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The Dragonspiral Tower - Icirrus Town, Unova Region

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The return of the Unova Dragon had been televised, thanks to the League's cameras and their auto-pilot function. Naturally, the match between Alex and N, and their post-battle shenanigans, ended up on the Pokénet a few hours later, and soon the entire world knew. Alex Redwood had brought the Original Dragon, Tao, back into balance.

Once more the land took on a golden hue, and peaceful emotions reigned across the region. A holiday was declared, and everyone took the day off, bringing the region to a standstill, as the reformed dragon returned to the Dragonspiral Tower with the new Champion upon his back, after leaving N at the Victory Plateau by his request.

John Crimson was there, of course, eager for the story, only to have Alex remind him that it was all readily available on the Pokénet. He did however, mention that one of the Arceans at Lacunosa had tried to saddle him with a bill for damages as they'd flown away, with a price tag that was a good number of zeroes above what anyone sane asked for, or even needed. With the amount of materials their currency could buy in a world where clever businesses made use of Pokémon, things like building materials could always be gathered, or crafted, with speed and efficiency that rivaled machinery.

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Most of the damage was ice related, and since the ice had melted in Kyurem's absence, Alex didn't see how the damage was his doing. They'd brought on Kyurem's rage by capturing its friends en mass. Since Kyurem had been discovered, the general rule amongst Unovan Trainers was to not piss it off. Most did this by avoiding the Giant Chasm entirely, which had worked, and helped it to heal. Some Trainers between the Chasm and Lacunosa had lost their lives, but through Tao's power, many of those trapped by Glaciate had been successfully revived.

Given that most of the injured were Arceans, they were, of course, looking to sue someone. It was what they did, whenever anything even remotely bad happened to them, or their group. This tendency to go after whoever they could pin the blame on legally, and win, had led to most State governments avoiding the zealots entirely. Nobody wanted to deal with them, or their crazy habits, for good reason.

In the past, the Arcean's legal team had 'miraculously' found documents that would often support their legal battles, and it was no coincidence that most of the judges who presided over their legal cases were rich enough to retire not long afterwards. The tactics of bribery, blackmail, and planting evidence didn't always work, but they worked often enough, and even if their involvement was discovered, anyone going after the Church was quickly labeled a bigot, and the Church itself claimed said person was infringing on their spiritual beliefs, and thus labeled them 'intolerant'.

Rather than attacking organizations, the Arceans had entire divisions of their government devoted to picketing houses of naysayers and spreading foul rumors about the inhabitants. Pedophilia was a favorite accusation, but thievery, corruption, and even incest made their appearances. Thankfully, they hadn't had time to pin Alex with any of that before Tao had carried them away.

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All in all, it was a frustrating way to end such an epic day. The whole challenge against the Four had taken most of the morning, Shiro and Blaze had fought well into the afternoon, and by the time Alex had beaten N, and Kyurem had attacked, the sun had started to set.

The Original Dragon headed to his old seat of power, from which he had once dispensed wisdom and knowledge to Unova's Trainers. Alex had always wondered what the Dragonspiral Tower had been for, but he had no idea how integral he would be to reviving it.

As they came upon the large, castle-like structure, Alex felt the dragon sigh as his calming mental baritone echoed in his skull. "I knew it had fallen into disrepair...but this will take some time and effort to fix."

Alex had given the dragon a comforting pat, though he had no idea if it had been felt. "Worry not. I'll help, where I can. I'm sure they will too." He said, pointing to the milling crowd of Unovans below. Icirrus was flooded with people, and they all cheered as their Dragon God of legend returned home, at last.

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The media beat them there, somehow, and John Crimson met Alex and N as they hopped off of Tao's ice-crested back and into the throng of humans. A waterfall of questions came at them, and the two men shared a look, unable to even respond due to the noise. Then, Tao roared, and all the noise ceased before his Hyper Voice, as the cameras took him in. His eyes glowed, and he projected his mental voice for the first time in ages.

"Let my Tamer speak."

The cameras focused on N, but then Alex coughed, and waved John Crimson over. "Wait..." The older man said, looking between Alex and N, "He means you!?"

"Indeed!" Alex said, smirking as he projected confidence that he felt he'd earned after a hard day of battling. "You're looking at Unova's latest Victory Champion!" He flashed the cameras a victory sign with his pointer and middle fingers forming a V.

"He called you his Tamer though, Alex..." John Crimson continued, still in disbelief, "You're saying you managed to Tame the Original Dragon, and not N?"

Alex nodded. "I used Infinity Energy to balance both halves of the Original Dragon, and then Kyurem kept them contained until they achieved balance with each other and used Absolute Fusion to fuse back together."

John Crimson blinked at him, slowly. "What?"

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Alex tried again, using simpler terms. "You know of Reshiram and Zekrom, yes?" The news legend nodded. "I Mega Evolved them, and Kyurem, and then used Infinity Energy from a Draco Plate crystal to help fuse them back together." He glanced up at Tao, and then smirked at John Crimson. "Seems like it worked."

John Crimson had an expression somewhere between confusion and constipation. "Okay...but...how?"

Alex sighed heavily, and he had to explain several times before the silver fox and the reporters around him grokked it enough to parrot back to their audience.

It was fair to say that at first, most Unovans had no idea how Alex had balanced the dragons. Something something Infinity Energy. But most didn't seem to care right then. The Original Dragon had returned. Unova's Golden Age had started again. Many of them had been waiting for this for decades now, but they had expected it from N.

Nobody outside the Trainer world really knew who this 'new Champion' was, only rumors that he had supposedly beaten both Hilbert and N, on top of the Victory Plateau's Elite Four. A few recognized him from PNN's interview, but John Crimson had already interviewed three other up-and-coming Trainers since. His had been easily missed. It was always available on the Pokénet though, and the video itself went viral overnight.

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The celebration of the Original Dragon's return lasted a week, the last week of August, in fact. Almost a year to the day since Alex had first caught Terra. Alex spent that week by Jess's side as much as he could, putting off asking N about the secret training Professor Oak mentioned. Tao had suggested it was where the next stage of his journey would occur, and with university starting soon, that meant the lovers would have to part. They had a brief chance to relax before that happened though. Mostly, they clung to each other as often as possible, in an endless game of hiding from her brother, who caught on to their antics almost immediately and strove to interrupt them as much as he could. He and Jess had their battles against Nate and Hilda respectively. Connor had been able to match the intensity of Champion Nate's team and seemed satisfied that his own team was ready to crush Alain. Hilda, on the other hand, had very nearly beaten Jess, but she'd managed to stay within one round of Hilda, and in the final two, Delphi had proven her worth with her awesome psychic powers, pulling out two knockouts, and winning her Trainer the match they'd all been training for. Connor had no designs on becoming Champion, or challenging Alex, as now that he was a Champion, the only proper setting for their next match was with Connor as the Champion of Kalos. Jess, for her part, was not a fan of the sudden influx of demands for Alex's free time, and decided she had no desire to be one. She was apparently considering entering a Pokémon Contest instead, when she went to Kalos for her spring break in the upcoming semester.

Alex had colored a suitable Luxury Ball with a familiar swirling pattern of black and white for Tao to stay in, when necessary, but both he and his Trainer agreed that he should interact with Unova as much as possible. The crowd of people who wanted to see Tao stretched from Mistralton to Opelucid as they came to see history in person, and hopefully catch a hint of his great wisdom. As Legendary Pokémon went, Tao was friendly, and regularly spoke to humanity, which made him unique among Legendary Pokémon, and immensely popular.

Most Legendary Pokémon were shy, or angry, towards humans, and could be incredibly destructive without a guiding human hand. Many of the Legendary class Pokémon had latent psychic abilities, allowing basic telepathic speech. Even then, many did not use them. With humans. Tao had never liked that approach though and had always wished for closer ties between humans and his own kind. Being as old as he was, he had told Alex and his two companions that in this modern age, humanity and Pokémon were closer than they had ever been. They were stronger, too. In the past, a Trainer capable of challenging one of his halves one on one, and winning, was all but unheard of, yet in N's challenge there had been many, over a hundred, that had managed to defeat Reshiram or Zekrom, usually through Mega Evolution, or some other power that evened the disparity between them and a Legend like Z Moves or Terastallization.

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Tao spent his energy on rebuilding the Dragonspiral Tower, which had long since fallen into a state of near-constant disrepair and became little more than a hangout for ghosts and wayward dragon types. He kept everyone but Alex from the tower as it was re-worked into what it had once been, and every so often, Alex would appear to ask the celebrating crowd outside the tower for a particular Pokémon move, or item that Tao needed. They usually had it ready for him, as the crowd had swollen to a massive size now.

As the days passed, Tao would occasionally stare out at the crowd, until he sensed one of the millions of humans swarming around them that actually had potential he sought. He would then psychically single that person out and offer them a chance to learn his Way. It was said that, with enough training, the disciples of the First Dragon would gain unnatural power. In modern times, such people were called 'psychics'. This was something only mentioned vaguely in the region's lore, from the era before the brother's war, and thus, all who were given the chance to learn, took it. One simply did not turn down the chance to be a student of the Dragon of Unova.

Thus, Alex had more and more free time to spend with his woman, but with so many eyes around the rapidly reforming tower all day, they'd resorted to sneaking north with their Charizard in the night. A small mountain range, nothing like the one up by Unova University, separated 'northern Unova' from 'Unova Proper'. It was in those foothills that they'd carved out a cave to chill in all night. It was a bit of a nostalgia trip for them, as that very area had been where they'd first met during their Trainer Exam. The new World Tournament building was also nearby, but rumor said it still wasn't ready yet. They'd peeked at it of course, but the tarps and scaffolding surrounding the massive structure gave away no hint of its design. It had to be at least as large as Wyndon's, since it would allow Dynamaxing, and creating a Power Spot was quite easy, as it turned out.

Since Professor Sonia had close personal access to Eternatus, and Leon, its Tamer, she had discovered the Legendary dragon actually shed what humans called Wishing Stars with regularity, though the pieces of the dragon which broke off reportedly grew back quite quickly, as long as it was well fed and able to rest. Through this method, several new Power Spots had been created, though the Professor had warned that making too many anywhere but Galar threatened to throw off the energy network of the planet. Such things were not meant to be tampered with, after all, but that had not stopped the Unovans from creating one here, and since Wishing Stars, albeit ones long bereft of Max Energy, had also been discovered in the region, so adding more Power Spots might be repairing the damage the planet had undoubtedly suffered in the wake of the Dragon King's war.

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The re-working of the tower had taken a few days, and in that time, much of the region had condensed itself into this usually sparsely populated area. Everyone wanted to be worthy of the great wisdom the Original Dragon possessed, and if they weren't here for the dragon, the Trainers in the crowd usually wanted to challenge the new Champion. Word had evidently gotten out about his winning streak, and as usual, the Trainers of Unova were determined to break it.

Alex had welcomed the challenges, though they took up time. He let Blaze and his other Pokémon battle to their heart's content, as most of the Trainers simply were not on their level, but he was usually constantly busy working with Tao. The battles kept most of his team sharp, all except Shruikan, who had fallen into a deep sleep. After consulting the Pokédex, he'd learned Shelgon had several such periods, as they prepared to become a Salamence. This was the first he'd seen, but as he watched, his eyes had widened as the sleeping dragon type slowly, visibly, grew in size.

Alex barely slept since he'd started work on the tower, though it was mostly Tao who worked. Strong as Alex and the other humans were, they were simply incapable of digging through millennia of rock and soil buildup. The Original Dragon, however, made short work of all of it. He'd smashed through the 'puzzles' of each floor with mild irritation and had reformed the rooms into the designs they'd once had. Many levels of open spaces, easily ascended to and descended from, and each with a purpose for the humans who had come to reside within and learn the dragon's wisdom. The restoration had picked up considerably, once Alex and the others didn't have to hop around all the time.

Tao didn't exactly need help, either. He alone could sense what needed to be where in order for the tower to regain its 'Feng Shui', and though Alex had a few good guesses, this was beyond him most of the time, and as he lacked psychic powers, he couldn't really do much to repair the stonework itself, which left him to enjoy his lover in their private abode as the dragon flitted about his old home, repairing it.

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Finally, once the interior was repaired, Tao had all of the humans and Pokémon leave the tower. In an awesome display of his power, the Original Dragon raised his ancient home from the swamp that had formed around it, reworking the very land itself, something that was simple to one on his level of power. Having been formed directly by Arceus, raising a building was within his power set, though how Tao managed to move so much earth with a wave of his arms was beyond Alex's ability to explain. He realized there was much about the Original Dragon that humans did not know, but he asked Tao anyway, curious as he was. The dragon had simply smirked, and explained that, apparently, dragon type energy naturally had dominance over the other types, and in large enough concentrations, could control them as effectively as any Pokémon of that type. The exception of course being fairy energy.

Buried by water and years of silt buildup, the uncovered levels were damp, grimy, and a pain in the rear to clean. But clean them Tao did. Alex had watched with interest as swarms of Unown had flooded from the sunken tower, only to then proceed to aid Tao in whatever he needed. Alex and the other selected humans were made ultimately useless in the reconstruction, and the new Champion wondered if he could convince the dragon to tell him what the Unown actually did.

Tao had responded with another smirk, and promised that, if Alex but obeyed his wisdom, he would find out. Eventually. This was akin to most of the answers the dragon gave him regarding the mysteries of the universe, and thus, Alex contented himself with waiting. He still watched them however, which was how he learned what they spelled together, actually happened. For example, some had gathered to spell 'Cleanse' in Common, and the level of the tower they were in had been turned so clean, they could've eaten off the floors. Naturally, the scientists and Professors of Unova had also gathered to meet the Original Dragon, who was more than glad to welcome learned minds into his home. They constantly peppered him with questions when they could, like what Dream Mist even was, and Tao answered, indulging them with three, at most, before he resumed his work. They also studied phenomenon like this, when Alex told them about it, and had confirmed that the level had been completely cleansed of anything the Unown perceived as not belonging. The humans were, after that point, advised to stay out of the strange being's way, while they worked.

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When everything was finally once more in place, the dragon invited the growing horde of Unovans into his home, and all forty-two floors were filled with milling humans, each waiting for their chance at an audience with the dragon. Though Alex was nearby, the humans who approached usually regarded him with cold looks, fear, or general ambivalence. They didn't care to speak to the man who'd reunited the dragon, they wanted the legendary being himself. Alex found he didn't mind, as after listening to several of the conversations, he realized two things.

Humans were, by vast majority, stupid. Most of the problems Tao handled could've also been solved by five seconds on the Pokénet. He also learned that his species was, in a word, inherently violent. Too many who came to the dragon came demanding his power, so they could crush their rivals. Those types usually brought some sort of device to try capturing the Original Dragon, but Tao was not concerned, as he simply Teleported them away. To where, Tao never said. The only humans that gave Alex the time of day were Trainers, but usually only the inexperienced ones. A depressing amount had tried throwing an Ultra or Quick Ball at Tao, at which point they'd been detained and, in most cases, banished from ever entering the dragon's tower again.

Once he'd had as much of humanity as he could take, Alex walked off to explore the other levels of the castle-like tower. It wasn't long before Alex found Connor sulking in a shadowy corner on one of the top floors, bluish-purple scarf around his mouth, like he was some sort of ninja. His hat was all wrong for it though.

Connor nodded at the dragon as Alex joined him. "I was thinking, looking at him, I'm reminded of that old line. 'Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice and lightning'…"

Alex tilted his head for a moment, eyeing Tao, then looked back at his friend. "You don't think Lugia and the others are like our three former dragons, do you?"

Connor grinned. "I intend to find out."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Fine. If you manage to balance the birds, I'll eat…something edible, shaped like my hat." He liked his hat too much to actually eat it, and had no illusions that Connor would definitely hold him to such a promise, and judging by the fire in his eyes, Alex kind of believed he'd manage to do it. Or at least try.

Connor stood straight then, and Alex saw his bag as well. He was readying to leave. His bag was similar to Alex's, a few years older in design, and covered with a lot more sentimental junk, but it still matched the edgy dark blue thing he had going on.

"I'll hold you to that, Redwood. I should get going now. The party has been going for days, and I've idled long enough."

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Alex raised a brow, then thought for a moment. His past two weeks had mostly been spent restoring an ancient building covered in the dredge of a lake and hundreds of years of pollution buildup. He supposed everyone else had been enjoying the new 'golden age'. He'd heard about the golden grass, the bluer skies, the pinker nights, but he'd seen little of it between his lovemaking and his working.

Almost all the regular Unovans he met told him how impressed they were with his achievement, and yet up until today, he'd seen almost none of it. Unova had definitely changed, and he would leave it to Tao to make sure it stayed balanced.

Connor walked off then after the manliest of brief hugs, to find his sister. It wasn't hard, for though much of Unova was a varied shade of hair colors, nobody else had red hair like hers, and she stuck out in the crowds when viewed from the air. It still took some time, though.

Tao often levitated in the air at the top of the tower as he gave his patient wisdom, eyes closed, speaking quietly with the gathered Unovans by way of telepathy as he gave them insight into what their lives required for balance. He didn't solve every problem immediately, but most people left with words of wisdom that would only make sense when the time was right.

Often, he was challenged to battles by Trainers who'd captured other Legendary or Mythical Pokémon of which there were many. Such Trainers soon found out that the dragon, despite being quite good at battling, much preferred to Teleport away with the Pokémon in question and enjoy a private chat as they caught up on news, and shared important information that evidently was for their ears only.

Alex was usually left alone when he did this, and those who had Tamed the aforementioned Pokémon looked at him like a leech, rather than the human who'd tamed the strongest dragon in history. He knew the time to head for this Swamp he'd heard of several times was fast approaching. Dealing with humans was clearly Tao's specialty, and Alex was becoming more and more obviously bad at it, though thankfully, none of the media networks had managed to record his Mukups.

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Stuck outside while the tower was full of petitioners, Joey and other Trainers had gathered at the local fan club and had happened to recognize Jessica Gladstone as she was heading to the Pokémon Center. She was semi-famous by this point of course, but nobody had really tied her to Alex yet, nobody except those who had seen how they acted together. Joey had been chosen by the Original Dragon too and had seen how they acted within the confines of the tower. They'd even spoken around bowls of Leaf on breaks.

Joey had convinced her to chat for a minute, despite being surrounded by a troupe of equally overly interested Trainers, who hadn't been chosen, but clearly found Joey and Jess awesome, because they had. Rumors abounded about Tao's 'enlightened disciples', and the only way to find out if you had that potential, was to speak to the Original Dragon himself.

They all made it clear that they wanted to learn from her boyfriend. She admitted that having him teach them now would take time away from his other duties. She was in the middle of explaining the awkwardness of the soon to be long-distance relationship when Connor spied her hair, and descended alongside his Reuniclus, Uniclus, who was flying him around with Psychic, and evidently having a blast doing it.

Feeling nauseous as the overly bubbly psychic type twirled him towards the ground, Connor muttered, "Gah…flying is for Pokémon…"

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Once he landed and fought the urge to hurl, he eyed the group of strange men surrounding his sister with strangely eager looks, Connor moved towards her. "Hey, sis… I'm, uh, leaving."

He was too distracted by the men, who were very obviously staring at him too now, to come up with a more elegant way of phrasing his imminent departure. He met her gaze, and then nodded at the men, who continued to smile enthusiastically. They really just wanted to meet the Champion, but these Trainers had never mastered social graces, especially not around women like Jess.

Jess found the whole situation hilarious. "They're here to meet Alex, gutter-brain. They want to be his 'disciples' and learn what he's apparently taught us as well."

Connor's eye twitched. "So…we're his apprentices now? Senior apprentices, since we've mastered these 'skills'." He looked at the ground, then at the Trainers, and then at his sister who he could tell, had recently been intimate. They weren't too careful about hiding the aftermath lately, and didn't seem to care, judging by the slightly mussed hair and askew clothing. The imminent separation was approaching. Little else mattered, apparently.

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"Right." Connor said, tossing his old hat he'd worn since he'd been in university, to the ground. "I'm going to call you around Festivus dear sister, I need you to make something edible in the shape of Alex's hat."

Jess arched a brow. "Whyyy?"

Connor grinned. "I'm going to...do something 'Legendary'. I've a bet with Alex. It involves a hat-shaped edible arrangement, and you're the only one of us who knows how to cook."

He walked off before Jess could say anything more, and accelerated into a run, just like he had been taught. Then, he vanished. He needed a new hat, and plenty of training. He was behind his sister and his rival in the balancing of these dual typed moves, but he had picked up the concept quickly. Too quickly, for Alex's tastes, who had stopped teaching him just in time for them to arrive at the Victory Plateau.

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As she watched her brother leave on his quest, Jess decided to leave as well. Alex tried to persuade her to stay, until he saw it was already past midnight. They'd been making love straight through dinner, and then work had pulled him away. He was helping Tao solve people's problems, and the more of them he heard, the more he was convinced that humanity was doomed.

Eventually, during yet another example of Arcean philosophy in action, he and Tao were subjected to a group of the lunatic cultists abruptly taking over the level at which Tao answered the general populace's questions with a disturbingly lock-step flash mob. They then started loudly proclaiming their version of the very obviously fabricated series of events with regard to who had really brought the golden age in Unova about. Sensing he was about to go off on the Arceans, at Tao's request he had walked away and left it to Tao to handle in a calm and serious manner. He did not abide such obvious lies in his home. They were now trying to claim that, had Ghetsis not held Reshiram and Kyurem, Alex would've never united the Dragon. Because Ghetsis had legally caught Kyurem and then fused it with Reshiram, they claimed that meant that the Arcean Church legally owned two thirds of Tao, in Kyurem and Reshiram. Since Ghetsis had been part of their cult, his Pokémon were, supposedly, also part of their 'religious property'.

Reasoning with those people was like teaching the alphabet to a barn door, and instead of knowledge about the dragon, and how the three were literally just One, these people in old style navy military uniforms only sought to inform Alex, when he'd tried speaking, that he was being sued for damages to their town. Over and over. Every time he closed his mouth.

As the town had been smashed by a Legendary Pokémon they had angered by mass-capturing the inhabitants of the Giant Chasm, Alex wished them good luck with their ludicrous lawsuit, and went to find his girlfriend. He hadn't controlled Kyurem's actions. Kyurem was their property, apparently. He knew that since they had been the ones to work the icy dragon into a rage, any damage caused by it was on them, legally. Alex wondered if the Arceans would actually try to sue themselves as he returned from his work to find his lover ready to leave.

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They made no mention of Festivus, as she knew he couldn't stand his family all at once for a full month. Especially not now that he'd done something so 'unbelievable'. He also had a feeling it would take more than a few months to deal with whatever this 'psychic master' had in store for him.

Then, finally, she was gone. It was cold in Icirrus now, granted, being thousands of feet up might've caused that, and he watched the light of her family's luxury driving car head north until he could no longer make out the lights.

Discovering that he was genuinely freezing, even to his nose hairs, he went back to the Pokémon Center on Blaze, who had been responsible for flying him up. That cold air above that had carried the first freeze of the coming winter had chilled him more than he expected.

He enjoyed a bowl of Leaf then, in the local Pokémon Center and was soon joined by other people, who were all passing around a bong full of it. Typical grass Trainers. The massive crowd brought all types to the formerly sparsely populated Icirrus Town. It looked more like a tent city, these days.

The Arceans had pitched a fit when they saw a follower of 'their dragon' smoking 'drugs' with other 'random Trainers' in the middle of a Pokémon Center. The local nurse, who was rapidly considering relocating, had considered a group of relatively harmless Leaf smokers the least of her worries. The crowd was full of battles, and lack of hygiene was causing sickness to spread. She had bigger things to worry about, but the Arceans were relentless, and it wasn't long at all before the legality of the Leaf was once more in question, as the use of the herb had become strong amongst those milling around Icirrus. There were simply too many for the local police forces to handle. Many, including some members of the police, had simply joined in, as the good mood following Tao's revival had been infectious. Others, had rallied behind the Arceans, thinking that the return of the Original Dragon should be celebrated with ancient rituals, not smoking circles. As was the usual with crowds, tempers rose quickly.

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For once, the Arceans made a good case. Devout followers of the Original Dragon famously claimed that he had abhorred the Leaf. It was the entire reason the herb had been banned in the first place. These so called 'dragon-priests' had evidently been wandering the crowd, shaming anyone they caught enjoying the Leaf, or doing something they saw as 'unbecoming' in the Guardian's presence. Arguments became heated. Sides began forming. Thus, Alex brought the issue to Tao himself.

"They're at it again Tao. Now the Arceans are claiming that smoking Leaf in your 'divine presence' is an 'affront to the Alpha Pokémon'. There's also people calling themselves Dragon Priests wandering the crowd, trying, and usually failing, to shame people into not smoking."

Tao arched a scaly eyebrow and peered over the edge of the topmost level of his tower. It was, apparently, a garden, or had been in ages past. Tao was in the midst of replanting and regrowing it. The gong that had been placed upon this level had been moved below with other artifacts, as it no longer served a purpose, but was apparently historically valuable to the humans. "Is my stance on the Holy Herb really not well known?"

Alex blinked, "That's...a new name for it. Uhh, no, it isn't. In fact, the idea of smoking up one's Pokémon is generally frowned upon, though feline Pokémon seem fine with-" He was cut off, as the titanic form of the dragon rose from where it had comfortably coiled around the top of the Dragonspiral Tower. Tao's coils were, apparently, the source of its moniker.

"I shall set the record straight, and this will, ideally, be the end of the Arcean's insipid interference." They hadn't done anything egregious, yet, and had loudly denounced those who had poached the Giant Chasm, so Tao had resisted publicly opposing them, but their antics were starting to grind even his nerves. Their asinine presentation of how he was apparently two thirds their Pokémon had lasted for five hours.

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Tao's rising form arced out over Icirrus, awing the equally massive crowd with his heavenly grace. The cheers lasted a full five minutes, and the vain dragon enjoyed them as he gracefully twirled through the air. It was good to be whole.

The dragon flew low over them then and winked as he flew up to the topside garden of his tower. "There is contention in regard to my enjoyment of what you in this era call...Leaf." He twisted a claw, and a piece of thin, wispy cloud, the only one for miles that day, became a familiar glass shaped instrument used for smoking the Leaf. He curled his tail in the air and rested his upper half on it as he pointed at the ground of the tower's top level, and massive balls of green rose to his claws as nature itself bent to the Dragon's needs. The crowd just watched, mostly in disbelief. "Let this put to rest any misconceptions you may have."

He twisted his claw again, taking what was left of the thin cloud, and turning it into a familiar glass slide. The balls of green floated into the new slide with his telekinesis, one of the powers his followers supposedly gained, and the crowd quieted entirely.

One of his claws blazed with blue flame over the large green buds as the massive dragon inhaled. Thankfully, it was a cloudless, late summer day. There was no cloudy moisture to ruin the buds. The force of his inhale would've definitely brought them through the slide, and made his buds damp, and un smokable. He usually didn't do this this high up, with a bong this fragile. The wind sucked, the cold air ruined the burn, and he never got as much as his massive body desired.

He had an entire room in his tower for this sole activity, that he and he alone could handle, though he had yet to clean it out and make it suitable to chill within again, as aiding the people of his region was more important.

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The legality of this same herb was an issue with Legendary Pokémon as well. Some enjoyed it. Some did not. Some claimed the Alpha was against it. Others said it was the only way to the Alpha. Tao was one of the latter.

He eyed the stunned humans as literally everyone stared at the dragon, usually in disbelief, but just as commonly with open laughter at the sheer absurdity of what was happening. The dragon God of their people was smoking a bowl.

A cloud of light-gray smoke rained down on Unova as the massive white and black dragon exhaled, and thousands started coughing, like complete newbies. Tao sighed, and his tone rang out over the hazy crowd. "We have much training to do…"

The legality of the herb was settled, then. The Governor of Unova had come to Icirrus as well, naturally, and had looked at the Arceans of Lacunosa, or AoL, and said to their leader, Ghetsis' handler, "I'm not going to argue over the legitimacy of sacred texts you don't have, when the Dragon God himself smokes a bowl and bathes half the region in dank smoke." Evidently, the 'dragon priests' had just been Arceans, converts from Unova itself, and history buffs as well, passing themselves off as Unovans.

Even the Arceans couldn't argue with the dragon's actions though, and dropped the issue entirely, once they realized the crowd was enjoying the effects of the herb, and their position had become even more of a minority. Strangely enough, the Original Dragon's smoke had only caused good effects, cured many of the crowd's diseases or infections, and even healed wounds. The crowd only grew as tales of this 'magic herb' spread beyond just Trainers, and Tao took to smoking on the ground with them in what became, to the Arcean's fury, a town sized smoke circle. One day soon after that display, when John Crimson predicated a thunderstorm approaching, Tao had taken those strong, dark clouds and forged a set of bongs and slides for both him and his Tamer with the power of electricity, fire, and ice. Storm clouds were a bit harder to mold than wisps.

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After witnessing Tao's little stunt and laughing for a full minute, Alex had returned to the former gym of his friend Nick, who had also come down with the other members of the Elite Four and joined in the festivities. The entire gym was on break from training, and those within were hanging out, and smoking bowls of the herb. Alex joined Nick's circle and recognized several Karate Trainers he'd battled when he'd still been training to topple Iris. He got their names, and promised to have Tao evaluate their potential. His all-seeing eyes could single out those with genius level talents, but he had to be in closer proximity for those whose potential was buried, or otherwise untapped.

As the circle grew, and Nick asked about Jess, the conversation turned a bit lewd, and despite having stated who he was with, he did get propositioned. It was about that time that he decided to return to Tao and told him that he would be leaving as well, to train with this psychic master he'd heard about.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The dragon had simply nodded, and spoken, gaining the attention of the entire crowd as his calming mental baritone filled the air. "Go then, Champion. If you need me for Battle, I will be there. You will learn much from the Sage. Train hard." They enjoyed a final bowl together in their already well-used cloudy gray glass sets, and then Alex headed off for the Victory Plateau upon Blaze again. N would likely still be waiting there. Brooding from atop the plateau was kind of his thing, a habit he'd developed once the League had named him the strongest of Unova's many Champions.

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Alex arrived once more atop the battle-torn plateau, now understanding just how epic his battle must have looked. The plateau had once housed N's castle, but now, the land it had stood upon connected to the back of the Victory League's final room. All that remained of the castle were the stone pillars that formed a loose circle around where the two dragons had battled. As expected, said pillars did not last long, and usually had to be rebuilt. This was where most of the material making up N's old home had gone, and over the years, it had faded entirely as it was deconstructed piece by piece.

"It's about time." N said, not turning to his newest, youngest rival, who he refused to be surpassed by, "You've taken two weeks. We'll be late at this rate."

Alex raised a brow. "Late for what?"

N grinned, turning to him. "For the race to the Psychic Master in the Swamp."

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Alex and N departed then, and found him a flying type as soon as possible. They hadn't looked far, as there was an Aerodactyl waiting for them at the bottom of Victory Road. N looked at the Pokémon, speaking to it, and then shed a single tear.

His old friend Archeops had sensed his Trainer's need, and sent a friend to help. The offspring of his own nest's neighbors, a young Aerodactyl who needed and wanted a Trainer. He came clutching a Pokéball as well, one that was as black as Zekrom had been.

Inside the ball was his Zoroark, who had been captured by Ghetsis. N asked if he wanted to be released, but he refused. His ball belonged to N now, and he was fine with having one if N was his Trainer.

Alex gave him a Luxury Ball for his Aerodactyl, but then said he'd need to earn money by battling to get balls for his other Pokémon. Twitching slightly, N nodded. He'd never needed money, or Pokéballs. He was still wrestling with balancing his strong ideals concerning the capture spheres.

"I just don't like confining them to Pokéballs." He kept saying as Alex continuously pointed out the many advantages of having them on hand. Finally, he'd convinced Arthur to come out and share mentally with N what the interior was actually like. After that, his reluctance was greatly lessened, as he saw they were absurdly comfy. He also learned they could be customized, to simulate a territory in which the contained species was most comfortable, or to simulate human comforts like a bed and pillows. They could also manifest rooms or areas within which they could train and use most moves without risking damage to their ball. Despite having his mind blown at just how far Pokéballs, especially Luxury and Ultra Balls, had come thanks to modern Professors, N still let his partners out often.

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Hilbert had had a conversation with N before leaving ahead of Connor, Jess, and now Alex as to the fate of himself, and the other Champions. Nate had taken over as the leader for Opeleucid's gym, which left the two female Champions, Rosa and Hilda, to keep the Unova League's status as the hardest in the world.

There was a backlog of Trainers coming up Victory Road, and the Elite Four didn't always beat them. Since adding Nick to their ranks however, just getting to one of the girls was quite challenging. Very few Trainers could match Hilda or Rosa though, and the ones who did would end up battling Tao, and losing.

By the time all this transpired, Alex and N had reached the southern edge of Unova. South of there, things got…strange. Strange people, strange culture, all terrified of the Swamp that loomed to the south, and threatened to swallow up their home, as it had to the land once known as Floria, which was now overgrown with massive sky-scraping trees, and people who lived on the dangerous and salty swamp waters.

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"This is where I leave you, Champion." N said as they reached the southern edge of Aspertia City.

Alex raised a brow. "Are you not coming?"

N shrugged. "I might, someday, but you made it clear that my destiny is not yours. Perhaps I am destined for a different Psychic Master."

"I was wondering about that," Alex said, eyeing the tree line. He could see a barely used footpath there on the edge, and knew walking through it at his size was going to be a joy. "Professor Oak met me while I was on the Victory Road. He said to ask you about the Sages."

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N sighed. "Show me your Badges." Alex did so, and the Champion swore. "Fine. I guess we're just handing all the secrets to you."

Alex smirked at N. "That's the idea. I am the Champion."

"Bianca should be doing this…" N muttered. She was the Pokémon Professor now after all, though the aging Professor Juniper still helped every so often.

"The Swamp is the second part of the League Challenge you've somehow managed to complete. Usually, a Trainer whose beaten several Pokémon Leagues is given this information. Because Oak told you enough already, and because of what you did for Unova, and your victories here, I will tell you where to go. Head south, past the Swamp fearing people of Jinia Town, and you will find a group of Trainers. They're from the other Regions on this continent, and all are going to venture into the Swamp to find the Psychic Master. Assuming you survive the Swamp, the Psychic Master will inform you of the rest of the challenge."

Alex blinked, absorbing the information. "And who is our Swamp's Psychic Master?"

N tilted his head. "A powerful one. He's as close to Human as a Pokémon can get. Intelligence wise. Big, like you. You'll like him." Figuring that meant N had seen this master, he began to ask, but N had already flown away on his Aerodactyl.

After battling through half the region, it was now strong enough to carry N. Several of his old team had returned as they'd traveled and word got around even among Pokémon, but he had a few new faces on his belt as well. He would need time to train them, but they promised to be a difficult team to beat. His reluctance to battle had faded when his partners had told him how much they enjoyed it, how strong it made their bond, and most importantly, how skilled he was as a Trainer. Even without one of the dragons, the former Champion was quite good. For his part, Alex had eventually gotten over his hero envy of N and was just glad to see that the dethroned Champion was genuinely having fun battling. Alex found he liked the feeling he got, seeing a new team form thanks to his occasional timely intervention, when N's tendency to resist catching a Pokémon threatened to stop a forming bond.

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As Alex turned to face the barely used path to go further south of Aspertia, he blinked, seeing a trio of youngsters step in front of him. To his eyes, they were adorable, and each one wore a color matching the grass, fire, or water type.

"Stop right there, Champion." Said the oldest boy barely into puberty, who was wearing fiery red. If Alex had been in a game of 'who's the protag' this youngster would've beaten even him. His hair was gelled, blonde, and spiky, with a flame like pattern on each spike. This was the future. Alex sighed softly, but he was smirking.

The girl with the green clothes on threw a Pokéball then, and a Servine appeared.

"Not yet!" The other young girl in blue growled. She stared then, as her own ball opened, and her Dewott appeared beside the Servine. They glared at each other, and Alex knew they were rivals. Sighing, the fiery boy brought out his Emboar, fully evolved. It was fitting, as the flame-head was a few years older than his lady friends.

Alex raised a brow, then eyed each of the Pokémon, who had dropped to their battle poses and stared him down with eager grins. That was when it clicked. He had rejected these very three, and had sent them to partner with Trainers as young as they were.

"I see." Alex said, smirking. "Your Pokémon noticed me, and called you three out of your homes. Very well. Let us Battle." Terra popped out, towering over the Servine, Blaze appeared before the Emboar, and eyed the fire pig, smirking. The Emboar offered a clenched fist for a bump, and his Charizard didn't leave the burning boar hanging, before they took battle stances. Hydrus yawned and examined the Dewott, then shrugged, and dropped into his battle crouch.

"Go easy on them." Alex said, hands in his pockets.

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It was over in one round. Terra had turned, and blasted the Dewott with a Razor Leaf, the Servine had received a non-condensed Flame Burst from Blaze, and Hydrus had taken down the Emboar with a single similarly non-condensed Water Pulse. This, combined with Terra's leaves hitting all three, cemented their victory.

The three Trainers stared at him in disbelief.

"A good Trainer relies on their starter." He said, patting Terra, "But they also have other Pokémon, with different typing. Next time, we will Battle one-on-one. Prepare for that day, conquer Unova, make a strong team, and then come and challenge me. Who knows. You might become the Champion."

He winked then, leaving, knowing that maybe one of those three would accept his challenge, and make it all the way up the Victory Plateau. If they were lucky.

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Everyone thought his title of 'Champion of Unova' relied on the dragon's power, and not his. Many still hadn't had the chance to battle his team, though on the way down with N, he met quite a few of Unova's Trainers, and beat them as hard as Hilbert had.

Alex and his team were essentially following Hilbert's own string of recent victories through the mostly undeveloped, but populous regions in the center of the eastern coast. Much of the land was used for farming, as the east had always been more fertile than Fornia to the west, which was mostly covered by a massive desert, and mountains.

This region provided food to almost every one of the States. He knew they were on the right path to the Swamp as, whenever he asked about it, the Trainers he met would make Arceus' sign in the air with their fingers, and promptly leave. That was fine, though. He could find the true edge of it on his own.

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Once he was through the more wooded part of Transylveticut, the state directly south of Unova, he found a rustic looking Pokémon Center, and decided to rest up. One or two Trainers asked if he was the new Unova Champion, which had made him smirk, but beyond that nobody seemed to know him.

It was nice not having all eyes on him all the time. He hadn't been this ignored since before the Draconis Mons fiasco. He made a call to his Gruncle, and thankfully, the center still had modern technology within its wooden frame. A sign of the League's wealth, even here, in these wide, primarily empty farmlands. The 'breadbasket of the continent'.

After having him transfer over a new Pokédex, he plied his granduncle for information, but he was a stubborn old goat, and apparently, was in the middle of an experiment. That was odd, for as far as Alex knew, his granduncle hadn't conducted an experiment in decades. He usually sat around smoking Leaf in his lab's dingy basement, dispensing wisdom to anyone who would listen. Not many did.

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Feeling exhausted and frustrated at his lack of progress on finding out anything more about this Swamp, Alex went to bed. His relative had stubbornly refused to talk about the Swamp. He was 'on his own, for that nonsense'.

He slept for almost a full day, recovering from the long weeks of work, and sex, with almost no sleep. Tao's energy had sustained him, but he could feel himself slowly growing more exhausted the further he went from Unova. He awoke over a day later to find that Arthur had taken care of the rest of the team, letting Hydrus and Terra out to lounge around.

Blaze was practicing aerial maneuvers, with his weights on, and Alex was surprised his team knew how to attach them properly.

Impressed with his responsibility, Alex sparred against Arthur, something he often lost at, but knew his Pokémon enjoyed immensely. They both had rough, untrained styles, and were both completely self-taught amateurs. Still unable to properly control his Sword Arms, Arthur took every chance he could to try and master them.

They had just finished battling, when Alex noticed a blur of dust headed straight for his lounging team. If he was being fair, he'd been petting Leo, who noticed it first, and growled. The cloud turned towards them, and at the head of it, Alex saw a familiar dragon type.

The Dragonite pumped its absurdly tiny wings as it struggled to stop its forward momentum. How a creature that oddly shaped flew so fast was an aerodynamic mystery that scientists still hadn't figured out.

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The large dragon stomped over, and that was when Alex noticed the bag around its body. It handed him a pamphlet of some kind and waited patiently. Looking around, as he didn't quite believe he was experiencing this exact scenario. It was almost identical in nature to the one Ash Ketchum had, apparently, experienced before being invited to face Mewtwo. The first, and most powerful Mewtwo that Team Rocket had created. Their meeting had been so epic, they'd made a movie out of it. He turned his focus to the pamphlet then.

"If this is an exploding hologram, I swear…" He opened it, and while it had some sort of tech within it, the words required one to read them. It was an invitation, apparently, to some sort of gathering by the northern edge of the Great Northern Swamp.

He looked up at the Dragonite, who was still waiting, and noticed it was offering him a writing implement. He checked the 'accept' box on the small card that had come with the pamphlet, and after taking it, the Dragonite launched into the air again, straight up, before stopping in mid-air, and then zooming southward with incredible speed. Blaze growled; he'd wanted to fight a dragon like that. It may have looked silly, but it was clearly strong. It had also completely ignored the prideful Charizard.

Alex recalled his team, and then walked over to his Charizard. "If you can catch up to him, we'll Battle him." Motivated to carry his master's large frame for once, Blaze launched himself into the air and began flying south as well. As he was carrying a passenger, there was no way he could realistically catch up. At least Alex had removed the training weights though. He usually left them on.

It didn't take long for them to find what they were looking for. The massive group of Trainers was stretched out on the abandoned, grassy fields north of the Swamp. Makeshift battlefields had been carved into the dirt in a haphazard mess, and from the air, it looked quite unusual. Knowing he needed to find someone in charge of this chaos, he had Blaze hover behind clouds as they approached. Not that it helped.

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He could see the people battling below and had a sudden premonition that they'd be in the air as well. He was right, as a Mega Pidgeot blasted past him, straight into a Staraptor it was battling. A Talonflame joined in then, and it was ridiculously hard for both Alex and Blaze not to watch. They were masterful in the air, and he had to all but smack his Charizard to get his attention and refocus on flying.

He took Blaze down then, and just for fun, the flying orange lizard began to spin. It was a good trick, but his Trainer felt his lunch threatening to come up.

As his Charizard leveled out over the crowd, gaining the attention of many of the idle Trainers camping below them, he spotted someone who looked like they were in charge. They were by the Swamp's edge, so he guessed they must know about it. He was directed from person to person until he finally found the real makeshift headquarters. Because of the barely controlled chaos, he'd needed aid in finding it.

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The person in charge of this mess of camouflage clad Trainers was a woman with purple hair, and a strange robe-like garment, that covered a pair of her own camouflaged clothing. She was older as well, and her left eye had a patch of dark cloth over it. She carried a staff, ordinary, wooden, which she leaned on as she surveyed a map of what he assumed was the Swamp.

She looked up as Alex was escorted into her tent by her similarly garbed guard. They wore a strange kind of clothing that was patterned with green, brown, and gray. When asked, one of the guards had said that it was old-fashioned survival gear that the people of this region had apparently worn for millennia. In the distant age of humanity's past, such garments had been made in massive quantities, probably for some war, but now, they served to identify those in charge of the Swamp, and those who were challengers.

"Ah yes, the newest Unovan Champion. Good. Now we can begin." The way she looked him over made him nervous. It wasn't all that different from how Leo had eyed the female Luxray they'd encountered in this area of the continent.

Raising a brow, Alex held up a hand. "Please, I have a few questions, before anything begins, I'd like to know what everyone else knows. What is this challenge, exactly?"

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The older woman eyed him for a moment. "You already know what everyone else does. Like you, they were told by the last Champion they surpassed that they needed to come here to seek the Psychic Master. Beyond that, nobody knows what this challenge will entail. Now go outside and join the others…the test will begin soon."

Being relatively fresh from university, the word 'test' still made him flinch and filled him with an aura of anxiety. He despised tests, or rather, written ones. There had been a fair number of physical tests over his years there, but most had been of the writing variety. It had taken him two years to realize that everyone was cheating on them. The increase in his grades after acquiring that knowledge was, of course, purely coincidental.

"Fair warning, Redwood," The woman said as he left, "Most of the other Trainers here know about you, and what you did in Unova. Some are impressed, but most are irritated that you acquired the knowledge of this challenge without beating other Leagues in other Regions."

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He sighed and nodded as he left. It figured as much. Something as notable as reforming an ancient and unimaginably powerful Legendary Dragon Pokémon was exciting news, and in a world as globally connected as theirs, everyone naturally had an opinion on it.

He put it from his mind and ignored the occasional too-long stare he sometimes caught from the crowds of other Trainers gathered around makeshift campsites. Judging by their clothing, he soon got the feeling that each region's worthy competitors were expected to team up for this.

His feeling was confirmed as he saw Hilbert approaching him. It seemed Unova only had two competitors, as he was camping alone. They clasped arms and shared a smirk. "Welcome to the Great Swamp, Champion."

"Glad to be here." Alex responded. They had about fifty-five minutes of casual conversing over Leaf that his Serperior, Caesar, had grown, before the announcement happened.

A Hyper Beam shot into the air and punched a wide circular hole through the clouds. Finding its source, Alex stood. It was the Dragonite who'd delivered his pamphlet. Motioning for his fellow Champion to follow, the two men made their way towards the purple haired woman's tent, which was closest to the Swamp's border.

Hilbert was quite a bit older than Alex, by at least three to four decades, but they had become fast friends since their match. He also knew Leaf smoking techniques that had been quite beyond Alex when he'd tried them and looked forward to practicing them more. If they could.

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The purple haired woman thumped her staff, gaining their attention as she began to shout at them, without raising her voice. Despite that, her words still reached their ears, somehow. "Welcome, Trainers of the Northern Continent. Some of you have waited years for this challenge to begin, others among you have only recently acquired this knowledge. Regardless, the Master himself instructed that each of you be invited here."

She began pacing on the platform of raised earth that hadn't been in front of her tent earlier. "Each of you has demonstrated a potential worthiness, however, few of you will actually succeed in this challenge. Indeed, many of you may even lose your lives. If you are not willing to risk death or maiming, leave now."

Alex sensed heads turning as people watched for those whose nerves were weak. Most of these Trainers were hardened Champions, or Trainers on that level, and had traveled the world. Their resolve would only break during this challenge.

Surveying the crowd of Trainers, and noticing that none had left, the woman smirked. "Good. At least you're all worthy of not being called cowards." She knew that a few of them would likely leave once the challenge began, to avoid scornful looks.

Some Champions prized their lives and material wealth above such challenges and weren't willing to risk cutting them short for more glory.

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She continued, suppressing a wry grin. "During this challenge, you will be required to venture to the heart of the Swamp. You may not fly above the canopy while the challenge is in progress. Violators of this rule will be shot down." Alex flinched again, as did every Trainer in the crowd. The feeling of unease from this woman was universal, it seemed.

Each of them had seen her Dragonite's Hyper Beam, and most of the Trainers gathered knew it would be enough to cause serious injury if it came out of nowhere and hit their Pokémon mid-flight. There were always exceptions, of course. Alex had a feeling they'd learn the cost of breaking the rules rather painfully.

"In the Swamp, you will each encounter a challenge that will be tailored to you, and your past. Some of you will relive harsh emotional events from your life and feel things you thought you'd never feel again. If you are not prepared to suffer such things, leave now, and know that you will not be judged for doing so."

This time, a few people did leave, hopping on their various flying Pokémon and soaring away. Evidently there were some who had experienced such horrifying trauma that no reward was worth reliving that experience. Nobody sneered at them, however. Not openly, at least.

"If you manage to pass this challenge, you will soon find yourself in the heart of the Swamp, and in the domain of the Master. If you fail, you will continue to wander aimlessly, lost, until you complete it…or go mad. Many who venture into this terrain do not return. Those of you who have visited the town to the north know that the locals fear the Swamp. They do so for good reason. Underestimate it, and you have already failed."

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That got a few murmurs, but otherwise, the crowd waited patiently for the old woman to finish. "If you, at any point, wish to quit the challenge, you need only fly above the canopy, and hover there. Keep both arms very clearly raised above your head as you do, and you will not be shot down. Once you reach the aforementioned height, and confirm with an official that you're quitting, you may leave."

The woman paused then and affixed an item to her Dragonite's head. It was a scope of some kind, with a green lens that hovered in front of the Pokémon's eye.

"These scopes will be affixed to each group of Pokémon assigned to shoot down those who violate the no-flying rule. The League has banned these devices, because they allow a Pokémon to attack with a Move, and rarely miss. Do not try your luck against them, you will fail." There were a few skeptical rumbles, and there would likely be a few daredevils who tried to cheat, believing their aerial dodges would suffice here. They would be proven painfully wrong. The Sage's Examiners took the 'no-flying' rule quite seriously.

"In a few moments, I and my attendants will take position at the Swamp's edge. Each of you will come forward and speak to your guide. There are papers you'll need to sign, as well as last wishes, and what you want done with your bodies and Pokémon, should they be recovered. Once that is complete, you may enter the Swamp." With that, the woman hopped onto her dragon Pokémon, and headed for the edge, where the rest of her strange camouflage garbed people were already standing.

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It took a few minutes before the crowd surged forward, and as it looked like a few would try to avoid the lines and just enter the Swamp regardless, a massive wall of red light shot up from behind the stationed guards. The Swamp's trees were massive in size, and towered high above the energy barrier, but the wall served its purpose. Anyone trying to circumvent it would be noticed easily, and then presumably shot down.

A few Trainers tested the barrier of energy, then resigned themselves to the que. Alex and Hilbert, along with other scattered loners from remote regions, lagged behind. They saw no sense in rushing, as the Krokorok would only need so many meals to be satisfied for the day. Traveling would be easier once they chomped on those unlucky enough to fall into one of the Swamp's numerous deep, salty water basins.

The other Trainers, Alex and Hilbert discovered, were from all over. Sippi, Kentu, Ohiana, Texico, Kanadia, and even Takoma in the far northwest. They quickly discovered that there was a person from pretty much every State not in league with the Fornians, and their crazy Church. Forming a fast friendship, they spent their time waiting in the now abandoned campsites by the old woman's tent. Hilbert was mainly fine with waiting, because he thought Hilda, Rosa, or even Nate would join them down here too. They had all beaten the League, after all, and saved Unova. They'd earned this.

It took about three hours for the lines to die down. They were mostly filled with large groups of older Champions from many of the 'east central' states. Given that the crowd was enormous, they rightly assumed a Champion, past or present, from every region on the continent was here.

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Alex wondered how they were supposed to survive in a Swamp environment, but Hilbert didn't seem to be concerned. When Alex asked why, he learned that his Pokémon were capable of feeding their Trainer if they had to. It was namely celery stalks from his Serperior, but it sufficed. Alex supposed he could always survive on Terra's apples, if he had to. His Mega Form could make them easily, and they were red, and delicious.

Alex and Hilbert spent the time waiting sharing stories and several full bowls of Leaf with the other gathered Champions. It really was a popular herb, especially among Trainers. Only more so now that Unova, the so-called 'Eastern Capital' had now completely legalized it, effective immediately after Tao's little display on the crowd outside Icirrus City.

Anyone strong enough for this challenge had a means of growing it, usually by using their grass type. These Trainers had teams that were well balanced and could handle many type variations. Often, the battles here had resorted to flying vs flying or fire vs fire, if only to avoid constant switching out to gain type advantage.

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Upon learning who he was, the group had, of course, asked how he'd reunited the Original Dragon. Thankfully, they grasped the concept of balancing energy easier than John Crimson had, but none among them had thought to try combining moves. He did notice that several of them had crystals similar to his, and he was informed that many Trainers had acquired one of every type before coming here. Nobody in their group had tried Mega Evolution with them. Yet.

He'd spent the last half hour beating himself up for not gathering a full set as well, but it was too late now. He'd been told he was almost late for the challenge and had rushed here. It wouldn't take long for Trainers this skilled to grasp what they could use their crystals for, but that didn't stop him from tapping their sets with his own and awakening the dormant power within. Plates, or shards of them, it didn't matter. The limitless energy his gave off was enough to power theirs up and awaken the energy lying dormant within.

Once more he lamented losing so many days to Draconis Mons. He would've likely had time to gather a full set, if he'd just been more careful. Seeing that the lines were reasonably long now, Alex and Hilbert parted, and headed for the Swamp in separate lines, deciding that they could each handle whatever awaited them on their own.

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Alex went into the 'dragon lady's' line, a nickname he'd learned the Trainers who'd camped here for weeks had given her. He signed the documents without hesitation, and she smirked, then gave him breakfast.

After his papers were processed, a square shaped outline appeared in the barrier of crimson energy. He entered through it, and the Swamp challenge began.

On the northern continent, there were a series of territories known as the 'States' from coast to coast. Nobody really remembered why they were called states, all anybody could tell, from ruins and texts of a bygone age, was that it was what they had once been called in the past. Now however, they were anything but united.

Each of them was ruled by a Governor, and each Governor was part of a council that oversaw regional issues of trade and such. Naturally, with so many voices clamoring to be heard, this council managed to get very little done. Votes on anything often ended up tied, until one of the abstaining states could be convinced to change their vote. The coasts generally unified under one Governor, and for the east, that was Unova's, as New Tork was the largest city in the world, and Unova had the largest population.

More importantly, Unova had also once been the head of their Dragon Empire, which had stretched from coast to coast, and had given their land millennia of peace and prosperity under the Original Dragon. Many who wanted to see those days return, tended to look favorably upon the old imperial capital. Others, usually plants from Fornia, wanted a new power to rise. The Arcean Church had an iron grip over Fornia to the west and had been slowly expanding their influence eastward for centuries now. Nobody considered them a legitimate threat though, and the Church itself was seen as little more than a nuisance that would sue anyone who went against it. Thus, it was largely ignored.

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Each of the states had a Champion chosen to participate in this challenge, and from Alola to Unova, they had come. Just over five thousand Trainers had entered the Swamp, and since the Swamp stretched from the middle of the eastern coast all the way to the southern tip of what was once called Florida, there was plenty of room for all of them.

The Swamp didn't go nearly as far west as it did north, but still, the sheer size of it was impressive. From the word go, Alex had sensed something strange about the Swamp. Something about it made the back of his head tingle constantly. There was an ever present brownish-green haze that filled the humid air, and the vines between the massive trees made flying impractical for all but the smallest of Pokémon.

No Pokémon small enough to successfully fly through the tangle of vines could carry a person as well, with the exception of the 'Eurafricasian Swellow' which could carry five times its body weight with ease. Very few Trainers here had one of those however, though many had caught the far more popular 'Hoenn Swellow' which had spread to every continent the world over, more or less.

The difference between the two species was minimal, really, but several scientists from the Galar region had insisted upon making the variation well-known.

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About halfway through his first day, Alex finally encountered someone else. He had yet to see other challengers, and the person he ran into turned out to not be one. He was taller than Alex by about two inches, absurdly well-muscled, and blonde. He had been employed as a guide of sorts, tasked by the dragon lady with making sure that the Unovan Champions were well educated on their region's history, and various pieces of obscure lore. Because he was from Unova, whose education system was arguably the best on the planet, Alex knew most of what the guide told him already, but it was nice, almost like having a living textbook he could ask questions to.

He had been commanded to use his experience surviving in the Swamp for years to guide those from his region, for a time anyways. Just long enough to make sure the new Trainers understood the important things about the Swamp, like not to mutilate it to make travel easier. They had come across several macabre sights, Trainers crushed to death by vines, and his guide claimed that this was the fate of any who overtly harmed the Swamp. It was also why the locals who called this region Floria had been unable to stop it from growing so large and swallowing their home. Everyone like him, and there were many in this Swamp, trapped like him since the last challenge, knew where the center was. As well as the Sage who lived there. They had been rejected before, but now, he'd claimed, they had a second chance to prove their worth as his disciples.

This chance did, of course, have a requirement. They had to beat a challenger, and take their place, likely condemning them to years of living in the Swamp as well. Their battle was short, despite the man's well trained and fairly balanced team, Alex's tore through him mostly with Hydrus, who was in his element in this environment. Terra also seemed at home amongst the green haze, and his grass attacks seemed to be empowered by their naturally grassy terrain. Upon winning, Alex plied the guide for information about the first Dragon Emperor, though once again, he was told what he'd already learned from books. Nobody knew where he'd come from, or what his name had been, they only knew that, in the tumultuous chaos of a nation that had discovered a weapon more powerful than firearms in Pokémon, the first Dragon Emperor had crushed his opponents one by one, raider clan by raider clan, until the people stopped robbing and killing each other, and remembered the benefits of a peaceful existence.

Evidently, the States had been such a lawless place, that those civilizations on the supercontinent to the east had unanimously agreed to simply ignore the clusterMuk that was North America. Their northern neighbors in Kanadia had also opted to close off the heavily defended entrances and exits through their continent-spanning border wall. A titanic structure built of solid steel alloy several feet thick and reaching thousands of feet into the air, it had been built in an age long past, nobody remembered exactly why the Kanadian's wall existed, but the current inhabitants of that northern land, and their ancestors, had made effective use of it to keep the 'crazy southerners' at bay. Even Pokémon had trouble getting over it.

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Eventually, Alex and the man parted ways, with the tall blonde man saying that anyone from Unova with his skill level should be able to survive easily in a land like this and find their own way. He'd hopped on his Floatzel then and smoked a bowl as he chilled on its massive stomach and followed the river's current away.

Alex was now on his own with this challenge. With the lack of flying, that meant traversing the Swamp's wet, slimy ground. Alex took about ten steps before he found his oversized feet stuck in the muck. He was forced to call out Terra and ride him instead.

Terra didn't seem to mind the Swamp at all, which worked for both of them. The going was slow however, and eventually the mighty earth turtle tired of pulling his feet from the muck.

Remembering that Swampert was, supposedly, the 'king of the swamp', Alex called out Hydrus instead and rode on his back as he swam through the murky brown water. He was indeed at home in this place, and apparently loved the smell and taste of the water. The few grass and water typed Krookodile they came across already seemed full and avoided a battle with mutual head nods of respect to the powerful Swampert. They traveled for what felt like hours, and soon Trainer and Pokémon grew bored. The scenery was the same wherever they looked. Brownish green, vines, trees, and more water.

The Pokémon were unique, true, but Alex conquered most of them with his team and used Shruikan for the powerful grass types that lived here. He didn't need to fly, like Blaze, and could essentially burn away any challengers that popped out at them with Flamethrower. They didn't see any other Trainers.

Alex spent several days traveling on his own, and one night, as he enjoyed a bowl of his ever-full personal Leaf stash, courtesy of his beloved turtle, with the draconic blue flames provided by his loyal dragon, Alex decided to try to call out to whatever Psychic Master was supposed to be testing him.

"I can handle navigating the terrain. Are you going to challenge me, or not?" Silence answered him, and he sighed, packed his instruments safely away, and went to sleep.

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As soon as he'd finished sleeping, and had continued on his journey once more in what felt like the morning, he felt Hydrus stop, and then looked at what had made him do so. A bright circle of white light had appeared before Hydrus, and out of it, floated a creature from myth. Alex stared in open awe upon the impressive form of Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. He bit his lip, and confirmed he was awake, and while he had enjoyed a wake and bake, this was no mere illusion.

Arceus was titanium white, with a regal looking horned head, impassive red eyes, and the body of a stag. Around his middle was the golden ornament that was used as a symbol by those who followed him, though its true purpose was unknown to humanity.

It was not only the Arceans who worshiped him devoutly, across the Eurafricasian continent he still had pockets of tribal followers who, through their kind hearts and unwavering devotion, were rumored to be able to tap into his power. Many in other regions jokingly offered praise to him, though a few who understood his nature were more than accepting of the worship that would always surround such a benevolent being. But now, here before him at last, was the real thing. Alex bowed as low as he could, and Hydrus also dipped his head.

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You have asked for a Challenge…and so I grant you one. Prove yourself, Trainer.

Shivering from hearing the psychic speech of the Alpha Pokémon reverberate through his very being with unbridled power, Alex smirked.

"Challenge accepted." He said, turning his hat backwards. The eyes of the Alpha Pokémon narrowed, and as Alex brought out Terra, he had Hydrus bring him to the closest mound of relatively dry dirt before recalling him.

Alex didn't hesitate then, shouting "Seed Bomb!"

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The gold coloring of the white Pokémon shifted to an icy blue, and a tinge of dread rolled up Alex's spine. The rumors were true, then. The Alpha Pokémon could change type at will.

A beam of ice formed where its mouth should've been, and as Terra saw this, his form shifted, the power of the Meadow Plate crystal coming to his aid with rapid speed.

If he was impressed, Arceus did not show it. Even as Terra fired the attack, the Ice Beam lanced forth from Arceus' maw, and cut through it with ease. It hit Terra before he fully mega evolved, and Alex knew his strongest ace in the hole had just been taken down in one hit. he couldn't say he was surprised though.

He was facing Arceus.

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It wasn't the first time Terra had fainted, nor would it be the last, but it was a rare enough occurrence for him to go down in a single hit. Switching Terra out quickly, Alex shouted, "Flamethrower!" Blaze appeared in a burst of red light, and once more, the color of the Alpha Pokémon shifted, from an icy blue, to a deeper navy color. The flames passed over him harmlessly, his water typing making them all but ineffective.

Then, he countered, and Alex knew that it would almost certainly take down his Charizard with one blow. This was a deity, there would be no counter-attacks.

"Blaze!" He shouted quickly, "Fly up!" Blaze was already moving, but Arceus' eyes were already glowing with fierce power that Alex could sense from his spot on the embankment. A wave of filthy water rose from the Swamp, and hit Blaze directly.

The sheer force of the attack slammed him into a large tree behind them as the water spout curved to Arceus's will, and Alex recalled him before he hit the ground, knowing the move had extinguished Blaze long before the impact had.

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Thus, he continued. Leo was taken down by an unavoidable Earthquake, Arthur by his own redirected Shadow Ball, and then Shruikan by Ice Beam once again. No matter how hard he urged them to dodge, duck, dip, or dive, each move from the Alpha Pokémon hit without fail, and every counter he managed to make was immediately nullified or made not very effective by Arceus's type change.

He'd saved Hydrus for last, wanting to keep him strong for the remainder of their trek, but now he called him out as well.

He'd never had a full party wipe before, and he didn't intend to have one now. Even before a 'god'. He saw the Alpha Pokémon's type change to a familiar green, and he suppressed the urge to cheer. He'd actually made the Alpha Pokémon fall for it. Water had two weaknesses, electric and grass, but electricity didn't really harm a ground type. At all. That left grass as Swampert's weakness, and thus, the change to a familiar green.

"Ice Beam, quick!" Hydrus launched the attack, and it hit the stag shaped Pokémon square in the chest. Alex cheered. At least he'd managed one hit. "Well struck, Hydrus! Aga-" but it was already too late.

The Alpha Pokémon had flinched, briefly, and then retaliated. A familiar looking ball of condensed green energy came arcing from his maw.

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"Ice Beam!" He needed another hit, and that meant at least trying to neutralize this attack. Then, somehow, the Energy Ball curved away from Hydrus' attack, and came around at his left side with incredible speed. It slammed into the mighty Swampert, and sent him crashing into the tree that took up most of the embankment Alex was on. Running over to his friend, as he'd feared he'd heard more than just wood break with that impact, he knelt beside him.

"Hydrus…easy bud…you'll be okay…" He fed his Pokémon a Max Revive, which slowly brought him back to consciousness. Alex smiled, then faltered, as he sensed a massive amount of power behind him.

He rose quickly as he simultaneously recalled Hydrus and turned, and found himself face to face with the Pokémon he'd dreamed of catching since becoming a proper Champion. It rose above him then, it's coloring returning to normal white and gold.

He'd given each of his Pokémon a revival item but hadn't brought them out again. They were usually in no shape to fight once revived, which seemed off to him for some reason, but distracted as he was by literally facing down a god, he failed to make much of the observation.

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You have failed your Challenge.

Alex opened his mouth to protest, then stopped, and nodded. He had, indeed, lost. Finally, his party had been wiped out in its entirety. The sarcastic part of him remarked that it had taken a deity to do so, but he was in no mood to feel smug. He'd finally had a chance to catch the Alpha Pokémon, or at least prove worthy of being his Holder, and he had failed. It hadn't even been close, either.

"I have." He mumbled softly, turning his hat forward once again. He looked down for a moment, then met Arceus' gaze as the being floated higher into the air.

And now, the Alpha Pokémon declared, You will be Judged.

Alex froze. He had heard the stories from Sinnoh, of how Arceus's Judgement had been furious to behold. Luckily, the damage had been negated by some sort of time travel shenanigans, the details of which had never been made fully clear, but still. Many had witnessed his rage, and to this day, those who had seen it lived in constant fear that the vengeful Pokémon would someday return to finish them. Of course, any who had seen it and yet lived were almost a century old, and were nearly senile, yet they feared all the same. This fear made them easy prey for the Arcean Church to get a foothold in Japan.

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Alex decided then, that he wouldn't be afraid. He'd lived his life trying to be as kind as he could. He recalled several of the tenants Arceans adhered to, and wondered if Arceus would now make him pay for not obeying them.

He dismissed that thought, then. He refused to accept that the Arceus the Arceans worshiped was so petty and cruel that he judged humans harshly for enjoying their brief existence. Surely the true deity was not the vengeful monster that absurd cult groveled to. No merciful god chose a man like Caleb Pravus as a 'Prophet'.

His Gruncle had told him, after he became Champion, of his escapade into Fornia, and had recalled the man's brutality, and amorality, many times in their smoking sessions. He always seemed frustrated to have been slandered into ineffectiveness.

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"I accept my failure, and your Judgement, Alpha Pokémon." A swirling orb of pure power formed above Arceus' horned head. Alex's eyes were upon it as the Alpha made it grow in size.

Alex briefly wondered if the resulting explosion would kill other Trainers in the Swamp, and he sincerely hoped the Alpha Pokémon had enough control to avoid collateral damage. This Judgement was his, and his alone, and he would not run from it.

The red eyes of Arceus shifted back to him then, and he barely had a chance to shiver with suppressed fear before the blinding ball of light shot towards him. The resulting explosion filled the area with blinding white light, and Alex knew no more as he whited out.