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Elemental Trinity

A Harry Potter/Pokémon Crossover

By Zero Rewind

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Nov 29, 1994; evening, at the Black Lake.

"So, what are we looking for?" I asked my newest companion as we trudged along the edge of the lake. "You said that there should be one of your creatures, here."

"I'm not actually sure." She said bluntly. "They might not even be in the lake. And they're not my creatures, Harry. Don't be silly."

I smiled indulgently at her.

"So, which is it?" I asked eagerly.

"It's called a Dabberblimp." She said seriously, looking over the surface of the water. "They're known to converge in the shore of lakes, but there's not much else Daddy and I managed to figure out."

I stifled a snort. Luna and her father had an odd naming sense.

"So, how has no one figured out they exist?" I asked curiously.

"Ah, you see, they're so fast, it's almost impossible to keep up with them." She answered, giving me a wise nod –completely out of place on a girl her age, but it made me smile.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm here, then." I grinned. "If I can follow a snitch, then I'll be able to follow these… Dabberblimps?"

"Yes." She nodded again and supplied more information. "They're green, and they look like frogs with feathers and wings."

I briefly wondered how many "fuck you"-s modern biology could take when it came into contact with the world of magic.

Luna reached into her bag for a few seconds, before producing some parchment. She hesitated, before showing it to me. I stared at the drawn image of a four legged frog, with wings and a tail, swallowing down a worm.

It was like a frog Pegasus.

"Red." I said, the Pokédex whirring to life in response. "Keep a passive scan of our surroundings at all times. Notify me if you come across anything that matches the drawing –wait, how accurate is the sketch, Luna?"

"Fairly so." She said. "Maybe the head's too big… No, no, it's all right."

I gave a short nod in reply, and we started looking. Half an hour passed, with me and Luna slowly circling around the lake and finding nothing for our trouble except a fair bit of boredom and disappointment.

"Are you sure there are some here?" I asked as we stopped near a small copse of trees to rest.

"Yes, I definitely saw one last year." She nodded resolutely. "They're hard to find, I told you."

"You did say that." I sighed, running my hand through my hair. "I just thought I could detect them."

"No offense, Harry." Luna said, after a moment. She looked hesitant as she spoke. "You're a very talented Seeker, but animals are different than a Snitch. For one, the frogs are as green as the leaves, so you might not even notice it. Plus, they're really, really fast."

"None taken." I gave her what I thought was a reassuring nod, before the Pokédex pinged, showing that it detected something.

"Directly in front of you, inside the tree; commencing deep scan," Red rattled off, before scanning over the tree with intense green light.

Half a minute later, I saw a detailed 3D representation of the tree, as well as its contents. It was a pair of green winged frogs which looked to be sleeping. A pile of unmoving, but still living worms sat beside them.

I showed the image to Luna, who almost squealed in a mix of surprise, happiness and excitement. I pointed her to the tree in question; she approached it very slowly and quietly, not wanting to disturb the… Dabberblimps' sleep.

A few waves of her wand, later, she nodded to herself, content.

"What were you able to scan, Mr. Red?" She asked eagerly as we headed off. "My own diagnostics have shown that it's not actually a frog."

The Pokédex whirred as the screen shifted to display the entry for the newest Pokémon we'd scanned.

"Dabberblimp," I read aloud. "Type: Flying. Native region: Unknown, larger sample size required. Scans on these particular subjects show that they have a hibernation period, judging by their body's slowed metabolism. This supposition is further cemented by the presence of the stockpile of worms. It seeks shelter within these trees to keep warm in the winter. It is not aquatic in nature, despite appearances."

"That's amazing," Luna said, grinning excitedly. "Daddy and I had always thought it odd that the only time they were in the water was when they were hunting seahorses. I'll be sure to write to him all about this."

And, with that, she ran off, without even saying goodbye.

That hurt me, a little. Did I not rate a goodbye?

"I wouldn't be so hard on her," Red soothed, sounding more amused than supportive. "I knew some people who did the same thing. They're just bad with dealing with others. A sheltered life tends to have that effect, on you. I should know."

I opened my mouth to answer, but Luna came back, looking faintly embarrassed and a little tired.

"I forgot to say goodbye." She smiled shyly, looking at her own two feet. "I'm not used to…"

Friends, I figured she wanted to say, but forced herself not to.

"I understand." I said, taking her hand into my own and squeezing it to reassure her. "I will speak to you, later? When do you finish studying, tomorrow?"

She rattled off a time, and I nodded in satisfaction.

"Then, we'll meet here, tomorrow at 4 PM." I smiled. "Does that sound good to you?"

"Marvelous." She breathed excitedly, before mastering herself and giving me a nod. "See you then, Harry."

"See?" Red snorted as she left. "She's as awkward as half the scientists I met— myself included."

I watched her go, the smile slipping as I slowly soured over tonight's topic of conversation with the Headmaster. With a sigh, I made my way back to the castle, heading towards that oh-so-familiar room.

Nearing midnight…

"Tempus." I muttered, holding my wand in front of me while leaning back against the wall.

Wisps of light twisted to form: "11:53 PM"

I sighed and swished my wand through the wisps, dispersing them. It seemed like a good idea to summon Dumbledore when I was writing that note. Now, I just felt nervous and agitated.

"You could always walk out." Red suggested. "Pretend it was a prank. He'll be annoyed, but will let it go. You might get detention, though."

"That sounds moronic…" I muttered. "Maybe I can tell him I was looking for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks –I think that's what Luna called them."

Luna; now, that was a strange girl. She was quirky, and nice, and so cute, in a little sister sort of way –not that I knew what having a little sister felt like. She always said the oddest things, but she was so positive and cheerful that it managed to keep my mind off my latest problem.

Speaking of which…

"There might even be the chance he doesn't even show up." Red mused.

A surge of anger went through me; so visceral was the feeling that I stamped down on it as hard as I could.

"Oh, he'll come." I didn't smile as I said that. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll come."

I tensed up for a few seconds before realizing that I was getting myself worked up again and sighing in annoyance. Taking a few deep breaths, I relaxed myself as best as I could and stared off to the left. That section of the room was as dirty as the rest, but I remembered it looking differently, once upon a time.

I lost myself so deep in memories that I did not hear the Headmaster walking in.

"Back again, Harry?" His voice startled me.

So familiar; it was like that night all over again. Though, if that mirror was in front of me, again… Would I still see my parents, or would it be something else entirely? Would it be Sirius? Would I see my friends? Perhaps even my Pokémon might be in there, as well.

I truthfully didn't know. The urge came; to find the mirror, and gaze upon it— no! Even years later, that damn mirror still had a hold of my senses.

"…" I didn't answer immediately, instead getting to my feet and dusting myself off. "Yes."

I gave him a sideways glance, before staring at where the mirror used to be. "I would sit for hours in front of that mirror. I knew it was taunting me with images of things I would never have. I knew I shouldn't have come back every night. But, I still did. It truly is a powerful sort of magic."

Dumbledore said nothing.

"When I asked you what you saw, you said you saw a pair of socks." I gave a rueful grin and a shake of my head. "You didn't see socks, did you, sir?"

It was phrased like a question, but it wasn't one.

"No. I did not." He answered me anyway.

A few moments passed. I was momentarily taken by the urge to ask him exactly what he saw, but I quickly shook the feeling off. Who knew what secrets Dumbledore had?

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Do you know why I asked you to come, Professor?" I turned to look at him directly. Dumbledore wore a serious expression, though it was offset by his bright purple robes. "Obviously, it's not for a nostalgic chat."

"I must admit that I do not, Harry." Dumbledore took a few steps towards me. "Though, the wording of the message displayed a noticeable sense of urgency. Is it your Godfather?"

I blinked, thrown by the casual mention of Padfoot.

"No." I shook my head. "It's nothing like that. He's just fine, last I heard."

I pursed my dry lips for a second, wondering how exactly to broach this topic.

I frowned.

"If it was any other matter, I would probably beat around the bush with you before finally saying what I want." I said, smirking at the admittance. "But, considering the circumstances, I'll go right ahead and say it: when were you planning on telling me that my scar is a Horcrux?"

The next part almost made me laugh.

Almost.

Dumbledore's serene face was struck dumb as the words smashed into him with the subtlety of the Hogwarts Express. His eyes were wide in astonishment. He was looking at me like he'd never even seen me before.

"What do you…?" Dumbledore seemed at a loss for words, eyes narrowing in an attempt to focus his thoughts. "How did you learn of such things?"

"I found an ancient text by Herpo the Foul." I said, shivering at the mention of the man.

"It was the most disgusting thing I'd ever read in my life." I made sure to add. "The things he did to his victims on the road to figuring this category of magic out were beyond evil."

"How did you get ahold of that book?" Dumbledore frowned, looking a mix of surprised and frustrated. "I thought I'd completely destroyed any mention of them in the Library."

I shook my head. "Slytherin had a study in the Chamber. I found it this year."

I gave the much older man a few moments to collect himself.

"I see. I had not thought to check the Chamber." Dumbledore waved his wand, conjuring two chairs and sitting in one, before gesturing for me to sit in the other.

I scrutinized it for a moment, completely unsure of what to do, before sitting down, as well.

"I must admit to being surprised, Harry." Professor Dumbledore said. "I had not expected you to come across such information, so soon."

"Afraid I'd go dark, or something?" I scoffed, a familiar anger rising.

"Nothing of the sort," Dumbledore seemed almost amused at my reaction. "Every single one of us has the capability of becoming monsters, Harry. The then-young Tom Riddle was the best example of this. Incredible raw talent, marvelous work ethic, and a fine amount of bravery, with great ambition; he was considered a rising star among his peers. Somewhat similar to you, I must admit."

I opened my mouth and shut it again, unsure of whether or not to be angry that he was comparing me to Voldemort.

"Only in the vaguest sense, Headmaster." I finally countered, frowning. "Riddle was –is – a backstabbing, traitorous tosser with a God complex. He was insane from the get-go. He's…"

I stopped for a second, unsure of how to describe the evil wizard.

"He's cold." I finally decided on saying. "The way he spoke when he showed me his memories, and when I dealt with him in the Chamber... It's all fake; his smile, his laugh, his eyes, everything. It's like a demon attempting to pass off as a human. He never allowed himself to have friends. All he sees are pawns in his allies, and obstacles in his enemies."

"He even went as far to make these Horcruxes…" I fingered my scar, before looking right at the Headmaster. "How many did he make? We need to destroy them."

"I do not know." Dumbledore replied quietly.

Say what?

I let out a bark of incredulous laughter, feeling just a little queasy at the older wizard's admission.

"You don't know." I repeated, sagging in my chair. "How?"

"Contrary to popular belief and appearances, my boy." Dumbledore reproved me. "I do not have all the answers."

I felt sheepish at that. I supposed he was right; it would be too much to expect of a single person, no matter how great.

"That is not to say that I have not been looking, of course." Albus added in. "I had actually begun to retrace young Tom Riddle's steps during the summer, before news of the Triwizard Tournament came –Not an event I approve of, due to the obvious dangers."

"Between going up against a dragon and having to go to the bottom of a lake to save a hostage, I can't say you're wrong to disapprove." I said wryly.

He looked surprised again. "You've already solved the clue, then?"

I gave a slight smile, but said nothing.

"Remarkable." Dumbledore said. "I daresay that you've taken the world by surprise, Harry."

"Even you?" I asked.

"Especially me," He said. "The creatures you summoned were very fascinating. May I ask what they are? Hagrid was quite reticent when asked, insisting that they were indeed your own conjurations."

"And how can you be so sure that they're not?" I asked, sounding a bit defensive. If the Ministry knew they were living, magical beings, they would probably try to make legislation to take them from me.

"I am a Master of Transfiguration, Harry." Dumbledore looked somewhat condescending as he spoke. It reminded me of Red, when sharing his knowledge on Pokémon. "While I will not claim to be aware of all existing spells in what I consider to be my domain of expertise, I will say that I know quite a few. What you did likely has more to do with those curious red and white balls you used during the task."

Jeez, he already figured out this much?

"Fair enough, Headmaster." I acknowledged. "They are creatures from an age long past –before any recorded history, in fact."

"Surely not." Dumbledore seemed skeptical. "How would they still be alive? The only magical creature which is truly immortal is the phoenix."

I opened my mouth to answer, before closing it. How did my Pokémon survive their time in that box?

"Red, could you take this one for me?" I asked, giving a helpless shrug.

"Who's –" Dumbledore started to say, before Red's synthesized voice exited from the Pokédex.

"I'm Red." The voice came from my pocket. I rolled my eyes, pulling out the aforementioned device and showing it to Dumbledore; the screen turned on, displaying the man in question. "I put my consciousness into this machine you see before you."

"Before you say anything, it's not a Horcrux." I interrupted the Headmaster before he could say anything. "It's highly advanced technology."

Dumbledore looked thunderous as he stood abruptly.

I suppressed a wince, unsure of how this would turn out.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Dumbledore urged, his wand out –wait, when'd he have the time to do that?

"As sure as I can be, sir." I nodded without hesitation, waving the Pokédex in front of me. "And, besides, if this was a Horcrux, why would I show it to you?"

His gaze lowered slightly, calculating, before he looked at me again.

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to run some scans…" Dumbledore said stubbornly; an untrusting look in his eyes.

I wanted to groan, but I suppressed it quickly enough. I'd probably do the same thing, if I were in his shoes. For all he knew, Red could be a Horcrux that had already ensnared me.

"Well, if you insist." I held it out in front of him, opening the screen to display Red's hesitant image. "Scans, only."

"Very well."

He waved his wands a few times, muttering to himself as the lights of his diagnostic spells came over me. He closed his eyes, as I had often seen Madame Pomfrey do when assimilating the information she got from her scans.

When he opened them again, he looked visibly relaxed. His thunderous expression was completely gone.

"I must apologize again, Harry." Dumbledore gave me a nod as he took his seat once more. "I had to be sure. This is not a slight against your ability, of course."

"You don't have to be polite about it." I snorted. "You've been Headmaster even before my own parents were born, sir. I'd probably be a little… stubborn by that time, as well."

"Since we've established that I am not a vile piece of magic," Red cut in, sounding quite miffed at what just happened. "Can I answer your question, now?"

I frowned, a bit confused –oh, right. "How did the Pokémon survive? Do they not age in the Pokéballs?"

"Yes, they do." Red replied, glancing at Dumbledore's beard. "That's a really long beard, by the way. Is it hard to maintain? Never mind; that's a stupid question."

The Headmaster blinked in surprise, before smiling slightly; his eyes regaining their telltale twinkle.

"In any case," Red tore his eyes away from the beard. "The black box you found the balls in was set to hold everything in it in a sort of stasis. When opened, the stasis was broken. That's why the Pokédex, my clothes and ID remained intact, there, for thousands of years."

"Thousands?" Dumbledore repeated, looking at me. "And you say you found this in the Chamber of Secrets, which itself had been hidden for a thousand years?"

I nodded. "Salazar found it at Mount Everest, near the peak, as far as I can tell."

"Remarkable."

"I don't really know how long it's been, but-"

"I do." Red said quietly.

Shock went through me. "You do? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Doesn't really matter, does it, Harry?" Red sounded unhappy. "They're gone anyway."

"Forgive my curiosity," Dumbledore began. "But-"

"Fifty thousand, four hundred and thirty seven years, eight months, and three days," Red said. "Give or take a month or two."

"How did you…" I sounded confused.

"We've been fighting the Acromantula swarms every other night, Harry." Red reproved me, sounding amused. "I've had ample time to scan the night sky, and make the relevant calculations relating to stellar drift, and whatnot."

I took a moment to absorb that comment,

"How would you know about that; when you don't know about Herbology?" I asked in exasperation.

"There are Pokémon which directly affect our space-time. To study their powers, a thorough grounding in all aspects of physics is required." Red explained patiently, before scoffing. "The study of plants, on the other hand… I leave that sort of thing to the likes of Erika."

I absently noted the name belonged to the leader of one of the Gyms he had beaten on his way to become champion. There must've been some history, there.

"So… Fifty thousand, huh?" I asked weakly. "That's… Long."

"That's what she said." Red quipped. Dumbledore looked amused, as well.

I didn't think the old man would find that funny— he was much older than old McGonagall, and she was a bore to the extreme.

"Oh for fuck's sake, Red." I sighed, rubbing at my forehead in exasperation. "Whatever. Just explain the whole story to the Headmaster, so we can figure out what to do from here."

Red did so –and with an incredible amount of detail, at that. It was more than I would have said, at any rate.

"I see." Dumbledore said heavily, when it was all laid out. "I will need time to process this, you understand. A society of technology using proto-wizards who bonded with creatures so powerful they can easily defeat our current strongest magical creatures –arguably the human ancestors of modern wizards…"

"It's a bit much to take in." I agreed. "I've known for almost a month, and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. If that wasn't enough, I found out about this Horcrux business…"

"I'm sorry, Harry." Dumbledore looked tired when he said that. "It is too big a burden for anyone to bear. I have been doing all I can, ever since you showed me Voldemort's diary. Only then, did I truly understand what the scar on your forehead signified."

Annoyance rose in me, but I pressed it back down.

"I understand your anger," Dumbledore said heavily, having noticed the small slip in control. "But, please, understand my position. What destroys a Horcrux?"

I opened my mouth, and closed it again, thrown by the abrupt question. "What do you mean, sir?"

"A Horcrux is an extremely durable object, Harry." Dumbledore explained, weary but patient. "That is in part why many dark wizards have all at least made the attempt to create one of their own; guaranteed immortality through an almost indestructible object."

"Key word: almost," Red interjected. "I'm assuming that the poison of a Basilisk can destroy a Horcrux."

"Correct." Dumbledore smiled, though there was no humor or mirth in it. "That is but one of the methods. The other, is through the use of a cursed flame spell called Fiendfyre. I am unaware of any other methods. I suppose the Killing Curse could theoretically destroy one, though I've never seen mention of one trying; also of note, the mental state required to cast the Killing Curse may not be available to all."

I felt a pit in my stomach, growing larger with every passing second.

"The venom was in my veins, running through every part of me, but it still did not kill the Horcrux?" I realized. "How far would it have to go until –no."

I stared at Dumbledore, eyes wide in realization.

Dumbledore merely nodded in response.

"Do you understand now, Harry?" The old man said, looking every bit the age he was in that moment. "Would you have wanted that knowledge in your mind, two years ago?"

I had no answer.

"No." I shook my head. "There has to be another way. No, no, no-"

"–Harry." Dumbledore tried.

"This can't be right." I stood up and began to pace. "You must be missing something. This can't be it."

"I have been searching, my dear boy." Dumbledore looked down in shame. "For anything that can help you; almost two years of fruitless searching."

He got up, and put his hands on my shoulders, stopping me from pacing. "Harry. I will find a way. I swear it."

I wanted to lash out at the man. He'd never done anything to me, but he was there, and it would be so convenient to just let loose on him. But, that was wrong.

So I bit down on that urge; just another repression in a long list of repressions.

And what was it all for? I was going to die, anyway, right?

"May I scan the Diary, Headmaster Dumbledore?" Red's voice cut through my fatalistic thoughts. "I might be able to uncover something that you did not."

Dumbledore looked doubtful, but one look at me, and he caved. "Very well; It wouldn't hurt to make the attempt, at the very least. I wish to explore any and all eventualities that may spare you, Harry."

I tried to nod, but I felt dead inside.

It was all going to end, anyway.

What's the point? If the Tournament didn't kill me, then Voldemort would. If Voldemort didn't kill me, then I'd have to die for the Horcruxes to be completely gone, for good.

Did I even have a chance?

"Harry." Dumbledore shook me out of my trance, giving me the gravest look he could manage given the circumstances. "Your death is not an option. Do you understand?"

"I –yes." I replied weakly, before shrugging off his hands and sinking heavily back into the seat.

I didn't believe him.