of his power, though for some reason his beard had initially shone with the Light, rather than his hands. It moved to his limbs as he realized he could control it, and being a martial artist, shifting the energy became rather easy for him. All four limbs began shining gold as the Ranger prepared for yet more combat, by dropping into a martial arts stance.

Ein had a good view from his all but welded position atop the Groudon's head. He'd stopped feeling the painful heat a while ago. Unable to stop Ho-Oh's benevolence, he was not surprised when his three foes, now glowing with the force that was apparently the polar opposite of the Shadow, began charging towards him. One atop his own creation, no less. He watched the Ho-Oh depart, and grinned. It was not the first time a Legendary Pokémon had underestimated his ability to come through unfavorable situations intact.


As the Doctor looked beyond his charging opponents, up at the Ho-Oh in the sky, and then down again in defeat, something caught his eye on the horizon. The look of grim acceptance of fate changed, and the Doctor began laughing like a madman. The Groudon's exhausted, furious eyes shifted to the human, and the Doctor composed himself as he drew a Dark Ball from his stained lab coat. "Return, Groudon."

The three light wielders charging the madman stared in genuine surprise as Ein recalled the massive Pokémon, easily over a hundred feet tall, into his ball. The man who'd been perched atop him began to plummet. He hit the ground long before they got close to him, and it was Wes, atop the revivified raptor, who found the man's broken body, still clinging to life.

The Doctor had blood leaking from his mouth, as was common with internal organs crushed by the power of gravity. He grinned weakly up at Wes. "You're too...late...they're here, you fool…you're all...dead." Wes looked behind him immediately and gave Geralt and Walker a signal to halt. Still some distance behind, they did. It didn't take long to understand why.


A single, rather massive sphere of technological death, colored entirely black, descended over the peak they had just occupied. With it, came old Earth style fighter aircraft who blotted out the sky. Their numbers had been diminished by clashing with Nate's unbroken string of victories, and sabotage, but there were still enough that had been based in Fornia to handle three men. Wes and the other two regrouped by the fallen Doctor, recalled their partners, and took up defensive positions, desperately hoping their newfound power would defend them. It did, forming a shield over their kneeling forms as the aircraft came screaming towards them.

Their pilot's aim was about as good as the rest of the Crusaders they'd fought here, but thankfully, Dark Balls appeared to become useless when hit with enough Light. After several useless strafing passes, the pilots realized what was happening, and moments later, they ceased their run, and the black orb began moving towards them.

A viewscreen of sorts slid upwards as it came within five feet of them, revealing Caleb Pravus himself, chilling comfortably on what looked like a stone throne, fitted to the sphere's insides. The classically villainous looking man was grinning entirely too confidently. Geralt groaned. "If I have to listen to another speech, I'll save you the trouble and end myself now."

There was a new hardness to the Prophet's eyes, or perhaps that kind of glare was only for the battles that weren't public. "You couldn't have possibly expected me to ignore such an obvious incursion in my own back yard. I assumed Ein could handle it…" He glanced at the broken pile of coughing, mad Doctor in the nearby Groudon footprint he'd landed in. "But it seems not, and now, you all have awakened the power as well. It's about time things started kicking off…"


Darkrai-esque claws sprung out from either side of the sphere as it zipped forward in less than an eyeblink. The grinning Prophet made a motion with his arm from within the sphere, and with the Shadow, pulled a single ball from Wes' belt as he passed by. The other hand made short work of Geralt and Walker as it smacked them with a wide, open palm. The two endured the hit with the Light, but were tossed a fair distance away, where they hit the ground hard, and rolled to a groaning stop.

The Prophet glanced around with an almost paranoid movement of his head, and then summoned the revivified raptor from the snagged ball. His floating death sphere was radiating an aura of visible Shadow, and now that it was closer, Wes spied a familiar pair of hateful eyes staring down at him. Only one Pokémon had eyes like those, though they seemed half real, compared to the sphere they were hovering above. Still new to seeing such things, he didn't recognize that the Darkrai was suffusing the shell, not the man.

The raptor snarled, and lunged at the ceraglass protecting the sphere. It was a credit to his claws that he managed to scratch it, but the thickness and durability of Imperium blending techniques was second to none. Expensive, for foreign entities, but not for a cult that profited from 'donations' that was over ninety percent of their peon's paychecks. The raptor's eyes went blank as a sphere of dark energy immobilized him in a waking nightmare.


"Remember…" The dark-haired man said with a grin. His goatee helped make the obvious evil theme he had going that much more intimidating. "Remember what you were...understand what you are…"

After several minutes, the raptor's eyes blinked back into focus, and regarded the man. By that point, Wes had been joined by the rest of his squad, but the barrier of Shadow from Pravus's machine kept them from interfering in the closing of the raptor's heart. He had grown strong as a part of Wes' team. The Shadow would make him terrifying.

Once the raptor was fully snared, the ceraglass shield rose, and Pravus himself reached out to his lab's creation, holding a Draco Plate. It had taken a while to arrive, but they had found more than enough dragon shards to make a full Plate by strip mining Pineus Peak, though even their knowledge had proved futile in replicating or otherwise shifting the form of the Plate. Reforming it had been all they could achieve. The divine object soared from his hand and attached to the raptor's chest area by itself. Then, it started to glow.

The raptor's vertical irises went wide as the power of his blood was awakened by the power inherent in the ancient human's devices wrought from shards of fallen Alpha Pokémon clones. The rock-like protrusions, as well as the typing, vanished and left the Pokémon part dragon, part something else entirely. Where the rocks had fallen, his skin had turned from mottled brown to a darker shade of black, and now seemed to be covered with a subtle layer of what looked like feathers. The teeth peeking from his elongated snout grew sharper, the claws lengthened, and the Pokémon's body as a whole gained several feet of height, and filled out with bulging, tensed muscles.


The barrier of Shadow fell, once the deed was done. The Prophet lifted his hand from the raptor's head, and then turned him on the three men who were now being surrounded by Crusaders in armor that, in comparison to what they'd faced thus far, seemed to be some kind of improved version of the standard Crusader battle armor.

Being somewhat experienced with finding themselves in situations where they were surrounded and outnumbered, the three men chosen by the Dragon of Unova had a fallback plan for this kind of scenario. Geralt pulled his last pair of regular Revives from a bag pocket and tossed one to Wes. Upon learning they both had Espeon, they had instructed their psychic cats, who seemed to get along, to work together if necessary to ready a last-ditch Teleport. Geralt had no intention of being a prisoner again, and neither Walker nor Wes had a desire to go through what Geralt had told them of in as little detail as possible. The scars he'd shown them had said enough.

The now seemingly rabid raptor charged them as the two revived, and still very much hurt Espeon focused their mental powers. Together, they could recall to a location their Trainers had both visited at some point, which in this case was Rosa's southern command center, a Pokémon Center that had been caught in the fighting early on and turned into a bunker of sorts as the war progressed through Texico East.


Being one of the only Pokémon yet ready for battle, Walker's Sandslash protected their little group with a Rock Tomb, as beams of fire, ice, and electric energy shot towards them. They hammered the defensive boulders hard, but as the Veloraptar came close, they could see the rage in his eyes. Wes knew he'd have no problem leaping their boulders and tearing them to shreds.

As he looked up, ready to try a last-ditch snag on his newest partner, he instead saw Ho-Oh. She winked at him, and a cylindrical barrier of rainbow light repelled the leaping raptor. He slashed at the barrier twice more, before settling to slowly stalking around it, waiting for a chance to smash it, and destroy those within, as he'd been commanded. It did not take long for his chance to come.

It all seemed to happen at once. A Dark Ball, launched from the once-more enclosed black sphere protecting Pravus, hit the Ho-Oh in the sky, and pulled the rainbow Pokémon into its dark depths. There was an ominous tone, like a bell, as the ball dinged shut, and infused its occupant with Shadow energy. The rainbow barrier disappeared, and the raptor leapt, finding himself face-to-face with an Ultra Snag Ball empowered by the Light.

None of the Arceans saw whether the ball captured their newest acquisition or not, but by the time they got close enough to look, the three men were gone, as was the raptor.


The obsidian sphere 'touched' down, hovering inches from the ash-covered terrain as the front part of it opened, and filled the surrounding air with a truly foul odor. The Dark Ball thrown from the sphere zipped into the Prophet's hand, and he pocketed it with a grim look. He'd been so close to retaining the raptor, but with a Ho-Oh as a prize instead, it was an equal trade-off. Without Ein, he couldn't make full use of the raptor anyway, properly typed or not.

Two of his soldiers accompanied him as Pravus made his way by foot to the broken, wheezing form of Doctor Ein. He stared down at the broken man with a look of contempt. "There he is...the fallen Doctor Ein yet clinging to life...fetch a medi-pod."

"Yes, my Prophet." The two soldiers moved quickly to do as commanded, and Pravus knelt down to Ein, who weakly raised a hand holding a Dark Ball.

"The Groudon...is still ours...but the lab is...gone." He didn't mention that they'd gotten its data. The Prophet nodded, and took the ball from his hand, pocketing it as well, as the soldiers returned with the pod in question. Like most modern vehicles, it was equipped to float just above the ground, and made harsh terrain one less problem to deal with. Ein would be crooked, and he'd need new legs, maybe new innards, but his brain was intact, and that was all Pravus had ever required from him.


The Arceans then returned to Sacreus, and continued to wait for the continent-spanning cloud of ash to make its way east. They had been tracking the progress of the cloud for months, and with this latest generous addition, the early reports said it would be more than enough to cover everything, as the Prophet had wanted, thanks in no small part to the mid-winter winds driving the war, and the current stalemate. All across the front lines, those in combat, and those sick of freezing their genitalia off, had slowly become accustomed to the ashen snow, until they stopped caring about it entirely.

With Tao distracted by everything else he needed to coordinate in order to give the new Dragon Empire a fighting chance, he'd overlooked the ash as an unnecessary weather effect, added for flare and intimidation more than anything else. To one who could clear the skies with a single roar, or several if he felt compelled to clear the entire continent, such things were better left to be dealt with until they became an issue. Occupied as he was, he did not have the energy to spend on cleansing the skies of ash, and thus the Prophet's plans came ever closer to a head.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 31: The Awakened Legend



The Timekeeper's Grove - Selva Muerta


Dawn had arrived early, as it was summer in this part of the world, and as intended, the five Scales of Balance planned. What they concluded, was that breakfast was needed, though even after they'd eaten, they were still faced with an unavoidable fact that had come up early in the planning session, from Arthur himself.

Giratina had utterly immobilized them, easily, and the only one of them that had been able to move, had only managed clenched fists. They had ultimately concluded that, in order to separate the Nexus from the Reverse World, they'd need to enter that strange dimension, sever the connection from there, and then hopefully find a way back out.

Alex and Jess had argued that, by all accounts, Giratina was often miscast as a villain, not unlike Darkrai, and that its actions in the present era at least, had seemed akin to those of a Guardian, not a Renegade. The gathered Pokémon, even Terra, had still been skeptical. Evidently, their Gallade's shared sight had been frozen on the Legendary Pokémon, and Arthur had been unable to move even his eyes. His team insisted that the Legendary evil they'd had more than enough time to watch grow stronger with each human life absorbed would crush them if they entered the Reverse World.


The unanimous agreement then had been, regardless of the plan, they needed an edge. This time, it was Svelka who chimed in. "I have watched you in Battle these past days, Redwood. I am cureeos. Why do you not use thee Plates your partners hold?" She tapped her own breastplate, the one that had thus far been keeping the native of an icy land moderately comfortable in the intense, humid heat of the world's largest rainforest, in the middle of their summer months. "Eet would give you thee...boost...you say you need, no?"

She looked between Alex and Jess, which wasn't hard as they'd taken their usual positions as chair and leetle spoon. They shared a look, and then glanced at Arthur, who was at that very moment, partaking of the Leaf on his own piece. After learning how to Teleport, his Gallade had become rather independent and used much of his time, and his Trainer's winnings that he correctly saw as partially his, to go shopping for things that drew his attention.

One such had been his bong that matched the shade of his aura's color, but Alex hadn't minded. Arthur knew, better than any other of their partners, that they were at their strongest together. True to his word, his 'freedom' had not impeded how often he battled, as a mental nudge tended to be all he needed as notice to return.

The Gallade exhaled with a sigh and nodded. "Aye...that could be one method...the only problem is that...it's a lot of power, and not all of us are as...experienced as we need to be to handle such things."


Alex raised a brow, and the Gallade sent him a thought through their connection. The human's eyes narrowed slightly, and the Gallade nonchalantly hit his piece once more. Alex spoke, and the two women flinched as they heard a bit of irritation in his voice, a rare thing, as he was more patient than most humans under the same level of stress. "Regardless...as you said, we only need those who can wield the Light for this. It's our best chance of coming through this alive." Alex looked back to Svelka. "You seem to know a bit about them already. Care to show us how exactly they work?"

The Norstad native nodded, and stood, moving to the pair of Articuno who were, by proximity, keeping the gathered group at a comfortable temperature in the oppressive humidity. Svelka reached for her own breastplate, and her hand was illuminated by ice energy as she removed the Plate and offered it to the bird that was her main partner. She and her sisters had each, before entering war, only had their Articuno on their teams. As time passed, they'd slowly taken to building their teams, though some had refused, and remained relying on just their birds. Svelka had only taken a few other partners, who had proven to be both cute, and rather useful. For glorious combat though, there was only one choice.

The Articuno rose to full standing height, and the Icicle Plate rose into the air to match it, attaching to her chest as Jess's own Icicle Plate had to her Articuno. The difference, came when Svelka raised her hand to the Plate, and once more made it flare with the energy that resided within. Eric had, on his last call, confirmed that they were indeed giving off serious Infinity Energy, and that these Plates were likely behind the technological boom Japan had been enjoying for the past decade. The signatures matched the tech from the Devon Corp. To the last wavelength. He'd likely demand a demonstration, once he heard about this hidden function of the Plates.

Light blue armor plates flared across the bird from the original Plate, covering her weak spots with rather beautiful icy blue armor. Not surprisingly, it matched the aesthetic her tribe's riders had for their own garments. Apparently, this was not a new trick for the inhabitants of Valaskjalf, as the armor had an ideal perch for a rider as well.


Alex smirked, as Jess stood and ran to her own Articuno with an eager look. He caught his Gallade's eye, and Arthur was smirking as well. The two nodded in unison. Alex glanced over at the girls and saw Svelka was once more favoring his better half over him. He'd expected as much and turned to face his Gallade. He didn't need help anyways, one demonstration was enough for his new way of seeing the world, and this particular formula felt...promising.

Though the Articuno riders had been nothing but polite to him, and the other men in the army that held rank, they'd been as cold as their mount's typing, only speaking more than three words with those of the female gender. That too, he'd expected. With time, and battle, they would likely warm up as their Chief had, but he knew humans. True change, and the idea of a world in which humans considered each other equal by default rather than superior thanks to genetics, ideology, or sex, would come with new generations. As it always had.


He raised a hand over Arthur's heart piece, where the Mind Plate had fused with his partner, and the familiar deep blue aura surrounded the pair. "Ready?" Arthur nodded, and used their bond to ascend to the next level of evolution. He took his Mega Form, and once the change was finished, Alex's hand flared.

The psychic energy that was by this point a part of him did its job, as the heart piece glowed bright, but no armored Plates appeared. Alex raised a brow, and heard Arthur in his head, sounding somewhat pained, or at least uncomfortable. "It's my fighting typing...the Plate is overpowering it, and the lack of bodily balance is keeping it from activating."

Alex nodded. "You've honed your fighting techniques to the point of divinity, my friend. Focus on summoning and refining that power, and I'll handle the psychic end of things." The Gallade frowned for a moment, then mentally acquiesced. He made his usual 'Gaaaaal' cry as he powered up, and his aura shifted from blue to gold. His arm blades did the same, radiating Light energy in waves of power. Rather suddenly, metallic plates of armor, similar to those that had covered the Articuno, formed around his Gallade.


His helmet became more reminiscent of a full helm, and covered his mouth, leaving only his eyes visible. In aesthetic he almost resembled a Ceruledge. His torso and legs were shielded, though the most interesting change came to his arms. Gauntlets had formed on his hands, and curved along the edge of his arms, namely the blade, and the formerly wild Light energy focused, and began to hum. Arthur tested them with several swings and gave his Trainer a wide grin. As they swung through the air, they sounded uncannily like his plasma sword when it did the same thing. "This...this will be enough. Even a Pokémon as powerful as Giratina will have a hard time suppressing this kind of strength, especially in this form."

He fell into a standard series of dragon style practice strikes then; circular movements that had been adapted by Tao himself for use by the Gallade. His arms hummed with every strike, and his Trainer had to admit, he looked insanely cool. He glanced over at the Legendary birds then, and spied the two women already atop them, smirking down at him and his overeager Gallade. The only thing not encased in the Mind Plate's armor was his 'cape'. The metal itself seemed to have a mix of gold and traditional psychic pinkish coloring, and even the Gallade's natural green 'helmet' had gained an extra layer of protection.

The two Articuno flapped over to them, and the boys mounted up. Upon closer inspection, the two bird's regalia differed, though the differences were subtle, and seemed to reflect personality more than anything else. Svelka donned her helmet, and the two Unovans activated their belts, and their armor. They were going to be rather hot, but that was preferable to being dead. With a shared nod, the two birds ascended into the air. They recalled the rest of their partners from above, mentally promising each that yes, they would get to try this 'armor thing' too, but for the moment, duty came first.


The two birds ascended from the grove, and over the ruins of what had once been a fortress that housed evil. The closer they came to the entrance they'd entered in the past, the colder the air became. For a long time on their slow approach, the only sound in the entire area was the soft flapping of the Legendary Pokémon.

As they touched down at the main entrance to the topmost chamber the ancient pyramidal structure played home to, two new sounds filled the air. One, a low ominous hum, intermixed with indistinct whispers. The other, was a growl, followed by an impending sense of death.

Two words floated through the air, underlined by the growl. It took them a minute to realize they were being projected, though by what they could not sense. "Go...back…"

"Som! Bra! Dor!" The Shout echoed through the area as Alex, Drake, Rick, and Arthur leapt from the Articuno, towards the very edge of the top stairs, and the entrance to the chamber they'd seen in the past. The air was much colder, and frost was forming on his armor. Alex didn't worry about the cold impairing it though. The bones that were his armor had survived the coldest Hel of Norstad for millennia. It would take more than this to break them.


The two Articuno landed behind them moments later, as nothing jumped out. The words, the presence, the feeling of death, it had all vanished the moment they'd landed on the steps. "Did you just break up his name into three parts solely so you could Shout it?"

Alex smirked, as he responded to the redhead that owned his heart. "Hush. He's here." His eyes were closed, but his third had stayed open. Normally, he couldn't sense dark types too well, if at all, but in this case, it was easy to track the Legendary presence by the lack of definition he created in the wide range of his mental sight.

Arthur went from chuckling to his battle stance as the indistinct orb being tracked by his Trainer arced towards them. It did not move to strike however, adjusting at the last moment to land in front of them. Alex opened his eyes, as they were better suited to the show that was Sombrador's entrance. Dark energy streamed in from seemingly nowhere, and before them manifested the Dragon of Darkness, the strongest of the Dark Continent's trio of Guardians.


He resembled both Luxray and Liepard in various aspects, and the eyes were almost identical to a Pyroar's, though the irises were red. His fangs were the only part of him that wasn't black, being instead stark white, and shaped uncannily similar to a scythe. They likely flashed as the last thing his prey ever saw, if they were lucky enough to catch a glimpse. Even manifested right before them, the Legendary Pokémon gave off little to no presence they could sense.

Though his features were akin to the many feline Pokémon species, he too was part dragon, and bore dark scales instead of fur. On his scales were red runes, that glowed to life as he snarled at them. His tail was akin to a Noivern's, though it split into dual barbed tips that were likely venomous in nature. He had wings not unlike Tao's, and unlike Kyurem, his appeared to still be able to work, and carry his bulk. The panther-like dragon type came low, lips raised slightly as it took in the individuals before it. "So... the time has come, has it? I can smell my counterparts upon you...Champion of Unova."

Alex raised a brow, and the Legendary continued to speak. He had no intention of interrupting, as they typically refrained from talking to humans. "Your deeds have not gone unnoticed, even here, where only death and ghosts reside. When I sensed that Unova once more had a Light wielder, I asked the Original Dragon for assistance...or tried to. I did not know if he heard me."

The humans pressed their fists to their palms and bowed as one. Arthur spoke for them, eyes blazing from under his Mind Armor. "You were heard, Dragon of Darkness. Now let us pass...it is time this blight was ended."


The lips of the Pokémon, that seemed to have a few bat-like characteristics as well now that he was so close and corporeal, pulled into a smirk. "You will need one who can control Dark energy in there, if you wish to succeed. You cannot win with the Light alone."

"Then join us." The red eyes moved to the human, clad in dragonbone from his head to his boots. A leathery black cape hung from the flared bone white shoulderpads, covering almost everything else. The smirking human spoke again. "We have enough Light between us to match the amount of Dark energy you can call upon. Probably. If it's going to take both, I have an idea of what we'll need to do. But first, we'll need to enter the Reverse World. Can you help with that?"

Sombrador gave a sigh of what sounded like relief. Usually, all he got this far out were unwashed, greasy bandits, looking for a hideout, and Trainers, usually young ones, disproportionately strong for their size, and lacking the mental maturity for the power in their hands. "Competence...finally...there is a portal to that dimension nearby. But only one, and we do not want to end up within the entity that feasts upon the energy of anything that passes through it. I could make another entrance...but it would require a lot of power."

The two Unovans shared a look, and then different aspects of their dragonbone armor began radiating dark typed energy. Jess spoke this time, smirking as well now. "Will two Plate's worth be enough?"

The cat-like eyes widened, slightly. "You have access to Plates of a fallen Alpha? Multiple, no less? Humanity must have come far indeed to have remembered how to re-forge them, let alone meld them into the bones of a Dragon Type. Very well. We will put an end to this curse. Together."


Sombrador's mind touched theirs, and while Alex and Jess had dark type friendly partners, an overwhelming mental presence radiating the energy they were inherently weak to almost threw their focus. Almost. The Original Dragon's training kicked in, and they forced themselves to raise their arms, and guide the dark energy at their command into the legend before them. As they did, Sombrador's form began to radiate with the power of his inherent typing.

When the dark dragon gave the command, they halted the flow, and pulled away from the mental contact. The dragon bathed the closest flat rock surface in obsidian flames, polishing it to a bright shine within moments.

Then, the Legendary Pokémon channeled the donated energy into the rock, and moments later, a portal was made of the ancient stone face, a hole in the fabric of space and time that led to only one place. Alex turned to Rick and Drake. "Watch the pyramid. If any ghosts try to interfere, take them out with extreme prejudice. I recommend Dark Type Moves." The two Scales of Balance nodded, lit up their plasma swords, and strode towards the pyramid entrance, summoning a Shiftry and Gallade respectively. As the two Pokémon formed Night Slashes, the humans and Pokémon with Alex's team flew through Sombrador's portal quickly, followed by their newest Legendary ally.

They emerged into a world of darkness, utter nonsense, and non-Euclidean angles. The rocky platform they were on was, thankfully, oriented 'normally', though the ones surrounding it, and everything else, all arced at strange angles within the shadowy void. Thankfully, they could still fly, more or less. It didn't take long for them to spot the Nexus roughly two hundred feet in front of them. A swirling vortex of ghost energy was being infused, slowly, with the dark typed energy that permeated and composed the Reverse World's rather impenetrable 'bars'. Essentially, the dimensional prison was being weakened, albeit at an impossibly slow pace, given how dark and ghost type energy interacted. The combination created Shadow energy, beyond the Reverse World, energy that would inevitably be drawn towards those the entity was using to spread the Wisdom of the Shadow. When one became the Shadow's Champion, they could draw this power to them, and become unstoppable.


Above the swirling Nexus was what at first appeared to be an indistinct shadowy circular blob. They all flinched as, quite suddenly, a red and black eye formed in the center of the entity.

"What is that?" Jess whispered, as she and Svelka recoiled, much like their mounts. The birds did not seem to like the Reverse World, or the utterly foul, deathly cold aura the thing was giving off.

I...am the Weakness of All that Lives…

An unnerving smile from a mouth full of razor teeth curved around the bottom of the entity as the eye opened fully, and its unnerving voice echoed both in their heads, and all around them. Only Sombrador seemed unaffected. It seemed to swell with shadowy tendrils and mass, awakening, as the newest victims of the Nexus spared it the trouble of pulling their life essence through small tears between the dimensions. It had been eons since it had tasted anything this fresh, and potent. Being shoved into this realm had genuinely weakened the entity, more than expected. Until now.

Tentacles of Shadow formed from behind the massive writhing blob and came towards them. Or rather, they tried, only to be smashed by flames of pure black, and burnt away to nothing. Sombrador shot a glare at his newest 'allies', but they were already in motion.


Two beams of Light, encased in, refracted, and empowered by the ice energy that guided them struck the shortened entity, whose size had diminished, slightly, under Sombrador's flames. The eye winced at the brightness of the beams, but only seemed to grow angrier as two attacks from Legendary birds struck it and blasted away parts of its form into nothingness. The entire mass shrank, as the blob repaired the holes with what Shadow remained.

Arthur and Alex followed them up, striking the entity from the spot in its vision that, presumably, was still blinded. Both of their aura shields had turned gold, and both had managed respectable attacks, in the form of whirling light blades, and a sphere of Light energy that was shaped not unlike an Energy Ball. It had been surprisingly easy to form and wasn't heavy at all, but as the pair's attacks came close to the Shadow entity, it opened a circular hole within its form, and they passed through, only to be caught by Shadow tentacles immediately on the other side.

The birds moved to free their partners, only to be caught themselves as their riders called for more Ice Beams. Sombrador, for his part, had vanished. The slimy, semi corporeal limbs tightened around their newest victims, holding all four above its toothy maw.


The jaws opened, and within the razor-sharp abyss of death, they spied what they'd been waiting to see. After comparing notes with the speed and efficiency of telepathy, Alex and Sombrador had discerned that the Nexus was connected to whatever entity they had seen subdue Giratina in the past. That same intelligence had been what ultimately sundered Zigma. They had endeavored to find the entity, and now, they had.

Four thwipping sounds filled the air, as the ghostly Shadow tentacles were bisected by pure channeled darkness from the forked tail of Sombrador. The Scales once more empowered themselves, all at once, forming a familiar half of a familiar shape out of pure Light energy in the space above the entity.

The massive eye narrowed, wincing in the Light, as it was joined by a similar counter-shape of darkness, forming a single, perfect sphere of balanced energy that lit up the darkened realm around them. One golden aura separated from the others, flying high with the speed of a Mega Gallade as the energy below began to spin and condense, guided by the other mortals, and the dark dragon type. With another boom in the opposite direction, the Gallade's psychic power sent him shooting down on the gathered Taijitu swirl of Light and Dark energy.


The Gallade's mental voice, not all that different from his Trainer's, echoed as he utilized his own Voice, alongside his Sacred Sword. "Vul! Kun! Yolmah!" As Alex had predicted, the center was where the zenith of all that power was. Arthur hammered into it with his Sacred Sword and Night Slash simultaneously.

The massive, and rather dense spinning swirl of energy shifted from the others, to the one among them who could, and was, used to wielding both Light and dark energy. As it shot downwards, the greedy swirl below them absorbed the entire attack, and then the teeth came together once more in a swirling grin.

I do not know why...but I expected more…

The Gallade chuckled in response, as his Trainer floated up beside him with a smirk. "Hi los nalkun dilon." The cyclopian horror's eye narrowed at the mocking Voice, and while he did not know their meaning, he groked their contents. The human gnat was implying he was already dead. As the entity scowled, and summoned fresh tentacles, Alex snapped his fingers and gave the two halves of opposing energy its catalyst. There was a flash from within the entity. Then another. The entity's tentacles paused in their bid to bind them all again, and a look of what could only be described as indigestion came over the cyclopic Shadow blob.


The explosions continued, picking up in pace as the two oldest types of energy slammed together over and over, neither gaining total domination. The resulting clash, perfectly balanced, caused continued damage to the entity from the inside, and pieces of it shot into the darkness of the void around them with each concussive burst.

Svelka glanced at the male and the Gallade. "That vill...stop, yes? It vill not continually eat realitee with ever larger bursts?"

Alex and Arthur glanced at each other, then the still exploding entity. It was obviously shooting parts of itself away into the void to be reformed later, but at the rate it had been growing, they had earned time to deal with it more effectively, at least. Pravus would be weakened regardless as they now could close the Nexus, and that, was what mattered. Arthur, for his part, was still smoking, and stunned, from launching that much power all at once.

"Probably not…" Alex and Arthur said, at the same time.

The girls shared a look, then looked at their birds, who seemed more amused than worried. With a final boom, the energy finally ran out of steam, and the last explosive burst sent anything left of the entity scattering into particles.


Sombrador reappeared then and gave them all a respectful nod. "Well done...that was...rather imprrrressive, for a Gallade and a bunch of Humans. Combining Shouting and Moves... Hrrrrrm. It has been some time since I've seen such a combat style. Only the first Dragon Emperorrr ever managed such a feat...and he had long since mastered the energy in Nature befoe he managed it..." Sombrador glanced down then, at what remained of the Nexus, namely the tear that had allowed normal typed human essence to seep in and be corrupted into ghost energy.

Now that the Shadow entity had been blasted to pieces, all that remained was a tear into the prime material plane, through which was the chamber they'd visited in the past. Similar shadowy figures, human one might call them, despite the indistinct white hair and missing eyes, floated aimlessly about the pyramid, their source of food and un-life now extinguished.

Sombrador licked his lips, revealing a tongue that was more serpent than catlike. "This, I can repair. Then...we leave...I will devour those foul entities once and for all, and this damned place will never draw in an innocent again. Heal yourselves, while I work."


The humans did as they were bid, and Arthur returned to his ball with the Legendary birds, leaving the humans to chat amongst themselves for the better part of an hour.

"...and that is, essentially, what the Graceland Theory taught modern Professors about the Reverse World, and its apparent function. Giratina is not inherently evil, just destructive. A darker force bent it to its will in an age long past, but somewhere during its imprisonment, Giratina freed itself, more or less. Now that we've scattered it, that...thing...may try to retake control of the Renegade. Something to keep an eye on..." Alex said, as he finished explaining 'vhat ze Muk' was up with this dimension, to Svelka.

A familiar, and fear inducing shriek, far too close for comfort, sounded in the fascinating void around them. They all glanced at Sombrador, who had paused in his mending of the ancient cage. The ghosts on the other side had tried to stop him, but Drake and Rick had smashed them easily, and grown stronger by doing so. "The Renegade comes...it senses damage to its home, and it too will not be pleased...we must hurry…"

Jess walked over to the giant catlike dragon type and fished around in her bag for a moment while the entity watched, and simultaneously kept mending. "I don't usually like using things like this in normal Battle...but wow are they useful in certain situations." She pulled out five X Speed potions, items designed specifically for boosting stats in combat. She held one, and the other four mimicked her motions as they floated in the air. With one finger press, she sprayed five of them on the Legendary Pokémon.


Sombrador typically did not use such things either, having never needed berries in his current form, and having never had a Tamer either, but he welcomed the boost all the same, and in under a minute, the repairs were finished, and the hole where the Nexus of Darkness once manifested now left no trace behind. There was no dithering, as he leapt back to the others, and left through the portal by which they'd come. Once back home, Sombrador closed it with another gout of obsidian flame.

Then, they waited, eyeing the polished face of the stone. After several minutes of nothing, the group moved to turn away from the rock, but Alex stayed. His instinct told him to wait, and so he did, beside the black scaled Legendary dragon type, who likely sensed the same thing. Giratina was close, and in modern times, it was able to break free of its prison, for short amounts of time. Apparently.

A familiar red eye appeared on the polished stone, glaring at them from the opposing dimension. An imposing and super effective mental presence intruded on Alex's all but breaking his mental defenses, in what quickly became the only time they'd been tested outside of the Sage's training. They held, but the words, the evident focus of the forced contact through time, space, and dimensional barriers, came through.

"This dimension...must not merge... What is within...must stay within… Do not...forget."


A ghostly shriek, distorted by the barriers between worlds, filled the air, and the serpentine form of the Renegade Pokémon moved on past them, to do whatever it was that Giratina did within its cage. Alex began to wonder if it might not be incredibly important, and if their actions had, inadvertently, caused the God of Antimatter more trouble than it needed.

Sombrador ran a five clawed paw along the surface, marring it and making it useless for portals. Then, he turned to the humans. "I will remain here and... take care of the lingering spirits of the Humans who fused with their abominable attempts at creating Darkrai. Then, finally, I can rest."

Alex bowed, as did the other four humanoids, in the Unovan style. "Rio awaits you, Dragon of Darkness. Mamboa and Yacuma desire to be whole again. Already they seek a Champion. Are you sure you don't need our help in there?" He eyed the entrance to the top of the pyramidal structure and cracked his knuckles with a look as eager as his Gallade's, as Drake and Rick returned, looking triumphant. "Unovans have a long, glorious history of busting ghosts."

The dragon gave Alex a sly smirk, "If I need help, I know who to call. Go, Unovans. Make good on your prrromise with my people. I shall return later this evening. At dusk, look to the west." The three Scales nodded, and Teleported back to Rio, specifically, the yacht they'd rode in on. It was just around noon as they looked around the deck. Evidently their venture had taken the entire morning.


They bamfed in to find Captain Fergus in the midst of a Leaf session with three of the other Scales in Alex's original squad that had come with them. The Champions of Kentu, Tenina, and Alagia, Amelia, Jack, and Maya, respectively. That meant that Haley and the other two from Jess's squad were out, then. Alex gave them a nod, and then once more found his gaze drawn to the ship anchored immediately next to them. Fergus joined him. "Welcome back, laddy. Ye've sterted quite a parrrty y'know. All o' Rio is celebratin' the return o' their Guardians. S'fine work, lad. Fine work."

Alex chuckled as he saw Arthur and the others who had braved Selva Muerta join the other Scales in their Leaf session and nodded at the captain's words. "I didn't do all that much. Arthur was the one who ultimately freed this land...as he did in Norstad. It's becoming a habit with him. Tell me, Captain. Did we ever find out which of these massive ships is the flagship?"

The Captain seemed to chuckle. "Aye, laddy. As fate would 'ave it, that beastie parked on our port is wot Rio uses as their bellwether. Accordin' tae me sources, the last time they seen action was a'fore even my time. Almost t'ree hundred yars past."

Alex glanced over the side of the yacht, ignoring the potent smell of smoldering Leaf behind him, for once, as a purposeful cloud blew in his general direction. His smirk widened into a grin as he read the words on the side of the ship. "Captain...that lettering there...that is their ship's monicker if I'm not mistaken?"


Fergus glanced over, and then nodded, arching a salty black and gray eyebrow at the young man who'd been named Dragon Emperor. "Aye lad, that be her name. Though I admit, it be an odd one for a ship."

"It seems more like a 'him' with a name like that." Alex chuckled, and Jess joined them as she sensed his thoughts.

"Och! A ship be a fine thing lad, hence the feminine terms. But ye 'ave a point. Sailors I've known refer tae their ships after what they named'em. P'raps it is a lad, in this instance. Would explain the, erm, giant cannons." The smirking Captain took a long drag then on his own smoking implement, a lengthy but simple wooden pipe full of crushed, if a bit stale, Green Monster.

Hearing Alex and the old man, Jess took a look for herself, and then smirked up at Alex. "Is this another nerd thing?"

He grinned back down at her. "Kind of, though I'm not even entirely surprised at this point. Seems appropriate, given our plans. We should go find Iara, the others, and then head for home. There's a war on."


It took roughly an hour for the Scales to regroup into their original squad of ten plus Haley. The city was a far cry from what they'd seen previously. Evidently, with the return of two thirds of their Guardian, the people had hope. Unova had reunited theirs, after all. It was time good fortune came Rio's way.

The buildings were alight with every color of fluorescent wiring the people had found, fixed, or just plugged in again after a few hundred years of disuse. The lights spread to the ruins around the harbor, but those were more normal flames. They gained an appreciation for just how many poor citizens lived in them, as from the air, the candle flames easily illuminated the continent's curve, and then some. In terms of population, the true number of Rio's citizens had to at least rival new Tork.

They found the Queen by the city's stadium, a place for sports of every kind, and of course, Pokémon Battles. The most recent tournament had been presided over by the two gargantuan snake-like Legendary Pokémon, and tonight, it was nearing its finale. They found the Queen in the viewing box that, by no coincidence, was eye level and in between the two massive serpent's draconic heads.

Yacuma looked as lovely as ever with her shifting blues and glinting icy crest, but Mamboa seemed much different. Happy, even, going by the curve of his mouth. The leaves that made up his magnificent crest had dried completely in his time watching the battles, with five serrated leafy fronds expanding from his neck and a crest of leaves in a shape akin to a star, the King of the Rainforest seemed quite regal indeed. Several bird Pokémon had taken to perching on the massive, strong fronds, for many wild ones also appeared to be watching, and enjoying, the contests of skill below.


"If what you say is true Dragon Emperor, then I will favorably consider your request once my people hear it. But only once Zigma returns as well, will our aid manifest." Queen Iara resumed sipping her drink then, and Alex nodded. He was seated between her and Jess, and the others had taken to indulging in the food and chatting up the Queen's lovely entourage. "Should she be returned to us, we will send aid to the regions you suggested, and quickly. I expect my sailors will be glad just to do something other than war games, though I do not know about these…'battle yachts' you mentioned. They seem silly."

Alex shrugged. "They've essentially blockaded Hoenn and Johto's ports. Nobodys heard from Alola, and while we have the northwest, they control those coasts as well. Getting aid to Japan has been rather difficult."

Iara nodded. "I see. Well, in any case...we have methods for dealing with Sharpedo swarms." She turned the ocean blue eyes from the battle below to him, then. "You have done much for us, Dragon Emperor. But recovery will not occur overnight."

"We will, of course, be willing to compensate you for any aid you provide. Be it in materials or food." Alex said, smirking as he met her gaze evenly. "My only agenda is to see both our continents thriving, and united, as they should be."

That drew an evaluating glance, and a genuine smile from the Queen. "Then let it be a lasting alliance. Come, help me tell those below the news."


He was about to suggest they wait for the battle below, a genuinely interesting contest of skill and power that kept drawing his eyes, to wrap up when quite suddenly, it did. The contestants were a Primeape sporting an additional grass typing, and a Corsola with blue spikes, and impressive size. The Primeape had cupped its hands by its waist, and then brought them forward as it launched a Solar Beam, and having just used Protect earlier, the Corsola Trainer hesitated and called an Ice Beam counter a second too late.

The Primeape, which seemed to have retained its coloring, but grown an additional layer of green moss upon its fur, hopped around happily, beating its chest, and urging on the crowd, who loved it.

Yacuma offered her wide blue head as a platform, and Alex stepped up next to Iara. The crowds went silent as the massive snake's movement brought them to a dull murmur. Alex casually stuffed his hands in his pockets and murmured to the Queen. "Tell me when you want the theatrics."

Iara chuckled. "You'll know your cue."


The beautiful blue-haired Queen raised her bronze-toned arms then, and the tall, pale Unovan beside her arched a genuinely impressed brow as her voice reached all of those below, though how exactly, he did not quite know. "My people! Many have been the rumors surrounding our returned Guardians. A stranger from a foreign land has convinced the elusive Mamboa to rejoin us and has informed me that Sombrador shall also be returning, this very evening!"

She had to pause, as the cheers were deafening. Once they quieted a bit, she continued. "Some wonder if it might not be an ill omen, but fear not, for I can assure you only good things will come from this, the turning point of our time! For Rio, and all who call this continent home!" The cheers drowned out any other noise, and lasted for a full minute as the crowd took turns chanting each Guardian's name, ending with Zigma, before the Queen continued, all smiles at her people's antics. "Now, many of you have asked, both yourselves, others, and even mine own guardsmen who is responsible for this sudden change, who is the foreigner who so generously offered to aid us in our time of suffering?"

The crowd enthusiastically began chanting 'who', but the Queen shrugged. "If that's all you can muster, you must not be very curious!" The cries of who increased in volume, and speed, and Iara gave a subtle nod. Alex ran past her, right off Yacuma's nose, who gave him a snout assisted jump into the air as the disguise melted away. Those below only saw a hint of white and black before it was obscured.

A flash of black light limned in white brought forth the leviathan that was Shruikan, who had seen precious little of Rio, or the sun, for quite some time. Alex climbed to his usual perch atop his head, plasma saber ignited and raised as the chanting of 'who' became an incoherent drone of cries, some of joy, awe, disbelief, and even a few jeers and boos.

"The most common thing I'm hearing…" Alex said as he made a show of casually strolling across Shruikan's lengthy back idly spinning the black and white blade, his Words reaching all of them just as easily, "Is 'why?' Why Unova's newest Emperor? Why accept the aid of the leader of a nation embroiled in war, when doing so might well drag your own into the conflict as well?" The massive black dragon soared just above the crowd, and an eager member held up a hand for a high five as he passed. Shruikan lowered his tail slightly, giving the portly man a decent slap, and soon, others copied him.


Shruikan arced around the stadium in slow circles as he made enough passes to hit all those who'd raised their hands for a tap, though none in the crowd with a desire to pelt the foreigner with food and drink had the stones to do so when the massive dragon was that close, and quite good at picking out potential threats in a crowd. Usually, a glare dissuaded them. "If I may enlighten you all as to our plight, perhaps after, you will be amenable, as your Queen is, to giving your northern neighbors some aid, in this time of war."

That brought more than a few 'boos' but Alex nodded casually and obviously, as if expecting them. Shruikan arced back up just below Yacuma and her icy fangs, but the two giant draconic snakes ignored them. "Three thousand years ago, the people of Rio banished a cadre of cultists to your home's western mountains. It took them the better part of those three millennia, but eventually, they struck back, and brought your lovely city low three centuries past with dark powers best forgotten, sundering your Guardian, even as ours was being torn apart by war. These cultists and the Shadow Energy they infuse in their being, are the reason your mighty Zigma is no longer whole!"

As he strolled along Shruikan's length, Alex kept his eyes on the people. Lux was away now, as the iconic sword and the iconic dragon had served to identify him to the masses. Most in the crowd were still paying attention, and most, had nodded at his last statement. "Now those of you who know how that particular tale ended will ask what a bunch of now long dead sorcerers have to do with you, the present-day people of Rio. That is, essentially, why I have come to your lovely region. The creature that calls itself Caleb Pravus, also known as the Prophet of Arceus, is one of these sorcerers, one that escaped Zigma's vengeance three centuries ago, and ever since, has been effectively brainwashing our west coast regions, moving ever eastward. The same threat that brought Rio low has regrown, and mark me, they'll be turning south when and if they manage to take us, and Japan, who they have also declared 'holy war' on."


The chanting soon returned, though what he eventually made out was 'not our war', steadily rising in volume. Glancing up, Iara looked more disappointed than anything at her people's response, but Alex Redwood had expected this too. Nobody ever wanted to go to a war they were not directly involved in. Not unless victory was easy. Alex made a show of levitating himself into the air, off Shruikan's head, as he continued, which quieted the chanting.

"You are correct! This is not your war, nor would Unova expect the people of the southern continent to fight it for us." The chants died out entirely, and confused, slightly angry, murmurs bubbled throughout the crowd, but the once more encircling dragon kept them from boiling over, as did his Words. "I am the one who Tamed the Original Dragon." He let his aura flare from blue, to blurple, to gold, making the visual display shiny, and impressive. "Caleb Pravus is mine, but the people of Japan are casualties not even our Guardian foresaw. We knew the Arceans had ambition for Sinnoh but...well, see for yourself people of Rio. See what has become of Sinnoh, favored region of the Alpha Pokémon."

He drew his plasma sword again, flipped it over, and pointed the bottommost end at the stadium's far screen opposite the Queen and the two snakes, which had thus far been used to list who had how many Pokémon left. The unmistakable outline of the Sunyshore City lighthouse, ruined and scorched by fire, was the first sight the people saw. The rest of the port city fared no better. Not even the Pokémon Center was free of flame marks. Alex and Lux continued flipping through the images that Haley had been saving as part of a larger project Tao had her working on, but for this, they were useful as well.

The images shifted again. Pastoria. Oreburgh. Jubilife. Canalave. One after the other, the flame-scarred cities covered the monitor, and the crowd had grown quiet. Then came Hearthome, and the murmurs of anger swelled. The 'cultural building' as it had once been called had shifted from a place of tolerance and compassion, to little more than a recruiting center, with the Arcean's symbol plastered atop it. Not even that city, however, had escaped the flames entirely.


Alex continued, just as quiet, and yet, not one person in Rio missed what he said. "Sinnoh has been taken, largely by ambush. It started in Hearthome, a center of peace between Humans and Pokémon. The Arceans used their 'foreign culture' to ingratiate themselves with its people, and then set up their command headquarters in Veilstone. Surprising no one, the remnants of Team Galactic apparently aided them, and from Sinnoh, the Arcean Crusaders descended upon Japan, taking one region after another, until Kanto's own Red halted them just north of the Indigo Plateau, on Mt. Silver, last I heard."

Shruikan roared, and the crowd jumped out of their silence. Alex put Lux's container back and gestured to the people. "Unova can, has, and will, handle our recalcitrant neighbors to the west. To you, the people of Rio, I ask aid for Japan. The Arcean Church has outfitted a fleet of 'battle yachts' with impressive weaponry and Sharpedo swarms. They've blockaded Japan's ports, and likely Alola's as well. I ask this of the people of Rio: I have brought your Guardians home and shall help the one chosen to tame Zigma learn how to reunite a Regional Guardian, all the north needs of you in return for this knowledge, is your Navy, the Dark Fleet. Your Queen is confident that your ships can free Japan and force the Arceans back to Fornia. Having seen your ships, I cannot say I disagree with her assessment, but as always, the choice belongs to the people of this free city. What say you?"

Shruikan had arced back up to Iara as Alex finished, and he recalled the giant dragon, thanking him as he landed once more atop Yacuma's head. The crowd of the stadium below milled and murmured, and murmuring grew louder as heated arguments erupted. The two regional leaders waited, patiently, and slowly, the people of Rio gave their answer.

"War...war...war...war...War! War! War! War!" Slowly, and then quicker once the people chanting realized they were the majority, the chanting grew louder as they drowned out the calls for peace or other more idealistic solutions, and the two leaders nodded.

Iara spoke then. "This shall be the start of a new partnership with our northern neighbors, who have promised compensation for our efforts by way of materials, and food, for whatever aid we give in this conflict born of ideology." The Queen grinned, and the stadium's own camera drones, which had been giving the people as good a view as they received from Pokémon Battles, focused on her lovely face as she spoke. "We will teach these...Arceans...what true followers of the Alpha Pokémon can do! But first, let our final match commence!"


It was rare for Alex Redwood to watch a Pokémon Battle whose contestants he knew little of, but that is what the final match of Rio's tournament demonstrated. Two Pokémon he'd never seen, going head-to-head with abilities he did not know by heart. Yet. Even the announcer had only named one, though what exactly it was had been drowned out by the ever-swelling crowd's cheers. The other, though unnamed, Alex knew as Zeraora. Though that was about all he knew. Name and typing, though as he'd guessed, it was a fast physical attacker.

The Trainers themselves did not speak, save to order moves, and going by their glowing eyes and normal/ghost typing, he guessed the benefits of the Sight were not all that different from what his own eyes showed him. That would make teaching the victor easier at least, though he had no idea what the Trainers were like in terms of personality.

The one he liked, namely because of his surface thoughts on war in general, ended up losing, and the victorious Trainer who'd started with the Zeraora ascended, recalling her final partner, bowing both to her Queen, and the visiting foreign ruler. Alex projected his thoughts to the snakes, and Iara as he looked the woman over with a cursory glance. "A moment, if you'll allow it...I was given very strict instruction not to teach those who are unworthy of power. I would test your Champion." The snakes nodded subtly, and the Queen did as well, taking a step back as the foreigner walked forward, and shook the woman's hand.

Her skin tone was as brownish bronze as most of the people of Rio, her body was in peak condition, and her belt had ten matching spheres holding Pokémon. Her clothes were an appealing mix of green, black, and blue that were suited to Rio's weather, and her mind had impressive mental defenses. Someone had trained her already. This too would make things simpler.


"So, Unova's Champion. I have to admit, when I heard the term 'Dragon Emperor', I expected...more." The Challenger had the same about-to-be-broken cockiness that all such Trainers had, after climbing to the top, and facing down the last obstacle. Such attitudes were what made, or broke, Champions.

Alex smirked and poked his belt with a psychic infused finger. The dragonbone armor manifested in all its impressive glory, and the woman blinked, several times, eyes darting about as she noticed just how detailed it really was. The Graybeards were masters of their craft. "Better?" She nodded. "Bring out your Psychic Type again, if you would."

The Xatu appeared with a squawk, and its gaze fell upon the tall bone-clad human before it. The eyes widened slightly, as it looked him over, and then its gaze shifted up, and up, and up. The strange bird leaned back, oblivious to the words or mental touches Alex had attempted to get its attention with. Whatever it was seeing was distracting it from the present.


A bright flash appeared beside Alex, and his Gallade manifested. Arthur knelt to the bird's level, and poked its chest as he brushed the Pokémon's mind and projected his words. "Oi. Anyone in there?"

The Xatu blinked one eye, then the other, and its head slowly lowered to meet the Gallade's gaze. "Ah. The Prince...yes, that makes more sense." The bird turned towards her Trainer and spoke to her directly. "Do not make an enemy of this one. Friendship is more beneficial."

The psychic flying type glanced up as it was tapped on the shoulder by a once more de-armored Dragon Emperor. "Hello there. See anything interesting?"

The bird blinked, once. "Xatu."

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly and switched to mental tones. "Fine. Is this better?"

"Yes." The bird's mental tone was feminine, but simple, not like her Trainer's own regional accent with Common words. "You wish to open her eye?"

Alex nodded. "She will need it, for what comes next. Do you think she can handle the power?"

The Xatu made a chirping sound, and said, "Yes, yes. Otherwise, the Rain Sage would not have trained her." Alex nodded again as he trusted a Sage's judgement, and then gestured to the woman with a hand wave that said, 'go ahead'.


The Xatu turned its gaze back towards its Trainer once more, and a flash of deep purple aura surged between the pair. Alex smirked, as he sensed the burgeoning mind, quite different from a psychic type's upon closer inspection, forming connections by instinct with her team of ten.

Her eyes burned with ghost energy, and she grinned at the Unovan. "This is...amazing."

He smirked. "It gets better." He nodded at the stadium's own Nurse Joy, who'd been patiently standing by to heal the Challenger's team. As was the custom in Rio, all battles were fought by participants at their best, and any status effects were encouraged to be cured immediately after battling.

With the number of Pecha berries, amongst others, that cured all number of ailments growing in abundance within the city and the jungles it wasn't a hard thing to do. Many considered leaving a Pokémon injured with painful status effects post-battle a punishable offense, even if the laws of the city did not, but thankfully those too callous to spare a berry were rare in this region.


"It is time, Challenger. You will face my own team as the final part of this tournament, and we will determine who Rio's strongest is. She will go on to Tame Zigma." Queen Iara spoke as Yacuma brought her to her side of the battlefield. The Challenger chuckled as she retrieved her healed team, and then followed, convincing Mamboa to give her a lift with just a glance.

As she took the Challenger's spot once more, she raised the ball that had, if memory served, held the Zeraora. "I'm going to bring you down, my Queen. This ability is…"

"Something I mastered three centuries ago." Iara's eyes flared a deep blue, the same color as Yacuma. "Something that allowed me to become a Legendary Tamer, on top of being a world leader." She smirked, as the tone was very much good natured. "But by all means, you who have just opened your eyes, come at me with all you have."


In short, she did. Iara's team, true to form, had predominantly water types, who did not fare well, or long, against the Challenger's Zeraora. Her own Aurorus, a female much older and much, much larger than Gelauros, managed to bring it down by shattering the field in a display that Alex's Earthquake users found most impressive.

The Queen handled the woman's Victreebell rather quickly with an Ice Beam, but her Yanmega brought the Aurorus down with a Solar Beam it charged as it dodged the long-necked Pokémon's attacks and grew faster by the second.

The same Yanmega took down the rest of the water types as well, and even the Queen's Lilligant, making the Challenger victorious. Once more, the old guard changed for the new, and Rio had her Champion.


Iara led the woman back up to her viewing box, which then ascended on its own power high above the stadium, into the fluffy, and yet very damp clouds, to a floating hidden landmass that seemed to be home to an entire ecosystem, including several rare Pokémon. Alex sensed his Scale's eyes watching the Pokémon, but wisely, none made a move to throw a Pokéball.

The large white-blue form of what could only be a Latios whipped past them and descended towards the old stone building on the floating island. It was the only such structure up here, and shared architectural similarities with Rio's own buildings below.

The new Champion floated from the box on her own power as she saw who awaited them beside the Latios they had seen previously. Alex smirked, and threw Arthur's ball into the air as well, for when there was a parent, the child would likely also be nearby. It took about five seconds of aimless floating before the Gallade was tackled by an invisible ball of feathers and red, and once more, the two were off in a game of tag.


The viewing box came in for a landing as the Professor gave the newest Champion of Rio a pat on the head. "I can't believe how far you've come. You're not that little girl that left town with her Torchic anymore. Go on then, let's see how she grew up."

The Champion obliged, and her Blaziken appeared, fully healed, as she hadn't been used in the final match. The Professor, a thin, balding man that looked as local as the Champion, gave the Blaziken a chin/neck scratch as he looked the Pokémon over. "Yes...yes, I see. She's become rather strong. Good. Come with me, Nelinha. We shall enter your team into Rio's Hall of Champions."

As the pair walked off, Iara sat back in her own chair, which was more of a throne. "This will take some time, my friends. So, enjoy, and get some dinner."

Alex, for his part, was staring at the orange-tinted sky that was growing ever darker, hands in the pockets of the white robe-jacket that served as his usual casual attire. They'd dropped the fairy disguises, as it was obvious who they were after their Emperor had flown his Salamence around the stadium numerous times. It took almost an hour, by which point the sun was setting, but once the two returned, it was with an armful of eggs.


Thoroughly curious, Alex watched Professor Cashapona, as he was evidently known to the region, place the ten eggs in the care of the Latios he'd arrived on, and the Latios then disappeared into the island's cluster of trees, presumably to find the eggs a solid home. As the Professor and Champion made their way back, he caught Alex's eye, and the Unovan gave him a nod of respect, that was returned in kind.

He offered a hand as they came closer. "Apologies, Dragon Emperor, for not introducing myself earlier. Our customs are important and are best done quickly. I am Professor Cashapona of the free city of Rio. Thank you, for bringing our Guardians back to us."

Alex returned the handshake. "It wasn't too terribly difficult; your Guardians wish to be whole." His eyes shifted to the Champion yet, and she smirked. "It's about time you learned how exactly you'll be re-uniting them, and then, we must return home." She nodded, and the lesson began.


Thankfully, and as was the case with most Trainers at her level, Nelinha had a full set of Plates, if not crystal shards. Alex showed her how to manipulate the energy, particularly ghost, dark, grass, and water, and once she had figured how to, more or less, activate and guide each of the types a roar filled the air. One that was familiar to the three who'd ventured into the Rainforest.

The bat-like wings of what could only be Sombrador shot above the cloud layer, and soon after, the heads of Mamboa and Yacuma joined them, though even with their massive size they just barely broke the cloud layer and appeared only as heads. Below, the people had again begun cheering, and the party was in full swing from the sound of things.

As Sombrador landed, Alex snapped his fingers, and brought Rio's Champion back to focus on him. "This is the most important part. Legendary Pokémon take quite a bit of power to Mega Evolve, and handling three at once will be a challenge to maintain. But maintain it you must, if you wish to be Zigma's Tamer. Do you feel ready?"

Nelinha nodded. "Aye, Dragonblood. Your knowledge is...helpful. I too am glad you came to our region, even if by doing so you've pulled us into war."

Alex chuckled awkwardly. "Well...I will endeavor to aid your forces, should they need it. We are allies now, after all. They'll be counting on you, as well. Once you are a Tamer, you'll understand how the power you've acquired can be used to protect many at once. Have Zigma show you how, if you find it beyond your skill level."


Rio's newest Champion thanked him again, and then turned to go and converse with the three gathered Guardians. The other Scales gathered around behind Alex and Jess as they watched history be made.

Nelinha proved as exceptional in her handling of energy flow as she was in handling Pokémon, and first, Yacuma ascended to the next level. The crowd below made noises of confusion as their water guardian began to shine impossibly bright white, and then flew upon a new pair of wings, not unlike Sombrador's, into the clouds above the stadium. She began circling the island in slow circles, brimming with the energy of Mega Evolution. Her form had gained four wings, but no limbs, and any other changes were obscured by distance as the Legendary Pokémon circled the sky.

Next to join her was Mamboa, who also gained wings, though only a single pair, which ended in fearsome claws, not unlike a Noivern's. The crest around his neck and chest had, like a Serperior, become the basis for his leafy wings, and he too joined Yacuma in the sky, twirling and dancing alongside her for a final time.


Last, was Sombrador, who remained standing on the floating island as his counterparts circled above. Alex felt a pull from him, and he, Jess, Rick, Drake, and Svelka all approached, and bowed low.

"My new frrriends…" He began, as his purring tones echoed in their skulls, "My people and my selves shall not forget your aid, nor fail to reward it. Long have your Dragon and I not seen eye to eye, though I like to think there was no malice in our disagreements. He wished to rule his people as he saw fit, and I shall do the same."

Alex responded mentally, keeping the conversation between the four who had entered the Reverse World, and ended the Nexus. "My wish is to rule both of our peoples, in time. I tell you this, because I do not want to rule by force. I will help Humanity prosper, as much as I am able. When the time comes for unification, I will hope you decide to join us."

The dark dragon eyed him for a long moment, and as he did, his eager Tamer-to-be channeled the infinite dark energy of a Plate of Arceus into his form. Of the three, and much like Kyurem, Sombrador changed the most. His scales became yellow, and black spots covered them all over. The wingspan grew large enough to rival Tao's, and the tail, ever the most impressive aspect of the Dragon of Darkness, gained a pair of much sharper tail stingers.


The Mega Form of Sombrador met Alex's gaze, and he sensed amusement from his mind, as the dragon sensed his thoughts. He did not hide them. He needed the Guardians, at least, to understand his intentions, and the logic behind them. Finally, the now yellow and black cat-like dragon nodded. "When the time comes...I will aid your case. Though it will be for my Humans to ultimately decide. It is their society, after all."

Alex bowed, and the Scales followed his lead. He got a good look at the much sharper, much longer claws as he lowered his gaze, and spoke with the same respectful tone he used in every Legendary conversation. "You have my thanks. Now go, become whole once more."

Alex stood and placed a hand on the shoulder of Rio's Champion, who was sweating heavily under the strain of mega evolving three Legendary Pokémon, though as he'd explained to her, it was really only one. That understanding helped her maintain the energy, but she was rapidly losing focus when it came to combining them. "For this, you must let them take over the merging, and focus on supplying as much of the three types they share as you can. They will do the rest. Recover your balanced center, before you start."


She nodded, and did as instructed, letting the calm fill her mind. Finally, after several moments of focus, she opened her blazing eyes, and nodded at Sombrador. The dark dragon roared, and its two counterparts descended towards its tail, at which point, the appendage split further, and pierced its counterparts, not unlike Kyurem had done with its wings.

The tail ends pierced the snakes in their chests, which they bared willingly, and with a sharp inhale, the three began to glow. Their Champion focused on the Plates before her, and each once more shot energy into their respective Legendary. The light became brighter as the three massive Pokémon began to come together, and with a final flash, three once more became one.

To Alex's eyes, Zigma was quite similar to Tao. Though she was feminine where he was masculine, and radiated a presence of unsettling darkness, whereas his own partner radiated a sense of calming light. She was as large as the Original Dragon, and had retained the catlike body of Sombrador, as well as the yellow and black spotted coloring, not unlike one of the spotted cats that once roamed Old Earth and had since become Liepard.


The wings were large, and seemingly fluffy. Yellow at the base, though they shifted to green at the top, a familiar color that could only have come from Mamboa, and upon closer inspection, the fluffiness of the wings became identified as being frond-like leaves that were quite similar to how the grass snake's crest had appeared when dry. The tail had again changed, though it remained split in two, it had gained two snakelike heads, one green and one blue in color. One had eyes like emeralds, and the other's eyes were more akin to sapphires. They joined the cat-like head by moving forward towards it.

Zigma's countenance was more fur than scale, as was the rest of her body, though many draconic aspects remained. Her long fangs were obsidian, but her eyes were kind, motherly almost. She was lying on the ground, in a manner much like a feline, for she still had four legs, and each of those bore claws worthy of a dragon type, and as sharp as any feline. She regarded the Unovans for what felt like a final time, standing slowly to her full height as her Tamer climbed upon her back. "Travel quickly back to your home, Dragon Emperor. Much has changed, and the Original Dragon requires his Tamer. Go. I will see that Rio flourishes from this point forward. You may expect our fleet within a matter of days. When next we meet, let it be in Sacreus."

With her newest Tamer now upon her spotted neck, the Guardian of the Dark Continent descended below the cloud layer, and the cheers once more became deafening. Every citizen knew, or had at least heard, what their Guardian of old looked like. True to the Unovan Leader's words she had, finally, returned to them. Up above, the northerners bid farewell to the Queen and the Professor, then linked arms and Teleported home after telling the Captain that he could begin making the voyage north. Evidently he was ferrying some curious southerners for a bit of profit as well.


New Tork City Science Lab - Unova Region


When the Scales reappeared it was, for once, a place Alex had not seen. Mid Teleport, they had been redirected, and guided to this spot, whatever it was. The eleven humans glanced around, and then, they saw Tao.

He was hooked up to a number of machines that were, at a glance, gathering numerous types of data. He nodded at the Scales, and they moved towards the being that was a leader to them. Both he and Alex had varying levels of respect, but when it came to military matters, they shared a rank, as well as strategy. Orders from one were considered on the same authority level as the other, though naturally, the humans tended to backtalk their Emperor, and not their draconic Guardian. Luckily, their new Dragon Emperor's groove was one of perpetual chill.

"Welcome home. I take it things went well down south. Pravus has missed the last two of his public addresses, ever since you caused that surge of energy in his toy. We felt it even here, and indeed, the entire planet may have taken notice. Pravus will now likely begin trying to restore the Nexus, by making a new one. His methods have advanced in three hundred years. He understands the Shadow quite well now, and, he still has Doctor Ein." The dragon's calming baritone rumbled in their heads as his own head rested comfortably in his paws. Evidently, he did not mind the scientific data that was being collected. Anything, to further their goals.

"I thought Ein was supposed to be taken out, along with Fornia's science base. It's rare that one of your plans doesn't go the way you wish it. What happened?" Alex asked.


Tao rumbled out a rare growl as he spoke again. "The base was thoroughly ruined, and its data is now ours, but the team I sent to Fornia was...waylaid by a Groudon the Doctor turned Primal. Ein delayed them long enough for reinforcement to arrive, and even with a Ho-Oh aided boost to their power, Pravus brought the team low, nearly snagged the Veloraptor, and caught the aforementioned Ho-Oh in a Dark Ball. We must strike quickly. Hence the...science." He nodded towards the numerous machines the Brain Trust, among other lab coated scientists, were working at. Alex's eyes caught sight of Professor Juniper, and her daughter, as well as several other famous minds from across the States.

Alex glanced around, and then noticed that Tao had, at some point, dropped his Mega Form. He'd held it for weeks, a testament to just how much energy Alex had been channeling after finishing the Trials, but now it seemed, he was at rest once more. "Finally ran out of energy, hmm? What of our forces, then? How will we speak to them all?"

"We won't. You will. It is time your people had their Emperor lead them." The Original Dragon made a sweeping claw gesture towards the walls of the room they were in, and Alex glanced down, realizing exactly where they'd been redirected. Castelia's streets were teeming with uniformed Trainers under the Dragon Empire's newest banner, the Original Dragon's own symbol.


"We have moved everyone back here with coordinated Teleports for armoring and resupply. The next phase of this conflict will be bloody, but we must make it short, and swift. The more time we give Pravus to abuse his newest prize, the worse an abomination we will find when we reach Sacreus. For this next stage of the war, we will meet the Crusaders in the field with our newly armored Legions. The Swamp Sage has given us additional Scales, enough for each of the Generals to have five thousand under their command." Alex's eyes went wide at the dragon's words, and the scientists around him began disconnecting the various equipment and sensors from his scales as he idly cleaned his claws.

"Five thousand? I don't recall there being that many of us…that's thirty thousand total! From where did we find such promising Scales?" He muttered, stroking his beard as he pondered what exactly had been happening in the Swamp while he'd been busy.

Tao filled him in. "Many Trainers who were fleeing from the west ended up being called to the Swamp and guided to the Sage. Most of these were, before his training, just normal Trainers but now, the Sage boasts, they can match a Champion in Battle...for a while, anyways. True Champions usually have an abundance of fighting spirit. That does not occur in every human. They are all here, ready to move out for the next offensive of this conflict."

A smirk slowly appeared across the Dragon Emperor's face as he moved towards the dragon. "Tell those under myself and Jess to meet in Entral Park...and I want as many Scales that have already seen combat as possible. See who the other Generals are willing to spare." The dragon nodded, and then rose, with his Tamer upon his icy crest, standing beside the fiery redhead that usually accompanied him. "For now, let us inspect the troops...and send them back into war."


It took almost two hours for the hundreds of thousands of eastern soldiers to prepare to move out. Most of them were either refugees turned soldier, or veterans of battles where Crusaders had simply mowed their units down. As usual, Tao had managed a near perfect balance of both kinds of warriors across each battle company.

The Original Dragon flew across the length of Unova's most populous island, and all along it his riders could see army tents pitched and waiting. Many began to crowd the streets as the dragon roared and woke the armies under his command. They had come to rely on his timely aid in battle, and many understood with certainty that they only still lived because Tao had aided them, though the form of said aid tended to vary by what was available.

This time, his gift to them had been armor, not unlike that which the Scales wore, and indeed, Alex spied many of the dragonbone-inspired sets of black and white appearing below as the soldiers readied themselves. They were the veterans, then. They knew by now that the dragon did nothing without purpose, and if he was flying the length of Unova, it meant the time to roll out was upon them. The armor itself their new forces were clad in was not unlike the dragonbone sets with which they shared an aesthetic. The scientists responsible for creating it had managed a decent enough substitute for dragonbone that, while a bit heavy, was both light and apparently abundant enough for mass production. All field tests, apparently, deemed that it could take two to three hits from a Power Stave before giving to the absurd amount of elemental energy those weapons produced.


When it came to weaponry, Alex noticed that the troops below were not necessarily uniform in their choices for close combat. Swords were, by far, the most common but they were not plasma, instead sharing their composition with their wearer's armor. Other such weapons, of a large variety, had also been crafted and distributed across the ranks with whatever each soldier felt most comfortable relying on to survive. For ranged attacks, they had full belts of ten Pokémon to match their opponents, as ranged attacks like Rock Slide had proven rather effective at stopping energy beams, or at least reducing the devastation they left.

Alex felt a mental nudge from the dragon, and his Voice reached each of the Unovans below, quite a bit more difficult feat, as they were scattered and within buildings sometimes, rather than all inside a stadium, or said stadium's parking lot. It took a moment to make sure he reached who he wanted, but eventually, he spoke.

"Hail to you, Unovans, easterners, and more than a few westerners as well. You who find yourself under our banner...welcome. The time to put an end to the Cult of Arceus has arrived. Some of you may have mixed feelings about that, but what is important right this moment is to focus on taking down the people making the cult a problem in the first place. Namely, Caleb Pravus, and his Hands. They have willingly embraced and perpetuated the Shadow by infusing it into Pokémon Eggs. For this atrocity, there is only one fitting sentence."


Tao arced up above the Entree, and the majority of Unova had a line of sight on the dragon as the tiny figure atop his head Shouted and reached those below with the strength of his Voice. "Make no mistake, the rumors are true. They have embraced the Shadow and shield themselves from scrutiny by hiding that fact under their worship of the Light. But we of the east know better. We know the Alpha, we know his Guardian, and most importantly, we know freedom, something the men of the west have long forgotten, in their zeal to please the Alpha Pokémon's alleged mouthpiece."

Tao had, during the time it took to gather the army, shared with Alex the plan he had for the east's counterassault, and also illuminated him as to the abilities of his cousin, Wes, and a martial artist Ranger from Texico. They made quite a trio, and many had taken to calling them the 'Light Triad'. It was fitting, for the old Shadows under Ghetsis had been confirmed to be on side with the enemy. Now, Tao could answer them with humans just as unnaturally strong as they, and perhaps finally put an end to them.

As the dragon wheeled north, towards Nimbasa, his Tamer reached out to and sensed those stationed there who had made their barracks in the dual stadiums. They mostly consisted of Kalosian reinforcements, and Thor's own host, who had, much like their leader, recovered, and were ready for a second chance at Monachus.


To them, the Dragon Emperor said, "Allies from Kalos, Einherjar of Thor, your task shall be to take Urbe Monachus, Fargo, and then march to the ruins of Colville through the Northstone Pass. Once there, you will receive more guidance, but make no mistake, taking two cities will be rather challenging."

A familiar bellow came from out of the dark clouds just above them. "Two cities, two hammers!" Thor came blazing forth in his fiery Gogoat chariot and parked unnaturally in the air beside the hovering Original Dragon. "Mark me lad, this time, we shall not be denied our prize."

Alex nodded, speaking normally. "I should hope so, though I imagine it will be easier without Pravus there. I hear the Hand he's left in charge...Nonagon...is quite a handful. Maybe go in with your Pokémon as backup, this time. Just in case. Even Pravus used one, you know. The Darkrai did all the work." Thor looked offended for a moment, and then paused as Alex simply arched an eyebrow, as if daring him to find a fault in that logic after being so soundly taken down. After a moment, he nodded with acceptance. He'd underestimated the Shadow aberrations before, he would not do so again.


Alex turned back to the waiting soldiers in the stadiums, who had all activated their armor with his Words echoing in their ears. "Opeleucid's own General shall lead you, alongside Thor Odinson himself! This new company of five thousand Scales shall make the Arceans tremble at the arrival of the Northern Legion. Go now! To victory! Krif Fah Kun!" As the Shout washed over those below, and the Scales who were even at that moment swarming in front of the two stadiums in preparation for a Mass Teleport, noticed their armor lit up with ancient Common runes, which essentially had little difference between them, and the Unown upon which they were based.

Energy surged through the soldiers, and those under Thor started the war cry, even as Merlin coordinated his psychic types for the intricacy of Teleporting so many thousands of minds all at once. Then, they vanished, and Nimbasa was left with crowds of old, young, and mothers all looking up at the dragon god of their people with a mixed range of looks one might expect from family members risking loved ones in a war.

Tao flapped, once, and a wave of golden aura passed over the gathered people. Alex felt their minds ease, though not completely. It was not false hope his dragon shared with them on an instinctual level, but it was one that remained skeptical, and optimistic.


Tao flew then over the Entral Park, which was still gathering Scales of Balance new and old. Apparently, even the new arrival's blades had not diminished the Chargestone crystal supply in a permanent way. The Professors had found that by sharing the power of a Lightning Plate, the Chargestones could recover and regrow in hours, making the disturbance in the magnetic field temporary. Trainers had eventually been advised to not catch the remaining Joltik though, as their population had dwindled significantly. With an abundance of food, however, they would recover quickly.

Jess floated down from the dragon's head towards her own forces in Entral Park, again mostly female, which had no small number of noticeable Articuno Riders. Almost half of what they'd given to this conflict, though it was rumored more would come, if the fighting dragged on in an unfavorable stalemate too much longer. To the east, by the Imperial Palace, Alex found Hilbert and Hilda, alongside their forces, the other half of Kalos's soldiers, and two army groups four hundred thousand strong of regular troops that were in tents that stretched along the entirety of the coastline and had evidently even filled the palatial quarters to the brim.

Soldiers flooded out of the pyramidal palace as Tao landed atop the mountainous edge of the coast that once looked over Undella, and had remained somewhat intact as the massive, ancient building upended the surrounding terrain. The palatial complex had grown its own golden grass and flora rather quickly, but those had also been covered in the snow that had been forestalling the conflict until only a few days past, when the winter winds finally let up. That was when both sides of this bloody conflict had begun regrouping for the next, and likely final clash.


Alex addressed those below with the same booming Voice, "Long have many of you here held the north-middle line of this conflict, and while many give credit to Nate's unbroken string of victories, the two Generals here only fell into trouble when they were unwisely split apart. This time, the twins shall take you all into the heart of the Arcean's satellites, Arciana City. Take it, do not senselessly sack it, free those citizens who would be free of their cult, and recover the prisoners the Arceans have no doubt accrued there as well. Our sources say the numbers are large, and the conditions poor, but we've had no eyes within that city. Taking it will not be easy. Should you do so, you are to move west, and take down the prison camps our Articuno riders have marked on your maps. Free the people there, arm those who will fight, and then head south, to reinforce General Rosa. Fight smart, and win!"

This time, Tao roared, and an aura of calm settled over the gathered army groups, as they closed ranks around the Palace, and linked arms. When all had done so, after roughly five minutes of adjusting, they too were Teleported to the closest eastern base they had to Arciana City, the city of Menefer, a city on the Sippi River typically known for its classic and true revivals of thousands of old earth musicians, and indeed entire lost genres of music. From there, it was almost a straight shot to their target just to the west.

The Original Dragon once more returned to New Tork, which by that point, had also poured and linked up their units in preparation of Teleportation. The four hundred thousand or so regular troops had the slightly larger number of veterans amongst the legions, and they had already surrounded the rookies in the middle, knowing exactly where their entry point would be.


Tao arced up in front of the Empire building, and hovered. "This one will take a moment. Take your dragon. They need to see you. It has been a while."

Alex was on Shruikan's head in short order, and the two arced over the city streets, all maze-like, in a grid, and teeming with black and white. Finally, he relied on his third eye to find her. She burned with a silver aura that seemed awfully close to manifesting a Light ability, of some description. She just needed a push, and Tao had informed him that the Arcean's southern general, Lucien, would give her a decent one. Or break her.

They found Rosa atop a skyscraper full of troops whose arms were also linked. There were several such buildings repurposed for just this, in order to fit so many bodies into the cramped quarters of the city. Those on the Texican border had seen the worst fighting, and none from Rosa's Scales had opted to join the Dragon Emperor. He did not mind, as they would need that solidarity if they were to invade the tunnel through the Stoney Mountains known only as The Rocky Pass, and then move on to Phenac City, liberate it, and then strike out southwards for Texico City, arguably the best defended city the Arceans had, outside of Sacreus.


"You all know your objectives. You all know what it's going to take to seize them. Once the Pass is yours, retake the Orre region, rally the locals, and then prepare for a siege of Texico City. Hopefully, when your reinforcements arrive, they will surrender in the face of superior numbers." Alex saw many soldiers roll their eyes, and their prejudices clouded their minds. He shifted his gaze to Rosa in particular, and she raised a brow as he shared mental words with her. "Make sure they do not dehumanize the Texicans of the west. Their hatred will consume them, if you let it. I know there is animosity, and it is well deserved, but that mark upon their armor stands for something. No raping, no pillaging."

Rosa looked down for a moment, thinking, and then nodded, as she created an idea of what would be needed to remind the people of two regions long at odds that their enemy was, in fact, human and worth saving. "I will keep them in line, at least...I cannot guarantee they will be kind to the prisoners we take." Rosa answered, and Alex gave her a mental nod, before he focused his power.

Alex closed his eyes then, as he felt Tao achieve the required threshold of power on his end. The plasma sword ignited, and he held it horizontally over the dragon's icy crest. He focused on summoning the energy of the universe, and soon, he was burning rather bright under the darkened sky. Lux channeled the Light into the Original Dragon, and with a booming Shout that tore the sky, the clouds of ash that had been moving ever eastward over Unova were blown away by the sheer power of the being that had once more ascended.

Sweating rather hard under the moonless sky, but still rather glad he'd managed to Mega Evolve a Legend a second time, Alex extinguished the blade, and sat cross legged atop the dragon's head. "You handle the sky, and their boons. I... need a minute. It's a lot harder to do that without divine assistance…"


The smirking and once more mega evolved Original Dragon flapped all four wings at once, and the aura of every soldier and Scale of Balance within Castelia began to glow with golden light. Moments later, the empowered soldiers returned to Aweston, to begin their latest assault on the Rocky Pass.

With the majority of the armed forces under them dispersed, the remaining Scales of Balance, the 'elite forces' under the Dragon Emperor, and she who would be Empress, were all that was left to deploy. Tao returned to Unova's center, namely the Entree, and landed upon the strange, ancient plant.

The double helix of black and white branches began glowing with white intensity, as did the pool of water that gave it life below. Tao's nose tendrils extended to the circles under his wings, and the dragon's tail went 'turbo' as their greatest scientific minds called it, as he summoned the power for his next move in the game of war. His much larger, coiled form was whited out by the sheer brightness of the Entree. A pair of golden eyes broke the blinding white, and with a thundering crack that split the sky, the First Dragon's own Hyper Voice rolled across the northern continent, eliminating the foul ash clouds as it went ever westward, and expanded from the north to the south.

The Legendary Pokémon's power revealed many a hidden flying Crusader company hidden in the ash, not yet in the right formation for an ambush, over numerous eastern outposts that had been lightly manned, but prepared for exactly this scenario. For the Dragon Army, clear skies meant the counter offensive had begun. The skies over the east filled with Pokémon attacks in the newly cleared theater of war, and the final battles of the latest conflict between east and west finally began anew.


Alex leapt from Tao's crest, as this time the dragon required a moment, and landed on a lower black branch of the Entree. "Alright boys and girls...the rest of them are moving. We must as well."

"Where are we headed, Dovahkiin?" One of them said from below.

Alex smirked, as he noted Rick and Drake were once again ready for war and it had been Drake who asked the question. "We head for Pravia, in the northwest, and then move east towards the Northstone Pass. When Nate and Thor arrive, we'll all move south along the coast, and trap Sacreus between Mewsia, and a retaken Orre. Before we move out though, there's a new trick we've picked up...every other battle group has a blessing, but we do not require one, apparently, now that we have unlocked this. You were told to bring your own Plate sets to this gathering, those of you who forgot your Plates, run and retrieve them. Now. We shall begin when all here have their full sets. We're going to need them."

Hours passed into the night as the Scales of Balance, under the Emperor and the Entree, rediscovered an ancient method of armored warfare once lost to time. The dragon, who watched them all from atop the spiraling tree, smirked to himself. Their potential was starting to manifest, but their ability to close the jaws of this multi-pronged assault would make it appear, or kill them in the process.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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The East Burns Red



(The following is a short story giving us an informative light on events transpiring elsewhere right as Chapter 32 starts. While that will focus mainly on Unova, Fornia, etc. this will center on Japan. Skipping isn't advised for this one.)



Oceana Pacifica, East of Evergrand Plateau - Hoenn Region


"Give me a regular report."

The Vice Admiral saluted, "Sir. All scans are normal. Another lovely day in Hoenn, sir."

Admiral Nauta sighed, and it turned into a groan at the end. His own naval attire, a dark blue suit that did little to hide the man's impressive bulk, was very much Sharpedo themed, for reasons that became obvious rather quickly to anyone who irritated the man Caleb Pravus had put in charge of the Arcean Fleet. "Another lovely damn day. No sign of the Irritant. Looks like another long day of thinning the prisoners…"

The gathered crew members aboard the ship that had long since stopped being a luxury yacht, grew grim faced. Only one person aboard the ship actually enjoyed watching the hunger of Pokémon like Sharpedo driven to the point of eating humans, and eventually craving them. Some in the pack were reluctant and would try to eat anything else. The largest, were not. Those were the ones selected to be moved out of the pens that acted as engines and had done so ever since the Arceans had been forced to adapt to a life at sea, aboard these very ships, so very long ago.


Before the regularly scheduled slaughter of rebellious 'japs' could again start, the radar pinged. All eyes turned to the main viewer. A single, massive ship was coming from their southeast. The device pinged again. The first dot had friends. Many friends.

The Admiral's tones rang throughout every ship in Japan. "Contact, southeast Pacifica. Friendlies sound off."

None did. The other Arcean ships were either blockading the besieged dual regions of Kanto and Johto, or up north parked in Sinnoh for repairs. Japan's own Navy had tried taking on the invading Arceans, but they'd been effectively routed thanks to the brutality of Admiral Nauta. He'd battled the weak Japanese all the way down the coastline, many times personally getting involved against their ships and sailors, but eventually, he'd run out of targets in Hoenn. Apparently, these latest ships were not friendly. The Admiral grinned, revealing a mouth full of manually sharpened teeth. He'd taken the Sharpedo look to the extreme, as he genuinely loved his partners, and only one had been infused with Shadow. It was the one exception the Prophet allowed when it came to infusion, given the Admiral's effectiveness at controlling illegal sea traffic. It was an unpopular view, but he found that non infused Pokémon were more effective, since they listened better.


Another ping, and yet more ships appeared behind the first groups in obvious formations. "Who the Hell has the 'nards to test my ship?" The Admiral growled, expecting an answer.

His well-trained crew, who while harshly treated, were also genuinely loyal, to a degree, gave him the answer he expected with the haste he deserved. The man was a genuine Mudbray, but he'd kept them alive when their families abandoned them to the Prophet's mercy for their rebellious tendencies, and he'd given them food, rather than turned them into it. The Arcean naval corps were where members of the population deemed insubordinate ended up, and the admirals all had leave to dispose of anyone they deemed not worth the effort of reforming.

"Sir! We have eyes on the Flagship. Putting it on screen now."

Once more, all eyes were drawn to the screen, and every crewmate on the deck flinched as they saw the imposing but unmistakable outline of the Dark Fleet. They had not truly sailed in millennia, not since they had lost their Guardian, and the imposing dark aura that had made ships flee in terror of their wake had vanished. The very large and very numerous cannons had made up for their lack of aura and had proven as effective as firearms ever had against humans. Once more, it seemed, the Dark Fleet sailed with Zigma's boon.


The Admiral spoke again, undeterred. "I want the name of the ship I'm about to devour...I never got the chance to have a proper showdown with Japan's."

Fingers hammered buttons, as the crew raced to be the first to answer their Admiral's demand. One man shouted in the tense silence. "HMS Chekhov, sir! That's their name for it. Flagship of Rio's Dark Fleet. Evidently, both it and the fleet can, and have, deployed Trainers on Flying Types for battles like this before, in mass quantities."

The Admiral chuckled. "They'll find a sky full of ice, a harsh teacher. Ready the Walrein and Dewgong." He held out a hand, and through the power of technology and electromagnetism, summoned to his gloved fist a Power Stave that had been customized into an upgraded trident. At the top of the hilt was a blue gem, and it began to glow as the Admiral's voice rang throughout his own ship, and the others in his battle fleet. "Now, release the Sharpedo!"


Heavy thumps echoed from every ship, as the pens holding the Sharpedo meant for battle opened and released the beasts into the sea. The Admiral's voice came again as he touched a pair of fingers to the blue crystal. "All pods! Mega Evolve!"

The rather obvious glow prompted the Dark Fleet to open fire, though their guns were not firing projectile bullets, nor were they aimed at the ships. Balls of still bloody chum encased in a sap that was waterproof, and yet still gave off a bloody scent in the water, hurtled by the mega evolved Pokémon, and as one they turned on instinct and followed the bloody balls, chomping eagerly into the meals that, when reached, would entrap them in tar-like sap miles under the ocean from their Trainers. It would dissipate with enough salt water, but by then the battle would be over.

Suddenly defenseless, the Arcean ships began listing as the Sharpedo and Carvanha acting as engines also moved for the food balls and dragged their ships as far as their anchors would allow. The Admiral glowered at the main viewer. "Fine. If that's how they want it, Carcharo shall be their opponent. I'm going up top." His final words were answered by a rising platform under his chair, that would bring him to the ship's topmost deck, an area reserved for the Admiral alone. It was also where he tended to launch from.


A Dark Ball brought forth his favored Sharpedo, and the ever-angry beast glared at him. The Admiral pressed the trident again. "Mega Evolve! Carcharo, devour them all!" The man pointed, and the now mega evolved Shadow Pokémon obeyed, charging through the waves in a bloody curving line towards the Chekhov.

Sap balls flew past him without the Shadow infused shark so much as glancing at them, and the Rio fleet's reluctance to harm a Pokémon left them wide open. He tore into their right flank, arcing towards the flagship through five relatively speedy boats used for reconnaissance.

The flagship changed ammunition rather quickly, and soon, multicolored balls of blue, magenta, and orange hit the speeding shark, and forced it to veer away, as the water around it became filled with 'Pester Gas' for use in the aptly named Pester Balls, that helped the people of Rio without ghost powers traverse the jungles and drive off wild Pokémon without injuring them. Even infused with Shadow, the Pokémon's body could not handle the gas, and avoided water that had been tainted by it.


"Carcharo!" The Admiral shouted, and his voice traveled across the water, gaining the Shadow shark's attention. The Pokémon's eyes went wide, as it saw the Stone the Admiral had evidently raised to the top of the ship as well. It glowed with seven colors and radiated the power of Infinity.

The Mega Sharpedo circled back to his Trainer, and leapt out of the water, matching the height of their own ship with ease. The Admiral had one hand on the Stone, and the other outstretched, as an offering. Carcharo bit down on his Trainer's limb with zero hesitation, and the man growled through the pain. "Dark...Burst!"

Shadow traveled from the Sharpedo to his Trainer, and then into the Stone as well. With time, the Shadow would devour it, and force the Stone to be found once more once it reconstituted itself, but if it meant wiping out the Dark Fleet, it would be worth it. Admiral Nauta fused with his Mega Sharpedo, and the two became one as the Shadow energy pushed their evolution to a new level.


The resemblance to a Garchomp was a little unsettling, though the Admiral and his partner lacked scythe hands. Aspects of the shark had fused with aspects of the man, and the result was a deep bluish purple skinned monstrosity with hate-filled eyes, and a very much Sharpedo-like jaw, with three rows of deadly teeth. The shark man eyed the oncoming ships again, as flying dots that must have been Trainers filled the sky.

The Admiral's new gravely tones rang over the battle fleet's intercoms. "All firing teams...Ice Beam! Feed any that miss to the engines!" With that, the fused beast leapt into the dark blue waters, and began swimming towards his prey as their Trainers fell by the hundreds. The Dewgong and Walrein that yet lived on these horrible ships had long since learned what inaccuracy led to. It didn't matter if they didn't want to hurt fellow Pokémon, they had to hit successfully, or become chum.

All the Chekhov got in the way of warning was an easy to miss nose, rising from the point of the shark man's elongated snout. Thankfully, the aid coming to the flagship was under the water, and saw the threat outlined in the intense sunlight long before he came close.


An explosion of glowing blue beams of water typed energy hammered the Admiral as he leapt for the flagship, jaws wide, and was sent skipping across the water as an Origin Pulse blindsided the Arcean's strongest water Trainer. The Trainers who'd acted as aerial support thus far cheered, as the massive blue form of Kyogre broke the surface. Atop the super ancient Pokémon's head was a woman, who gave the trio of figures atop the Chekhov a cocky salute. "Any enemy of these zealots is a friend of Hoenn! Name yourselves, strangers!"

The three figures atop the flagship, Queen Iara, their new green-clad Champion, and a man clad in blue with suspiciously Latios-like hair, conversed briefly, before the green one leapt over the side of the ship, and mounted a being that melted from the shadows. The massive form of Zigma coalesced from under the Dark Fleet, and the now floating Kyogre eyed the massive feline-esque chimera warily as she took the sky, and hovered before the Guardian of the western seas, and her Tamer.

A strong, and unquestionably feminine voice thundered in Haruka Birch's skull as she received her answer. "The Dragon of Unova sends his regards, alongside the Dark Fleet of Rio. We are to free your ports, be reinforced, and take back the northern half of this island. Guide us to your leaders."


The woman atop the Kyogre ordered the super ancient Pokémon to rise, and she stared the leopard-spotted chimera down, even when the rear snakeheads loomed, watching always, above what mortals considered Zigma's 'face' to be. "First, we need to take those ships, and not with firearms, there are innocents aboard." The Tamer of Kyogre gave the Dark Guardian and her Tamer another look over as she spoke, "I will be honest...it is a little unnerving to receive aid in the form of the Dark Fleet from a nation that claims to stand in the Light...one might wonder if the Arceans aren't completely off base with their claims...though their actions thus far are still dishonorable. It's for better heads than mine to deal with. I'll guide you to the Champions once we handle those ships."

Zigma's feline head nodded once. "Lead on, Tamer of the Sea. This is your home; you know it best. But first…"

Just as the hovering chimera paused, her fangs lit with pure darkness, and clamped down upon the near-invisible form of Admiral Nauta, who had sped back towards his quarry in an enraged frenzy and tried to strike down one of the Tamers with stealth. He snarled in pain as the fangs embedded themselves deep into vital organs, and even with his Shadowy healing factor, the wounds seemed to resist closing, or even attempting to heal. "How...did you...see me...I am...a Shadow...darkness incarnate!"

Zigma stared down the shark man and clenched her jaw tighter as the sea below them filled with black blood. "You...are little more than a tainted imitation of the real thing...and it is time you stopped pretending to serve the Alpha."


Nauta's eyes went wide as the Guardian's voice thundered painfully in his head, impossible to ignore, or deny, for the truth of her words was infallible. Darkness radiated off the hovering entity, as she spoke a final time. "In fact...perhaps it is best if you are simply...forgotten."

Zigma clenched again, and with shattering sound, the crystalline energy binding the Sharpedo and the man together broke before it could fully make itself permanent, and the fusion split apart. The shark fell towards the water, only to be stopped by a purple aura that kept it hovering in place for the moment.

For the wounded Admiral, his end was, to all appearances, quick and merciful as he completely vanished into the gaping jaws of the Dark Continent's Guardian, and was never heard from, or remembered, again. Zigma turned to the man's unfortunate partner, and with a flash of her dark aura surrounding his body, Carcharo was freed of the Shadow, and his painful memories of a genuinely good, if a bit deranged Trainer all at once.

His Mega Form had faded, but the latent experience from the many battles he'd participated in as a weapon of naval warfare all suddenly came back at once, and the already massive Sharpedo doubled in size. The eyes turned towards Zigma, blinked once in a respectful acknowledgement of the Mother of the Home Rivers, and then turned towards Hoenn, and the scent of Sealeo, and Walrein.


Zigma's Tamer let the hungry shark go to sate his instinct, and then turned her eyes on the ships in the distance, soaring above as Kyogre moved below the ocean's surface. She spied the Hoenn girl in her pressure-adapted sapphire colored 'armor' trying to subtly send a message via Holoceiver to what appeared to be a very worn, very haggard Steven Stone. The call was brief, but she could guess what it was about.

The giant, seven colored rock was obvious, atop the highest deck of the Arcean's flagship. None had realized the Admiral's fate quite yet, and none had possessed the right attitude to risk their necks and take a peek up top. Admiral Nauta had killed people for less.

Thus, the Dark Guardian swooped by, gripped the stone with her massive paws, and lifted it easily into the possession of the Dark Fleet. She burned away the Shadow energy trying to taint it and warped it into a pocket space only those with true mastery of the dark typing could create, or safely enter. Moments after the theft, the massive form of Kyogre Aqua Jetted through the Arcean's main ship, and by no coincidence left the still-afloat other half alone. That one, had contained prisoners, but the decks that had been barracks, and 'rec rooms' for Arcean higher ups had been completely torn through. The momentum of the fifty-foot Pokémon's massive form went rather high with the move it had perfected with the aid of a human.


That same human now guided the Legendary Pokémon back down, and they hovered slightly above the remaining battle group as Zigma began portaling prisoners away through holes of dark typed energy. "Incoming!" Was the only warning Haruka gave as Kyogre gave off a deep rumble, and the surrounding water rippled from the sheer force of it. It had rested well, for once, and today was finally the day to strike back. The Water Spout went high into the air, high enough to crystallize in the upper atmosphere, before falling back to the earth.

The self-titled Contest Queen then marked the ships below her with her eyes and psychically told the massive Pokémon where to aim specifically. The goal was to keep the casualties low, but with the power of an Origin Pulse, someone was bound to be unluckily caught in the crossfire. The streams of blue water energy shot into the massive icy Water Spout spread, and arced off the many pieces of ice, breaking them, and focusing the beams all at once.

The beams bounced around, and then downward, towards the parts of ships marked by the Tamer of the Sea, splitting the ships in half with pure water energy. Kyogre's aim was rather good, and always only the Arcean quarters and the main decks were the casualties. A few ships had managed to fire off cannons of their own, alongside Ice Beams from several Dewgong, though many had resisted firing at the Guardian of the Sea. To a water type, the idea of attacking Kyogre, outside of honorable Battle of course, was simply absurd. None aboard the ships had the heart to take down the Guardian as ordered, and moments later, more than a few directed their Ice Beams at the humans.


Chaos erupted as meteoric ice chunks fell into the ocean, and on parts of what was still floating. Thankfully, Zigma's methods of saving people and Pokémon were as quick and efficient as spatial portals always tended to be. The majority were evacuated with haste, though there had likely been casualties. Such was the nature of Legendary scale attacks.

In the distance, atop the Ever Grande Plateau, a plume of fire and smoke filled the sky, and from the newly leveled Victory Road, which had been emptied during Arcean occupation, now rose a massive volcano. A red scaled Groudon roared up from the flaming mountain, and met Kyogre's gaze in the distance, and a tiny ruby-colored figure atop its head waved in their direction.

The Groudon was recalled into a Pokéball, and before they'd gone halfway towards the plateau, they were met by a Champion, atop arguably the strongest Salamence in Hoenn. Once the three Tamers had conferred for a time, the Dark Fleet split in two. The southern half moved for Slateport, and would be led by Rikuya, Champion of Hoenn and Tamer of the Land, in retaking the city from the Arceans. The northern group, and the larger, had split again. Some went for Mossdeep, and the many strong Trainers who'd hidden themselves well, while the rest moved for Lilycove City.

For her part, Zigma had again moved the prisoners to the safety of the Hoenn Tamer's last holdout, Sootopolis City, and then had continued on her way. The fleet had orders to regroup and head for Johto once Hoenn was free, for that was where the Dark Continent's Guardian headed from Hoenn, specifically to Mt. Silver, the place where the Champions of Japan had hidden themselves, and their allies, from the encroaching zealots.



Mt. Silver - Johto Region


"You know, only fools climb up here more than once."

The ever-snarky tones of Professor Gary Oak caused the man known as Red to smirk, humorlessly, down at what he was looking at. It was a clear day, gorgeous really. Perfect for war. The view below was filled by the armored forms of the zealots from Fornia, covering the northern slope of the mountain. Only the lakes north of Mt. Silver broke up their lines, not that it would matter.

"So far, my Mewtwo and the…other one Team Rocket made...have been holding them back, but…" Red was interrupted as one of the Mewtwo, the Y strand and self-proclaimed (but statistically supported) Ultimate Life Form, raised a bulbous three fingered hand from under its ragged brown cloak, and formed a familiar ball of psychic death. The Psystrike rained down on the Crusaders, catching only the slowest of those below, who had been foraging outside of their corp's shields. General Marius knew armies marched on food, and the Crusaders had effectively stripped the land from Sinnoh to their current position of much of the berry related fruits, not even bothering to plant the extra. All were needed, for Arceus's war machine.


The retaliation was swift as it arced up towards them with all the combined fury of flame, ice, and electricity, but Red was already there, floating in the air behind his Mewtwo. "Mirror Coat!"

His partner, currently still mega evolved into its X strand physical attacking form nodded once, seeing the logic. His lengthy psychic spoon, as long as he was tall, formed from thin air, and the genetic Pokémon twirled it as it shone with rainbow light, and sent the combined Tri-Attack beams back down at those who had fired them, where they smashed uselessly into the combined energy barrier formed by the Power Staves when in close proximity.

The Crusaders had been marching under such defensive cover ever since their newest General, Marius, had arrived to reinforce them, and drive them south. The General had taken most of the north, and the Arcean's Admiral had taken the southern islands, and even Hoenn last they'd heard. Still, nowhere was as bad as Sinnoh.


The Champion of the region, Kohki, along with his team of would-be heroes, had managed to escape the Arceans when it became clear that Sinnoh was helping the invaders, or rather, a larger majority than expected had suddenly revealed their membership all at once, and had simultaneously crawled out of the woodwork to enact their 'righteous conquest'.

Gary sighed at Red. "This isn't working. Where's Cynthia? We could use that Rayquaza of hers…"

"She went north, to Sinnoh, to train. Last I heard." Red's tone was emotionless, and his eyes were locked on the north. "That dragon is probably already under their sway…and Kohki has, apparently, vanished."

"Vanished?"

Red nodded, wordlessly reaffirming what he'd already said, and Gary came up beside Red now, and stood beside him atop Mt. Silver's highest peak. He'd dressed as he usually did these days, with his classic (and warm) purple shirt, covered by his Gramp's lab coat. "I certainly hope they haven't caught that thing in a Dark Ball...a Shadow Rayquaza is a bit...out of our league. Sinnoh's was already ferocious on a good day..." There had been rumors that Champion Cynthia had some trouble taming the black scaled Rayquaza that had rampaged around the western part of the Sinnoh region, but Red knew that Legendary Pokémon could be difficult to bond with.

Red smirked again. "Mewtwo, both of them, can handle it if necessary...but you have a point. With that kind of firepower, we won't last long. They can't fight everyone. Not at once."


"Red! Red, you need to see this!" The feminine tones of Leaf, as well as the familiar rumble of a Hydro Pump entered their ears as the cannon turtle brought his Trainer to the summit of Japan's most iconic mountain by propelling itself through the air with its cannons. The two boys turned as she landed. "Seems like your Unovan friends finally sent us some help! The others are on their way up. We're counterattacking. Now."

The smirking, red clad Trainer floated into the air on his own power once more, and joined the Mewtwo in the sky above Mt. Silver's conical snow-covered top. Gary summoned his Charizard, and was joined in the air moments later, by the other Champions, and their own flying partners. When Red had called, those with a Pokédex had answered. Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, and even friends from Kalos had come, though Hoenn's remained absent.

It was Kalos's Prince, Calem, who floated over to Red then, on his Noivern. The tall Kalosian handed him something crystalline, and Red's eyes flared with crimson aura as he saw it, and then met his Mewtwo's gaze. The two psychic types, for Red had awakened his own typing in the Swamp, seemed to converse for a moment, and then the Y strand Mewtwo floated over as well. After a few minutes of further psychic discussion, they nodded in unison, and flew further above the gathered Trainers. That was when they saw the form their aid had taken.


Rising quickly over the mountain's conical top, Zigma's feathery emerald colored wings darkened the sun, and her Tamer stood atop her head, arms crossed. She shouted down to them. "Champions of Japan! It's a real honor to meet you all, face to face. Your legends are heard even in Rio. By request of Unova's Dragon Emperor, we have come to aid you."

Red nodded, rising beside the pair of Mewtwo, as he addressed everyone. Seeing the sky above the mountain filled with Pokémon, the Arceans below began the long march up the mountain's relatively easy slope. "The time is now. We either win here, or let Kanto and Johto fall. Are you with me!?" He raised a fist, and the others cheered, but Red could see they were worn out. They'd been trapped in the very much inhospitable caves for weeks now. Most of Johto and Kanto had already been invaded, but the counterattack came now. Red pointed at the shield covering the forces below as he met Zigma's fierce feline eyes. "Can you take care of that shield? We can take them if we can hit them…"

The leonine chimera gave her best attempt at a shrug, and opened her jaws. Atop her head, her Tamer raised a dark crystal, that glowed with a similarly dark energy. The Dark Pulse grew in size, and the orb of darkness was mirrored above numerous red spots that appeared as Zigma enhanced her attack to surpass the energy level of the Arcean's shield. Then, she made them impossibly dense, with the nature of compressed dark typed energy. With a roar, Zigma sent the evidently heavy orb hurtling towards the Arcean's largest corps of soldiers, and when it hit the shield, it appeared to vanish.


"Is...is that it?" The question came from one of the gathered Trainer's Togekiss, namely the girl riding atop it, alongside Hibiki, the man who'd gone toe to toe with Red on this very mountain, in his day. They were both much older, and while Red had continued to hone his battle prowess after their encounter, Hibiki had gone on to become, and greatly expand, the use of Pokémon Rangers, and Ranger battle tactics, across Japan.

Kotone got her answer when, quite suddenly, an orb of dark energy flared up under the enemies' shield, devouring them to a man with unsettling waves of pure black. When it faded, all that remained were Power Staves, still connected to the overall shield of their corp formations, but lacking the men who'd held them.

Zigma turned to the gathered Trainers, Champions, Breeders, and Pokédex fillers. "Well...you have weapons, now. Make use of them."


Red floated forward, speaking for the uncomfortable Trainers gathered at his request. "That's not how we do things, in this land."

Zigma, who had begun to descend, paused unnaturally in the air, and then reappeared in an eyeblink before the floating Red. That close, he understood just how massive she was. The comparatively massive feline eyes narrowed at the tiny human, and her Tamer gave a shrug that very much suggested Zigma was doing her own thing and would not easily be deterred if she decided to have a psychic snack.

Red's crimson aura shield tightened around his body, for all the good it would do against a legend, but he wisely let her speak uninterrupted. "You do survive in this land, yes? Fight with honor? A code of Battle?" Red looked quietly to one side. "I do not care if you dislike such weapons. You may not need them, but they might." One spotted paw gestured to the regions behind them, and on such a clear day, it was easy to see smoke rising from Olivine City, and Cinnabar Island as well. "Will you not give your people the chance to fight for their freedoms?"

Red's eyes, burning with an appropriately crimson aura, narrowed. "That is how villains do things. Team Rocket. Magma. Aqua. Galactic. Flare. They use such devices, as well as Pokémon, to achieve their aims. Such things should be smashed, and never again made, as the ancestors willed." He gestured as well. "I've Battled almost all of our country's Trainers by this point. I have faith in them. Next time, crush the weapons too."

While the Guardian and former Champion were arguing, the two Mewtwo had, seeing an opportunity, dove into the fray on either side of the now fractured Arcean line. The X strand, Red's partner, shared his views on this particular issue, and in short order, his spoon proved itself superior, again, to any Power Stave, smashing them all to pieces.


Irritated, but evidently unwilling to argue, Zigma turned towards the easternmost army group of Crusaders, and prepared another strike, only to find that the corps had mobilized en mass and were now ascending atop Pokémon capable of flight. In short order, the sky was a frenzy of deadly energy beams, Pokémon moves, and naturally, death. Typically, battles were several hundred feet up, and Mt. Silver's summit was not merciful to those who fell. Neither were its inhabitants.

As the battle grew, it soon became apparent that the local Pokémon were helping as well, as best wild Pokémon could. While typically weaker to those who'd been trained, in large numbers, they were rather strong. Several of the original Pokédex fillers had also embraced Ranger tactics, and made full use of their wild allies, and even summoned in others as well through the use of their Signs.

Soon, the slopes were covered in battling Pokémon and humans, and Mt. Silver's northern face became pure chaos.



Several Miles North of Mt. Silver - Holon Region


"At last...back to war." The scarlet and gold armored form of a giant strode to the front of his mode of transportation, and glimpsed the flash of energy beams and Pokémon moves in the distance. His armor was considered to be the 'Mark III' of the Crusader pattern, even though 'Mark II' hadn't even been widely distributed to all forces. In Fornia and Japan, the soldiers had received what suits had been made, and their old ones were used on newer recruits, primarily for reinforcing Texico City.

The Crusaders under General Marius smirked at his enthusiasm. The aged man lived for conflict and had just finished destroying an old student of his who'd taken up living in a backwater nation like this. He'd mastered electricity fairly well, but he'd ignored the other elements entirely, and had fallen to his old teacher's power, as all the others had before him.

General Marius had been the mind behind the original idea of using the One Dragon's legendary power of subjugation, namely his devastating multi typed breath attacks, and condensing them into a powerful, portable weapon. Even while he was asleep, they had done it, and the Prophet's dream had come to fruition much quicker than anticipated.

Arceans had, according to their history, never actually warred with anyone. Any conflicts they did have, were usually in States they had held sway over, and had usually been against the rebellious 'counterculture' of whatever region they'd been taking over at the time. Thus, General Marius had a track record of victory, though even he had been stalled by winter. Like a true 'Spartan', he had refused to campaign in a blizzard, so Pravus had sent him somewhere else.


As the General's airship, the crimson painted Thunder Eagle, sped ever southwards on the standard Arcean combination of tandem rotor blades and powerful engines, Marius sighed. The land below was mountainous, snowy, and likely cold. But at least it wasn't thousands of miles of flat land and nothing but white in every direction. One had to be mad to be able to fight in such conditions, which certainly explained the Prophet's choice in switching around leadership.

The airship landed on the remains of what had once been an entire corps of their forces, and Marius' personal guard followed him from the ship's hold. He had his own personal army with him, and additional ships carrying the bulk of the hundred thousand strong force landed soon after. Like their general, their armor was scarlet, though it had been greyed by months of functioning under perpetual ash clouds. Now, they would turn it scarlet once more.

"Ahh...Mewtwo...interesting. Two, no less, and with the strongest, ideal Natures...Giovanni did not skimp. Let us see how they handle...a Titan. He drew a Pokéball from the scarlet cloak that adorned his back and bore the Church's symbol.

Despite being a normal ball, the occupant was very much still infused with Shadow, as was obvious to any present who could see such things. The General summoned his Regigigas to the field and pointed at the two battling genetic Pokémon.


The soldiers immediately around them suddenly focused their fire and forced the pair to retreat under their Barriers. Three Pokémon moves, also of fire, ice, and electric typing, forced the combined attacks into a stalemate, and canceled the energy out with the usual explosion. From the dust, came the reigning Indigo Champion, and the Legendary Beasts he only summoned on special occasions, but respected him enough to answer when he did call.

Silver glanced up at the pair of Mewtwo, who both blinked in recognition of the boy they had both once seen, clinging to Giovanni's leg. It was one of their earlier memories. Then, he spoke, his harsh adult male baritone shattered the pair's memory and brought them back to the present. "I have this! Go, find Red. You'll need him to take that thing down!"

As he finished speaking, Silver turned back to see the aforementioned titan charging at his beasts with building speed. "Shadow Impact!" Came the command from the red armored General commanding the titan, and at his words, it picked up its pace, and sent Entei, Suicune, and Raikou flying into the mountainside behind the floating form of their Trainer. Psychic was being used liberally, and many of the Trainers atop the mountain had been levitated into the air, though it took them a moment to realize who was orchestrating it.

Serena's Delphox had a reputation for her masterful manipulation, and Leaf's Alakazam was outclassed only by legends when it came to psychic power. Together, they kept those who needed to fly, and battle, out of harm.


As the pair of Mewtwo ascended to the top of the mountain once more, they found themselves no less embroiled in conflict. The sky was a shifting array of colors, often based upon type of move, but though the invaders each had belts of ten Pokémon, those gathered here had trained more than enough partners to fill out four extra spaces in preparation for the World Tournament.

The brown-shrouded Y Mewtwo looked around. "I do not...see him. Or sense him."

Red's voice came from above and behind them. "Where are you looking? I'm here. Right up here." The crimson aura-shielded human was smirking, and holding up a strange crystal that was glowing with psychic typed energy, manifesting as a crimson light, and radiating power to rival Mega Evolution. "Which of you has the power to answer a titan?"

The two Mewtwo shared a look, and both started forward, only to pause, and again lock eyes. Their auras, both deep blue and radiating raw power began sparking as the edges collided. Red's Mewtwo took advantage of the closeness and struck impossibly fast with his psychically manifested spoon. The Psycho Cut was smashed through with a Psystrike, and the Y strand Mewtwo raised both arms, calling down a hail of follow up strikes as it pummeled the other into the mountain.


It turned towards Red then, and in an eyeblink, it was before him, three fingered hand raised towards his. Their auras blended, and the crystal flared in Red's palm as he started the chant that, apparently, Kalos' top scientists had insisted was necessary for activation. Calem had helped him memorize it. "Full length…"

"Genetic Series…" The Mewtwo answered, reading his mind easily.

The two spoke again in unison. "Heavenly Burst!" The red coloring of Red's aura swelled as the two became one, and the genetic Pokémon reached a new stage of its evolutionary path. Because it had been mega evolved on its own power, the new fusion retained many aspects of the Y strand Mewtwo's characteristics.

It was a lucky thing, for just as they finished, they raised a four-fingered hand, and halted the Shadow Beam that Regigigas had launched towards the impossibly bright red light. The beam had also cleared the smoke around the pair's vicinity, and all of the combatants around and above the mountain paused, as they bore witness to a power only dreamed of.


The sky was bright red, and the reason for that coloration floated above all of them. The lengthy head tail of Mewtwo's Y form had split into two, and the semi-halo that surrounded the Y strand's Mega Form had become a full, blazing one, burning red above their head as the waves of power emanating from the new fusion of man and Pokémon. Their head sported a pair of uncannily catlike ears, and Red's seemed to have been lost somewhere in the mix.

The fused pair clenched their fingers as they glowed bright with the power of Mirror Coat, and the beam of darkness went streaking back into the Regigigas, who was too slow to counter its increased speed.

The elemental titan fell with a heavy crash next to the creature that controlled its actions, the human who was a General of his people. The man's third generation suit, one with no Melmetal essence, only ceracrete metal blends 'borrowed' from the Imperium of Man, revealed a hidden feature of the Arcean's latest armored suits.

His back-embedded jetpack brought the General high above his titan, and he spoke a single word. "Automatize!"


Regigigas rose, but as it did, it was missing parts of its metallic body, and the foliage that had grown upon it with time. Shadow poured from the missing pieces, and the General spoke again. "Now...smother the red one. Shadow Grip!"

The enraged, and heavily damaged titan charged towards the fusion of human and Mewtwo with a speed that should not have been possible with its size and nature, each of the six long fingers blazing with pure darkness.

As they saw their opponent approaching, the fused pair agreed, they needed to use an attack that would remove their enemies in one blow. Then, they could use this new Light energy coursing through them to heal their land, and retake Japan all the way to Sinnoh. A shadow from the late noon sky covered the fighters, and all looked directly up, as Zigma appeared above them all, and fired a sticky, sludge like substance, that certainly looked poisonous, at the feet of the Regigigas. The elemental golem's momentum faded as the tar-like substance stopped it and forced it to stand in place. Once it was stuck, Zigma roared. Their opening was before them.

The fused pair's crimson halo moved as they did, to behind their back. Their arms outlined a circular pattern, forming a familiar symbol made of pure Light and psychic type energy.


The halo burned brightly as they raised the dual typed Taijitu move over their head and let their mental baritone thunder across the mountain range. "Erupting...Heaven Sphere!"

The fusion of man and Pokémon let their arms drop to either side of them, and the burning orb exploded into thousands of red meteors, each of which sought out, and struck down, an Arcean soldier. Many fell to their ends, though just as many were saved by their armor's ability to take heavy landings rather well.

The largest sphere met Regigigas' Shadowy hands and burned the foul energy infusing the titan away. The orbs exploded on impact, filling the battlefield with bursts of smoke, and Regigigas' was no different as it took another direct hit, and finally fainted.

General Marius, who had deflected the orb meant for him with a single punch, began moving through the smoke towards his airship's LZ, suddenly found himself face to face with the ultimate fusion of Pokémon and human. The General sneered at the abomination, but a sneer was all he got.


"It would be best for all if you simply...forgot...all that you have been lied to about by your vaunted cult." The four-fingered hand with typically bulbous fingertips radiated crimson psychic power, and the General visibly reacted with disgust.

"Foul creature! I will never submit to your mind trickery!" The General stood strong in the face of the fused abomination's psychic power, but in the end, a single poke to the wrinkled forehead removed almost all of his memories involving loyalty to the Church of Arceus, and his blind devotion to the cause faded, as Marius gained perspective on just how atrocious his actions had been. What the psychic and normal type left behind, was a shell of the former man, a husk, not fit for command.

For good measure, the crimson fusion of human and Pokémon destroyed the man's Pokéballs, releasing and cleansing his partners all at once. It was at that point that Zigma again flew over. Throughout the course of the fighting, she had been inhaling, and purifying, the Shadow energy forcibly infused into many of these Pokémon. Some were more infected than others and would need a Light wielder to remove their affliction. It was the kind of Shadow corruption that changed one's very being, on a genetic level, and seeing it used so commonly from the Pokémon she attempted to free of the foul substance made the dark Guardian's heart ache for them, and their suffering.

Knowing that such things required tampering with Eggs, the closest thing Pokémon had to sacrilege, ignited her fury as well. The humans were learning once more, and if their rapid knowledge was not curbed, there would be another Judgement War in the end. Thankfully, the General's Pokémon had been second generation, infused in the early days of Fornia's tampering. Each of them grew large and healthy as years of battle experience under the west's strongest General came back to them all at once.


The other Arceans hit by the fused pair had been similarly affected by the fusion of Light and psychic energy. The indoctrination that had been working its effects on each of their minds since before they could walk seemed to vanish, along with the psychological compulsions to praise and obey their Prophet. The Trainers gathered were all bruised and covered with the grime of war. Several had been wounded rather seriously but said wounds had been healed when the fusion of human and Mewtwo had guided its attack into the wounded as well, proving beyond doubt that the Light could both heal and hurt, when necessary.

With the last of their energy, the fused entity curled itself up into a fetal position, and a wave of cleansing Light exploded from its body, passing over every single human, and Pokémon, on Mt. Silver. The Shadow infusions that had resisted Zigma's efforts were burned away, and the genetic damage done was repaired, in moments, by the power of Mewtwo and his inherent understanding of genetic code. The terrain healed as well, and flora soon began to cover the mountain's lower slopes in greater abundance, though the top remained snow-covered.

Red and the once more brown cloaked Mewtwo fell towards the mountain as their fusion ended, and the two were caught by the X strand's telekinesis, still in his Mega Form. Having healed from the earlier Psystrikes with a Max Potion he'd applied himself, the melee combat form glanced between his Trainer, and his newest ally, whose own Mega Form had dropped.

"Well done...that move of yours even struck those still in their balls. You have both effectively cleansed this entire army group...without Shadow Pokémon giving them the advantage, our Trainers will have no trouble rising to meet these invaders."


The gathered Trainers floating or hovering in the sky around the three cheered, and below, the armored forms of confused Arceans began moving northeast, to their nearest friendly port. Many had simply left their Pokémon, but quite a few had produced regular Pokéballs for them, and recaptured their partners.

At that moment, horns of many ships began sounding from their south, namely behind where the battle around Mt. Silver had been fought. Rising higher for a clear view of Kanto and Johto below, the gathered Trainers saw that the fleets had arrived from Hoenn, and with a pair of super ancient Legendary Pokémon in tow, no less.

The anchored Arcean ships tried to resist, at first, but the Dark Fleet's Trainers, strengthened by their conflicts in Hoenn on this long, war-torn day, made short work of rebellious ideas. Over half of the Crusaders the Arcean's had thrown at Japan were either captured or had been killed in the fighting upon Mt. Silver. The army group formerly under General Marius, men who had seen, and not forgotten, the numerous subduing campaigns they'd enacted under his orders soon rejoined their fellows, and the rumors began spreading as the typical ingrained fear of speaking out against Caleb Pravus was gone.

Stories were shared, truths were revealed, and for once accepted as likely being true, rather than compulsively assuming they were just more lies perpetrated by those who would never live to see a Saved world. Slowly, the mood involving their former leader turned, and the Arceans formerly under Marius headed en mass for their home region. The Dark Fleet let many of them pass unmolested, though some received cannon fire to their hulls, and sank into the ocean. Those, typically, were ships that had yet sported trapped Pokémon, for use as engines and weapons. Those headed west now were going on classic old Earth styled engines, which required fuel. Thankfully, the Arceans had never lacked for such things, and always had reserve tanks in the event their Sharpedo were immobilized somehow.



Sacreus Science Lab - Fornia Region


"All of them? Even Marius?"

"Yes sir!" The Arcean Lieutenant responded, saluting as he did. The new and growing bruise on his left cheek was inspiring more loyalty than ever. "Whatever Red did, dissenters are now the majority in Japan. Many are calling for your head, others have hijacked ships and joined the Dark Fleet. Expected projections assume they'll retake Sinnoh within a week, and then move on to Alola."

"Hrmmm. We can't have that...Alola needs to stay out of this." Caleb Pravus sighed, and looked down upon the chamber they were setting things up in. "Doctor, how long until we are ready?"

The mechanical, almost hollow voice emanated from the stiff form of Doctor Ein, who'd become more machine than man once they'd found most of his ribs, and a few spinal segments, had been shattered by his fall. His feet had been melted, and that term was generous for what had been left after standing for hours upon the back of a Primal Groudon in battle. "We are ready now, my Prophet."

A grin spread across the not unappealing visage of the Arcean's Prophet. "Excellent...let us begin. Get the deer."


The cyborg shuffled off to do as commanded, and returned soon after with a very small, very young white and teal colored Xerneas. The first that had, to their knowledge, ever been successfully cloned. The man keeping it in line, the Arcean Church's own Head Bishop, and resident Light user, followed behind it, holding in his cupped hands a Dark Ball that had since turned gold, thanks to its occupant.

Pravus summoned the last of the legendary influences they would need. The sleeping form of Azelf, curled tight, floated by instinct to the exact center of the room. It had resisted Shadow infusion thus far, but now, it would give them what they desired.

With a dark flash, Ho-Oh was released into the chamber as well, and the furious phoenix screeched only once before the Azelf, prodded by its owner, bound it with a sinister series of red crystalline chains. From talons to beak, the bird was muzzled. The remnants of Team Galactic who'd been desperate to ally with the Arceans had not been lying about the effectiveness of the chains. Ein shuffled forward, dragging the white-furred hind behind him. Ho-Oh paused in its rage, saw the creature, and then her eyes went wide.


Within the center of the circular testing area stood a simple pedestal, upon which was a mostly white crystal that had multicolored pieces of red, orange, yellow, and varying shades of both blue and green, as well as purple, floating around within it, aimlessly. Ein gave the hind a nudge, and the tiny Xerneas began emanating, and focusing, its Fairy Aura through its barely grown antlers into the crystal upon the altar. It was, essentially, the only move the Doctor had taught it. Azelf levitated Ho-Oh directly over the object absorbing the seven colors of energy Xerneas' horns were giving off. The crystal turned entirely black as it absorbed the seven colored light. The bird struggled against the bonds, but a similar human creation had been used once to summon, and temporarily bind, the aspects of Time and Space themselves. In this underground realm of Shadow worshipers, Ho-Oh was quite far from the Light, and any chance of divine intervention.

As the bird struggled, she felt her wings gain ground against the restraints, and hope returned, but only for a few moments, as she realized she was still bound. For whatever reason, the Azelf had given her minor wing space. The reason became evident, as she saw the particles of rainbow light fall from her wings towards the strange creation below. It absorbed the particles, and even the single feather that had fallen in her struggling against the chains. Even infected with Shadow and bound, Ho-Oh was a creature of the Light, and maintained some semblance of sanity. For the moment.

The Light particles from Ho-Oh's rainbow wings turned the pure black crystal into a pure white one, and Caleb Pravus, as well as his gathered underlings and the robotic Doctor Ein, all shared a grinning expression. When the Prophet spoke, it was in an excited whisper. "Next comes yellow..." He held up the Z-Crystal that had been 'acquired' along with the one that was serving as the base for their newest creation. It was a standard Z-crystal shape, though it sported additional diamond shaped protrusions at the top and bottom edges. A black eight-pointed star sat in the middle of it, and it began radiating a dark energy as Pravus drew upon it and guided it into their creation with a burst of Z-energy that Ein had determined would be necessary for their plans. The crystal shone with a flash of yellow light, and retained that coloring, as it hummed with the gathered powers of four Legendary Pokémon.


"And finally..." Doctor Ein intoned in his much deeper and changed voice, "The reddening..." He gestured to the Prophet, who manifested the same dark blade that had pierced and brought low Thor himself. An aura of Shadow surrounded him, though it flinched as he neared their creation. In this stage especially, it was strong enough to weaken beings like him. In the next, that would no longer be a problem.

Pravus raised his dark sword to one of Ho-Oh's bound talons, and slashed, cutting just between the top of the claw, and bottom of the leg, where the two met, and quite a bit of blood flowed. The sparkling crimson droplets fell onto the yellowed crystal, and a sinister aura formed as Pravus began speaking the words that had been whispered to him through the Shadow. "Black, white, yellow, and red. Form this power, and complete my Dread!" Two Darkrai-like hands extended from the aura by his shoulders and hung on either side of the strange crystal. The Dark Plate he'd affixed to his armor flared with energy as he bent reality to his whim and summoned those who evidently needed to have a hand in this, the final process of forming the ultimate weapon. It was harder without the Nexus to draw upon, but after this, he would not need a Nexus ever again. After this, immortality would be his.

Hundreds of Unown poured between the tear in the barriers of reality, and the dark hands bent them to the Prophet's will. The confused and then controlled psychic Pokémon floated in a pattern around the yellow and red colored crystal, forming it naturally as their simple bodies reacted to the stone the humans were trying to create. The Unown's power activated the phoenix's blood, and the crystal absorbed it, taking on the crimson coloring slowly until it pervaded the entirety of the crystal. As the process finished, the Unown, torn from their own dimension, were released, and Teleported back on instinctual fear. Pravus did not care though, for he had his prize.


The still smoldering ruby-colored crystal seared his hand's flesh as he picked it up from the altar. He grinned, as he felt the rage of the consciousness that evidently was still within, even after the work had been finished. "Yes...scream and thrash as much as you like, little dragon. Your power is now mine."

The aura surrounding the Prophet darkened his form, the red crystal disappeared in the forming maelstrom of dark energy and appeared again as a pair of menacing ruby-colored eyes. Two words came from him now, as he finally put the last stage of his plans into motion. "Dark Reversion!" He felt the Darkrai that was a part of him finally reawaken and become the embodiment of the element it represented better than almost any other Pokémon. The Prophet cackled, sounding very much mad as the power of their great work remade his form, and his partner's.

Japan was merely a setback, a costly one, but one that had distracted the dragon from focusing his forces on where they should have been, in order to stop this very process. Pravus was under no illusion that the Original Dragon had an idea of what he was up to, but there was no way the divine lizard could've known how far along they were. Only Doctor Ein, the Bishop, and his personal Lieutenant knew enough to be dangerous, and none of them had loose lips. "We go to Alola..." The Prophet said, as he once more resumed his fused form of human and Darkrai. They were stronger than they had ever been, and the Reversion was not yet complete. "We will stop this...Dark Fleet...before they ever become a threat."

The Doctor, the Bishop, and his top Lieutenant saluted the swirling maelstrom of sentient darkness before them in standard Arcean fashion and answered their master. "Yes, my Prophet!"

The maelstrom of Shadow energy ascended then, through miles and miles of rock and stone, up to the surface, where they would have space to take their final form.
 
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Chapter 32: Jaws of the Dragon, Part 1




(Before reading, please take into account that each time we change scenes, we're jumping back in time as well, to the start of the same day, in multiple places. Enjoy.)



Arciana City Limits - Arciana Region


Hilbert and Hilda had, upon arriving in the city of Menefer, split their forces evenly. That meant each Champion turned General had five thousand Scales, most untested in true combat, as well as two hundred thousand regular troops in each army group. Menefer was a good example of what most cities east of the 'new border' had become. Covered in ash, streets filled with refugees moving east, and of course, rumors of the dark things going on to their west. Nothing but foul rumors came from Arciana City, one of the largest satellites the Arceans had pulled into their fold. At the source of all these foul rumors was, as per usual, a Hand of the Prophet.

Doctor Manchineel, a world-renowned scientist in his own right, had been placed in charge of using the 'undesirable converts' shipped en masse by train to his walled city to perfect something. Nobody knew quite what, only that it involved the Light, and a disturbing amount of people turning essentially brain dead, tossed aside to aimlessly wander the cold city streets. The sane locals of Arciana City had abandoned their homes once the Hand had built a massive steel retaining wall, hundreds of feet high and several feet thick, to keep the inhabitants from simply wandering away.


Though the shambling, dead-eyed humans were considered failures, those touched by the Light sometimes clawed their way back to sanity, and the strange new abilities that came with it. The Arcean Church had made full use of the largely abandoned homes, which were their property anyway, to house their soldiers. The few civilians who remained were usually in positions of importance. The good doctor had been given eight hundred thousand Crusaders to hold the eastern border line that had once marked the State of Arciana. The territory had changed much, in the months he'd been in charge. Villages and small towns west of the city were empty, and every surrounding city was the same, a habitat for ghosts, and dark types, but no humans. They had all been taken to Arciana City or had escaped before they were captured by Manchineel's Crusaders.

In truth, he had plenty of men, but nowhere near enough machines for them to fly in, after constantly having them blown apart by Hyper Beams from the dragon types that General Nate favored using in massive numbers. Even flying types were somewhat rare in this region, as much of it was little more than large swathes of flat, farmed land now covered in ash and snow, and the Doctor had found that moving his troops anywhere in the winter was simply not feasible, thus, he'd brought the people to him. Hilbert and Hilda's newly reinforced troops had no such problems, as by this point only those serious enough to train ten Pokémon remained. The early battles of the war had not been kind to amateurs.


With the mobilization came additional aid from the Imperial capital, in the form of Gym Leaders, from both Unova and Kalos. The majority of Kalos's military was now en route to aid Japan, but their elite Trainers, essentially the nobility, had been sent to Unova alongside two armies that had been trained for battling in winter conditions in the Mediterra Mountains, against Thunder Warriors. The twins had the aid of Burgh, Elesa, and Roxie for this particular endeavor, and their respective forces had become specialized during their training for combat.

It was standard practice of late in Unova for those intending to fight for their homes and their Empire to train rigorously under those the Original Dragon had elevated with his teachings. Not one of them lacked psychic powers, and were Scales in rank having served under the Dragon Emperor's squads, but their duty was to remain home to defend and train while the Dragon Emperor went south, and that is what they had done. The results spoke for themselves.

True to form, Roxie's crowd did not lack for motorcycles, and more than a few had taken to specializing in poison, but a common second favorite was pairing the poison with an electric type. This was largely where Elesa came in, and together under Hilda's leadership, they formed one half of the forces besieging Arciana City, which left Hilbert and Burgh to handle the rest. The Champion and the Gym Leader had found that bug types and dragon types paired surprisingly well, when working together, and their own training had been just as intense.


There was little ceremony once everyone was in place. They knew their task, and the boon from the Original Dragon kept their heads clear, and focused. The 'Dragon Legions' as the soldiery had taken to calling the entirety of the budding government's military power, had been given explicit orders by both their Emperor, and Tao.

Unlike most armies throughout history, it had been decreed that soldiers bearing the Dragon's mark, typically on their shoulder-armor, would remember what that meant, and in the heat of battle would refrain from the usual tactics of pillaging the civilians' valuable possessions, or worse, slaking their lust on Fornian civilians. There was only one punishment for those who callously broke this rule, and as with the majority of the punishable offenses crafted by the Five Generals, the sentence was a permanent guarantee that such atrocities would not happen again.

They did not deal out death for relatively minor things, like looting a store or home that was obviously abandoned for army resources, but the more serious repeat offenders, those who abused their weapons and rank to control and terrorize average civilians would be sent to Unova for another lesson on what was and was not allowed in 'honorable combat', as Tao had called it.

There would be those, as there always were, who would try to steal and rape and kill anyways as the power of authority mixed with the adrenaline of war, and those were the intended focus of this particular order. Officers and soldiers alike were expected to follow it, with the guarantee that even one of the Generals, should they violate the rules, would receive the same sentence from the Dragon himself, if needed. Tao did not look kindly on such things, but luckily, his chosen Generals all possessed hearts that were, at their core, kind. His halves had chosen and battled together with each of the Generals at one point or another. The exception had been Jessica Gladstone, but she and Alex both led the tip of the spear that was their own company of Scales, segregated mostly by sex. Together, Unova's Champions would not fail.


Hilbert and Burgh demonstrated the results of their preparation first, as the bug Trainers combined the power of hundreds, if not thousands, of Pokémon all using Bug Buzz. Most of the soldiers, formerly under Nate's command, had possessed dragon types, and Hilbert had one of his own, as did most serious Trainers on his level. Among the rising Scales, dragon types had, surprising no one, become the favored type to train.

His Hydreigon led the others in empowering the Bug Buzz with the undisputed force of Hyper Voice, and the resulting sound wave was enough to reduce the western side of the city's steel retaining wall to scrap, by causing it to buckle inward, and fall upon the barracks behind it. Though nobody had intel from the ground, aerial spies had confirmed where the Arceans had placed their valuable buildings, and both of the twins had intended to take out those targets with their entrance. The eastern forces rushed through the shattered opening, and battle was soon joined as Crusaders streamed in from across the city to plug the breach and drive the enemy out.

Hilda's approach was subtle, where her brother's was brazen. She had Elesa lead the very loud, very distracting bikers in a serpentine biking formation as they exchanged shots with Crusaders on their part of the wall, hiding behind their combined Stave shields. Hilda took Roxie and her strongest poison users straight to the wall, and after a few Acid Sprays, entered the back of Arciana City's own house of worship. The inside was heavily decorated with white and gold, and symbols of Arceus adorned the walls, always accompanied by the not entirely unpleasant facial features of his self-proclaimed Prophet. Strangely enough, the building was empty, as quiet as a tomb, for the Light branded did not wander into it by instinct. That was good, for Tao had been very clear on what they were to do to these false temples of Arceus worship.


"Alright Draga, Sludge Waaaave!" Roxie gave the command from the statue of Caleb Pravus, just outside the temple as she struck her ever-present electric guitar, and the purple and green colored Dragalge responded with his usual volume as the vibrations got him pumped up for battle. Hilda and the others had gone up to deal with the soldiers atop the walls by that point, and the poison dragon was able to drown the entire building in his attacks. He was soon joined by the rest of Roxie's squad, and as her Scolipede brought down the statue outside, crushing it to dust, they knew they had announced their presence to the city. Power Staves hummed to life around them, and the battle began on both sides of the city.

The soldiers atop the wall were removed in short order, and the rest of the ladies' forces soon enlarged the hole, and streamed into the city over the still sizzling remains of what had once been an impressive stone cathedral dedicated to Arceus. As the armies moved through the city from two sides, they did their best to avoid catching the almost zombie-like people who had been 'purified' by 'Arceus' Light' in the radius of their attacks. These victims had been ordered north, to the Black Hills, provided they survived the battle in the city.

It soon became obvious that the city itself was evidently not holding the armies that had kept the east from pushing west throughout the conflict. Only a few thousand Crusaders had met them, and they had in no way been the best of the best. The twins regrouped alongside the Gym Leaders once the city was taken.


"I have a bad feeling about this." Hilda said, as her brother and Burgh approached their appointed rendezvous. "This was too easy, and I feel like I'm standing in the middle of a trap." She looked up at her mega evolved Metagross, who was scanning below them with its powerful brains for signs of human life they were as yet unaware of. "Anything, MetaGee?"

The Pokémon gave a sound that sounded like a no, and then, a voice was projected to each of them, one that sounded much like Hilda's, but wasn't. "There is Dark Type energy shielding something below. Above, only the branded. If they are hiding, it is under the city."

"Of course they're under. You read the intel." Hilbert said, glaring downwards. "They build into mountains and rock. It's a running theme. Diggers! You're up!" Hilbert finished as he summoned a truly imposing Krookodile to join them. "Don't dig straight down. Guide them on the proper way to make a descending tunnel, strip mine variant. I don't care about ores, just find out if anyone is down there, and watch out for ice attacks."


The dark and ground gator gave his Trainer a thumb pointed upwards, and moments later, the gathered diggers, primarily ground types from the belts of Scales, began heading downwards in tight spirals. Hilda's Metagross shared a psychic projection of the Krookodile's eyes with them, and it did not take the ground gator long to find what he was after. He descended from the tunnel he came upon with all the force of Dig, and chomped down on one of the patrolling Crusaders as the other diggers joined him. Some went deeper, some went sideways, but in short order they had mapped out a somewhat detailed sketch of the underground complex in what had once been an urban garden center.

The two Generals and their accompanying Gym Leaders had sketched out what their Pokémon found, and once more, they found few soldiers. Even the underground, which bore signs of recent habitation, had been emptied somehow.

"I don't like this…" Hilbert said as his digger returned to the surface and was recalled. "There are supposed to be eight hundred thousand of them. We've barely taken out four… Where could they…" He paused, glancing back at the way they'd come. The wall had buckled with surprising ease, despite the power of their attack. They had been told it matched the Kanadian's in thickness if not length, but that had not been the case. It had fallen in like crumpled tin foil, and that was when he realized why.


At that same moment, a soldier ran up to him, an officer judging by the small set of horns, styled after Tao's, sweeping back from his black and white helmet. He saluted. "General! We've discovered more dead Crusaders in the remnants of the wall we brought down! It's my opinion sir that if they were hiding in that portion, they'll be in the others as well."

Sounds of battle erupted again before either of the Generals could respond, this time to the north of the city's centermost building, but soon, the fighting engulfed the entire perimeter. The officer had been correct, and the Arceans had begun countering.

"Oh ho ho ho!" A voice rang out from above them, and the gathered leaders of the Dragon's Legion got their first look at the enemy General, floating above them in a machine that looked like half of a Pokéball, and somehow kept the heft of its occupant aloft. Doctor Manchineel was a bald portly man with an almost comically round body not unlike an egg. He appeared to have no neck, and sported a bushy, grayed moustache under his far too large bulbous nose. His eyes were protected by what appeared to be a horizontal band of black glass, not dissimilar from what was used in the Crusader's T-shaped visors, and his clothes were a combination of red and black made of some sort of shiny, almost plastic like material. "This is what the Unovan Dragon sends me? A pair of twins, and a few Gym Leaders way past their prime? I have to admit, I'm disappointed! I thought my success in holding a hard border against hordes of Dragon Types would merit sending your Emperor. No matter...perhaps he will come to reclaim your corpses!" The Doctor snapped his fingers. "Open fire!"


At his command, the light around them seemed to shift, and atop the walls they saw far, far more Crusaders than they'd seen from the air. Even at that moment, more were streaming up from, presumably, where they'd been waiting within the hollow walls of the city. The easterners suddenly found themselves within a very large barrel, and the losses mounted as the Crusaders did as they were ordered.

Hilda reacted first. "Elesa, Roxie, Burgh, defensive formations! Shield as many of them as you can." She turned to her brother, who was already on his Braviary. "We'll handle the floating fool." She summoned her own Pidgeot, and together, the twins ascended towards the Doctor amidst a hail of mostly electric beams of energy. Being hit by just one would likely bring down their flying types, but the two Trainers had long since mastered aerial dodging with their partners.

"Focus fire on the twins!" Manchineel shouted, sounding somewhat frantic as he guided the machine keeping him aloft away from the angry, charging pair of avian predators, "Electric beams! Now! Now!"

The two flying types had to break off, if they wanted to stay aloft, their entire focus became dodging, but it became rapidly apparent that evasion alone would not be enough for long. Both understood that, eventually, one of the hundreds of stave wielders aiming for them would fire at the right time to score a hit.


"Storm them! Get atop the walls!" The order came from Elesa, and Burgh took the lead, as did Roxie, bringing their respective squads up the southern and eastern sides of the wall. The focused fire on the twins gave the three Gym Leaders an opening, and the last the twins saw of them was the three Gym Leaders vanishing into the depths of the walls at different points. They would take care of the soldiers within, while the regular forces secured the top.

The two tiring flying types were recalled once the volume of electric death beams lessened. Hilbert summoned his Hydreigon, and Hilda jumped atop her Metagross. The two Generals once more charged the Doctor, whose comparatively slow machine had been chugging towards the tallest building in the city, the city's center. A window opened to admit him, and it would have, if a very angry three headed dragon had not floated up between him and the entrance and barred his way. Behind him, the Metagross closed in as well.

"Psychic." Hilda gave the order, and her partner obeyed, freezing the mad Doctor's flying machine where it was. "It's over, Doctor. Give the order to surrender."

The Doctor met her hard eyes and kept his expression unreadable given his blank features and hidden eyes. "You're right, you've clearly outsmarted me. I am defeated." He held out his hands, wrists together, as if he expected to be cuffed. Hilda moved forward to do exactly that, which was when the man shifted, and hammered one of the buttons on his floating machine's dashboard. "Not!"


The twins didn't have to guess at what he'd done, the results were obvious and immediate. The walls of the city blew up from within, leaving a ring of charred slag and human remains around the entirety of the city. He had sacrificed his remaining forces, once they'd drawn in the Gym Leaders, and a good portion of the east's Scales, into the walls. Most of the regular army, and their own squads, had avoided the initial explosion, but as the wreckage tilted inward, it threatened to crush them. Some reacted swiftly. Others, did not.

"No…" Hilbert stared at the wreckage, knowing the odds of surviving such an immediate and devastating explosion were small at best, even with their new armored uniforms. But while the brother was sorrowful, his sister displayed another emotion.

A low hum filled the air and the blue light of Hilda's plasma sword underlit her severe expression. She raised it horizontally, holding it in the air. Even the portly Doctor recoiled at the ferocity in her gaze. "N-now now, I'm an important prisoner of war! You can't kill me! Think of all the secrets I could tell y-"

Hilda raised her free hand and pointed as the man began begging, and her Metagross shifted its Psychic to him, instead, immobilizing the man rather than the machine. That was a mistake she would not repeat but learning it had been costly. "Doctor Manchineel, for your abominable experiments on the people of Arciana City, as well as the murder of three Gym Leaders, and most of your own forces, I sentence you to swift and immediate death in the name of the Original Dragon. Speak your final words."


The Doctor looked at her for a long moment, and then grinned. "I'm sorry my dear, but you don't have the eyes of a killer. It wouldn't matter if you did! You have no idea what is coming for you...for all of you. Caleb Pravus will bring us all back." He gave her a smug smirk, and Hilda's hand tightened around her blade.

"No...he won't. There won't be anything left to revive." She made a gesture, and before her brother, still shocked by the apparent death of three Gym Leaders and old friends could stop her, her Metagross tossed the man from his cockpit into the air, and by no coincidence, the small sliver of throat between his chin and clavicle met the tip of Hilda's blade as his obese form went sailing past. She didn't turn to watch, she spoke only a single command, knowing MetaGee's aim to be true. "Hyper Beam."

The Mega Metagross again acquiesced, and the Doctor's portly frame, skeleton and all, was atomized before the unbridled fury of one of the most powerful moves known to humankind. The twins descended then, and quickly the battle resolved itself. The east had more remaining soldiers, but any attempts at excavating the walls only revealed body parts, and crushed human. Elesa and Burgh had been blindsided, along with their ace Pokémon, but Roxie's Scolipede came rolling out about an hour into the search for survivors. The severely burned bug type deposited his cargo, a very burned, but still living Roxie, and then proceeded to Arceus' realm with a final sigh.

The Scale's armor had kept a few of them alive, but their forces had each taken serious casualties. Once Tao's symbol flapped above the sea of wreckage and carnage below, the twins took what was left of their armies further west, to the camps they had gained the exact locations of from Manchineel's lab.


There, they made short work of the Crusaders defending the camps, and more than once the 'prisoner' population jumped in to aid them. The people were emaciated, grimy, and covered in ashfall. The areas directly east of the Stoney Mountains had received the heaviest, and almost constant, cloud cover from Fornia's burning forests. What the twins discovered within the camps only cemented Manchineel's fate. Even Hilbert eventually agreed he was better off dead.

They found numerous logs of experiments, from meddling with human and Pokémon genomes, to forcibly attempting to psychically link twins and awaken their latent potential, the experiments were detailed, brutal, and had accompanying video footage that was sent back to Unova for study and use in propaganda. The science, and sacrifices required to advance it, would not be wasted. Though the twins personally found Manchineel's dumping site for failed experiments, and buried them properly, it still felt like far too little for the number of lives that had been taken.

It wasn't until they found evidence of the Church of Arceus' support that they knew they'd won the war on the moral front. From lauding Doctor Manchineel as a 'paragon of morality' to directly funding the macabre experiments he enacted, the proof of Church involvement was hard, and undeniable. Each camp liberated only provided more evidence, and before the day was out, Tao had reports of the mad Doctor's experiments finding their way to the ears of the relatively sequestered Arcean populace that had fled to his territory. Without Arcean brainwashing and obedience to keep them from looking, the refugees learned what had become of their homes, and many were filled with fury by the news, and images. The more those from the central regions saw of the true nature of the Arceans, the more soldiers they would have enlisting.



Several Miles South of Fargo - Dakota Region


The second foray in Urbe Monachus proved to be easier than the east's last attempt, but no less dramatic. Thor had strongly insisted to General Nate that he and his warriors would be the ones to claim victory here, as they should have the last time. To that end, the being straight from prehistorical legends had charged the city, army of Asgardian warriors in tow, and in short order had claimed it for the Dragon Empire.

To the God of Thunder's disappointment, the city had only contained those branded by the light, who had taken to aimlessly wandering the streets, and roughly two thousand Crusaders, most of which surrendered when they laid eyes upon the sparking form of Thor, and his iconic hammer. From them, Nate learned that the Arceans, under their newest General, had strategically withdrawn to their northernmost city of Fargo, the largest city they had outside of the Kanadian Wall, and the one that had been the source of almost every failed Arcean attempt to surmount said wall. With Shruikan gone, the attempts had gotten bolder, but the new defender, a Rayquaza known to the Fornian people, made less than short work of their forces. All had been recalled to Fargo, after that last failed attempt, and as far as anyone knew, the former capital of the Dakota region had played host to the Crusader's entire northern army group for months as the harsh winter stalemate had dragged on.

Nate ordered the Light branded rounded up, as peacefully as possible, and then guided them to a holding facility where, presumably, Tao had someone who could help these poor, wandering husks. The dragon had not elaborated on how they were being taken care of, only that Nate was to send any Light branded who'd been left to wander to that specific location. What was unnerving about them, besides the gray skin, and white eyes, was the constant moaning. They only ever said one word. Human. They groaned it constantly, as they shambled.


Evidently, Hilbert and Hilda were going to be sending anyone else they found branded within Arciana City to the same place. The location in question was one of the last eastern holdouts this far west of Fornia's new border, in a place known historically as the Black Hills. Evidently, several former Champions from the surrounding regions had refused to give up the mountain they'd entrenched themselves in, and at this stage in the war, had offered their relatively empty mountain base as a holding facility for refugees, and those branded by the Arceans.

As the armies of men primarily from Kalos and further east trudged onwards, Nate and his complement of Scales led the way, and thus, they were the first to lay eyes upon what General Nonagon had set up for them. To its south, Fargo was surrounded by a small community of mostly farmers known as Briar Wood. The Hand of the Prophet had taken the name literally, and Nate didn't have to guess what Pokémon was responsible. A Trevenant's handiwork was obvious, and one on a Hand's level, no doubt infused with Shadow, was a force indeed if it had done this alone.

The once farmable land now played host to an impossibly massive thorny bramble that, after some aerial surveillance, proved to be too large to jump across even for Thor's blue maned Rapidash. The regular Norstad and Kalosian troops would have to go by foot, and Nate found his advance paused as the sons of Asgard, who had taken to leading the men of Norstad, caught up to the mounted Scales.


Nate looked over the troops, frowning. The Kalosians were all, supposedly, decent Trainers, and could likely fly over, as they all had belts of ten Pokémon, and any decent Trainer had one that could carry them. The Norstadders were another case entirely. Most only had one Pokémon, if they had any, and even then, they were wild, and would run off if injured. Some had Pokéballs for them to hide in, but few used them. They would be going on foot, if they went at all.

Alex had privately confided in the Gym Leader turned General before leaving, telling him that it was imperative that their allied forces stayed as intact as possible. Despite that, Nate had a feeling leaving the eager, bloodthirsty horde behind newly armed and armored as they were, would cause his new Emperor more of a headache. Denying them a fight and a 'glorious death' as they called it would make them unwilling allies. He missed his legion of dragon types and hoped the twins had managed to keep them alive. But he knew war, by now.

At that moment, a hefty, golden skinned hand placed itself upon one of his dragonbone encased shoulders. "Worry not, laddie. Your Dragon gave us the perfect tools to cut through this pathetic attempt at defense. They call this a wall. Pah."


The Asgardian turned to the now formed up ranks of Asgardians behind him. Their blue maned Rapidash gave off a similar golden aura in the cold night, and like the rest of their equipment, a tinge of gold covered their burning blue manes. Thor rose into the air on his own crimson Gogoat driven chariot and raised the hammer. "Let us teach these curs what happens when they dare to attack our Yggdrasil!" Once more, the Asgardians led the charge, and their Voiceforged weapons, burning with the dragon's Light, did indeed make short work of the bramble, which receded harshly before the Light. Mjolnir was no exception to the weapons and armor that had been empowered, and the hammer burned brighter than any other weapon as it led the wedge of mounted warriors straight through the defenses and minor traps the Hand had left for them.

Nate turned as the apparently otherworldly warriors once more leapt into battle. He'd been given three Gym Leaders to aid him with this assault, two of which were Kalosian nobility. "Skyla, take half of the Kalosians, and strike from above. Take down any surprises that are waiting in the cloud cover. Grant, take the other half, and follow Thor. Keep your weapons up. This is too easy. This bramble isn't done with us yet." He turned then to the only noble that the men of Norstad had agreed to follow, not because she was rather beautiful, but because she had the fighting spirit of a true warrior, and there was nothing that was more valued in the northerner's culture. "Korrina, take these warriors around the city, see if this bramble extends all the way around, and if not...hammer them from the north."

The Gym Leaders saluted, and moved to their tasks as the battle began. "As for us…" Nate said, smirking as he turned, and mounted the dragon in his arsenal that best handled fire and electric based attacks. "We follow Skyla...and reinforce Thor when he steps in whatever this Hand set up for us."


His Garchomp roared, and the Scales under Nate, formerly Hilbert's, took to the air as well. From above, he saw Korrina's Lucario, already tearing a path through the bramble. The Aura Pokémon was burning with Light like all the others and seemed to be enjoying itself. He briefly worried that, if he could see literally every eastern soldier, so could this Nonagon person.

Halfway over the labyrinthine bramble, the pace of the men below shifted, as the forest's roots came alive. The forward progress slowed but did not stop. The men of Norstad knew how to kill angry plants. Nate raised a hand, and a pair of Hydreigon riders, the few Hilbert had bothered to promote, torched the sides of the forest, and reinforced the border Thor and his host had carved with fire and fury.

"Incoming!"

The cry came from Skyla's unit just above them, as from the newest of the ashen clouds coming from Fornia's still burning wilderness came no less than nine floating airships, each similar in design but fundamentally improved from the Plasma Frigate upon which they were based descended in a line in the skies before Fargo. From them, came Pokémon riders streaming Shadow energy behind them as they sped towards Skyla's unit, and the Scales. Below, the trees had literally come alive, as average sized Trevenant, and Crusaders acting as their Trainers, met the Norstadders in combat. Thor and his warriors charged on, seemingly oblivious, or just simply not caring as Nonagon made his move. The God of Thunder was charging straight for the gate that guarded the southern entrance of Fargo. It was impressive, tall and made of steel. Nate had a feeling Mjolnir would prove stronger. If it could reach it.


"Send your Fire Types to join the men below! The rest of you, with me! Keep Skyla's people alive!" His orders given, Nate's Garchomp rocketed towards the horde of shadowy, aerial fighters, more specifically, for the blob of shadow leading them. His fellow Scales could handle the others. The Hand of the Prophet was wreathed in Shadow that flared off of him like a cape. A wall of energy beams sporting the ice, fire, and electric typings aimed for the Scales specifically, as they ascended. That was when Nonagon's men began to understand the difference between the regular soldiers, and those clad in dragonbone.

Plasma swords bisected numerous energy beams, and Nate was impressed as more than a few of the fiery ones were redirected at the enemies below. It was hard to miss, as the Arceans had been using the bramble's shadowy cover to great effect. Judging by how everything shifted below, it was where the majority of their own ground troops had been placed. Psychic aura shields surrounded Skyla's fliers, and as the Scales shielded and healed them, the sky became a whirl of golden lights dancing seemingly in vain among the Shadow surrounding them. But they did not break, and they did not yield. Nor would they. The Original Dragon was counting on all of them.

For his part, Nate approached the ships amidst similar, if much larger, beams of energy. Trying to hit a Garchomp and its rider with something so massive was a wasted effort though, and soon, with naught but a pointed finger, the airships began bombarding Korrina's group as well. Nate didn't see how they fared, as he landed before Nonagon, and recalled his Garchomp.


"So. You're the famous 'General' Nate, hmm?" The man's tone was light for a male, and his frame was thin underneath the black armor in the typical pattern for an Arcean officer. Armored as he was, Nate had the impression he could break him, like a toothpick if it came down to it, but appearances were deceptive. There was only one surefire way to be certain that this Hand would go down.

He drew an Ultra Ball and leveled it at the Hand of the Prophet. "General Nonagon, I challenge you to Battle, ten on ten, no substitutions. The loser surrenders immediately, once the Battle concludes."

The man chuckled and raised his arms. The shadows on the deck of his airship parted, revealing a force of bodyguards surrounding them. Nate seemed unfazed, mostly because better villains had tried similar tactics when he was still a rookie Trainer, and he'd smashed every single one of them with the kind of winning streak most Champions had. "I think...I will accept your honorable Battle. There has been far too little...structure...in the conflicts thus far. People calling Moves out of turn, firing energy lasers every direction, Pokémon attacking Humans, Humans attacking Pokémon, it's...Chaos." The man's thin, beardless face sneered at his opponent. "I shall draw first in the interest of fairness, as I have the field advantage. Come forth, Felidion!"


A Dark Ball sent forth a Pokémon Nate hadn't seen much of, but could counter easily enough, with his team. The Pyroar in question radiated Shadow as one might expect, but beyond that, appeared to be normal. Nate rolled his neck, and called forth his newest heavy hitter, all the way from Alola. "Komodo. You're up."

The Kommo-o appeared from an Ultra Ball that shared his color pattern in a flash, eyed the Pyroar, and shuddered in anticipation. The scales began jangling, and Nonagon smiled, tilting his head as he listened. "Such a lovely tune...a smart choice. Heavy defense, fire resistant, and multiple moves that have an advantage over me and my kitty." The sneer widened. "Flamethrower."

Komodo lifted a single paw and took the fire attack. The Pyroar blinked, a shiver running through its fur as the torrent of ten-thousand-degree heat did almost nothing to the dragon, whose scales began jangling a different more ominous tune as he shifted into an attack pose. Nonagon didn't wait, and shouted again, "Shadow Fire!"


Komodo was already moving though, and the black flames missed. Nate smirked. "You shouldn't have wasted the first Move advantage. Komodo, Rising Fist!" Before the Pyroar could blink, the dragon was low under his guard, and his heavily scaled fist was shining gold and striking upwards into his jaw. The lion Pokémon flipped onto his back and did not rise again. Nonagon recalled him, sighing.

"Fine, if you want to Play Rough...so be it." He tossed another dark ball, revealing a Mawile, which shuddered in obvious pain as her master immediately forced her to the next level of evolution. Strands of shadowy energy from him sank into the Pokémon, and the pair of mouths on its head began salivating as the power of Shadow and Mega Evolution merged. Quick on the uptake, the steel and fairy type began hammering at the dragon, and the newest member of Nate's team was brought down in short order by the powerful fairy typed blows.

The next several rounds went back and forth in a similar manner. Nate's Arcanine removed the Mawile as a threat with a series of rapid Flame Charges and fell to a harsh Earthquake from the Krookodile the Hand summoned next.


After that, Nate stopped playing around. He drew a Luxury Ball and spoke a single word as he held the ball before him on an open palm that was surrounded by his visibly burning aura. "Therion." The Lucario he summoned rose slowly as it appeared, and yawned. Nonagon paused and glanced at his Krookodile. They were trading type advantage with each round, but this Lucario was obviously stronger than the others the supposed dragon expert had used thus far. Nonagon still had one very effective dragon remover, but this Lucario needed to fall before he brought it out and claimed victory.

"Aura Sphere." In the space of an eye blink, the seemingly mild Lucario summoned a sphere of pure fighting spirit, imbued it with aura, and launched it in the center of the Krookodile's stomach. The dark and ground type went spinning through the air, and Nonagon didn't even try to recall it as it went over the ship's edge. If the Lucario was bothered by this turn of events, he didn't show it, but his eyes did get quite a bit harder as they took in the latest human they were facing, properly. The appendages humans mistook for hair rose as the Aura Pokémon closed his eyes and summoned his power against one who fought with Shadow. Light flared around his palms, and then condensed, covering them in golden aura. "Leave this, to me." He said as he projected his thoughts, dropping into a pose common to the dragon style of martial arts.

Nonagon answered the Lucario with the only thing left on his belt that might hit it critically. The rest would have to chip away at it before it inevitably brought them down. A Toxicroak appeared on the field, as Shadow infused as the rest of his party members. His poison points lit with dark energy as his Trainer called the move. "Shadow Sting!"


"Amateurs!" Therion's response thundered through the air as he moved his body and struck the empty air with his palm as he projected his harsh psychic baritone over the field. It was followed by a wave of pure psychic typed power, burning a deep blue and gold, that slammed into the poison type, and sent it flying as well. The fainted Pokémon arced in the air then, as the Lucario landed it, somewhat harshly, but still on the deck of the airship.

Nonagon had taken the brief opportunity to summon his next Pokémon, who was already charging forward and striking as the Lucario's focus turned back to the battle. "Shadow Slash!"

The Kabutops in question was a sickly green color and was also encased in an aura of darkness and purple. It raised its scythe arm, and the bladed appendage glowed with Shadow energy as the fast physical attacker brought it down on the Lucario. An aura bone slashed through the air in response, and forced the prehistoric hunter to leap backwards, as Therion fell to one knee. He looked back at his Trainer, opened his eyes again, and nodded.


Nate raised a dragonbone encased fist, and it glowed with the fighting typed energy of a Plate of Arceus himself. The energy shot into Therion, who used it to ascend to the next level. His aura swirled low around his feet, and then flared, turning a harsh golden color as the Mega Lucario retaliated faster than any modern Kabutops could hope to match.

Nate called the move that his partner had already been charging, just so Nonagon would understand he was about to lose another round. "Leaf Blade!" The aura bone shifted to a deep green color, and took the Kabutops down, again with only one hit. It seemed there was a reason Nate had become a Champion. Time had only made him better, and he'd had Therion since he was a Riolu, having caught him early on his journey through Unova at the Floccesy Ranch. After beating down Team Plasma alongside Rosa, the Aura Pokémon had then become the bar by which Nate's dragons measured their strength.

Therion similarly dispatched many of Nonagon's remaining belt members. Another Psychic for the Dustox, an Aura Sphere ended the rabid Emolga, but it was the Hand's latest pick that had the shining gold Lucario stumped.


The Goodra in question was, undoubtedly, the strongest Pokémon Nonagon had. Not surprising, as it was a dragon, but Nate had yet to see his Trevenant, and the as yet unknown member of the Hand's final three. Weirder still, unnerving red eyes covered the Goodra's body, and Therion learned the hard way that it could fire attacks from said eyes. Each Dragon Pulse from Therion had been redirected by the hefty defensive fighter, and getting in close would only slow Therion on the dragon's goo. Without his speed, a Goodra like this would make short work of him. Nate knew he was far from losing, but there was only one other member of his team on Therion's level, and he was saving that one for the Trevenant.

"Shadow Storm!" The Goodra raised its mouth to the sky and summoned the clouds of ash above them. Sooty raindrops fell, healing the dragon slightly where the Mega Form's power had left an impact. Dark lightning bolts fell from the clouds and struck the Lucario full force.

"Return!" Nate said, as he raised the Luxury Ball, and recalled the seemingly fainted Lucario. He wasn't completely down yet, but he had been making little headway here anyways, and had earned his respite. It was time to fight a dragon with a dragon. "Chomper! Dragon Claw!"


Nonagon swore. His power hitter was down, but a Garchomp beat a Goodra any day. It had been the right choice against a special attacking Lucario, but now, once more, Nate made him pay for it by countering as hard as he had throughout the battle. The Garchomp's wings lit with draconic energy, and hit the Goodra before it could react, finishing what the Lucario had started, and leaving him fresh and ready for the next enemy.

Having no other choice than to begin dragon slaying, for he needed to start if he was going to turn this battle around, Nonagon summoned his chosen tool for the job. A Sandslash adapted for the cold of the Stoney Mountain range. Knowing he didn't have time to waste in this battle, Nate ordered the move as soon as the Pokémon materialized. "Fire Fang!"

Chomper's flame-covered form hit before the ice and steel type had a chance to lift a claw in defense, and Nonagon stared, watching as his icy tank weathered the super effective hit, but stayed standing. Chomper smirked, and leapt away, his rough tail brushing the icy digger as he did, and the resulting damage was enough for its eyes to roll back. The Sandslash fell over, fainted, and the Garchomp crouched low as it prepared for the next round.


Nonagon chuckled. "I didn't think I'd have to pull him out for this...I will give you this, former Unovan Champion...the rumors of your power are not based on nothing. But...alas, your fight ends here. Shadow Curse!" The Trevenant appeared, and as expected, was impressive as a specimen of the species. It seemed Nonagon had purified and then again corrupted this Pokémon several times. Its eyes were dead, and after a closer look, Nate understood that what stood before him was, at this point, more a vessel of Shadow than a Pokémon. Not unlike the humans turned into shambling husks by overexposure to Light energy.

As the curse hit Chomper, Nate's eyes confirmed what he'd expected the shadow version of Trevenant's signature move to cause. His dragon was now purely grass typed, and had become entrenched by rampant grass energy, fueled by the power of Shadow. The dragon struggled to move as the slow, massive tree approached. Nonagon spoke again. "Shadow Fire."

A ball of flame, not unlike a Will-O-Wisp attack, floated down to the trapped dragon, and then detonated, finishing the dragon in a single move. Nonagon grinned. "The power of the Curse transfers to every member of your team, and only grows more powerful as they faint. Bring forth the next victim."


Nate sighed. With this particular curse, he was sure only one of his remaining party members could resist it. He hadn't wanted to wake her up quite yet, as he expected she'd be needed for Pravus, but the Hand had him cornered. "Laurea. You're up."

A scarlet light opened from a red-orange and tan Pokéball, and the Victini stretched, before she opened her eyes, and took in the sight of her next conquest. She glanced back at Nate, and his belt, as well as those who had fainted already, and with her third eye, she took in the war.

In short, Thor was doing, or rather had already done, the hard work. The southern gate of Fargo was down, bearing several deep dents from a square-headed object. It was impressive that it stayed in one piece despite the lightning adding to the pure force, but the host of Rapidash mounted warriors trampled over it all the same, their forward progress unaffected. Within the city, the battalions under Grant converged with their Norstad support, who had made it largely intact through the bramble alongside Korrina. Together, they met the Crusaders within the city, and with their ability to wipe out entire squads postponed for a few hits by Tao's infusion, it was enough for the warriors to get in close and overwhelm the ranks of soldiers. The Asgardian warriors had equipment that could take far more hits, but hadn't shared how to craft it, claiming the Unovan's current level would be enough for a conflict bound to a single planet. As expected, the God of Thunder had delivered a bloodbath, if the cries inside the city were anything to go by.


Nonagon had stayed silent as he watched the mythical Victory Pokémon awaken before his eyes. That was it, then. His enemies had both the dragon, and the essence of victory. The pair had conquered the entire continent, mostly by themselves, in days of old. If the legends were to be believed. Naturally, most Fornians were only concerned with their own mythology, no matter how absurd it became. Old 'eastern myths' were considered markers on the path to exile from the Church of Arceus, and His Light. Nonagon had studied them all the same, and as usual, found the legend to be based on quite a bit of truth.

"Searing Shot." As neutral toned as ever, Nate gave the order, and the burning psychic type sent a wave of scarlet flames towards the Trevenant. It had an effect, but surprisingly, the Pokémon stayed standing. Moreover, it seemed unbothered by the scarlet flame remnants still sticking to it.

"This old tree is special, you know." Nonagon said, sneering at the Trainer who, he was now convinced, had hyped up his reputation by using the Victory Pokémon. "Of course it is…" Nate muttered. Nonagon continued anyway. "I found it in Alola. Its' fire had long gone out when I came upon it, but with a little Shadow...the old Totem Pokémon lived again. More or less." The sneer widened. "Shadow Force!"


The ghostly tree exuded a mixed aura of ghost and Shadow energy, then disappeared from view, and reappeared instantly before the Victini, hammering it hard with the super effective Shadow move using ghost energy as a base. The tiny Pokémon went sailing straight into Nate, who caught it with the softer parts of his armor, but still slid back several feet from the inertia.

Something new happened then, as the Victini became surrounded by scarlet aura, tinged with golden Light, and hovered forward out of her Trainer's grasp. Her eyes burned with the power, and she reached for victory. Nate urged her forward, and the psychic and fire type boomed towards the Trevenant as she countered, hard. "Flare Blitz!"

The impossibly fast scarlet meteor hammered into the old tree, knocking it over, and proving just how strong her opening move had been. It struggled to rise, but the Victini hovered over it before it could counter. Nonagon was shouting moves, but Nate just shook his head. The Pokémon couldn't hear them, now. Victini was blocking the surrounding sound as she delivered a merciful end. Nate's eyes shifted to Nonagon's as he spoke the command anyway. He knew what move she would use. "Inferno."


The psychic barrier surrounding the two Pokémon became opaque as it filled with intense scarlet flames, which then proceeded to die down. Laurea let the barrier fall and stared for a long time at the pile of ashes that had once been a true defender of nature. Her eyes hardened, and then shifted to the human responsible for desecrating a Totem Trevenant's final rest.

The Searing Shot formed above her head without a command, as the battle was over, the war was again on, for them, and the enemy leader was right before her. As always, she claimed victory. The attack split into several shots of undiminished power, and she took down Nonagon and his guards as well in the space of a moment, the gold-tinged scarlet flames reducing the Shadow infused humans to nothing but ash. Then, she whirled on her human. "Next time, just kill him. We do not have time to delay." She looked around then and sighed as only two of the nine airships had been felled by the Scales so far.

She hovered high above all of them, and Nate gave the psychic command to clear the air around the ships and force the airborne Crusaders back towards them. The Scales and Skyla's forces did as ordered despite being outnumbered, and by the time the seven pillars of burning scarlet death tore through the rotors of each massive ship, most of the Arcean's flying forces were caught in the exploding vessel's radius. The ground below became a scarlet tinged inferno of molten slag and armored human.


Nate joined Laurea above, as she watched the carnage she had wrought. Each of the ships was falling into the bramble below, and where her flames touched it, the dark vines burned away. "This is why I told you not to use me in Battle. All I cause is death."

Nate shook his head at her psychically projected words. "You put an end to what that lunatic had created from an already long departed Pokémon. And the ships needed to come down anyway. Let's go rejoin Thor and -"

He was interrupted, as the Victini gave his Garchomp a boost that would last the rest of this battle, and then returned to her ball. Nate sighed and rocketed towards the city. Fargo fell not long after the ships had been burned out of the sky by the embodiment of victory. Those who surrendered were Teleported somewhere back in Unova, where they would be freed of their brainwashing, or tossed in with the zealots who would die before 'betraying the Prophet'. Most abandoned loyalty to him once they finally looked at and read about the things he had done with their hard-earned wealth, all in the name of their Church. The evidence was damning, but there were always a few who would need years to accept that they had been used and had about as much worth to Pravus as the rest of his tools.


From Fargo, Nate and Thor liberated the Northstone Pass, and were the first eastern regular forces to lay eyes upon what had, for them, started this entire conflict. By this point, all understood what had been done to Colville. Seeing it, however, was something else entirely. The march was steady, but quiet as the soldiers had to either fly, or cover their mouths as their west moving columns kicked up fallen ash. Much of Fornia was still on fire, but these first flames had long since gone out.

Their target was a city known as Pravia, and one that their Dragon Emperor and his Legion of ten thousand Scales were supposed to handle. They had been filled by the strongest Trainers to come out of the Swamp, and by no coincidence had Alex put Champions, current and old, from each former loyal State in charge of the battalions they divided into.

They finally came upon the city six hours of hard flying later and found it in the midst of a siege. Nate recognized what tactics they were using, though he also wondered why the Scales hadn't already conquered the city. They'd had time to do so with how long his forces had taken to march here. The plan had been to refuel, and then charge Port: Land before the Fornians defending the homeland got wind of their movements.


Thor wasted no time, as usual, and his burning chariot charged towards the city, as his host of blue flaming Rapidash riders followed him once more into the fray. Not one of their number had been felled by the Crusaders thus far. Injured perhaps, and sometimes rather seriously, but they always recovered, and always refused to share how they managed that exactly.

Tao had explained to Nate that he was essentially supposed to deliver Thor's forces to Alex once they'd redeemed their earlier forced retreat, and once combined, the armies would charge south down the western coast of the continent, all the way to Mewsia, unite with the Dark Fleet, and then head east to hit Sacreus. They would be behind Rosa and the twins now, unless they made serious time catching up. To that end, Pravia needed to fall quickly. Nate gave the order to join the fray, and charged in alongside his troops once they began moving.



The Rocky Pass - Border of Orre, Texico East and Texico West


The Southern Dragon Legion bamfed into the middle of the newly retaken city of Aweston, and had promptly begun marching westward, towards the Rocky Pass, and Orre beyond it. The soldiers following Rosa had been fighting consistently down here, for snow rarely bothered anyone this far south. Their war had been filled with sand, blood, and ash as the Texicans under Rosa had brought their foes to a halt time and again, for months on end. Now, empowered and literally burning with the Light energy infused into their very auras by the Original Dragon himself, they felt they had a chance to finally break this stalemate.

Supporting her, Rosa had Clay, Marlon, and Lenora, three level-headed and experienced Gym Leaders who knew how to keep the men under them in check. After a bit of shifting around when they'd been resupplying in Castelia, Clay had taken charge of the majority of the Texican's regular troops, Lenora had most of the Kalosians, and Marlon took whoever he wanted, as long as they had a good vibe. His force was smaller, but then, his role would be smaller too. But no less important. Water would be constantly needed if they were to cross Orre's desert twice.

Rosa's Scales, all five thousand of them, lead the charge west. Most in her group were brand new graduates from the Great Swamp, and the Sage who lived there. She personally had trained with Tao, and kept that fact hidden from everyone, including Nate. She did not yet know what psychic ability she would manifest, for many Scales either had common psychic abilities, or discovered something else entirely, but Tao had promised that this next battle would see hers awakened. She'd found that training with he who had once been Zekrom was far more useful than some giant Oranguru on a swamp island. Some people could live in that haze, with that smell. She was not one of them.


Their first target was The Rocky Pass, the site of an ancient Old Earth city that had marked an important border between countries that no longer existed in any capacity. Despite the apparent tensions on said border, it had all been crushed to dust when Arceus had graced their world with his presence and raised the Stoney Mountain range several thousand miles higher. Now, all that remained of the ancient city was a graveyard, where the people of the southwest and the people of the 'wild west' had clashed numerous times. Nobody remembered why the two peoples disliked each other, they only knew that things had always been this way and were unlikely to ever change.

The people of western Texico, historically far calmer and more rational compared to their quick drawing eastern Texican adversaries, had gone through a complete ideological shift with the introduction of Caleb Pravus' cult. Within a few generations, he had converted the people of western Texico, and used their ingrained dislike of the east as a focus for their war effort. It had paid off, as most of the Arcean's victories had been on southern lines, and Texico City was rumored to be as well guarded as Sacreus.

As the Legion came upon The Pass, they found themselves funneled into a single tunnel that, historically, had been open to people on both sides of Texico, provided their business was legitimate, and nobody caused trouble. Trouble usually occurred when humans avoided the Pass entirely, and bumped into nests of wild, and very territorial Pokémon.


In war time, things were very different, and the two halves of the same region had also had more than a few wars, with the Pass always playing a pivotal role in who claimed victory. Since most of their forces had to walk, and they were still small enough at the moment to be vastly outnumbered by splitting their group, the southern Imperial Legion had taken the Pass, and thus found their entire army group ambushed.

Strangely enough, the attacks that came from the Crusaders of western Texico were not beams of energy and death, but webs, not dissimilar in shape from an Electro Web move. They captured, rather than killed, and then dragged Scales and soldiers away before retaliation could come. Rosa had been beset by no less than twenty of them at once, and her Scales also found themselves similarly outnumbered five to one.

Their foes appeared from hidden tunnels that disappeared as quickly as they'd shown up, and the Arceans carrying their friends would simply vanish into solid stone. Attempts to follow only met more rock, and even diggers couldn't track where they'd gone. The very rock walls of The Pass seemed to obey the Arcean's will, and it did not take long for the Gym Leaders to sound a retreat. They were losing too many people to capture, and at this stage of the war, that could mean an end to their newest offensive. Without the lower 'jaws' of the offensive to crush Sacreus, the Arceans could very likely overpower Alex, Jess, and Nate's troops when they approached the Fornian capitol.


With Rosa and many Scales cut off from timely aid, Clay was the one who ultimately decided to sound the order to leave them. The Pass was too small for many of their force's Pokémon, and most hadn't even had a chance to call them out before they'd been bound in energy webs. Those Pokémon who had appeared anyway, sensing the danger, had been similarly subdued by type effective energy webs that kept them pinned. The upgraded staves did not seem limited to only three types.

Rosa's partners, naturally, sliced through the webs, and kept each other covered as Crusaders popped in and out of the stone to attack them. Finally, they stopped, and Rosa realized that she and her ten chosen partners were now alone. Then, like a bad nightmare, from out of the shadows came three old acquaintances that still creeped her out. Their Bisharp now radiated Shadow auras that her burgeoning psychic abilities barely made visible to her eyes. They surrounded her and her circle of powerful Pokémon, and then, one spoke. "You...we remember you...come…"

The three members of the Shadow Triad advanced, and Rosa's Pokémon snarled. From the walls came more Crusaders, bearing Power Staves that seemed different from the usual kit such soldiers had. Rosa looked at her partners, and then to the psychic partner of her mind. "Gothi...get them out of here." The Gothitelle shook her head, readying for more battle, but Rosa knew a hopeless situation when she saw one. "Now, Gothi...I'll be fine...but they'll infuse you all with Shadow...get out while you can."


The Gothitelle looked at her Trainer, and then her partners. She'd been on Rosa's team almost as long as her former Snivy, now a Serperior, who at that moment, gave her a nod as well. They needed to retreat, to fight another day, but one of their psychic-powered people had to stay behind. Gothi looked again at her Trainer. Her time had not yet come, nor would it, according to her eyes, for quite some time. She trusted that, if nothing else, and with a flash of deep purple aura, Teleported away. The balls on Rosa's cloak went with her, leaving the Shadow Triad to find only her plasma sword, which they took. They bound her with a web of dark energy, and then vanished in the way they usually did.

She was, after so many encounters, more than acquainted with how the Shadow Triad moved about, and when her vision reoriented itself, she found herself staring down what she assumed was the General of the Arcean's southern army, and the man who would, apparently, draw forth her psychic power. Lucien.

He seemed to have styled his appearance after Caleb Pravus, though where the 'Prophet of Arceus' had a goatee that belonged on a villain from a children's movie, Lucien had a full, well-kept beard. His hair was even combed over like his Prophet's, and as the Shadow Triad approached him, they handed over her blade.


"Ahh yes...the weapon of a Scale of Balance...but where are her Pokémon? I was interested to see what was on her team…" Lucien's voice had an even timbre, though it was filled with amusement. And why wouldn't it be? As far as he knew, his trap had worked. The apparent leader of the Shadow Triad gestured to his right, and the shadow on the right stepped forward, brushing their hair from their eyes. It was then that Rosa noticed, this was not one of the original three Ghetsis had at his beck and call. The other two were, she was rather sure, but this one had evidently replaced the third. What had happened to him, she knew not.

The newest member revealed herself to be female as she spoke. "We...knew you would be curious, General. She possessed a Serperior, a Gothitelle, a Wigglytuff, a Milotic, a Rapidash, an Excadrill, a Heliolisk, an Ariados, a Pangoro, and an Altaria. We expect that the Serperior and Altaria were capable of Mega Evolution."

Lucien nodded, eyebrows rising and falling, sometimes in disappointment, as he heard the list. "Not a bad line up...most of the Types covered...and enough of a Move pool to be ready for just about anything. Another exceptional setup for a Champion of the Eastern States." He chuckled, though it was full of malice rather than humor. "I can see why you stuck to making movies, General Rosa...compared to the other Generals your holy lizard has placed in charge, your team is...lacking. As are you, if our information is accurate?"


The lead shadow spoke again. "She...did not use any...interesting powers against us. We surmise she cannot yet even Teleport."

Lucien tutted. "A shame. Such potential. Such beauty. Wasted." He walked over to stand before Rosa, his arms crossed over his medium build. He was clad in black Crusader pattern armor, with an appropriate coating of sand and ash.

"Why do you care what gets wasted or not? Just kill me and be done with it…I'm not going to talk." Rosa spat on his boots, but the man seemed not to give a single Muk.

"I wouldn't say I care...I simply despise wasted potential...especially in those of our race who have awakened their latent Psychic abilities...there are so very few in Fornia, and yet, Unova seems to have been sleeping upon thousands of them. You and I are going to...get acquainted, young Rosa, and then perhaps, you can tell me where exactly the Dragon is getting all these...awakened Humans...and how exactly he's waking them up." Lucien leaned in low as he spoke and sneered at the woman.

Rosa responded by spitting in his face. "Pravus hasn't figured that out yet? That's...depressing, really. You've all had months. We were sure you'd attack the facilities producing Scales soon, not that you could take them, but if you don't even know where they are...we're going to win this faster than I originally thought."


That response, it seemed, warranted the usual show of brutality that those in power over others chose to dispense, often with perverse pleasure. Lucien was no exception, but Rosa had faith. The Dragon had told her to believe in him, and the strength he gave her. She had no reason to doubt it, and as the Hand's attack, whatever it was, fizzled against her, the aura of burning golden Light returned, as if it had never left. He struck several more times, each harder than the last, but the Light did not yield.

"Irritating...but there are plenty of others we have captured who will talk in your stead...perhaps once you see what becomes of them, you'll have a change of heart." He looked to the leader of the Shadow Triad. "Bring me the one that was closest to her position at the time of capture...we'll start with the officers... and work our way down.

Rosa started resisting, but her bonds held her in place. Heavy metal shackles kept her limbs pinned with both weight and restricted movement. The shadow in question disappeared, before he returned with one of her officers. Her name was Sarah, formerly an aspiring guitarist, and one of Rosa's oldest fans, she'd joined her idol in training under the Original Dragon when the war began and had excelled as most of Tao's students did.


"Rosa!" She cried out as she saw the state of her friend and favorite actor, "Don't tell them anything! No matter what they-" She was silenced, but only momentarily, by a swift backhand from Lucien. "No matter what they do to me, Stay Quiet!"

Lucien turned to the two shadows not occupied by a prisoner. "One of you, move her to a seat with a view...the other...get the next prisoner. Make sure she's out of their sight...but not the range of their cries." He dragged Sarah through to a different room than himself, and Rosa did not have to wait long before she found herself behind a viewing glass. Her friend, and her first real fan of her non-Pokémon related work, was bound to a simple chair, beside a simple rolling table upon which lay many instruments designed for only one purpose.

She had heard of the Arcean's skill with torture from Geralt Redwood, who was also under her command in the southern Legion and had even seen his scars. Lucien, it seemed, had been the man who had taught poor Geralt's torturer everything he knew, and when he was finished with her friend, she tried to look away, but the shadow behind her forced her head to turn towards the gruesome sight. She kept her eyes closed, but opened them at new sounds, another of her officers, and several of his Pokémon who had not been able to get away.


Thus, the process repeated. Over and over, hour by hour, Rosa eventually ran out of tears, and became stone faced, watching as many of her allies, friends and strangers alike, fell to the lunatic's knives. Lucien had presented quite a respectable face, but his madness was soon apparent. The Crusaders around them all watched as well, though thankfully, most of them had either neutral faces, or were hiding obvious disgust.

Most of the Scales met their end with a similar fortitude, though even the stoutest could not help crying out, eventually. Others were not so strong willed, and even offered to talk, but Lucien continued anyway. He was after bigger fish, and he needed her to understand the lengths he would go to. Human and Pokémon alike fell to him, and it was as he was once more proceeding towards yet another ended Pokémon life, on a Wigglytuff not at all that dissimilar from her own, that she finally felt something deep within her, stir.

Having nothing better to do, she pushed her burgeoning senses towards this new...gap, she sensed in her mind, to deeper parts of it. Parts that had always been there but buried under the trappings of life. In the face of the horror she had borne witness to, she had instinctively opened the pools of energy within herself. Little of what she had once considered important still mattered in the face of such casual disregard for her friend's lives, and while she had not quite opened herself to the universe, for once in an instance of one of many horrors this conflict had created, the universe was very much trying to help. All it needed, was a vessel for the power.


Light surged within Rosa, and through the hand of the shadow-human still mercilessly holding her head towards the carnage below. The second oldest of the Triad vanished in a cloud of ash and dust, and Rosa noticed none of it, as her mind made contact with a God.

These actions nauseate and enrage you.

She tried to give the mental equivalent of a nod. The deity understood, even though for the moment, her senses were still new.

They have the same effect upon me…

The girl's third eye widened in surprise. She'd heard the rumors from those who'd been partying by Undella when the Imperial Palace rose again from the depths. Having been there herself as a teenager, she was convinced she and Nate had found all there was left to find. They had been wrong, but more importantly, the onlookers had reported seeing a familiar shape in the golden Light that had radiated from the palatial lighthouse. She hadn't believed Arceus had actually been present to 'crown' their newest Dragon Emperor, but here he was, burning before her third eye in all his glory.

Use my power...end these atrocities… The deity's red eye widened, and then shrank for emphasis. Quickly!


Her chains melted away much like her captor had, and several things happened at once. The more eagerly viewing Crusaders noticed her, burning with an aura of silver, tinged on the edge with gold. The other half of the mandatory viewership, near the back of their underground base around the Pass, felt the tremors of Pokémon using Dig, or a similar move.

A whip-like tendril of white silver smashed through the upper viewing panel of Lucien's dungeon and wrapped around his neck. The Light shone brighter but did not burn those it shone upon. It healed the Wigglytuff below, leaving no physical trace of imperfection. The Light brought back all the Pokémon it shone upon, for their remains had been carelessly piled as the slaughter continued, and many of those returned had looks that suggested their reconstituted minds were still struggling to understand they were no longer suffering, or dead, for that matter.

Rosa hovered into the wider chamber, and then looked upwards. A pillar of silver light erupted through miles of rock and dirt, and Rosa rose through roughly half of it before she sensed the height she needed. Lucien came with her, gagging, but not dying, as her whip all but choked him. She liked to think it burned, as well.


She raised both hands, and like a Gothitelle using Psychic, sent her new power out in a wave that eroded the topmost layer of rock over the Arcean base, exposing it to the sky, and effectively creating a new series of tunnels and holes within the Stoney Mountains. Thousands of armored faces looked up and stared open-mouthed as one of the Dragon Empire's Generals hovered above all of them.

While that was indeed unusual, they did not raise their weapons to fire, for floating above the lady General was the unmistakable form of Arceus, pure white, and furious.

You who claim to follow me, and my Light, put down your weapons and acknowledge the madness you have been willingly part of. That, and its implications, brought a few of the Zealots to actually attack their own deity. Their reasoning, as it was shouted, was that the 'real Arceus' was gold, not white. Those who raised their Power Staves vanished, in columns of golden flame, and not even ashes remained of them as their Pokéballs fell to the stone ground, unharmed.

The outline of Arceus raised his head then, and a sphere of pure golden Light formed above Rosa's head, in her raised palm. Those below kneeled, and prayed, begging for the mercy of the god they were only half convinced wouldn't just outright burn them all anyway. Those who genuinely repented, and understood why they needed to, did not suffer from the streaks of silvery gold that rained down on the humans below. Those Judged to be unworthy of forgiveness were not so lucky.


The rest of the southern Legion poured into the newly opened base, capturing and ending those who still resisted. The Light in the sky around Rosa began to fade, but not before she heard a final pair of words, just for her.

Well done.

She reunited with her Pokémon then, and while the surge of power was gone, she felt she could manage levitating herself, at least. She knew her power was strong, and unrefined. At least now, there was something to refine. The Legion Teleported their prisoners back home to wherever they were being kept, and then marched on Orre. It took roughly six hours for them to reach it, but the locals were all too happy to rise up from under their occupiers once the army arrived.

From there, the Legion took an earned rest, armed the Orreans, and began the long march south to Texico City.
 
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Sahqoreyth

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Chapter 33: Jaws of the Dragon, Part 2



Entral Park - Unova Region


By the time the ten thousand Scales under Alex and Jess had their necessary Plates and crystals, their leaders had them relocate to the peak of Draconis Mons, whereupon each of them spent time with their chosen General and Tao, in the dragon's alternate plane, as they learned how to utilize and battle with the armored forms the awakened Plates covered their Pokémon with. The going was slow, but many of these Trainers were exceptional, and picked up the trick quickly. Many of their partners would require more work, but they simply did not have the time.

They had gotten through the majority of the ten thousand gathered, or at least Alex's half, and Jess had gone into the extra dimensional space to finish training up her own forces, many of whom were Articuno riders. Several had held reservations about being a Trainer, or needing more than their birds, but the birds themselves were usually able to impress upon their partners why more help meant longer survival.


Alex was fine with waiting most of the day since patience had been a required byproduct of what Tao taught him, but as he waited and mused over how the other Generals were faring, one of his scouts on the ridge of the mountaintop reported an incoming Trainer upon an older Charizard. The new arrival brought his partner in for a landing on the central stone platform suspended above the ancient caldera, while the gathered Scales mingled with the dragon types who called the mountain's crater home. In the time since the Original Dragon's revival, the mountain had again become lush with berries, food was plentiful, and those who lived on Draconis Mons seemed to be flourishing.

The latest humans to come here, it seemed, had a collectively far greater understanding of how not to anger those who roosted here, and indeed as they waited, many Scales found themselves one dragon heavier as several of the ancient Pokémon joined their teams. For a time. Tao had asked that they do so, if they felt they could handle it. He'd also assured them that his chosen humans were nothing like the lesser beings that had abandoned them in the past. On the word of the First Dragon, those who were ready once more attempted to bond with a Trainer.


Most of the dragon types flew away for the day or descended into the forests below while the humans lingered, but a few were ready to see if their old scars had indeed healed enough for true combat. The dragons were not unaware of the conflict, they simply had no reason to intervene, until it became an issue. Thankfully, not all shared this outlook. Those who did partner up, did so to defend the land the Original Dragon was so very fond of.

As the newly arrived Charizard dispensed his rider, Alex saw it was none other than Professor Gary Oak. Last he'd heard, Gary was heading to Japan after finishing what training he was capable of within the Swamp. Evidently, he hadn't left yet, but he too was garbed in the black and white armor of the eastern forces. "Young Redwood," he said, as he approached, and gave a slight bow, "I've a... present for you. An old friend, who should have never been parted from you in the first place."

Alex's brow rose slowly, but as the Professor drew a rather old, and very specifically scuffed Pokéball from his bag, his eyes widened. A genuine smile broke the usually passive facade he kept up for public appearances, as his Venusaur appeared with a flash of light. He'd gotten bigger with age, and life experience, but the plant dinosaur's eyes went equally wide as the two old friends locked gazes yet again. He'd lost none of the fire that had propelled them through the Train Exam, back in the day.


A green flash of light came from Alex's belt then, as his massive Torterra decided to make an appearance as well. The two grass types eyed each other for a long time, before Saur extended a vine in friendship. Terra awkwardly shifted, but one of his tree branches bent, slightly, to meet the vine, and a flash of green energy surged between the two.

Their Trainer watched, still smiling, and the expression shifted to a dark smirk. "Another Earthquake user...perfect…"

Gary Oak planted his palm against his forehead. "All the versatility of Poison Moves, and you're just going to use him to break the ground? Don't you have enough Pokémon with Earthquake?"

Alex shrugged, and then thought about it, listing them on his fingers as he mentally counted off. "I mean...this makes eight out of eleven, though I'm willing to bet my Drapion and my Luxray could do it, if we trained hard enough. Regardless...thank you, Professor. I had a feeling you were the one who'd given him to me, but my memory is spotty that far back."

Gary nodded sagely. "That'll be the Leaf. You smoke far too much, lad. Just like your granduncle."

Alex shrugged again. "I certainly would, if my lungs were still naturally aging. But back when they weren't, I was much more careful about moderation. Knowing one's limits is important, especially for Trainers."


Gary sighed. "Well, at least you knew that much. I'm off now, I've got to get to Mt. Silver before Red loses control of it. Good luck today, Redwood! Smell ya!" With that, he called out his Alakazam, and had it return him to the border of Johto, and his home region. From there, he could fly.

As the Professor bamfed halfway across the planet, Alex recalled the two titanic grass types, just in time for Jess to descend from the cave alongside the Scales under her charge that had required training still. "Was that a Venusaur you just recalled?" She asked, once she'd landed.

Alex nodded; his mood permanently shifted. He hadn't been looking forward to more slaughter, but having an old friend on his belt again, and connecting their minds at long last, had vastly improved his morale. "He was the Bulbasaur I had back at the Trainer Exam. Remember?"

She smirked at him. "I remember a stoned teenager, stumbling out of the bushes with ash on his nose. But not much else, I'm afraid. I met a lot of boys back then."

Alex sighed. "And here I thought I made an impression with my masterful Battle skills."

Jess tilted her head then, actually trying to remember now as her own memory was just as hazy. "Oh, right. No, you made an impression. When you ordered a Water Gun to your face. That, was memorable."


Alex rolled his eyes, donned his helmet, and the usual smirk returned as he turned to their Scales, chilling atop Draconis Mons alongside dragons with whom many seemed to be casually conversing. His Voice echoed out to all of them. "Scales of Balance! Prepare to Teleport." The humans scurried into motion then, and their battalion leaders ordered them into linking hands and ready positions.

"Our first stop is with a mentor many of you studied under. Take a good, deep breath of this mountain air ladies, gentlemen, because we'll be smelling like Swamp for a bit." Many groaned, but focused anyway, as the Teleport began. Auras of multiple colors mixed and combined, and the two leading them focused the relatively simple psychic move on the swampy island to their south.

The Scales appeared in mid-air over the main complex of the Sage's island, and kept themselves in the air, as they took in their surroundings. The auras faded, and many were still just staring as they floated in place, with a good view of where many of their number had trained. To say the place had become built up would be an understatement. As the Scales descended to mingle with the initiates below, Alex and Jess headed for the main building, where they sensed the Sage.


The hall's interior hadn't changed much, though it now appeared to have several floors above the main one. The Sage himself had pulled out his removable swamp-bamboo bar and placed himself in the middle of the large circular structure, surrounded by patrons who were student and Passimian alike. He was perched in his bowl-shaped throne, whirling like a dervish in the center of the circle as he served berry drinks to Passimian, humans, and even to what looked like wild Pokémon from the Swamp itself with the speed and skill of a psychic master. His fan hung upon Swamp Tree, as it usually did, close at hand if necessary.

"Have a seat, I will be with you in a moment." The pair exchanged a look as the Sage's mental baritone echoed in their heads. He'd been louder last time. Perhaps he was simply distracted, as he had many customers. Alex picked up the time from one of the minds around him, and nodded, understanding. When the berry bar came out, and it rarely did these days, it only stayed around for a short time before the Sage went back to doing whatever it was he did when he didn't train them or eat.

The allotted time was almost up, and as usual, the crowd had surged. The dragonbone armor helped make moving through the crowd much easier, and he waited by the room's rightmost wall as the much slenderer redhead got them drinks. Alex had long since stopped bothering with trying to move and weave through throngs of people. He was far too large for it.


The armor gained him a few looks, but as the redhead joined him once more, the gathered Trainers slowed in their fervor for berry juice. Only one Scale had a redheaded shadow that gorgeous. Armored as she was, the dragonbone sets for the ladies were as form fitting as one might expect, though her body was entirely encased, and there were no suggestive bits of skin showing. Alex gave several of what he sensed were the more promising trainees nods, as eyes widened, and murmurs spread. Then, the Sage distracted them all.

"Last call!"

The heads turned back to the distraction at hand, though many eyes returned once the rapidly spinning Oranguru served them. There was silence, for a moment, within the crowded chamber as everyone enjoyed a sip at once. They knew how their master liked to end his sessions with the berry bar, and indeed, he had a pleased, sleepy grin on his face. The eyes then moved from his bar to his wayward students, and Alex drained his drink, knowing without words that they had best report to the training area behind Swamp Tree.


The arena in question, once a patch of dirt during his time here, had since been built up, and now mirrored the look of many stadiums across the Pokémon world. For their part of this war, Alex and Jess shared the rank of General, and their legion of Scales answered to both, though typically, they divided themselves by sex, there were always exceptions. The force of powerful Champions was able to adapt and adjust their ranks, and already the old blood had been paired with several of the newbies, decent Trainers in their own right, who would become truly fierce under the tutelage of the Scales who had retaken the frozen northwest. With them had come a single Gym Leader, from Kalos, specially requested by the Dragon Emperor himself.

Clemont joined them on the smaller stadium's field not long after the two Scales had. Oranguru kept silent though, as did the inventor, whose glasses hid his eyes while his mouth was occupied by a berry drink. Professor Aristole was joining them as well, though both Alex and Tao had agreed he would take an advisory role, not a battling one. He could handle himself of course, but the Sages were too valuable to future kings and queens to risk in open warfare, especially against those who twisted themselves with Shadow.


The Sage of Light came to the field as well, and Oranguru looked between the four of them. "Thank you for coming." The eyes shifted to Alex. "A power is about to awaken, one that rivals, and in some cases surpasses, Mega Evolution. You have already discovered the hidden utility of your Plates, and they will keep many Pokémon alive in the Battles to come, but there is another path to power that even now, forces both good and evil are discovering. As you are now, you will not be strong enough."

Alex raised a brow, and Jess sighed. "The Plates make them pretty strong…"

Professor Aristole interrupted anything further he might've said. "The items we call Plates are shards of this universe's creation, made manifest. They also appear when clones of Arceus fall to whatever caused them to come forth in the first place. Usually meteors. Combined with these...Mega Forms, you will be strong enough for normal adversaries...but the Foggy Swamp Sage has seen what I have. Our Future Sight has revealed Pravus' ultimate goal, and unfortunately, we cannot stop him. Not now. He will attain a new level...and you must as well."

Arthur popped free of his ball then, for he shared his Trainer's thoughts on this matter. "We're pretty strong already, I know I can handle Mordred with this armor, will his master really be so much stronger?"


Oranguru spoke again. "You forget he has subjugated not one but two Darkrai, one of which is a cut above even its own kin and has completely fused with its host by now. With what he is going to make, he will be stronger. Why do you hesitate, Redwood? You've never held back from gaining more strength before."

Alex and Jess shared a look before the Dragon Emperor looked back to the floating psychic Sage. "That's just it, though...the stronger I become, the further I get from ordinary people. I don't want my perspective of them to shift, and it's already started because of the lofty title I now find myself holding. If I'm supposed to unite the regions of this continent, I need to be at least a little relatable to them. Otherwise, they'll do as Humanity always does, and start deifying me. I don't want that, either. The last thing we need is another cult."

Oranguru chuckled. "My, don't we have a high opinion of ourselves. Do you really need a reminder of where exactly you stand in terms of power?"

Alex ignored the bait and thought it over. Jess glared at him. Going toe to toe with an actual Pokémon was asking for injury. The Foggy Swamp Sage did not hold back, and what power he did pull was only to avoid killing whoever was on the receiving end of his moves. "I think I do, actually. It would be good for my ego. War is not unlike Battle...and I. Keep. Winning." By the look on his no longer smirking face, he had grown tired of victory also meaning dead humans. When it came to combat, he would always prefer sport to slaughter. He hoped many surrendered in the battles that were likely unfolding as they spoke, for Tao was in charge of enlightening the misguided, but redeemable, children of Fornia to reality as only a Guardian appointed by Arceus could. The Scales would have plenty of time to help him, if Fornia fell.


The look in his eyes was covered over by the intense blue aura. It flickered below his eyelids as he closed them and opened the pathway for the Light to enter through. The Sage arched a brow and glanced at Professor Aristole. The two shared a smirk, as the Original Dragon's Tamer tapped into the Light. "I relent. His choices are as accurate as ever." The eyes shifted back to Alex as the Sage gestured to the stadium's field. Naturally, after only a few minutes of conversing, the students of the island had gathered in the stands, usually by way of Teleport. The noise built in murmurs as their teacher gestured.

Alex let the speed granted by the Light take him to his starting position, and he blinked, as he realized the Sage had gotten to his first. Teleport, apparently. He would have an anchor here. Alex made a note of its location and knew there would be more. Their locations would be the key to defeating the Sage. He could not sense them, as they were anchors made from short bursts and repeated battling, and different from the psychic anchors used for long range travel.

The Oranguru struck first, as he always did, for he was faster than all of them, but for once, Alex got a good look at how his species attacked. The fan had appeared with him, meaning he'd had time to go grab it before bamfing to his spot, and judging by the smirk on his mentor's face, that was the first of many lessons. He was slower.


Alex didn't draw Lux, though he knew the ghost was watching. He had proven himself invaluable in their battles for survival, as his eyes darted everywhere, covering his Trainer's blind spots with timely advice, and wisdom of age. He disliked killing as much as his wielder, and they were a good team because of that. Now though, Alex understood he was on his own. As the wave of psychic force emanating from the Sage's balance symbol marked brow came towards him, it seemed to move slower than he remembered. The Sage might be faster, but his attacks, or at least this one, were not.

He dropped into the usual stance he took for fighting hand-to-hand. There was a reason he didn't use his fists too often. Early on in his first foray into the dragon's alternate plane, they had realized his strikes were too powerful for most humans, and Pokémon, to survive if he put real force behind them. Typically, he saved them for moments like this, when his team was unable to aid him and he was on his own. The blazing aura of Light radiating off of him condensed around the dragonbone armor, and in the instant the Psychic attack reached him, he struck.

Fast, precise, the golden aura tore through the Psychic attack, launching at the Sage once it did. The emanation of golden light took on the vague shape of a draconic head but was dispelled by a wave of the fan. The Sage hovered for a long moment, eyeing his student as he again dropped into the dragon's stance. Physically, he'd made a simple punch forward, and that had been enough to turn his attack.


Alex didn't wait this time, though. His bone-encased fist was smoking from the contact with the psychic energy, and he didn't want to ruin his armor in a sparring match. As he closed in on the Sage, he halted short, as the fan floated in front of him, and radiated an aura of energy associated with the move Protect. He sighed and waited. The barrier fell, and as usual, made its user pause directly after, giving him a moment to strike.

As Oranguru was especially weak to the dark typing and its moves, Alex summoned the dark energy imbued in the ever-useful armor to his fists as he struck towards the Sage, only to find he'd Teleported away. He smirked. That was what he'd wanted. He propelled himself through the air then and saw the Oranguru's eyes widen in surprise. When last Alex had been here, levitating his larger frame had been too costly in terms of energy. Now, he barely seemed to notice it.

Once more his fist struck empty air, and again, the Sage had Teleported. Over and over this repeated, and while he let the dark energy dissipate before each potential hit, his clever mentor eventually caught on to what he was doing. The Light in his aura was weakening his own attack. Alex could only really use such a dark move effectively when his aura shield was down, but in a fight like this, that would mean an instant loss. He needed the strike to be almost instant, for the full effect. Unfortunately for the Sage, it was at that same moment that Alex realized they'd hit the number of anchors one Pokémon could legitimately manage in one condensed area. His enhanced mind had kept track of their locations easily.


He followed the Sage's Teleport as he winked out of the way of his burning black fist, only to have it sink satisfyingly into the Pokémon's white fur as he reappeared where the Sage did, and finally struck home. Oranguru went sailing across the field, but stopped himself in the air before he neared the ground, and then rotated to turn to face his student once more. "Well struck...but do not get cocky."

He Teleported again, and as Alex let his third eye track where the energy was moving, he swore. He knew what came next. The Sage appeared above the field and raised his hands. Between them, psychic and normal typed energy formed separate orbs in each massive palm, then melded together almost instantly, and it wasn't more than a second before the giant ball of psychic and normal energy in a familiar balanced pattern was heading for him. Another second, and it hit.

The crowd began murmuring again, as they'd stopped when he hadn't gone down against the Psychic attack, like pretty much anyone the Sage used it on. The murmurs grew as, with a wave of his fan, Oranguru cleared the smoke and dust from his attack. Alex rose, smirking from under the helmet as he met his master's gaze. "Protect is irritating, isn't it."


The Sage's eyes narrowed, but then, the aura around his student shifted from gold back to blue. He seemed satisfied that his attack had done at least that, but Redwood was still smirking. Dark typed energy radiated from one fist and covered his left arm. The Light, condensed around his right, and he gave the Sage a moment to realize what was coming, before he Teleported as well, and began to counter.

What came next was a series of Teleports, followed immediately by a dark or light punch that, usually, the Sage blocked with his fan of fur and leaves. Anyone with eyes could tell he was pressing his attack, and yet when the fan came out, the Light fist struck. When Alex was lucky enough to get around it, he struck with the dark energy. He repeated this, until finally, the Sage spoke loud enough for all of them. "Enough."

Alex paused mid-strike, and then propelled himself back towards his starting point. He was panting after holding that much dark energy for so long. It always threatened to consume his aura shield, given his own typing, but that had yet to happen in battle. If it did, he would be down just to his armor for defense, and that was something he wanted to avoid. Mostly to keep the armor intact and presentable.


"Well done." The Sage said, as he eyed the scorch marks on his weapon left by his student's punches. He floated towards Alex then, hovering cross-legged in the air. "Kneel."

Alex glanced around, as the Sage had, as far as he knew, not done this before. Jess confirmed that, according to the latent thoughts of the gathered crowd, this was a first for them, too. Oranguru raised the fan, and his hand twitched. The massive object folded up, and though the symbol of balance appeared on the spread leaves, it appeared on the sides when folded, as well. Alex did as he was bid and fell to a knee.

"By the right of the Sages. By the will of Arceus." The fan tapped each of his armored shoulders as the Sage spoke. Finally, it tapped, lightly, his helmeted head as well. "Rise, defender of Balance. There is little more I can teach you. He, on the other hand...has much to impart."

Before Alex could ask who, the fan had extended again, and waved at the seemingly empty air behind the Sage's spot on the field. It shimmered, and every single human and Pokémon gathered stared in unified awe at the pale white form of the deity responsible for saving the planet, and giving it, arguably, the best gift anyone ever had or likely ever would, in the form of Pokémon.


Arceus himself manifested before the stadium, and the red eyes scanned over the crowd of gathered humans, and Pokémon. Alex stayed kneeling. Professor Aristole followed his lead, and soon, all were displaying respect to the Alpha Pokémon. The Light around him seemed to shine a bit brighter as he mentally accepted their praise and looked them over. Then, the intense red eyes focused on Alex, and he remembered the last time he'd faced this particular entity in this very Swamp.

It is time we spoke.

Before he could ask where, his perspective shifted, as did his surroundings. White-gold light illuminated the immediate area, a series of weathered columns that marked equally weathered white stone stairs that ultimately led to where the Alpha Pokémon hovered. He was standing just below the deity's perch, on one meant, apparently, for speaking with the Alpha.

From here, I watch this world. From here, I see all. Many with the right to my Light are about to awaken, and you who would lead them must be tested.


Alex nodded, shifting from the scenery, which reminded him entirely too much of the realm he'd spent most of the morning within, training his Scales, and their teams. "I thought we did that already, but I accept whatever test you have for me."

The deity's thunderous chuckle echoed in his head. The test does not end. This will be a good first step on the path you now walk. You, like many, have had your destiny irrevocably twisted by those who preach in My name. The crimson eyes widened, and then shrank. I wish it Ended. I am asleep no longer, and my true self's return to this plane is nigh. This...cult, must be eradicated, lest it be regrown and twisted when the time finally arrives. If you allow it to persist, it will undo whatever progress you hope to make with your species.

"You really think it's that dangerous? That it has that much potential?" Alex had linked his arms behind him as he faced down a deity and was instinctively glad that he had his armor on. Not that he expected to need it. Pissing off Arceus himself was something he actively wished to avoid.

Because it uses My image, yes. The being emanated a mental sound that seemed not unlike a sigh, a weary one at that. Whoever next Tames me will have much to accomplish with my aid. All that good may again be undone, if we allow the masses their worship, as we did last time. There will be no organized devotion from Humans. Not this cycle. This time around...what we change will last.


Alex arched a brow at that. "With respect, what you and your last Holder created did last. According to...a wise man I knew, those earliest teachings became the basis of the Pokémon League. Of what Battling is, and what it should always be. You will not have to start from scratch, Alpha Pokémon...but why tell me? Am I the one to tame you next?" He had no small hint of disbelief in his tone by the end of his questions. The idea seemed absurd, as it had when he'd first heard the legend. Arceus was, by all accounts, a being comparable to a deity. Why would such an entity allow themself to be chained by a Pokéball, special or not?

The deity's eyes widened, and narrowed again as they ran over his very being, seeing more of the human than any of his servants could. The potential is there...but there are many with such power within. Who exactly will Hold the Space-Time Sphere has yet to be decided, and until it is, the future is fractured into many potential timelines. I come to you now, because you have already awakened, accessed my power, proven worthy of it, and are in a position to end this irritation in a timely manner.

Alex bowed. "As you command, it shall be. The cult will not survive this conflict. The Original Dragon has already done much to see to that specifically."

Arceus nodded and made what seemed like a pleased sound. I am aware. He knows what is necessary for the events that will unfold next...and he is putting his hope in you, Alexander Redwood, to see his Dreams achieved.


The human thought for a moment, before daring to ask something else. He knew he was pushing the limits of what the deity might impart, but he was standing before Arceus. Literal, real, tangible Arceus. Now was the time to ask, he probably wouldn't have another chance. "Do...you agree with his plans, then? You wish for them to unfold?"

There are many Guardians, each with their own plans and pupils. My role is to support the one that proves itself dominant in honorable combat. That is the system that was decided upon by your ancestors. Train hard, Human, and you may yet see your dragon's wish to fruition.

The white light around him flared and fractured as the deity pulled an object forth from a pocket space useful for containing things that were best kept hidden, until those who could wield them correctly appeared. A crystalline object, shining with an impossible number of colors, descended towards Alex, and he felt a strong compulsion to raise his hands. They moved on their own, as he did not fight it, and the warm crystal landed in his hands.

You are given permission to use this Burst Heart. When the time is right, you will use it with your dragon, and end the abomination perverting my image. With both of your powers combined, you should be able to handle the Shadow's Champion with ease.


Alex barely had time for a 'thank you' or a 'what the Muk is a Burst Heart?' before the Light around them flared impossibly white, and he found himself back on the training field. Around him, the others were still kneeling, Arceus was where he had been before, and as time itself began to flow again, he vanished as quickly as he'd appeared, without another word.

Alex was the first to stand, pocketing the crystal as he gave the Alpha a nod, just before he left. In his opinion, world peace was a worthy goal, and one he would help his Legendary partner pursue. He'd just need to find a path to it not paved with senseless slaughter. His face grew grim then. There would still be senseless slaughter regardless, though. Like Tao, he'd try to minimize it. He looked between Jess, Clemont, and Professor Aristole, as they too stood up. "It's time we moved out. Ready the Scales."


He walked towards Oranguru then, and smirked. "Master, do you mind if I give those who are worthy a chance to join us in the coming battles?"

The Sage watched him for a long moment, then sighed. "Very well." He mentally contacted those who might prove themselves ready, in the time it took the Scales to prepare to Teleport. A thousand stayed, and the rest of the trainees went back to honing their skills across the compound. "These are the closest to maturation that I have at the moment."

Alex nodded, and then addressed the crowd of Trainers. He recognized a few faces of Champions that had yet to ascend, as well as faces that seemed way, way too young for war. But he trusted the Sage's judgement. "We will test your worthiness for the title of Scale of Balance with a Battle. You should already know who among this group you'll be having yours with, and if you don't...look around. Fate will guide your eyes to the right gaze. He saw familiar smirks spread across the trainees, as they started meeting gazes, and readying their partners. The flames of battle were rising, and he stoked them with his next words.

"You have until I and my own Scales are ready to Teleport. We have extra armor for you, should you prove victorious. If you do, you will have the unique opportunity to serve with the best, and the most experienced Scales as fresh recruits. Do not cheat, do not take shortcuts. If you are meant to join us in Hel today, you will know it by how quickly you finish your opponent. Take your places and begin!"


As Alex had expected, his Scales had spread out among the compound once they'd landed, and not all of them had Teleported in to see the events at the stadium. Those had primarily been trainees, hoping to learn something, and get a show out of it. He felt they'd gotten one.

It would take time to gather the rest of the Scales, as more than a few had gone Pokémon hunting in the Swamp as well. Like most places of psychic power and natural energy, the Swamp was home to pretty strong potential partners, and more than a few had been given suggestions, usually from him or Tao, on what they needed to make their team more likely to survive.

Alex himself had several partners with specifically useful abilities waiting in his cloak, but his main ten were who he usually called upon in war. Many of his newer catches had not yet matured enough to be alright with the horror his main ten had grown immune to, slowly. Still, it was incredibly convenient essentially walking around with his box. Everyone got decent training. He needed to thank Percy again, later.


All around, battles began, and, in many cases, the first round began what swiftly became a series of OHKOs, for the Trainers with the most potential. Being the victor of a match-up, they were allowed to sense what species their opponent was drawing next and could shift to counter it. It took skill and cleverness to break out of that kind of advantage, and in the first few battles to reach the end of ten on ten, there were roughly twenty that had unbroken streaks. Those, he split in half, usually by sex. He knew his better half would enjoy more people to train.

Within five minutes, two hundred and fifty of the whole thousand gathered proved themselves with swift victory, while others, though skilled, ended up with opponents that favored defense, wearing down one's opponent, and then hammering them. He didn't need a clock, as the armored forms of those who had found their power and gone on to become legends in their own right were Teleporting into the stadium rather rapidly, filling the stands and preparing to Teleport, as the battles raged on.

Each of them began mentally checking in, as all Scales did while gathering, once the Generals returned. Clemont and Aristole had sent their Pokémon, rather than go themselves, but Jess had ways of reaching everyone, and had enough Pokémon to do it. By the time the ten thousand had returned, checked in, and begun once more forming the mental focus required for moving themselves, they had what evened out to roughly six hundred, in total, newly raised Scales.



Gas Town - Kanadia Region


The newly promoted initiates were bamfed to Unova, to be outfitted, and Tao sent each one back to them individually, after discussing what was expected of them as a soldier wearing his colors and mark. Only a few did not return from Unova, and the dragon would not say why. Alex trusted his judgement though, for if he'd felt them unfit, there was a good reason. As great a mentor as Oranguru was, they knew he was stretched with Instructing so many humans at once. Some flaws could not be so rapidly ironed out, with such large numbers. The Sage had simply taken the required numbers in stride though, and had adapted his home to fit them, while retaining the same sense of comfort and a vibe that remained chill.

It was several hours past noon when they were, finally, outfitted and ready. The new blood would be kept relatively safe from the fighting, and had been paired with the more experienced Scales, or those they had a previous bond to. They would be 'master' and 'apprentice' pairings, until the 'masters' deemed them ready to fight on their own and not die or cut themselves with their new plasma swords.

The entire army group focused their minds once more, and Teleported into an old, abandoned town called Gas Town, just north of the Kanadian wall, and the closest remaining outpost they had to the Arcean controlled coast. It was established little more than a few miles north of Pravia, and hidden, for the Kanadian Wall loomed over it, and the local flora hid the ruined old mining town rather well. Alex didn't know what exactly had been dug up here, but humans had ravaged the earth for what lay beneath at some point in the past. Now, nature reclaimed it, and they could safely use it as a hidden spot within which to gather, in the event the wall was breached. This late in the war, nobody saw that realistically happening, but it was always good to plan.


The two Generals then dispensed the battle plan, to everyone else. Rumor was, they had been mentally cooking it up, as they often had before, for most of the day. Any attack now would need to be remarkably fast, or it would last into the night, and they would be behind schedule to a far worse degree. Tao had allowed for them to have most of the day though, as they had agreed that Alex should gather as many from the Swamp as he could once they'd all more or less figured out how to armor their partners. They only had Scales in their army group, but that would be enough.

Before long, the girls left, with Jess at their head, to fly over the wall and begin tunneling towards Pravia. The boys, meanwhile, would pile into Shruikan. When armored by the Draco Plate, he had enough of a carrying capacity to act as a legitimate dropship. Alex would lead them in an attack from above, while the mostly female half of their forces came from below.

The riders from Valaskjalf had joined him, this time, as they were better battlers in the air, and their full potential was better used in the skies. Before things kicked off though, Alex had a plan that, while unlikely to work, could ultimately avoid bloodshed. The chance was worth taking.


Pravia, being a far northern city buried in the mountains that stretched all the way to Kanadia, had mostly been ignored by the 'southerners' and their cultish lifestyles. The Prophet's will was not as heavily enforced, and while they gave soldiers and supplies to Sacreus, their governing was left mostly to the man Pravus had put in charge. Of all his many employees, the man who ran Pravia's various task forces, amongst other things, was one of the few in the Prophet's direct service that leaned away from the zealot-like mindsets necessary to make viable Crusaders. In short, it was rumored he was somewhat reasonable, rather than insane, or...quirky.

The city did not have many troops, as most were either in Sinnoh by now, on the way there, or had gone east, to Fargo, to reinforce General Nonagon. Of all the Arcean leaders they were likely to meet on their march down Fornia's coast, this one was, supposedly, the one most likely to surrender, when he realized how outmatched he was.

The snow was not yet done with Fornia's northern half, and the clouds gave Shruikan the cover he needed while the two halves of the legion prepared to strike. The cover lacked ash, for once, as these were relatively new weather patterns, and most of the ash in the air, after being Shouted into nonexistence by Tao, was gone. It would still cover the south, for that was where Fornia was still on fire, but this far north the air had become clean again. More or less. He'd been told that the sky was usually gray, in this part of the world.


Alex bamfed into the home of the man his scouts said was in charge of Pravia's defense, once he approached it from above. Getting in was as simple as adjusting his position vertically by a few feet. As expected, the place was a cut above any other Arcean dwelling he'd seen, either with his own eyes or through memories. Pravus made sure his minions were comfortable. Given the relatively quiet nature of Teleport, he found himself hovering in a TV room, by the only door to the dwelling.

The screen was on, and the Prophet's seemingly endless Arc News channel was broadcasting. He did not judge though, for that was essentially all 'real Arceans' were allowed to watch, when it came to media entertainment. With the man in question were two smaller humans, and a woman, and at that point, Alex hit his belt, and retracted the armor. That, caused a bit more noise and he landed as it disappeared.

He stood as the family turned to find a bearded white and black robed stranger in their house. The parents had a look of recognition. The children just stared, wide eyed. "Hello there." He said as he looked between all of them before, meeting the man's gaze. "You and I need to have a chat."


"Jess, take the kids to the back…" Alex blinked at the name, but otherwise made no move for the family as they quickly left at their patriarch's order. "Now then...Redwood, right? What brings the most hated man in Fornia to my home?"

Alex gave the man a grim smirk. "Unfortunately, the war."

The man's brown eyes narrowed. "There's no war this far out here. Not unless you've brought it with you."

"Your Prophet has delivered this war unto you, 'his people'. You should not be surprised to find us on your doorstep, at this point. Not if you have any idea of what he's done to us. To Pokémon. To the very planet." Alex crossed his arms and looked the man over. He was in plain clothes, of fine quality, and seemed to not have armor on hand.

"If we are at war, then why are you here, in my home, Dragon Emperor?" The man had stood by this point, only his fine white leather couch between them. Behind him, Pravus's media drones continued to babble and spread misinformation. He heard something about psychic types, but what Arceans didn't know about psychics could fill a library.


"Contrary to what you have been told, I do not want this war. I don't like killing Fornians. I would have you prosper, alongside the rest of the continent, as you did in ages now long passed. But before that can happen, I need to take down the man who has twisted this region into a burning, mined-out hellscape. That means any cities loyal to him must fall. Arciana City and Fargo are under attack as we speak, in fact, by now, they've probably fallen."

"They have." The man interrupted. He gestured at the TV. "Your Generals work quickly."

Alex shrugged. He had known they would be behind, but it ultimately wouldn't matter much. They needed to link up with Thor and Nate to take Port: Land anyway. "Not surprising. I can only imagine what the media puppets are claiming we've done in this latest conflict. I'm here to tell you it's nonsense. I offer you a chance, High Bishop of Pravia, to surrender. Your soldiers and citizens need not feel the flames of war, if you bend the knee. The Original Dragon is-"

He was interrupted again, as the man laughed. "Oh, I know about your silver-tongued serpent. The answer is no, Redwood. We will never bend to you, or the dragon's will."

Alex sighed. "I have over ten thousand of my strongest Scales waiting to tear this city apart like a pistachio shell. If you do not do it for your rightful Emperor, or the dragon responsible for bringing this continent to peace, do it for your family, and the families of your men, who will surely fall to us. You can avoid a bloodbath. We all can. This is your chance to join the side that's fighting for the Light, not the Shadow. You know what's coming from the east. Not even your media goons can hide Thor's strength. Surrender. Before he gets here. Once he does, the battle will not end in your favor. You probably won't survive, either."


"Only ten thousand? You have very few men with which to storm my city. You have my answer, demonblood. I will see you on the battlefield." The man moved to a large containment unit then, within which was his armor. He began dressing, and Alex sighed, as he activated his own. The man paused, watching as the dragonbone appeared again from seemingly nowhere.

"No... you won't." Alex sighed, glanced at where the children had been taken, and then looked down. "Don't make me kill them, too. I can't guarantee your civilian's safety against what's coming. None of you have to die for this ridiculous war...I'm offering you a chance to live, man! Take it!"

"You offer the path to Giratina, and his Hellish domain. My soul will not be bound in such a place! I fight for Arceus, and his Prophet on Earth!" The man grabbed his Power Stave then, and levelled it at Alex, despite still only being half-armored himself. "I could end the greatest threat to him right now…"

Alex's eyes narrowed. Intense blue psychic aura covered his form. "You won't survive taking the shot. Don't do it…" He felt Lux hop into his right hand, and he grit his teeth. He'd really thought they could bypass Pravia, that reason might yet exist in this cult-infested region. Apparently not.


The man unleashed a torrent of ice typed energy at him as soon as he'd finished speaking. Lux bisected the light blue beam of energy, which tore through the entrance of the dwelling, and froze what did not break under its power. Alex remained untouched, as did the carpet and wall immediately behind him. He sighed again. "So be it."

The black and white plasma sword spun through the man's mostly armored chest as Alex threw the blade, and then pulled it back to him. He felt Lux, and his team, try to console him, but he was in no mood. Once more, Caleb Pravus' rhetoric would doom those who followed it, and no amount of rational conversation would dissuade them. For good measure, and to vent some of his rising anger, he lifted a hand, and then crushed the still blathering television, leaving it a sparking, crumpled mess of glass and plastic.

Then, he propelled himself upwards, tearing through the ceiling with his aura shield, as he was still irritated. He ascended over the city quickly, and before long had taken his perch atop Shruikan. The dragon looked back at him, the same grim look in his eyes. They both knew what he needed to open this battle with, but even now, he was reluctant. He sighed again and pointed down at the city with Lux's still humming blade from atop Shruikan's head. The wind was loud up here, but his troops would hear him. "Draco Meteor."


Shruikan summoned the energy, and it coalesced around the Scales leaping from his undercarriage, where they'd been on standby. Each Scale, encased in dragon typed energy, fell to the city and landed atop a building of import. Barracks. Distribution centers. Armories. Mining operations. The purplish-blue comets reduced them to craters, and the Scales that emerged from them, summoned their partners, dispatched any Crusaders they saw upon rising.

The city's defenses wailed to life as the bombardment kept coming. Alex and Shruikan were providing the energy, and forming spheres around roughly five thousand people was not a simple task, but the energy of the Plates was infinite. By the time they had emptied from the massive dragon's holding area, the city was filled with craters.

Then, he contacted his Jess. "They're out in force and converging on my Scales...now is the time."


He felt an affirmative response from where she and the other ladies were lying in wait below. From beneath the fighting Crusaders came another five thousand Scales, and with surprise on their side, the Crusader's numbers fell, hard, to their sneak attacks from underground. In short order, the once lovely city of Pravia had become a war-torn hellscape. Alex blinked out of his reverie as he watched the carnage. The Articuno riders were trying to gain his attention and were floating in the air beside the massive black dragon, waiting to begin bombarding the squads of soldiers below with heavy attacks. Many would simply die in the ice, long before they thawed.

Alex nodded at them and began to bring Shruikan down towards the carnage. He too was not overeager. There were far too many innocents for his kind of attacks. He preferred it when the zealots lined up for him in neat little rows. Still, he did his part. A column of electric death in the form of a massive Charge Beam tore through one such column of Crusaders below, leaving naught but their sparking Pokéballs behind in their wake. If the occupants managed to pop free, they would only find their Trainer's ashes.

More than a few Pokémon had been robbed of their Trainers over the course of the conflict. Most, when purified, ran off into the wild. Others, focused on vengeance. It was an issue to deal with at another time. Alex let Shruikan go about his business after a few passes over the city's more organized soldiers, at which point he joined his friends on the ground and focused on keeping his Scales alive. The Arceans were starting to recover from the girl's surprise, but Alex's team came in with timely moves that began shifting the tide.


Not long after that, a mighty yell echoed across the city, and a fiery chariot appeared over the eastern half of it, which coincidentally was the most embattled at that point of the attack. Thor himself rode into the fray, dealing death with every hammer blow, and behind him came a tide of fiery blue maned Rapidash riders, and the sons of Asgard made short work of those who continued resisting.

Nate and his own Scales joined soon after, and it was not long at all before the remaining Arceans surrendered. A force of three hundred thousand had been subdued by a mere ten. Nate's forces merged with their Emperor's, and in short order, the fifteen thousand or so Scales of Balance had teleported their new prisoners back home, to have their eyes opened, by the dragon himself. Since again finding his Voice, breaking delusions had become habitual for the Legendary Dragon. It was a fine line between replacing one indoctrination with another, but Tao was probably the only being in existence that could balance upon it. He did not break their wills, and while many were persuaded to see reason, or at least verify his Words, others stubbornly refused, and they were the ones who ended up imprisoned. Those who took the offer to join the empire they were going to build were kept separate from their more deluded kin.

The regular troops from both Kalos and Norstad came several hours behind Nate and Thor, and many of Alex's Scales were impressed at how fast everyone mobilized. Hilbert had drilled them well, and under Nate, they'd become strong. There had been more of them, back in Unova, but that was war. He ordered the troops to gather the populace, as they prepared to march. None of them had ever been to Port: Land, and those who claimed they had, did not have anchors strong enough for all of them.


Alex, Jess and Nate addressed the irate locals of the city who, upon realizing the invaders weren't going to kill them for acting out, had begun doing whatever they pleased. Some, had crossed that line between irate civilian, and armed combatant, only to then witness firsthand the disturbing ease with which a Scale could permanently end a threat from a single, ordinary human. Reports of maimed limbs, and even a few actual deaths had begun reaching the General's ears, and all three had agreed that they were better off moving on. But first, certain things had to be impressed upon those who survived here.

"People of Pravia!" The Voice reached all of them, and even those who'd fully intended to let the Enemy's words go in one ear and out the other, could not ignore the Dragon Emperor of Unova as he spoke to them. "A new era is coming to your region. The Original Dragon has returned. Once, you all understood what that meant. For those out of the loop, the Dragon Empire has been reborn, and whether you like it or not, I am the one who was picked to guide it, and the Humans within it. Before the month is out, you will find yourselves under a new government. Mine."

He gave them a moment to process that, and then continued. Thankfully, nobody seemed eager to shout out, at that moment. "One way or another, the Cult of Arceus is ending. I was told by the Alpha Pokémon himself; he has grown immensely displeased with what you, and your leaders, have done while claiming to follow his teachings."


At the end of that sentence, the city rumbled, as eight Earthquakes leveled eight of the most prominent houses of Arceus worship, shattering them to unusable rubble. His team came back then, one at a time, glaring at the gathered civilians as they did. Terra came last looking as chill as a grass turtle could on a battlefield, and Alex perched atop his shell, as he gave the turtle's upper neck a scratch. "He does not intend to allow Humans to continue worshiping him in an organized capacity, either. Arceus charged me with the task of ending your Prophet, who has taken for himself the mantle of Shadow Champion. I don't have to explain the truth of this to you. I am sure, from what I've been told by your fellow Fornians who have already surrendered, that many of you have Pokémon you have not given to your Church for 'purification'."

There was a sea of downturned heads, and averted gazes about the secret only ignorant children voiced aloud. Alex smirked, staring down at his starter, as he continued speaking. "Whatever that process is, it changes them, doesn't it. Turns them violent, feral, cruel even. Twists them from something good to something eager to kill. It's called Shadow Infusion. It does little more than pervert the perfect balance Pokémon have on instinct and turns these wonderful creatures into little better than an energy weapon. That in itself is atrocious, but your Prophet took it a step further by using this process on Eggs before they'd even had a chance to hatch, just so his Shadow Pokémon could gain experience. An entire lifetime of suffering, so that they're more useful tools for your Shadow Prophet. For that atrocity, there can be only one sentence."


Many eyes were looking pointedly away from the far too casual 'Emperor' chilling on the back of his grass turtle. His Words still reached them though, and as usual, the truth within could not be denied. When one spoke honestly using the power of the Voice, the words could not be ignored. He hadn't tried lying, as he'd been warned against it by his Rayquaza.

"Your Church has been taking the partners of our hearts and minds and infusing them with the foulest substance in existence. But the Shadow is not just mindless rage or corrosive energy. It has a will. All it requires, is a leader to direct it. That is what your Prophet has become, all while making you, the good people of Fornia, believe that he speaks for the Alpha Pokémon, the very entity responsible for caging the Shadow in the first place. Within the realm you know as the Reverse World, or colloquially, Hell."

He stood then, and recalled his strongest partner, landing easily on his feet as he did. "You can judge for yourselves the truth of my words in the weeks to come. If I'm successful in taking down your Prophet, there is much that will change here. You have until my next visit to ponder whether you will aid the Guardian that Arceus himself left in charge of this continent, or the fiend trying to usurp him, and turn us all into slaves of the Shadow. Most of you have your lives, and your freedom. Remember that, before you judge me and my people too harshly on the word of a lunatic."


The legions moved out quickly then, leaving not a single soldier to keep the burning city. It had been crippled, and everything but residential buildings had been crushed by the initial meteors. Alex's words had them properly musing, for more than a few had heard the growing rumors around Caleb Pravus and the use of very illegal Shadow Infusion practices but hadn't given them credence until that moment. Until, by his own admission, the man Pravus had very obviously scapegoated into the Fornian's nemesis destroyed their city because of these alleged actions. Even for the Arceans, it was hard to deny the kind of truth that motivated very obviously Light infused armies into marching. Once one started to question, they all would, and after that, it would be up to them as a city to decide what they would be doing with their lives and their freedom.

The combined legions made good time to Port: Land, and this time, Alex did not pause them before the siege began. Being the unofficial 'place of origin' for Caleb Pravus' cult had, over the centuries, turned the port-side city into a bastion of unquestioning faith in whatever their Prophet told them to do. Aside from Sacreus and perhaps Texico City, there would not be a harder nut to crack open.

Alex fully intended to crack it though, as Shruikan could make short work of any gate, shorter work even than Thor. They were debating that very point, on who they should send in first, when above them, a sudden darkness filled the sky. The sun's slow and early descent, since it was still close to winter, was seemingly sped up as the orange gave way to black and purple, which in no way seemed normal.


Then, every Scale of Balance preparing to storm the city felt it. The unmistakable presence of a truly dark entity, but given that it was indeed dark typed, they could divine little more than a vague direction from which the impenetrable mass was coming. It took time, but eventually, they realized that whatever this new darkness was, it was approaching fast. It soared over Port: Land, to their south, and then further out to sea. Alex watched it, knowing who was within the inky black sphere at the heart of the storm of Shadow, and he didn't need a map to guess its trajectory.

"Looks like we're going to Alola." Jess said, as she came up beside him. He didn't try to dissuade her; he knew she'd be coming whether he 'let her' or not. "We'd better hurry...Professor Kukui can't hold him alone."

Alex smirked. "He's not alone...and we likely won't be either." He shivered against her, slightly. "I've always wanted to see a Solgaleo...I suppose now is the time."


Within three minutes, the word had gone out. Caleb Pravus was on a direct course for Alola, and then likely Sinnoh, if the victories Red had achieved in Japan were true. Thor and Nate would handle subjugating the city, leaving Alex and Jess to handle whatever the Prophet had become. He no longer seemed human, but he was effectively shielded from psychic eyes.

As Alex reached out to Tao, to begin the climactic battle of the day, the Original Dragon appeared, in all his mega evolved glory, just north of Port: Land. From the city, several beams of intense ice energy arced towards his easily spotted golden glowing form, but they were stopped short, by one massive Flamethrower. Shruikan began the attack then, as the legion would need him, and his strength to take the city. Thor's burning chariot wasn't far behind, and Nate ordered the charge as Alex's dragon flew for the city's defensive walls and razed them with a beam of electric death.

Alex and Jess ultimately left their Scales under Nate's command, as they agreed the city would require them to fall, which meant their duel in the sky would be between them, and Pravus's own partners. Their Charizard mega evolved as the pair flew away, out over the ocean, following the massive whirling cloud of purple and black as it moved west.


They arrived just outside of Alola in time to find that they were not the first people to recognize Pravus for the threat he was. "Searing…. Sunraze...SMAAAAASH!" The call for a Z-Move echoed through the air around them, before the Solgaleo responsible for it lit up the sky as it meteored towards the blackened sphere that, presumably, held the Prophet within.

One massive, clawed hand composed of dark energy appeared beside the sphere, and grabbed the burning lion. Then, the light of the sun's emissary dimmed, as the Darkrai-like claw appeared to drain the light from his attack. Solgaleo and its rider began withering in the evil grip, until six beams of focused moonlight blasted through the arm connected to the hand, dissipating it entirely.

By that point, the two newcomers on their Charizard were close enough to see the riders atop the heads and necks of the two Legendary Pokémon. Solgaleo's Tamer was the man who'd held the rank of Alola's third Champion for quite a few years now. Lightly bearded and wearing a long white and red Trainer jacket with shorts, around their age, and reportedly chill, unless battling, Elio looked worse for wear after the power of their attack had been consumed. Lunala's Tamer was female, and after a closer look at her braided hair, flowery orange top, and Professor lab coat, they recognized the woman who'd studied under Professor Kukui. Professor Kaede was a powerful Trainer in her own right, but neither of the humans that looked to be around their own age seemed prepared to fight the Champion of Shadow that had come to their doorstep.


"Arthur." Alex's Gallade was out and in his Mega Form before he and Jess reached the position at which the two Legendary Tamers were hovering, and he brought Excalibur to bear on the sphere, shooting past it before a shadowy arm could so much as form. His form flared then, and the Mind Armor covered him, as he knew what would come next. The sphere cracked, and then fell away, the Shadow within flaring and expanding rapidly now that it was free.

Caleb Pravus had become what one might expect a human and a Darkrai to look like when fused together, but the Darkrai had...changed. Its form was bigger, darker, almost as if it embodied the very element it used to power its attacks to a whole new level. Pravus seemed to have fully fused with his partner and one of their shadowy claws flung a Dark Ball towards the armored Gallade.

Both Alex and Arthur knew what was coming, and it wasn't long before the Gallade was locked in an intense duel of swordsmanship with Pravus's Shadow infused Gallade, meeting Mordred's Aerial Ace with the Light typed Sacred Sword over and over. As those two clashed and drifted away from the humans, Pravus began throwing other balls. A Golisopod and Cloyster dropped to the ocean below and headed for Alola, while a white Gengar, a shiny Vikavolt, and an Ultra Beast, classified as Naganadel, joined their owner in the air, as the Gengar ascended to its Mega Form first.

Jess and Lunala's Tamer didn't give the other two the time to do the same as Chari took the Vikavolt with a Flamethrower and chased it down as it led her away. Blaze went with her, and Alex stayed hovering on his own, focused on helping his Gallade survive with an extra pair of eyes. He too had read the legends and had no intention of losing his brave Gallade this day. Professor Kaede faced down the unsettling white Mega Gengar, and Elio took his poison proof lion up against the dragon from another dimension.


Pravus sneered at Alex as the others began battling in and around their airspace, filling the air with the sounds of conflict and explosions of light. He was the only one as yet directly unoccupied by a battle, like Pravus. The Prophet crossed his arms, as he opened his mouth for what was probably another speech. Gone was the symbol of Arceus, that usually hovered behind his shoulders. He'd traded purple robes for ones that blended well with his Darkrai's black coloring, and kept his armor hidden from sight. The looming eyes of his Darkrai appeared just above his head as a part of his Shadow aura, watching. "Are you going to make me wait all day, or are you going to bring forth your divine lizard?"

Having intended to do exactly that until that moment, both Alex and Tao paused. Then, they both agreed on what their next course of action would be. Hearing his Trainer's thoughts, Arthur stopped locking blades with Mordred, and instead kicked with a rapidly spinning foot to the face, sending him flying in the opposite direction, as he bamfed back to his Trainer. "I like this plan. It keeps Tao safe and makes the most of what he taught us. If we fuse, we'd be unbeatable."

Alex shook his head. "Arceus himself said to use it on my dragon." He smirked at the Gallade, and then nodded at the suddenly very angry Mordred who was hurtling towards him once more, after having righted himself. "He never said which dragon." As he called for Shruikan, Arthur agreed to buy time, and so when Mordred came, the two Gallade began again smashing their arms together in a frenzy of energy, between Pravus and Alex.

Seeing what had become of Solgaleo, an entity whose light had powered Legendary dragons if the rumors were to be believed, after being in Pravus's new grip, had convinced Alex that if he summoned Tao now, something similar would happen. He was far more connected to the Light than most assumed, especially in his Mega Form, and so Alex called for the dragon that was of this world, and had grown with both light and dark within.


Arthur's diversion worked, as Pravus had focused on commanding his Gallade. Mordred's moves shifted, but Arthur had a type resistant, or advantaged, counter for whatever strike the Shadow infused Gallade tried. Alex had begun surreptitiously hovering back from the fight, when several things happened at once. Below them, a shield of gold and pink energy flared around the entirety of Alola, covering each island with a bright pink barrier, and atop Mt. Lanakila, the Trainers battling in the sky, saw the massive form of a Guardian of Alola, Tapu Bulu if Alex remembered his Tapus correctly. Standing in front of the fairy typed giant was a man who was not dressed for the mountain's cold temperatures, but that had never stopped him in the past. The glaringly obvious Professor lab coat and the set of shredded muscles beneath it only belonged to one man, on these islands. One who, as history showed, had empowered the Tapu before, albeit in a Pokémon League match against Ash Ketchum, rather than a serious situation.

Alex used the distraction the island's shielding caused in Pravus to float even further back, as his dragon was rather large, and he just barely missed wandering into the Charge Beam that he hadn't ordered. The massive beam of electricity hit Pravus directly, as he'd raised a hand towards the figures protecting the nearest island. Blown back only a few feet in the air, but hit directly in the chest, Pravus glared back in Alex's direction, his Shadow-covered eyes widening as he took in the smirking Unovan Champion, holding a crystal burning with multiple rainbow colors.

The expression of shock quickly soured and grew furious as he saw what rose up behind the Dragon Emperor. Alex landed atop Shruikan's head, and then raised the crystal. On the march down to Port: Land, the easterners had glimpsed armor camera footage from Japan, and had seen Red's victory earlier that same day. The enlightening video had raised the Scale's morale just before they'd arrived at the second site of conquest, but Alex knew Tao had had a reason for sending it directly to him, first. He closed his eyes, let the energy flow in, and the area became much, much brighter as he resonated with the crystal and Shruikan and Shouted, "Light Burst!"


The rainbow colors shot into Shruikan, and lit his form as well, and the two beings became one as the power of the Alpha Pokémon let them combine the strength of Shruikan's Mega Form with the absurd power that came from fusing humans and Pokémon. The final result looked more man than dragon, but a closer glance revealed there was just as much of Shruikan as his Trainer. Their neck was longer, Alex had a tail now, and the wings, unchanged in shape, arced up behind them from their back. His frame was large and covered in obsidian scales with white undertones, but then, it had always been large. He didn't realize how large, until he drew Lux, and found the hilt to be too tiny.

"You too, my ghostly friend." The humanoid Salamence rumbled. The hilt of the plasma sword flared with ghost energy, as the Rotom within pushed himself to the next stage of his evolution. His bottom opened, accepted the Draco crystal, and as soon as the Mega Rotom snapped closed around it and lit the other half of his enlarged and double-bladed form, Alex and Shruikan were moving.

Alex estimated himself at fifteen feet in height now, as he found himself before Caleb Pravus, and slashed. A pair of shadow hands tried blocking, but Lux's blade of plasma, hard to stop as it normally was, was burning with the power of the Light. The Shadow hissed and trailed dark smoke as the fusion of dragon and human struck again, and again. When there was finally a pause in their combination of eight strikes in a row, the Shadow flared, trying to force them back, but the fused being remained where he was as his aura burned brighter through the wave of Shadow. He smirked.


A cry of rage tore the air as the claws reached for the lengthened neck of Alex and his dragon, wrapping around it with blinding speed as they held him still. "Now, Mordred…" Pravus hissed, and Alex narrowed his scaly eyes as the dark Gallade turned his gaze to where his master had ordered it. Alex mentally ordered Arthur to follow and wait for an opening to strike.

As the Shadow Gallade raised both sword-arms to cut directly into their back, he suddenly found himself upside down, his concentration ruined, by the lengthy and prehensile tail of the dragon-man that wrapped around his foot and spun him out of balance. Furious, Mordred moved to right himself and strike anyway, but not before he found the Sacred Sword arm of another Gallade, stabbing into his heart piece.

"Break his guard." Alex said to Arthur, as Mordred fainted, and began to fall towards the ocean. Pravus shouted again, dark energy burning down his arms only to be stopped by a blade of black and white, tinged with a golden aura, that separated the shadowy hands from the shadowy arms. The flailing limbs retreated back to defense as Arthur came in with a series of eight consecutive attacks, and only when he paused did the Shadow hands appear again.

Pravus moved to drain the glowing Gallade as he had the Solgaleo, but the reformed claw found empty air, as the Gallade Teleported behind him, and stabbed both of his sword arms into the Prophet's back. As soon as he'd broken from his shell, both Alex and Arthur had psychically searched their opponent for the 'fusion point' of his body. They would need to sever it in order to free the younger Darkrai from Pravus. What they had found, was a layered connection, one between human and Darkrai, and reinforced by yet another Darkrai, but one that was smaller, unchanged, and not inherently evil like the original. As Arthur dragged his swords through the man's back, dark energy spouted from the x-shaped wound, and a Darkrai, normally colored but unhealthily thin, sprang free from the Prophet. Shadow followed, as the energy bled into the air, and the newly raised Champion of the Shadow screeched in pain.


More cuts began appearing across the fused form of Pravus and his reverted partner. Evidently, whatever power Pravus had forced his Darkrai to embrace had been too much for even their combined form, and their man-made Darkrai had been necessary to contain it. Neither had expected her to be cut free.

As Pravus screamed in pain, and raised his head towards the darkened clouds, he heard a hum, and then his vision began moving to his left. Then, it began spinning, falling away from the form that he knew was his body. It took him until he hit the water of the ocean below to realize that the dragon brat had severed his head with a single, perfect strike, and the last thing Caleb Pravus managed to make his mouth do before it simply stopped responding was open, in a silent scream as it sank into the depths of the ocean.

Alex and Shruikan were not done, however. The Darkrai remained, its own head taking over the corpse of the human it had struggled to dominate, and eventually partnered with. A humanoid obsidian scaled claw, burning with Light, reached through his reformed head, into the chest of the now decapitated Pravus, where it clenched around the Prophet's magnum opus, and tore it from the flesh. The Darkrai struck, but the strike was only dark typed, as without a Nexus or a power source, the Shadow's strength abandoned him. It bounced off the powerful aura filled with Light.


The Darkrai began to fall towards the ocean, trapped in the body he'd fused with so very long ago, and he managed to project his words. "No... give it...back...I must...live...I was...promised..."

Alex and Shruikan were staring at the red crystal within their hand, a look of genuine disgust on their face. They closed their angular eyes then and focused them on the failing form of the Darkrai, descending with it as it slowly fell to its doom. "That's the thing about bargaining with dark powers...they promise so much, but if you die before they reign ascendant...you get Nothing."

Psychic power surrounded the husk of human and Pokémon, and Alex cut through it twice more for good measure. "I don't want you resting anywhere near that bastard's head. Take my advice, Pitch Black Pokémon. Stay dead." With that, he sent the sliced-up body of Caleb Pravus, and its now unwilling occupant, sailing over Alola, far past it, to the depths of the massive Oceana Pacifica, miles and miles away from where Caleb Pravus's head had sunk.


Alex let the fusion fade, and looked up at Shruikan once they were again themselves. "That...was impressive, my friend. You've come so far from being that little Bagon I met under the mountain. Go back to Port: Land. Finish the fight…" He glanced around, seeing that the Alola Tamers, and Jess, were doing exactly that against Pravus' remaining Pokémon. "We're going to need to go to Alola...I have a feeling that all is not well with our island cousins."

Shruikan gave his Trainer a nod and winged back towards the burning city in the distance, casually torching fleeing Arcean ships with a Charge Beam as he flew over them. Elio and Solgaleo had seemingly recovered from their brief time in Pravus's grip, enough to catch the Naganadel in a Beast Ball, one of the few balls that legally overwrote a Trainer's ownership ID. If history was anything to go by, the Champion of Alola would either release the poisonous dragon or train it. Given that he already had a Naganadel, Alex guessed release was more likely.

Lunala handled the Gengar, whose Mega Form had evaporated when Pravus's head left his shoulders. Wounded and still berserk with Shadow, he was the first Alex bamfed besides, armored hands burning with the Light. "You've been in the dark too long, lost ghost. Come back to the Light." The sky flared again, and both Professor and Legendary Pokémon watched with awe as they confirmed the rumors were indeed true. The mainland's newest Dragon Emperor used Arceus' own power.


He was not the only one, for moments later, a similar flash lit in the distance, as Jess managed to finally touch the Vikavolt, and cleansed it, as her Articuno had shown her. After watching Fo and Alex do it several times, she had eventually opened her mind and body enough for the Light to enter through, albeit not in a manner as...exciting as Alex had. The result had only been enough to Purge the Shadow, but she was still refining her skill with the Light. Neither her nor Alex had used it while training, as they had been told not to overuse it, lest they become like the Light branded the Hands of the Prophet had left in their wake.

Elio and his Solgaleo came next, up to Alex specifically, who was floating in the air beside his still armored Gallade. "That...was pretty impressive. It's Alex, right? Champion of Unova, er, the Dragon Empire?" He chuckled, awkwardly. "I'm sorry Alola wasn't of much aid in this conflict but...we've had our own problems. Ones you can solve, I think…"

Alex nodded as he panted from the exertion of fighting while fused and held up the red crystal, he'd ripped from within Pravus. "This...this is the heart of a Necrozma...we need to figure out how to cleanse it, and then restore it. The last time we needed to do this, I hadn't been born yet. Do you know how to manage that, Alola Champion?"

Elio nodded, thumb brushing across his nose. "Our first Champion gave me some insight, and when Necrozma went berserk, it helped me calm it...I don't know what's been done to it though...that crystal feels...wrong."


Another voice joined them as a massive serpentine form appeared in the sky around them with the flash from a Teleport, flying in a graceful circle around them as the First Dragon's mega evolved body trailed through the air. "It is wrong, Champions of Alola…" Tao's voice thundered in their heads as he looked between the Solgaleo, and the Lunala the Professor and Champion were riding atop. "I will need both of you, if we are to restore it."

The two Legendary Pokémon gave their consent, and their Tamers translated unnecessarily for them. "They'll do it. Come, we can land on...hold on…" Elio pointed down at Ula'ula Island, and on the southernmost beach, the group spied four figures, surrounded by four more figures, which appeared to be floating.

"The Island Guardians...yes...their magic will help with this. Come." Alex landed atop his dragon's icy crest and descended to the beach alongside the two Legendary allies they'd made. Upon the beach, they spied familiar faces. Professor Kukui, Kahuna Hau, Kahuna Hapu, and a familiar face any Unovan would recognize, framed by green hair and a hat whose style was definitely not Unovan. N's attire had again changed, for war, and Alex even spied a familiar hilt beneath his black and white robes, but he had a feeling that it wasn't used too often. He was also probably the one person Alex didn't worry about giving a plasma sword to.


"The Original Dragon...and the man who united them. It is good you are both here...we have a... situation." Alex hopped down from Tao's head as N spoke, and the older man eyed his attire for a full four seconds as he took in the detail and masterful craftsmanship of Alex's dragon bone armored form before continuing, "Necrozma has been serving as a sort of...rejuvenating force for the region's space-time weave. Tearing a bunch of holes in it, repeatedly, made reality around certain parts of this region...unstable. The most affected area is Aether Paradise."

"Of course it is…" Alex sighed. "Has anyone come through these tears in Necrozma's absence?"

N nodded. "Some of the locals made a deal with Pravus. He doesn't invade the islands, and in return, he gets Necrozma's head. Since it lost its light and went inert, there's been a surge in wormholes. Only one person has managed to come through these tears though...at Aether Paradise. Ghetsis. But not the one we know...this one...this one did something terrible in his reality that made Team Plasma the rulers of Unova, and then their world. Now he plans to take ours."

Tao and the gathered Legendary beings had, while the humans chattered, taken the crystal that was the core of Necrozma's being, and placed it between them, as they formed a circle around it. The Tapu summoned nature's power for the dragon to draw upon, and draw upon it he did, as did Solgaleo and Lunala. All three began burning with Light in their auras, and the final forms of the Cosmog line shifted to their brightened forms in the presence of Tao's Mega Form.


Tao had retained his Mega Form through the initial stages of the siege of Port: Land, and with his boosted strength, guided the Light into the red crystal. The crimson coating wore away against the power the three were giving off, but instead of vanishing, or shifting back to yellow, the core of Necrozma turned a bright golden white, and then began shining with a familiar array of rainbow colors.

N threw a Pokéball, and the blackened shell of Necrozma appeared. The golden core zipped into the slot in the crystalline head, and in moments, the shell turned the same golden color, as Necrozma resumed its true form, on its own power, for the first time in an age.

A soft voice echoed between all of them. "I am... restored." The psychic and dragon type looked over them all with eyes that each burned with a variation of rainbow colors. "I will not forget this act." With that, the dragon soared higher into the air, opened a hole in the fabric of reality, and vanished. Moments later, Alola's sky brightened, as did the skies of many other worlds across many other dimensions.


The humans, distracted from their chatter by the display, glanced up at the gathered Legendary Pokémon, with more than a bit of awe. Tao spoke directly to N and Alex as the light show ended. "I will return to the battle, and ensure we win. We will march down the coast, and while we do, I want you two to take care of this...new Ghetsis. Quickly. Before he has a chance to vanish into our world."

N smirked as he glanced at some sort of band on his right wrist. "He will be trapped here, for the moment. Our world's weakened reality has been strengthened, somehow. Rejuvenated. Only the Cosmog line should be able to open wormholes, now...as it was in ancient times." He met Alex's gaze and nodded. "Let's go...before he finds a ship."

A pale green aura surrounded the man then, and N zipped away towards Aether Paradise on his own power. Alex let him go, as he sensed his better half's intent to return to the war. The gathered Kahunas, Professors, and Champion lifted off on their Pokémon as well, following N with that same determined look.

"Don't die." Alex said to Jess, propelling himself into the air as well. He caught up to the others quickly, and then zipped ahead to match pace with N as they headed for the center of the islands.
 
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Sahqoreyth

Pokefan1337
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Chapter 34: Jaws of the Dragon, Part 3



Aether Paradise - Alola Region


Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius looked around the interior of the Aether Paradise, still slightly singed from his battle with that one insanely strong brat of a Trainer, glanced at the device on his left wrist, and grimaced. "This is not my Alola..." He hobbled over to the nearest console and brought up data from the Aether Foundation's sites across the world. Naturally, this provided a map of who ruled what and where. "This isn't even my world...Dragon Empire, eh...so someone here revived him, in this reality." A grin crept across the aged skin of his face.

"Perfect…"

"Hey! You! Get away from that console!" The voice of a woman filled his ear, and Ghetsis sighed on instinct. As he took in the speaker though, he got an idea. It might even work this time, as no random teenagers were present to disrupt his plans or die trying.

He turned to the blonde-haired woman as she stormed over, smiling like a kindly old man. He even added a grandfatherly tone to his voice. "My apologies, miss. It seems I've once again been pulled across realities by a Wormhole. The Aether Corporation in my Alola was studying them. I see from your data you've been doing the same here…" His eyes finally fell to the posted date on the console. "Now that's interesting...you're quite a few years ahead of my own world...I must've been pulled far indeed to cross the time axis."


She brushed past him, and looked at what he'd opened, and then again at him. "So you say. Well, if you really are from another dimension, we'll do what we can to get you home...Elio can take you on Nebby. I'll call them."

Ghetsis' visible eye twitched at the name. It was the same one this same brat from the reality he'd been pulled from had called out when her straights were rather dire, and the response had come from a Trainer who'd wielded the power of both Solgaleo, and Necrozma. He correctly assumed time had only made him stronger and changed tactics.

"You know, you remind me quite a bit of the President's daughter, from my own world...but she was just a child when I left. Is your name Lillie, perchance?" Ghetsis kept up the kindly old smile.

The woman nodded and reached for one of the built-in phone-devices attached to the console. He put a gentle hand on it as she reached to lift it. "I think we should find your mother first, if she is still in charge around here. If she's anything like my Lusamine, she'll know how to send me home."


Lillie looked the strangely dressed gentleman over again, and then shrugged. "Mother is an expert on Ultra Wormholes...perhaps she could." She glanced at the position data that told her where the Ultra Guardians were at all times. All but one was present and accounted for in Alola, and Mizuki and Elio's transmitters were already heading towards them. "Come with me, mister…?"

Ghetsis followed with his hobbling gait, talking and walking all at once. "My father called me N. Not the most complex name, but it's better than what it stands for."

Lillie glanced back at him as they walked. "Interesting...we have an N here, as well...but his hair is green, and he's so much younger…"

Ghetsis laughed at that. "Indeed! Mine used to be that color...but age has changed me."

They walked in silence then, as Lillie did the math. Something, quite literally, wasn't adding up about this incarnation of 'N' and his story. The dashing Unovan hero's history wasn't entirely unknown to her, and she knew the name Ghetsis, but his face was another thing entirely.


By the time they reached her mother's office, she was convinced something was off about the man. His face seemed unused to smiling, but he kept it up each time she even remotely turned his way. She kept her eyes on her mother as they walked in and knew her suspicions were confirmed when she saw surprise, and then anger on her mother's slightly weathered face. "Ghetsis? Here? But how!?"

As everything clicked into place for Lillie, she subtly pressed a button on one of the bands around her wrist, and summoned her best weapon from where she'd been resting in the Ultra Guardian HQ below the VLFS that was Aether Paradise. "The whims of fate, my dear Lusamine. As of this moment…" A Cofagrigus appeared behind Ghetsis with a flash. "You and your daughter are my hostages. Don't do anything foolish, and I might even let you help me conquer this new world for Team Plasma...just like you did back in my home dimension!" He cackled a genuine villain cackle then and locked the doors with a gesture from his normally hidden right hand. Even in a different reality his suit-like glove, torn at the wrist from its original owner, controlled various aspects of the Aether Paradise. Once more, the device proved worth what had been required to take it from the traitor who'd been wearing it.

He hobbled up to the desk then, sneering. "Tell me, in this version of existence, how far did Nihilego get into your skull before you were retrieved from Wild Space?" Lusamine looked away, with no small amount of shame, and Ghetsis grinned wider. "Not far enough, it seems. My Lusamine...I found her a husk of her former self, but I'm rather adept at filling husks with my ambition. She is a useful tool."


"Your ambition won't get you very far, Ghetsis...you failed in this world, ended by your own son. He's on his way here now, with Champion Elio and Professor Kaede. Surrender now, and we might let you go back where you belong...this doesn't have to end in violence." Lillie moved next to her mother, as the mention of Nihilego left her slightly shivering, as it had every other time someone mentioned it.

"Surrender? I think not…" He tossed a ball then, and it took Lillie an instant too long to recognize it as one of their Beast Balls. From within came a Nihilego, and it homed in on Lusamine almost immediately. "This one has now had three separate chances to brainwash three different iterations of the same person...I do believe it has acquired a taste for your mother's mind."

Lillie reached for one of her ten Pokéballs, one of which was empty, but she froze as she was Disabled by the ghostly coffin Pokémon. "Tsk tsk. You gave me enough trouble once before, what with your impassioned whining...this time...you will be silent." The Cofagrigus dragged Lillie into its coffin then and sealed itself shut. Lusamine made a slight noise, but otherwise stayed where she was, incapacitated by the Ultra Beast. At that moment, having successfully subdued two of the Aether Foundation's best Trainers, Ghetsis did not regret taking the UB from Giovanni. After checking some Pokénet history on the man himself, Ghetsis had learned that Giovanni's plans for 'world domination' had a tendency to be foiled by children, in that last dimension. Ghetsis had known he would make better use of Nihilego's abilities, as he had never had that problem.


With the president and her daughter subdued, Ghetsis left his Cofagrigus in charge of controlling the Ultra Beast if it became rowdy after dominating Lusamine's mind. He deadlocked the door to the President's office, and then descended into the depths of the lab, specifically to where, in his reality, they had tested opening Wormholes to other dimensions. Giovanni had insisted on using his own goons for their last plan, but Ghetsis's men were presumably still waiting for his call to join him in a new world worth conquering. They had become bored, after taking theirs, and had relied on Ghetsis to give them a new motivation for conquest. He had finally found one.

He opened a portal to his home dimension, and through it, came three of his most loyal servants. The Shadow Triad bowed before him. "Master Ghetsis...we feared you were lost…"

"No... never lost. Merely delayed. Go back and bring forth the Ice Warriors, as well as my Battling team...this world has quite a few powerful Trainers, and they will be arriving shortly. Make haste!" He pointed with a flourish at the portal as he finished speaking, and his loyal servants did as they were commanded. Moments later, Team Plasma's most elite fighting force, from his world, came through to join him in this new, unspoiled one.

Those who had thus far fought in the conflict between Fornia and Unova would recognize their armor as being of the 'Crusader Pattern', though they were adorned rather differently. Their captain's t-visored helmets resembled Kyurem's head and lacked Arceus's symbol. The Plasma Badge also adorned their icy blue armor where Pravus's men had put symbols of the Alpha.


There was a light blue flash of discharged ice energy as Ghetsis's captain took out one of the many mice he had yet to subdue within the Aether Paradise. Faba, historically a man who could aid his pursuits, was now frozen in place within a thick block of ice alongside an Alakazam. Ghetsis left them there, for later, and instead turned to his troops as more and more of the Ice Warriors poured through the portal. "My loyal Ice Warriors...this is a world in which Unova reigns ascendant, because someone here managed to reunite the Original Dragon."

The disciplined troops murmured quietly. Their home dimension was largely frozen, mostly because the Heroes of Truth and Ideals had sealed their respective dragons in their spherical forms, presumably forever, before they too had been frozen and left to die, like so many others in cities that had refused to bow to Team Plasma.

Ghetsis continued. "I intend to find out how, and, I have a new purpose for our forces...but first, we must handle the local employees. I have subdued the President and her daughter. Spread out. Subdue the rest. When the intruders arrive, lure them in, and freeze the Alola Champion. He will overpower us with his Solgaleo, and melt our ambitions before they have time to properly freeze, if we let him."


The warriors saluted, and then proceeded to systematically move through the Aether Paradise, as if they knew it well, and in a matter of minutes, the force Ghetsis had kept on standby in his Alola had subdued the Aether Paradise's employees in their very own ice block prisons. While their master busied himself with whatever plan he had in mind, the Ice Warriors took defensive positions around the lab, and kept their eyes on the sky. They didn't have to wait long to see the cavalry arriving.

"I have eyes on the Solgaleo Tamer...he's with Lunala's...and that third figure is-" The comm went silent, and Ghetsis frowned. To the Ice Warriors who had just come through the latest wormhole to their home he spoke quickly. "Our enemy has arrived…" He brought up the cameras that lined the landing platform ships and Pokémon used to enter the Aether building. He recognized Solgaleo and Lunala, as defeating them had been the first step to taking Alola back in his world.

The third figure though, was one he did and did not recognize. It certainly looked like a combination of Unova's three dragons, but it seemed...stronger. Then, he spied a figure that dropped from its head. Tall, large framed, and evidently the Dragon's Tamer, the figure looked directly at the camera he was using, and then with a gesture from him, that too went dead. Ghetsis swore. Loudly.


As Alex crushed the camera devices on the Aether landing platform all at once, he turned to the others. "It's a good bet he knows we're here."

The Original Dragon spoke to them then, leaning down as he did. "The Humans this Ghetsis has summoned have hardened their hearts to the pain suffered by Pokémon. They are cold and lack emotion. Burn them away."

At that moment, Blaze landed as well, having followed and retained his Mega Form from the battle with Pravus's rather quick Vikavolt.

Alex smirked and gave his living Flamethrower a scratch under the chin, followed by a Max Elixir. "Don't hesitate. Clear the outer building, we'll work on whoever is inside." The Charizard gave an excited growl, and took off then, as the group watched him go. He bathed each side of the Aether platform with intense flame, in the air, and those who had warred with the Arceans thus far grimaced as all-too-familiar ice type energy beams lit the air in vain, trying to freeze the fire lizard solid.

"I will return to the front. The battle may yet avoid more unneeded bloodshed if I am present...do not tarry here too long. We will be moving on soon." With that, Tao flew away, flapping each pair of his four wings in a rhythm that propelled hi gargantuan coiling body through the sky with impressive speed.

N spoke, as he watched the dragon depart, and then led them into the building. He drew a Luxury Ball. "Your best Battlers...they will be needed." Arthur popped free of his ball once more, joining N's Zoroark, Elio's Arcanine, and Mizuki's Midnight Lycanroc. The Zoroark looked between the gathered Pokémon, and then changed into another Gallade. Arthur arched a brow, and the psychic Plate fused with his heart-piece flared, armoring his form. The others stared.


"That is...new. Using Plates to armor them? What a formula…" N spoke again, as they continued moving, eyes sweeping for enemies.

"Something we picked up on the Dark Continent." Alex said, joining him at the front of their little group. "I'll show you how to use them, when we get a minute."

"That's alright, I don't even have a-" N's words were interrupted as three beams of ice converged on the middle of their group, hitting Elio and Mizuki. Only Elio's Arcanine managed to avoid being frozen, but the Lycanroc was not so lucky. She seemed rather angry though, as her red eyes darted about uselessly from within her icy prison.

The floor panel below the frozen trio began lowering, and Alex turned his gaze to their only chance. "Arcanine...thaw them! Don't let them be taken." The fire Pokémon saw, and more importantly understood, the meaning of his words, and joined them on the descending floor platform, just before a new one took its place. They would have a chance, at least, but they'd have to find their way back on their own. If even half the rumors about their battling prowess, especially as a team, were true, they would be fine.

From around those who remained, what seemed like recolored Arcean troops surrounded them, each had a firearm in their hands that, if they guessed correctly, was the source of the freezing they'd just witnessed.


"Surrender your Pokémon to Team Plasma! We are the Ice Warriors of Unova! You cannot defeat us!" One of them called out. Alex spied the speaker, a leader most likely. What unnerved him, was how similar his helmet looked to Kyurem's own crest, which in turn was similar to Tao's. It was like an evil, alternate version of his own troops, for while they looked very similar to the Church's aesthetic, he saw elements of Unova in their design as well.

He nodded to Arthur, and the Gallade stepped forward, falling into a familiar fighting stance as he projected his voice to the extradimensional humans. "Come then, 'Ice Warriors'. Let us see which Unova has produced the better Battler…"

As beams of ice arced towards him, the Gallade dodged each, only to quickly find himself surrounded by other Pokémon. He glanced at Alex, who nodded, and summoned some help for the outnumbered psychic and fighting type. Ictus, his crimson colored Drapion, took the field then, and hissed at the humans. "Defeat them quickly, and then rejoin us." Alex felt an affirmative response from his battling partners, and the group continued on quickly into another room.

"Ghetsis likely took out the President first. We should try to free her. Then we can-" Again N was interrupted, but not by a beam from an Ice Warrior. A slightly weakened Magearna was limping down the hall, towards them, as she recognized friendly colors, and not intruders. The Pokémon beeped at Alex and N, and the two shared a puzzled look.

Alex spoke first. "Is it just me, or are you also not understanding a word of that?"


N nodded. "Magearna is...tricky to speak with. But not unlike a Ralts, she uses emotion." He knelt down to her level and applied a Hyper Potion. The robotic Pokémon beeped with what seemed like happiness. "Tell me little one, where are they keeping Lillie?"

The Magearna beeped again and gestured for them to follow. Between Magearna's guidance and their psychic intuition for where enemies would be waiting, the pair of Unovan heroes managed to reach the President's office without too many battles. The soldiers they'd come across had possessed ice types, and the occasional dragon type as well. N had handled them with impressive quickness, and Alex had the sudden urge to battle his team again. They'd gotten stronger.

Eventually, they found the door, and also found it deadlocked. "Muk." N said, sighing as he failed to hotwire the door. "He deadlocked it, and this hallway is too small for a Move…"

A low hum filled the air as Lux jumped into Alex's hand. N moved, as the Dragon Emperor and his ghostly plasma blade made short work of the door with a pair of slashing motions. N chuckled. "I have to remember I have one of those."

Alex blinked at him, and smirked. "It's a sword that cuts through almost anything. You shouldn't forget you have it." The two entered the room.

What they found, was a Cofagrigus, unconscious, and both Lillie and Lusamine wrapped up by the tendrils of an actual Ultra Beast. Alex reached for one of his less plasma bladey partners, but N was quicker. "Flash Cannon!"

The rejuvenated Magearna raised an arm, and her unsteady form shook as pure, undiluted steel type energy slammed into the Nihilego with the intent to rip it apart, and free her beloved partner. The move's power seemed to surprise even N, and the grip on Lillie weakened, freeing her, as she and Lusamine slid to the floor in a puddle of goo. The space octopus was pinned to the wall and hammered by the power of same type attack bonuses, and type advantage.

"Pin it down." The entire office rumbled, as Cenomons appeared with a flash. The titanic Aggron, even on all fours, barely fit within the now very chaotic office room, but he didn't seem to care, as he approached the UB on all fours, and then rammed his two most prominent horns into the wall on either side of its 'head'. They lit up with steel energy, and the sharp point on his nose hovered inches from something he assumed the space squid wouldn't want gored.

Alex walked over then, and his eyes lit with psychic energy. "Your species has been plaguing our world, and a few others, for quite some time now. I want to know why." He knelt low then and offered a Sitrus Berry. "Speak, and I'll understand you."


One of the tentacles slooowly took the berry, as the beast's focus was on his large, quadrupedal steel triceratops. With a soft sucking sound, the berry was reduced to a husk.

"So... hungry…"

The translated words echoed in the heads of every human and Pokémon in the room, as Alex heard them. N glanced at him, as Redwood included him as well, and noted a difference in how they heard Pokémon speak.

"You wish...to know why we feed upon you…" The creature seemed to give its species equivalent of a laugh. They all sensed its dark humor. "Why does flame consume grass...You...do not matter...you are food. Your very existence…is pointless. Brief. Meaningless. Beings like you...serve better as food...for those who are Stronger. That is why we travel. We. Are. Hungry."

Lillie stepped forward then, unphased by the predatory nature of the creature before them, glaring at the beast that had dominated her mother's psyche and thoughts for most of her life by this point. "Meaningless!? I'll have you know we help thousands of Pokémon, the world over! Our lives have been dedicated to good!"

Another chuckle. "Good...evil...pointless, subjective constructs from...primitive, if delicious, minds...struggling to justify their own existence." The being seemed to cough then, and more goo leaked from it. Apparently, Magearna had not held back at all, and Ghetsis had never bothered actually healing the creature after it had been defeated in the last version of this world they'd been anchored in. Defeating the Cofagrigus, which had also wanted to feast on both the younger female, and its own prey, had weakened Nihilego further, and its short meal had been interrupted. "Humans...Ladrinae...Asgardians...beings spawned by the Spiral are chaos given form...little more than sacks of...information...and such pitiful emotions…" It seemed to chuckle again. "Your existence...lacks purpose...your people...lack motivation...you are better...as food…"


Ceno disappeared with a flash of light then, as his Trainer recalled him. Alex knelt before the weakening space jellyfish and stared directly at what seemed to be its face. "The thing about Humans...all 'spiral species', as I suppose you would call us, is that we are free to find our own purpose. Or to ignore it completely and assume Arceus gave us one we can't yet understand." The mention of Arceus made the jellyfish shudder again, as it actually laughed at him, and made the dark bluish goo leaking into a puddle below it that much larger. A single tentacle reached out, and Alex grasped it, allowing the dying being to survey his own thoughts. Being a psychic, he projected memories that would, hopefully, impress his point on the creature.

"What you...do not know...about Arceus...could fill a library." The creature began heaving then as it laughed again, and the gathered humans, while initially angry at it, had softened when they realized it was dying. None made a move to grab a potion, though. "Everything you accomplish...will crumble to dust...everything you teach...will be forgotten by your species' tiny...delicious brains...in the end...you will be food for the swarm. Why...persist?"

"Because that is the purpose of my existence. To make it as tolerable for as many others as possible. I don't care if it's ultimately futile. A wasted effort, in the end. Someone has to try to improve it, and unlike most of my species...I have the power to do it."

"And someone...will always end up...destroying it all. No matter how brightly you burn...how long you persist... Back and forth...over and over...good versus evil...evil versus good... You are not free, little Spiral spawn...you are trapped...in the same endless cycle...races far greater than yours...have been stuck in... since the dawn of existence. You delude yourselves...into finding meaning for your pointless lives...to avoid madness...and it is...amusing."


With that, the Nihilego deflated entirely. Alex sighed, and stood, glancing at the others. "Such a cheery entity...at least now we know why they hunt through Ultra Space."

Lusamine stepped forward towards the being as she finished cleaning herself space jellyfish goo, pausing before the now bubbling pool of it on the floor. It seemed the goo that acted as Nihilego's blood was acidic in nature, and it had begun eating through the floor. "We should find the tear in their reality, and force it shut. I have had one of these try to take my mind three times now...Nihilego is not what I thought it was. It took hearing its words out loud to reinforce that truth… It's a parasite. Nothing more." She turned to Lillie then. "Let's go take back our lab."

N chimed in then, and out of all of them, he seemed the most put-off by the death of the being still laying on the floor. "We should return it to its home...but yes. Closing them off to live in their own world...that would be best, I think. Can Elio do that?"

Alex remained quiet, eyes on the Nihilego as N glanced at Lillie, who knew better than most just how capable Elio was. She nodded. "Nebby can handle it…" The room took on a familiar tone of awkwardness then, one Alex was all too familiar with, but far too distracted with the dead Ultra Beast to really notice. At least until Lusamine spoke again.


"So. N... who did you bring with you to rescue us? I didn't think you had such...heavily armored...psychic friends." She blinked, as Alex raised an Ultra Ball, tapped the UB's corpse, and transferred it within. Being a newer generation model, modern Ultra Balls could handle anything, from this world or otherwise. That was the justification for their price anyway, but this was the first time he'd seen them work on a Pokémon not from their reality.

He stood, turned to the Aether President, and bowed in the Unovan style as he offered the ball. "Alex Redwood, miss President. I'm from the Dragon Empire. I'm here to help. I just finished taking down Caleb Pravus before he could darken your islands...then I heard you had a Ghetsis problem down here and came to help." He nodded at N. "I may not have taken him on as many times, or during his prime, really...but I relish the opportunity."

Lusamine took the offered Ultra Ball, nodded, and then strode towards the remains of her door. "I see...I guess I'll charge the damages to the Dragon Empire then." She giggled and kept walking. Alex and N shared a look, as Lillie sighed, and followed her mother. Admittedly, the room did look like a giant steel triceratops had charged through it with zero Muks given about anything in its way. The giant torn Aggron footprints in the carpet were damning.


Lusamine led them down to the Aether lab's lowest level, one large enough for Ultra Wormholes, and whatever might pop through them. Luckily, they were big enough for most of Alex's teammates as well, should they be needed. The path to the basement was as full of Plasma goons as one might expect it to be, but between Alex, Lillie, and N they smashed through them rather quickly, broke their weapons, and freed their Pokémon. Most of them needed little to no convincing to abandon their owners. The few who stayed, they had warned not to interfere. Each had carried significant quantities of Max level healing items in their bags, and those were taken as well. By the time they reached the lower levels of the VLFS, their bags had been all but restocked. Alex was just glad that their Pokémon weren't infused with Shadow, as well. Fusing with Shruikan had taxed him, but he had enough energy for this.

As they arrived, they found the testing area suspiciously empty, the consoles still on, and locked onto the world signature of Ghetsis' home reality. A voice rang out from above them, and that was when the group noticed a man, dressed a bit ridiculously like a multicolored castle parapet, lurking in the shadows atop the viewing area of the lab's experiment room.

"Heheh...isn't this a familiar scene. The freak I called my son, and some random Trainers who have allied with him, come to take down Team Plasma, and foil my plans for their world." Ghetsis, in what Alex and N recognized as his 'classic attire' stepped forth from the shadows and came to the edge of the platform that separated the scientists from the test area. Alex's eyes narrowed. The device over his right eye was humming with energy his eyes said was ice typed. It also seemed...familiar. "The worlds may be different, but some things never change."


The eye-covering device flared, and a similar glow lit behind Ghetsis. Alex had an instant and little else before he realized what was coming. The Glaciate hit with the force of a Blizzard, and N was encased in ice. Alex's dragonbone protected him well enough, but given his blood, the cold got to him, and he shivered uncontrollably, as his body violently reacted to the sudden onset of absurdly low temperatures.

From the source of the swirling blizzard that had filled the portal room, he spied a pair of familiar, pupilless golden eyes. An ominous, pained voice came along with the intense cold. "I see...in this reality...you are the one who ascended." The storm increased in its ferocity, but by that point, Alex had formed his shield of psychic aura, and was able to move, at least. Enough to throw a ball, anyway. "Show me...your power... break this lunatic's chains…"

The Glaciate increased in ferocity with a new wave of ice as Ghetsis ordered attack after attack, when the stubborn deep blue aura light refused to go out, amidst the new blizzard. Another flash joined it then, and a large neck rose from within the snow. The air changed, and the machines within the portal room were frozen over as another master of ice took the field.


Alex reached for the inherent dragon energy in his armor, as he spoke mentally to Gelauros. "The last time I faced this one down, it took both his halves to subdue him. This Kyurem though...it's different. I don't like it...and I don't want to give it the chance to hit you first."

The Aurorus turned its neck towards his Trainer, as he responded. "Let us ascend, then…"

He turned back to Kyurem, and roared, as the draconic energy flowed directly into him from his Trainer, and he proceeded to Mega Evolve. The ice crystals embedded in Gelauros' white skin flared and grew into sharp spikes. A crest of ice, not at all unlike Tao's, ran down the length of his body, ending in a thick, mace-like tail ideal for Earthquaking. The most impressive change though, was to the ice and dragon type's fins, which had turned from wispy, translucent flesh to pure rainbow-colored energy in the same shape, that shifted as one looked at it.

"Primeval Power."


The Mega Aurorus' eyes lit with the strange power that only those with a tie to the earliest days of Pokémon evolution on Earth had ever managed to tap into. A single beam of rock typed energy rocketed through the Glaciate and hit the Kyurem directly.

Ghetsis just laughed as it appeared to have no effect, despite the apparent type advantage. "You Trainers...always trying for Type advantage and attack bonuses, thinking you're so clever…" He raised his cane then, and Alex's eyes widened as he recognized a pair of DNA Splicers fused into the top of a very familiar black and white staff. "The Original Dragon is far more useful, and powerful, split into three!" The cane came down on the raised walkway then as he shouted, "Ice Reversion!"

Alex learned several things in that moment that made him re-evaluate what he knew of Pokémon. The forms they took, were evidently much more malleable than most scientists believed, and the energy used to power said changes seemed to have an effect on their form's differences, and similarities. Dynamaxing used Eternatus, Mega Evolution used Infinity Energy, but as Kyurem began to glow with the elemental power of ice, and changed its form, he realized his eyes couldn't tell him what type of energy he was staring at. There was nothing distinguishing about the energy that was emanating from the icy dragon amidst the still-continuing Glaciate. As if it had no type, even to his eyes, it seemed as natural as the rest of his mostly obscured vision. Yet it remained as cold and icy as any ice type attack.


As the light faded, he saw the changed Kyurem's body now very much resembled Tao's, as his front claws had extended into limbs capable of supporting his bulkier ice crest. The icy crest had exploded into thousands of jagged shards along its back, replacing the wings entirely, and making the ice and dragon type land bound. Not that it seemingly needed to fly. Its roar shook the entire Aether structure, only to be cut short, as another powerful beam of Primeval Power slammed into the dragon's icy head. A hole appeared, as Gelauros had nailed his enemy where his previous shot had landed.

Alex blinked, as dragon typed energy leaked from it, but was quickly overpowered and suppressed by the overwhelming ice energy now radiating off of the reverted form. He glanced at N, who was still properly frozen, and then looked back to Kyurem and Ghetsis. He didn't try looking for Lillie or Lusamine in the concentrated blizzard. If they were still free, they would try to activate a wormhole strong enough to pull Ghetsis and his monster back to their world. All he and Gelauros needed to do was buy time.

"Aim for the glowing spots…" Alex said, as he lit them up within the psychic vision he and the Mega Aurorus shared for battle. "We want him unbalanced…" Gelauros responded, by nailing one of the spots with another beam of rock energy.


As the ice began reforming, Ghetsis looked over the strangely colored Mega Aurorus as he tapped his eyepiece and changed tactics. "Imperial Rage!"

Kyurem sank its icy claws into the metal floor of the lab, and dragon energy again tore forth from the holes in the Legendary Pokémon as it built up the power within. The raw power of so much draconic energy evoked a response from the Trainer, and Ghetsis' brow furrowed, as he watched the armored Trainer trace a familiar pattern in the air, as the blue aura deepened, turning red and sparking with electricity.

Gelauros channeled the power, forming it into a balanced sphere of intense dragon and ice energy. It kept growing, even as the Outrage built within their opponent. Kyurem's nature ultimately weakened its attack, especially as the reverted aspect of an elemental type that dragons were weak to. That did not make the attack any less impressive.

The balanced sphere of condensed draconic and ice energy smashed through the move with all the force of type advantage and colliding natural opposites, into the Kyurem, who had retained its typing, and its weaknesses. When the smoke and whirling snow finally died down, all that was left of the icy husk of a Legendary Pokémon was a stump of a neck, and an evidently hollow shell.


Gelauros looked back at his Trainer and chirped, which brought a smirk, for a moment. It faded, as he watched the husk, and the hairs on his neck stood stiff. A vastly powerful draconic entity was waking up. One Alex was familiar with, but at that moment seemed quite different from the Tao he knew. Imperfect. Unbalanced. Empty.

He felt his Legendary dragon's mental focus shift to him with the usual impossible speed, and he found Tao shared his dread. "There is a reason Kyurem is part Ice. It kept the source of my core, the majority of my power, in check, while my halves battled to dominate it, with a Trainer who could fuse at least two of us. That, we reasoned, was better than total separation. In practice, Ghetsis' methods were...imperfect. Smash the DNA Splicers...and the staff will do the rest. You'll have to touch it, though."

With the speed of thought, Alex responded. "Could N awaken it as well, or must it be me?"

He felt the dragon's confusion and mild amusement. "Probably. Why?"


At that moment, Tao understood, for he viewed through his Tamer's eyes the arrival of the rather impressive Charizard the human had raised from his youngest stage. The presence of the Mega Charizard quickly melted N, and the rest of the equipment. Even water did not linger long, for the Drought dried everything almost instantly, and the lab became a battlefield between ice and fire as the two empowered Pokémon faced off. Blaze was more than eager for a second chance at Kyurem.

Alex shared a look, and the plan, with the arguably most famous hero of his homeland, and the older man nodded, eyes shifting to Ghetsis. A flash of darkness, and a Zoroark took the field as well. "Come, Zoro. I think a Lucario would do well here." His partner seemed to agree, as it took on the essence of the Aura Pokémon, and as they both ran towards Ghetsis, they shielded themselves with a bright green aura.

By this point, Gelauros had almost recovered for another attack, but it was as the pair ran off that Kyurem's form crumbled, the ice falling away completely. A dark outline of a familiar, if significantly smaller, draconic shape rose from the icy remains, and a pair of pupilless golden eyes appeared within the faint form composed entirely of dragon energy.


"Destroy them all." Ghetsis, who was smirking by this point, was familiar with what happened when one managed to break Kyurem's shell. Judging by the look in the Trainer's eye, he hadn't expected it to continue to fight. He had no idea what awaited him, then.

A shockwave of pure draconic wrath thundered towards Gelauros and the Charizard, who fell to the onslaught of the impossibly strong power, now unchecked by ice. Gelauros, who could usually tank such hits from dragons, fell to his new weakness. Blaze, stood slowly, and snorted. His tail flame shifted to blue, but he blinked, and snarled at his Trainer as the power of the Flame Plate was drawn from him, the connection no longer maintained, on the part of his partner.

Alex's voice echoed in the fire lizard's skull. "It is time we changed things up...fly close as I empower you and activate your armor. You need to heal." The Charizard's eyes widened, as he had been waiting ages for Alex to finally let him use his alternate form in a real battle. Once more, the aura around the armored human shifted from blue to a deep sparking red, and Blaze flew into the air, dodging a Dragonbreath from the ethereal dragon entity as he flew around the room, and passed by his Trainer.

The far too large hand sprayed the fire lizard with a potion as he passed by and once he was headed towards Kyurem, the free hand lifted, and the dragon energy catapulted Blaze to an alternate path of his species' potential evolution. In this form, he could take on Arthur even, and win, making him the strongest on the team, or so he had reasoned. Alex had then reasoned that if he was so powerful, they wouldn't be using it for normal battles. Blaze had embraced patience then, as he'd been told to by Tao, and finally, it was paying off.


His form solidified as he neared the draconic essence of Kyurem, and it flashed a burning crimson as his Flame Plate, one forged from the shard he'd evolved with under Draconis Mons, activated. The black scaled Charizard's form became covered in crimson armor, and the surge of power to his fire moves was significant. Once more his Trainer's voice echoed in his head, no doubt with a good move suggestion. He sometimes chose differently, but usually, the eyes on his back saw much that he did not, until he tried landing a hit. "Dragon Rush!"

The armored Mega Form's power tore through the Outrage response given by Kyurem, bursting through the other side of the wave of energy, and leaving the user unscathed by a type weakness. He rolled the bulkier draconic form into a pair of intense Dragon Claws, using both to tear into the figure, and the energy remnant roared in pain.

Blaze leapt back and followed with a Heat Wave, further rapidly drying and melting any snow Kyurem produced, as Alex drew his gaze to Ghetsis, and the pair of aura powered guardians. The 'Lucario' was busy fighting something they couldn't see from this angle, while N had, over the course of the fight, sidled towards and leapt for Ghetsis' cane. Both hands found a DNA Splicer, and with a burst of green aura, the machines that stood as humanity's attempt to bind what they had sundered, shattered into nothingness.


The black and white staff shot into the air then, traveling the relatively short distance to Kyurem's icy remnants. It fused with the essence dragon through one of the Dragon Claw tears just below its neck. Ice began to regrow, and almost immediately, the spirit roared in the face of being caged again within the ice, but the rapid refreezing happened before the spirit could use a move.

The Tao-shaped dragon energy tried to escape, but the ice that contained it was too thick. Kyurem spent the last energy of its Elemental Reversion energy as it essentially revived itself from permanent fainting. With a roar, the now once more regular Kyurem, free from Ghetsis' grip, turned on the human who'd slaughtered millions with his power, turning him from a Guardian, to little better than a weapon. A Tyrant.


At that moment, a wormhole opened behind the ridiculously garbed man, and he shouted with incoherent rage, as it dragged him, his Pokémon, and the Lucario back, presumably to his home. With a snarl, Kyurem leapt after them without so much as a glance at the Trainers that had helped revive it. Revenge would dominate its mind for quite some time.

N glanced up at the wormhole with a frown, and then looked at Alex. For once, he used his telepathy. "I'm going with them...Unova is in good hands. It doesn't need mine anymore...but the one on the other side of this hole, does."

Alex looked down, as Blaze landed beside him. He nodded then, answering in kind. "That makes sense...but if he really does have a successful Team Plasma over there, you'll be on your own in facing it...he won't leave your Aether platform intact, at least, not in Alola. He won't risk allowing reinforcements."

N nodded as well. "I'm aware of what my father is capable of...but their Unova needs a Hero. Apparently, theirs...weren't enough. Good luck to you, Redwood." With that, he crouched, and then soared into the hole in dimensions, just as it closed. Lillie and Lusamine ran over to Alex then, looking up at where they'd opened the portal.


"Did...did it work?" Lillie spoke, and Alex nodded. Blaze let the power fade and glanced back at where N had disappeared. That human had a reputation among quite a few local Unovan Pokémon. He would be missed.

"N... jumped in as well. He said their Unova needed a new Hero...since the others apparently failed. He has Kyurem...he should be able to handle Team Plasma." Alex scratched the massive fire lizard's chin, and then recalled him for an earned rest. He'd taken down quite a few grunts on his own with only a portion of his Trainer's mental focus to aid him. "Give the minions to the local police...if they're too much for your islands, Black City always has room for more."

Lusamine nodded. "We...couldn't handle what Team Skull became once they matured a little and gained competence...not inside our jailhouse, anyway. It's basically a tank for drunk islanders. Not gang members. We'll have them on the first ship to Black City...let them rot with the rest of Team Plasma."


At that moment, there was a loud roar, as a steel and psychic typed sun lion burst through one of the walls. Elio came through first, shouting Lillie's name, and Mizuki leapt through behind them, only to stand slowly, as they realized the danger had evidently passed. Lusamine sighed, deeply, glanced at the hole in her ceiling through which the Charizard had landed, and then moved to the closest working console that had survived the battle's intense freezing and rapid thawing.

Seeing things were handled, Lillie approached Alex, and gave a polite bow. He arched an eyebrow as she spoke. "On behalf of Alola...and the Aether Foundation, I want to apologize...the Fornian leader has been threatening our islands since this conflict started, promising swift death to our people and our islands, if we got involved."

Alex nodded. He'd expected as much. "Well, that isn't an issue anymore." He glanced at the Champion and the Professor, as they walked closer. "Caleb Pravus is...no longer a threat. Without him, his forces will crumble. Alola doesn't need to get involved...in fact, if you're needed anywhere, it will be in Sinnoh. Word is, the Church rallied and organized quite a few former gang members from across Japan once they took power." The intense gaze shifted to Elio. "The Hands tend to use Shadow. Watch yourselves, if you decide to help Red and Professor Oak."

A look that might have been recognition came over the Champion's face, and he nodded, barely getting out an 'Alola', before Alex shot into the air on his own power, sailed through the hole in the ceiling, and headed back towards the war at the fastest pace he could muster. After fusing with Shruikan, fighting Pravus, and then facing down a Legendary dragon, again, he was exhausted, but the 'day' wasn't over, yet.


His pace slowed, when Shruikan showed him their victory through his eyes. The city looked worse than Pravia had, mostly because the citizens, as ordered by their Bishop, had joined the fray alongside what Crusaders had not yet deployed to Sinnoh. There weren't many, for that had been Caleb Pravus' latest, and final, command. Reinforce Sinnoh, and keep Mt. Coronet under Arcean control.

As Alex finally brought himself over the east's encampment, there was a loud, mostly verbal uproar, from a group of bruised, disarmed Arceans. Most seemed like scared civilians, but only a few actually had armor. Most of the Crusaders had refused and died fighting rather than surrendering. Even when Tao had arrived and proclaimed the Prophet's death. The locals had only fought harder, and all they had earned was yet more senseless death.

Alex approached the screeching grown adults hurling insults and swears with every breath as their faces turned red with fury. He let the armor fall for the first time since being in Pravia. After several long hours of marching and fighting, he was about as fragrant as any other soldier. "Nahlot."

The Voice cut through the obnoxious chatter, and he focused his tired, angry eyes on the Crusaders that were now his to decide what to do with. "Which of you is the speaker for your little group?" He waited patiently, arms crossed, as the gathered men and women deliberated. Finally, one stepped forward. He was genuinely surprised it was a woman, for misogyny had evidently been commonplace in the Arcean's armed forces. At least, that was what their intel claimed.

She was as blonde and tan as most other Fornians in the Church's service, and she met his gaze with evenness, and intelligence. "You look tired, Dragon Emperor. Has killing the Light of this world exhausted you?"


He narrowed his eyes and sighed at her. "Spare me. None of you can sit there and pretend you Didn't see the giant ball of Shadow Energy that flew over your city naught but a few hours ago. It was hard to miss." He stepped forward, and to the woman's credit, she met his gaze evenly. As evenly as she could, rather, for as usual, he towered over her the closer he got and cut an intimidating figure with his armor. "That, was your precious Prophet, reverting the Darkrai he fused himself with to pure darkness by way of a beheaded and empowered Necrozma. Everything he did, he did for himself. Everything he said, was spoken so that you, the source of his real power, did not usurp him, and now, everything he owned...is Mine."

The final Word, pushed her back, slightly, sending her sliding across the snowy ground of the camp, towards her people. He met her eyes evenly. "To the victor go the spoils. Welcome to the Dragon Empire. Do yourselves and your people a favor. Accept that he's gone. I promise, once you understand what you're a part of, what you as loyal, zealous Arceans helped cause, you'll understand why he needed to end. As part of the Empire, you'll be better off than you were before, once we bring the Light back to this land."


Anger crossed the blonde and tan woman's thin features as she stepped back towards him. Alex arched a brow but didn't interrupt. "Our cities burn, our houses, soldiers, churches, and sources of comfort, demolished by fire breathing lizard demons, and you claim we will be better off? How? By bending our knees to you?" She sneered. "You're barely fully grown. What do you know of rebuilding the infrastructure required to run a city."

At that point, a very large, very noticeable draconic form joined them, landing directly behind his Tamer, as his giant and still mega evolved head loomed over them all, blue fiery eyebrows furrowed as he examined the thoughts of the humans below. Alex smirked, unshaken, as the very earth rumbled at the dragon's landing. "I know enough...and for what knowledge I lack, I have entities like the Original Dragon to fill in and cover the gaps."

He turned to the significantly less well armored troops, little more than civilians really, and focused on them. He knew the futility of speaking with Crusaders. "The Alpha Pokémon's Guardian has returned to us at last. One way or another, our land will be whole again. I offer Fornia the same choice my Generals have offered every other region we've marched through this day: Join us, and prosper, or fight, and fail like all the others who have tested the Original Dragon on the field of battle."


The woman turned back to the depressingly small group of enemy survivors, and deliberation continued. Finally, she stepped forward again, walking up to and then past Alex as she approached Tao. The dragon lowered his head, and nodded at her, waiting expectantly for her words. "Dragon...my people do remember your goodness, your loyalty to Arceus, the prosperity we had under your reign...for a time. Does this...psychic scum...truly speak for you?"

Tao projected his voice very rarely, for when he did, it tended to echo, loudly. Too loud for polite conversation. So, in her head and outside it for those gathered, he responded with his own psychic baritone, and thus, most of the city heard. "He does. Like the First Emperor, he craves peace over power, life over death, and has mastered the bond between Human and Pokémon. Something your people have perverted, in recent days with Shadow worship, and the infusing of Eggs." The dragon's head came down to her level, and the heat increased from his flaming 'eyebrows' and their proximity. One massive, pupilless golden eye moved before her, and she met it stoically, but like most humans, visibly struggled to find a point to focus on. "I am willing to forgive the people of Fornia for how they have abused Pokémon and the land...your minds were molded from near infancy and swayed by the Shadow's charisma. But...you must collectively let these lies go, if your people are to prosper again. Join us, and you have my word, you will again find lives of happiness in the Light."

The woman looked down, and then turned to Alex. "I will...take you at your word...if only because the Original Dragon has vouched for you...and there is much misinformation that appears to have been spread throughout our region. But mark me, Redwood, if you prove to be as tyrannical as the majority of the Dragon Emperors before you, we will fight you with all we have to be free."


The smirk widened, as he gave her a tired look. "I would expect nothing less...try to convince your fellow Arceans of the understanding you've already achieved. It will make the transitions to come go...smoother."

She grunted, and then returned to the group. After a few more moments of heated talking, they all approached the dragon, glanced at the Emperor before him, and then knelt, very obviously towards Tao, and not the human who had tamed him. "We will do what we can to make sense of these events, and ultimately accept your offer. For the moment...our loyalty is yours, Dragon."

Shruikan spoke mentally to his Trainer, as he watched the humans from his perch atop their city. The central skyscraper was, or rather had been, a new addition to the skyline. Now, an enormous, sparking black dragon perched atop its broken crown, eyes scanning over the destruction below. Much of it, he had wrought. "You're not killing them...and yet they still disrespect you to your face."

Alex gave the mental equivalent of a tired shrug. "I don't particularly care what they think of me. Their opinions are like dirt. Something good may one day grow from them, but more likely, they're thinly covering a hole full of Muk. They will bend to Tao's will, or they will perish. Sooner or later, they will understand my role as well, but for now, I don't blame their misplaced arrogance. It's born of indoctrination and lies. Would you be any different, had you been Pravus's Pokémon?"

Shruikan pondered for a long moment, and then answered. "No... if all I knew was taught to me by that...thing...if all I ultimately was, was a weapon for the Shadow...I suppose I would buy into the lies just as easily."

Alex resisted laughing, as Tao individually mentally contacted the humans, and further cemented their loyalty by prying open and logically deconstructing whatever lingering rebellious ideals or subjective truths they might have still clung to. "You're becoming wise, my friend. Remember what Oranguru taught us...I think it was one of his first lessons. Seeing things from your opponent's perspective is...incredibly useful. For battle, and war, apparently. You're practically a General yourself. You'd do well, with that aerial view you have."


He felt the dragon rumble, as he mentally reaffirmed to himself that he was a fighter, born to Battle, not a leader of tiny humans, no matter how well they had worked together. He stayed quiet and continued watching for any more rebellious Fornians. Alex met with Nate and Jess then, who had handled the battle of Port: Land on their own. They were in regular clothes, still wearing their bone-white belts, as always, but the armor was away. Nate looked, and smelled, about as fragrant as Alex did, but Jess, true to form, seemed untouched by the grime of war. Or maybe she'd had a minute to wash it off.

One arm went around her waist as Alex joined them at the table. A pair of disembodied golden eyes joined them, as they usually did. Nate began, tracing a line from Port: Land down the Fornian coast. "Our number crunchers have done the math. It will take about two weeks to march down the coast, given the amount of resistance we'll encounter." His face was as grim as Alex's as he looked up. "It's a long march, and we'll be resisted every step of the way."

"You do not need to be."

Three pairs of eyes shifted to the golden orbs that once more appeared before them, and they waited for Tao to form his thoughts, and share them.


"We will do as we have done so far, destroy or capture as many of their armed forces as possible. Leave the locals to pick up the pieces. Already we have had requests from Pravia for food and materials. The lack of an overbearing soldier presence will give the people a chance to focus on rebuilding instead of revenge, but they will eventually try reforming into a coherent cult structure. Pravus has drilled it into their psyche, they will try to go back to what is familiar. We must not let them."

Alex arched an eyebrow at the eyes. "How are we supposed to prevent them from reorganizing if we're not staying behind? This plan makes us quicker, but if they get enough weapons, supplies, and bodies, we could be facing a new army formed from the remnants of what we leave behind."


"We will use my Scales. Find two pairs, ideally of experienced and new blood, and send them to Pravia. We will do the same with each town and city we must travel through, and let them act as liaisons between Fornia, and the Empire. Two amiable plasma sword wielding Scales should be far more palatable than an entire army of foreigners." The eyes stayed static as the dragon's words echoed in their minds, and the three humans shared a look, then nodded. It was sound, to their ears, and Tao's strategies had worked remarkably well so far, despite a few hiccups.

By this point, word had reached them of the battle at The Rocky Pass, between Orre and Texico. Of Rosa's new abilities, and the loss of life that had been required to awaken them. Nate was more eager than ever to get to Texico City, and even now, Alex sensed his thoughts dwelling on her. He was half tempted to send him with a company of Scales and move on towards Sacreus. They'd had a plan for busting that particular fortress for a long time now, and Cenomons had only grown stronger in battle, and war. Especially since evolving.

Alex looked between the others at the table, and then at Nate. "Go on. Rendezvous with Rosa. Your troops are with them now anyways. Send...Marlon our way, once you arrive. He'll do well out here."


Nate stared at him for a long moment, then closed his eyes, thinking. He pondered for a good three minutes of companionable silence, with Tao's golden eyes waiting as patiently as the rest of them. Finally, he sighed. "Alright. They'll need me at the head of my Legion for Texico City...and Marlon we can spare. Your insight serves you well. He's been to Mewsia before, apparently." He blinked, nodded, and grabbed a Pokéball from his bag, before tossing it to Alex. "You'll need to wake her up, but I have a feeling it won't be hard for you. She only responds to powerful minds."

Alex nodded. "Thank you...I'll make sure she survives. I had a feeling Marlon would do well on this coast too. They are in desperate need of the good vibes he gives off. Let me know who you're taking, before you leave."

Nate glanced at their own troops, or rather the marker that represented them on their map of Fornia. "I'll be faster on my own. Not to mention quieter."

Alex glanced at the map as well, but Jess spoke for him, as she already knew what he was about to say. "Their last reported position was Phenac City, but Rosa and the twins will have moved on by now. Just head south from there...you won't be able to miss them."

Nate gave the two a final nod, called out his Garchomp, and departed into the night.


Alex and Jess shared a look, and then looked at Tao. "What of the other side of this war? How close are we to cracking into their media?"

There was a deep, long, sigh. "As close as you would expect. Many in Fornia outright refuse to so much as look at anything not provided by their Church. The other, outlying States have been easier to reach, however. Hilbert and Hilda were very effective in making sure the satellite Arcean states have an idea of what is going on. More locals defect with every hour. Fornia itself, remains a difficult nut to crack."

Jess nodded. "Throughout the siege, we kept trying to dissuade fighting...but it was amazing how little the people in this port knew about what was going on outside of their bubble."

Alex stared at the map again. "As expected of the city they started their cult within. We need a way to reach them, all at once, ideally."

Another sigh from the dragon filled their heads. "Many refuse to listen and will gladly die before doing so. Even after what they witnessed in Urbe Monachus. You cannot avoid killing all of them."

"I don't need all of them to stand down...just most of them. Do we know their peak viewing hours?" Alex looked at the numerous towns lining the coast. By all accounts, this was where most Fornians lived, enjoying the sun and fertility. The rest of Fornia had been turned into a hole-ridden mined out landscape of dust and an ever-growing desert. It was easy to pretend everything was fine when one lived in a paradise, though. Evidently, the Fornians of the coast thought the war wouldn't reach them. They were about to be proven very, very wrong.


"We have these things, yes...with the conquest of this port, we've gained a way into their media network...we haven't exploited it yet, though. Once we do, we will likely be shut out within thirty minutes. The Hand in charge is...adept at blocking our access."

Alex pondered some more, quietly, bouncing ideas off of Jess mentally as they struggled together to come up with a plan that would take the least amount of lives. Finally, he spoke. "Thirty minutes...timing will be everything." He felt the dragon's agreement and continued. "When we begin besieging Sacreus, we should exploit this. Have Haley put something together for this, specifically. Maybe twenty-five minutes, if possible. We don't need to tell them that psychic types aren't evil, or about how great and kind our Empire is. They won't believe it. They believe that they're fighting for the Alpha, and the Light, and that their Church is the epitome of good, as it does both of these things, with their hard-earned currency." He looked up at the eyes, then. "We need to tell them something they don't already know about."

Understanding flooded their minds, from Tao's. "Shadow Infusion...of course."

Alex's arm tightened around Jess as he smirked and replied. "Her idea. We air Pravus's dirty laundry, the entire history of the foul practice, from Orre to Fornia, and the signs Shadow Infused Pokémon have. What behaviors separate them from normal Pokémon, and if we can get some of the Professors to chime in for that, that will help our credibility. Then, we simply let the people fill in the blanks as to how exactly their precious Pokémon have been turned into shadowy monsters bred for war. An exposé on what Shadow Infusion is, what it can do to a Pokémon, the long-term effects, the short term, and of course, what the Shadow actually is. We give them roughly twenty minutes of knowledge, and we can take down the entire Church with five minutes of footage from my Battle Recorder. Shadow doesn't usually visibly manifest, but it did when I faced him."


Tao's eyes seemed to brighten, and his Tamer sensed the dragon agreed with their plan and had some small amount of relief. Evidently, he hadn't formed a detailed one for what they would do once they closed the jaws. The more variables they had to deal with, the more uncertain the future became. "This could work. This, combined with as peaceful a march as possible down the coastline...yes. The truth will set them free. This is the ideal path." Silence came for several moments, and both Alex and Jess felt the dragon reaching out to his various charges in control of the Empire's media, namely Haley, and those the Pokémon League had put under her authority.

"The funerary rights for the Prophet of Arceus will be the next mandatory viewing event. The Church will undoubtedly use it to try to sway the people to turn Pravus into some sort of martyr, there has been much unrest lately, likely from those Fornians who've looked beyond their insular region, and 'Church-approved' media. We will begin the siege on Sacreus as soon as our video finishes, and we will start it before the Church has a chance to spread another lie. The Bishop of Sacreus will be on, live, for this event...I can convince the person interviewing him to ask the right questions, once Fornia understands what Shadow Infusion is. Avoiding accountability with empty denial, will turn the tide of public opinion in our favor."


Alex raised an eyebrow. "How long do we have before they hold these rights?"

"Seven days of mourning, and then a speech on what 'Arceus's chosen people' will be doing next, now that their Prophet is gone. Many of their Hands have been falling lately and many are still embroiled in the conflict consuming Sinnoh. We do not know who is currently in charge of the city."

Jess spoke, then. "Seven days to march through and conquer four cities and who knows how many towns? We'll have to be quick."

Alex smirked. "We will be. We should pick the duos we're leaving behind in advance." He glanced at the golden eyes of his dragon. "Any suggestions?"

"A few."



North of Texico City - Western Texico


The faces of her fallen officers filled Rosa's mind as she bid the whip of silver Light to tighten around the neck of the Hand she'd captured. A voice came into the room, at that moment, before she could again compel the man for more information on Texico City. What she had so far would let them crack it open, in theory, but because this was Lucien, she wanted to be thorough, and she had a strong suspicion he had more to spill.

"General, we just received word. The Prophet of Fornia has been defeated by the Emperor."

Rosa turned from the one-way glass to her captive Hand that no longer had a Prophet to service. "Well, well. Seems we've won." She pulled his bruised, wincing face closer, and the Light shone brighter, excluding all but her face, and the hate in her glowing silver eyes. "Give me what I want to know."

Finally, his mind's defenses shattered, and she sensed that it was the dread understanding and then perverted desire to join his Prophet in death that had ultimately broken him. She would've gotten through either way eventually, and while he had held out hope, that hope had been solely that Caleb Pravus would rescue him, personally, as he often did for favored Hands who fell into dire situations, or at least, capture situations. He had never risked allowing one of them to be properly interrogated, intervening personally more than once when clever Trainers and rebels had managed to subdue them, but now, that safety record meant nothing. The Church would collapse without Pravus's relentless madness driving it forward, and the common people of the regions under Church influence would start learning what exactly had been done to their Pokémon.


The man went limp, life draining from him as he lost the will to live, but Rosa had what she needed. Two of her officers entered the room then, concerned looks on their faces. "General...he's…"

"Given up." Rosa interrupted, turned, and as she did her armor covered her actress' figure. The silver whip faded for the first time in seventy-six hours as she strode past them. "Clean up the mess. I have a secret tunnel to find."

The southern Legion, with three of Unova's strongest Trainers at their head, led the combined force of just over a million soldiers from across the east towards the city Eastern Texico had never been able to conquer, by itself. The skyline of Texico City was relatively bare, save for five massive, tiered pyramidal structures. The center-most pyramid, and naturally the biggest, was surrounded by the other four, and each one was placed in perfect alignment with the central structure's tiered faces, each of which faced a compass direction. Between them, the Generals were the first to see the remainder of the Fornian army. Reports put it at three to five million strong, but there seemed to be more, now that they'd seen the approaching force.


As the eastern forces reorganized themselves into one hundred and forty-five companies of soldiers, each led by a Scale of Balance, Rosa and the twins kept an eye on the horizon. The four surrounding pyramids activated, and beams of green, red, blue, and yellow, came together over the city's central pyramid. From that, came a torrent of bluish purple, which united, and strengthened the energy from the other four, forming a multicolored barrier around the entirety of the city. Then, from the city came a rider upon a Luxray that had a very different coloration from anything the three had seen in the eastern states. It looked almost like Alex's, save that it was mostly yellow/tawny colored, and had spots of brown limned with black.

Rosa was already upon her Rapidash, and heading to meet the rider, who was carrying a white piece of cloth with him, and letting it trail obviously, in the wind. Rosa had no such pennant, but she didn't need one. The gold-tinged aura of visible silver light that had surrounded her since the battle at The Pass marked her and her partner clearly, from both sides. She pulled her Rapidash to a stop several yards from the messenger, and nodded at him, as they locked eyes.

"I have a message from our Hand of the Prophet. He wants to meet, to discuss terms, to potentially avoid death, on both sides." The man perched atop the yellow furred and black spotted Luxray gave her a smirk that his mount matched. His skin was closer in color to bronze than tan, and his hair was as black as a Tribe member's. His mind was also shielded from her perusing senses, and she knew if she were to try penetrating his mental fortress, combat would be declared.

"Very well. I'm willing to meet with your Hand. Where?" The man gestured to the pyramids humming with energy in the distance. Rosa gave him a look. "You can't be serious…not after what happened the last time our Generals entered one of your cities under terms of non-aggression."


The man chuckled, though it was higher in pitch than a usual laugh. "It was your Thor who went after our Prophet first, lady General."

"Yes, he did, didn't he. They'd had a prior engagement, as I recall. Your leader infiltrated a foreign region and tried to steal their Legendary Guardian. A Xerneas. Three guesses as to what he was after." Rosa finished sarcastically as she let her mount trot forward but remained unthreatening to the pair. The Luxray growled, for a moment, and then paused, as it looked at the source of the power that was radiating off the human before him, the gold and red eyes slowly went towards the sky. He didn't bow, but he did stop snarling as Rosa continued. "Evidently, Pravus went mad with rage when Xerneas told him he could never be immortal. He was bonded with darkness, and Shadow, both of which Fairy types are rather good at defeating. The process would've poisoned him, given a slow death, but he retreated, after being thrashed by Thor, who was charged with protecting the aforementioned Xerneas. Being a leader of his...region, he had every right to seek revenge for such an obvious invasion. It was the driving force behind his decision to bring his warriors here with him."

The riding messenger gripped his weapon a little tighter, and Rosa noticed that the haft was obsidian, rather than metal. The top was shaped like those who had used nets at the Pass as well. "It's not for me to hear this. If you agree to speak, we will not attack you. Unless you attack first. Again."

Rosa sighed, and then fixed the man with a glare. A whip made of silver light was promptly around his neck, and before he could protest, she silenced him. "This will make you tell the truth. Do not lie, and you shall not burn... This is a trap, isn't it."


The man seemed more intent on choking than speaking, and the Luxray resumed growling, that is, until her Rapidash's horn began to glow with psychic power, putting the cat to sleep where it stood. Rosa tightened her whip again, and then gave him enough air to speak. "Talk."

The man glared at her, eyes going wide as he felt the words coming up before he could properly stop them or change what information he was about to give. "Of course it's a trap. But without you, your armies will fail! We had to...try…"

"Do. Or do not. Don't waste time trying." With that, she retracted her whip, and raised a hand towards the man. "You will return to your Hand and tell him I was most courteous. Then you will tell him I've agreed to meet." Her hand flashed, and his face turned dazed as she erased and replaced, as best she could, his short-term memories. He repeated her words back, dazed by the blinding silver light.

She'd never modified a person's short-term recall before, but Alex had suggested simple thoughts, and simple commands, if such a technique became necessary for avoiding as much death as possible. Such memories were more easily accepted by the subconscious, and she was only changing the last few minutes.

Once she was done, she sprayed an Awakening on the spotted Luxray, and bid his rider to return to the city. He did, and a few minutes after, the shields lowered, and the ranks of Crusaders parted, giving the General a straight path towards the central pyramid. She nodded and returned to her camp first.


The Imperial Legions marched towards Texico City shortly after Rosa returned, and while the soldiers of Texico City tensed and lit their Power Staves, nobody fired an attack. The Trainers of the east parked themselves very obviously before the northernmost gate, in the shadow of the northernmost pyramid. Rock types and fire types were summoned, but the general order was to use defensive moves first, if things went sideways. The General rode in atop her Rapidash, while the twins waited outside for the trap to be sprung. They'd agreed to her plan with minimal convincing. Now all they had to do was figure out what exactly this trap would be.

Rosa recalled her ride as she approached the central pyramid, and while the soldiers glared at her, she sensed no malice from them. Indeed, she felt nothing at all, and then realized why as she looked closer. Instead of the usual Arceus symbol pendants most Crusaders had, the natives of Texico City stood out from their northern brethren with obsidian charms, carved into runes that didn't look like Common. They were radiating dark typed energy, and thus blocked her senses. The charms seemed to shield the Crusaders among them without such neckwear as well, as if they had a wide area of effect.

As she climbed the massive pyramid, she glanced around at the mass of soldiers below her, it became rather obvious that this was where the majority of Fornia's eastern army group had retreated to, shortly after the events at Urbe Monachus. She came face to face with the Hand, who was sitting behind an ornate, if a bit blood-stained, stone 'desk', upon which were several papers that looked quite a bit like army related troop movements. Her Gothitelle examined and relayed what she could see from within her ball to the twins, as her Trainer bowed in the Unovan style to the Hand of the now deceased Prophet.


"General Rosa…" Came the man's voice, as he stood within the shadowed alcove and stepped into the light of the pyramid's center. It was radiating dragon energy. Once more, her Emperor's sharing of prior experiences came in handy. She knew she could trust what her eyes told her. They were quite a bit sharper than they had been before she entered The Pass. "I am glad you have agreed to come." His tone, accented Common though it was, was a pleasing one. Unlike Lucien, this man seemed less depraved, and appeared to lack the insane-if-successful mad genius of Doctor Manchineel.

His skin was as bronzed as every other local she'd seen, and a bone white skull was tattooed on his face, covering much of it, but not lining up with his actual skull for whatever reason. His armor was the color of obsidian and covered his form, but much like her own, seemed to be composed of large chunks of the material, linked by a flexible under armor. Standing out obviously on the chitinous breastplate was the golden symbol of the Alpha Pokémon. The man had his armored arms linked behind his back, and he towered over the General at a height of six foot four at least. His presence was almost as intense as Alex's had become since his return from Norstad.

"As you may have guessed, this is a trap." A smile split the combination of bronze and white that covered his face, an unnerving grin that seemed entirely too confident, for the moment. He snapped his gauntleted fingers, and the energy around them surged, but to her eyes, flowed around them, and upwards, to where it met the other pyramid's beams, and reformed the shield.


Below, the sounds of fighting broke out, and the eastern forces began taking losses as the Arcean Crusaders began opening fire. The Scales of Balance sliced many of the energy beams in half, spread out into companies of roughly a hundred and fifty soldiers as they were, but the Crusaders vastly outnumbered them, and the unprepared fell first. They were, thanks to their Pokémon, not immediately routed. A low wall of ancient carved stone surrounded the city's outer border, and the twins stuck close to it, as did their soldiers. Arceans who leaned over to fire were swiftly dispatched, and the battle began in earnest as both sides began summoning their Pokémon.

Rosa looked back to the Hand and sighed. "I expected as much. As we speak, my best teams are dismantling your little plan...in fact…" She looked towards the southernmost pyramid within the city. "They should be just about done, by now."

The fire energy it gave off vanished, as the pyramid itself was torn apart from the inside. Thousands of tons of massive chunks of stone crushed quite a few of the milling Crusaders currently swarming into battle positions, and from the deadly rubble, came a Tyranitar, and a Duraludon, working in tandem as they broke the earth under the Crusaders lined up in the city before them, and tore into their ranks. More Pokémon followed them from the breach under the former pyramid, and the Scales engaged the horde of troops as, at that moment and in synchronicity that made their Generals rather proud, the other three pyramids burst in a similar manner. The massive stone chunks, she knew, would be the source of the majority of deaths for this conflict. Already she knew thousands of tons of rock had just about evened their forces.

Similarly powerful Pokémon took the field as well streaming from below the ruined structures alongside their Trainers, and rock types seemed to be the favorite, alongside dragon. Being former Champions, many of the Scales had partners from multiple regions, and while any Champion worth their title had a Pokédex's worth of information in their head, most Crusaders had never seen a Coalossal or a Dragapult. She saw several Hyper Beams go right through a rather large specimen of the Galarian dragon species, and the ghostly dragon reaped a bloody harvest with its retaliation.


The Hand watched the carnage, and then looked back at her. His hand had been reaching for a Dark Ball attached to his armored belt, but it stopped halfway. "Well...at least we went down fighting."

Rosa's expression shifted from calm passiveness, to one she reserved for those who genuinely pricked her nerves. The death glare made the man straighten up slightly, and he took an instinctive step backwards as suddenly, there was power to match it, similarly focused on him, and similarly furious. "You know you're going to lose this conflict...and you fight anyway. You persist in causing senseless death, when you do not need to…" She looked up then, through the hole in the pyramidal ceiling. The beam of dragon energy was still flowing strong, but it only went straight upwards, without the other four pyramids to help construct the shield.

Rosa nodded, and then looked back at the Hand. "It is not for me to Judge you, though…" She raised a hand, and a whip of silver light formed from her clenched fist and trailed down to the stone floor.


The man raised a hand of his own, towards his alcove where she suspected he kept his weapon. A low hum filled the air as she ignited her own, and with a masterful flourish, met the Hand's weapon in a blade lock that he seemed surprised he was not instantly winning. Rosa was more surprised that his blade wasn't being cut in half. Obsidian hilted and humming with its own energy was what looked like a police baton, when deactivated, thanks to its composition. When lit up as it now was, there were three focused beams of energy surrounding the main obsidian blade. One red, one icy blue, and one yellow. Together, the combined elements were a match for the focused plasma her Chargestone blade emitted.

The Hand's sword style was bordering on barbaric, but he fought to win, and that too had been something Tao had trained her for. Cheap shots like dirt to the eyes bounced off of her aura shield, and between the rapid spiraling flourishes that defined her mentor's style of fighting there was little chance for him to employ more deceitful tricks.

Eventually, he shifted to a defensive stance, making her attacks damaging, but weak. The primal rage that came over his features when he attacked was paused, waiting for her to tire as she hammered his guard again and again.


As Rosa caught on, she played into his strategy, and slowed her strikes, as if she'd begun to lose her energy, but her sharp eyes read him the moment he moved to take advantage of it. The horizontal swing was dodged, instead of blocked, as she went low under the blade, and came up under his guard. The plasma blade sliced through him with the same unnerving ease it had every other soldier she'd taken on with it, and not for the first time, she was glad it minimized the amount of blood that came with war.

She stared down at the city below, and then mentally gave the order for all forces to withdraw. In short order, the twins had their people disengaging and retreating in all directions beyond the city with the aid of their Pokémon. Her Excadrill came up from below the stone floor, and he saluted to his Trainer, rather proud at the tunnel he'd carved through solid rock and stone, that would ultimately cement their victory. Rosa examined it as well as she could with her newfound senses, but her hesitation in pushing them ultimately limited how deep she could follow it. She found her Serperior though, at about the middle of the pyramid, and gave her the order.

"Frenzy Plant."


Her dragonbone armor flared with grass energy as her starter drew on the power to mega evolve, and then attack. The central pyramid shook, and Rosa flew into the air, letting the inherent power of the dragon energy carry her, before it too disappeared. Her Pangoro and Ariados had confirmed that the Arceans were using Plates, and ones awakened by the Light at that, to power their shield. Their task had been to retrieve the sources of power and bring them back into Imperial hands. As the energy faded, her Gothitelle received a 'mission accomplished' from the pair and began heading out of the city.

Evidently, the under-levels were like a whole other city, and it was here where the Arceans had kept those they considered lesser to toil in darkness in the service of the Light. In a macabre twist of irony, it was this separation that ultimately spared the civilians of Texico City from the cultural shock of watching the oldest monument of their region fall to pieces in an explosion of vines that was truly awe-inspiring.

The rubble was guided by said vines as they wrapped around the massive chunks of stone, and the Serperior at the center of them used the massive boulders to great effect, hammering entire squads of Crusaders into human paste with disturbing efficiency. The massive chunks paused in midair at the exact second white flags began appearing, and mass-surrenders came one after the other. Some kept fighting, naturally, but the eastern forces regrouped and surged into the wreckage of the city from the east and the west, dealing death and sparing life in depressingly equal amounts. By the time the sun set, the surviving soldiers had been Teleported to the capital, and the masses of workers reclaimed the surface in time to watch the sun disappear.


Rosa addressed them, though it was electronic assistance, rather than magic shouting that helped her reach her audience. "Today, the Dragon's jaws have closed on the throat of Fornia. Your Prophet, your leader, the man who forced you to live like Diglett, is now gone, and your future is again your own. Like your ancestors, you are not being given the option of bowing to the First Dragon. You will become part of the Empire, and as a gesture of good will for our newfound camaraderie, we will leave you all with roofs over your heads before we head to Sacreus, and finish this. If you fight and resist us, you will die. If you choose to work with us instead, to make a better Texico, we will give you the food and resources to do so."

She gave the people a moment to process that, before finishing her brief address. "Depart now to the lower levels. When the rumbling stops, you will have the city to yourselves, and we will be long gone. You have until our envoy arrives to decide if you will aid us or resist to the end. The first Dragon Empire is the reason those," She gestured to the now ruined pyramids they all stood upon, covered in no small amount of blood. "Stood in the first place. Your people prospered alongside ours, and we never forced you to embrace our customs, or remove your own. Nor did we infuse your Pokémon with Shadow Energy. We would see the days of prosperity return. For both sides of Texico."

She leapt into the air once she'd finished and propelled herself through the air in a northwest direction, as the quietly murmuring crowd retreated back underground. Once more, their Trainer's rock and ground types proved useful, and with no shortage of material (and Water Guns), the Legions crafted several skyscrapers of stone that, while lacking furnishings, had enough room for the massive family sizes the people of their region embraced. Nicer homes surrounded the bases of these apartment-esque structures, though they too lacked furnishing, a similar aesthetic to the now ruined pyramids appeared on the new buildings, but they could never be as grand.


Further reports as time had gone on had revealed that the living conditions below were subpar, and that was using nice terms for the stench and genuinely awful waste management they'd encountered in the city's lower levels. The people below didn't have much more than a few clothes and a blanket, an odd trinket or two. Those with skin bronzed by the sun had been allowed to keep such things, but the Church-appointed Hand had kept the darker toned 'underdwellers' to poverty, and lives of menial labor.

When the digging Pokémon had come, they had spoken with the Scales infiltrating the pyramids, and agreed to wait until the battle ended to get involved, on either side. Ultimately, that meant few of them had helped, largely because Pokémon were also a luxury afforded to those touched by the sun's harsh light, and kept from them. All that seemed to be changing though, as very few of the 'Light touched' as they'd taken to calling themselves, still remained in the city. The few who did were genuinely kind, and had typically avoided becoming Crusaders by excelling at clerical work.

The mood of the civilians changed again, for while they had heard the propaganda and been taught the Arcean's 'lore', many had stubbornly clung to whatever relics of their pre-Arcean past they could find. Usually, that meant a Pokéball of some description, usually carved from stone, or inactive. In their wake, the easterners had left the people Pokéballs within their new dwellings, sometimes hidden for fun and sometimes not.

Professor Buckeye, who had followed the army southward minus his Suicune, ultimately decided to stay in the city, alongside the six pairs of Scales that the Generals and Tao had agreed were best suited to coordinating the veritable flood of new, eager Trainers. The rest of the Legions moved towards Sacreus, but the march was long, and by the time they arrived, they expected mop-up duty, though it all depended on how things had gone at Mewsia. Her intelligence reported 'aggressive negotiations' erupting, but further details simply hadn't come yet.
 
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