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Hall of the Swamp Sage - The Sage's Isle
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"I will say this much. You have nerve, Redwood." The Foggy Swamp Sage sat upon his wooden bowl-throne which, Alex realized, was balanced perfectly on one of the massive roots of the tree that grew on this 'island'.
He raised a brow at his mentor, and crossed his arms. "I'm sorry, I assumed you wouldn't want Trainers who abandon young Pokémon to their death in favor of power, learning from you. Was I wrong in that assumption? If so, I'll leave right now."
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Oranguru raised a hand. "Nonsense. Nobody leaves until I allow them to. What you learn here can be dangerous if not used properly."
Alex rolled his eyes. What he himself had actually learned here was minimal. His team had gotten most of the training. His own 'power' remained woefully untrained. "All the more reason to not allow Trainers like Brad here in the first place."
There was a heavy sigh from the Sage, and he glanced at his Passimian guards. They proceeded to leave immediately after. "I sense conflict within you. I assumed that when you said you would be staying here for the winter it was because you had nowhere else to go, but that is not the case, is it."
Alex frowned, and buried his surface thoughts. "Don't change the subject. We were talking about Bra-"
"We talk about what I say we talk about, Redwood." The Sage interrupted, "I am the master. You are the student. Speak, why have you not opted to return alongside the others for your solstice holiday?"
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Alex averted his gaze from the Sage, "I have no desire to see my family when I could be honing my skills. I still can't use these powers I supposedly have." That wasn't entirely true, as he could at least levitate a pebble now…but the appeal of levitating a small rock was short-lived. Still, just seeing the damned thing move when he ordered it to with his mind was intensely satisfying, after years of literally nothing. He levitated his Pokéballs every chance he got, wanting to get stronger.
The Sage pressed him, speaking as he always did, with his mind, not his mouth. "There is more to life than training. For those like us, there must be time to eat and rest as well. Do you not care for your family? Do you not wish to see your-"
It was Alex's turn to cut him off. He didn't want to think about who he was missing out on seeing, as it was too painful. "Of course I care. I have those I wish to see. But this is more important. My instinct says to stay here and train."
Oranguru's wide lips formed into a sly smirk. "You Humans pride yourselves on the ability to ignore your instincts, do you not?"
Alex's eyes narrowed, as his mastery over his lustier urges had been a recent stray thought when Jess had been all but mentioned. "Stay out of my head."
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The large Pokémon laughed then, a sight that was rare, as the Sage did not often display emotion. "I cannot. Your thoughts are like a loudspeaker, and my senses are everywhere, I see all, I hear the thoughts of every living thing in my domain. I could listen to the planet, if I wanted to go mad. I cannot help it if I overhear yours. Such is the strength of my psychic power."
"See!? That! That is what I want to learn." Alex sighed, looking down, then finally back to his master. For all the grief and riddles, he had come to like the old Sage in the long months they'd been stuck together. His humor was dry, clever, and often Alex was the only one who laughed at his jokes, as he was the first one to grasp them. The Passimian found them humorous as well, but the other students were still convinced the Sage simply wasn't funny.
They still needed time, and that was the deciding factor in what had convinced Oranguru to let them return to their homes for two months. He knew many would not return. Living in the Swamp was hard, after all.
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"A compromise then, master. Teach me how to speak to those I cannot see, with my mind. Or tell me how I can lift more than a damned pebble. Give me something to hone over the two months you want me gone. If you don't, I might go mad with boredom."
He'd almost gone mad with it by staying here. Red had been the last to leave, as he'd finally left roughly an hour ago. Those who remained were the Sage's attendants, students who had dropped out of training, content to aid the Sage with whatever he needed them to do. By this point in his training, it was the middle of November. Since most of the Champions had left for the absurdly long holiday of Festivus, which lasted for all of November and ended on the final day in December with the New Year, the days had become monotonous, and aside from his daily spar with the Sage, the rest of his time had become outright dull. There was no connection to the Pokénet out here, he'd thoroughly beaten what games he'd brought with him, and if he was being honest, he missed conversing with people whose mouths actually moved when they spoke.
He missed food that had flavor, and wasn't remotely related to rice or bread. He hadn't had meat for the longest time, and while Blaze, Shruikan, and Leo hunted, he didn't find what they brought back very appetizing.
The Sage looked him over, the same way he'd done when he first arrived, and Alex's excitement grew as he sensed he was finally about to convince his master's stony refusal to teach him to bend.
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"Fine."
The deep voice boomed in his skull, and rang with a tone of conceding an argument. He'd been pushing for more training for months, without success. Until now.
"I will teach you how to reach out with your mind and communicate with those you cannot see, and even those who are far away. Then, once you have the basics to practice, you will go home, and enjoy what time you can with your family."
He knew better than to jump with excitement, but he was practically shivering with it. He bowed instead, right fist to left palm. "I await your instruction, master."
The Sage rolled his tired eyes, and then closed them. "Enter the state you are in when you meditate…Arthur, join us." Arthur appeared then in a flash of pinkish-white light, bowed, and sat beside Alex, legs crossed. Alex copied him.
"Show him."
The Sage spoke again, echoing in his head, and Alex blinked in surprise. "Wh-" but he was already being guided by Arthur's own Psychic power, instructed first hand on how exactly to reach out with his, and sense the world around them. This was mainly done by focusing what energy he could in his forehead. Fighting types shouted, and embraced emotion to gain power, but psychic types relied on a calm mind, and intense focus. Such was required to keep their energy from going wild.
His lack of emotion played a large part in this, and Arthur warned him to maintain his balance. Anger, frustration, rage, these things could manifest as devastating psychic forces if left unchecked, and could potentially destroy the world around them. If he turned too dark, the atrocities he committed with such power would haunt him forever. Luckily, Alex had always been slow to anger.
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Something he felt he'd been missing for months finally clicked into place, and his eyes shone blue. First, he sensed Arthur, then the Sage, then the Passimian guards just outside the room. He opened his eyes, and felt he could still sense them.
He brought his senses in, then expanded them again, over and over, testing the limits of how far he could actually reach. Oranguru watched his student with his own third eye as he took his first steps into a larger world.
"Come." The Sage said, "Place your hand upon this root…sense the tree as you have sensed us, and you will begin to understand how to commune over distances that seem beyond your reach."
Alex raised a brow, and rose. Arthur followed him as Alex ascended to the throne, and surreptitiously peered into it as he knelt beside the root his master was balanced on. He knew Red had been lying about the master having Pokéballs within his reach. A Pokémon as a Trainer? Outrageous.
They could teach, yes, battle alone, learn from and enlighten others, but battling as Trainer and Pokémon was an act only humans and Pokémon could do together seriously. It hadn't stopped some of the more humanoid ones from trying, but things like Mega Evolution remained beyond the abilities of such pairings. He didn't quite know why. Yet.
Red had the opposite opinion, mostly because his spoon-wielding Mewtwo had battled him with his own team of allies, before Red eventually caught him. Mewtwo and Arthur had yet to face each other, as Alex kept holding off, until they had a Psychium crystal. Mewtwo's power was allegedly on par with Arceus. Especially in Mega Form. If they were going to battle, it needed to be somewhat even.
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He felt the Sage's power force his mind back to the root, and he cleared his thoughts once more, placing a hand upon it. He reached out, feeling it as he had felt the others. It was alive, of course, but beyond that, he couldn't tell what he was supposed to be understanding. "I don't…I don't sense anything, master."
He heard the Sage sigh. "You're too focused on what is in front of you. Reach out to what you know is beyond you. Be mindful of your surroundings."
Sensing what he was getting at, Alex shifted his focus to the tree itself. It was just out of his reach, but then he noticed that if he but followed the root, he could reach it. That was when things began to make more sense.
The root was a part of the tree, it didn't matter how far away it was, they were connected, and that connection could be followed. Follow it he did, and again, his perception changed. The tree, he had known, was massive, but he had never understood just how massive it truly was.
It went deeper than he imagined, and he followed the roots, until eventually to his surprise, instead of ending, they grew into another tree. And another. The further he followed them, the wider his perception became, until finally he could see it all. It was similar to when he'd received the map to this place telepathically.
For a brief moment, he had sensed the entire Swamp, and everything's position in it. Later, he had discovered that ability had disappeared with time. Now, he realized, that awareness had been residual knowledge from the Sage. He was as much a part of the Swamp as this tree was. Alex once more felt as though something obvious was staring him in the face.
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He sensed the Swamp, and everything in it, and just as he felt he was about to cross that threshold of understanding, an entirely too-relaxed voice echoed in his head.
"Hey there."
The random, casual voice he heard in his head made him jump, and he could feel the two psychic types next to him smirk.
"I'm the Swamp Tree. How's it hangin' bra?"
Alex glanced, eyes still shining blue, at his master, and then the tree again. He sensed it all, and the Swamp Tree made him realize just how close a connection psychic power let you have. With anything. Plants were great, naturally, and were usually pretty chill to talk to.
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He smirked, and decided to enthusiastically roll with it, responding mentally, "Not much, Swamp Tree. What's up with you?"
The two conversed for almost thirty minutes then, and Alex learned exactly how effective trying to get information out of a tree was. You had to know the right questions, otherwise the trees would mock you, and remind you that they were just trees.
He sighed, as he sensed the Swamp Tree was yet another witty mentor. He knew they'd be having lessons all the time.
"At last, he understands." The gentle mocking of his psychic partner echoed in his head.
"Return to us." The Sage said. His usually thunderous tone seemed muted.
Alex panicked for a moment, unable to separate his own senses from everything he was connected to now, but then Swamp Tree reminded him that he could simply follow his mind's own tie to his body back to the Sage.
It was a complex bit of mental gymnastics, but eventually he forced his eyes open. He was sweating, drenched, really, and he hated every second of being so swampy, but he'd finally done it. He also had an inkling as to how to solve his pebble problem, but that could wait. He looked up at his master then, and simply bowed.
"Thank you. I will depart." The Sage stopped him.
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"Hold, a moment. What you have just learned is not to be shared lightly. In the wrong hands, this power would unbalance the entire world. It has before. Understand that if you share this knowledge with whoever you can, you will not be welcome in this Swamp again, nor will any of the other Sages train you."
Alex frowned, "But how do I discern who I can and cannot pass it on to? Did you not tell us that someday we would be responsible for passing on what we have learned?"
The Sage sighed again. He'd forgotten how impatient humans were. "Always reaching for knowledge they cannot yet handle…" Alex blinked. He had a feeling the Sage hadn't meant to share that thought, but he'd picked up on it anyway.
Indeed, he realized, he could now sense the surface thoughts of Arthur, and the nearby guards as well, if he but looked. He felt that doing so was a bit rude however, and he tried to ignore it.
Oranguru continued, "When you can peer into a person's mind and see the core of their being, you will know. It's the same as how you know what typing a Pokémon has. Instinctual. You are not, however, able to keep your emotions from clouding your perception yet. Leave the passing of knowledge to the Sages, and be patient. Your time will come."
Alex thought for a moment, then responded, saying, "I know someone who is worthy. If I judge her correctly, and you share my judgement when she comes here, will you trust me to share this knowledge?"
The Sage eyed him again, and Alex had no doubt that he knew exactly who he had in mind. "Interesting. Very well, it is agreed. If you can successfully judge her potential without being blinded, I will help you refine your skill in this further. It will be a good first step. Once I deem you ready, you may share it with whomever you wish. Know this, however, those you teach will be bonded with you for life. They become your responsibility, their actions will reflect your tutelage. And mine."
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Alex bowed again, nodding. "I understand, master. I won't fail." The Sage eyed the young human, and suppressed the urge to chuckle. He didn't understand, not yet, but he would. Sooner than he could imagine.
Packing his things took less time than he thought it would, and as he headed for the entrance that connected to the river, he saw the forty Passimian who lived with and protected the Sage awaiting him, though many sat on the roof of the entrance building, or in some of the lower hanging branches of the great tree.
They too trained here, practicing a style of martial arts that was all their own, the Foggy Swamp Style, that each human pupil was expected to learn as well. Alex hadn't really picked it up as well as the other students.
They were all still nowhere near the Passimian's level however. Their leader, who Alex had personally sparred with only once, and lost badly against, was holding a small cloth sack full of rice and bread. He blinked, wondering how he knew that, and then realized that he had inadvertently sensed the thoughts of the Pokémon before him.
Feeling slightly guilty, his appreciation for his budding power grew, and he knew it would only grow stronger. He needed to keep it in check, always. His master had once compared his fledging power and his own, saying that he had achieved but a single drop, in a wide, wide ocean. He decided not to give the Sage attitude if he accidentally sensed his thoughts in the future, and he knew the urge to resist reading someone's thoughts would be strong indeed.
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Accepting the gift, he bowed low, and then brought his free right hand up rapidly as he sensed the lead Passimian strike. He'd taken his eyes off the Pokémon, but he managed to catch the blow on his own arm, even though it hurt quite badly. He'd have a bruise there for sure. Seemingly impressed, the Passimian dispersed then, and let him be on his way.
The trip through the Swamp this time was actually rather pleasant, and for some reason, many of the Pokémon he saw from Hydrus' back eyed him for a long time as he passed. It was only when he reached out with his new senses and caught some of their surface thoughts that he realized they had felt him earlier, and recognized his presence as a friendly one.
Feeling Hydrus' sudden desire to speed through the rest of this trip, he crouched low again, and once more, Trainer and Pokémon rocketed around the spiral. He was much faster than last time, and Alex held on to his head fins for dear life. Each of his team had grown stronger over the past few months here, but he wouldn't know by how much until he battled some Unovan Trainers. Still, Hydrus' improvement was a good indication.
His little mud fish had once more improved in skill, and now, when he and Terra sparred, the very earth shook, rumbling like thunder. They'd become good friends as well, the shared ground typing and the beneficial relationship between water and grass types made them natural friends, and rivals.
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Instead of just stopping at the edge of the Swamp, Hydrus found a route that led into a river which would take them onto the western part of the grassy plains they'd entered from. Most Pokémon would've just stayed in the water and let their Trainer disembark, but Hydrus was nothing if not playful. As a Mudkip it had been cute. As a Swampert, it usually meant Alex was in for another night of sore bruising.
Hydrus approached the bank from the water, and launched into the air, soaring a respectable distance before landing hard on the shore. Being part ground type, he didn't mind. His Trainer, however, was tossed violently and rolled a few times before coming to a stop, and groaning.
Thankfully, his water-proof bag full of fragile items had been strapped to a safe place on the large Pokémon, and seemed to have avoided damage. He was glad. A 'bigger on the inside' bag was rare, and his gift from his granduncle was apparently unique. Despite that, he'd learned both Jess and Connor possessed similar bags, but neither of them would tell him why.
Alex raised his head groggily, and saw the river which curved to the west, and eventually fed into the much larger river that split the northern continent unevenly in half.
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The eastern states had a certain amount of territory a specific number of miles west of that river, which was under their control. The center of the continent was full of regions and people who historically had wanted no part of the eastern and western rivalry, and they served as a buffer between the two, to prevent war. That hadn't always been the case, and there were still some areas of the middle of the continent that favored one coast over the other, but in this modern age, they were at peace.
Once Alex recovered from the rough landing, and glared at his ever-happy Swampert as he recalled him to his ball, Blaze was up next. He hadn't been very good at carrying Alex on his back before, as his Trainer was quite large, and that muscle mass added a lot of weight.
Now, he didn't seem to have a problem. After months of staying low under the vine-filled canopy, training against Pokémon, like Red's own Charizard, who had been flying much longer than he had, his wing strength had increased considerably.
It had to, as the Passimian he'd sparred against were weak to flying type attacks, but only if he could hit them hard enough with them. Now free to fly as high as he wished, Blaze shot flames from his maw and corkscrewed through the air as they headed ever northward. Once more, Alex held on for dear life, and wondered if he'd ever be able to simply enjoy traveling on his Pokémon.
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Eventually, Blaze's giddy joy at being free to fly as high as he wished faded, and he leveled out. They flew low and fast over the land, passing many towns, and even cities. His Charizard was much faster than before with his new size, and on their journey north, they were stopped twice by enterprising flying type Trainers who simply needed to battle that Charizard. Upon learning he was somewhat famous as well, they'd only gotten more excited. The battle over the Dragon Mountain had gone viral, after all.
Alex indulged them, as they had both been rather young, as most Trainers whose teams consisted of only one species or type of Pokémon often were. It was usually the older Trainers who had balanced teams, like his, that could give an advantage over pretty much every type. He'd let Blaze battle on his own, deciding to take the time to inform a certain lady of his impending arrival via text-based Holoceiver message.
He had no desire to intrude on the Festivus celebrations quite yet, and he knew the Gladstones would likely be at the ranch. The Redwoods always had their neighbors over this time of year, or vice versa, which of course meant that it became a madhouse.
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While he would never admit it to his master, he had missed many of his cousins. He hadn't seen them for over a year after all, and now it was December. So much had happened in that time, it felt like years had passed, not months. More than that, he was the Champion now.
He'd done what he'd said he would do, and had excelled once he'd finally gotten his team together. He wondered if his stubborn father would finally admit that he'd been wrong in essentially ruining his childhood, but that was one conversation he fully intended to avoid. Irritating him purposefully for the holiday would only irritate everyone else who had to deal with him. He'd waited two decades for the opportunity to prove his father wrong. He could wait some more.
He knew that the arrival of a Champion in such a crowded house would change the mood, and likely spark the aforementioned confrontation. Jess however, from the image she sent in response, did not mind the return of her Champion. She'd even mentioned that her own house was empty. He fought down a flush in his cheeks and was suddenly rather glad he'd been coerced into coming home. One sparring session a day was simply not enough to release his stress. It was as he was enjoying the thought of imminent rest in civilized company, that he noticed the air around them had gone still. The kind of stillness that only resulted from powerful Pokémon, and their abilities. Rain Dance could vary in power, but was usually localized. Things like Air Lock or Drizzle affected things on a much larger scale.
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It was still cold, but the wind was gone. Blaze had assumed his Mega Form halfway through the miles of land between the middle coast and Unova, and though they made great time through the snowstorm currently hitting the region, the wind had been rough.
They had just crossed into Unova, and were now crossing high above New Tork City, specifically the Join Boulevard, on their journey northward. They had no idea what was going on in the city below, but they'd be back soon enough to find out.
They were over the region's Entral Park when they noticed the sudden lack of frigid, north east coast winter wind. Blaze let out a Flamethrower at a mental command from his Trainer, and he nodded, understanding. Even the falling snow had frozen in mid-air. His suspicions grew.
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It was as he was pondering why the locking of air seemed so familiar, that he noticed. A flash of green came to the corner of his eye, and Blaze, with his reflexes in his Mega Form, shot upwards, above the powerful bluish purple Outrage attack. They unified their sight, as they did before every battle these days, and both rider and Pokémon saw their opponent.
The Rayquaza of the eastern coast. Many Rayquaza patrolled the massive expanse of sky across the world, but because it was the Unovan Dragon that created them, Unova's was the oldest, by far. This meant that he was twice as long as his other counterparts, and that much harder to tame.
The eastern coast's guardian of the sky had vanished when his previous Trainer had passed on. Dragons, especially Legendary ones like Rayquaza, were exceptionally long-lived, if not outright immortal. They tended to avoid Trainers, because of their tendency to be mortal, but once they bonded, they were friends for life.
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Alex smirked, as he realized the Outrage attack had been to get his attention. He could only imagine how it looked from the ground. Tao had warned him that his revival would likely draw out the grieving Rayquaza, and that Alex would have to capture him if balance was to be maintained. Alex hadn't actually expected to run into him over the city. Or so soon.
He hoped they were high enough to avoid collateral damage. Blaze launched a Flamethrower in a wide fan at the Legendary dragon, only to burst through it at a different angle, and strike with a Dragon Claw as the jade dragon gracefully dodged under the flames.
Blaze was relentless, and refused to lose to a Rayquaza after his experience in the Swamp. He didn't care how old it was, he would establish himself as being on par with dragon types. Especially in this form. His successful claw sent the large jade dragon down, and he spun into a Dragon Tail. Bonded as they were, Blaze knew his Trainer feared for the residents of this massive, poison infested nest of humans that was New Tork City, and thus the great green dragon had been aimed into a part of the water surrounding Entral Park.
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Nimbasa was close enough to see, and Alex again reminded his Charizard that there were people nearby. The area between Nimbasa and Opeleucid was lightly populated by humans, but he knew Pokémon had homes here as well.
The Legendary dragon managed to right itself, expending psychic energy, as it consciously tried to avoid crushing the many water types that called this park home. That was when it felt the ball hit its scales, and it turned, glaring at its would-be Tamer.
He began to resist the capture, only to realize that this was a Master Ball the human had painted to match the green pattern of his scales. The dragon rumbled, and the Master Ball shook longer than it should have. If he was going to be captured, he was going to make this pocket dimension enjoyable to be in. Warping something as simple as a Pokéball was nothing for a Legendary Pokémon. The ball dinged shut, and then began to fall towards the water.
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Not even Blaze could keep it from hitting the water, however, far away as he was. One of the Floatzel that lived in the park that happened to be nearby caught it, and batted it upwards with an Aqua Tail, shooting it high enough for Alex to catch as Blaze flew by.
Alex tossed down a Sitrus Berry he'd found, and he chuckled as he saw it submerge in the Floatzel's paw. The Pokémon of the park were absurdly friendly, after so much positive human interaction. It was just good manners to give them a berry, if they helped you. He turned his attention to his new Pokémon then, and headed for the Victory Plateau. He knew this Rayquaza would always resent him if he kept him locked away in a computer box, or a Pokéball, and he usually made a point of meeting newly captured partners before letting the PC system take them away.
He'd specifically disabled that feature on this ball, however. Having a Rayquaza on hand would undoubtedly be helpful, and it wouldn't be against the League's rules if he didn't battle with him. He had several slots for extra balls in his bag, but he hadn't expected to be using them just yet. Tao's was, of course, in there, but he'd let him remain free of it.
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The Victory Plateau was empty, as he landed, and let Rayquaza free of his ball. The long-bodied dragon eyed him with suspicion, and curled himself into a pile of coils he could rest on. "Go ahead, then." The tired, psychic voice thundered in his skull, "Make your wish."
The Trainer tilted his curly haired head slightly. Everyone had heard stories of a Rayquaza that granted someone a wish if you presented the sleeping stone forms of Reshiram or Zekrom to it. He hadn't thought it was real.
"You mean that 'wish' nonsense is actually true?" The great green dragon nodded, its expression unreadable. "Well we can't have any of that." Alex said, crossing his arms. "How about we skip the part where you teach me a lesson I already know about my personal greed? I hereby wish that from this moment on, you are free from granting more wishes to those you do not deem worthy. Upon my passing from this world, your ball will become your own, to give to a Trainer you wish to partner with. The first Rayquaza shouldn't be used like Hoopa."
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The great green dragon stared at the Trainer for a minute, then recognized the symbol on his hat. "I see the Swamp Sage has taught you well…it is done. Your wish is granted. I will accompany you."
"You don't have t-"
The giant snake-like dragon seemed to smirk as his thunderous mental baritone interrupted Alex. "I will accompany you whether you want me to or not. You have piqued my interest, little Human. Take from that what pride you can. Name thyself."
"Alexander Redwood. Champion of Unova, and Tamer of the Original Dragon."
Hearing that, the draconic smirk grew wider. This was indeed a fateful meeting, if this was truly the First Dragon's Tamer.
Something on the wind caused Blaze, still in his Mega Form, to turn. He hadn't dropped the form for some reason, as his instincts told him to hang on to it for now, and linked as they were, Alex smelled it as well, though not nearly as clearly.
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Seeing that something had drawn his new Trainer's interest, the old Rayquaza looked now, and raised a scaly brow at what he saw. Like most Legendary Pokémon, he saw the world in a different way.
To try to put it to words is futile, suffice to say that he, like the Sage and now Alex, could tell typing from a glance. He had noticed this Trainer's latent psychic power, small and undeveloped as it was, and now in as many hours, he found a second human with similar potential, though far deeper buried. He had been right to return. The winds of change had again begun to blow.
Blaze shot a Flamethrower into the air, only to see one in return, in the distance. His Charizard was grinning, and his tail actually wagged back and forth. "My, someone's eager tonight…" Alex chuckled, guessing correctly at who was intruding on their little gathering.
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A Charizard that was a bit small for a Mega Form zipped down from the gathering clouds, and entered the area of calm snow and wind that constantly surrounded Rayquaza. Alex briefly wondered if this was why people said it flew so fast.
Not having to deal with weather, like headwinds, would certainly make flying a lot easier. Jess, for her part, looked like she'd flown through a blizzard, which indeed she had. It had kicked up halfway between their home to the north and the Victory Plateau. Her heavy winter clothes, red as always, were almost white with frozen snow. She'd never looked better, to him.
Once he'd offered his jacket, and warmed her up with the fire of their two still mega evolved fire lizards, she started speaking. "As soon as I got your message, I realized I had to come get you. Things have changed in Unova, and right now, nobody expects you at home. Not yet, anyways." He sighed. He'd had a feeling Unova's balance had been disturbed, but Tao had never responded to his mental queries, and Alex assumed he could handle it. Apparently not.
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"Well, go on then, what happened in the few months I was gone? Is it so hard to maintain the balance without a babysitter?" She gave him a look, before continuing. Apparently, Festivus had been stressful.
She spoke softly. "The Arceans took Tao."
Alex blinked down his rising fury, and his eyes grew hard. He knew there was a reason Tao had still felt distant, despite his return to Unova, but this was too much. "How?"
Jess shrugged, "How indeed? Once you left, Tao spent most of his time in deep meditation, though he continued to help those who visited him. Apparently, he didn't notice being captured, because he hasn't awoken since. The Arceans have him on display atop the PNN building, still resting. Anyone who tries to enter, to free him, gets blasted by a Tri-Attack from a machine they've hooked up to him and mounted on the building. Ghetsis and the Arcean's leader, Caleb Pravus, have been ranting about their 'superior technology' for the past three months, claiming that their possession of it was what had kept you and the other Champions away from Tao, who is apparently, legally, two thirds their dragon."
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
At the mention of the other Champions, Alex raised a brow. "You mean the others, all three of them, were beaten back? How? Ghetsis was easy enough for me, and I hadn't even gathered eight Badges when we Battled."
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Jess looked down, and sighed. "The four of us, as I went with them, were repelled by Pravus, Ghetsis, and their minions. They don't Battle by League rules. They ambushed us at the front entrance with ten other Trainers, and then finished us with a Tri Attack from their machine. It's not like a Pokémon Move, it's much stronger. It fires off a condensed beam of fire, ice, or electric energy. Usually all three. Delphi managed to keep it from injuring us too badly, and we escaped. We tried a few more times to get in, but they repelled us, so we decided that we'd have to accept the situation until you returned with Hilbert."
As Alex absorbed the information, he knew numbers would be useless here. They needed to take that machine down first, and then rush in, preferably with a small group. He looked to his newest partner, the massive, ancient jade colored dragon.
"Can you take down that machine?" The Rayquaza nodded, and Alex turned towards Castelia city, then blinked again. "Hey…does Castelia look different to you? I've never seen it so bright…or so orange…" Jess turned as well, and then the Rayquaza spoke again, startling Jess as it echoed in their heads. By now, Alex was used to it.
"Those are flames. Whatever you plan to do, Champion of Unova, do it soon. The city is unbalanced, and it seems war has erupted."
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Alex raised a brow. "War? Between who?"
It was Jess' turn to chime in again. "Probably between the Arceans and Tao's followers. Once you left, he let quite a few people stay at the Tower, and maintain it, as he meditated. They've been planning a rescue attempt ever since. Supposedly. Nate and Rosa have been organizing local Trainers while Hilda has been here, defeating challengers of the League. Only a few managed to get past the Four, though."
Alex stroked his bearded chin as he eyed the burning city. "And Hilbert? He should've been back by now. He left weeks ago. He's definitely strong enough, after the training we had." Hilbert had arrived at the Sage's home a week after Alex, battered and bruised, but alive, and sick of Vegemite sandwiches. He, Red, and Alex had often relaxed together when they had a free moment.
Jess shrugged again. "Nobody has seen him. He does have a tendency to vanish, though."
Alex swore, and mounted Blaze again, who was already ready to go. He was also glad he'd kept his Mega Form. Chari had done the same, and soon, Jess had mounted up as well. Close as they were, Alex caught a strangely familiar scent. He smirked at her, "Is that lilac and goo-"
"So, what's the plan, Champion?" Jess interrupted, as she put her Trainer hat on. Free of the heavy winter clothes she'd somehow stuffed in her own bag, she'd been dressed far too nicely for stopping a war, and had apparently prepared for his return before rushing off to warn him. She looked like a proper Trainer now, and he had a feeling he hadn't been the only one to improve.
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Alex suppressed a chuckle, and looked back at the bright light of Castelia. "My green friend here will free the First Dragon, then…I'll have a chat with Caleb Pravus..." He didn't even bother to ask how Ghetsis had escaped prison again, as organizing Arceans in Unova was his role in the Church.
Ghetsis had slipped free of incarceration so many times now, he was convinced the prisons just let the inmates out the back door once they were processed. Apparently, the guard's Pokémon weren't always able to beat a prisoner's, and he knew from experience how strong Ghetsis was against most other Trainers. But, by law, Trainers were allowed to see their partners. That was also typically when they tried escaping. Knowing Ghetsis, he'd probably had help from the Shadow Triad, which to this day, had still never been apprehended.
Getting into the Dragonspiral Tower would've been easy for him, and knowing Ghetsis, he probably had a machine of some kind that had forced Tao into submission by surprise. Fornia had long been a rumored source of the highly illegal technology that Pokémon Hunters used to bypass the safeguards modern Trainers had at their disposal, should their partners be stolen. It had become the goal of Bill, the creator of the PC Box system, to fight against such technology with new safeguards, but the Pokémon Hunters always found a way around them, eventually. To Alex, it was obvious who was funding such people, though why the Arcean Church would do so was yet beyond him. Whatever they wanted from stolen Pokémon, it probably wasn't good.
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The trip to Castelia was short enough, and they came over Nimbasa first, which was noticeably less on fire than the borough to their south, Castelia. Alex looked down as they flew over the Join Boulevard, which now connected both cities with a series of shops and residences within the long tunnel.
"It hasn't reached the Boulevard yet. Jess, keep it that way, hmm? You and I had fun there, I'd like to go back. Tell any Trainers with Water Pokémon to be ready to fight the flames. You're a Champion too, technically. They'll listen."
She sighed. He was right, technically, but nobody really acknowledged the Gladstone sibling's victory except on official records. Reuniting the Original Dragon had taken up most of the news coverage, but Alex was confident that between her looks, obvious skill, and Empolia, she'd be able to rally Unova's local Trainers. "Fine. Once that's done, I'm joining you. Stay safe."
He nodded, and she and her Charizard peeled off for the ground, where people were flooding into the relative safety of the boulevard. They had indeed had fun here, and as she landed, many of the Trainers they'd battled remembered being beaten by her, or her lover.
Soon, teams of water types were running through the city, putting out fires, and aiding the local firefighters as well. Other Trainers heard the call, and on seeing civilians were getting involved with saving their city from burning, they lent their water types to the cause. Between the Trainers Jess freed from the flames blocking the Join Boulevard and the firefighter's experience, they'd soon contained the blaze, and began putting it out in short order. Unfortunately, new fires kept popping up, and Jess switched to tracking down the arsonists with Delphi once the blazes were contained. The damage they'd caused was already significant though.
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Alex and Blaze flew over the northern part of Castelia, and looked to Rayquaza then as the PNN building came into view. The aforementioned weapon affixed to the building began to glow with red, blue, and yellow light. "Let's start this party, shall we? Dragon Pulse!"
The Legendary dragon shot ahead towards the PNN building, dodged each part of the Tri Attack, and then countered with his Dragon Pulse. The way he fired, it was more like a Hyper Beam of dragon type energy. The weapon was left a smoking ruin, completely obliterated by Rayquaza's power.
"Go!" He thundered, "I will free the First Dragon." He spiraled up and away before Alex could say anything, or offer to join him, but he wasn't worried. Unova's Rayquaza was quite powerful, and without an ambush, he doubted the Arceans could handle it.
As he flew over the southern part of Castelia, Alex saw that most of the city was lighting up with new flames, as many of the Trainers below were using fire attacks. The fighting had erupted in multiple battles in the city's streets, battles that were not adhering to League rules. The Pokémon Center was overrun with members of both sides, and fist fighting had broken out there, as well. Amateur Kung Fu based on Tao's style was tested against Arcean conditioning camp martial arts, even as their Pokémon battled. He spied Burgh's Pokémon amidst the fray, but they were doing poorly against the fire types the Arceans had. Most of those fighting the Fornians seemed to be from the Dragonspiral Tower, garbed as they were in the black and white clothes Tao had envisioned for them, before Alex had departed.
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Though Alex wasn't aware of it, this fighting had been raging for hours now, and was coming to the point that would decide who won and who lost. As a result, the Pokémon Center had become a crucial point for either side to hold. As another of Rayquaza's Dragon Pulses lit up the PNN building and arced towards the plasma cage that held Tao, Alex had gone further south, and had Blaze land amidst the fighting before the Pokémon Center with a Blast Burn that got everyone's attention.
The flames swirled around him and his fire lizard, and he appeared within them as they faded, arms crossed as the wave of flame skillfully burned only Arceans and their Pokémon. The awed Trainers looked his way, and he saw them grin as they recognized their Champion.
"Listen up!" He shouted, addressing the crowd. A few of Tao's students waved as they saw, and recognized him. "That explosion was the sound of the Unovan Dragon being freed of captivity. If you are an Arcean, I suggest you return home. Immediately. Things are about to turn against you in this 'war'…and I'd rather not have to kill any of you." The Unovans looked back at their opponents, who were to a man, dealing with their fainted Pokémon. The Champion had overpowered them with ridiculous ease, and his Charizard seemed raring to keep going.
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At one time, they might have continued fighting. But this was Unova, and he'd built a solid enough reputation. Everyone present seemed to recognize him, if not his Charizard, and knew how strong his team was.
Blaze punctuated his words with a snarl, fully intent on being the one to battle, if he had to. A large group of what he assumed were Arceans fled down the road to the east of the center. He had a feeling they were heading for the sewers, as that had been where Team Plasma had once holed up as well. He'd have to route them out of there too, or they'd regroup, and the fighting would continue.
Blaze took off after them, sensing his thoughts, and assuring his Trainer that none would escape back into the city. Alex then hurriedly began helping the center's nurse heal Pokémon. He had enough items to make a dent in the number of patients, and as they moved through the streets crowded with wounded Trainers and Pokémon, he healed who he could. Arthur had been helping him navigate the streets towards the PNN building, and the two locked eyes as they both stopped short. They'd both felt it. Tao had awakened…and he was not in a good mood. Something had gone wrong on Rayquaza's end.
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Alex darted down the westernmost street, and headed for the PNN building. This street was still embroiled in fighting, and he was about to try to gain their attention when he saw Rayquaza appear above the battling Trainers. Their Pokémon stopped, and they had no choice but to look up and acknowledge the massive dragon. He flew towards Alex, and hovered over him.
He took his chance to try to dissuade them. "If you don't want to get hurt, get out of here. All of you! Now!"
Most of the Trainers scurried off into side alleys and down other streets, but two stubbornly remained to guard the door of the Poké News Network. They each had a Drapion, and they each commanded a poison attack against him as he approached. Rayquaza had flown back towards the building's roof as Tao's furious roar echoed through the city.
Arthur's arms glowed with the power of his Psycho Cut and with two slashes of psychic colored energy, his power ended the two poison type's attacks, leaving them wide open for Sacred Sword to finish them simultaneously. He loved Psycho Cut, and it had quickly become his favored move once he'd learned to use it in melee, and from a distance. The Drapion's Trainers ran off, abandoning the Drapion to their fate. Alex left a pair of Oran Berries for them before moving into the building and recalling his psychic partner.
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It was a far cry from how he'd last seen it. Things had certainly changed, though not for the better it seemed. PokéMeters, the machines used by the Arcean Church to allegedly pinpoint problem areas of a person's life, were set up all around the lobby, and Alex started to understand where they'd suddenly found so many Trainers.
Three months of indoctrination backed up by the very obvious sleeping form of the Unovan Dragon above the building was sure to impress gullible people, and the Arceans were infamous for being able to retain the people they snared in their buildings. Whether through monetary or emotional control, those who fell prey to the scam rarely managed to break free of it unscathed.
Using the PokéMeters, they were often able to convince people to try their 'courses', as they claimed doing so, for a modest fee, would improve their life, and save them from depression they didn't know they'd had.
It was one of those very machines that had caused him to grow up Pokéless, and as Alex debated whether or not to smash the machines that had pretended to be measures of potential psychosis to pieces, Jess burst in through the doors behind him, and he couldn't help smiling, despite the fact that things were likely about to heat up. He heard Tao roar again, from above. "I'd have a romantic quip for you, but this is all happening rather fast."
She managed a smile as well. "Save it for later. We need to get up there." They called the elevator, got in, and then waited. It was a long ride to the top floor, and the Festivus music was entirely inappropriate for the moment. "I had Empolia handle the fires, and we caught the goons starting them. Most of the fires on the east side are contained. We heard Arceans were retreating from the Pokémon Center, and that's when I noticed Rayquaza moving. I figured you were on your way in."
Alex nodded. "Your timing was perfect, really. I expected more resistance though…"
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Without warning or explanation, their Gallade and Delphox appeared before them, springing from their respective Pokéballs. Then, the doors opened, and their Trainers understood why. The room was full of Arceans, clad in their standard blue suits with white naval caps.
They looked ridiculous to Alex, but then, he imagined his own garb wasn't all that impressive either. It still smelled of the Swamp, too. Poison attacks came from every direction, but Arthur was there, arms glowing with psychic power as he blocked each of them with a rapid series of Psycho Cut attacks.
The League's rules were indeed being ignored. Jess's Delphox retaliated after that, and a wide fan of flames arced towards Trainers and Pokémon alike, hitting them with unerring accuracy.
Most members of groups like this tended to use normal, dark, or poison types to battle, and the Arceans were no exception. Arthur knew what to do, and began zipping through the room, arms in Sword Mode, using his various attacks, and changing them up when he had to. He was perfect for this, really. The rest of Alex's partners would destroy a confined space like a building, but Arthur had no such issues.
As with the Elite Four, he usually had type advantage, or at least a move that would be super effective. Between his expert strikes and Delphi's flames, the opposing Trainers went down, hard. Many recalled their Pokémon, and then scurried towards the stairs, heading down, likely to the sewers. Most buildings in Castelia had an entrance to them somewhere. Alex smirked, as he recalled the herd of Muk, and hoped the Arceans were dumb enough to try moving through them.
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As Jess watched Alex and his partner, battling without saying a word, she noticed the two had become much, much stronger. As Alex gave his partner some much needed potions to recover his strength, another person stepped forward. The leader, hopefully.
Alex sighed as he examined the man. He was too young to be very high up, but judging by the manic spark in his blue eyes, he was 'devoted' enough to be given control of his own group of Trainers. Devotion didn't appear to inspire loyalty, however, as his cronies, those who remained conscious, had fled to the lower levels, usually clutching a burn. Delphi had not held back.
Alex looked at Jess, smirking. "You take this one. Arthur can't have all the fun."
She was already stepping forward, and waved his words away. "Go. Save your dragon. Delphi can handle this zealot."
The two engaged in a rapidly escalating battle with a strong looking Skuntank, but Alex was already heading up the stairs of what he realized was the studio where he had once been interviewed. Like the lobby, it too had changed in appearance.
It was a classroom now, with what looked like Pokémon education. Arcean style. He grimaced, recalling more stories his Gruncle had shared, of Arceans who had an unnatural preference for little children. According to him they typically ended up as teachers, and indulged their twisted desires in rooms just like this. The very thing they'd accused the Professor of had likely happened again in this very room. Alex tried not to vomit at the thought, and marveled at how, in only a few months, they'd apparently already managed to start indoctrinating Unova's children. Unless of course, the classroom was like their 'centers' across the world, furnished for show, but barely ever actually used.
Since this was an indoctrination room, that meant this party would be on the roof. As he rapidly ascended the stairs with Arthur, he knew Jess would likely be right behind him.
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As he reached the top, he beheld a sight that made his anger, slow to awaken, rise. Tao was indeed up, his energy cage broken and smoking, but his long body was bound with ropes and stakes pounded into the roof's concrete. His wings were similarly bound with a ring of energy that kept them upwards and pressed against each other. It certainly looked painful.
Worst of all, they'd muzzled his long snout, and several men in Arcean uniforms appeared to be in the process of trying, and failing, to pull off his white scales, to get at the obsidian colored skin beneath them.
Alex leapt onto one of the random piles of wooden crates that littered the roof, towering over them all as his eyes burned blue with his aura. "You muzzled the Original Dragon? Sacred Sword!"
Arthur's arms glowed bright with fighting energy, that shifted to bright gold light as he responded to his Trainer's emotions, and once more he moved with blinding speed, slicing at the ropes that bound Tao down. He struck at the binding on the dragon's wings then, but that one was considerably stronger. "I'll need a minute for this." He said, mentally, as his arms struck the binding over and over.
"Hyper Beam."
Neither Alex, nor his Pokémon had time to react, and Arthur was blasted off of Tao's back as the other Arcean grunts tried to keep the struggling dragon pinned with their Pokémon. Alex reached out to the Legendary dragon. Telepathy wasn't something he was entirely sure would work, but it would be invaluable here. He felt the dragon's mind, confused, unbalanced, a whirlwind of emotion.
"Relax, Tao. I'm here." The dragon abruptly stopped moving as it heard Alex's mental words, and met his gaze. He sensed the acknowledgement, as Alex began to tell him what the plan was. Busy as he was with his mental conversation, he missed the opening lines of the monologuing man who had ordered the surprise attack.
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He looked up as his newest opponent paused, and seemed to be waiting for him to answer. "Sorry." Alex said, chuckling, "I missed most of that. Care to repeat for my friend here?" He gestured to the stairway he'd exited to get onto the roof, right as Jess ran up next to him. Being able to sense her presence was really useful for timing witty banter.
Their opponent narrowed his eyes. "I am-"
Alex interrupted again. "Caleb Pravus? Right? The man behind the cult? I didn't think you were actually stupid enough to come to my Region in person. Your Church is not going to be allowed in Unova, after this. Stealing Pokémon. Setting fires. Inciting a war. Beating your subordinates. Your cult is going to be blacklisted by the government by morning." His eyes narrowed at the man, now once more back to normal. "I'll make sure of it..." Since becoming Champion, Alex hadn't really had a chance to decide what he wanted to use his position for. To protect Unova was a given, but he was not off to a great start on that front. In that moment though, he resolved to make sure these depraved westerners never got within a mile of another Unovan child.
The man's eye twitched, and he finally regarded the strangely garbed boy below him. He had some balls to accuse a man as 'well respected' as him of so many crimes. It didn't matter that the accusations were actually correct. Denial was a part of the Arcean's playbook, and they used it often.
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Having done some prior research on the Arceans in his school days, Alex had recognized their leader. He couldn't help but smirk as he saw the man's face darken at his words involving his subordinates. He really did not like it when people mentioned the ugly rumors about his tendency to beat his his own people to a pulp. But bruises tended not to lie. Several of the guards below had them, sometimes on their faces, but usually, he assumed, below what was covered typically by their weird uniform.
Caleb Pravus was an older man, who looked like he'd been cast to play the villain in an old-fashioned play. His suit was more casual, but better made than his subordinates, and it was black, with a fine purple shirt beneath it. He had black hair, combed over to his right, and kept reasonably short. What really stood out was the goatee, however.
Aside from being a stereotype for evildoers, he'd let the hair on his chin grow longer, so it formed a twisty, pointed clump that dangled from his chin. One of his dark eyes twitched continuously with pure rage at Alex's words, and Alex had a distinct impression another attack was coming. Neither he nor Arthur had determined the source, yet.
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Suddenly, Arthur sensed just what they were fighting, as he'd needed a minute after getting blindsided by such a strong attack. "Alex! It's a-"
He was drowned out once more by the Arcean's Prophet as he uttered the word that confirmed what Arthur had sensed. "Aeroblast."
A beam of white energy shot from the darkened, cloudy sky just above the building, but Arthur cut through the attack with Psycho Cut. His blocking arm was marked with black, and smoking, but he'd managed to avoid the super effective hit, more or less.
He was already moving to engage the Lugia that had fired the attack, but Alex still couldn't see it, which was odd. Lugia was always white in color, even the variant that lived in the Atlantican Ocean, and had red horns rather than blue. It should have stuck out against the purple and black shade of the night's clouds…unless…
Sensing his Trainer's thoughts, Arthur continued to watch the clouds. If the Arceans had actually managed to replicate Shadow technology, this Lugia was going to be a lot harder to deal with. Seeing as Alex had the Arcean leader distracted, Jess ordered her Delphox to try to free Tao, but Pravus wasn't having any of it.
He ordered several of his minions to engage her with a wave of his purple gloved hand, and they all brought out water types, primarily Seismitoad, then pressed Jess and her Delphox back towards the door as the psychic fox struggled to block the multiple water and ground attacks with Psychic.
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Unable to fly, all Arthur could do was dodge or parry the attacks being launched at him from the cloud's cover. What little he saw of his opponent didn't make much of a target. Irritated, the Gallade looked back at his Trainer as Pravus called out an unusually colored Gengar, and then Mega Evolved it. The intimidating white ghost grinned at the Gallade, and prepared an attack.
"Let me fight the ghost…this is a battle for someone who can fly." The Gallade said, as he appeared before his Trainer for a timely Max Potion.
Alex smirked. "Or someone who can cripple Flying Types…"
Leo appeared in a flash of white-gold light, electricity already sparking over his fur. He was ready to go, but as the Gengar launched a Shadow Ball at him, changing his aim at the last moment, he found the attack deflected by Arthur, and his Night Slash.
Pravus glared at him. "You're getting annoyingly difficult to ignore. Leave. This does not concern you." It occurred to Alex then that someone like Pravus, who ran a region-spanning cult, might not know about up-and-coming Trainers. Or kids whose futures he ruined.
His organization was, after all, a business first and foremost. He likely brushed elbows with the rich 'elite' of their world. Such people didn't have time to keep track of new Trainers. Their respective 'worlds' simply didn't collide.
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"It does concern me, actually. I'm the Champion of Unova, and therefore, Tao's Trainer. You've much to answer for, Pravus. I'm not going anywhere...and neither are you." Another Aeroblast arced towards Arthur, only to be blocked by a hasty Thunderbolt. Had Leo been a bit slower, the Gallade would've likely fainted right there, distracted as he was by fighting the Gengar, who was parrying his Night Slashes with the same move.
The aging man's eyebrows went up. "Ahh. The Redwood boy. Yes…I've been expecting you. I didn't expect you to look like a monk, though."
Alex didn't know of any monks with his amount of hair, but his new jacket did resemble a robe. Kind of.
Pravus continued, "Tell you what, boy, if you manage to beat me, I'll give you my Mind Plate shard." It was Alex's turn to frown now, as that type of crystal, aside from dragon crystals, was extremely rare. There was a reason only N had possessed a dragon crystal in the entire Unova region, and none but other Champions in the Swamp had held a Mind shard.
Still hesitant, Alex answered the man. "Fine. Challenge accepted."
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Recalling his now fainted Gengar, Pravus brought out his psychic type partner, a Gallade. Unlike Arthur, he was red, not green or blue. His torso was purplish-black, but his horns were a deep red, and he maintained bits of white as well, on his legs. Seeing Arthur as his opponent, the Gallade smirked.
A dark voice echoed throughout the area, startling everyone. "Oh…so that's why you did that. I see." It was mental, like telepathy, but broadcasted so strongly, everyone could hear it.
Then Alex understood. This was what Gallade turned into when infused with Shadow energy, like the Lugia his Luxray was currently trading blows with.
"Mordred." The word was a command, and the Gallade before them was wreathed in bright purple energy as he mega evolved. The Mind Plate crystal became visible, as it was pinned to Pravus' chest, and in use. "Shadow Slash."
The Mega Gallade launched forward, every bit as fast as Arthur, as ghost type energy flowed up his arms. Arthur met it with a Night Slash before Alex could even think the command.
Arthur looked back at him as the dark type energy beat out the ghost. "Relax. I have him. Help Leo."
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"Aerial Ace!" Pravus had looked annoyed again when Arthur blocked a move he was supposed to be weak to. But dual types had multiple weaknesses. He swore colorfully and loudly as Arthur's Night Slash blocked that as well.
He could block all day, as the damage he took wasn't too terrible, but he needed to counter soon. He realized he needed to wait until the opportune moment presented itself. Just as the Passimian had taught him.
As it turned out, that moment was fast approaching. Leo had been shooting Thunderbolts into the clouds at the Lugia, and now, lightning flashed constantly, illuminating the outline of the Legendary Pokémon.
With a roar from the Luxray, Thunder arced from each of the charged clouds, slamming into Lugia with the same pinpoint accuracy most Luxray possessed. It fell from the clouds, smoking, revealing dark purple coloring. Their hunch had been correct. Shadow energy had been infused into this creature, perverting it into something that should never have existed.
Another Thunder struck it as it began to recover, and the smoke from its body changed then, growing darker, and engulfing the Lugia's entire form. Then it was gone, without a trace, reduced to atoms as the Shadow infection overpowered it. Leo grimaced and Alex sighed softly. It had been an unstable transformation, which meant Pravus had not yet perfected the art of infusing Legendary Pokémon with such energy.
The Shadow had finally overwhelmed that Lugia, and now it was gone. Alex didn't have the tools to counter that kind of infection, almost nobody did, as it had only broken out in the Orre region primarily, and had been stopped before it could spread. That had been years ago, and nobody had been mad enough to attempt it a second time. Until now, apparently.
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He had no idea what to do about the Gallade, Mordred. He did however, know that the Arceans, or at least their 'Prophet', would go down for this. Forcing that much Shadow energy into Pokémon for a boost in power and obedience was illegal in every country with a Pokémon League, which at this point, was pretty much all of them.
Alex focused his attention back on Arthur, who appeared to be standing victorious over Mordred, or rather, had his sword-arm to Mordred's throat. He'd taken the Aerial Ace, hard, but in return had launched a Shadow Ball at point blank range. Even infused as his opponent was with Shadow, he'd still retained his species' typing. As well as its weaknesses. Shadow Pokémon infused as an egg, like Mordred had been, did not benefit from resisting regular attacks, the tradeoff being that they still gained experience, and could still use Shadow moves, which were always super effective on those who lacked such an infusion.
That opening had given Arthur what he needed, and though he was hurting, he'd still managed to pin his opponent after the power of the condensed sphere of ghost energy knocked the Shadow Gallade down.
His arm shone with the golden light of his Sacred Sword, smoking as it touched the shadowy purple skin of Mordred's neck, but before either could find out what the move would do to him, Mordred vanished, as his Trainer recalled him to the obsidian colored Dark Ball he apparently called home. Pravus, seeing his Lugia fall, had decided he could deal with this nuisance in plenty of other ways.
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"Get us out of here…" The older man rumbled, turning his back on the Champion.
Pravus's shadow moved then, and enveloped the man whole, then sank back into the concrete roof, and slithered off before Alex could so much as blink. He swore colorfully, but knew he wouldn't be able to catch the man. He had a reputation for being able to slither away from most situations unscathed. Now he knew how. His followers claimed it was a miracle, a sign that what he did was sanctioned by the Alpha, but as usual, reality proved to be different.
Alex turned his attention to Tao then, and saw the injured form of his Rayquaza lying not far from him, tail dangling over the side of the building. Evidently, the Lugia had overpowered him with a surprise Dragon Pulse.
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Delphi had bought Jess time to call out Serpi, and together, the two had beaten the Seismitoad back. The number of Arceans restraining Tao had shrunk as Jess took them down one by one, and as only one of them remained, the furious dragon reared up, free now that Serpi's Leaf Blade had slashed through the ropes binding him, his eyes blazing with purple darkness.
His scales and underbelly reversed colors and the dragon's aura took on a darker tone, as electricity sparked over his form. Alex could feel it as well, the Shadow energy they'd been pumping into him had awakened Zekrom apparently, and now that black aspect of the Unovan Dragon was becoming dominant. The plan he'd shared earlier was forgotten, as his darker half's rage awakened, and shook the sky with his roar.
Alex had no doubt that Castelia would be a smoking ruin if he left Tao like this. History blamed Reshiram for the ancient fiery destruction that had occurred when the two brothers had warred with each other, but in reality, much of it had been the result of stray lightning from Zekrom hitting the trees of the region.
They would've raged forever if Reshiram hadn't stepped in after the battle with well placed fire lines. Thinking of the light half of his partner, Alex pulled out his Flame Plate crystal, and pointed it at Tao.
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He tried his hand at telepathy again, unsure if it would reach the furious Legendary. "Shiro, you need to balance yourself! Take the power, before you lose control."
The now black scaled dragon twisted in the air, his long body not entirely unlike a Rayquaza's. The crystal's energy seemed to set half of the Pokémon aflame, before both it and the sparking electricity suddenly vanished. Then, purplish black energy was violently expelled from his being, leaving Tao weakened, but alive. Alex sighed in relief as he felt the balance return, and saw Tao's scales and underbelly return to normal. He also felt Tao was exhausted after months of resisting his darker half's takeover by remaining in a trance. Shadow energy did not work on him like it did other Pokémon, or even other Legends. Being a Regional Guardian, he was unique, and given his nature, able to resist that kind of perversion. Had he still been three, things would've likely turned out much worse for Unova, and the world as a whole.
After failing to close his heart, the Arceans had pumped as much Shadow energy into the dragon as they could manage. It was a credit to Tao's strength that he'd managed to resist it, but it had certainly taken a toll.
The long-bodied black and white dragon landed, evidently, he'd broken the wing restraints with his own surge of power, and he met Alex's gaze. "I need to rest…I'll take the shape of an orb for a time…"
Alex held up a hand. "The last thing we need is your power in a shape that these people can easily steal. I have another form in mind. What do you think?"
The tired dragon gave him a long look, then smirked. "Fine. That will do…for a time." His form shimmered, and became that of a staff, half white, half black, the Taijitu symbol of his balance emblazoned in the middle. Alex caught it, and marveled at the power he felt running through the resting dragon's form.
He twirled the staff a bit, smirking. "Any feelings of nausea?"
Tao's voice emanated from the staff, "My mind is not so weak it will suffer such things. Use this form as you wish." His presence retreated then, and Alex could tell he had already slipped into slumber.
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He slid the sleeping dragon between his pack and his back, securing it tight, until he was sure the staff wouldn't just fall away. Jess meanwhile, had corralled the Arcean grunts, and left Delphi to keep them in line.
After their leader abandoned them, they had surrendered, and were now arguing about whether or not to remain in the Church, or if they'd even be allowed home after such failure. Alex walked up next to the fiery haired Trainer his gaze always lingered on. "Any idea what to do with this lot?"
She shrugged, "The Police and Ranger forces are busy raiding the sewers. That's where the Arceans were hiding as they waited for their Prophet to kick things off. Evidently, once Tao's followers and the Arceans saw Rayquaza fly over the city, chasing you, the real fighting broke out. Nate and Rosa are down there too. They assumed you'd be helping by handling things up here."
He nodded. It was a bit surreal to think Unova's heroes were counting on his aid, but he had a feeling they'd be able to handle whatever they found down there with their own teams, and the Rangers. There was a reason they were Champions, after all.
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Alex walked over to the arguing Arceans, and as he approached, they eyed the staff on his back warily. "You lads have some explaining to do. Legally, Tao is my Pokémon. Not only did you steal him, but you then used his power for defending your rat's nest of a building as you tried to corrupt him with Shadow Energy, another very illegal act."
He knelt down to their level then, and noticed they weren't bound. Evidently Delphi had kept them in place with Psychic, and they'd simply given up resisting.
"You have some serious Prison time in your futures…unless you're willing to divulge where your leader went." In response, he sensed one of them about to spit in his face. He dodged it, easily, and then backhanded the man with a fist, who fell over groaning. As large as his hands were, his knuckles left a noticeable impression.
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Another of the men, who were all easily older than him by a good decade, judging by their looks, blonde, tanned skin, and classic jawlines, spoke up then. "You'll get nothing from a True Arcean. Caleb Pravus will clear this world of filth like you. Half-breed!" Alex sighed, then turned his gaze to the final man in the trio. Evidently, this was the one who had become disillusioned.
Alex stepped over to him, and the man looked up, fear evident in his eyes, "Please…I can't go to Prison…I have a family..." The other two began to protest, until a very hot ball of flame appeared between them, and began expanding in size at Delphi's command. They stopped talking, eyeing it warily. Jess stepped up next to Alex, then and knelt down before the third man.
"It's alright." She said, taking on a soothing tone, "We can put in a good word for you…"
"But only if you give us something useful." Alex finished. They'd been able to finish sentences for each other before, but with latent psychic abilities, it was a lot easier. He suppressed a smirk as he felt her eyes on him. He'd spoken her next words verbatim.
He could already sense the multitude of questions she had, but he sensed something else she wished for first. It took him a minute to recognize her lust, and he had to work at keeping his cheeks from flushing.
The man glanced between the Champions and his companions, then sighed. "I can't…you don't understand…if I utter so much as a word about him, they'll kick me out. I'll lose everything. My job, my family…my entire life is in the Church. It's all I've ever known."
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Alex shrugged then, "Fine. Enjoy Prison, I suppose." He empathized with the man, but in all fairness, he'd joined this group of his own accord. He'd followed orders, indoctrinated his family, and become so entwined with the Church the thought of leaving was absurd.
Arceans that did leave were cut off from family and friends still in the Church, at the behest of the Church itself. The Church denied that they did this, of course, as they denied any negative allegations against them. Even when hard evidence to the contrary was readily and easily available.
Knowing that the other two were likely to turn on this man when they wound up before Pravus again, as they no doubt would if he deigned to spend money on releasing them, Alex sighed. "When this group of yours turns on you, and mark me, they will, go to the Dragonspiral Tower. One of the attendants there will give you a room. Tell them who sent you."
Seeing the glares from his companions, the ostracized man waved Alex's words away. "I need no pity, I exist only to serve the Church, and Arceus' Prophet on Earth."
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If his companions were buying his words, it didn't show. Alex sighed again, and then went over to Rayquaza, who was struggling to rise. He fed him a Max Revive from his rapidly dwindling supply, and soon the dragon was floating again, and the snow and wind on the rooftop became muted. Agreeing to rest in his new ball, Alex recalled his newest partner, and put his ball in his bag. It was strange, carrying two Legendary dragons around, but being Unovan he really should've expected it eventually.
He felt Jess return to his side again as he stared out of the smoking city, and she seemed more upset than he was. She'd tried convincing the man to talk, but had also failed. "I will never understand those people." She sighed, and then leaned on him.
Given she weighed hardly anything to him, he welcomed the weight and responded in a low voice, "Understanding isn't something their 'Prophet' encourages. You either obey, or you're excommunicated. Cut off from everyone and everything you've spent your time doing in the Church."
He felt her eyes on him again as she spoke softly as well, "How do you know so much about them, hmm?"
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He smirked, "I was instructed to write a paper, back in University, on an example of the power of indoctrination. Nobody approved of my topic, even the Dean was angry about it, but I still aced the assignment. After I burned and deleted all copies of the paper. They were very adamant that it never be seen by the public, let alone actual Arceans."
She raised a brow at him, "Really? That seems a bit extreme…"
Alex shook his head, sighing, "No, it isn't. Not where Arceans are concerned. They have a tendency to sue anyone who so much as looks at them the wrong way. I expect you and I will be getting court summons soon enough. When they can't take things by force, they switch to legal trickery."
He felt her shrug, "Oh well. Daddy's lawyers will take care of them." Alex just chuckled. Her father's lawyers were most likely working for them. If you didn't have moral qualms, the Arceans were a guaranteed fat paycheck. "Shall we go home, then?"
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Alex looked around at the pockmarked roof, then nodded. He reached out with his mind, and soon, Blaze appeared, landing with a large yawn. Flying hundreds of miles at top speed would drain any Pokémon, as would holding a Mega Form for as long as he had.
It was gone now, however. Chari was called out as well, and soon, the two Trainers were on their way home, back up north. They assumed Castelia could regain some semblance of order by itself, now the Arcean leadership had vanished.
Before they could take off, Alex was stopped by someone yanking on his leg. "Ahh, Joey. I didn't know you were here...or an Arcean..." His tone turned mildly disapproving as he examined the man's clothes.
Joey shook his head, "I'm no Arcean. I stole a uniform and spied on Pravus and Ghetsis. Nobody noticed. I also did as you suggested last time, and recorded everything I could."
Alex had suggested that Joey record his bosses telling him that he wasn't allowed to bring his Raticate with him to work, back at the Dragonspiral Tower, when he'd mentioned that the owners had caught him with his Raticate's ball, and had threatened to fire him if he kept it.
Most people brought their Pokémon everywhere, as leaving them alone for hours on end was legally considered abuse. He'd also have grounds to sue them, for more than enough money to sustain him until he found a better job. Alex smirked, glad for once that the man's enthusiasm had proved useful rather than annoying. "So you have hard evidence against them? That's brilliant! Well done."
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Joey scratched the back of his head, and averted his gaze. "Yea...actually, I handed over all of it to Pravus, downstairs...he appeared alongside a Darkrai. A purple Darkrai...but, I did manage to snag this before he left."
After looking crestfallen at the loss of evidence, Alex's expression shifted to a smirk. "Well now...it might not help legally, but...I'm sure you can make good use of it." The Mind Plate shard pulsed once in Joey's hand, but the man handed it to Alex. "I don't have a Psychic Type...and besides, you can do more with that than I can, Champion."
Alex looked Joey over then, and nodded, hand closing around the crystal. He might have been a bit annoying with his constant texts about what his Raticate was doing and how amazing it was, but he'd really come through this time.
He could also sense Arthur's excitement, but he was hesitant. Madmen like Pravus tended to over-do things, and with an abundance of Shadow energy, who knew how he'd corrupted this crystal. Arthur might become something monstrous if he used it. He'd have his granduncle examine it first.
"I suppose I can..." Alex said finally, pocketing the crystal. "I won't forget this. Thank you."
As the pair of Charizard flew into the snowy night, Joey waved at them until their tail flames were out of sight.