[Pokémon] The Redwood Saga

Sahqoreyth · Jun 23, 2023

Chapter 45: Taming Infinity

The Gates of Aluzon - Fire Nation, Koria

Alex lost track of how long the fighting in the harbor continued after he descended and unleashed his armored team, but by the time it finally stopped, the sun was setting, turning the sky around them blood red. It was a costly victory, and without Ash's Lugia, it would've very likely turned into a rout. The Earth Nation officially claimed the capital of the Fire Nation, and the Gates of Aluzon were given to the Water Tribes, to fortify and hold.

Of Jimen and Ozai, there was no sign, and while many were initially heartbroken at losing their Avatar so early, both Alex and Ash were able to confirm, by way of their teachers, that Avatar Jimen was not yet dead, nor had he lost to Ozai. The price of stopping Ozai simply meant he'd have to be away, for a time in the Spirit World guarding Vaatu's prison from any more would-be jailbreakers. At least until the convergence of planets ended. During the fighting, Alex had reunited with Akos, and the two had used the effectiveness of water and ground typing to put out many fires, and firebenders.

Now that things were calm again, Alex, Akos, and Ash looked out over the war-scarred harbor. "I'm glad you showed up when you did, Ash." Akos was saying. "We would've been completely defeated without you and your Lugia." The Lugia in question had since departed again to his home, this time simply by Teleporting.

Ash looked out over the harbor and frowned. His Pikachu, still on his shoulder, was as ash-covered and grimy as he was. "Yea…right, you're uh…you're welcome."

Akos suggested they go and celebrate, but seeing Ash wasn't in the mood, Alex bid him to go on ahead of them, and joined the World Champion by the edge of the building the Fire Nation had built to oversee things going on in the harbor, on both sides of the gates. "Is this the first time you've seen a war like this?"

Ash was quiet for a long moment, before he answered. "Well…I've seen battles…violent conflicts, but this is…"

"Slaughter." Alex answered, and both Ash and his electric mouse stared at him, eyes wide. "Call it what it is. This is Humanity, doing what Humanity does best. Killing each other. For all our lauded brainpower, our culture, our peaceful societies, this is what it always comes back to. The hate. The killing. The smell." Alex sighed, heavily. "If I could stop it, I would…but I know better. I'll see many more sights like this before my days are done." That grim admission of reality brought a fresh pang of sadness. Being what he was, keeping Astrum in a region like Koria, even after the fighting was over, was cruel to him. He was back at the ranch now meeting his brothers, but his Luxury Ball had a permanent place on his dragonskin cloak, and always would.

"You do what you can to end it, with the power you have." Came the comforting tones of the Pikachu who recognized a human in despair. He placed a tiny paw on Alex's face. "There's much more to being alive, than this."

Alex nodded, eyes closed, as he felt the tiny hand. "You're right, little friend. But…" He turned back to the carnage. "We can be better. We can be so much better." He looked back at the Pikachu then. "A large part of that is thanks to Pokémon. Sights like this would be a lot more common, if we still had to live without you guys." He gave the adorable electric type a head scratch then, until his tail started twitching.

The silence stretched on then, as the sun faded, and the night took over. Campfires lit the harbor below, and the sounds of drunk, merrymaking soldiers filled the air. "What will you do now?" Ash finally asked, breaking the silence.

Alex couldn't help but stifle a yawn as he imagined his near future. "Go home. Sleep for a month. This is the second conflict I've had to wrap up…I never got much of a rest after the Arceans invaded. Hopefully things can stay peaceful long enough for Festivus at least."

"And after Festivus ends?" Ash pressed, and Alex finally realized what he was asking.

"After that…I head to Albion. Galar first, of course. The Queen up there needs to be stopped, and my Gallade should be the one to stop her. I was intending to bring a few of my Scales of Balance along. And Cynthia. Would you care to join us, Ash? I know you had a few old friends to catch up with."

Ash nodded. "That I do…I may fly by at some point, just to make sure Cynthia is okay…but you're right. I have things to do, and then, a World Tournament to prepare for. I'll be leaving tonight."

Alex had a feeling by 'tonight' he meant imminently, so he turned to face the man, and offered a hand. "Then when next we meet…we'll have to have a Battle."

Ash took the hand, and smirked. His electric mouse mirrored his expression. "If you want to Battle me, Redwood, you'll need to make it through the Superior Sixteen. Good luck with that."

"Oh, I'll make it through…" Alex said, giving the hand a squeeze of affirmation before releasing it. "In the Finals, then. Until we meet again, World Champion."

Ash nodded, turned towards the Temple of the Mind Sage in the east, and then Teleported himself and his partner away with a bamf.

While Ash had managed to get away without much ceremony, Akos had no intention of letting Alex return so suddenly as well. He insisted the Dragon Emperor properly and officially visit the Northern Water Tribe, where Akos, as their Chief, intended to officially unite their people, and make a declaration of friendship with the Dragon Empire. After a brief Holocall with Haley, who was apparently now in charge of covering his whereabouts for Tao, she agreed to bookend his 'eastern tour' by sharing the ceremony Akos intended to have on the news.

The Earth Kingdom officially pledged Koria's loyalty back to the Eousian Empire, and later that same day, Chief Akos declared that the Water Tribes would aid the Earth Nation in rebuilding Koria, and renewing their fight against the Imperium of Man. For Alex's part, he publicly emphasized the Original Dragon's fondness for Koria, and pledged only to help them rebuild from the damage and terror the Imperium's oppressive rule had caused.

Akos was garbed much like how Alex had seen him in his Future Sight of the man, though he lacked age lines on his face, the Lycanroc tribal headdress was the same, as was the ornate blue and Liepard-fur lined garment he wore for the ceremony. "Now that our western friends have pledged their humanitarian aid, I suggest we end the Dragon Emperor's tour of Koria with one final Challenge!" He looked into the floating Rotom Drone then, and grinned, fully enjoying the fact more eyes than he could count were upon him. "Some of you may not be aware, but like the Trainer he is at heart, Alex Redwood has been challenging our region's Gym Leaders on his visit. Not surprisingly, he's managed to beat seven of them."

Akos's face fell, then. "Leader Pokku was, unfortunately, one of the many casualties in the recent conflict in the Fire Nation that saw Koria's freedom returned. Because of that…you will Battle with me! What do you say, Challenger?"

Alex, who had by that point been sitting in his armor, minus his helmet, and comfortably plopped on a cushion beside Yue's, rose at Akos's words, smirked, and let his aura shield flare to life. The deep blue outlined his form, and ten Pokéballs began floating behind him in a slowly rotating circle. "Chief Akos…I accept your Challenge and will gladly take your Tribe's Badge. Consider this your first examination for legitimacy by the Pokémon League. I won't speak for them, but…they'd be hard pressed to find a better bar with which to measure you, I think."

Akos chuckled and gestured to an open space nearby. The two men took their places on opposing sides of the snowfield that had hosted the ceremony uniting the tribes. Being just outside the ornate water palace of Agna Qel'a, the space usually hosted the guests who couldn't fit inside the palace. Akos had instead used it as a public space to unite the north and the south, while promising to keep them culturally diverse at the same time. The northern tribe would provide aid and benders, but the southerners would rebuild their half of the Water Nation on their own terms. They could finally expand, now that they didn't have to defend Wolf Cove. Together, Akos and Alex waterbended a Pokémon battlefield into shape, and Akos drew first. "I've been waiting for this. With a bit of training, and some of that weird 'Experience Candy' you westerners seem so fond of, we should be evenly matched with your team! Prove it, Tuhan!"

Alex's eyes widened as he sensed the Lucario, but seeing her form made him stare. Akos had told him of Ara's untimely demise, and while Alex had tried apologizing for not being there, the Chief of the waterbenders had stopped him. Alex had done what he'd come to Koria to do, and in doing so, helped free an entire region. Lucario normally evolved through friendship, in the sunlight, Tuhan had apparently evolved in the moonlight, after a tragic loss.

Alex gestured with one hand, and Canis's Pokéball went sailing forward. Akos grinned as he saw the low-key aura hound appear, and stare down his opponent. His eyes were wide, and Tuhan barked at him, challenging him with insults. Canis was calm though, and he used Calm Mind as he fell into his dragon style stance, giving her the first move.

Akos pointed at Canis and gave the order. "Aura Fist!" With speed that startled Canis, Tuhan was suddenly in his face. With his special defense newly raised, Canis simply smirked, dodging the angry fists of the Night Form Lucario as he bobbed and weaved. His physical defense had also been honed, and thanks to the boost, he could read her punches and dodge them with his own speed.

Then, came the counter. "Max Aura." Alex said calmly, his crossed arms visible under the long black cloak and looking far too confident. Canis's 'hair' flared out, and Tuhan had time only to watch as the somewhat more experienced Lucario's charged aura pulsed through his body, and then rapidly centered on his paws. As they erupted with a sudden and overpowering flood of aura, Tuhan had time to raise her paws, and try to block. To her credit, she held for a few seconds, before being blown back in front of Akos.

Being a dark and steel type, the quadruple effective fighting typed hit almost OHKOed her, but she hung on for her Trainer, and for her pride. "Aura Bone." Alex said, and in a mirror of Tuhan's opening attack, Canis moved too fast for the eye to follow, landed in front of her, and brought his bone-shaped aura weapon down across her shaggy chest. Canis backflipped into the air then, and landed before Alex, once more falling into his dragon stance. "Perfectly done, Canis. Now return." With a flourish and a nod, Canis dematerialized his weapon, and let the beam of his Pokéball floating behind his Trainer recall him to his comfortable extradimensional space. Alex turned his hat backwards then and smirked at Akos. "You're getting my best now, Akos. A Gym Leader needs to be ready to be swept, at any time. Show him, Terra!"

The titanic earth tortoise appeared with a green flash, snorted in the frigid air, and roared at Akos. The new Water Tribe chieftain had to hold onto his Lycanroc shaped helm as the force of the challenging roar washed over him and sent snow shuddering across the field. An aura shield of green flashed from his Meadow Plate as the noise faded. Akos stared, fully smiling as he realized he was finally seeing his friend's full strength. His starter.

"I think we might be outclassed…but that won't stop us! Go! Pado!" The Empoleon appeared with a roar of his own, though he did seem intimidated as he took in the look in Terra's eye. "Don't worry bud! We've got this!" Akos raised his Splash Plate shard, and Pado connected to it the way Alex and Arbor had shown them. "Mega Evolve!"

Alex took in the altered water and ice type, from his sharp dry-ice fins to the icy crown on his head, and the expanded 'tuxedo' on his body. Terra glanced at Alex, but he shook his head. "We'll battle as is. Have to keep it at least a little fair! Seed Bomb!"

"Slash through them with Liquidation!" Akos ordered. Alex just smirked. Pado's display of swordsmanship, such as it was, was flawless. The problem came from cutting the explosive grass energy in half. Normally Terra's attacks were too thick to be cut, but it seemed Mega Empoleon's dry ice wings were more than capable of slicing the dense grass energy. The water penguin's smirk faded however, as it realized their mistake, and the bisected Seed Bombs exploded.

"Terra! Another round of Seed Bombs!" More grassy spheres of super effective damage rained down on the Empoleon from the central Ash tree atop the earth tortoise's shell, and when the snow cleared, Pado was unconscious.

Recalling his starter, Akos was frowning. "Let's try someone more defense heavy. Alumin!" A Duraludon popped onto the field, and the two Pokémon shared a roar.

"Earthquake!" Alex ordered, while Akos called for Iron Defense. As the earth rose to swallow and pummel the steely dragon, its defensive buff was not enough to stop the OHKO. Akos stared in disbelief, and Alex chuckled. "I think that's enough, Terra. Very well done." He'd known his starter had also gotten stronger, mainly by absorbing the light of the sun for the better part of the summer, but Alex was starting to realize many of his A Team had reached a new level of some sort. It was something he needed to investigate when they were finally home.

Both Trainers recalled their partners, and Alex 'threw' first. "I wanted to keep my newer team members a secret, but…in the interest of fairness, I'll use the lowest level among them. Adamanteus!"

The Steelix appeared with a flash and turned his large head towards his Trainer. Alex chuckled. "It's true, my friend. If you want experience, you need to Battle more!" The smirk widened, then becoming a little sinister in aspect. "Let's show them what you're made of." Steel typed energy began resonating between them.

"Hawky! Go!" Akos said, thinking the flier would be able to dodge if he stayed in the air. As Alex and Adamanteus ascended to a power beyond evolution, Akos gave the first command. "Stay high, Hawky! They can't get you up there! Then use Flamethrower!"

Alex was still smirking far too confidently for Akos, as he gave a command to the Mega Steelix before him. "Dig." The titanic steel snake dove into the icy ground with ease then, as the flames baked the field and missed their target.

Akos laughed. "You'll never hit him with a ground Move!"

"Who said I was going to hit?" Alex said as he let his eyes fall to the hole in the ground. "Adamanteus! Once you're up there, use Rock Slide." Akos blinked, processing the words, before his train of thought was derailed by the shadow from the massive form of Adamanteus, soaring high into the sky with the force of his Dig. The Mega Steelix came all but eye-level with the Talonflame, and then pulsed with rock typed energy.

"Dodge with Flame Charge!" Akos ordered desperately from below.

The trained fire falcon, more of a messenger than a battler, did his best to dodge and make his attack land, but found himself pummeled by the quadruply effective hit. The fact it was critical didn't matter for it would've KOed the fire falcon either way, but Adamanteus glanced at his Trainer anyway for approval as he landed and absorbed the recoil harmlessly. Hawky hit the ground as well, a moment later, clearly unconscious.

Akos recalled him, and murmured at the ball, before putting it back on his belt. He'd been confident he could take down at least one of Alex's team, but that Torterra had him outclassed. The Steelix was also quite strong, and his Mega Form only enhanced that strength further. Akos threw another Pokéball, and what came out of it was a Marowak, very similar in appearance to those found in Alola. Its fire was, to Alex's senses, quite cold though. Aside from that, the only marked differences were on the skull, in the form of different patterns on the bony forehead and cheekbones, atop a generally stockier body, sporting the same telltale limb length typically attributed to the Alolan biome.

"Jeonsa! Cold Fire Bone!" The Marowak nodded, and Alex realized that, compared to the rest of Akos's team, aside from Pado really, this one was much better trained, which meant Akos had likely inherited his Pokéball. It masterfully threw the burning bonemerang at Adamanteus, who weaved out of the way of its first pass, and the second. He wasn't expecting the third pass as the possessed bone seemed unnaturally determined to hit, but Alex helped him dodge it. "Dig, now!"

The Mega Steelix again bore into the earth, but Akos smirked. "Follow it! The Cold Fire cannot be dodged!"

Alex just shook his head, chuckling. "Who said we were dodging."

As Akos felt the ground shudder, he realized the Steelix was going fast, fast enough to launch its bulk twenty feet in the air. Again. If it hit his Marowak, Alex would gain another W. Remembering how the earthbenders had fought, he took a page from them, and noticed Jeonsa staring at him, and slowly nodding. "Earthquake!"

With just his fist, the elder Marowak hammered the snow-covered field, just as Adamanteus reached the top layer of the area. On his own initiative, he used the energy from the Dig to shield himself and coil up among the quaking earth. It didn't stop the damage entirely, but the Mega Steelix rose from the rubble, grinning as darkly as his Trainer had. Then, came their answer to the attack. "Earthquake!"

Jeonsa had no such defense against the attack, and fell to it, but not before he clenched one of his fists. Adamanteus gave a victorious roar, and then flinched, as the fiery bonemerang made contact. Returning to his Trainer, Adamanteus received a Max Potion as the final hit had almost knocked him out and would have if he wasn't so sturdy. Akos readied to call out who he had left. The silence grew, as Akos stared at the rest of his team, and then shook his head. "You've beaten six of my Pokémon in a row, Alex. It's clear we're…not ready for you. Yet. But someday, we will be."

Alex nodded. "There's no shame in understanding when you have no chance, and not subjecting your friends to the pain of a losing Battle. I've had to do that a few times myself, and it's never fun. Meet us at the World Championships…if you can reach us." He'd walked across the field as he spoke, and his Steelix let his Mega Form fade, with the battle being over. Jeonsa joined them, holding an arm, but one that evidently still worked as it was clutching his bone weapon. He nodded at the Steelix, who nodded in return. It was rare for a fire type to try to match him in terms of ground attacks, but the Steelix respected the attempt.

The Chieftain and the Emperor clasped arms. "I hope you found Koria as endearing as your Dragon did, Emperor Redwood." Akos said, genuinely seeming happy, and yet sad, as he knew what was coming.

"I…" Alex glanced around again, and fixed his hat as he did. "I'll be honest…I enjoyed every minute. When next I visit, hopefully I won't be as tired. If you or the others need me, you know how to reach me. Train hard, Chieftain of the Water Tribes."

"I will." Akos said, reluctantly letting his friend's hand go.

"Until next time, then." Alex said, stepping back, bowing fist to palm towards the other Water Tribe nobles, and nodding a final time at Akos, before he vanished.

Somewhere in Mewsia - Fornia Region

Jessica Gladstone had finally wrapped up her own efforts for Tao, namely, keeping the subjugated populace of Fornia from rising up and murdering the Scale representatives in their midst. More than a few holdout cells of terrorists equipped with power staves and Pokémon had tested the Dragon Empire's reach, and they had been swiftly and brutally put down by Jess and her own Scales. Among such people, she reached a level of notoriety not unlike Alex's, and dealing with them was quite exhausting, as she hadn't rested after the conflict either. Many Scales hadn't, for there was much to do and integrating a region like Fornia and its satellites was not a small job. Courthouses needed to be built to legally try the Crusaders produced by each city for the crimes they'd committed. Infrastructure had to be upgraded. Nearby resources had to be managed. It was a time-consuming series of tasks, and even with Tao handling most of that, the Scales had more than enough to do.

Many of them were looking forward to the start of Festivus, but as Jess fought off tiredness and boring paperwork, she suddenly sat up straight, as she sensed a powerful psychic presence coming directly towards her, like a meteor. It took a second to recognize who it was, and she sighed, as she knew once again Alex had increased his power. With a bamf, he appeared in her office, armored up and covered mostly by the leathery dragonskin cloak. He offered her a hand up as he took in her face, and he kissed her once she took it and stood. Dreams were nice, but he would always prefer reality. "You're with me now, gorgeous." He smirked. "I have one loose end to tie up…and then I thought we might find somewhere in Kalos to kick off the Festivus season."

"Festivus is still a few days away, Alex…" She said, entwining their hands together. She could delegate the paperwork to someone else. "But I won't say no to a Kalos shopping spree. I could use some new clothes. Where are we heading first?"

"Indius." Alex said, holding her close. He breathed deep, enjoying her scent, as she and her psychic sight took in her lover. There was something different. In terms of power, he hadn't really expanded, but it did seem more…potent, somehow. As if his aura now had a permanent boost, a denseness, not unlike a Totem Pokémon's. Not able to resist her charms, Alex planted another one on her lips, enjoyed the smile, that brought to her tired face, and then Teleported them to Canalave City, in Sinnoh. From there, it was a relatively short flight to Indius.

Somewhere Above Naya Delhi - Indius Region, Eous

Shruikan had made the rather lengthy trip from Japan to Indius in only two hours, but within those two hours, Jess had managed to fall asleep, despite the pressure of the wind hitting them. The fact that she'd essentially curled in under Alex's cloak also helped, that and the fact that his natural body temperature had always run hot, but in recent years, had grown hotter. The rest of the armor was away, and he'd grabbed a shower in Canalave's Pokémon Center, as well as a few items. He had many valuable items he'd picked up from Koria, but he had a hunch the museums in Unova would pay more for them.

As they flew over the Indius region, Alex noted several biomes, and many large cities. Linked as his sight was with the Copperajah, he relied on things that seemed familiar to it, before bringing Shruikan in closer. Eventually, just south of what looked from the air like a verdant flood plain, the Copperajah's mind pinged with familiarity, particularly, as Alex took in the sight of what seemed to him like a large, red, fortified palatial complex.

Flying lower revealed aerial guards atop Noivern, who directed them to the front of the complex if they had any inquiries, and though they eyed Shruikan with what seemed like suspicion, neither of the bat wyverns attacked the black Mega Salamence, or his riders. Alex nudged Jess awake as they landed, and with a yawn she emerged from the leathery black cocoon of warmth and glanced around. Above them, atop the red walled edge of the complex, flapped the flag of Indius in orange, white, and green, and below that, the flag of those allied with the Empire of Eous, which was a fiery stylized phoenix and dragon circling around a gold and black Pokéball, on a white background.

Once Shruikan had an Aspear Berry for the cold, Alex recalled him to rest, and then brought out the ball of the Copperajah. "Alright, my friend. We're here. Naya Delhi. Any of this look familiar?"

The steel typed elephant looked around rapidly, seeming confused, and Alex could feel his mind fighting to remember. Then, suddenly, he raised his trunk, and released a trumpeting roar that echoed loudly through his massive metallic body. Jess covered her ears, but Alex listened intently. Answering calls came from both within the fort, and behind them, in the city surrounding this crimson fort. Not that surprising, as Copperajah was fairly common in Indius. Then, from above, came an answer from someone who recognized that particular Copperajah's call, and dive bombed the two humans beside it in the street outside the fort. "Get away from him, thieves! Fafnir, Boomburst!"

Jess, who was still groggy, barely had time to look up, but Alex had been ready for shenanigans. He leapt away from the first Boomburst with Jess, and when another followed, the Copperajah blocked with his trunk, and stood defensively in front of those who'd helped free him of the Shadow, if not all of its effects.

As the Noivern, Fafnir, came down for a landing, his rider hopped off. Hearing her shout, and seeing the Copperajah, other Noivern riders descended swiftly, Pokéballs raised at Alex and Jess. Alex moved in front of his sleepy redhead, one arm outstretched before her, the other on the Copperajah's side, as he didn't want it going into a rampage here. "Easy, my friend." He said, before turning his intense eyes on the female rider. Her hair was as red as his lover's, but curlier. Her eyes were as blue and intense as his own, and her sense of fashion was clearly from Italia not to mention leagues more 'in style' than his own fashion sense. It seemed she had also adopted hints of Indius fashion, namely in the light, breathable clothes around her arms and legs that sat somewhere between scantily clad and dressed like nobility. He also spied some rather cool tattoos on the woman's body.

Then, Alex blinked. "It took me far longer than it should have to recognize you, Isabella Fondacaro…Champion of Italia. I am Alex Redwood, Champion of Unova's Victory League. Do you know this Copperajah? I found him corrupted by Shadow and have been trying to get him home ever since, but his memory has…gaps."

As he spoke, the redhead peered at him, and then glanced at her bat dragon. "Stand down, Fafnir." She ordered, and the rather large Noivern relaxed its stance. The Copperajah relaxed too, as the landed dragon spoke to it in Pokéspeech, asking the same thing his Trainer did. Italia's Champion cautiously approached the wary metal elephant. "Arjun…is that you?"

Alex blinked and looked at the metal elephant. "Arjun? Is that your name, my friend?"

Arjun, for his part, had widened his eyes on hearing the name both in Pokéspeech and the Common tongue. "Yes…I…"

"Arjun!" A new, male voice came, and Isabella let out a noise between a sigh and a chuckle. Upon hearing the mental message she'd sent, he had, of course, come flying onto the scene as well, as fast as Ajagar would carry him.

Alex only had an instant to take in the new arrival, for he was riding a Dragapult, who fired both his Trainer and a pair of yeet-seeking Dreepy missiles towards himself and Jess. At that same instant, a powerful psychic presence from the Indius native soaring at the Copperajah severed the brief psychic connection Alex had to his mind. He let it happen though, for as the metal elephant saw the man's face, his memories clicked, as he remembered his Trainer and finally broke through the last of the shadowy blocks on his memory with the power of friendship.

Alex swatted the Dreepy away as they screeched towards him, shouting a word that to his ears sounded like 'dakka' and bounced off his aura shield. He swatted not hard enough to hurt them, but enough that their momentum was stalled, and they had to return to their Dragapult at their much slower base speed. Still in attack mode, Ajagar readied another pair of yeet-seeking missiles, at which point Shruikan popped out, eager for a battle. He roared at the floating draconic missile platform, and it tried to roar back, until it met the ferocious Salamence's eyes, and lost its nerve. Seeing his Trainer was occupied, the Dragapult waited for another attack command. The redhead with the Noivern just stared, along with her partner, in awe at the black Salamence, and Shruikan nonchalantly stretched his wings higher and shifted his body, as he took a stance ready for battle. Like the Dragapult though, he waited on his Trainer.

The Indius man clinging to his metal elephant as the trunk lifted to hug him in return was clothed in what to Alex's eyes seemed almost like some sort of dress, but for men, and not completely enclosed around his waist. It was orange, and the man's green and white pants seemed very similar in style to his own, in that they were roomy and looked comfortable. He correctly assumed the garment was some sort of local style, and he wondered if incorporating the region's colors into one's outfit was a thing the people here did often.

After a solid three minutes of bro hug, the Copperajah twisted its trunk and sent his Trainer sliding down to the ground. Once there, Alex spied a knitted green cap with an orange band around its base atop his head. "Arjun told me what you did for him. I'm sorry we attacked you." He bowed, stiffly, formally, and low. "You saved one of my oldest friends from the Darkness. We will never forget this, Unova Champion."

Alex glanced at Jess, who he had since given context about their little side trip, and then he fixed his eyes back on the man, and again, he realized he should've recognized him much sooner. After what both he and Isabella had done in Leon's Champion-only Galar Challenge, the Tournament of Champions, that he'd held not long after Alex had become Champion himself, and then gone off to train in the Swamp. Apparently, Alex had gotten an invite, but had missed it, due to a lack of Pokénet access. The Champions of Polska, a region south of Germania also under Imperium rule, and of Romani, a region with ties that went back to Italia, with whom they shared a sea border and a dark history, had been Sikandar and Isabella's opponents. He'd heard some Mukery had gone on in the final stages of the Champion's run through the Galar region, but that wasn't unheard of for Leon's tournaments. In the end, or so he'd read, the fan's favorites had triumphed over whatever scheme the Polska and Romani Champions had been up to.

What that scheme had been, had not been disclosed and it seemed Leon himself had buried that story from even the intrepid Gabby and Ty, who'd written the summary of the tournament themselves. The only hint they'd dropped was that there was strong evidence the Imperium of Man had been up to their old tricks of interference and subtle coercion.

"Please, there's no need, Champion Sikandar. I merely did what I hope other Trainers would do for my partners if such a fate befell them." Alex said, and as his words registered, Sikandar rose. The longer he was this close to Alex, the more he sensed the Indius Champion was, in many respects, a powerful psychic. Maybe even one strong enough to beat him were they to test said powers against each other. In terms of aura, Alex would've ranked him above Meelo, albeit not by much.

"There is every need, my new western friend!" Sikandar said, beaming. "You…don't know the significance of what you've done. Arjun was and is a symbol of Indius. Every Champion of our region has tamed and Battled alongside a pachyderm of our region. Copperajah, Rhyperior, and Hippowdon, are just a few examples. There's more, though. Arjun is…special." Sikandar patted his friend then, and Alex blinked, as his perception shifted. Not much changed in the metallic elephant, except now, the veins of copper in his skin were a brilliant gold. "We put a Fairy glamor on him, most of the time, otherwise criminals would constantly try to steal him. Humans do truly depraved things to Copperajah with gold instead of copper."

Alex shook his head. "That's only common in the parts of Old Africa that the Imperium controls. Like Lorule. The people of Indius are very protective of their metal friends, at least from what my Granduncle told me."

Sikandar's face fell. "You would think we would be…but we're not. Whether it's Indius, Cape Imperium, Lorule, or even modern Galar, there will always be Humans with enough greed to blind them to the torture they subject Copperajah to, just to get their gold. Copperajah like Arjun are typically kept captive, as the gold will eventually return with enough food and care, but…they don't live very long lives. Some, have even chosen suicide, over such an existence." Arjun made a sad noise, and Sikandar nodded, stroking the large trunk as he too remembered. "I found him as a Cufant, when my Master disbanded such an operation…his mother…didn't make it. But we did learn that he's part of a line of gold-bearing Copperajah that extends into Indius's history during the Dark Times. Unlike most uniquely colored Pokémon, his offspring are more likely to be gold than copper."

Alex glanced around then, namely back towards the city, and noted some people were approaching the area that had been targeted by the Noivern riders with moves. Bracing himself, Alex drew his Pixie Plate shard, and reapplied the copper coloring to Arjun. His hand visibly smoked, as the fairy energy burned his palm, but he ignored it, and applied the perception shifting aura anyway. He hadn't even sensed it before, and he made the same effort to make it undetectable now. Sikandar started to say something about them being able to do that themselves, but Alex cut him off, flexing his hand as Jess healed it. "I will keep his secret…and we're about to have company. So, Indius Champion…what say you to a Battle? Would your people like that?"

At the word 'battle', the sadness in Sikandar's eyes vanished, replaced with a fire Alex was familiar with. One that stoked his own fiery gaze to life as well. "Yes…but we should make it a Double Battle." His arm went around Isabella's waist, and though she looked less than enthused about the public display of affection, Gabby and Ty had also confirmed that they were, in fact, an item. Honestly, that had been the main focus of their post-tournament synopsis, and Alex had skipped over most of it due to a lack of interest. The only noteworthy part had been the pair's admittedly impressive teamwork throughout the challenge. From the word 'go' they'd been a strong example of how well two Trainers could work together. "I want to see which couple Battles better together." Sikandar finished confidently. Isabella sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

At that point, Jess spoke up, taking Alex's oversized and now unburnt hand in hers. "We Battle pretty well. I hope you two can give us a challenge." At her words, Isabella looked at her, and both Alex and Sikandar smirked, as they saw the fire burning in the eyes of the ladies as well.

"Fine." Isabella said, after looking Jess over and re-evaluating a few of her initial misconceptions. She'd heard of Redwood, but his lover and partner had significantly less written about her. Isabella had paid about as much attention to Jess's love life as Alex had to hers, and for similar reasons, but seeing them in the flesh made her realize they were both strong, even if Jessica Gladstone hadn't focused on traveling through and beating multiple Leagues in multiple regions. "But not tonight." Isabella added, as she deflated the men's excitement with her tone. Jess nodded in agreement as the Italia Champion continued. "It's late, I'm tired, and these two seem like they've had a long journey. Tomorrow, at…dusk. The Red Fort has a stadium we can open to the public." Sikandar was about to protest, as such a famed battle arena hadn't been used in a number of decades, but Isabella cut him off. "It's just going to waste as it is, and it will help with our own problems. People will pay for the experience, if not the chance to see four Champion level Trainers duke it out."

"At dusk, then." Alex said, nodding.

Sikandar glanced meaningfully at Isabella then, and Alex sensed the psychic undercurrent of telepathic speech, though he didn't pry into it. She shook her head, and then the Indius Champion spoke again, offering what looked like a gold card to Alex, stamped with an engraved version of the Pokémon League's symbol. "This will let you get into the sights around Indius, as well as free hotel service. I recommend Mount Anant, near the city of Beharma to the south. It's where the Sacred Stone of Indius is kept. I have a feeling you'll want to see it." The pair hopped on their respective dragons then, and Sikandar gave him a two fingered wave. "Later, Redwood."

Seeing Sikandar fly off on his Dragapult made the crowd murmur, as they realized who was riding it. Before they could realize who the Champions of Indius and Italia had been speaking with, Alex and Jess hopped on their Charizard. They decided to have dinner in Beharma, and a quick map check confirmed it was south, almost at the southern tip of Indius, but a relatively short trip for their fire lizards.

From the moment they came within sight of Mount Anant, Alex sensed something within the mountain, near or at its peak. All through dinner he found himself staring at it, despite the fact that Jess was looking fine in the local clothing options. She'd gone with fiery colors, and bangles on each arm with the colors of the rainbow. Like every outfit he'd seen her in, it made his pulse race, and his thoughts turn lewd, but even those desires were nulled, as the mountain drew him back to stare at it.

Finally, Jess said something. "You seem distracted. And your mind keeps turning blank."

Alex looked back to her and nodded. "I…am exhausted. There's…something about that mountain that's…hmm. I can't even explain it." He already knew he needed to do more research. His granduncle had given him a very vague rundown of his own time in Indius, and now that he thought about it, the old man had avoided the topic like an expert politician, changing the topic to something else with verbal trickery, or the quirks of old age. His free time would only come after he left her in her subtly desired but much anticipated pleasure coma. He fully intended to sleep in when he finally went to sleep.

"We can go there tomorrow." Jess said, eyeing the mountain. The last time features of the landscape had called to her lover, he'd disappeared with an old man for two weeks, and came back wielding a new power she still didn't completely grok. A voice that could split the sky, and a crown that still mystified her. She looked back at him then, and noticed that under the hair, which was reaching Roman Emperor length with its curly volume, he was thinner again. When their food arrived, he all but lost his table manners, though he didn't quite go full anime protagonist. Once he'd eaten several meaty chunks of what he'd ordered, Jess spoke again. "Did you…ever find out about solving our Mega Evolution problem? The cases Eric mentioned…he mentioned them to me, as well. They're becoming more common."

Alex gave her a tired smirk. "Oh, I figured that out…more or less…the trick will be making it accessible to everyone…or, rather, everyone who can handle that level of power. Lux." His Rotom, possessing his Holodex currently, floated out of his bag, which was by his feet, with Jess's. "Do they have Mega Stones in Indius? Specifically Key Stones."

Lux scanned, and scanned, and then scanned some more, his eyes furrowing as he searched and learned. "They do…or rather…just the Key Stones. They're considered sacred, and using them in Battle is typically frowned upon, in Indius. That Sikandar guy is making them more popular though, apparently. I'll keep these articles up; you'll want to read them yourself I think." He thanked the ghost, who floated back into his bag, and unbothered by the eyes the display drew, he kept eating, too tired to care right then what strangers thought of him.

"I don't get it." Jess said, also ignoring the looks. "How will Key Stones help without a Mega Stone as well?"

"So far I've managed to make Plates and Plate shards react to each other and cause Mega Evolution as a result, and while it's better than our first method…it still feels…incomplete. Like there's one more step we need to take before that will work for people who, y'know, Don't have psychic powers. Whatever we replace the current method with needs to be just as accessible, or it won't catch on. Hopefully even the criminal element won't chance ruining their Pokémon with repeated incorrect Mega Evolutions."

The rest of the dinner passed quickly, and several hours later, when a waxing orange crescent hung over Indius, Alex Redwood was still awake, along with Nox since Lux was sleeping, reading up on the general lore of Eous, and then Indius in particular. Apparently, a Pokémon known to the locals of Eous as Kilin (kee-lin) once defended their great lands from invasion by the first Legion of the Imperator's Thunder Warriors, and their Prime Archon. Nineteen other Legions had followed in those Dark Times, as chaos and confusion broke empires in the wake of the passing of modern history's most influential figure, Arceus's Holder. The Imperium of Man conquered most of the inhabited world, namely the Mediterra Mountains, parts of Europa, and then Old Africa, all the way to its 'horn'. Where Kilin appeared, the Legion's advances were halted. In Indius, as well as Gekorn, Sekunga, and Heilong (the three regions closest to the Imperium/Varangian border from east to west) the Prime Archons were halted, and one of the genetically modified giants, Roboute Guilliman (Row-boot Gill-e-man), had outright refused to attack such a kind, and in his recorded words, 'holy' creature.

Though the Imperator hadn't been thrilled that his sons refused to simply kill the creature, he had established hard borders with the then fractured and shifting kingdoms of Eous, and through his Legions had kept the chaos of the Dark Times from further affecting the parts of the world under his sway. Apparently, all of Eous, even Indius, had been unable to escape the tumult of the Dark Times, and the Shadow wielding sorcerers they'd created in the image of the madman who had been chosen to succeed Arceus's Holder, and failed spectacularly. From what Alex read, the majority of the peoples from across Eous had gathered at the mountain where the Legendary Pokémon made its home, Mount Ho, which sat directly in the center of Eous. After much praying, apparently, the Kilin had again appeared to the people, and offered them a path to righteous and peaceful rule, if they stayed true to it.

The Qilin had then divided itself into seven different and yet similar beings, also called Kilin, and each took the first letter of the name of the region they would guard as a part of their individual names, which were Kilini, Kiling, Kilins, Kilinh, Kilind, and Kilinho. The leader, and presumed original, still going by the bestowed name of Kilin, remained on Mount Ho, and named itself the lord of the centermost province. There was much arguing in the following days over which borders would end where, but with the Kilin's help, humanity managed to create eight kingdoms on the supercontinent, within which many regions were contained. Indius was unique, in that their claimed lands all quite quickly came to simply be regarded as 'Indius'. Koria was also one such kingdom that became generalized as a single region, but Eous recognized it as having four primary and separate cultures. While the Avatar of Raava had been around not long before Qilin first appeared, it was at this meeting that Kilin, the Kilin's 'offspring', and the Avatar of Raava had all agreed to keep and include Koria as part of Eous.

With peace reigning and the Imperium held at a hard border, each aspect of Qilin bestowed a powerful stone upon the human they chose to be king or queen of their new kingdom. As promised, guided by the wisdom of Qilin and blessed by the power within the stones, Eous entered a golden age, and began to prosper. Unfortunately, like every other period of peace humanity had ever experienced, it came to an end in blood, fire, and tears. Though the chosen rulers were granted 'immortality' by their Qilin aspect, they could still be slain by potent disease, weapons, or a Pokémon move like Hyper Beam. This immortality was soon found, within fifty or so years, to also be conditional. For the rulers who abused their power, their people soon found that their Kilin became sick and weak, and their lands became plagued by famine, rot, and drought for as long as the incompetent rule continued.

The people of Eous then learned, when the first of these so-called immortals died soon after their Kilin, that the aspect of Kilin would be reborn on Mount Ho under the prime Kilin's watchful eye, and in time, it would grow and choose the next ruler who, hopefully, would do better than their predecessor. Feeling exhausted, Alex skipped over the various descriptions of Eous's Sacred Stones and learned that all but Koria possessed one. Apparently the first High King of Eous had united the disparate regions, wore each of their stones on a belt he'd forged with his own hands, and used their combined power to repel the Imperator himself when he'd decided to resume trying to conquer Eous. After that failure, though the site called it a stalemate, the Imperator had turned his focus on conquering the violent people of Varangia, which had taken a rather long time, as they'd only recently subjugated that area in the modern era. Indius's stone in particular caught his eye then.

In Indius, the legends recorded on the Pokénet indicated that Kilini had bestowed upon the region a brilliantly shining stone, compared to the other six, that shone with every color of the rainbow, and naturally radiated a great power. Pilgrims with true hearts that visited the stone were said to be given a portion of its Infinite power. Evidently each of the stones had powers associated with them. Some healed the sick, some detected poison by shifting color. Others inspired wisdom or courage, or could calm one's mind in the midst of turmoil. Many, when paired together, amplified the other's effects on the person holding them. Indius in particular had, under the rule of its king of the age, wielded great power. A power that only Kalos had ever truly weaponized, but in Eous, the idea of a fourth, and stronger evolutionary stage for Pokémon was unique to Indius for many years, and it wasn't until the human's kingdoms were technologically connected again that the other Eousian kingdoms began to allow Pokémon Trainers to freely use battle boost gimmicks in regulated competitions. Some Eousian regions still forbade things like Mega Evolution and Dynamaxing.

In those days Indius tried their hand at playing conqueror, first in Ryugu, the island of pirates off Old Africa's eastern coast, and then later in the Hoenn region, where they had apparently hoped to take the entire island of Japan. However, according to the lore, they were soundly beaten, and the Infinity Stone was taken and hidden away by the locals of the era. By that point, several other stones had also been taken from their home regions, but Indius's was, according to the Pokénet, never returned.

Looking at the clock and seeing the night was aging, he heard Jess mumble in her sleep, as his spot was likely cold by now. Lux had one last tab set aside for him, but this one was more juicy, and more importantly, more recent. Apparently, several decades ago, researchers in Indius sensed the Infinity Stone's resurgence in Hoenn. However, thanks to local broadcasting networks outside of Rustboro City, they soon realized it was caught in a clash between three titans of the ancient world, Rayquaza, Groudon and Kyogre. Though they looked different, Indius's scientists attributed that to the stone's power, which had elevated Legendary Pokémon before.

When the cleverly titled 'giant rock' was suddenly snatched right in front of Mega Rayquaza, they knew someone, somewhere had absconded with it. By the time Indius discovered where it had been taken and attempted to infiltrate Kalos and reclaim the stone, it was apparently used in a plot by Lysandre Labs, in Lysandre's first attempt to destroy the world to keep it beautiful. After that incident, settled by the local Gym Leaders and a newly crowned Champion Alain, the stone was reported destroyed, at least in the western world, but in Indius, it reappeared for the first time in centuries, back in its home of Mount Anant. Naturally, the Pokémon League of Indius made efforts to contain its radiation so that if Kyogre swam by the tip of Indius, it wouldn't try breaking the mountain to acquire the stone.

Sahqoreyth · Aug 3, 2023

Coming up with a different moniker for it than 'Giant Rock' or 'Megalith' was not difficult, and to all outside observers, the Infinity Stone was back where it belonged. Indius flourished again, despite the fact that the harmony of modern humans and Pokémon in the region had made it one of the more beloved destinations for tourism, the sun seemed warmer, the berries seemed sweeter, and most importantly, the Pokémon were happier. Apparently every Copperajah in the region had trumpeted when it returned, though the source Lux found claimed other Pokémon species had been heard calling out at the same time as well. Copperajah had, perhaps, simply been the loudest. The final nugget of info Alex absorbed was the fact that the egg of Kilini had apparently appeared on Mount Ho back then as well, where it was growing to maturity. Looking at the date of the article, Alex wondered if the Kilin was old enough to find a ruler yet. Only the aspects of Kilin could pick a ruler, and according to the legend, they would only bow before the true ruler, one who was 'chosen' by the will of Arceus itself.

Finally giving in to sleep, Alex let Nox begin his nightly Pokénet trolling campaign, and slept well into the afternoon the next day, despite Jess and all her attempts to wake him up. When he'd kept snoozing through her slight shaking of his massive frame by way of Psychic, she'd eventually given in, let him sleep, and fed their Pokémon. Naturally, about twenty minutes after that, he finally woke up, and found the room in a state of mess that was unlike Jess to make. With a yawn he rose, showered, shaved, dressed, and then activated his cloak, at which point one of his balls was chirping. He knew who it was.

Figuring Indius would be a good region for Astrum compared to Koria, and based on what he'd read last night, he called the golden feathered fairy bird out, where it settled first on his head, frowned, as he realized it was no longer overgrown, and he no longer really fit, and then landed on his Trainer's shoulder instead, where he received scritches.

He found Jess idly scrolling on her Holoceiver with Lux floating beside her, as their Pokémon played, trained, or generally chilled in the hotel's outdoor area. A few battle enthusiasts, likely tourists from the States, seemed to recognize their teams, likely confirming they were legitimate by Jess's team being with them. When Alex appeared on the balcony overlooking the yard enclosed within the building, he called down, and his Pokémon greeted him with a 'good morning'. He heard the other guests and staff moving about the facility murmuring, and when he leapt down from the balcony only to land with a brief psychic flash to kill his inertia, that confirmed it for everyone. "Sounds like we've been discovered." He said, smirking at Jess as the clicking of Rotom Phone cameras filled the air. "Shall we see the sights, before heading north again?"

Leaping up at the suggestion, she agreed, and in short order the two were flying over Beharma on their fire lizards, heading for the sacred mountain. At this point in the day, the line literally trailed all the way up to the summit, and Alex grimaced. They showed Sikandar's ticket to the guards, and after confirming that the Champion had indeed lent it to them, as well as their own identities, they were discreetly brought to the top of the mountain and filtered into the crowd. Most who came here were Trainers seeking a Key Stone, followed by a mix of tourists and pilgrims. Alex and Jess were placed in line by the uniformed and black sunglass wearing Trainers in what seemed like military fatigues. Not one of them lacked the flag of Indius on their shoulder, and Alex rightly assumed they were here to make sure their region's precious treasure didn't vanish again.

From their place in line, they learned the reason that drove Trainers to come here. Despite Plate shards being popularized, they'd also become rather expensive, and suddenly collectors of such things became overnight billionaires thanks to those who wished to have them for a member of their party. After that, using their shard was as simple as visiting New Tork City, which being the largest city on the planet, was not that hard to get to. In New Tork, one could easily find a fellow Trainer to tap their Plate crystal, and 'awaken' it. A recent rumor had the Pokénet buzzing about being able to use Key Stones as a Plate shard replacement.

As they watched, one Trainer after another approached the Infinity Stone, and raised their hand. About three out of every five got a Key Stone manifested in their palm, with those who were denied usually turning to anger when they were refused. Many tried to leap at the Infinity Stone anyway, and all who did so ended up being slammed hard, in the stomach, and sent flying into a nearby wall that seemed to have collapsed and been rebuilt several times, likely from being hit by so many humans.

The Medicham responsible for this display of martial prowess was in its Mega Form and seemed to blink as it eyed Alex and Jess. Alex had no doubt he sensed their psychic power, so he gave a greeting, psychically, and without words. The Medicham's eyes widened, and it nodded. "Raise up your hand, Humans." It said, pointing at the Infinity Stone for emphasis.

As Alex looked into the multicolored crystal, and properly stared into its rainbow depths, he blinked, as something stared back at him. He briefly wondered if it was another Arceus clone, but it didn't feel that way. Whatever it was, he knew it was the source of these Key Stones and their distribution. His hand didn't flinch as he received a Key Stone, and Jess also made no sudden moves, not wanting to drop the precious gift. They smoldered in their hands like a pair of coals, and without warning, both of their aura shields pulsed, and the flaring wavy energy surrounding the fresh Key Stones became blue tinted and scarlet tinted respectively. The tint did not fade, as the energy did, and Alex glanced at the Medicham.

"Umm. Is that…supposed to happen?" Alex asked as he admired the light blue color.

Having heard a human he could understand perfectly before, the Medicham's eyes widened as he realized that, apparently, there was more than one human capable of speaking in a manner Pokémon could completely understand. He didn't have green hair either, and really looked nothing like the soft featured Trainer who'd first spoken to him. They did however, ask the same question, for similar events had occurred upon them getting their Key Stone. "It has attuned to your aura." The Medicham said slowly, and as Alex nodded, he continued. "Only you will be able to use them now, and it will be easier."

"I'd like to try something, if you'll let me." Alex said to the Mega Medicham. The Pokémon squinted at him, and Alex didn't try hiding his thoughts, rather, he showed the guardian of the stone exactly what he intended, and why. After a moment, the Pokémon nodded. Alex addressed the Infinity Stone then, and fished out his spare set of Plate shards, the ones he wasn't using anyway. Jess filled in what he was missing until he had one of each type. Psychically, he tried speaking to the entity he'd seen within the crystal.

"If I'm right…you're Kilini, the ancient Guardian of Indius. I offer these shards of the Alpha's Plates, one for each type, and in return, I'd like you to awaken others like them, across the planet. As many as possible."

Through her connection to the Infinity Stone, Indius's aspect of Kilin contemplated the human's offer. And its implications. While she was part of Kilin, this new incarnation of Kilini, whose egg had grown on and hatched from a uniquely special tree under the original Kilin's protection, was also her own being and a separate entity from the Kilini who had come before her, not at all unlike Arceus, and his clones. As Kilini pondered the human's offer, the original Kilin came up beside her, and nuzzled the latest incarnation of their own self. "Is that Human the one? His aura is quite strong."

Kilini shook her head. Only the Kilin could choose the ruler of an Eousian kingdom, and that choice was, according to Kilin, preordained. An aspect of Kilin would only kneel to their fated ruler, and it was this sign that told the people that the ruler in question was the right choice for the throne. Indius was unlike the other kingdoms though. They had achieved harmony on their own, had a government of their own, and Kilini was under the assumption that the people didn't want or need her anymore. This was why she'd remained so long with Kilin on Mount Ho, in the center of Eous.

"He is not the one. But…his offer may greatly help my people. And the world."

"It may," Came the calm, neutral gendered tones of Kilin in return, "Or, it could spell disaster. With every shard awakened, those with evil hearts will have a much easier time achieving Mega Evolution."

Kilini's brow furrowed. "But that power requires a bond. The Human tamers draw out the power from within their beloved partners through their connection with each other."

"There have been Humans who have forced Pokémon into that state before, young one." Kilin answered. "Those Pokémon suffered greatly, before they were freed by those with kinder hearts. The choice is yours, and once you make it, you should return to Indius. You'll never find the Ruler by staying here all your life."

"Perhaps you are right. Perhaps it is time I saw Indius myself." Kilini said, as she closed her eyes and focused. Only an instant had passed, from Alex's point of view. "I accept your offer." Kilini finally answered. "In return, you must do all you can to ensure they are not used for evil."

"On my word as Dragon Emperor, and Tamer of the Original Dragon, I swear I will do all that I can."

Kilini's eye widened at the proclamation, and that cemented her decision. A Tamer as strong as the Dragon Emperor would be enough of a force for proper usage of Infinity Energy, enough to counteract those with dark hearts and intentions. If any could find a balance, it was this human. The Original Dragon had once traveled through Eous, and everywhere he had gone, he'd left behind sage wisdom that aided their region. Farming techniques. Martial arts. Cultural dances. He'd even apparently guided quite a few couples together, and among them had been an actual Ruler of one of Eous's provinces. That relationship continued to this very day, as the Kilin could also make the family of their chosen Ruler immortal as well, though there were limits to that gift.

With the accord made, the Infinity Stone pulsed with power, emanating a wave of Infinity Energy that spread from Indius, across the entire planet. While the Infinity Stone was rather tall in this state, it suddenly shrank in size, as a beautiful creature emerged from within its depths. She had horns like a spring Sawsbuck, and hooves that also seemed reminiscent of the Season Pokémon. The similarities ended there though. Her body was covered with scales that were orange in color, though they had a faint green shimmer to them when she moved. The underside of her neck and stomach were white, and her lengthy tail seemed akin to Tao's, in his base form with its tuft of green fur at the end, the same color as the mane that flowed down the back of her neck. There was a murmur through the crowd as she appeared. In place of the Infinity Stone was now a much smaller rainbow colored sphere. The shards of each type sank into the sphere then, and again, it pulsed with power.

"It is done." Came the feminine tones of Kilini. "The shards of the Alpha's Plates have been awakened, as promised. I will hold you to your word, Alexander Redwood."

Not surprised that Kilini was aware of his name, Alex bowed low to the Kilin. "Neither I nor your people will forget. If I were you, I would encourage them to keep the same promise as myself. Even without a ruler, your people will listen to your words."

Kilini seemed to ponder this for a moment, and nodded. "I may just do that. Wield your Key Stone well, Dragon Emperor." With that, Kilini glanced at the Mega Medicham and nodded once as she left the Infinity Stone in his six capable hands, before leaping into the air, and galloping away through the sky. Naturally, one of the Trainers in the line spiraling down the mountain tried throwing a Pokéball at the gleaming orange Pokémon, but as it came near Kilini, it was disassembled into its base components. Not even a Master Ball could interfere with the divine mandate of the Kilin.

Alex and Jess departed through one of the mountain temple's small meditation chambers, turned shameless gift shop, and came upon the way down from the mountain. One was a path with an equally large line of gawking tourists taking selfies, the other was a takeoff area for those competent enough to ride a flying Pokémon.

As Alex called out Shruikan and scritched under his jaw, Jess smirked at him. "You know, you keep stirring up every region you visit. Reuniting Tao. Freeing Fornia. Slaying Alduin. Helping to reunite Rio's Guardian. Defending Alola from an alternate Ghetsis. Whatever you did in Koria, I'm betting it helped them achieve their freedom. Now you've returned one of Indius's ancient Guardians to them. This is a pattern."

Alex smirked back at her as she wrapped her arms around him and sat behind him on Shruikan. "I didn't significantly alter Sinnoh. I've been there twice. Same with Kalos."

Jess chuckled. "You're technically the King of Kalos. Give it time and I'm sure you'll influence both it and Sinnoh too, in time. In fact, empowering Plate shards around the world will likely change many regions. What made you ask Kilini to do that?

"Our Mega Evolution problem. This way, even criminals can potentially achieve that power without hurting their Pokémon. Now…I just need to show them all how it's done." He glanced back at his redhead with obvious love in his eyes. "Starting with you, gorgeous."

Her eyes mirrored the emotion in his, as she smiled back at him. "It's been a while since you've given me a private lesson."

He winked at her and then urged Shruikan into the air. "This one won't be private…but once we're alone again I'll show you how to…Stimulate your body's energy network. For now, let's teach our new friends how to use this new method of Mega Evolution. And maybe the rest of the world, while we're at it."

Flying back to the palatial complex didn't take long thanks to Shruikan's speed, and in a matter of minutes, Alex and Jess were guided to the building Sikandar and Isabella were having lunch in. Once they sat, Sikandar asked how the visit to Mount Anant went, and the dark brown toned man smirked as Alex and Jess relayed what happened.

"I had a feeling you'd set something in motion, Dragon Emperor. I've followed your Battling career with great interest, and everywhere you travel you seem to set things in motion for the better." The man said confidently, as Jess nudged her lover in the ribs. "I've been trying to get Kilini to return to us, but it seems offering her Plate shards was the right move. I am even further in your debt."

Alex waved his words away. "Feed us lunch and implement my idea for our Battle. I'll consider us even then, my new friend." Sikandar gestured for him to elaborate, and the guards brought them some genuine Indius curry as Alex explained what was happening with Mega Forms.

Isabella cut in halfway through. "We know of this problem as well. Your role in kick starting this disaster is why I didn't want you staying with us…but it seems I misjudged things. You've managed to right this wrong, so…" She glanced at Sikandar and then gave the Unovans her best attempt at a genuine smile. "We will help you." The attempt at smiling faded back to resting Rattata face then. "What's the plan?"

"Our Battle. Nothing draws eyes in this world of ours like a contest between Champions. Especially two pairs of involved Champions. I think we acknowledge the situation beforehand, explain how important this is, and then show the people how it's done. As far as the Battle goes, we'll all start with a Mega Pokémon, and repeat the process as needed. Three partners each sound good?"

"In that case," Isabella answered, "We should practice beforehand. I don't want to look foolish on national TV."

Jess nodded in agreement. "He hasn't shown me yet, either. Practice is a good idea."

Once the four Champions finished eating, Sikandar brought them out to a large, ancient style Pokémon battle stadium. The field was dusty and poorly maintained, and the stands were covered with white sheets, with many rows simply missing chairs completely. Alex frowned as he looked around. "We should uh…clean this place up, before we go live."

Sikandar casually waved his words away, not seeming worried. "Our staff will see to it. They'll be eager to restore this ancient arena. We haven't used it since last we had a Ruler, but now that Kilini has returned at last…fate will see us with a new Ruler before too long. The Kilin cannot help themselves. They're drawn to and seek out their Tamer on instinct, once they decide to leave Mount Ho."

Alex nodded and then stood before the other three. "In Koria I learned how to manipulate the energy in my body's network. It's this energy that we subconsciously use to activate Key Stones. Our Auras flow from this network. Lux."

As he'd done with Akos, Alex had Lux pull up the video footage of Kalosian Trainers and their respective stones. "As you can see, a Key Stone reacts to a Mega Stone by forming four or more streams of energy between them. This energy reacts to the combination of flash-crystallized Pokémon life energy, or Infinity Energy as we call it, and the crystallized Human energy in the Key Stone, drawing out the latent power of our Pokémon. On their own, Plates of Arceus produce Infinity Energy and filter it through a specific type of energy. Grass, water, fire, etcetera. My first method used typed Infinity Energy to catapult a Pokémon to their Mega Form by simply pumping it into them. While shards and Plates of the same type can also react to each other and bring out this power, I don't believe it's stable enough to entirely avoid the negative side effects of repeated Mega Form usage. My Sceptile and Lucario both used this method often in Koria, and upon having samples of their DNA scanned by my brother, the newest Professor Redwood, he found the same degeneration of their genes, albeit at a slower rate. I believe Key Stones are the…erm, key, to safely using the infinite power in Arceus's Plates to achieve Mega Forms unseen in Kalos or Hoenn. Hand your chosen partner a Plate or a shard of one, and we will begin."

They called out their partners then, and Alex was glad they all seemed to essentially be on the same page. He'd brought out Terra, Jess had Serpi, Sikandar called on an Infernape he'd named Bandar, and Isabella brought out an Ampharos called Genoa. All but Isabella had their starter out. She was secretly more interested in seeing if this alternate method of Mega Evolution would result in a different form change.

Alex went first, as he demonstrated. "All right Terra! Mega Evolve!" He held up the deep blue Key Stone, and it flared with power. Terra's Meadow Plate reacted to it, and with rapid speed, he assumed his Mega Form with a green flash and a roar. His aura sent a wave through the dusty stadium field, and he nodded at his Trainer. "It worked! I did not feel pain either."

"That's good." Alex said, patting his massive earth tortoise. He turned to the others then. "Seems like this method works. Your turn."

The men paired off with their women then, and Sikandar went next. His Key Stone had a fiery orange tinge to it, and the Mega Infernape that Bandar became looked identical to Kuzon's, albeit with a smaller white beard. His aura also sent a pulse through the ground, and he and Terra eyed each other, as they realized they were all but evenly matched in terms of strength.

Alex was more focused on Jess, but as she gave the command to ascend, Serpi's Meadow Plate, affixed to the back of her neck, reacted as well. Her Mega Form was similar to Hilbert and Rosa's Serperior, but to Alex's eyes she seemed more refined, and her leaves were more curly, almost too proper, for battle. At least, until one saw the fierce draconic gleam in her sharp eyes.

Isabella similarly had no issue ascending her partner, though she did seem slightly disappointed that Genoa hadn't taken a new form. Once they finished, the humans reconvened. Alex addressed their Pokémon first. "How is everyone feeling? Any pain? Uncomfortable feelings?" They answered with a unanimous 'Nope!', and Alex nodded. "Seems like everyone is doing well." He told the others. Sikandar and Isabella shared a look as the Unovan Champion addressed their partners as though he understood their words, as Alex continued speaking. "If you'll all keep your forms…let me call up my brother. Make sure there's no degradation."

Lux hopped out then, and in short order, the younger Redwood's face appeared on the screen. "Ahh, hello brother. I assume you have a new method of Mega Evolution for me to verify?"

"I do." Alex answered. "I have four Pokémon here who have Mega Evolved through a new method I've been trying. I need you to make sure their genes are intact."

Eric sighed. "At this point I'm almost convinced there's no way to harness that power for every Pokémon safely. But I'll take a look. Lux, activate your scanner if you please." The Rotom beeped an affirmation, and proceeded to scan all four specimens. Eric looked over the data skeptically, at first, but the more he read, the wider his eyes became. "I…I think you've only gone and done it…genes are showing stability, and the Infinity Energy is being regulated perfectly. I concede brother. You've won our wager. I'll need a full description of how you've managed thi- oh. Thank you, Lux. I'll look this over and disseminate this to the scientific community."

With that, the connection was ended, and the four Pokémon let their Mega Forms drop. "Well done, everyone. If we each do that three times in our Battle, I think most Trainers will understand the concept. And now that the Plates and shards have awakened, hopefully everyone will be able to acquire their own Key Stone. I'll have our scientists see if they can't synthesize some."

At hearing Alex's words, Sikandar frowned. "Key Stones are sacred, Alex. They're sacred gifts from Kilini, and even in other regions, one cannot simply find one lying on the ground."

Alex arched a brow at the man. "And yet, many Trainers today still have them. Many of your own people on Mount Anant were there to get one. I suppose we could direct them to the mountain, but it's already crowded as is, and I'd rather not dissuade the people going there on pilgrimages. Besides, Team Flare was rumored to have fabricated a few of their own, and Lysander's partners had no issues reaching their Mega Forms. If anything, we'd find a way to synthesize them with Infinity Energy. I doubt using anything else would work. Is that so different from how nature does it?"

Still frowning, Sikandar sighed. "I don't think synthesizing them is a good idea. You should ask Professor Sycamore where he found his. As I recall he handed out a few, no? He may know where to look, in Kalos. And don't worry about directing more tourism to Indius, that isn't a bad thing."

Alex just shrugged. "I'll ask, next time I'm in Kalos. In the meantime, for our Battle, we can just tell them of Mount Anant in Beharma. Any competent Trainer should be able to make their way there, and the distance along with long lines will probably dissuade anyone who shouldn't possess one."

With the basics for their battle agreed upon, Sikandar and Isabella showed the Unovans the other numerous sights of Naya Delhi, most of which seemed to be old ruins, or ancient monuments from Old Earth's era of humanity. The streets were alive with people and Pokémon, though there were cracks in the facade. Like every city, there seemed to be a thriving shady element in the dark corners and hidden rooms, and after one especially jolly Chimchar stole Alex and Jess's wallets, they were more careful on the colorful Indius streets. Alex ended up catching the Chimchar, promising a life of combat and competition instead of stealing for incompetent humans, something he seemed quite grateful for.

It took three days, but during those days, Alex got some much needed rest in Naya Delhi's finest beds, and at noon on the third day, Sikandar and Isabella came on the TV as Alex and Jess were having lunch alone, at which point they openly challenged the Unovans. They rode Shruikan over, and seeing the stadium restored, Alex barely recognized it. The people had indeed jumped at the opportunity to restore a beloved landmark of their city, and he hoped they continued to use it once this upcoming match was through. The stands had freshly painted red chairs and not one of them was empty. The field had been cleaned up, given fresh dirt and sand, and then hardened to be capable of supporting a battle between titans. Alex also noted several energy barrier projectors, like those in Galar that kept their many fans safe from the Gigantamaxed attacks used in that region most often.

Alex had Shruikan circle the stadium thrice, and by the second pass, noted quite a few black and white hats sporting Tao's symbol. It was nice to know the crowd wasn't entirely against them. Alex recalled his dragon as they landed on their side of the field, and an older Indius native who was sporting more salt than pepper in his hair and beard sent his voice booming across the field as the four Champion tier Trainers brought out their balls.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Proud citizens of Indius! For the first time in centuries, your Champion, Sikandar Jiyoshi, brings you a challenge at the Red Stadium!" The ref's Talonflame circled the stadium not unlike Shruikan had, as the roars of approval from the crowd upped in volume. "For this auspicious match, we've given each Trainer a microphone, as according to the Champion, our friends from Unova have some important information to disseminate in the heat of this intense Battle! But first! Introductions!"

He flew over to Sikandar's side then, and the Indius Champion called out his Infernape, Bandar, once more. The crowd roared with deafening volume again, and the proud fire ape beat his chest, and made gestures for them to increase the noise. There was no question as to who the favorite in this match was. "First up, it's your own Champions of Indius! Sikandar and Bandar!" The Talonflame hovered over Isabella then, and there were significantly more whistles and whoops from the crowd. Even in Indius, it seemed humanity never changed when it saw a pretty female. "Battling alongside Sikandar is his lovely girlfriend, Isabella Fondacaro, Champion of the Italia region!" Alex glanced around, and noted a not insignificant number of flags and merch from Italia among the crowd as well. Isabella herself seemed less than enthused about being labeled Sikandar's girlfriend first and Champion second, but she brought out her Ampharos anyway. Her eyes were burning for a battle.

The Talonflame came over to their side then, and the announcer shamelessly read from a small paper, likely some notes he'd taken on who would be battling. "Next up, is Jessica Gladstone, interim Champion of the newly liberated Fornia region!" Jess gave the whooping crowd a small wave, and then called out her Altaria, rather than her Serperior. Then the fiery falcon hovered over Alex. "Last, but by no means least, battling alongside Jessica is her boyfriend Alexander Redwood, Dragon Emperor and Champion of Unova's Victory League!" This time the cheers were almost as loud as Sikandar's, and Alex took a second to take them all in. He realized he'd missed stadium battles, as the roar of the crowd rolled through his body.

The referee nodded at him then, "Champion Sikandar says you have something to share with the world, Dragon Emperor." He gestured then, indicating he could begin. Alex had stuck with his usual black and white robe/martial art pants combo for this match, but as he addressed the crowd, he summoned his dragonskin cape from within his belt, and it manifested, flowing down from the dragonebone shoulder armor and covering most of his frame with a flash of light.

"People of Indius, Italia, Unova, and all regions across the world, lend me your ears. Some of you may be aware of a growing crisis in our societies. Some of you may also know my role in starting said crisis. The newly discovered method of using Infinity Energy from Plates and shards of those Plates for Mega Evolution is not safe for our partners. My own brother, Professor Redwood, confirmed that too much usage leads to serious but not irreparable degradation of a Pokémon's DNA. Since almost the moment the Arceans were crushed, I have been traveling tirelessly, searching for a method by which we might correctly harness the power of Infinity Energy, without endangering our beloved Pokémon. I am pleased to announce I have found a method, confirmed by the science, that avoids this grim byproduct of wielding Infinity Energy. As with the Kalos method, a Key Stone is required, but if your bond to your Pokémon is strong enough, the Key Stone will resonate with either a Plate, or a shard of one, and catapult your partner to its Mega Form. As of a few days ago…most Plate shards should also be capable of this without needing to be awakened. My fellow Champions and I shall demonstrate, as we engage in this friendly Battle!"

There were less cheers than before, as his words registered in the people's ears. Many had wondered why the new Dragon Emperor had seemingly vanished until recently popping up in Koria. Now, the world had yet another excuse for his presence both there, and in Indius. Alex called out Terra then, and the cheers ramped up significantly as the titanic earth tortoise roared a challenge, specifically at Bandar, who answered by thumping his chest proudly. "Key Stones are hard to find," Alex continued, as roughly twenty Pokéballs began floating behind him in a slow rotating circle, "But it is possible for Trainers who are deemed worthy to acquire one on Mount Anant, in the city of Beharma, in the southernmost part of fair Indius. Now…with that explanation finished…let us begin!"

Alex glanced at Jess, who nodded, and then at Sikandar and Isabella, who nodded as well. As one, they raised their Key Stones, and shouted, "Mega Evolve!" Four separate pulses of power blasted dust across the field as each summoned Pokémon attained their Mega Form with rapid speed, once the resonating between Trainer and Pokémon occurred. Once that happened, Isabella and Sikandar were first to strike. "Thunder Wave!" "Rocket Punch!" A wave of electricity roared across the field from Mega Ampharos, and right behind it was Bandar, aiming his super effective punch right at Terra.

Jess countered first. "Land on Terra, and then block with Cotton Guard!" Terra's ground typing ignored the Thunder Wave, and as the Mega Altaria's fluff shield engulfed the earth tortoise, Bandar went sailing into it, his fiery fist extinguishing as it got sucked into the cottony down. Then, it was Alex's turn. He gave a smirk to the crowd, and then pointed at Bandar and Genoa. "Earthquake!" The crowd erupted with cheers, as many were rightly convinced that was the Unovan Champion's signature move by this point. As they cheered, Terra felt his attack power rise, and from under the cottony shield, the earth shattered, rolling Bandar over as it rippled across the terrain to also hit the Mega Ampharos.

Isabella countered next. "Cotton Guard!" As the super effective Earthquake hit, the Mega Ampharos's wool took most of the impact, but as the dust from the hit cleared, Alex and Jess remained fresh and untouched, while Sikandar and Isabella were both under half health. They were tempted to use items, but they also knew another Earthquake was likely coming. Sikandar nodded at Isabella, and then turned up the heat. "Bandar! Burn away their shield with Flare Blitz!"

Jess waited until the flaming ape engulfed itself in fire, and then launched at her. Once it was close, she countered. "Now Melodi! Moonblast!" The Mega Altaria raised her fluffy wings, and summoned forth a pure beam of fairy typed power that collided with the Flare Blitz. Despite the super effectiveness, and not injuring himself with recoil, Bandar almost fainted under the sheer power of the fairy move, but held on for his Trainer. He could feel how badly Sikandar wanted to win against that Torterra, and had they been one on one, it might well have been a very different battle.

Then once more, it was Alex's turn to counter, and once more, he did so with the move that was doubly effective against both of their opponents. "Once more, Terra! Earthquake!" Seeing the rolling wave of ground power coming towards him again, Bandar refused to give up. He glanced back at his Trainer, and raised a burning fist. Sikandar nodded, and shouted, "Rocket Punch!" The Mega Infernape lived up to its reputation of incredible speed then, leaping over the rolling, shifting earth and finally reaching Terra. His fiery fist finally connected with the earth tortoise's face but didn't do nearly as much damage as he'd hoped. This was because Mega Torterra's Thick Fat blocked ice, and also halved fire damage as well. Being part ground type also helped.

As Terra took the hit, he shifted with it, and then jerked his head back to where it had been before the strike. Part of the Earthquake smashed into Bandar in the form of a suddenly jutting rock, sending him flying out of the cloud of dust and flame, and into the wall of the stadium with a harsh boom. Isabella wasn't done though. "Genoa, into the air! Then Dazzling Gleam!" With Bandar KOed, she could hit both opponents at once, and the shining Mega Ampharos did so, as she became a living lighthouse of fairy typed energy. The attack hit Melodi harder than it hit Terra, and then it was Sikandar's turn to counter.

The Indius Champion recalled his starter, and murmured to his ball, before drawing another Pokéball, one that was noticeably older in design, and still had a crank. "Fakir! Aid me!" A Medicham appeared on the field then, and Sikandar raised his Mega Stone. "Mega Evolve!" From the Mind Plate shard in the center of the three dots on Medicham's 'turban', energy radiated outwards, and connected with Sikandar's Mega Stone. Fakir joined the others in his Mega Form, and Alex's eyes widened, as he sensed a power on par with Arthur's. "Jess, watch out for the-" But Sikandar already shouted the move that would balance the scales. "Ice Punch!"

One second, the immensely powerful psychic yogi was just in front of Sikandar, and then in the next moment, it was in the air, hovering between Melodi and Terra. Three arms struck the Altaria, and three struck Terra. Melodi fainted, as she flew backwards off of Terra's Ash tree, but the earth tortoise held on, tanky as he was. Even with his ability, the ice move had hit home, and Alex attributed that to its Pure Power, which enhanced the Mega Medicham's attack power. He also noted he'd struck an energy point on Terra's body with his three arms and had done the same to Melodi. Before Terra could so much as counter, the six-armed psychic fighter was back where he'd started from, balancing on a single foot, honing his energy for the next strike.

"Delphi!" Jess said, summoning her Delphox. "Mega Evolve!" As the fiery fox appeared, from the tip of her Redwood staff, lines of energy harmonized with Jess's Key Stone, catapulting her to her Mega Form as well. Her crimson fur formed into a classic witch-shaped hat, whose pointed tip was on fire. The fur by her ears was longer, and also on fire at the edges, and the furry 'sleeves' of the Mega Delphox's arms also had a similar flaming effect. Her dark crimson fur covered the rest of her body like a robe, and on the lower portion of that 'robe' were twin patches of lighter red fur that looked like flames. The staff was also now much longer in length, as fire emanated from the tip of it. "Now, use Shadow Ball!" Delphi leveled the staff at Fakir and launched the ball of condensed ghost energy that started small and fast, and grew larger and slower as it approached its target.

For his part, Alex wanted to make that relatively slow-moving ghost attack harder to dodge, so mentally, he instructed Terra to focus the impending Earthquake on Genoa, while making the field around Fakir harder to traverse. "Earthquake!" He shouted for a third time, and for a third time, the entire stadium rumbled. Genoa, who was landing from her jumping gleam attack, found herself overwhelmed by the rapid flood of breaking earth, and her Mega Form dropped amidst the shifting rocks. Isabella recalled her, as Sikandar shouted at Fakir. "Dodge and redirect the Shadow Ball!" Easily leaping between the less focused sea of shifting rocks, Fakir's ephemeral arms grabbed the Shadow Ball, and shifted it directly downwards, where it impacted on the shattered ground. "Now use Ice Punch!" Once more, before Terra could even blink, six arms struck six different energy points, and while not all of them got through his Thick Fat, enough of them did. He collapsed to the ground with a grunt, as the Mega Form faded, and Alex stared Fakir down as the Mega Medicham met his gaze with emotionless intensity, and then bamfed back to his Trainer's side of the field.

Alex and Isabella summoned their next partners then, with Isabella going first, as Genoa had fainted before Terra. "Go! Sirena! Mega Evolve!" Her choice was a rather lovely Milotic, and as she gave the command, Alex noted that, apparently, the Milotic had not mega evolved before. It was a bold choice, using a Pokémon unfamiliar with their Mega Form, but given that it was a Milotic, Isabella was likely counting on her being strong enough to compensate for lack of experience. Once the resonating energy faded, the Milotic had become a water and dragon type. Her lengthy eyebrows had become prismatic and scaled like her tail, a small pair of equally prismatic fins sprouted from her mid-lower body. A silvery blue pearl now adorned her head spike, and her tail had grown wider, shifting in color as it moved. Twin faint lines of equally prismatic energy trailed from the tips of the tail fin, and the newly ascended Pokémon roared, a beautiful but intimidating sound.

For his part, Alex knew exactly who he needed to shut down Fakir. Without moving his hands, he psychically chucked Arthur's ball forward, and raised his Key Stone. "Arthur! Mega Evolve!" Strands of energy emanated from the Gallade's heart piece as he appeared, and in seconds, his dashing Mega Form took shape. Alex could vaguely hear the play-by-play in the background, but he was too focused on the match to pay attention to commentary. With how absurdly fast Mega Gallade was, Alex's turn was up next, and he sent his psychic knight straight at Fakir. "Get under his guard, Arthur, then Shadow Punch!"

Fakir only had time to widen his eyes, before Arthur was in his face. He dodged the six arms with ease born from experience, and landed a critical uppercut on the Mega Medicham, knocking him on his backside before Sikandar. Slightly more irritated, Fakir hopped back onto a single foot from the prone position, but Arthur had already danced away, and raised his own guard. Seeing the boys were duking it out, Isabella took full advantage of her powerful typing, and focused on the fiery fox witch. "Use Hydro Pump!"

Jess countered, more than ready for water types. "Delphi, use Control Water, and redirect it!" As the high-powered blast of water came from Sirena, Delphi twirled her staff, and managed to send it hurtling back to its source. Sirena took the hit, though it did negligible damage. Isabella, frowned at the display, but rightly assumed there was a limit to how much water Mega Delphox could control at once.

Meanwhile, it was Fakir's turn to counter. "Aerial Ace!" Sikandar ordered, and Alex countered in the same breath. "Block with flying energy in your arms, then use Shadow Punch!" Fakir came at Arthur with six arms glowing with flying typed energy, but the Gallade expertly parried them, and no matter how Fakir shifted his pattern of strikes, the Gallade seemed capable of reading and predicting them. They clashed for a full thirty seconds, before Arthur's eyes widened, as he found his opening. He made Fakir overcommit with all six arms trying to land the Aerial Ace, at which point he bamfed behind the Mega Medicham, and reverse stabbed him with the edges of his ghostly glowing sword arms. Fakir's Mega Form faded, and Arthur leapt back before Alex, flourishing his 'cape' as he did so. The crowd ate it up.

Isabella meanwhile was implementing her plan, just in time to catch Arthur in it as well. "Sirena! Drown them with Surf!" Sikandar recalled Fakir before he was washed away in the oncoming flood Sirena summoned, and this time, Jess knew Control Water would not be enough.

As Sikandar readied his next Pokémon, Alex and Arthur were free to help. Jess looked at Alex and the pair nodded. "Light Screen, Delphi!" "Arthur, reinforce her with Protect!" The Mega Gallade leapt in front of Delphi then, blocking most of the damaging water, while Delphi's own barrier kept most of it away from them. Isabella looked less than thrilled that her attack had essentially been rendered null, and she looked at Sikandar, who was in the process of choosing his next partner. Finally, he made his pick.

"Go! Ajagar!" Sikandar's visage turned a bit menacing then, as he grinned. A ghost type could turn everything around. "Mega Evolve!" As the Infinity Energy resonated and remade Ajagar, Alex realized he'd never seen a Mega Dragapult, and judging by the announcer's current excitement, neither had most of Indius. Ajagar's arms folded into its body, and extended, becoming a pair of sharp wings. Another pair of horns jutted down from his head, giving it a vague X shape. In the crux of that X, was a new structure that filled in the gap between the top horns and the bottom ones, and within it, Alex spied quite a few more Dreepy eyes, burning for violence, and Mega Dakka. "Phantom Force!" Sikandar ordered, and the newly ascended Mega Dragapult faded into invisibility.

Realizing as Sikandar had just how much an invisible ghost dragon could shift the battle, Jess went next, right before Arthur. "Track it with Future Sight, Delphi!"

Seeing she had things handled, Alex started working on their other problem. "Arthur! Thunder Punch!" The Mega Gallade struck Sirena before she could so much as dodge, but Isabella was ready with her counter. "Dazzling Gleam!" The prismatic scales flashed in Arthur's face, as the fairy energy hit him hard, but not hard enough. Not nearly hard enough. "Thunder Punch Barrage!" Alex ordered, "Take her down, and don't let her attack again!" After dodging twice, Sirena then let herself get hit, again, and shivered, as paralysis overcame her. Isabella only smirked, though. The Mega Milotic flashed, as her Marvel Scale kicked in, and raised her defenses, and after that she began blocking the Thunder Punches with ease using her tail.

Back on her side of the field, Jess and Delphi waited for the Phantom Force to strike. Little did they know, upon seeing he was being tracked, Sikandar had Ajagar shift his target. "Now!" Sikandar shouted, and Isabella nodded. "Sirena, Wrap him up!" The Mega Milotic did as ordered, snaring the Gallade with her serpentine body, as the Dragapult rematerialized, and brought its ghostly tail around to strike at Arthur's head.

"Teleport!" Alex shouted, and the instant before the hit, Arthur was back on his starting position, panting, but still ready to go. Being a ghost attack, he hadn't completely avoided the damage, but he had dodged a critical strike on his head, at least. "Our turn." Alex said, nodding at Jess. "Arthur, Protect her!" The Gallade nodded, and once more crossed his arms as he leapt in front of the fiery psychic fox.

"Delphi! It's time! Condense your Shadow Ball, and the fire energy!" Jess said, holding up a Flame Plate shard. Fire aspected Infinity Energy was drawn in by Delphi, as she began powering her Taijitu move at the tip of her staff, which was aiming at Ajagar.

"Don't let them charge it Ajagar!" Sikandar shouted, recognizing what they were using before Isabella did. "Unleash your payload!" He smirked at the crowd then. "When Mega Dragapult uses all of its Dragon Darts…it becomes akin to a physical damage Draco Meteor!" As if to demonstrate, Ajagar pointed his head directly up, and fired. A literal horde of screeching Dreepy missiles fired into the sky, each one burning with dragon energy as they went up, and up…and then arced back down with, to Alex's ears, various cries of 'Dakkaaaa!'

"They're still Ghost Types, Arthur! Shadow Punch!" Arthur nodded, and with his heightened speed, began bamfing around the area, slashing through the yeet seeking missiles trying to strike at Delphi. Delphi, for her part, finally finished condensing and combining the energy for the dual typed attack and launched it.

"Hydro Pump!" Isabella shouted, and as Delphi focused on making sure she hit Ajagar, who seemed temporarily stunned as he floated slightly sideways above the ground after discharging his payload, the sphere of dual-balanced energies fired, right as the high-powered water attack, slightly weakened by her Light Screen, smashed into Delphi. The fiery fox held on though, unwilling to make her Trainer worry.

Jess's eyes became shiny as she saw her partner was still standing, and one didn't have to be psychic to see how proud she was of how far her little Fennekin had come. "Finish her, Delphi! Hex!" Though the paralysis raised Sirena's defense, that did nothing to mitigate the special ghost attack, and several things happened at once as a result. The Hex landed, fainting Sirena. A stray Dreepy, partnering with his brothers, made Arthur think he'd slashed through all of them, at which point the clustered Dreeps split apart, letting their final brother impact with a dakkonic explosion of energy on Delphi's position. That wasn't the only explosion though, and the field shook as the Taijitu move made contact with Ajagar.

Three Pokémon fainted at once, losing their Mega Forms, and the crowd collectively lost their minds, as did the announcer. "HOLY ARCEUS, IT'S A TRIPLE KNOCKOUT!" The last man standing, Arthur, landed by Delphi, and apologized for missing a missile. All four Champions were panting, and as they glanced at each other, all four grinned. "Miss Gladstone, and Champion Fondacaro are both down to one Pokémon folks, and Champion Sikandar has been blown out of this white-hot Battle completely by a dual Typed power Move! Things do not look good for the home team!"

"Arthur, use Recover." Alex said, as the girls readied their last picks, but the Gallade shook his head. "That would put me over four Moves. I can still Battle!" His arms burned to life, and Alex chuckled. The entire stadium heard him as he said, "You're right, bud, that Would put you over four Moves. Honorable to a fault, though it's my bad for not counting." The crowd ate up his noble spirit began chanting the Gallade's name as the girls brought out their final partners, and the Gallade raised a sword arm in response to the chants, bringing them to a fever pitch. Like Terra, he felt his stats boost from the hype, but being a psychic type, and a Gallade, he felt it far more intensely.

Jess called her partner of choice out first. "Let's go! Hera!" Her Heracross appeared with a flex, and Alex noted she was much burlier than the last time he'd seen her. Jess gave the command, and the fighting bug ascended to her Mega Form, fist bumped the Gallade, and then stared Isabella down.

"Fafnir!" Isabella finally said, after taking typing into account. "Let's win this!" She didn't expect to win, since Alex could still counter her with his last pick, but she was determined to take this round. The Mega Noivern brought back bad memories for Arthur as he remembered the last one they'd faced, though unlike the Hand of Death, Isabella hadn't infused hers with Shadow. That didn't stop the field from turning noticeably darker as the dragon's fangs elongated, it gained a second pair of wings, and its mane of fur became larger and more jagged. Fins sprouted from its tail for additional flight control, and the shriek it let off as it finished made everyone who heard it wince. Given Fafnir's speed, higher even than Arthur's, Isabella went first. "Into the air, Fafnir! Double Team, and don't stop moving!" Isabella smirked at Alex then. "We're playing by World Tournament rules, no? Don't restrict your Gallade."

Alex chuckled. "I'm not what's restricting him. Arthur!" The Gallade side eyed him. "Will your honor allow us to change out one elemental Punch for another?" Arthur looked at his sword arms, sighed, and then nodded. "Right. Then we switch Electric for Ice and keep everything else the same." He looked at Jess, then. "Would you mind breaking the clones?"

Jess smirked as well. "Hera! Pin Missile Barrage!" The Mega Heracross responded immediately, leveling her twin arm cannons upwards at the sky full of Mega Noivern. One by one, they began shooting through the clones.

"Alright Arthur…watch for the real one…then Teleport into an Ice Punch!" Arthur nodded, readying his fists, but before he could strike, Isabella took her own move.

"Double Team again! Then all of you use Hurricane!" The Mega Noivern began moving in a circle then, screeching as they summoned the power of the air itself. Pin Missiles went astray, and Arthur lost track of what he thought might've been the real one. He could just start punching, but he only intended to use as much power as Thunder Punch had had left, and not a single punch more. He'd only agreed to switching typings because the base damage was the same.

"Hera, fly up and blow it apart with Focus Blast! Condense it as much as possible!" Jess ordered, and Hera flew upwards, getting caught in the rapidly spinning weather formation as she began empowering her attack. For Arthur's part, Alex was subtly trying to help him find the real Fafnir. The Hurricane caught him as well, and Alex finally had to order him to start striking.

"Alright Arthur! Basic strikes as you Teleport around. Save your ice." As Arthur got pulled inwards and upwards, he bamfed, roundhouse kicked through a clone, and then repeated that process with startling speed, all while managing to dodge the brutal edges of the Hurricane. Hera was not so nimble, but she tanked the quadruple effective attack as she empowered and then finally launched her Focus Blast.

The attack was sucked up by the Hurricane along with Hera, and she took both attacks as it exploded. Focus Blast also took out quite a few clones, and in the hazy aftermath of the move collision, Arthur bamfed and made basic strikes through the remaining clones with impressive speed as Hera's fainted form crashed to the ground and was recalled. When there was only one clone left, he bamfed above it, and came down like a perfectly vertical ice comet.

His eyes narrowed as the last visible Fafnir also turned out to be a clone. "Now, Fafnir! Boomburst!"

"Teleport and pummel it with Ice Punch!" Arthur had to gauge where the Boomburst ended and did so successfully. He caught Fafnir on his jaw and followed up with an Ice Punch to the gut. He set his body lined up with Fafnir's then, and rotated in the air, bringing a foot down on his left wing and back, sending him towards the ground. Fafnir wasn't done though, as he twisted in the air, and caught Arthur in a wing-hug. "Boomburst!" Isabella shouted, though she knew who would likely come out the winner.

The two Pokémon crashed into the ground, and the resulting dust cloud took far too long to settle. There was the now familiar sound of a Mega Form losing cohesion, and as the dust settled, a lone Mega Gallade stood, one foot on the fainted dragon, sword arm raised while the other hung limp. Alex was glad Arthur was still standing, as winning with the technicality of being the only one with a Pokémon left was not the kind of win he wanted. The crowd erupted, eating up every bit of Arthur's display of coolness, and his Trainer was there to catch him as he heard the announcer, who was also losing his mind, call the win for them, and let his lithe frame go limp. Alex treated his arm, and then tossed a Max Revive into Fafnir's mouth.

The bat dragon rose slowly, and Alex examined his wings as Isabella and Sikandar rushed over. "No breaks." He said, glancing at the redheaded Champion, and she sighed in relief.

"He's broken a wing before…every time he hits the ground, I worry."

Arthur chimed in then. "He used me to break his fall…unfortunately, it broke on my Ice Punch. The Gallade smiled then, looked tired, spent, and satisfied. "That…was a good Battle."

Alex chuckled, "Yes…yes it was. Rest, brother." He recalled the victorious Gallade, and then stood beside the two favored Champions of Indius.

Sikandar spoke then, arms wide, as he addressed his crowd. "What a match! The win goes to our new friends from Unova!" He gestured at Alex then, and by that point Jess had trotted over as well, once Hera had her own heals.

Alex bowed Unovan style to the crowd, and then offered a hand to Sikandar. "I have a feeling a one on one, with either of you, would go quite differently. I hope we get to see that play out at the World Tournament."

Sikandar grasped his arm, eyes burning already at the thought. "Count on it."

The crowd cheered again, and with that friendly contest settled, and their information disseminated, Alex and Jess decided to forgo Kalos for the moment and return home. Partly because they were tired, but also because Festivus was set to start in several days as winter approached and fall ended. The Dragon Empire's first non war time holiday celebration should have its leaders there to kick it off properly, they decided. They returned to their top floor room in New Tork, one Jess seemed to have on permanent rent at this point, and once they'd fed their partners, themselves, and gone through their usual nightly rituals, Alex slept for two whole days straight. He awoke in the early morning of the third day, blinking as he realized the date on his Holodex was off by more than it should've been. His team had gotten used to this though, for they knew how tired their Trainer was, and they had Arthur and Jess to get them food and cover their needs. He made himself presentable and readied for the start of the month-long holiday.

Sahqoreyth · Aug 19, 2023

Chapter 46: A Brief Respite

New Tork City - Unova region

Alex Redwood awoke with a mighty yawn, almost exactly forty-eight hours after bamfing into the hotel suite Jess seemed to prefer, when they were in New Tork. "Good morning, Hooman." Alex blinked at the words, in Pokéspeech, translating themselves into Common in his head. On the bedroom's clothes dresser, was a Sprigatito, just chilling, and giving off comfortable cat vibes. She leapt over to his bed then, and he chuckled, as he gave her scritches. "Well hello there. Aren't you just a cute little Leaf cat." She purred at the compliment, and in moments was rumbling on her back, in belly rub heaven.

"Ahh! Tita! Get off the Emperor's bed!" A new voice exclaimed, and Alex covered his mouth with his free hand as he yawned again. A hotel maid/cleaner/cook was in his room, face slightly flushed as she saw what her partner was up to. She had brown hair, blue eyes, and was pretty, for someone who was obviously quite a bit younger than he was.

"It's alright, I don't mind. I've always wanted a Sprigatito, but it's practically impossible to get them outside of Paldea. 'Cause they're just so darn cute!" He said, focusing back on Tita, as she pawed at his hand, which had stopped the belly rubs after the arrival of her Trainer. The purring resumed, and the grassy fluffball gave off a pleasing aroma as she returned to belly rub bliss.

"Uhhm…can I uhh, get you anything, your royal…Emperor…ness?" The maid asked shyly.

Alex chuckled again. "You can just call me Alex, miss…?"

The girl eeped, as she realized he wanted her name. "Hannah! My name is Hannah."

Alex nodded. "Alright, Hannah. All I really need is breakfast. And if you could gather my Pokémon up here, that would be great. Get them some food too, if you would. As for mine…hash browns…meat…maybe eggs…don't overthink it. Standard breakfast food will be perfect. As for me…I need to shower." He looked back at Tita then. "We shall resume this in a bit, alright little one?" Tita made a disappointed noise as she said, "Fiiiine." And with that, he bamfed the fifteen or so feet into the shower in the bathroom of the suite.

Hannah just blinked a few times, processing what had happened. Apparently, the rumors about their Emperor being able to Teleport were true. The only problem with his request, of course, was that it was almost noon, but the hotel was more than capable of serving brunch to their regional leader. Gathering his Pokémon was another story, but thankfully, she ran into Arthur first, and he was more than happy to help her.

By the time Alex was done wiping off days worth of grime, sweat, and man odor, most of his team was eating lunch. Leo and Tita had, after a brief exchange of hissing, managed to coexist in peace. Terra, Ceno, and all his other literally heavy hitters were in their Pokéballs, which were twitching slightly on the table as they enjoyed their lunch in the comfort of their Pokéballs. For her part, Hannah seemed a bit tired, and was leaning against a nearby wall. She stood up, as she saw him emerge from the steamy bathroom fully clothed, beard trimmed, and presentable. "If you need anything else, Dragon Emperor, do not hesitate to ask."

Alex just chuckled. "I need you to relax. Join us. I can hear your stomach growling from here, grab some food. For Tita as well. There's certainly enough, and I don't want to waste any." Indeed, it seemed the hotel had gotten near a buffet's worth of food just for him, which he saw as a bit much, though between his lack of meals for two days and his more voracious teammates, he intended to put a sizable dent in the food. He called out some partners from his cloak, once Hannah had her plate at his insistence, but he made sure to leave some for Jess.

She came in about thirty minutes into the meal and glanced around at the contained chaos in the suite. Seeing Hannah and her empty plate, she chuckled. "I see he's managed to convince you to relax too, miss. I'm sorry…he does this everywhere we stay."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "What, treat them like Human beings?"

Jess shook her head, as she grabbed what food was left. "No…inviting them to eat with you. Most world leaders don't do that with the staff."

"Perhaps they should." Alex shot back. "We're not going to discriminate by class, in my Empire. It doesn't matter what someone's job is, hard work is hard work, and she shouldn't have to eat lunch in a tiny, crowded room just because of her career choice."

Jess smirked at him. "And eating in a large, crowded room is better? You don't need to get the life story of every waiter we have, Alex."

"I didn't get her life story." He countered, smirking back at her. "I offered her food. Like a sane, kind, Human being. You know, there was a time when all the Humans of a settlement would eat together. None of this 'more important people eat above and before everyone else' nonsense."

"Yes, but that was millennia in the past, Alex. These customs have been around for almost as long and abandoning them will make others view you as a weak Emperor." Jess said.

Alex chucklesnorted. "Hannah, you've seen me Battle at least once, I assume. Do I seem weak, to you?"

Hannah looked like she wanted to be anywhere else, but in this conversation. "N-no, sir. Definitely not weak. The opposite, in fact…it was almost terrifying how easily you faced down Champion N, and with no hesitation…and then the Forces of Nature, too!"

Alex gestured at her and nodded his thanks for her answer. "See? Kindness is not weakness, Jess. If anything, I've gotten more fans because of how I treat my fellow Humans. If the so-called 'elites' of our societies don't want to do as I have, that's their problem, and their lack of decency will become apparent when the common people compare them to me. This concept of 'nobility' being somehow 'superior' to everyone else is the First thing we're abolishing. Eric has already mentioned that there have been 'nobles' forming across the States. Just more rich people, abusing their positions. Not again. Not in the Empire we're going to build."

Jess sighed. "You're in for a long battle if you intend to take on everyone with money, Alex. You're going to need those people, too. You can't run the Empire on the spoils of Fornia forever."

Alex waved her concerns off. "I won't have to. And I'm not taking on everyone with money, I'm taking on those whose abundance of currency has warped their sense of entitlement to frankly absurd levels. Those who could do with a reality check."

Jess tilted her head at him. "And where, praytell, does my own family fall in your estimation?"

Alex thought for a moment. "Your mom has that haughty air to her, but I've only really seen it around other rich people. Your dad…is a mystery, honestly. I cannot read that man. And I'm psychic. But they're good people. I knew that as soon as Connor invited me over that first time."

That brought the smile back to Jess's face. "You're going to need to have some sort of read on him. Especially after our last meal."

Alex coughed slightly and shoved a hashbrown in his mouth. Hannah, who was still young enough to be curious and a bit naive, asked the question. "Why? What happened last night?" She said, assuming that was the last time they'd eaten together.

Alex coughed again, and swallowed his food down, as he'd been asked the question. "Well. It was more like three nights ago. If things work out and her father doesn't end me…you're sitting next to your future Empress."

Hannah's voice turned high pitched as her eyes went wide, and she congratulated Jess. Alex focused on his food, letting his eyes roam over his team, as he let Jess interact with their new friend, mostly so she could get her name. She drew a promise of secrecy from Hannah, but Alex knew just uttering the words would be enough to start a rumor. The less reputable reporters of New Tork City were not above bugging rooms with listening devices, and he'd been here unconscious for two days.

As his eyes roamed, he noticed his Pokéballs, and the absence of his favorite derpy mudfish. He floated his A and B team's balls over to him then, and winced as he saw just how damaged they were. The A Team's were worse, naturally, just from general use, but the newer balls had also received a few scuffs and marks while traveling across Koria. Then there was Hydrus's ball, still torn apart by Ozai's Turtonator.

"Oh wow, poor Hydrus." Jess said, as Hannah commented on his psychic shenanigans. "How did that happen?"

Alex almost answered honestly, before he remembered where they were. He'd made sure the Korians had deleted any recordings of him or his team before leaving, but there had, in the end, not actually been much in the way of high-tech surveillance, in the Fire Nation at least. It appeared most of the tech they'd been given had been for systematic slaughter, and little else.

"In Koria. A wild Pokémon all but tore it up when I was about to use it. Hydrus is fine, but I can tell he misses being with his brothers. He's set up in the swamp north of the ranch for now, but I also miss having my watery powerhouse. Not that Pruina has had a hard time filling the gap."

Jess nodded, smiling. "That Lapras of yours is a cutie, I admit. Isabella mentioned she had a friend who worked with Pokéballs. Professor…somethingorother. I'll ask her."

Hannah's eyes went wide as she scurried up to Alex, eyes wide, as Jess began texting on her Rotom Phone. "I didn't know you have a Lapras!"

Alex chuckled, and then glanced around. He recalled Leo, and a few other Pokémon who were finished their meals and snoozing. That freed up enough room for him to summon the pretty blue Pokémon. She immediately took to Hannah with coos of approval, as she had with Jess, and he left the girls to fawn over her, as he got her some sweeter food. Five hundred pounds of water Pokémon was about as much as he wished to test the durability of the top floor suite, and he recalled a few more of his team, to ease the strain on the building.

Before long, it was time to depart for Entral Park, and the opening ceremony that kicked off Festivus. They bid Hannah a fond farewell, and Jess made sure to line her up for the next time they bamfed into the suite. "See?" Alex said, as they rode Shruikan the short flight to the park. "I told you she was good people. The ones I chat with always are."

"You do have a good record of finding decent people…just be careful they don't abuse your kind nature." Jess said, sighing to herself, as she continued texting.

"Most of the people I gravitate towards wouldn't do that. And if they do, well…it's nothing I can't handle. I'm not a Pokéless loser anymore." He said as he gave Shruikan behind the ear-scale scritches, much to his enjoyment, as he did not possess digits that could fit there.

"No…you really aren't." Jess said, eyeing his side profile. He'd come a long, long way from the baggy clothed nerdy dork that had worked his ranch and carried her to Undella Bay, along with two backpacks. "Professor Armeniaca." Jess said, finally. "Isabella is going to tell her to expect us. We can stop by before we head home."

Alex nodded, more than okay with delaying his inevitable return to his house, and parents. Without his granduncle there, he'd simply stopped considering the ranch his home, though it wasn't like the Palace of Ideals had become a substitute for it. His team began mentally discussing just where exactly they thought their home was, and most, especially the younger members, seemed to think it was the ranch.

Ignoring their mental chatter, Alex had to blink, as the crowds Shruikan soared over broke into cheers at the sight of him. Though he was smaller, there was only one black Salamence that had a pair of riders like them. He let Shruikan go off and hunt as he and Jess leapt and landed before the Entree. The Elite Four were already waiting.

Nick approached him first. "Finally. The Champion returns. You have a backlog of Challengers, Alex. Again."

Alex fist bumped his friend, and smirked. "Clearly, we need to do some training if so many people are getting past you guys." The others chuckled, and he noted that Will and Shauntal's hands were linked. "I'd like for you all to begin using Mega Evolution, if you haven't already. If we're going to stay the hardest League in the world, we should give our Challengers the appropriate motivation."

As the Elite Four nodded, and began chatting about training regimens, they were interrupted, as a massive black and white serpentine form spiraled over them, and the cheers from the Unovans were deafening, compared to what they'd offered for their Emperor. Tao once more alighted on the Entree, his body length coiling down it as he rested. Above him, a powerful psychic presence appeared, and Alex realized the Mewtwo was still around. She gave him a slow nod, as their eyes met.

Tao gestured with one claw, eyeing Alex, and it seemed the dragon expected him to speak, this time. He adjusted his cloak, manifested the more iconic pauldrons and gauntlets of dragonbone from his belt, and strode to the edge of the central mound the Entree rested on. Rotom camera drones buzzed around him, as he spoke. "My people! Loyal Unovans, and members of the States across the Empire, it is my privilege and honor to kick off the start of Festivus!"

There was cheering, whooping, and Alex smiled, letting the people celebrate. "It's been a long few years…so first…let us remember those who could not be here for this celebration…those who fell to the brutal Arcean blitz, and those soldiers who bravely risked their lives to counter their offensive and end their threat forever."

The tone turned somber, as did Alex's voice, and he counted out a full sixty seconds, as he recalled the Scales he'd been unable to save. It had taken him a bit of time to adjust to how fast war-time combat could be, and those seconds of hesitation had cost him the lives of good people. Then there were those who'd willingly sacrificed themselves, so the others could evade the trap in Urbe Monachus. At the end of the minute, he raised his head. "They died Heroes, all of them, so that we could keep living in their stead, healthy, happy, and free!" He raised a Salamence-head covered fist. "To the fallen!"

That brought another cheer, and repeats of his words echoed. He waited until the crowd died down, before continuing. Tao had informed him that many expected him to make his first proclamation as Emperor at this gathering, the first he'd been free to attend. He did not intend to disappoint them.

"Many of you have been wondering what my first decree as Dragon Emperor shall be. I had to clean up that Mega Evolution mess I helped cause, first, but my travels abroad gave me ample time to think. From this day forward, all health care for Humans in this Empire shall be as cost free as it is for Pokémon! Moreover, the Empire will provide every Citizen a roof, basic amenities, and an opportunity for a career of their choosing. Tao will be implementing these programs across the Empire as the resources to complete them become available."

It took a few seconds for the people to process his words, but there was, eventually, a proper cheer. He let it die down again, before speaking once more. "Furthermore…many formerly Arcean families will be without their loved ones this holiday. I cannot release all of them, but I can allow them Holocalls, and set the more…rational minded Crusaders free on a probationary sentence. Provided they stay out of trouble with Imperial laws, their sentences will be commuted by the Scales in their home jurisdiction. Those who break this offer of trust…will not like what the punishment is. On that happy note, let the festivities begin! Happy Festivus!"

There was an initial murmur of disapproval, as many in the crowd were not fond of the idea of releasing Arcean Crusaders back to their homes. In truth, the request had come from Warden Riker, and Alex trusted his judgement on those who could be set free, and those who would fall to the temptations of renewed sedition. Just as quick as the murmurs came though, the cheers of 'Happy Festivus' overpowered them, and Alex waved to the crowd, before returning to Jess, and the others.

Tao lifted off into the air then, spiraling over the crowd in his manner of flight, as he went to do whatever he pleased. Alex sensed he desired a break as well, and was making efforts to ensure almost all of the Scales got sufficient rest over the coming month, including himself. Alex and Jess invited the Elite Four to their houses for the First Eve Feast, but only Nick and Damon accepted, for it seemed Shauntal and Will were busy. Agreeing to meet them there later, Alex and Jessica bamfed to Kalos, where he commenced that region's Festivus holiday as well, with a similar speech from the balcony of AZ's palace, though one more catered to the troops Kalos had committed both to the Empire and to Japan who had been gathered in the giant garden. He officially discharged them from active duty, and encouraged those who wished to continue to defend their region to seek out his Scales, or the military bases along the border with Germania.

From Kalos, they flew southward, over the majority of Europa, until they came upon the hills of fair Italia, a mountainous region with only two large water sources, nestled between the massive peaks of the Mediterra mountain range. It was on one such massive slope that they found Professor Armeniaca's lab. On the way south, they'd come across a rather amusing interview on the PokéNet of Gabby and Ty, trying to interview the Professor to get a scoop on Italia's Champion through their friendship and rivalry. It was something of an urban legend in Italia at this point, as in the wake of a beloved Champion's untimely passing, two women, rivals no less, had made it to the Italia League's finals, only for Armeniaca to win the final match, and then bow out gracefully so Isabella could claim the title.

The PokéNerd sponsored interview had been conducted back during the tournament where Sikandar and Isabella had met, and apparently the pair of interviewers had managed to piss off the Professor, for they had very obviously been ejected from her property. They had learned a few details however. The Professor was a Pokéball expert, she had a Squirtle hatchery, and ran a shelter for retired Pokémon that people could donate to and see the real time effects of their contributions. This seemed to have primarily manifested as videos of very young Squirtle eating some cheese pizza and just making a huge, adorable mess.

As they came in for a landing on Shruikan, Alex and Jess shared a glance, as they both sensed the same thing at the same time. Not one, but two massively powerful psychic presences, that were somewhere on the property. More than that, they both recognized one as belonging to a Mewtwo. The other presence was very similar to the Mewtwo they knew, but was notably different as well.

They landed before the large outer gate, and took in the large fences with security cameras on top of them. Recalling Shruikan, Alex and Jess approached the gate and rang the bell.

"No grazie! Non vogliamo venditori, venditori di biscotti o interviste!"

Alex and Jessica shared another look. Alex spoke then. "Erm…Professor? It's Alex Redwood. And Jess."

The gate beeped, and then opened as the Professor's heavily accented Common came through the intercom. "So sorry. You would not believe how many people I get up here, despite my obvious attempts to be a recluse."

They entered the gated off area then, and looked around. An older Houndoom raised his head as they entered, and with an excited bark of "People!" He got up on his old legs and hobbled over, tail wagging with endearing excitement. He gave a toothless doggo smile to them, and Alex was there with all the pets. "Yesss. Hello new friend. You're a good boy, huh?"

"I am! I am a good boy!" He answered, clearly just happy to be getting attention.

At that point the door to the actual house opened, and a smaller framed woman stepped out. Her brown hair went down to her waist, and her large circular glasses brought out her eyes. She was quite attractive, even when compared to his redhead. She had a short summer dress on, atop which was the standard Professor's lab coat. Its sleeves were wrinkled though, and it had a few stains of questionable origin on it. She had two different colored socks on each foot, and said feet were covered in old, white sneakers that looked like they belonged on a college campus, and not on a Professor. Most likely, they'd been what was closest to the door.

Her eyes widened, an effect made slightly humorous by the large round glasses on her eyes. "Rudy! Down, boy! I'm sorry about him, he gets excited."

Rudy sat, but kept muttering 'people, people, people', tail wagging behind him as he watched them, but obeyed his mom's command to not move. "It's alright. He's awfully friendly for a Houndoom." Alex said, giving him head scritches.

"Yea, they get sweeter with age. Anyways. Come in. Let's see that ball of mine."

Alex furrowed his brow as they stepped into the building. "Ball of yours? I bought this from the woman who created the custom stylus. For quite a lot, actually." He said, remembering the hit to his cash stash Hydrus's in particular had caused.

The Professor nodded, smiling at him, though it didn't reach her eyes. "That would be me. Turns out, people love customizing their Pokéballs. It was actually your Granduncle who suggested I take it global. The start of a long, lucrative friendship, that was. Now then, let's see it."

Alex produced the shredded blue sphere then, and she sighed. "Oh wow. Yea, that's…extensive. And fixing it will be expensive. What even did this?"

"A Turtonator." Alex said without preamble. "Its own ball had spikes on it and O- er, it's Trainer, purposefully tried hitting me with them, and caught my ball in the process."

Her eyes went wide again. "That is…not allowed in any League ruleset I know of."

Alex chuckled. "Yea…we weren't exactly playing by rules at that moment. It was more of a…life or death situation. But my Aura shield blocked the worst of it."

The Professor tilted her head then, and tapped her chin with a closed fist several times. "Gilroy did mention you'd awakened your power. And if you have…then you already know."

Alex furrowed his brows. "Know…?"

"That my friends are here. It's alright, you two. These Humans won't go after you." Armeniaca said, nonchalantly to evidently empty air. Alex squinted, as his eyes revealed a new pattern, a heretofore unexpected path, that opened up before him with the appearance of the Mewtwo that revealed itself before him. His eyes were perpetually stuck in a pissed off expression, and a ragged brown cloak hung around his shoulders.

A second barely visible presence flew around them then, and stopped before Jess. She held out a palm, and blinked as something landed in it. The chuckling form of a Mew appeared then, and Jess blinked again, before cautiously giving the incredibly rare psychic cat creature scritches. "So soft…" Her words made the Mew chuckle, as it enjoyed the scritches and then rolled off her hand and back into floating through the air. It went to float by Mewtwo then, and Alex blinked as he realized he couldn't translate what the Mew was saying. All he heard was its name.

The Mewtwo looked between them, then projecting his own voice in what could only be called an intimidating baritone. "Xerneas? Really? Interesting…"

Professor Armeniaca looked at Mewtwo then. "If you wouldn't mind, could you help him expand his abilities? My contacts in Albion say she's close…and if Morgana finds what she's after…he'll need them."

The Mewtwo nodded, and then turned his intense gaze on Alex. "Come with me." "Wait, wh-" Was all Alex had time to say, before Mewtwo bamfed the two of them elsewhere.

Jess pursed her lips as once more her lover was bamfed elsewhere to, if past was prologue, once again become stronger. She looked at the Professor, then. She could tell the woman didn't seem to hold a high opinion of her, but Jess was used to being disliked by the fairer sex. "Isn't Albion very remote? How do you contact them?"

The Professor eyed her for a long moment, then turned, and went to her desk. She pressed a few buttons, opened a series of drawers in what seemed like a random order, and then, a very old looking device rose from below it. "This…is a Pokégraph. It's very old technology…but that's about all they have left, in Albion. My people send me coded messages by tapping them out. Things are…not going well. Apparently two of your Scales of Balance showed up not so long ago, incited a rebellion, and then left to go get involved in your war with the Fornians. They left the Queen alive, and she has since had a…let's call it a relapse. Into Shadow Infusion."

"Why does a Professor in Italia have people in a remote region north of Galar?" Jess asked innocently. Her tone was sweet, but she could tell it sickened Armeniaca on some level.

"It's part of my uh…job. For my…Company. Yea. My employer likes to keep tabs on…well, the world, and I help out where I can. In return…they pay for any…catastrophic damages to my property that would wipe out what I do here, in a financial sense. I have contacts all over the world." Her tone was even and honest, and Jess appreciated that, at least. Seemingly done conversing, the Professor got to work on Alex's ball then, hiding the Pokégraph back in her desk, and bringing out her other tools.

Jess was about to ask how she came up with letting Trainers customize their own Pokéballs as a concept to sell, when suddenly, there was a commotion by the door to the room. Seeing they had a visitor, four of her Squirtle decided to hone their ninjutsu skills. They leapt onto the coffee table before Jess, striking poses as they did, and they had seemingly acquired blue, red, orange, and purple headbands from somewhere, each one fitting around their eyes with the ties flaring out epicly behind them. The Professor just sighed. "Don't mind them…and boys, do not shoot water at our guest." The silence grew as the Professor focused, and absently she added, "You can let your team out outside, if you like. This is going to take a while."

"I'll do that." Jess said, and as she strode to the sliding glass door that led out behind the lab, the four ninja Squirtle followed her, each one, of course, flipping off of the table as they did so.

Meanwhile…

Alex looked around as he appeared in a perpetually purple plane of reality, alongside Mewtwo. It was bare, the terrain was gray and akin to some mix of stone and dust, the only notable feature being vague mountains that dotted the landscape. He could tell Mewtwo had pulled him into some sort of conjured psychic mindspace, and his intimidating baritone rang out across it. "For what is to come…you must be stronger."

Alex smirked up at the genetically mutated psychic cat, perched on one of the area's mountains above him. "As Humans go, I'm already pretty strong."

Mewtwo returned the smirk, arms crossed under his ragged brown cloak, and his deep, dark blue aura burned to life. "Such hubris…witness True power, Human!"

Alex's eyes widened as he felt the sheer force the first ever created Genetic Pokémon had at his disposal as his aura filled the space. To his credit though, he didn't immediately collapse to the ground, as he'd raised his own shield, though in terms of power, there was absolutely no contest. If Mewtwo kept this up, it would be about a minute before Alex gave in to the crushing weight of this aura, and his body would likely be crushed by it as well.

Then, suddenly, Mewtwo's aura retreated back to his form. Alex was paler, but the Pokémon continued to smirk. "At least you did not immediately fall over…let us see how you fare in Battle…"

Alex heard what sounded like fingers snapping, and then, inexplicably, a fast paced techno-beat filled the space. He swallowed, as he realized that, somehow, Mewtwo had created his own boss music. Perhaps for fun, perhaps with the Professor's help, or perhaps this was simply what the psychic mutated cat heard whenever he battled, it didn't matter, as it was the theme that their clash would unfold in the midst of. Flaring his aura and evening out his shield, Alex launched at Mewtwo, and came at him with his earthbending, in the form of a massive boulder. Unfazed by the human seemingly bending the environment to his will, Mewtwo simply raised a hand, and the smirk never left his mouth.

Some Time Later…

"Disappointing. I expected…more. Especially compared to Red. He and Oranguru spoke so highly of your skill."

A beaten and battered mental approximation of Alex glared at the Mewtwo, but despite the insult, he had to admit the lab-made mutant Mew had a point. He'd done much to expand Alex's psychic powers, in the hours they'd been in his mental playground. Once the initial humbling one-sided beatdown had been given, Mewtwo had revealed the reason for it: teaching him how to use Recover and Heal Pulse.

Where once Alex had struggled to make his body regenerate, he now understood it was a matter of energy, and expending it to kick his body's cells and their healing factor into overdrive. The greater the injury, the more energy he would need to spend, and even then, there were limits to how much the mitochondria in a single cell could take in, at least in humans. Mewtwo claimed that he had yet to find the energy limit of a Pokémon's cells, but human cells eventually recognized said energy was not from food, and with too much of it, would simply burst, causing even more damage if healed by a novice psychic or Pokémon. Then, Mewtwo had astrally projected injured Pokémon from thousands of miles away, into their space and had him heal their wounds. To Alex, this all felt like it had taken about three hours to learn, but in real-time, Mewtwo claimed they'd been at it for about twenty minutes. Apparently he had the power to bend time in his mind space. The latest move the Genetic Pokémon was attempting to teach him, was one that only Mewtwo could master, as far as humans knew. Psystrike.

"Red has potential beyond even mine…" Alex said, wiping his mouth free of astral blood, as Mewtwo insisted on using the move in an approximation of combat. He'd hinted at some as yet unknown enemy he would likely have to face in Albion, but Alex doubted Morgana was anywhere near as powerful as a Mewtwo.

"No. He doesn't." Mewtwo answered, raising one arm for another Psystrike. "Your Dragon Typing should give you more power than any Human alive." His eyes narrowed, and the nimbus of psychic energy above his head fired towards Alex. "Use it!"

He dodged faster than he ever could in reality, but Alex was still hard pressed to counter, as Mewtwo raised his other hand, even before the first Psystrike landed. It was hard, flaring his aura as he also had to focus on dodging, when suddenly he realized, his mind could focus on dodging. His body, his real self sitting on an isolated Italia hill somewhere, could build his aura up for the attack. His aura shield burned from blue to blurple, and Mewtwo's smirk widened. The next Psystrike was unleashed from his left palm.

Once more Alex floated around the astral mindscape, and then saw his opening. He was under no illusion that Mewtwo was leaving himself open, but Alex took the shot anyway. He raised both hands before him as his astral self slid to a stop, and fired his counter. In actuality it looked like a Draco Meteor, but the difference was the energy it was made of. As Mewtwo had said, the dragon typing enhanced his psychic attack, and the move struck home. Being arguably the most powerful psychic attack known to their world, Mewtwo had reasoned this move would serve him well. As the smoke from the hit cleared away, it revealed that the attack had struck not the Pokémon, but the Barrier that Mewtwo raised, at which point, he nodded. "There it is, weak, but with practice that will change. Hone this Move, as you rest. You will need it, in Albion."

"Hold up." Alex said, as he sensed the psychic Pokémon ending the astral plane they'd trained on. "What exactly is waiting in Albion? Morgana is powerful, but I've sensed her before . She has less potency than Pravus. What are you and the Professor really concerned about?"

Mewtwo sighed. "Ask the Professor. For now I will say this: if the Witch finds what she and the Shadow desires most…and you cannot stop it…we will enter a period like the one you Humans call the Dark Times. It was that period that I…that my gene donor lost their life to." With that, the mindscape vanished, and just like that, Alex was back on the prime material plane. He barely had time to glance at Mewtwo before he bamfed Alex back to the lab.

He appeared outside the lab in midair and fell hard onto the ground. He raised his head to a strange sight. Four bandana wearing Squirtle were sitting cross legged before what seemed like an old, ragged looking Raticate, who was meditating before them on a rock, and holding what looked like a simple wooden cane.

Behind them was a pond, where Alex noted some of Jess's Pokémon were lounging about, but the Raticate held his attention as, without warning, he struck the orange bandana wearing Squirtle with the cane, sending it rolling back. "Wake up, Michelangelo." It said, sounding as old as it looked. Again, it struck then, this time at the purple bandana wearing Squirtle. He dodged, but then the Raticate brought the stick up again, hitting the tiny turtle on the chin, and sending him rolling into the slowly standing Michelangelo. The two collapsed in a heap. "Watch the backswing, Donatello."

Alex was about to say something, when suddenly, the Squirtle with the red bandana leapt at the Raticate, sinking into his shell and spinning while his gaze was on the other two. A single palm caught the Rapid Spin, and then redirected it into the other two Squirtle, sending the three sprawling across the grass. "Patience, Raphael." The Raticate chided. Alex glanced at the last remaining water turtle, who compared to the others, seemed higher level, not to mention more focused. Ready. The Raticate struck, and the blue bandana'd Squirtle caught the wooden stick between his palms, and then twisted it from the Raticate's grip, before leaping, eyes still closed, and striking the rat with his tail across one of its chubby, but sagging cheeks.

The Raticate went sailing off the rock from the force of the blow and grunted. The Squirtle, for his part, landed in what could only be described as a ninja-crouch. "Well done, Leonardo." The Raticate groaned, as he retrieved his cane, and stood back on two legs. By that point, the other Squirtle had rolled to their feet. "That is enough for today, my students." The old rat said. "And our timing is perfect."

Just then, Professor Armeniaca popped her head out of the sliding glass door that led into the building. "Dinner time!" She looked at the Squirtles then. "It's pizza tonight, boys."

As one, the tiny turtle's eyes went wide as they recognized their favorite word in Common, and exclaimed, "PIZZA!" Before scurrying towards the door. From the pond, a truly massive Blastoise raised her head, and atop her shell, a whole swarm of much smaller baby Squirtle repeatedly chirped the same word as what had to be their older, comparatively teenaged, brothers.

They scurried into the lab as well, which was when the Professor finally noticed him. "Oh good, you're back. I decided to just replace your ball, and the others have been cleaned up and upgraded. Come inside, I'll show you how to properly use them. Apparently, the old man never explained how useful they are."

Alex just blinked, still trying to process what he'd seen. "Uh. Right. Yea. Sure." He gave the old Raticate a nod as he passed by, and the old rat watched him in turn, nodding slowly, as he understood what the human said with perfect clarity, nose twitching as he tried to identify him.

Alex smelled the food as he went inside, and the Professor was busy loading some sort of machine with large bowls of Pokémon food as he entered. Jess poked her head around the corner of what was, judging by the trail of tiny Squirtle, the kitchen. She seemed covered in flour, and to have been helping with the cooking. "Oh wow. Mewtwo kicked your butt, huh? The Professor said he might."

Alex nodded. "It was worth it though…his knowledge of psychic abilities is…useful. And unmatched." He no longer had any delusions about his own strength but was even more impressed that Arthur had managed to all but match auras with such a creature, albeit a different one, and one who, by Red's account, had far more human in him than Giovanni's first perfected clone of Mew. Said increase in DNA had been an attempt to better control the Mewtwo, but that hadn't worked out well for Team Rocket either, and the hybrid had left a trail of fainted Pokémon all the way to Cerulean Cave in its rage.

"That it is." The Professor said, as she hit a button on her strange machine, and teleported the Pokémon food out across the yard to anyone who was hungry. "I let your team out as well, there's enough food for everyone." She offered him a Pokéball then, one that looked quite a bit like the one Hydrus had occupied before. "I already had your brother transfer your Swampert into it. Now, if you focus your mind on the ball and encourage your partner to Mega Evolve…"

Alex took the ball from her, glanced at the Professor, then back at the ball, and focused on Hydrus. He was indeed inside, and glad to be back. His Splash Plate began reacting within the ball as Alex palmed his Key Stone within his pocket, and the ball changed then, getting slightly larger, and growing fins and knobs akin to a Mega Swampert. He threw the ball out the door then, and Hydrus appeared with a roar, beating his chest, before he looked around, and lost his bravado. The Blastoise munching on her food in the pond mocked him slightly, and the mega mudfish deflated.

"He'll be able to retain that form for as long as he wants, provided his ball stays intact." The Professor said, "And to drop it, all he has to do is will the power to return."

"Hydrus." Alex called, and the mudfish looked over. "Try releasing your form." The mudfish nodded then, and closed his eyes, focusing. After a moment, the energy shot back into the Pokéball, which returned to its normal appearance as Hydrus did the same. "Fascinating." He said, glancing at the Professor. "And you're saying they all do this?"

She nodded. "Only Humans with psychic abilities, or a truly strong bond can use my Pokéballs like this, so it's not a well-known trick…although, the old man was supposed to have shown you how to do it when and if your power manifested. He probably forgot. Oh well. I'm upgrading Jessica's as well, so you two should be more than ready for Albion once you leave here."

Alex nodded, and psychically threw the rest of his team out into the yard area. "We'll feed them, and then be on our way. Thank you, Professor. I appreciate this…as well as what your Mewtwo did."

Armeniaca laughed at that. "Oh, he's not mine. But he is concerned with potentially world altering events…get to Albion soon, Alex."

"That reminds me…I wanted to ask you, what exactly is Morgana after that has you and Mewtwo so on edge, in Albion?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

The Professor glanced at him, and then back at Jess, whose head had again popped from around the corner. "Let's finish the food first…get some tea…and then we'll talk." It took about ten minutes of semi-awkward silence, but finally everything was ready, and they were seated around the Professor's coffee table, by the sliding door. Arthur had posted himself beside it, leaning back against the building as he listened from outside, and translated for the others. Even Blaze and Shruikan had ceased their sparring, to listen in. "First…" The Professor started, "What do you know about the Archons? Did your Granduncle ever tell you?"

Alex shook his head. "He always said I wasn't ready for his research…and when he passed, we noticed there was a lot missing, but never found it. He never left a clue to where it was hidden, either. His final messages didn't mention it. Probably forgot it while he was focused on his PokéTrek references."

Armeniaca sighed and sipped her tea. "Truly, a man of culture. The world is a little darker without him in it." She took a deep breath then and prepared herself to do more talking than she'd done in months. "The Archons of Albion were, back in the Dark Times, one of the first orders of psychic Humans to gather together in the wake of the Tamer of Arceus's passing, and his Successor's betrayal. While Eous, Norstad, Europa, and Old Africa began fighting for power over the supercontinent, it was the Successor who ultimately won that struggle, and established the first Shadow Cult. He found other Humans who had no reservations about meddling with dark powers and infusing them into Pokémon. Before long, they were betraying each other in constant bids for power, carving out their own portions of territory to enact their brutal rule over."

She took another sip of tea and continued. "Your Granduncle discovered the most intact record of this period we call the Dark Times underneath what is now called Brightwall, in Albion. The Archons of that era banded together under a powerful Archon they called The Hero of Albion, and it was this Hero who wielded both Zacian and Zamazenta against the Successor, eventually beating him. The records were vague about where, but apparently, the Archons then hid his corpse somewhere in Albion, and began erasing any mention of him, any record of his deeds, and even his name. They established the Aura Guardians in Eous, and spread out across the supercontinent, putting down the Shadow Cults one by one, and burning their names from history as well. They also trained new psychics, though as the Dark Times ended, there were fewer and fewer of them, until now…they're thought to be extinct. The Hero of Albion became King of all Galar, and he passed Zacian and Zamazenta on to his sons, though over time his line forgot how to use them properly, and they only manifested again during the Darkest Day. Err, the first one."

"So, Morgana is looking for the Successor's corpse." Alex said, grimly. "Pravus and his own people learned how to defy death and mortality…she must be hoping to use what she's learned from him to resurrect the Successor. That's who you and Mewtwo are worried about."

Armeniaca nodded. "For good reason. It was more than just Zacian and Zamazenta. Many Legendary Pokémon were thought to have Battled his cult of psychic Pokémon Tamers, but the Archon's records did not mention which ones. Your Dragon may know, though. Assuming he can remember."

Alex shook his head. "If Tao thought they were needed, they'd be around…he must think he and Guardians will be enough, if Morgana succeeds. Either way…we'll be heading for Albion sooner than later."

The rest of their visit was relatively simple, as they made small talk, reminisced about Alex's granduncle, and put the pizza filled Squirtles to bed. Mew and Mewtwo appeared again for tea, and Alex informed them of who he'd discovered in the Hero of Truth's ancient castle. They both seemed interested in that, and disappeared soon after, presumably to visit Unova. Not long after that, Alex and Jess recalled their teams, and before they could discuss where to go next, Tao spoke to them.

"It is time for the both of you to rest. That is an order. We have much to do after your brief vacation…so make the most of it."

With a heavy sigh, they decided to bamf back to the ranch, and get ready for the First Eve party that one of their families would be hosting. Since they went back and forth each year on who held the first and who held the last, they eventually figured out the Gladstones were the ones hosting this time. Alex told Jess he had to make a brief flyover of the neighboring Paldea region, and she nodded, reading his mind and intentions. She decided to shop up Kalos for a Festivus dress that was 'in style', while he hunted the plains of Paldea with Shruikan's absurd speed.

Derrion Town - Northern Unova Region

Both the lab and the manor house were indeed empty, and they arrived to find only one of Alex's cousins, Aria, still in the house. "I'll go get changed upstairs." Jess said, as Aria asked to speak with Alex, who had no intention of changing out of his standard black and white clothes. They didn't pick up human stenches, and only rarely needed to be washed, not to mention they were formal and comfortable at the same time. Jess unfortunately had less options, and her parents expected her to be presentable.

"I was hoping to see you, Cuz…" Aria said, looking down shyly. "It's about some of your Pokémon…"

Alex stretched out his arms as they chatted, as they'd grown a bit stiff after relaxing with the Professor. "Oh? Are some of them causing trouble again?" He was tempted to start mentally checking in with those at the lab, namely looking for guilt, but he resisted the urge.

"No, no trouble…" Aria said. "It's just…I've been wanting to go on a Journey for a while now…I was thinking Paldea might be good…but ahh…well, I'd like to take your Chikorita along. And your Leafeon."

Alex pondered for a moment and summoned his cape. Seconds later, the two Pokémon in question had appeared. His Chikorita greeted him with affectionate scent rubs, before she ran over to Aria. Just one look at them together, and he knew what had to happen. He looked at his Leafeon then. "How about you, Leif? Are you okay with leaving your siblings and traveling?"

Leif answered in Pokéspeech, and Aria watched in quiet awe as her quiet, stoner, loner of a cousin listened and seemed to perfectly understand his words. "I am. Shadow and Espeo can watch over them. Aria needs me more."

Alex nodded, fighting back a sudden surge of emotion. He hadn't used these two in battles, but he had spent time with them when he'd had it to spare. He'd also known that eventually, it was likely some of his Pokémon would glom onto his family members. Parting still hurt, though. He gave his Leafeon a sad smile and an affectionate head scratch, just under his head leaf at the base of its 'stem'. While his eyes were shinier, he held back the tears. "Right then. You keep her safe, alright? And if you ever need us, you don't hesitate to reach out to me, mentally. You two are family, I'll be there as fast as I can."

Leif nodded and joined the Chikorita by Aria. "Alright." Alex said, as he modified their balls. "They're now registered to you, Cuz. Take good care of them."

Aria nodded, and then glanced at the Chikorita. "You didn't nickname her?"

Alex nodded. "I had a feeling this might happen, so I held back on training those who were…less interested in Battle at the time I caught them. She's fully committed to traveling with you, though, so don't worry."

Aria nodded. "In that case…I'll call you…Meg." The Chikorita chirped happily, at that, and Aria recalled the pair. "Thanks for that. And uhh…do me another favor, if you would-"

"Don't tell your parents." Alex said, chuckling and nodding. "Oh, I get it, trust me."

Aria nodded. "Out of all of us, I knew you would." They both turned then, as Jess and her dainty steps came down the old redwood stairs of the manor's central and largest room.

Alex whistled, as Jess joined them. She'd gone more white than black with this outfit, though her low cropped dress's accents and her other bits and bobs were still black. He put a large hand on both women's shoulders, then. "Let's join the others, shall we?"

An instant later, they appeared at the Gladstone's mansion, just outside of it so he didn't accidentally collide into anyone. Upon knocking on the door, it was answered by Thomas Gladstone himself. "Well, well. Our mighty Dragon Emperor brings my daughter home at last." The two men shook hands, and Jess interrupted that handshake with a hug.

As they entered, Aria whispered, "Good luck, Cuz." And then scurried off, before he could so much as respond. He remembered then why he hated when the Gladstone's hosted, as they tended to invite over other people, namely, rich 'friends' who were only likely to stay half an hour at most at the party, before flying off to another one, and bouncing between other people's houses before they went home, alone, to their giant, oversized mansions for one. Their arrival, namely his, caused a murmur through the crowd of said upper crusts, a murmur that brought his own father out of the woodwork.

He went in for a hug, but Alex stared him down and forced a handshake instead. "I need to talk to you and Mom out back, when you have a minute."

Frederick Redwood looked surprised, and older, to his son's eyes. "Oh, so you're talking to us now." Alex fixed him with a hard stare and set his mouth in a grim line. The old man sighed as the awkward handshake ended. "Fine, Alex. Fine. Out back. We'll be there shortly."

'Shortly' ended up being fifteen minutes, during which, Alex did his best to keep lingering memories of his Pokéless childhood from popping up. A hard task, given how much time he and Connor had spent over here. The back of the Gladstone's mansion had a large, enclosed pool area, closed in the winter, with a built-in deck around it. The deck was also shielded from the elements, but not temperature controlled. It was rather cold, so the guests were avoiding it, but that made it the ideal place to hash out his parental issues.

As his parents finally showed up, his mom spoke first, smiling at him. "You look thinner…"

Alex skipped the preamble. "I was tempted, determined even, to ignore you two for two and a half decades, and a day. That would be the…equivalent response to how you mangled my childhood." He held up a finger as they both opened their mouths to protest. "But over the past year I've learned just how unexpectedly short life can be. Many of the friends I wanted to celebrate victory with…are no longer here. And before I know it, you two won't be either. Such is mortality. So. To that end…I have a peace offering." He offered a Pokéball to his father then, an Ultra Ball, that he'd only recolored blue on the U part of it.

"The last thing I need is another Pokémon…" Frederick began, but Alex's mom smacked him on his arm.

"Just take the damn ball, Fred." She looked back at Alex smiling as she shook her head.

"It's a Paldean Water Tauros. You always wanted one, and I…came across it in my travels around Europa. I didn't really erm…explain things to him like I usually do though, so…he may be a bit…irate."

Frederick eyed the ball with apprehension then, and nodded, pocketing it. "Something we can handle later, I suppose."

Alex nodded, and looked back at the party, where he spied Jess playing door guard, subtly. Before he could move though, his mom stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Listen, Alex…nothing we say or do can erase the years we deprived you of…what is so very obviously your calling. All I can say is that we are both genuinely sorry…and I for one am glad you've managed to forgive us early. It's been…different, without you around."

Alex looked between his parents then, and a genuine smile cracked his usual stone-faced facade. "Well. There is another reason I decided to end this imposed silence…" He shared with them the news of their potential daughter-in-law then, and had to quiet his mother when she practically whooped. "I still have to talk to Mr. Gladstone though, so…wish me luck."

His dad patted his shoulder, then. "You've faced down the Forces of Nature, son. You can handle a talk with Thomas Gladstone."

He would've preferred the Forces of nature, all three Mewtwo, and Arceus himself, all at once, but that didn't stop him. Despite his efforts to reach their host though, the Gladstone's rich friends kept impeding him, namely with questions. What was Tao like. Could he really provide enough homes, power, and water to house every State's citizens. Were he and Jess open to experimenting.

That last question, from a particularly nauseatingly wealthy and bejeweled older woman, was the final straw. He saw Geralt, his cousin, of all people across the room, brooding as he did and enjoying a plate of tiny sausages next to Ghost, who had a fancy collar on. They were chatting with Nick and Damon in the room that Alex knew held Thomas Gladstone's bar. He hadn't really been in there many times, but he was familiar enough with the setup to bamf to Geralt and out of the crowd of spectators without materializing into the furniture. What he didn't see, was who else Geralt had been talking to, namely, the very man Alex had been looking for, hiding just out of sight from the rest of the partygoers behind his white wood bar, with gold trim and accents.

Thomas Gladstone arched an eyebrow but gave Alex a smile. "So…you really can Teleport. Interesting. I bet it makes dealing with an Emperor's duties easier."

"Somewhat." Alex said, returning the smile. Thomas offered him a drink, and he downed it faster than he meant to, but liquid courage would help. He'd seen what the man did to past potential boyfriends of his daughter, but the alcohol helped calm his nerves. "Somehow I never seem to have time for the important things, though. Which, actually, is why I wanted to talk to you, Mr. Gladstone."

"I need to talk to you, Alex." Geralt growled then, finishing his last tiny sausage. "I thought you'd be here earlier."

Before Alex could apologize for making a Top Ranger, who was likely as busy as he was, wait in such environs, Thomas interrupted with a smile, and his smooth baritone. "Well, I have a place for interesting conversations. Come with me, gentlemen." He said, tossing back his own drink. Being quite the opposite of a fool, he could hazard a guess at what his daughter's boyfriend wished to talk about, though he had no idea what Geralt wanted, it would pay to be in the loop on it, he was sure.

He led the two Redwoods to his private study then, a room Alex had never been in, where he stopped before an old grandfather clock. The face was missing, and judging by the alcove, it seemed a bat Pokémon had once called the space home. "Ahh, right, I forgot Connor took him. In that case…Ace, join us."

An older Lucario manifested from a ball hidden somewhere on Thomas's person, then. His chest fur was more gray than creamy yellow, and the rest of his fur was more blue-gray than the standard blue of his species. Oddly enough, the black patterns on his fur remained completely free of gray hairs. Thomas gestured at the clock, and the Lucario eyed Geralt and Alex, and his old eyes intensified as they met Ghost's. The giant white wolf nodded his head at Ace before the Lucario slowly nodded in return. He waved a paw in front of the clock, and made it disappear. Behind it, was a human-made tunnel that descended into the earth.

Thomas recalled Ace, a Pokémon Alex had never seen him use before, and walked into the tunnel, presumably expecting the Redwoods to follow. They shared a glance, and then did so, both because they trusted the man somewhat, after twenty plus years of breaking bread with him, and they were both convinced they could take him, if it came to a sudden betrayal or ambush situation. Ghost was also still out of his ball and dogging their steps. Behind them, the clock reappeared as they walked, and the tunnel was briefly in full darkness, before a blue wall light slowly powered on. A line of them went further down into the earth and spiraled around what turned out to be a giant cave under the mansion.

Most of it still wasn't lit up, but Alex did make out a rather impressive looking completely black car. He couldn't tell the make or model, as he was in no way a car person, but it looked cool, if a bit dusty. "Now then…" Thomas said, turning to Alex. "Let's start with you, Alex." He pulled out a pipe from his suit jacket then, and both Alex and Geralt could smell the dank Leaf piled within it. All the times Connor, Jess, and he had almost been caught now began to make more sense. The smell had, in fact, lingered, but Thomas had been cool about it. "I assume it's about Jessica?"

Alex nodded, tried to frame the words in his head, and then decided the man would probably just appreciate it if he was honest and to the point. He swallowed, nodded again, and said, "I want to marry your daughter."

Thomas seemed to nod, as if he'd been expecting that. "I figured you might. I may not look it, but I am something of a detective…or I used to be, anyway. I was originally going to Battle you, when you inevitably asked. I've been aware of your eyes on her for quite a few years now. But I've seen you protect her, and our troops, for that matter. She seems as precious to you as she is to me."

Alex nodded confidently. "She is. She always has been."

Thomas nodded again and puffed on the pipe. "I'm…glad to hear that." He hadn't known if he would be. "In that case, I have no objections, nor, I assume, does she, judging by that ring she's been peeking at when she thinks nobody is looking." He walked towards Alex then, and put a hand on his shoulder, as he offered him a toke on the old-fashioned pipe. "Welcome to the family, kid. With that…I believe it's time I let you and your cousin in on our family secret." Alex toked the offered pipe, and puffed it, surprised as just how hard of a hit the older device could provide.

Thomas snapped his fingers then, and the cave they were in lit up all at once, rather suddenly. The flapping of thousands of wings, along with screeching cries, filled the air as a swarm of Zubat and Swoobat exited the suddenly bright cave and flew into the cold night air. Many simply ignored the light and covered their eyes as they continued hibernating. Suddenly, a previously hidden set of monitors lit up as well. There was a symbol on the largest one that seemed reminiscent of the International Ranger Force, but instead had a winged equine straddling a V shape whose tips merged into its wings.

Alex's eyes were drawn to the left of the monitors though, where a lone display case and mannequin displayed what was clearly some kind of vigilante's suit. It had a black cowl with ears like a bat that extended down into a cape. The rest of the actual suit was armored with thin but presumably decent plates, and the symbol of a Crobat, purple atop a yellow oval, occupied the chest of the suit. A utility belt that, naturally, had slots for Pokéballs rounded the waist, and the arms and legs had hard spines on them. It took him longer than it should have to recognize it, and piece it all together. His head whipped back to Thomas. "You…you were the Midnight Marauder? The masked hero who single-handedly cleaned up New Tork City?" The way his Gruncle had told it, New Tork used to be a much different town, with gangs that made what Team Plasma had attempted look tame by comparison. It was the Midnight Marauder who'd come up with the concept of Black City, and his Gruncle had said he was also the reason every single crime family had moved there. It hadn't completely removed crime from New Tork of course, but it wasn't organized any more, and the people felt much safer, these days.

The old man nodded, walking up to the suit, and sighing. "Once. A very long time ago. Your Granduncle actually helped me with my…endeavors. It was before your time…back when New Tork City was run by a clown-themed crime lord known as Blacefelon, and his gang. You wouldn't recognize the city, compared to what it is today. Much less explosions." Thomas made an 'ahem' noise. "Anyways. Geralt, why don't you explain to your cousin what you discovered on the Moon."

Alex shifted his incredulous gaze to Geralt then. "The Moon!? How did you even get there?"

For his part, Geralt had started piecing Thomas Gladstone's alter ego together as soon as he saw the Crobatmobile, and scented the stench of guano. The suit, cowl, and Pegasus logo on his monitor only confirmed his suspicions, moments before Thomas himself did. He shifted his mutated eyes to his cousin. "I was Teleported up. By Colress, of all people. He's in charge of Lantea City, a hidden utopia on the dark side of the Moon of advanced and ancient technology, but he won't tell me who's running things down here on the Earth. Listen, Alex. The Imperator recently launched an attack on Apollonia. Do you know what that city is?"

Alex nodded. "Professor Aristole said it was the home of ancient Humans who lived on the Moon in the age before Humanity's fall. A key player in the politics between Earth and its space-bound colonies. Are…are you saying there are still people up there? After all this time?"

Geralt nodded. "The Imperator has been trying to gain access to their gene manipulation technology for decades now. He's finished asking nicely, it seems. He sent his first son, Horus, to capture Apollonia. Lunala's Tamer stopped most of his Thunder Warriors, and I was able to take the rest out, with some assistance. Colress currently has Horus imprisoned as we speak. He wants you up there, when we interrogate him."

Alex thought for a long moment, then shook his head. "Stall. Spread rumors that Horus died in the attack. The Imperator likely won't outright believe them, but he may investigate, and that will take time. A Prime Archon won't break immediately anyway." His intense blue eyes shifted back to Geralt, and with the White Wolf's enhanced vision, he could've sworn there were flecks of blurple in them that had not been there before. They were small though, enough only to make his eyes seem a darker blue than usual. He doubted anyone save Jessica had even noticed. "There is an evil rising in Albion, Geralt. Morgana is looking for the corpse of the Successor to Arceus's Tamer. The first Human to embrace the Shadow. Its strongest Champion. I believe she has knowledge gained from Pravus or his minions that will help her revive his body to a state of undeath. I'm forming a team to stop her…and I want you on it."

Geralt thought only for an instant, then nodded. He'd been meaning to clean up Albion anyway, as he had grown fond of his old, primitive, stomping grounds where he and Ghost had cut their teeth as Area Rangers. He hadn't always agreed with Uther's policies, but that Gallade had been more competent as a leader than many of the humans in similar positions that he'd dealt with. "I'm in. Who else are we bringing?"

"Jess, of course. Two of my Scales, Rick and Drake, and Cynthia, the former Sinnoh Champion. She was possessed by Morgana, and wants revenge. With six of us, we should be able to restore peace to that region." Alex finished.

Thomas had glanced between the two Redwoods as they spoke, and listened quietly. As Gilroy had predicted, these two had gone on to inherit their troubles, and said troubles had only grown in the intervening years that he'd been out of the game. "If there is anything I might do to help, gentleman, just say the word."

"Actually…" Geralt said, "Would you happen to know where my Granduncle's old research notes went? Colress said they'd be worth looking into, but we never found them after he passed, and he never mentioned them in his Holovids."

Thomas nodded, and his expression became subtly sad as he recalled his own video, that Gil had sent over separately. He'd also sent it to the Batcomputer, so it had been some time before Thomas found it. "That sounds like Gil. He probably forgot. Let's have a look…" He walked over to his monitors then, and within moments, brought up schematics of what Alex slowly realized was his house. "There." He said, pointing at the bottom. "There's quite a few boxes in…the basement of your manor." He smiled and looked between the two Redwoods.

Alex and Geralt shared a look, before Geralt spoke. "Tom…we don't have a basement in the main house. There's no entrance to get down there…"

Alex groaned softly. "Knowing my Gruncle…he has a secret hidden passage, probably dug it out himself when my dad said he couldn't expand the Lab."

Thomas frowned, at that. "I never understood that…but that is far from the only decision of Fred's whose logic has eluded me. Like, namely, denying you a Pokémon. I remember the first time you came over and met our Arcanine. He hates visitors. It's why he's upstairs in Connor's room right now. And yet there you were right outside our door, rubbing his belly like he was the friendliest canine Pokémon on the planet." Thomas shook his head as he chuckled. "I suggest you two look for Gil's research as soon as you can. For now…I think it's long past time we rejoin the party."

And so, they did, and once the rich guests left, leaving the Redwoods, two Elite Four members, and most of the Gladstones, the two families celebrated the long-expected union between Jess and their Dragon Emperor. Several bets were paid off between Alex's uncles, and he realized they'd had a bet on who would romance her, him or Eric. It seemed an engagement ended said bet, and that put Alex in a good mood. He and Jess stayed in the lab that night, which had since been fumigated, cleaned, and recarpeted. It barely looked like his granduncle's den anymore, but then, that was probably for the best, as years of living in regret had left quite the stain on the space. Now, it looked more like it had in his great-grandfather's day. Even the mattress and sheets had been changed, and his closet emptied of clothes, now instead filled with boxes, where said clothes had been folded and stored, along with his various unfinished experiments. When the night was finally over, Alex let himself drift off once more into a deep sleep, as he was home and confident nothing would attack him in this underground space.

Arborstone Castle - Albion, Northern Galar Region

Since their arrival in this foreign, primitive land the remaining Arcean Church Crusaders had undergone some shifts in attire. The black Rayquaza had taken out the ship with all their scientists, but several battle-yacht's worth of Crusaders had made it to Albion. Since then, the Queen of their new home had demanded every single Pokémon they had, be infused with Shadow. Luckily for her, the Crusaders understood what Shadow Infusion was, at this point, and those who might've been morally opposed to such measures, were either dead or had turned their coats in Johto, at the battle of Mt. Silver. Instead of white armor, they had all dyed theirs black, and many had replaced their helmets with Albion-forged steel ones that were both intimidating, and better suited to deflecting the weapons the people of Albion had access to.

The night was as pitch black and ominous as every other night they had to guard Arborstone Castle, thus the Crusaders standing guard did not notice the approaching figure until his footsteps were audible to them. Their power staves lit up as they realized someone was coming, and once the cloaked figure was close enough, they shouted for it to halt. It did so.

"Name yourself, stranger!" One of them called out. The other, reached for his flashlight. They were used sparingly these days since batteries were a luxury and many hadn't survived the trip without taking on a bit of seawater. The Crusader hit it several times, before it stayed on instead of blinking. Once illuminated, the figure, which was holding something round under its cloak, raised one arm to draw its hood back, and the two Crusaders shared a look.

It was a badly kept secret that Caleb Pravus had a Gallade of his own. Had, being the operative word, since most of his Pokémon were assumed lost, or cleansed by Redwood and his ilk. Once cleansed of the protection of Shadow, Pokémon were quite susceptible to psychic manipulation. The Crusaders who'd survived to reach Albion knew this fact about their Prophet, but the saving grace was that Mordred, as he had been known, was extremely powerful, and infused with enough Shadow to overpower his inherently evil psychic typing. Pravus had claimed, to his Crusaders, that Mordred was proof that infusing Shadow into Pokémon eggs was a necessary step in their war against psychic types.

Standing before them, cloaked in a stolen shawl, was Mordred, the Gallade, and as they demanded he name himself, he tried. "Mordred." Came the hushed word, infringing on their minds. Given that no other Gallade had his coloring, a red upper body, a black horn on his 'helm', a dark blurple lower body, and a 'heart piece' radiating Shadow, the Crusaders took him at his word, and retrieved their Queen.

One stood guard, while the other went inside, and they waited silently, awkwardly, in the gloom of the castle's courtyard. It had once been a garden that had been the pride of the kingdom. People and Pokémon alike had frolicked there. Now, the plants were dead husks, the grass was gray from not having seen the sun in decades, and the cobblestones had not been maintained. Several minutes later, Morgana herself appeared atop the balcony that had a pair of curving stairs down from it on either side. It had, once, been where King Uther had given speeches to his people. Nobody visited it now, unless there were heads to chop.

The witch responsible for this region-wide state of advanced entropy grinned down at the shawled Gallade. "Well, well. The Arcean's only Psychic Type…you poor thing. I can tell they've stunted you…" She walked down the stairs towards him then, and her Crusaders flanked her as she approached Mordred. "I never cared for Pravus and his delusions. Psychic power is the path to true power. At least for Humans, and Pokémon like you. I will teach you, if you wish."

Morgan stopped a few feet before him then and leaned on her staff. A pale purple stone was entrapped within the gnarled black wooden top of it. "What have you got there, young Mordred?"

The Gallade made a face like he was constipated. "Not…here. Inside…better." Came his halting psychically projected words.

Morgana tutted. "The next time I ask you something, or give you a command, you will do as I have ordered. Do you understand, Mordred? You're mine now, my dear. And I will make you into what you always should have been…but first…" She leveled the staff at him, and lifted the shawl to see what the Gallade was cradling. Mordred glanced around, and then at the Crusaders, but did not stop her.

Getting a peak, Morgana's eyes went wide, and with a flourish, she yanked the shawl off the Shadow infused Gallade. Cradled in the Gallade's arms, where he'd been since his head had been sliced from his body by the victorious Dragon Emperor, was the head of Caleb Pravus. Gone was the Fornian tan and veiled eyes. His skin was pale, his hair was in the process of turning white, and his eyes were two burning red pits surrounded by pure blackness. Cracks in his alabaster skin had formed under the eyes, once a piece of his aesthetic he tolerated, now, they threatened to shatter what was left of his face.

"Caleb, dear…it seems you've lost some weight." Morgana said, smirking at him.

Pravus had, naturally, expected this. "Go on. Get the jests out of your system, Witch."

"I knew you liked to get ahead of your rivals, but…I do believe that philosophy has finally backfired." Caleb grimaced, and Morgana cackled, enjoying his plight far too much. She looked at Mordred then. "Let me guess…Arthur beat you, and despite being barely alive, you found this fool's head at the bottom of the ocean, and kept it preserved with your power." She looked at Caleb then. "Such blasphemy, O mighty Prophet! Kept alive by psychic power? Your followers will think you're brainwashed." Pravus looked furious, but before he could answer, Morgana continued in her high pitched, half-mad tone. "Or they would…if I had not enlightened them on just how useful psychic powers are." Seeing the expression on his face, Morgana grinned. "Yes, dear Caleb. What's left of everything you built? They're Mine now. And these are just the ones that escaped Sinnoh. The rest of your forces are imprisoned across the States by now."

If he still had blood, his forehead would've been pulsing and veiny. All he could do now, was glare hatefully. "For the love of Arceus…just get me a body. Then I can free my subordinates and bring them here to help with your mad fantasy of a plan."

Morgana's grin only widened. "Fantasy, you say? Oh no, dear Caleb. Not fantasy. I finally found it." Once more, she enjoyed the look that came over his face. It was cathartic, after how he'd belittled her, and how the Shadow had favored him. "That's right…and once I bring Him back, the Shadow will elevate both of us…Galar will be mine, and the world will belong to Him. They won't have any idea what hit them. Nobody in this era will understand his magic. I mean, look how far you got with a simple fusing ritual and a Darkrai. You had half the States licking your boot, hanging on every word of your rambling speeches. Now look at you." She cackled again.

"Just…get…me…a…body..." Pravus snarled hatefully, but Morgana tutted again.

"Oh no, no no, Caleb. You'll be little more than a head for the rest of your sad existence. But we do need to give you some form of movement on your own power…ooo, I have an idea! You're going to Hate it!" She reached out then, and grabbed Caleb by the hair, swinging him nonchalantly as she strode towards the castle, as Mordred just stared. This was not how people addressed his Trainer, and yet, the witch's words had merit. They had found his original body, of course.

Fighting oceanic pressure and fatigue, Pravus had forced him to walk the ocean floor for leagues, before they finally found it. The Darkrai within had crawled towards the nearest source of land, which from where it had been thrown in the northern part of the Oceana Pacifica, had been the arctic circle. Unbeknownst to them, the Darkrai had then fallen afoul of a powerful, wandering Lugia who'd been in the area, and proceeded to affix the foul, immortal body to a massive glacier, with Ice Beam. Now, it was entrapped in thick ice that stretched for miles, and Caleb Pravus had had to give up on his body, and slink to Albion to seek Morgana's mercy.

From atop the stairs, the witch looked down at Mordred. "Mordred, dear…it seems you have a choice before you. One you haven't ever had, I wager." She knew well what Pravus had done to his egg but replicating that scale of Shadow infusion was impossible without his labs or his Doctor Ein, now. "You can stay here, with us, and I will make you the most powerful Gallade that's ever lived. Or you can run. By all means, wander Albion, be spat upon by the locals, and eventually be taken out by bandits and their firearms. They don't seem that dangerous, but it's the ones with the decent guns that you don't see that get the kill shots. Make your choice."

Mordred glanced at the exit to the courtyard. He had no especially strong pull towards wandering aimlessly, and the witch's words rang with truth. He turned back to her then and walked towards her castle. "Make me…strong."

Pravus grimaced at his choice, hoping at least his last remaining Pokémon might stay free of the witch, but it seemed Morgana owned both of them now. He silently vowed to kill her as she swung him with lackadaisical joy, whistling a merry tune to herself. She hadn't expected it to be such a productive night.

Sahqoreyth · Oct 18, 2023

The Professor of Myths and Legends

Foreword: This is another 'short' story that details a few adventures/experiments of a certain deceased Professor, but given the contents of said adventures, skipping is not advised, as they are mostly plot relevant.

Redwood Ranch, Secret Basement - Northern Unova Region

Alex, Jess, Eric, and Geralt gathered in the lab the day after the First Eve Feast, and the newly engaged couple ascended to the main lab itself to find Geralt and Eric already waiting. The newest Professor Redwood pushed up his glasses, as he addressed his brother. "Alex. I take it Gelauros is doing well?" Alex nodded, and he continued, "Good. Now what's this about a secret underground basement? I know Gruncle was kooky, but that's a lot of effort for a very old man. I think I'd know if there was a secret passage in the basement."

Alex nodded absently as he subconsciously stroked his bearded chin. "You're right…that is a lot of effort for a Human that old…Lux, bring up Sceptile in the Dex, for me." His Rotom yawned and floated out of his pocket. "I don't need the entry, I need Moves…aha. There." He looked at Eric then. "You said you found his old Pokéballs, right?"

Eric nodded. "His Rotom and Sceptile were missing. His Tauros passed years ago, he released his Lapras to help repopulate them in the Atlantican Ocean, his Rapidash is still here, and Soren is…around too. Somewhere. Actually, I haven't seen him for a while, now that I think about it."

Alex nodded, a grim expression on his face. He'd noted the psychic bird's lack of presence on the ranch and had a bad feeling that he'd joined his Trainer. "We…probably won't be seeing Soren again. He was quite old, even for a Noctowl. But Sceptile live quite long…and nobody has seen that one for years, right?"

Eric nodded again. "I asked Mom. She said not since he came back from his trip to Unova with a new daughter and a lost wife. After that, it seemed to disappear, and nobody ever asked where he put it. I checked the local wildlife for Treecko line biorhythms, but there's nothing outside of White Forest, as expected in a region this cold. Even if he released it, and it moved south, I would've picked up something as strong as a Sceptile. The ones I did find all had active Trainer IDs."

Alex glanced down the stairs leading to the basement, then. "Sceptile can learn Dig. I think the old man gave it one last task, in his grief, and then left it in its ball, in hibernation. A guard for his research. If that's the case…we should be able to sense it…"

The four descended then, and Geralt began inspecting each panel of the wooden walls with his enhanced eyes. Alex and Jess meanwhile, linked hands and sent their psychic search towards the main house. Eric stood there, looking at the eastern wall, the one most likely to house a secret entrance. His eyes were drawn to the old man's 'trophy cabinet' then, a piece of the decor he hadn't had the heart to do more than dust. Moving it, even when empty, had been too taxing even for Squirt and his Poliwrath, and he liked having the old man's 'trophies' where they were. It was one of the last reminders of the many years he'd spent in this space. His bong was there, of course, a half-empty jar of the mixed blend of Leaf he'd enjoyed in his final days before his lungs were too weak for smoking. A trophy, belonging to the Kuleen Chaar of Indius that they had been told many times to never touch, and then various pictures of a much younger Gilroy Redwood with his wife, daughter, and friends who were likely gone by now, and he'd never really spoken to them about.

One picture had him presumably with Indius's Elite Four, and an old white-haired man with elongated earlobes who, based on positioning, seemed to be the Champion. In another, a man with a rounded face and a classic Galar-style hat had his arm around a much, much younger Gilroy, who had an arm around him in turn. Then there was a picture of him with his Pokémon team, in the prime of their youth. Given how old it was, turned yellow with age and taken with more primitive picture capturing methods, that seemed to be the first he'd put in there.

As Eric marveled at how much of the man's life they didn't actually know about, Alex and Jess spoke simultaneously, in their creepy psychic manner. "Found him." They opened their eyes as one and pointed. "There is a Sceptile in a Pokéball about forty feet in that direction." They said, again in perfect unison.

"It's creepy when you two do that." Geralt muttered, as they needlessly confirmed the space existed. It would do them no good if they couldn't find the entrance. Then, suddenly, the other three watched as Geralt single handedly, and quite easily, lifted the heavy futon with a folded-up mattress inside of it, and moved it out of the way of the northern wall of the basement. "Here." He growled. "There's a door…but no button or switch."

Alex stretched out his arms and raised a hand at it. "I can handle a door…" Three minutes passed, as he frowned, and eventually lowered his hand. "...or not. This thing is triple deadlocked, and the mechanisms are either rusted, or won't move unless we find the lever."

"Let me try." Jess said, also raising a hand. Eventually, she stopped as well. "Geeze…together then?" Alex nodded, and both of them focused their considerable psychic might on the ancient tumblers. They heard a slight creaking, but it didn't open. Eventually, faces suddenly sweaty, they stopped. "It's not a door…" Jess muttered. "It's a thing of evil."

"We're going to break it if we keep trying like this…and knowing Gruncle Red, that will trigger some kind of trap or alarm." Alex said, forcing his breath to even out.

As Alex, Jess, and Geralt debated on how to pry the door open, Eric looked back at the trophy cabinet. The glass was dusty again from lack of anyone touching it, and what better place to put a lever to a pile of information one wanted to keep hidden? 'Surely, it can't be that simple…' Eric thought to himself, before a memory of his granduncle filled his head. He'd been young, young enough for Squirt to be a freshly evolved Wartortle, and he recalled sitting with his Gruncle, on his lap, as they enjoyed the summer sun, and watched the Tauros. Alex had been waist deep in their dung, and having a decidedly worse day, but Eric had gotten stories about the Midnight Marauder, and how he had also been a detective, as well as a butt-kicking cowled hero.

"And that, young Eric, is why the simplest explanation is usually also the most likely. We Humans like to overcomplicate things with our big brains, but often you will find that the simple answer, is the right one."

Eric opened the case then, and drew only Geralt's attention, as both Alex and Jess tried to psychically open the door together. "Hey, Alex, Geralt, you remember that trophy from Indius we were told never to touch any time we opened this cabinet?"

Geralt nodded. "That's why he stopped keeping his old toys in there…" Though, as expected, said antique toys had lasted about a week outside of the case, and in the hands of young Redwoods.

Eric grabbed the trophy and tried to lift it. Seeing what he was doing, Alex and Jess stopped to watch as well. Finally, after twisting and pushing and pulling several directions, the trophy moved, and behind them a cloud of dust erupted from the wall as a door that hadn't been opened in almost half a century pushed itself as far open as it could go. Alex and Jess psychically yanked it open all the way, and the hinges shrieked in protest. The tunnel beyond was indeed dug out but sturdy, if rusted, steel supports kept the six-foot tunnel from collapsing. The 'ceiling' of it had also been reinforced, which made some sense, as there were stampeding Tauros and Bouffalant around.

The curious quartet scurried through it, and came to a musty, but similarly reinforced room. They held their noses as Alex and Jess sent a psychic wave over the open surfaces, kicking up decades of dust, and then Teleporting it away from them to be dispersed into the fresh outside air, while Geralt gave them light with his Ranger flashlight. Eric found a light switch, and old incandescent lights burned to life, flickering as the decades old, buried wires suddenly had electricity running through them again.

"Jackpot…" Alex said, as he took in the room properly. In the center-back part of it, was a literal mountain of sagging cardboard boxes that looked haphazardly stacked and abandoned. Atop one of them that was on the floor and away from the others, was a faded, but once flamboyantly green, yellow, and red Pokéball. It was miniaturized, and a low yellow glow pulsed on its button, signaling it was in hibernation mode, and that it had an occupant. "I think it's long past time we give this guy some fresh air." Alex said, as he enlarged the ball, with a slight squeeze on its top and bottom.

About two seconds after he did, the ball opened on its own, and the Sceptile within appeared with a roar. Arbor popped free of his own ball then, and the two male Sceptile stared each other down, arms raised, as Arbor said, "Easy, old one. You've been asleep for a long time."

"Get…out…" The Sceptile snarled at Arbor. He raised a clawed hand to strike, but Geralt slid between them, and he fixed the Sceptile with a hard stare.

"Easy now, big guy…" He said, as this one was quite a few feet taller than Arbor, nearly bumping his head on the twelve-foot-tall ceiling of the room. "We're Gil's family! It's been a long time since I saw you, but I remember meeting you, once. I was still young, but…"

The Sceptile just stared, as he processed the human's words, something that he'd learned over the course of his long life. He lowered his claws slightly, as he did as the human asked, and stared closer. "…you are…umm…" His memory blanked as he tried to recall the small human's name. He had been quite young the one time they'd met, before Gilroy set him to guarding his research indefinitely. Geralt also looked quite a bit different.

"I am Geralt." He said, smirking. "Geralt Redwood." He nodded at Arbor, who also lowered his claws. "That's Alex. This is Eric, they're my cousins, and Jess. She's not a Redwood…well, not yet anyway."

"What's important is that we're not here to abuse the Professor's research. We want to read it." Alex said, taking over so the Pokémon could understand them.

The Sceptile stared at Alex, as he perfectly understood not just the words, but the tone and intent of them as well. There was something about his words, his very speech, that made him more inclined to believe him. He'd only met one human that could speak to Pokémon before, and he had been quite decent. "How…did you learn to speak to us like Champion N?" He asked.

"That is a long story, my friend. One that Arbor here can tell you, while we start looking through that mountain of boxes for what we need. If that's alright. I imagine you're hungry as well, yes? Eric, could you…?"

Eric nodded and examined the Sceptile closely. "I see. Yes, I'll have some of your preferred food in just a minute." He scooted back out the tunnel then, and Arbor guided the larger male over to an unoccupied corner, where they began chatting. He'd seen Alex's adventures in Unova second hand, but he'd still paid attention to them when Terra had recounted them for the new additions to their team.

Alex opened the box at the top of the pile, levitating it down. They were almost shoebox sized, with some being larger than others, but within, he found a series of papers, handwritten by his granduncle. Thankfully, he'd kept the letters in Common and not the cursive variant of it. He knew pretty soon it wasn't what he was after, but there was a video disk atop the paper, and his curiosity got the better of him. He popped it into Lux, and both Jess and Geralt looked over as they heard the older Professor Redwood's voice. The Sceptile looked their way as well.

Vengeance For A Friend

"The following video is the last recorded footage of the honorable Ser David Pokénborough, on his first and only attempt to showcase the beauty and wildlife of the Paldea Region from above."

An older gentleman with a rounded face and wispy white hair was sitting in what appeared to be an older model of Corviknight Taxi, and instead of a car that could inflate safety balloons from its engine compartment and trunk, as well as its wheels, it was a sight more rickety, open to the air, and less secure. A lighter load for the Corviknight, but far, far less safe than modern cabs. The camera shifted to the Paldean countryside, and Alex noted that it hadn't changed much. In fact, the old man and his driver were near where he'd found the Water Tauros for his father. Below, was a Tinkaton, and Alex squinted as he swore he saw it teeing up, like one might in Pokémon Golf.

"Here we see, the wild Tinkaton. A tiny pink fairy dwarf Pokémon, that spends its days roaming the countryside of Paldea, plundering for- oh! Oh, I say! Was that a rock!? Driver!"

"Hold on, ser!" The driver shouted, as he and his Corviknight desperately tried dodging. Naturally, the camera panned towards the front of the cab. A massive boulder narrowly missed the driver, sailing right over his head.

"It's- it's hurling boulders at our Taxi Pokémon! The absolute cheek! Look out! Here comes anoth-"

The video cut then, and a younger, ragged looking, Gilroy Redwood, his hair newly turning gray at a rapid pace, appeared on the film then. "Arceus as my witness, David…I'll get your camera back, at least."

After that, the footage became black and white and grainy, and Alex didn't have to guess what had happened. Ser Pokénborough was still a legend, renowned for the many documentaries of the wildlife in various regions he'd traveled through. From Fornia to Japan, he'd covered many of them, but had avoided Paldea for a long time, for reasons unknown. The rumor was that his filming in Kalos hadn't gone so smoothly either, and he'd put off covering much of Europa after that.

Alex picked up the papers then and began reading.

Observational Notes, Day 1: The life cycle of the Tinkaton line is one that, until my efforts, was largely unknown, for a number of good reasons. These Pokémon have the desire for plunder akin to a pirate of the South Blue Sea, and the lack of morals of an ancient Norstadder. It is this combination that makes study by Humans so treacherous.

As Tinkatink, this Pokémon will do little more than smash rocks for ore for the first weeks of its life, as it seeks to create its ideal hammer, and plant confusing or draining kisses on any enemies it meets in the wild. It is the Tinkaton that operate the fully functional forges that Tinkatink use to smelt this ore, that forms the basis of the hammer they will use throughout their lifetime. From what I have seen, this hammer does not change. Even if the hammer is 'misplaced', the Tinkatink will search tirelessly for it until eventually giving up and crying. At that point, the older members of the species will crawl from the woodwork to find the little one's hammer, and they very nearly found me, when they started searching. Even upon moving my location several times, the creatures seem to have a sixth sense for detecting metal, especially the hammers created in their forges.

Observational Notes, Day 7: Upon learning how to brutally swing their hammer, Tinkatink evolve into Tinkatuff, and begin their lives of greed and plunder, always searching for more metal. It seems that Human garbage dumps are their first stop in crafting the initial enhancements to their hammers, and once they are suitable size for the newly evolved Tinkatuff, they gather with other members of their species and fall upon groups of Pawniard and Bisharp. I even witnessed a rare, peaceful exchange between a wild Kingambit and what seems to be the elder Tinkaton of northern Paldea. In exchange for metal that the Bisharp under the Kingambit shed or willingly cut from their bodies, the Tinkaton avoided attacking its territory, and instead weakened its rivals. The Kingambit then took over the defeated Bisharp and Pawniard, though it should be noted that their limbs, facial horns, and body blades were all severely broken. Thankfully, they are known to regrow, with time.

Observational Notes, Day 14: In my study of this Pokémon line, I have tracked this elder Tinkaton that possesses enough intelligence to barter and work as mercenaries for a species it was once thought to simply prey upon. It appears their dynamic is an ever-shifting one, for if the Kingambit in question does not provide enough metal, the Tinkaton will simply attack them, next. The one I have marked however seems to be able to keep its greed in check, where the Kingambit line is concerned. There is no such concern, however, for the Corviknight line.

I cannot know for certain what sparked the hatred between these species, but many times I have seen them prey upon Tinkatink and swallow up their hammers, only for the local Tinkaton leader to rally a group and hunt down every Corviknight they see, until they find the hammer's core. I can confirm that they often kill the Corviknight in question, though those who do not possess the core of the Tinkatink hammer are usually left beaten, stripped of their wing metal, but alive. No such mercy is shown to the predators however.

Observational Notes, Day 32: From the size and number of Corviknight residing in Paldea, it seems that even the wisest of them eventually fall to the Tinkaton and their hammers, and thus any lesson they might have learned about eating a Tinkatink's hammer is lost, and with the new generation the cycle inevitably repeats.

After a solid month of searching, I believe I have found the Tinkaton responsible for downing David's taxi cab. It seems to have reinforced its hammer's core with my dear friend's camera. This shall not stand.

Alex grabbed the last few pages then, as they seemed to be a smaller addendum to the more research-focused first half of the paper.

Observational Notes, Day 35: The Tinkaton in question didn't last long against my Rapidash, and his Flare Blitz. It was over before she even knew she was battling. It took longer than I hoped, and I had to dismantle more of its hammer than I would have liked, but I have retrieved the only remains of my old friend, as it seems the Tinkaton this far north simply throw what they don't need into the sea. They also seem quite a lot more violent than those further south, though this may be because there is a heavy Corviknight presence in this area, and they are very much one of the apex flying type species around.

Upon returning the camera remnants to Mesagoza and shipping them to Galar, I was approached by a young man and his two colleagues, who seem to have heard of me. No idea why, but they wanted my opinion on their research: Paldea's Great Crater. Little Malina is waiting for me…but I've been trying to get into that crater for decades, and theirs is the first real scientific expedition since Heath's.

Great Crater Record 1, Day 1: It feels like a different world down here. There's something in the very air that teases the mystery of this place…I don't care for it.

We had our first encounter with one of the local Pokémon. If you can call it a Pokémon. It looked more metal than flesh, and after we managed to drive it off, we saw something resembling a Jigglypuff engaged in truly brutal combat with a creature that resembled a metallic Volcarona. They used moves and registered as having types their known counterparts simply don't have. Turo and Sada have been arguing over what they are since they appeared. I wish they'd just get a room already. Mr. Clavell and Mr. Cyrano seem to share my sentiments, but I can tell Clavell cares for them.

Great Crater Record 2, Day 5: The arguing has mercifully stopped, and after cutting a path through all this vegetation, we've finally found a deeper entrance leading into the earth. The Pokémon around here are only getting stronger, though, and our supplies are running out.

Great Crater Record 3, Day 8: Another attack today. This time by what looked like a Mega Salamence, and just when it was about to make a meal of us in the cave we were exploring, a creature I can only describe as a robotic fusion of a Gallade and a Gardevoir appeared to drive it off. It nodded at us before it left, and their rampage seemed to last for hours as they disappeared into the trees. There were strange symbols marked in the dirt of the cave, but none of us can figure out their meaning or purpose. They're too straight to have been made randomly, and the pattern to them suggests either a Human, or a smart Pokémon left them behind.

Great Crater Record 4, Day 10: Clavell and the others are leaving. Sada and Turo, naturally, want to stay. They've learned so much about a place they've only dreamt of, but we're out of supplies, and I've been gone long enough as it is. This Crater is a hostile environment made for Pokémon, and man has no business being here, of that, I am certain. Even the species we did recognize attacked us as fervently as the Mystery 'Mons, as I've dubbed them. Clive and the others are setting up a base just outside of this deeper opening to come back to.

Great Crater Record, Final: Sada and Turo opted to stay behind at the new base. Surprising literally no one, they seem to have fallen into a passionate entanglement. Just another reason I need to get out of here. They've begun growing berries to survive on, and they're young. They'll be fine. Clavell has discussed creating other bases on their next trip down. He offered me a permanent spot on the research team, and while there is certainly a tempting mystery at the bottom of this crater…this is a young man's game. Were I forty years younger, you bet I'd sign up with Naranuva Academy to stay on here. But not now. Now…I'm done.

"Well that was informative…and depressing." Alex muttered, placing the papers back in the box. "How about you, love? Anything?"

Jess smirked at him. "Actually…something fairly interesting. Not as long as your Paldea adventure, but…interesting."

The Failed Clone

Entry 01: The following is a set of notes on various experimentation done with DNA of the Pokémon Ditto, and DNA I was able to acquire at great personal cost, of the Pokémon known as Mew. Any layman can observe the obvious similarities between these two single evolution species. Both are capable of shapeshifting, both come in a variant light blue coloration, and both weigh the same. There are too many identical factors to be coincidence, but what do they mean?

Entry 02: The DNA of a Pokémon does not linger in a Ditto's cells. After testing various species like Tauros, Squirtle, Rockruff, Poliwag, and Swablu I believe I can safely conclude, short of testing over a thousand known species, that none of their DNA will linger in a Ditto's cells. The barest fragments of powdered Mew bone I was able to retrieve however, Did cause a stabilizing reaction with the material taken from Ditto. The extraction process also does not seem to hurt Ditto, and upon promising I'd give it back, it became less agitated when I extracted a piece of its body for study. Unfortunately I used half of my miniscule Mew sample on Ditto's cells. I can only speculate as to what would happen if the complete Ditto was given a complete Mew strand of DNA.

Entry 03: I showed my Ditto a picture of Mew, and injected a solution of my remaining Mew DNA into it while transformed. The Ditto held the form longer than any other I've seen, with this individual managing an average hold over a transformation for around two straight hours. Mew's lasted for six, and while Ditto lacked its awe-inspiring move set, it did seem to enjoy being able to fly, and seemed quite happy floating about the lab.

Entry 04: The experiment has had an unfortunate side effect on the subject. Sadly, the poor creature seems to have taken ill, though I confirmed its cells are as unstable as they've ever been, Ditto isn't supposed to even have a stomach, or internal organs, and yet it managed to hurl regardless. The poor creature has its favorite food now and after a trip to the Pokémon Center, seems much better. I'm ending the experiment here. Even if Ditto are failed clones of Mew, it seems turning them back into Mew would likely do more than make them puke, and I don't have the heart, or the currency, to try this with a full fossil.

"Did you ever see Armeniaca's Mew again after Mewtwo took me away for training?" Alex asked.

"No. I sensed it around, but it's as shy as the Pokédex says. I caught a glimpse of it playing with some of the Squirtle, but it vanished when it sensed my eyes on it." Jess said, frowning.

"Interesting…I've heard it can be as destructive as it is playful. Maybe it's just wary of psychic Humans. If it's really a Mew…it could have existed since Pokémon arrived on this planet. I wouldn't be fond of some of the things we've done to them either. Especially from the perspective of a Mew." Alex sighed. "Let's keep looking. There's got to be something in here on Albion…"

He didn't find anything on Albion, but he did find mention of another name of note in the next box.

Bigger On The Inside

What he found, was a series of experiment notes on Pokéballs, and mentions of Professor Armeniaca, who later in the entries, the Professor had referred to as 'Pashy' for some reason that wasn't explained. At the bottom of the box, he found what looked like a small journal, and that had a more intact account. Alex smirked to himself as he could almost hear the old man's voice as he read his words.

'I was contacted today by an old acquaintance of mine. Magnolia may not be as much of a looker as she used to be, but her wit is just as sharp. It seems she's passed on her interest in the Box Link she developed with that Alolan gentleman to a successor, and she wants me to help her as well. I'm keeping this as a record of these events.'

'The kid is a genius. I looked into her history, but all I found were sketchy hints about Giovanni's mafia in Italia, and some vague tie between the current Italia Champion, and Giovanni himself. Probably best to avoid that subject, I can only imagine how useful a mafia found a woman like Professor Armeniaca. Magnolia and Armeniaca are trying to revolutionize how Pokéballs function, namely, they want to take environments like Mohn's Poké Pelago, and make such virtual paradises the norm for everyone's Box and Pokéball. Currently, they're based on the old methods of crafting them, using Pokéjade stones and an apricorn-like shell to miniaturize the Pokémon in question, and then revert them to full size when the ball is opened. The kid wants to take it a step further. Since Bill managed to artificially create an alternate dimensional space to store multiple, even hundreds of Pokémon at once, the technology for that space, and making it akin to the Pokémon's habitat based on 'wallpaper' has only grown. Using the Box Link, Armeniaca intends to recreate these ideal spaces in Pokéballs as well.'

'After looking over the kid's schematics, I'm convinced she can do it. I made a few edits to her upgrades on Professor Westwood's designs, and she ran with them. She claims to have already made a working prototype, though so far all she's stored is inanimate Pokémon materials. I lent her my Ditto as a test subject, as he's pretty sturdy as far as Pokémon go. If anything can stress test her design, it's a Ditto.'

'Apparently, my Ditto loves the prototype ball so much, it doesn't want to leave. This may be tied to the artificial fondness device modern Pokéballs have, to encourage wholesome bonds with newly captured Pokémon and their Trainers. We've opted to scale back how effective this device is on new captures, and the result seems to have 'fixed' my Ditto. The technology is promising though. Now all she needs is an introduction to the Pokéball manufacturers.'

'Unsurprisingly, Silph Co. and the Devon Corporation were less interested in her new designs. The Japanese are slow to change, if they ever do, and anything that impacts their bottom line tends to be outright refused. Not that our businessmen over here are any bloody different. Fortunately for the west, the Kalos manufactory, the Galar manufactory, and several here in the States have all seen the obvious sense in making Pokéballs as comfortable as possible for their occupants. The new designs aren't all that much of an increase in cost, either.'

'It's been about a year since my last entry. I'd almost forgotten I had this, so I'll cap it here. The production of new Pokéballs has increased their price slightly, but the increase in capture rate and comfort has quieted those who were 'outraged' by the price hike. Once Devon and Silph realized how popular, and numerous, these new Pokéballs were, they hopped right onto the bandwagon as well. To her credit, Pashy didn't charge them extra or withhold her designs. Pokémon in Japan are still Pokémon after all. Ultra and Luxury Balls in particular are the most sought after. Luxury Balls now have the same catch rate as an Ultra Ball, but naturally, cost quite a bit more than they used to. Pashy is planning on upgrading the habitat system in the lower tiers of balls with time, so that the rich aren't the only ones who can afford prime habitats for their Pokémon. I've introduced her to my friends at Pegasus, too. Her engineering and computer skills are something they've needed for quite some time, I'm sure she'll do great.'

Alex smirked to himself, as he read the last entry. Judging by how absurdly popular stylizing one's Pokéball had become, she was indeed doing great, as predicted. He wasn't all that surprised to learn about her tie to Pegasus, either. It was starting to become a theme with people who had known his granduncle.

Jess came over to him then, with contents from what was the largest of the boxes in the pile. "Alex…you should read these…I can barely make sense of them, they're like a fever dream in some places, and in others I can't make out his Torchic-scratch handwriting."

Alex nodded, joining her by the box. "Let's have a look, then." He linked their minds more intimately, combining their reading and mental ability as they looked over Gilroy Redwood's most crackpot theory. Some parts of it were old, and crossed out, while other pages were newer, but there was one overarching theme to the entire set of papers.

The Archeus

'There is a legend in the Sinnoh region of Japan. A legend of Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. The creator. The wielder of Infinite and Divine Judgment. In the beginning, it is said, Arceus's egg appeared in this empty reality, and with his 'hatching', the universe as we know it began. With over a thousand arms, Arceus ordered his universe as he pleased, but over time, the strain of using so much power to micro-manage the natural chaos of the Infinite Spiral was too draining. Arceus slept, and woke, and slept again over and over, for eons beyond knowing, until finally, he found our little rock. The ancient people of Japan, in the wake of nuclear disaster irradiating their island nation and making their population infertile, prayed for a miracle. They say, that not long after, a golden stag-like being descended on the northernmost island of the nation, raised up Mount Coronet higher even than Mount Silver, and from there, saved the Hisui region with his awesome power, and the rest of Japan as well. The people of that era called the creature Sinnoh, the name that the Hisui region would one day inherit. To this day, many older folks in Sinnoh, Johto, and even as far south as Hoenn believe that their island is a favorite of the Alpha Pokémon's.'

'I did some digging. My Professors all laughed at my 'Multi-armed Arceus' theory. They called me a crackpot. Well now, I have the proof. With my Rotom, I was able to sneak into the old Team Galactic base, long since abandoned, and in its bowels, I found a room only a Rotom can open. A room with old documents from a time when Sinnoh was still known as Hisui, and a certain Trainer caught, befriended, and cataloged every known Pokémon in the Hisui region, at the behest of one Professor Laventon, and the Galaxy Team. Professor Laventon is a well known creator of one of the first Pokédexes already, but his research was thought lost long ago. Now, I've found it. We'll see who the real crackpots are.'

'This world is corrupt. They made me a Professor for my findings, but the images of that Trainer are gone. Scrubbed. Altered. As are the images of what I believe are the Origin Forms of Palkia and Dialga. Both of which bear a strikingly obvious resemblance to Arceus. That Trainer even had photos with a white Arceus. He was a Trainer deemed worthy in the eyes of the Alpha Pokémon and the Lords of Time and Space, and they Erased him without a second thought. Hypocrites. It doesn't matter…if I can recreate the True Arceus, I can erase their meddling and show the world the truth. I only hope these Legends heed my words and my fears. This world Needs the true Arceus.'

The next entry was on a fresh paper, in slightly better condition than the first one.

'Not many Professors go on a journey after they receive their degrees. Or so I've been told. A journey has a way of putting everything in perspective. How small I am. How large the world is. I've spent many decades at this point searching Eous for any sign of Arceus, Palkia, Dialga, or any other Legendary Pokémon for that matter. I suppose there is a reason they're called Legends. Champion Gireesh, of Indius, has had me helping his pupil lately. A rather young but bright child named Sikandar. Gireesh believes he will be the next Champion and has tasked me with helping him find a suitable first Pokémon.'

Alex paused. He and Jess reached the same conclusion at the same time. The pages were out of order. They combined their power then, using their psychic sense and Past Sight to psychically organize them by age, more or less.

"That should make more…chronological sense." Alex said. Jess nodded, and they continued with a new page two.

'What I've been able to find on the Lords of Time and Space has been mostly guesses, old tales passed down by verbal telling from decaying minds, and just straight up fiction. I've decided to look into other Legends first, as I believe there are several that will inevitably lead me back to Arceus. I started with the oldest, in Galar, with an old friend of mine, David Pokénborough. He and his wife, Professor Magnolia, told me about the entity that caused the Darkest Day in Galarian history, and Dynamax energy. I witnessed this energy in action myself and have acquired a sizable amount of what the Galarians call 'Watts', for future experimentation.'

'As interesting as Galar is, the entity behind the Darkest Day was assumed defeated by the Hero of Galar, and his magic sword and shield. I'm sure there's more to that story, but I need to be moving on. I've heard interesting legends from Kalos and Paldea, and intend to head there, next.'

There was an addendum to this page, written with comparatively fresher ink. 'The entity that caused the Darkest Day was recently reawakened by League Chairman Rose of Macro Cosmos. He called it Eternatus. I have reason to believe Macro Cosmos is also involved in the scrubbing of the records I found from Hisui, and submitted to Galar's Universities. Perhaps some Team Galactic members joined them after Cyrus went missing. Note to self: look into the disappearance of Cyrus. Champion Shirona knows something.'

'Paldea proved to be a dead end. Their Great Crater has been sealed off by their Champion tier Trainers, and I've been denied access to even venturing down on my own merit. I've traversed thousands of Pokémon habitats without angering them, and the fools told me I couldn't handle what was down there. There's rumor of a strange energy in Paldea, but without access to this 'Area Zero', I can't confirm or deny if said energy is from a Legendary Pokémon, and if that Pokémon might comprise a piece of the Original Arceus.'

'Kalos has proven far more fruitful. The use of Infinity Energy is a secret hidden by the nobility, but a young man by the name of Sycamore is helping me learn more about it. We believe it's tied to the Legendary Pokémon known as Xerneas, and its dread counterpart Yveltal is said to gorge itself on this energy in a rampage of death, before falling back asleep. Xerneas seems to be a Guardian of the Kalos region however, rather than the de facto source of Infinity Energy.' Another addendum was added at the bottom. 'Sycamore and I have discovered Infinity Energy's source…his Gabite accidentally jumped into the path of our scanner and lit it up like a Festivus tree. The primary source of Infinity Energy is the life force of Pokémon themselves…this coincides with the tale of an old King in this region, who used a terrible power with a terrible price to end a terrible war. The Gym Leader of Anistar City even claims that this King yet lives, cursed to grow older and taller for all of time for the sins he has committed. When I asked where I might find this wandering old giant, he performed a Future Sight reading, and claimed he was deep in the Mediterra Mountains.'

'I…found him. He calls himself AZ. He seems almost mad from sadness and age, but some of what he says has…set me on the right path. He spoke of the Gyptians, an ancient people whose region, according to him, rose into the sky to avoid the devastation wrought by the reordering of the continents by Arceus, and supposedly still resides there to this day, hidden with techniques the modern world has long forgotten. When I asked about the Original Arceus, AZ led me to a series of glass tablets he'd hidden deep in the Mediterra Mountains, a gift he apparently received from three wise men. Or one wise man who mastered three disciplines. He is hard to understand. I've recorded a few of the writings I could make out. Despite being quite sturdy, for glass, age and erosion have weathered many of these words of wisdom, but I'll record what I can here, for future perusal.'

'Shadow and Light are both of one nature, different only in seeming. Each arose from the Source of All, and ever has the battle between Order and Disorder raged across the Planes. The next part was eroded, but it mentioned something about transmuting Shadow into Light.'

Another note was added here. 'Purification of Shadow occurs through strong bonds. Could this be the mentioned transmutation? Pokémon cleansed of a true Shadow possession often have an aura of Light after cleansing. The artifact capable of purification in Orre seems to have been created there by an offshoot of the Draconids. The Arcean's method of Shadow Infusion does not leave such an aura, when cleansed.' The list of wise phrases continued, scribbled haphazardly, but even the Professor's hurried scrawl was translated by the combined minds of Alex and Jess. While they read the words, understanding them was something else entirely. Eventually, they reached the final one. 'In the silence of one's material senses lies the key to the unveiling of wisdom.'

'It seems that Xerneas is as hard to find as all the other Legends. I shifted my investigation to a man claiming to be a Guru of Mega Evolution, in Shalour City. He was my age, and once we had a rather decent battle, he told me the story of his ancestor, the supposed first man, in Kalos, to achieve Mega Evolution alongside his Lucario. I'm convinced that this ancestor of his was an Aura Guardian. Perhaps figuring out where they went will lead me to a Legendary Pokémon.'

'There was one more Legend in Kalos, and this one, I actually 'met', in a sense. I caught one of its cells. For a time, anyway. Like Unown, they are weak by themselves, and I'm not going to waste my time hunting all over the region for them. According to Sycamore, this 'Zygarde' is a defender of the ecosystem in Europa, and has cells scattered all over Kalos, Germania, Italia, etcetera. I still think that Xerneas is far more likely to be the source of Infinity Energy.'

Another addendum was added here, on much newer paper. 'If Infinity Energy is the lifeforce of Pokémon, then it follows that its source must be Arceus itself. After seeing what my grandnephew did with it, and unifying the Original Dragon into one being again, I am convinced of this. If there is a way to reunify Arceus, it will definitely require Infinity Energy, the Spiral Power that exists in Humans, and the reaction those two forces create when unified in conjunction with a strong bond.'

Alex paused. "He…came down here. Recently. This note is barely a few years old." He looked at the later pages, and while they didn't seem as new as the note, he wondered what else the old man had added. The more he read, the more he was convinced he was holding his Gruncle's magnum opus. He also began to wonder how the man he knew could just leave his Sceptile here, though for all he knew, his Gruncle had come in somewhat regularly to let him stretch his limbs, reaffirm his willingness to be a guard, and feed him. Stasis for Pokémon could only last so long after all. It was something he intended to ask the Sceptile about.

He continued reading then, as he sensed Jess shared his concerns, but was still determined to read on. She seemed oddly captivated by this information in particular, for some reason. Whatever her motivation behind this sudden interest in unifying Arceus, it was being kept in a part of her mind he didn't plunge into, even when linked. Reading each other's instinctual thoughts only ended in needless arguing. It was the fully formed words that mattered.

'The Gyptian's tablets have revealed much to me. They categorized the pieces that comprise the True Arceus into four different types of energy. Infinity Energy, to them, represents something they called 'Life Aether', a kind of energy that exists and expands best in lifeforms compatible with Spiral Power. Dynamax Energy represents the 'Chemical Ether' and evidently is a force for great changes. Perhaps this is why it sometimes can do more than just alter a Pokémon's size. Alola is referenced as a great source of the Light Ether, and the final piece seems to be something they term as Reflective Ether. There's no mention of which Legendary Guardians might represent or be the source of these ethers.'

Another addendum was added below that, and indeed, this passage in particular had by far the most notes attached to it. 'I've come to believe that the various energies which power the various form changes and ultimate moves across the world are all the same energy, albeit filtered through a different source. The base form of these energy types seems to be Infinity Energy, as it is the most common and abundant. Eternatus, as Rose called it, seems to alter Infinity Energy into Dynamax Energy, and Watts seem to be the byproduct of this alteration. Necrozma, the entity that appeared in Alola, was rejuvenated by the Light of Solgaleo and Lunala, and resumed what I believe, from pictures the locals took of the creature, to be its true form. Given its power and typing, it may very well be another piece of the Original Arceus. The Plates of the Arceus we know of have been confirmed to give off type-specific Infinity Energy, and several corporations have already begun using them to power cities and vehicles. This would make Arceus as we know it, the largest source of Infinity Energy. That just leaves the Reflective Ether. I believe the last piece of this puzzle may lie within Paldea, but as long as I'm unable to get into their Great Crater, I cannot say what kind of energy or what Legend may be the source of this.'

There was another addendum below the addendum, with only a single word, on a very small piece of paper. 'Terapagos'.

The final pages only held a few more entries. Notes on his time in Indius, a lengthy account of how he helped Sikandar befriend a Chimchar who stole his Trainer Card, memories of the other Kuleen Chaar, and mentions of a Grand Tournament that involved all of the Eous leagues. By his account, a standard six versus six contest with no Mega Evolution or other 'gimmicks', just a straight test of Trainer and Pokémon. Finally, they reached one of the last entries.

'I've traveled all across the world at the time of writing this and have been unable to come into contact with a single Legendary Pokémon in all that time. I'm not giving up yet, but it's starting to seem like this is not my destiny. Therefore…it will fall to me to leave behind what I've learned. I've just been told that my grandfather has passed. Our region needs a new Professor, and I believe it's time to go back home. There's a new generation of Redwoods coming, and they will need a guide. My disappointment at not meeting even one of these Legends is immeasurable…and yet the journey my efforts took me on was quite worth it. I wouldn't change a second of it.'

'I stopped by Sinnoh on my way home, one last attempt to find that which I saw in pictures so very long ago. I dug my way into the bowels of Mt. Coronet after meeting a man who told me of the existence of Sinnoh's vast underground cave network…and I discovered a gleaming cavern full of crystals there the likes of which I haven't seen before. By my reckoning, we were directly under Mt. Coronet. In front of the largest crystal, my Pokémon found an old chest, with more old photos, and writing in an ancient form of Japanese I couldn't decipher. These photos revealed something important, though. That Trainer, Kohki I believe his name is, in the past, it seems he also managed to, somehow, tame Giratina as well. I'll pass on the writings to someone in Japan I can trust, but the pictures I'll be including here, hidden, so nobody can alter them again. If he was born in this era, that means it's likely an entity like Dialga pulled him into the past at some point in the near future, and yet his being in the past is what created this version of modern events. I've decided not to warn him, even anonymously. Whatever entity pulls him into Hisui must understand why he must be there better than I do.'

'Speaking of that Trainer…he was there, apparently, when Team Galactic attempted to control Time and Space. Standing alongside the former Sinnoh Champion, Shirona. A third entity stopped Team Galactic's plans and pulled their leader…somewhere else. I remember reading the Graceland Theory of the Distortion World, and I remember the Professor himself as someone who is not a fool. I believe, for whatever reason, Giratina itself reached beyond its prison, and pulled in the man attempting to control Time and Space. I don't know what's more concerning. The fact that The Renegade can reach beyond its prison, or the fact that it seemed to be helping Palkia and Dialga.'

'A new power was recently discovered in Paldea. It seems Sada and Turo managed to find their big discovery in that hellish crater. They call it Terastallization, and evidently, it can turn Pokémon into types they would never normally be or have access to. After witnessing their demonstration of this power, I am convinced. It's what the tablets called the Reflective Ether. I believe its source must be the final Legendary Guardian that comprises the Original Arceus. I've sent a letter to the Professors, asking for information on whatever Pokémon is the source of this power, and I shall add it when and if they respond.'

'This will be my final entry, in this account. I've long since accepted that I will not be the one to see Arceus reunited. I'll put my trust in the next generation. Malina, Geralt, Alex, Eric, one of them, I'm sure, will find these records at some point, and hopefully will be spurred to seek the truth of the matter. Of all the new generation of Redwoods…it's those four that I believe have the most potential, and the drive to do what I could not. I leave it to them.'

The next page contained the aforementioned photographs. They were faded, due to the manner in which they'd been stored, but as the Professor had said, there was Kohki, grinning and giving a victory sign next to Arceus, Giratina, Palkia, and Dialga, all floating outside of a large building with a Magikarp atop it, and various, awestruck villagers around him and the godly quartet. The gods of Time and Space were in a strange, altered form that seemed reminiscent of Arceus.

Alex and Jess separated their minds, returning to their usual level of interconnected mental activity. Alex spoke first. "We need to figure out what happened in Hisui in the past, at some point…" Jess nodded, as he continued flipping through the pictures. Most of them were of villagers that Kohki had evidently befriended, including a girl, who was in the same outfit as him, and a man Alex recognized as Professor Laventon, the man who'd compiled the first complete regional Pokédex. Then, someone in the photos, one of the last, made Alex and Jess double-take. "Is that…?"

"It certainly looks like him…but tattered…"

"I've got something." Geralt rumbled, interrupting and joining the two. "It's not his notes, but it is an account of ancient Albion. I wonder how he got it…"

The Spire

'To anyone who reads this, spread the word, I beg you. This is an account of the region of Albion, an isolated land to the north of Galar, that is in desperate need. Our false queen, Morgana, is raising an idol from our past, an object of magic and mysterious technology that must Not be. Below is an account from an Archon, scraped from what writings remain of that forgotten era.'

Let this record of our success stand for all of time, for the Successor has been defeated, and the Hero of Albion is victorious, though gravely wounded in the fighting. We do not know if he will survive his injury. Despite this, he bid us rally the people of the region, to draw forth those who would be Archons, and train them in our arts of Will manipulation. Pyrokinesis. Electrokinesis. Telekinesis. Conjuration. Shielding. Healing. With these arts combined with the skills of the Sword and the Bow we will train a new generation to defend this land with the first among them being the Hero's own sons.

The people have been receptive to our decree, but in the wake of the Judgement War, we Archons have decided to split. Those who will go to the supercontinent to hunt down the Successor's Shadow Cultists will be known as Aura Guardians. Those who remain here, will train a new generation, not of Archons, but of Heroes, in the style of our own newly crowned King of Galar.

'The next few passages were lost to age and faded, but the next text that was readable said:'

With the Hero of Albion's departure, those of us left here have begun…other pursuits. An image has come to some, who dared to peer beyond the veil of time and space. A hint of the Truth of this Universe.

I saw it as well. What we are, what this existence is. It's…enough to shake a man. Change how he sees the world. I will not record it here. Some among us wish to defy this truth. In a combined divination using the might of our Will, we received an image of a Tower, a structure designed to regulate the very flow of psychic energy in our region. Using our powers, those of us who aren't training have begun building this structure, to see what might be wrought with its power. It could be enough to change everything. We shall call it The Spire.

'The dates are faded from this log now, but as I write this I recall now that some years passed between entries. My only solace is that the mighty Heroes of the past age took decades to build this object. I can only pray to Arceus that aid comes from the south…from somewhere…before she completes it.'

The work is all consuming. Infusing the stones with psychic energy, levitating them into place, binding them together, it is taking more Heroes than we believed it would, but Albion is largely peaceful, and has a new generation of defenders to keep it that way. We now have facilities in the Spire to train more Will users specifically for building. Once they are done here, we will send them to the mainland, but for now, they will learn and grow in these magical halls.

How short a life is. It feels like we began this work yesterday…but nine decades have passed, and we are not even halfway done, for what we wish to accomplish. It has become clear to my generation that this…will be a multi-generational endeavor. If that is what it takes to defy what we Know, than that is the price we gladly pay. I find lately that…I cannot recall Albion. I know it is beautiful and yet I cannot recall specifics of its beauty. I know it has a mighty kingdom, and yet its name escapes me. This morning I found letters, old letters, six decades out of date…from my own family. And even their faces escape my mind. The Spire encompasses everything. It must. It must be finished. We must succeed, even if it costs us…me…everything.

The handwriting changed, and evidently a new author took over the journal.

One of the mainland Heroes arrived today, claiming the local citizens have rebelled against the Heroes Guild. Evidently the peasants are not fond of the new Will powers the Guild created, and allowed to be used. We have incorporated the remaining Heroes into the Work. With this increase in labor I may live to see the halfway mark of this glorious endeavor. Let the powerless peasants on the mainland do as they wish. They cannot sail. They can barely think. Only those with the Will to complete this great Work are worthy of being here.

'From here, dear reader, that person's entries only become more mad. Obsessively mentioning the Work, until that was the only word they wrote. There was, eventually, a later entry, and as I stare at the original journal, I note the pages, while ancient, seem newer. More akin to those fashioned from Albion's printing presses.'

We have begun importing citizens from the mainland to the Spire. It was only once we left, that we realized what kind of effect it has on the Will of those who do not protect themselves from the Spire's great power. It was simple to bring this region to heel, they have not seen a fully realized Will User in generations. We expect this mind-numbing effect to be a good control mechanism for the populace, and we believe with their hands and modern machinery, the work will increase in pace exponentially.

The Collars have proven a most effective secondary measure for those who are brought here, and find their Will awakening. Most, are easily coaxed into joining us once they learn the Truth, and become our Commandants. Others…with more…morality…prove useful in other ways. Even with only simple Telekinesis spells, many of them try to escape. None succeed. Their dissection proves most enlightening. We have found significant differences in the structure of the brains between them, and the simple workers who die of fatigue and the sapping of their Will. It has become clear that the stones of this Spire, perhaps by design, are draining and storing the power of the Will of those who reside here. With this much power…we could remake the world. The very fabric of this Universe. We must increase the pace.

'It is here that I will stop recording their mad efforts, for they end abruptly, and as with past authors, that one also descended into madness…albeit of a different kind, since they were shielding their minds by that point. I believe their darkness is the same that now possesses our false queen. A shadowy power with unnerving sentience. It's historical fact in my region that the Old Kingdom, as we call it, simply ended one day. The sun rose, and when it did, it was on a shattered Albion. Those who didn't vanish in whatever the Spire unleashed have never managed to even come close to their level of technology and power of Will since, but this seems to have only affected Albion. Please. If you're reading this…send someone to Albion! The Heroes Guild once had a schism, and it is written that those who left called themselves Aura Guardians. If they still exist in the world, please…send them back. We need someone, anyone, with the power to master their Will. Albion has not produced a Will User in generations now…and any rumors of one are viciously hunted down by the Queen. Please pass this on, and spread the word. I will continue to write these messages, and hope that my Pokémon has managed to deliver them beyond Albion's borders.'

"That…explains much. And yet raises new questions as well…" Alex said, frowning. He wondered just what these ancient psychics had discovered, but Tao had warned him of peering beyond the veil of time and space with his power. Staring into the chaotic abyss of the untamed potential of Possibility drove humans mad. He felt a silent affirmation from Tao in his gut, as he wondered if these were the humans he'd been referring to. Jess and Geralt raised an eyebrow at him, as they waited for him to elaborate. "Two of my Scales, Rick and Drake, traveled to Galar recently, seeking the aid of Zacian and Zamazenta against the Arcean's invasion. Apparently Chairman Leon told them to prove themselves as Galarian Champions, and then the Legendary Hounds would, perhaps, heed their call. Instead, around Circhester Gym, they came across Morgana, and unraveled a plot that involved her replacing Gordie, the local Gym Leader, with a Shadow Ditto. They tracked her back to Albion, befriended the locals, and then ended up forming a resistance group, and making Pokémon Trainers of the rebels, with the Pokéballs they'd brought with them. Once their army was trained enough, they sailed to where the rebels claimed Morgana was. A massive tower, off the coast of Arborstone. Sound familiar?"

Geralt's brow furrowed. "Did they win?"

Alex nodded. "They prevented Morgana from using the energy stored in the rebuilt Tower. Luckily, it hadn't had time to accrue much psychic power, and Rick wished for all the Shadow in the world to be Purged at once. It had enough power to Purge the room they were in, which happened to include Morgana, and many of her Shadow Pokémon at that moment. They decided not to kill her for her crimes, since she seemed innocent once free of corruption, and they left the rebel's leader, a woman called Paige, in charge. Not long after they returned to us though…things went south in Albion. Morgana was re-infected with Shadow, the rebels were slaughtered, and the people's will to resist her was shattered. This note seems to be before all that. I wonder who Gruncle managed to send…there's no way he'd ignore this. Let's keep looking…something like another journal or personal diary would help."

The three searched for hours, but eventually succumbed to mental exhaustion. Geralt grew tired of reading in the dim light, and went out to work out his stiff muscles alongside Ghost. Jess eventually sensed her parents searching for her, and went to join them. That left Alex alone, with the pair of Sceptile, though they too also left eventually to go get their dinner. Alex continued to read.

As usual, and perhaps as expected, his foray into his Gruncle's life left him with more questions than answers, but it was a welcome change of pace from the intense battling and combat he'd been up to lately. Eventually, he bamfed his team up to the lab as well, and let them roam as they pleased, leaving him completely and properly alone in the old tunnel. At that point, he began meditation reading, psychically surrounding himself with his granduncle's works, notes, and experimentation data as he speed-read through each box. He did not grok everything immediately, but his altered brain was keeping up with what the old man had been working towards. Eventually though, Alex found what he was searching for. The juiciest of his secrets.

A common term his Gruncle had used throughout his works was 'Spiral Power'. It was something Tao had mentioned as well, but had always refused to elaborate on what exactly that was. After reading his Gruncle's works, Alex understood that this Spiral Power was what made up the composition of Key Stones, and that made him curious about his own.

The Professor had defined it as 'the power produced by the genetic diversification in gametogenesis'. The spiral shape of galaxies represented universal Spiral Power, while the structure of DNA itself constantly propelled evolution forwards. Evidently all life-forms with a double helix DNA structure could access Spiral Power, and in the case of Pokémon, they were able to, upon gaining enough experience, draw in a large amount of it from their surroundings, combine it with the Infinity Energy in their own bodies, and achieve an advanced evolutionary state as a result of that explosive combination of forces. Apparently, though his granduncle had never witnessed it, certain Pokémon could convert Spiral Power into Infinity Energy for more than just evolutionary purposes, as the two forces were not all that different. For whatever reason, humanity just seemed to be made differently than Pokémon were, but for Alex, it confirmed that Arceus was not their maker.

It was in these works mentioning Spiral Power that Alex's eyes noticed a pattern, a hidden code of a sort, and by deciphering that, he found the final journal his granduncle had hidden in the floor of the room, underneath the former pile of boxes, which was fitting, as he'd since read all the other ones, setting aside the notes on Spiral Power for Eric. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he wasn't going to stop, as he read the journal's title.

Dark Side of the Moon

It became clear very quickly that this account belonged in what Alex had termed his granduncle's magnum opus, as the recording style was similar.

Galar, Kalos, Paldea, Italia, Germania, Rio, Japan, Koria, Indius, Stralia…I've traveled across most of this planet, and have yet to encounter a true Legendary Pokémon. My latest stop is with the remnants of the Atlantican people of the similarly named southernmost land mass. The only continent I haven't visited yet. If I could just find one Legend, I am sure I could trace it to Arceus, or the Creation Trio.

Upon arriving in the reclaimed temple of Samiya, now permanently anchored to the northernmost tip of Atlantica, I met the remnants of the 'People of the Water'. They have taken residence in the western half of the continent once called Antarctica in ancient times, long before it melted. The eastern half, now connected to the Stralian subcontinent, was now simply known as Arctica, but Atlantica has, for reasons that mystify scientists, become a livable, almost tropical land mass, for the most part. The further east one goes however, the colder things become.

The people were wary of me, but softened after a pod of Phione approached me. I think they could smell my water-type Pokémon food, but feeding and befriending them helped the locals affirm I was not in their land to cause trouble. After explaining my quest, they spoke of an ancient Old Earth base to the east, in the 'Icelands' of their continent. They promised that I will find something of great interest, provided I can solve the puzzles and traps the ancient Humans left behind. Their people claim to have come from that part of the region, though I think it far more likely that they were once either part of the Draconids or the Water Tribes of Koria. Perhaps even both, as those peoples were known to have traveled together in ancient times.

After seeing my obvious travel experience, they gave me provisions and suitable cold-mitigating equipment for my sojourn to the east. As promised, it is indeed an icy land, but the days can be quite warm. It's the nights that get as cold as Arctica, but their equipment and my clothing is able to repel most of the chill.

It's taken almost two weeks, but I'm finally here. Unfortunately, all I see around me is ice. I'm using Dengeki, my Rotom, to search for the base. Knowing Old Earth, anything built this far south in an environment this cold, it was likely a military base, and military bases will have technology.

Finally, Dengeki found something. My Rapidash burned us a way into the base. It was definitely military, and thanks to the cold, everything is well-preserved, but utterly drained of power. Good thing I have an animate power source floating around me most of the time.

Dengeki was drawn deeper into the base, where we found something rounded covered in a giant shroud. Removing the covering was more arduous than one might expect, but the result was worth it. I can only describe this sight before me as a giant metallic ring with about forty different symbols on it, that seem reminiscent of star formations. A few look familiar, but by this point, I believe the constellations have shifted since this thing's creation.

Dengeki jumped into the giant ring. I was sleeping, and the overly curious spark merged with it. Turns out, it's actually a gateway, the opening of which nearly took my head off with a violent surge of plasma. He hasn't responded to my calls, and can't seem to extricate himself from the ring. I'm going through. Maybe I'll find a way to free him on the other side.

I seem to be alone in this space…so I'll record what I've seen so far. I arrived to find some sort of operating room on the other side of this gate. The areas immediately around me light up, but everywhere else is almost unnaturally dark. Still no sign of my Rotom. Soren is having trouble tracking him, as he keeps saying he senses Dengeki everywhere around us.

After hours…days, perhaps…of searching, I finally found a window large enough with a useful enough view to help me get my bearings. We're on the dark side of the Mukking Moon. This place seems to be a city of some kind, long since abandoned, but the technology is leagues ahead of ours…and seems similar in many ways. If I had my Rotom with me I could power some of these things up, but he continues to elude us.

We finally found Dengeki…Soren led us to a library, and once there, the AI of this city activated. It seems Dengeki has fused with it, and the network of what he's calling 'Stargates', that according to him, spread across the Milky Way, and beyond, to a galaxy our ancestors called Pegasus. I've been watching the records here, now that Dengeki is with me, in a manner of speaking, again. Quite entertaining. It seems a secret military operation of the Old Earth governments came together in this space to secretly explore the Milky Way in an effort to recover advanced technology. It seems they then used this technology to fight the 'Spacenoids', which seems to be a term for Humanity's ancient space-colonists.

The records indicate that our colonies in space eventually started a war with those still on Earth, because of course they did. This base, which I've been told was once called 'Atlantis', was their attempt to fight back against the superior technology of the humans living around the Earth, in what they called the 'Earth Sphere'. Apparently, the war ended with the colonies retreating to Mars, and launching several now-empty colonies back at the planet. I have no doubt the devastation that their landing caused is what made our civilization collapse. At least until Arceus appeared. It figures, I finally discover the secret history of my race, and it's not all that different from our own history of the Dark Times. Truly, we are cyclical, violent creatures.

Dengeki finished repowering the energy cells of the city, something the ancient humans evidently had a very hard time doing. Being what he is now, recharging them only took time. He claims that Atlantis can now run on its own power for over two centuries, provided it doesn't take off. Yes, that's right, this city is also apparently capable of flying through space, though the power required is enormous. Dengeki suggested a few more Rotom would solve that issue, but I'm not bringing any more up here. My Rotom has definitely…changed. But he remains friendly to me. He also claims he can activate numerous Stargates across the Milky Way, connecting to them is just a matter of calculating spatial drift, though it seems some have been destroyed in the intervening millennia since ancient Man made its first forays through the Stargates.

I've made another discovery. I'm not alone up here. It seems Apollonia, the ancient Moon city, is still, in fact, functioning and thriving. They sent a party over to investigate Atlantis, and Dengeki repelled them with a barrier. We've since started communicating. They were able to learn and translate Common very quickly. It appears they've been modifying their flesh bodies with mechanical enhancements for centuries now and have created a hidden utopia underneath the Moon's hollow crust.

It's become clear that this is too big for just me to handle. I'm going to call in some trusted friends in the scientific community, Lusamine of the Aether Foundation, as well as The Midnight Marauder. He could probably bankroll what I have in mind for this place on his own…he'll want to see this. As will Looker, if I'm on my mark.

It was a chore convincing the others to go all the way to Atlantica, but now that they're in Atlantis, which I've told them is called Lantea City by the locals, they all agree it was worth the effort. We've talked more with the Apollonians, and have reached an agreement: they will receive some of the technology we can spare in this place, and in return, grant us their systems for monitoring the planet below. People, Pokémon, natural disasters…from this high point, we can monitor them all with Dengeki's help, and prevent any catastrophes that arise.

The others all agree with me. The world's gangs are getting bolder. Japan alone has been inundated with several, and even Unova can't seem to shake Team Plasma. Men like Giovanni and Ghetsis are teaming up, despite their losses to ten-year-old Pokémon Trainers, and so, we adults have decided to do the same. From the shadows, we will aid these Trainers. We've called this new organization Pegasus, in honor of the humans who once used this city to traverse that far off galaxy. I also showed the others the recordings. It seems once they'd eliminated this 'Wraith' threat in the Pegasus galaxy, they parked Lantea City here, on the dark side of the Moon, or Luna, as the locals call it.

It seems that after the colonies dropped, and the dust settled, the 'Lanteans', as we're calling them, relocated back to the Earth to try to bring technology back to the people. I imagine their efforts didn't go well, or perhaps went too well, given the current state of the people living in Samiya and Atlantica. Though perhaps now we know how the ocean and the continent got their new names in the wake of societal collapse.

Alex was about to continue reading, even though he could guess what came next, when he sensed Jess approaching. He closed the journal then, and put it into his Gruncle's magnum opus, in chronological order. "You're still reading? It's four in the morning, Alex." Came her soft tones. He just nodded and turned.

"I…had a lot to learn about. I'll share it with you tomorrow…he made some…interesting discoveries."

Jess nodded sleepily. "I'll bet, given his first few journals. But you should really sleep. C'mon." She yawned again, and turned back down the tunnel, already in her nightie. When he felt how cold the bed was, he realized the real reason she'd brought him back, but there were worse things than being pressed up against her and acting as her heater.

Sahqoreyth · Nov 22, 2023

Chapter 47: Ancient Shadow Unbound

Millfields - Albion Region

Morgana, as Queen of the region and a universally despised ruler, tended to draw a crowd wherever she went. Despite this, nobody, not even the shambles of a half-hearted rebellion festering in the under-parts of Arborstone City, dared to mess with her new Arcean guard. Her procession this time caused even more of a stir, namely, because of the macabre skull flying just above her. The mummified wings of a Zubat had been unceremoniously grafted onto all that remained of Caleb Pravus, and if he'd still had a stomach, the pattern of flight would've nauseated him. He could at least get along on his own now, so that was something.

Mordred, for his part, was in his new Luxury Ball, enjoying the fine treatment Morgana was giving him. As a tool of Pravus, he'd only ever been treated as a weapon, and a hated one at that. No matter how well he'd performed, he'd always been a 'suppressive Psychic Type' to the Arceans, just one step away from worshiping Giratina. Under Morgana, she'd begun to show him what a true bond with a human being was like, as well as the power of his psychic abilities. She promised that said psychic abilities would eventually help him overpower his hated rival, Arthur, abilities he had already long since mastered, according to her.

The Queen's procession eventually left the city and its depressingly poor outskirts, where the dregs of Albion scraped out an existence on what berries they could grow. The closer they were to Arborstone however, the less the earth brought forth. The very earth itself was black, though as they made their march to Millfields, the land seemed less corrupted. It was here that Morgana's nobility resided, the few souls in Albion who actually derived joy, fake though it was, from seeing the Queen's procession approaching. They had money, and enough sense to not openly oppose her. Many had funded the last rebellion, and after that ended in the mirage of success, every single noble house had found itself needing to find a new leader, in the wake of Morgana's string of beheadings and hangings.

The message had been clear though, and none who remained dared to even subtly support what few rebels had the fighting spirit to resist her. Of all the well-made but still decaying houses in Millfields, there was only one family that truly supported the Queen, and as such, had become her favorites. Not only because of their support, but because one of their noble sons, a man called Arlo, had perfected the art of infusing Pokémon with Shadow energy to a degree not even Doctor Ein had achieved. The result, was Shadow Pokémon that could get stronger, and gain experience. Though the Arceans had lost most of their scientists, the dark work of the deceased Doctor lived on in his notes, notes that Arlo had made very good use of, at the Queen's behest.

She left her guards outside the house, which was suffering the same advanced entropy as every other dwelling in Albion, but Pravus stayed near her. Several times he'd tried flying away, but the witch's foul magic had formed a leash, and dragged him back to her. As she knocked, the widow of the house answered the door. Her husband hadn't been beheaded by the Queen but had instead suffered poisoning of his food not long after the other noble families lost their patriarchs and matriarchs. Arlo and his mother still blamed the rebels, and the other nobles, for that, as she had intended for them to do. That too had been a lesson to the other families though, who had in no way been a part of his murder. She was not above killing anyone, even the most loyal supporters she had.

"Alanna, dear. I'm here for Arlo. He said he had something for me." Morgana said, sweetly as she took in the woman's appearance. Even the nobility's clothes were starting to become ragged, as being a seamstress wasn't something many people could do, anymore. With no education, and a shambles of an economy, nobody had the skill or currency to produce or buy such clothing. Alanna's fake wig, a platinum blonde atrocity sitting atop her head, had been hurriedly adorned, likely as soon as she'd heard the procession's arrival. Makeup was yet another luxury item that Morgana's rule had seen erased early on, but no amount of it would've hidden the bags under the woman's eyes.

The noblewoman stared at the macabre sight that was Pravus, and then focused back on her Queen. "Of course, your Majesty. He's down in his lab, with your…item."

Morgana knew the way, and left the bereaved woman to her refreshments, as she entered Arlo's lair. It was what one might expect a 'mad' scientist's lair in such a low-tech region to look like. Dimly lit by near-sputtering candles, cobblestones comprising the floor, walls, and a dark wood that made up the ceiling. Then there was the man himself, in the middle of the various dark wood tables topped with numerous potions and notes. He turned, as Morgana descended the steps into his abode, that oddly enough had a rather pleasing scent to it thanks to the Eucalyptus incense sticks burning in all corners of the lab. Arlo's hair was black, and tied back in a ponytail, a common style among Albion's men, for those who still had hair, anyway. A streak of dyed crimson ran up the middle of his hair, and into said ponytail as well. His clothes befit a servant of the realm, and the nobility, namely dark colors like black and purple, and were in better condition than his mother's. The pin she'd given him to show off his favor with her was still placed prominently on his lapel.

"My Queen." He said, bowing low and formally. "The device you asked for is complete, as my letter stated. It should be able to track down a large source of Shadow Energy to within a mile of its location. I've just been tinkering with the tools for closer detection, as your reply requested. It should point you as a compass does, to the center of the nearest source of Shadow. Excluding your own, of course."

"Once again you impress me, Arlo. Very fine work indeed. Let's see it, then." Morgana said, smiling as she approached him. He unveiled his device then, gesturing to the table. It was circular, like a compass, but with two nodes of a repurposed Itemfinder sticking out from it. "Not the most aesthetically pleasing design, but it will do, provided it works." Morgana said with a smile.

"Feel free to return it to me if it proves unfit to the task, my Queen. I shall endeavor to fix it and upgrade it for your needs." He bowed again, and the Queen nodded.

"If this works, Arlo, you shall have the lab and position at the Castle that I promised to you, as well as your pick of my ladies-in-waiting. Though…truthfully, they are a bit sorry. The people of Arborstone have only become sicklier of late, but I do still have the prettiest among them. You can choose whomever you desire, for your bed." She tapped his chest lightly three times, as she spoke her next words. "Provided this works."

Her words seemed to make the man genuinely excited, as he stood up straighter. "I have no doubt it shall prove useful to your search, my Queen. Might I start moving my things to the Castle?"

Morgana tapped her chin with her free hand, and then spoke. "Mordred. Attend me." A few seconds later, his ball opened, and the Shadow Gallade materialized, with a bow. Arlo stared in undisguised awe at a Pokémon that had clearly been infused as an egg, and artificially made to receive experience. What Arlo had accomplished through mystic herbs and the manipulation of energy from his collection of newly awakened Plate shards, was what Ein had achieved through science. Such specimens were rare after the amount of Purging that Alex and Red's forces had done, but just seeing Arthur gave the scientist inspiration. He'd initially dismissed the idea of tampering with eggs, but clearly, the men in Fornia had understood what they were doing. He had questions, but he held his tongue. Morgana thumbed the Shadow detector on, and immediately, it began beeping, and pointing in his direction. She walked around him, and the compass needle followed him. Satisfied, she powered the device off. "That will be all for now, Mordred. Return." Wordlessly, the Gallade returned to his ball, and Morgana turned to Arlo. "It seems to work here, at least. Very well, Arlo. You may take your things to Arborstone Castle. I am departing for Aurora at once. Set up your lab in whatever unoccupied chamber you desire."

The man bowed again, and Morgana strode from the house, and back to her entourage. "Back to the city. We're going to need one of my ships."

Some Time Later, Aurora - Albion Region

There was a perverse satisfaction in using one of the ships, the largest naturally, that the rebels of Albion had used to assault her Spire. Just recalling that entire scenario made Morgana fume with cold rage. The dulcet voice of Rick Astley, randomly calling out and wishing for 'all Shadow on the planet to be Purged' rang in her head once more. The sheer naiveté of such a wish. The arrogance of thinking he was worthy enough to make one. The waste of all that power she'd been building up. Just to cleanse a few Pokémon, and herself, only for them to go right back to being infused with Shadow a mere few weeks later. She buried the rage, saving it for the day she came upon the man once more.

She genuinely hoped her efforts would draw those two wayward Unovans back to her region. Along with their leader. Light users could never resist such things, and somehow, they always managed to show up, sometimes on purpose, sometimes by sheer random acts of fate. As they came within sight of Aurora's distant shore, Morgana grinned. Caleb Pravus's severed head grumbled from where she was holding him. "Any tighter, and you're going to break my skull apart, Witch."

"Well now, we can't have that…" Morgana teased in her nauseatingly sweet voice. "I need you intact, dear Caleb. At least for now." One of her hands moved suddenly then, and Caleb snarled in pain, as what was left of his nerve endings on the back of his skull protested in response to something digging into his head. Morgana had affixed Arlo's device there, and as she turned him to admire her handiwork, she started to cackle. "It's…like you've evolved into a Golbat, now!" The two Itemfinder prongs stuck up from behind his skull, not unlike a Golbat's ears.

Morgana's laughter echoed across the water, and even her Arcean guards chuckled. Like Mordred, they too were enjoying life out from under Arcean doctrine. No threat of beatings or being tossed into a pit for disobedience. No threats to their families. Morgana gave her Crusaders whatever they'd dared to ask for, and all their requests had been well within her power to grant. They were the usual requests of men, for she'd removed what few female Crusaders had survived to this point. Alcohol, women, status. It mattered little to Morgana, and it made her guards so very loyal. To the point that now, they joined her in mocking their former leader with their laughter. The novelty and shock of his return had already worn off. Pravus looked down at the deck of the ship, fully realizing his place in the world now, and hating Redwood all the more for putting him here.

As they made landfall in Aurora the vast desert of the Albion region that sat just north of the mountains separating Albion and Galar stretched out as far as their eyes could see. Morgana activated the device, and it began pulling Pravus in a certain direction. She followed eagerly, taking only two guards, and leaving the rest to guard the ship from pirates and bandits that plagued this region from their seaside capital of New Bloodstone, the only 'city' in the region that she did not control, simply because it was too expensive to do so. They were quite a bit more skilled than the bandits one might encounter around, say, Brightwall, but no amount of tricky footwork could stop the condensed energy of fire, ice, and electricity.

Morgana inhaled deeply, grinning ear to ear as she could feel the Shadow in the air. It was everywhere in this desert, but as promised, Arlo's device was heading straight for the source. The further into the desert they went though, the more naturally infused Shadow Pokémon began stalking their footsteps. "Mordred, dear. Join us."

Once more, the Gallade popped free of his ball, and bowed. "My Queen."

Morgana gestured around them. "Shadow Pokémon respect strength…so you're going to walk with us and teach anything that comes for us, a lesson."

Mordred bowed again, and then flared out his arm swords in readiness. He too could sense the malice of the Shadow Pokémon around them. Poor creatures that, for whatever reason, had naturally experienced enough rage to absorb and activate the natural Shadow energy permeating the desert to become something more. The smarter ones, upon seeing Mordred walking with the intent to kill, right behind the three humans and the floating skull, decided to eventually find other prey. Trying to leap at them had triggered their survival instincts, as they sensed what Mordred would do to them once they got in range. The Shadow Gallade could usually dissuade them with a glare, and his eyes were on a constant swivel.

Others, were less wise. Instinct driven, a Nidoking stomped out into their path, radiating Shadow as it roared at them as its spikes started to drip Shadow-infused poison, and charged. "Weaken it for capture." Morgana said, as Mordred readied to attack. It was freshly turned, but already quite strong. Mordred nodded. With a flash of movement, he was suddenly under the Nidoking, and the Sky Uppercut that hammered its chin sent it flying onto its back. One of the Crusaders threw a Dark Ball then, and it dinged shut, tolling like a bell as it did.

Morgana smiled at the pair of Crusaders. "I daresay you both will have full belts by the time we're through here. I'll leave distributing any extra catches to the other Crusaders to you two."

The two Crusaders saluted. "Yes, my Queen!" They said in unison. With that, they continued into the desert of Aurora moving ever closer to the ancient tomb where she expected the Successor to be buried. She had no doubt the Shadow perverting the region belonged to his corpse, and even without life, it was so very potent.

The closer they came, the more Shadow Pokémon they found. Most, were what one would expect from a desert. Flygon. Hippowdon. Sandaconda. But as the landscape changed from desert to a spacious sand-filled cave carved into one of the first mountains separating Albion from Galar, they began encountering Noivern in great numbers. The two Crusaders, much like the foreign rebels who'd upended Albion not so long ago, had brought many Dark Balls with them, and because they were Shadow Noivern, they had zero qualms about attacking the party en masse. Mordred didn't let a single one near them. His combination of Ice Punch and Teleport made them fall to the ground, either fainted or wounded, one after another. He didn't even levitate himself, but rather used the momentum from Teleporting to aim his next strikes.

As her guards filled their bags with captured, volatile dragon types, Morgana examined the scenery as she continued to nonchalantly walk into the dragon bat's cave in particular. Eventually, Pravus led her to a ruin within the cave. An ancient stone structure, undoubtedly once inhabited by the Archons of Albion, now long since abandoned. The most intriguing feature of the space, however, was a giant circular shield of Will manipulated energy, covering what appeared to be stairs leading further below the earth, presumably, to the tomb of the Successor.

All around the circular barrier were the desiccated skeletons of long dead Heroes, one of which was clutching a journal. Morgana smirked as she picked it up and read what was left of the last entry. 'The Shadow is speaking to us now…we know we can never escape it. Our only recourse is to lock the evil permeating the corpse away and pray to Arceus no one ever finds it.'

Morgana tossed the journal, and chuckled. "So much for prayer." She stepped up to the barrier then, and raised her staff, the staff that had started her on her long, perilous journey to this moment. The Successor's staff. "Ancient Judges of Albion, I call upon thee! Dispel this pathetic barrier…and set your Champion free…"

Morgana had only met the Shadow Judges of Ghostmarsh a few times in her life, but in that moment, she sensed their incredible satisfaction with her, and came to her call, finally, after millennia, fulfilling their dark purpose. One, two, then three stones in the circular stone framing lit up with Shadow energy, and trails of dark power, fed and sustained over the eons by sacrifices both from Morgana and others, surged across the barrier in a trio of dark lines.

The barrier dissipated as they converged and vanished into the blissful release of nonexistence, and Morgana grinned, as she began descending into the bowels of the tomb, only too comfortable in the all-encompassing pitch-black darkness. Mordred was right behind her.

Redwood Pokémon Lab - Northern Unova Region

Though Alex had intended to rest after his long day spent reading what had turned out to be almost all of his granduncle's work, both published and not, Tao had other plans. As his eyes closed beside Jess, he opened them to find himself in another dimensional mindspace, not at all unlike the one Mewtwo had created, at least in terms of what he could sense of its composition. In appearance, it was wildly different.

True to his character, what little furniture there was, was arranged perfectly in the center of the white void. The floor was, of course, a tiled semblance of the symbol of Eternal Balance, much like the one in the Dragonspiral Tower, and on Oranguru's island. Tao himself was in his true size, coiled around the radius of the space, and forming a circle, acting as the 'wall' of this realm. The way he'd laid to reach the center of the space, which was also the center of the symbol of balance, saw him making half an S shape through said circle.

His pupilless golden eyes were as unreadable as ever, as he regarded his latest Dragon Emperor. "So. You have learned the secrets of Infinity Energy and Spiral Power. You have learned how to harness the elemental energies of this world and bend them to your Will. You are very nearly ready, Alex. Though I do wonder…how are you faring?"

Alex didn't need to ask the context of his question. He'd gone from several long months of war, straight into an enemy-occupied region with a very fresh team of Pokémon. In a way, training them and learning to bend as the Korians had did give him chances to recoup, but he'd still been on a mission, and traversing the Spirit World was no easy task either. "I'm fine. I've gotten quite a lot of sleep lately…and that's helped."

Tao nodded his massive head. "Good. You will be busy over the Festivus period. There are…certain tasks that I myself am unable to administer. In addition…I want you to look over and be aware of the changes and production choices I've made for the cities across the Empire. The Dragon Emperors of old did this alongside me…you are the first to fully trust my judgement on such matters with no Human oversight…and Humanity has changed much since last I…ordered them around."

The dragon waved a claw then, and a map of their continent appeared. Alex linked his mind with Tao's and found the relevant information on the numerous cities now under their rule just by looking at them. How much money, production power, scientific research, and culture each one was producing represented by a numeric figure. Silently, one by one, he examined what Tao had been setting into motion. "Wow. You've already built up the production districts in most of them…but some of these district layouts for Fornia's cities are…erm…"

"Created by the Church." Tao said, sighing. "And changing them around has proven…irritating. Many were damaged in the war, and I've refused to rebuild those with…let's call it 'sub-optimal placement'. The Scales assigned to these cities have also had trouble, but we'll get to that tomorrow."

Alex nodded, and then began setting his own choices into motion. They had plenty of money, but after essentially annexing Pravus's holdings, the Empire's overall happiness, again represented by a numerical figure. was below what he considered acceptable. "There are a few questionable choices…but I think we should rebuild what we brought down. Giving the people entertainment options will also help."

"They have broadcast towers now and are connected to the Pokénet." Tao answered, watching his 'moves' on the map before them. From what Alex understood, he'd be enacting them through his Empire-spanning psychic network as soon as he was done.

"Then we shall give them stadiums." Alex answered. "Has the League approved our application for Fornia yet?"

Tao nodded. "They have…though they're leaving the appointment of Gym Leaders up to you and Jessica. Bradley Pineus is, by their records, the reigning Champion. Supposedly the second strongest Trainer under Pravus, and therefore all of Fornia."

Alex smirked. "Somehow I doubt that. In that case…we're going to need to have a tournament. The World Tournament starts soon after Festivus Eve…so we'll have to set this one up quickly. I want Fornia's Trainers to also be able to compete. Not much of a 'world' tournament with only one half of the Empire."

Tao nodded. The other additions Alex made were mostly in adding financial districts to many of the center States. It would hit their store of currency hard, but once they got going, said stores would quickly be replenished, and then some. As things stood, they were profitable, overall, according to Tao's numbers but the maintenance costs would pile up quickly. Then, finally, he turned his gaze to see what New Tork City, which encompassed the entirety of Unova on his 'map', was working on, and the smirk widened.

"Interesting. I see the Enterprise is almost ready. I'm glad the other eastern cities were able to craft the parts we need." The progress of such things was, again, represented by a number denoting how much time, usually days, until it was likely to be completed. Barring any unforeseen disasters, of course.

Tao's scaly lips also shifted to a smirk. "Almost. Pegasus will undoubtedly take notice once we launch."

Alex nodded. "Then I'll save meeting them for when we're ready to visit." He sat back and yawned. "I think…three more days should be enough, before we set off for Albion." He met Tao's gaze evenly, then. "How is our…other plan going?"

Tao inhaled and exhaled slowly. "As well as we expected it would. You Humans are addicted to currency like a potent drug. But the Replication Machines are coming along nicely. Your brother has almost finished them, though he's hit a wall of sorts. With an abundance of Infinity Energy and a lack of resource scarcity, we will be able to, slowly, ween them off their reliance on currency. Rio, Galar, and several prominent members in Japan's government are all very much on board with our idea, but we're still keeping it quiet for…obvious reasons. The wealthy classes of our regions will act against us if they learn what we're planning to do."

"And that's exactly why we have to do it. People who would damn our society just so they can continue to view themselves as superior should not and will not have power." Alex answered.

Tao sighed. "You should be prepared all the same. Even the first Dragon Emperor had to put down smaller scale rebellions. Remnants of Old Earth's governments, and their ideologies, that refused to be snuffed out with anything other than violence. You can safely assume the rich will fight just as hard to keep their grip on Power."

Alex shook his head. "I don't think it will come to that. I met quite a few modern wealthy people at the Gladstone's party. Those in the east will probably not give us much trouble."

Tao blinked his large golden eyes. "With fortunes at this scale, all it takes is one. A single rich imbecile can tip the Balance. Be wary."

Alex nodded and began musing to himself as he finished going over the various construction projects for his cities. So long as the Imperium and their 'Throne Gelt' existed, the Dragon Empire would need to be able to trade with them with their own currency, Pokédollars, but the plan was to make that a government-controlled process, rather than having individual members of society hoarding most of it and forcing the masses to rely upon it for food, shelter, and items. The advent of Plate shards being used for battles had also led to more and more companies developing technology powered by Infinity Energy, and since said energy was infinite, the possibilities were as well. Already, Tao had worked with their building and production corporations to upgrade their machines, a large part of why the buildings they wanted constructed were going up so quickly. With resources being managed by the government, and the invention of machines that could theoretically convert Infinity Energy into things like basic materials, components, or food, the need for currency as a system would disappear. According to Tao, that had been the plan once, but the technology of the first Dragon Emperor's era had been quite a bit further behind, compared to the current time.

Finally, Alex finished his efforts. Tao nodded, agreeing with the choices he'd made. The weirdly positioned districts in Fornia's cities had been modified only slightly, and then expanded on, usually with the addition of scientific facilities. College campuses, research institutes, grade schools, it was actually appalling how little scientific research or public education Fornia had been doing, openly at least. "I think that will do, for now. I need to rest my brain."

Tao nodded. "I will send the plans to our people. Rest well, Alex." And with that, the dragon let him return to sleep.

Far too quickly by Alex's sense of time, he woke up as Jess did. His physical fatigue was lessened, if not so much his mental stress, but just being near her certainly helped with alleviating both. By the time they ascended to the lab, dressed and showered, they found Eric and his Brain Trust already hard at work. Jess went on ahead of him to see their Pokémon, while Alex approached his brother. "I hear you've hit a wall of some sort."

Eric sighed. As usual, having the dragon god of his homeland literally hovering over his mental shoulder all hours of the day did not aid with his stress. "Something like that. Do you need something, brother?"

"Not particularly. What's the issue you've run into?"

Eric sighed again, and then decided it couldn't hurt to let the leader of the nation know what was going on. "Creating objects. We can convert energy into sources of power for our machines and appliances, but it's actually replicating physical objects that's…an issue. It's like we're missing something. A focus for the infinite amounts of energy we have, to create something physical, and ideally edible."

Alex glanced at the data on his brother's screen, and while most of it might as well have been Japanese for all he could understand, he did have a thought. "TMs."

Eric squinted at him. "What?"

"TM machines make TMs with Pokémon materials. What if you could use Infinity Energy to change those materials into whatever we need. Theoretically we'd just need the right kind of materials, and a…chemical blueprint of what we're making."

The rest of the Brain Trust had stopped working at this point and were staring at him. Frankie just shook his head as he chuckled. "Good thing we have our BBA grads to help us. It's not like they already have a machine that can convert materials." Frankie said sarcastically to Eric. "All it needs is power, which we theoretically could give it."

Eric thought it over, though. "That…might just be simple enough to work. All we'd really need at that point is the chemical makeup of what we're creating…that should remove the randomness of what's being made. We can make the blueprints call for certain amounts of materials."

He walked over to one of the girls then and started science-murmuring. Alex just smirked. "I'll leave your brains to it, then. We're counting on you." Eric waved him away, now fully engrossed in the science talk.

Alex strolled outside then, and blinked, as he saw the usual Pokémon he expected to see, as well as the titanic form of the Original Dragon, just sprawled out lengthwise along the ranch. "Where the Muk is he!? Alex!" He rolled his eyes, as he recognized his dad's tone, and slowly felt whatever progress had been made at the party begin to evaporate. He'd expected it to last longer, but he really should've known better.

As the old man started bitching and gesturing at Tao, Alex breezed right past him, long since having developed the same skill as his granduncle; tuning the man out completely, especially when he threw a temper tantrum. He looked up at Tao as he reached his head. "You didn't mention you'd be joining me today."

Tao let out a potent, but not unwelcome cloud of Leaf smoke through his nose as he folded his bong away safely into a pocket plane that existed solely to keep his thundercloud gray piece intact and undamaged. "I did not. But I felt it was long past time that we governed together, as Zigma and Nelinha do. As the first Dragon Emperor and I did."

Alex nodded. He was, again much like his granduncle, of the opinion that a human being trying to order a Legendary Pokémon around at all hours of the day was, in every way, an absurd expectation, regardless of which legend it happened to be. Tao was free to come and go on his travels as he pleased, but then, a continent spanning war had broken out and their time had been co-opted. "Where are we off to first?" Alex said, raising his hand. He fully expected Tao had an itinerary for him.

Tao's form shrank as his eyes pulsed with gold, and he once more became a black and white bo staff. This time however, it possessed a draconic head with those same intense golden eyes at its top, looming over his shoulder. It actually seemed quite a bit like the head of the statues in Opelucid Gym, in terms of aesthetic. Alex brought out most of his armor, for good measure, and the staff meshed nicely with the Norstad aesthetic. "Menefer. They're opening a broadcasting tower there that will unite the east and west for the first time in centuries, and have requested we be there, both for the ceremonial importance, and in case any Arcean insurgents try to take it down. They've also requested their city be called 'Memphis' once more, as their current moniker was an unwanted gift from an Arcean controlled Governor."

"Granted." Alex answered, as Jess came over. His father was still red faced and fuming behind her.

"Alex."

"Yes, future wife?"

She gestured behind him, and he finally saw what had his dad in such a state. The land beside the fence had been upended and ruined by Tao's titanic bulk. In the old days, it would've taken a solid week for him to repair. Alone. "Ahh. Well, actually…" He cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck. "I've got this. It'll be a good first lesson for going over what I learned from Koria. Watch closely."

She just shook her head, but the smile on her face was worth his antics. It wasn't the first time she'd played peacekeeper between himself and his father. Being the daughter of his rich friend also shielded her from his father's wrath quite effectively. He breathed deep, let his body attune to the ground, and then stomped an oversized foot on the ground. Like a Drilbur digging a tunnel, the shuddering earth from his foot shot forward, and in its wake, left the land as it had been. The fence would need patching, but that was much easier to do than fixing the landscape.

Jess just stared; eyes widened slightly as she saw just what he'd been learning. "Of course you've learned Earthquake."

Alex smirked at her. "Earthbending. But yes, I can basically make an Earthquake attack with enough build up. Among other things." He took in the heat of the morning sun as he inhaled deep, and then snorted literal flames. He chuckled at the look on her face.

"Fire too, huh? You did mention there were other elements. Fire seems like something I could learn, I think." Jess said, seemingly intrigued.

Alex nodded sagely. "You've always been absurdly hot. You'll master fire easily. It's lightning that can get…tricky."

She just stared at him. "You can use Electric attacks too!?"

He shook his head. "Not…quite yet. It's different for me than it is for Firebenders. Their Fire Typing, and direct connection with the elemental energy allows them to separate it within their body into positive and negative charges. I have Dragon energy, I just bend the elemental types to my will once I attune with them. I'm sure there's a way to achieve lightning…but nobody in Koria could teach me that. Anyway, are you coming with me to Mene-, er, Memphis?"

She shook her head. "The Sippi Region is all yours. I'll be in Fornia, giving the potential Gym Leaders their Battle examinations. You'll be in charge of the Elite Four and selecting the Champion. I'll see you there…and then you can show me how to Firebend."

Alex almost snorted flames again, by accident this time. He intended to show her many things. It had been far too long since they'd sparred together. He always had ideas after time apart from her. "Count on it." He said, staring her down. She didn't need a psychic connection to recognize the look in his eye.

She composed herself, forced the slight flush in her cheeks away, and then Teleported. Alex gathered his team and did the same. He'd only been to Menefer once, and just long enough to make an anchor at the local Pokémon Center, since they rarely changed in design and made great anchors. As he appeared, the local Nurse Joy greeted him. "Welcome to the Pokémon Ce-" She paused, blinked, and took in his face. "O-oh! Emperor Redwood! We…we weren't expecting you here again!"

He gave her a winning smile. "No need to get flustered or formal. This just happens to be the only place in the Sippi Region I can Teleport to. I suppose they're waiting at the broadcast tower already?"

The nurse snapped her fingers. "Ah! Right! Of course, you're here for the tower. You're early, actually. I have time to give your team a checkup if you like. We can also get you some food."

Alex was about to decline, when his stomach, which hadn't had breakfast, answered for him. He could sense Tao's amusement. "That…would be greatly appreciated, thank you Nurse Joy." His meal was out rather quickly, and the checkup, including a meal for his team, had also gone with no abnormalities. As he retrieved the twenty balls and psychically slid them onto his dragon leather cape, more and more of the local Trainers were starting to murmur around him. The Sippi region wasn't exactly a bastion of eastern values, but most of their population had been rather harshly treated by Doctor Manchineel and his macabre experiments. To say opinions on their new Emperor were mixed was a bit of an understatement. Psychics in general however, were still regarded as a plague.

"I have a question, if you don't mind." He said to the nurse.

"Ask away! I've been a Nurse for a long time, if I know the answer I'll give it freely."

He tossed Blaze's ball in his hand idly, as he spoke. He could sense his Charizard was due for a good battle, and such gestures were a universal sign among Trainers that one wished to throw down. "Most of my team has been getting a lot larger lately. It's like some of my oldest partners have…hit some kind of new level, but as far as the Pokédex goes, they're at the peak. The recorded numbers don't go higher than one hundred."

Nurse Joy nodded. "I noticed that. While Pokémon that strong tend to be extremely rare, we have been seeing more and more of them in the past few years, usually from Champions. In fact, as I recall, Champion Nate from Unova has the record for the most at that level. They've been appearing more and more ever since you set off that trend with Plate shards and Mega Evolving. The Nurses Association has a theory that this more common infusion of Infinity Energy is what's leading to Pokémon growing to such large sizes. After that Battle of yours in Indius, and your efforts in the war, it's not surprising they've begun to grow in size. Theoretically, they should reach a max size eventually…but in some cases, like your Torterra's, they may continue growing their entire life, but that's the norm for many Grass Types." Joy smiled. "In any case, it's nothing to be too worried about. You're a good Trainer, and it shows in your team. They're all quite healthy."

Alex gave her a smile. "Thank you, for that. I'm proud of them. Washing them off is really the least I can do."

A shout came then, as Alex turned, and he was grateful its source had waited until he'd asked his question. "Oi! You there, with the cape!" Alex looked up, and locked eyes with the speaker. He was a younger man, dressed in black leather in the form of pants and a jacket, with fiery red and orange flames covering the bottom and sleeves of his jacket. His hair was blonde and spiky, his eyes were blue, and an Arcean cult pin was displayed proudly on his chest. "I knew that was you…Alexander Redwood…the man who beheaded our Prophet."

Alex's face shifted from a smirk to a neutral expression. "Your Prophet became a Champion of the Shadow. He needed to be stopped before he drained the life from Alola and became even more monstrous. I'd stop him again, if I had to."

"Nobody can deny that." The kid said, drawing his own Pokéball. "We're not idiots out here, contrary to what you easterners say. We've seen the evidence, the abuse, the Shadow Infusing on Pokémon Eggs…nobody can deny the Church lost its way at this point. But you've gone too far in dismantling it!"

Alex's eyes shifted to his pin, and then back to the man's blue stare. "Apparently, I haven't dismantled it enough. Are we going to do this, or not? I have places to be."

The kid gritted his teeth, but then gave him a shit-eating grin. "Oh, we're doing this. Our eyes have met, and you're still a Trainer!"

Alex strode past him then, Blaze's ball still in hand. "Outside, then. Nurse Joy works hard enough without having to clean up the lesson you're about to learn."

There was an 'oooo' from a few onlookers, and like most battles between famous Trainers and rising stars, word spread like wildfire. The fact that he was the nation's leader probably also helped. "This way." The kid said, shouldering past Alex once they were outside, or rather, trying to. He bounced off the six-foot five frame, and dragonbone armor as he tried a walking shove, and failed.

There was a stadium near the Pokémon Center, though calling it a stadium was generous. It was open air with a few seats, and right on the Sippi River, for which the State was named. "Since you're busy, we'll go one on one." The kid said, raising his Pokéball at Alex. "But if I win, you stop persecuting what Arceans are left! Believe it or not they've done good things for Sippi too!"

Alex snorted derisively. "Not nearly enough to counterbalance the pure, undeniable evil. Meddling with Pokémon Eggs is as low as Humans can get. But I'll consider your demands. If you win. And if I win-"

"When I win, you'll leave us the Hell alone!" The kid interrupted, as he threw his ball, giving up the element of surprise. A rather powerful looking Charizard appeared then, smaller, younger than Blaze, but still full of fight and flame. Blaze popped free on his own, before Shruikan could. The younger male beat his wings and roared out a torrent of flame, but Blaze just stared him down, raised his claws and flared out his wings, as he prepared silently for the coming clash. The only sign of his eagerness was the twin plumes of flame leaking from his maw. "A Charizard. How original." Alex said, as he started to understand the young man. He'd probably been training to become a Crusader, and his Charizard had probably been recently cleansed of its Shadow corruption. The resulting power boost had likely led them to believe they were unbeatable. It happened quite a lot with Charizard Trainers.

"Let's go, Ancient Power!" The kid shouted, leading with a quadruple effective strike.

"Dragon Claw." Alex countered, not bothering to mega evolve, as his opponent hadn't either. Alex might as well have said 'go', with how fast Blaze launched at his opponent. The younger fire lizard barely had time to blink as Blaze spun through the fired rocks, tearing them apart, and then landing a dual Dragon Claw right on his chest. "Scary Face." Alex said, following their strike.

While the younger Charizard was reeling, it opened its eyes again to see a truly menacing glare from Blaze, and on nothing but instinct, his wings drooped slightly, and he stepped back, before remembering his fighting spirit. "Dammit! Flare Blitz!" The kid shouted, and his Charizard responded, leaping forward as flames surrounded him.

Blaze caught the attack with his own head, and his opponent's all-important momentum for the fiery blitz faltered as the larger fire lizard dug into the ground, and flapped his wings to maintain balance as the clash of skulls yielded no clear winner. Then came Alex's counter. "Thunder Punch!" Electricity boomed as Blaze brought his fist up under the upstart's jaw, knocking it on its back.

It was slow to rise, and Alex had no intention of letting it. Blaze waited, as his Trainer set up the field. The number of onlookers had risen to a considerable crowd by now with more Trainers flying in by the second. Being near a Pokémon Center had made finding the bout pretty easy. He didn't want anyone getting burned. A square blue cube of psychic energy sprung into existence in a square around the field, and Alex gave the command. "Blast Burn."

Blaze punched the ground and roared, and despite the barrier, the resulting heat exploding from the strike fainted the younger Charizard and almost cooked the crowd with how much heat it gave off. Smoke roiled within the light blue barrier, and then, it vanished as quick as it had appeared. A few moments later, after flapping his wings, Blaze stood victorious, and roared at the sky. His eyes fell on the youth then, as he seemed to dare him to bring out another battler. It wouldn't have been the first time someone took losing to him badly, and Blaze was always willing to continue expanding his perfect win streak. When he and Alex battled, he rarely lost, and hadn't for quite some time now. His Trainer didn't care much about things like win streaks, but Blaze did, and didn't like being switched out as a result.

Alex recalled Blaze, or rather tried to, but the Charizard refused the ball's pull, and growled, raising his arms for a battle stance once more. Shadow aura was sliding off the younger Charizard, but Alex could tell it wasn't a full infusion. Somehow, it was using its past time as a Shadow Pokémon to forcibly induce Reverse Mode.

"As you can see…" His Trainer said, meeting Alex's eyes. "We're not done yet! Shadow Fire!"

Alex just took a deep breath and focused on taking in energy from Arceus's plane. "Flamethrower." This wasn't the first time Blaze had needed to infuse his flames with Light against Shadow Moves. Once more the psychic barrier went up, and some in the crowd fled, hopefully, he assumed, to get the local authorities. "You don't need to use this power, you know." He said calmly, contrasting his opponent's rage. The Trainer, like his Pokémon, had hardened his heart. Thus, the Shadow had crept back in.

"Spare me!" The kid shouted, "The last thing any of us need is you asking us why we fight! After all you people have done to our way of life…how could we not!"

Alex shook his head, as the two Charizard strove to overpower the other's flames. "Why? The why is obvious. You might as well ask why leaves fall. 'Why' is just your excuse. Dragon Claw."

His opponent flinched, and then shouted, "Shadow Claw!" The two fire lizards started their test of brute force, as their flames burned out and their claw moves locked, renewing the struggle for dominance.

Alex continued. "You need to understand what is worth fighting for…that should be the reason behind why you want to get so strong. Once you understand that, you'll be able to Mega Evolve too. Last chance, kid. Calm down."

The as yet unnamed youth paused, as the Words entered his ears. He'd heard what Alex said, understood what he meant, but his ears had heard other words. Words that escaped his memory. He might've listened, had it been anyone but the man who'd all but single-handedly, in the eyes of many, dismantled the Arcean Church. The reality was that communities across the western States had, with some help from the Scales, adjusted to not having the Church controlling their every decision. Their dismantling was a group effort, but there were many like this kid, still clinging to the vestiges of the power they'd been promised.

"YOU don't tell me what to do! Shadow-"

"End it. Yol!"

As Alex uttered the true name of Blaze's element, the Fire Blast he unleashed point blank on his opponent expanded in size and power rapidly. The younger Charizard struggled against it as the sheer force of the flames pushed him back, and finally knocked him out as yet another fiery explosion rocked the public arena. Before the dust settled, Alex blinked inside, Purged the younger Charizard, and then bamfed right back out. Once more the barrier fell, and Blaze stared at the opposing Trainer. The bravado and fun he'd been having had vanished, once his opponents fell back on that power. To Pokémon, those who embraced the Shadow so easily were viewed a certain way. Indeed, Shadow Infusion in general was understood by them to a degree the human race was only just starting to fully comprehend.

Police cars pulled up suddenly then, around the stadium. A rather stern-looking Jenny walked up to the scene, and then blinked, as she recognized Alex. He gestured. "This Trainer and his Charizard accidentally activated their Reverse Mode…likely a leftover of their time with the Arceans. I've Purged them of Shadow, so they should be no threat."

The Jenny had her boys recall the Charizard, and then spoke in low tones to Alex. "Dragon Emperor. I'm glad you're here…your Scales don't believe me, but this is the fourth time such a thing has happened lately. It's…it's as if the Shadow is becoming more active, but we can't find any major sources of infusion in a three State search area, in all directions." Her eyes glanced at his staff, still looming over his shoulder. "Your Dragon was very thorough about Purging anything that could make more Shadow Infusions…and the Scales refuse to believe these events, as a result. But you've seen it with your own eyes, now."

He nodded, deeply concerned. "You're right. There are no sources for Infusion around here…or anywhere in the Empire, for that matter. This is a…global scale event. Shadow Energy as a whole is becoming more active… Do what you can, Officer. I'll handle it soon, and there should be no more Reversions after that..."

He didn't know if he'd inspired confidence in her, but the Jenny saluted, and then offered to give him a ride to the broadcast tower. He accepted, mostly so he could think in peace as they rode, not for a second considering what the situation might look like if he arrived in the back of a squad car. He realized how it looked, when the surge of flashing cameras surrounding the entrance to the broadcasting tower almost blinded him. His driver, who'd opened the door as well, seemed surprised, and to change the narrative, Alex shook his hand, and thanked him genuinely for the ride. The officer nodded at him, and then the squad cars returned to the streets, and their jobs.

"Save your questions until after we get this up and running." He said to the crowd as he strolled past and let his cape flare behind him as he did, His Voice cut through the incoherent babble of questions that surged as he approached the entrance. He strode in then, pushing the door wide. In short order, he was on a small stage, though with half a hundred Rotom Drones filling the room, he knew the audience he was addressing was much, much larger. Activation of the tower went off without an issue, and no bombs or attempts had been made yet to sabotage its function.

"For the first time in ages, a Dragon Emperor is able to address the entirety of the continent." He started, once everyone was ready. "But make no mistake, this achievement belongs to Memphis, and the hundreds of other towers all now working together to unify us in ways I never could." He sighed slightly then. "I did promise to answer some questions. PNN. You're up." It wasn't John Crimson, and he didn't particularly care for their network in particular, but they were the largest, and in his experience, the most professional.

That didn't mean their accuracy was infallible, every journalist and news organization made errors, or had agendas, but so far, PNN had stuck to the facts, at least where he was concerned. Something he appreciated, in the post-war chaos. Many 'news' outlets in the west had begun just outright spewing Arcean Church propaganda, throwing all impartiality to the wind as they smeared him, his Scales, and anything to do with the 'eastern occupation'. Their term for the very small number of Scales he'd left behind in each conquered city. Their portrayal of the situation in the west was in no way related to reality, but being told what to think was something the now mostly aimless Arceans were all too eager to do again, especially if it meant making their new Emperor and his underlings their target for lies and slander.

"Thank you, Dragon Emperor." The PNN reporter said, stepping forward. He hadn't really seen them in the bright haze that was the drone-filled audience. She was young, and had simple features, brown hair and eyes, but attractive enough to be on TV. "You mentioned recently that you intended for your government to provide basic necessities to all people in the Empire. Housing, food, water, electricity, etcetera. In the days since, many are wondering how exactly you intend to do this. There's been quite a bit of skepticism."

Alex glanced up at the dragon head looming over his shoulder and got the go-ahead from Tao. There wasn't really a better way to announce such a thing. "Our scientists are working as I speak on a device capable of producing food from Infinity Energy, as well as other materials. As you probably know already, many of our construction crews are already using Plate shard powered machinery to rebuild the damages from the war. I, that is to say, Tao and I, intend to take this limitless energy and the forthcoming lack of scarce resources to its logical conclusion. The end result will be enough power and infrastructure to make sure all of my citizens can have somewhere to call home and live there comfortably. Those of you in Texico West may already be familiar with the kind of homes I'm describing. With a little extra plumbing and wiring from our crews, they can make the stone buildings I can create quite comfortable."

The PNN reporter blinked at him. "You mean…you are going to build them? Personally?"

Alex nodded and continued on smoothly. "As many of you are aware, I've been away from the Empire since the war ended." He earthbent a piece of rock up beside him then, a Hard Stone he'd found on his travels that he now changed the shape of in demonstration, just by shifting his fingers. "I learned a lot from traveling Koria, and there are several of my Scales who will be able to help me with this task. The housing we make personally won't be the grandest architecture on the planet…but it will give those without shelter from the elements a place to retreat to. Whether our homeless population wants them or uses them will be for them to decide. Let's be very clear, I am Not forcing anyone to live anywhere. I'm offering shelter for those who desire it. With this industry boom, will come more Pokémon Centers as well. I think two questions is enough. Anyone else?"

"Careful…" Tao said, but Alex knew it was too late already. He'd left the floor open, and naturally, the loudest ape took the stage, eager for a chance to hurl its verbal feces. After the accusations they'd been launching at his Scales, he welcomed them to try.

A man stepped up then, dressed in a navy-blue suit he recognized as having once been Arcean in design. It had since been modified though. "Dick Dooshey, your Imperial Majesty." The man said, oozing sleaze onto the microphone as he bowed slightly, and spoke. "I'm with Arc News. I can't tell you how glad we are to have access to eastern audiences now. My question is…who do you think you are? Our States have laws for executions, both public and not, and you ignored the laws of Port: Land when you beheaded our Prophet. There's video evidence of this murder. Will your government be holding you accountable for killing a political adversary? And if not, should they?"

Alex might not have been so calm if Tao wasn't on his back. Arc News had a habit of 'just asking questions' designed by their very nature to guide their low information audience into making certain assumptions about what they were being told. It was, by every measure, propaganda for simple minded people. They'd been slandering Jess and the others for months now, and since he'd been in Koria, he hadn't been able to do anything to stop them, despite her pretending it didn't bother her. Needless to say, he'd been waiting quite a while to verbally eviscerate them.

"Well Dick, as you'll recall from the footage that wasn't edited and censored by your sponsor, the Arcean Cult, your Prophet had gone, quite literally, mad with power. With the help of Doctor Ein, someone I also saw executed for his crimes of infusing Eggs with Shadow by Ho Oh herself, we believe Caleb Pravus ascended as the Champion of Shadow using a piece of the entity known to Alolans as Necrozma. Specifically, its head. Using this in conjunction with the pair of Darkrai he'd already melded his essence with, turned him into what you and I would call a 'Monster'. His intention was to drain all Light and life from Alola to become an unstoppable being of Shadow, and I didn't have to be psychic to figure that out."

Alex leaned forward then and glared directly in Arc News's camera. "Yes. I killed Caleb Pravus. This was an act committed in war time in a conflict the East did not start, and in actuality, it occurred over the neutral waters of Oceana Pacifica. But let's be absolutely clear: if Caleb Pravus somehow came back to us and threatened the lives of another Region in my Empire, I would do the exact same thing again." He shifted his gaze to Dooshey then and sensed the fear in him rise slightly. "Who am I? I am your Dragon Emperor. I am the shield that keeps this nation, and our allied nations, safe. Even if that means my own hands must be bloodied in the process. Ideally…things won't escalate to that point again. Most of my fellow rulers are more than capable of conversing and negotiating like civilized Sentients. Pravus was not, hence the bloody invasion he launched on Orre and across the East with almost no warning."

Dick seemed to recover quickly, but before more slime oozed from his face hole, Alex cut him off. "I think that's enough from the Arcean Propaganda Cultists. How about someone from a real news network, maybe a local?" He pointed, as he saw one reporter's face light up and put her hand up. She was larger of body, had short curly brown hair, but came off as a genuinely kind person.

"I think we've had enough serious questions for one night! Heheh." She giggled, somewhat nervous. "Do you mind if I change the tone completely?"

Alex chuckled as well and nodded. "Ask whatever you like, the bar for decorum has been set so low by Arc News, you could step over it." He could tell Dick Dooshey was fuming after the verbal pummeling he'd just gotten, and in his peripheral vision, he saw the man and his team leave the event in indignation.

"First I just want to thank you for letting us be Memphis again." Alex nodded, and mentioned he was more than happy to let States call themselves, and their cities, whatever they wanted. Within reason. Memphis was not the only one to have changed its monicker. Pravia was now Cascadia, Los Commotus was now Los Togetus, the Oasis of Paradise was going by New Vega, and Port: Land had chosen Rose City as their monicker. "My question…is whether or not you've heard some of the new songs we've recovered from the Old Net. Our city here has a long history of making some of the nation's best music and bringing back older tunes from bygone eras."

Alex blinked. She hadn't been joking about the tone shift. "I can't say I have…"

The reporter pounced, then. "I hear you're a Classic Rock fan. I know we'd all be proud here if the Dragon Emperor himself listened to some of the music we've been bringing into the current day. We'll be playing some of the top songs we've managed to revive at the party following this."

Alex stroked his chin as he pondered, and then realized he had his out, of this media hell. He took it. "Well, on that note, let's start the party, and the music!" He looked up at where Temere had asked to be let out and nodded. The cameras kept rolling as the song started and the press began to disperse. They caught the leader of the nation bopping his head along to the admittedly hard opening to whatever this song was called. A guitar riff he wholeheartedly approved of combined with a drum beat he could only describe as 'epic' followed by the first words he could hear. 'It's now it's never - and I've got to - make my decision, this could be my Momeeent!'

"Lux." He muttered, as he wandered off the stage. He began searching up the name for the song floating through his ear holes, with the speed only a ghost connected to his mind and the Pokénet could utilize. It also took very little effort on Lux's part. He read the song title, just as the words were uttered in the song. 'Rivers in the Desert'. He pocketed the Rotom again once he'd loaded it up for later. It was then that he realized he'd wandered straight out of the tower's property, and onto the next. He'd forgotten how cramped cities were, and one block made all the difference.

"Well, well well lads, what have we 'ere." Came a voice from further down the street. To the other side of him, blocking him off, came another. "Mister Shoulderpads here looks lost, boss."

Alex smirked. "Actually…it seems I've gone and wandered off…somewhere else. Somewhere I perhaps should not be? I don't mean to intrude on anything."

The first voice's owner came into view then, and to call him the personification of 'rugged street thug' was not an understatement. Oddly enough though, Alex didn't sense any hostility. Not from him, anyway. The goons he had waiting around them were giving off some darker thoughts. Still, their leader seemed cool headed, and Alex offered the truth. As their eyes met, the man's widened in shock, and Alex sighed. He'd liked not being recognized in Koria, too.

"Hold up lads." The man rumbled in a thick Galarian accent. "It seems the leader of our new Empire has strolled right onto our turf." There was an awkward pause that Alex sensed he was adding for flair, and then a smirk cracked his rough visage, classically handsome features covered in a surprisingly even layer of face fuzz, most of which was salt and pepper. "You hear tha' lads? He's bad with directions, an' has a Charizard!" He and his goons burst out laughing then, and Alex just nodded in quiet acceptance. He'd walked right into that one. Literally.

"We saw your Battle, mate. Yer one to talk about originality." The smirk widened into a grin.

Alex nodded again, as he had a fair point, but then said. "I admit, I did like Leon growing up. Even if Ketchum eventually replaced him. Of course I had other reasons for wanting a Charizard." The gruff man grimaced, and Alex chuckled inwardly. The easiest way to get a Galarian 'on side' as they said, was to call out the current World Champion.

"Pagh. 'Es only unbeaten 'cause nobody can ever find'im. Leon woz in the spotlight for decades, Battlin' constantly in Galar, an' nobody came Close to beatin' 'im. You got good taste, mate." He paused then and raised an eyebrow. "Wot 'other reasons'?"

Less than five minutes passed before Alex found himself in another back alley, but this one had a space for a bonfire, one his Charizard occupied as he offered his tail. After seeing he wasn't here to start anything, as his story wasn't all that hard to believe given that the broadcasting tower loomed over them nearby, the rest of the man's gang came out of the woodwork, and many requested autographs. It was a nice change to the stereotype he had going in his head about street gangs.

Leaf was passed, good times were had, and eventually, Lux dinged, and informed him he'd reached his time limit. If he wanted to be early. His alarm clock tended to be about twenty minutes too early. The street gang's leader, who turned out to actually be a legally appointed member of his neighborhood's watch by the Imperial Legions, brought him back out to the street they'd met on, and pointed. "The river's tha' way. But before you go…" The man smirked at him, with bloodshot eyes. "Wer havin' a Battle, mate."

Alex grinned at him. They were on the same level. In more ways than one. During their smoke sesh, the man had revealed his name, Jakob, and a few of those of his grunts. "Gene! Yer up!"

Alex grinned as he saw his opponent. He'd always wanted to battle an Obstagoon, but more recently, he'd been quite curious as to what one would say. His eyes went wide as the Obstagoon appeared from his Dusk Ball, made 'Giratina horns' with his clawed fingers, and said, "Dude…I rock."

Alex had always liked Obstagoon. The colors, the vibes. This one was clearly an alpha of his species, and well-trained to boot. Jakob only had two other balls on his belt, so Alex assumed this was his ace, and likely the first Pokémon he'd gotten. "Canis." He said, smirking. His Lucario appeared on the field, and slowly raised his head to look up at the much taller Obstagoon.

Jakob slid his thumb across his nose, and smirked. "I thought fer sure I'd get yer Gallade. Yer call, lad."

Alex just shook his head. Arthur would've ended this too quickly, and he was still training Canis up. In many ways, he had just as much potential as Arthur. "Canis." He said again. The Lucario's ears twitched. "Physical moves only, for this one."

The Lucario's aspect changed, into an unsettling grin, and his paws flexed. "Finally…" He fell into a low crouch and snarled at the towering wall of badger before him.

"Gene! Obstruct his pup!" The Obstagoon readied his block and let his absurdly long tongue lash free from his toothy maw, daring Canis to come get a piece.

"Go!" Alex ordered, and much like Blaze earlier, as soon as the word was given, Canis was off, almost moving as fast as Arthur. With a blur of speed, he was suddenly over the Obstagoon. "Feint." Alex said, as the Lucario went to strike, Gene went to block, and suddenly found his block useless. Canis was behind him then, and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick into his back, knocking the air from the obstructing badger. "Close Combat." Alex followed, and with speed too fast for Jakob or Gene to follow, Canis delivered his beatdown to the Obstagoon, and then appeared with a flash by his Trainer again, turning in the same motion, already back in his stance.

Gene fell to his knees, tongue lolling as the damage from the Close Combat took effect. Jakob smirked then. "Gene." The Obstagoon snapped back into focus, his expression mirroring his Trainer's. "Take yer Revenge." With surprising speed, the Obstagoon was in Canis's face, and the aura hound barely had time to blink, before the curled badger fist slammed into his midsection with the same amount of collective power his beating had given Gene. The difference was their defense. Lucario wasn't the sturdiest of species, and even less so after a Close Combat.

As Gene saw the pup's eyes start to roll, he turned to his Trainer, and made the Giratina horns again. "Righteoussss."

"Brick Break." Alex said, and his voice snapped Canis back to reality. He was hanging by the skin of his teeth, but the counter was his. His paw hardened into a chopping attack aimed at Gene's back, and the Obstagoon half gasped, half roared as he went down, fainted. Canis fell back onto his butt, or he would have, if Alex didn't catch him. Two meat buns fell into the Lucario's paws, and Alex nodded at him. "Well done. You understand now why I tell you never to assume victory, yes? Arthur would've Detected the Revenge strike. His guard is never down."

Canis nodded back. "I understand. Always Detect, while on the field." He nodded again, to himself, and then unwrapped his delicious, meaty prize. Alex recalled him to his ball so he could enjoy them in comfort. He walked up to Gene then, turned the big boy over, and tossed a Max Revive into his maw. By instinct, the Pokémon chewed, and then sat up, once more making Giratina horns with his fingers as he shouted, "I Liiiiive!"

Blinking, as he got his bearings, the giant badger stood, and lumbered over to his Trainer. Jakob just shook his head. "I thought we had ya there fer sure. Yer pup's guard was wide open." He offered a hand then. "Maybe next time, eh?"

Alex nodded. "Next time. He'll be even stronger by then though, fair warning."

Alex wandered back to the party at the broadcasting tower then, and with his psychic abilities, tracked down the man he wanted to speak to. "Mister Meguro." Alex said, as he approached the man, and inclined his head.

He was a thinner man, of Japanese descent, with wide features, a kind face, and just the right amount of face hair scruff. "Ahh, Redwood-Sama. You have become even more famous." He gestured to his navy blue Rotom phone then, which was playing a video titled 'The Emperor's New Groove' which showed him bopping along to the opening lyrics of 'Rivers in the Desert'.

Alex just chuckled as he watched. "Yea, that one is definitely a jam. And actually why I wanted to speak with you. Is that one of the songs from the Old Earth game cache?" Meguro nodded. "Good. Very good. I want all the others; from whatever game you pulled it from. Consider the red tape nonexistent, we need more of this. Immediately."

His words seemed to surprise the man, in a good way and Meguro bowed, too formally for Alex's tastes, but then, he did not begrudge the Japanese their politeness. "It will be done post haste. I am glad you enjoyed them. Your Toxtricity did as well."

Alex bid the man farewell then, recalled Temere and hopped on Shruikan, circling him up the broadcasting tower as he bid the other guests a farewell too. As they headed for Fornia the scenic way, he could sense his team's mental excitement. In went his earphones, and Lux loaded the tunes. He praised Arceus as he found a several hour-long version of what he was looking for, and then began the rock session.

They were further into the video than he would ever admit by the time they came over the Great Mohave Desert right in time for him and the boys to finish the final line of the song, again. He paused the video then, and stared out over the vast expanse of desert, getting an idea. "Lux. How are we on time?"

The Rotom, reading his thoughts, smirked at him from within his Pokédex as he floated out of his pocket. "You don't have nearly enough time for something like that."

Alex nodded. "Later, then. They say this desert used to be half the size…I say we could make that a reality again. I can think of a few more places that could use some…rivers through their desert." He chuckled to himself. "Eremus." His Flygon appeared beside Shruikan, and the two dragons nodded in mutual respect. "I need you to let the locals know where to avoid, in a few hours. I can catch those who don't get out of the way, and fall, but only so many. Not an entire habitat's worth, either. The more you can relocate southwards, the better." He showed the dragon on his map of Fornia projected by Lux where he could guide those who wanted to enjoy a cool drop of water, after he made his first attempt at terraforming. His mission clear, the Flygon sped off then, to go do what he could.

Soon after that, they were over Sacreus again, and he had to check the map to make sure they were on course. In only a few months, the crater looked completely different. The hundreds of Crusader training compounds had been repurposed, mostly, it seemed, for rehabilitating Shadow Pokémon that had spent the majority of their existence in a state of constant rage. The loss of that tainting corruption had brought the plant life back, with abundance, and he saw several Pokémon helping with that as they flew over, towards the city at the bottom of the crater.

He hadn't gotten much of an aerial view of the city last time, and he could sense some minds below panicking slightly, as they saw a black scaled Salamence. Some felt relief that he was small now, but if they thought that meant Shruikan was any less ferocious, they were simply ignorant about Salamence in general. After a few large circles around Sacreus's skyline, he found what he was looking for, and guided Shruikan down.

Sacreus Stadium had, according to his Scales, been a lot more evil-looking before the war ended. Spikes, black paint everywhere, accented with red. Far more spikes. Now, it seemed like a regular stadium, more in line with the League's rules, regulations, and color scheme. He saw his fiery redhead in front of a line of what he assumed were Gym Leader hopefuls and landed a short distance from them.

Jess smiled when she saw him, and then gestured to four figures on the other side of the field. "Those are the Elite Four candidates. Once you're done with them, I'll go get the Champion candidate."

Alex glanced around the stadium and adjusted his cloak and hat. There were no other minds in the stadium. That meant the Champion was already with them. As he felt Tao's weight on his back, it all suddenly clicked. "Lux." He said, making a call to Ben, the senior Scale who dealt with Sacreus and its affairs as the Pokédex/phone leapt into his hand.

"That's fine. Just make sure they're here, and that the word gets out. Thanks, Ben." Alex sent Lux back to his pocket of choice. Where the rest of his team had ball holder clips, Lux had a pocket for his new favorite container inside the cloak. Alex didn't blame him, he wouldn't want to be a sword all the time either, plasma or otherwise. His crystal was safely stored in the hilt still, and it still functioned, albeit with less power than when Lux was possessing it.

Alex stopped before the seated Elite Four hopefuls then and looked them over. A smirk broke the impassive facade he usually wore. "Now this is a line up. I believe I've more or less met everyone but you, big guy." Alex said, addressing the living mountain of muscle sitting on the far edge of the bench.

The man stood then, towering over even Alex at a height of seven feet tall. His blonde hair was slicked back and smooth in the front and top but flared out into spikes in the back. He wore a tunic with the League's symbol, but it was ten sizes too small, and that seemed to be on purpose as it barely covered his shoulders and neck. Most of his unapologetically shredded torso was exposed to the air. The gloves he wore were not unlike a superhero's, with a Pokéball on top of his hands. He didn't skip leg day, but his lower body, covered in spandex also not unlike a superhero, was red and blue, and white boots covered the giant feet. "I am Battlus, of Mount Battle!" He said, flexing unnecessarily. "And I am Here…to take my place among the Elite!"

Alex nodded in approval. "That's a good mindset to have." He looked at the other hopefuls then. Wes, also from Orre, Cilan, who he'd battled once a few years back and seemed eager to be considered, and the final member was a larger framed man not unlike Alex, save that he was blonde. Alex recognized him as Sophocles, former Alolan Trial Captain, and astronaut hopeful. His name had been on the short list for potential engineering crew for the Enterprise. Since Elite Four members actually tended to have more free time than one might think, he was still eligible for both jobs, as long as they stayed in the Sol system anyway.

"I've already seen most of you in action." Alex said, addressing them. "So, we'll forgo four ten on ten matches. Instead, I want you to pick your Ace, and duke it out. This will determine the 'order' Trainers are recommended to face you in. Pair off when you're ready."

In short order, Wes and Battlus had, to no one's surprise, taken the field first. Apparently, they had actually faced off before, and Battlus was eager to redeem his loss.

"Let's go! Aim for Victory, Metagross!" Battlus said, throwing first.

Wes smirked and answered him with a well-used Pokéball. "Typho. Eruption."

The angry blazing honey badger roared, and wasted no time in launching fiery balls of death towards Metagross from the ring of flame that encircled his neck.

"Dodge, Metagross!" Battlus shouted confidently. The supercomputer-like brain of four combined Beldum calculated where the meteors would fall and moved accordingly. Both Wes and Typho noticed this, with the latter snarling as his opponent dodged. "Most Excellent! Now hit them with an Earthquake!"

"Defense Curl!" Wes ordered. Typho rolled into a ball, leapt, and landed amidst the Earthquake. Battlus crowed about victory, flexing his shredded physique as his Metagross copied him. Alex smirked. Being familiar with Earthquake as he was, he could tell when it was dodged. "Flame Charge into the air! Then use Flamethrower!" Wes ordered, and both Battlus and his Metagross turned in time to see the bruised ball of burning badger leap from the rubble like a vengeful fire spirit and unleash a potent torrent of flame at the Metagross.

"Meteor Mash!" Battlus hastily countered, but it was already too late. His Metagross had also been burned by the attack.

"Dodge, and end this with Flame Charge." Wes said cooly, and as Typho rolled around Metagross's punches as a fiery ball, he then struck it in the face, fainting it, and roaring in victory. Alex felt his flames from the sidelines, and he felt Blaze's ball twitch. Someday, his Charizard aimed to battle that Typhlosion in particular.

"Victory goes to Wes, Hero of the Orre Region!" Alex said, before gesturing to the next contestants.

Next up, Cilan and Sophocles took the field, and by this point, a crowd was starting to fill the stands. Sacreus didn't have the most battle enthusiasts, but the rumor of an upcoming Champion battle was enough to entice Trainers from all over, provided they could fly. "I'm honored to Battle with you, Sophocles." Cilan said bowing low and formal. "I'm a fan of your work. You're a true Space Connoisseur."

Sophocles tilted his round head. "I uhh…can't eat space, Mr. Cilan. It's a vacuum."

That got a chuckle from the green haired man as he summoned a Rillaboom he hadn't had when Alex battled him, to the field. "A Connoisseur is someone who appreciates a certain art, in all its aspects. I, for example, am a Connoisseur of Pokémon!"

Sophocles nodded. "I think I understand. Show me what a Pokémon Connoisseur can do! Let's go Vikavolt!"

Buland · Dec 18, 2023

The one benefit of being a new reader is that I get to leisurely read through SO MUCH WRITTEN CONTENT! I am excited since this will be the first piece of Pokemon fanfiction I'll have ever read (on this forum and ever). ^_^

Sahqoreyth · Dec 21, 2023

Buland said:
The one benefit of being a new reader is that I get to leisurely read through SO MUCH WRITTEN CONTENT! I am excited since this will be the first piece of Pokemon fanfiction I'll have ever read (on this forum and ever). ^_^

Looks like your Cheri Berry is mine. Enjoy.

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Cilan made short work of the electric bug, as they clashed with sound moves, namely Bug Buzz and Boomburst, and then followed that with blocking Vikavolt's Fly attack with Acrobatics. Ultimately, the Rillaboom ended the match with a timely Stone Edge, and Alex then claimed he'd seen enough of their battling styles to rank them effectively. Sophocles, Cilan, Battlus, and then Wes would precede the Champion. He knew there was always exceptions though and given that they didn't have a proper League building on a plateau, yet, there was always the chance they would copy Unova, Kalos, and other modern regions in letting the challenger choose the order.

Alex walked onto his spot on the field as Cilan and Sophocles took their seats. The crowd murmured in anticipation, as the match they'd been promised between Alex Redwood and the woman who'd beaten Brad Pineus finally started.

Alex just smirked as Jess took the field opposite him, looking all kinds of fine in her classy but still revealing Fornian attire. He turned his hat backwards as he met her gaze. He'd often wondered what their first battle would be like, and he found himself more eager for this battle than any other he'd had that day. "When did you figure out it was me?" She said, drawing a Pokéball. One he didn't recognize.

"When you said you'd go get the Champion and I couldn't sense anyone else nearby. Though when Tao joined me, I really should've suspected something was up."

She smirked back at him and threw the ball. He blinked, and the crowd murmured in disbelief as Ho Oh took the field in all her rainbow glory. Her shriek shook the air, and Alex nodded to himself, seemingly nonplussed by facing down the strongest of the Legendary Birds.

Each flap brought incandescent rainbow sparkles to life in the air around her, and after a moment of stunned silence, the crowd roared to life. Ho Oh gave her Tamer a side eye. "You said there would be no crowd."

Jess shrugged. "You know Dragon Types. They love an audience." Ho Oh snorted sacred flames and ash from her beak. It was too late to back down now. As the crowd began chanting for her, Alex drew the dragon headed staff, and then threw it like a javelin into the air above his side of the field. Tao appeared with a thunderous boom then, his majestic, snake-like body spreading out as he unfurled across the field. He roared back at Ho Oh, but both the phoenix and her Tamer also seemed unfazed.

The crowd had a mixed reaction to Tao. This was after all the same dragon that had not so long ago laid siege to Sacreus, and had been their hated enemy. Still, there were more cheers than Alex expected from a mostly Sacreus based crowd. New spectators were arriving all the time though.

"There is an etiquette to Battling other Tamers." Tao said, as his majestic baritone rang in the minds of both Alex and Jess. "Alex, you know something of this from the few Battles we've already had, but this will be new for you, Jessica. Watch closely."

The dragon and the phoenix reared up then, as high as their heads could go. Tao had a height advantage in this, as he was mostly neck. The two legends nodded in unison, their eyes pulsed with power, and a barrier of their combined energy surrounded the site of their clash. Alex nodded again in understanding, as Tao had done this only once before. Probably to keep a high-powered clash between superpowered Pokémon from obliterating everything for miles around. Human energy shields were strong, but they had limits. As one they shouted, "Begin!" and the crowd roared, as they heard their telepathy.

Alex and Jess shared a look, before she shouted, "Sacred Fire!"

"Frost Flare."

Ho Oh spread her wings and a torrent of holy blue fire roared towards Tao, only to then be bisected by his move. The ice within it made it through, and struck Ho Oh, albeit not for much damage.

"Dovah Envok!" Alex Shouted then, and Tao roared as he struck forward with Dragon Ascent but refrained from Mega Evolving.

"Hold him with Psychic!" Jess countered, and just before Tao's attack landed, he was halted in the air by the phoenix's latent psychic power.

Alex just smirked. She'd set them up too perfectly for his next move. "Imperial Rage!"

Tao opened his toothy maw, and a concentrated beam of dragon energy lanced forward, to strike Ho Oh in the chest. The Psychic hold was broken as Ho Oh went reeling from the hit and recovered herself. Alex saw Jess checking her Rotom Phone, and then she seemed to nod to herself. "Ancient Power!"

Alex grimaced, as he realized she'd probably been calculating Tao's weaknesses, a harder thing to do since he had mastery of three typings. Now that the Imperial Rage had started however, all he could do was watch. Tao launched the second beam of dragon energy, and it disintegrated the rocks Ho Oh sent sailing towards him. Then, he fired a third, and final beam. Ho Oh dodged but was caught as Tao adjusted his attack's trajectory in just the right way to again land a hit.

He was panting slightly after exerting that much power that quickly, and a haze of confusion overcame his eyes. Suddenly, he found himself on the ground, despite meaning to float higher. Seeing this, Jess struck. "Now, Earthquake!" Ho Oh landed on the field, and the entire stadium shook as she unleashed the attack.

Alex chuckled. "Using my own Move against me…Tao!"

The dragon's eyes widened, as his Tamer's Voice snapped him out of confusion just by shouting his name. "Fly above it! Get high in the air!"

Jess grimaced, and then changed her order. "Use the rocks from the Earthquake! Ancient Power!"

Alex leveled an arm at Ho Oh then. "Activate Overdrive!" The dragon's whiskers extended back from his snout to the black and white circles on opposing sides of his body, just under his wings, where they fused to his flesh. Tao's body lit up then as his tail expanded, becoming a fusion of Reshiram's and Zekrom's. It was, in essence, a fusion reactor, and the base design for what would power the Enterprise once it was ready. The tips of his claws glowed red with fire, through the ice that encased them. His icy horns and underbelly glowed blue, as the roiling plasma within was awakened. "Frost Bolt!"

From above Ho Oh, the super effective attack struck like lightning, too fast to be dodged. Tao's body twisted in the air, as her Ancient Power soared past him, and smashed into their barrier. "We're not done yet!" Jess shouted. "Recover!" Ho Oh's body glowed with a rainbow light, restoring her health. As she opened her eyes though, briefly blinded and deafened by the act of healing, Tao's form was gone from her sight. "He Teleported!" Jess warned. "Use-" But it was too late.

"Ancient Power." Alex said calmly from across the field. Both Ho Oh and Jess heard him perfectly though. Tao's Overdriven form appeared then, and this time a condensed beam of rock energy shot forward from his maw, hammering the rainbow phoenix, and sending her sailing into the barrier. The crowd winced, as they saw her take the quadruple effective strike. "It might be time to give up, Jess." Alex said, as Tao readied another Imperial Rage. "I don't want to injure Ho Oh."

Her Trainer hat lowered, hiding her face under it, and her hair. "You should know me better than that…to think I'd ever give up! It's time, Ho Oh!" The ancient bird nodded in understanding. Though she'd been slow to warm to Jessica, they had grown close over these last few months together. Ho Oh admired her strength, the depths of her emotions, but beating Alex Redwood had always been something she'd known the young human would have to do eventually. Or at the very least, give everything in the attempt. Tao did not choose weak Tamers after all. Ho Oh had not expected to win and so far, Redwood's battle prowess with the dragon was akin to his first predecessor. She'd never understood why the Original Dragon took such an interest in humankind. Indeed, most Legendary Pokémon shared her opinion, when it came to him. Now though, she had a better understanding of the lengths a Guardian would go, for their Tamer. No matter how foolish or incompetent said Tamers turned out to be. Even if maintaining balance meant splitting oneself in three parts for millennia.

Thankfully, Redwood was unlike the last Princes of the Harmonia line. Jessica too, was different, and for her, Ho Oh was willing to go beyond her limits. "Sunny Day!" Jess shouted. A ball of intensely bright flame appeared between her raised and battle worn wings, blinding everyone. Alex wasn't fazed though, and Tao could rely on other senses to attack.

"End it! Imperial Rage!"

"Now Ho Oh! Burn Up!"

Both Alex and Tao hesitated from the shock, and the known repercussions, of that particular move. They also both realized then just how serious Jess was about winning.

Through the rising ball of sunlight, Ho Oh came burning forward, very much on fire. The flames were gold, and she shrieked as she charged into Tao's glowing form and sent him smashing into the opposite side of the field's barrier as the attack connected. His Overdrive was knocked free, and while the most powerful move Ho Oh could learn had been strengthened by Sunny Day and the same typing, it hadn't been enough to OHKO the Original Dragon.

For her part, Ho Oh seemed smaller, most of her feathers having burnt off with the attack, along with her fire typing. Both the dragon and the phoenix were on the ground now, panting hard, as their Tamers waited for the dust to clear. Jess struck first. "Ancient-"

"Enough!" Alex Shouted, as he bamfed onto the field, an immediate disqualification, and came between the two Legends, hands raised. "Enough." He stared at Jess for a long moment, then smiled at her. He, like Tao, knew who would've won the battle. Losing Overdrive left the dragon lethargic for too long to counter, and one Ancient Power would be enough to finish him now. There was no point in making him suffer that though. "People of Fornia. I give you…your newest Champion!"

Both Tao and Ho Oh relaxed, as Alex stopped them, and the two shared a nod of respect, and also understanding. Tao could sense his western counterpart had, finally, regained some measure of hope in humanity. Indeed, out of all four of them, only Jess seemed upset about the outcome. Alex floated over to her, as the crowd cheered.

"I…I just wanted to know, once and for all, who is stronger." Jess said, looking up at him. The expression on her face confused him. Her eyes were tearing up, but she had a small smile.

"You won; you know." He said quietly, and she blinked a few times, then wiped her eyes. "Tao becomes incapacitated when his Overdrive gets interrupted. At least for a time. You would've won with the next move…but then his secret would be out." In truth, he felt he and Tao could've maybe blocked the next Ancient Power, or at least made it a draw, but he didn't want to rob the win from her like that. She'd gotten them good, and he didn't want to cheapen their first battle with each other with a desperate draw. "Flying through Sunny Day to boost fire power…I'll remember that. For when we have a proper ten v. ten." She shook her head, but he got the smile at least.

Alex looked at Tao, who'd recovered by this point, and with a flash he returned to his staff form and zipped into Alex's hand. He looked back at Jess then, and winked.

"I'll see you later, for your lesson."

And then, he bamfed away to a place he hadn't exactly set an anchor but remembered well enough. Seeing the eastern side of Fornia's wilderness for the first time left an impression. As he appeared on the slightly weathered rocky outcropping they'd left in their wake, he realized he didn't really care for scenic views. A landscape was a landscape, but when you were with the right person, it became something more impactful.

He turned towards the Stoney Mountains then, looking up, he started jumping with a slight psychic boost. He heard a growl as he landed in a sizable clearing around the mountain's top. Looking around he spotted a Rockruff. Compared to the ones he usually saw, this one's fur was wild, unkempt and full of rocks. "Ahh. Hello there, little friend."

The Rockruff's ears twitched, as he understood the human perfectly, but he didn't back off. Alex continued. "I'm actually looking for your parents…or, perhaps, their leaders. I ah…have important things to discuss with them. Could you take me to your pack? I have Berries for you all, if you do." He pulled out a Sitrus Berry then, and tossed it towards the Rockruff, who sniffed it warily.

It glared at Alex then. "We don't like Humans. Humans are evil. You do evil things to Pokémon. Leave."

Alex nodded along with his words. "You…are unfortunately right, little one. Humans, especially around here, have been evil for a long, long time. But those times have now passed. I am the Human in charge of these lands, now." Still holding Tao, he let the bottom of the staff thump the rocky ground with authority. "I am the newest Dragon Emperor. Please. Take me to your pack."

The Rockruff was silent for a long time, staring at the human, then at the staff. Finally, he took a bite of the berry, and waited. Seeing it wasn't tainted, he nodded, picked it up, and began walking. "This way." He growled with his mouth full. "Give food. Then talk."

He paused about half of an hour after their climb further up the rocky terrain and looked at Alex. "Wait." Before them was a cluster of pine trees that seemed to be concealing a large space beyond.

The Rockruff trotted on then, presumably to the Lycanroc's den. The barks and growls that followed weren't language that Alex could grok completely. Much like dragon types, Lycanroc and other canines had a method of speech that went beyond the 'words' Pokémon could use. He could still understand the nature of their tone, though. As expected, they were wary, but agreed the food was not tainted, at least. Apparently, it had been a long time since they'd met a human who wasn't trying to catch them.

Alex brought out more Sitrus Berries, and despite having stocked up, he knew how much a Lycanroc could eat. An entire pack would put a sizable dent in his stash. That was fine though, berries were absurdly easy to grow in massive quantities. Two Day Form Lycanroc came through the snow-covered bushes hiding their den, as he levitated the food into the air. Alex smiled genuinely at them, and while they didn't let down their guard, they could actually read facial expressions. There was no lie in this human's eye. "Hello there. I promised my young friend I'd have food for all of you." He gestured at the floating berries around them limned in blue aura. The two stone wolves shared a look. "All I ask in exchange is to speak with your Alpha, if possible."

Like their junior, their manes were wild and proud, their stoney ruffs were more chipped and rugged than trained Lycanroc, probably from regular battles of dominance over food or females. One stepped forward then. "It has been…many moons since a Human came to us as you have, speaking our tongue. Only the tan-skin-black-hair Humans remember the old ways. The pale ones…they have turned evil." Her eyes shifted to his staff, then. "But you…do not smell evil. Your terms are agreed upon. Follow, and give food first."

He nodded. Professor Aristole had mentioned that the first Dragon Emperor had once spoken with the Lycanroc of the Stoney Mountains and befriended them. The people had all but revered them after that, and in turn, they became partners with humans, or guided those lost on the mountains to safety. All that had changed with the Arceans in power, though Aristole didn't have specifics, it was obvious Pravus and his goons had likely done unspeakable evil to them, but Alex had hoped that some of them might still remember the human who had spoken their language and been their ally in ages past.

Walking into a den of wolves was an unnerving experience as he felt the intensity of their eyes but coming with a floating shield of food helped. One by one, he distributed a berry to each pack member he saw, and as the puppies came out of the woodwork, he gave additional berries. Finally, they reached the back of the heavily wooded area, and ducked into what was the largest cave there. In the back of said cave, surrounded by females of both the Midday and Midnight variety, was a Lycanroc that Alex hadn't been expecting to see. Had he not befriended Ghost, to a degree, he wouldn't have known it was a Dawn Form Lycanroc.

He was old, leaner than Ghost, and likely very ancient. He was also larger, at least in terms of pure size, and while his gaze had a hint of ferocity to it, he was like a Teddiursa cub compared to the look in Ghost's eyes. Alex set the staff to one side, where it stayed standing straight up on its own, and he bowed low, closed fist to open palm. "Greetings, Alpha of the Lycanroc. I bring food, first."

He gestured slowly, and the remaining Sitrus Berries floated towards him and his harem. Tiny, adorable fluffy heads popped up from their mom's fur and manes, and Alex just directed the rest of the pile before the alpha's perch. The old wolf grabbed one, scarfed it down, and nodded. A smile pulled at his old lips. "To think I would be the one to see the Dragon's Tamer return to us. What a life." He inclined his head towards the staff then, and Alex had no doubt he understood what Tao was. The dragon's presence was probably the reason the pack had been so accepting of him, though the food helped. "You are both welcome in Lupercal. We have not forgotten the old pact, as the pale Humans have."

"The Humans of these lands were tricked, subverted by an enemy most foul. You know of what I speak. They have since been freed." Alex said, confidently. "They will no longer bother you, except perhaps to try to tame one of you. The right way. With a Battle, and a ball, to make you a partner and not a tool. Not by force. You no longer need to hide from Humans, and if they do mistreat you…I will handle them. Personally. You have my promise, on that."

The old wolf seemed to chuckle, and then glanced at the staff. "You are wise indeed, Dragon. To find so many worthy Humans." He looked back at Alex then. "Very well. We will no longer be hostile to Humans who follow the Way. To those you call Trainers. Provided they respect these mountains, they will be free to travel them again, as in ages past."

Alex nodded. "I have one other proposal…" The old wolf grabbed another berry from the dwindling pile and nodded for him to continue. Alex psychically sent more berries atop it, to the delight of the hungry puppies. It was hard ignoring their cuteness, but he persevered. "The lands to the west have been tainted by an ancient atrocity. I intend to…bring new life back to them." He had to resist smirking.

In his head, he heard Temere sing the last verses to Rivers in the Desert, and the rest of the boys joined in for the final line. Alex relented and promised them another jam session soon. He continued speaking. "This will upend the land quite a bit. But with enough water and melted snow, among other things, I believe I can restore the desert to what it once was. I just wanted to give you, and the other mountain Pokémon, a heads up first. I don't want anyone who is weak to water caught in the rivers I'll be making."

The wolf tilted his head, pausing his noms. "You can…create a whole river? How?"

Alex explained then, in simple terms, how earthbending worked then, and the old wolf seemed impressed. "Hopefully, with time, the land will be able to return to normal. I also intend to remove any lingering corruption in the old ruins in the desert. With water and a lack of Shadow, I believe the land will recover."

The wolf seemed to think for a long time. "There are many Pokémon in the desert. There will be less space for them. They will not listen to us, either. We can move those who live in the mountains, and show you where to avoid any nesting Larvitar, but those to the west do not know us, and have not for many winters."

"The Larvitar here were my main concern. I don't want to hurt them or upset their mothers. I will speak to those in the west, once I'm finished here."

The old wolf smiled then. "We will show you a place to start this river. It gets a lot of snow, and as it falls, it will melt quickly. We can also have the Ice Types here guide any excess snowfalls to this place. We wish for the lands in the west to prosper as well."

Alex thanked the old wolf, and then blinked, as he felt a tiny nose prodding at his leg. Looking down, he met the gaze of a more adamant Rockruff. He offered a berry, but the little one simply looked back at his father, and yipped. The alpha seemed to chuckle. "He wishes to go with you. He likes your scent. Will you make him strong, for us?"

Alex nodded, and knelt down to the pupper's level, giving him all the scritches. His tail swished as he enjoyed the under-chin scritches. "Battling is quite hard. It's a long, long road to the top. If at any point you wish to come back home, you can. Either permanently, or just to visit, whatever you want. Does this sound good to you?" The rock pupper yipped, and then leapt towards Alex. He caught him under the arms with both hands, examined him for any bruises, mange, or injuries, and then nodded seeing he was healthy. He brought out a Luxury Ball then. "In you go…young Romulus." The Rockruff's ears perked up at his new name, and he booped his snoot on the ball's button, before being transferred inside. As it dinged shut, Alex smirked, and then put his miniaturized ball onto his cape.

He bowed again to the elder, and as he made to leave, grabbing Tao again, the old wolf spoke once more. "I am not the first Dawn Form you've seen, am I."

Alex turned, facing him properly. "No. You are not. My cousin's Rockruff gained a form very similar to yours."

The old wolf nodded, mostly to himself. Then, he looked back at Redwood. "If you could send them our way, when you are able, I would appreciate it."

Alex stared at the old wolf for a moment, before nodding. He had an idea as to why. "I will not forget."

The alpha Lycanroc nodded. "Good. Lupus, guide him to where he needs to go." One of the younger Day Form males looked at his father, snort-huffed, grabbed another berry, and munched it down as he trotted out of the cave.

"This way, Human."

It was another lengthy hike through snow and rock before Lupus stopped and pointed with his nose. "Here. From here to the west, no Pokémon reside."

Alex nodded, mentally checking the area anyway. The wolf was correct. "For your trouble." Alex said, tossing him a Figy Berry. Eyes alight at his favorite noms, Lupus caught it easily, and munched.

"I will watch. Just to be sure."

"Then stand back, my friend. Things are going to get…loud." Alex turned to face the west then, and he heard the wolf trot away into the foliage to eat his noms and watch the strange human. Alex crouched, Tao still in hand, and attuned himself to the rock and ground. Then, he leaped. He was a good sixty feet in the air before he let gravity take him. Both hands on Tao now, he slammed the staff into the ground as he came back down, and with his help, guided the massive fissure he made in the mountainside and the land below in a straight line. As the ground fell inward, so did the snow. Luckily, he sensed no Pokémon that had fallen into the fissure.

He flew into the air then and called out Shruikan. "We need to outpace the snow! Think you're up to it?" The Salamence nodded, and then zoomed forward, as Alex hung on for dear life to his scaly neck. When they reached the end of his first earthbending strike, Shruikan did a barrel roll, and Alex went sailing downwards again, this time making two outlines in the land for the oncoming water as he landed with an earthshaking boom. One went further west, the other headed south. He leveled the land so that most of the initial water would head west first, and further to the west, at the end point of his second strike, he had Shruikan land.

"You're up, Tao. Terra, Arbor, you too." The Original Dragon once more assumed his titanic form, and together, they began bending an oasis into being in the desert. Eremus had moved quite a few of the Pokémon southward, and those he had missed or those who remained had enough sense to run when they felt the massive shifts in the earth. Terra and Arbor Seed Bombed the area, and the titanic earth tortoise made said seeds sprout rapidly.

Once they were done, Alex and Arbor nodded in agreement when Tao remarked at how lush it seemed. "Yes, well done Terra. We've created a proper river, in a dry land." At his words, the rest of the team began, again, mentally belting the lyrics to their newest jam.

Tao chuckled at their antics, and addressed Alex once he recalled his grass types. "You must guide your river past a specific mountain between here and the coast." The dragon told him. "When Lab Ein was destroyed, it ruined several biomes in the wake of Groudon's attacks. Purge the land, and guide the water. I will await you in Unova, where we will do more terraforming."

Alex's brows furrowed. "But that desert is much smaller. Won't the Pokémon be displaced?"

"That desert was created by a fire that should not have raged so out of control…it is an ancient mistake I have long since meant to correct. I will move them to Orre or Fornia. They will not mind having more space." Tao flew off then, and Alex heard him humming the tune as well. He chuckled for a good minute, before he continued on.

From what Eremus had found, number wise, there would indeed be room in the Mohave Desert, and Orre's desert was already mostly barren when it came to fauna. Hopefully the Pokémon hiding there would come out now that the danger of being corrupted with Shadow had mostly passed. Alex sent Blaze, Arthur, and Shruikan ahead to clear anyone around the coast, and by the time he'd flattened the mountain that had once held Lab Ein and purged the surrounding landscape of the lingering Shadow from the battle there, he was winded, and found a growing crowd of humans, some beach goers, most Trainers who doubled as reporters, and had flying types.

"They won't move." Blaze told him through their mental link. "No matter how we roar at them."

Alex sighed. Bending an entire river into existence, without Tao's aid, was exhausting. He wanted to finish this, take a break, and then continue carving rivers into the southern part of the desert. Those likely wouldn't last, but even desert dwellers needed some water to survive, and the area around Vega was completely devoid of it. As he reached the end of his latest earthbending strike, he inhaled slowly, and Shouted at the crowd in the distance. A single Word roared like thunder through the area. "MOVE!"

Most of the humans scurried away, for reasons they didn't quite understand, and those who hesitated joined them when the earth began to shake and shatter. As he had with the other sections, he used a combination of earth and waterbending to make sure the river would work on its own. As meltwater came rushing down, he chuckled, as he saw some eager Magikarp in the ocean already leaping upstream. He welcomed them. Pokémon had a habit of keeping biomes alive, and Magikarp were no exception.

He sat by the edge of the river in the sand of the golden coast, panting hard. His partners kept the reporters at bay, at least until he'd caught his breath and wiped his sweaty face. He recalled them after giving each a berry for their efforts and turned to the crowd of news-hungry humans. "Go on, then, ask your questions."

"What exactly are you doing?" "Do you know who this land is owned by?" "Who approved your terraforming methods?" "Do you realize how close you were to hitting us!?" On and on the deluge came, devolving into babble, until Alex raised a hand eventually.

"I'll answer what I was able to hear. I'm making a river in the desert, to create new life and bring back Pokémon to the lands tainted by the fall of Old Vega. The desert will shrink in size over time, but the Pokémon will adapt, and the Humans here now have a new source of freshwater, all the way from the Stoney Mountains. I don't care who claims to own the land, I don't need approval, and not one of you was in any danger of being hit. That's why my Pokémon were out here. Telling you to move." The reporters started in with more questions, but he held up a hand. "I have more water to redirect, to Sacreus, and further south of it. I also have to remove the Shadow taint Pravus left in Old Vega, so excuse my rudeness…but I have rivers to be creating."

He crouched then, and shot into the air again, as the cameras followed him. He had no illusions about what Arc News would be saying in just a few short hours, but by then, he intended to be done. And to pay them a little visit. It was hard to spew BS when the object of their ire was able to bamf into their studio and counter it, live on the air.

He found the initial split in the river he'd made, and as expected, it was nearly full. He split it again, sending some towards Sacreus, and further expanding the river southwards. As they approached the ruins of Vega, he sent the water underground, and then landed in the ancient city. It was a strange, unnatural sight, and as he channeled the Light into it, Nox rose from his shadow to Shadow Punch through a Shadow Ball another Gengar had aimed his way.

Alex turned towards the large specimen of poisonous ghost. "That wasn't very nice."

The Gengar frowned, and then grinned as he understood the human. "Neither is your bright Light. Stop it. We like this place as it is."

"This place is tainted with evil. With Shadow energy. Once it is gone, you and the other ghosts are more than free to stay here. But I will be Purging the Shadow from the land. It's ruining the lives of other Pokémon far from here."

The Gengar seemed to ponder this, for a while. "Fine. We will hide until the Light stops. But the city is ours."

Thankfully, any Shadow Pokémon that had been here had long since been acquired by the Arceans, and likely Purged of their taint. All that remained here was the lingering darkness of Pravus's sacrificial ritual. As Light flowed into the land, the lingering malicious souls of both humans and Pokémon were released from their lingering. Some stayed, and would become Pokémon, while others finally moved on, to the Spirit World, or wherever else their fate would take them.

He continued his terraforming, all the way to the Majestic Canyon. He let Blaze fly off to visit the other Charizard, as he very carefully guided fresh water into the existing river system. "That's some impressive bending." Came a female voice from behind him. It sounded familiar, but Alex couldn't immediately place it.

As he turned and saw the speaker though, he recognized her. He was in a cave at this point, covered in dirt, mud, and with more than a few wet spots on his clothes. "Professor Dracaena. I didn't think anyone would be down here, let alone someone like you. You don't need to hide anymore, you know. Fornia is free."

The Professor smiled at him. "It is. Both you and Jessica have done quite well in freeing us, but this…" She gestured at the river. "This will ensure that this canyon survives. This is a perfect example of using one's power for good, and apparently, you've been bringing life all over the Mohave Desert."

Alex nodded, tiredly. "It was more draining than I thought…but I know having water will mean the difference between life and death for many Humans and Pokémon. Tao wants to do the same thing, back in Unova."

The Professor chuckled. "Well, in that case, here." She tossed him a ball, and he glanced at her with a raised eyebrow once he saw its contents. "Horsea's line doesn't do well in this canyon, and this is the last one I was planning to relocate. Something tells me he'd rather be Trained, though. Why don't you find out, with that gift of yours."

And so, entirely for the Professor's curiosity, Alex did. He was a fierce little water type, but both Hydrus and Pruina agreed he'd be a powerful addition to his rapidly and unintentionally forming C Team. Alex named him Kral, and then added him to his cloak. He turned back to the Professor, then. "I must be off. Thank you. I'll see that he becomes a strong Dragon Type."

The Professor bid him farewell, and with that, Alex summoned Blaze back to him, and bamfed to Unova to begin the process of making literal rivers in the desert all over again. He flew on Shruikan from Memphis though, both to recover, and to let his partners, new and old, mentally jam out together as they flew.

(Fornia, after Redwood's shenanigans)

Shadelight, Aurora - Albion region

Morgana cared not for the whispers in the shadows. They taunted her, warned her of the darkness encroaching on her world. How everything, and everyone would succumb to the Shadow. Beings of pure Shadow had even tried attacking her, and while Mordred had moved to stop them, Morgana had simply raised the staff, and absorbed their Shadow energy. All the while, her grin grew in the pure, utter blackness of the tomb. If the Successor had this much power, enough to spawn semi-sentient lifeforms, she could only imagine what he would do once he returned.

Over broken stone bridges and past several barriers that she nullified with simple incantations, inch by inch she 'cleansed' the tomb. Realistically, she was gathering the Shadow in and around it to her, using the staff as a focal point. Sensing this, eventually, the Shadow energy began converging on her on its own, from all across the desert and then all but dragged her further down, to a sarcophagus that was bolted with heavy, rune inscribed chains. The Shadow around her surged towards it, but the chains shone bright blue, and repelled the darkness. Dark purple energy roiled around it, seeming almost impatient.

"Tsk tsk." Morgana muttered. "The Archon King's seal still holds…that won't do. Mordred. Shatter it."

Without hesitation, the Shadow Gallade marched forward, though he winced, and backed away as the chains repelled him, as well. He saw the focal point though, a round, circular object with a shape on it that resembled a Herlemin, a double-ended axe. There was an S like line splitting the circular object as well, and Mordred narrowed his eyes, as the pattern of the glow reminded him far too much of the symbol of Balance that had come to represent his most hated enemies.

Steeling himself with that hatred, he strode forward again, and Morgana watched, fascinated, as the Gallade's unusual red and deep blurple coloring gave way to the usual green and white of his species' line. Then, Mordred struck the seal with a double Brick Break, and the power of the move shattered both crisscrossing chains in one stroke. The Shadow energy around them surged towards the sarcophagus, and through Mordred as well. His Shadow coloring returned, and darkness seeped from under the stone lid of the Successor's grave.

Morgana unceremoniously shoved the top off and sighed. More chains bound pieces of his perfectly preserved and muscular frame in place, as the Shadow struggled to knit them back together. She removed them herself this time, one piece at a time, with the head being last. She could tell though; he was not fully rejoined. The Shadow merely knitted the flesh, but everything else had still remained severed.

So, from his forehead, Morgana ran a long-nailed finger down his pale flesh, and chanted, "Sinews mend and muscles heal, let your dead nerves feel. Broken bones and spine severed, join once more from nape to nether…hrm." She paused at his nether region, sensing he still wasn't ready. The Shadows in her mind whispered that there needed to be something more.

"You have a knack for rhyme. Do you do this all the time?" Pravus said from above her. He smirked, and Morgana didn't like how smug he was at that all important moment. Then, she realized what was missing.

She raised a hand towards him suddenly, and his mummified wings stopped mid-flight, as Pravus found them, and his mouth, indeed his entire skull, frozen by the witch's magic. "Spark of darkness, undead dread…fill our Champion's rotten head…wings of Shadow give you flight…until you achieve the Death of Light!"

Pravus felt his wings evaporate, and his skin turned brittle. His tongue turned to ash, and his jaw fell away from his skull as his skin and sinew became dust. He was completely useless now. A skull with unnatural, tortured eyeballs inhabiting the skinless sockets. He couldn't even move, he could only watch from the floor, as the dark powers he'd bargained with abandoned him for a superior vessel…or perhaps, the vessel they had intended to one day inhabit the entire time. Long had the Shadows whispered to him to visit Albion. Doing so on his victorious return from Norstad had led him to meet the witch in the first place. He should have perhaps been more wary about a second Shadow enthusiast in the world, and one so clearly favored by the dark powers.

Morgana had completely forgotten about Caleb Pravus, as his usefulness ended. Even the Shadow tracker still affixed to his skull was forgotten, as she took in the sight before her, and felt the Shadow draw upon the staff's power. She gave it willingly, quietly wondering if the Shadow would turn her into a skinless husk as well.

Given the pitch blackness of the tomb, the only light came from the eerie purple glow that surrounded and levitated the body of the Successor. Dark wings formed from his back, and purple sigils shone bright on what seemed like black ephemeral feathers. The wings faded from sight, as his eyes opened, and he breathed for the first time in millennia. He coughed, as he unceremoniously fell to the ground before his tomb. His skin now resembled Pravus's, and his Hand's, in the unsettling white tone of it. His rotted hair slowly regained its former volume, and as he hacked up millennia worth of dust from his lungs and stomach, his body began to function again, piece by piece.

A large, clawed hand instinctively moved to his neck, as the last image of his mortal life flashed before his eyes. His brain too, was recovering and with that came most of his memories. A ridiculously burly man in golden plate armor and a similarly bright helmet surrounded by a full body shield of light blue aura, coming for his head with a massive crimson greatsword whose blade was curved like a crimson S, and yet sturdy enough to, if he recalled correctly, slay dragons. The Hero of Albion. Of course. He remembered now. He looked around and as he did, purple flames lit the long dead torches of his tomb, giving him light, of a kind, as soon as he desired it.

Then, he noticed her. Kneeling before him more out of exhaustion than reverence was a woman in tattered attire he recognized as being of Albion. And she was clinging to his staff. He let her. He had no more need for it. Not now. "I…take it…you…are the one who…revived me." His hoarse vocal cords hissed, as they adjusted to being used again.

Morgana nodded. "I am a humble servant of the Shadow. The whispers…they bid me raise you back to unlife, in this modern era."

"How long…has passed?" He asked, as he walked past her, down the steps leading to his sarcophagus.

"Thousands of years, my…erm…my Lord…" Morgana answered.

"Proditor." He said in a stronger baritone, answering her unasked question as he sensed it in her mind. His psychic powers were coming back as well, and he expanded his consciousness for miles, searching for any bastions of might and Light, like perhaps, an Archon long in hiding. There was nothing. He grinned and turned to her in all his nude glory. His body was the peak of male physicality. "I am Lord Proditor. Champion of the Shadow." He stared at the woman expectantly.

"Morgana." She said, standing now, and leaning heavily on the staff. "Current Queen of Albion."

Proditor narrowed his eyes at her. "Have the Archons fallen to Shadow then? Only they truly rule in Albion."

Morgana gave a little cackle. "My Lord…the Archons are dust. The Aura Guardians are broken. The Light's Champions are potent…but untempered compared to you. There is only one power in this era that might stand against you, and last more than a few moments."

Having sensed something when he expanded his mind, Proditor ignored Morgana for the moment, and approached an alcove in the wall of the tomb. Two sigil-covered suits of armor flanked what he recognized as one of his capture spheres, and within, was one of his oldest friends. The only one older than this one was his Abomasnow. A small smile cracked his impassive handsome visage, and he reached out for the black crystalline sphere, taking it in his hand, as he walked back to the center of the room. Predictably, at least to him, the two suits of armor burned to life with psychic power. They were Sigilyphs of the Albion region, heavy armored humanoid cyclopian guards wielding dual-bladed glaives that had been set to guard this place. They shared a similar pattern and color scheme to the psychic and flying variants, but these psychic and steel types had been painted blue and gold, in the Hero of Albion's colors.

Proditor raised the sphere to his mouth as he sensed Morgana scurry out of sight. "Shellraiser…"

Before him, his loyal Shadow Blastoise appeared on all fours. He rose then with a low growl, looking as formidable as his Trainer remembered. His shell was like obsidian, shiny, black, and jagged with sharp edges. His underbelly was bone white, while his skin was an unsettling blurple. His red eyes focused on the Sigilyph as they advanced on him, and his shell cracked open after millennia of disuse, revealing a pair of cannons not unlike a regular Blastoise, save that the top part of the barrels curved into a sharp point.

"Shadow Cannon."

With a grin that matched his master's, the Shadow Blastoise aimed and fired. Two black jets of water infused with Shadow launched towards the Sigilyph, taking them both out in a single shot. They fell to the ground with disappointing ease, and Shellraiser stomped on their pieces, before turning and grinning at his Tamer. "Well done…old friend." "Blaaaast." "Let's go get the rest of the party back together."

Shellraiser returned to his sphere with a flash of blurple light, and Proditor looked over at the Queen, who'd since come out of hiding as she spoke. "I will accompany you, Lord Proditor. There is much you do not know about this time period."

Proditor fixed her with a stare. "You said there is one who could stand against me. Who."

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Chapter 48: Black Wings Unfurled

Desert Resort - Unova Region

Alex Redwood's eyes shifted around the oasis they'd created in the singed land of Unova's center. Other Pokémon had joined his own by this point, and were frolicking atop the titanic forms of Terra, Tao, and his other larger Pokémon. The Original Dragon was smiling at him. "You've done well, Alex. Very well. Not even the first Dragon Emperor was able to so radically alter the landscape of his territory. Not with such speed. How are you feeling?"

Alex looked around at his partners and smirked. Romulus had almost immediately befriended Canis, and Arthur was training them away from the water. He closed his eyes then, remembering the goodbye he'd endured, amidst gaining new partners. Eremus had, upon Alex going to retrieve him, decided to stay in the Mohave Desert, with his own kind. Most of those he'd gotten to move had been Trapinch and their friends. If Alex ever needed him, he'd sworn to answer the call, and Alex had hidden the few tears that had formed from leaving his chompy little Trapinch behind under his hat. He was now a fully realized dragon. He knew Eremus would thrive, and he'd stayed a part of their mental web, but it was hard letting go of someone who'd been on the team since the hope of new beginnings had burned their feet in this very desert, when he'd been traversing Unova with his original six. Thanks to his distance from them, Eremus seemed quieter now but still there, which was better than nothing.

He opened his eyes again and the smirk faded, as he looked at the rest of his partners and wondered who else would leave him, in time. He was going to be alive for a while, and despite his attempts to hide what he was feeling from spoiling their mood, he felt Terra's snout push at his arm. He gave his wise earth tortoise's mossy under chin a thorough scratch and the giant shell boi thrummed in response. He was content to know at least one partner had no intention of leaving him. His eyes had been on his Lost Prince of a foreign region though. Someone he'd also come to regard as a brother.

"I'm just tired from Bending." He finally said, as he watched Hydrus and Kral trade Water Guns. Temere continued to practice the chords of 'Rivers in the Desert' in the background, which was still a jam even without the drums, or surprisingly hardcore violin. He was rocking it from his perch atop Pruina's shell. Looking at the scene, and his newest friends, he smiled. "It still feels like a dream sometimes. I never imagined I'd have more than six Pokémon, let alone almost thirty."

The dragon's lips pulled up in a knowing smirk as his nonchalant voice filled the air. "You will meet many partners in your time. Perhaps, even one of each species. You've attracted quite a female, as well. How was your first Battle with her?"

Alex chuckled. He was salty about losing so publicly and yet he was also…proud? He didn't know if it was sexist or something to think of her that way, and he didn't much care. He remembered where Jess had started, and now she had a win against him and Tao. Something nobody else had managed, Legendary Tamer or not. He liked to think he'd helped her get there, or at the very least, started her on the path. "It wasn't actually our first. We Battled when we first met, but…it helped me realize just how far she's come. But we're technically even, now. I won't underestimate her again."

Tao nodded sagely. "She is a proper rival of yours now."

Alex shrugged. "She always has been. Kind of. Most of our main ten Pokémon see each other as siblings. Using you and Ho Oh is a good loophole around that."

"You know…I don't believe you've mentioned how you two met." Tao said, using his curious tone.

Alex nodded. "You're right, I haven't told you, have I? Well, you know the broad strokes of my childhood. I met her during my Trainer Exam." A small smile cracked the impassive visage he'd had since thinking about his Pokémon leaving him. "Thinking back, I was definitely smitten on sight. I can't explain how or why…I just thought she was beautiful. That's never changed, either. Every time I saw her, I just fell harder. You'd have to ask her when she started feeling the same."

Just then, her voice came from behind him, and his smile shifted to a smirk. Clever dragon. He'd just proven himself a better wingman than every single one of his friends. Jess had been suppressing her presence, and he hadn't noticed her approach.

"Well, when you stopped that horny Tauros that almost trampled me that one time with your bare hands, I think I started seeing you differently. It was a lot…recognizing the kid who beat me and my brother, and erm…everything else that was going on in the background." He stood from the rock he'd been sitting on, and then she was in his arms. She stared up at him with eyes that had long since snared his entire being. "I don't think there's one moment where I fell for you. More like a hundred. It was a uh…slow burn, as you say."

Alex found his nostrils flaring as he very much wanted to kiss her then and the light of the setting sun made the mood ideal for it, but he could feel the eyes of literally the entire oasis watching them. "Aherrm. Speaking of burning…I owe you a lesson, don't I?"

Jess nodded, and in short order, Alex was demonstrating what firebending forms he knew, as he explained how bending energy worked. 'Knew' was a strong term though, he was really just copying from memory, badly, what he'd seen Okuz use during their spar, and what the ghost of Avatar Kasai had taught him and Jimen. He could sense the disapproval from Tao, as the dragon quietly watched his sloppy attempt at forms he'd imparted to the Fire Nation ages ago.

"Basically, you need a source of natural energy…or, well, I do anyway. But regular Benders are more powerful when surrounded by their element, as a rule. With Firebending, your main source is always going to be the Sun. Nearby flames and other such heat sources also help." He fired off a few flaming punches then and added a spinning kick Okuz had used against him. "Breath control is also a big part of it. Your inhale must be as strong as your exhale, or the flames will be weak. Emotion can also make your flames hotter, but the real power in Firebending comes from your breathing."

Jess nodded, then frowned. "I still don't understand this…Nature Energy stuff…"

Alex nodded. "It's hard to sense at night. You can't do it with psychic power alone, you need to feel it." He looked up at the gorgeous desert night sky and sighed. "Maybe it's better if we do this in the morning. The rising Sun will give you more than enough fire power."

As Alex was looking into the distance, his current firebending form faltered, as he saw something flying towards them at a rapid pace. Several somethings, that had riders atop them, and blotted out the stars as they approached. Each one seemed to be holding what looked at this distance like a blue stick.

"Uhh…" He looked over at Tao. "I take it you didn't have time to inform everyone else of what we're doing."

The dragon nodded and Alex sighed, before inhaling deep and breathing new flames into existence, then bending them skyward in the symbol of his empire. The blue sticks sank into the darkness and a few minutes later, their new oasis was buzzed by at least fifteen dragon types, all with riders. Alex recognized who was leading them by his armor, that of a General.

"General Nate. What brings you to our little oasis in a singed land?" He said, as the newest Gym Leader of Opelucid City landed with a puff of sand before them.

Nate glanced around, taking in the sight of his, and now Jessica's Pokémon. "Dragon Emperor. The local eggheads measured several earthquakes registering at a nine point two, in the desert. They figured it was a Pokémon with how focused they were, or perhaps some gang up to no good, but I take it you've been doing here what you did in Fornia, right?" A smirk appeared under his helmet, which resembled Tao's visage and the statues in his gym. "When are you going to start showing us some of these mysterious 'Korian Energy Bending' techniques?"

The Scales with Nate landed behind him, and his Garchomp, mostly with Hydreigon and Flygon. Alex could tell they had the same question, as he had taught many of them to awaken their psychic abilities. "It'll mostly be the older students of the Sages that can advance to Energybending, but once I teach the Empress here, those assigned to us during the war will report for training. It may take a while."

Nate chuckled. "I'd heard a rumor you two were finally tying the knot. Congratulations. Would you mind if Rosa and I crashed her training session?"

Alex pondered, and then nodded. "Not tomorrow morning…but later in the day we can have a…group lesson. I've been wanting to try using the Plate shards for Energybending too, but they're getting more and more scarce lately. We'll have to start digging for more before long."

"We already have." Tao said from behind them. He stood up and flared out his wings. The black membranes filled with cool desert air, and his lengthy body started floating, trailing out in a spiral behind him. "I will join you tomorrow, for your…lesson. Nate, bring Rosa as well."

Alex just nodded, getting flashbacks from his training in Tao's realm. He could tell when the dragon was…less than impressed with his efforts. He had an idea then. "Hey, Tao, your realm can take four Humans at once, right?"

He nodded as he floated higher. "It's crowded, but yes, four is testing the limit of that space. Along with myself. There's almost no Nature Energy in that place though…not ideal for bending. We will have this lesson at the Palace of Ideals, tomorrow. Rest well, my Scales."

Tao flapped away then, and Jess came up beside Alex. "He sure took that over quickly."

Alex nodded. "I expected him to, when I made my forms sloppy on purpose. You know how he is about limb rigidity and footwork. We'll learn far more if he teaches us. He taught the ancient Firebenders, apparently. That act practically defined their culture for centuries." He wondered what their efforts now would create in the future. He looked at his fiancé then. "Dinner in Kalos?"

"It's late, in Kalos." Jess said with a sigh.

"The Parfum Palace kitchen never closes. For the King, anyway." He gave her a winning smirk.

Jess tilted her head as she pondered the offer for royal food, but it would likely be one in the morning by the time they were served. The last thing she wanted was to keep the chefs up that late just for them.

"Let's hit New Tork. It's still early here, and the people of the Capital could do with seeing their Emperor in person." Jess finally said, as Alex psychically recalled his team and Nate flew off to the north with the other Scales.

"We'll get mobbed, you know." Alex said, barely holding in a sigh. "And someone will probably want to Battle us."

Jess flashed him a smile this time. "I wouldn't mind another Double Battle. We were on fire, in Indius."

Alex smirked. "You were on fire. I was more…Earthquakey. Anyway…where in New Tork?"

Jess winked at him. "The upper east side, of course. I have an anchor. Hold on tight."

It was as he was pulled along by Jess that he realized he was usually the one doing the Teleporting. It was an odd sensation, and as he appeared alongside his redhead in a posh restaurant that had an admittedly great view of Entral Park, he fully understood what he'd been subjecting people to. Not a bad sensation, but an odd one.

A finely dressed gentleman in black and white clothing with a hairstyle Alex could only describe as 'modern fauxhawk' greeted them with a slight bow, taking in Jess and her tall, famous companion. "Miss Gladstone. The usual table?" She nodded and the man led them to a table for one by a window, that was added to, to fit Alex as well.

As they sat, Alex noticed a wall mounted flatscreen TV in view of them. Arc News was on, and though the volume was low, he still grimaced. "I can have them shut it off…" Jess started, but Alex shook his head as he stared grimly at the screen.

"No…but I may need to take out the Trash before we eat…" They ordered their appetizers and drinks, and then he noticed a certain talking head about to come on.

He munched quietly on the bread they had, but Jess could tell where his eyes kept looking, as Arc News started its usual nightly spew. Finally, Alex smirked and said, "Got you, Mukker…" He gave Jess his best apologetic smile, but she just seemed amused. Not at all unlike her Delphox when the irritating creature snickered at him. "I'll be right back…"

Jess just chuckled at him, mentally sensing what he was about to do. "Just remember you're going to be seen by quite a few people. Don't lose your temper."

"Me?" Alex winked at her. "I'm as chill as an Ice Type." He bamfed then, and Jess watched the screen, waiting. He'd taken note of the Arc News headquarters when he was last in Sacreus, and getting there was as simple as Teleporting to his psychic anchor and flying.

Chuck Carolus was Arc News' most prominent 'journalist' and was by all accounts a Mudbray of a man, all too happy to spread whatever propaganda he was told to spread with no regard to the societal damage his lies created. As Jess watched, he had already started on his usual nightly smearing of anything to do with the 'eastern occupation', Fornia's new government, and of course, its leaders. Psychically, she rotated a finger and turned up the volume, not enough to disturb the other patrons, but just enough to be able to listen without straining her ears.

"Our top story tonight, our so-called Dragon Emperor was seen today creating massive earthquakes across the Great Mohave Desert, from the Stoney Mountains, all the way to the golden coast. When asked about his actions, our new Dictator had this to say." Chuck closed his spew hole, and an obviously edited clip from Alex's brief 'meeting' with the Fornians who'd been on the coast began playing. A question from one of the reporters in the crowd around Alex asked, and had been edited out to be heard most clearly, "Do you know who this land is owned by?" Another edit had been used to make it appear like the same person continued on with a secondary question immediately after the first, "Who approved your terraforming methods?"

Alex's response was then 'reported' with more quick edits as: "I'm making a river in the desert. I don't care who owns the land. I don't need approval." A babble of reporter chatter started up again, and Alex held up his hand, once more edited, he said, "I have more rivers to be creating." and then flew off into the sky.

Once more, the punchable face of Carolus filled the screen. "You heard it yourself, ladies and gentlemen, our new Dic-" He paused, looking up behind the camera and made a face, somewhere between a frown and confusion as a deep male voice off screen said, "Hello there." Jess giggled at his timing, and munched on a breadstick as Alex strode onto the camera, fully armored, iconic helmet and all. He psychically pulled up a chair beside Chuck, and pulled the helmet off, before smirking at the man. "Here we are. Arc News. You're Chuck, right? I believe you know me."

The talking head's face went through stages of surprise, anger, and then indignant rage all hidden behind a facade of a smile made of pure sleaze before he said, "Emperor Redwood. What a…surprise. You know if you wanted to come on this badly, you could have made an appointment…"

Alex shook his head. "No, I know how that would go, and I don't have time to wait months of getting the runaround from your secretary before you deign to grace me with time to counteract the BS you're spewing nightly. I'm here to clear up a few things. Lux. Play the clip." As a precaution, and since he decided to do something about Arc News, he'd had his Rotom recording any time he spoke with the press, just in case. Chuck Carolus often used those clips, and heavy editing, to push his narrative. His usual spin of said clips would now be what undid his credibility. Lux replayed the clip of the brief but far more polite conversation in its entirety, from the fairly sized screen of his Holodex.

Chuck crossed his arms, maintaining his air of indignance. "So what if we made a few edits to save time? The point remains the same, you altered the very landscape of Fornia without any warning or permission."

Alex narrowed his eyes and used his 'you're in deep Muk' tone. He felt more satisfaction than he should have as the 'reporter' sat a little straighter. "You cut out the context, and reported outright lies to push your fake narrative. This isn't the first time, either. So let me make something perfectly clear to you, and everyone at Arc News. We value truth in this Empire. This kind of nonsense propaganda brought this land and its government to its knees once before. I will not let it happen again. If you want to be considered as a news station in this Empire, if you want to continue existing as a business, you're going to report on things like every other station. Accurately. With evidence. No more agendas, no more editing to push a narrative, no more Bouffalant Stool. This is your warning: report accurately, or you won't be reporting at all." He sat back then, and let his posture relax, as he smirked at the man. His tone was calmer too. "I don't think that's too much to ask, right? Your viewers deserve not to be lied to. It's not a very high bar for a…news station…to meet."

Chuck narrowed his eyes. "So, what, you're saying if we don't fawn over you, you'll remove our free speech? You're going to add abusing the Press to your crimes too?"

Alex chuckled. "Chuck, if I wanted to abuse your freedom to speak, I'd have just shut down your network, bought out your building, and turned it into…I don't know, maybe a therapy center for all the kids your Arcean Priests raped during their tenure as authority figures in this region. By all means, criticize my actions. I'm not saying you have to like me, my Scales, or the Original Dragon, but you need to understand something: Your people started the War. Your Regions lost that war, and I will not sit idly by and let you incite the masses into senseless rebellion with nothing but lies and propaganda. Cut the BS and report accurately, or don't report at all." He made to stand, then. "That's all I came to say."

"Hold on now, you're just going to leave?" Chuck said, incredulity in his voice.

"Yes." Alex answered plainly, smirking at the man. "I have far more important things to be doing than wasting my time with Arc News. You people are more like an entertainment channel than a news network. But if you want me to answer some questions, I will. I did barge in here, after all."

"How magnanimous." Chuck said, keeping his whiny tone as sarcastic as ever as he gestured to the chair. "Sure, I'll ask you some questions."

Alex shrugged and sat once more, the picture of calm. "Go ahead, then."

Chuck did so, eager to turn things around. "I'm concerned that you don't seem to understand what a big deal your…earthquaking half our region is. Pokémon live in that desert. Pokémon weak to water. How many of them were caught in your unnatural magic?"

"Earthbending. Not magic. No Pokémon were harmed in the making of these new rivers. I had my Pokémon move the locals out of the way. My Flygon is still with them, actually…he decided he wanted to live out there, keep them safe from any more potential Shadow Infusions or Pokémon Hunters." He couldn't hide the sadness in his tone as he mentioned Eremus, but he steeled himself as Chuck continued.

"I don't believe you. There's no way you could alter the face of Fornia without catching at least one Pokémon in the path of your…Earthbending."

"It's not a matter of belief. Your beliefs are irrelevant to the facts. I used my psychic senses to avoid Pokémon nests, and Pokémon themselves. You're right, not all of them went with my Flygon, but the majority did, and those that were left enjoyed getting a cool drink of water at their new oasis. Even desert Pokémon need water. Like most living things."

"Look, the point is, you can't just go around drastically changing entire regions on a whim! You're not Arceus. You-"

Alex held up a hand, sensing this was going nowhere, fast. "Enough. You want to know why I did this? I'll give you the unvarnished truth. Caleb Pravus personally Mukked up the Mohave Desert. Several centuries ago, he gathered as many Fornians and rich people from other States as he could in Vega City. He then sucked the life from the entire city, killing everyone in it, just to sustain his foul powers. That's how he lived so long. That wasn't the last time he did something like that, either. He gathered many members of the local Tribes and did the same thing in the Oasis of- er, in New Vega. The Mohave Desert used to be half its current size. My actions will bring life back to that area, and the Shadow in Old Vega has been Purged. Now it's home to Ghost Type Pokémon, several of whom I would bet are the remnants of your Prophet's ritual." Alex stood up. "I did the same thing in Unova, too. In the Desert Resort. Life will return and adapt to these areas thanks to my efforts. I suggest you keep an eye on them, and what I do next. You're not going to recognize this land once Tao and I are done rebuilding it."

Chuck tried to say something else, but Alex was done indulging him. He gave a two fingered salute to the camera, and then bamfed back to Jess, honing in on her mind as his anchor. Their fellow patrons looked his way as he reappeared, and his armor glowed, as it returned to his belt. He sat back in the chair with a thump and sigh as he smiled at Jess. "See? It doesn't take too long to take out the trash."

She chuckled at the TV, as the surprised expression of Chuck Carolus faded, to a commercial for pills that helped old men with certain older men issues related to their genitalia. "I like how you came in as he was halfway through saying 'dictator'. Masterful timing. Do you think he'll stop the smear campaign?"

Alex chucklesnorted. "No. No way. If pricks like him stopped when you told them to, this would be a very different planet. The next time he tries though, he'll find his access to the network severed. Tao is already on it." Their conversation was interrupted as their appetizer arrived, namely, an upper-class establishment's version of a plate of nachos.

The food was good, the vibes were posh but welcoming, and they didn't have to wait too long for dinner. Somewhere between dinner and dessert, Jess finally asked what he figured was her main question for him, tonight anyway. "I've been thinking about getting my own B Team, you know. Yours have become so strong…and that versatility must be nice. People have started predicting who I use for Battle. There's just one problem…"

"Your throw." Alex said, pouncing on the pause. He knew he guessed right as she flushed red under her hair and nodded. Being a rich daughter, she'd only had to ask for a Pokémon, and she got it. The only one she'd wanted in those days though, was a Snivy. The next had been Chari when she'd seen her sad eyes in the Goldenrod shelter they'd kept her fed in. Pokémon that Trainers didn't want, who were too weak for the wild, often lived in such places, which were actually quite good at training them up a little, to reach that survival competence threshold. Very rarely did such Pokémon stay long enough in those places to level up, though. There were always new Trainers eager for a partner.

Alex used his stupidly long arm to tilt her head up again, so their eyes met. "I can show you the trick to catching. Although my spin might be…rusty. I don't physically throw Pokéballs much these days."

"Well for what I want, I need to be able to hit fast moving targets. On the ground and in the air. Not every Pokémon responds to the Redwood method."

Alex nodded sagely in agreement. His Gruncle had been on point in regard to making sure a new catch wanted to actually be trained, but not all species used tests of strength to measure potential Trainers. "We can go over how to use backspin to curve the throw after the Firebending lesson tomorrow. What were you thinking of getting?"

Jess gave him a coy smile. "You can find out, if I manage to get them. Your B Team is a bit intense for new catches…but if you round out your new one, we can test them out. Properly."

Alex smirked at her. "One of these days…our main ten need to Battle. When that happens, that will be our tiebreaker. Until then, any other Battles we have with the newbies, for experience, won't technically count. In the meantime, I'll figure out who else to add." She agreed to his terms, as his C Team was high leveled, compared to a fresh team at least. He spent the rest of the night quietly pondering who else to add. The majority of his catches from his early days as a Trainer were more interested in enjoying life than battling, which was fine. He cared for them all the same and made a habit of mentally checking on their well-being. He felt Shadow and Espeo mentally bombard him when he asked if any of his Eevee line wanted to be on a battling team and Alex agreed that they could be included. A pair of stronger veterans to help guide the newer ones, much like Eremus had in Koria.

Something Tao had said stuck in his head, about taming one of each species line. So, for the rest of the night he mentally matched potential teams, taking into account of course how they would interact with his older partners. Those who were awake, like Leo, helped him with this. He said the others were all very much on board for adding more members to their team. Alex also practiced throwing Pokéballs in a mind space of his own, and ironed out his rustiness by the time he finally went to sleep. When the sun rose, he felt ready to train.

The Palace of Ideals - Eastern side of Unova

As Alex and Jess returned to what had become the unofficial headquarters for fully realized Scales of Balance, they came upon a sky and landscape absolutely packed with Trainers. "Looks like the word got out. So much for our private lesson." Jess said, with a sigh. Alex recognized them by their minds and as Shruikan landed majestically before the western side entrance to the palace, Alex summoned his armor, and made a motion for them to follow him and Jess inside.

They ended up in the bottommost chamber of the palace, at which point Tao appeared. He exhaled a familiar cloud of Stunky-scented smoke on them, and his voice thundered in the air as he projected it. "Welcome." Tao coiled up, his lengthy body taking up most of the opposite side of the chamber from the crowd of casually dressed Scales.

"I am always impressed by how fast rumors move among Humans. And how wrong they can become the further they spread. Alex is here to help those of you who have awakened a second Typing within yourselves learn to bend that energy with your body. Those of you who have not awakened this power, will return to the Foggy Swamp Sage, if Energybending is something you wish to eventually learn. I will be taking those of you on the cusp of awakening back to my Tower where, ideally, we will awaken your potential. Divide yourselves accordingly."

There was a murmur of confusion among the humans and after seeing their lack of comprehension, Alex mentally pinged the other psychics in the room, who used their eyes to help divide those who would stay and those who would leave. The ones who remained were Nate, Rosa, Jess, and himself. Tao had, in his usual fashion, gathered those with awakened types and those on the cusp, to train all at once. Before they left, Alex pulled aside Rick and Drake. "You two are with us, today."

The lanky redhead with a dulcet voice nodded, seeming excited, while his comparatively plain-featured, brown haired, and bespectacled companion was more chill. Alex got the sense he hadn't quite figured out what 'energybending' was, yet. Rick seemed to have a clue, though. Just then, they turned, as they heard a Pokéball opening.

"Nate! He's doing it again…" Rosa said, frowning as a Gible appeared from his ball, and started nomming on her hair, which was once more bound up in her somewhat iconic buns. The tiny dragon was nomming on them, and muttering, "So tasty…" as he did so. Nate sighed, but the Gible wouldn't let go, and he couldn't yank him off of Rosa's head, lest her hair be torn out.

Alex came over then. "Mind if I try?"

Nate nodded. "Please. Maybe someone who understands him can explain why we don't eat hair."

As the baby dragon, who looked to be quite young, continued to nom, Alex snapped his fingers by his sensitive ears, which got his eyes to turn towards him. "Hello there, little one." He chuckled. "You do know that's not food, right?"

The Gible blinked. "Tastes good…best food!"

Alex smirked. "I think he likes whatever you wash your hair with, Rosa." He apologized to Canis, but his Lucario, who could sense Alex was about to fill the dragon and ground typed hole in the B Team that Eremus had left, didn't mind the sacrifice of his favorite treat, so long as they got more.

The dragon's nostrils flared as Alex unwrapped the foil-covered meaty bun of deliciousness, and Alex held out a large palm for the three-foot baby dragon to hop into. He did so, reaching for the treat, and while fifty pounds was enough to test Alex's arm strength and lower it slightly, he kept the surprisingly dense baby dragon aloft as his tiny arms stretched out. "Foooood! Givegivegive!"

"First, you need to listen." He gestured at Rosa's hair with the bun, and the baby shark's eyes tracked it perfectly. "Hair is not food. Even though it might taste good, it's not good to try to eat it. You can have this," He said, waving the meat bun before the dragon's eyes, and then lowered it out of his sight, finally catching his gaze, "But you need to promise you won't try eating anyone else's hair, okay? If you're hungry, we can feed you."

The Gible processed his words, and then nodded. "Won't eat hair." He turned towards Rosa then. "I sorry."

Rosa still seemed irritated, but she smiled as she realized the Gible was apologizing. She gave him careful pats, as his skin was like sandpaper. "It's okay, Gible. Just…tell us if you want food. Okay?"

Alex gave him the meat bun then, and the baby dragon gnoshed on it in his tiny, toothy maw with gusto. Alex looked at Nate, then. "Are you planning on training this little guy as well?"

Nate shrugged. "He was more of an…unexpected addition. But not unwelcome…he's just had a few…teething issues. As Gible often do."

Rosa chimed in then, the annoyance still plain in her voice as she struggled to combat the dragon saliva on her scalp. "This is the eighth time he's tried eating my hair."

Alex chuckled. "Well, if you want, I can train him instead. It may be better to keep him away from the temptation of Rosa's hair for a while."

Nate knowingly smirked back at Alex, and briefly wondered if he should give a Trainer as strong and Earthquake-happy as him, arguably the most powerful ground and dragon type in the world but seeing the look he got from Rosa, he finally nodded. "That may be for the best, but I'll need to-"

He was interrupted, as the Gible's mom popped free of her ball. Garchomp averaged out at Alex's height, but this one, strong as she was, was pushing at least seven feet. Alex met her gaze regardless.

"Momma!" The Gible chirped, and she nuzzled her baby, before fixing Alex with a stare.

"I know he's still little. But I'll take good care of him, I promise you that." Alex said, meeting her gaze. He changed his words then and spoke in a tongue she recognized on a primal level and understood thanks to the Harmonia's gift. "Zu'u fen dein mok tahriik."

Slowly, the female nodded. A promise in the tongue of dragons was more binding than regular humans assumed, but Alex knew that and had no intention of breaking his. "Very well." She finally growled, before leaning in close to explain and say goodbye to her little one. Alex psychically unwrapped another meat bun for him.

For his part, the Gible seemed sad, at first, though food distracted him. When their eyes met again, Alex said, "What do you think, little one? Are you okay with leaving your mom, and becoming strong, like her?"

He frowned and looked at her. She gave him a slow nod, and the Gible looked back at Alex. "See her again?"

"Not all the time…but if you want to, we can. I can get to Opelucid City quickly. That's where Nate's Gym is. Someday, you'll even be able to fly there on your own, if you want."

The Gible thought for a long moment then, and finally nodded again, taking the meat bun. "I…want strong. Like momma." He tossed the bun into his mouth then, and rocked side to side in Alex's stupidly large palm as he enjoyed the meaty taste.

"Alright then…" Alex said, eyeing him, "Now all you need is a name…" He looked at the Gible, and then closed his eyes, trying to remember one that would fit a Garchomp. If he was anything like his mom, who shared his adamant nature, he'd be quite a strong Garchomp as well. Naturally, his mind went back to some of the oldest names in fiction, that humans had for dragons. "Kalagon. How does that sound to you?"

"Kalagon." The Gible repeated, and then nodded, with a toothy, devious grin. "I like."

Alex gave him a tough berry to gnaw on then, and Nate handed over his ball. "I appreciate this, Alex. Baby Gibles can be…a lot."

"He'll be okay. I think he and Shruikan will get along. Now then…let's start this lesson, shall we? Cinder, Goku! Come out and join us."

His Cinderace and the Chimchar he'd caught in Indius appeared then and gave each other a nod. They'd already sparred, both with each other and against Blaze, who hadn't gone easy on them. "Cinder and I learned a lot from Koria, and from sparring together. Of all my Fire Types, he's got Firebending down the most. Terra." The massive earth tortoise joined them as well. "Some leaves, if you don't mind? Then I'll let the rest of you out. Just try not to disturb us."

Following his lead, Nate, Rosa, and Jess emptied their lineup into the chamber, and the older Pokémon guided them to the other side of the chamber, as Arthur and others with digits capable of manipulation passed out brunch. Alex caught the two leaves Terra sent him, and burned a hole in their center, before handing them to Nate and Jess. "This is apparently an ancient Firebender technique for newbies. Squat like this and try to feel the heat burning up the leaf. Keep it from the edges for as long as you can, but don't use your psychic abilities. Focus on the heat itself and will it not to burn up." He demonstrated then, and before long had them looking silly, squatting and poring over a pair of tiny leaves with intense focus.

He turned to Rosa then. "Your element is water…and combined with what you can do with the Light, I look forward to seeing how you use it." Alex paused, as he noticed something then. "Did you…always have silver eyes, Rosa?"

She shook her head. "They appeared after the war…but I kind of like them."

Alex pondered that as he poured out some water from the filtered jug he kept on hand. He typically had around six water bottles full of tea in his pack and drank from them regularly, with the water being supplied by his Pokémon and filtered to remove any lingering germs. After their visit to Professor Armeniaca, they could fill it from their balls. For this however, he only needed simple filtered water. He moved through the stances that Avatar Korruk had guided himself and Jimen through. They hadn't found many water Avatars and those they had found all had very different styles of waterbending, though Alex and Jimen had seen how they connected, it was clear that time had changed the waterbending styles the most, compared to more solid styles like fire and earth had. He wasn't that surprised that the water Avatars had followed the universal flow into being reborn, or that arguably the most malleable element humans could bend had such variation in bending styles across the ages.

For her part, Rosa watched with her psychic sight, and noted how Alex was moving the energy. Infuriatingly, her own puddle sitting within the rock container Alex had bent into being stayed completely still. "I don't…I don't get how you're moving that energy…I can see you drawing it from the element itself, but…I don't know how to do that."

Alex nodded, slowly. "You don't have to. This is what separates how Korians bend energy, and how those with Dragonblood like me do it. Your body is already attuned to the energy, you just have to focus on using it, instead of your psychic abilities. Feel the water…and reach out to it with those feelings."

Rosa sighed. "Feel the water…" A small tendril rose from her rock bucket, when a surprised yelp came from behind them, shattering her concentration. Jess's leaf had burnt up, but she was holding the fire in both of her tiny hands, mesmerized by it.

"That's a good first step, Rosa. Focus on trying to move it around as much as you can. Much like Telekinesis…it just takes practice. He walked over to Jess then, and coughed slightly, getting her attention from the flame burning in her palms.

"It's…alive…I can feel it pulsing like…like a heartbeat, but…through my entire body. This is…"

"Still fire." Alex cautioned, though they were mainly in a stone room, there were grass types around. He guided her away from Nate, and then breathed his own fire into being, holding it in a single large palm. "Do what I do and remember to breathe. You need oxygen to exist. So does fire. But not too much, or-" He ducked, suddenly, as she took a deeper breath, and tried expanding the flame. Then, she inhaled in surprise, and it flared up before burning out entirely. "Or that will happen. Take mine."

He strengthened and then split his own manifested flame among both palms, and carefully passed it off to her. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "This fire feels…different… More…intense." She smirked at him and ran her eyes from his head to his feet. "Much more intense."

Alex nodded, sagely, not minding the feel of her gaze at all. "That's to be expected. I'm not bending it the same way you are. It also means it will be more potent, so control your breathing." He turned to Nate then, who had retained his intense focus on the leaf. It had almost entirely burnt away, only a very thin outline of leaf remained, and if it hadn't been Terra's, it probably would've turned to ash by now. "Impressive, Nate…most impressive…your control is already decent. Now…let it combust, and inhale as you let it go."

Nate did as instructed, and smirked slightly, as his own flame popped into existence. "This is…Jess was right. It's alive."

In short order, Alex had Nate and Jess, very carefully, passing the flames back and forth between them, streaming them through the air. He glanced over at Rosa then, and his mouth opened. She'd surrounded herself with at least ten floating spheres of water, and as she concentrated, made each of them into a distinct shape, that flickered and then turned back into a circle.

She chuckled as he came over. "Bending water into shapes is hard…"

Alex nodded. "Well, yes, it's a liquid. It will default to a sphere, usually, because that's how physics works. But water in particular, can also change form. Steam, ice, and the number of places you can pull water from are genuinely astounding. It's what makes it the most powerful element. Sheer versatility."

"How do I make ice?" Rosa asked.

Alex frowned slightly. "Well, it requires drawing the heat from the water molecules…though how you'd do that without knowing Firebending is uhh…beyond me. I never asked the specifics of how natural Waterbenders do it."

Rosa closed her eyes again then, focusing, and one of her water orbs began to ice over, turning into a small star as it did. She blinked, as it fell to the stone floor, and shattered. "O-oh, wow…ice is a lot harder to keep in the air."

By the time lunch came around, Alex and Jess were 'fighting' Nate and Rosa with simple bending moves, when Tao's voice rang in their heads. "That will be enough, for now. Nate, Rosa, join me at the Tower." His voice focused on Alex and Jess then, "You two should head for Albion sooner, than later. But before that, you have a royal guest waiting by the Throne of Ideals, Alex."

Tao cryptically went silent then and the two Champions shared a look. If Tao was telling them to head out early, there was a good reason. Rick and Drake, who had been speaking with four of the seven Sages, representing Koria's main four elements as they tried to unlock their second typing, joined them. "The Dragon just told us to head to Galar and start moving north."

Alex nodded. "Go, then. We'll catch up to you." Rick and Drake rushed out of the chamber together and Alex bamfed Jess and himself to his chambers in the ancient palace. He blinked, as he almost materialized into a table that hadn't been there before. The room had much finer furnishings now, fit for royalty. He assumed Jess was responsible.

"Go greet your guest." She said as she headed to the shower. Alex had already cleaned up sufficiently. "I'll tell Geralt to start heading out as well. We'll use Arthur's anchor once you're done."

As Alex entered the throne chamber in his armored attire, minus the helmet, he saw a familiar face. "Prince Okuz of the Fire Nation. I'm glad you managed to survive your 'adventure' with Toph." He didn't bother sitting on the throne, as it was sixty steps up from them, so instead he offered a hand to Okuz.

The handsome prince shook it and grimaced as he remembered the tiny, violent earthbender. "Emperor Redwood. I've since learned you are not, in fact, our Avatar. My Uncle suggested I ask you who is."

"Remember that plain featured, burly Earthbender that was with us in the volcano? Him. But he's uh, occupied at the moment with…Avatar duties. I don't think you came across the planet just for that, though."

Okuz nodded. "My Uncle, the interim Fire Lord, suggested I give you this." He pulled out a circular metallic object that had a symbol engraved upon it which resembled a Herlemin axe, with an S through it. As Alex took it with his oversized hand, it started to glow, faintly.

Alex looked at where it lit up, and noticed a familiar pattern, very reminiscent of the symbol of eternal balance, underneath the Herlemin-like carving that made up the object's top layer. Some parts glowed, some parts did not, and the result was a Taijitu of faint light blue against gold. He looked at Okuz then, arching an eyebrow. "You can thank your Uncle for me…but uh…what is it, exactly?"

Okuz frowned as he stared at it. The Chief of the Water Tribes hadn't been lying about this foreigner's connection to the Light. "I don't really know. My Uncle called it a seal of some kind, though he also said it was a key... It reacts to the Light, apparently. The Water Tribe's Chief said that was a power you could and had connected to, while in Koria. Did Avatar Jimen ever use it?"

Alex shrugged. "He used Raava's Light up on the volcano against your father. I don't think he did anywhere else though. Their Light is different from what I use. It felt…older. Is there a reason the Fire Lord wants me to have this?"

Okuz shrugged this time. "He only told me that you or another Light wielder, should be the one to carry it. It's some kind of ancient artifact that the thing inhabiting my Father was afraid of. Not even Vaatu could harm it."

Alex looked back down at it. "Let's see what happens if I do…this." He focused for a quiet moment and then his palm lit up with the Light. He inhaled suddenly, as his eyes lit up as well and burned gold. The Light surged unexpectedly through his entire body in a brief but very sudden awakening of power, and he felt his mind being forcefully guided into what he recognized as someone else's mentally constructed mind space. This felt far different than Mewtwo or Tao though. This one was undoubtedly made by a human, and it felt ancient. Like a mind that had waited a very long time to die.

He appeared in what looked like an ancient stone temple, eroded by wind and time and covered in snow. A blizzard howled outside it obscuring whatever else was around, yet he didn't feel the cold.

"A Hero finally finds the Guild Seal, in this pause before the oncoming Calamity. Name thyself."

The voice was everywhere and nowhere, but Alex had his own tricks. He turned towards its source and waved his hand as he spoke. "Alexander Redwood, Dragon Emperor. Who are you?"

As his invisibility was removed, the figure approached him from the opposite side of the stone temple. He was as tall as AZ, a wraith of a man, wizened by time. In his right hand was a scythe inscribed with runes and as tall as he was. Blue robes meant for cold weather covered the man, and the ancient golden armor he was wearing under them. His entire being was, in a word, tattered. From his face, covered in bandages underneath which was gray and decaying skin that had long since rotted away, revealing his teeth in a perpetual grimace, to his battered armor and eroded clothes. "Call me…Scythe. I am the last of the Heroes of Albion…the last to embrace the Light, anyway. My Guild Seal brought you here to me and just in time, Light Wielder. What do you know of the Tamer of Arceus?"

Alex's brows furrowed. "Erm…he's a legend, at this point. Supposedly he once united all the regions on the planet by traversing them alongside Arceus, and then his death sent us into the Dark Times. We still don't know how long those lasted, so we don't know how long ago he supposedly managed to tame Arceus."

Scythe let out a low sound like a gurgle, and Alex realized he was chuckling. "I could tell you the dates…but it does not matter. The man who succeeded him, the Successor…what do you know of him?"

Alex's brows furrowed more. "Very little…though, I was told that he once led a Cult of dark minded psychics. That they killed each other to claim their master's power and helped plunge the world into an era of perpetual darkness."

Scythe nodded slowly. "You have trained with one of the Sages of Will. Good. Very good. That saves us precious time. Listen well, Redwood. The very planet we live upon is balancing on a blade's edge between Shadow and Light. Which way it tips, could shift the balance of the universe as a whole. The Shadow is more eager than ever to corrupt this world and with more wielders of Light appearing, more Shadow will inevitably appear as well, to match them. That is its nature. Unlike in my time, this time, it seems to desire a vessel, and that chosen vessel is, I believe, the corpse of the Successor. What do you know of what Shadow energy does to the dead?"

Alex held up a hand. "If you have to keep asking me what I know, this will take even longer. You claim time is short, so please, see my memories and experiences and know what I know. I freely share them with you."

Scythe seemed to shift uncomfortably in place. "You would open your mind so easily to a stranger? To a…thing like me?"

Alex smirked at him. "You may look rough, friend, but I sense the good in you. You are not the first Human I've met to be touched by a Xerneas, either. I get the feeling you've waited a very long time to pass on this message of yours, so at the very least, we require trust between us."

Scythe nodded, and what little remained of his lips seemed to turn upward, like a smile. "Very well…I will read your memories and bind myself by my word: I will not usurp your mind."

Alex felt the ancient mental presence brush against his, establishing a link. Vaguely, he felt someone, likely Okuz, poking his body, but he was busy at the moment. He must have said so, because the poking sensation ceased. As Scythe waited on the precipice of his consciousness, Alex showed him his many and varied experiences with the Shadow, and its chosen pawns.

After several minutes, Scythe pulled away, a shocked expression on what remained of his face. "You saw it…the true form of the being that overtook the Renegade. And then you blew it to pieces... Yes…you may be our best chance to wield it." He gripped his scythe tighter. "Heed my words, Dragon Emperor. The Successor's tomb lies abandoned in the desert of Aurora, which sits between Albion and Galar. The Shadow may already have guided its newest puppet to his tomb and revived him. If that be the case, you must travel to the town now known as Brightwall. Beneath its Academy, you will have to find four Glyphs. They are in the script of the Dragon Tongue. Take them to Ymir's Wahlom, in Norstad, and you will be able to learn the technique the founder of Galar used to end the Successor last time, the only technique that may be able to stop him in this era, if he has been given undeath by the Shadow."

Alex just stared at Scythe, and the ancient being seemed to somehow grimace more, despite not having lips. "Shall I repeat myself?"

"No…no, I heard you…" Alex looked down then, pondering, as the mental contact receded. "Wouldn't Purging him be enough? It worked before… And this…Ymir's Wahlom? Where is it in Norstad, exactly?"

"If Purge was enough, I would not have waited millennia to pass on the method of obtaining the true power of the Light. A power lost to time, for a reason." Scythe stared him down, unblinking as he'd been throughout the entire conversation, and at that point, Alex realized he must no longer have eyelids. "In the northwest of the Norstad region, atop the highest waterfalls you can find, on a peak that rivals Utgarde in size, you will find what you seek. If Ymir is still there…speak to him. He will know who sent you, and what it means."

Scythe seemed to exhale a previously held breath then. "My time…grows short, with my task fulfilled. Stopping this threat…now falls to the Heroes of this new age…good fortune, Dragon Emperor…"

"Wait! I have more questions fo-" But Scythe was already gone and given how he'd vanished into a cloud of dust, he was presumably little more than a pile of particles, wherever he'd been residing and waiting to pass on this information. Alex's vision shifted then, and he found himself looking down at the Guild Seal, as Scythe called it. It seemed it was now his. As if to affirm that, it pulsed once, and then dimmed, as he let the flow of Light energy fade.

Looking up, he saw Jess beside Okuz, and both seemed concerned. Alex looked at Okuz first. "Thank you, and your Uncle, for bringing this to me…you may have just inadvertently stopped…or at least mitigated, a disaster." He looked at Jess then and sighed. "Our Festivus just got cut short. We need to head for Albion. Now."

Arthur appeared with a flash then, and he, Alex, and Jess touched hands as they prepared to Teleport. Alex glanced at Okuz. "You're more than welcome to stay here and enjoy yourself, Fire Prince. We…probably won't be back for a while."

"Right…" Okuz said awkwardly, and before he could say more, the trio was gone in a flash of psychic energy.

Wyndon City - Galar Region

They appeared inside of Wyndon Stadium's locker room, to a very surprised Raihan. The dragon Gym Leader spoke first. "Oh dang! You're that Gallade that came by a few weeks back! That was an awesome match, bro!"

Arthur smirked and rubbed the back of his head. "Thank you, Leader Raihan. Your own matches against Leon were quite instructive, when I was younger."

Raihan held out a hand to Alex then. "And you must be his Trainer. The Unovan Champion! And the new Fornian Champion, I see." Jess inclined her head and gave Raihan a small smile. "I'm glad you two are still good after that match you had! What a lineup. The Dragon and the Phoenix! You never see Legend Tamers in Stadiums, these days. What brings you to our fine Region?"

Alex shook the man's hand. "They really need a League of their own. We're here heading north. Is there a PC around? I need to make a call to Sinnoh."

Raihan led them to the stadium lobby, before bidding them farewell, as he had a match of his own against Gordie. Jess poked him as he punched in the number he'd gotten from Ash. "Who do you know in Sinnoh?"

Alex just smirked at her and gestured at the screen. He'd set it as a priority call, and a haggard, sleepy Cynthia answered. Jess gasped, as she was to Cynthia what Alex was to Leon. A shameless fangirl. "Champion Shirona. We're in Galar at the moment, heading north for Albion. It's time." As he mentioned time, he saw her clock in the background, and winced inwardly. He'd just called arguably the most famous Champion of Sinnoh, if not the world, at two in the morning.

The aged blonde woman yawned, nodded, and ran a hand through her much healthier looking hair, though there was more white in it than before. Age hadn't eroded her looks, even that early in the morning. Somehow, it fell effortlessly into her usual hairstyle, and she nodded at the pair. "I'll head there soon. My priority is going to be my Pokémon."

Alex nodded in agreement. "Of course. I have two capable comrades who can help with that. Rick and Drake. I suggest meeting them in Brightwall, before heading to the main city. It's a large village in the north of the region, just on the edge of the northernmost mountains. If you head in from Wyndon, aim slightly northeast. Knowing Morgana, your partners are probably being kept in the castle somewhere. Those two have been to Albion before and know the region fairly well. They can guide you, and once at the castle I assume you can handle things. Just uhh, try not to completely demolish it. It rightfully belongs to my Gallade."

"Brightwall. Rick and Drake. Invade the castle without breaking it. Right. I'm going back to sleep now…I'll be there in a few hours." She thanked him for the heads up, and then cut the connection.

Alex just nodded. "Time zones. I always forget they're a thing. Anyways. Let's get moving, shall we?"

Jess checked her Pokédex as they approached the northern exit of Wyndon, which was used much less compared to the others. "Actually…while we're here, I need to do some catching."

Alex looked northward, and then at her, as he tried to sense Rick and Drake. It seemed shenanigans had slowed them down, and they'd had to take a plane from the army to get to Galar. "Seems we have some time. Let's work on your throw first, and then we can fly wherever we need to in order to catch…whoever you're looking for."

They wandered Wyndon City until they found a secluded place to practice, and not injure anyone, or break any windows. Alex retrieved the worn rubber ball he used to practice with and within minutes, he sensed eyes watching them from a nearby alley. As Alex demonstrated how to use spin to curve a throw, where one had to aim to land such a throw, and where the weak spots of most Pokémon were. Once she had that down, all she needed was speed. Leo popped out of his ball as the humans were busy, and he saw what was watching them. He trotted towards the alley and Alex watched what he was up to through his sharp eyes.

What he found was a raggedy looking Sprigatito, lurking in the alley. The two male felines faced the other down with a pair of growls. When the grass kitten didn't back away, like most wild Pokémon did before Leo's intimidating eyes, the much larger thunder cat smirked at him. They made calmer, mutual cat noises Alex didn't understand the specifics of through Leo's ears and the kitten trotted over to Alex.

Jess kept focusing intensely on her throw, and catching the ball when it bounced back, as Alex turned to him. "Hello there, little one. Do you want something?"

The scraggly alley cat nodded, not seeming surprised that he could understand the human. "I need a Human to make me strong. I have a rival I need to beat. I hear you're good at training Pokémon. You're the one who trained that Gallade I saw battling Leon's. Please, I need to know... Can…I be that strong?" He wasn't sure if it was him, or his last Trainer that was holding him back, but he had a feeling it was his former Trainer. Some of the other alley Pokémon had suggested it was his fault though, that some Pokémon just weren't cut out for battling.

Alex looked him over, namely his nature, among other markers his psychic sight let him see. "If you train hard and eat the vitamins and food I give you, all of it, then you have the potential to rival Arthur. Some day." Arthur popped out as Leo came over again. They both smirked at their jolly new little brother.

"Oh yes." Arthur said, "I can work with you. Do you have a name?"

The Sprigatito shrugged his leafy shoulders. "My last Trainer called me Noir. I didn't hate it."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Does your last Trainer know you're replacing them?"

The cat gave a slow nod. "He abandoned me in the city. Said I'd find someone better to raise me. So that's what I'm doing."

Alex's brow furrowed. "Is he still going to be a Trainer?"

Noir shook his head. "I was the only one he had. He gave up after losing Battles three times in a row." The smol weed cat felt surer of this human, because he was very clearly older, and yet also cared for his Pokémon. The Luxray's coat had been immaculate, and he could sense how strong their bond was to the human.

Jess joined them then, brush in hand as she knelt down and began washing his fur. "No respectable Sprigatito smells like garbage. Let's get you clean, cutie."

Within minutes, the furry grass type was cleaned off and filling the air with a much more pleasant scent. Alex gave both him and Leo a belly rub, and then let the hungry kitten into his new ball. Alex's berry counter dinged as Noir grabbed a copious amount of food. Given how skinny he was, Alex didn't intend to limit his food but he did manually add in some protein, roughly twenty six, to max his attack strength. Further training would see it grow to its peak of potential and then they would focus on his speed, which would grow well on its own and even more so with the carbos he intended to mix into the kitten's bowls of food. Growing berries was not hard, and a PC Box dimension he'd set up when he was younger with the aid of his granduncle already had more preserved berries in the Redwood Lab's storage than he would ever need. Probably.

He looked at Jess, watching her form as she threw and then just admired her curves as they moved, once again thanking Arceus that this was his life now. "I think your throw is as good as it's going to get. What are we tracking down?"

Jess threw another curve slightly to the right, and the backspin made it curve left, before it hit the target on the wall, which was in this case the center of an 'a' on some old graffiti hyping up someone called 'Marnie'. Alex wondered if the artist had meant the latest Spikemuth Gym Leader. "I guess it's time you knew." She turned to him, and caught the ball in reverse as it whizzed back towards her, still as bouncy and potentially painful as it always had been, despite the lack of use in recent years.

"Lux." She said, and Alex blinked as his Rotom floated out for her. She pointed at the map of their current regional location, namely the Wild Area, a somewhat protected wilderness that had a habit of giving Galarian Trainers rather strong teams, depending on how hard one searched. "First, a Buneary. They're too skittish and fast to catch properly, especially when we only have a few hours. After that…" She pointed towards the northern part of the wild area, to a bit of land on the other side of a lake. Alex blinked, as he recalled it being the same place Ash had gone for his ill-timed adventure involving a horde of very powerful, very angry Dragapults. "Ideally, I'll find a Dreepy. Also skittish, and incredibly fast. Not to mention, almost always guarded by their mothers. The others I'm after aren't in Galar, but while we're here…I figured we could at least look. And this…fast curveball of yours might just be the key to catching them. It went…poorly, last time."

"Right. Easy enough…if we're heading south from here, we'll need our Charizards. Blaze!" He and Chari appeared in the alley with a roar, and then the pair bent low, letting their humans on their backs. Seeing them together, Alex noticed just how much larger Blaze was now by comparison. He barely fit in the back alley spot they'd found. Chari took off first, which gave him enough space to powerflap up, and then over Wyndon. Alex sensed eyes on them almost immediately, and figured it was likely people mistaking him for Leon. He glanced back at the Battle Tower's topmost floor, and could've swore he saw someone behind the glare on the glass on the topmost floor. Blaze caught where his gaze was, and Alex smirked at him, patting his neck. "Soon, my friend. Very soon." The World Tournament was set to start in a few short weeks, and he knew that path would lead him either to Leon, or Ash. Assuming he didn't get knocked out earlier, of course. He had no idea how he ranked on a global level, nor did he entertain any illusions about becoming World Champion. It was their first try, after all. They would battle their hardest, as a team, and see how far that took them.

The area just south of Wyndon was as snowy as he'd heard, but before too long, they were out above Hammerlocke, and the Wild Area's Lake of Outrage. "Dreepy attack first, and fast. We'll need to dodge them, and then they should be slow enough to catch while they come around for another pass. Get ready." Jess nodded, and readied her ball of choice, and Alex spurred Blaze down over the lake as the fire lizard let out a bellowing challenge in the form of a roar. Nothing happened.

Another few passes brought no dakka-craving dragon missiles, and he paused in the air then, realizing the problem. Thankfully, he could solve that problem, instead of having to wait around for the right kind of weather pattern. With a thunderous crack, his Voice summoned a light, foggy rain, and for good measure, Blaze roared another challenge at the lake's denizens. From the water they rose and manifested in the prime material plane, a horde of angry-eyed Dragapult, mostly female. Blaze unleashed a Flamethrower at them, which got their attention, and then his form glowed as bright as Alex's Key Stone, as they ascended after him.

Even on his best day, Blaze couldn't outpace the absurd speed of a Dragapult, but outpacing them wasn't his goal. He barrel-rolled as Alex held on for dear life, and the physical attacks, namely Dragon Claw, made by the adult dragon types missed. Then, came the missiles, and the little Dreepy shrieked with joy as they homed in on the Charizard. Blaze then did something the sentient missiles couldn't. He flared his wings, killed his momentum, and then shot straight up, over where Jess and Chari were perched, waiting. The Dreepy adjusted their trajectory slowly as they turned and curved and one of their moms called a warning, figuring out why the humans were there. Some of the Dreepy peeled off but most continued, overeager in their pursuit of dakka.

Again, Blaze used his superior maneuverability to dodge the missiles and then Alex saw a ball whizz by as it curved in the air, hit one, and then fell to the water. An angry Dragapult, likely its mother, went to attack the ball, but Blaze stopped her with a well-aimed Dragon Pulse that sent her slamming into a nearby rock formation. The Ultra Ball dinged closed and Alex floated down to the stunned dragon, as Jess retrieved her catch with Chari. "We'll take good care of her. We may even visit someday, so…don't be too sad."

The Dragapult eyed the two Charizard, still stunned by the damage, and then focused on the human it understood, despite not knowing how she understood him. She nodded, slowly. "You had better." She growled and with a roar, she summoned her remaining Dreepy back to her, at which point they all retreated under the well-named lake. Alex and Jess retreated with their prize, and he didn't clear the sky, figuring the least he could do was let the dragons enjoy the weather pattern they seemed to prefer.

Jess flashed him a victory sign, and Chari did a barrel roll of her own to celebrate. A short flight south, they found a hillside teeming with Pokémon. Among which, there were certainly Buneary. There were Trainers, too. Some young, some old, and some who very clearly knew what they were doing, as they battled wild Pokémon either for fuel for the shared experience machines in their bag, or to catch. Jess rolled off Chari then, as she knew her Charizard would frighten most of the Pokémon below. A few looked ready to attack her floating form, but paused, as she smiled and waved at them and continued to float by. Most had not seen flying humans here, or at least, flying humans without those strange boxes they loved crawling into. Some Galarian Pokémon questioned the morality of making so many Corviknight ferry the humans around, but none of them could deny that the armored ravens became quite strong from doing so.

Alex watched the other Trainers around them, who were all much, much younger, stare at the flying redhead in awe as they raised their Rotom Phones and hit record. Then suddenly, Alex saw her throw. There was little need for a curve, close as she was, and the Ultra Ball nailed her target on the back of its head before it ever knew Jess was there. She landed in a clear area then, just under a tree, as Alex and Blaze joined her.

She called out her new catches, and then Arthur appeared, as Jess asked him to help her. Alex just found it amusing that his partners listened to her as well as him. He was proud they were so well trained, enough to decide for themselves who to listen to, instead of always just him.

The Dreepy hid in the leaves of the tree, but didn't zoom away, as it didn't seem to recognize where it was. She was also rather young, but as Alex spied her nature, he understood why Jess had chosen her. The Buneary was less enthused, and had her little arms crossed, both ears curled up and frowning as she eyed her latest human. For her, this was probably the seventh or eighth time a human had tried to tame her.

Arthur's presence helped them both stay calm, as his sense of nobility and the kindness he emanated as natural charisma, reached the pair. Jess psychically borrowed Alex's ears as she introduced herself. The Dreepy, Draga, warmed up quickly, like most young Pokémon, but the Buneary was less convinced.

"I don't care about Battling. I don't want to chase power all over Galar, and someday, the world. I just want to live in peace here, in my home."

Jess seemed to deflate as the Buneary denied her, and that, was when Alex said something. "Tell me, smol bun. Have you ever…actually Battled with a Trainer?"

The Buneary personified sass as she lifted her head and crossed her tiny arms again. "Of course. I've Double Kicked my way through half the Wild Area by now." She'd also Double Kicked her Trainers, but this time she'd resisted kicking Jess. Mostly because of the smiling but insanely powerful Gallade beside her. Attacking humans this nice with no reason just felt wrong and since they could understand what she said, there was no need to get violent. This time.

Alex smirked at the adamantly opposed Buneary. "Battling wild Pokémon is one thing. Battling another Trainer is something else entirely." He tossed Noir's ball then, and the well-fed grass kitten yawned as he appeared, looking around before his eyes settled on the haughty bun. "Noir here has never won a Battle but he knows what they're like. You've won random Battles in the wild, but never one against another Trainer, right?" The bun nodded. "Do me one favor, and if you still want to leave, we'll release you. Better yet, if you win, you can keep the ball, and from now on, other Trainers won't be able to catch you. Deal?"

The Buneary's ears twitched as he mentioned not being caught again. Forever. That was a deal too good to pass up. "You're on." She curled up both ears tightly then, and stomped into a battle stance. Alex just nodded, impressed. She was definitely higher level than Noir, but he had faith in his grassy kitten.

"Uhh…I don't think this is a good idea…" Noir said, slightly intimidated.

Alex knelt down to him, and scratched his leafy ruff. "Just relax. Have a little confidence. We can win. If you do what I tell you, when I tell you to, this will be easier than you think." The grass kitten nodded, and then snarled at the Buneary. The almost cute noise he emanated only made her smirk.

Jess went first. "Alright, Quick Attack!" The Buneary ignored her, and instead leapt in for a Double Kick, as Alex figured she would.

"Use Quick Attack, and dodge her feet." Noir blinked, confused at first, but as he did as he was ordered, something was different this time. The move helped heighten his perception, and the pair of kicks were easily avoided. He ducked under one, jumped over the other, and then saw his opening. He took it, and hammered the Buneary in the face, before flipping back through the air.

He landed by Alex and gave the off-balance bun a feral grin as he felt himself grow stronger. "Yessss…this is more like it!"

"Don't get overconfident." Alex said, and Noir nodded, focusing on the Buneary.

"Hmm. Better use Round Eyes!" Jess said, but the Buneary just looked at her with disgust, thinking she wanted her to lose her chance at freedom by using a weak move, and went for Noir with a powerful Pound instead. Jess sighed, as the kitten's attack power was not lowered, which had been her strategy. Her face shifted to a frown, as she realized she and the bun really weren't in sync at all. Especially compared to Alex and his newest grass type. It was a new experience, as each of her partners had always obeyed her.

"Watch the ears. They hit like a truck." Alex said, and Noir nodded, well familiar with how dangerous human vehicles could be. "Get in close with Quick Attack, then Tail Whip!"

Once again, Noir danced around the Buneary's increasingly angry punches, which were leaving divots in the dirt where they struck. None managed to strike his leaf cat however and as Noir got under her guard, his fluffy, delectable smelling tail smashed into the bun's face. She started sneezing uncontrollably, and Alex followed up on the overpowering of her sensitive nose.

"Now, Noir! Use Bite!" By the time the Buneary opened a tear-filled eye, her opponent was in her face again, chomping on her arm. He pinned her down, holding the Bite attack as the pair struggled.

"Defense Curl!" Jess shouted, still not giving up on the independent Buneary. Finally, she listened, curling up into a defensive ball and rolling back towards the human female. Noir let her go and Jess noted he was smirking just like his Trainer. It hadn't taken long at all for him to rub off on the grassy kitten. "If you want to win, you need to listen to me." Jess said, and the Buneary glared at her again, then turned her nose upwards. Alex didn't order Noir to attack, though. He glanced at his new Trainer, but waited. Listening had worked out very well so far and Noir felt he'd finally found a good human.

"Fine." The Buneary said, dropping again into a battle crouch suited for her species' abilities.

"Alright, get in close with Quick Attack!"

"You too, Noir! Match it!"

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

The two Pokémon found themselves all but even as their speedy forms collided, as battling had given Noir just enough experience to match the bun. As the Quick Attacks collided a final time, the resulting smash sent both Pokémon back, damaged. The Buneary had taken far more by this point though, and was panting. Noir started to glow. "Oh…wow…this is it! Finally!"

"Not yet, Noir." Alex said, cutting into his enthusiasm for evolution. The light paused, as Noir looked at him. "Trust me, my new friend. You will evolve. Hold off, for now." Noir sighed, but nodded, and fought down the urge to reach the next stage of power. Alex smirked. By his count, they needed just one more level. In this battle, waiting would, hopefully, pay off.

"Get in there, Buneary! Leap high and use Pound!" Jess called out and the Buneary listened, using her legs to get significant air, before summoning the normal typed energy for a powerful attack.

"Noir! Leafage! Cover as much of the area as you can!" The grassy kitten nodded, and used that surge of evolution energy instead to empower his attack. The result was more than he'd expected and his Leafage came out looking more like a Leaf Storm.

The Buneary covered her eyes with one ear, driving through the sharp leaves, as the other ear stayed coiled, ready to hammer the annoyingly nimble kitten. As she came through the cloud of leaves, he was out of her sight and Alex gave another order as she sailed towards the ground. "Now, Quick Attack!"

"Land in a Defense Curl!" The bun did so, curling quickly into a defensive ball, as Noir's face bounced off her. "Now, leap and Pound!" This time, the bun's higher level and natural speed were too much to dodge. The Buneary leapt from her curl like a spring and Noir took the hit, but found he wasn't nearly done yet. He jumped back up on his feet, still very much 'in the green', while his opponent was very much not.

"Noir! Concentrate as much grass energy as you can, into a single point!"

Jess's eyes widened as she finally realized what Alex was doing. "Don't let him charge up! Quick Attack!"

Once more though, the Buneary made a judgement call of her own, and sprang into a spinning Double Kick. She lost one in the air, given how far Noir was, but the momentum of that spin carried her on and made her second kick that much stronger. Jess frowned as she saw this, knowing it wouldn't be enough. Quick Attack would've gotten her in close fast enough to stop Noir. By the time the second kick came for him, the grass cat was done charging. It wasn't a condensed ball of grass energy like Terra's, but it wasn't unimpressive, either. A very promising first attempt.

"Seed Bomb!" Noir let the attack go, as the Buneary, to her credit, sailed into it fearlessly. The moves collided and exploded as they did so. Alex guided the wind to quickly blow the smoke away, and then smirked. The Buneary was on her feet but badly damaged. As Noir readied another sphere of grassy power, she fell over, eyes poli-patterned as she ran out of stamina. Jess sighed and Alex whooped. "That's how you do it!"

Noir, for his part, was ecstatic. He ran over to his Trainer, and the tiny, grassy paw bumped the much larger fist. "You'll evolve soon, Noir. But sometimes, holding off lets you learn a Move that would otherwise take a lot longer to grasp. This is Terra."

The titanic earth tortoise appeared then and Noir just stared in genuine awe at the titan of earth and grass, as he'd appeared right in the light of the setting sun. "Holy Arceus…" The kitten's eyes slowly ran upward, to the tree on his back, and then found his eyes. Reading the earth tortoise by expression was impossible, like staring at a blank cliffside.

Alex continued. "He will teach you how to perfect your Seed Bomb. But first…do you really want to evolve? A few Battles by the lake should get you enough experience."

Noir looked at the ground, as he pondered. Learning new moves was appealing, but he'd wanted to get stronger for ages now. He could feel the power, how close he was, and he wanted it desperately. He looked at his human, and nodded. "Alright then." Alex said, smirking. He looked at Jess, who was giving the Buneary a Max Revive in her lap. "I'm going to take this one to the lake." He said, hopping on Terra's shell. Noir joined him, purring as he noted just how healthy the grass was. Terra rumbled, chuckling as the grass kitten's purrs tickled him all the way to his earthy core.

Jess nodded, watching him stomp off, as the Buneary in her arms returned to consciousness. "Bun…eary."

Jess nodded. "Yes. You lost. How are you feeling?"

The bun blinked, and then realized she actually felt great. She hopped up from the woman's lap, and punched the air with her ears, and her tiny fists. "Buneary!"

"That's good." Jess said. The Buneary blinked, as she noted the human's tone. Sad, frustrated, perhaps? She'd never heard disappointment, but she did not like how it made her feel. Arthur, who had stuck around to watch the battle, was still leaning against the nearby tree, acting as a subtle psychic conduit for the human's feelings to more effectively reach the Pokémon in the immediate area. Such was the natural ability of his species.

Jess handed the Buneary the Ultra Ball then, already colored cream and brown in her colors. "You can have this. No Humans will be able to catch you, as long as it stays in one piece." She sighed, then. "Go ahead, go home."

The Buneary took the ball, but seemed to deflate. The other human had been correct, that battle was nothing like the others had been. She could also admit that, had she listened, she probably could've won. Easily. But she'd ignored the human, as in her experience, they rarely knew how to battle. That wasn't the case with this one, though.

"Bun…eary?"

"No, I don't." Jess said, somewhat coldly. "I need a partner who will listen when I give them orders. You said you wanted to live here in peace. Now you can. I'll find another Buneary who wants to Battle, grow stronger, and listens to orders. Enjoy your freedom."

Jess whistled for Draga then, who had also stayed out to watch the battle. The tiny Dreepy came quickly and chirped at Jess. She'd learned firsthand the importance of listening to commands and trusting that her human would have her back, in a battle. The little dragon also found the appeal of getting stronger to be quite alluring. Jess recalled her after giving her a berry and began packing up her things into her bag. There wasn't much to put away, but there was enough time for the Buneary to walk over to the Gallade leaning on the tree.

"Need something?" He asked, as she looked up at him.

"I uhh…the other Human isn't here. Translate for me?" She asked shyly.

"Of course." Arthur said, with a slight bow. He walked with her over to Jess then. "This one wants a word." He said, projecting his human speech.

Jess raised an eyebrow at the Buneary. There was a spark of hope in her eyes, but she didn't let it grow yet.

"I've had a lot of Humans. They were loud, annoying, and barely knew a Pokéball from an Apricorn…but you two aren't like them. I guess because you're fully grown Humans." Jess nodded, as Arthur translated. The Buneary stood straighter, more determined, adamant even, as she affirmed her decision. "I want to Battle like that again…and I'll listen, next time. I want to be strong, like my Mom was…she was killed, protecting me and my siblings from a Thievul. I want to be strong enough to beat down any Dark Typed fox I come across. Can you help me?" She offered the ball back to Jess then, and the redhead nodded. For the first time, the bun noticed the slight rainbow tint her hair had when it moved. She was, the closer the Buneary looked, actually quite pretty.

"I'll make you stronger. But you need to understand…that Thievul was just trying to survive, like you. Revenge isn't going to get you very far in terms of strength."

The Buneary waved an ear. "Oh, I know. That's just nature. Some carnivores can subsist on Berries, others decide to hunt. I don't hold it against them…I just want to be able to beat up any that come after me, or my fellow buns."

Jess giggled. "Alright. That, I can do. Let's go."

By the time she and Arthur found Alex, Noir had become a Floragato. Apparently they'd run into a swarm of Corphish, which had been enough to push the grass kitten to his middle stage of evolution. Their next battle had gone less well though, as Noir had no clue how to use his new flower yoyo. The wild Psyduck they'd engaged had just wandered off, once Noir had gotten tangled and it was as Alex was untangling him, without cutting the vine, that Jess caught up to them. It was good timing too, since Alex sensed Drake and Rick landing in Wyndon. With their brief detour over, they flew back to Wyndon, on Shruikan this time.

They rendezvoused with the tardy pair and then immediately started heading north. Before too long they found themselves off of Galar's public map and deep into a large, untamed forest. It wasn't a fairy forest like the one Arthur visited, but at a certain point they became one and the same if one went far enough west. Alex felt Llamrei mentally poke Arthur, who got his attention. "Alex…she wants to visit her mom."

Alex summoned the pair then and the shy psychic fairy filly moved behind Arthur as she was suddenly out of her ball. Alex gave his Gallade a glance and he bamfed beside Alex, leaving the Galarian Ponyta in the open. He hadn't actually spoken to her much yet, choosing instead to let her open up. Unfortunately this had the opposite effect and she had instead begun relying on Arthur for everything. That ended now.

"It's time you used your own voice." Alex said to her. He could tell she was intimidated, so he smiled. "Go on. Ask."

"I don't want to be a bother…Arthur said we're in a hurry. But my mom isn't far…for a Ponyta anyway." She still seemed shy, but she'd used her own words, which was progress.

"Arthur told me what happened. I think we can fit in a small detour." Alex said, as his sight suggested an as yet unknown, but beneficial path resulting from following his Pokémon. When the universe suggested a direction, he tended to follow it. "After this though, we should fly. We've been delayed too long already." Jess, Rick, and Drake nodded, and they followed the Ponyta west through the woods.

The further they went, the stranger the air became. Mushrooms and other fungi started to glow and the trees became overarching, almost ominously black as they blotted out the setting sun. Not long after that, Llamrei trotted to a halt.

While the pony paid her respects, Alex explained Rick and Drake's mission to them. He could tell they were internalizing their hype about helping a Champion as legendary as Cynthia. As Llamrei finished paying her respects, an ethereal shriek split the air. Out of the fairy wood came a Pokémon straight from a legend, one he'd only read of in his granduncle's ramblings. He hadn't been sure which was real, Glastrier, or Spectrier, but had concluded based on the evidence he discovered that Galar was home to at least one super powerful equine Pokémon that nobody had ever caught.

As Spectrier came crashing through the underbrush, a pair of large-gnoggined rabbit Pokémon, one white and one whitish gold, came charging behind it atop Glastrier. Alex just nodded. Both. Of course it was both. He recognized the pair of psychic rabbits as Calyrex, another vague Galar legend that even his granduncle had thought was bunk. Arthur's description from his time spent previously in the region confirmed their identities though. The white one was holding the reins of the Glastrier and Alex heard the gold sheened creature shout in Pokéspeech, "Onwards, lads! We've almost got'er!" The main difference between the two, was that the one holding the reins was adorned in what looked like some kind of posh Galarian cape, while the other Calyrex was not.

Three very tired looking Gallade came dashing behind the double mounted large-gnoggined brothers and Arthur, who had been consoling the psychic filly, chuckled as he recognized them. Percival, Bedivere, and Gawain. He'd last seen them assisting Finvarra. It seemed that their 'fetch quest' had lasted up to the present.

The three Gallade pushed themselves, using what looked like Extremespeed to zip in front of Spectrier. The ghostly horse reared up and shrieked at them as they extended their arm blades, not for the first time, and like the last time they'd cornered her, the ghostly mare readied an attack that would likely once again scatter them. As the shriek echoed, it summoned Spectrier's allies from the Spirit World, and sent them hurtling at the Gallade.

Just then, a female voice with a heavy southern Galarian accent rang out from the woods beside Alex's bewildered group. "Alrecht ye wee jimmies! Noight Slash!" A female Trainer came stomping out of the forest then through the gap left by the others. She was wholly focused on the Calyrex, in that moment.

Each of the Gallades powered up their arm swords with dark typed energy and sliced through the ghost horse's attack in perfect coordination. Sensing this, Spectrier backed up slightly, as the white Calyrex urged his icy mount towards her. "Now, brother!"

The goldish-white Calyrex leapt, a pair of what looked like twin blue ribbons in his hands, and landed on Spectrier's back. The ribbons automagically moved to the ghost horse's mouth, and she shrieked, bucking the big goggined rabbit king hard, as she resisted being tamed. The giant green noggin resting in the ears of the Calyrex pulsed with power, as he restored their ancient bond. Spectrier began glowing as well, as she remembered her master, and everything else the pair had experienced in the olden times.

The golden white rabbit's taming efforts had led Spectrier back towards Alex and his group. Arthur stepped forward, as Finvarra affectionately patted his mount, and then turned his giant glowing noggin eastward. There was a hard gleam in his eyes. "I'm glad you found your mount again, King in the North. You wouldn't happen to know the way to Albion, would you?"

"Ah! Prince Arthur. Nay, the way to Albion remains shut. Twas I who shut it. A barrier separates Albion from the rest of the world, now. It's better this way, believe me." Finvarra turned his mount, so he could address the group he just seemed to notice.

Rick and Drake stepped forward then, and it was Rick who said, "But we've been to Albion. We ended up surfing there. It was a whole…thing."

This made the Calyrex pause, as he sensed the honesty in the dulcet tones of Rick's voice. "It has been millennia…perhaps the barrier has weakened, at sea. At any rate, Albion is not a place that fine folk like you should be going. What lies buried there is best left forgotten. Now if you'll excuse me…I have things to attend to."

"Hold a moment, if you would, good King." Alex said, stepping forward. He explained the situation, the reason for their journey, name dropped Scythe, and finished with, "...and the Successor's tomb may already be breached. We need to reach Albion as quickly as possible. Moreover, there are still people in that region. It's long past time they rejoined the rest of Galar, and the world, in the modern age. Along with their Pokémon."

Finvarra paused and then stared at Alex as he finished speaking. Alex narrowed his eyebrows as he felt a psychic attack forming, its source being the massive noggin of the freshly awakened King in the North. "You…you have his scent on you…your very essence…the Fairy King played with your head, didn't he, little dragon. Where. Is. He."

The attack struck, manifesting in reality as a field of psychic plasma, not all that different in essence to what Mewtwo used for Psystrike. Whitish gold thunderbolts hammered down on Alex and his hastily formed Barrier, who found himself suddenly overpowered by a mind much older than his. Finvarra struck mentally as well and Alex held him there, too. As their manifested aura abilities clashed and sparked into a test of endurance, Alex knew he'd fade long before this Calyrex did.

It was as he realized that Finvarra's massive power was being aided by Spectrier, that Arthur struck, dissipating the attack on his Trainer's barrier with a pair of angry Night Slashes. He whirled on Finvarra then. "How dare you…that's my partner!"

Finvarra glared at the interruption to his interrogation, only to pause as he realized who had ended his attack. "Arthur. Perhaps you can explain why Fairy King Oberon's magic is all over your precious partner. He is one of the greatest threats to the world! And someone has let him out of his cage!" Finvarra was panting as he shouted down at the Gallade but his Hyper Voice was having no effect. Galarians had wielded it differently to their eastern neighbors, but this Gallade was completely immune to his regal tone, for some reason.

"Things have changed…" Alex said, still smoldering from where the intense heat of the awakened king's attack had almost broken through to his clothes. "Yggdrassil has been reunited with her Tamer. The World Eater is dead. Norstad is free, again. Confirm our words with her. I don't. Have. Time." Finvarra blinked, as he felt the human's Voice. Very quickly, his mighty noggin figured out his likely identity, for now that he looked closer, he saw the Original Dragon's essence as well. He had only ever granted a portion of his 'eternal balance' to rulers he saw as worthy of becoming what Arceus wanted, and needed, humans to become.

"Very well, Dragon Emperor." Finvarra said, smirking as he saw the human's face react to his clever guess. "Speak with the Stonjourner. Have them teach you about Gravity. That is how you enter Albion. It should be no trouble for one like you. I have business in Norstad, tonight."

"Hauld on thaur Mucker, wot abit oir tryst?" The female Trainer from before, who Alex recognized as Leader Gloria, since he had long followed the Galar circuit, had come back now, as had the other Calyrex, atop his icy steed. "Ye said ye woods teach me, loike Victor!"

Finvarra grimaced. "Oh. Right. You."

The white Calyrex glared at his kin. "You gave her your word, brother. Are you going to make me kin to a liar?"

Finvarra sighed. "Fine. She can come too. Let us away!" The three of them vanished then in a Teleport, and Percival, Bedivere, and Gawain all shared a look as they were left behind without so much as a 'thank you' from Finvarra.

"I uhh…guess we're done then." One said, and the other two nodded, almost sad. But in truth, they had only agreed to help until Finvarra had his steed.

"You lads are with us!" Arthur said, suddenly appearing before them and seeing the disheartened look from being left behind. "You're going to help me take back Albion. Percival." The younger Gallade stood straighter. "Go summon the others. It's time."

Percival peered at Arthur. "Even Lancelus?"

Arthur nodded, confidently. "Of course! We will need his arm in Albion. In fact…you're all going to try tapping into the Light, before I'm done with you. We will need that, too." The confidence faded into determination, as he was under no illusion as to how infested with Shadow his home might be. Fornia had been like that too, but he knew his Trainer wouldn't leave his home to rot.

They mounted their flying Pokémon after recalling everyone. It turned out that Gallahad's Trainer was, in fact, Rick Astley, which raised their number further. Lancelus checked in first, as he was the closest, and one by one, the other Gallade Arthur had met at Superior Lake psychically agreed to help as well. It was time to retake Albion.

The sun had fully set by the time they reached the barrier that Finvarra had mentioned. As Rick and Drake also had psychic abilities, they'd sensed it before flying into it. Once the group landed, the forest was too dark to see the stars through and Alex decided they would camp out. Barely any humans lived this far north of Wyndon. The Pokémon around them were also largely more interested in avoiding humanity. If one wanted a Trainer, one went to the Wild Area.

Alex was reluctant to break out the Leaf, since Rick and Drake were younger than him, but then they reminded him that they were well past twenty by now. They'd been teens back when he'd first met them properly outside the Chargestone caves. Thus, he broke out the bong and El Fuego and good times were had throughout the night. Leo stayed on watch with Noir while the humans were all conked out on the potency of Alex's dank herb.

The morning arrived with no surprises, at least, until the group moved beyond the trees and up to the actual barrier. Then they saw what had arrived in the night: an entire herd of Stonjourner, who were now standing, laying, and stomping around wherever they pleased. Alex wondered how they'd all gotten past his Luxray's vision. He couldn't ask the cats, as they had fallen asleep upon entering their balls.

Seeing Rick, Drake, and even Jess were all stunned by the sight of the giant rock Pokémon, Alex stepped forward and approached the closest one. "Hello there."

The lumbering rock giant turned slowly, eyed the human with its derpy face, and then said, "Hi there, hello!" The exact same words were uttered by a nearby Stonjourner, who also waddled over. In seconds, the rest of the herd joined them, shaking the ground with their stampede of four hundred pound feet. "Hi there, hello! Hi there, hello! Hi there, hello!" Repeated over and over again until finally, mercifully, they stopped.

"Yes, hi there, hello." Alex said, not understanding why, but going with what seemed to be a customary greeting of their group. "We're trying to get past this barrier, you see. We need to get to Albion." He tapped on the barrier, and made it buzz with energy. "The King in the North, Finvarra, suggested I ask you fine Pokémon for help. He implied this would be difficult to get through."

The living rocks all turned to face each other, communicating with some kind of language beyond Pokéspeech. It was interesting to Alex though, as he sensed subtle vibrations from their feet moving through the earth, though he couldn't translate whatever they said. Then, the first Stonjourner he'd approached turned to him. "Albion is a dangerous place for Humans. Why do you journey there?"

Again, Alex reiterated the events that had led them on this path, going into detail as Drake and Rick hadn't heard them either, and finished with, "So that's why we're going, and why I need to learn Gravity from you. Ideally, I'd tear down this barrier altogether."

The derpy face of the Stonjourner didn't change once through the account. "The barrier will fall, when the Shadow does. Until then, you must use Gravity. We will show you." The Stonjourner turned back to its herd then, and as one, they formed some sort of psychic-enhancing pattern with their bodies and began to hum a single word. Though Alex understood it, it was not in the Common tongue.

"Gooooolllllteeeeefeeeeeennnnnnd!"

As one, the Stonjourner increased the gravity around them with each syllable, and Alex understood how they were doing it. He hadn't expected them to use the dragon tongue though. Drake and Rick fell to their knees as the gravity threatened to crush them, and even Jess started to wobble. Alex endured it, though he knew he couldn't have moved unless he'd been quite motivated. Their combined power almost reminded him of Giratina, but that one's mastery of gravity had kept everything in place. Until it had lost focus.

The Stonjourner turned back to Alex then, as the barrier encasing this part of the region was literally pulled down by the psychic power of the sojourning stone giants. "The way is open. See? Crossing is super easy. Barely an inconvenience. You may pass." It gave him a derpy smile.

"Goltefend!" Alex said, using his own Voice. The others sighed in relief as the Gravity normalized for them. They crossed, and Alex turned to the Stonjourner once they did so. "Thank you for this, new friends. We won't forget your kindness."

"It would have been kinder to keep you out. Good luck, Humans!" The Stonjourner said. It started waving its tiny arm, and the rest of the herd started waving as well as they walked past them, repeating 'Hi there, hello!' again, despite the fact that they were parting.

With their refreshed flying Pokémon, it didn't take long at all to find the tomb on the edge of the large desert. To Alex's senses, it was as if a massive torrent of Shadow energy had suddenly gathered at that spot, and then vanished. What was left were only traces of evil, traces that he, Arthur, and the other Gallades all began Purging. Very quickly, Galahad picked up how to wield Purge, but the other three, who were also much lower level, did not.

Alex, Lux, and Nox, hiding in his shadow, moved through the ancient tomb, but all they found at its depths was sand and a broken pile of what looked like one of the other statues left in the tomb. "We're too late." He said as he held his humming Sword Rotom over the empty tomb. He examined the chains that had evidently held whoever had been inside, and his eyes widened as he recognized the pattern of the cut. Only one Pokémon species cut this precisely, and as he heard a pitiful noise to his right, he figured out who had been responsible for it. Mordred.

Alex slowly lifted up the jawless skull of Caleb Pravus, grimacing as what remained of his skin sloughed off into dust. What was left of his eyes widened, as they saw the face of the next person who'd come to the tomb, not an ally, but his very killer. "Well well. Caleb Pravus. I cut your head off for a reason, you know. You should've stayed dead."

Pravus made another noise then, his eyes sad and pleading, but Alex was having none of it. He shut down Lux, putting him away, as he knew his Rotom was tired of killing. As his emotions turned dark though, Nox rose in his shadow, smirking at the skull from behind his Trainer. He'd listened well to his brother's tales of this Caleb Pravus, and was fascinated to see how his normally restrained human reacted to seeing the man who'd essentially ruined his childhood.

"Y'know…" Alex said quietly to himself in the pitch dark space, as Jess had stayed with the others, well away from the 'creepy, sandy Shadow hole', "Killing you in Alola…that was war time. I had no grudge. Nor regrets, or guilt. You started a war, and I ended it. But this…" His large hand tightened on the skull, and Pravus' eyes went wide. "This is personal. For my Granduncle's good name." Cracks ran up the bone of the rounded skull. "For my entire childhood…" A crack appeared across Pravus's Maxilla. "Die."

Then, the skull shattered into dust and fragments, and where his brain should have been, only a sphere of corrupted darkness floated. The last ember of the being known as Pravus. "Nox."

The Gengar flowed out of his shadow, looking quite pleased. "Yes?"

"Take this Trash to the deepest pit in the Spirit World, please. I'll have a hefty reward for when you return, whatever Berry you like. Just make sure that he does not reincarnate. Ever." Alex said grimly, sighing, and letting the tension in his body fade.

"I know exactly where to take this one…" Nox said, grinning darkly with his razor sharp grin. He swallowed the orb of darkness that was all that remained of Pravus's essence and sank into the floor as he vanished. Alex glanced at his hand then, feeling something that was not skull. He found Morgana's device, though he had no idea what it did, it seemed like the kind of thing one might put in a pocket for Key Items, so he did so, intending it for the Brain Trust later.

He returned to the top then, floating out of the pit with his psychic power. He relayed what he'd found to the others, finishing with, "...and I turned Pravus's skull into dust. That's not all though. Arthur." He fixed his Gallade, and the four others around him with a look. "Mordred lives, and it's very likely that Morgana has him on her side now. The tomb's chains were sliced by a Gallade."

Arthur swore. "I knew I should've beheaded him, too! I should've dove down and made sure nothing survived. Damn it all!" He whirled, punching straight through an ancient pillar that had long since eroded to the point of not sustaining the weight of anything important. Both he and Alex knew the legend he'd taken his name from. They'd both been concerned, when Pravus used a Gallade with the name of the knight who, classically, was either responsible for Arthur Pendragon's death, or the direct cause of it. They'd both assumed they were free and clear once he and Pravus fell to the depths of an ocean, but apparently, not even tonnes of pressure were enough to kill his destiny. It seemed he and Mordred would cross swords once again.

"I know you have a dungeon to explore now." Arthur said, coming back to his human, and once more as calm as ever. "And I know you're still sore after losing Eremus…but the time has come. I need to lead these Gallade, and their Trainers, and take back my home. Nimue and Merlin are also helping. Focus on finding who or what ever escaped this tomb, and know that when you do, I will be there, fighting next to you. Like always."

Alex still winced inwardly, as he knew, just by the feeling, that this was the moment. The moment his little amnesia-curing Ralts left him to embrace his greater destiny. Their paths would converge again, but hereafter, he knew, they had diverged permanently. He had to blink, as he felt his eyes respond to that realization with tears.

"I know…" He finally said, before he made Arthur feel worse. "I've known for a while. That you would leave, eventually. Take Llamrei with you. You two are bonded now, and…well, you saw Finvarra's attack. Maybe she can help empower you as Spectrier did for her rider. Go. I'll see you again at Arborstone Castle, once we do…whatever we need to in Norstad."

They clasped hands, and Arthur parted from that holding Llamrei's ball. Arthur bid Canis and Espeo to take care of him, and then, the five Gallade were off, stoically marching north into the desert as they slowly shifted to running speed. Alex, Jess, Drake, and Rick followed him quietly into the air, and while his Pokémon were trying to support him, both those on his cape and those at the farm, he gently shrugged off their consoling, as he was in no mood for it. It was a heady mix of both pride and sorrow that kept him silent as he rode towards Brightwall, and its academy. There, Rick and Drake would meet Cynthia, while he and Jess explored whatever was underneath the academy.

He closed his eyes, letting Shruikan fly as they headed north. The dust cloud behind the psychically sped up Gallades was still visible and as they reached the ocean between the desert and mainland Albion, water didn't slow them down. All nine of his main team watched their brother and his allies break off in multiple directions, to multiple towns. "Canis." Alex finally spoke through their mental link.

"You're up, now. He wanted you in his spot, when he's not here. Can you handle that?"

The Lucario's ball shuddered. "I will not be the weak link." He answered.

Dovah Graad - Somewhere in the Northwest Mountains of Norstad

"Oh, Al Du In…what have they done to you…" The titanic skeleton of the World Eater lay sprawled in one of the larger parts of the Dragon Grave. Unceremoniously, he'd been dropped on his back, legs and wings sprawled in the air, and then burned with dragonfire. To Proditor's disgust, only about half had been ruined with dragonflame, the other half of Alduin's skeleton had been mined, by human hands. What little remained of the bones could cover quite a few humans, such was their size. It was also a testament to how much bone the humans had taken from this sacred place. The burned bone was already ash, it simply hadn't fallen apart yet. Dragon bones could take years to decay to that point, even when ruined.

Proditor shot out over the ancient titan's skeleton, to what remained of his ribs. Even his facial bones had been mined. Both horns were missing. He raised a hand over the direct center of the World Eater's frame. "I choose…You." The Shadow answered his desire, and sloughed off his floating form, down onto Alduin's remains. The decaying bones began to burn again, as they were engulfed in Shadow. Then, the wind picked up, howling in fury at being used by such foul power, this rage was exactly what Proditor and his Shadows desired.

The ash rose in spiraling torrents, forming the vague shape of the World Eater, somewhat smaller than his full glory, more akin to the size Shruikan had been, before he'd condensed his stolen power. Pupilless red eyes burned to life where his eye sockets were. His Words were hissed on the air. "Faal Vax…the Traitor…"

"Yes, 'tis I. I did say we would meet again, Alduin. You serve me, now. Do as I order you, and vengeance on those who ended your life will be yours." Proditor smirked as the ash dragon surged, violently. He became as a cloud of ash for a moment, radiating malice and surging upwards and around, before reforming his vaguely Salamence shape.

"Nahkriin…? Yesssss…"

Atop Alduin's semi-corporeal back, Proditor pointed him at Kalos, specifically, the border it shared with Germania. In barely half of an hour, the ash Salamence was in the skies of the border. The sky was almost black from the depth of the night's darkness, making Alduin's form hard to see to those who defended the region.

Those defenders who drew Proditor's focus, as the most powerful psychics by far in the region, were the Scales stationed between Kalos and the Imperium's Germania. Despite not seeing Alduin, the sudden surge of incredible evil announced his arrival with a cold chill up the spine of every Scale, that every psychically sensitive human in the region felt.

The Scale's leader was called Hikoki. He was tall, had brown hair whose style belonged in an anime, and by his ears it was styled into horns the same shape as Latios had. His clothes, under the black and white armor of the Dragon Empire, also matched his partner. He was a Legendary Tamer, appointed by the Dragon Emperor personally to guard against an attack from Germania. He had partnered with a Latios and together the pair had defended many regions, until Unova and Japan came under attack. Very quickly upon getting swept into the Fornian and Unovan conflict, Alex had taken him into his elite squad. Hikoki had quickly gathered his Scales together in the largest bunker their Pokémon had constructed for them. To all appearances, it was just a standard cave, like one might find on any mountain. The difference was that the Scales had turned its labyrinthine structure into a hidden fortress.

As was becoming more common for the Scales, their number was supplemented by less skilled, newer Scales learning the ropes firsthand. These newer members of their order had become quite common after the war ended and many had yet to see real combat. Or face the Shadow. Unprepared as they were, the building terror accompanying Proditor's arrival caused one to panic, as he hovered over their hideout's entrance. "Wait! Get back here, now!"

Hikoki's words fell on deaf ears as the frightened noob ran outside of the cave and activated his plasma sword. Before Hikoki could so much as summon Latios, Proditor descended, and the fresh Scale became a red smear on the ground as he landed with intense, focused, psychic force. Enough to shatter the newbie and the ground under him. In that instant, an amused Proditor pulled the plasma blade from the rookie's separated hand and examined the craftsmanship. It was relatively simple in design, mass-produced, but durable enough to last far longer than his previous weapon, one that, in concept, had not been all that different from what he now held in his hand.

The man before them was garbed in black robes with unnaturally undulating edges. A hood covered his features from sight. His very presence, or perhaps the presence of what he'd rode in on, made the immediate area hard to breathe in as the concentration of so much Shadow energy began to affect gravity. He turned his cloaked head towards the cave, and all Hikoki made out was his smirk on unnaturally pale but ominously familiar skin.

As the shock of the death of one of their own swept over the Scales, the cave's interior was lit up with about twenty similar blue beams of plasma. Ignoring them, Proditor psychically dismantled his new plasma sword, and its power cut out, to avoid exploding. "Chargestones…now that…is Inspired." He guided the stolen stone to his palm and then grinned darkly. Shadow energy surged into it. The humans of the modern era understood very little, compared to their ancestors, about the various crystals that now appeared across their world after Arceus tampered with it. They'd only just begun to once more wield Infinity Energy. Proditor had no such issue, as the humans of his time had understood these crystals and their potential quite well.

Thus, was he able to shift the stone's very nature, infusing it not with plasma, but with hatred, anger, and rage made manifest, altering it on a level his primitive enemies had not yet even discovered. The blue coloration shifted to a dark purple, and he reassembled the nature of the crystal and guided it back into the blade. The emitter struggled to keep up with the power output as it hummed rapidly, and the corrosive nature of the Shadow guaranteed it wouldn't last long, but Proditor could get fresh parts. According to his pawn, there were thousands of these 'Scales of Balance'.

"Luster Purge!" Hikoki shouted, as he hurled a Pokéball at the man who'd killed one of their own. He knew that the fact they could see the Shadow visibly in his aura was a bad sign, but there was a reason he'd been with the Emperor's Scales.

"Shadow Wing." Proditor answered him. The Latios's eyes went wide as the Light of his attack was swallowed by the sudden arrival of Alduin's ashy wings sweeping into the cave. Then, Proditor noticed. The more experienced looking Scales were wearing Alduin's bones, fashioned as armor. Enough for an entire order, it seemed. Uniform in design, but easily altered to show some individuality, he understood why they'd chosen to make it white on black. Fitting, for the Original Dragon's pawns.

"Alduin…Devour them. Reclaim what is yours." He ordered. Before the Scales could so much as swing their plasma swords, the cloud of Shadow and ash surged over them once more, and they knew no more. He couldn't kill them outright, not yet, but the revived dragon was able to take some of their life essence for his own, as well as the bone armor from their bodies. The technology used to make the armor appear and fold away so rapidly melded with his undead essence, and from what he reclaimed from the cave, the other half of his skull, in his currently smaller form at least, reappeared beside the burned half.

Proditor chuckled and retrieved their plasma blades. "Well done indeed. They won't need these anymore…and they'll be alive to warn more of their kind. We'll restore you yet, World Eater.

"Hi pruz…you had better…" Alduin hissed, before fading away from sight once more.

Hikoki's Latios was the first to rise after Alduin's attack. His Heal Pulse brought the Scales, with the exception of the one Proditor had landed on, back to consciousness. They found their blades were gone, as well as their assailant. Hikoki turned to his Latios, once those who'd been drained more thoroughly by Alduin were back on their feet. "Get word to Unova. Tell Tao that we need reinforcements, and Redwood himself. The border has been disarmed by a new Shadow user."

Just then, the scout he'd sent to spy down on Germania below, on the other side of the first mountains in the Mediterra range, returned to them, sliding to a stop atop his Gogoat as he hopped off. "Commander! The Astartes are mobilizing! They already started the armoring process! The Imperator's Children are forming ranks at our door."

Hikoki sighed, heavily. They were a relatively new legion, not because they were freshly created, but because a genetic defect had wiped out the first intake of Astartes in the third legion that their numbers had never recovered from. Instead, they'd supplemented themselves with regular soldiers of the Imperium, which meant they'd be hungry for glory, eager to show to the other legions that they were still formidable. "And their leader, Fulgrim?"

The scout nodded, a grimace on the only part of their face covered by armor. It was then, they noticed, that all the others were essentially nude, or had at most one layer of underclothes separating them from full nudity. "The Prime Archon is with them…uh…sir…what happened here, exactly?"

It was then that everyone noticed their armor was gone, too. Some of the Scales, mostly women, started curling in embarrassment. Then, suddenly, large blankets appeared over each of those who were visibly concerned with their bodily privacy and fell on top of them. Hikoki smirked, as he was just proud of his Latios for thinking of teleporting the spare blankets up. Despite how overwhelmed he'd been against whatever had surged over them, next time, they would not fall so easily.

Hikoki stood up, ignoring his own state of undress, as he issued commands. "Get down to the armory! Re-equip yourselves and take your posts. Bring out all of your Pokémon. We may be at war."

While most of their peers were currently enjoying the holiday, those posted on the border had no real obligation or desire to participate, which meant they were understaffed. They had just enough Pokémon and Scales to cover the border, in case of emergency, and Hikoki had a feeling this current emergency happening now was no coincidence.

Tao reached out mentally to Hikoki and his Scales as they rushed to the armory and explained the battle plan. As most of the Scales were either occupied or away on vacation and not answering, those he was able to send were comparatively new. Within a few hours, the Scales were back on the border, armored and standing ready as they watched the purple figures of the distant Astartes below in Germania form ranks.

Brightwall Academy - Albion Region

Alex and Jess found the academy of Brightwall abandoned after parting from Drake, Rick, and Cynthia. Geralt also arrived, late, so Alex had him rallying the locals he'd befriended in some place called 'Knothole' to reinforce Arthur and whoever else he got to help liberate Albion.

Searching the remains of the academy, Jess found a spectacular door in some kind of display room. It was dusty, but otherwise seemingly immune to the entropic decay that the rest of the region was dealing with. Its gears weren't rusted, and much like his granduncle's secret door, it didn't budge with psychic power.

"Someday, I want one of my many teachers to teach me how to reliably bust down evil doors." Alex growled, as their combined psychic efforts failed, again.

It was then that Jess noticed a circular socket in the door's composition of gears and levers. "Why don't you try putting your Seal thingy in here?"

Alex was skeptical it would fit, but it turned out that it did in fact fit after all. The ancient door swung open, and Alex retrieved the Guild Seal before heading deeper into what turned out to be a proper labyrinth. He lit the long burnt out torches lining the walls as they quietly moved deeper inside.

What they found were a series of relatively simple puzzles that the average Albion rube might've had trouble solving, if they were very drunk. Upon finishing said puzzles, ghostly images of Pokémon appeared in masses of about six. The species was always different, but Alex and Jess gave their newbies a thorough work out by battling them. For those Noir and Kalagon couldn't handle, he brought out Canis, who always instantly shifted the tide of the battle. In terms of level, he'd significantly outpaced most of the B Team thanks to Arthur's training and his wide pool of useful moves.

As they came to what seemed to be the end of their trek through the 'path' Alex had divined, a pair of two larger circular energy orbs fell from the stone ceiling and into the ground in front of them. This presaged every other encounter they'd had in here, so Alex brought out Noir again, mostly for his Shadow Claw. The clever cat had found his stash of TMs and his claws had proven effective against the largely ghost typed enemies in this place.

Jess brought out her Dreepy, who was also benefiting from the experience, though her road to evolving remained very long. From the ground came a pair of Lycanroc that Alex assumed were regional to Albion. The Night Form had five-digit claws and longer nails, in addition to the stones jutting out of its mane. It also hunched over far more than other Night Lycanrocs. The Day Form looked similarly feral and had similar digits but remained awkwardly crouched on all four of its gangly limbs.

The night inclined ghost wolf went for Noir, who had instead of mastering his yoyo, opted to tangle his opponents with the vine before making it sprout thorns. Thankfully, the vine did in fact grow back when cut, but Alex was fairly sure this was not how most Floragato battled.

The vines didn't do much against ghosts, thus Noir had relied on his claws throughout the dungeon. Without a command, he used his Quick Attack in conjunction with Shadow Claw to block the Shadow Punches their Lycanroc was using. Draga's opponent, by contrast, couldn't keep up with her as it kept snapping at empty air with its uneven toothy maw.

Noir ended his frenzied opponent with a Seed Bomb, as Draga turned herself into a Draco Meteor in her suicidal pursuit of dakka. The tough little dragon ghost managed to hold onto consciousness, despite the massive damage becoming a meteor caused her. Despite being a special move from a more physical attacking species, Draga made use of the absurdly high damage Draco Meteor had. She had also gotten into her Trainer's TMs. Her version made her the central meteor and added some physicality to the attack, at the price of heavy recoil damage.

Jess healed her up, again, admonishing her. Alex just smirked. The Dreepy had long since realized Jess would heal her with her nearly limitless items every time she got hurt. Apparently neither Jess nor her brother had ever run out of items.

The pair of humans approached their final quest objective, a stone circular object engraved with a rune they recognized thanks to Percy's shared knowledge. It was sitting atop a rather plain pedestal, as all the others had been. "And that makes four." Alex said, shoving it in his bag. "Let's get back up there."

The trip back was far quieter and aside from a few Zubat, they didn't encounter anything else to slow them down. Once above ground, they both received an explosion of notifications, both psychic and virtual. Jess groaned as she read the situation report of what was happening on the border. "Looks like Festivus is over."

Alex's sigh turned into something more like a growl. "Not yet it isn't…" He showed her his screen, and the call trying to get through. He answered it. "Yes? Hi Professor. I can barely hear you. Albion. Sure, might as well give it to me."

Across the line, Professor Aristole began his debriefing on who exactly was readying to storm the mountains between Kalos and Germania in a heightened tone. "The Third Legion. The Imperator's Children. Mostly nobility from Germania and other affluent families around the Imperium. Most were taken as children into the Astartes program specifically for this Legion, hence the name."

Alex nodded. Of course, the Astartes on his border were genetically enhanced nobles. In the Imperium, that meant they all probably had their own personal armies, which could be called up by their families to support their endeavors. "And their…Prime Archon…?" He wondered if there was a connection to Albion there and decided to ask Aristole later.

"Fulgrim." Aristole continued, "Also called the Phoenician. He prides himself on his perfection and the obvious superiority of the Imperium's elite. I do mean superiority in the Eugenic sense. He tends to see certain sub-categories of Humans based on skin tone and genetic origin as superior to others. It has caused quite an issue with his brothers. The Imperator seems to tolerate it though, so long as they get results."

Alex nodded, grimly. Dividing humanity by things as trivial as skin tone was a remnant of the Old Earth's societies. The Imperium was the largest civilization that still operated on such bigoted principles, and it sounded like Fulgrim was essentially the source of it. Apparently, the Prime Archons were rather popular on Olympius and could dictate how the masses acted. They had a similar influence over their lands, and Germania essentially belonged to Fulgrim.

"Tell Hikoki to stall as long as possible. I'll be there soon." He turned to Jess then. "I don't like just leaving Arthur here. Would you back him up?"

She pouted. "I'd like to see what these weird dragon letters unlock…but you're right, I don't like leaving him either, if Mordred is around. I'll meet you on the border later." She said, mounting her Charizard.

Alex hopped on Shruikan at the same time. "Not if I finish up before you. Stay alive."

To the surprise of the people of Brightwall, two draconic forms with riders shot into the sky over their homes before leaving entirely in two separate directions.

Arborstone City Market - Capital of Albion

With their psychic speed and ability to Teleport, Arthur's allies had managed to rally quickly. Lancelus arrived first, though Leon had suggested his own involvement in Albion as essentially Galar's leading authority would be frowned upon, he didn't forbid Lancelus from choosing to help his friend reclaim his home. Ector arrived with Nimue herself, looking stronger than he had previously. It also seemed like his missing sword-arm had regrown, and with the pain of his burns healed by Arthur, if not the actual scars, he'd been able to train himself to fight again. Agravain never bothered to even respond, and both Bors and Tristan were too far away to help. Arthur had no time to wait on them, as Tao had informed him of the situation in Kalos too.

The first 'city' they'd found was actually as close to a slice of old Albion as one could find these days, in the entire region. Driftwood City had started as a series of caravans of wandering eco-friendly humans and over time evolved into a city that spread across multiple islands, some of which apparently had ore. The locals had been so chill, that Arthur and his companions had been welcomed with a proper Leaf circle, with primitive smoking methods, but dank Leaf. Thus had the island paradise become the unofficial base for his Gallade to gather at.

Nimue was visibly vibing on their emotions as she floated through the hazy air, and Arthur asked them to guard her, until her lake was safe to inhabit again. The islanders enthusiastically agreed, as they found her 'like, super adorable, man'. While Driftwood welcomed anyone, from washed up pirates to guards fleeing Morgana's service, they did not fight or even have battles between Pokémon. Those who had been Trainers, had gone with a pair of foreigners to attack Morgana's Spire. They hadn't come back. Only one had managed to return to the islands, and that was weeks after the supposed victory at the Spire. They claimed that Morgana had rounded up and killed every celebrating rebel in Arborstone once the foreigners left, which had been all of them.

It was a similar story in the other towns the Gallade psychically sprinted to. Percival, Bedivere, and Gawain all proved to be excellent messengers, since they knew Extremespeed. In the end, Arthur had arrived at the gates of Arborstone City with a few bright-eyed teenage humans, their Pokémon, his fellow Gallade, and most of their Trainers. Surprisingly, there was apparently a source of Pokéball distribution in Albion, or there had been, at least while Rick and Drake had been recruiting. Apparently the two had brought enough spare balls between them to give one to almost every citizen in the region. They'd become rarer since Morgana banned them but hiding them while minimized wasn't too hard and the local guards were usually too busy drinking or debauching themselves to search anyone.

The people of Arborstone were withered examples of humanity, who hid as they saw the group of gallant Gallade strolling across the cobblestone bridge that led into the market square of the city. Even the water running through the city was gray. Where once the city had been respectable, even modern in some areas, the region-wide entropic decay had taken a toll on everything, from roofs and structurally critical beams to the very cobblestones of the road itself. A pair of humans in black armor that looked almost like a bug carapace at first glance pointed at them from where they stood sentry in the square. Other guards, around but out of sight, appeared as they called out.

Arthur peered closer at them as he broke into a charge with the other Gallade. The humans, as planned, scurried off into the sewers in the confusion, with the Gallade's Trainers being led by region locals. "Arceans!" Arthur shouted, as he recognized their armor. It seemed many had replaced their Crusader armor with local parts in a blend of medieval and modern that inspired fear.

Suddenly, the market square became a battlefield Arthur was all too familiar with, as the Arceans had kept their weapons as functional as possible. Arthur could tell they weren't optimally charged, but the destruction they wrought was still impressive.

Arthur bisected a fire beam with Sacred Sword the same way the Scales did, before shouting to the others, "They're on low charge! You can strike through them!" He demonstrated again, as he sensed hesitation, by running straight into the hastily formed line of guards, perfectly bisecting a beam of electricity with Leaf Blade as he did.

Lancelus was right beside him, his spear arm every bit as steady as Arthur's swords. Lancelus turned to his left as they rose from their landing, and with a single lance strike, knocked three guards in the head at once. Arthur, for his part, was a blur as he moved through the three to his right with the grace of a dancer, and spiraling movements.

The brief reprieve in firing allowed the other Gallade to move up, only to then take cover again as more elemental energy beams came from the direction of the castle, and the twin lines of soldiers fast-marching from it. Just as Arthur was wishing he had Shruikan for a strafing run or two, his Trainer answered him with a different gift: a very pissed off Jessica who was less than pleased to see surviving Arcean Crusaders in a region that had been abused enough. She had no doubt they'd been up to their tricks here in Albion too and as she was the one who was still cleaning their mess in Fornia and its satellite States, she was all too familiar with what Albion's peasantry had likely been subjected to.

Folokraan froze the lines of soldiers on one pass, and with the next, scattered the frozen humans to the ground, smashing most of them. Arthur was there moments later, breaking apart those she'd missed. His Gallade were hesitant about killing these humans, but Lancelus understood who they were, as Arthur did, and knew that ending them here would ultimately save more lives. He saw what they had done to Japan, what the locals now referred to as 'Yakedo' stretched from Mt. Silver all the way to Sinnoh. These Arceans were all that remained of the forces who'd burned and raped their way down the island.

By this point, bells were chiming all over Arborstone, and more Arceans, as well as regular Albion guards, were pouring into the market. Ball by ball, Jess found herself calling on more of her partners. The reluctance of the other Gallade to kill faded in the face of the need for survival, and Arthur did what he could to keep them alive. After about an hour of pushing haphazard lines back and forth across the square, turning it into a bloody warzone in the process, the humans they'd brought with them came through with what remained of the rebels, and their Pokémon, as timely reinforcements.

Despite the reinforcements, the Arceans and their far more numerous regular guard forces armed with simple firearms held their own as the fighting began dragging on for well over two hours. About halfway through the fighting, Cynthia, Drake, and Rick Astley arrived to even the odds. Rick and Drake had twenty fresh Pokémon almost on the level of Alex's between them, but the most notable of them was by far Cynthia. She'd only brought one partner with her, one that had a battle to finish with these worshippers of Shadow.

Even in Albion they had legends of prominent dragons, like Unova's, and the Creation Trio. Rayquaza was less known, but the black Mega Rayquaza Cynthia rode in on promised to leave a memorable impression on Arborstone's cultural psyche. The massive dragon was very visible from all across the city.

Their arrival ultimately turned the tide against the Arceans, and after two more long hours of a war Arthur had thought he was done fighting, the last Crusader was finally dispatched. Jess began psychically stacking the bodies, not for the first time, while the Pokémon rested. Slowly, as the bell ringers ran for safety and the guard's number ran out, the citizens of Arborstone poked their heads out of their homes. The Gallade had done what they could alongside Jess and her team to keep the houses from being damaged, but the Arceans hadn't bothered to check their fire. Most of the houses and businesses lining the main square had been reduced to rubble in the fighting.

Jess and Delphi used their powers to save a small girl from the rubble she was trapped in, when Jess finally ran out of energy. It was at that point that she downed an Elixir and began passing others out to the other Pokémon. "Search for trapped citizens! Call out any injuries." Jess said, as a few of her Pokémon and some of the Gallade got back on their feet. Some were simply spent move-wise, but still had plenty of stamina. Others had found that bisecting energy beams was not as simple as Arthur made it look.

As the citizens saw the victors were not their oppressors, but strangers who were treating the wounded for free with Gallade among them, they began leaving their homes. Their skin was uniformly gray, their bones were often visible on their faces and bodies and their clothes were ragged, which was a generous adjective, given how many holes the average garment had from wear and entropy.

Arthur found their group surrounded before long, as he'd entered his Mega Form, and his arms were still burning with Light. "Please stay back, there may be more of them coming-" He paused, as a little girl human came up to him. She was dirtier than other smol humans he'd seen, but still cute with her wide eyes and pigtails, or as cute as a dirty, starving child could be, anyway.

"Mister Gallade, are you da old King?"

Arthur shook his head. "Why do you ask, little one?"

A man stepped up then, looking far more fed than the other citizens, as he put a muscled arm on the child's shoulder. The reason why became clear as he spoke. "Because your father Uther's picture is still hangin' in our room. I'd recognize those looks anywhere. There were rumors that Uther had an egg…I never believed'em."

Arthur was quiet for a moment, and in that moment, the crowd grew more and more excited, as they processed the man's words. They may have been dirt poor and corroded by Shadow, but they were still Galarian people at heart. Everyone in the city drank, though their currency had long since lost any value or governmental legitimacy, people were always willing to trade or work or craft for booze. Finally, the Mega Gallade answered the tavernkeep. "Get as many citizens to the castle as you can…the sick and injured, too. The closer they are, the better."

As the bell tower was seemingly a central landmark in the market square of the city, despite being war-torn, it would make an ideal staging point for a move on the castle. Given how high the body pile had become Arthur hoped they had few guards remaining and would see the sense in surrendering. The tavernkeep, and the other citizens around Arthur dispersed into the city. Like a river composed of humans, they came. The still-living citizens of his region.

Those from the industrial part of the city were especially sick. Their skin was covered in ash and soot to the point that not even water and scrubbing removed it. Their eyes were sunken into their emaciated faces and Arthur found himself wincing at the state of them. He wished Alex had come instead of Jess, as he could use the Light and the closeness of his human right now. They'd healed crowds before with pulses of light, but it was more of a special move, in nature. Arthur had been trained to hone his attack power; at the cost of any special attack power he might've had. Seeing just how many humans were affected by the natural entropy of so much ambient Shadow, he doubted he could heal them all alone.

Lancelus put a hand on his shoulder then and gave him an affirming nod. They were standing in front of the tower's bell above the crowd, but as humans flowed in from all directions, Arthur floated himself up to the very point of the tower, balancing perfectly on the pointy spire. He hadn't mastered Hyper Voice like Shruikan and Alex had, but he had picked up how to reach a crowd with it.

He felt the thousands of eyes upon him as he took his spot, and then partly for dramatic flair and partly for the battle to come, he touched a blazing golden sword arm to his heart piece. The crowd murmured as he flashed with light, and armored himself in the expanding red-pink metal of his Mind Plate. His cape billowed as one solid piece, his helmet gained a face guard not entirely unlike those used on helmets in Albion, his body was covered in flexible sheets of metal and his arms began to hum, low and ominous, as the Light energy became focused enough to match a plasma sword, a feat that he and Lux had, very carefully, tested.

"People of Arborstone! Raise your eyes to the sky and rejoice! Today, our city has been set free, in defiance of the False Queen!" He gestured a humming arm to the corpse pile which, surprising no one, had a large area of unoccupied standing space immediately around it. "I am the Prince of Albion! I've trained for years since I hatched, for this day! The day I change the fate of this Region, and her people. The day Albion rejoins the world as a free Region!" Some people clapped, others murmured excitedly, but still glanced around for the guards, and still more, the majority, stared at him. Dead-eyed and slack jawed as they processed his psychically projected words echoing in both their ears and their brain.

Arthur continued, despite the growing, awkward silence. "I understand many of you are skeptical. Logic dictates the smart choice is to wait and see who actually holds power before celebrating your freedom. You almost had that once, and it was ripped away from you. Your lives matter to me…and I will not risk them. Approach the castle in two hours! If you have friends or family working there, tell them to run now. You will know when things have finally changed, for good this time."

He signaled to the Gallade below and they began charging up the main market road to the castle. The livelier citizens cheered as they took off, though they were few in number. The majority of the peasants just wandered aimlessly, occasionally groaning when they bumped into an object, or another person.

The castle itself was less impressive than Arthur hoped. The five or so guards remaining in the structure surrendered to the Gallade at the head of a sizable force of angry, dirty peasants and Trainers. The rest of the inhabitants were serving staff or nobles, with one exception. A man with a unique hairstyle by the name of Arlo.

"I'm told you worked to enhance natural infusions of Shadow Energy in the name of the False Queen." Arthur said, as he paced before his father's throne. Like everything else, it too had decayed, but oddly enough the stone beneath it seemed pristine, if simply carved. The rest of the castle was also a wreck and even now his Gallade were still securing parts of it.

"I did…" Arlo said, looking down. "I used my talents to survive, merciful Prince. She very likely murdered my father, her most loyal supporter, just to make a point. We've all done what we could to survive, since she drove your family out. I was just a child when she took power. This corrupt Albion is the only one I've ever known."

"You have…no idea what the Shadow is to us, Arlo. What it forces us to do. How long-term infusions can warp our brains. Are you asking for my mercy, for your crimes?"

Arlo nodded. "I admit and accept that they are crimes! I admit to doing them and throw myself on the mercy of your noble family. Please…brand me criminal but let me make amends. I studied the Shadow to learn more about it. Believe me, I would rather study…anything else. But this is the only field of science left, in this Region. And I'm a Scientist, not a warrior."

Arthur exhaled, letting his anger go as he found his center. "Fine. We've destroyed your equipment. You'll confirm that we got all of your laboratories and so help me if you hide one or start another Shadow experiment, I will behead you myself. You're assigned to the sicker people the citizens will be bringing up to the castle. You'll use your knowledge to heal."

Arlo raised his hands, palms open. "I'm not interested in hiding the truth from the kind Pokémon willing to spare my life so I can atone. You won't regret giving me this chance, I swear it."

Arthur dismissed him and found himself sitting the throne by instinct once he left. He sighed, sinking into it and wondering about the last time a Gallade had sat here. He tried to picture the throne room whole, without rotting floorboards, carpets, and completely eroded wallpaper.

As he sat, he reached out to his citizens, and prepared a proper city-wide Light pulse. It would take time, but since Morgana seemingly wasn't home, he suddenly had some time to spare, as the search of the castle's lower and upper floors continued. One by one he gently touched their abused minds and shared his inner calm as only a Gallade could. Eventually, after an indeterminate amount of time, he finally had all of them.

Arthur closed his eyes and focused then, not just his energy, but his mind as well. He'd paid attention when Alex explained the concept of energy pools in one's body. After confirming with the Sage of the Swamp, Arthur learned Pokémon also had such bodily energy pools, though obviously some species had less energy pools, or smaller ones, compared to humanity. His species had the same amount as humans, located in the same places, and blocked by the same things.

When he called on Excalibur, he felt the Light, but distantly. It deemed him worthy to wield it, so wield it he did, as a very physical enforcer against Shadow amalgamations. He had yet to try summoning that power with his mind, however. As he made the final connection to the universal energy and let his emotions, his ties, his being flow into the natural current of energy, he started shining like a beacon and the stone below his throne lit up with light blue runes.

In his head, he saw what Alex had started labeling as a 'mindscape', one constructed by a being of awesome power very close to Arceus's level, by Arthur's measurement. If not beyond it. Said being made no effort to hide themself, as Arthur manifested below them. Despite the abundance of light and their massive size, they cast no shadow. Indeed, most of his mental surroundings were obscured by bright light.

Arthur's brow furrowed as he peered up and leaned back to properly take in the giant. His body was an almost balanced mix of red and silver, almost reminiscent of a full-body jumpsuit, except Arthur was fairly sure it was just his skin. In time he would come to learn the markings of this giant were unique to him and that his race had different variations of, usually, red or blue and silver, but two things struck the Gallade as more important. A blue sphere on his chest, and the strange almond shaped massive eyes bulging out of its weird, vaguely humanoid face that burned with Light energy as intensely as his own arms did.

"So. One has finally come." The giant humanoid slowly moved his arms, his right curled up against his body, with his hand flat and straight as it pointed upwards. His left arm curved around his torso, crossing the right, and making some sort of symbol or gesture as he held his hand perfectly horizontal. Arthur's brow furrowed as he watched the display. All he'd wanted was the power to heal his people. He had no idea where this giant had come from, but the giant apparently had plans, and given Alex's very similar encounter with Scythe, Arthur paid attention. "Watch closely…and Learn…"

The crossed forearms of the nameless giant began to glow with intense energy, but Arthur did as instructed. He saw the energy being drawn from the giant's sizable body, into his right and left forearms, but there was more to it. A distinction between the nature of said energy not in its typing, but it's very essence. It took Arthur longer than it should have to realize the giant was drawing on positive and negative energy from within his very cells simultaneously and in perfectly balanced amounts. As his vision turned white from the sheer brilliance of the giant's technique, he took in the knowledge of how to wield this power.

III Legion Training Bunker - Germania

The armoring protocols had been done already well over a hundred times for his Astartes, though the mechanical limbs struggled as they now tried to lift his own power armor onto his perfectly proportioned male frame. Hand crafted as a gift from his father, the armor he and his brothers wore was generations superior to even the freshly forged and vacuum sealed Crusader pattern armor his Legion was currently wearing.

Fulgrim was slender, compared to some of his more brawn-inclined brethren, but by no means was he weaker. What he lacked in brawn he made up for with gene-enhancements and bionic organs. Even unarmored, a Prime Archon was fully capable of lifting, for example, a Rhino pattern troop carrier. Such was the gift of all the Imperator's sons.

His features were, by design, like his father's. High cheekbones, strong jaw line, all the aesthetic attributes that humanity tended to consider in male attractiveness, Fulgrim and his brothers possessed. It was not a stretch to call them beautiful, but Fulgrim more than any other embraced that beauty even when in war. Where he differed from his father was in hair color, as his had come out of his gestation capsule naturally silver.

His left shoulder had a massive golden wing extending from it, and like his Legion, he bore the symbol of his father proudly on his chest, the Imperium of Man's twin headed, lightning clutching eagle. His armor was that same shade of royal purple and had the same golden accents. Once he was ready, he strode gracefully to greet his Legion, but found himself stopped in the ceracrete tunnel leading out to their staging area.

The Phoenician gave his two guests a wry smile as he looked down at them. "The Traitor and the Witch. Well? Is the border clear?"

Proditor mirrored his wry smile. "Alduin and I left them on the ground, stripped of their armor and weapons."

"Very good." Fulgrim said, waving a hand to one of his servitors. Where Horus's armor was bulky, Fulgrim's was crafted specifically to allow him a free range of motion with his ever-burning sword. A servitor wheeled over to the trio and Proditor eyed the amalgamation of man and machine, then lost interest when it was clear it no longer had a mind.

One of four mechanical limbs implanted into the unfortunate corpse handed Proditor another of his long-lost partners. One he had not expected to retrieve so easily. "Our business is concluded." The Phoenician said, striding forward again, to be met by cheers from his warriors as he left the tunnel. Proditor Teleported them away, to a remote area that had a good view of Germania as a whole but was generally unreachable by even the most intrepid Trainers.

He stared at the ball while Morgana waited quietly, for once. At the same moment the Phoenician gazed upon the border, and found it lined with fully armored and now fully forewarned Scales, Proditor opened the golden crystalline ball, which he was sure was the same he'd used in ages past, to a disappointingly empty puff of nothing as it popped open. Even from their perch, Proditor could see the gigantic form of the purple Prime Archon at the head of his Legion. His eyes and body weren't facing the border though, they were turned in his general direction. It seemed both parties had decided to not completely hold up their side of the agreement they'd reached. Proditor hadn't lied, but it seemed Fulgrim never had any intention of returning his precious partner.

Proditor knew he was here, though. He could sense his friend's slumbering, absurdly powerful mind. "Witch. Where would they be keeping a Pokémon of immense power?"

Morgana straightened her posture as Proditor spoke. "It depends, my Lord. If I knew which Pokémon you sought, or its powers, I could make a more accurate guess. The Imperium is a large place. I did warn you I'm not exactly an expert on them, though."

Proditor waved a hand nonchalantly. "Your guesses have been good. So far. Very well." He turned his back on the Prime Archon, knowing the man's eyes could see that, even from so far away. Proditor was done indulging Imperium arrogance. "I seek Hoopa. Not just any Hoopa, mind you. Shahir. My Hoopa. Unbound and unbottled by Arceus. Golden as the sun."

Morgana's eyes lit up. With a Hoopa, they would be unstoppable. Especially a Hoopa untainted and weakened by the modern concepts of human kindness, donuts, and harmony. "It just so happens that I know of a project here the Imperium's Germania Studorium has been working on for quite a number of centuries now. The stabilization and removal of rifts in reality. At first, I wondered what rifts they were worried about, and where said rifts were, but now it makes more sense. If you sense Shahir in this region, he will be under their precious barracks, in the Black Cells. They lead under the Mediterra Mountains, but your Hoopa shouldn't be too far if you sense him."

Proditor nodded. "To the cells we go, then. Tell your…moth man to kick things off."

Morgana chuckled. The two forces on the Kalos-Germania border likely wouldn't start things as they currently stood without a little push. "Monarch." She said, using the new name that Dark Moth had chosen, after meeting and being empowered by the Successor. "It's your turn. And remember…if you fail, you get Nothing."

"I will have what I am owed." He answered, before shutting Morgana out entirely. Monarch looked down on Germania and Kalos from a similarly high perch in the Mediterra Mountains, though his was west of Morgana and Proditor. "Venu. Dark Burst." Gone was the skin-tight dark purple super-villain suit he'd worn in the past. Proditor's upgrade had given him a special suit, one more akin to a man of business, almost. He could wear it in elite Kalosian society and not be out of place, though it retained the same coloration, especially when he and his Venomoth unified.

He raised the crystalline purple ball Proditor had given him then, apparently only the second of his ten ancient Pokémon he'd once almost conquered the planet with. "Malum." The Malamar appeared at the intonation of his name, with a devious smirk. "Polymerize." Dark Moth pushed his Burst Heart and the crystalline capture ball together and the essence of the dark psychic squid fused with Venu and his Trainer. Together, they became Monarch. Malum's addition to the fusion gave the human a head of tentacles for hair, and a mind enhanced with millennia of devious plans that were sure to work.

From his position, he could affect both Kalos and Germania, perhaps even parts of Italia. Proditor wanted chaos in Europa as he retrieved his partners, and that was what Monarch intended to give him. He raised his hand above him and shouted, "Shadow Wave!"

The more streamlined Venomoth wings flared, and a pulse of downright evil energy surged into the mountain below Monarch, then spread out in all directions, in a circle. Nature reacted almost immediately. Pokémon who called the mountain home, as they did pretty much every mountain on the planet, doubled over as Monarch's power brought their minds into the same hyper-aggressive state Shadow Infusion caused, but without actually infusing their bodies with the substance.

Monarch laughed, as he felt the wave's effect hit the human population centers of each region. To his surprise, he'd even reached Paldea. This meant he essentially had his choice pick of who to infuse with a shard of his power. Black orbs of energy began flying towards these emotionally unstable humans from Monarch's position, causing an effect Kalos's new generation of defenders were all too familiar with, as they were given supernatural and sometimes downright nonsensical abilities.

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Chapter 49: With A Hunger To Swallow The World

Lumiose City Center - Kalos Region

"Ledi Girl, Ledi Girl, slings her webs and saves the world! Undoes the damage, before our eyes! Beats bad guys of any size! Look out! Here comes the Ledi Giiirrrl!"

The crowd applauded the aspiring guitarist as he finished the latest verse of his superhero song. Not far away from him, a pair of seemingly normal teenagers were getting ice cream. The girl had black hair in pigtails, blue eyes with an Eousian slant to them, and pale skin tones. Her eyes were the only giveaway about her heritage, otherwise she seemed as much a native Kalosian as the boy beside her. For his part, he had blonde hair, blue eyes, and tanned pale skin. They were dressed as normally as every other teen, the only thing potentially odd about them was their Pokémon.

The boy had a shiny colored Liepard, while the girl was partnered with a seemingly regular Ledian. The Liepard gave the worrisome bug a smirk as he licked his own ice cream, the only dish the owner served that incorporated cheese in it. "What's wrong sugarcube?"

The Ledian shook her head. "I'm not sure…I don't sense Dark Moth like we did earlier. I don't like it, Plagg."

The Liepard yawned and took in their latest Trainers and the pureness of their emotions. "You worry too much. Surely after that last embarrassingly easy Battle he'll give up. I would. I mean really, how many times does a guy have to lose before he realizes that he's hopelessly outclassed?"

Just as the Ledian reluctantly agreed with this lifetime's partner, a wave of pure Shadow and evil swept over Kalos. The Ledian, Tikki, only had a few instants to react. The humans, Marinette and Adrien, were too absorbed with each other to notice the oncoming wave. Behind them, every citizen, from the guitarist to the ice cream seller doubled over suddenly, as Kalos, and the other regions that made up Europa, got to experience what a Shadow Infusion felt like. Despite their good vibes and superhero-encouraged mental fortitude, the citizenry of Lumiose City still fell to Monarch's enhanced power.

Immediately following the wave of Shadow, balls of Shadowy spores came streaking down from the Mediterra Mountains. Tikki knew what came next. She looked at Plagg. "We need to Burst! Now!"

The Liepard's ears flattened. "But they're both-"

Tikki shook her head. "No time! They're already transforming for Dark Moth! The destruction will start soon! Now!"

Marinette looked over at her partner, as she understood the bug's words. She was halfway through asking what was wrong when both Tikki and the Liepard next to her started glowing. Suddenly, Marinette felt the Burst Heart's power, and realized she was in her hero form. A bright red full body spandex suit with black spots covered her frame and a half-mask akin to both a biker's helmet and a Ledian's head, also red and black, somewhat hid her identity while protecting her skull. In this form, her pigtails became antennae, and Tikki's wings allowed her to fly, and use whatever moves she knew. As Ledi Girl registered what had happened, she turned slowly in horror to see Adrien's reaction, only to find Night Cat staring back at her in his usual similarly skin-tight black attire. His shock faded faster than hers, as fate affirmed that she was, in fact, the one for him. "That's twice I've fallen for you, Bugaboo."

Those seven words made Ledi Girl's face, the human part of it anyway, turn crimson. "Not now, Kittycat. Something is…" She turned suddenly as she felt her Ledi Sense go off, looking behind her as the guitarist from earlier grew to a gigantic size. A moment later, his body changed, fusing with that of his Pokémon. The Toxtricity fusion, not unlike Ledi Girl and Night Cat in nature, let out a screech that turned into electricity as it tore through the park area. The two heroes had already leapt out of the cone of its effect though, only to run straight into what could only be described as a giant ice cream kaiju, somehow fused with his ice typed Chocolluxe.

"Dark Moth figured out how to share his fusion abilities with those he controls…" Ledi Girl said, as the pair ascended up Lumiose Tower. All around them, giant fusions of supervillain-Pokémon hybrids were filling the skyline and tearing the city apart. Marinette understood then why Tikki had revealed her secret. If she'd taken the time to explain, Lumiose City, and everywhere else, would've been rubble by the time she used the Burst Heart, and repairing the damage would've been up to the government.

Night Cat stared quietly out at the destruction. Buildings could be fixed by Xerneas's power. Lives could not. "We're outmatched here, Milady. I think it's time we called in some help."

"Seems I got here just in time, then."

The two whirled, ready to attack the new baritone voice, only to realize it was the Champion. Connor Gladstone was more of a recluse than Alain, after being so publicly thrashed by the Unovan Champion, but he had appeared, more than once, to help the fledgling heroes when they were trapped in a river of Muk with no boat, to offer some timely assistance. Since their heroic Greninja left Kalos to rejoin his Trainer, he'd shown up more often, somehow always aware when things were turning too dire for them to handle themselves.

"Champion! Thank Arceus…" Ledi Girl said, visibly de-tensing in relief. "We…don't even know where to start, with this…there's so many of them."

"First, take a deep breath. Both of you." Connor said, crossing his arms. Once they did so, he continued. "You've faced hundreds of these creations before and won every time. The only difference now is that they're all here at once. But we prepared for this scenario. You've been training your parties up like I told you to, right?"

The pair nodded. Ledi Girl was less confident about her new partners than Night Cat was, but the Champion had a point when he'd demonstrated that relying just on Tikki and Plagg was not always going to be enough. A lesson he himself had learned the hard way. "Good." Connor said, nodding. "Then go and find Dark Moth. You can sense him better than I can. Leave cleaning up Kalos to me, and the Four. Dark Moth is your Battle, today."

"He's right, milady." Night Cat said, glaring at the mountains where the Shadow Wave had originated. "The only way we stop all of them and reverse the damage is by taking him out, this time. Permanently."

Ledi Girl's eyes widened. "Could you do that? Use Yveltal's power on a living person?"

Night Cat's masked eyes narrowed. "He already made me, remember? He's been getting weaker since he took that darkness in. It's still corroding him; I can feel it. This transforming everyone at once seems desperate, to me. He's running out of time." He clenched a fist, and it hummed with dark energy. "I'll end him before he hurts anyone else. He's gone too far, this time."

Night Cat, like most vigilantes, was a longtime fan of New Tork's own famous masked hero, the Midnight Marauder. In his day, the Crobat-themed vigilante had taken down and imprisoned a whole cast of criminal characters that rivaled his own conquests in their lunacy. The worst of these had been Blacefelon, an explosion happy insane clown gangster who, somehow, had managed to capture and train the Ultra Beast known as Blacephalon, and upon doing so, had gone on a legendary and explosive crime spree across New Tork. The Ultra Beast had possessed more power than even New Tork City's finest. The Midnight Marauder had successfully incarcerated the villain almost a hundred times over the course of their respective careers, and the madman had managed to break out of the prison, asylum, or supervillain holding facility he'd been sent to just as many times.

Then, as the story went, one day the Blacefelon went too far. In a deranged attempt to make the Marauder break emotionally, he bombed a gathering of rich people that Blacefelon had apparently noticed the Marauder seemed to either protect or appear around most often. While Night Cat didn't know who the Masked Marauder lost, it was clear to all that the lunatic had finally killed someone important to him. In reality, it had been many someones. Thomas Gladstone's entire family, parents included, had been caught in the blast that had been set off at one of the Gladstone's charity events. The people of means in New Tork had, for once, been trying to do good with their excess wealth, and in doing so had lost their lives. Blacefelon's mangled corpse was found the day after the bombing, and the Midnight Marauder never appeared again. The Beast Ball containing the explosive Ultra Beast had also been missing from the corpse.

Naturally, everyone knew, or rather guessed, at what had happened. Several movies had been made around those events, and the general consensus was that the Marauder broke his code of not taking life when Blacefelon finally killed someone who mattered to the vigilante personally. The villain had killed many families through his career, and once he broke his code of not killing, the people had turned on the Marauder, for his hypocrisy. It left a distasteful stain on an otherwise stellar crime fighting career, and Night Cat, as the next generation, was determined to not make the same mistake. He intended to learn from the Marauder and tried to embody what he'd been. While irritating, Dark Moth hadn't actually killed anyone yet, but in his latest attacks, the rumble from his usually Gigantamax-sized creations had broken many bones. The rampage now, was simply without restraint. "He won't hurt anyone ever again." Night Cat reaffirmed, after a long pause of taking in the carnage, and affirming that ending the madman was the only way to save more lives. His actions wouldn't reduce the number of killers in the world, but they would keep the lives of the citizens of Kalos from being endangered by Dark Moth ever again. If he had to be the one to take in the darkness that came with taking a life to achieve a safe future, he would. With that, he bounded off.

"Night Cat…" Ledi Girl started, but he was already off, bounding towards the mountains. Ledi Girl sighed.

Connor patted her shoulder, then. "You'll make the right choice, Ledi Girl. You always do. I trust your judgement. Now go catch up to him, he'll need you for this."

With that, her wings opened, and she took after her partner, thwipping one of her sticky String Shot threads to a nearby building to build her speed. The String Shot seemed to come from her wrists, but only when she brought her two middle fingers down over her palm.

"Alright lads…Mega Evolve." Connor said, turning to the chaos that was enveloping his region. His main ten Pokémon appeared from their balls then and those who could, achieved a state beyond evolution. Not many Trainers could manage multiple Mega Evolutions, but it was something he'd seen Alex do; thus, Connor had mastered it too, in time. "Take down the fusions one at a time, and quickly. I'll be right behind you to Purge them. Those of you who can, search the rubble for survivors. All right, go!" As one, they leapt, flew, or sprinted into action. Connor focused his body's energy then, building it up with emotion until it reached a limit, at which point he overwhelmed that limit, and achieved a new form. His fighting typing ascended to that of the Light, and the now golden-haired Champion followed Ardor, Gren, and Gar, as they were his best battlers and likely to take out whoever they faced first.

Ledi Girl caught up to Night Cat quickly, and together the pair glanced behind them, pausing on one of the roofs of Lumiose's outer buildings. In the distance, the ice cream kaiju went down, hard, making the entire city shake. Night Cat looked at his partner, who was still in the throes of emotional turmoil over realizing who Night Cat was. "If we don't hurry, not even Xerneas's power will be enough to repair this." Ledi Girl turned as he spoke. His hand moved to her cheek by instinct, and she turned a bright crimson again. "One way or another, this ends today. It won't matter that we know each other's identities if Dark Moth is out of the picture."

"You're right…" Ledi Girl finally said. "L-let's go. Before he runs and hides again."

"No need to worry about that, you worthless bug." Monarch said, as he descended from above them, seemingly just able to fly on his own power now. Something was different though. New. Dark Moth had never looked this dapper or had Malamar tentacles covering and extending from his head. "Today you and your infuriating feline's story ends before the power of Monarch! In failure! Shadow Cacophony!"

Monarch, as he was now apparently calling himself, flapped his shadowy wings then as they rose up from his back, and obscene screeches and noises filled the heads of the heroes. Ledi Girl was more affected, being part bug, but Night Cat had honed his mind with the Champion of Kalos for situations like this. "Black Oblivion…" He held out a clenched fist as he summoned Yveltal's power, and channeled that unspeakably dark aura into the shape of a sword. This time, it was a katana, and Night Cat smirked confidently.

The Champion's Greninja, Gren, was a master of what he called 'Iai Moves', moves so fast that only very powerful Pokémon had a hope of dodging or blocking them, and perhaps because of its species or by choice, Gren's slashing moves also took a katana shape. Both Gren and the Greninja that until recently had guarded Kalos had trained him in their ninjutsu arts. Connor had also instructed Night Cat on the basics of what he called the 'Tiger Style' of martial arts, which synergized perfectly with his fusion form.

For her part, Ledi Girl powered through the cacophony with a Supersonic radiating from her antennae and protecting her head. Following Night Cat's lead as he crouched and 'sheathed' his death sword by his waist, as he would if his dark katana had a scabbard, Ledi Girl summoned the power of Xerneas. Or started to, at least. Summoning the region's natural power to enhance her attack, defense, and speed took a second. Oddly enough, Monarch seemed willing to wait, as he just stared at them with a manic grin from ear to ear.

Not liking how confident he looked, Night Cat struck. Marinette and Tikki had the kind of bond that let them attack in perfect harmony. Adrien had a similar bond, but the difference lay in his Liepard, who had a condition for their unified attacks. He had to shout his move's names heroically, except in instances of stealth and sabotage. And of course, the power of said move depended entirely on what Adrien called his attacks. Naturally, the names Plagg liked most were straight out of an anime. Dark Clover was a favorite.

"Night Cloaked…Iai Slash!" Night Cat struck with the speed he'd honed during his training only to blink, as he found four tentacles from Monarch's head had expanded and caught the katana. Somehow, they were generating a psychic energy barrier around the blade's sharp edge, holding it in place while avoiding decay.

As Night Cat tried to brute force the move through, Monarch chuckled with a hint of mania as he quite easily stopped the fusion of man and 'mon. That was when Ledi Girl finally powered up.

"Geomancy!" She raised her arms, and if past was prologue would then follow her immediate three-stat-six-stage power up with a Moonblast, which usually staggered Monarch's creations, if not outright breaking his hold on them. Today though, was his day. Finally.

As Ledi Girl readied the Moonblast, Monarch suddenly yanked Night Cat forward, unbalancing him and then used his head tentacles to swing him in an entire circle before slamming him into his partner. Ledi Girl lost her breath as her kittycat was sent slamming into her stomach, and her move faded too. Then, still floating above them, Monarch cackled, not even hiding his madness and just how much he enjoyed destroying his nemeses. "It's all over now, Ledi Girl." He snapped his fingers. "Topsy Turvy!"

As Malum's signature move took effect on the pair, Monarch devolved into an uninterrupted fit of cackling laughter. Night Cat showed the effects of his move first, stumbling, as his sword suddenly felt weaker, heavier, and his body felt slower. Then, roughly seventy five percent of his stamina was drained into the blade. Normally, that much of his stamina could raise his attack power quite a bit. Now, it just brought his attack strength back to even.

He was doing better than Ledi Girl, who was now negative six stages in speed, attack power, and defense. Realizing her plight, she struggled to slowly reach for another Pokéball, and called out one of her other partners to help her. "Kaalki!" Her Zebstrika appeared at her command. "Tikki, Kaalki, Unify!" Though she technically became a blend of Ledian, Zebstrika, and a human, Ledi Girl's outfit was all that physically changed, as she traded black spots for black stripes, over her usual red. Electricity sparked over her limbs as Kaalki's speed counteracted the debuff she'd taken.

Monarch narrowed his eyes and moved to stop her, but Night Cat had a similar idea, albeit one that…expanded the scope of Ledi Girl's lead. His entire team came out at once. Alongside Plagg, who manifested as a regular colored Liepard from the dark katana in his Trainer's hand, were his shiny colored Noivern, his Torterra, his Litten-turned-Incineroar, his Infernape, and his loyal Boltund. "Sass, Wayzz, Roarr, Xuppu, Barkk! Unify your attacks!"

As he intoned each of their names and made certain signs with his hands, they started to glow with elemental aura, and manifested their respective strongest attacks. Plagg created a prism of dark energy, and his team focused their attacks on that. Monarch smirked as the now white colored fused moves, manifesting as a beam of white energy, arced towards him. But even Malum urged him to not let that hit their fused form. Thus, Monarch Teleported with a bamf, and chuckled. "I wish I'd unlocked these Psychic powers years ago! I would've beaten both of you countless times!"

As Night Cat realized he needed Monarch to sit still, a pair of timely String Shots thwipped around Monarch's fine attire, binding him and his wings in place as he reappeared. The second thwip bound his head tentacles. As he Teleported, Ledi Girl did too, thanks to Kaalki's speed and Tikki's ability to sense his Shadow, she easily kept up with Monarch, and kept him bound. Like a Venomoth in a small room, he Teleported around relentlessly, apparently not realizing there was in fact a limit to his uses of that ability. Unlike some psychics, he hadn't successfully extended the move's power by ingesting a PP Max, either.

As he panted hard and found he couldn't bamf anymore, Night Cat struck. "Once more! Unity Beam!" All six of his partners attacked again and this time, the focused combo move struck Monarch, who in the last moments closed his eyes and accepted his loss. Both of Dark Moth's Pokémon were unconscious as the dust from the hit faded and before he could so much as sit up, Ledi Girl had him in her sticky String Shot again.

Night Cat stomped towards him, only to be stopped by his love. His anger faded as their eyes met. Now disarmed, the two superheroes approached their longtime adversary. "No more games…no more last-minute escapes…right here, right now, your reign of terror ends, Dark Moth!"

The still-dazed man sneered at him. "I…am…Monarch!" He slumped then, exhausted. Night Cat clenched a fist, ready to punch the man who'd made the last couple years of living in Lumiose City a stressful nightmare, never knowing when his power would show up to turn someone into a monster. His fist unclenched as Ledi Girl grabbed it and without further preamble, Night Cat de-masked the man. The pair stared in shock. Ledi Girl knew him as Gabriel Agreste, an eccentric billionaire that had filled the technological vacuum Lysander's departure created, and the father of the love of her life. Night Cat fell to his knees before his own father as he instinctively tried to deny the reality in front of him, but his vision wouldn't let him look away. His team gathered around him as the Jennies arrived on the scene.

Arborstone Castle - Albion Region

While Arthur had taken his father's throne and dealt with the man who seemed to be in charge of what was left of the castle, Cynthia, still aided by Jess, Rick, and Drake, descended to the lower levels. As she only had her Glaceon, her Porygon Z, and the black Rayquaza, who had returned to its strangely designed ancient Pokéball on hand, they were a welcome aid. Rick and Drake took the lead through the dungeon, as they encountered Shadow infused Pokémon. Gallahad knew how to Purge now thanks to Arthur's brief but instructive lesson and the three Champion tier Trainers were more than enough for the solitary wandering Shadow Pokémon they came across.

The first Pokémon they came across from her belt, was Cynthia's Togekiss. Jess, Rick, and Drake just stared in horror at what the Shadow Infusion had wrought. If there was one creature that should never be infused with such darkness, it was a Togekiss. The constant state of blind rage had him writhing in a dark corner in constant pain thanks to the nature of his species. The women rushed over to him, but Gallahad was faster. "Your suffering ends now." He said, solemnly. "Purge!" He crossed his arms, extended them into swords, and hit the Togekiss with the move point blank. The Shadow burned away, and Jess had a Max Revive ready the moment the angelic fairy turned white again.

As he regained consciousness, he looked at his Trainer, and struggled towards her lap. Cynthia ran a hand through his feathers. "It's alright. You're safe, now. We'll find the others, too. Rest." She pulled out a Luxury Ball then, and the Togekiss booped it with his snoot, entering it willingly. The ball dinged shut immediately, and said, "Occupant's hearth has been updated." A newer, useful feature of modern balls let Trainers switch their Pokémon to a new one at will, which had, in conjunction with Bill's teleportation system able to recall Pokémon by their Trainer's ID number to their Trainer's Boxes, significantly reduced the amount of stolen Pokémon in the world, and saved them from having to search for Cynthia's old balls.

One by one, they recovered her Milotic, Roserade, and Spiritomb. Of her Lucario, there was no sign, and finally, upon reaching the bottom of the castle and finding it opening up into a large, natural underground cavern, they found her Garchomp, and what she was guarding down here in the dark.

"Garchomp…" Cynthia murmured, as she saw the state of her friend. Malnutrition and weeks of constantly pushing her species' natural aggressive qualities to their limit had reduced her to a mad, chomping menace, her eyes were bloodshot and enraged and she was foaming at the mouth, bound by a massive chain around her chafed neck. As she sensed prey approaching her, she did not pause. The rattle of metal was the only warning before the incredibly fast Garchomp attacked. Even weighed down by the chains, while infused with Shadow, she was faster than ever, in a limited area. Exactly how Morgana had wanted her.

"Goliath!" Rick shouted, summoning his own Garchomp who was massive in size not solely because of his power, but because he was just naturally tall. The two land sharks locked limbs and heads as they struggled against each other. Strong as Goliath was, Cynthia's Garchomp had battle experience comparable to Leon's Charizard. Goliath was content to hold the lock, to give Gallahad time for Purge, but the Shadow Garchomp was physically unable to stop fighting. She guided their claws to one side, crashing them into the ground and then hit Goliath in his stomach with her hard skull.

He lost his breath, and then his draconic eyes widened as he felt the force of the hit knock him into the air despite his size, and send him hurtling into the nearest cavern wall, cratering it as he collided with the stone. With Goliath out of range, the Shadow Garchomp turned on the rest of them, just in time to take a Purge to the face from Gallahad.

Thinking it was over, the Gallade lowered his guard, only to Teleport out of the way of the Shadow Chomp she viciously tore apart the empty air with in the space he'd just occupied. "Purge didn't work…not good!" He shouted, as he barely outmaneuvered the draconic jet with Teleport. Panicked, Rick recalled the Gallade just in time to dodge a shadowy Dragon Claw. Unfortunately, the enraged land shark's predatory eyes followed the beam taking her prey to its source, where she found yet more prey.

"I can hold her!" A new voice came from behind Cynthia's Garchomp. A Psychic move enveloped her, and the female voice sounded again. "Run!"

Seemingly catching a glance of their rescuer, Jess ran towards her, as the others ran away. She Teleported over beside their timely rescuer. The Gardevoir, young, female, and naturally pretty stared at the human in shock. "You need to leave, or you'll be trapped with me!"

Jess smirked. "No, my dear, we're both leaving. Maintain the Psychic, and come with me. Delphi! Help her." Her Delphox appeared too, and as the three of them ran, the Shadow Garchomp tried to break free of the Psychic, only to be bound by another layer of psychic power as Delphi used the same move.

As they continued to run after the other group towards the cavern's exit to the castle, the Gardevoir projected her voice again. "So what do we do once we're out of range of Psychic's effectiveness?"

Delphi and Jess shared a look and spoke the same word. "Range?"

At that moment, a furious roar echoed through the underground behind them, and once more they heard the ominous sound of a Garchomp in flight. Normally they were all but silent, but when rushing, their rough skin caused a slight whistle to their movements in the air. The Gardevoir threw up a Barrier as the Shadow Garchomp streaked towards them, and at that moment, with her iconic jaws inches from them, a massive wave of Light energy suddenly burned through the area. Only Gwen, the Gardevoir, saw it purify the Shadow corruption of their attacker before everything turned white.

The amount of power Arthur acquired was kept hidden and used sparingly for good reason. But in Albion, it seemed that the Light understood it was desperately needed, and the young Gallade was able to draw forth a massive explosion of revitalizing energy. As it pulsed over the city, not everything immediately changed to become green and shiny again. The buildings were still decayed, or destroyed in the fighting, the cobbles were still cracked, but the people gathered by the castle, the first to be caught in the wave, got the most of its effects.

The sick were healed, the blind were given sight and the cripples among the populace, what few managed to survive in such conditions, found their bodies restored. Moreover, the minds of the populace though 'simple' by some standards were understandably dumbfounded as they were also set free of Morgana's lingering magic, and rightly called these events a miracle.

All of Albion, and even Aurora, up to Galar's border at least, also benefited from the pulse of Light, as it cleansed any and all lingering Shadows. The Shadow Marsh became just a normal, if ghost-inhabited swamp. The region's Lycanrocs, while still prone to biting humans, became a little less feral as their minds were freed as well. Even on Knothole Island, where Geralt had been busy dealing with a swarm of enraged Lycanroc trying to overrun the decent people living there, they felt the Light's blessing, and what remained of that pack of stone wolves had, in the wake of the fading Light, retreated into the woods. The Ranger didn't have to wonder at the source of the Light, he knew his cousin was involved somehow, probably. He sheathed Srebro and Stahl, his Doublade, and began the long trek back to the mainland.

As the Light faded, Cynthia ran over to her partner and gave her what looked like a blue Max Revive. The Garchomp's eyes shot open as soon as she swallowed it, and she let out a tired groan, resting in Cynthia's lap as the exhaustion brought her back into unconsciousness. Jess led the others out when it was clear that the Sinnoh Champion needed a minute with her first partner. As the humans discussed what to do next, Gwen floated off into the castle, almost on instinct. She didn't know where she was going, but she kept heading upwards, and eventually, found the main level of the building.

She was disappointed, as she'd imagined the upper parts of the castle to be beautiful, but in reality, her own little space was far more pleasing than this rotting mass of stone and wood. Her head shot up then, as she heard something flying around her, and muted psychic voices.

"It's definitely her."

"It could be any Gardevoir, and we don't know what Morgana did to her. Be patient."

"No. They need a little nudge…"

Gwen tilted her head, and in the dim light of the castle caught the faint outline of an invisible Pokémon. Then she dropped that invisibility. Gwen just stared, mouth agape. In her little sanctuary, one of the pictures had this very Pokémon seemingly empowering the Heroes of old Albion. "The lake fairy…" She said quietly.

Nimue giggled. "You're not far off. I am a Mesprit. Nimue. I lived here, once. Tell me Gwen, what drew you here? Instinct, perhaps?"

"How do you know my…" She paused, as she processed the Mesprit's words. "Instinct? I…you know, I think it did…it's odd, like something…called me here. That light from earlier, it felt…" The giant blue eyes stared up at Nimue. "Was that you?"

She giggled again, and did a flip in the air. To say she'd waited a long time for this moment was an understatement. "Oh no, not me." When Gwen looked even more confused, the Mesprit guided her sight, pointing with one of her tails to the top of the stairs that led to the throne room.

It was at that moment that Arthur, still fully armored in his Mind Armor, covered in the grime of war, and now visibly smoking, stumbled out of the throne room and leaned on the railing by the staircase as he caught his breath. He recalled the Mind Armor back into his heart piece, and coughed as he recovered from the massive outpouring of power. The second invisible shape moved towards him, and Gwen watched it, only just making out where it was. Merlin appeared then, beside Arthur. "What happened? That was no normal pulse of Light."

Arthur coughed again, then stood up straight, as he answered his mentor. He didn't notice Gwen or Nimue, or the widening of the Gardevoir's eyes as she recognized the dreamily handsome Gallade with the curled hair spikes from her Future Sight. Seeing the male that, until this point she'd been wholly convinced was just a made-up fantasy created by her loneliness and pent up lust, was a lot to process. She felt her face turning hot for reasons she would never verbalize, and she looked down, burying her thoughts and memories of previous actions deep. She could tell Nimue was psychic, and powerful, and couldn't chance an entity like her reading her mind right now.

"...and then the giant of Light crossed his arms like this, and hit me with a Move that…that's called Spacium Beam. That's when the Light pulse went off." Arthur frowned, looking down as he tried to remember how he knew what the move's name was. The giant hadn't mentioned it, and yet he was sure that was its name.

At that moment, two things happened at once. Arthur, looking down as he pondered, noticed a Gardevoir at the foot of the stairs, with Nimue. Behind him, Lancelus came down from what he had learned was Morgana's bedroom. After a brief encounter with what looked like a ghostly Chatot, the bird had flown off through an open window, leaving Lancelus alone in the chamber to ransack it, and learn far more about Morgana's personal tastes than he ever wanted to know. He too noticed the Gardevoir, much faster than Arthur did, but the fact that his friend was literally smoking took his immediate attention. Though as he spoke to Arthur, the Gallade seemed unable to hear him.

It was then that Lancelus noticed the pair had locked eyes, and he was left standing there, awkwardly, as Arthur stepped down the staircase. Lancelus made to follow, but a tail from the Uxie called Merlin stopped him. Merlin shook his head silently, and the pair simply watched what was unfolding below. For her part, Nimue was excitedly vibing in the air again behind the pair grinning widely as she did her psychic somersaults.

As Arthur stopped before her, still in his Mega Form, he summoned all of his knowledge gathered in his brief existence relating to and concerning the wooing of the opposite sex. While Alex's experience constituted a large part of this knowledge, Leo had also weighed in surprisingly hard by pointing out how tropes in anime sometimes mirrored real life, and Arthur had studied the sources he cited. It was this culmination of 'knowledge' that made him stand up straight and tower over her slightly, look at her eyes as he spoke to her, smirk, and say, "Hello there."

Lancelus blinked, as he noticed Merlin was no longer beside him. Gwen seemed to choke on her own words and turned a deeper shade of red as her brain refused to project, and her Pokéspeech caught in her throat. Behind them, in one of the far corners of the lower room, Lancelus spied the two mythical psychic types. Nimue was trying, hard, not to break down into laughter, and Merlin was begrudgingly handing her a rather large, juicy berry.

As Gwen struggled to communicate anything, Arthur continued, not letting the pause grow awkward. "Pardon me, but…" He raised a hand towards her face then, and lightly booped her forehead with his pointy 'fingers'. "Huh. Real. That's a first…" He stood back then out of her personal space, just leaving her staring with a mix of embarrassment and confusion as he kept talking. "I'm Arthur. What's your name?"

Gwen blinked but found she could speak again after the boop. She coughed once, and then projected her words without issue as she regained her composure. "Gwenivere. But I go by Gwen, usually."

"I've seen your face before." Arthur stated with sudden, subtle intensity. "When I use Future Sight. Every single time. It's your face that dominates my vision…and then whatever I'm trying to see appears afterwards."

Gwen's eyes just widened, and her face shifted back to red. She didn't lose her cool again, though. "I h-had a similar…umm…experience. Your, uh, face. And then a vision. I didn't think you were real…"

"Same." Arthur said, nodding. "I thought it was what I imagined the perfect female to look like. At first. The more I saw it though, the more I realized there were subtle imperfections an imagined vision just wouldn't have. I left it to the future, to guide me to you. I was hoping you might end up being real. So just who are you, Gwen?"

Gwen almost mentioned his 'imperfections' comment, but then realized she'd been too enamored to even try to notice his own. Even in reality, it was hard to see anything imperfect about the Mega Gallade before her, but the young Gardevoir was blinded at that moment in ways she did not yet understand. It was about this time that cheering could be heard from outside the castle. Genuine, lively cheers, too, not the weak groan of a beleaguered populace.

As the clamor of celebration rose right outside the castle, Arthur guided Gwen out to the garden, which had become a barren, flat expanse of dirt, expired mulch, cracked stone, and a few old, long dead trees that still stood upright, despite not being alive. She told him what she could do in terms of Future Sight and what she liked doing, he did the same, explaining how his Sacred Sword worked and describing the various battles he'd had with his more memorable opponents. The two mythical Pokémon seemed satisfied with the outcome as the pair strolled through the dead garden but were too focused on each other to even notice their bleak surroundings. Satisfied that they seemed to like each other, Nimue and Merlin joined the human's merrymaking outside.

Nobody noticed that Lancelus had been having a moment of his own, upon seeing Gwen. But it was already clear who she preferred. The future itself had seemingly all but guaranteed their union, and that, more than anything else, made Lancelus kill those new feelings in his heart. Arthur was also his friend, and a friend was all he vowed to ever let Gwen be to him. He knew, or at least hoped, he'd find another Gardevoir in time.

Ymir's Wahlom - Norstad Region

As Arthur reclaimed his kingdom and Kalos's latest generation of defenders did their duty exceptionally well, Alex had flown on Shruikan to the relatively close region of Norstad. They took the sea route the ancient Norstad invaders of Galar had once used, although they flew instead of surfing. This time when they approached the region's mountainous edges, there was no wind wall, no storm, and barely even a few clouds. It was, Alex noted, as they gave Valaskjalf a wide berth, an absurdly nice day in Norstad. They had been having a lot of those lately, and Alex guessed that a certain young Xerneas and its new parent had something to do with the vibrant landscape.

They flew over the area the locals had evidently, and appropriately started calling 'Alduin's Fall', the massive crater where Alex had trapped the ancient dragon, so Arthur could deliver his death blow. As he was reminded of the ancient dragon, his eyes narrowed. A foul pattern filled his vision, and for reasons he couldn't verbalize, he had a sudden urge to go visit the wyrm's grave. Shruikan agreed to take him to that place considered sacred by dragon types. As Alex technically shared their power, he assumed it would be fine, and his Trainer had great instincts thanks to his psychic powers. Shruikan had learned to trust them.

Within minutes thanks to Shruikan's speed, they arrived at the Dovah Graad, and thanks to Alduin's size, both Alex and Shruikan saw immediately that the wyrm's bones were missing. There was no sign of them being dragged off by the locals, or feathers from Articuno. Indeed, it was like the ashy skeleton had just completely vanished.

"Where do you think his bones are?" Shruikan rumbled, just as concerned as Alex was over this discovery.

"I think that his bones disappearing and Morgana achieving her goals are not disconnected events…we need to find this Ymir, and learn this Light Move capable of stopping the Successor. If it can stop him, it can stop whatever Alduin has become. Probably."

Seeing his logic as sound, the pair set off again then, for the eastern side of Norstad, an area they had not yet been to, but Shruikan had a vague understanding of geographically. With the storms gone, he was able to fly high enough to see the general area they'd been pointed to. Ütgarde rose from the middle of the eastern side of Norstad, impossible to miss thanks to its size and the fact that it was the only mountain for miles around. It seemed inhabited, though Alex sensed no sentients, or Pokémon, which was odd. A mountain that size usually had at least one. He filed its suspiciousness under things to investigate later, as Shruikan matched Ütgarde's peak in height, and then headed north.

As they arrived at Ymir's Well, as it was known in Common, they found it similarly abandoned. Given how the locals typically reacted to a black Salamence, Alex recalled Shruikan, before looking around. While there were signs of habitation, they were ancient, and given how high up this place was, the snow had not melted away, although it had been replaced with natural snow and not the Everstorm's Shadow-tainted snowflakes.

As Alex called out, heard no response, and then readied his mind for a brief sweep of the area, he heard footsteps. Clad in heavy, slightly rusted iron armor on his head, hands, and feet, a local of Norstad wearing standard leather armor on his torso with an iron pauldron on his right shoulder and bearing a banded iron shield on his left arm approached him. His helmet was not unlike Alex's own in design, but the main difference lay in the quality of its crafting. Rust and general wear covered the warrior's simple but reinforced attire as he stopped a suitable distance from Alex and spoke in the tongue of dragons. "You won't find anyone here, stranger. Ymir is long gone."

Alex raised an eyebrow at the man, unable to make out more of his features thanks to the helmet, he could see pale white skin and a respectable brown beard poking out from it. "Do you know what happened to Ymir, Warrior?"

The man shrugged his burly shoulders, and indeed the more Alex looked, the more he realized they were roughly the same height. His muscles seemed much more defined, though. "The legends say Ymir contacted the Source of All Living Matter. The Well used to give wisdom and insight, for a price. Now, it's just water." As he answered Alex, he asked a question of his own. "You, who rides a Black Salamence…you are a Pokémon Trainer, are you not? From the other Regions?"

Alex stepped closer, nodding. "I'm from Unova, to the west. I've actually visited Norstad before, though I never came this far east."

The man smiled to himself under his helmet. "Dovah do Wer…finally. I have long sought you, Slayer of Alduin. He lifted his shield then, revealing a belt of ten freshly made Pokéballs around his waist. "I challenge you! Face us in glorious Battle!"

Only because he was pressed on time, Alex psychically examined the man's team, and nodded to himself. "I don't have time for a full Battle…but I can give you a one on one. Kalagon." He psychically chucked the Gible's ball, and the baby land shark yawned, then chomped the empty air excitedly.

The iron clad man eyed the Gible, and seemed disappointed. "Could…could you use the Salamence instead?"

Alex chuckled. "Face me with your own first form Dragon Type. If you impress us…then someday, on my word as Dragonslayer, you and I will have a proper Battle. Ten on Ten, no Move restrictions, and the use of as many power ups, enhancements, or special Moves as you like. Basically…in accordance with the rules of the World Tournament."

While disappointed, the man had already seen Shruikan, and understood that, at their current level, even his ace wouldn't last more than a second against a dragon like that. It made some sense as, if the stories were accurate, that very Salamence had engaged the World Eater in aerial combat and lived. "Very well, I will hold you to that. For this, we can go one on one. No substitutions, and no Move limits. In accordance with your…World Tournament." He could sense his own Garchomp's desire to stomp the Gible, since it was also male, but his Trainer chose his own bitey dragon baby instead. He thumbed the button, realized it was still miniaturized, squeezed it to embiggen it, and then his Tyrunt finally appeared, nostrils flaring as he looked around, took in his surroundings, and then locked eyes with Kalagon.

Kalagon's thoughts of food vanished as something instinctual went off in his baby shark brain upon meeting the other male dragon's gaze. His tiny arms spread out to the side, and he crouched slightly. Behind him, Alex smirked. He could sense Shruikan smirking as well. "Reminds me of a certain Bagon, and my Charmeleon."

Shruikan's ball shuddered, as he snorted in response. When Alex didn't go first, the as yet nameless Trainer took the initiative. "Dragon Claw."

As the Tyrunt lowered his head and charged Kalagon, Alex countered. "Sand Tomb!" Kalagon's tiny arms rose, and a whirlwind of sand rose around the Tyrunt, stopping the much higher-level Pokémon in his tracks, as the super effective move battered him. "Now follow it with Bulldoze!" While he couldn't quake the earth just yet, Kalagon had learned enough to shape smaller amounts of it in battle. Twin lines of jutting rocks spiraled towards the trapped Tyrunt.

"Jump out of it." Nodding, the Tyrunt did so, smashing through the sand tornado's wall with ease, and dissipating it. The Bulldoze attack lost steam, as it missed its mark. "Now Dragon Claw."

"Dodge with Dig!" Alex called, and Kalagon responded immediately, as digging was something he enjoyed, especially in combat. He chomped his way through the earth in a pattern that made the experienced Tyrunt's head swivel, as his apex predator's hearing and rock typing helped him follow the noises Kalagon was making beneath the earth. When the baby ground shark leapt for his attack, the Tyrunt was waiting, and his powerful leg slashed Kalagon critically across his chest.

Alex caught him, as he went sailing back, and sighed. Sometimes, critical hits decided the match, especially at low levels. "You did well, little one. Eat. Sleep. Get stronger. We'll do better next time." Kalagon nodded, and let unconsciousness take him. Alex recalled him, and poked the top of his ball, activating the touch screen Armeniaca was apparently testing, until it delivered a healing spray to the sleeping Gible from his stash. He nodded, satisfied. That was faster than fishing through his bag for a potion. It also showed him Kalagon's wound, and how it had healed, along with other indicators about his health.

Across from him, the Tyrunt was getting victory scritches under his chin, and his tail spasmed as his Trainer hit the right spot. "So." Alex said, approaching the pair and stopping a suitable distance away. "I didn't expect to find anyone here…well, except Ymir."

The man chuckled. "I thought you were joking. Do you really not know the legend?" Alex shrugged, and the bearded man continued. His Tyrunt began sniffing around, as the humans chatted. "Ymir was a figure from thousands of years ago, who made a deal with the Source of All Living Matter, and became one with this Well, and its knowledge. The price was his life. After that, the Jhötunns appeared from the water's depths, and moved to inhabit Ütgarde. They were renowned as unmatched armor and weapon smiths for centuries thanks to the power of their Thu'um." The man's tone shifted, then. "They are all gone, now. The Everstorm seems to have buried everything from the old stories." He gestured to the snow-covered stone ruins around them. "This is all that remains."

Alex looked around and frowned. "Then where is this Well? I don't even see a depression here that could've once been one."

The man smirked under his helmet. "That is what I have come to find. The legends also spoke of three guardian sages just above the well, that should still be intact. It seems our goals are aligned, foreigner. Let us search together."

Alex nodded and held out his hand. "You can call me Alex."

The man grasped his arm, and shook it, smiling as he said, "Get searching, Alex." He pushed past him then, moving his larger frame aside with no trouble as he looked around the courtyard for a switch or a lever. It was usually a lever, but sometimes the ancient Nords liked hiding less obvious circular switches.

Alex watched the man for a moment, then got to work. He noticed the Tyrantrum digging at a wall that made up part of the central stone pillar around which the ancient roof had been built. Despite its advanced age, most of the roof was still intact. "Find something?" The smaller dino dragon nodded, and Alex glanced at the wall, then shoved the hidden door that was part of it into the earth with his bending. The bar of wood that had been sealing it shut was all that was left on the ground, and a tunnel led deeper inside.

"Not bad." The man said, patting a dragonbone pauldron from which his cape was hanging as he passed by Alex, crouched, and with a bow and arrow that Alex hadn't seen earlier knocked and ready, began scooting through the tunnel in his crouching position. "Stay behind me, Norstad ruins can be…a lot."

Eventually, they came to a series of five-pointed stone pillars carved from the rock of the cavern they'd entered. Three passable recreations of human faces adorned three of said pillars, while the others were blank, and seemingly decorative. The topmost face had a Y symbol on its forehead, in the same style of rune as the glyph he'd recovered. To Alex's left of the main head was a head with a M, and to Alex's right, the head had a rune that resembled a C.

In between all three heads was a square block with the dragon tongue's equivalent of an A, and at the bottom of said block was a faded golden emblem, the same emblem on his Guild Seal. As the pair approached, the runes on each head and on the A between them pulsed with golden Light. They became animated with a facsimile of life soon after, as Head Y spoke. "The Prophecy is fulfilled. The Light Wielder has come."

Head M spoke next. Their eyes now burned gold, and were far from lifeless stone, but they did not have pupils and didn't seem to focus anywhere in particular. "You follow the footsteps of Galar's first High King."

Head C spoke after his contemporary. "The Successor has awakened. You were right to come here. He has used the bones of the World Eater to spark conflict between your nation and your rivals, while he searches for his lost Pokémon."

Head Y spoke again, and it seemed they spoke in a set order, but shared the same thoughts. "You must use the Move we teach you, in the name of Life and Justice. With it, you will bring low the Shadow, and end this threat."

Alex bowed to them, and spoke in the dragon tongue, as they'd been speaking Common. "You have my word; I will use this Move for good. Or try to, anyway."

As one, the three heads seemed to sigh as they said, "Good enough…" The area went white then, and not unlike how Percy had done when he'd implanted the entirety of the dragon's language into his memory, Alex felt three consciousnesses brush his mind, and share their knowledge in a waterfall of information in the form of lived experience. Most of it was a blur. Multiple Legendary Pokémon doing battle with eleven figures cloaked in Shadow. The vision of whoever had witnessed this legendary moment focused on the main figure, the leader of the other eleven. His skin was healthy and alive, his hair was greasy, long, pure black and unwashed, but he had the same black flowing robes in the past that he'd created again in the present.

He launched an orb of condensed Shadow at the main hero of this scene, Alex guessed, as he was literally burning with Light like Connor did when he got serious. A massive shield shaped wolf Pokémon leapt in front of the attack, smashing through it with a combination of fighting and Light energy. Alex recognized it as Zamazenta. Zacian appeared next, out of nowhere, and moving faster than regular human eyes could follow. The sword wolf cut into the Successor. Then, the vision slowed, things became far clearer, and Alex took in the figure who was, apparently, the first of Galar's High Kings, the one who, if he recalled his Galarian history, united their islands again for the first time since humanity's fall.

He was classically handsome, with an impressive jaw, a full, black/brown beard, and a head of naturally wavy, soft similarly colored hair that hung to his shoulders. He had no crown, but his armor was full heavy plate, and colored gold and yellow. Only his head was unarmored, and it seemed his helmet had come off earlier in the fighting.

"It's over, Cassius!" The man shouted in a commanding baritone. Alex felt the power in his voice from the perspective of this onlooker. It shook not just the air, but his very mind, and he wondered if that was what his own voice did, when he got irritated enough. "I have the Alpha behind me. Give up."

The Successor, Cassius, apparently, spat in the air. "You underestimate my power…"

The physically large man who would become king raised his right arm vertically and crossed it with his horizontally placed left arm. "Don't try it…"

Cassius began charging his power as he simultaneously yelled. Shadow swirled around his feet, and then flared up into a cowl of energy not at all unlike the one the future Galarian King had around him. He held up the staff that would one day become Morgana's. Beams of humming concentrated dark matter extended from either side, but were focused in such a way that if they contacted regular matter, the results would cut the regular matter with the explosive force of matter and antimatter mixing together. It made his strikes seem wild, barely controlled when they hit something due to the sheer explosive force that occurred when matter and anti-matter collided. The fact that it did not simply tear his arms off with that kind of force was a testament to his strength.

For his part, the Hero of Albion was also charging, albeit quieter, focusing his mind as his forearms built with Light energy. Alex used his own eyes then, and found his psychic sight still worked. He watched the hero's bodily energy network, and nodded to himself as he saw what the man was doing, and how.

Then, suddenly, the Successor launched forward, and the king rocked in place as a beam of burning, focused Light energy moved around the Successor's body in a quick circle. His head, arms, and legs separated instantly from his torso, though tendrils of Shadow kept them from falling away, it was clear being completely dismembered had at least slowed him.

The Hero of Albion raised a hand then, and behind the Successor, the landscape exploded in a devastating circle as well, slightly delayed thanks to how far in the air they were. Alex made a note that the beam also eradicated what was behind the target. With his power, the Hero King held the Successor in place, and the tendrils of Shadow still binding him faded in his Light.

"You were the one who was Chosen, Cassius…you were supposed to bring the Alpha's Light to this world…not drown it in Shadow."

The head sneered at him as the other limbs fell limp. "I am…what all of you…made me! Does that…infuriate you, Uncle!?"

The bearded Hero sighed. "No, son of my sister…it just makes me disappointed." He shook his head as the Successor's eyes went blank, and that expression of disappointment was the last thing his living mind saw. Then, just as suddenly as it started, Alex was back at the well, beside the man who had yet to give his name.

"Are you well, Alex?" The man asked. "Your eyes went as if dead for a moment there."

Alex nodded. "Yea…I just…Yea. I'm…I have what I came for."

Head M spoke as his sentence finished. "Then go. Face your destiny in the Mediterra Mountains. What the Betrayer seeks is below them."

Head C spoke next. "If he finds his whole team, he will be as hard to stop as he was in the past. May fortune smile on you, Light Wielder."

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

"I still have questions, and you need to be gone before I ask them." The armored local stated plainly.

"Then fare well until we next meet…stranger." The man's eyes widened as he finally realized he hadn't given his name, but Alex was already outside the chamber and on Shruikan, then the pair shot into the sky. They'd taken enough time. As they headed for the boundary of Kalos and Germania, Shruikan mega evolved. His form was still similar to other Mega Salamence, but his sharp wings now had hardened scales on their edges that formed dangerous looking spikes, and his facial spikes were more pronounced. His skull had ridges on it now not at all unlike a Bagon's and he also seemed quite a bit faster.

One by one, Alex mega evolved his team in their balls before letting them float behind him in the air, as he was fully expecting to fly into a war zone. Atop a Mega Salamence, the trip took mere minutes, and what he found was a fully manned border, and an entire legion of Astartes below in Germania, standing at attention in their purple power armor. Even from this height, he saw how their leader stood out. Among the ant sized figures of his men, he was a much larger speck, meaning up close he would be a giant.

As Shruikan arced up over the cloudless battlefield, Alex gestured, and sent his balls across the Scale's lines. They'd know what to do. If the Astartes hadn't noticed Shruikan before, they did now, and as Terra, Hydrus, and his other partners who could manipulate the ground and rock landed, bunkers of stone rose around the readied Scales, and a cheer went up from them, as they took a defensive stance in the sturdy bunkers.

Alex let Shruikan hover ominously over the lines, in their center. Then, a Latios shot up into the air to meet them. "Alex! I'm glad you were able to get here. We'll need you, and Arthur. The thing that attacked us was almost pure Shadow."

"That was Alduin. I'm sorry you lost one of your apprentices. Oh, and... Arthur isn't here." He said, flatly, staring down the far-off titan leading, arguably, the most elite fighting force on the planet. "They have made no aggressive moves?"

"Not…yet…" He frowned, and then tensed as he saw the Astartes shifting ranks. Like a perfect machine, their ranks parted to allow the two Predator class tanks to move up in firing range. They aimed their barrels at the newly raised stone defenses, but no shots rang out.

"Relax." Alex said, watching their leader closely. "They're just responding to our own reinforcement. Get everyone ready. Quietly raise your Pokémon's Stat Stages as many times as you can. Oh, and remember, their bullets explode. Make sure everyone is aware of that."

Alex held up a hand then, as a blue-limned folded white cloth zipped into his hand from within their bunker. Lux became a pole, and once it was attached, Shruikan began flying through the air, as they signaled for a parley, as the Imperium called it. Eventually, after several minutes, Shruikan flapped in place, and Alex just let the flag hang. Five minutes later, two similarly blank white flags rose from the tops of the Predator tanks.

Alex rolled his up, Lux returned to being a sword, and Shruikan brought him down into Germania. As they descended, their vision went black, and a large pair of golden eyes appeared before them, as Tao shared some timely wisdom. "You recall the weapon you defeated Pravus with. A Burst Heart. I once hid twenty such artifacts deep in Koria's northern mountains. In their time occupying that region, the Imperium of Man found that cache, and the Imperator has given one to each of his sons. All but Horus, who was too psychically powerful to use one without breaking it. Stay on your guard around them."

Alex thanked Tao as his eyes vanished and reality returned to normal. He found a ledge Shruikan could perch on above the massive mountain's slope, and then leapt off his back, floating down to the ground as the Mega Salamence landed. Shruikan snarled at the weapons trained on him, and his toothy maw sparked with electricity. Both tanks had him in their sights, while the majority of the Astartes' weapons were trained on Alex.

The ground shuddered, as the Prime Archon of these giant purple super soldiers in gold trim descended from his orating platform, to tower over the leader of the primitive masses to the west face to face. Alex had known they were large, but seeing a 'human' literally twice as tall as him was still unsettling. Especially when he and his 'sons' were so heavily armed. "So, this is the newest Dragon Emperor. You're far more powerful than the last one, but he was just a King as I recall."

"The Empire fractured pretty significantly near its end." Alex said. "Mistakes were made, but they will not be made twice. You are Fulgrim, yes? One of the Imperator's own sons?"

"I am." The man puffed out his chest then and spread his arms slightly so Alex could see every aspect of his masterfully forged armor. "Am I the first of my brothers to meet you, Dragon Emperor?"

"You are." Alex said, and Fulgrim's brows pushed together slightly. He wasn't lying, which meant he had not yet met Horus, despite Horus's apparent capture by primitives hiding on Luna. Apparently, they were not all as unified under the Dragon as their spies had reported. "So, neighbor," Alex said, as the silent pause grew awkward, "Is there a particular reason you have an armored Legion of Thunder Warriors pointed at my border?"

"Why yes, there is." Fulgrim said, leaning down as he tried to loom over Alex. "We were informed of an imminent attack, led by you personally, in an attempt to free Germania. Like you freed Koria. You will find the people of this fine Region far more loyal than the elemental savages in Eous."

Alex raised one eyebrow, while the other one furrowed. "I have no idea what you're talking about with regard to Koria. I just happened to be in the Region when the locals rose up against the tyranny the Fire Nation subjected them to. I have no intention of attacking Germania. By all accounts, its people are loyal, and far better treated than the people of Koria were. It's almost like when you beat, lobotomize, and oppress people, they fight back."

Fulgrim waved a hand, looking every bit the pompous aristocrat that he was, but Alex kept his calm. "A likely story. Exactly what one would expect to hear from someone wishing to downplay their involvement." Fulgrim countered.

"You can check for yourself, Phoenician. I'm sure your spies had cameras all over Koria. I can even give you the date I arrived there. I have nothing to hide. I've been preparing for Festivus, as have my Scales. There are many that are none too happy about being called here in a time of celebration for our recent and hard-won peace. Why would I start another war now? What could I possibly gain?" While Fulgrim could tell the mortal's voice was filled with power, it did not sway him as it did the weak minded. Despite that lack of influence, he could tell that this Dragon Emperor spoke truly, and his communicator buzzed in his ear, as his servitors confirmed that video records of his recent actions as a world leader aligned with his words. None of their cameras in Koria had caught him helping the rebels, and his actions upon returning home aligned with his alibi.

"You…are not lying." Fulgrim finally said. "It seems I have been misinformed…" His perfectly proportioned face shifted into a frown. He would not abide being someone else's pawn.

At that moment, several things happened nearly simultaneously. Alduin, who had dropped Proditor and Morgana at their destination, finally arrived back on the border, to find it covered with more of his bones made into armor. He sensed his horns in particular, coming not from the Scale's lines, but the ongoing parley in Imperium territory. He let out a screeching roar that echoed through the massive mountains, one Shruikan visibly responded to with a sudden turn of his head and tensing of his muscles. The World Eater very much recognized the pair that had led him to his death.

A Dragon Pulse shot out from Shruikan into the sky and met a Shadow Pulse from Alduin as his almost incorporeal ashy form flew over the Astartes and through the explosive collision of moves. Fulgrim glared at Alex. "Is this trickery yours?"

"No. That's the World Eater. Alduin, or rather, what's left of him. He's been reanimated by a Shadow user. He will be after me, and my Salamence. We killed him."

Fulgrim nodded. If he was impressed, it didn't show. Once more, the Dragon Emperor spoke truth to him, and after Proditor's actions, trying to use the underlying tension between nations to his benefit, he had no qualms about taking out the betrayer's pet. "Recall your partner, and we shall immolate this foul shade!"

Alex held up a finger and spoke to Hikoki through his telepathy. "You're going to see a light show. Do not attack the Imperium unless you start getting hit with Bolter rounds." Verbally, he said, "Try not to hit us. We'll lead him over your complex, in the air, east of here so your Bolter rounds don't accidentally hit my people. I don't know how well exploding shells are going to do against a creature made of ash, though."

Fulgrim just smirked, slightly. "Then we will not use bullets." He gestured to the Predator tanks, which now had some sort of additional hardware loaded onto the main barrel, and the two barrels on either side of the tanks. "Are you sure you wish to fly in our field of fire? I would hate to start a war by accidentally taking out your people's strongest Trainer."

"You're more than ready for a war, or at least a skirmish." Alex said, smirking back at him. "Don't worry. Your weapons won't hit us. Shruikan!" The black scaled dragon flew over, and Alex leapt into the air, landing on his neck, where he usually rode now that he was reasonably sized again.

The two shot into the air just in time for Alduin's second pass over the Imperator's Children. Alex guided him upwards as once more the massive dragon's ashy jaws snapped after them. Shruikan smirked as he sensed what Alex was going to do. His Trainer spun around where he sat, still hooked onto his shoulders, and in the tongue of the land of ice and snow shouted at the revived World Eater. "You know, after losing all that girth, we thought you'd be faster, this time!"

The inky black sockets that were where the dragon's eyes should've been began burning with purple fire. "Duziir wox…" Suddenly, his jaws stretched unnaturally forward, a thing they could do now that he was not limited by flesh. "Die…" came the hissed word. Shruikan struggled to outpace the jaws looming above and below him as they coalesced from the ash cloud of a dragon, but he had them, this time. Suddenly, a loud hum sounded in their ears, and as he'd turned back around in his seat so Shruikan could keep his pace, Alex turned his head, and saw a twin pair of bright blue lines of what he wrongly assumed was plasma burn straight through the reforming shape of Alduin. Two more single lascannon beams followed seconds later, and the massive dragon shrieked with rage as the intensely focused light beams burned away pieces of the bones he had thus far reclaimed to nothing.

The ash cloud swirled as Alduin turned to take care of the Predator tanks below, but Alex and Shruikan did the same. "Plasma Bomb!" Alex shouted, once they got enough speed, and Shruikan arced downwards, gaining enough speed to put him over Alduin's back before he used his newest move. The condensed blue plasma ball fell from his sparking jaws, and then expanded as it exploded. When the ash Salamence reformed, he was significantly smaller.

Six more consecutive lascannon shots pierced the World Eater, and his form became less of a Salamence, and more like an incoherent swirling cloud. As Shruikan readied another Plasma Bomb, the cloud shifted direction, not for them or the Astartes, but for the Scales lining the border. Shruikan followed after the ash cloud, but now found it faster than him. It dodged his attack easily, as it flowed out of its path, and Alex panicked slightly as he realized he couldn't hit it with anyone on his team, and his new move would likely be easily dodged. He needed a way to pin the cloud of ash dragon down in one place.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a pair of String Shots somehow brimming with Light energy surrounded the cloud of ash. "Now, Cat!"

"Night Cloaked…Avidya Slash!"

Alex and Shruikan blinked, as a blur of black and green shot past them. Then, a fusion of what seemed like a teenage girl and a Ledian floated up beside them. Alex recognized Kalos's newest superheroes, as the fusion of Liepard and teenage boy unleashed a series of attacks on the String Shot cocoon, faster than normal eyes could follow. Alex noted his strike pattern, and, the type of blade he was using.

"Hiii there, uh, Dragon Emperor…sir." Ledi started, awkwardly, before starting to talk rather quickly. "We just beat Hawk Mo- I mean Monarch, and then sensed what was going on over here so we thought we would, y'know, come lend a hand and-" The stream of babble paused, as Alex held up a hand.

"Someone followed you." He said, staring at the sliced up cocoon. The slashed String Shots fell away, and Night Cat formed a small circle of apparently tangible darkness in mid air, using it to leap away from the now swirling mass that was Alduin. He landed on another conjured flat darkness circle by Ledi Girl and Alex with masterful grace.

Below Alduin was a new figure, and as they were now out of the effective range of the Predator tank's lascannons, effectively in the uninhabited no-man's land of mountainside between Kalos and Germania, the newest arrival to the scene chose now to appear, and enact his orders from his mother. From what Alex could see, he had pure white hair completely devoid of pigment, was wearing all black clothing, and around his neck and shoulders, he had a rather ragged looking crimson cape.

A grin that Alex could only describe as sadistic crossed the younger looking man's face as he looked up at the trio of heroes. He had to be either a teenager, or in his early twenties, but despite his youth his eyes had severe bags under them, and his lips were dry, cracked, and scarred. His skin was also quite pale, suggesting a lack of regular sunlight. Then, Alex saw his right arm, and realized why he was so pale. His right hand and lower forearm had a long, dark black and purple scar that was pulsing with Shadow energy in time with the still-rotating ash cloud above him that had now taken on an appearance like a spiral, though it seemed to be shrinking.

Then, Alex noticed a hole in the man's palm, and that Alduin's essence was being sucked into it, ash and all. Before Alex or the two heroes could react, yet another figure arrived on the scene, one who'd patiently been waiting for his quarry to appear, and thanks to his mastery over earthbending, he had been able to rapidly move towards said quarry once he finally slithered out of hiding.

As the hole in the pale man's palm sucked up the last of Alduin, he held his hand to his chest, then doubled over, groaning in pain. A green blur shot past the floating trio of Trainers as they just watched. The teens were in awe, but Alex had his brows furrowed, unsure if this new arrival was friend or foe. He had just seemingly stopped Alduin, after all. Then, the green blur stopped in front of the man, and a voice rang out as he shouted his move for some reason. "Land's…SMAAAASH!"

The pale man seemed to still be in pain, but grinned, as the sudden metal-clad boot of the man in green impacted his face with an aura-fueled roundhouse kick.

The pale man went soaring towards the slope of the nearest mountain, and Alex urged Shruikan towards the now floating green figure. His face was covered in a visible green aura that had taken on the shape of what he recognized as the head of Zygarde's fifty percent form. Underneath the aura he was wearing a green hood that covered the top part of his face, and had two small vertical points where his eyebrows likely were. Five 'tails' also composed of emerald aura flared out behind him from his shoulders, as he stared at the crater he'd roundhouse smashed his opponent into. Upon getting closer, Alex noted various Zygarde cells across his outfit, seemingly strategically placed for effective coverage on knees, elbows, joints, and other points of energy that lined up with the pools of energy in his body. A red, green, and blue Zygarde core, fused together in this state, covered his back and connected to the cells with faint bright green lines of energy across his green jumpsuit covered body. Whoever this was, he knew what he was doing, it seemed.

"Hello there…" Alex said, as Shruikan hovered before the green man. Ledi Girl and Night Cat had followed after him, and the stranger looked at each of them, before answering Alex.

"Hi…I uh…sorry I interrupted your Battle, but I've been after that criminal for a while. I knew he was in league with Dark Moth, so I followed Ledi Girl and Night Cat. I love your work by the way, guys. Big fan." He smiled at them through his cowl, and Night Cat gave him a thumbs up, while Ledi Girl smiled shyly.

Alex's brow furrowed further. "Are you…with the Ranger Force? Or the Scales?"

It was then that Alex saw his mouth form an O shape, as the man under the aura mask recognized who he was speaking to. "Oh…wow! You're the newest Dragon Emperor, aren't you? The one who reunited the Original Dragon! I saw the videos!"

Alex had time to nod, but before they could continue speaking, or exchange names, the hole the pale man had been kicked into exploded in a torrent of Shadow that reached up to the sky. A deep baritone thundered through the peaks around them, echoing as it did. "Sahlag Humun…the likes of you...cannot hope to control Me! Zu'u los Dinok!"

The pale man's body reappeared then, but Alex could tell just from a glance which mind was controlling it, now. It seemed the kid had bitten off more than he could handle. Then, his right arm began to swell, and expand, turning black and scaly as the nature of his powers was used and abused by the World Eater, who saw the opportunity for a new body and took it. The rest of the man's body began shifting as well then, stretching, growing in a macabre display as Alduin reworked the flesh, bone, and muscles to suit his preferences.

Shadow burned around his shifting frame as he grew bigger, even moreso than he had been when he'd had his own body. Alduin pushed the mutated human's limits, and found them nonexistent, much to his delight. The human face became a draconic one, the flesh of the man became obsidian and scaly, and wings sprouted from his back, expanding upwards and outwards as they grew and grew. Something pinkish and gray was vomited from the World Eater's mouth as he expanded his new body further. The men grimaced in disgust as they realized it was brain matter, and Ledi Girl gagged, overwhelmed by the sight momentarily as she tried not to hurl.

The as yet unnamed man in green looked both sad, and furious. "Shigaraki…you fool…" He knew the man's story, and who his mother was, and this display only confirmed his fears; that she would use him to empower one of her pawns for one of her schemes, and he would end up dying in the process. Now, he was gone forever, and beyond saving. He'd hoped his kick would forcibly expel the ancient dragon, but all it had seemed to do was distract Shigaraki and let Alduin take control. His aura began burning with an audible hum as the rage at both Shigaraki's uncaring parent and his murderer surged. His cloth cowl flared off his face, and he seemed to be rage-smiling as he stared at Alduin, who by that point, was as large as one of the Mediterra range's mountains, and had a wingspan the length of two of them.

The air shook, as the massive and now fully revivified dragon roared at the quartet. "Alright people…" Alex said, as he internally mulled over who to use for this. "Looks like it's a Raid Battle. You know how those work?" The three nodded. Alex nodded as well. "Alright then…take him down!" He blinked, as he felt Astrum psychically shove his ball into his hand, and seeing his logic, and the support Astrum had from his brothers, Alex brought him out.

In the space of less than a second, the Togekiss assuaged his fears about taking him out in a potential war zone. "I can do this!" Astrum said, zipping forward as he began shining with fairy energy.

"Yes, yes you can." Alex said, just proud of him, at that moment. Shruikan backed up as Ledi Girl manifested Tikki, who in this form was a shiny Ledian with gold and black coloring rather than red, and Night Cat summoned his regular colored Liepard, who moved through the air on tiny dark energy discs effortlessly. Alex blinked, as he felt his very rarely used Pixie Plate respond to his Togekiss. It shot out of his bag, levitated by Astrum's Psychic, where he affixed it to his chest, and shone with fairy energy.

Having never mega evolved a fairy type since awakening his dragon blood, Alex didn't know what to expect next, but he let his emotions reach out to his partner regardless as the battle kicked off. The Dazzling Gleam Astrum led off with, empowered by the Plate, made the reconstituted dragon shriek with pain, as the flying and fairy type had zipped towards his eyes before letting it off. Tikki hammered his jaw with Light infused Comet Punches, while Plagg had landed on his neck, and sprinted down his back towards his wings. In his opinion, they needed a few holes. The man in green stayed in place, seemingly charging up his own attack, or perhaps waiting for the right moment to use it.

Alduin began to counter, as he tried to shake off Plagg, brushed the Ledian away like one might swat at a mosquito, and then tried to Crunch down on Astrum. Thankfully, the young fairy type had just recently finished his stat training, which like most of his brothers had focused on enhancing his speed and special attack power. Astrum skillfully dodged and kept pace with the foul Shadow entity, as the lines of energy from his Trainer connected with the energy radiating from his newly claimed Pixie Plate.

The area grew even brighter, as Astrum ascended, and while Alex felt a slight discomfort, it was more from the energy Astrum was shining with, than the energy they'd used to propel him to his Mega Form. The egg-like shape of his body morphed, becoming more akin to a Lugia's or one of the Eon Duo in appearance. His tiny tail feathers became another pair of wings, and yet another pair of wings sprouted from under his main two, giving him a total of six.

His right head spike extended, curling into a blue tip, while the other did the same, albeit with a red curled tip. The main head spike also became larger, and more noticeably feathery. The tips of each wing had also gained red and blue coloring, in alternating patterns on each wing. His right side had two blue tipped wings and one red, while the left side had the reverse. His golden feathers were also much more obvious.

The darkness of the oncoming night was beaten back, as Astrum finished shifting forms, and the Infinity Energy symbol flashed over his forehead. With a sharp cry that oddly only evoked emotions of calm and peace from Alex, and every human watching the brilliant pink and gold aerial display, a facsimile of a full moon appeared above the Mega Togekiss.

Alduin, who had been turning his head to unload Shadowflame on the three enemies punching holes in his massive wings, turned back towards Astrum, as the flying egg fairy readied arguably the most dangerous move to dragonkind. He tried to flap backwards, only to find his size too cumbersome. His mace-like tail swiped at the much smaller enemies he was facing, but they dodged easily, and kept going for his wings. Together, the Liepard and the Ledian were unstoppable balls of damage that kept punching through the thick membrane. Shadow energy filled the holes, and made Alduin rise above Astrum, who adjusted his aim with the dragon's rising form.

Then, having launched himself higher into the air than all of them, the figure cowled in green aura came back down, and landed directly in the center of the now massive joint that was responsible for the black Salamence's wing function. His wings went stiff, and immediately, gravity caused him to plummet.

Tikki, Plagg, and their green ally flew back towards Alex and their Trainers as Alduin landed on all fours, and shook the earth for miles around. He was still a calamity sized threat, and while on the Germanian side of the mountains, Alex still didn't want him rampaging and causing damage. "Now, Astrum!" He shouted up to the Mega Togekiss, whose Moonblast was charged and ready by that point.

In Pokéspeech, Astrum called out to his 'victim' in the Pokémon equivalent of a calming baritone. "Rest now, ancient one! Your long suffering ends here." The Moonblast fired with a loud hum, sending a bright pink beam of energy straight for him, hitting Alduin directly in his chest.

His furious Words echoed across the area as he roared in pain. "Zu'u fen ni…vognun! I will not disappear!" The Shadow energy binding his essence to the mortal plane surged, and Astrum frowned, as he felt nauseous, but continued with the Moonblast, finding he had the power, in this form, to keep it going indefinitely.

Tikki floated up besides Astrum then, and with four tiny fists on his feathery back, infused his ongoing Moonblast, which was burning through all the power he had for the move, with Light. Alduin tried moving out of the way of the massive fairy beam, but couldn't. His massive maw opened to fire a Shadow Beam in response, but the Light was too overpowering, to the point that he couldn't form his attack in the presence of so much imbued fairy energy. So, started forming a ball of anti-matter instead despite the damage he was taking, and that was when Astrum poured in all the power he had for his Moonblasts into his current one at once.

"We will remember you, World Eater…" Astrum spoke to him quietly, calmly, as the Moonblast began to tear through his scales and flesh. "Now return to your rest!" The moon above Astrum exploded in a blinding white ball of fairy energy and the beam pushed through his reconstituted chest, cutting into his body almost perfectly down his center. Alduin's roar echoed a final time across the Mediterra Mountains as his corpse fell into two separate halves and then began fading away into Shadow particles. The World Eater was finally, permanently, destroyed.

Thoroughly spent, but satisfied, Astrum let the Infinity Energy fade, and his form reverted to normal. His flight pattern wobbled, as the expenditure of so much energy at once left him unbalanced. Alex recalled him into his Luxury Ball before he started falling. "You did great, Astrum. Really. Take a good rest."

The two superheroes gave each other a fist bump as Alex recalled his partner, but the man in green did not return to him. He was burying something on the ground, near where Alduin was decaying. "Night Cat, Ledi Girl, it was a pleasure working with you two. If you ever need help Connor can't provide, feel free to call on the Scales."

The two shared a look, and then Night Cat spoke, somewhat eagerly. He'd had a traumatic day, but that didn't keep him from asking after what he wanted. "Would we…be able to join them?"

Alex blinked. "Do…do you want to?"

Ledi Girl nodded, as she spoke as well. "They seem to know how to use Light energy and…that would help me and Tikki become stronger. Like now for example, Hawk Moth's creations caused a lot of damage…I don't know if I'll have enough power to repair it all."

Having seen her downright miraculous repair powers in action, and always eager to avoid another bill, Alex smirked. "I could…give you a boost, if you like. Just this once, so we make sure all the Regions affected return to normal." Ledi Girl smiled, and nodded, and Alex chuckled. "Go ahead, do your thing."

Her tongue poked out from her mouth then, as she concentrated, and an orb of Light and fairy energy began swirling between her palms as she summoned Xerneas's power. Again, he felt discomfort but didn't let that stop him. He held a hand over the forming, uncondensed sphere, and added his power to it. "Holy…" He heard her say, as the sphere expanded, rapidly, and she had to lift it above her head.

"Just tell me when." Alex said, eyes still closed, palm still raised as he channeled the energy of the universe into her ability.

Once she had enough, she wrapped the massive sphere in her String Shot, swung it around and then up into the air, where it exploded in a pulse of Light that miraculously began repairing the various property damage caused by Monarch's efforts. More than that though, injuries were healed, several recently dead humans returned to life, completely fine, and from Kalos to Italia, the people just watched in awe as their cities returned to the way they were before everyone had turned massive and gained superpowers.

Ledi Girl slumped, as the move faded, and Night Cat caught her. Alex didn't need his psychic powers to see the way they looked at each other. "I'll let you two be, I uh…think this is the part where you change back, no? Come by the Scale's outpost in Kalos sometime, and we can hammer out the specifics of ahh…legitimizing you, as official protectors of the Region."

As the pair made their way back to Lumiose, Alex hopped on Shruikan, and floated down next to the man in green, who was mumbling at the makeshift grave. "...and I'm sorry. I wasn't…good enough to save you." He rose from his knees as Alex and his own black Salamence landed. The two locked eyes, and now that his aura was gone and his hood was down, Alex realized he was just a kid, not all that much older than Night Cat, but still younger than himself, probably.

"Friend of yours?" Alex said, gesturing at the grave.

The man shook his head. "No…not really. Just someone I wanted to save from this fate…but couldn't."

Alex nodded solemnly. "We can't save everyone. But taking that down," He said as he gestured to Alduin's disappearing corpse, "just saved a whole lot of people. So who exactly do I have to thank for helping us?"

"Isamu Midorinoki." He said, offering a hand, which Alex shook. "The Mind Sage mentioned that he met you. I'm one of his disciples."

Alex nodded, recalling the Alakazam to the east of Koria. "Well Isamu, I'll make you the same offer I made Ledi Girl and Night Cat. If you ever want to join the Scales of Balance, just let me know. I know Red wouldn't mind having more help over in Japan."

Isamu's eyes went wide. "Are…you serious? Really? Me?" Alex nodded. "I mean…yea, I'd love to join a group of that many Champion Trainers." Isamu chuckled awkwardly. "Are you sure I'm good enough?"

Alex nodded. "I look forward to seeing what you can do once you find five Zygarde Cores. But right now, yes, you're good enough, and we could do with having more Earthbenders." He gestured at the grave marker Isamu had raised over the remains of the pale man.

"In that case, I'll apply once I get back home. Before that though, I have some questions for you, if you don't mind?" He gave Alex a hopeful smile.

Alex smirked. "Sure, I always have time for a fan. I do have to go ensure a war won't break out though, so let's go with one or two for now."

"In that case…" Isamu said, pondering. "Did you know recreating a Fusion reaction would reunite the Dragons of Unova? And if so…how?"

Alex scratched the back of his neck as he pondered an answer. Awkward as he seemed, he did like it when his fans got technical. "Well, that was, as I recall, more Kyurem's doing, than mine. Once it Mega Evolved, it had the power to force the opposing natures of Reshiram and Zekrom back together. All I really did was activate the Plate crystal. But who knows. Maybe there was a different way to reunite them that I never thought of. Maybe, had the DNA Splicers remained intact and been upgraded, we would have a much different form of the Original Dragon."

Isamu blinked. "So…what we see may not even be his original shape?"

Alex shrugged. "Tao said it was, and he does greatly resemble the statues of him in Opelucid City's Gym, but then, Tao sometimes omits the truth for the benefit of his plans. What matters, is that he is back, and the world is better for it."

"Can't argue with that." Isamu said as he pulled out a seemingly random pocket journal and started scribbling rapidly. "Don't let me take up more of your time, Dragon Emperor. Go make sure your people stay out of another war.

Alex bid Isamu farewell and guided Shruikan back towards the Astarte's lines. The super soldiers had begun departing into their barracks, alongside their hardware and their generic human counterparts. Alex and Shruikan landed smoothly, and Fulgrim nodded at him. "That was quite a show, Dragon Emperor…but no one who wields such pure, inspiring Light can be the man I've heard such terrible rumors about. It seems, on that too, I was misinformed."

Alex looked down for a moment, and then answered the Prime Archon. "As a ruler, I walk the line between the Light and the Dark, Fulgrim. But personally…I prefer to live in the Light. You have my word as a Trainer, and as a wielder of such power; I will not attack your Imperium, unless we are attacked first. I'll also refrain from sparking any wars even if there is an incident, in honor of your much appreciated aid against Alduin."

Fulgrim nodded, affirming his words. "If such a thing happens, find me, Dragon Emperor. We shall cut to the truth of the matter. Together."

That, brought a smile to Alex's impassive visage. "I'll hold you to that. Until next we meet, Prime Archon. Fare well."

Fulgrim nodded once again, then turned, somehow graceful as a feline despite his massive set of power armor and headed inside his barracks with the rest of his Legion. Alex sighed in relief once they were in the air over the neutral area of inhospitable mountains, Shruikan dropped his own Mega Form with a similar sigh of relief. War was off the table, for now at least, and Festivus was back on. The enormity of what he'd done did not escape him, the Imperium tended to shoot first and question later, as a rule, and now he had a ceasefire with at least one of their borders.

Before long, he and Shruikan were once more above their lines, facing them. "Scales of Balance!" He shouted, and his Voice reached them. The men and women below snapped to attention. "War has been avoided this day! Return to your families in the knowledge that, at least for now, the Imperium is not our enemy. Enjoy your well-earned rest, and your Festivus! I thank you all for responding so quickly."

One by one, the Scales either found someone to bamf them home, or departed on their flying Pokémon, while heading for Kalos. Hikoki approached him, his Latios by his side, as those who were not originally stationed on the border departed. Psychically, he recalled his partners from their stone bunkers, though he left the structures standing, most were now unoccupied. Shruikan rumbled a greeting to the Latios, who he seemed to recognize, and the Eon Pokémon gave him a slow nod. He was smiling, and from what Alex could tell, seemed as impressed as Fulgrim had been. Then, Hikoki helped him realize why.

"That Light, Alex…that was…we've never felt something like that. Serene. Peaceful. Calming, it…it was amazing. All four of you were."

Alex nodded. "That was Astrum, my Togekiss. A newer addition to my team, but one who I think I'll rely on more, after this. And the other three may be joining our ranks as Scales, if we're lucky. Keep an eye out for Ledi Girl and Night Cat. Let me know if they visit asking to join."

Hikoki blinked and nodded. "But that…didn't look like any Togekiss I've ever seen…it seemed more like…an angel. From the old stories."

Alex shook his head. "I can see how you thought that, but I promise, it was my Togekiss. He Mega Evolved after volunteering to face down the World Eater, since Arthur isn't here. He finally put that dragon to rest…and I think his essence might finally know peace, now."

Hikoki just stared. "A Mega Togekiss? Alex…nobody has ever managed to Mega Evolve a Togekiss…even those among our ranks who have such a partner claimed the energy required was just too much."

Alex patted the man's shoulder. "Well, rest assured that I, apparently, do have the power for such a creature to aid us, though I think Mega Evolving him caused the rest of my team, except Shruikan here, to drop their Mega Forms. Perhaps it was simply the right time and the right place for such an obviously Light attuned being to appear, to counteract Alduin's darkness." Hikoki nodded, smiling, seemingly as impressed with Astrum as his Trainer was. Alex could feel the flying fairy's pride from within his ball, where he was listening to every word, while resting comfortably. "If you'll excuse me, Hikoki…Arthur needs me. I left him in Albion to reclaim his home, and I should really get back there to help Jess and the others."

Hikoki nodded then, his more serious demeanor once more taking over. "Of course, Dragon Emperor. Don't let us keep you. The border will remain safe while you all rest."

Alex paused for a moment, as he hopped back on Shruikan. "I managed to create a blossoming friendship with Fulgrim, the leader of the Astartes below. We gave our respective words that we would not attack each other, on this border at least. So enjoy your Festivus Hikoki, don't let the others work too hard, alright?"

Hikoki nodded. "We'll find a balance between vigilance and rest. Safe travels, Dragon Emperor."

And with that, Shruikan began the long flight back to Albion, though from what they sensed from Arthur, things were apparently not dire, and actually going quite well.

The Dark Cells - Deep Beneath the Mediterra Mountains

Please note that for this section of the chapter, events are happening concurrently with those above ground.

The only sound in the absurdly long ceracrete corridor was that of their footsteps. So far, Proditor and Morgana hadn't encountered anyone after Teleporting a few feet straight down into this tunnel, but he could tell that the guardians of this space knew they were coming. Finally, after a solid amount of time spent walking, the corridor flared out into an open room that seemed empty.

Proditor smirked and gestured at the floor. Shadow energy sloughed off him, sank into the hidden stairway in the floor, and forced it down. Without a word, he descended, and Morgana followed. The deeper they went, the more ancient the air smelled, as if very rarely did living beings come down to this part of the Imperium's vast underground complexes. He could sense Shahir though, moreover, he sensed his friend was in massive pain. Proditor had mistaken his unconsciousness for sleep, but it seemed his partner was being kept with painful methods. And that, that irritated him.

As they reached the bottom of the spiraling stairway, the air was stale and acrid, the smell of decay and rusting metal filled his nostrils, but there was something else. The faint hint of incense. Something that seemed like armor polish, and beneath that, faintly, the stench of an unwashed Homo Sapien.

"We are not alone." Proditor finally said, as they stepped into a long hallway, lined on each side by solid black metal doors with no slits or grates or windows in them to peer inside at their occupants. At the end of this first stretch of cells, was a massive figure. His armor blended into the gloom of the Dark Cells, and as Morgana conjured a purple sphere that gave off light, they saw the rest of the Shadowkeeper's attire. Hair of some description, dyed crimson, fell back from the tip of his intimidating Aegis pattern helmet in a fiery mane. An eagle made up most of the faceplate, with its golden wings flaring out over the Custodes' crimson photolenses protecting his eyes.

A far cry from the pattern of mass-produced armor the Thunder Warriors used, the Aegis pattern was personally crafted by the Imperator himself. Ten thousand custom tailored suits made specifically for the guards of his most important complexes, and of course, the Imperator's own throne room. Like the suits, each of the Imperator's ten thousand hand modified guards, the Legiones Custodes, was a marvel of genetic engineering that even Thunder Warriors couldn't compete with, though their roles were quite different.

The Aegis armor was a part of this, as Custodes rarely had cause to remove their armor, it was designed specifically to enhance their speed and strength to a level no Thunder Warrior could hope to match by integrating with their bodies in a far more invasive manner than regular power armor. Many acolytes did not survive the process to become a Custodes, and the number of lives the Imperator had sacrificed was almost five times the number of the fully functional Custodes he'd ended up with. To the Imperator, even hundreds of thousands of lives was a comparatively small price to pay when compared to what had already been sacrificed in His name.

Autosenses, targeting reticules in their vision, and even armor-integrated weapons were all a part of a single Custodes, making each one a force unmatched in combat. Proditor, naturally, knew none of this, and thus fired a condensed bolt of Shadow energy from his palm, testing the warrior's defenses.

The Custodes didn't even bother blocking, as the dark natured plasma simply burned away against his armor's void shields. Then, it was his turn to strike. With a movement too fast for either of the intruder's to follow, the Shadowkeeper Custodes leveled his Guardian Spear at them, and simply opened fire on the intruders without so much as a word.

Proditor raised a shield of Shadow energy, and blinked in shock as he found it blasted apart by the Light-infused munitions of the Custodes, which like regular Bolters, also exploded on impact. Before he could process his shield was gone, the rest of the automatically fired explosive bullets tore into his revivified body, blowing it apart.

Morgana fared only slightly better, as the power of her stolen Eous Stone was actually enough to cause most of the bullets to ricochet off the shield of energy she conjured. Seeing this, in under a second, the Shadowkeeper focused his fire on her, and the repeated strikes to her Barrier caused it to fracture. With each deflected shot, the rounds flew into the surrounding walls, and doors to the Black Cells. The Shadowkeeper also began approaching, not especially in a hurry as he deemed these two less of a threat than they actually were, due to their seeming lack of weapons or armor.

Finally, one of the bullets found her leg, exploding on contact, and almost taking it off her person. Morgana fell to her knees under the onslaught, hissing in pain as the Light infused bullet damaged her in addition to her gaping, bloody hole in her calf.

"Mordred!" She shouted, as the Shadowkeeper closed the distance, and swung his Guardian Spear's adamantium tipped blade, limned with focused plasma around its edges, at Morgana's shield. The Custodes paused, as for the first time in his life, he found his spear stopped by something. The Shadow covered arm of a species of Pokémon he identified as a Gallade, and a severely Shadow-corrupted one, at that.

Unfortunately for Mordred, Shadow Pokémon had been a known and understood threat when the Imperator crafted his Custodes and their gear. His masterwork armor hummed to life in the darkness, with various points on it glowing bright red as he built up the armor's energy through physical effort with his body. The Imperium was also well aware of the various energy pools within humans, and these too had been genetically modified and enhanced by the Imperator in this, his (arguably) most lethal creation.

The Shadowkeeper faced the Gallade, and charged forward with a lunging stab. The graceful Shadow Pokémon dodged it, spinning around it as he closed for a strike of his own. The Shadowkeeper twisted his spear in that moment, as his autosenses and reflexes allowed him to make the Gallade pay for closing on him with a deep slash to his thin shoulder.

Mordred didn't even flinch as the plasma edged spear cut into him, he simply shifted his body again, and brought a crimson fist directly into the breastplate of the warrior, which was decorated in its center with six intersecting lightning bolts. A crystal device of some sort, once light blue and now humming with red energy, sat in the middle of said lightning bolts. Similar crystals were affixed on his brow, above the stylized golden eagle, and on his waistplate.

Mordred blinked as his fist connected with the armor, but did absolutely nothing to the masterfully reinforced ceramite alloy composite that made up the majority of the power armor's defenses, being incredibly durable in nature. Mordred simply grimaced. He needed to strike harder.

He disengaged from the Shadowkeeper, flipping back towards Proditor, as he readied a Shadow Sword on each arm. While their first clash occurred, Proditor had been busy repairing his blown apart corpse. Blobs of Shadow filled in the holes the bolter shells had left within him, as he psychically Recovered from the typically fatal series of blows.

"Shahir!" He mentally shouted, as he reached out towards the nearby massive presence of his ancient friend. What he had mistaken for sleep earlier had, in reality, been unconsciousness from the immense pain these people were keeping him in. "Shahir! Wake. UP!"

Weakly, a voice came to him in response. A single word, but on with the kind of hope in it that plucked at heartstrings Proditor had thought he no longer had. "Master…?"

"Shahir! I'm here, my friend! Wake up!"

Mordred charged the Shadowkeeper once more, but this time, the Custodes let the Gallade close on him. With all his might, Mordred struck at the breastplate with his Shadow Swords, leaving slight scars in the Ceramite across the breastplate's top, but it continued to stubbornly refuse to yield to his strength. Moreover, his guard was wide open following his attack, and the Custodes made brutal use of that error.

The single, perfect strike that should have bisected his thin body in two at his thinner torso missed, instead carving off a piece of his 'helmet' and its pure black pointed tip. Shadow-infused blood leaked from the wound, but Mordred didn't care.

Morgana, who'd conjured a hand made of Shadow energy to snatch her Gallade back from certain death, glared at him. "Kill him already!"

"Armor…too tough." Mordred answered through the pain. He used that pain though, as Pravus had taught him, making it enhance his inner rage.

The Shadow around his arms shifted from purple-black in color, to crimson-black, and Proditor looked impressed, as he realized what the Gallade had done. His arms now flared with Shadow, not at all unlike how Arthur's had burned with Light in his Mega Form during their last clash. Again he dashed forward, but the Shadowkeeper was done indulging in this welcome distraction after centuries of pure, unadulterated boredom. Since the end of the Dark Times, this part of the Black Cells had seen little usage, and this intrusion was a welcome change of pace.

It ended now, however. Hitting a button on his spear, a lever popped up vertically from the haft, and he pulled it towards him. With an audible hum, the tip of his Guardian Spear became toothed akin to a plasma chainsaw, combining the cutting power of focused plasma, with the repetitive whirring speed of the aforementioned tool. The 'blade' of pure energy also became larger, giving him more reach, and a deeper cut.

Moving faster than any creature that large and heavily armored should've been able to, this time, the Shadowkeeper closed on Mordred. For his part, Mordred had taken the brief pause to focus his energy, and that included his eyes as well. He noted what he identified as not necessarily 'weak' points in the impressive panoply of the Custodes, but points that might be weaker in nature than the material that made up his armor.

They met in the center of the hallway, and the Shadowkeeper swung, sure of his ability to hit the Gallade. He paused, as the flexible fighting type ducked by leaning backwards, sliding on his legs across the ancient stone floor made smooth by centuries of pacing. The Custodes' strike slashed through one of the Black Cell's doors effortlessly as he missed. This time, his guard was open, and Mordred struck. One sword arm slashed the face plate, and the crimson crystal there, while the other went for the one on his breastplate.

The forehead gem, smaller as it was, shattered. The largest one that occupied the breastplate cracked, but did not break. The Shadowkeeper's night vision faded, briefly, as the power supply for his helmet broke. Naturally, there were backups in place to restore functionality, but they needed time to turn on.

He brought his spear back in a reverse slash, but the irritating Gallade backflipped over the strike, and followed that dodge with another pair of attacks. Just as quickly, the Shadowkeeper began blocking the strikes with his weapon's haft, which was exactly what Mordred had wanted to pressure him into doing.

Two strikes became four, six, eight, over and over a rapid flurry of Shadow Punches hammered the metal alloy haft. Mordred kept going, feeling his fury rise as he did so. He incorporated kicks, and began driving the Shadowkeeper back from the onslaught of blows. Then, subtly, Mordred changed the energy of his strikes, swapping Shadow for fighting type energy. The speed of his attacks increased again, but the Custodes kept up with him, as he slowly stepped backwards down the hallway, letting the creature tire itself on his impregnable defenses, and simultaneously getting him out of range of the witch that had saved him earlier.

Once they reached the end of the corridor, the Shadowkeeper immediately and brutally shifted to offense, hammering Mordred in his stomach with a fist, while his other hand continued masterfully parrying his blows, spinning the spear's haft to catch his blows with a single hand. Mordred didn't stop though, if anything, his pace increased, but another punch from the Custodes caught him in the eye. Each one felt like getting hammered by a Copperajah in the midst of mating season, but the pain only made his rage burn hotter. An aura of Shadow appeared around his frame, and it too became black and crimson as it limned his body, and condensed around him, offering him much needed protection from the timely counterpunches of the Custodes.

Finally, he landed a hit past the one handed guard of the Custodes, and shattered the central gem on his breastplate. The warrior slowed considerably as he did so, and before his marvelous armor could compensate, Mordred went for the kill. A spinning mid-air kick knocked the spear away from him, though the warrior kept his grip on it. Another follow-up kick sent him crashing back into the black stone wall of the prison.

Landing from the mid-air attacks, Mordred backflipped, bicycle kicking the Custodes' jaw as he did so, and his energy surged as he felt the helmet give, and then fly off the man. Seeing his neck, his burning arms crossed, and slashed at it. He felt the strikes connect, as he slashed through the enhanced muscles and bones keeping the human together.

His features were hard to make out in the gloom, but Mordred saw several pieces of metal, circular studs of some sort, driven into his skull's forehead area. Short black hair, tired eyes, and a face that, while it looked young, like a human in their twenties, had age lines upon it that could only have come from centuries of existence. He grimaced at the Gallade, not uttering a single word, as he drove the tip of the plasma spear into his torso.

His head fell from his shoulders and his titanic body slumped to the floor as the armor lost power, but even beheaded, the Custodes' arm held firm, and drove his spear in deeper. Irritated and in massive pain, Mordred slashed through the arm, or tried to, but only succeeded in driving the spear tip downwards in his torso, causing even more damage. With a pained grunt, he backed off the humming weapon as it too lost power, and fell to his knees as his blood mingled with that of the Shadowkeeper.

"Well…fought…" He projected at the corpse, which could probably still hear him, if not respond, as his vision flickered. He knew he needed to Recover, but his mind was going blank. What passed for vital organs for his species had been sawed apart by the plasma spear's tip, and the combination of pain and blood loss had him on the edge of death. His eyes glazed over as he stared at the black stone wall before him. Shadow energy covered his eyes, and he found himself gazing into an abyss.

"Death…is not your destiny today, young Gallade…" A strange, female voice said, echoing all around him. Then, suddenly, a mind not his own jolted his back to awareness, and he found himself able to focus enough to use Recover. It took five uses, but he eventually healed his organs with his psychic power, and closed the wound.

When he'd finished, he found Proditor and Morgana beside him. The Shadow covering Proditor's wounds was gone, and the holes that had been blasted in his body were healed and once more covered by his Shadowy garment. "That…was impressive." Proditor said, genuinely. He nodded at the corpse. "That man was a Custodes. The most advanced soldier the Imperator ever created. The pinnacle of his genetic engineering experiments. They were a pain in my era, as well…though they typically ignored me and my people. I will not be caught so unawares next time." In truth, this Custodes had seemed different, which was why Proditor had hesitated to use his usual tactics on the super soldiers. That hesitation had allowed him to unload almost a whole clip of rounds into their party.

Morgana's leg had also been healed psychically, and as the trio stood up, the thump of heavy boots from either side of the T intersection they now stood in the middle of filled their ears. "Muk." Proditor swore, but this time, he was ready. "Shellraiser! Take the left one…" The Shadow Blastoise appeared at the intonation of his name, and as two more Shadowkeepers, each garbed identically to their fallen brother, appeared at the ends of the hallway. Shellraiser launched into a Rapid Spin. Bolter fire bounced off his rapidly spinning shell that, even if it had been hit, could take quite a bit of punishment even from the explosive rounds before cracking.

For his part, furious as he was the longer he felt Shahir's pain, Proditor reached out with a single hand as his own opponent appeared, and psychically grasped him by the neck. Despite choking, the Custodes leveled his Guardian Spear, only for Proditor to raise another hand. The Shadowkeeper pulled the trigger, setting off the automatic fire, but instead of coming out of the spear's barrel, the bullets were psychically stopped in place, and naturally, exploded as they contacted each other. The spear blew apart in his hand, leaving a stump of an arm behind.

Proditor didn't drag it out, and simply used his rage to crush the enhanced windpipe of the Custodes. Turning, he saw that Shellraiser's Mega Punch had indeed been enough to crack his enemy's breastplate. He had his jaws around the Custodes' spear hand, with his own claw hand locked in a contested grip of strength with the Custodes' free hand. Keeping him in place as genetically augmented strength struggled against a Blastoise perfectly infused with Shadow, Shellraiser raised his left cannon barrel from his shell, which thanks to their positioning, aligned perfectly with the Shadowkeeper's head. The Shadow Cannon went off, boring a deep hole into the stone, as it left absolutely nothing of its target's head behind.

With the three Custodes assigned to guard this relatively empty part of the Black Cells now defeated, as three of them combined had been thought to be more than enough, Proditor and Morgana advanced down the right hallway, only to find that both led into a new, larger chamber at the center of which was the central prisoner of this part of the prison. One who had been kept in his current state for eons.

"Oh…Shahir…even you ended up bound, in the end…" Proditor whispered as he saw the state of his Hoopa. All eight of his interspace-rings, including the two on his legs, were active, and through each one, one of his limbs was locked in place, as if reaching for something. Proditor could tell his hands were bound on the other side of the portals too. He was likely exhausted from keeping them open for so many years, but as Proditor had also discovered, while Hoopa's limbs were within its portals, said portals would simply not close, for as long as they were occupied by their owner's body. They did take energy from their owner to stay that way though, and the result had been a lethargic state that hadn't allowed him to break free, despite his awesome strength.

The two rings on his legs had been used to entrap both of his legs and his head, but his head at least, was not bound on the other side. A thick, largely unnecessary chain around his neck kept him from retracting his head, though. With his hand, Proditor crushed the chain, tearing it apart with his psychic rage, further incensed by the sight of his old friend. Slowly, Shahir lowered his head through the portal, and the ring maintaining it shrunk, floating back to its default place on his right leg. "Master…I thought…you died…"

"I did." Proditor said, as he focused his power on one of the arms, and used the connected spaces to his advantage. "It didn't last." Limb by limb, he freed his friend. Alarms began sounding, but he no longer cared. He welcomed the chance to crush more Custodes throats after what they'd done to Shahir. Once he was completely free, Shahir fell to the ground, utterly drained of energy.

Proditor recalled him into his crystalline ball, and then grabbed Morgana's shoulder. With that, they Teleported away, only a short distance, as the Imperator had wards against psychic types. That didn't stop Proditor though. Three more Custodes suffered death at his psychic hands before they broke free of the compound, and made good on their escape.

News of the breakout traveled quickly, as did the word about six dead Shadowkeepers, most of whom had had their throats crushed, with two who had been missing their heads entirely. As the Imperator received this news, the air in the throne room became heavy as He experienced His own psychic rage. Given the dark nature of the Black Cells, little had been seen of the intruders, but His people did confirm that the Psyker responsible was the owner of a Gallade powerful enough to take on a Shadowkeeper Custodes, and live. Only a few possible names came to His mind, and from His spies, as He mentally went over the list of psykers powerful enough to crush a Custodes' throat, who owned an equally powerful Gallade. One name stood out above all the others, though.

Redwood.

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

To Be A Master

The following story is happening concurrently with Chapters 49 and 50. Think of it like a '49 b' type deal. Skipping is not advised.

West of Viridian City - Kanto Region

A familiar scent rolled in on the westerly breeze that blew into the sizable pack of Mankey inhabiting the somewhat forested region between the Indigo Plateau, and Viridian City. The lookouts stirred, as they smelled a human approaching. One carrying food, and other Pokémon. A Trainer. Their leader's eyes snapped open then, as the scent entered his pig-like nose, and the furious ape found an old anger re-ignited. This wasn't necessarily a 'bad' thing, in human terms. For Primeape's species, it viewed the world in degrees of things that pissed it off. This particular scent though, inspired a sudden and inexplicable urge for hat theft.

He leapt to the furthest branch that would support his size as an Alpha of his species, and hung from the sturdy branch with a single hand, his furious eyes staring at the direction of the scent. Sure enough, it was him. And his Pikachu. Ash Ketchum finally crossed his path again, but the Primeape's eyebrows narrowed as their eyes met.

"Primeape!" "Pika!" The two shouted at him as their gazes stayed locked. Oddly enough, he felt his anger burn out. Even with just a glance, he could read the emotions in his old Trainer's eyes. Guilt. Regret. It tugged at his heartstrings, and Primeape decided he didn't like how that felt. He narrowed his eyes, and then swung away.

As Ash made to follow him into the trees, the other Mankey got in his way. He set his mouth in a firm line, knowing he'd never reach them with words, and angry as they were, food was more likely to be thrown back at him. That left the only other option. "Gengar! Use Psychic!"

His poisonous ghost appeared before him, rising up from his shadow, and raised his hands. The Mankey panicked as they were levitated into the air, and Ash flashed him a thumbs up. "Just hold them there!" He got a grin in response, as he and Pikachu dashed onwards. Even if the Mankey broke free, their attacks wouldn't hit Gengar.

Their pace slowed as Pikachu led them to a 'cave' of sorts, one made of foliage and branches, crudely crafted between several trees. At the back, sitting atop what looked like a stump that had been crudely carved (or pounded) into the vague shape of a throne was Primeape, eating his feelings from the horde of berries his minions had gathered for him.

"Primeape!" Ash called out again. Seeing him, the violent ape froze, and then turned away on his throne, though he still continued to munch on his berries. "I'm sorry I didn't keep better track of your fights. I only just learned Anoki passed away…and that he released you years before that." Through a combination of, according to the media, laziness, overconfidence in his skills, and a superior opponent, his Primeape, formerly a P1 Champion lost to Marshal, a former Elite Four member, and his Machamp. Hard. It was a loss he never came back from, from the fighting type specialist's perspectives.

After that, Ash learned that Primeape had run away in shame, and his trail had led him almost all the way back to Pallet Town. "Listen, Primeape. I know I should've paid more attention, but you're only a few miles from Gary's Lab. I know you could've visited the others. But you didn't. We've both made mistakes."

That, made the grumpy pig ape turn around, and sit up, as he scowled at Ash. "Pika. Pika-chu." His ace said, sagely, and the Primeape deflated slightly. They had a point.

"Listen, Primeape. I'm putting a team together for the World Tournament." Seeing his lack of understanding, Ash elaborated, and Pikachu translated. "It's a tournament of Battles, with the best Trainers in the world. And I want you on my team for it." Like his Glalie, his Heracross had eventually communicated that he didn't want to end up likely facing Leon and his Charizard, or that G-Max Wildfire. Ash knew Primeape would have no such fears, and he didn't fault Heracross for having them, either. Leon's Charizard was on another level, and had a habit of burning through entire teams. Eventually Leon had started using him as the ace up his sleeve and let his other Pokémon shine, but there had been a significant period where the Unbeatable Champion had only used his Charizard.

As Pikachu finished translating, Primeape jumped up, and smashed his fists together. It didn't take much to get him going, and he much preferred battling to all this emotional stuff. "Yea!" Ash joined in, matching his hype. "But before then, we need to get you in shape, bud. I think…yea…Paldea. Paldea will be perfect to get your skills sharp again." He offered Primeape his old ball then, which he'd claimed after visiting Anoki's daughter. "We're going to train so hard, you'll feel like you're dying…but by the time we're done, you'll be stronger than you've ever been." Ash said confidently. "It's a promise!"

Seeing his old ball made the pig ape lose his hype as he remembered his crushing loss, but then he nodded to himself, and headbutted the button, entering it once again. He didn't spare more than a thought for the Mankey, as another one would rise eventually to dominate, or be dominated. Such was their way. Ash collected his Gengar, left the disoriented Mankeys with some berries, and then shot into the air on his Garchomp, arguably the youngest member of his World Tournament team. With Primeape, the roster was full. He had Pikachu, of course, but he'd also chosen Charizard, Greninja, Lucario, Lycanroc, Sceptile, and his Lapras, once his Glalie decided to help the local Snorunt population in Sinnoh to survive and thrive. Now all that remained was to get them ready for Mega Evolution, Dynamaxing, or using their respective Z Moves.

His Charizard had long since mastered mega evolving, and his Lycanroc had mastered his own unique Z Move. He had Plate shards to help Sceptile, Garchomp, and Gengar mega evolve, but only Garchomp had yet to master his Mega Form. Gengar had already had some Max Soup, but he still needed to make some for Lapras, and after that, all that remained was to get Garchomp and Primeape at the same level as everyone else. Before heading to Galar however, he had to make a stop in Kalos. One that was long overdue.

Blazing Chamber, Pokémon League - Kalos Region

Serena paused in watching her Pokémon's routines as she sensed someone entering her chamber. The Champion and the other Elite Four were away dealing with what sounded like another Dark Moth related disaster, but she had no interest in getting possessed by one of his Shadowy balls of evil rage again. Her Delphox sensed who was visiting them more clearly than she did, and was the first of her Pokémon to lose her composure, and send the routine into a sparkly Poképile of failure. Seeing how her Delphox reacted, the former Kalos Queen turned to regard her visitor, only to have her words catch in her throat, her mind going blank as she saw the face that still visited her in her dreams. He was older though, very much a man now, and even had facial hair, which as far as she was aware, was a new addition to his 'experienced Ace Trainer' vibe he had going. His outfit was the usual mix of blue, black, and white, and Pikachu was openly happy to see her again.

Chasing their respective dreams had led them apart over the years, but once she'd become Kalos Queen, she'd allowed herself to indulge, despite her mentor's objection. Ash being Ash though, had found a way to Muk things up. Whether on accident or on purpose she hadn't found out, as after he'd finally answered his phone and accounted for his whereabouts, she'd hung up on him in quiet anger, and gone all in on performing. She had discovered a love of battling as well, but that new passion didn't truly burn to life until she and Calem had faced down a returned Lysander, and kept him from trying to use Yveltal's natural destructive power to unmake the world and somehow keep it beautiful. She hadn't found the idea of a world covered in lifeless statues of humans and Pokémon to be anything but horrific, and she, Calem, and Xerneas had triumphed in the end.

As she'd entered her third decade, Serena had, briefly, contemplated forgiving Ash Ketchum. That is, until she saw him in an interview, being asked the same questions Leon had been asked when he'd become World Champion. Naturally, it had shifted to his love life, as that seemed to be all anyone cared about once one was famous enough. Ash had mentioned he had a fondness for someone in particular, but the hint he'd given about them definitely wasn't relating to her. At that moment, she couldn't even remember what he'd said. She just remembered being hurt, and an empty chair across from her in a crowded cafe, while murmurs of others around her filled her ears, wondering who had the testicular fortitude to stand up a Kalos Queen on a date.

It hadn't taken the story hounds long to figure out who she'd been waiting for, and as a recently crowned Kalos Queen, the public's eyes had very much been on her, and naturally, her love life. Rumors and gossip exploded, she'd even seen Ash asked publicly about the situation, but she hadn't listened to him answer the question. More than a few of their friends had also tried to mend that bridge, particularly Bonnie, who had been determined for years to finally have a satisfying ending to the love story she'd seen at its beginning. Clemont, Shauna, Tierno, even Champion Alain had all at one point tried convincing her to at least talk to Ash, but she refused to chase after him. Just finding him was a task that required dedication and sleuthing skills, and Serena had simply not bothered, just as he hadn't bothered to show up.

She'd told Clemont and Bonnie and anyone else that Ash Ketchum was enough of a man now to talk to her himself. But he never had. Until now, anyway. Just seeing him again made her tempted to forgive his lack of romantic awareness, but she resisted, and instead crossed her arms, giving him what she hoped was an angry stare.

For his part, all Ash could do was give her a small smile as he scratched the back of his head. He could tell she was angry, but still glad to see him. Even he had enough awareness by now to understand he'd royally Mukked up a good thing with Serena. His aforementioned comment had been about Misty, but Ash had been treated to his own heartbreak once he discovered the Cerulean Gym Leader had long since started visiting Cerulean Cape with her boyfriend. Learning it was Leader Rudy of Trovita Gym had been the second blow to his feelings, and after that, for quite a few years, Ash had simply ignored women altogether as he traveled the world alone, preferring to befriend Pokémon over people as he strove to be a Pokémon Master.

Finally, he managed to work up the courage to speak, and fill the awkward silence. "Serena, I…I never got to apologize to you, or explain what went wrong…you hung up on me, and by the time I showed up to the cafe, you were long gone. Nobody would tell me where you went." He explained then, in detail, about Goh's call to Galar, to study Dreepy in their natural habitat. How said study session had gone horribly wrong when a nearby Trainer tried to catch a fully evolved Dragapult, and sent the entire group of them into an enraged frenzy. How he'd been stuck there with Goh, for hours, until the enraged dragons finally calmed enough for them to slip out of their territory without being mauled or bombarded with Dreepy missiles.

When he finished, he could tell Serena was angry, but she was also a Kalos Queen, and had long since mastered her emotions. "I could've guessed you'd prioritize Pokémon over me. I expected that. It's not just about that one date though, Ash. I wasn't a priority in your life at all. You never showed up to explain, or apologize. Not even a letter. For over a decade."

"I…I didn't realize it was a date, Serena. It was Bonnie who told me how important it was to you…and by that point I knew I'd messed up. I didn't know how badly, until I spoke to her. I tried getting someone to talk with you on my behalf…but they all came back saying the same thing. You weren't interested in anything but contests, and I'd have to speak to you myself. Then, in that interview, the one right after you became Kalos Queen and all this happened, you said you were done with love entirely. So…I let you travel your own path…and as time went on, I thought bringing up the past in person would just make it all even more awkward."

Serena's brows furrowed. "And yet here you are."

Ash nodded, and walked towards her, entering the chamber completely. Her Pokémon subtly waved at Pikachu, who seemed eager to see them again as well, but the tension the two humans were giving off forestalled any long overdue reunions for the electric mouse and his old traveling companions.

"Here I am. A…wise Emperor told me that the only way I'd learn and grow from this mistake is if I finally talked to you about it. I can't change the past, Serena. I was oblivious to a lot of signs for a long time. Signs that, in hindsight, are so obvious that I still cringe at how oblivious I was back then. I'm sorry I hurt you that day…you deserved better." As the silence dragged on, Ash was hiding his eyes under his hat until he spoke again, quietly. "I'll leave now, if you want, but…you're right. You were owed an apology a long time ago, and it's on me for being…too ashamed to even try to make things right."

"You've changed, Ash Ketchum." She said softly, before finally relenting to the feelings that she'd been repressing for far too long. "But so have I. I'll accept your apology…honestly, I was glad you were alright back then. I just couldn't say it. It feels like a lifetime ago now, and so much has happened since."

"Tell me." Ash said, raising his head, meeting her eyes, and seeming genuinely interested. And so, she did. She went into detail about how she'd beaten Aria, and finally taken her crown, only to then lose it to a Unovan Trainer on her spring break from University. Said Trainer apparently didn't want the title though, and a contest to crown a current Kalos Queen had not yet been discussed. Ash went into detail about his match with Leon, with insights that only came from being present for that final, epic clash to decide the strongest Trainer in the world. Neither had been able to be there for the other's biggest achievements, but oddly enough, that didn't seem to impair their attempts to reconnect. She described teaming up with Kalos's own Prince to defeat Lysander, again, and Ash described the numerous Legendary Pokémon he'd met and even battled in the years since they'd parted ways.

Somehow, by accident, the pair ended up in the bell tower of the plateau's chateau, and were treated to a fiery sunset, blissfully unaware of the events occurring even then on the region's border. "So what do you want to do next?" Ash asked, as their conversation reached the present day. "It sounds like you're tired of the Elite Four."

Serena giggled lightly, for the first time in years she felt happy enough to do so. "You figured that out quickly. Reading my mind with those Aura powers, are you?"

Ash shook his head, suddenly turning serious. "Invading someone's mind isn't allowed…unless it's absolutely necessary and lives are on the line. I do pick up surface thoughts sometimes, if they're loud enough."

She leaned in close to his face then, and smirked as his cheeks shifted to a red shade. Her blue eyes had him snared, and this time, he had enough experience to recognize the look in her eyes. It was the same way he'd seen Misty look at Rudy when he'd gone to confess his long held feelings to her. It was the same look she'd given him when they were ten. In fact, as the memories helpfully flooded in from his Greninja's near perfect recall through their psychic bond, he realized she'd had that look in her eye long before they'd met again in Kalos. "Ash?"

"H-huh? Erm, sorry, what?"

She smiled at him, and it affected his body in ways he hadn't experienced before. It felt like all he could hear was his heartbeat, but this time, her words did reach him. "I said, can you tell what I'm thinking?"

Taking that as an invitation to peek, his eyes flared with his aura as he very easily recognized the particular memory she was recalling. That kiss had left him speechless when he was ten. Alex and Jimen's advice on women floated through his head, then. Eye contact. Gentle but firm grips, if he ended up touching her, and most importantly, according to the Dragon Emperor of Unova, instinct. When the brain started over-thinking, it was best, apparently, to just go with what felt right.

Well over two hundred thousand years of instinct guided him in that moment, as it had pretty much every other human pair across the epochs. As he finally returned her kiss, albeit several decades later, he realized he didn't actually know how to kiss. What to do with his tongue. Where his hands were supposed to be. Once more, he trusted his instincts, and pulled her closer to him. She didn't resist.

As the two humans kissed, behind them, hiding in the stairwell, Pikachu and Serena's Sylveon slapped their respective tail and appendage together in a mimicry of a high five, and left the humans to their business.

When the pair finally needed air, they were both panting slightly and quite flushed. Ash brushed some hair from her face as he said, "I don't want to leave Kalos without you, Serena. Will you come with me?"

She nodded, unable to stop smiling. Her eyes seemed brighter, too. "I'll travel anywhere with you, Ash. Where are we going?"

Montenevera - Paldea Region

Several weeks passed as Ash and Serena left Kalos for nearby Paldea, traveling on foot to get there. He mainly used his Garchomp and Primeape against the rather strong Pokémon in the mountains between the two regions, and when they finally arrived in Paldea, they found themselves in a bamboo forest occasionally broken up by large, mountainous pillars topped with obsidian. After Garchomp chomped his way through several dragon type Trainers and powerful Pokémon along Paldea's northern coast, Ash and Serena decided to head to the lively town they saw up in the mountains. Being the World Champion and former Kalos Queen helped them get a rather nice room, and while at the open-air style Pokémon Center just outside town, Ash found a man willing to train his Primeape, and anyone else, in exchange for bottle caps.

Having been given a large stash of them as compensation after Jessie and James were criminally tried, convicted, and imprisoned, Ash finally had a reason to use them, much to the man's delight. This intensive training took several days, but by the end, all ten of his team members were in the best battling condition of their lives, with each of their stats having been trained to their utmost limits. The man had even suggested giving them 'Nature Candies' which apparently were capable of changing a Pokémon's skills to match their ideal nature, regardless of what their actual nature was. This too, further enhanced Ash's World Tournament team.

It was the day of the announcement of the start of the latest World Tournament that Ash received a challenge from the local Gym Leader, Ryme. The match ended up being counted for the World Tournament rankings, and was being officiated by a Drone Rotom. Set up to be a double battle with only two Pokémon used per Trainer, the MC of R.I.P. had thus far been rolling the World Champion, largely thanks to her type advantages over Garchomp and Primeape.

"A combo of ghostly fairy flair, in this World Tournament, we declare, Mimikyu's spirit, an unstoppable force, with Play Rough's grace, we'll stay on course! Oh!" In response to Ryme's admittedly smooth bars, the no longer 'disguised' Mimikyu danced its way into a Play Rough attack on Ash's Garchomp.

"Garchomp! Block with Poison Jab!" The dragon shark nodded, and took the Mimkyu's attacks in stride, as its tendency to spin to the beat of the music in the background of the match kept it from the constant pounding Play Rough usually entailed, that might've been able to break his Garchomp's guard. Primeape, for his part, was facing off against Ryme's ace, Houndstone, and like every other round in this battle, the MC of R.I.P. decided to taunt his Primeape. Ash didn't stop her though, as it was working, and making Primeape well and truly furious. Furious enough, perhaps, to master the move they'd come here to learn.

"Primeape's fists swingin', it's a raging typhoon, but Houndstone, she's phase-shifting, like a ghostly monsoon! Swiftly dodging, vanishing from sight, leavin' Primeape swingin', in the cold and empty night!" As the pig monkey's latest fighting typed attack failed to do anything, again, the bars dropped on his ears made his right eye twitch. Then, the crowd chimed in on the chorus, which didn't help his anger. "With spec-tral howls they mesmerize! Defeating Primeape, no compromise!"

"Focus Energy, Primeape!" Ash ordered. "You can hit it, you just have to use its own energy against it!" The enraged pig ape smashed his fists together, eyes going bloodshot as the music, bars, and chorus only made him angrier.

Rhyme wasted no time as she followed up with more bars, and an attack. "Play Rough, our fairy jam, hits like a meteorite, surprising Primeape, it's an unexpected delight! Weaving through the chaos, we maintain our might, in the World Tournament arena, we shine so bright!"

The undead hound shone brightly as it too used Play Rough, but Ash was ready. "Focus, Primeape! Dodge its attacks!" In that moment, as Primeape focused his rage on his opponent, the world seemed to slow down. Fairy limned jaws snapped at him, but he leapt back. A claw glowing with fairy energy swiped at him, and he dodged to the side. Strike after strike, Primeape was able to read Houndstone's moves.

Again the Houndstone tried a fairy bite, and Primeape dodged, eyes widening with Ash's as they both saw the opening in his guard. "Now, Primeape! Rage Fist!" Seeing what Ash was doing, and having lowkey agreed to help his overleveled Primeape learn the ghostly move, Ryme chimed in yet again, with a timely verse.

"You swing, you punch, but we'll sidestep with ease! A ghostly evasion, a taunting appease, in this haunted arena, we're the queens of the stage! Your Rage Fist's worthless, just burning with rage!"

As the words entered Primeape's ears, his fist went straight through the Houndstone again, and the undead dog barked a laugh at him, taunting him as his Trainer had. Seeing this, Ryme kept the burn going. "You fume and you flail, trying to unleash, but your anger's misguided, it's simply a tease. Houndstones a phantom, a spectral delight, your Rage Fist won't land, not a chance in the fight!"

That, finally, tipped Primeape over his breaking point. His fists burned with energy, but it wasn't ghostly. It was draconic. "PRIIIIIME!" He roared, leaping forward and brutally smashing the undead hound with his fists. Beside him, Garchomp and Mimikyu paused their own tradeoff of moves to watch Primeape as he lost his cool. Ash shouted to him, but Primeape was beyond hearing.

That didn't stop Ryme though, as she was in the zone, and continued spitting bars unimpeded. "Oh, Primeape, you're Outraged, I see the red haze, but your fury won't faze us, we'll be unscathed! Houndstone steps up, a gleam in her eye, Play Rough's the response, watch your rage subside!" And while the first few dragon energy encased punches landed, the timely response from her Trainer made Houndstone counter much like Garchomp had, smashing and overpowering the draconic energy that, thanks to the fairy energy, did no damage, and hurt Primeape to even make contact with. Eventually, Outrage faded, and as Primeape felt the confusion overtaking his mind, he slammed both fists into his face, hard, shattering the confusion without so much as flinching.

Seeing this, Ryme continued. "Through Outrage and chaos, you've found your core. The fire in your eyes, a powerful roar!"

"Once more!" Ash broke in, "Rage Fist!"

Once again Primeape channeled his rage, and this time, finally, the ghostly energy of Montenevera responded to his anger. Ghost typed power swirled around and into his frame, coalescing around his fist. With no hesitation, Primeape leapt forward and smashed Houndstone right across its face, and with the significant damage from Outrage earlier, the super effective move was enough for a knockout.

Ryme took it in stride. "You got my Houndstone, it's true, hey, good for you, but don't you forget 'bout my…Mimkyu!" The music got louder than, and the beat picked up its pace, at Ryme's subtle ordering, once she noticed her vibing fairy ghost was moving just a tad too slow to effectively break through the Garchomp's guard. "With a twirl and a spin, like a phantom's embrace, Mimikyu dances, defying their chase, dodging their moves, with ethereal grace, Play Rough's power, they can't erase!"

Sure enough, as Primeape and Garchomp teamed up on the ghostly fairy, the enhanced beat it was matching allowed it to zip around with admittedly fresh dodges that Ash had to appreciate. It reminded him of Tierno and Blastoise, and despite his musical preference for a more classic style of Rock n' Roll, he found his foot tapping along to the beat. "Keep it up guys! Poison Jab! Rage Fist!"

Ryme countered, as she countered both ordering her partner, and spitting bars. "This stage is ours, we won't be confined, Mimikyu's strategy, a web intertwined. Garchomp and Primeape, our opponents aligned, with Play Rough's might, victory is defined! Oh!"

In a truly impressive display, the Mimikyu's wooden approximation of Pikachu's tail smashed away the Poison Jabs, and its slick moves made the Rage Fist miss. New as Primeape was to using ghost energy, he couldn't use it with the speed he had for his other moves. Yet. Then, suddenly, Primeape felt Garchomp press into his back, as the Mimikyu had them surrounded, dancing around them in a rapidly moving circle of pink energy. It was all they could do to block, but with enough hits, Mimikyu could pull out a win.

Ash knew he had to change tactics, and more importantly, interrupt this beat. He hated to damage Ryme's equipment, but he also needed to win, if he was going to make the cut for the World Tournament. "Primeape! Jump as high as you can! Garchomp, use Earthquake!"

Ryme opened her mouth to spit yet more bars, but as Garchomp unleashed his power, the Gym Leader's stage buckled, and the nearby musical equipment faltered with a harsh screeching sound as the sheer power of the move interrupted their flow, and shook the entire town. Mimikyu also leapt to dodge the attack, though as it landed and tried to bounce back, Primeape came down from above and delivered a ghostly thwack. With the damage Poison Jab had done, though mitigated, the ghostly punch from above was enough to make the Mimkyu's eyes turn into spirals, and the match was won.

Ash and Ryme shook hands, the crowd of die hard Ryme fans booed, and his World Tournament rank was updated. Being the World Champion let him start in the Master Class, but he still needed to battle to maintain his spot. He hopped down from the shattered stage then, to the only fan he had in the crowd. She was wearing her long hair down, and not by accident, her outfit was rather similar to what she'd worn when they'd first traveled together. "That was great, Ash! For a minute there I thought Mimikyu had you."

Ash gave her a confident smile. "I knew Primeape would come through. Now he just needs to master Rage Fist. Apparently, repetition is the best way, according to the Pokédex."

Serena took his hand as they walked into the main part of Montenevera. "Is there somewhere in particular he'd be able to master it?"

Ash shrugged. "It just says repetition." He looked at her for a moment then, recalled their recent time together, and noticed it had all been mostly about him training his partners, though Serena didn't seem to mind. He had, for once, noticed she also kept practicing. With the commencement of the World Tournament, Kalos, Hoenn, Sinnoh and other regions with Pokémon Contests had decided to create something new of their own, on the same scale as the World Tournament.

More Trainers than ever before in their recorded history were signing up for the World Tournament, and the Pokémon Contest halls were not content to sit idle and let the battlers scoop up all of the new generation's talent. Thus, just a day before the World Tournament's official start, the Pokémon World Showcase had been announced, with venues in Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Indius, and Galar, but Trainers from any region were encouraged to participate. There was talk of more regions participating, after the buzz the announcement caused, and Ash could tell Serena wanted to compete too.

"Why don't we visit Mesagoza? There's plenty of Trainers around the school, and you can show the locals what a Pokémon Coordinator does."

Serena raised a brow at him, "They don't have Coordinators here, Ash…" She gave him a confused look, and was viewing their time together so far as more of a vacation than anything else. But he had that look in his eye, and she couldn't help but smile at what he said next.

"Only because they don't know about them! And there's no infrastructure for it, either. Not yet anyway. I've actually come through here once before. It was…quite an adventure." He said proudly, as he scratched an itch on his nose by swiping his thumb across it. "I know the Trainers here would be blown away by what you can do, and the Academy has a history of letting students take trips to other Regions. With the World Showcase starting, they could participate. If, they were inspired by seeing a pro at work."

Serena ended up laughing, shaking her head, but seeing his logic. She smirked at him and nodded confidently. Ash blinked. There was a fire in her eyes that she hadn't had before. One his Trainer sense knew could also be turned towards battles. "And what will you be doing while I perform?"

Ash grinned. She'd figured him out. There was a score to settle at Naranuva Academy, and in order to draw his opponent out, he needed a spectacle that would get their attention. "I actually have some…business to take care of at the Academy's Battlefield. It won't take long. But I'll be able to see your performance first." He said, sounding confident.

With their destination set, it was only a matter of hopping on Garchomp and flying towards Paldea's largest city. His ground shark's speed brought them there within minutes, and having experienced that same trip across the region on the back of a Legendary Pokémon once, specifically a flying lizard that could also act as a 'bike' of sorts, he was able to compare his Garchomp's speed. His little Gible was getting much stronger, and as he had that thought, his Garchomp glanced back at him, smirked, and accelerated even faster, overshooting Mesagoza, and then arcing around back towards it.

This gave Serena quite a view of the city that was said to rival Lumiose in terms of beauty. It had a different kind of charm than Lumiose, but Serena was wowed by the colorful sight all the same. Ash brought Garchomp down in the city's center, which could double as a place for battles, and in this scenario, a stage for a showcase. He recalled his partner, and then summoned his Lapras. "Give me a platform, if you would Lapras." She trilled, happy to help, and one Ice Beam later, the World Champion was addressing the city from his icy soapbox, not seeming to have any trouble keeping his balance on the slippery surface.

"People of Paldea! Your attention, please!" He beamed as the people his words reached brought out their Rotom Phones once they recognized him. Now, it was just a matter of time. "In ten minutes, the former Kalos Queen, the Kalos League's own Serena, will be putting on a showcase right here, in your fair city! Tell your friends! Get some food! You are not going to want to miss this!"

Ash nodded at Serena as he had Lapras clear away the ice, and one by one, she brought out her partners. The crowd's focus shifted to her, and Ash fell quietly into the background. Moments later, he was atop one of the buildings flanking Mesagoza's central square, beside his Garchomp. From above, he watched, and waited.

Ten minutes passed quickly, but this wasn't the first time Serena had done an impromptu performance for crowds of people. Ball by ball, she brought out her partners, leading this time with her Delphox's masterful fire control, and with each new team member making the entire display that much more entertaining to watch.

She'd saved her Sylveon for last, and as she was feeling especially powerful lately, the fairy type's moves made the entire center of the city sparkle as they reached the finale of their routine that involved multiple Pokémon moves coalescing within and then exploding with a Moonblast. Ash blinked, from his perch above the spectacle, as the fairy energy also revealed something in the sky just as the sun fully set, something only a few Trainers seemed to notice. The lingering energy from her team's powerful moves had to, according to physics, end up going somewhere and thanks to her Sylveon, Ash could very clearly see where it was all flowing. Rather than fading into the environment and further enriching their world, it was all moving to the massive crater, behind Mesagoza's academy building. Area Zero.

His face was unreadable as he was lost in a memory, only to snap back to the present as a figure full of powerful Aura appeared at the top of Naranuva Academy's infamous staircase. It was not his own would-be opponent, but rather, one of her two Ace Trainer Protegés and a ranking Champion of the Paldea region. Ash did some math, and figured they were probably a Senior by now. Or perhaps a visiting Alumni. As he recalled, both protegés actually lived fairly close to Mesagoza.

The Trainer in question, who he knew as Juliana, approached Serena after moving quickly down the stairs, and before long, they were having a battle in the wake of the performance. That, was when Ash's quarry finally appeared, like she always did when one of her 'students' was about to battle within a square mile radius of her. "Now, Garchomp." Ash whispered quietly.

They shot out over the city then, and despite being mid battle, Serena saw him go. He winked at her as they made eye contact, and then moved fairly stealthily through the air, as the sun had now set. His landing was anything but stealthy though, and it got his opponent's attention.

After a suitable successor graduated from the Academy, and surprising nobody, Instructor Dendra had retired early to Alfornada City, passing the reins of her Battle Studies class to Nemona. As a former President of the student council and a Champion ranked Trainer, she more than qualified, and in her time as an Instructor had morphed the gym classes into what she called the 'Master Class', for serious Ace Trainers and those ranked as a Champion, and the 'Trainer Course' for aspiring Pokémon Trainers, and the majority of the Academy's population.

The Trainers in Paldea had gotten noticeably tougher in recent years, and that was very much due to Nemona's expertise in raising powerful Pokémon, under the philosophy that even the weakest species could be strong with the right partner. Ash liked to think he'd helped inspire that philosophy, and since their first meeting, the two Pokémon Battle addicts had enjoyed dropping in on eachother for impromptu matches.

Focusing on physical superiority and a healthy diet full of the same vitamins Pokémon ate had turned Nemona into a much more heavily muscled person than Ash remembered. It was clear she was living her best life though. Her face shifted from surprise to a grin as she locked eyes with Ash. "World Champion! I've been looking for you. It's like you dropped off the map for a few years. Must be a Kanto thing." She cracked her knuckles, and started walking towards him. "You owe me, Ash Ketchum."

He didn't have to ask what he owed her, as only one currency mattered, with Nemona. Battles. This also applied to her students. For those who felt her grading of their abilities was unfair, she offered an alternative solution to low scores. If they could beat her in a battle, she raised the grade in question based on their performance. While initially concerned about this policy, Nemona had spelled out her system for the Pokémon League and the school's board, and it had been unanimously agreed on. It was also quite popular with students who focused on becoming professional Trainers, and hated rote learning.

"I know." Ash said, falling into step beside the Instructor as a few students lingering in the courtyard recognized him. "I figured we were due for one, and I was in the area. Plus, there's probably a whole new Academy's worth of students who haven't seen you and I in a real Battle."

"As always, World Champion, your timing is excellent. To say the students have been eager for me to bring you in again is…an understatement. Currently, only our Seniors were around for our last match." She explained, as they strolled through the Academy's main floor, causing even more of a stir. From his shoulder Pikachu waved at the students he recognized. Then, smelling something good, he scurried off Ash's shoulder towards the cafeteria. Ash wasn't worried though, as he knew their head chef as well, and said chef was as much a fan of Pikachu as his Mabosstiff was. Nemona kept talking, as they reached the running track that encapsulated the Pokémon battlefield in its center. "Honestly, since we had you, it's been nothing but top Trainer requests. Red. Leon. Victor. Hilbert. Redwood. Nate. Jiyoshi. Even Hibiki. I got Gary Oak to come one year, but he thought he was here to lecture. We did get a good Battle out of him eventually, though."

Ash laughed, as they parted to take their respective spots on the now singular battlefield that took up the center space around the track. It was marked in such a way that technically, it could service three battles at a time, on busy days. "That sounds like Gary. I can talk to a few of the names on that list, if you like. I'm sure they'd love a chance to Battle here."

Nemona beamed at him. "I'd appreciate it!" Her demeanor shifted then, as they were now in place. The fire in her eyes burned to life, and she gave him a grin some might call manic, but he knew was actually displaying her pure, unfiltered excitement for a battle in this tier of competition. She drew a Pokéball with her gloved hand, and held it out. "World Tournament rules okay with you?" Ash nodded, and as if summoned by those words, a Drone Rotom descended from the sky. Nemona waved it over, and explained the ruleset, at which point it took the center of the field, and waited. Nemona then tapped a few buttons on her much more technologically advanced arm brace, compared to the one she'd worn when Ash last saw her anyway, and suddenly the track around the field rose out of the ground. Descending stand seats appeared in the lanes, and a few more daring students hadn't bothered moving when they'd started rising, but instead took the opportunity to get front row seats, especially as they realized who was here.

Nemona smiled at her arm then, and looking up, Ash saw her grin plastered on the three sides of the Academy's tower that faced the city, looking out over Mesagoza. "All students, please report to the Academy Courtyard. Today we have a very special guest Trainer!" She turned her wrist at Ash then, and the World Champion flashed a victory sign at the screen. It turned back to Nemona's face then. "You all have ten minutes before we start! Rapido!" She cut out the feed then, and less than a minute later, Trainers started flying in via their Pokémon, and about five minutes after that, an absurd number of taxis showed up as well.

By the end of the ten minute limit, the majority of the student body had made it to the Academy, including a few outsiders with Alumni passes. When Nemona nodded at the Rotom Drone, it began announcing the terms of the match. "Today's Normal Class Battle will consist of a three on three match, with no limits on the number of uses of Dynamaxing, Mega Evolution, Z-Moves, Terratallization, or any other as yet uncatalogued Pokémon power-ups. Pokémon may use as many Moves as they can remember. One item per Trainer is allowed." The newly upgraded Drone Rotom, which had six fans now instead of four and now had its camera in between its eyes, moved its center pair of fans upwards, projecting the stats on the two Trainers for all to see.

The amount of stats the League had on them surprised both Trainers, and since the start of the tournament Ash had taken to simply comparing the bars that showed wins, and the bars that showed losses. Then, Ash blinked as he saw just how many losses she had. It was only the sheer amount of wins that kept that number, which was in the thousands by this point in time, from looking bad. Her total number of battles was also quadruple Ash's, and he figured that made sense, for an Instructor obsessed with battling in an Academy full of Trainers. He also knew who was responsible for all those losses, and he looked forward to seeing how Juliana and Florian had grown. "The Challengers today are Champion Nemona, of the Paldea Region, versus Ash Ketchum, the reigning World Champion!"

"Looking good, Drone Rotom!" Ash said, flashing it a thumbs up. The drone's face smiled wide, and its fans spun around its body in a rapid rotating motion, a countermeasure for when one inevitably stopped working mid-flight. It also gave them access to Hurricane as a move.

"Let the Battle begin!" Drone Rotom announced, as he floated backwards, and used his fans for optimal viewing. Its camera also acted as another eye for Rotom, and he used all three to make sure the camera eye got the best moments on the record. He could also split the view if necessary, to catch simultaneous reactions of both Trainers.

Nemona and Ash threw at the same time. Primeape came out of his ball ready to go, and from Nemona's ball, came an Armarouge in a kneeling position. As it stood up, its eyes burned to life upon meeting Primeape's gaze. Seeing the type matchup on the board, Nemona grinned at Ash. "Looks like I have the advantage."

Ash smirked. "Don't count out my Primeape! Rage Fist!" The eager rage monkey leapt into action, and like before, summoned ghostly energy into his body, before coalescing it around his fist.

"Expanding Force!" Nemona countered, and with a roar, her Armarouge launched an expanding wave of intense red-pink aura towards Primeape. The Rage Fist would not be deterred, though. When the moves met, Primeape only got angrier as he felt the expanding attack fight back against him. Thankfully, the momentum from his jump and the ghostly power carried him through, but his momentum was gone, and the Rage Fist's energy had weakened.

"Again, Primeape! Rage Fist!" Ash said, smirking, and Nemona nodded, as she grasped what he was trying to do. Once more, the ghostly energy burned to life, and the rage overtook Primeape's mind and body.

Changing tactics, she gave Armarouge a new order. "Use Psyshock!" The Armarouge lifted its hands and sent multiple psychic projectiles at Primeape, but each one only seemed to make it angrier, and each one was smashed through by the raging ape's ghost imbued fists. After about two solid minutes of this, Nemona, Armarouge, and the gathered students of Naranuva Academy watched the Primeape expectantly. In fact, the only one who didn't know what would happen, was Primeape himself. Given that Pokémon were quite capable of choosing whether or not to evolve, Ash wanted him to have the choice between giving into the rage, and becoming something new, or staying the same as he'd always been.

Primeape was panting hard, mostly because of how angry he was but also because one of the Psyshock bolts had managed to critically hit him, and that only served to max out his rage, and his attack power. Armarouge seemed untouched, by comparison. So far, its psychic attacks had done well at keeping the super effective move away from it. This had also made Primeape angrier. In fact, though he didn't realize it, this was the most enraged he'd been in years, and it felt great. Then, the Armarouge raised a hand at him, and gestured for him to 'bring it'. Primeape's eyes narrowed, as he felt his anger somehow surge even more.

Both fists lit up with the power of Rage Fist, and as he gathered the ghostly energy, he paused, feeling his heart stop from the amount of stress and rage put onto it. He glared at the Armarouge though, unwilling to let such a smug gesture go unanswered. He only vaguely felt his body dying, and he was too enraged to notice it completely. It was that combination of rage, ghost energy, and so much bodily stress that it induced death, that finally triggered Primeape's evolution. As he clung to the rage, he felt the power surge, and understood in that instant that to reject his anger now would mean probable death. He wasn't afraid of evolving either, he'd just assumed he never would again.

As his rage peaked, only enhanced by the Infinity Energy surging around him in a spiral, his fur grew longer, more akin to hair, his eyes became less full of anger, and more like twin burning pits of cold fury. His right arm, his main punching arm, swelled and snapped its bracer off completely, while his left arm swelled enough to break it, but not enough to make it fall off. The newly evolved Annihilape let out a ghostly wail as the evolutionary glow faded, and then, it launched towards Armarouge, solely focused on winning.

"Go Annihilape! Shadow Punch!" The ghostly rage monkey glanced at his Trainer mid run, as his words cut through the all consuming rage. The pure red eyes softened slightly, and Annihilape nodded, turning back to his target as his form faded into the shadows.

Nemona wasn't one to sit around, though. "When it reappears, use Psychic!" Her Armarouge nodded, waiting, watching, then it turned towards a shadow on the field, and raised a hand, catching Annihilape as it manifested again.

"Break through it!" Ash shouted, instinctually guiding his partner in flaring his aura. Ash's own aura flashed across the ground by his feet, and Annihilape flared out the ghostly energy that was part of him now, breaking Psychic's hold. Given that Shadow Punch never missed, he then brought his heavily muscled fist across the armored warrior's face. To Annihilape's immense satisfaction, the power behind the punch sent the sturdy Armarouge flying, and he wailed again, with a higher pitch this time, that sounded more like a shriek.

His anger wasn't as hot as it was when he was still alive, he didn't have the urge to beat his chest or accrue a mountain of berries. Now, his rage was colder, more focused. Now, all Annihilape wanted, was victory. "Once more Annihilape! Shadow Punch!"

Hearing that, Nemona changed tactics. "Take aim, Armarouge. Shadow Ball!" Using the ghost typed energy's nature to be drawn towards itself, Armarouge ended up pointing its armor cannon at the spot that Annihilape sprang from. The Shadow Ball fired, expanding as it neared its target, but Ash was undeterred.

"Smash through it with your other fist! Rage Fist!" Annihilape obeyed instantly, uppercutting through the attack and dissipating it, before he brought his Shadow Punch down again, this time on Armarouge's helmet. It went face first into the field, and Drone Rotom's voice rang out. "Round one goes to the World Champion, and Annihilape! Congratulations on your evolution! Updating roster. Update complete! Begin round two!"

As Drone Rotom chattered, and Annihilape gave it a smooth thumbs up following its congratulations, Nemona recalled her partner. "Don't worry. We're nowhere near done yet." She turned back to Ash, and grinned. "That Primeape must've been pretty strong."

Ash nodded, proudly. "He was. One of the many reasons I wanted to give him the chance to become stronger, and evolve." Annihilape looked at his Trainer, able to clearly process his words for once, now that the rage was cooler, and more focused. He felt his ghostly heart twinge, and was even more determined to win, now. Without noticing, he'd walked up to Ash, who just gave him a knowing nod, and raised his fist. The two shared a fist bump, and then looked over at Nemona as she called out her second choice. Knowing her, this was where she started to counter, and try to regain her lead.

"Come out, Meowscarada!" The students behind her cheered and made 'oooo' noises, as her most recent addition to her World Tournament team took the field with all the grace and poise her species possessed. The smug looking magical grass cat smirked at the Annihilape, and then fell into a crouch, claws extended, and 'cape' flaring behind her. "Let's show our newly evolved friend how we roll in Paldea!" She raised a hand then, and Ash smirked, as he saw the Tera Orb. "Terrastalize!" Nemona ordered, and her Meowscarada answered eagerly, shining brightly, before coalescing the power of Terapagos around itself and using it to become a pure grass type. "Now, hit it with Flower Trick!" Nemona said, finally giving an attack command.

Ash and Annihilape were ready, though. "Into the shadows, Annihilape. Then Shadow Punch!" The undead pig monkey nodded, and faded into intangibility, swiftly dodging the exploding Flower Trick. Or, at least trying to. Meowscarada expertly tracked the hidden Annihilape, and as it reappeared for its attack, the grassy magician snapped her fingers, and her flower pod descended right on top of Annihilape, scoring a critical hit, one that hit all the harder thanks to her Tera Type.

Seeing Annihilape wouldn't last through another hit thanks to Drone Rotom's accurate and real-time display of a Pokémon's remaining health in the form of a bar, Ash recalled his partner. "Well done, Annihilape. Take this Potion, and rest for later."

Drone Rotom chimed in then, as Ash switched. "The World Champion has recalled his Annihilape, and used his only Potion on it!" It updated its stats, as Ash picked his next Pokémon. Against a grass type this powerful, he only had one real choice. "Charizard! I choose you!"

Nemona blinked, as Ash's took the field, and she gave voice to the murmurs coming from the students. "I haven't seen your Charizard since…the Battle Frontier. It beat an Articuno, as I recall."

Ash sighed. "Yea…it's been a long time since I've used him in a Tournament. I figured he was due. We've been partners for ages, he's just been training this whole time, aiming to become the strongest." He smirked under his hat then, hiding his eyes, and Nemona felt a prescient chill run up her spine. "Show them, Charizard! Mega Evolve!" He shouted, raising the Key Stone on his glove. His Charizard tossed up a Flame Plate crystal in front of him at the same time, and their synchronized energy boosted him to his Mega Form, one that wouldn't be weak to Meowscarada's Play Rough. The fire and flying typed Mega Charizard formed from the burst of energy, and shot into the air. "Alright, Hurricane!"

With a roar that shook the air, the Mega Charizard beat his wings, and a cyclone of fast moving wind whipped up around Meowscarada, obscuring her from sight. Nemona didn't wait for the damage to start, though. "Break out with Power Gem!" For a moment, nothing happened, then, a stray rock from presumably the attack went sailing like a bullet right past Nemona's head, and into the energy barrier, which it impacted so hard, it shattered. Nemona blinked, as she realized how close she'd come to losing an eye.

Seeing he had her trapped, Ash capitalized. "Add some fire to it! Flamethrower!" After a deep inhale, his Charizard filled the cyclone with flames, and as he sensed his opponent faint, he willed the wind to cease, landing and triumphantly roaring as the wind and flames dissipated.

"Meowscarada is unable to Battle!" Drone Rotom announced, "The second round goes to the World Champion, and his Charizard!"

Nemona paused for a moment over her team, and then made her final pick, a logical choice, based on what she had to beat, and who Ash was likely to use as his third partner. "Go! Garganacl!" She shouted, and as the massive rock type appeared, it sparkled. Unlike regular Garganacl, Nemona's was sporting massive light brown blocks instead of pure white ones. "Get Charizard near the ground! Rock Blast!"

The living salt formation raised one massive arm, and started firing boulders out of its large, blocky fingers, but the Mega Charizard was too fast and mobile for them to come close to landing. Seeing this, Garganacl adjusted, making the exploding rocks, and their shrapnel, force the flying fire lizard to fly lower as he dodged.

Then, Ash gave them what they wanted. "Charizard! Build some momentum, and then use Earthquake!"

Nemona grinned, as she saw her chance. "Dodge with Rock Tomb!" Being physically unable to jump and avoid the Earthquake, Nemona did the next best thing, and gave herself ammo. Garganacl raised itself up on the massive boulders, just in time for Charizard to hit the ground after looping around in the air to gain speed.

The Earthquake shattered the Rock Tomb, and Garganacl fell through it, largely unaffected. Charizard was on the ground now though, and he'd just given them enough ammo for a quadruply effective counter. "Rock Slide, go!" Garganacle raised both arms this time, and the shattered Rock Tomb floated into the air, and then shot towards Charizard, pummeling him even as he used Dragon Claw to smash several. The rocks were also larger than they would be normally, had Garganacl manifested them with its own power. The avalanche of stone buried the Mega Charizard before he could try to dodge back into the air.

"Charizard!" Ash shouted, as his partner was essentially buried alive. The pile of boulders flashed, as his Mega Form faded, but Ash was more concerned about his well being, than how much HP he had left. Seeing this concern, Garganacl raised its arms again, moving the boulders off its target with its power. Ash gave it a nod, and then fed his partner a Revive. "You did well…I should've swapped you out against a Rock Type…this one's on me." Charizard put a claw on his shoulder then, and shook his head. He looked at Garganacl, and sighed. Ash got the feeling that his fire lizard was lowkey admitting that some match-ups simply didn't work out, especially against a quadruple weakness. It was just more motivation to train harder. Ash recalled him, and Teleported back to his spot. "Alright Annihilape! You're up!"

Once more the ghostly pig ape appeared, but this time, his hair and even his new longer eyebrows, were flaring upwards with ghostly rage. Ash nodded to himself. Primeape's love of battle had not gone unnoticed by Charmander, back in the day. The two were old friends, and had sparred several times. Unbeknownst to Ash, it was this same friendship that had caused his loyal Charmander to regard him as weak once it evolved. Seeing his old friend get buried by rocks only served to re-ignite the rage in Annihilape, and he smashed his heavy fists together, before snorting, and staring down Garganacl. For its part, the differently colored salt stack looked about as expressive as a cliff face. This only made Annihilape angrier, as it couldn't discern a reaction from the living rock being. "Alright, Close Combat, and don't let up on it!" Ash shouted.

Like a ghostly flash of lightning, the enraged Annihilape crossed the distance between it and its target, and began smashing into the rock type with super effective hits. And while they were damaging, and landing, they were also doing almost nothing against the frankly absurd physical defense that Garganacl enjoyed, making it almost as tanky as an Aggron. Nemona was quick to counter. "Use Wide Guard! When you see an opening, hit it with Salt Cure!"

A hexagonal barrier of rock energy briefly stopped the Close Combat, at least until Annihilape smashed through it. The following Salt Cure blasted his fur, and he coughed, gagging on the saltiness as some entered his mouth and nose. "Keep it up, Annihilape! Give it a Cross Chop!" Shaking free of the damaging saltiness, Annihilape leapt again, its arms forming an X as it aimed for Garganacl.

Nemona was quick to counter, though. "Heavy Slam!" Steel energy formed in Garganacl's arm as it swung and connected with Annihilape. The moves exploded in a collision of energy, and while Annihilape landed a critical hit, the damage from Heavy Slam sent it flying up and out through the smoke, where he landed before Ash, finally knocked out thanks to the difference in weight between it and Garganacl. With that much of a weight difference, moves like Heavy Slam could overpower type resistances.

Drone Rotom announced the KO, to the cheers of the students, while Ash brushed the remaining salt from his fur, and gave him a Revive. "You did great, Annihilape. Take a rest, while we wrap this up." Annihilape, more tired than angry now, simply nodded. He could guess who Ash would pick next.

"Pikachu! Let's finish this!" Ash shouted, pointing at the sentient salt rock. His starter was hyped, brimming with electricity and raring to go after seeing how hard two of his oldest buds had fought.

Nemona just smirked at him, as she gave her living salt formation a Hyper Potion. "Are you sure you want Pikachu? Garganacl knows Ground Type Moves too."

Ash returned her smirk, and so did his partner. "I'm not worried. We're more than prepared to face an Earthquake. Pikachu! Full Aura!"

His partner focused then, breathing deep as he utilized his years training with the Mind Sage in battle. His yellow aura flared to life around his body, first as a shield, and then as a physically manifested aura flaring with electricity. Nemona's eyes went wide. "That's…you used that against Leon!"

Ash just chuckled. "What we used on Leon was more…instinctual. This…this is the result of our training! Show her, Pikachu! Iron Tail!"

"Pika!" He shouted, and then to all appearances, the yellow mouse vanished. Nemona saw the brief yellow flash only because her eyes were very used to watching Pokémon moves with speed that Pikachu was now matching, somehow, thanks to this 'Full Aura'. By all measurements of reality and science, a Pikachu shouldn't have been able to move as fast as Florian's Garchomp, but he did, and as his Iron Tail struck, the super effectiveness combined with the momentum he struck Garganacl with.

Even after taking multiple hits and a critical Cross Chop, her bulky rock type wasn't quite done yet, damaging as the Iron Tail had been, thanks to the Potion, the counter was theirs. "Go! Earthquake!" While off balance from the Iron Tail, Garganacl shifted its weight back, using it to counter with Earthquake as it shattered the field.

Ash and Pikachu had prepared for Earthquake specifically though, as they expected to run into it often later in the World Tournament. "Alright Pikachu, just like we practiced! Electro Web!" Still in the air from his strike, the glowing electric mouse nodded, formed the Electro Web, and sent it into the ground, as the field erupted with super effective stones looking to strike him. The Electro Web latched onto several raised points of stone, and Pikachu landed on it, riding out the shockwaves harmlessly, smirking the whole time. "Quick! Iron Tail again!"

Pikachu leapt off the Electro Web, and began zipping across the raised rocks of the field, unbothered by the rough terrain. He struck with the speed and grace of a samurai, landing behind Garganacl as the Iron Tail faded. "Critical hit!" Drone Rotom chimed again, before zooming in on Garganacl's eyes. The light in them was gone, signaling unconsciousness for the purposes of battle. "Garganacl is unable to continue Battling! The match goes to the World Champion, Ash Ketchum and his Pikachu! Your records will now be updated."

Ash and Nemona watched as they received a win and loss respectively, and then they met in the center of the field to shake hands. For his part, Pikachu jumped on Ash's shoulder, and rested. Full Aura took a lot out of him. Nemona smirked as they shook hands. "Ready for the hard part?"

Ash chuckled awkwardly. There was only one downside to battling at the Academy, and that was taking student questions after the conclusion of said battle. Ash was famously, or perhaps infamously, aloof when it came to media appearances. "Sure. I can handle a few questions."

In short order, he was given a podium to stand on in the center of the field, and the Academy students formed a line that was so long, it appeared to loop around the track twice, since the stands had now been lowered once more. The students all shared the microphone on their side, and first up was a girl who looked to be a fresh face at the Academy, judging by her comparatively smaller height. Pikachu was also near their microphone, getting all the scritches from the students as they waited, as well as a number of berries and snacks. Charizard was also out, though further back in the line, relaxing as he always did after a worthy battle, on his side, with his eyes closed. He too had a pile of berries and food items placed like an offering before his relaxing frame. Once she was done petting Pikachu, the girl looked up at Ash. "I umm…I was wondering, World Champion, sir, what do you think it is that makes a strong Pokémon Trainer? I've heard so many things, about strategy, vitamins, training methods, and I follow them as best I can but…it doesn't seem like my partner and I are getting stronger. Do…do I need a stronger species?" Her shiny eyes seemed to suggest she didn't want to give up on her partner, and was scared of having to do so.

Ash nodded, closing his eyes as he thought out his answer. Finally, he said, "Any Pokémon has the potential to be strong. Some species, like Charizard, will seem stronger, but that's just because Charizard in love Battling. They love it so much that they sometimes refuse to face an opponent weaker than them, to the frustration of their Trainers." The students chuckled, and Ash met the single opened eye of his fire lizard from across the field. Charizard snorted, tilting his head up and away from Ash's gaze. He'd made his choice in the Indigo League, but Ash still occasionally ribbed him for costing him the win. "It's not about strong or weak Pokémon, or even their species. Pokémon get stronger the closer you grow to them. If you want to be a good Trainer, get some more friends for your partner that can cover for its weaknesses, stick to your training regimen, and don't forget to make time to bond, too. Eating together and cleaning them goes a long way."

"Pi, Pikachu." His electric mouse added confidently, and the girl smiled, before scurrying away to let the next student up.

The next student was definitely older, probably in the same year as Florian and Juliana, given that he wasn't far from adulthood. His uniform was covered by a leather jacket, and his black hair was in a fauxhawk that seemed to be a popular style with the current generation of students. He gave Pikachu a fist bump before speaking. "Sup. You've been all over the world, right? Even the Imperium? I was wondering…how does Paldea, and its Trainers, compare to every other Region in, say, skill at Battling."

Ash glanced sideways and awkwardly chuckled. "Well, heh, just about anywhere is better than the Imperium…but on a global scale…hmm." He made his pondering face again, briefly recalling the Trainers he'd faced while on the road in each region. "Unova and Galar have the strongest, easily, and I would put Kalos just under them. I'd say Paldea's Trainers rank about equal, or just above those in Kalos. In terms of Battle, anyway. But you could say that for all of Europa. This part of the world has the largest number of new Trainers coming from it. Keep getting stronger, and you'll surpass Unova and even Galar in time." Ash knew Leon coveted his region's reputation too much to ever let that happen, but he also knew his words would reach the Galar League Chairman, and spur him on that much more.

The next few questions were fairly generic, and mostly focused on Ash's past exploits. Like taking on a Darkrai, an Articuno, and several Legendary Pokémon in battle. One even asked how many Legendary Pokémon Ash had met, and he responded by saying it would be quicker to list those he hadn't met, or seen up close. This in turn led to questions about exceedingly rare legends, like the Creation Quartet, the Eon Duo, Mewtwo, and even Celebi. He answered each as best he could, giving a brief excerpt about what he remembered of each meeting.

Finally, the line dwindled down to two, and Ash smirked, as he recognized the pair. He also noted Serena off to the side behind them, looking quite pleased with herself. Florian spoke first, as Juliana was just in the zone, petting Pikachu, and Pikachu himself was enjoying the pets, situated as he was in her arms. "I think most people these days would easily classify you as a Pokémon Master, Ash. I was wondering if you consider yourself to be one, and what you think the criteria to become one is."

Ash smirked, and looked at the ground below him for a long moment. Eventually, he raised his head. "When I was a kid, I thought it was someone who befriended every Pokémon on the planet, but…growing up made me think about it more…realistically. After all, one Trainer taking care of over a thousand Pokémon is…a lot. Not everyone can attempt something like that, but it's…more than just catching them." He looked at Pikachu then, and feeling his partner's gaze, the electric mouse opened his eyes, and met Ash's. "I think those striving to be a Master of Pokémon have a general set of shared traits. They can befriend any Pokémon they meet…most of the time. They can get wild Pokémon to trust them, if they need help. They strive to help, whenever Pokémon are hurt, or abused, or stolen, or enslaved. They see them not as pets or tools, but as partners, with their own feelings and dreams, and they try to help them reach those dreams." Ash shrugged. "These are the goals I keep in mind when I'm traveling, and I do think traveling is a part of it too. It's a journey that never ends…" He glanced at Serena then, "But even a Master has to take a break eventually. Having a home to return to is always a good thing."

Florian nodded, smiling. "Mi casa es mi castillo. Gracias, World Champion. Since it seems you're out of people with questions…" He held up a Pokéball. "How about a Battle?"

Ash smirked at him. "I'm always ready to Battle. Let's make it a Double. Juliana can join you, too." The three Trainers took their places then, as the Drone Rotom from earlier appeared again in time to officiate.

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Chapter 50: Clash of Champions

Arborstone Castle - Albion Region

The throne of Albion was gone. In the explosion of Light that Arthur had given off, it had simply vanished, leaving the room where the King of Albion received local plights empty. Empty that is, until Arthur and Gwen began psychically rearranging things. Through his Trainer's father, Arthur had found a man who had skill at planning his days and managing the region's coin, of which there was very little. A fact he espoused on often, and loudly, whenever he was near Arthur. Morgana hadn't exactly kept the economy going, her guard's expensive tastes had. Arthur learned that for quite some years now, said guards had been enjoying themselves, free of all charges, on the Queen's authority. What little the people produced all went to the castle, as the rest of the region had been left to collapse, and rot.

Once his brothers informed him Alex was coming, Arthur had levitated in a round table and eleven chairs. Thankfully, the former reception hall, which was now a meeting room of sorts, had the space for the sizable bulk some of his teammates had. The old 'war room' as it had been labeled had become the new area to receive the commoners, in Morgana's version of comfort, rather than in front of an obnoxious symbol of authority. Arthur had also left dealing with most of their plights to his new steward. After donning some old and long-unworn uniforms from Uther's era, the green and white clad rebels-turned-guardsmen brought in people who needed to see the new King group by group.

Tao had reached out already as well, supplying some timely assistance for the beleaguered people of Albion, mostly in the form of food, and Berries for planting. Arthur had everyone who visited take some, and he knew it wouldn't be more than a few days before most dirt patches in Arborstone were sporting bushes with food on them. Pokéballs were also offered, though most citizens declined them, almost every child around eight to ten had been given some, for free, and for safety, as Albion was still a more dangerous region, despite now being purged of darkness, and temporarily confining the local fauna to a Pokéball would at least give them the chance to run away.

When Alex finally arrived, he looked tired, and Arthur rightly guessed the last time he'd slept was several days ago, when they'd camped by the Stonjourner swarm. From Alex's perspective, it had been one very long day, and Albion had only made him more tired. Upon seeing the state of the cobble streets, he'd recalled Shruikan, and started earthbending the cobblestones back together. There was now a usable road that led from Arborstone's southern gate, through the market square, all the way to the castle. It was good practice for earthbending on a smaller scale, something he'd need when he started making houses back home, but it left him more drained than he expected. By comparison, raising and hurling a boulder was easy.

He found Arthur sitting at a round table, and then quite suddenly, his cape flared as every Pokéball he had on hand opened at once, filling the room with his Pokémon. He chuckled as they started swarming Arthur and took a seat opposite his Gallade. "Warn me, before you do that guys." After a few minutes, they eventually settled down, with the A Team at the table itself. Alex smirked as he noticed his grass types, like Noir and Arbor, had taken a spot by Terra, while Kral and Pruina were behind Hydrus. Saur and Canis were also at the table, mostly because the Lucario was one of the few who could actually make use of the chairs, and Saur had been given a spot by Terra, after he'd made room for him.

Alex glanced around at them, once they were settled. "So. Arthur. I take it you planned this. Is there a reason for this sudden gathering?"

His Gallade nodded. "There is. But first…let me explain what has happened in Albion since we parted…" Alex stayed quiet as Arthur went over the details. Linked as they were, Alex was already aware of most of them, but it seemed those who had joined their mental web later, and weren't psychic types, had a harder time keeping up with current events. There was one event however, that made Alex pay closer attention. "...and then in this vision…a Giant of Light showed me how to use a Move called Spacium Beam. That's when the throne was obliterated, and the Shadow was Purged from the Region. Since then, I've uhh…handled running things as best I can." Arthur finished. Alex could tell there was something else he was leaving out but didn't pry.

"The Empire will, of course, send aid to Albion as needed." Alex stated, aware that Tao had, as usual, already started in that regard. "You still haven't mentioned the reason for this meeting, though."

His Gallade smirked at him. "Honestly, it's your own thoughts, Alex. That's why we're meeting. You may not be completely aware, but ever since Tao mentioned taming one of each Pokémon species, we've all been privy to your growing desire to reach that goal, and what's giving you pause in pursuing it. I spoke with the others, and they all agree with me; the only way to do this is together, to go over the…logistics of such a goal, and how owning hundreds, if not thousands, of Pokémon at once would even work."

Alex just stared, wondering if he should be angry or proud, but at that moment, he was just too tired to be anything but blunt. "Look guys, that's more a byproduct of my culture than any kind of…realistic goal. Almost six hundred Pokémon lines is a lot, and I have enough on my plate already."

Arthur held up a hand, before he said more. "We know what you want, Alex, we're all capable of sensing how much you want this. Or I am, anyway, and through me, everyone else understands too. As for what we want…well, ideally, we want to end up like Eremus…and myself. Living our best lives somewhere we can also help you, or the Empire. Finding our own place in the world, whether it's by your side, or out in the wild somewhere, keeping an eye out for potential threats to life's Balance. We are all on board with this concept. Lux, I believe you can take it from here."

His Rotom, which was currently possessing his Holodex, floated out of Alex's bag then. "Excluding Legendary Pokémon, aside from the ones you've already Tamed, and want to tame, the actual number is more like four hundred and sixty-eight, including regional variants as their own species, with some exceptions and of course, accounting for as yet undiscovered species."

Alex raised a brow at him. "Exceptions?"

The Rotom displayed several Pokémon then. Scyther, it's evolutions, Slowpoke, Marowak, and several others. "For species that appear as a result of an item's interference, they're considered separate from the main line. Those that evolve with stones, with Eevee being the exception, are also typically counted as the main species. So Vileplume would represent the Oddish line, but Bellossom would also count as another Pokémon. For your purposes, you'd want one of each. But in a case like, for example, Marowak, you'd need to choose which variant to pursue, as both evolve from a Cubone. A Marowak in Alola is still a Marowak."

"But an Alolan Vulpix is considered different enough from the Fire Typed Vulpix to count as its own line. I understand. Still, training and raising hundreds of Pokémon is just…a lot." Alex said, with a sigh.

Terra's rumbling baritone spoke up then, as Alex expected it might. "You would not catch them all at once. This is a goal that will take several Human lifetimes."

"And there's also the matter of what happens when you inevitably outlive some of us." Arthur added. "We've chosen a vote-based system, with the original ten who've been blessed by Xerneas dealing typically with Pokémon that share or are similar to their own types. We're in charge of gathering votes on who to add to the team, and if we agree to it. Majority rules, of course, but we also want to give everyone a voice if they have a genuine concern. We believe this system will stop any…species rivalries from making us biased."

Alex just shook his head again. "You all really want to do this? Why?"

Leo answered, this time, from the comfortable cushion he'd brought out from his ball as his own chair. He yawned, as he shared his mental voice with everyone. "We've seen what Eremus has done for the Mohave Desert in the short time he's been away, and he's not the only one who has improved the environment based on Tao's teachings. We believe that, over time, we'll be able to create a planet-wide network of team members and allies to better help you and Tao deal with any potential oncoming existential threats. Some will act as…sentries, of a sort, as they enjoy their lives in the wild, presumably leading others of their species and type, and when such a disaster is imminent, those you've trained to be Battlers will step up, and handle whatever threatens us."

Still not wholly convinced, Alex frowned at his thunder cat. "So, what, I'm just supposed to compile twenty-four teams of ten Pokémon to Battle with? Because that…is a lot."

Leo shook his head, but it was Arthur that spoke next. "We feel there should really be two, at most three teams focused on Battling. You can make teams for other things too, you know. We don't want to make those on the Battling teams locked in, either. We want our opponents to think we could pull out pretty much any species to face them, which will make planning to face us that much harder. It will also give the older members a much-needed break, if we know the younger members are strong enough to keep you, and the world, safe. Obviously training everyone is a given and won't be solely left to you to do. The common theme among us is that we all wanted to be stronger. As you yourself have said to many of us, 'to be the Best'. We want to help you get there, Alex. Let us."

Alex just chuckled, not quite believing, or even expecting this kind of response to a simple thought he'd believed he'd kept well hidden. He was proud though, proud that his little Ralts had become a leader in his own right, and one compassionate and caring enough to put something like this together, to make sure all of his brothers achieved their dreams as he had done. Finally, Alex said, "I guess that just leaves what you think, Original Dragon." His eyes shifted to the space above the table, where he sensed Tao watching them. Sure enough, the disembodied golden orbs appeared in the air.

"You have been blessed, Alexander Redwood, with a mind for Battle, and a team of truly exemplary Pokémon to aid you in your Journey. You may not yet grasp this; but your Journey is still in its early stages. The heights you will reach with your team are sure to continue to exceed my expectations, and adding more Pokémon will help you get there. This is the Way."

"This is the Way." His team intoned, simultaneously, all at once, in his head.

Finally, he sighed again, and relented. Romulus hopped in his lap, panting heavily, but excited for new brothers. He was in awe of Terra and Cenomons the most, and he also seemed to like the idea of not being one of the newest Pokémon on the team. Alex gave him all the scritches before he answered. "Alright. But no more secret organizing behind my notice. And if you know of any candidates from your time in the wild or otherwise, tell me. We can track them down and see if they will work with us. Not just to Battle and act as sentries though. To plant Berries. Clear natural disasters. Aid Humans and Pokémon in times of trouble. To make this world properly flourish. That is what our goal has to be. Can we agree on that?"

His Pokémon laughed then, all of them, and seeing his expression, Shruikan rumbled from where he'd rested his head on the table and had spent most of the meeting quietly chuckling at his Trainer's discomfort and feigned show of despair, "We already have. You were the last holdout. Stubborn Human."

Alex joined their laughter, and in short order once the gathering 'ended', he was giving everyone some brunch, as it was now almost noon. Feeding almost half a hundred Pokémon presented to him another problem for their new goal, one they would need to address. The Redwood Lab would never be able to sustain that many mouths, and start new Trainers, and feed their teams as well. It was too much to put on any one lab, no matter how many governmental Pokémon food grants they received. It was clear he'd need human assistance on this, as well as a place large enough to handle that many Pokémon.

Then, it hit him, and with a brief Future Sight, he confirmed that his idea had merit, both for him and his Pokémon, and the people of Albion as well. Morgana had been missing since breaching the Successor's tomb, but both Alex and Arthur expected her to return at some point. The people would need protecting, and Albion did have quite a bit of open space, mostly due to a lot of the human population dying off during Morgana's tenure.

He left everyone to eat, and then wandered out behind the castle, where he found Arthur, Terra, and a Gardevoir he didn't recognize. Terra had buried his massive feet in the lifeless dirt of the courtyard and was frowning, likely as he sensed just how pervasive the Shadow's corruption had been, this close to where Morgana spent most of her time.

He felt Terra cease his efforts then, tired, but not showing it, as Alex joined them. Verbally, the earth tortoise said, "The land…is too much for one Pokémon to heal…the rot runs deep…"

Alex patted his armored head. "On your power alone, maybe. But with your Trainer beside you…" Terra's eyes, dimmed by his defeat, burned to life again, as they met Alex's. "Our limits are Infinite." He raised his Key Stone then, and Terra's Meadow Plate flashed in response, as he seamlessly attained his Mega Form with a rumbling roar. Once more, Alex felt him reaching deep into the earth of the ancient region, his mind and focus consumed by his desire to make it flourish, and the surging power of Infinity Energy.

"That light…you must be Arthur's Human…" Came a feminine voice in Pokéspeech. Being what she was, she recognized the same power that Arthur had eventually let fade, along with his Mega Form.

Alex glanced at her, then at Arthur, then back to her, and smirked. "I am. And you must be Gwen. I don't know why he's hiding you from us. Perhaps my inherent shyness rubbed off on him more than I thought. You two should get some food before it's gone. I'll help Terra with this." He noticed Gwen was, even for a Gardevoir, very thin. She'd need some vitamins, and his Pokémon food had plenty, mixed in with the berries.

Sensing his thoughts, Arthur guided her to the meeting chamber to meet the rest of his brothers, while Alex and Terra looked out over the somewhat depressing view of Arborstone's gloomy streets. Life was coming back to the mostly gray, smoky city, slowly, but he and Terra could help it along.

Alex climbed on his starter's shell and got comfy. "Do you remember what Beifong taught us, in the Earth Nation? And Swamp Tree's lesson? Let the vibrations of the earth paint a mental picture for you. Extend your awareness along the flora beyond Arborstone, too. As far as you can." He followed Terra's reach through both the earth and what plants remained in Albion to its limits, just impressed at how far the earth tortoise could stretch it. With infinite energy and a Mega Form, all he needed was time to reach across Albion's surface. Or most of it, anyway.

They both frowned, as the damage was more extensive than either had expected. Though it was more obvious in some places than others, the land was rotting away to a state much like the courtyard they were currently in. Alex opened his eyes. "We're going to need the others for this." With a mental nudge, Saur, Hydrus, Arbor, Noir, and Kral joined them, though the young bouncing Horsea was more of a spectator. Saur's vines linked them all to Terra, once Alex retook his spot.

Overhead, a hunting Shruikan passing by noticed their efforts, and roared. The sky responded with disturbing speed, as dark clouds filled it. Hydrus answered his brother with a roar of his own, and then began slamming the ground before him, chanting, as the clouds were infused with water energy, and began pouring it down on the land below. Unlike past rains, this one didn't reinforce the Shadow corruption.

"Arbor. Noir." Alex said, eyes closed, and legs crossed from his spot on Terra's shell. "I need you both to launch your Seed Bombs as high as you can." The pair nodded, glancing at each other before they took their attack stances. It was a contest, now. The Sceptile felt confident he could beat the grassy cat, but Noir wasn't just going to let him win. The two grass types launched their attacks high, and from Arborstone Castle's already significant height, the green streaks through the cloudy sky drew quite a few drunken gazes from below.

Arbor clenched a claw in victory, as his Seed Bombs outpaced in speed and height compared to Noir's, only to then blink, as Terra's shot into the air with them from his tree, surpassing and surrounding them with far more than either Noir or Arbor had produced. Alex inhaled deeply, and then blew outwards, spurring the wind to coalesce the three attacks into a single ball. He used the air to kill the move's momentum above the city, and then the grassy sphere exploded, showering the land with gently falling seeds empowered by the energy of a Meadow Plate, and guided across the region by the gently coaxed natural air currents that already blew over much of it, as said air currents flowed towards the east. Even in Aurora, life would bloom.

Alex focused on Hydrus then and turned his Rain Dance into something more like a Rain Prayer, as he infused it with a small but significant amount of Light energy. The seeds landed across the region, and with Terra's reach connecting to and further feeding each one, they exploded with growth as he infused them with a Frenzy Plant, or at least, enough grass energy to match a Frenzy Plant. With that finished, Alex let Noir and Arbor return to their free time, and after a while, Hydrus went as well. Kral apparently wanted to learn Rain Dance too, and Hydrus was more than happy to instruct.

For at least half the night, Alex and Terra worked in tandem to ensure that Arthur's home would live again. Hours later and dead on his feet, Alex retrieved his team and headed into Arborstone, towards where he sensed Jess. He found her, Arthur, and Gwen putting on a psychic show for the easily amused populace, many of whom had never seen psychic moves. Most of Alex's team had no interest in performing in contests, but Arthur played his part well with the grace inherent to his species.

Their climactic finish ended atop the tower in the square's center, and the people watching below applauded. Arthur briefly scanned how the repairs were going, at least until his eyes were snared by Gwen's. She whispered something to him, and the pair Teleported away, leaving the crowd, Jess included, with knowing smirks on their faces.

"So. Did she accept your offer?" Alex said, striding up next to Jess. Some of the locals murmured, upon seeing him. He kind of stood out, as white was not a typical color the people of Albion wore. He'd also unintentionally made a memorable entrance to their city, fixing what was shattered, as if by magic, wherever he walked. Most citizens weren't quite drunk enough to believe that, but the description of the man in said tale was spot on accurate to the foreigner before them.

"She did." Jess said, seeming pleased at having a new psychic powerhouse, in the event Delphi was busy or couldn't be bothered to battle. "Once I told her about you and I, and your ties to Arthur, she agreed it was a good idea, and I agreed to let her do as she wishes."

She looked up at Alex then, who was still staring at the spot the pair had vanished from. "You seem…satisfied, with something. Did you boys have a productive meeting?"

"We did." Alex answered, finally fixing her with his gaze. "I'll tell you about it…but first…I am so hungry."

"But what about the Successor? Didn't we come here to stop him?" Jess asked.

Alex frowned. "We did…but then he vanished somewhere in the Mediterra Mountains. I let our friend in Italia know. Mew and Mewtwo are on it, apparently, and she's helping them. For now…I think it's long past time we enjoyed our break. And I really need to sleep at some point, too."

Jess nodded in agreement. "It's about dinner time back home. Shall we?"

Alex smirked. "This time, I'll pick the place." He put a firm hand on her shoulder and Teleported them to the Castelian borough of New Tork City. Immediately the far more potent stench of millions of humans and Pokémon filled their noses. Looking around, Jess saw they were in a comparatively less reputable part of the city, though dressed in their black and white clothes, they actually fit in fairly well.

Jess looked up at the aged neon over the place, which was built slightly into the ground, and had more building, probably housing, atop it, and her brows furrowed slightly. "Old Mimey Joe's?" She glanced around, then. "You want food from Narrow Street?"

Alex nodded, confidently. "You will never find a better dive for Pizza, Subs, Burgers, there's even Casteliacones. My Gruncle took me here when I was little, and the food was...amazing."

Jess smirked at him, incredulity in her voice. "Right, because food places in NTC are renowned for staying decent for over two decades."

Alex winked at her. "Art gets better with age, and Old Mimey is an artiste."

Ten minutes later, they had their cheesy-crust pizza, and had already devoured most of it, as it was, as promised, quite delicious. The gruff looking Mr. Mime that served them, who went by Old Mimey, had a hard exterior but a kind heart. And phenomenal cooking skills. Joe, his Trainer, wasn't around, which Alex preferred. According to Old Mimey, he wasn't the biggest fan of the Dragon Empire, its ruler, or governments in general, but Old Mimey had refused to charge them full price, claiming he'd heard of Alex's exploits not from humans, but from Pokémon. As a rule, he trusted them more.

"...and then they essentially convinced me to catch hundreds of Pokémon." Alex said between bites. "Even Tao was on board."

Jess just stared at him. "That's…a lot of mouths to feed, Alex."

He waved a hand. "Berries grow faster than we consume them. And if that changes, our Grass Types can handle it. But you're right. And even if I could…somehow psychically duplicate myself, there's simply no physical way to fairly train and keep hundreds of Pokémon at once. The way this will work, the only way this will work, is if it's a…family effort. One Trainer is eventually going to hit a limit with how many Pokémon they can competently care for at once. But several Trainers…ones we can trust? That's more feasible. Especially if we want to make this global. We can't realistically expect wild-but-Trained Pokémon to be able to always get our help and attention in time to save lives or stop disasters. There will need to be Humans nearby, and ready to help them."

Jess just smirked at him as she ran her tongue around her Casteliacone. "Mm. So now you're dragging me into your desire to 'catch'em all'?"

Alex shrugged. "Aside from Eric, you're my immediate family. The only one I'd trust with something like this, since my parents are pretty bad with Pokémon. Eric can train them, but he's too busy with the lab for something like this. There are a few cousins with…potential, but for now, it's you and me." That made the couple smile and get lost in the other's gaze for a long moment.

About halfway through that moment, Old Mimey mimed turning up the volume on the truly ancient classic-style television mounted above the service counter, and the seating area. "You'll wanna see this." He rumbled, as he prepared a basket of breaded strips of meat for them. Alex and Jess shared a look, before listening in properly, as the newswoman reappeared on the screen.

"Welcome back. If you're joining us now, the Pokémon Leagues just announced that the latest World Tournament is officially beginning. Now we will see something momentous, as Ash Ketchum defends his title for the tenth time since the four-year rotation was implemented. Will he achieve an unheard-of streak of ten title successful title defenses against the world's strongest Trainers? Or will his legacy end, as another rises?" Alex blinked, as he sensed most of his Pokémon perk up from their naps and training within their balls to listen in as well. There was excitement building too, from Blaze, Canis, and then so many others he couldn't differentiate. To say they had all been excited for the start of this round of the World Tournament was an understatement.

"That's right, Rachel." Her male coworker said, though in that moment Alex blanked on his name. He didn't have much time for PNN, or MSPBC in this case, these days, but he recalled this gentleman in particular had his own talk segment, and was generally a straight shooter, even if his attempts at reciting Rap lyrics in a monotone were a bit cringey. After Arc News lowered the journalistic bar so far into the dirt it was subterranean, pretty much anyone could rise above it. All one really had to do was report on real, actual events without drowning them with bias or shameless context-hiding edits. "More Pokémon Trainers than ever before have signed up this time, and our network-based poll shows many Trainers citing the lack of a four Move limit as the reason. However, this surge in registration has also led to a change in structure."

The screen shifted then, showing a pyramid of the usual classes expected from the World Tournament that had been in use since Leon dethroned Lance. Alex chuckled, as he saw the top of it. "As you can see," The man continued, "The Masters Eight have been expanded, to the Superior Sixteen. Just straight up doubling the amount of top tier Trainers we can hope to see in the final stages of this tournament."

"That's not all that's new, though." The short haired woman, Rachel, apparently, said chiming in. "Currently the Superior Sixteen slots are empty. With World Champion Ash Ketchum being the exception, everyone else, be they Champions or Chairmans, will start at the Normal Class. Some Champions have already ascended to the Ultra Class, though it seems like our own Champion here in the Capital hasn't actually registered his team yet."

The man chuckled, "Well, I'm sure the Dragon Emperor is busy with other, arguably more important things, like his promise to make homes for the people who need them, or, in this case, homes for species of Pokémon we haven't seen for centuries in Unova." The screen shifted to a view of the Desert Resort then, as seen from above. Lines of green crossed the sandy expanse where Alex had carved a river through the desert. "Scientists are still marveling at how quickly the Desert Resort is bouncing back from being a desert, and how the local Pokémon are adapting to these new sources of water. I'm sure the Victory League's Champion will be registering soo-" As the mental voices in his head started chiming in on their current desire to register, immediately, Alex gave in.

Jess didn't hear the rest of what the news man said, as Alex had bamfed himself to the nearby Pokémon Center after sharing a look with her. She was also able to hear the clamor in his head, when they got loud enough. Amused, as she'd pre-registered months in advance, Jess started counting the seconds as the two newscasters continued to discuss the tournament. There were far less limits this time, not just on moves, but also on Mega Evolution, Dynamaxing, Terrastalizing, and even Z Moves. Each one could be used as often as a Trainer and Pokémon could safely manage to wield them, and they'd even allowed for as yet unpopular or undiscovered power-up gimmicks. The brackets had also increased in size. "Past World Tournaments like the Coronation Series have allowed only two thousand one hundred and six Trainers in their rankings. Reportedly, after much arguing with the other Leagues by Chairman Leon, they've agreed to rank every single participant this time. Sixteen at the top, five hundred in the Ultra Class, five thousand in the Great Class, and the Normal Class will be where everyone else is. Each bracket has seen a significant increase in size, likely due to the surge in the number of registered Trainers between World Tournaments."

"That's right, Rachel." The man continued, "There truly are less limits this time around, from Moves to the number of participating Trainers, but the most restrictive rule has to be the one on item usage. Apparently, in the interest of time, Trainers will only get one Potion per Battle, for teams of, potentially, up to ten Pokémon and the only held items allowed are those that pertain to further empowering the Pokémon holding them, like Plates or Mega Stones."

"It's going to be important to know when to use that Potion, and I'm sure having access to entire Move pools is going to more than make up for a lack of clever held items." She said, nodding in agreement. "I have a feeling Plates will be even harder to find, before long." Then, she held her ear, and smiled at the camera. "Folks, we've been keeping an eye out for famous participants, and it seems Champion Redwood must've heard you Ari, because he apparently just Teleported into Castelia's Pokémon Center, to register for this very tournament. Our reporters on the ground are going to try to get a statement."

Jess just nodded to herself. Two minutes wasn't bad. Alex appeared on the screen then, which was very obviously streaming from a moving camera. Twenty-eight Pokéballs levitated onto the nurse's tray, but late entries were always possible, so long as they also got checkups, and cleared for battle.

"Champion Redwood!" The reporter, who was out of frame, said as she opted to use his League title. "Do you have time for some questions?"

Alex glanced at where the nurse had gone. Nurse Joy was already halfway through evaluating his team's health, and he smirked at the reporter. "Looks like you have time for two."

"What do you hope to achieve by registering for this tournament?"

Alex arched an eyebrow. "I intend to win. To be the World's strongest Trainer."

"Do you think you can take on Ash Ketchum, and end his streak in your first attempt at the World Tournament?"

Alex looked down and pondered for a moment before answering. "I've actually met him. In the flesh…he reminded me of Red, who I'm sure is also getting stronger as we speak." He smirked again, then. "But I've sparred with Red. We used to be somewhat even, with the exception being his Mewtwo. I can put on a good Battle, at least. Assuming I get that far. As far as beating him goes…if I've learned anything after watching him Battle in nine tournaments against the world's best Trainers, it's that Ash Ketchum cannot be predicted. I'll have to adapt as quickly as he does, if I intend to win."

The Audino nurse came back out with his Pokéballs then, and Alex levitated them back onto his cloak. "Looks like our time is up. I do have to get back, I just learned registration was finally open, and my team urged me to Teleport here."

The reporter spoke again then. "One more question?"

Alex chuckled and nodded. "Last one. Shoot."

"Assuming you don't win or are knocked out before facing Ash, what place would you want to be in?"

"Second." Alex said, with no hesitation. "But I'll probably have to Battle with Chairman Leon for that spot, if the past is prologue. I look forward to it." He gave a two fingered wave then and Teleported away. Jess smirked, as he appeared in the booth, but standing on it. He maneuvered his stupidly long legs back under the table, then. "Someday, we're going to have a meal that doesn't involve me bamfing away in the middle of it."

Jess reassured him that she didn't mind, as she found his antics amusing when they ended up on TV, and the rest of the meal went uninterrupted, as they took in the rest of the news, once they cut away from the reporter. "The World Tournament isn't the only thing happening soon folks, as with the sheer number of Trainers coming from all corners of the planet for the World Tournament, it seems the Pokémon Contest owners of Kalos, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova's own Pokéstar Studios have come together to create what they're calling the World Festival. It will run in tandem with the World Tournament, on the same four-year cycle. No word yet on how they plan to manage the schedules of those who want to participate in the World Tournament, and also in Pokémon Contests."

Alex glanced at Jess, as he sensed her own team having a psychic discussion. "Will you be going for that title instead?"

Jess stared him down, and he sensed he was on thin ice by the tone in her words. "Do you think I'm not going to win the World Tournament?"

He smirked. "I think you'll get pretty far…but I've seen you perform. Even if it was by video. You outclassed Serena. You should go for it. An Articuno would dazzle them, and there's no reason to restrict Legendary Pokémon from performing."

Jess shook her head, looking away, as she always did when he brought this up. "Serena wasn't at her best, and I got lucky."

Alex smirked wider. "All the more reason to have a proper contest with her on a world stage, no?"

Jess sighed, as more voices in her head made the argument for participating better than he was. "I'll think about it." She said with finality, though not entirely to Alex.

They Teleported back to the Palace of Ideals then, which by this point, was now properly furnished once more, in its entirety, and not all that far off from how it had looked in ancient times. This was mainly thanks to the Sages, and the Scales who had pushed for more color in their stone fortress. The lower chambers were typically where Scales let their Pokémon out to mingle, as all there were expected to be behaved enough to coexist in a peaceful manner. Alex and Jess let their teams out with the others, before retiring to their room for their own nightly routine.

Jess switched things up on him though, and he was the one falling asleep first, for once, as the strain of being awake for so long, amongst other things, sent him into a deep slumber. For once, he woke up that morning though, despite the energy he'd spent, still feeling drained, but glad he was awake, and not losing more days to unconsciousness. They joined the other Scales rooming at the palace for breakfast and daily briefings. Once they were properly stuffed, Alex glanced at the TV in the room. "Looks like there's a crowd in Castelia Park that's Battling with World Tournament rules. Should we join them?"

Jess eyed him. "In that outfit, you'll be mobbed before you ever call out a Pokémon. If we dress like average Trainers, we should be able to go incognito."

Within ten minutes, they were strolling up Narrow Street in fresher clothes more in line with what modern Trainers were wearing. For his part, Alex had, for the first time in years now that he thought about it, gone back to the dark brown, black, and green jacket, with the deep brown and green colored Trainer hat that was apparently out of style now. It had been based off of N's, but he didn't see the point in buying a new one that was probably based on his usual hat. To his fashion ignorant eye, he didn't really see the difference, but Jess insisted they were different enough to warrant their own lines of merch. Being not far from the Join Boulevard, he got to compare his, Hilbert's, and N's hats from advertisements and found them all to basically be identical. The copies of his own being sold were essentially just a white and black version of N's, which was more black than white. He kept the wide brim down over his eyes and in short order, he and Jess both found opponents.

His own opponent was clearly a new Trainer, a teenage girl by the look of her, in that awkward stage between being a child and being a woman. His eyes saw her as closer to a woman, but as a rule he kept his thoughts from turning lewd in regard to those he battled, with Jess being the exception. She called out a Pignite, as the Drone Rotom announced their one-on-one Normal Rank match, and by request, kept his name hidden, if not his Trainer ID number.

As he drew his own pick, Kalagon, the Trainer shouted at him from across the field. "Why so secretive? What am I supposed to call you?"

Alex smirked from under the hat brim, as he saw what the Rotom had classed him as. "I'm an Ace Trainer, I like to think. Let's go with Ace." The smirk grew slightly, as the Drone Rotom added that in as his name, on the displayed Trainer info. For Champions, and people who didn't want their information broadcasted on giant holo screens for all to see, Drone Rotom were allowed to make edits on the fly to suit the Trainer in question, provided they were registered, and had their Trainer Card. He sent out Kalagon then, who spied a bug on the ground, and started following it.

The teen laughed. "Oh yea. Real pro, right here. Pignite! Send this noob back to the Pokémon Center! Arm Thrust!"

"Kalagon." The Gible snapped up the old Earth beetle and stood at attention. "The name of the game today, is dodging." The Gible grinned and took his ready position with his tiny baby dragon arms stretched wide as the slow fire pig charged, his fists limned with fighting energy. "I like dodge."

"Good." Alex said with a smirk. "Dodge with Dig!"

Kalagon munched his way under the Pignite as the Arm Thrusts reached out, but he was already safely out of danger. "Pignite! Double Team!" The field filled with copies of the fire pig, and Alex could tell Kalagon didn't sense the real one.

He linked their minds. "Focus. Feel the vibrations of the real clone through the earth." He waited, as Kalagon made his best guess, based on vibration alone, and leapt up, only to smash through a copy that vanished upon being hit.

As the Dig sent the baby land shark up in a vertical sandy Shoryuken, the Pignites below it made their next move. "Rollout!"

With their minds as one, Alex guided Kalagon, showing him where to land. They'd only have a few seconds to counter, but that's all they'd need. "Hit the ground hard! Bulldoze!" Kalagon came in like a tiny scaly rocket, and smashed into the ground, before stomping his tiny feet on it. The resulting shockwaves through the earth broke through the Rollout, and the clones, knocking the Pignite on its rear. "Now, finish it with Sand Tomb." Alex said, and as Kalagon raised his tiny arms to summon the sand tornado, the move connected and was enough to faint the similarly leveled Pignite.

The next two battles were against Bug Trainers, clearly emulating Burgh, but Kalagon's dodging practice and Rock Tomb made short work of the Venipede they were using. It was around that time that Alex found Jess battling with her Buneary against a Trainer with a Zweilous. The twin headed dark dragon simply outclassed Lapi, which was what Jess had named her. She'd already taken down one of his Pokémon, but now the fresh Zweilous evened the score. His Trainer seemed to be a member of Nate's gym, going by his Gi, which made him an aspiring Dragon Tamer. As he sensed his fiancé's next pick, Alex chuckled quietly to himself. The confident Gym Trainer was about to learn the same harsh lesson that all Dragon Tamers did, eventually.

On the night he'd proposed to Jess, a tiny red flowered Flabébé had appeared after overhearing them and showered them with flower petals. Jess had then, with some translation assistance, convinced her to join her team. Now a Floette, at least until she learned Petal Dance, Flora was more than a match for the twin headed dragon with a quadruple weakness to fairy moves. There weren't many fairy types in the capital region though, and the Trainer showed his youth by not recognizing, or respecting the power sleeping in the tiny grass fairy.

"You expect that thing to beat my Zweilous? Pfft. Dragon Rage!" Only one head of the Zweilous attacked, while the other, and presumably the smarter of the pair, did recognize the Floette for what she was, if not by sight or scent then by the essence of the power she wielded, the instinctual fear born from a quadruple weakness to such energy. She'd been training and wearing the Exp. Share harness for a while, and the results were about to show.

Flora didn't even bother dodging the attack and made a show of twirling through the dragonfire without so much as a burn, though she did give the puzzled head of the dark dragon a sudden and menacing grin when his flames faded, at which point Jess gave the order. "Moonblast."

In the fading sunlight, a facsimile of the moon appeared above the Floette, and the resulting beam of energy reminded him of Astrum's, as it OHKO'd the Zweilous with an explosion of pink, sparkling energy discharged by the 'moon'. The Dragon Tamer's face was priceless as his prized starter dragon landed before him on his back, unconscious, and the Drone Rotom called the match.

Alex glanced at her ranking, and frowned, as he found she was higher up in the Normal class than he was. "I was sure I'd be ahead of you…we had more Battles."

Jess smirked at him as Flora floated over and began once more showering the pair with red petals. He gave her tiny head a careful pat, as Jess spoke. "The higher quality Trainer you Battle, the faster you rise. A few Bug Catchers aren't going to do it. In fact…I think they're rated the easiest."

"Then how about someone who can offer you a more substantive test…Dragon Emperor."

As the voice came from behind them, and with the show Flora had made showering the pair, pretty much every Trainer around them in the crowded park both heard the man's loud proclamation, and what he called Alex. For his part, Alex sighed. "Seems we've been discovered." Jess nodded with a similar slightly disappointed look on her face, but the Meowth was out of the bag now. She adjusted her hat, so it sat properly on her head, the way it was designed to, but Alex just tossed his up into the air. The eyes around him followed it, but when they looked back at him as he caught and re-donned it, he was once more wearing the now somewhat iconic dragonbone pauldrons, with his cloak hanging down around him. It was at this point he finally saw his opponent properly.

"Professor Colress…interesting. I didn't think I'd find a man like you, out here."

"And why not!?" Colress shouted again, gaining even more eyes. "I've been studying how Trainers pull the potential from their partners for decades, but you, young Redwood…you have done so faster and I daresay more effectively than most other Trainers I've met, at your level." He raised a Luxury Ball recolored in the colors of its occupant. "After I win, we need to speak, Dragon Emperor."

Alex nodded, correctly guessing Colress was here on Pegasus business, more than personal research or ambition to win the World Tournament. "Alright then. Battle first, business after. Let's hope you give me more points than my last few opponents."

Colress grinned. "I'll have you know Professors are classed highly, because we usually don't have time to Battle. And we're quite clever, as a rule." The rank of said opponent also factored in how much a victory would give, and it seemed Colress was telling the truth, his own rank was in the top thousand of the Normal class. He threw a ball then, and a Magnezone appeared hovering above the field. Alex responded not with Blaze, who would've given them both a type advantage, but with someone who was itching for a battle even more than his fire lizard, which was unusual for him. Hydrus appeared on the field and roared as he smashed it hard enough to make the ground in the park area shudder. Colress blanched. "That Swampert seems…"

"Pent up." Alex interrupted. "It's been far too long since he's thrashed a strong opponent." The fact that he was essentially a perfect counter to Magnezone was another reason Alex had picked him. Electricity would do nothing, and he resisted steel moves, making Colress' same type attack bonus essentially worth nothing. Without Magnet Rise, Magnezone was an easy target for Hydrus.

The Drone Rotom from his previous battle appeared then, this time displaying the Dragon Emperor's stats for all to see. Alex glanced at his win to loss ratio, now that it wasn't hidden, and did a double take. His total losses were above fifty but weren't even close to breaking out of the double digits, while his wins were up to four digits, almost pushing five. As Trainers went, it was an impressive ratio. He and Hydrus smirked simultaneously. They were about to increase that number just a bit more. "This is a Normal Class World Tournament Battle! Both Trainers will use two Pokémon! The first Pokémon on both sides has been selected. Begin!"

Alex didn't wait, as he knew Hydrus was like a coiled spring. He held up his Key Stone, and the Splash Plate affixed to his Swampert reacted to it. It was, essentially, the ideal moment to try something Hydrus had been perfecting. "Hydrus! Swampquake Surge!" Hydrus raised his arms, and as he shifted to his Mega Form, they became thicc, burly, and devastatingly powerful. He brought his fists down hard, shattering the entire battlefield, within the lines of the field and no further. The earth surged rapidly as Colress did indeed go for a Magnet Rise, but the ground energy filled rocks still smashed into Magnezone, followed by a torrential surge of truly foul, swampy water that jetted up from the cracks in the earth. The quake almost fainted Magnezone, but the water in addition to the earth brought it to unconsciousness. Or it would have, were it not for the inherent and infuriating sturdiness of Magnezone's species line.

Panting hard from unleashing that much energy following Mega Evolution all at once, Hydrus needed a minute, which was Magnezone's time to counter. Unable to use anything resembling a grass move, Colress opted for a condition instead. "While he's immobile! Supersonic!"

Hydrus's head fins shuddered as the supersonic waves scrambled his mind and the confusion took effect. "Hydrus!" Alex shouted, loudly, making his fins stiffen at the sound of his name. "C.T.C. Clear the confusion." Hydrus blinked slowly, nodded, and then slammed his skull into the ground. He gave the Magnezone a dark grin as he raised his slightly damaged head. "Now Karate Chop!"

While not usually a move Swampert grasped, Hydrus had learned to focus his fighting energy with Hammer Arm into the edge of his hands, not at all unlike a Gallade and their sword arms. Having Infinity Energy powering him, and a pretty wide arm, also helped with the focus required for Brick Break to work. He leapt across the field before the heavily damaged Magnezone processed that he'd moved. The move struck home as the wide edge of the Mega Swampert's arm came down on the Magnezone's main eye, smashing it rather hard into the ground from the force of the blow.

The Mega Swampert leapt back to his spot and roared. When Colress didn't immediately summon another Pokémon, he started rhythmically pounding the ground, and Alex called the move as the first raindrops fell. "That's the way. Rain Dance!"

Colress frowned, and then made his choice. He spoke as he drew his ball, and Alex let him. Every second only made Hydrus faster. "You know, I wouldn't have this one, were it not for you. It was in that secret base you found beneath the Palace of Truths, along with your Riolu and Mewtwo. I was deemed capable of caring for it, and since I'm responsible for the data that led to its existence in this era…it's only right that I Train it! Genesect!"

Hydrus tensed, as did his Trainer, as Colress brought out the mythical revived bug. It was an impressive crimson color that gleamed as it appeared, and Alex spied a Burn Drive loaded into it. Not only was it strong, but it had the capacity and the means to wield grass energy, something the rest of Colress's team pretty much lacked. Before it could do anything though, the Drone Rotom beeped. "A Mythical Pokémon has been detected. Please use non-Legendary or Mythical classed Pokémon." It said to Colress.

Alex spoke up, then. "Genesect is a revived, and slightly modified, Fossil Pokémon. We may classify it as Mythical, but right now, Hydrus is actually stronger, were we to compare their stats. I say let it Battle. Just my two Pokécents."

The Drone Rotom beeped, as it processed his words. Then, about a minute later, its eyes opened again. "The Pokémon Genesect has been given special permission to compete, due to its unique circumstances. Other exceptions have been made for the following Mythical Class Pokémon: Shaymin, Meltan, Melmetal, Zarude, Zeraora, Magearna, Marshadow, as well as Keldeo and the Swords of Justice, should they wish to Battle." The Drone Rotom floated back to the referee spot, then. "The second round will be Mega Swampert versus Genesect! Begin!"

This time, Colress didn't hesitate. "Energy Ball!"

"Ice Punch."

Hydrus smashed through the sphere of grass energy with ease, but Colress didn't let up. "Electroweb!"

Alex smirked. "Electricity won't work on Hydrus."

Colress smirked back at him. "We weren't aiming for him."

A massive web of electricity spewed from the red Genesect's mouth, surrounding Hydrus, and latching onto the field around him. Plasma was still tangible, and it forced the burly mudfish to crouch, without damaging him. Hydrus just curled into a sphere, watching his opponent, and waiting for the counter as he was unaffected by the move. Colress spoke first though. "Now Solar Beam!"

Alex frowned, as he calculated their next move, while the Genesect charged. After mastering Ice Punch, Hydrus had wanted to expand his arsenal, to fire and thunder as well. Electric energy was beyond his use though, thanks to his typing, but he'd been working on fire. Being resistant to it also helped. "Hydrus. Dig." The Mega Swampert did so immediately, diving through the ground as easily as he did water. The Electroweb deflated, and Alex chuckled, as it flopped in the breeze.

"Genesect." Colress said, typing into his arm gauntlet. "Hold your fire until you see the Swampert's eyes." The steel bug made a noise in response that Alex didn't comprehend. It sounded like an affirmative, though.

Alex smirked, and gave the next order, once Hydrus was in position. "Now!"

From directly under the Genesect, and out of every one of its sight lines, came Hydrus, headfirst as he hammered the bug with one of the few types it didn't resist. Alex followed up then, as Colress had. "Fire Punch!"

Hydrus breathed deep, taking in the cooling air of the oncoming wintry night, heating it within himself, and then manifesting that heat around his fist, as Blaze had shown him. A small ball of orange appeared in front of his knuckle, before it burned up his burly arm. Hydrus landed the quadruple-effective hit, which caused the Genesect to crash to the ground before Hydrus did.

The Genesect was still conscious, as expected of a Pokémon classified as Mythical, but Alex didn't hesitate long enough to let it recover. "Finish it. Earthquake."

Hydrus smashed down with his other fist as he landed, sending a focused line of broken ground at the downed steel bug. That, ended what fight it had left with an earthy explosion. The Drone Rotom called the match, and Alex watched their respective ranks. Colress had actually been doing pretty well, in the top thousand of the Normal Class but being beaten by someone as newly registered, and therefore low ranked, as Alex made his numbers drop dramatically. For his part, Alex's rank shifted from four digits, to three. Then it just kept going. When they stopped, he was in the top eight hundred. He was no math genius, but he figured wild changes in ranking were probably pretty common in the Normal Class, given how massive it was. It also meant losing wasn't impossible to come back from.

Colress approached him, as he recalled his partner. "Flattened, rolled up, and tossed aside. You Battle like Red."

Alex smirked. "I like to think it's a combo of Red and Leon, but I'll take the compliment." His voice lowered then, but only Colress heard it, despite all the eyes on them now. "You wished to speak about the Moon, yes?" Colress nodded, more than glad for subtle communication. "I heard. I'll be up there soon. I have another interrogation I need to see to, and it may prove useful for who you have up there."

Colress stared at him for a moment, then nodded slowly. "I'll meet you up there, then. Today."

"Today." Alex said, with a nod, and then suddenly Colress vanished in a bright flash of light. Given his deeds and reputation, Colress had earned a respectable sphere of space, wherever he appeared in public. Once he was gone, the lingering reporters that had crawled out of the woodwork as the battle had progressed now surged towards Alex, with a horde of microphones, some of which had Rotom inside them. Colress leaving was like a timer going off, as the swarm of news hounds all started chattering at once.

Alex threw up an actual Barrier until the flashing lights ceased, and then lowered it suddenly, following that with words. "I can't understand you people if you all talk at once. For the love of Arceus, one. At. A. Time."

What sounded like a younger reporter with a lighter male tone spoke up from somewhere behind the throng in front of Alex. "What do we do if we want a statement from you, then?" Some people laughed, as did Alex.

"What do you think we should do?" Following his words, a small framed but fierce eyed reporter bearing PNN's logo in the front row of eagerly outstretched arms raised her free hand, like she was in a classroom, and Alex smirked as he pointed at her. "She gets it. Go ahead."

The woman wasted no time, shooting off three questions rapidly, before he even had time to answer them. "Was that an Ultimate Move you just used? Did you personally make that new exception for Mythical Pokémon? And can you do something about this rain your Swampert caused?"

Alex's smirk widened. He'd largely refrained from feats of supernatural power, at least when surrounded by so many obvious cameras, and naturally some people, reporters included, were skeptical he could live up to the hype. Other reporters knew being the one to give information on the Dragon Emperor's power set would mean a boost for their careers. Regardless of her reasons, a desire for a demonstration, career advancement, or the dislike of wet clothing, Alex obliged her, tilted his head up at the sky, and shouted a pair of Words. They cracked like thunder as he used his Voice. "Shun Lok!"

The storm clouds vanished in a large, circular explosion of force leaving only the brilliant blue sky above them. Any lingering or pollution from New Tork City also vanished, giving its denizens a rare, perfectly clear look at the heavens. It was one of those clear days where one could see the Moon in the daytime. Alex looked back at the woman. "Yes, that was an Ultimate Move. Hydrus has been working on it. In fact…most of my team has been experimenting. You may see some Moves you don't recognize…but there's no limit on them, in this tournament as I understand the rules." He donned his armor then, as he answered her second query. "I didn't make the exception. I suspect the Drone Rotom forwarded my request to the League, since I'm a Regional Leader, and the League agreed to make allowances. Many of those Mythicals mentioned have already competed in tournaments, and our own Elite Four has a Marshadow in its ranks. Mega Forms are capable of matching Mythical Pokémon, and everyone in the later stages of this tournament will probably be using primarily Infinity Energy to Battle with, but Dynamaxing and other boosts can likely make a match more even too. There's no reason to exclude all of them. Obviously, Mew is too powerful, and I'm not sure about the Swords of Justice, they might be too strong as well, but I can understand why the Victory League allowed them in, should they find a worthy Human. Now if you'll excuse me…I have business."

He looked over at Jess, who nodded at him. She knew where he was off to and was more than content to raise her rank even higher ahead of his. Being that she was in the two hundreds, her current battle would probably get her into the Great Class. Alex nodded at her, and left her to it, before bamfing away.

Lumiose City Police Department - Kalos Region

The day was winding down at the LCPD at the late hour of four in the afternoon, when the remaining officers in the building were treated to a regional authority Teleporting into their midst like a Twister. Within a few moments, as they confirmed who he was, he was led to the cell of Gabriel Agreste, the apparent identity of Monarch, or Dark Moth, or whatever he was calling himself after being beaten thoroughly.

Alex frowned at the man, as they locked eyes. He didn't need psychic power to see the desperation in the man's eyes, but the more Alex looked at him, the more he disliked. The haughty air, the ridiculously expensive brand clothing, he reminded Alex far too much of many Arcean officers that had run their blitz from the safety of Fornia, behind their hordes of murderous (and typically poorer class) Crusaders, or the attendees at his neighbor's First Eve party. Dark Moth was a rich snob that had overreached and paid for it. He looked for mercy in the now helmet-covered eyes of what could only be the Dragon Emperor, the man who was apparently responsible for keeping him here, instead of being moved to a Prison.

"So. You're Dark Moth, eh? I believe it. I knew someone with that kind of aesthetic had to be some rich snob, and lo, here you are."

"Having money doesn't hurt, Dragon Emperor." Came a teenaged, but familiar voice from the shadows before the broken villain uttered a word. Night Cat prowled out next to him, and Alex gave his claw a firm shake, and he nodded in respect.

"Night Cat. Money is a great slave, but a terrible master. The most competent and dangerous masters are those that make you believe you are master over them." He could see his wisdom flowing in one ear and out the other. The blank stare of a teen came over his face, so Alex continued. "I didn't expect to see you here. Have you and Ledi Girl considered my offer?"

The lightly furred face of the hybrid of man and Pokémon smirked. "We have. We'll help you defend Kalos, and beyond, but uhh…we're keeping our 'uniforms'."

Alex waved a hand. "Consider them kept. You two will have the same freedom you always did, all that will change…is the quality of your extra gear, and the number of Humans and Pokémon ready to help you, should things get to be too much. Just tell the Scale Quartermaster at the army base that the Emperor has given leave to outfit you two with whatever you think you'll need."

"That's…so generous." Night Cat said, sounding genuinely awed that Unova had basically just agreed to upgrade them. "We were actually hoping that uhh…we could join the Emperor's Scales. Under you, specifically. As your uhh…trainees? Padawans? Nobody could give me a clear answer on what you're calling the…newer Scales."

"Apprentice will suffice, until they decide on a moniker themselves." Alex answered with a sagely nod. He paused then, eyeing the young hero. "I hadn't even considered taking on apprentices…although I guess I technically have two already. Rick and Drake…they're more than capable as Scales, though. I saw your team, and your Lady's. They could use some work, but there's promise there." He pondered another moment, but it was for show. "Alright, Night Cat. You and Ledi Girl will…learn some new tricks, before I leave you to operate on your own again. In fact…" Alex looked around. "Is she here now? I have some uhh…global ties I need to meet with after this, people you two should probably meet."

Night Cat shook his blonde head. "I'm on my own, for this…" He finally looked at Dark Moth, who'd grown quiet since the dark themed superhero appeared. "There's something you should know, if we're going to be working together." He dropped his fusion then, and his shiny Liepard looked up at him with worry. He looked largely the same, still blonde, and classically handsome, for a teenager. "I am Adrien Agreste. Dark Moth is…he's my…"

He struggled to say the words, and Alex put a surprisingly large hand on the teen's shoulder. "I understand. I'm impressed you came here. Most people would run."

Adrien shook his head. "I can't run from this. My Father has to answer for his crimes…I was going to watch whoever interrogated him. Then you showed up. Honestly…I'm just here for answers."

Alex gestured to the imprisoned aristocrat, and Adrien approached the bars with Plagg. "I don't want excuses, Father. I just want to know why…"

Gabriel looked up at his son, and the look in his eyes finally broke him. "Your mother. The Witch promised she could bring her back to me. Everything I did…was to get her back."

"But she's gone!" Adrien retorted angrily. "She's been gone…and ever since she left us, so have you. More reclusive, more isolated. Now I know what was taking up your time. You need to let her go, Father."

Gabriel shook his head, and some of the mania that had driven him to Shadow came through the mask he usually hid it with. "But I've seen one, Adrien! A real, living, breathing, revived Human being! Resurrected, in all capacities! It's possible…it has to be."

At this point, Alex chimed in. He could guess what revived human the criminal had seen. "What you saw was a perversion of Nature. An abomination fueled by Shadow, and the will of the one who brought them back." He leaned in close to the bars then, and Gabriel's ears instinctively fell back, before the steel in those intense blue eyes, that seemed to be on fire as they bore through him. "Where did the Witch and the talking corpse go, exactly?"

Gabriel shook his head, speaking before he even realized what he was saying. "I was not told. They whispered something about one of the Successor's Pokémon being imprisoned in an Imperium complex, but they have complexes all over the world."

Alex sighed. "Did they mention which Pokémon he was after?"

Gabriel shook his head again. "Not by name, but he seemed to think acquiring this Pokémon would allow them to avoid the Imperium and whoever else was chasing after them. He claimed it was utterly traceless. You'll be hard pressed to find him if he acquired it already."

Alex began mentally eliminating which Pokémon could possibly move a pair of humans around fast enough to avoid two continent spanning superpowers. His team took over sorting the list, as Gabriel Agreste made his case. "In return for my…cooperation, Dragon Emperor, I hope you will show me leniency."

"Perhaps." Alex answered in a tone that suggested leniency was unlikely. "If your information is legitimate, we will consider better accommodations, but not a shorter sentence."

Gabriel gave him a pained, awkward smile. "How long do you think the sentence will be?"

Alex shrugged. "I'm not your Judge, but given that your actions injured and killed people, multiple times, not to mention possession of multiple Shadow Pokémon, I would prepare for a lifelong incarceration." He looked at Night Cat then. "I'll wait outside for you. Give you a minute in here."

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Night Cat nodded, and faced his father, while outside the cell area, most of the police department was empty. Alex retracted the helmet and most of his armor as he looked around with a slight frown. A new shift was hopefully coming in, but they didn't arrive before Night Cat had said what he needed to. He emerged once more fused with his Liepard. "I called Ledi Girl. She'll meet us outside."

Outside ended up being the roof of the police building, and sure enough, within a few minutes, Ledi Girl came in fast, thwipping away both to speed up, and slow her momentum. "Dragon Emperor." She said with a casual curtsy. "I take it Night Cat has explained what we want?"

"To be my apprentices? Sort of. We had other business inside; I'd like to hear what you had in mind."

Her eyes widened slightly. "Apprentice? Wha- no, I, I mean I- we would be honored to learn from the Dragon Emperor himself, but surely you're too busy right? I was more hoping for some uhh, tricks or something, to help us keep the peace. Maybe some related to wielding the Light-"

At that moment, another figure joined them on the conspicuous roof, one all three of them recognized. Connor smirked at Alex as they clasped arms. "Redwood. Trying to steal my student now, in addition to my sister?" His tone seemed jovial, but Alex sensed his true feelings about the situation beneath the facade.

"Not at all." Alex said nonchalantly. "Night Cat and Ledi Girl here want to learn from me, so we're going over the logistics of them joining the Scales and being…apprentices."

"Oh…" Connor said quietly. The silence dragged on, and then finally Alex spoke again once the two teens had time to look between both of them.

"You know there's always a place for you as a Master within the Scales, if you want it."

Connor's eyes narrowed. "That's news to me. I thought you and my sister didn't want me in your 'elite Trainer' club."

Alex's brow furrowed, and his gaze became more intense. "I know for a fact that we've both invited you to join several times. You never got any invitation?"

Connor's anger faltered, as he could tell his longtime friend was not amused that someone had seemingly purposefully excluded the Kalos Champion from their ranks. "No, I got nothing. I trust my mail delivery, too."

Alex nodded. "This has to be on my end. Such is the Way of having an organization of individuals. Someone who doesn't like you has let their feelings cloud their judgement. You have my word, there will be an appropriate punishment. That said, the offer stands."

Again, the teenagers looked between the pair, as Connor paused in his answer. Then, finally, he nodded. "Alright. I'll join your Scales. But you should know I've already been training Night Cat here. Ledi Girl has…different skills."

Alex nodded slowly. "In that case, Night Cat will continue as your apprentice, and I'll help Ledi Girl with the Light. As much as I can, anyway. I need some backup, where I'm going. Would you two like to join?"

Connor and his official apprentice shared a look. The Kalos Champion answered him, then. "Sure, whatever the Dragon Emperor needs of us. Where are we going?"

Alex smirked. "First, to get you all the symbols of your station. Plasma swords. After that? We're going somewhere…out of this world."

Several Hours Later… - Lantea City, Luna

Though it had taken some time and paperwork, which was tricky given that Alex had to keep the teen's secret identities intact, they had eventually gotten the components for their plasma swords and constructed them after wandering through Chargestone Cave and exiting with their chosen crystal. Assembling the weapons had also taken time, but this far above the Earth, the time of day was a lot less relevant.

As they manifested from the teleport beam that brought them to the Moon based command center of the organization known as Pegasus, they were met by the smiling face of Colress, whose smile faded as he saw Alex had brought guests. "Emperor Redwood. You didn't mention you'd be bringing people with you."

Alex smirked at him, and his eyes shifted as he saw Geralt was already here, posted up against a wall behind Colress, and in between two armed men with ancient style rapid-fire projectile firearms. Like the rest of the people working in this command center, they were in gray uniforms, sporting triangular patches that seemed to indicate their job, on their chests. They also had another patch on their shoulders, one sporting the mythical creature for which the organization had been named. "One of the former leaders of Team Plasma asks me to a secret base on the Moon? Yea, that's a situation where backup is wise."

Colress frowned. Most of the world had either forgotten or forgiven his stint with Ghetsis and his cult, but it was always Unova natives that brought it up. "The thing is, now we have to swear three more people to secrecy." He smiled awkwardly at the trio. "Not that I don't trust the word of the Kalos Champion and his Region's newest young defenders…perhaps Geralt failed to mention the need for secrecy."

Alex chuckled. "Our organizations will likely be working closely together. Especially with these three. They know how to keep a secret, and I'll vouch for their word. Now take us to this prisoner of yours."

Unable to deny that, Colress gestured for the four of them to follow, and Geralt joined them as well. He started elaborating then, in his usual manner of speech, using as few words as possible, on how he and his own 'apprentice' had fought and successfully captured the Imperator's first son, Horus, after having his fleet decimated by a Lunala and her rider. Despite losing most of his forces, Horus had pressed on, only to fall to Geralt's ambush before he reached the Selenar.

Colress then elaborated on why the Imperium of Man was so determined to take the moon, or Luna, as its residents seemed to call it. "The Selenar, what's left of Luna's Old Earth inhabitants, are actually masters of genetic manipulation. The Imperator has been after their secrets for centuries at this point. The assault on Luna was supposed to shatter their defenses and conquer them with ease, but your cousin stopped them at the ideal moment, with an ambush, which frankly is the only way to take down a squad of Astartes, let alone one led by a Prime Archon, and not die."

As Colress led them through the maze of primarily gray hallways to the prison, Alex was noticing more and more that the structure of this place was not just sturdy, but to his enhanced view of the world, structurally perfect. Flawless. Like it had been printed from a pattern, or something. And it wasn't just a few hallways either, at one point the five of them passed a view of the entire complex, which in size, was as large as New Tork City, though not nearly as sprawling and chaotic. It was a little unnerving how perfect it was, leading Alex back to the same question; who exactly was responsible for building such a place?

He resolved to ask Colress later, as they finally reached the prison. It was the newly arrived quartet's first proper look at an unarmored and largely unclothed Astartes, but compared to the average Thunder Warrior, Horus was a masterwork of art, and the rank and file were child drawings by comparison. Every limb sported an absurd amount of muscle except for the limb he was now missing, his facial features were perfect, and even the beard he'd started growing in captivity was growing in with full, perfect length and coverage, with no signs of patchiness.

His hair was long and raven black like his gene-source, and he was kneeling within a small square carved into the floor, that only had a normal human sized bed within it. There was an unnervingly patient rage in his eyes as he raised his head, and a small smile cracked the handsome visage as Colress spoke. "Prime Archon Horus, first son of the Imperator, I give you Alexander Redwood, the latest Dragon Emperor. He has come to…resolve this situation."

Horus quietly processed Colress's words, and then his gaze shifted to Alex. "The young Dragon Emperor…you have a bearing similar to that of the first." Horus stood then, and his absurdly large gene-perfected muscles flexed as he effortlessly rose to his absurd height of, by Alex's guess, what had to be at least thirteen feet. "Make a smart decision, Dragon Emperor. Let me out." The energy barrier containing him flashed to life as Horus got close to it.

"So you can murder us and try to escape?" Alex said, noting the tension that had yet to leave the giant's frame. He shook his head. "No. You will be returned to your home in time, but first you need to understand what you've missed. My Empire and your Imperium are, officially, not enemies. By the word of your brother, Fulgrim, we have reached a mutual agreement of peace."

Horus laughed, a pleasant sound, but the source of the man's mirth was disturbing. "You lie. Of all of us, Fulgrim was most eager to take Kalos."

Alex nodded. "Once, perhaps, but no longer. I can get him on a Holocall if you wish to hear it from him directly."

Horus shook his head. "It matters not. My Father will never long ally with an Empire of savages. You've been fed honeyed words, young Dragon Emperor."

Alex shrugged. "Perhaps. But what I said is true; Fulgrim has agreed to cease hostilities on the Kalos border. As have I. We gave our word, on our honor, that the border would remain peaceful." He stepped closer to Horus, and levitated himself up to his eye level, as his larger frame was limned with blue aura. "Honestly, Horus, I don't want to keep fighting your Imperium. A war would only cause senseless, avoidable deaths."

Horus snorted derisively, as he saw the psyker powers. "Maybe for your side. Astartes do not fall so easily."

Alex nodded in agreement. "They don't. Not to our level of weaponry. But imagine if you will, a line of your formidable Astartes, facing a line of my Scales, people that your society would call 'Psykers'. They fire hundreds of rounds across no man's land. Do you know what happens next?"

Horus grinned, and Alex could sense his enhanced mind picturing the scene, one that had likely played out before. "Your 'Scales of Balance' fall, like wheat before the scythe. As have all barbarians before them, Psyker or otherwise."

Alex shrugged again, but inwardly, he confirmed for Tao their next potential enemy's overconfidence. "You may well be right, Horus. The result would be the end of Human lives. I prefer a world where neither side has to die."

Horus snorted again. "Enough idealistic prattle. You wish for peace? Accept the Imperial Truth and bend the knee, Redwood. Submit to my Father, return me, and you may yet have a place in the Imperium that we are creating. I will waste no more breath on this." He fell back on his massive knees then and went silent. Alex tried asking him a few questions, some simple some not, but all he got in response was silence. At that point, he led their group out of the prison.

As the door shut behind them, hiding their words from even Horus's enhanced ears, Colress looked at Alex. "That was…an interesting interrogation technique. I take it you think a confrontation between your forces would end differently?"

Alex shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. My Scales will require more than Bolter rounds to be felled, though. That much I know. He's overconfident. Much like Fulgrim, and I would assume, the rest of their brothers. Perhaps even their father. Overconfidence is good. While they underestimate our competence, we can cripple them, should things turn violent."

Colress snorted at him in disbelief, but there was a glimmer of light in his eyes as he said. "They own half the supercontinent and have designs on the other half that go back millennia. How?"

Alex smirked. "We strike where their Imperium is weakest, and let their size crush them before they even realize they're under a coordinated attack. Ideally, it won't come to that. It would be far better to adapt their infrastructure to help the planet and society like other regions have, rather than blow it up and rebuild it. Now…there was mention of another side to this conflict, right? The er…Selenar? I think we should speak with them."

As he spoke those words, every human present blinked, as suddenly, a massive psychic presence joined them. Alex shifted under his cloak, and then brought out a black and white Pokéball that was humming with power now that it was occupied. Apparently, Italia's preeminent Pokéball Professor had upgraded this one as well, though she hadn't mentioned doing so. Tao's voice thundered in their skulls. "I will join you."

In short order, Alex found himself before a large holoscreen. On it, was what appeared to be a woman, though she had been heavily modified by technology and presumably at a genetic level as well. The most obvious upgrade was the white metallic wings that spread from her back, and most of her head was covered, not unlike a nun from one of Old Earth's cults. She introduced herself as the Archetypal Head called Heliosa. "Long have we waited for a Terran to rise up against the Imperator, Dragon Emperor. Now, we can wait no longer. You seem to be the head of the remaining free regions on Terra. I invite you before the Selenar, in person, that we may discuss these matters beyond the Imperator's reach."

After thanking her for the honor, Colress ended the call. "Nobody from Pegasus has ever been called before the full Selenite council. I'll be going with you, for this. I am more familiar with them."

Alex nodded. "If I do something improper, just instruct me by thinking as loudly as you can. I'll hear you."

Colress raised an eyebrow at him. "Does that mean you can hear everyone's thoughts if they happen to think loudly?"

Alex nodded. "You would be amazed at how loudly some people think their thoughts. But I can tune them out, and I usually do so as a matter of their privacy and my sanity." Colress seemed amused, as he guided him through the base.

One short ride away via a scout craft that Pegasus called a 'puddle jumper' for some reason, the five humans were welcomed into the entrance that Horus had breached not so long ago. "It's already repaired…" Geralt remarked. Indeed, any sign of the breach and the ensuing firefight was already restored to perfection.

Before long, Cat Noir, Ledi Girl, Connor, and Geralt were guided to a high class but blandly uninteresting waiting room, while Alex and Colress continued on to the main council chamber. Where Heliosa was giving off matriarchal caretaker vibes, each of the other council members had a completely different look to them, and most were far more heavily modified by machinery and gene manipulation.

A man who had to be embodying the 'wise old man' archetype spoke first once he and Colress were in position in the center of the circular chamber. It reminded Alex of a stadium, though it was very clearly a circle. "Our thanks for coming so quickly." The 'bearded' man said. His bionic lenses shifted to Colress. "I trust you found the schematics we shared satisfactory?"

Colress nodded. "They are…though we noted the designs for a capital ship were missing."

The old man made a mechanical sound that Alex belatedly recognized as a chuckle. His 'beard' was actually white cabling that hung down his front like a long beard but seemed to connect elsewhere on his person beneath his flowing gray robes. "Your Dragon Emperor already possesses a capable flagship. What we have provided to you will help it more than match our own designs."

Alex and Colress shared a look, but they both nodded. Colress pushed his glasses up. "I understand. Now then…the council wished to speak with my royal friend here…?"

Heliosa nodded, once more taking over the conversation. "You see, Dragon Emperor, we have among us a skilled psychic, like yourself, who we saved from Terra, along with her compatriots. In return for our aid, she has used her abilities of Future Sight to help guide our future. There seems to be two paths before us. In the Imperator's, we will survive yes, but in name only, a footnote in a millennium of strife, yet more pawns for the Imperator to spend with no consequence. The other path used to be clouded, as the future can sometimes be, but it is clear to our Psyker now that you, Alexander Redwood, will play a larger part in the events to come than we estimated previously. These paths, we have decided, are worth pursuing."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "And how do you intend to pursue them?"

"An alliance." Heliosa stated plainly. "As you and your Dragon have all but appointed competent defenders of Terra and its regions, we would have you be the Warden of the Earth Sphere." At that point, a Magnemite popped up beside her. "As a symbol of our alliance, we freely offer this little one, for your endeavors in Battle, and beyond." The Magnemite floated down to Alex then, and Colress examined its stats, eyes widening as he invoked Arceus and read the numbers. The Selenar had somehow created the ideal Magnemite, through artificial means, but its nature did at least seem to naturally be modest.

"Thank you…" Alex said, locking eye with the magnetic Pokémon as it greeted him and gave him its name in a polite robotic fashion. "I'll take good care of…Magnus, here."

The 'bearded' man's eyes went wide. "So, you can speak with them…you can name him something else, if you like. Given how special he is though, I went with Magnus when he, urm…hatched."

Alex stared at the old man for a long moment, and then at his newest partner. There were many theories about Magnemite's line. Particularly Magnezone and Magneton, and who exactly they were communicating with in space. "As far as I can tell, he's a Pokémon…right?"

The old man nodded. "Very much so. Like every other Magnemite, though admittedly, with far superior abilities. May he serve you well as you…heh…bring the thunder."

Alex recalled the floating sentient magnet into his Luxury Ball and set him on his cloak. Both speaking to Pokémon like Magnemite and introducing them into the mental web way his team had going on was tricky, but he sensed Arthur sorting it out, as he always did. Even though his Gallade felt quite far away, it seemed their bonds were not split by distance. Though whether that was because of their nature, or because Arthur was his first and closest bonded psychic type, he was not sure. "He will do well. As for an alliance…"

At that point, Tao popped free of his ball, and the chamber shifted to a higher alert level. Pristine white robotic constructs appeared from the white panels making up the walls, and as Alex took them in, they seemed uncannily similar to Sigilyph, while others had a build more like an undefined, uncolored, and undamaged white Golurk. As Heliosa calmed the defenses, Tao coiled his massive body artfully in the center, and his golden gaze swept over each archetypal head of the Selenar as he mentally projected his words. "The other members of our defensive pact will need to agree to your involvement, for it to become official. This will mean the people of Earth will learn of their long-lost lunar cousins."

The Selenar's leaders murmured to one another, not by psychic power or hidden speech devices, but through wavelengths of multicolored energy that Alex's eyes only barely picked up visually as they streamed to others. Finally, Heliosa spoke for them. "We feel the time is not yet right for such a revelation. The Imperium will surely counter, if not with outright war, then with other means, and they have many, make no mistake. In light of this, we will officially ally with Pegasus, and we shall devote our resources to aiding their efforts of global stabilization, and peacekeeping. These resources will be available for your Scales as well, should you inform them of our existence."

Alex glanced up at Tao, who glanced down at him. In perfect sync, the pair nodded. "That will suffice…at least for now." The dragon rumbled.

"Pegasus humbly accepts the offer to incorporate the Selenar into Lantea City and Pegasus as well. With this alliance, Luna will once again be a power unto itself, for those who inhabit it." Colress added smoothly, and the archetypal heads seemed to nod, pleased with his words.

With the meeting concluded, the five of them returned to Lantea City. In the puddle jumper, Colress, Alex, Connor and Tao discussed the logistics of building their fleet of space capable craft. The goal of such a fleet would be the same as Pegasus, to maintain balance in and around the solar system, and once that was achieved, they all agreed that the Enterprise would explore beyond their solar system, seeking out new worlds and civilizations as they boldly went where, as far as they knew, no human had gone before.

As they returned to the command center they'd arrived in Alex found the staff, who until this point had largely ignored him and Geralt, gathered around the city's other puddle jumpers. A woman was at their head, and Colress sighed, pushing up his glasses as he said, "Ah. Indulge them, if you would, Dragon Emperor. I'll go start the Holocall with the Imperium."

Alex nodded, and exited the craft behind Colress, with Ledi Girl right behind him. A curly dark brown-haired woman in a similar gray and red outfit to her coworkers gave him a warm smile as they locked eyes. "Alex, right? I'm Victoria. We're big fans." Her eyes shifted to Ledi Girl then. "We've seen the work you and Night Cat have done too, Ledi Girl. It's impressive how much you two have cleaned up Kalos." She looked back at Alex then, as Connor and Night Cat disembarked as well. "I thought it would be nice to get to know you, and your Scales, since Director Colress said we'd be working together more often. What you see before you are a combination of retired Professional Rangers, several Pokémon Professors and their aides, and International Police Officers. We're the ones using a small portion of Lantea City to monitor the Earth for disturbances."

Alex nodded as she spoke, and from behind her, her coworkers surged towards Connor, and the two teen superheroes. The woman leaned in close to Alex then, though she had to get on her tiptoes to manage it. "They're mostly interested in autographs. After this, we have something important to show you, that you should all be aware of."

Alex measured the seriousness in her lowered tone, nodded, and then indulged the fans he had, among Lantea City's base. Most of the crowd was focused on the superheroes, and namely, how the Muk their fusions even worked, but about half wanted him to sign things, for some reason. One particularly charismatic man managed to snare him into a conversation though. He was an egghead, a Professor or one of the aides Alex couldn't tell. His features were plain, save for a nose that was perhaps larger than most, with brown male-pattern-balding hair, and brown eyes as well; he didn't stand out physically, but he did have personality.

He'd snared the Unovan Champion with a question about battling styles, and Alex shared what he considered knowledge. "At my level, most Battles are a test of how fast my Pokémon can make the other faint. They're strong enough to not really need boosting Moves, at least against road Trainers, and they can power through pretty much any status condition at this point. So, while others try lowering their attack and other stats, by the time they manage to lower them enough to matter, we'll be landing the hit that faints them. With my main ten, that's typically two, at most three moves. Obviously, when their levels are even and there's no type advantages, I take a much different approach, and get…clever, but as you asked about my first team…they tend to roll through whatever they face, at this point."

The scientist spoke animatedly then. "But you don't use Status Moves, usually, right? Only really to catch Pokémon, I assume?"

Alex nodded. "Sometimes I'll Paralyze in Battle, but it's usually better to spend a turn attacking in most scenarios. But yes, Paralysis works quite well for catching Pokémon, though I don't typically weaken and stun them these days, now that I can speak their tongue. Why hurt them when I don't have to, y'know?"

The man nodded, as one of his coworkers paid him the end result of what seemed like some kind of bet. "Very humane. You're using your Granduncle's method well, the way I hear it."

"I do try." Alex said, chuckling, "But sometimes, Pokémon would rather fight than talk. In fact, I'd say that's true of most species, especially those that have evolved."

"Fascinating. As Colress said you would be." The woman from earlier chimed in, joining them. Behind her, the throng of people seemed intent on following her and moving…somewhere. "Speaking of your Granduncle…there's something you should see, before your Holocall with the Imperator."

Alex glanced towards where Colress had walked. "I should probably be there when he's connected…"

The woman waved a hand. "They'll take a long time to connect him, until they recognize where the signal is from. You're going to want to see this, trust me." She winked at him then, not in a flirtatious manner, but in the manner of someone who knew something he didn't. His natural curiosity led him into following her back to the space they'd entered into, and from this direction, Alex realized there had been something behind them that they, or perhaps just he, had not noticed when they'd bamfed in. A massive curtain was hiding whatever it was, and as she approached said curtain, Alex guessed whatever it hid was part of whatever he'd want to see.

As the woman drew back the curtain, Alex finally saw in person what his Gruncle had called a 'Stargate' in his notes. The megastructure was impressive up close, and as promised, displayed the forty or so symbols that were engraved into the ring. For some reason, his eyes couldn't give him more information about the ring, and he assumed it was because it connected to so many places, the possibilities on the other side were basically endless.

Sensing a hint of consciousness, and recalling his Gruncle's account of finding this thing, Alex strode up to it, smirking. "Are you in there, Den?"

The rings started shifting, and the scientists murmured as they spun to life. Alex had wisely only walked up to a mark on the floor helpfully placed at what he assumed was the edge of the safe area, for when the Stargate activated. Plasma surged outward, then back in, and within the portal a face familiar to Alex appeared, mirroring his smirk.

"By Arceus…you sure sprouted, young Redwood." Came a voice not at all unlike his Granduncle's had sounded from speakers all around them in the command center.

"You're one to talk. They say you're in every Stargate across the Milky Way, Den."

Alex had never seen a gate nod before, but Dengeki managed it. "I have seen…so much…learned…so much. Your Granduncle yearned for recognition in finding a Legendary Pokémon, but his name will live forever, after discovering the Stargates for Humanity again. Uploading accumulated data…estimated time to completion…seventy-two Earth hours." The Gate Rotom's eyes fluttered then, and his voice became fainter. "My time with you all is almost passed. There is so much to see out here, Alex. I look forward to seeing what you create…"

Alex frowned as he sensed the Rotom being pulled away, likely due to the nature of inhabiting a galaxy-wide gate network. "Wait, Den! We need to know…has Humanity spread out among the Galaxy? Did our ancestors make it out there?"

Dengeki chuckled, and his face in the gate faded, as did the plasma comprising the gate itself. His voice did come through one last time though. "Yes. Whoever conquers space first…will decide their fates." Unable to share more, Den blinked out of existence, and the Stargate was once again inactive.

With that revelation leaving the crowd of humans silent and softly murmuring, Colress's voice made them all jump in surprise as it came over the speakers. "The Imperium has recognized the origin of the signal I sent. Dr. Weir, please bring the Dragon Emperor."

The curly haired woman who had been leading their group nodded. "If you'll follow me."

Alex nodded as well, leaving Connor and the others to continue speaking with Lantea City's staff about what they just saw. Once they were in the halls again, Alex spoke. "Doctor Weir, eh? I remember there being another Doctor Weir in my Granduncle's records. As I recall, she basically led our ancestor's expedition to the Pegasus Galaxy, right?"

The woman side-eyed him and nodded as she walked. "Indeed. She is my ancestor, apparently. I'd love a look at your Granduncle's records some time. The ones still up here have been restricted, classified, or just removed."

"I'll make a copy of what he documented." Alex answered. "Who classified the documents? Isn't Colress the Director?"

She gave him a look. "Everyone has a boss they report to. You'll meet them eventually, I'm sure. Here we are." She said, stopping before a door that was identical in size and color to all the other doors they'd passed.

Alex thanked her as he entered, and found a largely empty room, with Colress standing before a console in the exact center of it. In front of him, projected onto a wall, was the face of a grizzled man who looked young, but somehow had noticeable age lines on his face. Six metal studs of some kind of metal had been bolted into his brow, and his sharp gray eyes fell on Alex as he entered. "…connecting you now." The man said, as his face vanished, and was replaced with the double headed symbol of the Imperium aquila.

The next man they saw was a vision of aesthetic perfection. Classically handsome features, perfectly tanned pale skin, and raven black hair filled the 'screen' as His deep baritone rang through the simple room. "Director Colress…and Alexander Redwood. How kind of you to address us from your lofty perch."

Colress spoke first. "Great Imperator, as you're probably aware…the assault by your forces on Luna failed."

"I know." The man said flatly. "Did you only call to gloat? I expected better from you Director. Beyreuth said you had important information to share."

"I'm not gloating at all, Imperator. I simply wished to apprise you of recent events on Luna, both of which I think you will find worth knowing. First, your son, Horus, is alive and well. We wish to return him to you unharmed, and you'll be pleased to hear he's essentially told us nothing, in terms of military secrets. Second…the Selenar and Pegasus have both agreed to align our interests with the Dragon Empire."

The mighty black brows crashed together. "Are you declaring war, then?"

Alex spoke up before Colress could answer, now that the Imperium was very aware of these multiple non-Imperium factions coalescing together. "No. In fact, quite the opposite, Imperator. Your son Fulgrim and I have both agreed that the Kalos and Germanian border will remain peaceful, at least for now. I wanted to take this opportunity to offer you the same terms, for the rest of our borders." The Imperator's brows lowered slightly, and Alex continued. "Killing each other and pretending the other side is illegitimate and unimportant is not working. The world is connected enough at this point in time that we all need to coexist, if we're going to move forward. I'd like to get the rulers of the Eousian kingdoms on board as well, if possible, to finally stop the bloodshed. There's no point to it."

The Imperator sighed. "The savages in Eous despise my Imperium. They'll never work with us."

Alex tilted his head slightly but nodded. "Yea, that happens when you capture their civilians and lobotomize them for your work force. But as I understand it, that happened a long time ago, and the senseless death from your current stalemate isn't doing anything but causing strife for our species. I think we can agree on that. I have connections in Eous that would probably jump at the chance to join us as well, but I don't want to keep seeming like I'm trying to provoke you. I genuinely don't want to fight your people. I want both our territories to prosper. I want the Earth to prosper." He said, using the term for the planet in the west. In the Imperium, the official title for the planet was Terra, often elevated to 'Holy' Terra, by the masses of Imperium civilians.

The Imperator let out a deep, leveled breath. "Well. Speaking of provocation…do you know anything about a raid on one of My prisons? I lost experienced Adeptus Custodes, and the video we recovered showed a powerful Gallade at the head of the intruders."

Alex's brow furrowed. "Plenty of people have Gallades, you know…although…" He paused in speaking as he processed the information. Then, it all clicked. There was really only one person who could be responsible for successfully raiding an Imperium prison, and he knew they had a Gallade with them. He looked back up at the Imperator and met his ancient gaze evenly. "It was the Successor of Arceus, and the Gallade was likely Mordred, who was Trained by Caleb Pravus, of Fornia. If you would, Imperator…I need to know what Pokémon they were after. I don't need specifics on how you held it, or kept it alive for millennia, I just need the species name."

The response was only given after a pregnant pause. "Hoopa."

When nothing else followed, Alex swore as his eyes fell towards the floor. "Muk…he could be literally anywhere." He met the Imperator's gaze again. "The people responsible for murdering your Custodes are also my enemies. They wield the power of Shadow, in an effort to control the world. I intend to stop them. My Scales are hunting for them as we speak."

The Imperator seemed occupied by something on his end. Then, his ancient eyes met Alex's. "Your words have been true…and you have not lied about your intentions. Rare, for a leader of mortals." Another pause filled the space, but Alex could tell the man was thinking, and didn't interrupt. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he said, "Would you consider allying with my Imperium as you have Rio, Japan, and the others?"

It was Alex's turn to pause. Most of the free world despised the Imperium, for good reason, but there was a viable method by which the majority of the world, or its Trainers at least, could know them as he'd come to 'know' Fulgrim. In truth, it would help demonstrate whether or not the Imperium was worth knowing, at their core.

"Obviously, it wouldn't be as…immediate as the others. Your Imperium has many policies that the rest of the world abhors. Are you willing to compromise on those issues?"

The Imperator's face was unreadable as he answered. "No. That is unlikely. Our laws exist for a reason. We don't make up frivolous rules."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't call enslaving people and lobotomizing the troublemakers frivolous. The concerns the other Regions have will be legitimate. Systematic slavery. Lobotomy. Eugenics. Pollution. Just to name a few. You're going to let such atrocities stop world peace?"

The Imperator sighed deeply again. "You are still young. You still think Humans want peace. Yet mine own sons thrive in the theater of War, and they are the pinnacle of Humankind. Humans have been fighting wars for as long as our species has existed. It is our nature to fight. We become restless without conflict, and restless masses lead to dead Emperors." He took another lengthy pause, and Alex realized the Imperator was listening to someone else speaking. Finally, he said, "But…I suppose if it means an end to the slaughter of my forces on the Eous border…I can discuss their concerns, at least. I did not create my Legions to routinely slaughter Humans. This stalemate has gone on for far too long."

Alex nodded, wondering what his original reason was for the Legions creation. "I'll convene a summit, when the time is right. In the meantime…I'd like to invite the Imperium's Trainers to join the World Tournament. I think perhaps people will be more open to an alliance once they can officially Battle members of your Imperium and take their measure."

A dark smirk, small but confident, cracked the perfect facade at the mention of battling. "Are you sure, young Dragon Emperor? There is a reason the League banned us in the first place."

Alex nodded confidently. "This is the way we get our respective sides to interact without killing each other. I'm sure the Imperium will help shake up the usual contenders we see in the Finals too. I'll speak to the League about it. Provided your people abide by the rules, there shouldn't be an issue."

Another pause, then finally, the perfect baritone echoed through the room once again. "Very well. If you hold to returning Horus, from this point forward, we will try it your way. With peace. The Imperium will cease its efforts in Koria and other nations we do not control. We will also mount no offensives on Eous, during this period of nonaggression. Unless of course, we are attacked first. We will await the Pokémon League's verdict. Until next we speak, young defender of Men."

"Give the Eousians three days to disseminate the word not to attack, to their forces." Alex replied. "I don't have much pull with the kingdoms on your border yet, but I know people who might. A public declaration of this ceasefire, from your mouth, would go far in alleviating the skepticism that is sure to follow this announcement."

The Imperator nodded slowly. "Fine. Three rotations. Then, any further aggressions will be met in kind." With that, the call was ended. The Imperator sighed, as He knew well the futility of 'peace'. He'd lived it before, but the young Dragon Emperor reminded him of a much, much younger version of himself, and this time, perhaps, the wheels of fate might end up turning differently. Even after so many millennia spent existing, the being that called itself the Imperator of Man still had a tendency to hope that, despite His past failures, this time, humanity would rise in the ideal way.

"You will not regret this, my Imperator." Came a voice from His right. The same voice that had seen an offer to stop the dystopian murder the Imperium had been embroiled in for centuries and jumped on it.

"I will, Malcador. I know where this road leads. I know what lies at its end. But perhaps…when we reach that inevitable end…you and the young Dragon Emperor will see the necessity of what we must do. " He rose from His golden throne, then. "See to retrieving Horus. Send a ship for him to the dark side of Luna."

As the Sigillite of the Imperium of Man watched his Imperator slowly stomp away, presumably to work on one of his many projects, he let out a sigh of relief, and marveled at how persuasive the Voice of the newest Dragon Emperor was. Not many things could influence a mind like the Imperator's, but its subtle power had given Malcador an opening to appeal to His logical reasoning, which was second to none. He set to fulfilling his orders then, more hopeful than he'd been for the last several eons of his existence.

Entral Park, New Tork City - Unova Region

As Alex returned to the capital with Ledi Girl in tow, the two were once more disguised. Marinette, which was her real name, blended in with the variety of aesthetics on display in the world's largest city. For his part, Alex had returned to his black and white attire, and had Astrum cover him in a glamour that by design would turn people's gazes away from him to anything else. As Astrum also wasn't that well known, he kept the gold feathered egg-shaped angel on his shoulder. As they passed by the crowds of people, heading towards Entral Park, only the little humans were able to even notice him, and his Trainer. Most were Trainers themselves, and Marinette got some decent experience by the time they reached the park.

Currently, Entral Park was an idyllic scene of a combination of humans and Pokémon, most of whom were battling, but there were others too, with humans, as entertained by watching the battles as their humans were. It was at this point that Marinette split off from him, and Alex recalled Astrum as he shattered the glamour on him by releasing the Original Dragon from his ball. His cape flared as Tao's massive wings pumped once, enough to float his bulk into the air, and onto his usual perch on the Entree.

The humans and Pokémon around them paused in their battling as they cheered, and those not occupied already started approaching the dragon, when he suddenly looked down. After rumbling in Pokéspeech, his draconic lips pulled back into a smile. His voice mentally reached Alex then. "You're going to want to see this."

As Alex walked over and greeted those he passed in the crowd, they eventually parted for him. Beneath the tree, he found Jess feeding what looked like snacks, mostly pastries with berry filling, to a severely obese Kubfu.

As Alex approached, his eyes went wide and he swallowed down the pastry in his paw, and then stuffed another in his maw for good measure. "Oo ust ee uh agn astr!"

Alex smirked at the young Pokémon. "Don't talk with your mouth full."

The kung fu cub nodded and swallowed. Then, the goofiness faded, for a more serious tone. Alex found his voice, as he heard it, to be somewhere between charismatic and epic. He liked it, and the cub's whole vibe as he put a closed fist to his open palm and bowed saying, "O great Dragon Emperor, I...am Po. I have traveled from Eous to learn…the Dragon Style!"

Alex's smirk widened as the cub used a genuine amount of awe and respect when speaking. "You have come to learn Kung Fu?" The cub nodded, and his eyes went wide as an appropriately timed gust of wind made the tall human's cape flare in a manner most epic. "Then I shall be your teacher." He said as he met the cub's gaze and took his measure. Aside from the weight issue, he was naturally adamant. He would probably have to be, to make such a trek on foot, and seemingly alone. "Canis." He said, summoning the aura hound, who answered as promptly as he always did. "Show him the basic forms. Once he has those down…I'll move you, Po, and perhaps our Mewtwo friend on to the more…advanced techniques."

The Kubfu did an excited little jig, displaying some impressively fast footwork. "Oooh! Techniques! Yes!" Alex chuckled at the pure, genuine excitement in Po's enticing tones.

Jess came up beside him as he fished out a ball. "How did the interrogations go?"

Alex shrugged. "As expected," Psychically, he elaborated, "I've got a new apprentice, in Ledi Girl, Horus is being given back to the Imperium, and for now, peace seems possible. As far as Dark Moth goes…he's on his way to being incarcerated somewhere that can hold him. Both factions on the Moon have allied with us. Verbally, anyway. We will see who upholds their word, and the Imperator himself agreed to back off his assaults on Eous. For now." He offered Po the ball then and continued in his mental manner. "Where did you find this little guy? And are there more snacks?"

Once Po was in the ball, Jess handed him a pastry. "Leppa filling. Leppa frosting." She knew his weakness for sweets, and he downed the cupcake from its papery cradle with a single bite. It almost filled his mouth, but that too was as obnoxiously large as the rest of him, and after a few bites, the delicious pastry was no more.

"I found him wandering around here, or rather, Delphi did." At the mention of her name, the psychic fox appeared with a bamf.

She fixed Alex with a stare, and he paid extra attention. She was to Jess what Arthur was to him, after all. "Train that one well. He is going to be…quite strong." Alex glanced at the cub, who was in the middle of slowly licking his claws clean as he admired his shiny new ball. He gave his new Trainer a goofy grin as he saw him looking over.

Alex looked back at Delphi. "Really? I know Urshifu are strong, but…"

The fox sighed at him, and then tapped his forehead, sharing a rare glimpse of her Future Sight. The first thing he noticed; was how much clearer her visions were compared to his own future reading attempts. Then, he saw it. A massive battle in what seemed like space, yet each combatant was moving like gravity was affecting them still. Suddenly, a flash of black and white zipped by, too indistinct to properly see, but Alex could tell it was Po, or rather, the Urshifu he would someday become. A golden outline of what looked like Tao, but composed of golden energy was cloaking Po, who was zipping through the battlefield, with devastating results. Then, he saw who, or rather what, they were fighting. As Delphi noticed that, the vision ended.

"Those were…" Alex started, but Delphi put a single finger over his lips.

"Not even you can prevent what they will become, Alex. I really shouldn't have even shown you that…but as I said, train the cub well. We are going to need him." Her words echoed in his head before the prophetic fox turned and bamfed away again.

Alex glanced at the Delphox's Trainer. "Has her Future Sight always been so…clear?"

Jess just smirked at him. "I named her Delphi for a reason. It takes a lot out of her though. What did she say?"

Alex looked back at Po then and saw that Canis was now instructing the eager cub, much as Arthur had done for him when he'd been a Riolu. The image of what his Urshifu had been fighting still lingered in his head, but he forced it back into the recesses of his memory. If it was knowledge he shouldn't have, he decided not to dwell on it, until he saw a similar creature face to face. "She told me to train Po here well. That we're going to need him…in the wars to come."

Hearing his name, Po turned, and gave the humans a big grin. "Aw yes! I've already got a prophecy about my awesomeness! Hey Canis-"

Alex winced, as his Lucario harshly punched through the cub's enthusiasm, sending him spinning to the ground. Canis waited until Po managed to look at him again, before exhaling deeply and letting his stance fade. "Never drop your guard during Battle, Po. Even with our team. Even in practice matches. Constant vigilance is required to master the Dragon Style."

Instead of being disheartened, Po found how easily he'd been punched down to be insanely cool. "Yes, Master Canis. Constant Vigilance. Awesome!" He eagerly took his stance again, and the two resumed sparring. Alex watched them, as he quietly had Lux look up how Kubfu actually evolved. He knew both Victor and Gloria had one, but neither had ever answered questions about the method they'd used to evolve their Kubfu into Urshifu.

Selva Muerta - Forest of Death, Dark Continent

Proditor wasn't sure where exactly Shahir had taken them, and he'd collapsed upon arriving, leaving him and the witch stranded. It had given them a much-needed reprieve to attend to their wounds that the Custodes had inflicted, but Proditor was beyond such inconveniences. The Shadow was all too eager to repair his body and had done so already. Being alive still, Morgana had more trouble with her wounds, as Bolter rounds were quite damaging.

Despite that, they'd been here hidden in this jungle long enough for Recover to do its work. Now, she was using a 'spell', namely ghost and Shadow energy, to figure out where in the world they were. "I know our location…" She hissed as she returned from her magic circle. "Selva Muerta. On the Dark Continent. Not far from-"

Proditor cut her off. "The Shadow Nexus! Of course. Shahir must have known it had been created by now, in this era. It might just have the power to help me match this Imperator you warned me of."

Morgana shook her head. "I can no longer sense it. Some months back, its power simply vanished. I never had a chance to investigate."

Deciding to investigate now, Proditor used Toraigon, his reclaimed Hydreigon, to help himself and Morgana scale the mountainous western mountains of the Dark Continent. As they traveled, the witch spoke. "I sensed a great power as well, nearby, in what is likely Rio. We should be wary of their Guardians. It is said the dark one, Sombrador, protects the Nexus from intruders."

Proditor shook his head as the dilapidated mountain fortress the descendants of his own cult on the supercontinent had formed came into view. "I would sense a Guardian, if it was here. But there's nothing. No Nexus, no ghosts…just empty stone." Indeed, all they found upon entering were some signs of recently used Pokémon moves, and a vague disturbance in the natural space surrounding the innermost chamber of the pyramid. "There is one I must speak with…whatever destroyed the Nexus likely at best wounded them. I must breach the dimensional barriers here, and commune. Guard my vessel." Proditor said. He also brought out Shellraiser and Mordred to guard him, as after the Gallade's performance, he had earned a spot on Proditor's belt that had been vacated upon learning its previous occupant was long since dead.

With his body defended, Proditor began what was essentially an ancient Eousian ritual, or spell, that enhanced his psychic prowess. Enough to at least penetrate the barrier between this world, and its Reverse. Once upon a time, it had been the very ritual that had led to his discovery, and mastery, of the Shadow. As the spell took effect and Proditor astrally projected himself into Giratina's domain, his intrusion did not go unnoticed.

Finally… A voice hissed in the darkness of the non-euclidean realm. Eons have passed, Cassius Proditor…it is time to Pay what you Owe…

"Actually… I believe you owe me, Great Old One." Proditor answered, noting the entity was currently not attached to Giratina. "You promised your powers would protect me from anything the Hero King could use against us." He separated the still-bisected pieces of his body for emphasis, in his astral form. "And yet here I am. In pieces after millennia of being Dead!"

The entity hissed in disgust, then went quiet. An unsettling grin crossed its body, and the being seemed smaller than Proditor remembered. You desire more power…I desire freedom, and a willing vessel… Giant black tentacles rose upward and outward from behind the entity. Let us stop taking half measures…much has happened since last we spoke…Eru's song has ended. A clash large enough to shake the very Multiverse has set things in motion, that cannot be undone.

Proditor's eyes went wide. "The First Song has ended? That's impossible."

And yet…here we are. The Dark Master comes…the three lights that could stop him were scattered across dimensions, and are now lost… There has never been a better time to Rise…

Still not convinced, Proditor said, "But it was prophesied that the Light would win…"

The multiversal clash I mentioned allowed the Dark Master…to return early. He caught his prey unawares. That entire dimension was consumed by Dagor Dagorath…and now belongs only to Him, and His servants.

Proditor pondered the being's words. If the oldest evil in existence was back, that changed quite a lot. The entity seemed truthful, but also eager to break free of the prison the Alpha Pokémon had put him in, after reneging on their agreement. Finally, Proditor spoke. "Fine. Shadowmind…Dark Burst!"

The entity's eye widened in surprise as Proditor invoked an item in its possession that he should not have known about, by using a name it had long since left behind. Rather than a possession, which would have kept the entity in control, the Dark Heart guaranteed that they'd be perfectly equal in their fusion. It would take both of them to undo said fusion. All it had to do was wait until Proditor was out of energy. Then it could take control of their new shared body unimpeded.

As the entity fused with Proditor, a shriek roared through the Reverse World as its power finally, completely, abandoned Giratina to its rage. A willing tenant of the Reverse World, Giratina also acted as the entity's jailer, and it was not thrilled about its millennia long record of zero escapes being broken.

As the fusion finished, the Shadowmind felt immediately that something was wrong. Then, Proditor returned his astral form to his body, and the entity understood what the sly human had done. A merge with his intangible essence, made possible by its own lack of a body that could survive in the prime material plane, made their fusion possible. Now, on this plane, it felt all but unbreakable. The entity was trapped, essentially, once more, inside a dead human vessel it couldn't even manipulate. Intense rage, manifesting as freezing cold and increased gravity, surrounded the Successor, and his Pokémon fell to their knees with a cry as it almost outright crushed them.

When I break free of you… It started, but Proditor cut it off, with his mental retort.

"You won't be breaking free of me. From now on, Shadowmind…your destiny and mine are linked. Much like our essences." He reached into the Shadow comprising his robe then, and retrieved the Dark Heart. The only Burst Heart that he had ever successfully corrupted with Shadow. H'd manipulated his cultists into offering it to the Shadowmind, and as expected, the entity had been all too eager to claim such an artifact. It was still pulsing with Shadow energy. Proditor grinned, as it still seemed usable, despite having fused himself and the Shadow being.

Morgana approached then, eyeing the gem, as Proditor returned it to the void his robe was somehow composed of. "What…happened, exactly? You seem…much more powerful."

"I had a friend on the other side. He's fused with me now." Before the ancient traitor could elaborate further, a roar echoed around them, shaking the mountains. Proditor swore. "Muk. It seems Sombrador left a method of detecting intrusions." Proditor recalled his two guards. and the pair hurriedly strode outside, only to take in the imminent arrival of an entity that Proditor feared much more than Sombrador.

Zigma roared again, as the human atop her spotted head pointed at the pair and shouted a command. A sphere of darkness coalesced in her fanged maw, and Proditor spoke hurriedly to Morgana. "We need to leave. Now. Anywhere is better than here."

Instead of a beam from Zigma's maw, the sphere of pure darkness she created expanded around them, creating a massive circular dome of dark energy over all of them. Morgana tried to Teleport, but it fizzled uselessly. The pair of villains looked up at the rider atop the reconstituted Guardian of the Dark Continent, as she spoke into a green Rotophone. "This is the Warden of the South. Inform the Scales that I have the fugitives the Dragon Emperor is looking for entrapped. Send reinforcements to my coordinates."

It was Zigma's turn to talk then, and she roared a single word at Proditor specifically, recognizing exactly who and what he was. "TRAITOR!" The world seemed to shake in response to her shout. Another sphere of energy formed in her toothy maw, though this one definitely seemed like a proper attack.

"Time to see what I can do…" Proditor muttered, as his aspect became more sinister. His grin expanded to unnatural length for his face, and his dead skin accommodated it. His omnivorous teeth had been replaced with sharp fangs too long for a human mouth. A third, unnerving red eye poked out of his forehead, and the entity that had been possessing Giratina got its first view of the world in eons. What it saw, was an enraged Zigma.

"You…" The entity hissed to all present.

Tentacles of pure Shadow sprouted from Proditor's back, and shot towards Zigma, wrapping up her limbs, and dragging her towards the pair. At first, she resisted on instinct, but then decided that she wanted to be closer to them. The beam she had charged up fired, and though Morgana tried blocking it, her psychic Barrier shattered under the ferocious Dark Pulse. Zigma swept it over both of them, and while it freed her forepaws, it didn't seem to do that much to the traitor.

Irritated, Zigma changed attack styles. Her claws started burning with ghostly fire and she spun in place faster than a being her size should have been able to. The tentacles around her limbs faded into wisps of darkness, and she swiped at both of the fugitives again. Proditor held up a hand, psychically stopping Zigma's right paw from tearing into him, and his minion.

Furious, the massive Guardian struck with the other claw, but this time Morgana held it at bay, albeit with a much weaker, shakier grip than the Successor. After having her Barrier so easily smashed, she was dazed and vulnerable. Still furious, Zigma slowly forced her massive claw around Morgana, and then clenched, as she successfully caught, and began crushing the Shadow Sorceress.

Morgana desperately looked towards Proditor, only to recoil slightly, on instinct at the grotesque sight of his undead flesh accommodating his 'friend's' face. Despite that, she still managed to plead. "Lord Proditor…help…"

The man kept his focus on Zigma's other claw, and regarded Morgana coldly with his new hideous visage. "Your usefulness has come to an end."

Zigma snarled. "Even in this age, you remain the lowest form of trash among your species." The paw of the Legendary Pokémon closed, and Morgana's power and body succumbed to her legendary strength with a loud, disgusting crunch. Proditor was treated to a grim sight as the gore-stained claw opened, revealing and dropping all that remained of the witch, which was pieces of her body, her Pokéballs, and his old staff, now snapped in two. The gore-stained claw now joined the other, in trying to tear him to pieces.

In that moment, the now solo Shadow wielder looked inward. "You're holding back, and you've cost me a pawn. We should be much stronger!"

The amorphous mental shadow blob that mentally manifested an unnerving vision of his tentacles seeping into the human's dead brain was the backdrop for their conversation, but Proditor knew it was a show the entity was creating. Probably. You weaken…and my freedom approaches…

Proditor shuddered mentally as his strength burned away against Zigma's. "Listen! We have to-"

Shadowmind interrupted him. "I have listened. Across epochs. Across dimensions. Across universes. Now…You shall listen to Me."

Zigma's eyes narrowed, and Proditor realized his dark passenger had spoken aloud. From his own mouth.

"You shall All listen to Me!"

The entity projected loudly, just as the tips of Zigma's claws met around the entity's host. They surrounded Proditor with harsh, burning ghost energy that actually felt more chilling than warm. A circular wave of Shadow pulsed outwards from the man's body, trying to force Zigma back, but her titanic frame wasn't going anywhere. Her Tamer Nelinha did however get blown away, and Zigma's tails caught her, wrapping her in their scales as the weaponized Shadow energy caused her fur to fall to the ground. Her scales turned dull, and her fur lost its luster and color. Too late did she notice that Proditor, or the entity controlling him, had raised a hand after her brief lapse in concentration, and was draining her of power.

With a snarl, she leapt away from the possessed traitor, and slashed through the Shadow tether connecting them, but the damage had been done. Nelinha slipped out of Zigma's protective grasp as the Guardian weakened. She put a hand on her massive side as she drew a Pokéball and walked with purpose towards Proditor. "Keep the barrier up, Tia. I'll handle the dark one."

Nelinha had gone over the report that had recounted what the Unovan Champion and his squad had encountered in the Reverse World after reaching this area of Selva Muerta, but it had been secondhand information, and any mention of the entity on the other side had been scrubbed from the record. She dealt with angry ghost types possessing humans often enough though, in her capacity as Champion, and viewed this one as perhaps the vilest spirit she'd yet encountered. That didn't stop her from sending out her Mimikyu.

On the Dark Continent, rather than mimicking a Pikachu, Mimikyu were often used to exorcize those that the ghosts of Selva Muerta took over. Their cloth disguises varied in design, usually by being colorful, or based on a colorful Pokémon, but hers still seemed like a bad copy of a Pikachu, with accurate and non-faded coloration. The Mimikyu hissed at Proditor as it appeared. The entity laughed.

"That little slave…will not be enough…"

The Mimikyu hissed again, and leapt into a Play Rough attack, which Proditor blocked with various rapidly manifesting Shadow tentacles. She slashed through each one, but they kept her from reaching the traitor's body. Nelinha only ordered her to keep attacking, and the Mimikyu did so. Over the course of a solid two minutes, the Mimikyu picked up Proditor's pattern of blocking, thanks to her species' ability to copy others so well.

Once she had the pattern down, Nelinha snapped her fingers, and the assault changed in tone, becoming even faster. Proditor struggled to keep up and started blocking with his arms as well. Finally, the Mimikyu bashed apart his guard and made an opening, at which point, Nelinha struck, going for pure damage since, as far as she knew, typing didn't matter against the Shadow. "Wood Hammer!"

Her Mimikyu mercilessly smashed Proditor's face, sending his head spinning around several times as his spine made a sickening crunch. The man stumbled, and doubled over as the Mimikyu leapt away. Once more, the two beings in the same body conversed, as their neck and head spun back around, and into its proper place.

Proditor's tone was mocking as he spoke. "I remember you being much stronger. Can't even handle a tiny Mimikyu? A ghost that bases its entire identity on another Pokémon, usually, is giving you this much trouble?"

I have been weakened…with the severing of the Nexus…the Renegade has been destroying the parts of me that were blown away, ever since…the Guardian gave some strength, but it will not be enough. This Human…her entire team is at the peak of their strength.

Proditor sighed tiredly. "All the more reason to work together…preferably before the Unovan Dragon's Scales show up."

The entity seemed to sigh, before it finally answered. Very well…Together…

As the dark pair reached an accord, the item fusing them together pulsed, and power surged into them, manifesting in reality as a cyclone of Shadow that blew the Mimikyu off its feet. A tendril of Shadow caught it, by the neck of its disguise, breaking it, and holding it in place. Zigma mentally suggested a retreat to her Tamer, but that just prompted Nelinha to go all in. She brought out her entire team, currently composed of Xatu, Lapras, Zeraora, Victreebell, Bisharp, Yanmega, and a Zarude. At their head was her starter, a Blaziken, who barked a command that sent the nine Champion tier Pokémon swarming towards Proditor.

Though his numerous Shadow tentacles stopped them easily, repelling ten high level Pokémon at once, their efforts kept Proditor stuck in place as they coordinated attacks from all sides, and freed his hold on Mimikyu. In the violent cacophony of moves, Nelinha helped her Blaziken achieve her Mega Form, and the rest of the team made openings for her devastatingly powerful Blaze Kicks to land. After three such assaults led by the Mimikyu that had already read the natural pattern of his attacks and blocks, both Proditor and his dark passenger agreed it was time to leave.

Proditor levitated into the air, goading them into another attack, at which point a stronger Shadow limb pinned the Mimikyu directly under him. The rest of the team desperately attacked in an attempt to free her, but Proditor blocked them easily, as he ascended higher into the air. As the darkness surrounding the human figure gathered presumably to then explode and propel him into the air, Proditor was hammered by another attack that came from above those battling with him.

He seemed to recoil from the powerful attack, as tiny holes from its aftermath closed up across his body. "What was that…" Nelinha said, as she applied potions to those who'd been damaged by the Shadow arms, and of course, Zigma. Rio's Guardian didn't immediately recover, but she did regain some color to her now hairless skin.

"Allies…" Zigma rumbled, eyeing the source of the attack. "Probably." She added, as she saw who they were.

A trio of figures floated down through Zigma's barrier, each one of them a Mewtwo. A fourth figure appeared behind what seemed like the lead Mewtwo, which was wearing a black cloak of some description, revealing itself to be a Mew. Nelinha recognized the leader's cloak as an item that humans typically gave their Pokémon to hold. The Mewtwo to the leader's left she recognized as Red's, but the third, and slightly smaller Mewtwo, was new to her. It seemed naturally shy, and perhaps even feminine.

The Mew floated towards Zigma with concern in its eyes, and the Guardian rumbled in response to its concerned mewling. "I am fine…. just drained." Despite these words, Mew closed its eyes, and shone with a Heal Pulse that, to Nelinha's Trainer eyes, seemed mixed with a Life Dew as well. The sagging, furless skin of the Guardian tightened again, as she regained more of her stolen power from Mew, who then turned in the air, ready to defend Zigma from further harm.

"You are Not fine…" All eyes shifted to Proditor, as the Shadow swirled around him again. "You are Not safe…you are Not free…trapped in the same Eternal Cycle…doomed to repeat what has already happened…to Infinity.

"That's enough out of You…" The cloaked Mewtwo psychically projected, as Red's joined it this time for a double Psystrike. A wave of devastatingly powerful psychic bullets hammered Proditor, and yet amidst the sound of him being torn apart, a dark chuckle built to full on laughter.

Both Proditor and his dark passenger wanted out, as they needed time to recover, and regain his tools of war, the ones that yet survived anyways. As the Mewtwo and the living source of their genetic material appeared, Shahir had finally woken up, amidst all the turbulent Shadow manipulation. The laughter suddenly stopped, and the fused being's unnatural mouth grimaced as the absurdly powerful psychic attacks started dealing significant damage. "I will deal with all of you…in time." In a flash, Shahir appeared, and the next few seconds moved slowly for all present.

A floating hand moved out of the Unbound golden Hoopa's center and opened a portal to somewhere else. With each Mewtwo understanding that Hoopa's power could reach across space and other dimensions, they moved to disrupt it as all three attacked this time, peppering the area around the portal with continuous waves of psychic strikes. It was at that point that the grinning menace, tentacles flaring behind him, marched into the field of fire, and activated his plasma sword. The tentacles quickly faded away under the ferocity of the strikes, but the focused plasma blade, that had now become a darker purple after being suffused with Shadow, was more than enough to deflect the strikes.

Proditor did notice that the act of deflecting even one caused the weapon to lose quite a lot of power, and thus he hurried through to the portal. As the fight ended and the entity faded away to rest, Proditor was left in his new location completely alone. All of Morgana's Pokéballs had been left behind, along with his old staff, which had been snapped. The stone she'd kept within it, a useful bargaining tool she had possessed that would've given them control of an Eousian kingdom, was now also gone. Normally he'd have Shahir grab a ball, or the stone, but he could tell his friend was still exhausted, too much to accurately make pinpoint tiny portals with which to steal items. For now.

As he left the new jungle they'd landed in and recalled Shahir, he exited the tree line to find a rather gorgeous oceanside view. His hand covered his pale, tired eyes from the region's obnoxiously bright sun, and he smirked as his eyes made out three other islands in the distance. He spoke, only to himself, and his partners. "It seems Rapax is who we acquire next, my friends…"

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

Chapter 51: Fateful Reunions

The Palace of Ideals - Unova Region

Po awakened from his insanely comfortable Luxury Ball as he heard noise from outside. He'd consumed well over a hundred berries through the night, of varying types and flavors, as Alex hadn't limited what he could eat, or how much. Yet. After a journey like his, the human was willing to give Po whatever he needed to recover.

As he popped free, he was greeted by the sight of two Gardevoir, belonging to other Scales in the palace, who murmured to each other in Pokéspeech as they saw him. "Is that a Kubfu?" One asked. The other nodded, and said, "He's with the Dragon Emperor, apparently." The pair giggled then, turning away from him, but as usual, Po's exceptional hearing caught their words. "I can't imagine how he was chosen." One said. The other stopped giggling long enough to say, "Because of his species, of course. The Emperor probably wants an Urshifu. Even if he's a Chubfu, now." The two strode off then laughing at their clever nickname, leaving Po just watching them go. He didn't lie to himself, their words did hurt, but he was more than used to Pokémon insulting him for his weight. Their little nickname wasn't original, either.

It didn't make him sad, but it did dampen his excited anticipatory morning spirit. He turned around, only to find a massive, golden Luxray barring his path. "Woah…" He said, as the black and gold colors appealed to his eyes, and he took in just how impressive his mane was. As their eyes locked, Po was not intimidated, which made Leo smirk.

"You…are a lot stronger than you let on, aren't you." The thunder cat purred as he circled his newest teammate. "Getting insulted by two attractive females so early…it would ruin the whole day for most Pokémon your age."

Po just shrugged. "Gramps always said life is too short to worry about the opinions of others." The cub looked around, then. "Do you know where we get breakfast? I'm starving!"

Leo huffed, the cat equivalent of laughter. "You really only think about food. Come. You'll need to eat if Canis is training you. Most Pokémon quit after a few sessions with him."

Po shook his head adamantly. "I won't quit! I came this far to learn!" Leo nodded his maned head, and Po eyed his muscled form as they walked. It was hard to see under the dark fur, but this Luxray's muscles were very well toned. "I'm also hoping to…maybe drop some poundage through my training. I was hoping the trip here would help, but…"

Leo chuckled again. "Eating a journey's worth of food after the journey probably didn't help. Once you've seen Nurse Joy we'll know how best to burn all that fat off."

"Good…" Po said slowly, as they passed some other members of their team already eating and conversing with the other Pokémon of the Scales. To a human's eyes they probably seemed large, clean, and healthy. To Pokémon, they all looked shredded as well. Po was in awe. He definitely picked the right Trainer. Leo plopped a bowl full of what Po classified as 'brown nuggets' in front of the cub, and then dragged his own food over beside him.

Shortly after, Canis joined them, glancing around. "Are we eating here, now?" Leo nodded. It wasn't their usual spot in the large underground room they were inhabiting, but it was in the center. One by one, the other members of their team showed up, and joined them, forming an ever-larger circle. Those he'd seen eating on their way in also saw Leo and came over. The circle expanded significantly as Terra and Hydrus arrived. Po greeted each new teammate, already struggling to remember their names. They all seemed interested in him though, and specifically where he'd come from, and why he was here now. So, Po told them the tale, with little detail. His first memory had been of the Urshifu he referred to as 'Gramps', and his two siblings. Very quickly, Po had realized they were different from him. They had trained hard, while he'd preferred to find, gather, and eat food instead. They also looked different from Po, being naturally thinner, and more serious. One thing they all shared though, was a love of martial arts, even if Po was pretty bad at using martial attacks. One sibling had preferred a fast, flowing style of strikes, while the other was more inclined towards incredibly powerful punches delivered with impressive speed. Eventually, his siblings left on a journey to gain more power, leaving Po alone with Gramps. Po had wanted to follow them into the world, but Gramps claimed he wasn't ready. As the old Pokémon's health had begun succumbing to age, he told Po to seek out a master of the Dragon Style, for that would be someone who could teach him Kung Fu.

Po nommed his way through the 'nuggets' and glanced at Leo as he finished his story and his bowl. "Is uhh…is there more?" The older team members laughed, as did Leo. "Eat as much of these as you like. They're just mashed, cooked berries around vitamins. Very healthy."

Po eyed his last nug, and raised a brow as he examined it. "What kinda vitamins?"

"Protein." Canis answered, already finished with his bowl. "Mine have Calcium. Most of our food has, primarily, either Protein or Calcium. Our Trainer is big on attacking." In a single smooth motion, Canis got to his feet. "I'll show you where we get more."

The source of round two was actually an Oranguru by the name of Oran, who could make pretty much any food recipe the Scales wanted for their team. He'd gone from being a second-string battler for his own team, to being responsible for feeding pretty much every Pokémon in the palace, as well as the Trainers. It wasn't a stretch to say he'd found his calling, and both his Trainer and the Emperor were more than happy to leave feeding the Pokémon teams to him.

He was surrounded by a circle of steel that acted as a table, with various meals in various stages of completion laid across it. Under said table was as many ovens as could be safely added, a dishwasher, and a large plastic box that held a mountainous clusterMuk of silverware. The wise ape looked at them as they approached. "Ahh. The Emperor's aura hound, and…someone new?"

Po bowed low with genuine respect for one who clearly loved cooking as he loved martial arts. "I am Po. Honored to be here."

The psychic chef nodded. "Protein then, I take it?" He asked Canis, who nodded, and psychically levitated their bowls over. Oran nodded as well, and then the assortment of meals began psychically moving, as he once more began cooking. The Emperor's team got priority meals, something Po was ecstatic about.

Two bowls later, Canis ended their feast, and the morning training began. This mainly consisted of those with humanoid bodies going through the basic forms of the Dragon Style with excruciating slowness. Po found it frustrating at first, but then realized it was actually harder to stay consistently slow and moving so carefully took more focus. He also found it helped him memorize the movements quicker.

He was still glad when he and Canis specifically moved on to one-on-one instruction. Of the Mewtwo that Alex had mentioned, there was no sign. Canis taught him the finer points of Aerial Ace and Brick Break, as his physical attacks were almost as good as his special ones, and mastery of the Dragon Style, for him, had required him to master both. Once Po had these moves down sufficiently, it was time to battle.

His first opponent ended up being a Mienfoo, though it looked quite a lot different from the ones back in Eous. Po bowed to him, and fell into a fighting crouch as he said, "I look forward to sparring with you!"

The Mienfoo simply snorted. Po looked rather silly, as his fur was floofy and his mouth, unlike other Kubfu, was curved in a smile, not a frown. His completely circular midsection did not help either. "You're in my way, Chubfu." Snarled the mustelid martial artist.

Battling alone wasn't new for Po, and as the Mienfoo was also without his Trainer, Po saw no issue with their matchup. They were the same level, but very quickly, after an exchange of Aerial Ace attacks, the young cub realized he was facing an opponent who had battled many other Pokémon and had put in quite a lot more effort than he had, in training their attacks. Despite that, the rotund cub kept up with his Aerial Ace, parrying it blow for blow, and as the battle progressed, managed to land the first real hit.

After that, the Mienfoo honed its claws to new levels of sharpness, and Po had to dodge thereafter, until Canis called the match a draw, as they both ran out of power for Aerial Ace. Po tried to shake the wushu weasel's paw, but it stormed off before he got the chance, muttering about the absurdity of a Kubfu that was obese, and smiling. Slightly disheartened again, Canis showed a rare bit of affection, as he could sense how words about his weight changed Po's aura, though the young cub didn't physically show signs of it bothering him, it still upset him enough for the aura hound to notice and be irritated by.

They went to see Nurse Joy then, who had taken up residence in the palace with her Audino after most of the resort town had been upended by the rise of the old ruins in the harbor. For the first time that day, as it was about noon, Po finally saw his Trainer. "Dragon Emperor!" The cub said excitedly, bowing as the tall human came into the room. He seemed sleepy, but more…relaxed? Po guessed he'd gotten a good night's rest but couldn't conceive of what said rest entailed. Humans were still largely a mystery to him.

"Just Alex is fine from you, Po." Alex said, patting his floofy head. "Now that you're on the team, we don't need titles between friends."

Po wiggled excitedly, as the nurse stuck odd things on his fur. He sniffed them, but otherwise let them be, assuming this was part of her healing. He'd visited many a Pokémon Center alone on his voyage to Unova after learning that they healed injured Pokémon for free, and he had grown a fondness for the women who worked there, as well as respect. Anything he could do to make their job easier, he tried to do, when the opportunity rose. The nurse frowned, as she looked over his internal scans. His lack of a Trainer had, until now, prevented him from being thoroughly scanned.

Alex raised an eyebrow, but the nurse didn't notice. She and the Audino helping her were instead moving about the room, and Alex opted to stay out of their way, as much as his six-foot five frame could, anyway. It was almost impossible not to be in the way of something one of them needed in the small exam room, and he finally just shifted back to the doorway where his stupidly large form blocked the least amount of space. Finally, the nurse said something, after several minutes of looking through old medical books and gathering medicinal components. "Your little Kubfu has a parasite. It's from the old world, but we do sometimes see it today. Eucestoda, commonly called a Tapeworm. I'm guessing he ate some raw meat or fish at some point. This may be why his appetite is so large."

Alex's brows had furrowed, upon hearing that. "How…do we get rid of it? They live in their host's stomach lining right?"

Nurse Joy nodded. "Po's is rather large, for his body size. I suspect it's been infecting him for quite some time. Have him take this medicine, and it should paralyze, kill, and eventually remove the worm with his, erm…droppings. Within a few weeks his body should regulate itself, and his weight problem will likely lessen."

Po frowned, as though he understood Common to a point, the nurse had used some rather large words. Oddly enough, he understood his Trainer perfectly by comparison. Alex relayed the information to him, sensing his confusion. "Limiting this parasite's food will also help get rid of it. You should be better in a few weeks, Po. At which point, I suspect we'll start seeing some weight loss. For now, focus on training inside your ball, and with Canis."

Po nodded, and then returned to his ball to hone his attacks on the punching bags Alex supplied him with. Being specifically designed to be used within a Pokéball, the training bags helped Pokémon hone their moves and stats while their Trainers moved about, which was great for Alex, as he had another busy day ahead. He collected the rest of his team, before he and Jess set out. According to Tao, the western half of Texico still needed housing and basic necessities, and from there he would guide the pair to whoever else needed housing for their surplus homeless population. Most of the areas were in Fornia, or its satellite regions, as the Church had kept many residents of said regions away indefinitely. With their return, many found their old homes already long occupied by other families, which usually ended in fights, and one of said families ending up homeless. It was a mess, but one that Alex could solve with his earthbending.

Several Scales came with them, from both of their squads. They had been working in the Dragonspiral Tower to master the art of bending elemental energy and would learn firsthand from the Dragon Emperor the kind of control needed to make a dwelling that was suitable for living in out of rock and stone.

Several Hours Later - Unova Region

Over the course of about eighteen hours straight, Alex and his companions had bamfed their way to Texico West, most of the major cities in Fornia, and then after splitting from the earthbenders to handle the smaller settlements of Fornia, moved back east through the other territories, building and bending as they went. Being what he was, Alex was usually able to deliver the envisioned home, or at least its shell, to the homeless citizens of his Empire. Many communities opted for a communal living space with two floors and multiple bedrooms, which was actually much easier to accommodate. Plumbing and electricity would come later, but for those without roofs over their heads in the face of an oncoming winter, any shelter was better than nothing.

His last stop had been Icirrus City, which thanks to its proximity to Tao's seat of power, had grown quite a bit larger and was in desperate need of housing as well. By the time Alex was done, Tao informed him that he'd made about one thousand eight hundred and sixty new homes in total, some one story, most two stories, and claimed that was enough, for the moment. Jess had also split from him, in Mewsia, both to do some paperwork, and to battle the local Trainers there to raise her World Tournament ranking. She had claimed she was going to traverse the whole Fornia region, and the satellite States, until she hit Ultra Class, and suggested he do something similar.

Alex had his own plan to raise his ranking, but today had been primarily focused on fulfilling his promise to his people. From the golden coast to the Foggy Swamp Sage's Island, he felt confident that pretty much every State now had a surplus of basic housing for those who needed or wanted it. As he finished the last house in Icirrus, he floated into the air, feeling a bit nostalgic as he looked over the hills to the north, where Trainer Exams were still regularly held for new Trainers who needed a Trainer Card.

Given his newest goal, he recalled a few old friends he'd made back then, and wondered how they were getting on. He didn't start out intending to catch them, but seeing Sandy and Poli would be nice, assuming they were still around. He headed to the exam area on his own power, as Blaze was training back at the Palace of Ideals along with Shruikan and most of his team. Terra was with him, but resting, which left Noir, Hydrus, and a few others on hand for road battles.

As it had been decades since he'd been here, Alex didn't expect to find either of his old temporary partners. Just finding the lake he'd met Poli at was a challenge, but eventually, the sounds of the Poliwag line in the night drew him over. It was a bit chilly for them to still be active, but someone was still singing away. As he came up to the lake's shore, he saw her, and recognized her instantly. She was a Politoed now, and clearly a matriarch of her species, but he recognized his little Poliwag all the same. She was mid-song, a hauntingly beautiful melody that was hard to translate to Common in a manner that made sense. Naturally, Pokémon did not sing like humans, but it was still nice to listen to, and eventually he realized it was a lullaby of sorts. A few curious Poliwags floated up near him as they noticed him, and he smiled, tossing them some berries. "Here, little ones." They dove back under the water initially, but one by one, the floating berries were pulled under the water and presumably consumed.

Then, he noticed. The melody had ended, and all was quiet…at least until Poli landed on him with Bounce, or tried to. He dodged easily, swirling gracefully out of the way, and then held up a hand as she readied an Ice Beam. "Poli! Poli! It's me! It's Alex. Do you remember your old Human friend?"

The Politoed's eyes narrowed, and the Ice Beam grew bigger between her chubby fingers. Alex didn't move but rather inhaled. He was ready to breathe enough fire to match her Ice Beam. If that hit him, he imagined it would hurt quite a lot, given what he was now. He kept his eyes on her, hands out wide, and as she finally met his gaze, her defensive instincts faltered. Most humans ran by now, but as she regarded this human properly, and registered his words, her memories finally floated up to the surface. Recognition flashed in her eyes and her wide mouth turned up in a big grin. "Little Hyooman!" She croaked, before leaping at him, the ice attack now faded into nothingness. He caught her, and gave her a hug.

"Mm. Big Hyooman now." She pulled away slightly, and he set her down, as she was rather heavy, and large sized for a Politoed. "You…can speak like us now?"

Alex nodded. "I've had an…interesting set of adventures since we parted. And look at you! Not so little anymore either. Not being bullied anymore, I bet."

Poli chuckled and waved a hand. "Those bullies became my consorts. The little ones you fed are probably theirs." She gave him a genuinely happy smile. "What brings you to us?"

"I just wanted to see if you and Sandy were still around here. I've missed you two." He said, mentally nudging Saur, who was sleeping, but overjoyed to wake up, for this.

Poli bounced excitedly in place. "Sandy! Yes! That was what you called him. He is here. I will call for him!" She began croaking loudly then, her calls echoing out over the water.

Minutes later, an uneven line of dirt shot towards them, as Sandy emerged from the ground, a fully grown Sandslash now, with the claws to match. He wrongly assumed Alex was hurting Poli, and thus had aimed his Dig at him, only to falter in mid-air as their eyes met, and recognized that fiery blue gaze. "Little Human!?" He shouted mid attack, as Alex once more swiftly dodged, once more using only a single movement to do so.

"Sandy!" Alex said, as the spine-covered shrew landed, and turned. He scurried over to Alex then, who knelt and gave him a hug as well. "Arceus…you two have gotten so much larger!"

Sandy thumped his chest, proudly with his impressively sharp claws. "We lead our species, and we keep the peace around these woods."

"The Humans aren't giving you trouble, right? You wouldn't know, but I too have become a leader of my species." Alex said with a tone between proud and bragging.

Sandy shrugged. "There are always some who are too abusive or too weak. We try to help them." He looked around then, sniffing, as if he caught a familiar scent, just barely. He looked up at Alex then. "If you are here, does that mean-"

At that point, Saur couldn't contain himself anymore, and erupted from his ball with a mighty roar. The three Pokémon shared a hug, and then Alex and Saur explained their team's goal, and offered the two a part in it. Their answers were largely identical.

"I'd love to help, Alex, but…I have so many little ones to watch over now." Poli said, with Sandy affirming that he too had a nest of shrews to watch. A whole colony of them, in fact.

"I understand." Alex answered as he quietly noted, once again, that the Pokémon bonded with him had a tendency to end up as leaders. Even those he'd only briefly trained. "I wouldn't be taking you away from them, though. I'd just have you hold onto your Pokéballs, and if you ever need our help," He said gesturing to Saur, "We will come and resolve any issues you're having. Especially with Humans. Like we said, our goal is to make this planet prosper. For Humans and Pokémon alike."

The two shared a look, and then nodded. "No other Human has been able to tame me." Poli declared proudly.

"Yes." Sandy added, "No other Human felt…right, like helping you did. I always knew you and Saur would come back someday." Sandy and Poli met gazes then, and nodded, before smiling back at their old friend. "We will gladly join your team."

With that settled, they had a meal together, and met some of Alex's newer lineup. Seeing Terra amazed them, as he was bigger even than Saur. Poli's mind was practically glowing with pride as she took in just how many powerful friends he had now. When the meal ended and the night grew older after the time it took to recount their adventures, the two returned to their families, to stash their balls in a safe place. Alex knew this was indeed the Way, as watching them go both felt sad, but right. They too now had a place in their mental web, and the pair had actually cried a bit when they fully understood just how much he cared for them, and had missed them, despite their brief few weeks together.

He headed back to Icirrus with Noir by his side, as after evolving he preferred the night to the daytime. They battled a few Trainers on the road, with their victories counting towards their World Tournament ranking. Even out here, there were Trainers hard at work, honing their skills and raising their scores. That was the other issue his mind addressed as he and Noir strolled through the night. How to get his still Normal Class rank up to the Superior Sixteen.

Once he started running, at a pace Noir could keep up with, the trek across Unova became much easier. By the time they reached the Palace of Ideals, most everyone was asleep, including Jess. He decided to run his plans by her in the morning, and as he was changing into sleep clothes, he found Po waiting for him in the room. Quietly, they left to talk outside of it so as not to wake the Empress.

"So, Po." Alex started, "How was your first day on the team?"

"It was amazing! Master Canis is so strong! But he said I should talk to you, if I wanted some…Dragon Wisdom!"

Sensing his Kubfu was troubled, Alex guided him to a private room where they could chat in comfort. "What has your mind so troubled, young Po?"

The chubby cub scratched his floofy head awkwardly. "It's just…seeing the whole team today, and all the other Pokémon here…I'm realizing just how far behind I am. How…unskilled I am by comparison." He met the Dragon Emperor's gaze, and Alex saw the fire in his beady eyes. "My Kung Fu is weak. But I want to be stronger! I want to Battle and know I can win!"

"Well, given that you're technically a Legendary Pokémon Po, I can't really use you in the World Tournament. Although you might be fine to compete, as a Kubfu." Seeing how his new partner deflated, made an old tidbit of training knowledge from his Pokéless days surface. "What if I told you I knew a place that could quite easily make your strikes more powerful." Alex said evenly.

Po's eyes went wide. "Does…does such a place really exist!?"

Alex nodded, and shifted to an appropriately epic and deep-baritoned storytelling tone that absolutely hooked the young Kung Fu cub. "In a Region across the sea, in a land called Paldea, there is a place where powerful Pokémon live in great numbers amidst mountains capped by obsidian!"

"Obsidian…!" Po said, in total awe.

Alex continued. "If one Battles long enough in the bamboo forests of this special place, young Po, their attack strength will reach heights unmatched by the rest of their species."

"New heights…that sounds…sooo Awesome… But that's what's bothering me!" Po said animatedly. "Canis and the others can use so many types of energy! So many of the others can…and I want too as well. I'll definitely need it in a place like Paladia. The others said I'd need…tee ems? They said I'd need to ask you, if I wanted to learn such Moves."

"Ahh." Alex said, pulling out his Teachy TV. "TMs are essentially knowledge disks made from Pokémon materials that can teach you how to use a new Move. Lucky for you, I grabbed some today that I had a feeling might interest you. I'll show them to you now, and you can hone them before you go to sleep."

That seemed to alleviate his Kung Fu cub's worries, as he nodded excitedly. The moves chosen were all three variations of elemental punches, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Dig, Acrobatics, Protect, and Metal Claw. With his move pool expanded, Alex and Po retired to their respective sleeping areas, and awaited a new day.

The Secret Island - Alola Region

"Focus your power, Elio."

Once more, the third Champion of Alola, and the longest reigning in Alolan history, did as the Secret Island Sage instructed. He was quite a few years older than when he'd won that title from Kukui, after Ash Ketchum had claimed the World Champion title. His outfit was still similar, though. He had the same style of hat, though this one was black and green, as was the rest of his ensemble of a tank top, and shorts. It matched his Decidueye well. Slowking was a very patient teacher, and Elio was truly glad to have been chosen to train under him on Alola's Secret Isle.

About as large as the Swamp Sage's Island in size and protected by a flock of Pelliper who kept up a constant Mist around it even on sunny days, few humans or Pokémon ventured to the island. Slowking enjoyed his solitude, but over his lengthy lifespan he had discovered that occasionally being visited by curious or just lost humans and Pokémon added variety to an existence that could at times become dull and rote. His chess games with the Swamp Sage were another such variation in his routine, but his star pupil Elio had by far pulled him out of his Shellder the most.

Once more the red-orange aura surrounded the young adult human, as he attempted to make use of Future Sight. It started flaring wildly around him as he focused his energy further and pushed his limits. Slowking's brow furrowed, as Elio was using more than enough power for the move, but as he let his focus wane, the human shook his head. "It's all darkness again, Master. Nothing but vague shadows."

"The problem is not you, young Elio. Something dark is…obscuring your vision. And whatever it is…it is here, in Alola." The Slowking looked out over the beautifully blue sea and into the fog, towards the main islands. He glanced back at Elio, who he could tell was eager to ask him to deploy the Scales lucky enough to be stationed in Alola for the holidays. "Inform the Scales. Do a sweep of the islands…" He paused, closing his eyes briefly, before opening them. "Stop by the Aether Paradise as well. Lily has something that will help you track down any Shadow in the area."

Suddenly quite a bit more motivated, Elio summoned Nebby from his ball, and was soon galloping across the region, just over the water. In minutes, the Solgaleo in the prime of his life got Elio to the floating structure that was home to his girlfriend, her mom, and the majority of the Aether Foundation. By this point, Nebby had his own sky port that lowkey examined the sun lion's biology every time he passed through it. Nebby decided to fly inverted up the side of the foundation's complex, and then over and into the port, spinning out to be right-side up as he landed.

The three or four lab techs that saw his mastery of flight clapped, and Nebby looked quite pleased with himself. A Clefable brought him a bowl of food then, another reason the Legendary Pokémon liked coming here. Elio meanwhile had scurried off to where Lillie usually was, the lower levels, where she largely spent most of her time cataloging the various dimensions through local Ultra Wormholes around their part of the multiverse. Since the multiverse was a chaotic mess by nature, keeping track of which portals led where was difficult, without a beacon or signal telling them they'd visited before. There also tended to be Legendary Pokémon on the other side of these portals, and in the interest of balance, the Aether Foundation had a policy of not angering them, and not catching them. Over time, Elio had reported that most seemed to simply want a decent battle and were most satisfied with him when he gave them one, and then went back home.

The other Scales stationed in Alola were also formerly Ultra Guardians who had been absorbed into the Scales ranks on the Aether President's recommendation. Among them were Gladion, Selene, Lillie, Kiawe, and Ryuki. Lillie was typically their connection to their home dimension, and thus often stayed behind, while the men of the squad had an ongoing contest for who went on the most missions. Staying at home and taking on ever more of her mother's duties meant Lillie was perpetually busy, and when she wasn't, Elio usually was. That didn't strain their relationship though, if anything it just made them more eager to see each other when the opportunity arose.

Elio found her typing away, cataloging by the look of it, which meant she was essentially just doing busywork. It was one thing to visit alternate planes through Ultra Space, it was another to categorize the beacons left behind, before they disappeared with the closing of the wormhole. Seeing she was engrossed in her work, Elio opted for stealth, and surprise.

As he got close to her spinning chair and inhaled for a surprising noise of some description, the chair suddenly whirled around, and Elio found his breath vanishing as Lillie grabbed his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss all in one smooth motion. The Alolan Champion was not startled by much, but he was properly dazed when she pulled her lips away and smirked at him. "You're awful at sneaking around, Elio." He just nodded, more by reflex than anything.

Lillie looked behind him then and smiled. "Nebby!" The entire room shook as the gigantic Solgaleo galloped over to his second favorite human. She gave the extradimensional space lion all the scritches and looked back at Elio. "Is there a reason the Sage let you go so early?"

Elio nodded out of his daze. "My Future Sight is being obscured by some kind of darkness. Master thinks the source of it is somewhere here in Alola."

Lillie seemed to deflate. "I guess we should summon the other Scales." She perked up again slightly as she continued, "I also have some sort of…device that the Dragon Emperor sent to us. Apparently, it can detect Shadow Energy…"

Elio nodded, and then glanced around. "That sounds useful. So. You said they're not here? Not even Gladion?" Lillie shook her head. Elio's eyebrows rose higher. "And your mom?"

Sensing where his mind was going, Lillie flushed. "S-she has a meeting with the Professors."

Elio grinned. "We can summon the Scales in like, ten minutes."

Nebby glanced between the two humans, rolled his eyes, and trotted over to his pillow set up in this area just for him, and sometimes Snowy. Lillie looked slightly disappointed as she pushed into Elio's arms. "Only ten minutes?" She pouted, but her smile was still visible.

It was Elio's turn to blush as he scratched his head. "I suppose we could extend it beyond ten minu- woah!" He exclaimed, as Lillie grabbed his shirt again.

"Good." She said, already walking, quickly, before anything had the chance to interrupt them. "Because I'm going to need more than ten."

Elio regained his footing and smirked at her. "As you wish…" He said, before breaking free of her grip and scooping her up into his arms in one smooth motion that took advantage of the island style martial arts Slowking was teaching him. He Teleported them, to save even more time.

Elsewhere in Alola…

Proditor, now disguised as a very pale vacationing businessman, had made his way across Alola largely unnoticed and availed himself of the many modern Trainer tools on sale on the Big Island. With his dark passenger quietly recharging their power, he took the opportunity to search for potential replacements for the pawn Zigma had taken from him.

He was distracted however, when his odd questions were redirected to the Pokénet by a vacationer who couldn't be bothered to answer everything the strange pale man asked about. The Pokénet was a revelation unto itself, giving him much needed context in a world he'd long since lost touch with. Amazingly, to him, the people of this era barely had more than two sentences about his era and his exploits on this newest world wide web of information. He did discover that Zigma had reformed recently, and who was responsible for undoing that particular goal of his people. While the article credited Champion Nelinha of Rio for recombining Zigma, the newly ascendant Dragon Emperor also got an honorable mention for his antics in Selva Muerta, which had resulted in Sombrador returning to Rio. Proditor didn't know the specifics, but he guessed that this Redwood and his party had successfully destroyed the Nexus somehow. Evidently, this Sombrador creature had guarded those ruins since Zigma's final clash with his pupils, when she was finally unmade.

The newest Dragon Emperor had been mentioned by Morgana as well, as the owner of Mordred's fated enemy, but she'd said little else. Once more he lamented losing his only pawn to the arrogant entity in his skull. He had another thought then, and in the quiet of the Malie City Pokémon Center's public CPU hub, called out his Shadow Gallade. His eyes widened, as the dark warrior looked around, saw Proditor, and then attacked, with the full intention to kill. Proditor went for his neck psychically, strangling Mordred and lifting him into the air, and then behind a stack of books. "Is this about the Witch?"

"You just…let her…die…" Mordred choked out, before kicking at the revived corpse. He made contact with the human's clothing, but Proditor's body just let his leg pass right through it, harmlessly. To Mordred, it felt like hitting a ghost type with a fighting move.

"Enough." The man snarled, holding the Gallade's whole frame in place as he summoned his power in a focused burst identical to Morded's frame. "The Shadowmind let her die. I still had use for her, but it deemed her not worth the energy it would've taken to free her. I didn't see You leaping from your ball to help her, either. Though I suppose you were recently wounded." He dropped Mordred to the ground then, as he sensed the Gallade's desire to kill him lessen.

Pushing himself up from the prone position, Mordred glared at his latest would-be tamer. "You're just going to do the same thing to your team. Once we outlive our usefulness, you'll replace us." His arms burned to life with Shadow blades. "I refuse to serve another Human like Pravus…"

Proditor simply nodded, ignoring the young Gallade's display. The intent to strike had left his mind, and Proditor was too logical to be intimidated. "That was your first Trainer, right? I see he was competent enough to make you useful. Egg infusion. Ideal stats. Altered Nature. Proper training. But he abused you, didn't he? Hit you, or something."

Mordred's eyes narrowed, but his blades held, softly humming as they conversed in hushed tones. "If you can call damning me for my natural typing 'abuse'. He had many disgusting theories about Psychic Types. Ideas that he forced onto me from the moment I hatched, as well as his cult. And yes, he hit me as well. Only his Darkrai's strikes actually hurt."

"A Darkrai? Where is it now?" Proditor said, one eyebrow slightly rising.

"Dead." Mordred said, flatly. "Like the last Humans that tried to tame me. What makes you any different?"

Proditor just nodded again, smirking now. "I know his type. Violent, and just clever enough to be an irritant. I am not like that. Pokémon are living beings, not tools. You have your own dreams and desires, and that's fine. So long as they do not impede mine. Follow my commands, claim victory for me, and I will see that you have whatever you desire, when it is within my means to acquire it."

The angry Gallade processed the man's words, but ultimately found no lie in them. "I have Your measure. But what's to stop that thing in your head from abandoning us, too?"

Proditor's eyes grew hard. "Me. That was our…first fusion. We were in combat before we had properly aligned our powers and established an…agreement. I will Not allow it to abandon more of my allies so casually." He spoke with enough intent that he was certain the entity heard him, but it made no reply. "Now then…" Proditor hissed as the Gallade's gathered Shadow energy limning his arms dispersed, "I want you to tell me of this Dragon Emperor. Morgana was reluctant to elaborate on him. But your first Trainer seems to have…had some sort of history with him."

Mordred rolled his eyes and crossed his pointed arms. "You have your Human information box. It can tell you everything I could."

Proditor once more simply nodded, and then crossed his arms. "With time, it could, but you have a unique perspective young Mordred. So, You will tell me. Now." He said, adding weight to his final word.

The Gallade's eyes narrowed, and he sighed, but then started speaking. Of the first duel with Arthur in Castelia City, and their degrading escape. Of how easily the Gallade and his Trainer were deceived by the Zoroark in Pravus's possession. And of their latest encounter, which had seen him plummet to the ocean not far from their current location, before marching under tonnes of water pressure, for days, towards Galar, and Albion. On the specific details, Mordred was infuriatingly vague, though that turned out to be because he was simply unaware. Dark Balls, unlike most Pokéballs, did not let their occupants see outside of them. Mordred had relied on his psychic power for that, but eventually, Pravus had discovered that, and repressed it. A Pokémon could go mad in that dark void, sometimes not called out for days, and then being severely disoriented when they finally were. Being infused with Shadow didn't help either.

Mordred finished by saying, "There's a very good chance that Redwood will be on your tail soon, if he isn't already. And his Gallade will be right beside him."

Proditor nodded again, taking the information in stride. "You will deal with him, when and if he shows up. I will help you defeat this…Arthur. I don't like the sound of him. I would prefer he…not exist. When they turn up, as Heroes must, they will face your vengeance, and your new power. Thank you, Mordred." The Shadow Gallade nodded in understanding, as he was recalled to his latest ball. The rest of his Pokénet browsing taught Proditor much of the current civilization, and their goings on. Eventually, he found a rumor of a legend about the Haina Desert, which he recognized as having been named with a word from a language and time when Alola was known by a different name, a name that had still been in use, in his own era. In that now apparently forgotten language, the name translated as 'the Cruel Desert' and according to his research, it was so named because of what supposedly lay buried beneath the sand. The ancient enemies of Tapu Bulu.

In researching what this era knew of Guzzlord, he was surprised to learn that the Alolans had actually encountered other living members of the species. He knew Rapax had been stolen, and after learning of the Guardian Deities of Alola, he now finally had a guess as to who had been responsible for removing one of his most powerful Pokémon before his battle with the Hero King.

As he departed the Pokémon Center without healing his team, the nurse called out to him, asking if he wanted to heal them before setting out. On a whim, and because of his lack of knowledge regarding modern technology and records, Proditor accepted her offer. The nurse raised an eyebrow as she saw the composition of his belt, which was currently his Blastoise, Gallade, Hydreigon, and an unbound Hoopa.

She had seen unique Pokémon teams with how many tourists Alola got, but what set off the system alarm was the severe Shadow Infusions in all four of his Pokémon, and the Trainer Number of Caleb Pravus, specifically on the Gallade. Luckily for Joy, she wore her best Pokér face until the unusually pale man left, at which point she contacted the League.

Proditor wasted no time walking, and caused a bit of a stir on the island as the ominous form of his massive Hydreigon flew towards the desert. Once above it, with the sandstorm passing harmlessly through him and his Hydreigon refreshed enough to withstand flying through it, Proditor reached out his psychic senses across its comparatively small circumference, and then deep into the ancient sands.

A grin crossed his pale visage as he found what he sought. In his time, Rapax had been an alpha of his all-consuming species, and while it seemed Trainers in this age rightly feared Guzzlord, they could actually be quite decent companions, once one got to know them. Of all his team, Rapax had taken the most effort to acquire and train, but the unstoppable dark dragon type was worth that effort. Only a few species could hope to withstand its ferocious pull, and Proditor doubted any were in modern day Alola.

"Toraigon." He shouted over the howling sandstorm. "Free our Rapax from his prison. Tri Attack!"

With his aim psychically guided by his Trainer, the Hydreigon aimed his three heads perfectly, and began unearthing the deeply buried dragon. Pokémon fled from the powerful trio of beams, as bits of glass and frozen sand were sent flying, making the sandstorm even more damaging, even to ground types. Said Pokémon tried attacking Toraigon, but they lacked range and power enough to divert him. With no other recourse, they left, and headed north.

Proditor was too preoccupied to care where the small swarm of Pokémon was going, as Toraigon required his focus to stay on target and not accidentally hit Rapax with his attack. Given his typing, Proditor had to aim each limb himself, while his enraged and Shadow Infused dragon provided the power the attack would need to unearth such a large Guzzlord. When the dust finally settled, the sandstorm stopped, and Proditor gave his three headed dragon type a potion for the damage the sand had inflicted. He walked into the sandy depression then, and grimaced.

"Oh…my violent, hungry boy…what have they done to you…" He'd thought Shahir had been in a bad way, but he had at least been breathing. Rapax was as ferocious as he had always been but was now seemingly made of stone. A tiny arm by his head had fallen off, and one of his claws was broken, and on the ground as well. The other tiny arm seemed to have simply eroded away under the sand, which was impressive, given how hard Guzzlord scales were.

Proditor summoned the Shadow and used the tendrils he formed to repair his partner's arms. The smaller tiny arm that had eroded was replaced with a Shadow version that Proditor grafted onto his stump in a more permanent manner.

Beware… The voice in his head hissed. We have been discovered…

Proditor looked up over the edge of the sandy hole he'd made and swore. Floating obviously across his domain was Tapu Bulu himself, searching for the disruption that had sent his subjects scurrying for cover. The 'ting, ting ting ting, ting ting, ting' of his bell announced his presence obviously, and it was clear the burly island deity feared nothing in a space it probably considered its own domain. That meant Proditor had moments, at most. Knowing what fairy types were like with detecting Shadow energy, he opted to move Rapax. Scanning the area, he gestured at the ground near his petrified friend, and levitated his ancient crystalline ball out of the dirt. It was a masterpiece, gold and black with hexagonal faces, which had been marred by something from multiple sides.

He smirked as he realized the barbaric bull god had tried, and failed, to destroy his hand-carved masterpiece, and the last of the balls he'd crafted all those years ago. "Boooluuuu!" He heard from above, and he aimed a smirk at where the Tapu was going to appear, as he masterfully aimed the Teleport to another part of the island.

As the 'deity' appeared, Proditor spat in his general direction and bamfed away. As he and Rapax reappeared elsewhere on Ula'ula, the Tapu's roar was still audible, and he chuckled. He pointed the ball at Rapax then, and recalled him into it, before once more disguising himself. He was glad that the ball still worked. His friend was likely still petrified, but he was safe, and portable now. He'd never pass for a local with his skin tone, so he went with a standard black and purple modern Trainer outfit, complete with a hat and genuine logos to hide his features and divert attention.

Sure enough, moments later Tapu Bulu appeared above Malie City, startling and awing the residents with his presence. From his hiding spot in the crowds, Proditor mentally taunted him, as the human shaped Wooloo around him cheered at the sight of their Island Guardian.

"Go ahead, you glorified Tauros. Destroy me, and your people's city. Show them what you really are."

The Tapu roared in fury, and the people quailed, mistaking his anger as being towards them. Unable to act, Tapu Bulu took a heavy breath, and chose a different path. Once, he would've leveled the city with no hesitation, but things were much different in this era. The humans of the island region had chosen a better path, one Ash Ketchum himself had guided both the islanders and the Tapus to.

Instead of rage, Tapu Bulu placed his hooves together, and massive walls of thorned vines surrounded Malie City. Thanks to Kahuna Gladion, the people trusted their Tapu, though more than a few Trainers brought out their partners as it became clear that Tapu Bulu was searching for someone. Sure enough, being a popular port and having a Riolu population in Alola, it was a matter of math until someone brought out a Lucario, who then barked, snarling on instinct as it immediately sensed the massive Shadow corruption of Proditor's fused essence.

As soon as he'd heard the Lucario, Proditor had started running. He quickly ran out of places to go though, as more plant life kept growing, creating smaller and smaller pockets in the city. Soon finding himself trapped at the end of a long, straight alleyway, the vines beside him burned away, around what appeared to be a thick, burly black scaled claw that Proditor recognized as belonging to the Salandit line. "This way." A gruff voice called from the new opening, as the ominous dinging heralding the Tapu's approach came their way.

Proditor glanced between his options, before taking the exit, and finding a Trainer and his partner on the other side. The Pokémon caught his eye first, as it was very much a male of the Salandit species, a Pokémon that Proditor knew as Saladon. While more 'common' in places like Selva Muerta's volcanic ranges, in Alola, there was only one male born to the local population every century or so, and often, it was caught by a Trainer with a doomed fate. Such Trainers usually ended up becoming the Island Kahuna and had an affinity with Dark Type Pokémon, traditionally, and while this Trainer had indeed achieved that status, he had also been violently removed by Tapu Bulu. There was one other difference that marked the Saladon from his Dark Continent cousins. Runes of flame burned like lava against the black of his scales around his arms, and down his legs and back, and this particular male had an impressive spiny crest between his neck and shoulders that were also likely poisonous.

His Trainer had the skin tones of a native islander, and tattoos very similar in style to his Saladon's across his body. A black scarf covered the right side of his face and sitting atop both the scarf and his head was a cap reminiscent of a human skull, not remotely cartoony or silly, but kind of disturbingly real in how detailed it was. As his visible dark eye fell on Proditor, it narrowed, but the man spoke anyway. "Hurry. Before it catches up."

Proditor followed the older human, as they came to a tunnel carved presumably by his Saladon, that led into Ula'ula's volcano. Behind them, Tapu Bulu finally discovered the hole in his vine wall, and roared with rage in his voice. Proditor could tell his antics and evasion was starting to get to the Tapu. "Why are you helping me?" Proditor finally asked, once they'd traveled some distance from the now sealed entrance they'd used.

"Any enemy of that pompous, overgrown Tauros is a friend of mine. Have you heard of Team Skull?" The man said, not looking behind him.

Proditor thought for a moment. "Yes…but you're at least a whole generation ahead of their members, most of whom are now imprisoned in Black City."

The man grunted in disgust. "Tourists. The original Team Skull, Team Iwipo'o, was much older, and far more…serious, than the idiots that succeeded us."

Proditor sighed, genuinely not caring. "Fascinating. Why is that group of delinquents relevant?"

The man looked back at him, as he moved. "Because that group of delinquents is the only group still resisting the Tapu, and an enemy of it, is a friend of ours. I saw what you did in its desert. Bold, to unearth one of its ancient enemies in its own territory. That thing you have with you isn't the only one to be petrified and buried there. Bulu won't stop hunting you, now that you have its trophy."

Behind them, there was a mighty crash of earth and volcanic stone, and Tapu Bulu's cry again reached them. The man swore. "Sal. Start setting up and sealing false tunnels. Then rejoin ours, and seal it every few feet." The Saladon nodded, and suddenly turned left from them, as it used Dig to rapidly create a new tunnel to nowhere. It did this several times as the pair of humans kept moving.

About ten minutes later it popped up behind them and started once more raising giant rock walls. Behind them, another massive quake and roar signaled that the Tapu had found the false tunnels. Then, a few minutes after that, they started hearing consecutive smashes, as the Tapu figured out their strategy, and rapidly gained on them. As if it understood where they were heading, somehow. Proditor grimaced. "It might have a Lucario helping it. It will be able to track me."

Hearing that, the old man swore, and suddenly turned down a different already carved tunnel, and had his Saladon seal it properly, so it was completely hidden. He then had it raise a solid ten feet of stone in the new tunnel, before they moved on again. Finally, they emerged from the tunnel to a truly pitiful secret base, that was, by Proditor's reckoning, under the part of the island called Po Town. These days it had been reclaimed by the people and their latest Kahuna and turned back into a proper place to live, though Gladion had given the land purposefully to native islanders, rather than rich tourists from the States or Japan. This made the island less popular thanks to the negative press, but Kahuna Gladion was fine with Ula'ula being seen as an island for Alolans, and not rich tourists.

With the surface reclaimed, what was left of Team Skull that wasn't in Prison had almost dispersed, but fate had seen them run into their newly freed founder, who'd just finished serving his own sentence in Black City, and had returned home, after decades away. As before, he rallied the group behind his Saladon, and moved them beneath Po Town, where they'd been ever since. So long as they didn't break any laws, Gladion had agreed to leave them alone, after he and the former Kahuna had tested each other in a battle, and reached a level of mutual respect, if not trust.

The man who'd saved Proditor gestured to him as they arrived, out of breath and sweating from running several miles under a volcano. "This stranger is also an enemy of the Tapu. One of his partners was petrified by Bulu. The Tapu is on his trail even now. We will help him…" The man turned and met Proditor's gaze, "and in return, he will owe us a favor, in the future."

Proditor found it more likely they'd be his fodder in the future, but then banished that thought. He knew its origin and didn't like how easily he'd mistaken it for his own. He met the old man's gaze. "I swear to you, on my true name, I will repay this kindness."

The old man's face was unreadable. "I don't think I ever got your name, stranger. Or your purpose."

Proditor looked around at the ragtag collection of tweenagers, young adults, and old men who'd done hard time, and come out the other side of incarceration intact. "I am Cassius Proditor. But you may refer to me as Lord Proditor."

The gathered thugs laughed. One of the youths spoke, and Proditor was treated to his first taste of modern 'speech'. "Yo, dude, what're you s'posed to even be da Lord of? Pale skin?" That too, made the big-brained monkeys laugh, and Proditor inhaled deeply, resisting the urge to simply drain them of their life energy, and leave.

It took Proditor a solid twenty seconds to keep his murderous intent in check, before he rapidly, unnaturally, raised his head and stared the tween down. "In my time, I was a Dark Lord of the Shadow, second in line to Tame Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. My kingdom stretched across most of the supercontinent, and those who knew my full name, knew to fear it."

The group shared a look between themselves. The old man spoke then, "Second in line to…that would make you over ten thousand years old…and the man responsible for the Dark Times." His face stayed neutral, as he spoke, hiding how he personally felt about this particular information.

"I am." Proditor answered, deciding to be truthful in this moment. "I'm also the only person in Alola with the power and the means to stop your violent Tapu in his tracks. Perhaps even permanently."

Being a former Kahuna, the old man had heard the legends. Of the Successor to the man who'd tamed Arceus itself in its true form, only to fail, and drag the planet into chaos once again. Once again, the failed Kahuna had a choice before him. The walls shook with dust as Tapu Bulu forced its way closer. Once more, the 'ting, ting ting ting, ting ting, ting' of his bell announced his arrival, but it seemed less ominous now, and more discordant.

Finally, the old man spoke. The remnants of Team Skull were, as always, waiting to follow the lead of someone with charisma and half a clue. "Alright. Fine. I won't judge you for your past deeds or ask how you're alive again. If you can stop Bulu, we're in. It's time my people were free of that monster." Said 'monster' was getting closer, and once it marked them, they were as good as dead anyway. At that moment, Sal appeared beside him, meeting his eye, and nodding. Better to die fighting than rot in ignominy in this damned tunnel. They'd resigned themselves to growing old in Prison, teaching the next generations, and dying in disgrace, but this stranger, if he was speaking truthfully, had genuine power behind him. A literal figure from prehistory. The old man was willing to gamble on a man that could cheat death.

With an explosion of rock, dirt, and dust, Tapu Bulu entered the base, slowly rising to its full height as it stopped crouching. Upon seeing Proditor, and the former Kahuna, its eyes bulged with fury. The red mask adorning its horns began to turn black, and most traces of color and light seemed to leave the Tapu, as it readied itself to both end an abomination to nature and take several human lives. He recognized many from the first Team Skull he'd violently disbanded. There would be no second chances this time and Gladion wasn't there to save them. Right here and now, Team Skull would end. Forever.

The Saladon was the first to step up and face the Legendary grass fairy, and he was soon joined by Mordred. Tapu Bulu roared as its golden aura flared to life around it and formed an empowering aura shield. Proditor gave the Saladon a final gift, as he raised a hand, and engulfed it in Shadow. "Use this power! It will dull the effectiveness of its Moves and empower your own."

The old man grimaced, as the natural orange-red runes of his Saladon turned purple and started uncontrollably spewing dark flames. Cracks appeared on his lizard skin, but the enraged burly salamander was too furious to notice, or care. "Yea. I know what Shadow Infusion does..." He sighed deeply, and then muttered, "Muk it. Shadow Claw!" Mordred used his own Shadow move, and the pair of them made contact, only to fade and reveal the Tapu had tanked them with almost no damage taken, such was its defensive ability.

As the humans scattered, Proditor hid with them, knowing better than to stay near Bulu while it was in this state of rage. "If we want to win, we're going to need a Gardevoir. Preferably one with Synchronize and Skill Swap."

One of the female grunts spoke up. "I have a Gardevoir…but they don't have Synchronize."

Proditor nodded. "I expected that. Which is why I'm glad I picked up this...Ability Patch thing, in the city. If I understand its purpose accurately, it can help us." The grunt's eyes widened as they saw it. "Use this on her. Then have her remember Skill Swap."

"M-my Gardevoir is a male. You shouldn't just assume someone's gender, man." The grunt answered. Behind them, the explosion of moves shook the tunnel. Proditor just stared at her, first in disbelief, then in fury.

"I don't Mukking care what gender your amorphous Fairy Type labels itself as." Proditor snarled. "Just bring it out!"

The clearly panicked woman glanced at her comrades, and then nodded sheepishly. She brought out the male Gardevoir, who took in the scene before them, and frowned. Proditor went to hand his Trainer the patch, and the Gardevoir blocked him. Proditor sighed, and threw it at her, leaving her to it. Then, he turned, and threw a timely Pokéball to help the flagging Saladon and Shadow Gallade. Shellraiser joined the fray, followed by Toraigon. They distracted the embattled Tapu long enough for Proditor and the old man to heal their partners. Once recovered, the four Shadow Pokémon faced down the enraged and blackened Tapu in a truly epic clash that shook the tunnels with each move they traded. Mostly, Mordred, Toraigon, and Shellraiser knocked its shields away so the newly infused Saladon could hit it with a move combining Shadow, fire, and poison.

Proditor whirled on the grunts then. There were less of them, but the one with the Gardevoir hadn't yet lost her nerve. "Are you done yet?" She nodded, and Proditor brought out his ace. The other grunts gasped at the sight of the petrified Guzzlord, and one of the younger male grunts backed away in appropriate fear.

"U-uh, Boss!? This guy's got a Guzzlord! This thing is big enough to eat the whole island!"

"He could." Proditor said with a grin. "But he won't, unless I will him to do so. Now, all of you…shut up." He looked at the Gardevoir. "Give him your new Ability, with Skill Swap."

The Gardevoir looked at Proditor, then at his Trainer, and finally the petrified Guzzlord, then made the choice that the old man hadn't, and shook their head in defiance. Proditor fixed the Gardevoir with a glare and assaulted it mentally. "Listen well, amorphous one. You, your Trainer, and everyone in this tunnel will end up like my friend here without Your power. Use it!"

"No…"The Gardevoir answered, struggling against his psychic barrage. "You…are evil…pure evil…I won't…help…the Betrayer!"

Before Proditor could react, his dark passenger woke up, and acted for him. The Gardevoir's eyes started glowing with Shadow energy, and she used Skill Swap on the petrified Rapax. Seeing this, Proditor psychically guided his team into having the rampaging Tapu look at the petrified Guzzlord, now out from his ball.

Seeing his target, and the futility of fighting resistant Shadow Pokémon hammering somewhat futilely against his own defenses, Tapu Bulu moved towards Rapax. As he raised a hoof holding one side of his mask shield, Rapax's eyes locked with Tapu Bulu, and thanks to the nature of the petrification, transferred it via Synchronize.

Slowly, the now darkened Tapu began petrifying, as the curse upon Rapax finally began to come undone. Bulu tried pulling away, but Mordred, Shellraiser, and Saladon held him in place. Only once the petrification was completely traded, did Rapax finally inhale, then exhale. With the exhalation came millennia of dust, followed by a full-body cough, given that its body was ninety percent mouth.

With the rock and stone coughed up, Rapax aimed its body upwards and inhaled the air of the tunnel, and on the 'exhale', let out the loud, maddening roar that its species was known for. The Hyper Voice knocked over the sturdy frame of Tapu Bulu, and Proditor smirked at it. "Shellraiser. Destroy it." His Blastoise mirrored his smirk and stomped with true hatred on the Pokémon that had jailed his friend for so very long. To his immense irritation, the stone only crashed further into the rocky floor of the tunnel, the 'statue' itself was unblemished.

The old man shook his head, and his eye met Proditor's. "That won't work. Right now, the Tapu is immobile, and essentially indestructible. The Tapu's petrification mirrors its own power, and despite our feelings about it ruling us…it is a Legendary Pokémon. According to the eggheads, this kind of petrification defies the laws of existence. The only one who can undo this status is Bulu…though one of the other Tapu might be able to cure it, all this fat, lazy bull can do is inflict it on others." He spat on the Tapu then, and his gang, the few that were left, followed his lead.

Proditor finally noticed then, that the female grunt from earlier was among those who had now scurried off. He let her go. The psychic partner of her mind had touched the true power of the Shadow. They'd be back, with or without her. He turned to Rapax, giving him a rare smile. "It's good to see you, Rapax. I'm sorry you had to endure that for so long."

The Guzzlord made a tired, whining sound, as Proditor examined his formerly broken claw. It seemed intact, though the new tiny Shadow arm beside his head kept flexing on instinct. "You'll feel better after a rest. Then we'll see about getting you some food." The Guzzlord made another tired groan and returned to his ball. To the remaining grunts and the old man, Proditor said, "I will not forget this. When your need is dire, I will be there to give you aid. Until then…I would advise hiding. The Dragon Empire will likely convict you for your mere presence here."

Then, with a bow and a bamf, he was gone.

Sahqoreyth · Mar 30, 2024

The Palace of Ideals - Unova Region

The decent rest Alex had been getting was interrupted by one of the Scales in his own squad, who had become his source of information for when the Muk hit the Fan Rotom. He had an infectious good mood, even at ungodly hours in the morning. "Goooood Morning my draconic overlord and lady!" Both Alex and Jess groaned in unison as they heard him.

Alex raised his head out of the tangle of limbs and blankets and glared through bleary eyes at the man. "Max…the world had better be on Mukking fire if you're bothering us this early, on vacation…"

"Maxwell Pendleton only intrudes when absolutely necessary, good Dragon Emperor! Alas…two situations demand your attention this fine morning. I'm only here to let you know that. I'll leave you two to get ready." Then, he was gone. Alex groaned again, and pushed himself up, failed, and fell back into the comfy sheets.

He conked out for another five minutes, before he felt Tao keep his mind from re-entering a sleep cycle. He levitated himself up then, saw Jess was still out, and forced himself to get ready. Jess was still dreaming once he was done, so he wisely let her sleep and started towards the War Room, which was a smaller chamber off the Throne Room. His armor appeared as he walked, slightly slowing his stride.

As he entered, he saw Tao's eyes floating above the table as was his wont. Around the table were the Latios he'd met in Rio, Colonel Surge, and Warden Riker. "Alex." Tao rumbled in their heads. "Your quarry has surfaced. First in the ruins that once housed the Shadow Nexus. Then, after confronting and injuring Zigma, he appeared again on Ula'ula island, where he angered Tapu Bulu. Champion Elio is currently trying to find the specifics of what happened." Then, in just Alex's head, he said, "The Secret Island Sage sent him to investigate the sudden arrival of darkness in the Region. It was enough to block their Future Sight. He might have stopped the Successor, had he not been…distracted…by the Aether President's daughter."

Alex's brows crashed together as he stared Tao down, sensing his line of thought, and the reasoning he was using. "We're not having this argument again. The Scales will not be restricted in their relationships. And the Pokémon Wars Saga you would use to justify such celibacy also proves that they'll form attachments regardless of whether they're forbidden or not. How did that work out, in the Saga? We will simply have to help them through their emotions, when they inevitably become unstable."

"Instability is not the only problem, young Redwood. Distraction is also a problem, and the reason the Traitor again evaded us." The dragon continued, and Alex sighed.

"How often have those two been able to see each other?" Tao began to answer, but Alex cut him off. "If the Secret Sage is anything like mine, not nearly enough. That's why they were 'distracted'. I'm sure if Elio had known what was obscuring his sight, he would've acted immediately. He is also a Tamer, so don't count out his tracking ability just yet. He's on the trail now, I assume?"

Tao gave an affirmative. "Then leave him to it." Alex said, closing his eyes, and reaching out psychically. He gave the mental equivalent of a knock to Elio, and the fiery mind of Alola's resident Hero touched his. "Champion Elio. I hear the Successor gave you the slip."

Embarrassment and irritation flooded his mind, overlapping the anger that was starting to boil under it all. Alex wondered what he wanted revenge against the Successor for but didn't pry. "...Yes, Dragon Emperor. He did. By the time the Sage and I sensed that darkness, he was already halfway through his antics. I'll have a report later."

Alex let his perpetual chill vibes flow across their link, and he noted the amusement from Elio. "Don't stress over it, I can get the details from others. I'm putting You specifically on the task of hunting him down. Use whoever and whatever you need to find and detain him. Alive, if possible, but do not underestimate him. If you can't detain him, either run and regroup, or have Solgaleo end him." Alex doubted the sun lion had a Spacium Beam but given that it was a Legendary Pokémon from another dimension, and had the stats and Z Moves to back up its hype, Alex wasn't worried.

Elio's determination burned to life in the wake of his words, and Alex radiated approval, even more confident of his choice for this. Alola's Champion had quite a reputation of his own, and if the rumors were true, had visited more alternate dimensions than any known currently living human. He was also a rather high ranked contender in recent World Tournaments and had reportedly been on an unbroken win streak through the latest one, like most Champions had, so far. "I'll detain him and figure out what he's doing. He won't get away from me again." Elio stated confidently.

The connection broke then, and Alex could see Surge glancing at the others as psychic and silent conversations left the room filled with dead air. Finally, Alex opened his eyes again, and spoke. "Elio is on the trail. I need to know the specifics of what the Successor did in Selva Muerta, and Alola." He looked at the Latios, then. "Is Zigma alright? If she needs Light-"

The Latios held up a hand and met his gaze evenly. "Your offer is appreciated, but unnecessary, Dragon Emperor. We're indebted to you enough already. Zigma will recover. She was tended by Mew, and the three Mewtwo it was traveling with." Alex nodded, as he'd heard their own had disappeared from the Dragonspiral Tower and her training. "And Alola?" He was handed a Rotablet then, and the ghost in the machine showed him the report, in detail. Ula'ula's police force had pretty easily tracked and accounted for ninety percent of the Successor's time on their island between security cameras in the Pokémon Center, and cameras in the PokéMarts as well. He'd stolen quite a few items, apparently just by pulling them into his shadowy robe. "Put up all three of his appearances, including that Trainer disguise, and then have the footage and list of stolen items sent to our friend in Italia. If we can get Elio and the three Mewtwo to corner him at once, that might be enough to end this threat. Or at least contain it long enough for us to show up and deal with it. Which brings me to my next point…"

Alex met Tao's disembodied gaze again and spoke mentally. Surge and Riker shared a look, and Alex made a note to thank them for their patience. "The Burst Heart that Shruikan and I used. Where is it? I know you were the one who bamfed it away after we beat Pravus."

Tao chuckled. "For safety, young Redwood. You Humans so easily lose important items all the time. I see your reasoning. You intend to wield it again, to strengthen your Spacium Beam."

Alex nodded. "Ideally I'd use it with you, this time. Shruikan is powerful, but not…as attuned to the Light. With both you and I behind it, I think we can at least match the power that the Hero King of Galar used."

Tao's eyes pulsed again. "Unbinding Shruikan from it was a painful process. If you use it with me, it will be permanently bonded to us."

Alex nodded again. "Then we hide it somewhere Humans will never be able to reach, once we're done with it. I already have an idea of who we can entrust with it." Suddenly, verbally, Alex spoke again. "Warden Riker. Thank you for your…patience. How are the Prisoners handling restricted leave?"

Riker stood a little straighter. "By all accounts…very well, actually. There have been rumblings of Sedition, but mostly from indoctrinated family members that have Arc News on all day. We're keeping an eye on them."

Alex nodded slowly. "Send me a list of who you believe we could safely release. Ideally, those without Seditious family members." He turned to the Colonel then and gave him a nod of respect. "Colonel Surge. How goes the training?"

"Sir." The man said, coming to full attention. "Our armed forces have hemorrhaged members, as expected…but we're below pre-war numbers. Those who have stayed are training hard."

Alex nodded, expecting such a decrease. "We'll start recruiting again after people have time to cool down. In the meantime, select those who are fit for promotions. We want to reward those who chose to stay and serve their Empire despite peacetime." Surge nodded, and after checking with Tao to make sure that was everything, Alex spoke with finality. "If there's nothing else, gentlemen, I have a World Tournament rank to grind."

The Latios nodded, mentally wished everyone well, and then Teleported home. Riker did the same, although his method involved his Alakazam. Surge, however, did have something else to say. "If you need an opponent, Dragon Emperor…I bet it would inspire the troops to see you and I Battling for their entertainment."

A smirk crossed Alex's face. "I'd be genuinely honored to face the Lightning Unovan in front of the troops. I can get us there quickly, if you like." Surge nodded stoically, but Alex could tell he had reservations about Teleporting. "It'll be smoother if you picture the base as well." The Colonel closed his eyes and nodded.

As they bamfed, Alex felt a tiny hand on his shoulder at the last minute. Thankfully, he was able to bring their third person safely with them. As they reappeared in the middle of the main battlefield in the capital's military base on the Long Island, Alex whirled on their unintended third, only to find Ledi Girl, slightly out of breath, and still in her sleeping clothes, a fluffy red onesie with black spots, and her spare mask. Alex smirked as he realized who'd followed. "You know, I would've gone back to get you. After breakfast. You don't need to be up as early as I am."

Ledi Girl rolled her eyes. "Right. I've talked with Jess, you know. I've heard how often you Teleport into…shenanigans. Her words. I promised her I'd have your back, and I won't let you make me a liar." She returned his smirk and crossed her arms. "You're stuck with me, D.E."

Alex's smirk fell away into a neutral, unamused expression. He let an appropriate amount of silence create dead air, and then said, "No. You'll use my name, if you want to address me. Nicknaming privileges are earned. Speaking of names…I did have a thought, if you're open to a change in moniker." The smirk returned. "I had a chat with Tikki while you were otherwise occupied. We're both in agreement." Punctuating his words, the Ledian popped free from her ball. "Ledi Girl used to work, but now, as far as names go…frankly, you've outgrown it. After beating Dark Moth, we feel you're more of a…Ladybug."

The teen's eyes widened, and then she looked downwards as she rolled the name around in her head. "Ladybug…" She muttered, nodding, as a smile crossed her face. It did feel right.

"You'll be able to Burst whenever you want now." Tikki added. "Multiple times. That's not all, either. The Original Dragon fixed an…old wound for me." She smirked up at Alex, who'd raised an eyebrow at her words. "Once you little Humans were all asleep. I'm at my old level of strength, now. And it's given us an…upgrade."

As Ladybug's eyes widened at the idea of an 'upgrade', Alex turned to the Colonel, who was also smirking by this point in the conversation. "Go gather the men, after you get some breakfast. This one needs something to practice once our Battle begins." Surge nodded, gave a crisp salute, and then strode off at a brisk pace that made full use of the man's lengthy stride.

"Light Burst!"

Alex turned, smirking as the eager teenager activated her Burst Heart, and fused with Tikki. True to her words, Tikki had not been lying about the upgrade. Their wings were larger now, more akin to a Mega Pinsir, their mask became rounded, protecting their eyes with a bulbous black protrusion around them that covered most of her face and where her nose had been. Marinette's hair underneath the black and red exoskeletal helmet became four separate antennae. Each of their four fists was now covered in a black spotted and red exoskeletal 'gauntlet' of sorts that, from the look of them, could shoot webs with ease and block physical attacks. Her legs were similarly covered by an exoskeleton that resembled a pair of stylish boots, with the same color scheme, and overall, her synchronized form now had more black on it than just red with black spots, particularly around her lower pelvic area.

As Ladybug opened her eyes, they burned gold under the bulbous mask, and the black dot on the center of their forehead also glowed with the Light. She took in her new form, flexing her wings, and extending and shrinking her new web shooters on each arm. "I have been wondering, Ladybug…you seem to know a lot about Burst Hearts. My own sources are…infuriatingly vague on what they even are. How they work. What they're made of. Care to enlighten me?"

Ladybug's eyes shifted, as she had an internal conversation. "I think…revealing that would be a bad idea."

Alex pressed her. "If I'm to train you, I need to know what I'm working with. Give me a run-down. You've given Burst Hearts to others in Kalos before, no? Tell me what you told them."

Ladybug's eyes shifted some more, before she finally nodded with a sigh. "Alright." She gestured for him to lean in, and he did so, leaning down significantly, so she could whisper to his ear. "Burst Hearts are specially formed crystals composed of the natural energy types of the universe. The type they have inherently, will resonate best with a Pokémon of that same type. Usually, once bonded, a Pokémon is forever tied to their Burst Heart, and while some of them can uncouple from them, it's a severely painful process. Legendary Pokémon cannot break this bond, and most Burst Hearts will become the main type of the Legend they're bonded to."

Alex's brows furrowed. "Resonate?"

Ladybug nodded. "Burst Hearts give off their own aura, again matching their type, and the better a Human and their partner can resonate with the Heart and each other, the more powerful the final fusion will be."

Alex nodded, and then met her gaze, turning his head slightly. "But what about yours? It's infused with the power of the Life Pokémon, but bonded with Tikki?"

Ladybug was quiet for a moment, before she spoke again. "Xerneas used to have what we call a Burst Partner. A long, long time ago. As did Yveltal. When their Humans died, the two Legendary Pokémon were freed of their Burst Hearts, and it was Zygarde who hid them away. Plagg stole Yveltal's, and upon touching it, became the embodiment of Destruction. To counter this new force, Tikki was selected by one of Zygarde's forms, and became the embodiment of Life. We were then charged with finding Humans to partner with, who would wield the Hearts responsibly." Tikki quietly left out the part where the Guardian of the Ecosystem had threatened to simply destroy them, and the Hearts, if they refused.

Alex nodded slowly. "So Tikki has had multiple partners. Probably selecting them once a significant threat appears, right?"

Ladybug nodded. "Dark Moth found a Poison Typed Burst Heart and bonded his Venomoth to it. In using his power for evil, Tikki and Plagg woke up again, and were tasked with finding another pair of Humans to counteract his evil."

Alex stood up again, as a line of soldiers in the distance began shuffling onto the field at a brisk pace and into the stands surrounding it on either side, a welcome break from early morning training. "Thank you, Ladybug. I won't share this information too freely. I want you to get a feel for your upgraded abilities, while Surge and I have our Battle. Try not to get too…carried away."

Ladybug nodded, flexed her wings, and shot into the air significantly faster than she expected to. She let out an involuntary whoop as she looped through the air to kill her momentum, and then zipped off elsewhere on the base to do as instructed.

Alex turned to face Surge then, as he was already standing in the Trainer box on his side of the field. Once the stands were full, Surge drew a Pokéball, and leveled it at the leader of his region. "Three on three, World Tournament rules. That work for you, General?" He asked, using Alex's military rank, which was the same as the other Unovan Champions.

Alex nodded, and as he did, the same Drone Rotom that had officiated his matches so far appeared again, flying in from the horizon. It announced the terms for all to hear, and then in response, the gathered troops started chanting. Surge looked unamused, but Alex chuckled. The number five was chanted repeatedly, and Alex looked at the Colonel. "I'm not one to deny our troops. I can do five on five."

The chanting slowly died down as the troops waited for the Colonel's response. Finally, once they quieted, he nodded his spiky blonde head. "Fine. Five it is."

The Drone Rotom spoke again, then as the troops whooped. "The competitors have agreed to change the match to five Pokémon each. Victory in this match will propel either Colonel Surge to the Ultra Class, or the Unovan Champion to the Great Class, based on their current respective standings. Let the Battle begin!"

Surge threw his ball first, as five of Alex's floated into a half circle behind his head. As Surge's Magnezone appeared, Alex made his own choice. Kalagon appeared on the field, and this time, he roared at his opponent as he did so, taking a battle stance, arms wide as he got ready. Leveling up thanks to his frequent and recent training and usage in battle had turned the young Gible downright vicious, and eager for combat. Apparently, this was very common, when a Gible was about to evolve.

Surge smirked. "I'd heard you got a Gible. And that it was a baby. Seems it's already grown quite a lot."

Alex gave him a knowing smirk in return. "He's about to get a lot stronger. Earthquake!"

Surge's eyes widened as Alex took the initiative, but he tried to counter quickly. "Magnet Rise!"

As the slow Magnezone began levitating itself out of ground move range, the battlefield shook, and the troops whooped in response. The Earthquake struck, but the force of it only helped the Magnezone ascend. Alex didn't let that stop them though. "Kalagon! Dig, now!"

Surge seemed sure of this round, now Magnet Rise was in effect. "When it pops up, hit it with Flash Cannon." The Magnezone responded with an affirmative and began tracking the underground movement of its target as it gathered a bright ball of steel energy.

Kalagon sensed the oncoming danger, and mentally reached for his Trainer. Verbally and in his mind, Alex said, "Come up and use Fire Fang!"

The tiny Gible launched from the ground with an explosion of flame, and the well trained Magnezone fired as soon as he appeared. Kalagon used his sight and Alex's in conjunction as his large jaw clamped down on the steel sphere and tossed it away. He kept the move going though as he spun through the air from the momentum of the throw, and chomped down again on the Magnezone for a super effective hit that did a lot less damage than Alex expected.

Surge however, stared at the damage in disbelief. "I trained my Magnezone to be a Steel wall…and your baby dragon just bit off a quarter of it." He shook his head, but smirked. "I guess your title isn't all hype."

Alex gave him a dark smirk. "You should see my first Dragon Type." He'd actually wanted Shruikan for this, but for the first time in a long while, the combat loving Salamence had denied him, and made him go with Kalagon instead. "Keep it up, Kalagon. Fire Fang!"

Surge never so much as sweat. "Rise out of its range, and then get ready, Magnezone! I want you to rain Flash Cannons on that dragon!" As ordered, the floating sentient magnet rose out of Kalagon's jumping range, and the flames around his fangs fizzled. Then, it raised its magnets, and between them, a massive sphere, and likely most or all of its power for Flash Cannon, gathered between the magnets.

Seeing this, Alex nodded to himself. "Return, Kalagon. Goku, time for some dodging practice." The baby land shark nodded, understanding the battle had shifted. Out came the recently evolved Monferno, who had the speed to survive the oncoming Flash Cannons, and the typing to resist them if they managed to hit. The attack launched, and Magnezone watched from its lofty perch as the orbs of blinding steel energy began falling. For his part, Alex put a closed fist to his open palm, and let his heart beat in time with Goku's. The fire monkey did the same, and then as one, they fell into their Dragon Stance.

Alex focused on giving him a wider perspective of where the attacks were landing, and Goku swirled away from them with practiced, spiraling movements. His powerful limbs, several times stronger than a human's, helped him leap out of the spheres that Magnezone directed on top of him. Eventually, the spheres stopped falling, but Surge was unperturbed. "Magnezone. Lock On."

Alex nodded, guessing what came next. "Get ready, Goku." He said, heightening their focus again. It was going to be Thunder or Zap Cannon, but Alex was assuming Surge would pick Zap Cannon. A powerful ball of electric energy was something he could deal with. A strike of intense plasma from the sky was less manageable. For now. Firebending techniques had spread among his fire types rather quickly once Cinder had come back. None of them had yet managed to cross into the territory of electricity control though. Blaze was working on that even now, with trying to master Thunder Punch, and not letting his flying typing get in the way of its full power.

"Zap Cannon!" Surge ordered, and Alex nodded in response.

"Goku. It's time. Do you think you can manage it?" His Monferno looked back at him, at the ground, and then gave him a thumbs up. Even Alex hadn't quite figured out how to manage producing lightning from control of fire. Goku was confident he could, though. He'd watched the TM for Thunder Punch many times by this point. His Trainer's words during their firebending lesson came back to him, as the Magnezone gathered so much electricity, a hit was all but guaranteed to blow the middle form monkey away, thanks to the difference in level between him and the Magnezone. He took a deep breath, and focused. "It's all just energy." Alex had said. "Firebenders achieve Electricbending by separating the positive and negative charge of their body's inner energy fields, and in the space between, create something new."

Goku did just that, and found it easier than before, given how charged the air was. He was in his stance again, eyes closed, perfectly still but for the shifting flame on his tail. The flame flickered, as he separated the energy flow into what he identified as positive and negative charges and let the friction between them generate electricity. The fur around his right fist stood on end as the charge started to build, and Goku breathed deeply again, encouraging more. Then, all at once, it clicked. Right as the Zap Cannon fired, electricity sparked over Goku's fist, and the Monferno grinned darkly.

He put everything he had into the punch, his only hope of pulling off the plan Alex had in his head. He verbalized it for their audience, as the rapidly moving energy ball fired. "Smash it back! Thunder Punch!"

With the precision of the martial artist he was becoming, and with a perfect demonstration of a Dragon Style punch, Goku hammered the Zap Cannon back at the Magnezone, whose eye went wide as it realized its attack had been redirected. Though resistant to the damage, it was a severely powerful move, hence why one usually needed Lock On to make it hit. Below, Goku was panting slightly, fist smoking as he smirked, and watched the smoke clear. The smirk faded as Magnezone fell through it, and Surge countered. "Don't let it block! Thunderbolt!"

Goku dodged instead, spinning gracefully over the bolt of plasma, as Alex called the move. "Get up beside it with Mach Punch!" In the blink of an eye, Goku was smashing into the Magnezone high in the air with a quick jab that, while effective, was nowhere near enough to finish the round. "Follow with a Flame Wheel!"

"Thunderbolt until it's unconscious." Surge ordered, and as the two Pokémon readied and used their respective moves, something odd happened. The lightning aimed at Goku forked against his spinning attack and smashed into the ground on either side of him, leaving the spinning momentum of the fiery wheel of pain to smash upwards into Magnezone. Seeing the hit had stunned Magnezone, and that it was on its last legs, Alex shouted another move. "Finish it! Fire Punch!"

After wheeling past and above the Magnezone, Goku put both his fists together as they burned with flames and brought them down in an overhead smash on his opponent. Magnezone smashed into the field with enough force to break the ground, and the Drone Rotom called the round as Goku landed, beat his chest, and roared at the crowd of troops, who were whooping. Money was changing hands quite obviously, and it seemed about half had bet on Surge winning the first KO. Alex recalled Goku, swapping him out for Kalagon once more, as Surge recalled his Magnezone. Though he'd dodged very well, grinding through that Thunderbolt with Flame Wheel had almost taken him out in one hit.

Seeing that the baby dragon was out again, and mostly undamaged, Surge frowned. "Electivire." He said, intending to end the nuisance right there. He wasted no time as the burly electric sasquatch appeared with a flash and roared. "Take it down, Electivire. Ice Punch!"

"Kalagon." Alex said, not losing his cool, as the quadruple effective move manifested around Electivire's fists. "Keep dodging. Dig!"

Surge smirked, as Alex sent his Pokémon underground again. "Gotcha." The Electivire gave a dark smirk as the ice on his fists vanished into cold sparkles, and Alex felt that rare but familiar tingle of knowing he'd been baited in a battle. "Electivire, use Earthquake instead!"

"Get back up here, Kalagon!" Alex shouted, but it was too late. Despite his type, the Electivire smashed the ground and produced a sizable Earthquake, as the crowd of troops cheered. Kalagon very much took the hit, but Alex didn't sense him faint. Kalagon had fought through the pain. For him. Being in his head, Alex could sense his thoughts. Yes, he wanted to win, to get stronger, but he also wanted to help his Trainer, and by extension, his teammates, win the World Tournament. Listening to Blaze, Terra, and the other older members had instilled a sense of determination in the young dragon. They were all counting on him to win.

Surge was still smirking, looking very proud of himself. "You can dig out your Gible, General. I'll wait." Surge donned his somewhat iconic black sunglasses then. "But I'd suggest bringing out a war veteran. My team was made quite powerful in our latest conflict. I wouldn't be here, if not for them." Hearing that, the usually hard to read Electivire glanced at his Trainer, nodded slowly, and then suddenly looked down at the ground.

"Don't underestimate my Dragons, Surge. Now, Kalagon! Your fastest Dig!" Like a brown bullet, a very injured Kalagon came up practically right between Electivire's feet, hammering his underjaw as he went sailing upwards. The Electivire rubbed its chin, but otherwise shook off the light hit, despite its super effectiveness. "Now, Earthquake, at max power!" As the brown dragon bullet curved in the air and back towards the ground, Surge grimaced.

His glasses were in his hand, as he shouted, "Don't let it land! Ice Punch!" Electivire reacted quickly, using its surprisingly decent speed to get within punching range. Unfortunately for Surge, gravity, and Kalagon's larger frame, made him slam the ground, before the punch could land. A sudden wave of breaking earth rose up and hammered the grimacing Electivire, as he was kept from his target and swallowed in a rumbling sea of earth that drew yet another cheer from the spectating troops.

As Kalagon landed, the strain of wielding so much ground energy at once on the brink of unconsciousness, pushed the young Gible beyond his limits and enhanced his move all at once. The center of the Earthquake started to shine, as Kalagon finally embraced the Infinity Energy he'd thus far resisted so that he could master Dragon Claw sooner. While he'd learned the move, he lacked actual claws to make it work properly, as his baby ones were too tiny. As he traded tiny fingers for one large talon, that was no longer an issue.

Once the evolution faded, the Drone Rotom scanned the Electivire, and called the match. "Electivire is unable to Battle! The winner is Gabite! Congratulations on your evolution! Please select the next competitors." Kalagon thanked the Drone Rotom, and then fell on his rear, panting heavily, and looking like he was holding back tears.

Surge chose his ball as Alex recalled the injured dragon, and did the same, and they summoned their next picks at the same time. Surge went with an Electrode, which Alex had been expecting, prompting his own sturdy choice. "Adamanteus! Your turn." As the Steelix appeared on the field, he rumbled. "Finally…" As the Drone Rotom began the round, Alex raised a hand, clutching his Key Stone. "Here we go! Mega Evolve!"

Adamanteus roared as his body shone with infinite steel energy and sent him to the next evolutionary stage of his species' potential. Surge acted first. "Electrode! Explosion!"

Alex's eyes widened, as he hadn't expected that so quickly, from Surge. Exploding was their signature move, but he'd have thought whittling down a defensive tank like Mega Steelix would make more sense. "Quick! Coil!" The Mega Steelix did so, as the explosion went off, but despite the defense boost, it did quite a lot of damage. Then, before the smoke completely cleared, Surge had brought out another Electrode as the first one, blackened, unconscious, and grinning rolled behind its Trainer.

"Go ahead, Electrode! Explode!" Surge ordered, laughing as he did so, to the backdrop of cheering troops. Again, the force and flame associated with the attack hammered Adamanteus, but he held on to consciousness thanks to another Coil, and his desire for a proper battle. Seeing the now electromagnetic steel snake was still up, Surge shook his head. "Well, there goes my strategy. I was hoping to get at least one of your Pokémon, if not two. But they couldn't even bring down your Steelix."

"That's right." Alex said, giving him a Max Potion, the only one for this battle, and what would ultimately seal Surge's fate. "Now all you have left is that Raichu of yours. I'd expected better than Explosion spam from a Trainer like you, Colonel."

Surge shrugged nonchalantly. "They love exploding." He said gesturing to the grinning pair of spent spark balls. "And I love winning. You'd be surprised how many Ground Types I take out with those two, and I'm well aware of how many you have on your cape. Come, Raichu." He said, turning and recalling his exploding mines. He didn't personally love their attack style either, but both of them had saved him and his people from many an Arcean ambush, making them veterans of two wars, now.

Adamanteus, now fully healed, uncoiled himself as Raichu appeared, and he towered over the comparatively tiny electric rat. Alex took the initiative. "Crush it! Iron Tail!"

"Dodge with Trailblaze." Surge ordered, and his Raichu did so, shifting out of the way of the Iron Tail effortlessly. A trail of green energy dogged the Raichu's steps. "Now…attack!"

As the Raichu charged far too confidently for Alex's tastes, he gave an order. "Sandstorm!" With a single roar, Adamanteus summoned one, completely stuffing Raichu's momentum with the ferocity of the sudden storm. The troops booed as their view became obscured, and Alex's voice reached their ears.

"If only there was some kind of equipment to help us see in harsh weather." He focused, and then collectively bamfed their harsh weather goggles under their seats from where they were stored in the barracks. "If you'll all direct your attention under your seats…" The crowd of men and women cheered as they saw and donned the equipment. As an afterthought, he recalled the Colonel probably needed some as well. Once he also had a pair, Alex shouted, "Alright Adamanteus! Earthquake!"

"Stay focused, Raichu…wait for the hit, and then get in the air!" Surge roared over the intense wind accompanying the sandstorm. Suddenly, above the localized cloud, the Raichu appeared. His long tail uncoiled from the spring he'd used to get airborne. He seemed largely undamaged. "Excellent. Now, come down on it with Brick Break!"

Taking a page from Pikachu, the World Champion, Raichu's tail glowed with fighting energy, and he rolled forward as he sailed into the sandstorm. That's when Alex gave the counter, "Wrap!" Just as suddenly as it began, the sandstorm subsided, as they sometimes did when created by a move, and not nature. It did however clearly reveal the Mega Steelix, who'd taken quite a lot of damage from Brick Break, now firmly entrapping the Raichu in his electromagnetic coils. Alex gave the Raichu a chance to struggle, but it was going nowhere. Adamanteus's eye shifted back towards him, and Alex nodded. "Now Slam!"

Dazed by the electromagnetism of Mega Steelix, Raichu began looking weak, and then he was spun and smashed out of said electric field, into the shattered ground of the battlefield, which only hurt him further. Even Alex winced at the brutality with which he was thrown. Only Adamanteus seemed unbothered by the pain he'd inflicted with such a masterful Slam, and sure enough, the bar depicting Raichu's health on their Drone Rotom went to zero.

Surge made it two steps towards his partner, before the rocks started levitating out of his way. Alex was there, in a flash, as Adamanteus watched on, silently. "A bit rough, that Steelix…" Surge said, as he saw his partner, and winced.

Alex held out a large palm over the fainted electric mouse, as his other hand fed it a Revive. Then, came the Heal Pulse. Any more serious injuries mended, rapidly, as did bruises, sore muscles, and the irregularity of the Raichu's own electric field. "I think the reaction between their energy fields may have had something to do with how hard your friend here took the hit…" Alex said, as the Raichu came to consciousness, and groaned. "I'm still going to have a talk with Adamanteus, though. Easy there, Raichu. You're healed, but you need to take a few days to fully recover. He's on bedrest, Colonel. I think you'll find Nurse Joy has a similar opinion."

The Raichu mumbled something about bedrest, and then was out again, snoozing peacefully. Surge recalled him, and then the two both noticed the Drone Rotom hovering above them. "Raichu is unable to Battle, and thanks to the Dragon Emperor, not seriously injured! The victory goes to Steelix, and his Trainer. Congratulations on reaching the Great Class! The rankings will now be updated."

Alex watched his score rise, from Normal to Great Class. The border of his projected stat card became blue instead of red, and he found himself in the bottom tier of the Great Class. While Surge's rank dropped, he was still much higher than Alex was in the rankings for their class. As Surge went off towards the troops, Alex approached Adamanteus. The Mega Steelix stared him down, as if daring him to criticize his actions, and Alex gave him an appropriate amount of silence, before saying, "That was a bit harsh, Adamanteus."

The Mega Steelix lowered his head to his Trainer's eye level. "Be the Best." He rumbled. His Mega Form faded, as their hearts shifted out of alignment. "You told us that. All of us. I won."

Alex nodded. "You did. But being the Best doesn't mean we abuse our power. You knew the Raichu was out of it, and you didn't have to release the Slam so it hit the ground. You were in control enough to deal exactly as much damage as necessary, and you went for the maximum." Adamanteus growled, writhing before him, and Alex held up a hand. "I'm not saying you did anything wrong, in terms of Battling. I'm just saying, in the future, try to be more mindful about your opponent's wellbeing. We're Battling right now as a sport, not in war, and not how you do in the wild."

Adamanteus snarled again. "I do not know your kind of Battling. You rarely pick me."

Alex nodded. "And that will change. As you're aware, you joined us at a much higher level of strength than the others. You haven't need as much training, because you're already strong. The rest of your teammates are at or near your level now, though, and I will use you more. To get you used to the level of power we expend during a Battle, while still trying to avoid serious injury. It's a delicate balance to achieve, but I believe you can do it as well as the others, Adamanteus. You just need practice. Now take a well-earned rest."

Slowly nodding, the Steelix returned to the comfort of his ball. Alex shot into the air then, gave the troops who saw him a salute, and then headed towards where he sensed Ladybug practicing her new powers. As he came over where he sensed the unique combination of Tikki and her human's powers, a web radiating electricity shot towards him, and he barrel rolled out of its path.

No other webs came towards him as he landed, and he found Ladybug flushed and fiddling with her web shooter as he came down for a soft landing. "Sorry about that…" Ladybug said, clearly embarrassed. "I'm working on a new Move and it…fired off early." She finally fixed her shooter and flexed it a few times before it zipped back into the new black and red exoskeleton-like casing on her forearm. "How was the match? I take it you won?"

Alex nodded. "Barring any more incidents, I was planning on going to Galar, and Battling my way down through Kalos and Paldea. Maybe hitting up a few more regions, before looping back to the States. Do you and Night Cat want to join me?"

Ladybug looked like she wanted to politely decline, but curiosity made her say, "Wouldn't having more Trainers with you make things harder? Or at least slower?"

Alex shrugged. "We can Battle people multiple times. And the more people who help make the food between matches, the better it tastes. But don't feel obligated, I'm sure you have Holiday things to attend to in Kalos."

Ladybug pondered, then shook her head. "Not yet. I think my team would actually benefit from a trip. They need to get stronger. I can see my parents when we pass through Kalos. I know they'd be honored to meet our Emperor."

Alex chuckled somewhat awkwardly. "In that case, you guys can Battle first. Given how popular the World Tournament is, we probably won't have a problem finding opponents. But on our way down I need to have a chat with the local Professors."

As Alex prepared to Teleport back, Ladybug tilted her head at him. "Why do you need the Professors?"

Alex paused in his mental telelocating, and opened one eye to look at his apprentice. "I've decided to try taming one of every Pokémon species. The Professors have access to quite a large number of rare lines."

Ladybug frowned. "One of…all the Pokémon lines!? How original… You seemed busy enough already. How will you manage even more partners?"

Alex chuckled, and nodded, closing his eyes again. "It is admittedly quite a lot, though I'm not going for every Legendary or Mythical. Some, like my Flygon and Gallade, have gone on to live their best lives…away from mine. There will be more who eventually decide to leave, I'm sure…so the plan is to collect who I need over time, and line by line, help them realize their full potential."

"Is there a reason you chose such a difficult and stereotypical goal?" She asked.

Alex nodded. "To create a…support network, of sorts. One filled with either Pokémon I've trained, or their descendants. One that can respond to any rising disasters or threats quickly, all over the planet. That's the goal anyway. The reality might look…different."

Ladybug just stared at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "That would take…lifetimes, Alex. And who will care for your partners when you inevitably get old?"

Alex chuckled. "According to Tao, I'm functionally immortal because of…reasons. So, I have nothing But time, and with that time, I'm going to try to make this world flourish. It may be fruitless, I may have nothing to show for my efforts when I do eventually die, as all things must. All I build now may very well burn down in the end, as the efforts of Emperors so often have once they pass, but I refuse to spend my eternity with regret over not even trying to use my gift of long life to improve Humanity. We can be so much better than we are now."

As the Teleport energy started glowing, Tikki split from her human, leaving her in her red and black spotted pajamas once again. She addressed Marinette, "You will live a long time too, Ladybug. So will Night Cat. Maybe you could help Alex with his goal?"

Marinette shook her head on instinct. "I'm…not the best Trainer." She gave her master a smirk. "Not yet at least. I'm nowhere near good enough to keep up with you, Alex."

Alex spoke with finality as he readied the Teleport to include Tikki. "Marinette, you may be one of the only people who could keep up with me, in this regard. Do you want to know the real secret to training strong Pokémon?" She nodded after a brief pause, and Alex continued. "It's love. I know that sounds corny, but once you and your partners have a strong enough bond, you'll understand what I'm talking about. The more you care for each other, the harder they'll Battle for you. The power your bonds can create will take you to heights you probably never thought you could reach. Give your team some breakfast. Bond with them. You'll see your strength grow rapidly."

Marinette barely had time to process his words before a giant hand grabbed her shoulder, and Tikki's hand grabbed hers. "He's right, you know." She said in her Trainer's head, and then suddenly, they were back outside the Palace of Ideals. She took in the ancient carving of Tao above the main entrance, and then the two later added carvings of Zekrom flanking the doors. As they entered the palace's winding entry hallway that had started to be filled by local artists with scenes from Unova's history, and even more contemporary scenes depicting the return of the Dragon Empire, she said, "I'll go and get Night Cat, and my team. When do we leave?"

Alex chuckled. "Get some food, first. Do some training. Bond. I have a few…Imperial duties to deal with before we depart."

Marinette sighed, fully expecting him to bamf away again, but she nodded and hurried off to do as instructed. Alex found his own team and recalled most of them onto his cape. Po and Canis were the exceptions. His first stop was the Enterprise, as even then, he knew Jimen was waiting on him to alleviate his guard duty over Vaatu and the stump that was Ozai. The mechanics told him their flagship was half finished, but work was proceeding faster, now that they had designs for technology that could and had functioned in space at humanity's peak. The Palace had many large underground chambers the further one went, and the Imperial government had made full use of them for building their space fleet in secrecy.

While there, Alex found Aurea Juniper and Professor Bianca hard at work, and imposed on them for a moment. They noticed him as he entered their work area, and the older woman smiled and waved, while the younger stood at attention. Alex just chuckled. "You can relax, Professor. I'm not here as an Emperor, but as a Trainer. I'd like to know where the local Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott lines reside, as I'd like to add each to my team."

The women shared a look. "Their habitats are a secret, even to regional leaders, Emperor Redwood…sir." Bianca said shakily. "We can't risk anyone disrupting the-"

Professor Juniper cut her off. "In the southwestern forests of the Unova Region, you'll find what you're looking for, young Redwood." She chuckled, and then looked at Bianca. "Alex is much like his Granduncle, Bianca. We don't need to worry about him disrupting the Pokémon. In fact, given whose Tamer he is, he might even help bring them into better Balance. You'll want to look just northwest of Floccesy Ranch."

Bianca paused, as that was not where the starters resided, but she did know who lived in that part of the region, and assumed her mentor had a reason for sending the Original Dragon's Tamer towards them. "Right…well, as long as he keeps what he finds secret, there shouldn't be an issue. If you'll excuse us…we really should get back to work."

Alex had picked up that Juniper both was and was not telling the truth, but he let it slide. He trusted her wisdom, as his Gruncle had always claimed she was a good person, and quite intelligent. The ideal person to handle the young Trainers of Unova proper. Having been to Aspertia before, it would be no trouble to get to the ranch. He thanked the Professors for their time, and bamfed away.

He brought Goku out as they strolled along the route to the ranch and he had him battle the numerous Trainers they met on the road. By the time they reached the ranch, Alex was in the top thirteen hundred of the Great Class, and he was genuinely surprised he'd gone up so far. At one point, he asked the Drone Rotom, still the same one who'd thus far covered all his matches, why he was rising so fast. The response had been both accurate and informative. "Trainers who have unbroken and lengthy win streaks rise quicker through the ranks. It is possible to rise through both the Great and Ultra classes in a shorter period of time if you manage to go longer without losing."

So far, Alex and his team hadn't lost a match, but with this knowledge, he started using his stronger partners when a random road Trainer wanted a World Tournament battle. He still trained his younger members on wild Pokémon who wanted to test him, and road Trainers who just wanted a simple battle, and thankfully, they understood why. Adamanteus in particular handled most of the World Tournament matches on their way to and through the ranch, and Alex noted he was at least making an effort to not be so brutal with his attacks. Terra had also spoken with him and had promised that the later battles in the tournament, should he be picked for them, would be as intense as Adamanteus wanted them. He was much like Shruikan, with that mindset.

As they finally reached the area the Professor had mentioned, Alex cast his mind out for a Snivy, or Tepig, or a source of water that might be home to an Oshawott. Instead, he found only the usual forest dwelling Pokémon, and then, several humans who were surrounding him and his Kung Fu monkey. Alex simply crossed his arms, though he sensed malicious intent, and assumed they had ranged weapons of some description aimed at him. "I know you're there. I come in peace. Let's not start a needless conflict."

He sensed them speaking, as most people formed the words for what they said in their head, just before saying them. He didn't intrude on what was said, though. Finally, one of them strode from the bushes, wearing clothing very similar in style to what Damon of his Elite Four usually wore. Though the man who appeared had the dark black straight hair of a Tribe member, his face was as pale as Alex's. "There is every need, stranger. You have intruded on grounds sacred to my clan. Leave, and we won't attack you."

"Attack me, and you'll be starting a war with Unova, and every other State in the Dragon Empire." He sensed the tension rise, and Goku fell into a fighting crouch, but neither side struck first. The man looked confused, so Alex continued. "I am the latest Dragon Emperor. Alex Redwood. I have no wish to hurt you. Professor Juniper sent me out here…and I'm guessing it was to meet you, and your…clan. What do you call yourselves?"

The others in the clan, all similar in dress, though not in appearance, joined their comrade. There were four in all, and several did indeed have the traits he'd come to associate with members of the Tribes, be it the hair or skin tones. They murmured among themselves, before the pale skinned man spoke again. "Our ancestors called themselves Draconids. We also take that name."

Alex smirked, and though he tried to reach out to Tao, the Original Dragon simply told him to investigate, if he wanted to learn of these people so badly. Professor Aristole had been thorough with his lessons, and more than once, the clan of Dragon Tamers had come up. Famous for traveling the entirety of the globe, there was barely a single region where one could not find some ancient trace of their culture. The scholars of 'this age' as Aristole had called them, believed the Draconids to be long dead or dispersed, but Aristole had claimed that the Draconids had always lived in smaller clans, and had their own methods of forming them to avoid inbreeding or too many mouths to feed. All of them could, however, trace their lineage back to the Hooligan Tribe of Neuberke.

During the Dark Times, they had been systematically targeted by a number of powerful Shadow wielders, which had directly led to their 'decline'. Aristole had guaranteed Alex that they did still exist in pockets across the world, not advertising their presence, and staying hidden, lest some other lunatic wipe them out for being who they were. He'd also said that, as Alex had the dragon typing, he definitely had at least one ancestor who was of the Draconid's lineage, as they were the only humans who regularly gained such power, aside from those in Norstad.

Alex looked up from where his eyes had rested as he'd pondered their words, though barely a few seconds had passed. "If you are Draconids, you need not fear me. I am a descendent of your clans, apparently, and a friend to all people who reside in my Empire." He let his aura burn to life then, and the group gasped. Both sides fulfilled their expectations of the other, the Dragon Emperor had a mighty draconic aura, and the Draconids were psychically sensitive enough to tell what kind of power the deep blue aura gave off naturally. "I would like to speak with your leader, if I could."

The four nodded, and in short order introduced themselves, and guided him to their well-hidden village. The genetic diversity only increased as Alex saw more examples of clan members. Some were from Eous, some had the pale tones only found in Galar, while others had the tanned tones of brown that only Alola's sun could give a human. Moreover, each of them had Pokémon working beside them in their chores or tasks, though most were not dragon typed. Despite their primitive buildings, they did have some technology, namely Pokéballs, and within their wooden domiciles that seemed to have been grown from multiple trees purposefully bent and shaped to form a house, he even spied televisions, and basic amenities like refrigerators.

As he was brought before the Chief of this particular clan, Alex found him kneeling on a pillow that sat in front of an ancient shrine. As he examined the shrine first, he blinked. While the surrounding architectural style was different, it was otherwise identical to the shrine Pacha had used in Selva Muerta. Unlike that shrine though, this one was more recently constructed, and he sensed a Pokémon within it. Alex bowed before the old man leading the clan then and took in his features. His lineage was of the far east, though where specifically, Alex could not tell, as he was not an easterner. Given who he was talking to, his family line could likely extend all across Eous. "Greetings, young Dragon Emperor." The old man said in a cracked voice, likely from disuse or age. "Damon told us you might visit one day. It seems you are indeed the one."

Alex raised an eyebrow at the Chief. "The one…to do what?"

The Chief chuckled. "The one to raise this little one. A time lost straggler, left in our care by Celebi." He whistled then, but nothing happened. With a sigh, the old man turned towards the shrine. "You need to come out, for this one. Come."

Alex heard a tiny sigh from inside the hollow shrine, and then, a rather young Oshawott crawled out of the shrine on its stomach and stretched. Alex could tell he was freshly hatched, as he didn't even have a Scalchop yet. Maybe a few days old, at most. Alex locked eyes with the little one, and he saw a fire there that was surprisingly strong, for one so fresh to the world. A Pokémon this young, that had been saved by Celebi, had probably seen some things to give him a look like that.

Alex reached out psychically to the little one and sensed his emotions. Sadness, confusion, overarching hopelessness and a desire to become stronger. "You wish for strength." Alex said, and though the baby Oshawott didn't know Common and barely knew Pokéspeech, he somehow understood the words the large human was using. "I can help you achieve it." He brought up a Luxury Ball then, letting the cautious otter sniff it. "It will be difficult. At times, it will hurt. Are you sure you want to walk the path of Battle?"

The tiny otter rose unsteadily to his feet, and then fixed the human with a stern look. "Oshawott!" There were no words to translate, but Alex still understood his meaning.

"Alright then." Alex said, smirking. "In you go, little one." He booped the baby otter's snoot, and his tiny eyes widened as he experienced a Pokéball for the first time. After it dinged green, Alex chuckled as the ball rolled around in his hand as its new occupant explored the interior, but eventually, it stopped moving, as the tiny otter succumbed to the warm safety that all Luxury Balls included. "You will be Maromnis (Mare-om-nis)." He looked at the elder then. "I'll train him well…did Celebi have any instructions once he's trained up?"

The old man nonchalantly sipped on some tea that he produced from somewhere within his robes. "One day, he will return here. On that day…make sure you've said your goodbyes. He might not return to this time zone."

Alex nodded quietly, guessing that Maromnis would ultimately be better off back in his own time period. The old man spoke again, as Alex was pondering. "Join us for a meal, Dragon Emperor. Your partners, too. Assuming you haven't had breakfast yet. Alex was about to decline, when his stomach answered for him with a loud rumble. "Breakfast sounds great, actually. Assuming you don't mind hosting us."

The old man hobbled up to his feet and then down from the shrine. "It is an honor to host a Dragon Emperor. I hope our meager meal lives up to your standards."

Alex waved an oversized hand. "I'm sure it'll be good. I'll eat pretty much anything."

The meal turned out to be mostly healthy and full of berries, and the conversation was focused almost entirely on figuring out where in the Redwood family tree they had gained Draconid genes. Alex answered what he could about his now passed family members, but realistically, all he remembered or had been told about was his Gruncle's generation, which also had included his own grandfather, who he didn't recall meeting.

Alex managed to turn the conversation to Damon, as of all of his Elite Four, he knew the least about him. Will was fairly famous, every Unovan knew of Shauntal at this point, and Nick was an old friend. The Elite Four's Dragon Tamer wasn't just aloof with his Champion though, even his own clan called him a loner who'd preferred the company of dragons to people. Nobody had been too surprised when he declared he was leaving on a journey.

Apparently, Damon had recently returned home, just in time for Celebi to appear. They had a message for the clan, and psychically beseeched them to have their greatest Dragon Tamer train up the baby Oshawott that Celebi had brought with it. Damon had refused the little one, claiming he wasn't their best Dragon Tamer. He'd left shortly after that, and then several days later, Alex had wandered in, looking for Unova's starters, but only finding an Oshawott.

Alex thanked the clan for the meal and their information, and then headed back to the palace as quickly as he'd left. The entire team had breakfast by that point, and Jess had already bamfed her team out west. She was deathly serious about competing in the World Tournament, and didn't want her fiancé, a Trainer favored to end up a finalist, seeing how her new team was growing. Some of the older members, like Terra, Empolia, or Chari didn't like the idea of separating, especially since both humans were adding new siblings to their respective rosters, but Alex and Jess overruled them, claiming there would be plenty of time to meet their new siblings once the Tournament was settled.

Alex eventually found Marinette, Adrien, and Connor waiting for him in the chamber they were using to store and feed all the Pokémon. Alex and Connor clasped hands as they met and gave a brief but very manly greeting as they both uttered the other's first name. "I didn't know if you were free to join us." Alex said, as he released his former neighbor's hand.

Connor smirked at him. "It's not like the League is in session right now. Did you ever get to that backlog of Victory League challengers?"

"Ahahah. Yep. Kinda. If having them be crushed by Hilbert counts as getting to it, then I definitely did." Alex said awkwardly. "Right then. First, we're off to the Galar Region. Everybody link hands." They did so, and in short order they appeared in Wyndon City, causing a bit of a stir as they appeared. As the Trainers in the crowd recognized them, Alex realized both he and Connor had left without proper disguises.

Seeing Alex's internal panic face, Connor raised his voice to the crowd that was now growing and taking their phones out. "We're not here for autographs." He held up a black, white, and blue Pokéball in challenge. "We're here to Battle!" Someone in the crowd answered him with a challenge of their own, and just like that, Connor was off.

The other three with him disappeared as Connor drew their eyes, and they subtly moved into the crowd as they kept their heads down and reconvened at the field Connor was battling on. Calling it a battle was generous, for as soon as the Drone Rotom began the match, Connor resorted to his classic strategy of using his starter and no one else. In the blink of an eye, Gren had taken down his Galarian Linoone opponent in seconds, with an unblockable Brick Break.

Connor just shook his head at his opponent and recalled Gren. The Drone Rotom spoke, then. "Contestant Gladstone, please report to the Wyndon Stadium for your Battle to determine your entry into the Ultra Class!"

As the drone flew off, Connor just stared at it, and sighed. He looked back at the group then. "Looks like I'm already in the top tier. I'll meet you guys in the Wild Area, for this 'surplus' of World Tournament Trainers, once I'm done. Laters."

He strolled off then, not a care in his stride, and Alex just nodded. He looked at the teens, then. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of being behind in the rankings. Once we hit the Wild Area, I say we split up." The teens nodded in agreement. "I'll head to the southern entrance, and move westward, or clockwise. Adrien, start in the west and move northward, Marinette start outside the Hammerlocke entrance, and head east. I'd advise offering to heal your opponent's Pokémon once you've finished Battling. It'll make them easier for the rest of us to challenge."

The two teens nodded, and hopped on their flying Pokémon as they headed south to the Wild Area. Marinette split off first, landing just outside Hammerlocke. Adrien continued on uninterrupted. Alex circled around his apprentice as Shruikan banked in a large circle. "If you need help, just shout for Lux!" She gave him a thumbs up, and he nodded in return, spurring Shruikan onwards.

Alex guided him low over the fields on purpose, as the Wild Area was properly packed with Trainers of all classes, duking it out. Feeling unnoticed, Shruikan roared, and got their attention. The roar was enough to vibrate the air and made more than a few younger Trainers look up in awe. Shruikan eyed their potential matches, and landed before a Dragon Tamer who was cleaning his Dragapult.

The two male dragons locked eyes, and Shruikan snarled a challenge as lightning sparked around his toothy maw, which the Dragapult answered with narrowed eyes. He went intangible, and the grime and bubbles covering him fell to the ground. He roared in response, and Alex tilted his head, as apparently the ghost dragon had simply been enjoying the sensation of being washed, rather than actually needing one. His Trainer leveled a Pokéball at Alex after donning his bluish-purple cape. "You get around quickly, Dragon Emperor. As expected of a Salamence rider. Come! Let us test our Dragon's strength!"

Alex smirked from under his hat. Shruikan had no intention of passing this one off to Kalagon. "Very well. Shruikan!" His black Salamence roared again, and the pair of incredibly fast dragons began dueling in the air barely a second after the Drone Rotom who'd appeared suddenly had started the match. Alex had to hold onto his hat as Plasma Bombs collided with Dragon Darts and sent concussive waves of force over those on the ground. Wherever this Dragon Tamer was from, he and his partner had trained hard. A quick glance at his human opponent confirmed he too was enjoying the battle. It was hard to remember that not so long ago, he was daydreaming about being in a battle like this, and once more Alex quietly thanked Arceus that this was his life now.

Sahqoreyth · Apr 20, 2024

Chapter 52: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 1

The Wild Area - Galar Region

Being right outside the train station was a good way to get a crowd, Alex found, as Plasma Bombs and Draco Meteors started shaking the area violently with the sheer power of the pair of dragon types clashing in the skies. "Dodge, Shruikan! Dragon Dance!" For the third time, Shruikan danced gracefully through his opponent's Draco Meteor, as the Dragapult's special attacks became well and truly useless.

Shruikan arced up above the Dragapult he was battling, and let his wings flare as they blocked out the sun. Alex and his opponent called their moves at the same time.

"Dragon Rush!"

"Dragon Hammer!"

Shruikan rolled forwards, bringing his tail down as he summoned the dragon energy for the attack into it, while the Dragapult aimed itself, and then shot upwards. Its dragon energy appeared around it like a veil extending from the pointed tip of its snout, and it charged boldly, head first, towards Shruikan. As the moves collided, the more powerful dragon of the pair, in this case Shruikan, fared better. While damaging, his Dragon Hammer struck true through the Dragon Rush, and from the cloud of smoke their colliding moves created, the Dragapult came down and smashed into the earth like a meteor.

Seeing there were more civilians around them, Alex barely had time to summon a Barrier around the Dragapult's impact site. Unnoticed by his eyes, another figure had stepped in with blinding speed to smash the debris caused by the Dragapult's impact, only to find it handily blocked by said Barrier. Alex stared as he lowered the psychic move, finding a Single Strike Urshifu standing behind it. It slowly fell out of its stance, as it watched Shruikan descend, victorious from the sky, and land. He roared then, and glancing around, Alex noted many Trainers with various first form dragon types who had, apparently, been called out to watch this clash of high leveled titans.

As they heard the roar, the younger dragons bowed their heads, and Shruikan raised his, rising up to his full height. Alex reached up with his long arms and gave him chin scritches and a Sitrus Berry, before heading towards the Urshifu. Seeing him coming, the black and white bear started to turn away and leave, which was when Po leapt out of his ball. "Saitama! Brother!" He shouted, and the sound of his voice made the Urshifu stop.

He turned, and raised an eyebrow. "Po…?" Po, for his part, was already running, and stumbling, towards him. He slid to a stop before his puzzled expression. "Why…are you in Galar? What about the old one?"

As Po began explaining why he'd left and how he'd come to be in Galar, murmurs erupted through the crowd. "It is! It's him!" "Oh wow, the Champion!" Alex kept an eye on the Urshifu, though it didn't seem like it would attack, as he turned to take in the newcomer. It was indeed the latest 'unbeatable Galarian Champion', Victor, in the flesh. He wasn't much younger than Alex, probably around Elio's age, but unlike the Alolan Champion, Victor had started growing some facial hair. It was in a pattern similar to Alex's but Alex could tell he hadn't shaved it often enough, as most of it still seemed more like peach fuzz than true wiry beard hair.

As Alex looked back at Po, namely since the Urshifu had raised his voice, Victor looked their way too. "You were supposed to be helping the old one! He can't survive on his own power anymore! Idiot!" The Urshifu snarled, and Po's body seemed to deflate. As Victor headed towards what Alex surmised was probably his Urshifu, their eyes met, and a smirk lifted the Galar Champion's mouth. His gaze briefly darted to his Pokemon, who had gone from clenching his fists, to pinching his brow, as Po continued trying to account for his need to leave their homeland. Then, seeing it wasn't going to attack, he looked back at Alex. "Wots all this then? I'd heard we 'ad a visiting Champion. Redwood, right? From Unova?" He held out a hand.

Alex gripped and shook it, applying a small amount of pressure, as he always did. With handshakes, and hands as large as his, he tended to match the grip strength of whoever he met, or just use a small amount of pressure. Victor matched it, and pulled his hand away, as he eyed their Pokémon. "Seems like moi Urshifu knows your…Kubfu…though honestly mate, I don't…think that is a Kubfu…it looks a bit, ehh…different."

"You think so?" Alex said, tilting his head. Slowly, he brought up his Pokédex, which made Victor smirk. The Galarian entry for Kubfu was recited, and Alex had it scan him just to be sure. The device dinged, and again repeated the entry for Kubfu.

Victor shrugged. "I guess it is a Kubfu…just a fluffier…smiley-er…one."

By that point, the battle-loving bears were seemingly done conversing, and with a grunt towards Victor, Po's elder brother returned to his ball with a look on its stern face somewhere between disappointment, and sadness. The hard-style martial artist didn't let his emotions show, but Alex could tell from his eyes that hearing the old bear who'd raised them was gone by now was hitting him on an emotional level. Po hadn't shared how his mentor had passed, but Alex could tell he'd had longer to deal with the reality of mortality. Apparently, Victor's Urshifu was younger in terms of emotional age, repressing such feelings, whereas Po, probably on instinct, had accepted that his guardian's time had come, and had done so a while ago. "I think I'll…sleep too." Po said, and Alex nodded, recalling him.

"Get a good rest, Po. You'll see plenty of action in Paldea." He felt the ball shudder in response, and then put it on his cloak.

Then, he noticed. Victor, and much of the crowd, were staring at him. "You talk to 'im like you understand'im."

Alex smirked. Many people, by this point, tried confirming if that rumor was true with roundabout questions. Given the history of Pokémon rights in Unova particularly, and N disappearing into an Ultra Wormhole, a headline which had made world news, he guessed Victor assumed it was a sensitive subject. "I can. The Harmonia's gift has been granted to me, the current Dragon Emperor. I understand Pokémon as easily as you understand me, now. It's all just Common, to me."

"Fascinating." Victor said, sounding genuine. "I bet the Prof would love to ask you sum questions."

Alex tilted his head. "Professor Sonia?" Victor nodded, and Alex smirked slightly. "I'd be honored to meet the authority on Galar's ancient history. My Granduncle was always impressed with how she, and I quote, "Untangled the ClusterMuk of fabrications, folktales, and fairytales" that Galar used to teach as its history."

With no discernible motion, Victor summoned his Rotophone. "I'll give ya her number." Alex nudged Lux, who floated out again, and exchanged information with Victor's device. "I gotta be off now, jus' came after Saitama. Good luck in the World Tournament, eh Redwood? P'raps we'll be seein' each other before too long."

Alex smirked at him. "If you want that streak of yours to stay unbroken, you should hope to face someone else." The two Trainers chuckled then, shared a nod of respect, and then Victor was off, dashing towards the Corviknight Taxi he'd summoned. Returning to the task at hand, Alex turned to the crowd then, but instead of battle, all they sought was his autograph. One of the littles asked to see his Charizard, which fed Blaze's ego, but Alex found he couldn't disappoint those big eyes. He listened closely as the crowd murmured, and was immensely satisfied when these longtime Leon fans gauged Blaze to be around Leon's level, at least.

Alex promised them a match to remember, a true Charizard v. Charizard showdown, and then flew away from the train station to his part of his party's circular route. Po got the most experience, as the Trainers they found were at his level, though Noir switched in later, as they came to an area he could only describe as haunted. An old watch tower from a time when humanity was much more primitive. Though the ancients had eventually wielded magic and vast armies of Pokémon, they'd all had to claw their way back from the ruins of the old Earth first. Such towers had likely been quite necessary, especially if any enterprising bandits of the era had found a way to bond with the local Pokémon. Now, all that remained were ghost types, and ghost Trainers. Noir Night Slashed his way through all of them.

Before Alex knew it, the sun was setting, and his loop was ending. Eventually, he'd run into conquests of his teenaged teammates, many of whom were unwilling to lose a third time, and were well aware of his rank in the Victory League. He'd managed to convince a few of those to have simple, friendly battles, but it seemed of all of them, Adrien had gained the most battle experience throughout the day. Connor called Lux once the trio had reunited and set up camp, and soon he joined them, insisting that they have curry for dinner, something Alex was very down for, as was his team. The Kalosians had apparently never had curry, but they, and their teams, were big fans of Connor's cooking and Alex's effort.

The next morning, they traveled by train to Wedgehurst and through Motostoke. Alex and Connor soon learned that Galarians did not, in fact, have battles on their trains, but the conductor and his staff were so used to Unovan passengers, that they'd eventually added a car specifically for battling. It was rickety though, damaged from another battle, and the two rivals agreed they probably shouldn't duke it out in such unstable surroundings. In the end, they'd actually pooled their currency and offered it to the conductor to get the cart fixed and properly outfitted for battles. There was also enough in the final sum for general maintenance, for several years.

After surveying the skill level of Wedgehurst's Trainers, Alex and Connor agreed to let the teens take them on, as neither of them had Pokémon low level enough for decent matches, and given most were little kids, they probably wouldn't be World Tournament contestants. Connor decided to update his outfit at the local clothes shop, which left Alex to call and then visit Professor Sonia's lab, which wasn't far away. A downright ancient elderly woman spoke to him, as Blaze came in for a landing. "Ahh, good. Leon dear, could you help me with these Berries? My back is aching something- oh!" She exclaimed, and then smiled as she saw her visitor was not her strong, useful grandson-in-law. "Pardon me, dear. I heard a Charizard's wingbeats, and just assumed…"

Alex smiled at her. "Professor Magnolia, right? I can help you, it's really no problem." She thanked him, and then exclaimed, as he levitated the vegetables with ease.

"Oh! Oh my! Well-mannered, and a skilled Psychic!" She peered closer at him then, and Alex let her, as her eyes were very clearly old. Then, he saw recognition in them. "Ahh. Now that's a Redwood if ever I saw one. You must be the Grandnephew. Alexander, right?" She glanced at him, and then at Blaze, who was also carrying berries, and had plopped a Tomato Berry into his toothy maw, munching happily as he took advantage of the kind old human's offer to help himself to her harvest. "I see they finally let you have Pokémon. And judging by how healthy that Charizard is, I'm betting you're quite a Trainer! I'm afraid I don't follow the Leagues too closely anymore."

Alex chuckled. "I'm the reigning Unovan Champion, at the moment. If that helps. Now, where did you want these…?"

Magnolia, as she insisted on being called now that she lacked a Professor's coat, showed him where she wanted the berries, and rattled off a number of other chores besides, all of which Alex handled fairly easy with minimal psychic effort. About five minutes after they'd sat down and chatted while the lab cleaned itself, Professor Sonia walked in as Magnolia said she would.

After introducing himself, and getting her some tea, he finally asked the question that brought him to the lab in the first place. "What brings me down here today is…curiosity mostly. I'd like to know where the starter evolution lines like to reside here in Galar. If that's alright."

Sonia twirled a red-orange lock of hair as she looked him over, and then glanced at Magnolia. "That's…private information for a reason…but seeing as how you're a Champion…" She tilted her head. "We don't have a Grookey right now, but we do have a Scorbunny and a Sobble. They're harder to find, especially Sobble, but I have another one coming in soon."

Alex nodded. If there were no Grookey here, he could find one elsewhere. He knew from past tournaments that once in the Ultra Class, there would be a lot of traveling by plane to find his matches. He preferred a wild Grookey from Selva Muerta or Old Africa anyway. "I have a Cinderace already, actually. I'll have a look at the Sobble, if that's okay." Sonia led him into a side room then, where the aforementioned Scorbunny was asleep. He looked around for the Sobble, and caught it vanishing into invisibility on the ceiling, as new people entered the room. At that moment, Cinder popped out, as the Scorbunny was in the process of waking up at the sound of new arrivals. He greeted the smol bun, who was looking up at Cinder with awe. Cinder asked him if he wanted to practice his footwork, and the two fire rabbits enthusiastically scurried outside to toss a flaming pebble around. Sonia left to go make sure a child form's lack of skill didn't burn down her lab, leaving Alex alone in the room seemingly by himself.

Deciding patience was the best way forward, he sat in the center of the room cross-legged, and waited. Then, though it was very faint, he heard the Sobble muttering, and smirked. "This Human is strange. Older than the ones that the Professor usually shows me. But he's just randomly sitting on the floor. Subject number sixty nine, verdict; investigate further."

Alex chuckled to himself as he heard the analytical Sobble. "Heh. Nice." The soft sounds of damp sticky feet plodding along the ceiling and then the wall filled his ears. Then, again, came the murmuring.

"Subject seems to be…asleep?" Alex opened his eyes suddenly then, and let them shine with blue energy. The Sobble briefly lost his camouflage, and panicked, but kept making observational notes. "Holy Arceus! He's psychic! And my cover is blown! Abort! Abort!"

Alex chuckled loudly as the Sobble scurried away, more visible now, as he was drying out. "Cover fading…can't reach my bowl…this may be…the end for me! Mom, I…I failed, I'm sorry…"

Alex watched as the Sobble became visible again, crouched, scared, shaking, but oddly enough, not crying. Alex glanced at his bowl, and focused for a moment. With a guiding hand motion, he sent a fresh stream of water over the small cowering chameleon. "It's alright, little guy." Alex finally said, "You're hidden again. But you don't need to hide, I'm not going to hurt you."

He hid the glow from his eyes, but kept the power, using it to keep track of where the Sobble was. After a moment, he realized he was invisible again, and started muttering his narration once more, as he scurried back onto the ceiling. "By some miracle I still have cover! Subject seems non-hostile…and I can understand him better than the other sixty eight…more investigation is needed."

It was at this point that Alex stopped goofing around. "If you're so curious about me, young Sobble, why don't you come down here, and ask your questions?"

There was a brief pause as once again he understood the human perfectly. "Subject seems capable of speaking like Pokémon. Fascinating…I must learn more. Agent Bubble O7…descending!" A trail of Sobble slime appeared from the ceiling then, landing right in front of Alex. He hid his instinctual disgust, as the slimy mucus string wobbled with the invisible Sobble's descent. Finally, he appeared before Alex.

He stared at the human for a long, awkward moment, neither side saying anything, before he raised his tiny bubble-covered hand to his mouth and murmured, "Subject seems to have gone mute."

Alex chuckled. "Normally the person walking up to someone else speaks first."

The Sobble's eyes went wide, and he murmured to his hand again. "Once more, I still understand him…" Alex watched, bemused, as the young Pokémon finally noticed. His big eyes narrowed slightly. "Human…can you…understand me?" Alex nodded. "Have you been able to understand me this whole time?" Again Alex nodded, and the smirk widened.

"I've actually been looking for a Sobble. Someone good at being stealthy. Someone who, eventually, will be a spy for me. Once they're an Inteleon. That will be your primary mission, should you choose to accept it." Alex said, still smirking. "Interested?"

The Sobble eyed him with skepticism. "How do I know you can make me strong enough to evolve? The sixty eight before you were all incompetent noobs! Even that one Champion guy was just a giant jerk…"

Alex briefly wondered where he'd learned all these words, and which Champion he meant, before saying, "Hydrus." His first water type appeared in the small room, and upon seeing the Sobble, flexed his muscles, making them bulge quite a bit. It was at this point that Professor Sonia returned, eyeing Hydrus in surprise and then with a different look altogether as she saw the bulging biceps that were as defined as Leon's. She blinked and looked down as the Sobble waddled over to her, and pointed at Alex. "That one." He said, nodding at Alex. Sonia looked up at Alex, as Hydrus returned to his ball with a satisfied smirk.

"Champion Mikolaj of the Polska Region had partnered with him first, for that challenge Leon set up a while back. He returned him here though, for a different Sobble. Never said why. Since then, he's sprayed every Trainer I've paired him with, not you, though. I think he wants you as his Trainer." She said with a smile, offering Alex his ball.

"He does." Alex confirmed as he processed her words, "It took some convincing, but we've reached an accord." He looked at the Sobble then. "All you need now, my friend, is a name."

The Sobble turned to him, and thumped his chest. "I am Agent Bubble O7!"

Alex nodded, trying not to laugh. "Bubble O7. Of course. But that's a call sign my friend, you need a proper name, too." Hearing what Sobble apparently called himself, Sonia burst into laughter.

The Sobble looked around, and then scooted closer to Alex as he whispered behind his hand. "This is classified information but since you're my new Trainer…my name is Pond. James Pond." Hearing that finally broke Alex, and he laughed hard enough for a tear to form in his eye. When he met Sonia's gaze, he repeated the name, exactly as James had said it, and she too broke into a giggle fit.

Looking between the humans, James deflated slightly. "Why is my name funny…I thought it was cool." He sniffled, but again, didn't cry.

Alex gave his head a pat. "It is cool, my friend. It's just funny because of how fitting it is. We're going to watch some movies tonight that I think you'll enjoy. For now, say your goodbyes."

Saying goodbye to Scorbunny and Sonia finally brought tears to the young Sobble, though not many. A few minutes later, Alex was back outside, and rendezvousing with his group. Adrien and Marinette had crushed the local Trainers with ease, and Connor had adjusted his outfit to handle the harsh weather of the mountains between Kalos and Paldea. They rode Shruikan and Gar across the Galish Channel, to Kalos's northern shore, which was where they decided to camp. Alex and Connor put their heads together to figure out how to project their movie of choice onto a rock slab Alex raised from the earth, while Marinette and Adrien made dinner, which was popcorn and poffins.

James was amazed and enthralled at the spy movies, old Earth classics featuring James Bond, and the little Sobble giggled every time he heard the main character's name. They had, naturally, continued the series into the modern era, and added Pokémon, but Alex had insisted on starting James with the classics. Maromnis, Alex, and James were the only ones to make it through the entirety of both films awake, and Alex quietly, and psychically, packed up the extraneous parts of their camp while Noir watched over them in the night with Leo, atop the movie slab.

For the first time in a while, Alex rose after only four hours of rest, as he'd stayed aware enough to meditate and recharge the way Arthur did. The fact that Jess wasn't around had also helped. He found his cats, Plagg, and Lux, watching an anime, and after heading into the darkness for a four twenty A.M. toke, while watching what Lux was projecting, he returned and joined them. Unbeknownst to him, they had just finished Fullsteel Alchemist and the Kalosian cat was introducing them to Dark Clover.

Alex found it as entertaining as Leo did, though he was initially disappointed when the cooler and by all accounts smarter protagonist, Yuno, turned out to evidently not be the main protagonist. That role belonged to his 'brother' Asta, who loudly and boldly declared, over and over and over, that he'd become the greatest Aura Champion that the Clover Kingdom had ever seen, and with his adamant Riolu's strange aura ability that nullified the energy of Pokémon moves, he had a solid chance of getting there, someday, if the rate of his tiny body's muscle growth kept increasing as it had through the five episodes they made it through, before everyone else woke up. Alex had Lux load up the anime he was behind on, namely Fullsteel Alchemist, and the one Leo kept getting his terms from, an old Earth anime called 'Naruto', whose episodes had been faithfully restored, in the modern era. All seven hundred and twenty of them. As he wondered how long it would take to watch them all, his brain mathed for him. Twenty one minute runtimes, times the total number of episodes, and divided by twenty four hours in a day came out to ten and a half days, at which point he factored in four hours of sleep, and reached a total of thirteen days. Roughly. Not even half of his Festivus break. With travel and other distractions he guessed just over two weeks would be the maximum. If he skipped filler episodes.

As the Pokémon rose from the comfort of their balls and each of the four Trainer's teams greeted each other, Connor whipped up omelets for the humans, while Gren used his Ninjutsu to bamf each Pokémon's bowl to their sitting space. Marinette spoke first, once the food was ready, and the humans dug into their breakfast. "I was thinking, Alex…Adrien and I should probably challenge the Kalos Gyms. Our teams respect us because of Plagg and Tikki, but without Badges, any new partners we get might not."

Alex nodded, finding her logic to be sound. "A wise decision. We can linger in Kalos for a while, too." He glanced at her team then, which was just Tikki, Kaalki, a Zebstrika, and Mullo, an Emolga. "You should probably also catch more, while you're here. In fact…" He checked his map, as Lux brought it up for him. "You and I will head just north of…Vaniville Town. Santalune Forest. You'll find some partners there, I'm sure. Then, we can beseech Professor Sycamore for starters. Jess has a Delphox, and I have Invictus, Blaze, Saur, and Blast…which just means I need a Froakie."

At that point, Connor chimed in. "I have a Froakie for you. In fact…I've been trying to find a worthy Trainer for him for some time now." He summoned his Phone Rotom, and in short order had a Pokéball transferred to his hand. "Consider this my thanks for letting me join your Scales, and sorting that mess out." He tossed Alex the ball, and Alex nodded, eyes widening in shock as he realized just who he was holding. Gren's offspring yes, but a rather special one, judging by what his stats said.

"In that case…let's make it a proper Trade." He felt apprehension from his team as he said the word, but his choice was made, and he pulled his Wartortle from his cape, calling him out, as he knelt to Blast's level. The Wartortle yawned, and looked around, then, his brothers caught him up, and his eyes went wide, and became shinier. "Blast." Alex said, getting his attention, and his ears perked up. "I don't like trading…but Connor here is one of the best Water Type experts around. I think he'd make you the Blastoise you want to be. What do you think?"

The Wartortle looked at the ground. "This is…because your brother has Squirt, isn't it. That's why you picked me. You don't need an extra male Blastoise."

"Oi." Alex said, and the Pokémon's attention snapped up again. "I care for all of my partners. Enough to…let them go, when that will help them fulfill their dreams. I've seen you trying to be stealthy, flipping around, and using pinpoint Water Type attacks. Connor can help you master them to a level I simply cannot. I'd like to have a Blastoise. They're very powerful, when used right. I …believe your path lies elsewhere, though. You prefer Physical Moves, that's your nature. Connor can train you to hone them until they're as good as your Special Moves would've been, if you wanted to be a Special Attacker. But the choice is yours."

At that point, Hydrus popped out. He looked at his Trainer for a long time, and Alex could sense irritation under the passive expression of the Swampert. But he was focused on Blast. "What do you want, brother?"

"To be strong…" The Wartortle mumbled, before raising his head, tears in his eyes. "To be the Best. Like all of you."

Connor and the others had gone quiet by this point, watching the scene and grokking about half of what was going on. Finally, Connor said, "I'll do some training with Blast if you want, Alex. But I don't need him. I'm covered on Water Types. No offense of course, Blast." The Wartortle nodded. "You're helping me by training Gren's son there…he's…special, as you saw, but not a fast physical striker like his dad. His abilities are…weird. But so are you, Alex. So is your whole team. He'd fit right in, I think. Don't feel obligated to give up one of your own."

Alex seemed to sigh in relief at his friend's words. "A temporary parting, then. I train this Froakie, you train Blast, and when they're grown Blast will come home and…we'll see what the Greninja wants at that point, but I'll gladly keep him on, or find a new Froakie for a more permanent position. My Inteleon will need backup, after all."

Blast nodded, clearing his eyes with nothing but a determined head nod. "I'm okay with that. As long as I'm still with you guys…your dream…I want to be part of it too. I can Battle well…and someday, I can protect wherever needs protecting when I eventually get too lazy and old for combat."

Alex stitched between his ears, and the Wartortle grinned at the sensation. "You'll be fierce, by the time Connor is through with you, I'm sure." Alex had always intended to train him against Gren at some point. He had a feeling they'd have plenty of chances to train while romping around Kalos.

With that settled, neither Trainer changed the ID of their Pokémon, and both balls were registered as on loan. Once that was sorted, and Gren had begun speaking with Blast, Alex felt Hydrus wanted to speak. He excused himself behind the stone pillar of anime watching, and entered his own mindspace. It was a simple white octagonal plane with infinitely high walls and, naturally, a symbol of eternal Balance in the center. He brought Hydrus in, and stared down his mudfish. "Everything alright, bud?"

That, made the Swampert's brow twitch with anger. "Alright!? You just almost…Traded one of us away! Like it was nothing! That is not alright! Why did you do this, Human!?"

Alex blinked, as he realized the massive mudfish was so upset he was using basic Pokéspeech. "It's…what Trainers do, when someone offers them a ball, usually. And-" Hydrus cut him off.

"It's what Trainers do!? Does our bond mean so little that you'd just…give it away!?" He was speaking mentally again, but his body gesticulated, and Alex sensed more than a few of his team's minds siding with his Swampert's anger.

Alex held up a finger, and that made Hydrus angrier, but he spoke anyway. "First of all…if you'd seen your newest brother, you'd understand why my first thought was to make the trade even. Permanent. Lasting." Another finger rose. "Second, I was ready to give him to Connor. Not some scrub on the Pokénet. A Champion, and someone who's been my best friend for longer than I've known all of you. Our friendship may not be the same as it is between me and all of you, but I trust him. Not so long from now, he's going to be family too. Blast was never going far. And Third, you all know I don't particularly care for trading, as a rule. I've seen how it confuses Pokémon, and breaks their hearts. Makes it harder for them to bond. Pushes them closer to Shadow. I'd never just give one of you away, especially one who has agreed to our team's goal."

That seemed to finally reach Hydrus, and he exhaled an angry breath. "I'm…sorry I got so heated, it just…"

"It happened rather quickly, I know. Don't ever apologize for calling me out, bud. The last thing I want is one of you guys unhappy." He gave his mudfish a mental hug, and then opened his eyes. They fell upon the ball in his hand, and he felt it twitch slightly in response to his focus. The rest of his team was satisfied with his rationale, and now were curious as to what could have possibly prompted their Trainer to even consider a trade.

Alex let the suspense build for a moment, and then thumbed the ball. Appearing in a flash of blue and black light, was a Shiny Froakie, modest in nature, and with skills he had inherited from both of his parents, that the HoloDex had labeled as Amazing. Understanding flooded their mental network, and Alex sensed his team's opinions of Connor's apparent skill at breeding increase. Alex was very much aware of how sought after the slightly lighter blue frog was in the Trainer world, mostly because of how insanely cool their final evolution looked. And, his Ability was Protean, which until they formed a Battle Bond, would more than suffice.

Alex knelt down to the Froakie, who eyed him in suspicion. "Hello there. I'm Alex. I'm going to be training you for the foreseeable future. Assuming of course, that Battling and becoming strong, strong enough to be the Best, is something you desire."

In the Froakie's short life, he'd only experienced apathy from Connor, and naked desire from other humans that, to his enhanced psychic senses taking in their obvious greed, disgusted him. But this time…felt different. The infectious fire in the human's eyes lit one in his own, and he spoke softly. "Yes…the Best…better even than my father." He gave Alex a meaningful look, and Alex groked that the young frog understood who he was, to some extent. "You can make that happen?"

"I can." Alex said, confidently. "Now all we need is a name for you…"

"I am Kagemusha…" The Froakie said, with slight disgust, as he remembered Connor giving it to him, and explaining its meaning, and how it denoted his job as a bodyguard for Gren. "But everyone calls me Kage (Kah-gay). It suits me more."

"A shadow." Alex said, nodding, as he knew just enough Japanese to know the meaning. "I will have need of a shadow. You and my spy will be crucial to our…future endeavors. For now, you and James should try to hang out together. Bond. The stronger your friendship, the better you'll do as partners." Kage nodded slowly, and then returned to his ball.

In short order, Adrien and Connor were off to Shalour City, for a badge, as Adrien's team was more filled out at six, and was higher level than Marinette's, Connor had suggested he master the basics of Mega Evolution, and the best place to do that was the Tower of Mastery. Once outside Santalune Forest, Alex summoned Kage to battle the younger Trainers on the route, while Marinette successfully caught a Buneary for her team with some timely frubble assistance from Kage. After befriending the shy bun, who Alex ensured wished to be trained at her request, they continued on. Marinette caught a Combee as well, once she saw a female she liked the look of. She'd found two, in fact, one was haughty and mean to the male Combee, but the other was kind, and helpful. Not to mention higher leveled. She briefly worried about taking a competent future Vespiquen from the environment, but upon looking around, saw there were more than enough female contenders around this area. As a massive route-long garden, there were thousands of Combee, many of whom were capable of evolving. Two partners and one badge heavier, the pair strolled into Lumiose City, and the Sycamore Lab within.

Age had only enhanced the charming Kalosian Professor, as, judging by the looks he got, he had embraced his graying hair gracefully and stylishly with his expanded facial hair and slightly less styled haircut. It still was much the same as his younger years, but was streaked with gray, and cut shorter while still possessing wavy volume. He smiled as he greeted them at the lab's reception. "Ahh, Emperor Redwood. Professor Sonia mentioned you might come by. I have a Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin waiting for you, and a Squirtle, should you need one." Evidently, he already knew Alex had a Charizard and a Venusaur, which made some sense as his childhood days, and being denied a Pokémon, was apparently a large interest to his people, and Gary Oak had been all too willing to share Alex's earliest win record with PNN's hour-long investigation into how he'd gotten his Trainer Card, despite Arcean trickery. From what he'd seen of it, they'd gotten quite a lot correct.

"I'm actually all set on starters, Professor, thank you, but Marinette here could definitely use some…elemental power on her new team." With two bugs, two electric types, and an eventual Lopunny, she was lacking critical type advantages, like fire and water.

Sycamore wasn't fazed though, and shifted his focus to her instead. "Marinette, eh? Ahh, I see…" Sycamore's Phone Rotom floated in front of him then. "Good grades…sketchy attendance…well liked…first partner is…a Ledian? Hmm. I see no reason to deny her. And a Starter will round out your team at six, until you're ready to train ten. Come with me, Marinette."

Alex waited by the desk as Marinette did her thing, and focused on teaching Kage useful new moves, like Mud Shot, Surf, Water and Dark Pulse, to complement Extrasensory and give them something more substantial than Bubble. They'd made good use of his natural bubble cloak on the route to Lumiose, but Marinette and Tikki had done most of the damage in their double battles. Tikki had also swept the Santalune Gym with her flying moves and superior level. When Marinette returned, it was with a cheerful female Fennekin by her side, which she'd named Trixx.

Alex eyed the Fennekin, and then nodded to himself. With a little training, she'd fit well with who Marinette had so far. As they made to leave the lab, Professor Sycamore called out to them. "One moment please!" They turned, but once more it seemed Marinette was the focus of the Professor. "Your mentor here already has one, but Miss Dupain-Cheng, I would like for you to have this." He held out a Key Stone then, and Alex stared at it. It was definitely a Key Stone, but to his eyes, it was quite different from his own. To double check, he drew his from where he safely kept it, and compared them, before nodding to himself.

"B-but Professor…" Marinette stammered, "This is so rare! And I'm just a new Trainer, surely I'm not ready-"

The Professor cut her off, excitedly. "Nonsense! Trainers like you are our future. Consider this an…investment in the safety of Kalos. Just hold onto it for now." He said, smiling at her, and then glancing at Alex.

Alex smirked. Naturally, the clever Professor had figured out, or at least suspected, who she actually was. And that was likely because the Dragon Emperor was training her, and she had a Ledian. "It's alright, Marinette. It's a synthetic Key Stone." He held up his own, and the Professor grinned as he saw the blue tinged sphere. "Arming the next generation with Mega Evolution. Smart. If they can find a Plate shard or a Mega Stone, before long they'll be able to wield Infinity Energy."

"Exactly!" The Professor nodded enthusiastically. "If I'm honest, I'd like to study yours, Dragon Emperor. I've never seen a Key Stone from Indius before."

Alex chuckled. "First things first, Professor…Marinette, could I see yours, for a moment?" She nodded and handed him the stone, and Alex held them side by side. "Compositionally they're the same, but…something is…missing from yours, Professor…I wonder if…" He pressed his Key Stone to the synthetic one then, and they all gasped as light flashed between them, and a pulse of aura swept through the building's front room, ruffling plants and blowing away papers from the reception desk. Sycamore was just staring in awe.

Marinette's Key Stone was now glowing with the telltale rainbow colors of Infinity Energy, and he handed it back to her. "Focus your Aura on this, Marinette. As much as you can. That will make it yours."

Marinette did as instructed, and Tikki pressed a hand over hers as she summoned what aura she could. The stone flashed again, turning red this time. Black spots also appeared across it, but the helix swirl of Infinity Energy remained visible, if now surrounded by crimson and black spots. "I can…feel it…it's…it's mine, now."

Sycamore laughed, somewhat in disbelief. "Colress said scientific marvels happen around you, Dragon Emperor, but this is…fascinating! The implications alone…"

Alex cut through his enthusiasm with a measured and commanding tone. "Professor Sycamore. If you're up for it, I'm charging you personally to go to Indius, and visit Mt. Anant. I believe a Key Stone from there will help your goals here. My brother, the new Professor Redwood, believes that Key Stones bonded to their wielder's aura, like mine, result in a much more stable Mega Form. One that can be achieved faster, too. If you awaken the Key Stones you're creating with the power of Indius and its Guardian, I believe they will acclimate to their wielder's Auras in time. With a Key Stone of your own, you'll be able to awaken them, as I have. Theoretically."

Sycamore stood at attention, then furrowed his brow, and brought out a naturally formed Key Stone then. "But I already have one. Mt. Anant will not give me another."

Alex nodded, taking that information in stride. "The Mega Medicham who guards the stone. Tell him you were sent by me, and that you need to touch yours to the Infinity Stone. That should be enough to have yours awaken as well, and since you've had it for a while I assume, it should already be tuned to your Aura. After that, you should be able to awaken synthetic Key Stones, as I did here."

The Professor nodded. "I'll plan a trip to Indius, then. The future of Kalos looks bright indeed, so long as that Dragon wisdom keeps guiding us." He chuckled, and Alex did as well.

"I look forward to seeing the next generation wielding their Key Stones, synthetic or otherwise, in a safer manner. Safe travels, Professor."

With that, they left the Sycamore Lab, and were once more in the streets of Lumiose. Marinette yanked on his cloak then, and dragged him in a specific direction. "Come! Next stop is my house." She scurried off then, and he had to make use of his absurdly long stride to keep her in sight.

Her house turned out to be one of Lumiose City's many cafés, which seemed to also be a bakery. It was red themed on the interior, and as her parents tried to cope with the shock of a world leader casually visiting their establishment, she kept astounding them with a truly impressive story about some nonexistent student mentoring program with the Scales that would make her a better Trainer, and set her future up solidly. At that point, she pulled out her badge to prove she'd gotten better, and sell the story.

They gave them an impressively large bag of pastries on their way out, and Alex had to detour to one of the many nearby parks for letting out one's Pokémon, as he knew his team needed to try these. For a solid half hour, the Pokémon and humans did nothing but gnosh on pure all natural deliciousness. Seeing the state of Marinette's team, he also showed her that many Pokémon had specific areas or crevices that needed to stay clean. It got a bit gross, but in the end, her team was shining in the Kalosian sun, and raring to go.

Marinette easily took on the Lumiose Gym with Kaalki, who tanked Clem Bot with its Motor Drive, and Bulldoze combination. Then, they flew north on Blaze to Laverre City, as they didn't have time for a fairy swamp detour. This time her Emolga, Mullo, claimed victory, with Double Team and Iron Tail, she hadn't even been touched by Leader Valerie, or her Gym Trainers. For his part, Alex ended up in a triple battle with his three new water types, James, Kage, and Maromnis, and all three performed quite well, and seemed to have good synergy. Hydrus had taught them well, and Kage was a natural leader. His quick thinking and timely Extrasensory power had saved both of his teammates, and his newly learned trick of curving his pulse moves helped him land hits without hitting his allies.

Maromnis was very much a physical attacker, since gaining his Scalchop, and all James had mastered move wise, was Pound, since Lux had been streaming all the James Bond movies for him, instead of letting him train in his ball as they walked. Alex didn't reprimand him, though, they were in no rush, and the spy knowledge he was gaining might someday prove quite useful.

From Laverre City, they headed to Route 13, and they once more took the ground route, as flying was impractical. They battled the ground types around them, which were quite violent, and the ground-type favoring Trainers were no better, but Noir and Tikki rolled through them fairly easily. About halfway across the desert route, they spied a pair of figures in the distance, also on foot. One had black clothes, and something blue on his head, and his smaller teen-sized friend was a blonde in all white clothes. Alex just smirked, as he guessed what was about to happen.

It was about high noon when Marinette and Adrien crossed paths, both determined to get their badges and prove their worth as Trainers, once they saw they had collected an equal amount so far. Despite only half a day of effort, Marinette's team had improved by leagues as she now had a Vespiquen, Lopunny, and a Braixen. Three evolutions in one day was a lot, but her burgeoning team was embracing their growth spurt with fire in their eyes.

The teenage lovers had a murmured rendezvous as Alex and Connor caught each other up on what they'd been doing. Then, the teens drew Pokéballs, and stepped back to a battling distance. Marinette led with Kaalki, which prompted Adrien to summon Wayzz, his Torterra. Kaalki bravely Flame Charged into him, but then the Earthquake counterattack took him down with a single hit, and it became clear just how much of a higher level Adrien's team was at. Tikki took down Wayzz with a single Bug Buzz, as her own level eclipsed Adrien's newer teammates. She had taken part of his Rock Slide though.

Adrien brought Plagg out then, and through luck, landed a critical hit on his Fire Fang, which fainted Tikki, and after that, Adrien easily rolled through the rest of her team with his Noivern, Sass, leaving Marinette in the dust, on her knees, trying to comprehend how she'd been beaten so easily.

Adrien tried to comfort her, but Connor beckoned him over, and the two continued on their way, while Alex gave Marinette a minute. Once she wiped her eyes, Marinette stood up and approached him, head down. "I lost so easily…I made your training look ineffective. Sorry."

Alex shook his head. "Adrien has been training them longer than you have, and many of your partners were caught today. Your main issue is that you rely on Kaalki and Tikki too often, and they have easy counters, like Fire, Rock, and Ground. When you use them on weaker opponents, the experience you all gain is significantly lessened."

Marinette nodded in understanding then. "That's why you usually try to make it equal. I was curious, but thought it was your preference."

Alex nodded. "I do prefer an even fight, as a rule. Even your strongest partners get more experience that way. It's harder, but very worth it." Marinette nodded, but still seemed down. "Don't worry about losing." Alex continued. "It's not about who wins or loses. Your team tried hard for you right? That's what matters. Next time, Adrien won't know what hit him, and your teams will be more even. Don't be afraid to swap frequently, especially once you have momentum."

Marinette nodded again, absorbing the information, but still seemed mopey. Alex did what he could against the sandstorm as they finished crossing the route and made their way to Coumarine City. Once at the gate, Alex parted from her, saying he had things to buy at the Pokémon Center. Once more on her own, Marinette looked around Coumarine City with a sigh. "Probably a Water Gym. Hmm." She traveled around the complicated city layout for almost an hour before she finally found where the gym was. Not far from where she'd first entered the city.

The sound of a well-played harp entered her ears as she approached the gym, and she looked towards what seemed like a small park beside the entrance to the city. A well-dressed man in a long green cloak hanging from his shoulders was strumming a harp made from a pair of entwined Mew, to the delight of the city folk. Marinette felt Tikki poke her head up as she stopped to listen to the masterful musician.

A sense of tranquility filled Marinette and her partner, and they swayed along to the peaceful beat. Tikki blinked her eyes open, as the sound came closer, but Marinette didn't seem to notice, until the minstrel was right in front of her. She opened her eyes and then flushed as she realized the dashing minstrel was playing in her general direction. He finished with a smooth strumming flourish, bowed to the crowd behind him, and then turned back to her with the same motion.

She seemed like the young woman the Dragon Emperor had mentioned, so Nando struck up a conversation with her. "Bonjour, mademoiselle. You are a Pokémon Trainer, no? I am Nando, the Coumarine City Gym Leader."

Marinette introduced herself in turn, and said, "I am. My name is Marinette. This is Tikki, my partner." The Ledian gave the musician a cheerful greeting. "We're here to challenge you and your…Water Types?"

Nando chuckled. "Not water, no." He gestured to the titanic tree atop the mountainous entrance to the city. "That is the Gym. Historically, we use Grass and Bug Types here. Come. Let us see how you do against my Gym Trainers."

Nando led Marinette and Tikki to the entrance, and then grabbed a hanging vine in the room that, with a tug, launched him up to the top of the tree. As Marinette took the long way, a tune floated down from the top, more epic in feel than peaceful, it set a good backdrop for her battles with the Trainers in the gym. Remembering Alex's words, she didn't use Tikki, but instead brought out Trixx, and as promised, the eager young Braixen gained quite a bit of experience for her team.

She was undefeated, and hadn't been touched by her opponents by the time they reached the top level of the tree-based gym. Marinette restored her partner's Flamethrower, and then faced down Nando, who had just finished putting his lute away.

He led with a Kricketune, and Trixx once more took the field, eager to win. The musical bug lelelele'd his way past two Flamethrowers with Swords Dance, but the third finally caught and finished him, making his stat boosting useless, as Alex had promised it would be, against such opponents. Nando watched as the Braixen celebrated, but all Marinette had was a small smile, and Trixx's enthusiasm lessened as she saw her Trainer's reaction. She seemed bored, from Nando's perspective, so he changed things up, and got serious.

He called out his Lopunny then, and Marinette's eyes went wide, as Nando said, "Your Master asked me to give you a thorough workout! I intend to! Jump Kick!" In a flash, the large, high leveled fighting bun was in front of Trix. She backflipped, and kicked her chin, sending the fiery fox into the air. "Now Double Kick!" Another kick sent Trixx higher, and the spinning follow up sent her slamming into the wood floor.

"Trixx!" Marinette shouted, as once more she saw her cute little partner getting thrashed. Slowly, Trixx got back up, and the flame on her wand burned brighter. She saw the Lopunny smirking, and snarled at her. She was nowhere near done yet.

"She's fighting hard." Nando said, calmly. "For you. Even though you've only had her for a day."

"It's true, I've only had her for a few hours…but she's my beloved partner all the same! I don't want her to be hurt! Return, Trixx! Tikki can handle this."

The fiery fox shook off the recall beam, and then whirled on her Trainer. "Braix! Braixen!"

"You still want to Battle…? But it's so much stronger…" The two turned, as the Lopunny Mega Evolved, and started hopping in place. Trixx gulped, . "Return for now, Trixx. I'll need you for the rest of his team." The Braixen nodded, and returned this time, taking the time to rest, before she was needed again.

Out came Tikki, who winked back at her Trainer. "Let's try this Mega stuff too!" Marinette heard in her head. Then, she saw the heroic bug was holding what seemed like a shard of a Pixie Plate. She could guess who gave it to her. Marinette steeled herself, nodded, and then held up her Key Stone. But nothing happened.

Still holding off on attacking, Nando chuckled. "It is your first time, no? I will not rush you." He brought out the harp, and started strumming a pleasant tune. "Your heart…the heart of your precious partner…" He flourished his fingers along the strings masterfully. "They must be in sync. Remember the tough Battles…remember the fun picnics…and let the energy of those emotions flow into her…"

He smiled as he opened one eye slightly, and saw the Key Stone shining bright. He also noted the wonder Marinette seemed to be feeling. A smile finally cracked her face as she held up her Key Stone. "Tikki…Mega Evolve!"

Tikki whooped as she felt the power of Infinity react to her human. Her form shone bright, and grew taller as the power revealed her true form.

Her wings split into six, her entire body looked more like a female humanoid though she was still very much a bug, and was now glowing pink with black spots across her body. Her carapace hung down by her legs like a dress bottom. Her legs were thin and glowing whitish pink. She had six arms again, with humanoid hands clenched into fists, and glowing with the Light. Three light blue bulbous eyes were on her head, and her antennae looped around her head like a halo.

Nando had stopped playing, and both he and Marinette were staring at Tikki in awe. Marinette was the first to get over her surprise. "Tikki! Miraculous Barrage!"

As Marinette called the new move she felt capable of using, the fairy bug vanished in a flash, and then reappeared before the Mega Lopunny. Six super effective fairy typed strikes hammered her into the back part of the old gym, which was not designed to withstand a bout between Mega Forms that were this strong. The mega bun lost her form, and fainted, leaving Nando stunned, and Marinette victorious.

Nando just nodded, and brought out his Sunflora, while Tikki was switched out for Trixx again. His little sentient sunflower tried to dodge while it charged up a Solarbeam, but Trixx was on fire, and accurate. Another Flamethrower brought it down. Out came Altaria, and Tikki faced her, still in her Mega Form. Mega evolving helped the Altaria keep up with Tikki, but in the end, Nando had to resort to Perish Song, which took effect right before Tikki landed her fairy typed barrage.

"And just like that…I'm down to my ace. Roserade!" Nando threw his final ball, and Marinette countered with the Cherish Ball she'd used for Trixx once again. The Braixen was still very much fired up.

The moves came at the same time. "Flamethrower!" "Leaf Storm!" and they collided in the center of the field, but Marinette wasn't done. "Trixx! Fire Spin!" Masterfully, the branch wielding vixen shifted the flames of her Flamethrower upwards, into the new move, blinding and injuring the Roserade.

Nando wasn't idle though. "Blow it away, with Dazzling Gleam!"

As the smoke and flames cleared, both Nando and his partner saw Trixx, already leveling another attack at them. "Use Psybeam!" Marinette shouted as she pointed at their target. Roserade's eyes had time to widen, before the fiery fox caster attacked. Nando called a move, but it was drowned out by the powerful hum of the Psybeam, which became more of a Psyshock as Trixx started shining with the light of Infinity.

With a final gasp, Roserade fainted, leaving a very satisfied looking Trixx to exhale, and calmly take in the win, and her new body. All the power she'd felt as a Braixen was now significantly stronger, as a Delphox. Some Pokémon might have been disoriented by evolving twice in the same day, but Trixx just seemed satisfied. She gave her Trainer a victory hug as she came over, and psychically assured her that she was fine.

Nando came over as well, badge in hand, and said, "I hope you'll remember your time in Coumarine City. I got the feeling you weren't sure about being a Trainer when you arrived. Has that changed?"

Marinette took the badge, and pondered his words. Her partners had battled hard. For her. Their bond had resulted in genuine power, and Trixx had even evolved twice, for her. She would be a Delphox for the rest of her life. She'd been battling hard since she'd been given to Marinette. All of her partners had. Finally, she answered Nando. "It has. I know I want to be the best Trainer I can, for the partners on my belt. I'm not going to catch all the Pokémon lines, but I think ten should be just right for me."

"That's good." Came a familiar baritone from behind her. "Leader Nando, do you have any objections to Marinette being given permission for ten active partners?" Alex asked as he walked up beside the musician.

"None. So long as being a Trainer is what she wants." Nando stated with a smile.

Marinette looked at Trixx and Tikki chatting excitedly, presumably about their win, and their new forms. She nodded again. "I'm many things. But I think I like being a Trainer most. Even when we lose."

Alex nodded, glad that Nando, new as he was as a Gym Leader, had managed to reignite her passion for battle. "Losing isn't as fun, but I think you'll find those are the Battles you remember most. As long as you learn from the loss, it's not a wasted effort."

They left Coumarine City then, and continued to Shalour City, where Fighting Master Korrina was also stomped by Trixx and her new psychic powers. Korrina gave them containers for their Key Stones after Marinette Psyshocked her way through the entire gym. Marinette kept hers below her neck with a choker, but Alex got more creative, and carved a simple wooden block with a Taijitu swirl upon it that could hang around his neck. On the back was his Key Stone, masterfully embedded into the wood without damaging the stone or the wood.

By that point it was sunset, and instead of a potentially awkward dinner with a female teenager that would inevitably cause Alex a media headache, Shalour City's Mayor, upon hearing who was spending the night, offered them their best hotel suite, which was on the ground floor, and had space for a team as large as Alex's.

While he prepared the one meal he knew he'd reasonably mastered, burgers and curry, he listened to his newer members, who had formed a team of their own. Po, Romulus, Kage, James, and Maromnis were discussing who should be their leader, and everyone but Kage seemed to want Po. Po was flattered to be considered, but Kage wanted the position. Unfortunately his stoic ninja demeanor stood no chance in terms of popularity against the cuddly Kubfu.

They'd done quite well with their own battles during Marinette's challenge, and Kage had even managed to evolve. This was his main argument for being the leader, but it wasn't working. Silently, Alex reached out to the ninja frog. "You'll catch more Combee with honey than vinegar."

The ninja frog went silent as the others deliberated. "What?" He said irritably, as he stewed in his frubbles.

"Kindness, young Shinobi. Understanding. This is how you can be their leader." Sensing the young frog still didn't understand, Alex continued. "Try telling them that you understand them, and how best to synergize their abilities. Appeal to your bond as friends."

"Friends?" Kage said with disgust. "Ninja do not make friends. They are just comrades who Battle alongside me."

Alex chuckled, both physically and mentally. "That's what friends do, Kage. That's what comrades are. Just another term for friends. You already have friends on this team, you can't bottle that Hoopa now. Not without being a jerk to them, which I know you don't want. They're clever enough to understand your point. Use your words."

The young ninja frog pondered his new Trainer's wisdom, and he recalled what his father had said about Alex Redwood. With only a year of training, he and his Torterra had matched Connor and Gren, in terms of move mastery. He'd beaten Champion N, the Tamer of Zekrom. He'd even taken on a colossal Salamence, both in life and in death, and came away alive both times. He recalled the story of how they'd actually slain Alduin, and the point was driven home further. Maybe, there was something to having friends after all. He'd also noticed that Gren had befriended his own team, eventually.

Finally, he spoke to the group, using his new height as a Frogadier as he spoke. "Friends, I know you want Po to lead, but this team needs a leader that understands your abilities, like I do, and how to use them. I know Po is funny and well liked, but we don't need a popular leader, we need a leader who knows where and when to use the abilities we possess. A leader who can help us win I can be that leader."

Hearing that, and having no interest in leading himself, James raised a small Sobble hand. "I second that. I like you, Po but Kage is right. My…particular set of skills must be used properly."

Kage nodded sagely, then said, "Without a doubt, an Urshifu is going to be an important part of our team. But you're better as…our secret weapon, Po. The one who shows up just in time to help us when the Muk hits the Fan Rotom. Our ace."

Po's eyes were wide. "Secret Weapoooon! Yes! I will totally be a secret weapon!" His voice turned epic then, and the others giggled. "A weapon…of Kung Fu!"

"Alright then." Maromnis said quietly. "Kage will guide us."

"Oi, Secret Kung Fu weapon, the foods ready." Alex said, as he added the Gigantamix and then psychically distributed the food to each of his team.

Po's eyes went wide as he watched the towering pile of curry rise three times. "Ahh yes," he said as the others lined up by their bowls. "My greatest love…greater even than Kung Fu." He walked up to his bowl of protein filled deliciousness, eyes shining. "Hello gorgeous." He dug in with an ursine sense of manners. Even with his appetite, gaining levels, eating healthy, and a few large calls from nature had filled the young cub out with muscle, instead of flab, mostly. He seemed healthier and happy, which was how Alex wanted him. For his part, Kage watched his Trainer as they ate, as he tried to, not for the first time, figure out what his deal was, in light of his wise words.

Neither Connor nor his father had seemed to think very highly of him, in private. It was as Astrum landed on his broad shoulder for some scritches, that Kage grasped the difference between him and the Kalos Champion. Connor was very much all about the hard-style life, as Po would call it. Redwood was much calmer, had the same skill for battling, and, most importantly, possessed genuine kindness. Training with the Original Dragon had also made him wise, from Kage's perspective, and by the time they settled in for some Dark Clover, the young ninja frog had accepted him as his Trainer. He had no intention of going back to Connor.

For his part, Alex was pondering who he'd be facing the next day, as he'd managed to grind his way to an Ultra Class match. Between Canis and his new partners, they'd climbed the ranks rather quickly, and he was sure someone in Kalos would be able to give him a genuine challenge.

Somewhere in the Central States - Dragon Empire

Proditor cast his mental net wide, as he sought out his starter. His Abomasnow. Optimus. As with every other continent he'd visited since escaping Alola, all he felt was silence. He did however, notice a blob of Shadow in what was billed in this era's media as a golden continent at one with the Light.

He psychically adjusted himself along the world's energy pathways, and bamfed himself close to this source of burgeoning Shadow. He cloaked himself in the darkness of the void and entered into the well-hidden tunnel that led to the underground cavern housing this rebellion in the heart of the Dragon Empire. Several seemingly local denizens of this landlocked and central province of the Dragon Empire had entered ahead of him, and he trailed them expertly as they navigated the complex of tunnels.

He arrived just in time for one of the speeches that these Arceans seemed to enjoy giving every chance they got. The speaker this time was Champion Octavius Thorne, of the formerly Arcean state of Wyogon. He was platinum blonde, as tan as every other Arcean, and his hair was a more modern style, flaring up in wavy wisps that were swept to his left.

His attire was a fine dark navy suit with gloves and a collared undershirt that seemed out of place with his followers who were, by majority, farmers and those Proditor saw as peons. The lowest caste. Salt of the earth. Poors. As he could sense their thoughts, or lack thereof, he marveled that such low intelligence and easily manipulated people still existed in this era of superior technology. His own era had combined 'magic', or manipulation of the universe's natural energy types, with technology, but their actual level of mechanical expertise had been surpassed in this new age, and if the rumors on their Pokénet were true, the Empire and its allies had already begun rolling out tech powered by Infinity Energy.

"My Brothers in the Light! As you have all doubtless heard, the Halfbreed Emperor has once more drastically altered our nation!" Proditor snickered to himself. Building houses manually and revitalizing barren areas was classically seen as a good thing. But he knew the speaker's type, and his next words confirmed Proditor's bias. "The houses that the Dragon's minions have created are surely wired to spy on their occupants, and even the Empire's scientists can't tell just how much severe change the new rivers he's created will cause to Fornia's ecosystem. Our nation has been in a significant state of decline since the war ended, and things will surely only get worse!"

"Then DOO sumthin'!" One of the sentient Wooloo brayed from the crowd. His companions in the crowd greeted his quieter statement with single word affirmations that made them sound as simple as they looked. Others in the crowd tried speaking up, but the speaker drowned them out with his podium's microphone.

"Please refrain from shouting out, ladies and gentlemen." Again, Proditor snickered in the darkness. He would've bet money nobody in this crowd knew what 'refrain' meant, or possessed the intelligence and sense of shame to keep quiet. "We have been coordinating with our people across the nation, for a targeted strike against the Empire's infrastructure. Soon, we will strike back against the Dragon Empire! Each of us must work hard, in this time of tribulation, until our States are free and United once again!"

The Wooloo cheered as the pompous rich man told them to continue spending their life hours toiling away at what was very likely a futile effort, from what Proditor had seen of the Original Dragon's efforts in rebuilding his Empire's infrastructure.

Such waste… His dark passenger rumbled in his head. I…We…could put them to better use.

Mentally, Proditor answered the Shadowmind. "I agree…let's have a conversation with their rich ruler. I think we can overpower him if necessary…but I'd rather use words. His last superior was a brute, a product of his lesser cult, but I think…he may just shine under Our guidance."

Proditor sank further into the shadows, not hard to do given how dark things were, and followed the man further down into the earth, where he eventually entered a new room. After experimenting with his physical form, Proditor had found it quite malleable, and was able to slip under the door behind him.

The speaker from earlier was met by two much younger looking subordinates, just as blonde and tan and blue eyed as he was. Proditor heard him sigh before saying, "If we have to give a speech every time these peasants decide to stop working, we will never accomplish our goals."

The younger man answered him, and while he was physically attractive in a more feminine but still masculine manner, Proditor could sense the darkness in his thoughts. "It's not like we can resume throwing them in pits and keeping them behind barbed wire. We no longer have those resources, and everything the Empire does lately, is focused on making the lower and middle classes more comfortable. Just today, they raised taxes on the nation's billionaires. All of them. All at once. The propagandists are claiming it's the first time the rich have paid their 'fair share' in centuries."

Thorne's aged face cracked a smirk. "This will make my next meeting…far more productive. If we can get the wealthy on our side, we can import more peasants. Perhaps from Eous, or Texico City."

The woman chimed in then, and Proditor noted she too was clad in some sort of formal looking naval officer outfit that had apparently been the norm for what these Arceans tended to wear. "Not Texico City…apparently, the only people left living there after General Rosa's slaughter love everything the Dragon Emperor and his people have done for him. If we try to turn them against the man who almost single handedly had their city rebuilt, we will have little success."

Thorne waved a hand. "It matters not. There's always idle hands to be found somewhere. Veronika, Valarian, I leave things here in your capable hands. Now…who has agreed to show, at this meeting?"

The pretty man, Valarian, apparently, spoke this time. "The heads of most of the Empire's largest corporations. Including a representative from the Rotom Phone company, as you asked."

Thorne's smirk shifted to a dark grin. "Excellent. Now all we need to do is get them on our side, as Caleb should have done before launching the Blitz." With that, he turned and walked into a teleporter, which brought him elsewhere. The two subordinates shared a look, and then left through the door, leaving Proditor alone in the spacious room that seemed to be some sort of lounge or rest area for the elite remnants of the Arcean cult. He manifested his body again, changing his attire up. He pulled from his old outfit as the Successor, and Lord of the cults that had popped up in the wake of Arceus leaving this plane. Long metal shoulder pads adorned his broad shoulders, flaring out from them horizontally. Hanging down from behind them was a luxurious looking cape. His robes of vague Shadow energy solidified into a more tangible outfit, a suit akin to what the Arceans wore, under black robes fit for a dark king, with red and purple undertones. A pair of black metal gauntlets covered each of his hands, but he felt he'd pulled off the 'business casual Dark Lord' vibe he'd been aiming for.

Finally, his white skin turned a pale toned flesh color, albeit one tanned by the sun, and his white hair became sandy blonde, though the style of it, unkempt and short, did not change. His claws became fingernails, and he inspected his disguise, nodding in satisfaction, before he too headed through the teleporter.

He appeared in a room with a long dark wood table, surrounded by chairs that had no windows, which seemed to be the standard setting for where the rich of this era did business. As he appeared, the heads of the old and primarily lighter skin toned men turned towards him. Thorne was speaking as he appeared. "-from my base… Ahh. Well, you don't look like a Scale, so who the Muk are you? This is a private meeting!"

Proditor just chuckled. "I…am a legend, to you, who live in this era. Once, I was called the Successor to the Tamer of Arceus. The one next in line to inherit that power, and responsibility. Lord Proditor."

The room laughed, albeit nervously, as his psychic aura invisibly moved through all of them. Only Thorne seemed to notice, as he stood and answered. "The Successor to the man who Tamed the Alpha!? That would make you several millennia old…and the one responsible for the Dark Times, if the legends are true..."

Proditor nodded, coming up to the opposite and unoccupied end of the table near the teleporter. "I am he. Recently, the Witch Queen of Albion revived me, and I have since been gathering my Pokémon. The ones that still exist, anyway."

Thorne took in his words, and said, "Why would you come here, then? We do not have your Pokémon. This is a private meeting for those of us under the rule of an Empire we don't want. What business do you have here, if you are who you claim to be?" While driven by a lust for power, Thorne was a man who understood that the masses needed a charismatic figure to cling to. Without Pravus, they had lost thousands of loyal Arceans to the deprogramming efforts of the Dragon Empire. Before him was, assuming the historical records and his bold claims were correct, the man who had toppled the global organization Arceus's Tamer had created. He had started the Dark Times, but he'd also apparently successfully led quite a large cult in his age, though the name and deeds of said cult had long been buried from the historical record. He could be exactly what they needed, right now.

Proditor met Thorne's gaze evenly. "I am here…because I seek to rebuild my power base. In my time, I rallied the psychics of the world to one banner. I intend to do something similar here. I heard that this is a meeting of the wealthiest people on the continent. Am I correct in assuming that you are all firmly united against Redwood and the Dragon? You have all considered the…potential consequences of making such a choice?"

The group glanced at each other, murmuring as they did so, and Proditor resisted chuckling. He sensed each of their unguarded thoughts, all but one, a platinum blonde woman, the only female in the group, who was not muttering, but watching Proditor with a quiet intensity, fingers steepled before her. They seemed unsure, but ultimately intrigued by him. It seemed, in wealthy circles, they had at least heard of the effects of his deeds. Some things couldn't be hidden from those with obscene wealth, and across eons, that at least had remained true. The woman whose mind was shielded spoke then. "You were defeated, as I recall. I admit I know not by who, or how, but you were beaten so thoroughly that the name 'Proditor' doesn't exist in the historical record."

Proditor waved a hand nonchalantly. "Death was an…unexpected inconvenience. But understand something…the man who ended me did so with a power of Light that has long since left this world. He was an Archon. Their King, no less. I doubt any of you have heard of them, either." Again the men rumbled, but none claimed to know that title or its meaning.

Thorne spoke this time, "The Dragon Emperor has also claimed the power of the Light. The Alpha supports him…for now. Our plan was to sway Arceus to our side, once we demonstrate that Redwood is unworthy in every way."

Proditor couldn't help himself. He started laughing a genuine villain laugh, but soon realized that the entity in his skull was also laughing. As he tried to stop, it seized control out of nowhere, forcing his body to laugh, as a byproduct of its own laughter. Finally it ceased, realized it was in control, and said, "You think to…persuade Arceus…" It laughed again, and internally, Proditor told his ally to warn him before suddenly taking over. The being agreed, and then they spoke once more in unison. "Arceus has already deemed your Cult to be worthless. We have seen the footage from your war. It said so itself."

The woman shielding her mind said, "Who is… 'we'?"

The entity continued, and as Proditor spoke, his disguise began to unintentionally slip, as from his shadow, the formless mass of his dark passenger began climbing up the wall of the dimly lit room via his shadow. Only Thorne and the woman with the shielded mind seemed to notice, though. They also got a glimpse of what he truly looked like, glowing purple eyes, white hair, dead skin, and a genuinely sinister grin. "The Light has abandoned you, all of you, for the Original Dragon's goal for eons now has been to eradicate the hold currency has upon your race. It will not stop, at taxes. Those with large amounts of currency will also soon be vilified and killed in the name of progress."

The men mumbled again, and one said, "Surely not…"

"Your kind has always maintained its elite status by being ahead of the changing times. The first to abuse and…copyright…new technologies. Humanity has again harnessed the power of Infinity, and in this era, your…technology is capable of wielding it with precision. With Infinite power comes Infinite resources. Already, the Dragon's scientists have learned to make objects from Infinity Energy, and common materials. Soon, the need for your currency based system will be eradicated, and you who have amassed fortunes will be spat upon in a society that achieves freedom from it." Proditor grinned at them, and then dropped the disguise. The old men visibly recoiled, though Thorne and a few others were intrigued, as they could sense the power he possessed. His aura had spread through the entirety of the room now. "I am Cassius Proditor. I am the one who will bend this era to my Will. Join me, and I will ensure that you, and your family lines never lose your status in your society, regardless of what becomes of currency. Bend the knee…and I shall grant you power not seen for millennia."

Once more, the men shared a look, but Octavius Thorne was the first to stand, push his chair back, and then kneel. His head came to just above the table's edge. "I will serve, Lord Proditor. Long have the Arceans kept record of the man from whom our Church's founder drew wisdom. A man who was said to understand the nature of both Light and Shadow. His name was lost to history, but…this power…this vision…I am sure it was your writings he learned from."

Proditor nodded, still grinning widely. "Indeed! You are aware of the ancient source of your Church's teachings. That simplifies things." The glowing purple eyes shifted to the rest of them. Expectantly. "And what of all of you…?"

One by one, after glancing at each other and Thorne, the men stood, pushed back their chairs, and knelt before the Successor. All but one, anyway. When all the others had knelt, and Proditor's attention shifted to her, she stood. She was an older woman with platinum blonde hair, in a suit as nice as her contemporaries, with only a few noticeable age lines. "I would think…that after we have seen what the Shadow hath wrought, we would know better than to so quickly kneel to another so clearly corrupted by its influence. Perhaps even more so than Pravus was. I will never serve the Darkness." She made a sign with her hands then, her pair of pointer and middle fingers crossed, like a T.

Recognizing what she was doing, Proditor was briefly surprised, but then, he struck. Unfortunately, his surprise gave the Ninjutsu user a chance to escape, and the pointed Shadow tentacles that attempted to pierce her stabbed only air, as the old woman vanished in a bamf of energy.

"It matters not…" Proditor declared, as he let the overwhelming power of his aura manifest in the room. The table was crushed, flattened to the floor, the windows shook, and surely whatever building they were currently in was also shaking. While the men felt the pressure, enough to keep them in a subservient position, they were allowed to stay kneeling, and Thorne bore witness to just how fine this ancient psychic's control was. "The Dragon cannot stop what is coming. Not even Arceus can stand against the Power we serve."

Somewhat meekly, but burning with curiosity, Thorne said, "What…what power would that be, exactly, my Lord?"

Proditor and his Shadow entity decided to give their newest minion with the most potential an answer. "The oldest evil in the Multiverse. He Who Arises in Might. The Elder King. The Lord of the Dark." Proditor paused for dramatic effect, and then spoke the being's name, much to the delight of the entity in his skull. Their words, specifically the name of the being they were speaking of, reverberated through the very fabric of reality, bound and enhanced as they were by their unholy fusion. Proditor felt…elation? Amusement? A strange mix of heightened feelings from the Shadowmind as it whispered to him, needlessly confirming what he sensed, as the whispers from beyond his home dimension filled his ears.

He has heard us…He is coming.

Sahqoreyth · May 22, 2024

Chapter 53: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 2

Lumiose City - Kalos Region

Marinette had some difficulty with the Cyllage City Gym Leader, as rock types were brutally identified as her team's weak point, thanks to Grant and his Tyrantrum. Alex advised her to find new team members, and to not give up, as most Trainers usually either lost and quit, or got tripped up around their sixth gym. He notably left out mention of his own sixth gym badge, Skyla's, and how easy Leo and Hydrus had made acquiring that one. While Marinette sought a hard counter to rock types in the wild, Alex had gotten a time and a place for his Ultra Class match, the one that would see him enter their ranks, or be stopped at the gate. Apparently, he could have such a match three times, before he'd lose his shot at the finals completely.

He wasn't worried though, as his win streak since the start of the tournament had yet to be stopped. They'd planned to rendezvous in Lumiose City once Marinette got her new partner and her badge. Connor and Adrien were also waiting in Lumiose, as Adrien had also gathered six badges, and wanted to get the final two alongside Marinette.

As Alex strode into the open Lumiose Gym, he saw Connor and his apprentice in the stands. Apparently Connor thought seeing his qualification match would help Adrien learn. He nodded to them as he took his place in the Trainer box. Across the field was his opponent, a man wielding an electric guitar.

He had long straight black hair, his eyes were covered by a large old school style of sunglasses, and his grizzled face was sporting a respectable beard around his mouth. He looked over Alex, seemed to nod, and then they both glanced upward as Clemont himself appeared in the referee perch. "Welcome to the Lumiose Gym! This match will determine which of our competitors will be moving on to the Ultra Class. I've been asked to hold off on starting for a few minutes, as the League claims there's some interest in seeing this match. We will begin in five minutes."

Alex nodded as he noticed the Rocker summon a Charizard and a Dragonite, and they began planning. For his part, and seeing his opponent only had three balls, Alex picked his three, and levitated them in the air around his head. Adamanteus, Blaze, and Kalagon would suffice, and he'd chosen an Ace, a bulky physical attacker in need of experience, and one of his newer partners, on purpose.

As promised, more people began filling the stands as time passed, and within five minutes, the gym had a sizable crowd watching eagerly. Alex smirked as, judging by their attire, they were his fans, and they were a majority. He stared at the ground as he tried to come to grips with the idea that people liked him, or at least his battling style, enough to make the effort to form a club around it, apparently. They'd all arrived around the same time, which implied linked communication vectors. The others seemed to be locals, just eager to watch a World Tournament match, let alone an Ultra Class qualifier. Connor had gotten a similar reception in Wyndon Stadium. As Clemont returned, Alex's opponent let out what he could only describe as a roar with his guitar. "I'm about ready to rock, if you are…whatever your name is."

The crowd seemed to chuckle, and Alex assumed a combination of distance and aged eyes kept him from recognizing his opponent. So, Alex flourished his cape, showing off his growing team glinting on his cape as he bowed. "Alex Redwood, Champion of the Victory League. I look forward to our Battle."

The man clearly knew his name, at least, as he went still. His face stayed in the same seemingly perpetually angry expression, as he nodded, and then belted out a brief screeching tune on his guitar. "They call me Rocker Mills."

Their respective stats appeared on the gym's high tech screens, along with their Trainer cards, and Alex did a double take as he saw the Rocker's win record. Seeing his reaction, Clemont got his attention, and then subtly tapped his head. Taking the hint, Alex established a mental connection. "Is this okay…?" Alex asked hesitantly. Establishing a link like this often unintentionally led to private information being absorbed by the psychic establishing contact. Alex could tell without meaning to pry that Clemont was generally happy with his life, with someone called Allie, probably a wife or girlfriend, and he was happy to be hosting an Ultra Class match in his gym, as it meant revenue, and more currency he could put towards his experiments. These were just the thoughts on the surface, and Alex found their content being processed unintentionally by his own mind just by connecting. Clemont's willingness and knowledge of psychic connections also contributed to how much was shared, which seemed to indicate he didn't mind it being known. Just from a brief 'glance', Alex could tell the inventor was special. His mind was both organized, and constantly churning away deeper within. He could sense it processing information rapidly, with a sense of logic that Alex found mirrored his own.

"It's fine." Clemont answered. "The League says this Trainer's rise through the ranks is…suspicious. His opponents, those who beat the Charizard and Dragonite, claim he overpowers Trainers who agree to a rule exception in the third round, at which point he rolls their whole team. They figured if anyone could find the truth of this matter, you could, since your team famously has yet to be rolled through. If he's cheating, we don't want him advancing in the tournament."

Alex nodded in response saying only, "I'll find out what he has in that third ball." With that, Clemont began the match.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Lumiose Gym! Today our Ultra Class qualifier match is between Rocker Mills…" He paused, trailing off purposely as the master guitarist strummed loudly on his guitar with obvious skill and then threw up Giratina horns with his pointer and pinky fingers. The crowd ate it up with loud cheers. "…and Champion Redwood, of the Victory League!" The cheers this time were louder, and Alex smirked. He tipped his hat towards the stands, but otherwise remained the personification of chill, arms crossed, as his chosen three orbited his head. "This will be a three on three Battle! Trainers, summon your partners!" Hearing that, Mills seemed to tense up a bit, but he said nothing, and let the match progress uninterrupted. If there was an issue with his third, they'd get to it eventually.

The Rocker sent out his partner first. "Let's rock! Dragonite!" Out came the absurdly proportioned yellow dragon, though Alex noted this male specimen had filled out his upper half with significant muscle, almost enough to counteract his large and equally muscled, yet still rotund bottom. He looked ready for a battle as he smashed his round claws together, and as Alex sensed his intentions, he felt the dragon take notice, as he met Alex's gaze. He didn't seem hostile, or secretly embracing the Shadow. Indeed, he seemed like the ideal opponent for his own dragon to test his measure against…and perhaps even go beyond his limits. They were on the cusp of the Ultra Class, after all. If the new team members were going to contribute, they needed to get stronger. And evolve.

Kalagon appeared on the field, and fell into his attack stance, confident, and undeterred by the gleam in the Dragonite's eye. Both he and Alex were aware he would likely lose, but the battle would still be a test of how far Kalagon had come, something he was eager to know, and how far he had yet to go. Like his other partners, the Gabite had grown to a large size in a relatively short time, and by Alex's measure, he was close to evolving. Alex called their move first, "Let's go, Dragon Claw!"

Mills seemed unamused by Alex's pick as the middle form dragon lumbered forward. "Thunder Punch."

Alex arched a brow, and the crowd murmured, but then, they saw the point the Rocker was making. His Dragonite struck the charging Gabite, moving in front of him in the space of an eye blink, and while the electric damage did nothing to the ground typed land shark, the physical force of the blow sent Kalagon soaring, fast, out of the field, past his Trainer, and into the gym's wall, where the force of his crash made an impact crater.

Alex ran over, and Clemont joined him via his square floating ref platform. Very rarely did Pokémon so outmatched take so much damage and stay conscious, but to his credit, Kalagon was already on his knees by the time they reached him. "I'm not…done yet!" He snarled as he wiped his mouth with a claw hand, and Alex smirked, as he recognized the affirmation, and its source. Once Alex had started his early morning anime binging, the rest of his team had joined in on watching, unless they were asleep. Lux also had the ability to replay the episodes for those who were sleeping at four A.M.

"No. You're not." Alex affirmed , as he whirled, and pointed at the Dragonite across the gym. "Use Dig!" Kalagon dove into the field's ground once he returned, and Alex bamfed back to his spot as well. Clemont signaled for the round to continue, and the Rocker called his next move. "They're going to get some air, Dragonite! Fly high, and Dragon Dance!" He strummed out a heavy beat for his partner, and Alex chuckled to himself as the yellow dragon head banged his way to a stat boost.

"Match them." Alex ordered, and beneath the ground, Kalagon utilized the move he'd learned from Shruikan, and Tao, a boost not usually learned by his species line, but with it, he promised to be even more absurdly powerful as a Garchomp. Alex noted he was mimicking the Dragonite's movements in the air, and as they unintentionally harmonized their dances, his eyes noted the sudden surge in natural energy in the area, which in this field, was electricity. The air became charged, and a hum flowed through the field turning it into electric terrain, as Rocker Mills was also, naturally, a big fan of electric type moves, and with the power his dragon was summoning, he unintentionally created a field effect. Lightning coursed over everything with intense sparks, and Alex found himself grinning. It had become decidedly more epic, in the gym all of a sudden.

Finally, Kalagon leapt from the ground, and Mills called his move. "Dragonite! Bring down the Thunder!"

"Kalagon!" Alex countered, "Dig through it! Ride the lightning!" His dragon did as ordered, and masterfully rode the ineffective bolt of plasma upwards, shielded from the heat by a shroud of ground energy, probably the one thing that a bolt of burning plasma couldn't damage significantly. Once they had height on the Dragonite, Alex called the counter. "Rock Slide!"

The Dragonite raised an arm against the attack, but cried out as it found it was a critical hit this time. Kalagon was motivated after being so easily punched back, and fate had smiled upon him. Using instincts that would serve him well as a Garchomp, his body rotated in the air, and then shot downwards after his prey, as his Trainer shouted, "Dragon Claw!"

"Giga Impact!" The Rocker countered, and despite the heavy hit downwards, his Dragonite had already brushed off the rocky rubble, and was capable of a counter. A super effective claw ran down the burly Dragonite's chest, but it tanked the move with ease, and countered with a thunderous orange colored uppercut to the jaw. Kalagon's momentum shifted rapidly, as he went soaring into the roof this time. Alex winced along with the crowd, but Kalagon still wasn't done. He'd hung on by sheer force of will, once again showing how determined he was to be strong, but Alex knew he'd had enough.

He managed to glide-fall back to the field, and the Dragonite raised a fist to end him, then lowered it, as he realized the dragon had fainted while standing. Kalagon roared, still very much intending to attack despite his semi-unconscious state driven by sheer willpower, but Alex recalled him, first. Clemont called the round then, as Kalagon was running on fumes, with not even enough strength to resist his ball's recall.

"You did well." Alex said to him, as he sensed the young dragon's frustration. "The time to evolve will come. Just not today. You got in a lot of hits for being so much lower in level. Remember that power. You'll be able to match it some day soon. For now, it will be the bar by which you measure yourself."

The disappointed Gabite growled an acknowledgment, but it was mostly his pride that was actually injured. Gabite scales were absurdly tough, especially this close to evolution. As Alex summoned his next pick, Rocker Mills changed out his Dragonite for his Charizard, and while Alex was tempted to match a Charizard with a Charizard, he'd already picked Adamanteus for this round. He calmed his eager Charizard, claiming he wanted him fresh for whatever Mills had in his third ball. He could guess which rule the Rocker had asked his opponents to accept overlooking.

His Steelix gave the fiery lizard a glare, and then both Trainers shouted at the same time, "Mega Evolve!"

Alex raised his fist, and Mills whammied the bar on the lower part of his guitar. This made it start to shine, and the strands of power reached out to both Pokémon. The crowd whooped as the gym, sensing Mega Forms, began belting out some intense battle music suited to Kalos that the Rocker quickly started harmonizing with, to the crowd's enjoyment. Both Pokémon gained a stat boost, as the cheers escalated.

"Fire Blast!"

"Stone Edge!"

Once more the calls were simultaneous, and once more what should have been type advantage was canceled out by the Charizard's superior strength and level in an explosive collision of power.

Seeing that, Alex stopped aiming for a type advantage, as it was clear the Rocker was ready for such moves. "Use Dig!" He shouted, and with ease, the massive Mega Steelix dove into the ground like it was water.

Rocker Mills was undeterred, and unbothered by the move. He continued rocking out as he shouted, "Bathe the field in flame!" His Mega Charizard Y inhaled, and did as ordered. Very quickly the gym became sweltering, but Alex was used to much hotter temperatures from Blaze. As was Adamanteus.

Alex examined the field, and then said, "Give us some cover. Sandstorm from underground!" Out of the holes Kalagon and Adamanteus had left came a torrent of sand that quickly filled the air. Alex wasn't done yet though. "Now get some air, and use Slam!"

Once more, the Rocker proved to be cool under fire, calling his move masterfully as he continued to harmonize with the gym's music. "Blow away the stooorm! Whirlwind!" The Charizard started beating his wings as Alex called for the move. The quickly summoned storm of sand was blown away easily, and Alex remarked at just how strong the Y strand's wings were. Blaze began formulating a move that, ideally, would come out as a strong substitute for Air Slash.

The storm dissipated as Adamanteus soared into the air, and found himself without cover. Undeterred, he continued into the air with a combination of electromagnetism and inertia, and Mills called the counter. "Flamethrower!"

Alex found himself wincing again as Adamanteus took the hit full on, but Adamanteus was as sturdy as ever, and he countered with his usual brutality. His long body arced through the air and smashed the fire lizard down towards the field, where he had a hard landing.

Alex raised a hand and clenched it into a fist as he called his own counter. The wind from the Mega Charizard's impact sent his cape flaring as he shouted, "Finish it! Rock Slide!"

With a torrent of rumbling finality, Adamanteus buried his opponent in stone from his aerial perch, and the quadruple weakness caused the Charizard to faint. Adamanteus roared from his lofty aerial position, and made no move to lower himself as the crowd whooped and cheered at the brutal KO. He wanted a shot at the Dragonite.

Mills called him out, and once more, the attacks were simultaneous.

"Rock Slide!"

"Fire Puuunch!" The Rocker strummed hard as he vocalized the move in harmony with his axe.

The shower of stone hurt the burly dragon, but he survived intact brushing the rocks off as easily as Kalagon's, and knocked Adamanteus out of the air with a merciless flaming fist. Alex recalled him before he hit the ground. Alex caught the ball as he pulled it back to his hand. "Well done. We'll make more use of that flight power of yours in the future." He hadn't been aware Mega Steelix could essentially fly, or more technically, glide, but having aerial superiority from a ground type was classically a deadly combination, and what made Garchomp's line so notorious. The ball rumbled in his hand as Adamanteus spoke in his mind. "I tire of almost fainting from one hit in every Battle…"

Alex nodded, also responding mentally. "I am too. We're going to have to power you guys up, if we realistically want to win this tournament, assuming everyone else at this level has trained as well as this Rocker has…which means we'll need to visit Selva Muerta." There were some groans from the rest of the team as he said that, and those who had experienced the jungle largely didn't want to return. The younger members though, naturally, began pestering their brothers for details, and Po, naturally, was amazed and astounded, and then, the rest of the newbs were suddenly quite eager to go as well. Terra filled them in on the reality of the jungle, as Alex smirked. It seemed they were all as eager for them to evolve as he was, and in his experience, that was half of what they needed to reach their next evolutionary stage. Blaze came out then, but in a reverse demonstration of power, he brought down the already rather injured Dragonite with a single Thunder Punch, roaring in victory above the friendly crowd as he celebrated.

For his part, the Rocker was holding his third ball in his hand, but didn't throw it. His playing had now also ceased, though the battle music had not. He looked at Clemont, then. "My third is uhh…technically against the rules…but I can tell that he wants to bring this Battle home, for his team. He's helped us out a few times, and won us a few Battles, when my opponents have agreed to face him…I'll just bring'em out."

He threw the ball then, and Alex and Blaze flinched as they saw its occupant, as stunned as the rest of the gym. A Lugia spiraled into the air from the confines of the Ultra Ball, and roared at Alex. It was smaller than Ash's, and by Alex's estimate, barely an adolescent. But still very much a Lugia. It, or rather he, reached out psychically as he greeted the human and Charizard and said, "I hope you can give me a worthy Battle…"

"Looks like we're going to be getting in some proper training, Blaze.." Alex said, confidently, as his eager flame lizard returned to his side of the field after his victory lap. Blaze in particular had been practically salivating at the chance to battle a Lugia in the spring of its youth. Seeing an ancient Lugia use Aeroblast was informative, but it was like watching a martial arts master use a move known only to their style. He could only guess at how to do it. But a younger Lugia promised, potentially, a less experienced attacker, on a scale that Blaze could and would replicate. Typically, Alex kept his original six for battles with Trainers who had either reached or surpassed eighty levels of power. The Lugia was closer to Canis in terms of level and experience, but since he was a Legend, that likely would not hinder him much, especially if his Trainer had trained him up half as well as his other two partners, who'd been much closer to Blaze in terms of level.

Clemont nodded, as he understood what had happened. Given the loose nature of the tournament, exceptions to the rule of what species were allowed had been made more and more frequently, which was fine for the Normal and Great classes. "I'm afraid Lugia aren't a-"

A loud, furious roar erupted from Alex's side of the field as Blaze roared and let out a burst of flame worthy of his name, and once more turned the gym's temperature up. The air shimmered, as he flapped his wings and hovered in the superheated air. "It's alright, Leader Clemont." Alex said. "We're more than fine with facing a younger Lugia. I've seen the Guardian, the source of the legend of their power, in person. This one is…more than a match for Blaze, and as you can see…" He chuckled, as his Charizard's tail flame turned blue, and increased in size. "We're eager to Battle."

Clemont pushed up his glasses, and the light in the sweltering gym covered his eyes. "I'm afraid I can't make an exception this time, gentlemen. The World Tournament has always been a place for natural born Pokémon to show their power. We don't need to see Legendary Pokémon here, they're already legends. This tournament is where a Trainer and their team can make their own legend, on a world stage. For an Ultra Class Qualifying Match, I'm afraid Legendary Pokémon are not allowed. In which case, the match is a draw."

The Trainers sighed, and the crowd booed, but Clemont wasn't done. "However." He said, using a robotic arm apparently built into the blue and yellow suit he was wearing, to gain their attention. "In the event of a draw for a Qualifying Match, the two evenly matched Trainers can decide how to settle who advances on their own terms."

Alex arched an eyebrow at the Gym Leader. "Our own terms?"

Clemont elaborated. "One of you could decide to forfeit, for example…and the other would then advance. How you decide who does the forfeiting is a conversation you two need to have. Perhaps a contest of some sort. Otherwise, you'll just have another match with someone else in a few days." A slight smirk came to his lips.

Alex snapped his fingers. "I see. So if Rocker Mills and I were to, say, have a Battle unbound by the World Tournament's restrictions to decide the draw…?" He spelled it out for the crowd, as the guitarist seemed to have taken Clemont's meaning as well. They started murmuring as they realized what the clever Gym Leader was doing.

"Then the League would honor that decision, and one of you would advance, while the other would lose one match against the three they would have to enter the Ultra Class. I take it you're still going to Battle?"

Both Trainers nodded at Clemont's question, and Blaze and the Lugia roared simultaneously. They'd been staring each other down in an intense eye lock while the humans deliberated, but it seemed that deliberation was now over. Neither cared for the human's little rules, they were going to battle either way, at this point, and the crowd roared, very much eager for such a showdown between an icon like a Charizard, and the Legendary Lugia. By this point, word about the Lugia facing down Champion Redwood's Charizard had brought the gym to full capacity.

Mills gestured to his opponent. "My partner is a Legend…so we'll let you two go first."

Alex and Blaze smirked in unison, as the crowd's cheers empowered him some more, with a boost that, by Alex's count, made both combatants evenly matched, stat wise. "You may regret that." He said, before putting his closed right fist, against his open left palm. His Key Stone flared, but he didn't draw from it this time, rather he summoned his own inner dragon energy, and used its reaction with Blaze's Flame Plate to achieve Mega Evolution. Blaze's eyes went wide, as his essence connected to his Trainer's, and catapulted him down one of the two evolutionary branches his species could take. His leathery scales turned black, his wings became more curved and suited to gliding rather than flying long distances. His claws grew longer and tougher, and as he roared, the symbol of Infinity appeared over his new form, blue flames began leaking from his mouth. "Smokescreen!" Alex called, as he finished powering up.

"Blow it awaaay!" The Rocker shrieked alongside his guitar. The Lugia vocalized after his Trainer, and a single wing flap completely blew away the smoke covering Blaze, but the flame dragon was already charging. Alex called the move as he was revealed.

"Get close and Crunch!" Blaze was still rather fast, despite his limited flight capability, and speed had been one of the boosts their fans had given them with their positive vibes. He zoomed up by the Lugia's neck, and both he and Alex saw its eyes tracking him as he did so.

"Lugia…giv'em a Dual Wingbeat!" The Lugia roared as Blaze connected the attack, and he used his powerful neck to whip the Mega Charizard X upwards, at which point he spun, striking first with one wing hand, then the other. Blaze went spinning, but Alex used it to reclaim their momentum. Blaze feigned being dazed as he purposefully kept spinning, which goaded their opponents into attacking.

Mills seized on what he saw as an opportunity. His guitar roared as loudly as he did. "Blow'em away! Aeroblaaast!"

Blaze's eyes shot open at the sound of that particular move, and while the Lugia's eyes narrowed in suspicion, he continued with his signature move. The air in the gym bowed to the Lugia's power, and both Blaze and Alex watched as he masterfully summoned, guided, and condensed the attack as allegedly only Lugia could.

Still spinning and seemingly dazed, Alex started their counter. "Dodge with Dragon Dance!" Blaze's dazed spinning suddenly worked to give his dance momentum, and he sped up his rotations rapidly, in time for the Aeroblast. The humming power of the attack grazed Blaze's stomach as he barrel rolled with his dance, and because it was a flying move, the intense wind still damaged him. Slightly. "Now go high!" Alex shouted as his Charizard managed the dodge. "Rock Slide!"

At the height of his spin, Blaze leveled out, and with a furious roar, summoned the rock typed power for his attack. The shower of stone fell towards the Lugia, but Rocker Mills wasn't done. "Send them back! Twister!" To the ear pleasing chords of his Trainer's instrument, the Lugia complied, summoning his mastery of the air to redirect the attack back at Blaze.

Alex smirked, as he saw how much focus the Lugia needed for the attack. "Dragon Claw through!" Blaze did so, easily slashing through the super effective attack, as it had lost a bit of its initial power. Then, his right fist started sparking, and Alex called the move. "Thunder Punch!" The momentum of the Twister brought Blaze straight to the Lugia, and the gym hummed as thunder boomed, and the punch struck home. The electrified terrain also empowered the damage the Lugia took, making its eyes widen, as it took more than expected.

The Lugia crashed to the ground with great force, creating a large crater in the gym's field, and as that happened, Rocker Mills began playing a different song, one much more chill in tone that somehow made the gym's automatic battle music fainter in comparison. It was a song Alex recognized as belonging to Lugia's line, and if the stories about Ash Ketchum were true, one capable of healing them.

As the peaceful rock melody ended, the Lugia's eyes snapped open, and in an instant it was levitating in the air again. A single roar accompanied by a wing flap made the air in the entire gym whirl and stir in a cyclone. Sensing this level of power, the gym's energy barrier sprang to life around the crowd. Suddenly more condensed, the Lugia's attack actually started to affect Blaze, whose flying skills were significantly lessened in this form.

Sensing a brutal counter coming, Alex shouted, "Smokescreen!" Blaze growled, forced his wings to straighten out, and then flew with the wind's current. Smoke billowed from his mouth as he spun through the air currents, and this time, the smoke filled the condensed space, though it was still being moved by the wind. "Now Crunch!"

"Grab it!" The Rocker shouted, and the large hand of the Lugia reached out to where he sensed Blaze, but the Charizard moved too fast for him, barrel rolling around and then through the Lugia's fingers and past his guard. Blaze landed the powerful Crunch attack, and what vitality had been recovered was chomped through as Blaze then disappeared into the smoke again.

"Weather Ball!" Mills shouted through the smoke, hoping that would disperse the Smokescreen. The weather-based attack formed, and turned poison type as it absorbed and condensed the smoke. As the Lugia fired, Alex saw a path to victory.

They couldn't dodge the attack, but going through it would give them a chance to end the round. "Dragon Claw through it!" Blaze, now revealed and free of the intense swirling winds, lit up his claws with a fiery orange aura, and slashed effortlessly through the Weather Ball. He tried barrel rolling out of it, but he misjudged how wide the explosion radius was, and caught a mouthful of poison.

As the status effect took hold, Blaze pushed through the pain, and flew close to the Lugia with his Mega Form's speed. Thunder boomed, as Alex called the electric move, and the sparking uppercut to the Lugia's jaw finally brought it to unconsciousness, as it crashed to the field, spread eagle on its back and fainted.

There was a stunned pause, during which Blaze roared about his victory for all to hear. The crowd soon echoed him, erupting in cheers, and he let his Mega Form drop, panting hard, as he landed. The Lugia slowly regained consciousness, rolled onto his front, and then eyed Blaze, giving him a nod of respect. It wasn't often that regular Pokémon could best him, but this Charizard was very motivated, and well trained. Blaze stomped over to ask the Lugia how Aeroblast worked, while Alex and Rocker Mills met in the center of the field for a handshake, and a silent mutual nod of respect. The simple gesture was enough, Alex could tell the Rocker had also enjoyed the battle.

Clemont updated the stats to reflect the victory, and as quickly as Rocker Mills had appeared, he left on his rejuvenated Charizard. Alex tried to leave the gym like a normal person as well, but he ended up outside of it, chatting with his mob of fans, and eventually relaxing with his team outside the Lumiose Tower in an impromptu Leaf circle. He'd texted Marinette to meet him, and by the time she'd arrived, Connor and Adrien had joined him, and he was mid-debate about letting teenagers get high. He was actually against it, but Connor saw no harm, and Adrien had quietly said he didn't want any at least four times by that point, but Connor refused to let the issue drop.

"I just don't see the harm. We turned out fine after all." He said, passing the bong back to Alex, who hit it and shook his head.

"That's my point, dude. You can't see the harm this stuff does to organs besides your lungs. It's just not a good idea to regularly drown a growing brain with THC. He's got more than enough chemicals up there already."

"Marinette!" Adrien said, leaping to his feet and out of the conversation. He brought her up to speed with their conversation, and she looked at the two strongest defenders of her region with thinly veiled disgust. She found the herb's smell to be too much, like most people seemed to, and she didn't like the idea of Adrien becoming as much of a Leafhead as Alex and Connor were.

"If you two are done, we should be getting our last two Badges." Her tone suggested they should be done. Immediately.

Alex and Connor shared a look. Once again, they'd rendezvoused at high noon, and the stragglers who'd smoked with them had moved on already. The two men sighed and stood, stretching out their stiffness in unison, before summoning their rides, Blaze and Gar. Once more, and for practicality, they visited different gyms at the same time. Adrien was headed for the ice typed gym, while Marinette, or more specifically Tikki, had suggested they go to the psychic gym in Anistar City.

As they approached, the two human's heads perked up, as they sensed the city's primary landmark, before they saw it. The Anistar Sundial was surrounded by a small crowd as they approached, and Alex noted those around the sundial were all dressed the same. Everyone else, who was standing around the plaza, looked to be with the press. Evidently, they'd either figured out or overheard where he and his apprentice were going. At the head of the party around the sundial was an older woman garbed in a long silver cape that was gleaming in the sun. Her hair was shades of purple and uniquely styled. He assumed she was Leader Olympia.

Blaze brought them down in a small blaze of flame at a safe distance, and Olympia started speaking, and now that he was closer, Alex felt her using her powers in what he recognized as Future Sight. Her eyes were shining a soft purple and the bangles around her wrists were spinning. "In a blaze of fire they arrive…to rejuvenate the heart of our city." The older woman's eyes stopped glowing and she bowed low as Alex and Marinette disembarked. Alex could tell she was using her power to keep herself looking like she always had, as she straightened again. "I have looked forward to meeting you for some time, Dragon Emperor. It is an honor to be in your presence."

Alex respectfully nodded at her. "Leader Olympia. I'm glad I'm able to visit. Your Sundial has always interested me, and if I'm honest…every time I've been in Kalos I've felt a…pull. I've ignored it so far, but I can tell this is the source…"

Olympia nodded sagely. "It draws you to it. A rare occurrence. Only one other person has been drawn to it like this."

Alex arched an eyebrow. "Who?"

She smiled at him, "The Imperator of Mankind. It must have been…twenty seven or so years ago, now. He arrived without fanfare, and in simple robes. A disguise of sorts. I know not what he came for…but I believe he left disappointed." She eyed him in a manner that made his spine fill with chills. "I do believe you will do better. After the Gym Battle, of course."

Alex nodded at Marinette then. "You're up, Padawan."

She blinked at him. "So we are just copying the Pokémon Wars Saga?"

Alex shrugged. "It was more of a friendly nickname, but you're right, we probably shouldn't…" Behind him, he heard the reporters start buzzing as they started talking, and as he scanned their surface thoughts, he frowned at what they were saying. Apparently they also thought that was the name for the younger scales.

Olympia chuckled. "When one leads nations, one must mind what they say. Always. The same is true of Gym Leaders." Her Gym Trainers moved in unison, and with a quiet bamf, Olympia took her place on what Alex realized was a battlefield. "Join your…Padawan, Emperor Redwood." She proclaimed loudly, further cementing what the apprentices would be known as. "I'll give you a Badge as well. If you two manage to win. We can count it towards your World Tournament ranking too. Congratulations on reaching the Ultra Class."

Alex was about to politely decline, as he was well aware of what he'd need to do if he wanted a Tera Orb from Naranuva Academy, but Marinette smiled at him with her big blue hopeful eyes, and judging by Olympia's expression, she already knew what was going to happen. Thus, instead of fighting fate, he nodded.

Olympia sent out her partners then, seemingly only having two at the moment. A Meowstic and a Slowking appeared, and both were female. Alex just nodded, and then summoned Noir. "Handle the Slowqueen. We'll take the Meowstic." He glanced at his partner then, and smirked. Noir was trying to hide it under a facade of aloofness, but anyone with eyes could see the feminine psychic cat had caught his eye.

As Marinette picked her partner, Olympia raised a hand towards Noir, and the bracelet floating around her wrist started to spin. "Ooh my." She murmured, before meeting Alex's gaze. "That one will be…quite fierce. But loyal. A worthy partner, for a worthy Trainer."

Noir grumbled. "There's nothing fierce about being a girly cat magician."

Olympia looked at Alex expectantly, and he translated. "He doesn't like the idea of being a 'feminine magician'." Alex said, employing literal air quotes.

Olympia chuckled. "He does not have to be."

Marinette paused her partner picking in surprise, as she knew Meowscarada didn't have a record of an alternate form. It wouldn't be the first time a starter line had diverged, though.

Alex and Noir had a similar reaction as they shared a look. "How?" Alex asked, at the same time Noir did.

Once more Olympia chuckled, and closed her eyes. "Bring him…to the Forest of Death. Bring him to Selva Muerta. He will find himself there. Or, he will die. You know how reading the future can be."

Alex nodded sympathetically. It was like watching a movie with no context and jumbled words, and it was always in constant motion. Future Sight could make it clearer, for a time, but what was viewed could change if the present altered drastically enough.

Alex just smirked, as he sensed Noir was very much on board with not becoming a standard Meowscarada. Alex was sad that Flower Trick, a somewhat 'holy' move to Leafheads because of the amount of power it had when used by a Terastalized Meowscarada, was not something that his would probably learn. He was glad Noir had an alternative though, as he considered that better than being crippled in high level battles by not evolving at all. "We were already planning to head there after we visited Paldea. Is there somewhere specific we need to go?"

Olympia gave him a coy smile. "I'll tell you, if you can manage a win!"

At that moment, Tikki joined Noir, and upon seeing who she was battling alongside, giggled at a joke only she understood. As a being that existed across multiple universes simultaneously, the multidimensional similarities she experienced always amused her. She floated around Noir excitedly. "Let's do our best, kitty!" She held a hand out for a fist bump then, and after eyeing her for a long moment, Noir uncrossed his arms, bumped her fist, and then fell into a battle crouch with his claws extended.

Olympia went first. "Slowking, use Psychic. Meowstic, use Shadow Ball." Both of her Pokémon formed their attacks, and fired them off. Just by looking, Alex could tell they'd mastered these moves, and probably their others as well.

"Bug Buzz, Tikki!" "Noir. Night Slash." The two challengers leapt straight into the attacks, with Tikki overpowering the wave of psychic power, and Noir masterfully slashing through the Shadow Ball, leaving it in two explosive halves. Noir took the initiative, dashing forward, and hesitantly striking the female Meowstic.

Seeing his half-hearted attempt, the Meowstic slashed at him, and Olympia gave her another command. "Psychic!" The Meowstic's ears extended, and Alex winced, as he knew what came next. Noir was about to learn the same lesson most feline Pokémon did when they found their eye caught by a female Meowstic.

Noir yelped as he was unceremoniously levitated into the air, and then violently shaken around by the Meowstic, who true to her nature, held nothing back. Beside him, the Slowking and Tikki were exchanging special attacks, but Tikki kept overwhelming her psychic moves with bug type counters. As Noir was slammed into the ground, he was slow to rise, and Olympia called for another Psychic attack. Once more Noir was yanked into the air and tossed around like a rag doll.

He reached out mentally to his Trainer, who was grimacing. "A little…help…"

"I can't do anything, Noir…but Dark Type energy negates Psychic Type energy completely. If you can cowl your body in it, it might protect you." He activated his Dread Plate, and urged the dark energy towards Noir. Verbally, he said, "Noir! Activate your Aura Shield!"

Olympia frowned briefly, but then smirked. "He hasn't mastered it. Don't let him don his shield, Meowstic."

Noir tried to do as his older brothers had shown him, but before he could so much as try, Meowstic once more had him in the air, violently shifting around. Alex's mind was with him though, a center of balance and calm in the violent movements of the attack. "I'm here, Noir. Focus. Embrace the power. You won't be able to hear us too well in your mind once you have the shield up, but we're still here. Always."

Noir heard his team encouraging him, and then, there was silence. The first silence in his head since Alex caught him. As much as he liked his teammates, he found he also valued his privacy. He felt the dark energy surrounding him, and it just felt…right. Cold, ominous, powerful, but a part of him, and his species. He felt his feline instincts right his body as he landed in a three point crouch, and stood. Darkness flared from his eyes as he opened them, and he took in the Meowstic.

Much like Meowscarada, the darkness had formed a cape around his shoulders, and he found he looked a bit like his Trainer, as it was a full, long energy cloak that hung down to his lower paws, not unlike a Meowscarada's, save that his wasn't split. He'd made a literal cowl of darkness.

"Noir." His ears perked up at his Trainer's voice. "End this. Night Slash." Noir dashed forward, his shield flaring as he did, and the Meowstic tried knocking him out with a Psyshock. Had it landed, he would have fainted, but he blocked with his aura shield, and then leapt masterfully at the Meowstic. Any hesitation he'd had earlier had faded with the Psychic slamming, and the revealed nature of what Meowstic was like.

Between Leo and a few other older teammates, Noir had learned Night Slash early, and as he leapt and critically slashed his target twice in a row, thanks to Night Slash's crit rate, Alex was certain he'd mastered the move. As he finished his opponent, Tikki did the same, eventually winning the contest between waves of psychic and bug type energy and causing the female Slowking to fall over.

Marinette offered a fist bump to her master, who didn't leave her hanging, and Olympia approached them after recalling her partners. "Well done, you two. There weren't any combined attacks, but you two didn't seem to need them." She approached Marinette then. "You have the same potential as your Master." She let out a little chuckle. "Learn well…Padawan." Marinette and Tikki eyed their seventh badge, and Olympia handed one to Alex as well. "Now that you have this…I ask that you approach our Sundial."

Alex slowly raised an eyebrow. "And what do I do, exactly…?"

Olympia just gave him another mysterious smirk. "You will know."

As he approached the massive pinkish red crystalline structure, he realized quickly just how massive it was. The crowd of news hounds behind the battlefield all started jabbering as they tried to approach Alex, but Olympia and her Trainers psychically held back the crowd.

Alex barely heard what they said to the reporters, as he felt the sundial psychically react to his proximity. He had a sudden and inexplicable urge to get his Key Stone, and as he pulled it out of his shirt, it started shining as it had when it was first given to him by Indius's aspect of the Qilin, in a rainbow of very obviously shining colors.

On its own power, the radiant Key Stone flew out of its setting on his pendant and booped the sundial. The massive monolith began gleaming with the same rainbow of colors and Alex just watched, in awe. His Key Stone floated back into its setting, and seemed just as sturdy as ever once it stopped glowing. The sundial also faded in its shining rainbow brilliance, though it still glowed with light that had been hard to see previously. Alex sensed what he could only describe as gratitude from the seemingly semi sentient stone. Curious, he used his earthbending to feel what was going on beneath the stone, and then he started to better understand. It felt like pieces of rock were moving, but they were incomplete, as if their cores were a material even mighty earthbenders couldn't break. Figuring it was diamond, that would make the movement below from Carbink, and where there were Carbink one could, sometimes, find Diancie. Though if one was around, she did not make herself known to him.

"You're welcome…" He murmured.

Then, something strange happened, something that, judging by Olympia's reaction, she had not foreseen. A small circular hole appeared in the sundial, and yet another stone floated off of his person, though this time, he recognized it as the Soul Dew that Shruikan had given him after returning from wherever he'd spent his brief vacation.

He reached out a hand as the Soul Dew floated into the circular opening, but stopped, as he sensed the sphere of dragon and psychic energy pulse with power. It radiated through the sundial seven times, and then everything started glowing impossibly bright, blinding Alex, the gym members, anyone looking at the sundial, and the press.

When the light faded, Alex glanced around, seeing nothing out of the ordinary immediately. Then, he heard the press murmuring, and he felt Olympia's mental presence guide his eyes skyward. He gasped, as he saw what everyone else did.

Floating just before the center of the sundial was the Soul Dew, but now it looked more like a Pokémon Egg, less of a sphere, and more of an oval shape. Then, he spied a crack in its shell as it floated down to his eye level, and settled in his large hands. With a final brilliant flash, the egg popped open, and a cute little Lati face gave him a big smile from under what was left of its shell.

The tiny baby wings popped free next, and the little snoot reached towards Alex, booping his nose. The baby giggled then, and Alex raised a hand to pet its head. Its feathers were gray, instead of red or blue, but upon petting him, Alex saw blue tones underneath that would likely come in after he molted, assuming his feathers would behave like normal ones.

He yanked his hand back in surprise then, as upon having the baby's snout touch his palm, it suddenly and inexplicably burned and then cooled rapidly. It was more surprising than painful, and as he looked at his hand, he saw a silvery mark reminiscent of the symbol that appeared above Mega Forms when they first ascended to that level, embedded on his lower palm. The little one curled up in his hands then, and after confirming with Shruikan that he had not known this would potentially happen, Alex turned, and showed the crowd of onlookers the little Latios, holding him up like Simba as he did so. Sensing this, the little head lifted again, as he warily took in the crowd of humans with psychic potential, and those with bright flashing lights.

For his part, Alex sensed a new connection to his mind, a sensation he was quite familiar with by now, and he carefully wove it into the mental network that his team shared. Even Eremus and Arthur paid notice, as the young but powerful mind joined theirs with…delight? Amusement? Alex's eyes were closed by this point, and in the spacious mind space he called his own, he and his team psychically greeted their newest teammate. The little Latios was ecstatic, and, Alex noted, greeted his team in the order he'd caught them. Saur and Terra were first. Then Leo, Hydrus, Blaze, and so on. He greeted them all, flitting about the mind space with joy, until finally, he returned to his Trainer. Then, to their immense shock, the freshly hatched baby spoke with words, instead of emotions. "I like this team. I like the look of you, Human. Will you be my partner?"

"I have questions." Alex said, as the latent excitement from his team made him smirk. They were all very much on board with having a Latios among them, especially his dragons.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't!" The baby chirped.

"First things first…you need a name. Do you have one already…?" Alex asked, and the Latios chuckled.

"I do. In past lives I have gone by Aevum. But you may call me something else."

Alex shook his head. "Aevum will do nicely. It seems you've answered my other question as well. Exactly how many past lives are we talking, here? Do all Latios eventually reincarnate?"

"I've lost count." Aevum said, doing a little loop in the air as he floated around Alex. "And yes…sometimes, over a very long period, we can revive with our memories intact…provided we are kept near a source of Dragon energy. When one of my kind wishes to persist beyond the death of the flesh, we can…deposit our essence into what your kind calls Soul Dew. We persist in our bodies, but our minds, our essence, is in the Soul Dew. Sometimes…we enter it as we perish. And not all Soul Dew eventually reincarnates. Our energy can be spent, and in that case, we will return to the cycle as any other Pokémon does. It's actually a pretty rare phenomenon, among my species. I believe I'm the one who's done it successfully the most, but that's because I always return to the same place, a place suffused with Dragon Type Energy. Shruikan knows what I'm talking about."

Alex pondered this information, and his smirk got smaller. His granduncle would've flipped over a discovery like this. "I take it you don't want me talking about how any of this works?" Aevum nodded, and Alex sighed. "In that case…we need to address the crowd, right now. You've revived quite publicly this time…which brings me to my last question. Did you intend to revive right now?"

Aevum chuckled, and met his gaze straight on. The eyes were young, but the Latios was quite intelligent. "Not entirely…I had a bit longer to go until I reformed, but I sensed going with you, traveling the world as you have since acquiring me, would lead me to an early awakening. The Sundial was kind enough to help me, because you rejuvenated it. Now, here I am. Once more, I get to fly the skies of this world…once you train me of course." Aevum pointed at the intimidating mental vision of sparking draconic death that was Shruikan. "I need to be around his…level, as you'd call it."

Alex smirked at his newest partner. "We can get you there." With that settled, Alex and Aevum opened their eyes, shared a nod, and then the 'young' Latios went into the Luxury Ball that Alex brought out for him. He walked towards the crowd of cameras as he caught his latest partner. "I have places to be, so I'm going to answer the obvious questions before I leave. No, I didn't intend for any of that to happen. No, I didn't know my Soul Dew could reincarnate, and yes, young Aevum is now very much a part of my team." With that, he turned back to Olympia as the reporters started shouting other questions. "Sorry about all this. Your city is probably going to get popular for a while."

Olympia waved a hand, seemingly uncaring towards the press as she had been so far. "It's nothing I did not expect. You should challenge our League, sometime, Dragon Emperor. I'm not sure if you heard, but Galar's Chairman was disappointed you left without so much as entering a Gym."

Alex gave her a tight smile as he said, "The Galar circuit is a bit…intense, for my other partners right now, but not strong enough to give my top ten too much of a challenge. Maybe I'll revisit them after we hit Selva Muerta. Most of their Gym Leaders are in the Ultra Class already. They might just get us to the top of the bracket."

Olympia nodded, eager but still poised, as always. "Your Battles through the strongest Trainers of this era were too bright to see clearly. But I know that team of yours will give us some of the best we've seen. Train hard, Dragon Emperor. Harder than you currently intend to." With that, she winked, and was off, her squad of Gym Trainers. Alex quietly pondered her words. He understood how altering the future worked. It wasn't quite as simple as just telling someone something, there had to be action, and right now, it seemed the actions he intended to take would not be enough to surpass the heights that Ash Ketchum had dominated for decades.

Alex and Marinette watched them go, and then promptly departed as well. They met Connor in Snowbelle City, which was unique in that it was a snowstorm in a temperate area. It didn't take long to figure out the gym was the source of the deep freeze. As they arrived, Adrien's name appeared on the pillars that typically displayed the names of victorious challengers. Further up, Alex spied Connor, Serena, Calem, and then even Ash's name. There weren't many other names, a testament to a gym that was usually faced at the end of the Kalos circuit.

"We'll meet you two in Lumiose again once we're done with Olympia." Connor said to Alex, as the two teenagers had a private moment. Once they were done, Marinette faced the entrance of the gym's layout.

"Remember, Wulfric is usually number eight. He's strong enough to freeze an entire town. Fire may not be enough."

Marinette nodded at Alex's counsel. "What else beats Ice Types?"

Mentally, Alex added memorizing most type matchups to their to-do list, and said, "Fire, Rock, and Fighting Types will be your best bet. I would save Trixx if you can. As long as possible."

Marinette nodded, affirming her resolve as Adrien made his way down from the back of the gym, along with Wulfric, whose eyebrows were singed thanks to the ferocity of Adrien's Incineroar. Prepared as he was for Fire Types, Wulfric had melted and shattered before the burning onslaught that Incineroar were known for. As they approached, Wulfric greeted Marinette, and excused himself for the Pokémon Center, promising to be back soon.

Alex and Connor gave the teens a minute, and stepped outside. "I'm going to see if I can get some of my young ones to evolve." Alex said, eyeing the nearby route leading to the Pokémon League. Adamanteus could get some real practice in, and the littles would benefit from the experience.

Connor nodded. "They seem close. I'll leave you to it. My team could use a rest too."

The pair of Champions split up, and Alex stood on Shruikan's large back as he flew over route twenty one, and victory road, certain that the display would attract at least one Trainer.

In the end, he attracted six Trainers, all of which were masterfully crushed by Adamanteus. The giant steel snake quickly learned the difference between a battle with stakes, and a battle on the road, and found battles against worthy Trainers to be far more desirable. It wasn't that they were weak, necessarily. They were some of the strongest in the region, the problem was that Adamanteus was strong enough to one shot most of them, and yet still low enough to be taken down with type advantage from Pokémon higher leveled than him. He made decent progress towards closing that gap, though.

Wanting to evolve after their own wins, his Oshawott and Sobble, Maromnis and James, opted to face wild Pokémon, despite their superior levels. With some clever tactics, namely camouflage, James managed a win and surged to the next stage of his life, upon which he immediately started staying in his ball all the time and watching anime and the other James Bond movies. He was reluctant to leave his ball, except to 'hone his spy skills'.

Maromnis opted to wait for something more his level, after a rather strong Bisharp rolled him with its superior fighting skills. After the sixth match and James's evolution, Alex got a call from a very satisfied Marinette, and within minutes, Shruikan had them reunited and on their way to Lumiose to meet up with Adrien and Connor.

The rest of the night went quickly, since it was so fun. The restaurant the Kalos locals took him to also served their teams, and after that they split up for the night. Alex and Connor introduced those with thumbs to Super Smash, and after restarting their rivalry after years, Alex was forced to admit defeat. He was out of practice with Roy, and Connor had somehow retained his god-tier skill with Marth. Po and Gren ended up playing late into the night as everyone else who was interested joined Alex for the anime marathon that lasted until he fell into his trance, though even in that state, he absorbed the plot. More or less. There was a lot of filler to get through.

They rose late the next morning, and after successfully completing the entire Kalos circuit in only a few days, the two Champions said the teens could challenge the League on their own time, as they were both eager to get to Paldea. Connor also knew of the ideal spot for grinding up one's attack power, and had some tweaks to make to his team, as well.

They decided to traverse the more manageable mountains between Kalos and Paldea on foot, since there were so many Trainers on the 'routes' between the regions. Alex and Connor split up, for some semblance of fairness against their generally less skilled opponents, while the two teens made their way as a pair.

Romulus, who had since stolen Leo's spot on their Trainer's lap during their rest time, was tag teaming with Maromnis against a Birdkeeper with wild curly hair called Tobias. Toby, as he preferred to go by, was also training some younger members of his team, though he had a full set of ten already, and like Alex, was in the Ultra Class. They'd tried having a World Tournament match, but it seemed there were limits to even a Drone Rotom's reception. Toby claimed the 'strange crystals' that had been popping up in the area between the two regions were likely the cause, but they'd agreed to battle anyway, and let their younger team members get some experience.

Having already decided to become a Day Form Lycanroc, Romulus was quite eager, and Maromnis hoped that, as his Trainer claimed, becoming a Samurott would make him on par with foes like Bisharp. Their opponents were a young Togetic, and a Pidgeotto who seemed as close to evolving as Maromnis was.

Being the faster pair, Maromnis and Romulus went first. Unlike most of his battles, Alex was going with psychic commands, as Toby wanted experience against other psychic Trainers who had less moral standards than Alex. The higher one went in the World Tournament, the less rules there tended to be on how one could battle. The idea was to limit one's battle style as little as possible, though Alex preferred an even contest nine out of ten times.

Maromnis kicked things off with an Ice Beam, while Romulus aimed a Rock Slide at the Togetic. Toby stayed cool though, as he raised a gloved hand with a Key Stone embedded by the wrist and shouted, "Dodge and counter! Aerial Ace!"

His Pidgeotto reacted with the instincts of a battler, but the Togetic was too slow. As it got buried by a shower of rocks, its teammate dodged and weaved gracefully through the Ice Beams from Maromnis. Seeing that, Alex simply smirked, and the aspiring samurai otter switched to his scalchops.

Maromnis had his sight linked with his Trainer's as well, and while the Pidgeotto's attack was masterful, time seemed to slow for Maromnis as he readied his scalchop. The Pidgeotto's attack suddenly went off course as the Oshawott began shining with the light of evolution, and instead of waiting for it to finish, Maromnis drew his new, second scalchop, and delivered a devastating critical Razor Shell to the strong bird as fate smiled upon him. He kept up the pressure too, but Tobias countered with a continued Aerial Ace. At the buried Togetic being stalked by the Rockruff, he shouted, "Get out of there with Ancient Power!"

Romulus flinched as he processed Alex's counter, and while he felt bad, he also wanted to win and evolve like Maromnis had. The Ancient Power raised the Rock Slide slowly, only to then be ruthlessly crushed by a Rock Tomb. As Alex sensed it faint, he had Romulus shift the rocks off of the poor two foot fairy, and as he did so, he started to shine as well. "We'll make this a one on one now, in the interest of fairness." Alex said, as Maromnis and the Pidgeotto faced off.

The Bird Keeper raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Your Dewott might be a bit…underleveled."

Alex's smirk widened. "I know my partner will do his best. I can ask no more."

Toby shrugged, and then called the move with the same panache as before. "Dodge in close with Aerial Ace! Don't let up!"

As ordered, the large bird's beak started shining with flying energy, and said energy made dodging Maromnis ease itself. Then, suddenly, the Dewott stopped, and sheathed his scalchops. Like Noir, Leo, Po, and everyone else, Maromnis had found a fondness for animated entertainment, and naturally upon learning Gren could use Iai sword strikes, he'd endeavored to learn, but he'd been limited by only one scalchop. Now, Alex could see just how well he'd learned the ninja frog's techniques as he crouched before the oncoming bird of prey. The long hours their teams had spent together were paying off. Blast had also grown stronger thanks to Connor's strength training.

Once more, fate smiled upon the aspiring samurai, as he struck critically once more using a trick that Connor had once used on Saur. There was a flash of bright energy as Maromnis struck simultaneously with the Pidgeotto, but as Toby saw his icy Razor Shells, he knew he'd been beaten. Maromnis looked supremely satisfied, as he spun his shells back into their sheaths and free of the ice.

Tobias just grinned as he recalled his partner. "Ice covered Scalchops… I love it! And that technique! I hope we can Battle again when he's a Samurott." The Bird Keeper offered a hand as he joined Alex on the rocky battlefield. Alex clasped the hand as Maromnis ate enough berries to recover the damage he'd taken from blocking Aerial Ace.

Both Trainers blinked in surprise as their Key Stones started shining and reacting. The hand clasp ended as the Bird Keeper examined his Key Stone, first with worry, then with awe. "It's like it…woke up, or something."

Alex nodded, eyeing his own now non-glowing stone. "The Guardian of Indius gave me mine. It keeps reacting to stones everywhere I go. I'm sure yours will still work…it might even work better."

Toby eyed Alex's stone, and then locked eyes with him. "Has it…awakened any new powers?"

Alex shook his head. "Not really. Not yet anyway. It woke up my Soul Dew which hatched into a Latios, but other than that and empowering Anistar City's Sundial, its pretty much been a regular Key Stone."

"Hmm. Well if you discover something new…share it! The world is already watching you after you figured out a new use for Plate shards. And solved the damage that unchecked Infinity Energy can cause."

Alex waved away the Bird Keeper's words. "I don't think I'm that well respected. Yet."

Toby shook his head adamantly. "You are though, Victory League Champion. Trainers listen to you. Especially now. You have more fans than you know. Perhaps you should speak to them more often."

Alex just chuckled and shook his head. "It still boggles my mind…having fans. In a club, no less." He straightened up, and met the Bird Keeper's gaze evenly. "I'll take your advice, Bird Keeper. It's long past time I interacted with my fans in an organized space. I hope we can have a proper match, in the finals."

With that, the pair of Trainers split to continue their search for experience to grind. Romulus ran around, testing his new limbs and his new vocal chords as he howled at the sky. Noir also got some exercise, and Alex rotated his newer teammates until they were all at a high enough level to survive and thrive in the Forest of Death. The Trainers and wild Pokémon gave them enough experience, and as they reached the far northeastern edge of Paldea, they reconvened with their group, and had lunch.

Alex joined Po at the edge of their steep and mountainous camp site. The young bear was now equal parts muscle and floof, and he had ignored his food, temporarily, in favor of the goal before him. As he got his first look at the bamboo forests and obsidian capped mountains, Alex said, "Behold, young Po. This, is Paldea. This, is what they call…Area One, of the northern province."

Po cracked his knuckles, and his eyes were on fire. "Finally…Area One…I will conquer you!" He declared loudly, and Alex just smirked knowingly, guessing correctly in this instance that the Pokémon below had heard his declaration.

Underground Arcean HQ - Central States, Dragon Empire

"You have been lied to. About a great many things. Caleb Pravus lied to you because he thought little of your intelligence. His predecessor lied about something much worse, though. The true nature…of those with psychic powers." Proditor addressed the crowd of Arceans, as many as they could gather, and his own psychic power was already scanning the crowd for those with the potential his ascendance would require. Unfortunately, the Fornian Dictator had been ruthlessly thorough in rooting out those with psychic abilities. Those the Arceans had captured and taken from their homes were already in the Original Dragon's claws, but he held out hope.

"Our beliefs are ancient, as am I. I was chosen to succeed the Holder of Arceus, but the greedy men of my age kept me from my destiny. Now, they are long since dust, and their descendants lack their power and foresight." He psychically made the humans among the Arceans with psychic potential shine with a bright purple aura. "The worthy among you will learn to harness your powers and use them in service of our goals! You are not half breeds or impure of blood! You are what the ancient ancestors of our race called Newtypes… a new type of Human, the next stage of our evolution as a species! Come! Join me on the stage and let us welcome those who will rule in the new era we will create together!"

The glowing candidates looked like they'd rather be anywhere else, and maybe two were grinning confidently, very much on board with having more power and status. As the twenty or so potential psychics stood on the stage, Proditor grinned beneath his shadowed hood. He knew how base humans, especially religious zealots with a severe lack of intelligence like these, reacted to being told that the minority they despised and discriminated against were being given authority and power.

A murmur went through the crowd as Proditor gestured to his candidates now standing on the stage with his other, richer, minions. As instructed, what was left of the muscular meat heads that had answered to and protected Pravus and his Hands gathered the bigots into a small crowd before the stage set at a far wall of their underground base. With some psychic assistance, Proditor had them gather those with dissenting thoughts as well. There weren't many in this crowd with the mental fortitude to hide their bigotry, but what few there were, were also gathered.

The rest of the Arceans watched quietly, as they started to notice the armed guards at each exit of the chamber, keeping anyone who tried to leave from doing so. Proditor approached the edge of the stage, and sneered down at them. "You who cling to your Bigoted ideals…you desire to voice them. What makes you think you are superior to the psychics gathered before you?"

It was bait so obvious only a complete imbecile would fall for it, but that was the caliber of human that Proditor had to work with. The imbecile who stepped forward had a beard that had never seen a razor, which more than covered his neck, and had facial features that suggested his mother had imbibed alcohol while pregnant. His outfit was as rural as the rest of his traitorous peers, with sturdy blue overalls and a plaid shirt underneath that was stretched tight against his fat, doughy gut.

"You psycho-freaks are jus' born inferiur to Pure Bloods liek me! We aint got no vakseenz or guvurnmental expurimentin in these parts. Jus' folk wit' clean blood that don't go Mukkin 'round with Psychic Pokémon."

Proditor's grin widened as he did his best impression of the Cheshire Cat. "Oh hoho…inferior, are we?" He chuckled. "So a Gardevoir is out of the question, but your cousins, aunts, uncles, even brothers or sisters are all fair game in your…Pure Blooded opinion?" Proditor's tone was dripping sarcasm as he side eyed Octavius Thorne, but the former Hand of the Prophet shook his head. Proditor had wanted to simply eradicate the inbred farmers and elevate the worthy psychics among them, but the Fornia appointed Champion had vehemently insisted that the low IQ farmers were still of use, and necessary to defeat the Dragon Empire.

The southern drawl unwisely continued, as he felt emboldened by Proditor's lack of a response. "Yur duhvoshun to that ancient Cult yew want us followin' hasn't done jack against Redwood's empire! An' he's got far more psychic scum followin' him than yew. I bet he's stronger, too."

Thorne subtly facepalmed, as he could guess what would happen next. Even his wildest prediction however, did not compare to reality. Proditor simply raised a hand toward the simpleton. Psychic power surrounded his throat in a tight ring of dark purple energy, and despite his weight problem, the man was lifted into the air with ease. Proditor was still grinning maniacally. "I find your lack of intelligence…disturbing. You will serve me better without that genetically inferior brain getting in the way."

His red glowing eyes turned to the crowd then. "Behold! The creatures that will guarantee our victory over the Original Dragon…and the World." He felt the Shadowmind's eagerness, within himself. If it could salivate, it likely would have in that moment. Normally, a man like Proditor might have hesitated in creating a 'infinitely replicating life form', as his dark passenger called it, from potentially infecting all of humanity, but after fusing with the being on a level that few but the Shadowmind truly comprehended, his inhibitions had been slowly, subtly stripped away.

This…this is the…Spice…that gives this existence its worth…the Flood shall begin anew…and all thanks to you…Cassius Proditor.

A hint of wariness formed in Proditor's mind as his dark passenger mentioned a flood of such creatures, but it was already far too late. Tentacles of Shadow formed from Proditor's arm, making use of a few of his cells as they were taken, transformed, and elevated into something that should not have existed. At least, not in this universe. They penetrated the choking simpleton, and much of the crowd watched in genuine horror as his body was remade into a form that would make far better use of all his extra flesh.

The grotesque abomination before them was massive in size, standing at a height of twelve feet or three point six meters once it stopped writhing. Its shoulders were lopsided, with the larger arm sporting a grotesque but sharp claw of bone, and the smaller one acting as some sort of club. Most disturbing though, was its face. The head had split open forming into tentacles, and where the face should have been was only a void leaking literal darkness.

"Unsightly…to be sure…" Proditor proclaimed to the stunned crowd. "But a warrior that will have no problem against plasma swords. Thus the suppressive and genetically tainted become useful…and obedient." Proditor faced the creature then, and its gaping void face turned towards him. It began lumbering for him, and Proditor sensed its hostile intent.

He summoned his combined power, and spoke again. "Kneel." The creature stopped as the sound reverberated through his being, then, it took another step and fell onto what passed for its knees.

In his skull, Proditor heard the Shadowmind speak. This form…while useful in ages past…can be improved upon. When we are away from their eyes…yes…I will Create.

As the creature knelt and the silence grew, Proditor spoke again. "Those who stand against our cause, will continue to serve us…those who cling to their useless Bigotry will still find a purpose, in our movement. Remember this well…as you return to work."

The crowd began dispersing as they were dismissed, but those who had clung to their skewed hatreds were kept in place and fear dominated their faces and their minds. Once it was just them, Proditor and Thorne and the potential psychics on stage, and the stave armed guards around them, Proditor said, "I know what fears fill your minds. I can hear them. You don't want to become flesh monsters, and I don't blame you. I didn't know what to expect, myself…but it wasn't this." He gestured to the still kneeling monstrosity. "Listen. I understand no matter what I do, or do to you, you will not so easily give up your prejudices. It's not entirely your fault that you have them, and I don't particularly care that you do, but you need to understand me, here and now, for I will Not be repeating myself. Psychics are to be Respected, their orders, listened to. Act like your pompous peer did, and this will be your fate. Nod if you understand me."

The fearful farmers nodded in unison, and while he still didn't care for their subversive thoughts, he waved a hand at them. "Good. Now get back to work." As the more hate-driven Arceans scurried away, Proditor waited until they'd all left the chamber. Then, he spoke to the shadows. "Triad. Monitor them. All of them. Bring those flagrantly defying my edicts to me, and be as discreet as possible. Tell me, if they start forming groups." He knew they would have quite the rebellion on their hands if the disparate factions of unsatisfied workers were given the chance to band together.

"Yes, Successor." Came a masculine voice from the darkness. Then, the three hidden presences were gone. The Shadow Triad personally creeped even Proditor out, but they saw him as some sort of dark messiah, and he had to admit, they were quite effective.

What Octavius Thorne, Bryce Blackwood, and Veronika Caligo, the remaining Hands of the Prophet, had created was essentially an underground city that stretched and connected to the entirety of the Wyogon, Nevouri, and Arciana regions, the same region the triad had ruled over in the Church's name. Upon being forced to accept the reality that Sacreus was going to fall, the so-called Champions of those three border-sharing regions went underground with everyone they had, and over time had used their usual tactics of pressuring people to stay. On the surface, nobody had seemed to yet notice these people going 'missing' and not returning, but the reality was that many of the Arceans who lived in said regions were more than glad to give their flesh and blood to the cause, no matter how many dark truths the Dragon Empire shined a light upon.

He expected their compliance to shift, now, though. With a new figurehead and a very public and grotesque display, transforming one of their own no less, he knew it was a matter of time before a bloodbath attempting to kill him and the upper management of the Cult's remnants ensued. That was what always happened, when power shifted. The trick, was to make sure the right people were dying, and that his people were doing the killing. Once the Arcean remnants were violently purged, he could reforge them into his power base, and they could start making real moves with the accumulated currency his wealthy subordinates had at their disposal. The only thing to do now, was what they'd already been doing, convincing as many people as possible to join Subterra, as the simpletons called it, and try to minimize casualties.

The Shadowmind thundered in his skull, impatiently. I desire…Creation. Assign your minions quickly. That form… will not kneel forever.

Guessing what might happen during said 'creative session', Proditor turned to the still-glowing psychics. Calling them that, was generous. Maybe three of them had the potential he would've sought in his era. Another five might have proven worthy in time, but the rest would be lucky to have enough power to lift a pebble. He briefly regretted letting the Shadowmind burn his bridge with the Scales. They were quickly becoming the largest organization to join, if one had psychic power, and wanted a plasma sword.

"We will begin your training soon. For now, return to your lives and your work as you have been. If you do not already have quarters in Subterra, you will be provided with them, as well as new status, among your peers. What you do with said status, is up to you. Impress me." With that, he vanished into the darkness, and re-emerged in his own private area, even further below Subterra. He was the only one who could reach it, and unless he desired company, nobody would ever find him. He could also bring, or leave, whoever he wanted. The Shadowmind had pulled the abomination along as well, and it now stood before him, 'breathing' and writhing even now, as its cells continued to process their host's biomass, and grow. It had gained at least two feet of height, putting it at fifteen feet tall, up from its original twelve. It was like a walking flesh tank.

"Before you start, wait a moment." Proditor said, to his dark passenger. He withdrew the Burst Heart then, and set it into a simple but very effective and expensive safe that he'd installed into the floor himself. Once it was safely ensconced, he triple deadlocked it, and turned on the security software designed to teleport the Heart somewhere else, if its container was breached, a place only he knew, and could reach. Then, he started separating himself from the Shadowmind. Not de-fusing, but rather, taking what they had become, and splitting it into two equal halves, each occupied by one of their minds. Like cutting apart fleshy playdough, the darkness coalesced into a roiling mass of flesh cells, where a single, malicious cyclopic eye appeared in its center. "In these separate forms, we can achieve more of our goals, simultaneously. I advise against you trying to escape or tinker with my space here. Even you are not aware of all the traps I have in place over my things, and things that ought not to be touched. Do your work. Create. Improve. Evolve. I will gather more psychics for us…right from the source.

He snapped his fingers then, and his psychic power, which wasn't really reduced even when split, remade his image into that of what he considered an aspiring hopeful to the Dragonspiral Tower, and an initiate, acolyte, or even Padawan seeking to become a Scale of Balance. The Shadowmind formed a mouth, and razor sharp teeth sprouted from it as it created the organs it needed for grinning, and speech. "That is…inspired. I like it. I will focus on my task, you need not worry about your little trinkets. I will…try…not to break them."

Satisfied with that, the handsome, square jawed youth with short black spiky hair and a black and white martial arts outfit with a Yin Yang symbol on its back bamfed out of the subterranean chamber, and the Shadowmind faced the Tank Form with glee. "It has been…Ages…since I…We…have…Created. Let us begin…" And though no living being was around to hear the sickening sound of flesh being reworked, it did indeed still fill the chamber, and what little remained of the human who had once been, was utterly destroyed as the Shadowmind, like any creator, reduced the Tank Form to its base components, and began anew.

Author's Note: I'm going to take a page from those who've come before, and try this out from time to time, at the end of the chapter. Unless you're just not paying attention, you know there's a tournament coming up. It wouldn't be much of a World Tournament if only people my brain (and the Pokémon Company) came up with participated, so if you have OCs you want to see in the story, now is the time. Most of the sites I post these on are capable of private messaging, so if you want to, potentially, see your OC, send me their full name, notable personality traits, physical description with as much detail as possible (or a picture, if AI can nail it), their team of up to ten partners, and what you think their general skill level would be in this slice of the Pokéverse, considering all the shit that has gone down. There's a lot of backstory potential, and I admit, I'm kinda excited to see what people come up with. Assuming anyone is interested.

Teams should be kept within reason, but since this Pokéverse favors Trainers (we'll get to Why, later) they can have whatever nature you like, and since moves aren't limited, maybe include who has mastered which moves. And by mastery I mean, they can use strong or weak versions of said moves after using it so many times. One final note, if you want me to potentially use said original character somewhere else, or just want it for the tournament specifically, let me know. Ideally, I'd like to eventually include as many people as possible, within reason of course, but I can say there will be many more Battles to come, and I could always use more Trainers. People we see in the tournament may pop up again in the future, based on who/what they are and how well they do, but in general I will endeavor to use your submissions in the manner you want to see them. And due to the dice rolls I use to decide battle outcomes, you may even find them advancing pretty far.

Sahqoreyth · Jun 14, 2024

Chapter 53: Odyssey of Ascendance, Part 3

The Fornia League HQ - Sacreus City

Jessica Gladstone had been hard at work since leaving Unova in Tao's capable claws. Fornia and the surrounding territories were still a clusterMuk, but they had more Trainers every day. She'd done some traveling of her own thus far, gaining Eiwa, an Alolan Vulpix from the tropical islands in Alola, and a Charcadet, Rouge, a Smoliv, Liva, and a Toxel, Mirkke, from Paldea. While there, she'd also applied to Naranuva Academy for a Tera Orb, and after confirming her status as a Champion and completing a minor task, she'd been approved to handle a modern Tera Orb. Unlike generation one, for whatever reason, the modern orbs didn't need a recharge. Ever.

She'd told the Director and his staff that Alex would be coming through soon as well, which had sent the teachers and student council into a frenzy of preparation. She knew he'd probably intended to quietly enroll and earn his Tera Orb, but she'd all but guaranteed he'd get quite the reception, when he finally arrived. She knew the students would benefit from his presence, but being a U.U. grad, he would have probably ignored them without her intervention. The Blueberry Academy was their main rival, and Naranuva famously had an active exchange program for students who wanted to grow from both Paldea and their Terarium. Unlike B.B.A, Unova University had not yet joined the conglomerate of schools across the planet that actively educated the students as they set out on their respective journeys.

Fornia's own education system was all but nonexistent without the Arcean Church to fund it, but Alex and Tao already had most of their production-focused cities building new schools and universities as well. Knowing Alex, he'd probably kickstart properly unifying every school outside the Imperium just by being at the academy, or something.

Jess intended to do the same as her fiancé, but upon trying to train her Pokémon, she'd found that her partners were not listening, even with their psychic connection. After a week of struggling and only being able to train Lapi, she finally called in Gwen, who was seemingly glad to take a break from her new and sudden position as Queen of Albion.

They were in Sacreus's stadium and had the field to themselves as Jess approached her stubborn grass snake starter and turned to Gwen. "She and the others refuse to move or train, and when they do speak, I'm just not understanding them. Please help." Gwen simply nodded with her serene grace and approached the regal looking Pokémon. They murmured back and forth to each other, as Gwen nodded and seemed to speak in soothing tones.

Then, Amphi came over, murmured, glanced at her Trainer, murmured some more. Then Melodi, Cera, and Maria went over as well. Jess glanced around and saw Delphi snickering at all of them. Gwen looked overwhelmed as everyone started talking at once, and eventually, she Teleported back from them, and moved back to her Trainer, looking quite flustered.

"They umm…they're very eager to…" She struggled to understand and comprehend what she'd been told. "Contest…each other? I don't really understand what they're-" Jess was already moving towards the team. Serpi rose above them, poking up from behind the crowd of chattering Pokémon. Jess looked, and was, irritated, but that was mostly because she hated to see how reliant she'd become on Alex's ability to seamlessly translate what her team was saying. Without him around, she felt like a newbie fresh from the lab.

He'd also helped her set up their psychic mental web, but for reasons she didn't understand, it refused to connect, lately. She tried again to connect to her starter, and this time, she managed to reach her, and the others. Enough to talk at least. "You're all still really set on the World Festival, aren't you." Jess said to them, in the serene garden that was her mind space. They all replied loudly and unanimously with an enthusiastic affirmative.

She sighed and pinched her brow. "But there's more clout and more challenges in the World Tournament. We can see how we stack up against the best Trainers in the world."

Maria 'stepped' forward then and put a thick claw on her comparatively slim Trainer. Nidoqueen had limited psychic abilities, but she had been around the others long enough by now to speak common. In her mind anyway. "We can do both. But you only want to do one. Why?"

Jess glanced down at the 'ground' guiltily. "It's long past time that you newer members learned how I became Kalos Queen. Or had the chance to, anyway." She said, frowning as she recalled the series of events. "The Kalos Queen was Serena at the time, and she was basically unchallenged, after her predecessor retired on her fortunes. This was right after our trip to Norstad, where I got Fo," She reminisced, smiling at the now fully grown Articuno, "Hera, Melodi, Maria, and Cera weren't with me yet. In fact, I'm pretty sure the World Tournament hadn't officially been announced yet." She shook her head. "Anyway. The Pokémon Contest runners in Kalos wanted to raise sales and stakes, so Serena agreed to bet her crown on one tournament sized series of contests. I was in Kalos for that semester's spring break, so I figured we might as well try to compete…"

Jess trailed off as she remembered how hard her main six had tried. They were completely new to performing, but between her and Serpi, they'd performed very well, almost like an experienced performer team. She looked up and realized those six had now crowded her where she was mentally reclining. Serpi just gave her a knowing smile, as her snaking fronds took up much of the mental space, not in a menacing way, but one that was purely decorative, and sometimes even defensive. Combining the power of her mind and her team's had been able to drive off the Original Dragon's attempts to pierce her mental defenses during their training with him and remembering that just highlighted how far she'd drifted from them without realizing it. Chari curled around her and positioned her jaw for optimum scritches while being mindful of her tail flame. Amphi sparked excitedly with electricity running along her wool-free and more draconic body, and Empolia put a steely fin on her shoulder, and nodded. Folokraan was behind them, looking as majestic as ever, and not coming too close to the team, as even in their Trainer's mind space she was quite cold.

Her Bastiodon, Cera, was being leaned on by the powerful armored frame of Maria. Hera had used her bug wings to get herself a perch on Cera's steely frill. For her part, Melodi had their new Buneary and Dreepy cuddled in her cottony wings alongside her newest catches from Alola and Paldea. "We won." Jess finally continued. "Serena was…distracted, or something. I'm not sure why. But we saw an opening, and against Fo, she was almost literally blown away. I don't think she expected me to have an Articuno. Nobody expected me to have an Articuno. That's probably why we won." She looked up affectionately at the frosty bird, who mentally nuzzled her. "After that…things happened so fast…I had a crown, and flowers, and Serena had tears in her eyes, and it was all…way too much. So, I had Fo fly me home and I haven't competed since."

Lapi just stared up at her from her spot in the cotton fluff of Melodi's wings. "You're the Kalos Queen? And you don't want to perform?" She glanced at the others. "You girls were right on this, I acknowledge my wrongness." Jess just frowned. Her rapidly growing bun had been the only one willing to listen to her in battle lately, thus she had gotten the training. And with strength, came arrogance, apparently, as she met her Trainer's gaze. "We need to perform."

"You need to evolve. Many of you do. For a Champion level team, too many of you aren't nearly as strong as the boys. And Alex is only making them stronger by the hour. We need to get back to training." Her gathered Pokémon frowned at her, and Serpi moved away again, ruining her mental relaxation. The others just sighed, and followed, with Maria muttering, "It is like speaking to stone."

"No."

The word reverberated through the mind space, and suddenly, all the girls found themselves right back next to each other, standing in a circle. Delphi was in the middle of them, and she twirled gracefully in the spot, glaring at each of them, before her eyes landed on Serpi's, and she stopped. "Once again, you're being too petty, big sister. She is preparing you to compete. If you want to win against all the world's Performers, you're going to need to be on Alex's level at least. How well we do in this tournament, will be the bar by which we measure our skill in contests. The higher we rank, the better our chances of winning." The Serperior looked down, frowning, as the prophetic fox's words had merit.

Delphi whirled on Jess then, and her fiery tone of mind made it clear she was tired of the B.S. going on with her team. Especially with how much fun she could sense their brothers having without them. "Then, you can prove our win wasn't a fluke, you can validate the effort we put into beating the Kalos Queen, and demonstrate our brilliance to the entire planet."

Jess rolled her eyes. "That was always the plan. Once any of you actually bothered to start training, I was going to see if you still wanted to do it." Her team shared a look. "Now though, I don't know. Given the mutiny I've had to deal with, that Lapi has endured as well, maybe your punishment should be not performing at all." She smirked at the stunned faces around her. "I'm not kidding. We're too far behind already, but it's not too late to catch up. Alex can't possibly train all his new catches at the rate they're going. How about this, if you can manage a win against the Dragon Emperor of Unova, I'll consider competing in this…World Festival."

Serpi seemed to be one of the most concerned with competing or was at least the voice of that faction of the party. "But we have to win Contests too, if we want to reach the top."

Jess nodded. "And we will. If you ladies can demonstrate that you're serious about winning. I…can't face Serena again with less than my best." That, it seemed, got her team more motivated. Compared to Alex's horde of battle hungry boys, their sisters were far more…chill. The entire vibe was different. More harmonious, whereas Alex's team was very focused, on being the best.

Finally, Serpi and the others affirmed their willingness to train, so long as that meant good food and lots of rest, too. Thus, now once more in command of her team, Jess set off into the long routes covering Fornia, that would eventually take her via the northern Stoney Mountain pass to the heartland of the Empire. Having battles with the locals would demonstrate two things: that the Emperor, and by extension his chosen Empress, were very much around, and could be at a moment's notice thanks to their not-so-secret psychic powers. It would also demonstrate that their skill and power was not to be trifled with. Tao claimed entire wars had been avoided just by having his Emperor of the age engage the locals in friendly battles. As the stories went, one Emperor took that way, way too far, and started beheading anyone with the skill to beat him, which had been pretty much anyone. After that, Tao had been much more withdrawn from the Empire's history, until he was split in two.

Jess planned to ensure that as many people as possible understood how strong she and her team were. Then, when Alex inevitably outranked her, they'd understand that the hated Dragon Emperor was even more powerful than her. She didn't expect to match him this time, as the size of their teams was quite different, but next time the tournament came around, she intended to match and ideally surpass the boys. For now, meeting them in at least the Semi Finals would be enough.

Northern Province, Area 2 - Paldea Region

The Ordo Ultoris, as they now called themselves, had only one singular goal that would occupy what remained of their time on the Earth. Assassinate the Dragon Emperor. They considered this their last and final holy order from the Prophet of Arceus himself, as it was the last mission he'd given their death squad before he'd been beheaded. Like most surviving Arceans, they had heard rumors of Subterra. Unlike most, they didn't care. Their unit was composed of the men who had carried out Caleb Pravus' dirty work, which ultimately made them killers. Very experienced killers.

Thanks to the Dragon Empire, thousands of Arceans had learned, upon being freed of the Church's control over their lives and free time, that their family members were missing, and assumed dead. There were records of many people crossing the Prophet, which the Dragon Empire had made publicly available to see. It was hard to call something untrue when it was easily accessed and verifiable, and even the staunchest believer that was missing a friend or lover or relative had to bend to reality when they saw their connection's name on the list of people that had presumably been murdered by the Arcean Prophet. The Dragon Empire was very up front about the reality of the names on their lists, and Caleb Pravus wasn't the only one with such a list. There had been files on who was abusing children, and who had been abused, as well. Most had been gathered without the abuser's knowledge, but those lists, public as they were, had already inspired crimes of intense violence, as parents learned who had done what to which kids.

Unlike Crusaders, their squad's weapons were old school. Powerful single shot and silenced rifles, each custom modded by the man who wielded them. They had melee weapons as well, but their rifles were by far their deadliest weapon, or so they believed, a gift from the old Earth and the civilizations that had come before. After the unchecked bloodbath that erupted in the wake of the world's governments collapsing, such firearms were universally banned in the Americas, and pretty much every civilized country. Only the Imperium still used them now and only their Thunder Warriors had easy access to them, but the criminal element had adapted, as Pokémon were far more powerful than bullet projectiles. Without the order society brought, strength had determined who ruled, and with the arrival of Pokémon on the planet, strength became measured by who could train the strongest Pokémon.

The Ordo Ultoris did not have many Pokémon though, as the Prophet had seen them as a hindrance to their duties. One did not have to feed and care for a rifle on a mission that required stealth, so rifles they had been given, with only one card to play, Pokémon wise, if the Muk hit the Fan Rotom. Using the long-range night vision scopes on said rifles had allowed them to track the Dragon Emperor as he flitted about Kalos, and while they'd lost him in the mountains between Kalos and Paldea, there was only one place those taking that route came out, and sure enough, after a few days their quarry appeared.

That night, Julius, their leader, a physically shredded mountain of a man with pale skin, dark eyes, and dark hair gathered them around their strategically hidden campfire within the wilderness of northern Paldea. Though it was winter, mere days away from Festivus Eve in fact, this area remained rather humid, almost tropical even. The rest of Paldea was covered in snow, save where the landscape shifted to desert or arid areas. Those places got just as cold, but moisture was rare around them.

"From the bug we planted on their gear, we've learned the Abomination plans to train in the wilderness, near Fury Falls. While the low valley of the landscape gives us the advantage, his psychic perception and the heavy bamboo foliage, not to mention his Pokémon, will likely help him evade our bullets. Luckily, Jason found us an…alternative route, using some new allies who have cause to dislike the powers that be, especially, the Dragon Empire, as much as we do. They believe helping take down Redwood will increase their fame. T. The band of Pokémon Hunters known as the Shadow Snatchers will be joining us. They've worked with our Church before, apparently, and are eager to do so again. They will draw out and weaken his Pokémon once the other three depart, and once he and his team are exhausted from Battle, we'll take his head."

The group of muscled men seemed to nod and grin darkly, but one, a thinner but no less deadly member of their group, Shinji, had reservations. He was an older Japanese man, and in fact was the one who'd recruited them when Caleb Pravus first decided he needed a covert murder squad. Of all the members, he was the one they all knew the least about, and Shinji kept it that way on purpose. "He's the Champion of the Victory League, Julius. He's in the Ultra Class, rising through it like a meteor with an unbroken win streak that only a few other names, Legendary names, can claim to match. You could throw a hundred Hunters at him, all at once. It wouldn't be enough. Our best Crusaders… were not enough. And he's only grown stronger and expanded that team since the war ended. We don't even know what his current roster is, in its entirety."

Julius glared at the bespectacled sniper. "I'm hearing a lot of complaints, and not a lot of solutions, Shinji. Are you trying to piss me off?"

Shinji pushed up his glasses, as they caught the winter moon. Festivus was looking like it was going to host a full moon this year, as it was still waxing. "No, Julius. I'm trying to keep us from getting bisected by a Sword Rotom. Or worse. Captured alive. Pokémon Hunters are a good idea, but we're going to need real professionals, alongside these…Shadow Snatchers. Lucky for us…my Boss just returned to Italia. He's close enough to give us some aid."

Julius grimaced. "You haven't spoken with your so-called Boss for a while now. Why do you think he'll aid you still?"

Shinji just smirked darkly. "Because when Caleb Pravus told me to cut ties with my organization, I lied, and ignored him. The only order I've ever disobeyed. Team Rocket talks big with their aspirations…but all they ever had me do was monitor the Arceans. In return for that, Giovanni will help us. He can't be pleased that the Dragon Empire is expanding its influence across half the planet. He'll jump at the chance to take down a rival that strong, when all it will cost is a few Pokémon Hunters."

Julius's forehead vein was bulging slightly with anger as the arrogant Eousian man all but admitted to being a traitor but killing him now would only weaken them. They would need his skills, and his Pokémon, one of the few their squad had on hand, if they were going to take Redwood out. "Fine. I'll…overlook your betrayal, because you're right. But we will be discussing this…surveillance of yours, later…"

Shinji smirked at him. "I'm loyal to your cause, fret not. Team Rocket is nothing but a bunch of weak imbeciles, but they're imbeciles with resources we can use. Nothing I told them was of any real worth."

Julius waved a hand. "Whatever. Just contact your Boss and get us some people. Tomorrow, we'll need to make sure the area is clear of civilians and Academy students. Jason, make sure we don't have any Champion ranks wandering in, either. The last thing we need is El Primero showing up."

Jason just nodded his blonde head as his blue eyes glinted in the darkness. "On it, Boss. One Champion tier distraction, coming up."

As he left to go set that up, the other men retired for the night, prepping their weapons, consolidating their ammo. Julius took what Ultra Balls they had on hand and used his superior stealth skills to catch some of the high-level Pokémon that lived in this area. They were strong, and those he caught had a downright foul temper about being captured so easily without so much as a battle. Once he'd gathered as much of an edge as he felt he could, he returned to their camp and retired as well.

The Red Fort - Indius Region

Sikandar Jiyoshi woke from his post-coital nap before his lover, as he sensed his Phone Rotom pinging. He pulled on his absurdly comfortable pants, and checked his messages, grinning in the gloom of the morning light. Without thinking of time zones, he called one of his newest and admittedly impressive friends, Emperor Redwood. He didn't expect an answer, as he saw what time it was on Alex's end, but to his surprise, the Champion and world leader was awake at four in the morning. In the background, Sikandar spied an epic anime confrontation, and nodded to himself. Naruto was a classic, after all, and that particular episode Alex seemed to be on was fantastic. "Ahh, Champion Sikandar. Good morning." Alex said, smirking in the dim light of his end of the call.

"Sorry to interrupt that fight in particular." Sikandar answered, also smirking. "That battle in the Valley of the End has some fantastic animation. Alas, I have some news you'll be interested in."

"Oh I agree, it is pretty epic. But by all means, tell me how our little plan is going." Alex said, seemingly as chill and unbothered by the interruption as Sikandar expected of the man.

"The Kingdoms have agreed to a ceasefire, and since the Imperium has also stopped, the war is officially paused…again. For the immediate future, there will be no further violent incursions into Eousian territory. The other Kingdoms are skeptical about how long it will last, but after hearing that you were the one who got the Imperator to cease hostility, they endeavored to make good on your altruism. Between that, and the good word I've put in with them, you've made a few friends here in Eous."

Alex's smirk widened as he took in the news, and patted one of his Pokémon, a Lycanroc by the look of him, who was pawing at the man's arm. Evidently, Alex had ceased the belly rubs, and that, was unacceptable to the stone wolf. "Excellent. I owe you for this, Sikandar. Looks like this Festivus will be one we can all celebrate in peace."

Sikandar shook his shaggy head. "No, this one is all you, Alex. Only a few people in Eousian history have been able to make the Imperator pause his war on our northern borders. But you made his Thunder Warrior Legions stand down on all fronts. As thanks, I have a friend I'd like to transfer over to you. I'm sure you've heard the hype around the Incineroar we have here in Eous?"

Alex's eyes widened. He had not been expecting a reward, let alone a new partner. "I do…but that's really not necessary…" It wasn't that he didn't want a powerful flaming tiger, he just already had enough people to train. His team however, was more than eager to bring on a burning cat to their roster.

"Nonsense." Sikandar said. "He's a powerful Litten from a line of ferocious Eousian Incineroar. He'll serve you well, in the World Tournament, I'm sure. Once he's trained up a bit. This is really the least we can do. The Queen of Sekunga insisted I send you this gift, as now you've helped return their Kingdom's Sacred Stone via your Scales, and stopped the near-eternal war on her border personally. Needless to say, she's a big fan. She also asked me to invite you to visit the Kingdoms, when you have time."

Alex just looked surprised, but then smiled genuinely. "Tell her Highness that I'm honored, and I'll make sure her Litten becomes well trained." He chuckled. "My Fire Types are very excited for an Incineroar to bolster their firepower. Send him over when you can, and thank you again, Sikandar. You have just as much of a role in this as I do."

Sikandar smirked. "I do. Which is why I was given a Litten as well. If we end up facing each other in the Tournament, we should have them test their skills in Battle."

Alex nodded. "Assuming he's ready in time…absolutely. I look forward to it."

The two Champions said their farewells, and shortly after, Sikandar sent over the Litten in question. By this point, his entire team was awake, as were the majority of his traveling companion's partners. Thus, the Eousian fire cat emerged from his Luxury Ball to a small horde of eager, curious, staring eyes. He gave them all a friendly meow, as they took him in. He had the same black and red coloration as a standard litten, but in terms of body size and mass…it was like comparing a tiger cub and a house cat. There was no question as to the shared ancestry of the line, but the Eousian breed was very clearly made of something altogether different than the Incineroar popularized by the Battle Royal style of competition. Judging by the small, but fluffy mane of fur around his neck, his family lineage had intermingled with a male Pyroar at some point.

Alex figured there was probably something in or about Eous, or Sekunga in general, that made the fire cats naturally thicker and more muscled than their island-dwelling counterparts in Alola and Japan. He stepped forward as the smirking fire cub's large eyes rolled over the horde of species before him. He eyed Noir, Espeo, and Leo as they stepped forward beside their Trainer, looking confident as always, and then the young predator's eyes met his. "Hello there." Alex said, eliciting a series of smirks from his team. "Welcome to the team. I'm your new Trainer. Alex Redwood."

The fiery tiger cub nodded and answered him. "The Dragon Emperor. You do speak as we do…fascinating." He briefly scanned the crowd of Pokémon again, before looking at his Trainer. "I wish to be as strong as these are. I wish to evolve."

Alex smirked at the cub. "On this team, we aim to be the Best." He felt the fire for battle burn to life in his eyes. "Do you wish to be the strongest, perhaps in the entire world? Because those are the heights we're aiming for. World Champion status."

The young Litten looked down, as he tried to comprehend it. He had always known, thanks to his mother, that he would become strong. He'd seen his father, and other males of the line he came from. His mother and grandmother hadn't been small either. In fact, they'd been quite a bit bigger than the males. They had each been the best, as this Trainer would call it, the best in their era. The best in their kingdom. But the entire world? He looked to his left, out over the foreign landscape of a region he didn't know the name of, under a slightly different set of stars in the sky. The world was massive. He understood there were probably many such places he had never seen. And this human wanted him to be considered the strongest, in all of them.

He smirked, revealing sharp, long canine fangs. "I do. If you can make me strong enough to get there, I will climb to that height with you."

Alex held out a hand, and the young cub offered his thick paw. Despite being young, his claws were quite sharp, yet his fur was so soft. His heart lurched as he heard Romulus whimper, knowing his spot lying on his Trainer was at risk, but Alex resolved to always give him belly rubs. They just might need to stop lasting all night. Not for the first time, he wished there was more of him to go around, and he felt Leo suddenly stare into his very essence, as he had that thought. He put it to the side for the moment, though.

"You need a name, don't you, my new friend. Let's see…" He eyed the Litten again, and since he'd thus far in his life only gone by 'Litten' or cute pet names his maids had given him, he was ready for a real moniker. As usual, Alex's mind went to movies, or classic forms of entertainment, as he tried to recall a suitable name for a tiger. "How about…Khan?" He asked, splitting the name he'd landed on in half, and finding its historical meaning suited for the young cub's bearing.

The young Litten rolled the name around in his skull, and then nodded, as his lips pulled into a smirk. "I like it."

Alex nodded; aware Leo was still staring at him. "Well Khan, breakfast is in a few hours, and after that, we'll be moving on to some training in the grove below. Once we finish there though, I think I'll make my way to Mesagoza with you." Strength wise, he would probably be fine against Paldean Trainers, though there was always a chance they had improved in the time since he'd compared their region-wide Trainer stats to others like Galar and Unova.

Finally, once Khan trotted off with the other fire types, Blaze at their head. Alex turned to Leo. "What?"

Leo just smirked at him. "Think, oh wise psychic Trainer of mine. How might you be in two places at once? What skill or Move could accomplish that…"

"Shadow Clones." Alex said, but then frowned. "But the Normal Type version requires speed I don't have, and I'm not the best at wielding Dark Type energy."

Leo snarled at him. "You wield Light often enough, and without issue. You understand the Jutsu thanks to your binging. At long last, the time has come. If you want to realistically train all of us for the World Tournament's finals, you'll need to learn this. Ask Tao. I'm right. Even Olympia told you to train harder than you are currently."

Alex just smirked as his eyes shifted from the all-seeing gaze of his Luxray, to the ground before him. He had, of course, considered the option after all the anime lately, particularly after the training methods protag boi had used to increase his Ninjutsu skills, and now that he recalled it, Leo had given him the stare back then, too. It seemed like this was something his thunder cat had been subtly guiding him towards for a while now.

Finally, he relented, as he sensed Tao ready to weigh in. For this however, he did not need the dragon's guidance. He needed Leo's, the member of his team who had long since mastered Double Team, or Shadow Clones, as he called it. It seemed the difference was in the type of energy one used to make said clones. "Is the principle the same as in the anime? Even distribution of energy?"

Leo smirked at him. "Where do you think I learned to use Dark Energy for them?"

"Alright then…" Alex said, shaking his hands, somewhat nervous, as he sensed his team watching him intently. He was slowly realizing; this was something they had all been trying to push him towards. He activated his Dread Plate, embedded as it was into his armor, and then raised his four pointer and middle fingers in a cross before his chest.

Several blobs of vaguely humanoid dark energy slooowly pulled away from his tall frame, but then they vanished, as they drew way, way too much power. More than he, being psychic, could handle summoning from the Dread Plate. Infusing them with a passable copy of his sentience was impossible, as the energy's natural immunity to psychic power kept him from doing what Leo had.

He tried using less energy, changing the form of it, or just having it copy him in appearance, but alas, all his attempts met with failure, and by the time he was ready to accept that failure, the sun had risen, as had his companions. He waterbended the sweat away from his skin and out of his clothes, and joined them, figuring if anyone could make clones of themself, it'd be Connor.

"Shadows Clones, eh?" The Kalos Champion said, as Alex explained his dilemma over breakfast. He had long since watched Naruto, and for him his binge had been several years ago now. "I think your Luxray may be asking you to bite off more than you can chew. Even with a Plate, the amount of energy cloning a whole Human would take…" Leo yowled, loudly protesting his words, and Connor smirked at him. "Pokémon are not Humans. What works for you will not necessarily work for us."

Then, the usually silent Gren, who was munching quietly beside the equally silent Kage, spoke. "Perhaps it is the type of energy, Dragon Emperor." His words drew the eyes of all four humans, and Alex translated the rest of what he said for them with a gentle psychic link. "Leo uses Dark Type energy because he, like me, wields it naturally. He is a hunter of the darkness, and I myself am of the darkness. But you…are Psychic. And Dragon. Perhaps you would have better luck, with those types."

Connor just nodded in approval at Gren. "I think he's on to something, Alex. If this can be done…you could be anywhere you needed to. Training, officiating ceremonies, with my sister, with your apprentice, all at once."

Gren spoke again, then. "I should note that, in reality, my own clones fade when they travel too far from me. The distance is a few miles…though perhaps with mastery, you could further that distance."

Alex stood, shoving the last of his omelet and hash browns into his mouth, before swallowing. His eyes were on fire. "Dragon Energy is…chaotic, by nature, so I'll try it with Psychic Type energy first. Thank you, Gren…if this works…I will owe you. Whatever you desire, should it be in my power to give, you can have."

The ninja frog silently pondered that offer in its entirety, while Alex used his long stride to step away from them, lest the psychic energy become unstable and explode, or something. He took a deep breath and centered himself. He attuned to the air around him and used one of Meelo's airbender techniques to calm and enhance his mind with the surplus of oxygen to his brain, much like how Pokémon did via use of moves. He closed his right fist, and put it against his open left palm, and with a flash of psychic purple energy from the Mind Plate in his belt, he felt his consciousness split. When he opened his eyes, he saw through all four at once. "This is…disorienting." Both he and his doppelganger said in perfect synchronicity. "Hmm…wait, what if…"

More clones psychically shifted from Alex as he spent relatively little energy on copying and then manifesting a somewhat tangible clone of himself. The real one stayed in his spot, meditating with his eyes closed, while the other ten versions of himself moved towards the picnic table of wide-eyed humans and Pokémon. He focused on one of the clones, and made it speak, or rather, he spoke the words in what he dubbed his 'main mind' and transferred them through the 'clone mind' he desired. "It's a little confusing at first…but as long as my main self stays unoccupied, it seems I can split myself as many times as I need."

Connor glanced at all of the smirking bearded visages of his friend. "And you're not…going to end up violently turning on each other, right?"

Alex chuckled, recalling the Naruto episode that he surmised was the source of his friend's worry. All the clones chuckled with him. "No." Only one said. "These are more like…psychic puppets, than true sentient Shadow Clones. I'm in direct control of everything they do. It's still me, acting and speaking, the only difference is I'm using a psychic mouthpiece to produce the words. I could certainly make them seem sentient…"

The smirks on all the clones widened then, and they locked eyes with each other, before making a show of uniquely turning their hats around, or down over their eyes. Five pairs squared off then, and as one they said, "Time to Battle!" His team looked ready to experience that, but Connor held up a hand.

"No, it's time to descend. Though I'm sure this new trick will make you even more overpowered, you'll be able to train up everyone's stats at once, like this. First things first though…everyone who's participating, who needs their natural Attack Power boosted, come and get some Mochi."

Alex rejoined them, after recalling his clones. He arched a brow at Connor. "Mochi? Isn't that…some sort of Japanese dessert?"

"Technically yes. But this particular kind resets a Pokémon's…level of effort. Freeing you all up to raise your Attack Power to its maximum." Connor said, as he started handing out the white confections of dough with berries kneaded into it. It wasn't a super complicated recipe; one just needed the right berries.

They were devoured in seconds, and Connor smirked proudly at the happy nomming noises from those doing the consuming. Then, they recalled everyone, and set on their way. Marinette and Adrien took a well-earned break from constant battling and took a flying taxi from their campsite to wherever they wanted to go. Adrien seemed determined to see all the famous sights in Paldea, leaving Alex and Connor to focus on training. As they landed before the steaming Fury Falls, Connor handed him a Pokéball. "Blast has learned all he can from us. He did well in Kalos. Once he grinds his Attack Power up here, he should be ready to evolve."

Alex took the ball with a smirk, glad to have him back. "And you're sure you don't want Kage back?"

Connor chuckled. "It seems your drive to be a World Champion has filled his head, and I don't think he believes my team will be able to climb to that height. Honestly…now that I've been the Kalos Champion for a while…I'm not sure I even want to."

Alex blinked at his longtime rival, and friend. He'd wanted to 'be the strongest' since they were kids. "You're sure? You'd just…give up on training?"

Connor looked down for a long moment, then smirked. "You wish…but I know I'm not World Champion material. Sure, if I trained as hard as you and had half your stubborn determination I might make a good show of it, but…I don't think that's what I want. I don't think it's what Gren wants, either. The World Champion needs to love Battling, and to be someone the entire Trainer world can look up to. If it's you or Ash or Leon, I'm okay with that. You're all…pretty much cut from the same cloth."

Alex blinked again. "Wait, you met Leon!?"

Connor just chuckled and nodded. "After my match at Wyndon Stadium. I recognize the…bearing he had. How easily he bonds with Pokémon. Seemingly any Pokémon. Ketchum has it as well, if the legends are true. And you…" He looked at his rival turned soon to be brother-in-law. "You're the only one that my father's Arcanine likes belly rubs from. Besides my mother and father, of course. Not even Jess can get him to roll over. And it's not just him. I've noticed it since we were kids…but you don't seem to. You're just good with them."

"I just used what my Gruncle taught me." Alex said, waving away Connor's words. "You could do what I do. Anyone could. All you have to do is make your feelings obvious and true. Perhaps your…Ninja training has hampered you from doing that. My bond with Arthur probably made it easier, in my case, given what Ralts and its line use to communicate."

"Perhaps." Connor said, shaking his head. "In any case…I'd rather work with strong people, like the Scales, to maintain order in the world. So that our people can thrive in peace. I don't need a fancy robe to do that…but I'm not just dropping out, either. I want to see how we stack up against the best Trainers in the world. At least once."

Alex nodded. "In that case, we'd better get to training." He recalled all of his teammates except Po. "You're with me, young Po." He said in his epic voice, smirking as the cub's eyes went wide and shiny. "Leap with me!" He said, before sprinting for the edge of the absurdly large cliff that separated northern Paldea from Kalos. Those leaving Paldea, without a flying Pokémon, would have an easier time surfing or sailing to Kalos. But those coming down from Kalos either called a Skarmory Taxi or had their own Pokémon to fly down on. But every so often, there was a lunatic who just jumped.

Po followed behind him, and Alex adjusted his rate of descent as the land of Paldea rapidly grew before them. Po shouted something with an expression of pure joy on his furry face, and Alex smirked, mirroring his epic pose. Once they came within two hundred feet of the ground, his aura surrounded them, killing their inertia, and safely bringing them down into the bamboo forest teeming with powerful wild Pokémon.

A Short Time Later…

"You have got to be Mukking kidding me…" Shinji murmured to the rest of the squad over their earpieces, as he took in the sight below him, confirming what the others saw. The sky was starting to turn orange as the sun began to set, and for several hours now, both the Victory and Kalos League Champions had been hard at work training their teams. In that time, Giovanni's Pokémon Hunters had arrived to supplement the Shadow Snatchers, they'd come up with a plan, and the Champion tier distraction had been set up. Foot traffic that usually frequented this area of Paldea was redirected with the help of a Metagross one of the Rocket Executives that had accompanied their hunters had in his possession.

The problem arose, when they were finally in position, and all positions suddenly called out eyes on the target. After brief confusion, they were left with only one logical explanation: the Dragon Emperor had somehow cloned himself, and now each of his powerful Pokémon had a copy of their Trainer accompanying them as they moved through the grove taking down Bisharp and Scyther in mass quantities.

"The distraction is set, but eventually, one of the Champion ranks is going to fly over here and notice something's off." Jason said over the comm. "Figure out which one is the real one, and strike. The longer we wait, the better chance we have of getting caught."

Shinji swore colorfully again, as he cycled through targets with his long-range recon rifle. "It's useless, they're all very believable copies. When the Muk did he even learn this!? Argh…" He resolved to waiting, as he cycled through the potential targets. Thankfully, there was no shortage of cliffs and high vantage points to strike from. "Blend in, for now. Have the Rockets don their commoner disguises. They can go around catching Pokémon while we wait for the real one to appear. There has to be some drawback or limitation on this power, and it has to be a recent one. If we wait long enough, we'll find the real one's location. Until then…we hold."

Shinji focused then on his best guess at the real Redwood, the one working alongside the chubby Kubfu beside him. The only notable difference his sharp sniper eyes saw was that this particular clone had his eyes closed rather often, while the Kubfu in question Brick Breaked his way to a higher level and higher attack power. The Lucky Egg nestled in his fur was likely doing wonders for his experience gain, and when one factored in that it was all shared, from every KO his team scored, it was clear what Redwood's goal was.

Then, as often happens, the situation changed. The chubby Kubfu and his Trainer were suddenly surrounded by a horde of Pawniard, Bisharp, and leading them from behind, was a massive Kingambit. His blades were scarred from thousands of battles, and also looked to have been broken multiple times, probably by his species natural predator in this region, the mighty Tinkaton. Alex didn't think lesser of him for that, though. Losses taught just as much as victories.

Po fell into a Dragon Style stance as he was surrounded, and as his epic voice rang out, Alex smirked. "Finally…enough goons to properly raise my Attack Power to its Ultimate height! Know that you face Po…master of the Dragon Style…fo' sho'!"

Alex chuckled as his kung fu cub rhymed. It was hard processing almost forty visual inputs and battles simultaneously, but his brain was adapting, mostly by having his clones record what they saw for later processing. Luckily for his partners there wasn't too much of a delay in their commands. As the Kingambit traded standard battle bragging with Po, he heard Leo talking to him. The thunder cat's unmatched eyes had started scanning the area, when his own attack power reached its absolute peak. After eating the mochi, his stats were weaker overall, but now all they had to do was increase his speed, and once the special attackers had gone through similar training in Paldea's iconic Casseroya Lake, they were all going to be honing their speed. Arthur had already done this with his own stats during their trip around Unova, mostly through vitamins and facing opponents with a high attack power. Now, the rest of the A team's physical attackers were reaching comparable numbers in terms of attack strength. In the midst of his pondering, Leo's naturally high perception had noticed what he now relayed to his Trainer.

"There are strange Humans with a foul smell about them all around the valley, and they're holding strange devices…"

Alex opened his eyes through Leo's clone, and grimaced. "Snipers." He murmured. That was a word Leo knew. He looked through his Luxray's unmatched eyes and gave them their orders. "Leo. You and Shruikan will coordinate and take them out. Leave…that one by the falls with the glasses for me. He's probably the leader. Shruikan will provide aerial support once they're down."

He turned back to the situation with the Kingambit, and advised Po to challenge him one on one, in honorable combat. The mighty maned sword master of a Pokémon strode forward slowly towards Po, each of his many blades bobbing slightly as he moved. "Many of my kin have you defeated this day, warrior." He closed his eyes, inhaled, and Alex felt an all too familiar chill run up his spine as his encyclopedic knowledge of Pokémon reminded him of the somewhat notorious ability that Kingambit sometimes possessed. The supreme overlord of the bamboo forest's Pawniard line opened his eyes, and they burned with a steel-colored aura. He wasn't quite strong enough to manifest it around his body, though.

"Brick Break, but block his attack. You've got this, Po!" The Alex with him ordered, and the thicc Kubfu nodded confidently. His attack power was all but at its peak. His level was higher than average. His fat had turned into hardened but still somewhat naturally flabby bear muscle, and he knew a plethora of moves thanks to his Trainer's Champion tier store of TMs. He knew, and more importantly believed, that he was as strong as he could be. Without evolving, anyway.

The Kowtow Cleave skirled along the Kubfu's fighting energy encased fists, and then with a downright graceful spin, the young cub swirled past the overlord's guard, right to his head with a Brick Break. The quadruple weakness took effect, and Po masterfully followed that stunning blow with a Low Kick. Once on his back, he swiftly delivered another Brick Break, and while the Kingambit struck with its blades, sinking those by his midsection into Po, the third quadruple effective hit finally caused it to faint. A stunned silence permeated the Bisharp and Pawniard around them, and then Alex moved suddenly, hurling a ball at the blue metallic head he'd picked out among the red. He gathered the item his new blue boi would one day need from the defeated Kingambit, and nodded confidently at Po as he grew even stronger and flexed.

While Po leveled up, word spread to the rest of the team, and Connor as well. Canis coordinated with Leo and Shruikan. Gren also joined in, and within ten minutes of noticing them, the two Champions were ready to strike the snipers who had encircled them. They still acted normally, though. Leo challenged other males of his species near where his targets were hidden. Canis sipped from the burning Fury Falls, eyes alight as their power entered him, and he felt his desire for a hot beverage quenched. His aura was burning, heightened, and still acting naturally, he directed that power into a series of practice Dragon Style strikes, not uncommon behavior for a fighting type.

From his perch, Shinji furrowed his brow, and then saw one of the young Pokémon, the newly evolved Seadra who was dominating the top and bottom and middle of the Fury Falls, glaring right at him, barbs flared. His eyes widened. "All posts…sound off." Silence crackled ominously over his earpiece, followed by several booms of thunder. "Muk! All Hunters, move in! They're onto us, move in now!"

"Pokémon Hunters? Really?" Came a baritone from above and behind Shinji. He recognized the voice and swore again. Psychic powers really were just absurdly unfair. A psychic donut no doubt capable of shrinking surrounded Shinji's neck with an ominous hum of power. "Hands up and move away from your rifle. Or you'll regret it."

Shinji briefly contemplated resisting, but then he sighed, understanding they were caught. Opting to wait had given Redwood or his team enough time to notice them. That wasn't stopping the Pokémon Hunters though. Two black old-world style open roofed jeeps entered the valley from both its northwestern and southern entrances, with Pokémon Hunters bearing Team Rocket's logo hanging out of them. Alex recalled everyone but those he needed for his plan and then his psychic clones vanished after bamfing their balls back to Alex prime.

"Alright." Said the Alex standing over Shinji. "Start talking. Who are you taking this job for?"

"You don't even know who's targeting you…" Shinji cackled, and then found himself choking, his cackle turning to a pitiful gagging noise.

"I only have so many enemies…and I'm sure just being a world leader gains me more all the time. Last time I'm asking nicely…" He said, loosening the psychic choke hold. "Who. Sent. You?"

"Arceus's Prophet on Earth…his last command was to take you out…futile though that may be." Alex just sighed, almost disappointed at Shinji's words. "What, tired of facing the people whose culture you've destroyed?"

Alex looked the man in the eye, and then broke into a proper laugh. "Destroyed your…by the Light…I almost feel as though I should destroy your culture. It causes me Nothing but problems and you people are Still trying to kill me. Because ruining my childhood and invading the eastern States wasn't enough, I suppose." Shinji tried to respond but found himself choking again. Not incapable of breathing but talking was quite difficult. "Watch and learn, Assassin."

By now the jeeps had deposited their Rockets with the Shadow Snatchers at their head. Alex and Connor's Pokémon had gathered in the low center of the valley. "Like Magikarp…in a barrel…" The bespectacled man wheezed. Alex just chuckled.

As the hunters fired at the grouped Pokémon with shoulder mounted rocket propelled nets, the earth rumbled, and Terra appeared in the middle of the group of Pokémon from beneath the earth, towering over most of them. A swarm of Razor Leaves tore apart the nets as Terra flawlessly protected his brothers. Then, from Hydrus and Gelauros who also bended their way out of the underground of the area came a pair of Ice Beams that froze the Pokémon Hunters in place on both sides, most of whom had been in mid throw.

One of the more competent hunters threw a Pokéball quick enough, a Dark Ball judging by the tolling bell sound that accompanied its opening and brought out a Tyranitar. They were a favorite choice among hunters for their temperament and their power. Seeing it pop free, Hydrus froze its Trainer, and then leaped at it with a brutal Ice Punch to the face. To its credit the Tyranitar survived the blow, but a second strike with Hydrus's other fist finished it. Just beyond the frozen Trainer behind the mountain tyrant, Cenomons came charging out of a stand of bamboo, and smashed the retreating jeep hard enough to send it spinning in the air three times, before it landed on its wheels. The driver hurled, tried to run from the totaled jeep, but found the sharp horns of Cenomons stopping him. A low rumbling growl from the titanic metal triceratops dissuaded him from running.

On the opposite end of the valley, Blaze was in his Mega Form, swooping down on the driver and his one remaining passenger. The driver saw Blaze, swore, and then threw a Dark Ball towards Blaze. Another ominous toll heralded the arrival of a Shadow Zapdos radiating an aura of darkness as it appeared, surprising everyone with its loud shriek. Lightning flashed through the sky, and dark clouds formed rapidly above the enraged thunderbird.

From the clouds came a black scaled blur with a distinctive hum, and a focused, condensed energy ball of dragon energy instead of plasma slammed into the Shadow Zapdos, ruining its flight pattern. Blaze roared in fury not at his opponent, but at his brother, which only made Shruikan smirk at him as he arced back up into the storm clouds. Blaze had wanted to test his strength solo, but Shruikan had no intention of letting him.

In his Y strand form this time, Blaze darted in with Dragon Claw, unafraid of the powerful electric counterattack that was sure to follow. Luckily for the prideful Charizard, he was actually strong enough to send the Zapdos spinning with one Dragon Claw, and then another. Their difference in level mattered in terms of damage, but a Legendary Bird would not simply faint so easily, no matter what heights Blaze had reached.

A psychic purple flash came from its fierce eyes as the Legend halted its momentum, and then in the same movement, launched a Thunder at Blaze. He was already prepared with a mighty Thunder Punch, but the damage from the canceled attacks still hurt a bit. Alex psychically told him to Dragon Dance, and as he started, he spun out of the way of a Shadow-fueled Fury Attack, at which point the usual follow up to his Dragon Dance came from his Trainer. The Dragon Claws struck with the speed of a flying type, and as Blaze came around for another pass, a line of condensed rapid fire Dragon Pulses hammered the Zapdos, rapidly exploding one after the other against its chest, sending it hurtling towards the ground in an explosion of dirt and stone.

Shruikan roared his victory as thunder boomed in response to his cry, and Blaze turned on him, fury in his eyes. Instead, mentally through their connection, he informed his brother that they would be settling this with a match, very soon. Shruikan responded with draconic superiority and smugness, leaving their Trainer to sigh.

As the remaining jeep fled, its steel shell fell to a rapid and rather powerful Aura Sphere from Canis, hammering the engine, and sending the occupants flying, as they were burned by the explosion. The aura hound swiftly bound them with ivy from the forest, and then spared some Life Dew so they didn't expire. Alex wanted them alive, and Canis's tail wagged as he got his Trainer's mental approval for skillfully apprehending the criminals and preserving them for justice.

In short order, a clone of Alex had successfully channeled the Light into the Zapdos, and with a Max Revive, the somewhat chastened Legendary Bird gave its thanks to Blaze and Shruikan. Being enthusiasts of electric attacks, the two had a fruitful conversation with the mighty thunderbird, and by the time he eventually departed, they'd become fast friends, with the promise to battle again someday. The bird was quite motivated to get stronger, after seeing what human Champions could turn their partners into.

Alex and Connor rounded up and partially thawed the Pokémon Hunters before they ran out of air, while Shinji was made to hang before them uncomfortably by his neck, though not enough to accidentally hang him to death. He still dangled painfully and humiliatingly before his squad. Julius was badly burned, though still alive thanks to the Lucario. Within an hour, Paldea's Officer Jenny was on scene, and thanking them for their contribution to keeping Paldea safe. Every single man and woman captured had a serious criminal record, and Alex was slightly awed that he and his team were mostly responsible for taking such hardened criminals down. Arcean Crusaders, while well armored and armed, were single minded in their zealotry, and attack style. Had the hunters not become the hunted, their nets and arsenal of Shadow Pokémon would have occupied most of the A and B teams. At least until Connor's joined the fray.

Alex offered the Tyranitar, once cleansed, the chance to join them, but he declined, admitting that he didn't want to be the best, he just wanted to go home. Understanding that, Alex sent him there, once he knew where the creature had been caught, and it pictured the area in its mind. The other Pokémon were more mentally scarred by the Rockets, and the police took them to specialized therapists, an occupation that had become necessary after the world's governments realized just how depraved some Trainers were when it came to their Pokémon.

With the day settled and Festivus imminent, Connor departed from Alex to explore Paldea on his own, which was fine with Alex, as he had a few evolutions to handle before heading home. Firstly, they flew to the east province's Levincia City, had dinner and a brief anime showing with the city in the background of their cliffside camp, and once everyone was rested, they descended to the city. Alex bought some useful items, namely Ability Patches and he re-upped his supply of Adamant and Modest mints for those who still needed them. He got vitamins as well, though those were transferred over from Tao, from the military's supply. Even as a General, he had a limit on how many he could just take, but he came nowhere near approaching it to fill up his stash to his usual stack size of nine hundred or more.

He also realized his shoes had become a bit worn over the long years he'd traveled in them, and while their society's footwear was more durable, they did eventually succumb to entropy. Thus, he strolled into the Zapaldea store with Khan, and the curious Litten prowled around the shop, as Alex had to confirm his giant shoe size three times before the clerk got his measurements. The only thing they had in a men's eighteen was black and white, but that was exactly what Alex was after. As he broke in his fresh kicks with Khan, they headed to the nearby beach, where he sent out Kral again. When facing lower-level opponents, the young Horsea had been their water coverage, but now that he'd evolved, Kral was ready for a Dragon Scale, a rare but not uncommon item, since it only came from a Kingdra's scales, and only worked upon a Seadra for evolution.

While training, Kral had found a released Kingdra in the Fury Falls, the only one of his kind in that biome, and the two had battled, before becoming friends. After said battle, Kral had been given a Dragon Scale knocked loose in the fight by the old Kingdra, and now Alex promised to help him ascend. Eric had warned him to evolve his eventual Seadra somewhere wide open, as he had learned the hard way that evolving a Seadra into a dragon inside a lab was a bad idea.

With the Dragon Scale nestled among his own scales, Alex had him Water Pulse a few Palossand. He had the Seadra, long accustomed to bouncing around on land on his powerful tail, guide the ground type that would raise his experience enough for evolution towards the shallows of the beach. Then, Alex felt a change in the air as the ground typed ghost collapsed into a pile and shrank down to miniscule size. The water around Kral started to churn violently, rapidly forming into a Twister as draconic energy surged.

Nearby Wiglett and Wugtrio poked their heads out as they sensed the shift in power. A pod of nearby Finizen watched in awe, as they sensed the surge in water and dragon energy. The night lit up even brighter than Levincia as the watery cyclone shone with the light of Infinity, and then just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving only Kral behind, floating majestically, snout held high, as his evolution finished. A trumpeting roar filled the area, and the Finizen started chittering and cheering, though Alex followed maybe half of their speech, not because he didn't grok it, but because almost half was in the form of clicking and was complexly intertwined with their Pokéspeech. The more he heard, the more he was convinced it counted as a separate language.

Alex nodded proudly at his Kingdra, as the two locked eyes. Now that he'd evolved twice, all he had to do was grow stronger, and his natural draconic heritage would make his stats skyrocket. Alex yawned, and then checked the time. After dinner and shopping and battling, it was Midnight. He let his new dragon rest within the mini pocket paradise that was his ball, and called out Khan, who was also on the verge of evolving. After taking down several Sandygast with Shadow Claw, he too shone with the light of evolution, though it wasn't quite as impressive as Kral's, the Finizen still congratulated him with their cheering. Alex was tempted to recruit one, or try to, given what they could, somehow, evolve into but he felt he had enough water power for the moment. There would be a time and a place to train a Palafin, and he couldn't bring himself to separate such an obviously happy and tight knit pod. Ideally, he needed a loner, who desired to become the best in the world. Given Palafin's absurd strength, one would undoubtedly be needed to help keep the seas of the world safe. Eventually.

They returned to their cliffside camp, and began their anime binge, with the massive stone slab Lux projected onto facing the city. That wasn't what initially caught the eyes of the crowd below though. Above the circular boardwalk that marked Levincia's center, Blaze and Shruikan started duking out their irritation with each other, with a clone of Alex nearby to psychically keep them from hurting anyone with their power. Once the bout ended in a brutal victory for Blaze, who was far more motivated, the crowds below, who had yet to go to bed, seemed to be watching the anime as well, albeit from a distance.

Leo claimed they were on to the part of the series called Shippuden now, and honestly, it was appealing to Alex far more. The protag was older and smarter, the animation had increased in quality again, the Jutsu were getting more powerful, and the plot lines were converging. He was very much hooked, and now understood why such an old series still had a cult following that was rather large, thousands of years after its creation. Leo mentioned that he had only begun his journey down the anime rabbit hole, but Alex was quite amused at how eager his thunder cat was to bring him, and the rest of their team, down into it with him.

Eventually, the showing ended, for about four hours, and then continued on until well past the sun's rise. They were making great progress episode wise, and Alex gave them all breakfast, a piece of Paldean sandwich with ingredients he'd gathered from his mother's pantry, or local stores. Arthur appeared with a Teleport after breakfast, to meet the blue Pawniard they'd caught. He had a brave nature naturally, but he'd been given a mint and some TMs already. Arthur was all too glad to take on training him himself, and Kage went as well, once the young ninja frog saw just how powerful of a fighter and master swordsman Arthur was. Alex dubbed the blue stabby boi Sir Erek, and with that, his Gallade Teleported back to Albion, and his love. Kage would only stay for a while, but Erek would stay long after he evolved into a Bisharp, to hone his skills and raise his level. At least until he was ready to challenge other groups of Bisharp with the item Alex had for him and claim his place as a Kingambit.

Po had wanted to go to Albion as well, but Alex wanted him on hand, in case they came across a scroll that could evolve him. Ideally, he'd wanted a Water Scroll, since that style of martial arts seemed most in line with Tao's movements, while the Single Strike Urshifu seemed far more suited to something like the Tiger Style. It was as he was about to leave with Noir, that Tao suggested he visit Montenevara, for Hyper Training, for Po specifically. Tao tasked him with getting the kung fu cub to 'amazing' tier levels in every stat category, and Alex accepted the challenge. Alongside potions, he had long since collected bottle caps, as it was Connor who told him of what one could learn with enough of them. It was also the last piece of what he'd saved up during his childhood that hadn't been used yet, but for Po, there wasn't much he would not do. He was a genuinely good Pokémon, and their natures were quite alike.

Aevum was also impatient to start battling, so to him, Alex had given most of the Exp. Candy he'd found lying about on their foot bound travels. Items really were everywhere in Paldea. This boost made the young hatchling molt, revealing glossy ultramarine blue feathers. They also got in some road battling, which put the young dragon in higher spirits by the time they reached the ghost themed winter wonderland that was Montenevara. Aevum's natural power and move pool helped him start his own unbroken win streak, and he grew quickly in strength, thanks to the powerful opponents the Trainers on Glaseado Mountain tended to use. His obvious skill in battle shone most when he was pitted against ice types, and still came away victorious thanks to the power of Luster Purge or Dragon Pulse.

The Hyper Trainer and his Abomasnow were quite eager to train a Kubfu, especially for someone with a golden bottle cap. Alex made sure his main ten already had stats considered amazing, which they did, and made a note of who needed what, on the other teams. They could work on that during their Hyper Training in Selva Muerta. With his traveling companions scattered, Alex had a four-way Holocall with them, where they agreed to pause their Paldean excursion to head home for Festivus Eve Day, Festivus Eve, and then of course, Festivus Day, when they'd all be getting presents. It was Po's present from Tao and Alex, that the Original Dragon wanted to impart to him, thus, after memorizing an anchor for Montenevara, he bamfed himself home, to the Dragonspiral Tower, and the seat of the Empire's real power.

Having seen the swamp filled ruin it started as; Alex let out the newbs who hadn't seen the tower yet and smirked at the awe on their faces. Black and white clad Scales came and went regularly on flying Pokémon, and trainees in white Gi and black pants were using the lower entrance. As they were here for Po, he stayed by Alex's side, but Aevum also wanted to be out. He smirked at Alex, zipping around excitedly with his now significantly larger body. "It looks just as impressive as it did in my past life. You really have restored the Original Dragon." He was growing, quite literally, very quickly along with his level, and was now almost adult sized. His spinning and frolicking caught people's attention, but people did a double take when they saw it was not Hikoki, but the Dragon Emperor himself with the Latios and the fluffy, slightly rotund Kubfu by his side.

The two Legend tier Pokémon flanked him as he casually strode into the tower, hands in his long white jacket's very useful, very deep pockets. There was a light murmur from the multitudes of people in the tower's entrance, as the unmistakable form of the Original Dragon in his true size spiraled down to greet his Tamer. He moved along the ceilings of the spiral structure, and thus ascended and descended quickly, without disrupting the humans he shared his home with too much.

Alex scratched under his massive jaw as Tao regarded him, and his new partners. "Aevummm." He rumbled happily, as he and the Latios gently pressed their foreheads together. "I had not thought to meet you again, my old friend…truly it feels as though the days of old have merged with the potential of the present, and the future we can create is bright indeed." He turned to Alex, then. "The B.B.A. graduates have been assembled and have begun working. The Replication Machines are coming along well, since your input. Between them and the Brain Trust, it is a matter of time before providing food for all will be a trifling accomplishment. We are ready to roll out and install the machines within hours of when they're finally perfected."

"And with the death of scarcity, follows the death of Currency." Alex said confidently.

Tao eyed him once more, his large golden orb inches from Alex, and only slightly taller than he was. "You are sure of this path?" He rumbled in his skull. "Every single other Human in history would consolidate this technology and make an endless profit from it. Are you sure you wish to give that up?"

Alex nodded. "I could try to lie and claim that I wanted to do that to get enough money for…well, ever, but that would be a lie. The Empire is already very profitable, and as time passes, it will grow more so. Being able to feed every one of our citizens is quite literally the least we can do, as their government. My orders stand, Tao. I want them in every Nation, on every corner, easily available, and professionally programmed. Lux is ready to train the Rotom for each of them, and Galar's Rotomi are being converted over, while their computer systems will be like ours, and capable of interregional transfers. The Replicator Rotoms will not refuse service to anyone who is hungry, and they can't be claimed by any one person or government. Doing that, will invoke the wrath of the Scales, and the local authorities. We can synthesize plant-based meat substitutes with only the various types of energy at our disposal, and the menu of available meals is pretty large, for a first-generation machine. Dragon Burgers will be available in every single machine, for very low material cost. And we need to keep the costs of popular dishes low too, so people don't start hurting Pokémon for their materials. We will strike a balance of quality and quantity and collapse the food and goods industries in one fell swoop." Now that he said it aloud, he figured, correctly, that his father would be Furious when he learned that he'd essentially greenlit a machine that would make their entire family business obsolete.

That was, however, his father's problem. Currency would soon not be a factor, and once that was achieved, he hoped his father could properly relax, for once in his life. It would do him good and go a long way towards extending his life expectancy. And not just his, either. Relieving the financial strain that buying daily meals put on the populace would free them up to spend on other things, and force less of them to toil for so many hours, though he fully expected the greedy Mukheads selling such products to try to raise their prices to ludicrous levels to compensate. That too, was part of the plan. Those driven by greed whose only God was currency would do exactly as they had always done, and it would, finally, decisively, bring about their ruin.

Tao smiled at him. "Once more, I am glad it was you who fused me back together, into One. Your will shall be done, Dragon Emperor…and now that I have confirmed it, you should be the one to announce it. Tomorrow, before Festivus Eve kicks off properly, you should announce this."

Alex shook his head. "People are going to lose their Muks when the food industry collapses overnight. Also, we need to wait until we can physically distribute these, all at once, all across the world. We have the materials, now. All it will take is time."

Tao nodded. "I trust your wisdom on…how your species will react. To this day I still cannot always predict Humans. Once the machines are prepared and the proper governmental authorities notified, they will be distributed. Your Psychic Types will have to help with that, I imagine."

Alex nodded. "I may have to train up an Abra, too. Or a Metagross. Or both. They'll be powerful additions to the team, and they'll be invaluable in distributing across the planet. Make sure the Imperium knows what's coming."

Tao eyed him again, though not as closely, as he said, "Our farms…indeed, farms across the world, will become obsolete. What then should the people do, with such large, vast, food-filled spaces?"

Alex smirked, as if Tao didn't already know his thoughts on this. "They'll be used for Pokémon. Obviously. The abused, the homeless, the weak, the injured. We'll turn them into sanctuaries, with the goal of healing and improving as many Pokémon lives as possible, and potentially either getting them competent Trainers, or releasing them back to the wild."

Tao gave him a bemused expression. "Sounds a lot like what your Professor friend in Italia is doing."

Alex nodded. "That's essentially the model. Either way, some farms will have to close, and we can use all that space for more housing, for Humans and Pokémon both. We can have Pokémon only neighborhoods, and Human houses that seamlessly meld with the natural environment, instead of trying to dominate it. There's also berry growing. They should be able to work as materials as easily as any Pokémon scale or what have you. Especially the rarer ones. We can encourage them to shift focus to berry growing, which won't require nearly as much space. And don't forget the Imperial price cap on high end goods and services, or the corporations will run rampant on the masses."

Tao nodded. "The laws are already written, and simply waiting to be put into effect. You have done remarkably well in your position, Alex…and as a reward, I will guide you to young Po's Festivus present, that you might finally attain an Urshifu's power." Alex and Po shared a wide-eyed look, though they shifted back to Tao as he spoke into their minds, and Alex smirked as Tao adopted an epic voice, similar to his. Po, naturally, was drowning in the coolness of the moment, as the coiling Legendary Dragon of Unova, amidst his tower and his numerous followers, imparted wisdom to him. "In an island cove off the western coast of Paldea, there lives an ancient Carracosta. He is wise in my ways, and he is an old, old friend. He often spends centuries, just meditating on aspects of existence and pondering the Universe in general. In his keeping, is the Dragon Scroll. It will allow young Po, should he decipher its meaning, to ascend to the heights of an Urshifu who has mastered both my style and my philosophy. It shall turn him into…a Dragon Warrior."

Po inhaled sharply, eyes wide in awe. "Dragon Warrior…sooo coooool…"

With Alex figuring he had once again passed some sort of milestone or test in Tao's eyes, he returned to his family's home, as they were hosting Festivus Eve this year. As he evaluated his time spent over the last month, he was proud. The number of total levels gained by Noir and the others was in the high hundreds, they had more new faces than expected that promised to be quite powerful additions to their roster, and most of said roster had evolved once already. James, Noir, and Kral had already advanced, as had Khan despite his newness.

His Rowlet, Coryn, caught way back in the White Forest had also finally gotten some training in, and was now a proud, preening Dartrix. Invictus, his former Chespin, also caught in the White Forest, had gained serious levels as a Chesnaught in their most recent Paldean training excursion, which just left Garuda, his stubborn, and still violent Combusken who attacked him and his feet every time he tried getting him to train. Magnus had become a Magneton after taking on some Bird Keepers, and on his way to the ranch, Alex visited the Chargestone Caves, both to acquire crystals and examine the environment, before feeding his floating electromagnet a Rare Candy.

In the presence of so much electric energy, Magnus ascended to his final form, and just like that, their team's electric power nearly doubled, thanks to the sheer power Magnezone possessed. Thanks to his stats, and an unnaturally modified special attack power on par with Gelauros', Magnus promised to be a force unmatched. As he strode out of the caves, Alex sent a copy of himself to the Imperial military base east of Humilau City, where he'd battled Colonel Surge. It was a good test for his clone's range. He had it acquire several empty plasma sword cases, and in an impressive show of psychic dexterity that nobody was around to witness, he inserted the gathered crystals into each sword, powering them on to make sure they worked properly. Now, if he was in danger, he could have multiple versions of himself backing him up with their own plasma swords, though whichever clone wielded Lux would probably be targeted first.

His clones seemed to have a psychic copy of his clothing, but they lacked Pokémon, and weapons. Now, he could effectively outnumber anyone that attempted to kill him, and keep safe whichever partners he gave to the clones. Once that was sorted, he Teleported himself back to the ranch.

He was about to open the door to his family home, when his ridiculously large hand paused, as it was opening from the other side. He'd been somewhat distracted, as he sent his clone even further east from the base, and northward as well. With the speed it was psychically flying at, it would reach Bostonia in minutes.

The distraction was enough to keep him from realizing who was behind the door, and as usual, the sight of his gorgeous redhead blew him away. He barely got a look at her before he grunted softly as he felt her jump onto his larger frame, but he held her there, just enjoying her smell and closeness in the moment. There wasn't even the usual lust she inspired, he was just glad to see her.

Leo, Noir, and Khan were still house-friendly in terms of size at least. The Eousian Torracat knew how to behave indoors. His new larger claws did tend to snag on the rugs, but eventually Leo showed him how to avoid getting tangled and accidentally ripping carpeting.

The crowd this year was a much more local affair, and given his new status and the Gladstones hosting the last party, it seemed most of the town had turned out for the chance to see how their quiet neighbor was faring as an emperor.

His parents were seemingly glad to see him, so he kept tight-lipped about the imminent death of their family legacy, unwilling to spoil the mood. Good times were had, good food was a welcome change from what Alex could fashion with his own meager but improving cooking skills, and he caught up with his old school acquaintances who, unsurprisingly, considered themselves 'close personal friends' of his.

When he'd been the quiet weirdo who was too stupid to have a Pokémon, he might as well have been a pariah to these people, but now the reality of those past times was being replaced with delusion. Alex didn't really care, though. Most of his hometown peers had simply ignored him. Those he'd played Football with had also come over, and back in the day had mostly ignored his lack of a Pokémon in favor of his larger frame. Even among them he'd been third string and never really played for his school's team, but again, their past connections were exaggerated like he'd been a first string lineman.

He had an inkling as to why they were cozying up to him. Apparently, someone had leaked the rumor about the city sized horde of gold bars Caleb Pravus had stolen from his populace over the centuries. He quietly wondered just how they'd be treating him once currency was no longer a factor in their society.

Eventually though, one of their townie guests did ruin the mood. Alex had a brief flashback to when he was smaller, and had been at the mercy of the same trio of edgy tryhards who had appointed themselves his bullies as they loudly called out his name through the main dining room. The only real difference now, was their slightly updated hairstyles, each had a variation of a fauxhawk, and an updated wardrobe of torn-on-purpose clothes. He only had to look at their shoes to accurately gauge their skill in battling. "So. The mighty 'emperor' returns. Honestly since I heard you reunited the Dragon, I haven't believed a word of the hype. I bet the Dragon wins all your Battles for you." He declared, confident in his stupidity.

Alex just took a deep breath, and shook his head. Punching his subjects was a bad look, and he didn't need any comparisons to Pravus. No matter how good it would feel, or how absurdly punchable his face was. "Sloane, Dane, and Bryce. I thought I sensed a drop in the room's average IQ. Who the Muk let you in here?"

"I did…" His mother said quietly. "They were part of the group your friends arrived with."

"Well, they're no friends of mine." He stated flatly, and loudly, as his baritone got the entire party's attention. Even if they hadn't bullied him when he was a vulnerable child, he preferred not to associate with people that full of themselves as a rule. "In fact, they made my Pokéless childhood that much worse thanks to their attempts at bullying. Their insults were as weak as they were, but they had Pokémon bound by a ball, who listened to them."

[Pokémon] The Redwood Saga

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