He returned the handshake just as firmly before letting go. “Oh? You know who I am?” His skin was fairly tanned, with messy dark brown hair. Though his question was light, there was a sharpness to his green eyes as he examined me.

How to approach meeting a Champion? Aaaah, I don’t know. I guess just be a cocky shit? Worked for the Gym Leaders so far, right? “Well, I am aiming for your spot; I felt it was only polite to learn your name.”

Apparently that worked, as he guffawed heartily. “Ha! Just as spirited as you said, Hassel.”

The man in question was rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Yes, she is indeed a spirited young lass.” Then turning to me, he said in a softer tone, “I’m glad to see you are doing well. I was horrified by what I heard had happened to you.”

My own smile grew brittle. “Nothing happened to me, more Oberon you should worry about.” Honestly. Not sure how all that would have shaken out in the original timeline. Would the poachers have been destroyed by the Tera Dragonair if they hadn’t been exhausted from fighting me? Would they have succeeded and gone on with Raifort’s plan only to be betrayed later? Would Raifort just have stolen the key by herself with her Zoroark and evaded notice?

I couldn’t guess at any of those things, but I did know that several years from this point in canon, he wasn’t the leader and Tulip was. Those blue gloves he’s wearing, they look familiar… I think they’re something the last top Champion wore, and Geeta wears in the games.

The rampant speculation on my part helped distract me from any trauma I was ignoring, and I continued blithely. “This place is amazing! So many cool Pokemon all around,” I said, spreading my arms out wide. “Swablus, Axews, Bagons… all here. And there are Goomys and Skrelps down below! I can see why Paldea is called the land of Dragons.”

“You remembered that? You always were quite the sharp student,” he commented fondly, before his yellow eyes grew sharp. “I look forward to facing you once again.”

“Wait, hold the phone!” Miguel exclaimed. “Now give the phone back to me. You already got to fight her? Not fair,” the grown man whined to his (ostensible) underling, much to the latter’s embarrassment. Hassel just gave me a flat look, as if to say, ‘See what I have to put up with?’

I just laughed. “That’s, uh, definitely a side I didn’t get to see of you in your matches or statements to the press.” Not that there are too many of those. Paldea is just not as battle hyped as places like Sinnoh or Kanto, plus we have a multiple Champion system, so getting a new El Primero isn’t a big news deal.

It had still made the front page for at least a day or two, and I’d made sure to study his battle against Blake Hogan religiously during that time. There had been some minor controversy online and hinted at in the news coverage about Miguel using Mega Evolution instead of Terastalization, but I thought he did fine. Certainly better than Blake, that guy was the epitome of why Paldea doesn’t make it big in tournaments internationally.

He sighed heavily. “Being the top Champion is a lot less fun and games than it looks.”

“I can imagine,” I said, nodding sympathetically. All that politics and bureaucracy must have been why Geeta held onto the position after Nemona beat her in canon. I suppose that a government that is at least in part based on how good someone is at battling might have some flaws.

Miguel became more pensive, staring at me. “You really can, can’t you?” He asked rhetorically, and I stiffened up a bit. He’s good at reading people. Makes sense for a Champion-tier Trainer, but I shouldn’t underestimate him just because of his occasional bouts of goofiness.

“Alright, I want to battle you!”

His sudden declaration had me and Hassel going, “Huh?” However, half a second later I had recovered and said, “Yeah, sure. What rules?” While Hassel was still stammering.

“That’s a good attitude,” he said while we both stepped forward, taking our places in a general approximation of what an arena would look like. The El Primero released his Rabsca off to the side, having them raise barriers around to stop stray attacks from hurting us. That’s a smart idea. I should teach Notch and Miles how to do that too.

“I was thinking we’d just have a one-on-one, nice and quick.” He gestured at his Salamence, who stepped into the arena. His Ace Pokemon, that’s a clear sign of respect. Logically, Notch is the best counter to them, but…

“Go, Dun!” I called, tossing Dun out onto the field. Ace Pokemon-vs-Ace Pokemon, let's go.

“Dudunsparce!” He cried, fearlessly staring down the Dragon. The Salamence craned her long red and blue neck down to glare at the snake before her, roaring. My starter shivered; the Intimidating presence of this pseudo-legendary was not something even he could shake off, but he didn’t back down, and I saw a glimmer of approval in her (and Miguel’s) eyes. These two are going to take us seriously.

Hassel had recovered from his surprise and took a position as referee. As it was a one-on-one battle and we had both released our Pokemon, he skipped the preamble. “The battle will commence in three, two, one, begin!”

“Coil!” Was my first Move, and Dun began tightening into a circle. We need to get Dun’s power back up after that Intimidation, and the Defense boost will help him resist her attacks.

“Tail.” Miguel’s clipped response had his ace blitzing forward, flying so fast she was a slight blur even to me. Spinning around as she approached, she knocked Dun aside with a lash of her long tail. Dragon Tail could knock an opponent out of bounds or far away in the wild, but this one was performed in a controlled manner, just to disrupt Dun.

Unfortunately for them, we had trained not having such Moves get stopped with our Roost practice, so Dun finished the buff. We need to do some damage back and limit their movements. The moment this becomes an aerial battle, we lose. “Body Slam!”

Dun flipped himself on his head, flinging his body tail first over Salamence. As he did so, I tossed my Tera Orb above him, creating a great crystal eruption around him. The suddenness of my action slowed her retreat for a split second, and combined with the extra height from the new Tera Jewel ‘hat’ atop his head that he was lying on as he burst free from the crystals, Dun’s Move connected with her right wing.

She gave a wince of pain and Paralysis as she turned away, taking to the air. Dun rolled around and spun to face her. Off on the other side, Miguel raised an eyebrow. “Terastalization? This early?”

Of course, it provides a boost, and there’s no trick I have to hide his Tera Type. It could be seen as tiring, but… “If you think you can beat us in stamina, go ahead and try,” I laughed, covering my mouth.

Dun read my hidden signal, letting out an invisible Yawn, but Miguel caught onto that instantly, either somehow spotting it or just acting off instinct. “Flamethrower!”

Wheeling around, Salamence let out great streams of fire, joyously burning the rocky ground around Dun. A quick “Protect!” Shielded him from harm, but I could feel the heat rising off from that Move. Damn, I forgot how strong pseudos were everywhere. Even as a more physical attacker, she could still turn the ground under him to magma. She hit the Yawn too, so no sleep incoming.

“Hyper Voice!” With a deep intake of air, Dun screeched, his piercing voice causing his foe to cry in pain.

“Dragon Pulse,” Miguel called, switching it up from random destruction to more precise bursts, the STAB helping him do more damage. That, and the Dragon’s Fang she has tied against her left foreleg. Dun grunted in pain as a purple energy blast rained down into him, cracking scales.

“Agility.” She’s still Paralyzed, if we can speed up, Dun might dodge some of those blows and-

Miguel countered easily. “Scary Face.” The fearsome visage and roar his Pokemon gave caused Dun’s Psychically assisted acceleration to slow down, and he was just moving at normal speed.

“Roost,” I called out, hoping to buy time. Which worked, as Salamence seemingly ignored Miguel’s next command to use Dragon Pulse and instead flew around above us. I didn’t miss that wince or how hard she had to flap with her left wing to stay aloft there! That was the Paralysis kicking in.

With my starter now healed up, I called out, “Hurricane, ride the wind!” Dun grinned widely, flapping his wings hard to whip up a giant storm in the arena. He placed it just so, with himself on the very edge, using those air currents to ascend, rising up to the Salamence caught in the storm.

Not caught for long, however, as Miguel said, “Hurricane, counter spin.” With a few beats of her wings, the violent storm was easily dispelled by a reverse Hurricane formed in the same area, countering our previous Move and canceling each other out. He followed up with, “Dragon Rush.”

That Move is kinda hard to use; it's easy to dodge the all-out rush if you know what you’re doing. He saw that we had less maneuverability in the air and capitalized on it immediately. We weren’t out of options, however, and as she approached, I cried, “Outrage!”

Thrashing about in midair, Salamence dove into Dun, smashing the side of his body. Writhing around with his large, segmented body, he bashed right back into her, the two of them covered in Draconic auras as they raged through the sky.

Rather than continue to duke it out, Miguel called, “Sub.” In a puff of smoke, two Salamences floated in the air. Dun unfortunately carried on his rampage against the fake, bashing through the Normal Type construct while our foe got away.

Dun’s rampage came to an end, and he looked around Confused, not flapping his wings nearly as hard as before. Given his size, he started plummeting to the ground.

“Snap out of it!” I shouted while Miguel had his Pokemon hang back, coating herself in an Iron Defense. Smart, an immediate enemy nearby assaulting Dun might give him something to focus on and possibly snap himself out of this. Desperately, I started singing a note I had heard before, trying to utilize my Aura to shape the sound right.

It wasn’t exactly like what the Yellow Flute in my bag would have made, but it was enough. That or he just pushed through with enough willpower on his own. In any case, at the last moment, Dun snapped out of it, gently lowering himself to the ground. Yes! And he’s going right into Roost as well, that’s smart.

“DRACO METEOR!” Miguel suddenly shouted, his hands clenched tight as he saw us turn things around. With a loud cry, Salamence summoned dozens of burning rocks around her and then fired them down on us.

The psychic barrier shook from the impact, and that was mostly just the ones that broke against the ground and rebounded against the shields. The majority of the meteorites hit Dun, slamming into him with tremendous power. Dun was battered and cried out, and even as his healing Move finished, he was covered in nasty bruises and scrapes.

Despite his wounds, Dun defiantly warbled, saying something akin to, ‘That all you got?’ Salamence gave a frustrated screech in response, but I noticed a weakness in her voice. That Draco Meteor took a lot out of her; she won’t be able to do another Move like that again any time soon.

“Ancient Power.” I ordered, and Dun quickly responded, lifting a bunch of stones from the ruins behind us, his power surging as he tossed them at her.

“Iron Head,” Miguel said, his tone cold and calculating, with a passion lurking under the surface as our battle reached its final stage. Diving down, Salamence pulled her wings and limbs in tight, using her head covered in Steel Type energy to smash through the rocks chucked at her and then into Dun.

He grunted, but the Move did little damage to him given his defensive boosts. Which is a damn good thing, as he’s too hurt to take much more of this, and she’s shaken off the Paralysis.

Part of me was tempted to go for a Roost and heal up, but with her being so close to the ground, the opportunity to finish this was too good to pass up. “Ice Spinner!”

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Dun rose up on his tail, surrounding himself in icy shards as he spun around. With a roar from both opposing Dragon and Trainer, Salamence met it with an Outrage. The two of them tore into each other, her fangs and claws rending Duns scales, while the ice he made did the same to her.

Dun spun past her, and Salamence continued her rage-fueled charge past him, blindly slamming into my side of the arena and crashing down, unable to rise on ice-coated wings. On the other, Dun wobbled, his spinning becoming erratic before he flopped down with a heavy thud.

After a moment of silence and no motion from either combatant, Hassel called out authoritatively, “Neither contestant is able to battle! This match is… a tie.”

The El Primero of Paldea stared on the scene in shock for a second before laughing loudly. “Haha, that was great! Haven’t had a tie in ages!”

Striding across the field, we each tended to our Pokemon, healing them up and congratulating them for their efforts. “That was incredible, Dun. I couldn’t be prouder. Rest up; you’ve earned it,” I said, recalling him.

Miguel finished spraying some Hyper Potions on his Ace but didn’t recall her (likely because she was his way off of this rock) before marching over to me. Sticking out his hand, I shook it once again. “Thank you for that match,” he said sincerely. “You’ve got a ton of talent, you’ll go far someday.”

Despite his sincerity, there was a hint of wistfulness in his tone. The things he didn’t mention were clearly on his mind. The fact that ‘someday’ will be sooner than most people would realize, or that it means me taking his spot. A position that, for all its frustrations, he hasn’t held for too long.

“Thank you as well, that was incredible. And we still have a ways to go; Dun Terastalized while you didn’t Mega Evolve,” I pointed out.

He nodded. “That was my bad. She doesn’t like to Mega Evolve, so we save it for the big battles. Of course, if I’d realized you were going to push us this hard, I’d have done it sooner.” The Pokemon in question let out a quiet roar as well, her head dipping to stare me in the eyes. And it looks like she agrees; next time we fight, I gotta be ready to take on Mega Salamence.

The Champion-ranked Trainer turned to talk to Hassel for a moment, discussing schedules and meetings, how to arrange the rest of their days. Boring stuff, even if it is kinda funny to hear Hassel trying to not quite criticize his ostensible ‘boss’, but still chew him out for this little unplanned field trip. Would be more effective if he wasn’t also practically glowing with exuberance at having witnessed our battle.

Turning from them, I addressed a wild Pokemon. “Hey there, you can come out now; I know you were watching our battle.” The Axews and Bagons had all eagerly gathered from the start, with even Skiddos and Pawmos watching openly from the smaller cliffs above. They weren’t the one I was talking to, though.

Tentatively, the Fraxure stepped out from behind the corner of the ruins where he had been poking his head around to watch the battle. He held himself nervously, but there was a level of awe in his blue eyes, lingering from the fight he had just witnessed, which pushed past his shyness.

"Did you like that fight?” Slowly he nodded his head, smiling as he spoke.

“Raxure, ax.” As he spoke, he did a little pantomime of some of the attacks we had used.

“Yeah, it's pretty cool. I bet you’ll be doing stuff just like it some day. Really,” I insisted at the look of disbelief on his tusked face. “You’ll be all cool and strong and tough, well, more than you are already.”

My words aren't convincing him, or rather, they aren't hitting the right area. He's the only Fraxure nearby, so even for their line being more even-tempered than most, you’d think he’d be reveling in his strength.

“This evolution was pretty new for you, wasn't it?”

“Fra,” he agreed.

“But I bet you've seen others evolve occasionally too.”

This time it was met by a much sadder “Fra.”

“So, correct me if I'm wrong, but you've been kinda worried about looking different than those other Fraxures, right? Thinking that you're somewhat weird?”

“Ra-Rax,” he replied, blinking.

“Well, don't be! You're amazing, just the way you are. Doesn't matter if your scales are a bit paler, skin darker, or spots blue instead of red. You're still a mighty Dragon.”

Hassel, having heard our conversation, strode over. “That's quite the deduction, Young Miss- ah forgive me - Nemona.”

I waved him off. “Not that hard. Shiny Axews look pretty similar to regular Axews, so I figured he mostly blended in before his evolution. Hey, mind releasing your Haxorus?” I asked the man before turning back to the wild Dragons.

Many of the curious Axews had gathered around, and their eyes grew wide as they beheld Hassel’s Pokemon. The Haxorus towered above all of them, his entire body covered in thick, polished, yellow-green scales, armoring him. His tusk didn't stick straight out like his pre-evolutions, but instead curved around like axe blades, each lined with red, the same as was on his claws.

“So, that's what you guys are going to look like someday.” And you are all way too cute for me to think about untimely deaths or lack of resources or anything else that will stop you from reaching your full potential in the wild, or else I would catch all of you.

Then to Fraxure I said, “You're going to look slightly different. When you evolve, you'll have scales that are black, like the color of his skin or tusks, but a shade paler.”

“Fraxure…” The Dragon whispered in awe, looking up at his elder, who nodded. There was a note of disbelief in his voice like…

“Of course you too can be a Haxorus!” Wherever did he get the idea that he couldn't? “You'll be just as strong as him when you evolve; heck, maybe even stronger! Those tusks of yours look sharp and well-maintained, that's super important for a Haxorus.”

It's a large part of why Haxorus are as rare in the wild as most pseudo-legendaries. They learn to break and regrow their tusks constantly as Axews, but when they become Fraxures, their most potent weapons become a weak point that can cripple them if they aren't careful. Most instinctively are, but still, accidents happen, especially in the wilderness.

Behind me, Haxorus snorted and rolled his eyes, the thought of anyone being stronger than him not taken as an insult but seen as laughable. The fact that Hassel trained him well also helped.

The man in question was watching the scene unfold, bemused, before clearing his throat. “I need to apologize for misjudging you.”

“Hmm? Didn’t we already go through this? It’s fine, you’ve recognized my potential as a trainer now.” I tried to wave him off, but he stubbornly shook his head.

“Not about that, or rather I didn’t apologize for the offer I gave you those years ago.” I frowned trying to remember what he was talking about before an Axew bumping up against my leg reminded me of what he had done. When he offered me an Axew to train, back when I only had two Pokemon on my team.

“Ah, right,” I said awkwardly, not entirely sure where he was going with this.

“You’re aware that I left my tribe to search for my dream, to make art.” I nodded, as it was something he had long ago confided in me. In the background, I noticed Miguel’s ears perk up, this little tidbit was something the Champion-ranked Trainer clearly hadn’t heard about his co-worker.

Though even in self-imposed exile, I only know vague details. Without the games, I probably wouldn’t be able to guess that his tribe lived in seclusion among the Dragons that were so common off in the North Province, to the East of Glaseado Mountain. He did let slip that his father was the chieftain once, so I could have figured out that he used to be the heir, and from his position in the Elite Four, it wouldn’t be a leap for me to ‘guess’ that his family wants him back if any of them come around and start pestering him.

“Despite my… disagreements with them,” he said, so lightly and casually that it had to be a topic of much deeper distress for him. “They taught me many lessons. About Paldea and our land. One of the greatest of these was to be wary of the Great Crater. At a certain point in a Trainer’s life, if they get strong enough, they will seek out ever greater challenges. And in Paldea, that means the Great Crater. And to one and all, any who have ventured deep enough within it…”

“... have met their doom,” I finished. “And I’m guessing that’s part of why all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four have such… diverse interests, so prominently displayed for the public.” It’s not like powerful Trainers in other regions don’t have hobbies and whatnot, but few of them make their challenges and battles so centered around those interests.

After a moment of silence, I prodded further. “What changed then?”

“My own trips down to the Great Crater. It’s a remarkable place…” There was a wistfulness to his tone that made me wonder how all those conquerors and adventurers of the past had died. It looked beautiful and fantastical from across a screen. I wonder how enchanting it would be in real life? Maybe some of those explorers didn’t get overwhelmed but just decided to stay there.

I frowned before shaking my head. If that were the case, there’d be other signs of habitation down there. Kings marched whole armies into the place. Likely, they just got tricked into traveling further, just a bit further than they had planned, before being destroyed.

My head motion brought Hassel’s own attention back to the moment. “Ahem. It has been quite dangerous, but with proper planning and cohesive effort from the League, we’ve been able to support the research ongoing down there.”

It was almost painful not to wince there, with what I knew of what was going on. Do I just spill the beans now and hope they- He continued, heedless of my train of thought. “It’s been difficult, but we have managed it, and one day you will too. And that day is coming very soon, given your performance against Miguel.”

“Too true, to both parts,” the man in question chimed in. “Been such a headache to organize and rotate our people through,” he groaned. “Still, should be interesting to see what the Professor can come up with. We’re already learning tons about the place.”

“Yes. And so, on that note, I’d like to apologize formally for not having enough faith and dangling that offer in front of you to try and bar your path.”

“Ah, it’s fine-”

“No, no, it isn’t. I can see your clear love and appreciation for this- this line of Dwagons! And sho, I give my full permisshon to use them as a-” his sobbing made his voice unintelligible, so the El Primero stepped in.

“What my friend here is trying to say is that you can have that Fraxure as your seventh Pokémon; no need to go rotating them around. And hey, train them up hard enough, and you can have a match against Hassel and his Haxorus. Show us how far you’ve grown.”

I gaped openly. “Uhh, that’s incredible, I really appreciate it. Umm, but Fraxure, I haven’t asked yet if you even want to join m- oof!” As the Fraxure joyously bowled me over in a crushing hug, I gave a grunt. Looks like he’s a hugger; that’s actually great, though hopefully in the future I’ll have the chance to stay on my feet.

“Frax! Fraxure!”

Pushing myself up, I returned the hug before pulling out a Pokeball and catching Fraxure right away. It clicked for a complete capture almost immediately. I released them again, and they hugged me once more, jumping for joy.

“This is awesome! You’re awesome!” Fraxure made a happy clicking sound, which I equated to laughter as we floated down, my newest team member looking on in awe at my power. Really not a big deal compared to what you can do.

Hassel had recomposed himself, but I could tell he was on the verge of tears again at my display of ‘exuberance and wonder’. Miguel just grinned. “Yeah, it is. We’re looking forward to seeing what you can do.”

He half turned to his Salamence before my words had him turning back. “You betcha! And next time, we’re gonna get to see your Mega Evolution too.”

“Oh? You’re interested in that?” He asked a little too casually.

“Of course, Mega Evolution is great,” I cheered. To prove my point, I grabbed Notch’s Pokeball and released them. “Go on, show him.”

With great care and a bit of Psychic assistance, Notch shook loose the Mega Stone from their fluffy mane, displaying it proudly for the Elite Four and Champion Trainer. Miguel, in particular, leaned in, studying it intently.

“Wow, looks beautiful. What type of Mega Stone is this? I hadn’t heard of Carbinks being able to Mega Evolve.”

I shook my head. “Carbinks can’t, but one day, we’re going to turn Notch here into a Diancie! Then their Diancite will let them Mega Evolve.” Both of them looked shocked at that, though Hassel recovered faster, more keenly aware of how rich my family was.

“That’s incredible. How are you going to do that?”

“I… have no idea!” My dramatic pause for effect, then the anticlimax, had both of the men nearly face-faulting, and I laughed uproariously (Fraxure did so as well beside me, but I didn’t think he actually knew why it was funny).

“Nemona!” Hassel reprimanded, and I tried to stop laughing.

“Sorry, it was just too good to pass up.” I didn’t succeed well at my first attempt, but after a few moments I did calm down. “I don’t know how to change them yet, or I would have already done it. That being said, I do have things I’ve tried and some plans for the future that seem promising.”

I outlined the best plan I had so far, and the El Primero nodded, considering it. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t have thought of anything like that, but it sounds like it could work. Have you tried getting in touch with any of the known Diancie enclaves for the plan?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t had much luck. No word yet from the Kalosian or Alolan Leagues about my requests.” Possibly could have used my parents to apply more pressure to let this happen, but we had other methods to try before this plan, and things were too hectic once I was starting my journey, and I forgot to ask them since. And even then it would be difficult; Legendaries are League protected Pokemon no matter which region you go to. Asking for a chance to visit them with a plus one is a big ask, even if you have a lot of money.

“Well, I can see what I can do about greasing the wheels,” Miguel offered, much to my surprise.

“Really? Wowzer- er, thank y-”

“Don’t thank me yet. Here, take this too.” He reached around in his bag and tossed me a small piece of rock. One very similar in size and texture to the one around his finger.

“Is this a… a…” My voice caught as I cradled it in my palms.

“That’s right; it’s a Key Stone! Didn’t have a chance to shape it into anything nice, but it’ll still work.”

“I can- I mean, this is almost too much. I don’t know what to say.” A Key Stone?! A freaking Key Stone!? Who gives these out? Well, I think Stephen does in the remakes, so ok, maybe it is somewhat normal-ish to get a Key Stone from a Champion, but still.

“Say you’ll use it against me when you fight me. As I’ve said in interviews before, I have nothing against Terastalization, but I love Mega Evolutions. It’d be nice to fight against someone else who shares that view here.”

Huh, he must have gotten more grief over this than I realized. It must be tough; the papers say he moved back to Paldea a few years ago, getting ready to take what he’d learned in Hoenn and use it here, only to find most others had moved to something else.

“I will. Not sure if Notch will be ready by then, but Riolu and I definitely will, so you’ll face a Mega Evolution one way or another.” That brightened him back up, and the two men got back on their Dragons.

“It was great to see you again, Young M- Nemona. Stay out of trouble,” Hassel sternly warned, clearly not having forgotten the beginning of our conversation and why he came here, even if he didn’t have time to lecture me further. And then they were off, soaring through the skies again.