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Draconis Mons - Unova Region

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"I thought he'd be colder!" Alex smirked as he heard Jess speaking from behind him, and enjoyed the press of her smaller frame into his back. The massive, white and black scaled serpentine dragon glanced back at the humans perched on the icy crest that ran down his spine as his powerful wings ate away the miles between the center of Unova, and the Dragon Mountain.

"Just as a Rapidash can choose not to burn its rider, I can choose not to freeze those I deem worthy of riding upon my back." Alex mostly ignored what Tao was saying, which was impressive, given that his commanding baritone was thundering in his skull.

He was more focused on the land below, specifically Lacunosa Town, where the Arceans from earlier had been tossed by the local authorities, which by this point, were the Pokémon Rangers stationed in Unova. The area was also home to the Chasm that Kyurem had once inhabited. The Rangers had been disturbed and surprised when they found the town already suited to hold the Arceans as criminals, as the houses the Arceans hadn't used had been retrofitted to act as prison cells. There was no word yet on who, if anyone, they had put in them. They'd apparently been empty when they were found. The New Tork Police Department was still processing Trainers from the region's most recent battle with the Fornian insurgents.

Thus, many of the Arceans became imprisoned behind bars they'd paid for, and the Unovans of the town were all too happy to finally have power over them. The Arcean cult's initial words had been sweet and convincing, but it hadn't taken more than a month before the freedom-friendly ideals of Unova clashed with the standard Arcean methods of mental conditioning. The villagers promised not to free the Arceans, but several Pokémon Rangers stayed in the town anyway. This group had a bad habit of breaking free of imprisonment.

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The land around the Giant Chasm had indeed recovered, if only slightly. The heat of summer had been used to good effect, but winter had come early, and much of the plant life and Pokémon remained away from the area. Several minutes later they were over Humilau City, and then began ascending to the top of Draconis Mons itself.

It seemed livelier than when Alex had been here last. Pokémon of all types shared the upper bowl with the dragons now, who were content to stay within the carved-out caves and cliff-sides that made up the edges of the massive mountaintop. Normally the dragons would have dominated their territory, but with the return of peace, they were all just glad to be alive. Many of the Pokémon from within the mountain had shared their food with the hungry dragons thus in return, the dragons ignored the age-old tradition of the peak being for them and only them.

He spied a small, ramshackle building by the footpath up the mountain, and smirked. It seemed the old man had stayed true to his word. With the dragons as sentinels, not to mention the other Pokémon, he felt sorry for any idiots dumb enough to try to poach from this place. There were a few hikers, but most of the older Pokémon shied away from them, and they in turn were experienced enough not to intrude too close. It seemed the mountain as a whole was also welcoming humans now, provided they didn't interfere.

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Alex smirked as he felt his belt shudder. It seemed both Blaze and Shruikan, weakened as they were from battling, still had energy enough to desire to join the other Pokémon here. He leapt from Tao's back, and landed harder than he intended on the central rocky platform before he thumbed both of their twitching ball's release buttons, and the two appeared in bright swirls of light above the central platform of the mountain.

Tao had definitely gained the attention of everything living atop the mountain as he spiraled up through the air and set off a chorus of calls from the dragons that could only be defined as joyous, but the appearance of Shruikan had a more calming effect. The noises of joy became low growls, that dissipated quickly when it became clear that this black beast was not the one that had ruled over them so harshly, but was in fact one of them. Some of the older dragon types seemed on edge at the sight of him, though they kept to their caves. One of them or not, there were still those who knew what a black Salamence presaged.

Alex and Shruikan noticed the dragons were eyeing both of them with what seemed like apprehension, and something else. After a brief mental sweep, Alex smirked, and his Salamence roared. Lightning sparked through the previously white clouds as they shifted to black. The dragons of the mountain were burning with the desire for a battle, and neither Pokémon nor Trainer was about to pass up a challenge like that. Shruikan welcomed any that wished to test themselves against him.

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Tao spiraled down onto the central rocky platform, and growled softly. The low rumble sent the agitated dragon types back into their caves, while others who were ready to rise to the whelp's challenge, opted instead to simply wait. Once more, the Original Dragon addressed the humans, as Jess joined her other half on the ground. "Hold off, for now. Let your partners out to eat, they will need the rest, and they will be safe while we do what we must here." The white and black dragon's voice echoed quietly to Alex in particular as he said, "Get ready to bring your team with you, when they're done. And tell your female to bring hers, as well. We will leave, soon."

He raised a brow, but let the rest of his team out for the moment, as did Connor and Jess, and the gathered Pokémon, all powerful in their own right, wasted no time in beginning to socialize. Alex's team knew Jess' well enough by now, but Connor's partners were new and interesting. In short order, Arthur had them preparing a feast of berries and Pokémon food and once that was done, he came up to his Trainer and non verbally communicated to him.

Alex then turned and handed Jess Arthur's ball. She raised a brow at him. "His request, not mine. He insisted on it for some reason. A premonition, or something." He shrugged. "Psychic Types." She glanced at the Gallade, but he was already back to setting out bowls for those without fingers or hands. She shrugged as well, pocketing the purple sphere.

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Tao brought them up to Lizardon's cave then and it seemed abandoned. None of the local dragons had tried to claim it, and now that the Original Dragon had returned, none of them intended to. Before the Dragonspiral Tower had been built in his honor, this had been his home, after all. Tao entered the cave without hesitation, the whisker-like tendrils dangling on his snout lifted up by his horns, and sparked with blue electricity, lighting the interior.

Alex stared for a long time, as the symbol of eternal balance became visible against the back of the cave. It was definitely an old carving, at least as old as the ruins in Unova's western desert area. Three massive gashes ran through the center of it, and he had no doubt as to what Pokémon had dared to make them.

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Tao sighed as he examined it. "That brute had nerve…" He opened his maw, and white-blue flame enveloped the carving, searing through each line. When it vanished, the rock was flawless once more, and Tao turned back to the humans, then. "What lies in this cave is an entrance to a useful place where my followers would train when the need for experience was dire and time was short. It is from here that the first Dragon Emperor of your land was trained. His line ruled the land with the powers acquired here, ended the wars between the States, and brought Balance to this continent. Now you will do the same."

The dragon directed his gaze at Connor specifically then, "You however, do not require use of this, which is fortunate, as it can only take two Humans at a time." Though it could technically hold more, Tao had no intention of interfering with Connor's path, one which he sensed did not lie in Unova, or as a student of his. What Raikou would teach him would help him far more than his own lessons.

Connor arched a brow. "Then why bring me here? I could be halfway to Norstad by now. We cannot delay."

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The dragon exhaled at the impatient human, hot breath ruffling his reddish-brown hair. "Patience. The Fornian will have to search long to find what he seeks, and even if he finds it quickly, it will not yield as easily as he believes. Practice what Raikou taught you as you wait." Tao looked to Alex, then. "Rest, eat, recall your teams, and then Open the Way."

Alex blinked up at the dragon. "Sure... How do I do that, exactly?"

Tao looked at him for a long time, and a chill ran down Alex's neck. As if this mysterious and confusing circumstance was actually of incredible importance.

He paid extra attention as the dragon spoke into his mind. "Balance exists in all things. Nature. Pokémon. Humans. Animals. Even the universe beyond our tiny world. There are many names for this Balance. Light and dark. Ebb and flow. Push and pull. Yin and Yang. Nature is full of opposing forces."

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Tao's head came close to him once more, and it took Alex a second to realize that his pupiless golden eye was almost as tall as he was. "Find the central point of this Balance…and you will find enlightenment."

Alex pondered the Dragon's words as they ate, and of course, enjoyed a bowl of Leaf. As he let the calming effect wash over him, his mind began connecting certain events he'd experienced over the past year. A pattern emerged. Always, he'd needed to shift his viewpoint, and expand it when he learned something. He had a feeling this would be no different. He recalled his team once they were finished resting, and approached the wall.

The dragon lifted his head up again then and watched his latest Tamer as he sprawled comfortably on the cave floor, forepaws crossed, with his lengthy body coiled up behind him. He had not enjoyed the bowl, but the smoke, each powerful inhale more than enough for a contact buzz.

Alex could feel Tao's gaze and he realized that this wasn't all that different from his training in the Swamp. A wise old Pokémon with more power than he could dream of, watching him expectantly after divulging a cryptic clue to help solve whatever conundrum he was facing.

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He sighed. Apparently, centuries of living did strange things to one's perception of the world. He did not yet know how right he was about that.

He focused on the symbol again, and his eyes went to the middle of it. Surely it wasn't as simple as focusing on the point between the two smaller circles that represented light in darkness, and darkness in light. Then again, simplicity had been a running theme with his training. The answer was always relatively simple, once he'd found it.

Except when it came to higher mathematics, which was why he despised it. Answers led to more answers, and some answers were needed to solve the entire problem. Sometimes they had to be in a specific order, or pattern too. It made his head spin. He was thoroughly glad Trainer majors only had a few math courses, focused on making sure they understood the currency of their world, and how to exchange it. Most regions used Pokédollars, but other forms of currency existed, like Olympian Gelt, the main currency of the Imperium of Man used across the supercontinent of Eurafricasia.

Alex put his large palm over the center of the symbol, and resisted glancing at Tao as he heard the dragon chortle. There was a trick to it then. That was fine. There usually was.

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He ignored everything else, and focused on the burgeoning power that Arthur had been helping him expand during their late-night training sessions. His eyes shone blue, and his entire form was lined with blue energy as he drew more.

By his Gallade's approximation, he could use a Confusion level attack about five times before the strain on his undeveloped power would cause his body to start failing. The most obvious sign of this was a nosebleed. He had enough for this, however, and as he looked at the carving once more, his instinct guided him.

He let it. His hand moved to the top, tracing the outline of the circle, and moving through the lines that had been carved into the rock. Where his pointer finger trailed, a line of psychic energy was left behind, and as he continued, lines he hadn't noticed before became obvious to his eyes, as they linked the smaller circles seamlessly to the larger one, creating a pattern over the usual S shape that separated light and darkness.

He followed the lines connecting the light in the darkness, and the darkness in the light carefully, until he finally traced his finger to the center of the carving. He flooded it with power then, and the rock rumbled, and fell away. He let the power fade, and smirked at the dragon. "How'd I do?"

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Jess spoke up from behind him. "What did you do? You just traced the outline, then let your power go. I don't get it." Her brother nodded in agreement, arms crossed. For them, the circle was lifeless, the rock still appeared to just be rock.

Alex raised a brow at the dragon, who winked his left eye, visible to only Alex's point of view, at him. "Go." He said, speaking only to him then, "I will see that Jessica finds her own path. This one is yours, and yours alone."

He hesitated. His path was hers. He'd told her as much, and he'd meant it. The dragon arched a scaly eyebrow at him expectantly, and he walked through the shining doorway. Now wasn't the time to argue over how attached he should be to her. Still, if anyone knew the depths of his ties to her, it was Tao. The dragon didn't really grok the need for such ties, but then, he didn't have reproductive organs, or a desire to breed. As far as Alex knew.

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The siblings stared, eyes wide, as their neighbor walked through what looked like solid rock. Jess was up against the wall then, hand running over it. She turned her gaze to the dragon. "You said we'd be going in together. I can't even sense him anymore."

Tao nodded. "You wouldn't. He is no longer on this plane. If he manages to cross to the other one, then I will have you attempt to cross as well."

She raised a brow at him. "If? You never said this was dangerous."

"I warned him of the danger, as I am now warning you. He accepted the risks." The dragon's head moved towards her then, much as he'd done with his Trainer. "Will you accept them? Will you put your life on the line?"

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Jess backed away from the wall a step. "Woah, hey, nobody said our lives were at stake."

The dragon seemed to sigh, and blinked his golden eyes at her. "Your lives are always at stake. You are frail, easily broken mortals. It makes protecting you quite difficult. Though I admit, I haven't seen any Human as durable as your chosen mate. Most Humans who dared to climb this mountain in days past reappeared dead. That brute did not restrain himself."

Jess thought for a moment. "So you implied he could survive whatever he just walked into?"

The dragon shook his large white scaled head. "No. That Trainer does not let fear hold him back. There are other ties that make him hesitate."

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Jess ignored Tao then, and summoned her own power. She was still quite new at using it however. Unlike Alex, she only traced the symbol. Tao yawned, and returned his head to resting on his paws. "You won't be able to enter until he passes through. The Way is shut."

Jess crossed her arms, anxious, and nearly jumped when she felt something on her shoulder. She turned, seeing Arthur, Delphi, and Sophos, all free of their balls. They'd popped out when they sensed the psychic power shift the fabric of reality, only to realize everything was fine.

Naturally, the psychic types got along. Sophos had learned much in the short time he'd conversed with them. Arthur's knowledge of grammar, and Delphi's, helped him thread proper sentences together that no longer seemed as jilted.

He was the one who spoke, as he nodded at the symbol on the wall. "I sensed that Human's power from within my circle-home. There is no…need…to worry." He was still having trouble sorting through all the words he'd learned evidently, but an Alakazam's mind was like a supercomputer. It wasn't that surprising that he was learning so quickly.

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Meanwhile…

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There hadn't been many times Alex's experience as a smoker of Leaf became useful, but as he stepped into the portal and saw what lay beyond, his first thought was the similarity to his more potent dreams while experiencing the hallucinations his subconscious fabricated when exhaustion mixed with the calm of a recent smoke session. He blinked, bit his tongue, then nodded. This was no fever-Leaf dream.

He looked down, and saw the world. He was floating in a multicolored shaft of rainbow light, motionless. He could see other similar shafts from numerous points around the planet, and one in particular caught his attention. It was truly massive, and originated from somewhere east of the center of the Mediterra mountains.

His brow furrowed, as all that was supposed to be out there was the vast Gohara Desert, until the borders of the country known as Eous, the largest country on the planet. Much like Unova and the other regions that made up the States, it had many regions within it, and many more Pokémon. Nobody owned that desert though, as it was occupied by a large, lifeless plateau, and the Imperium and Eous both had little interest in occupying a desert. There were no hidden ores or oases to speak of indeed in comparison to other desert on the planet, the Gohara was, as far as humanity knew, largely lifeless. Thus, it was avoided.

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Alex followed the large rainbow shaft's direction with his eyes, only to see that it was pointing in the same direction his was, and seemed to encircle and entwine with the bridge he was on, though as he moved, his perspective shifted, and he saw how the paths diverged, and where that larger path led, he could only guess. Alex drew more of his power to increase his floating speed, and as he did, his perspective shifted. His point of view turned kaleidoscopic and circular, but he kept propelling himself in the same direction, until finally, he was surrounded by white light.

Then, it faded. He was standing again, on stone, and as he looked around, he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing. The Arceans claimed that their Creator lived in a golden paradise surrounded by clouds, that only loyal humans and 'non-suppressive' Pokémon were allowed to enter.

In their view, any and all psychic types were automatically considered enemies of Arceus's 'true vision' and were therefore labeled as 'suppressive' to the Prophet's, and by extension Arceus's desires.

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What he saw before him now very much seemed like what they had described Arceus' abode to look like. Grand, randomly placed marble columns, nearly blinding omnipresent light, but something was off. He walked around the immediate area, probing with his senses for any intelligent life, and then noticed a path, a pattern in the rock he stood upon he hadn't seen before.

He followed it, and eventually the weathered columns gave way to a massive tower that looked almost identical to the Dragonspiral, back in Unova. This incarnation wasn't weathered with age though and an image of Tao could be made out, spiraling all the way up to the top where, instead of a flat top, there was a massive reproduction of the Original Dragon's visage. It was uncannily accurate.

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As he made to enter the castle-like building, three spheres of light shot from the mouth of the carving. He stared, as once more Kyurem, Reshiram, and Zekrom appeared before him. They were different, though. Kyurem's color was deeper, and its eyes and head crystal were scarlet. Reshiram's bands were gold, not white, and Zekrom was a lighter shade of black, with bits of glowing green, rather than blue.

"I…I don't…what? When? Why? How!?" His gaze moved between the three of them, but they spoke as one in response to his words, each of their draconic visages smirking in amusement. "We are as you see us…and yet, we are not what you know. We are the prototype for the One."

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Alex continued to stare, suddenly wishing he'd taken the Draco Plate shard with him. He could've reunited these three, and as he had that thought, they collectively shook their heads. "The Alpha made us first, but we were inherently flawed. Forever out of Balance, too fundamentally different in nature to ever unite. He replaced us, and bade us to guard this, the home where the One was birthed from the combination of our essence."

Alex blinked again, several times. "Wh-what? Replaced you?" He felt a cold dread as he realized what that meant. Perhaps the Arceus the Arceans worshiped wasn't all that far off from the real thing.

The dragons nodded again. "With our help, he cast down the Lord of Antimatter, and combined our remaining power to create the One. From our deaths, he rose."

"Wait…you're…dead?" He looked at the three again, and then noticed. They were all vaguely transparent. They nodded again.

"Now, we guard this home, for those whom the Original Dragon wishes to train. Pity us not, Human…this duty is an honor, bestowed for our sacrifice." Combined as their voices were in his head, they sounded uncannily like Tao. "Tell us Human. It has been ages, even in this place where time is altered, since we have seen him, or his students. What befell the One?"

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Looking at these ghosts, his eyes noticed other things. Wounds, barely visible, but evidently fatal. Whatever they had fought had hurt them severely and with the last of their power, they formed Tao. He sighed. "Humans tore apart that which should never have been separated…which is why I recognize the bodies you're in."

He went into detail then, about the legend of his home region. The Dragon Empire, the wise king from a foreign bloodline who married into the empire's royal line, the war that lineage eventually caused, the splitting of the Original Dragon over ideological differences, and the millennia that it had taken for the separate halves of the dragon to awaken once more. He finished by saying, "I freed Reshiram from a forced fusion with Kyurem, and soon after, fused the three separate parts with Infinity Energy back into a cohesive whole. I wasn't the first to try re-uniting them. I expect a man-made fusion would've produced something else entirely."

The dragons glanced at each other, then nodded. "For this deed, you are worthy. Enter the Tower of the One, and gain the knowledge you seek."

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Almost twenty minutes went by before Tao opened one eye suddenly, and his head rose to eye the symbol in his cave. "He has done it. Though I expect it will be easier for him."

Jess rose from where she'd been sitting, and brushing her Delphox's hair, with Arthur's aid, as he meditated. He'd held it aloft with his power, making brushing it quite simple. Sophos had left with her brother and Raikou, to train. "What will be easier?"

The dragon blinked at her. "Entering the Tower. Its guardians are…fickle. Prone to infighting that can last centuries. Now you may attempt to follow. Be warned…this is not a journey lightly embarked upon. You will not be the same Human when you return."

The redhead recalled Delphi, and Arthur as well, as Alex had left his ball with her. She stared the dragon down then, her earlier hesitation gone. "I don't let fear cause me to hesitate. I am not afraid."

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The dragon seemed to chuckle as he stood, and touched his nose to the symbol of Balance etched into the wall. Again, nothing appeared to happen. He looked back at her before walking through the solid stone as well. "You will be."

Eyes narrowing, she called on the power as she'd seen and partially felt Alex do. Being mentally linked made understanding such things much easier, though what it had caused had been blocked from her, by the dragon, if she guessed correctly. Her form shone with an intense pink aura, and she stared at the carving, recalling the Dragon's words to Alex, which he'd shared before departing. Apparently they were important.

She blinked a few times, seeing a faint glow in the recesses of the rock, where Alex had traced his finger. A slight echo of his essence, something she could sense easily, with this much power focused in her eyes. Things became easier to piece together as she did as he had, and made out the faint hidden lines in the Taijitu symbol and ran her finger over them, seeing as Alex had, how they connected to the two smaller spheres representing light in darkness, and darkness in light. The rock turned blindingly white as her finger reached the center-most point and she walked through the portal.

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Where Alex had experienced a vision with which he was somewhat prepared, Jessica's experience was much, much different. She experienced vertigo, seemingly endless vertigo, as she tumbled ceaselessly through her own personal hell. Every unpleasant moment of her life, from being berated by her father, to something as simple as smelling something foul in the air, was on full display as she felt herself fall into eternity.

She felt as though she re-lived all of it, and before long, a pattern became apparent. Over and over she could hear her father's voice repeating, "Journeys are dangerous! They're not for people like you! You have a future, a duty to keep the family line going! Don't waste your life on a dangerous, pointless excursion with that bloody farmer!"

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She saw then, the events she'd been involved in that had risked her life without her really noticing it. After seeing Alex clash with, and beat, her brother she knew how strong he was. She'd always taken her safety for granted when he was around…until she saw things from a different perspective. The first time they'd met, and he'd battled her with Pokémon that were still wild. That time a furious Tauros had almost run her down when she'd first visited her new neighbors, and Alex had redirected its charge. Traveling through Black City's sketchy populace, and then White Forest, the long hours of training, the arm and leg bruises from sparring with Alex, who never once went easy on her.

The Castelian Civil War, seeing the fire burn through almost half of the city as Arceans not locked in battle continued to set them. Charging head first into the PNN building. Facing down yet more Arcean thugs while being very much outnumbered as Alex took on a Lugia and a Gallade infused with Shadow.

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Seeing Tao's darker aspect take control had brought genuine fear. Seeing a being straight out of myth, a deity to the people of his region, with the power to literally turn the land gold start to lose control, had made her pause.

As the scene played out from her memory, the enraged dragon's eyes focused on her, his entire form sparking with electricity. She'd always thought Kyurem was the most frightening of the trio, but being combined and dominated by Zekrom only enhanced how terrifying he'd looked in that moment.

His words echoed in her head. "You will be…"

Her eyes hardened, and she managed to right herself as she continued to plummet, though which direction was up or down was a mystery. She used her best guess.

All her life she'd been told Pokémon were friends. Powerful, useful, loyal, cute, but Legendary Pokémon were in an entirely different class. Especially ones that seemed to stem from Arceus directly, like Tao. A true Guardian of an entire region. She had indeed been afraid, many times in fact.

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Then she noticed something else. Every time she'd faced one of these scenarios, Alex hadn't hesitated. He'd stepped right up to Tao and forced him back into balance. Again. Just like he'd jumped in front of that Tauros. Without hesitation, facing down whatever was in front of him head on.

He'd rallied Unova's Trainers to fight off the Arceans in the streets, and the fire burning their homes. Even in this latest confrontation, he'd faced down three forces of nature without so much as blinking. Could she have done the same? Had she used her own Flame Plate crystal, could she have balanced Tao?

"Yes." The voice echoed in her head, unmistakably male, and yet it wasn't Alex. He sounded similar, but she could tell Arthur and his Trainer apart easily. She held up his ball, and it glowed with psychic energy, the scenes around her shifted.

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Her Empoleon, fighting the fires. Herself, covered in soot as she emerged from building after building with people and Pokémon who'd been trapped inside. Her Delphox taking on three Arceans at once, and still managing a win.

The long hours of sparring had paid off. She noticed the scenes moving in reverse now, but this time, she gave herself credit where it was due. The bruises had faded, and her body had hardened. She'd fought off just as many creeps in Black City, and had been the one to stay on the White Forest's trail as Alex flitted through the trees hunting rare Pokémon. She was the anchor, the point he always came back to, the center of what made him so good at staying balanced. He'd told her so during one of their many, many sexcapades.

Then she almost laughed, recalling the first time she'd actually seen him. Dirty, messy hair, a hat and clothes that barely fit, and a strong scent of Leaf. Some things never changed.

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Then, she saw her father once more, and the echo of his stern baritone ceased as she stared him down, and she smirked, her own psychic power outlining her form as she recalled what she'd told him: "He's no more a farmer than you are, and in case you haven't heard from your son, the future of our family line is all but guaranteed with him. We've been neighbors for years. You know him. How many times did you talk with him during Festivus? How many times did that dry wit make you nearly cough up dinner, by your own admission? I expected blind reactionary anger from Connor. Not from you."

She'd left then, with an appropriate show of storming off. Her father had come to his senses, admitting that of all the many Redwoods, Alex was probably the best choice, given his brother's history of poor health. He was first in line to inherit all of it, like his father had been. She'd rolled her eyes at the capitalistic obsession with more wealth, but he'd acquiesced to her traveling, and had handled her brother, to boot. She was glad she had such a sensible father, or at least one that could be sensible when it suited him. Sometimes, she'd found, men just needed a nudge to remember common sense.

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The final image she saw was a still one, of a girl she hardly recognized, running ahead of a beardless green and black clad Alex, carrying two backpacks, and a pair of shoes that did not belong on dirt roads. She tossed Arthur's ball, and looked up as she heard it hit a palm. "Thanks for lending him to me…though I'm still not sure why you did."

Her lover seemed changed, somehow, now garbed in the primarily white and black clothes that Tao's followers usually wore. They were different, though. His white robe-like jacket was down to his black-clad calves now, the symbol of eternal balance clear on his undershirt, and his hat. It was on the back of the coat as well, though she couldn't see it right then. His pants had changed too, a white stripe running down the outside, black running down the inside and being the primary color of the comfortable looking martial arts pants, they were roomy, and seemed ideal for moving in.

"He told me to, remember? At this point, I don't bother prying when he refuses to tell me why." He sighed, then smirked, placing the ball back on his belt. "Come. You're going to love this place."

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The three guardian spirits appeared once more as Jess approached the tower. She barely had time to blink in surprise, before they spoke, in unison, into her head. "Answer we these questions three, or the inside ye shall not see."

She gave Alex a look, and he shrugged, then shook his head. "They're a bit…eccentric. Just do as they ask." His hands were in the pockets of his long coat as he waited, patiently.

She looked back up at the dragons. "Fine. Ask me your questions. I'm not afraid."

The three dragons seemed to grin. "What…is your name?"

"Jessica Gladstone."

Their grins widened. "What…is your purpose?"

She paused for a moment, glancing at Alex with a growing smirk as she recognized these questions, and then looked back to the ghostly visages of the Unovan Dragon trio. "I come to learn."

The dragons continued speaking in unison, "What…is the average air-speed velocity of an unladen Swellow?"

She rolled her eyes. "A Hoenn Swellow, or a Eurafricasian Swellow?"

The three dragons exchanged looks. "We…we're not sure."

The two humans burst into laughter, and the three dragons shared another look.

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Tao appeared then, flying in from behind the tower, and blasted the three dragons from their perches with a burst of flame. "Enough fooling around. We have work to do." His golden eyes focused on the pair. "Welcome to my true home, Miss Gladstone. Enter and be welcome." He arced through the air and flew through the large entrance as the three guardians retreated to his carving's mouth.

She took Alex's hand as they entered. "They do know that's the easiest question on Unova University's entrance test, right?"

Alex smirked. "They don't know, actually. They've been dead for millennia. It's an old joke they find amusing. You'll hear it again, I promise. Apparently, Tao likes it too. One of my advisors said it was the oldest question on the exam. Can't remember which one told me."

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Any further witty remarks were stifled as they entered the main room of the tower. Unlike its earthly counterpart, this one had books lining every single wall, all the way up. Tao was curled up already on a large black and white pillow, scanning them, and sighing. "Take her up to the Dojo. Put her through the basic forms. All of them. We don't have time to waste."

Jess glanced at Alex, and through their link, saw the forms already forming in his subconscious mind. He led her up the ramp, and she looked closer at him. The beard was longer, fuller, as was his hair. "Exactly how long have you been here?"

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He gave her a wink. "About two weeks, by my reckoning, but Tao said not to bother trying to discern time here. It flows differently than it does on our plane. And, there's no need for sleep."

She stared at him. "That's impossible. You were only gone for a few minutes… and our bodies need rest, or they eventually fail."

He shook his head. "I thought it was impossible as well, but aside from an occasional meditative trance, I haven't slept since I arrived, and I'm perfectly aware. It's a bit unsettling. Don't get used to it, like I have. It'll be hard to adjust once we return home."

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They reached the top then, and she blinked again. She'd seen the fighting gym in Icirrus, and this room was uncannily similar. In fact, everywhere one tried to learn the martial arts, in Unova at least, shared a setup with this room. She hadn't been to many such places back home, though. Not as an adult. Connor had always had an interest in Kung Fu, she'd only learned the basics of defending herself, at her father's insistence.

As he began demonstrating the forms they would be using, she interrupted and asked, "Why exactly are we learning martial arts? Don't Pokémon do our fighting for us?"

Alex paused, and smirked. They really were quite alike. "I said the same thing when I got here. And when I was in the Swamp. The Sage just ignored me, and let me forgo practicing if I was so sure. Remember when we were on the PNN's roof?" She nodded, and he continued. "Imagine you'd been facing down five Arceans. Not three. What would've happened?"

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She looked down, then back at him. "I get it. Our enemies are no longer content with just using Pokémon. They'll get physical if they have to." In both of the recent attacks, she'd seen plenty of fist fights as Pokémon battles devolved. It was what shocked many Trainers, and led to quite a few Pokémon being snatched. Most of them had eventually been returned.

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He nodded. "I don't know when they decided their 'security force' members needed martial training, but both Tao and my granduncle confirmed that they do have it. Norstad is dangerous in the same manner. They may lack technology, but they do have Pokémon. Strong ones, bred by a harsh environment, and the people are just as strong. They place great importance on physical strength, more-so than strength one has because of their Pokémon. Not that surprising, for a region without Pokéballs. From what I hear, they have zero qualms about defeating outsiders, and then selling Trainers into slavery to the Imperium. I for one, am not going to end up as some slave. Nor are you, if I have anything to say about it."

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She acquiesced then, and they spent the next ten hours going through the forms he'd shown her. She was a fast learner, and their now re-established mental connection only helped her pick up what he'd already learned much quicker. He'd also been right about sleep. By her estimate, it was supposed to be night, but the light remained pure white outside, and she felt no need for sleep, just sore from hours of hard exertion.

As they meditated and recovered, Alex had explained what exactly he'd been doing since arriving, and told her that, like Connor's Raikou, Tao had also developed a style of martial arts after watching humans. He had outlived more generations than any human alive, and their centuries of knowledge had been refined by him into what he called 'The Dragon Style'.

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There was indeed a variant of it taught in Unova, but Tao claimed that, from what he'd seen at least, the modern form was more about tournament fighting than a style of real combat that doubled as a series of stretches to keep one's body limber when one moved through them slowly, on purpose. Before long, Jess had caught up to Alex, and Tao began instructing them both in the finer points of his style. Alex had, after a particularly grueling session, finally asked how long they were going to be doing this for. Time flowed differently, yes, but it still passed.

Tao had simply smirked, and said, "By the time we are done here, no more than eight hours will have passed in the real world. That's roughly the equivalent of two years, in here."

He'd started to groan, but one of the dragon's face tendrils had thwacked his forehead. "You need to be ready before you go to Norstad. Pravus barely considered you a threat last time, but he will not make that mistake again. Training like this should take much, much longer…but we don't have time to waste. Now is the time, young Redwood. Advance, or you will surely be killed."

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The training intensified then, and despite their best efforts, neither human could tell how much time had passed. It was simply impossible in the ever-white tower, surrounded by clouds. There were few places to wander, though they wandered anyway when their relentless instructor gave them a break. There was a garden atop the tower behind the carved visage of Tao for meditating, but even there, they trained.

In secret, at first, they tested their psychic powers against each other in literal clashes of psychic energy. Jess usually beat him when her Confusion was focused, but distracting her wasn't too difficult. Eventually, Tao noticed, and the matches became more intense. They learned how to defend their minds, penetrate others, read surface thoughts, and even invade a person's mind. Other people with psychic powers or mental training would be able to repel them, but the vast majority of humans had no such defenses. They both began to understand a little better just how important it was to keep this knowledge from the hands of someone who let the power go to their head.

Eventually, they reached a point where Tao stopped guiding them, and left it to their Pokémon. He claimed he'd refined as much of Alex's psychic skill as he dared to, for he did not wish to unbalance Oranguru's plans for him in that regard. Jess, being free of such obligations, continued to learn from her Delphox, and it soon became clear which of the humans had a knack for special attacks.

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Tao's fighting style was, of course, all about balance. Though it wasn't energy they were balancing, but motion. He taught them to move fluidly, like water, or himself when in the air, but when they struck, they struck hard, and precise, where their opponent was most vulnerable. Ideally, they'd unbalance them with enough strikes. Often the three ghostly dragons who guarded the tower would possess human-like training dummies, and spar with them. First one on one, then two on one, and then all three at once. Kyurem's was the most merciless.

Their Pokémon teams received similar instruction, always in their Mega Forms, at least in Alex's case. Leo joined the others, finally, when he too had mega evolved. He looked like one might expect a Mega Luxray to look, similar, but different enough to the base form of Luxray. His frame became larger and more heavily muscled, he had long slightly jagged saber-fangs not unlike lightning bolts, and a luscious black mane that conducted his electric attacks with deadly accuracy. Having larger, stronger muscles also meant his electric attacks were much stronger. He'd gained the dark typing, and given that his species were night hunters, it was fitting. His mostly black fur retained hints of gold, and his visual prowess only increased. He could see through anything now as he pleased and little could escape his eyes once his Mega Form had locked on. With his cat's somewhat balanced skill for both special and physical attacks, Alex knew that ability would be invaluable for using Thunder.

Before long, Leo could balance the power of electricity and darkness into a Taijitu attack. Moreover, the speed of his new form made up for his species' relatively low stats. Compared to most electric types, Luxray were slow, but thanks to his training, vitamins, and Mega Evolution, Leo soon outpaced them all, save for Arthur and Shruikan, who borrowed Tao's power to reach his next evolution when they trained.

The two humans had no way to measure how much time passed, and eventually, they just asked Tao to tell them when it was time to leave. They trusted him. Eventually, he decided to inform Connor and the others that they'd be staying the night. After considering their progress so far, and the hours they were already behind, a single night would make little difference. They'd arrived at the mountain around sunset, and the original eight hours became thirteen. They'd be a day and a half behind Pravus's ship, but Shruikan could outpace any human craft in the air.

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Arthur learned the Dragon Style alongside them, while Delphi constantly reminded them that, against a real psychic Pokémon, they were still just amateurs. She taught them as well, sometimes, but in the two weeks Tao was gone back to normal reality, she was infuriating, to both of them. Her personality was that of a trickster, and often she would make them think they were learning, when in fact they were falling for another prank. Only when Tao returned did she relent, and teach them properly once more.

It was hard for the two humans to romance each other in this strange place, as along with every other need, that too had vanished. They'd enjoyed each other several times, but not with the same fervor that usually filled their nights back home. The urges were muted, and though they came through eventually, they could suppress them for what was likely months. Being a woman, Alex suspected Jess could've gone the entire time without so much as a sensitive touch. Thankfully, she hadn't wanted to.

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Tao drilled all of them constantly, and soon, time began to matter little to any of them. When he didn't train the humans, he battled with their Pokémon. Often, he faced off against Shruikan in the air. None of them had realized just how good Blaze had become at flying, until Tao demonstrated over and over that the young Salamence was nowhere near his level.

He might be faster in a race, but the Charizard would always have the advantage in maneuverability. Eventually, Shruikan asked his Trainer to battle with him against the Original Dragon, and with two sets of eyes, he started to improve quite a bit. It also helped that Alex shielded their minds from the dragon, who constantly tried to worm past his psychic defenses during the battles.

The Original Dragon was a ruthlessly efficient instructor, but he was also the reason they progressed so quickly. More than once, he'd had to literally control their limbs to show them a complex move, and had them drill it until they hurled, or couldn't move.

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Much like the Swamp, food was limited to simple fare, like fruit. Dragon Fruit, of course, and though Tao certainly seemed carnivorous, he sated himself with the seemingly endless supply of it. Alex once asked him if he hunted, and he replied by saying that he had the urge to, but denying it was his burden, like an alcoholic denies themselves a drink. He accepted what meat was given to him by humans, but he refrained from eating anything raw. It was his opinion that if a Pokémon was to give up its life to feed others, it should be prepared and enjoyed properly, though he did not judge those who preferred their flesh fresh and bloody.

Eventually, Tao deemed them all ready and gathered them in the garden atop the tower after a long, grueling final session. Every single one of them, humans included, were quite tired. "You have each learned what you needed to learn, and then some. Norstad will not be kind. It will not be pleasant, and it will be even rougher, as your bodies struggle to balance their needs again. You are all in for several rough nights, emotional turmoil, and exhaustion."

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"How much time have we spent in here?" Alex asked.

"Do not worry about it. Time here is outside of the Vortex's influence. Your bodies have not aged. Biologically, you are the same age you were when you entered…" The dragon looked between the two as he spoke, looking somewhat proud. "I have rarely had such dedicated students. Once you adjust to the prime material plane once more, you will see just how far you have come."

Jess was clad much the same as Alex now, though she'd eventually lost her own hat. It got in the way. She settled for a headband of black and white, an all-too-familiar Taijitu symbol on the front of it. She'd gone with black for her outfits primary coloration, like her brother, whereas Alex had remained in his white one. They made a good team, and had become quite adept at fighting together. They could even give Arthur and Delphi a good battle.

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"There is one last thing," Tao said, as he raised his right forepaw, and it shone with a golden light. "This is for Shruikan."

At the mention of his name, he lifted his head and eyed what the dragon was holding. It looked uncannily like the Draco Plate crystal, had the same bluish purple sparkle, but it was in the form of a large square plate, the symbol of the dragons was also embedded within the sparkling metal. Shruikan pressed his snout to it, and the Plate floated in the air before it affixed itself to his chest, just under his neck.

"You can use it to achieve your Mega Form and it will empower your Dragon Type attacks considerably. Do not lose it. It's quite valuable." Tao spoke, and the black scaled Salamence nodded, pressing the button on his ball with his tail, and returning to the comfort of it with a swirl of black light.

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They headed for the exit then, when they each paused, sensing the three guardians approaching. As always, they spoke in unison. "We've a gift for them as well." The three ghostly dragons opened their maws, and in a fusion of fire, electricity, and ice, a pair of crystals appeared. A symbol of the dragon types embedded within them. "Use them well." They said, looking suddenly dimmer, and more transparent before floating back to their eternal rest.

Tao watched them go, and Alex did a double-take as he saw a look of genuine confusion on the Dragon's face. He'd never seen that before.

Jess frowned, slightly as she took one, and gave Alex the other. "I suppose it will help but…I don't have a Dragon Type."

Tao chuckled as he brought forth the exit portal. "Worry not. Your Serperior and Ampharos can both use it. Such is the case for any dual-type. If you know what type they gain upon Mega Evolving, the appropriate crystal shard can call it forth."

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The two humans exchanged a look. Neither had been aware of that, but the implications were interesting. Alex's first thought was to try his ground crystal with Terra, and see if his form was different. He didn't know how to feel about having another Draco crystal to guard, but he reasoned that if the guardians had seen fit to grant him one, he would guard it as well as N, Connor, and the other Dragon Masters had.

The three went through the portal, and exited into the cave to the first light of dawn. They were early. Tao grinned. "The time-dilation favors us. Fate is on our side. We should've come through later, but now you'll be that much closer to Pravus. Go. Quickly. Do not allow him to gain what he seeks, whatever the cost."

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The two nodded, and bowed, then ran from the cave. Jess hesitated at the cliff, but Alex simply smirked, and leapt, calling on his power as he soared through the air. He came down in a three-point landing beside Connor, who was impatiently waiting on the central platform suspended over the crater.

He arched a brow at his friend. "Wow. Nice outfits. What'd that dragon do to you in there? You seem…different."

"I am different." Alex said, patting his belt. He smirked at Connor, and nodded at his sister as she floated down, limned by scarlet pink light. "And, we know Kung Fu." Tao had explained that his style wasn't entirely original, as he'd gained much from the ancient knowledge humans had uncovered in Eous. Still, he felt his was different enough by this point in time. Improved, now that he'd ironed out the flaws. When he spent millennia in three separate parts, two of which were orbs, he had time to think about such things.

Connor just stared at him. "You mastered a style of martial arts in one night? That's impossible. How?"

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"Later." Jess said from behind her brother. She'd floated down gracefully, and landed without a sound. He turned to her, and rolled his eyes.

"Seriously, what did he do to the two of you?" Connor looked between them, and the two shared a smirk.

"Don't worry about it," Alex said, calling Shruikan out. Connor blinked at the dragon, who suddenly seemed much, much larger than he had yesterday evening. He was, in actual fact, far more muscled. His height had remained roughly the same.

"We'll tell you later." Jess said as Shruikan mega evolved using the Plate affixed to his chest. She climbed into the metallic underbelly of the dragon, after Alex. With his forearms tucked against them, they'd be close to his body, warm, and relatively shielded from the wind. Not to mention secure. Alex put his hat under him anyways. Connor climbed in as well, and just like that, they were off.

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It might have been the vertigo, and the incredible speed at which Shruikan now soared, but both Alex and Jess felt slightly nauseous, and suddenly exhausted as they flew further and further from Unova. Tao had flown off towards Castelia as they left.

Despite the nausea, the two managed to fall asleep, much to Connor's dismay. He'd wanted details, explanations, but their bodies had been awake for longer than they could rightly remember, and the sudden return to reality was taking its toll. Thankfully, it was a long flight to Norstad.

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Shruikan poked Alex awake with a claw thirteen hours later, over the eastern end of Kalos. They were right over Lumiose City, which was just starting to light up in the coming darkness. He almost wished they could stop, he'd never been to Kalos, but given the culture and seriously strong Trainers, he'd always wanted to go. Few regions were as technologically advanced, and willing to allow Mega Evolution in battles.

For some regions, like Sinnoh, Mega Evolution had caught on quickly and spread across Japan as a whole like fire, but for other regions it was still a new technique, and as such, not always allowed. The League had remained divided on its usage, leaving it up to the local Elite Four and Champions of their respective regions to decide on their own. Unova's Victory League welcomed any challenger, any battle style, to test itself against the Elite Four, and two Champions, one former, and then finally the current one. This lineup had earned the Victory League a place as one of the hardest Leagues in the world.

The two siblings were still sleeping, and Alex saw no need to wake them, as his draconic friend simply needed directions. "Head north-east. They say Norstad is surrounded by an ever-present storm on its borders, which makes entering exceedingly difficult…for normal Pokémon. Take us high."

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Shruikan arced up then, as far as he could, before the wings of his Mega Form needed to start awkwardly flapping. Eventually, they found an air current that seemed to be carrying them straight towards their destination.

Alex had nodded off again, but awoke once more at Shruikan's mental nudge. The current was gone, the air was being bisected by something unnatural, and as he saw the massive gray clouds spreading for miles in either direction before him, he nudged the other two awake. "We're here."

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The dragon flew right over the clouds, and then arced down behind them, straight into a blizzard. They hadn't been flying through the gray murk for more than a few minutes before Shruikan's nostrils flared, and Alex swore. "We have company." Several shapes formed in the gray swirl of snow around them, and Shruikan began dodging several Ice Beams.

The cries of the Pokémon flying around them, nearly invisible in the storm, were similar to the species Alex was familiar with, but it seemed the Skarmory of the land of ice and snow had traded the steel type for ice. It was all the same to him. Fire could handle both, but ice would seriously injure their dragon.

He spied shapes on their backs, as he looked through Shruikan's eyes, and swore again. Riders. A wild flock they could drive off, but sky pirates were another issue entirely. "Shruikan. Show them why they should fear a Black Salamence." The mental command was all the electric dragon had needed. His maw sparked with electricity, and he spun rapidly in the air as he arced the Charge Beam in a circle, catching at least two riders.

There were plenty more, though. Beams of ice began forming in the midst of the snow and gray clouds, and Shruikan repeated his maneuver, this time with flame. Even with their locations revealed by attacking, the smoke from the Flamethrower canceling the attacks obscured their vision, and their assailants disappeared back into the clouds. The Skarmory blended perfectly with the storm.

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"Enough. Go down, we need to get out of these clouds." Alex was glad he could communicate mentally. Shouting in this kind of storm would never be heard. Shruikan shot down again, occasionally blasting fire to gauge where the ground was. Unfortunately, it also gave away their position. Ice Shards came down around them, and both Pokémon and Trainer winced as several hit.

"Can't…take much more of those…" Alex nodded at Shruikan's words, and pulled out Blaze's ball. He put his hat on again, and crawled into a free-fall from his dragon's stomach. He saw the riders pause, and realized that the storm was lessening, at least in this area. Shruikan had flown far, and fast, and now he could make out the ground below. It was a slightly whiter blur than the sky.

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He called out Blaze, and the flash of light from his appearance, along with the glow of red from the Flame Plate crystal, caught the rider's attention as Alex adjusted himself on his back. They turned towards him, likely assuming he'd let his Salamence go on ahead while he fought on a stronger Pokémon with a better type advantage.

He smirked, and gave Blaze the order for a Blast Burn. The snow around them had melted in the presence of the heat his Charizard's Mega Form gave off, and now they all had a clear line of sight. The flames roared towards the riders in a horizontal crescent, and they flew up to avoid it, whooping and shouting as they laughed at his aim.

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Alex smirked at the whooping riders, and he gave a two-fingered mock salute to them, as he mentally ordered the command. "Dragon Rush."

Shruikan came down from the clouds then, his entire form wreathed in bluish purple energy. As one of the fastest known fliers, their opponents had no chance of dodging. Nobody got away with ignoring the offspring of lightning and death. To do so was to lose.

Shruikan's attack hit all six of them in a line faster than an eye blink, and then he arched his long neck down to look at the riders yet mounted from under his stomach. He gave them a Charge Beam for good measure, and the two that had managed to stay somewhat airborne, began to fall.

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Some of the riders managed to hold on to their mounts, the others became splotches of red on the ice below. One of the icy birds shook off its rider, who had slipped and grabbed a tail feather. The bird flew off into the clouds then, disappearing completely, despite the red smear left on its razor sharp tail feathers.

Alex patted Blaze. "Well done. Both of you. Let's clear off before they regroup." Alex jumped from his Charizard to his Salamence, and then set about tending to Shruikan's wounds. They'd long since mastered having him walk on the dragon's back in the air, though his speed slowed considerably.

Tao had even made them battle him like that once. He then rejoined the other two in the scaly undercarriage as Blaze flew alongside his longtime rival. Even now, he knew they were itching to battle. Tao had kept them from clashing too often, and when he let them, it was to remind Shruikan that they were unevenly matched. The training was done now, though. By the Original Dragon's admission, they were all more or less at the same level. They itched to battle again.

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Connor smirked at Alex as he awkwardly crawled in again beside Jess. "Having fun, are we?"

Alex shook his head. "I would've preferred it if they'd all survived…but I expect there will be many more such encounters before we leave this place."

Shruikan roared, and the three humans paused in their banter, to look down. The massive, black form of a smoking airship bearing an Arcean Cross was below them. Evidently, the riders had given them trouble as well.

Jess spoke quietly as they looked at the scene. "Looks like a battle…that's still going on."

Indeed, bursts of flame and ice, along with other attacks, and the collisions they caused, dotted the landscape. Alex heard her speak again, "Holy Heracross…look what they're riding!"

Connor stopped looking at the clouds for a moment, and stared. "Those aren't Skarmory…"

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A veritable flock of what could only be Articuno, going by their tail feathers, were circling and firing down at the Arceans, often freezing both Trainers and Pokémon in place with their powerful Ice Beams. Connor frowned as he spoke again, "But where's…"

He was interrupted as a massive Legendary bird, pure white in color, descended from the clouds to rejoin its fellow Articuno in their battle. Each of the Articuno also had riders, though they were garbed much differently from the hooligans that had ridden the Skarmory. There were also less of them in number but they didn't need numbers to claim victory.

The riders of the Legendary birds had white helmets which were styled after their mount's crest, and each had a 'tail' of some description extending from the back of their helmet. The rest of their clothing appeared to be white, but beyond that, detail was hard to make out. They were quite a sight as they came around for repeated passes over the Arceans, and, Alex noticed, they didn't always strike to kill. Not against the Pokémon, at least.

Their Trainers were not so fortunate. Several were already encased in ice, and as the massive white Articuno joined in, the tide quickly turned.

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"We're helping them." Jess said, sliding from Shruikan's cover and calling her Charizard, much as Alex had. Her brother sighed. "Always on the move…"

Alex looked at Blaze. "Cover her. Make sure the riders don't turn on her, too." Connor followed after his sister, calling on and mega evolving his Garchomp. While their species couldn't fly as high as, say, a Salamence, they were absurdly fast, especially in their Mega Form.

Alex hopped onto Shruikan's claw, and took his place on the dragon's massive head, sitting comfortably on the spikes of his Mega Form. "Stun the Arceans. Try not to hurt the Pokémon too much. Make them abandon their Trainers, if you can."

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As the four new arrivals joined the fray, the Articuno riders looked ready to attack them as well, until a twin pair of Flamethrowers scorched a Scizor, and its Trainer, and burned away the ropes around one of the Articuno that had fallen to the Arcean's nets. They didn't seem to have many and from the air, it seemed the Articuno riders had already ruined most of the old fashioned methods of capture.

Gar and Chari freed the few other captive Articuno, three in total, while Alex and his Salamence Dragon Rushed over the lot of them, gaining their attention. Shruikan spiraled over the embattled Arcean Trainers, then flared his wings and roared, intimidating everything below him into pausing, perhaps briefly, from their battles.

Alex kept his speech short, as he stood on Shruikan's head, arms crossed. "I'll only say this once! Surrender, and you will live to see your families again. Fight, and…well…" Shruikan finished for him, a Charge Beam launched from his maw, and corralled the Arceans and Pokémon into a loose circle as it tore up the icy ground and they strove to dodge.

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The response was split. Several of the Arceans, clad in a tundra-adapted version of their blue uniforms, recalled their Pokémon, and raised their hands. Several others replied with zealot-like shouts of 'For the Prophet!"

Before Shruikan could make them pay for it, beams of ice hit every resisting Trainer, and their Pokémon paused as electricity once more formed in his dragon's maw. "Peace, Shruikan…" Alex spoke softly, patting a horn. "It's done. For now."

The dragon snapped his mouth shut. He was disappointed, but he'd already gotten to battle. He could wait for another. He rather liked this land, despite the ice. Barely a few hours here, and they'd already been in two battles. It was more interesting than the Swamp, at least.

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The Articuno riders landed around the encircled Arceans and the large white one landed behind them. Alex waved his friends over, as his black dragon took him down. Up close, the bird was even more magnificent. Her white feathers shone brilliantly in the harsh winter sun, almost blinding him as her rider hopped down. Only a female of this species could be so large, or so naturally lovely.

Her rider was also female, which surprised Alex. He'd been led to believe the Jarls of Norstad were all male, and that their society spat on women, refining them to serving roles, as primitive cultures so often did.

Given the gender of the other riders, that didn't seem to be the case with this tribe. She approached, and waited for him to join her on the ground, arms crossed. As Shruikan lowered his head so he could jump down, their attire became easier to see. It helped that the storm was dissipating as well, though the snow never actually stopped falling completely.

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The woman's garb, along with her follower's, were clad in feathers, no doubt from their mounts, and the other riders were, after a closer look, actually garbed in a light blue, instead of white. It seemed that the variant of the Articuno species here was primarily lighter blue, which likely meant the matriarch of the brood was white with age. Nobody knew the lifespan of an Articuno, but she was certainly large enough to be several centuries old.

The woman's voice was rough as she spoke, "Hail, Dovah Zorrik. I am Lokra of the Lok Briinah. Your aid is welcome against these kroveds."

Alex blinked, processing her words. The ever-present staff on his back shuddered at them. He heard Tao's voice, faintly, "I know these words…they resonate in my head longer than they should…and I do not remember why…tread carefully."

He guessed that 'kroveds' was probably a derogatory term, and he was glad she hadn't used it for him. That said, he had no earthly idea what title she seemed to have given him. "Hail, and well met. I'm Alex Redwood. Those two are my friends, Jessica and Connor Gladstone. I know these…kroveds. They come from my homeland. We tracked them here. They're criminals. What happened before we arrived?"

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She eyed him from under the crested helmet, and he saw her eyes go to the symbol on his hat. He'd kept the robe buttoned up, as it was so cold, his nose hairs were freezing. The otherworldly material seemed to repel the absurdly cold temperature from what it covered, and he almost regretted not getting one for Connor, who even now was digging in his pack for a dark blue jacket. His own black attire might as well have been sleeveless, for all the good it did in Norstad's cold.

"The ship came into our territory, surrounded by a flock of thunvu on their war-birds. This lot drove them off with the...Winged Death, as you say in this tongue. It turned many to stone, and made them flee. When the ship came to our territory, we greeted it, only to find these kroveds were heading into the Revak Feykro." She paused, seeing his confusion.

"Erm…thunvu? Kroveds? Redak Fekyo?" Alex looked genuinely puzzled, and the woman chuckled, finding his genuinely confused expression amusing.

"I forget, you tirah come here with no knowledge of our Tinvaak. Erm, speech. Thunvu are…bandits. Scum. They ride on the Skarmory. The Revak Feykro…" She said, emphasizing the pronunciation, "Is the…how do you say…sacred woods. It is forbidden to enter without respect. These came, and began taking the magical creatures into their electric balls, forcibly. We stopped them."

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She eyed his belt with a disapproving glance as the siblings finally came over. Alex chuckled, "I know someone who shares your opinion of these...electric balls, but trust me, mine, and my friend's, are all willing partners. We're Pokémon Trainers. And, from what I understand, the insides are quite comfortable. They are our friends. Not our slaves."

Her expression softened, though only slightly. Granted, on her scarred, wind-burned face with fair skin turned red by the harsh sun, she had a persistent severity to her look. "Mm. You are...Trainers, eh? I have heard of this profession. We have had your kind here before. They were curious, like children. Harmless…but not prepared. Many who come are captured, and made slaves for the Imperator."

She waved a hand. "As I said, they tried to enter the sacred woods, and we stopped them. I brought their fragile ship down, and then handled the Winged Death. It had many riders, and flew away after Iizlokraan drove it off." She patted the massive Articuno, who had locked eyes with Shruikan.

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His opinion of the woman increased. Taming an Articuno, bare-handed, was one thing, but driving off what he assumed was Yveltal? After taking down an airship? That was far more impressive. He hoped the local Guardian of the Sea was as seemingly even tempered as this bird was.

"The...Winged Death, Yveltal, where did it go?" Connor said, eyeing the woman, who eyed him in return.

"Do not speak its name. You will draw it here. It went north-east. But you will not find it so easily. There is a dark, ever-present whirlwind there. A wall of intense wind, and ice. Nothing can penetrate it. Demons live within. We avoid it." Connor resisted rolling his eyes at her superstitions by biting his tongue.

Such beliefs were common in lands like this after all, and often, insulting them meant death. He almost preferred the Arcean method of suing anyone who uttered a public bad word about them.

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"We crossed a similar storm to get here. I think we can handle it." Alex said, hearing Shruikan groan inwardly. He reassured the tiring dragon. Blaze would be needed, if it was worse than the one they'd encountered first. He had a feeling they didn't have Charizard in these parts, let alone ones as strong as his.

The woman shook her head. "The wind is like a hurricane, the snow, a constant blizzard. You may try to enter, we will not stop you, but to go is to invite death." She glanced over at Jess, who was all smiles as she approached the white Articuno.

It lowered its head to examine her, and then allowed her to pet it. Alex heard her speaking to the Articuno, mentally, though at this point he wasn't all that surprised. Articuno was considered Legendary, after all. Latent psychic power was a running theme with them.

If the Articuno riders couldn't fly through that storm, he wondered if Blaze really could manage it. His Charizard responded by landing, hard, beside him and snorting flames at his feet. Their eyes met. "Wind and ice are nothing to me."

Alex wanted to admonish him for his recurring pride, but had to admit, he liked the attitude. Sensing his Trainer's whirl of emotions, the Charizard smirked. He was twelve feet tall by this point from foot to head horn, and almost as intimidating as Shruikan, and the woman's Articuno. The three traded glances, and he didn't doubt the lovely bird was just as eager to test their mettle. Lokra was staring up at his Charizard, and Alex noticed the heat he was radiating made her fidget.

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"Perhaps you will manage…" She muttered, before chuckling as Blaze lowered his head to lick her cheek. She chuckled, and wiped the slime away, unfazed. "You are welcome to stay with us, after we deal with the kroveds."

Before any of them could stop her, she marched towards her fliers, and the Arceans they'd corralled. They were in the process of smashing the Pokéballs on them to pieces, after freeing the Pokémon within. The three stared, awestruck, as several of those radiating a visible aura of Shadow were cleansed of it by a mere touch from an Articuno.

"I want one…" Jess said, admiring each of the birds. Alex and Connor shared a look. They glanced behind them as they heard Blaze and Shruikan take off, and start to spar in the air. Evidently, they had agreed that the no-wings-two-legs were going to start chattering again, and thus, they now had ample time to spar. Finally.

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Alex sighed. "I'm done trying to keep them from Battling. They're like magnets." He turned to join Jess and Lokra, while Connor and several of the riders watched the battle. Flame and thunder collided in an awesome spectacle, and their Trainer suppressed a smirk as he heard their thoughts and felt their emotions.

They were battling so they could show off, as much as they were battling to test each other. The Articuno didn't seem interested though. They were all focused on the enemy humans, eyes narrowed. Alex had no doubt the wise birds had some understanding of what the Arceans had subjected their partners to.

Lokra backhanded one of the louder Arceans, who was half frozen in ice, and had been partially melted by his Emboar. The flaming pig had backed down after being cleansed, but still refused to leave his Trainer. Its flames flared, and it stared the rider down, only to have them blown out from a snort that the white Articuno aimed at them. The now flameless fire pig backed down again, but stayed stubbornly put, and focused on freeing its Trainer.

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Indeed, most of the Pokémon had stayed, with only a few running off towards the forest roughly five miles to the north west. Judging by their species, Alex guessed they'd once called the Giant Chasm their home. He didn't blame them for leaving. Kyurem's memories of seeing them being captured still managed to irritate his eternal patience.

"We will never betray the Prophet!" "You barbarians aren't worthy of setting foot on His ship!" "Release us, hags!" Numerous cries from the Arceans erupted, and as their captors focused, and struck them as their leader had, they only grew louder. They whined about persecution, brutality, unfair treatment. Alex wondered if they actually realized what land's sacred woods they'd just tried to land an airship on.

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"Enough!" He shouted, cutting through all of it. There was a brief pause. He looked around at them. "Which one of you slippery bastards has the lowest rank?"

The group of roughly fifteen people murmured for a moment, then one of them said, "Umm, that would be Billy…" "Shut UP, you imbecile!" Shouts and verbal abuse rained down on the man who'd spoken out, and Alex nodded to Jess. She grabbed the man, who like the others, was bound with rope. Many of the fliers had climbing gear for use on the icy cliffs of the region, and the spare rope was always a useful tool.

A few of the riders gave her a mildly impressed look. The man she was dragging across the snow-covered ground was easily two hundred pounds of muscle, and she tossed him like a sack of feathers out of ear-shot from the others without visible strain. Tao had been efficient with his instruction, and the long hours of strength training were paying off.

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It wasn't hard to single out the aforementioned Billy. The man who could only be the captain of their little squad was practically screaming at him. "If you utter so much as a Word to them William, you are Dead! You hear me? Dead! And not just you! Your family! Your sister! Your parents! Your little brothers! Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead!"

With each cry of 'dead' the man was headbutting the poor kid with no regard to the damage he was causing himself, and Alex had a feeling he'd be beating him if his arms were free. He was like most of the upper-echelon of the Church, that Alex had seen, anyways. Suave, classic good looks, blonde, blue eyes, Fornian tan, he looked uncannily like Brad, though much more mentally unhinged, especially with the blood now trickling from his skull down his face.

He could've been on one of their seemingly innocuous recruitment posters. There were cracks in the façade though. Unshaven stubble. Bloodshot eyes. A manic look on his bloody face. A bruised jaw that was in no way recent, given the mottling. Someone had caught him good, and Alex didn't have to think hard to guess who. Now, blood ran down his classically good looking facial features all the way to his jaw, as his forehead had split open on Billy's.

As Alex approached, the bloody man's eyes widened in recognition. He started to spew, but Alex held up a finger, and let his eyes shine with blue psychic power. They flared with energy now, radiating it in wavy patterns, instead of just glowing. The man stopped speaking as he stared in disbelief. "Your jaw. Who gave you that bruise?" The gathered men around him went quiet, and more than a few narrowed their eyes in anger. They all knew, of course. But to admit it was to admit to Unova's Champion that their Prophet was a violent bully, not a divine messenger. As with most humans subjected to mental conditioning, they clung to the facade instead of embracing reality.

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Then, the momentary awe was gone. "Half-breed! You Psychic loving swine! Your mother was a Gardevo-" The epithets halted as Alex knelt down to his level, finger still raised, eyes still flaring. Fear overpowered the blind faith and devotion, in that moment. He concentrated power into his digit, making it glow like his eyes did.

"Dead." He said, poking the man in the forehead. He dropped, seemingly boneless, and the other Arceans crawled as far away as their captors would let them, gibbering in terror about demons and 'suppressive Psychics'. Lokra stared as well, a slight frown on her face. Her fliers murmured, uneasily.

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He focused on Billy. He had to be around Alex's age. Thin, tall, there were more bruises now that he looked, and there was a tinge of red in his hair. His befreckled face showed the same fear, and Alex smirked, winking, before letting the power fade. "Relax, Billy. It's alright. He's just unconscious. I don't indiscriminately murder people…though you've probably been told to believe otherwise."

Billy just nodded, the look of fear lessened, slightly, now that he appeared normal again. Alex continued, speaking low to the man as he examined the lesser wound on his head caused by the headbutting. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as bad as the one on the now unconscious brute. "Now, listen carefully. I want you to think of the answers to what I ask you. I'll hear it. You just keep spouting insults, otherwise your friends will probably kill you for speaking with me. Alright?"

Billy nodded again, paused for a moment, then realized he was supposed to start insulting. "Y-you're a-a filthy Tepig f-fucker…"

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Alex rolled his eyes, "Close enough…" He put a hand on the scared man's shoulder, and whispered quietly to him, keeping his lips hidden from the view of his comrades. Lip reading wasn't a common skill, but he was done underestimating Arceans. They seemingly had all sorts of weird abilities. "I know why Pravus is here. I can guess what he's after. What I want to know is why he took Yveltal into that storm to the north-west."

He waited patiently for the man's mental response. "We have…a base…there. Supposedly…an old ally…of the Church. That's all I know…"

Alex continued whispering, "Does he know where Xerneas is?"

"No…not really…he guessed it was in the forest…but…we didn't look." Billy paused, then glanced at his comrades, whose fear was slowly turning to anger. He gave a not-so-convincing thumbs-up, then said, "The P-Prophet will make y-you all pay for th-this, you…you heathens!"

Alex patted his shoulder, and figured he was speaking truthfully. The forest was the first place he would've looked too. Norstad was supposed to be a barren tundra, mostly uninhabitable, the fact that there was plant life could only mean the Life Pokémon was within. "Good effort. Now, tell me where I can find your family…you know what's going to happen when and if you ever get home. I need to warn them of what's coming…and hopefully they'll hide before Pravus ever gets word of this."

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Billy started to shake his head, but Alex continued, "You know as well as I do where you all get those bruises from. You know who I am. I can only imagine the punishment Pravus has for speaking with me, or someone like me." Billy looked down and to the side. Sensing his thoughts, Alex saw the naiveté. He was convinced he hadn't told too much, but Alex knew that wouldn't matter. Arceans had a way of drawing secrets from people, and then using said secrets to keep them from leaving, or seeking help outside their cult.

"You also know that, regardless of what happens next, your comrades will rat you out in their snitch reports. Tell me, Billy." Alex said, giving the shoulder a slight squeeze.

He thought of the address, then said, mentally, "Please…don't let them get my family…"

Alex patted his shoulder again. "I'll do what I can. I can't promise they'll heed my warning though."

Billy surprised him then, grabbing the collar of his white jacket. "My sister…talk to her…she'll believe it. She can get my brothers…at least…" Billy blinked, then steeled himself, aware he was being watched. He switched to speaking with his mouth. "You're w-wasting your time…Psychic scum! I will n-never talk!"

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Alex stood then, feigning irritation. "Fine then, zealot. Crawl back to your friends. I'm done with you." Billy crawled towards his comrades desperately, and their anger faded. Murmurs of praise and bravery went his way, and they looked more surprised than anything. Evidently, they'd expected him to break.

He blinked, feeling Lokra patting his shoulder. "The greasy one…he lives?"

Alex nodded. "Just knocked out. I couldn't let him hear any of that. These people are…fanatical, and brutal to their own members. They'll probably beat that kid for a year just for being that close to me."

She snorted. "I've seen tougher. Do you want them? They could be…useful. We don't often find males that are...so easy to control."

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He glanced at the woman, recognizing the look in her eye. "Trust me…you don't want these. You saw their Pokémon; their seed is probably tainted with Shadow too. Weak. The young would never survive out here."

She eyed him again, and smirked. "Yours could. But I know better than to anger that one." She nodded at Jess, who was still interrogating her prisoner. "She has eyes like an Odprakem." She paused, seeing his confusion. "Ice snake…very large…burrows. Has icy vines, too. Pulls prey underground. None return." She turned her attention to Connor then, who was being flanked by no less than three of her fliers. "What about him?"

Alex laughed, and shook his head. "You'd have to ask him. Might want to hurry." She nodded, and barked at her fliers, who scurried away from Connor and back to their mounts. They enjoyed the spectacle that Blaze and Shruikan were still having. He let them continue, walking towards Jess.

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She pulled her palm from the man's forehead as he approached. "Anything useful?"

She shook her head. "He wouldn't give me anything else. So I took it. Billy was correct, but there's something about this 'ally' of theirs they're being vague about. They seemed to fear him almost as much as Pravus, according to this one."

Alex eyed the unconscious man, who was as blonde and tan as every other Fornian he'd run into, except Billy. From what Jess had shared over their link, his eyes were blue as well. He started to wonder if there was a reason for that. Eugenics wasn't exactly a new concept, but it was one most modern humans considered a vestige of a world ruled by senseless bigotry and hate. A world now long gone, and mostly forgotten, but if anyone would try to bring back old practices, it was this cult. They loved claiming all of their traditions were 'wisdom from the ancients'. "Alright. Toss him with the others."

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Once they were all gathered, Alex addressed them again. "Listen up! You're all free to go. By all means, wander the wastes of Norstad, or, stay here. And while you wait and eventually die of starvation or cold, ask yourselves if following that fanatical bully of a Prophet to an empty tundra was really worth it."

Lokra stepped forward then before they could spew a response, her Articuno right beside her. Her white feathers puffed up, and she looked genuinely menacing as she glared at the Arceans. "Do not hunt in the forest. We will know if you try. Next time, we end you." She turned, and followed after Alex. "Is it wise, letting them live?"

Alex shrugged. "They're harmless, more or less. If they do happen to die off, save the one I spoke with. He's decent."

She nodded, then hopped onto her bird's saddle, and with a shout, the other fliers took off as well. Before they flew off into the gray clouds that covered the skies of Norstad, their Articuno combined their Ice Beams, making a wall between the ship and the forest. It was large, and stretched for many miles. Passing it on foot would exhaust anyone who tried, as the snow was also quite deep on the ground.

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Alex and his companions huddled far from the others, as he healed up Shruikan and Blaze. No clear winner had been decided, and he'd stopped them before they expended all their energy. The items helped, but they were no substitute for genuine rest.

"We should split up." Connor said, eyeing the forest. "I'll uh...stick around their village, search the forest a bit. Maybe make a map. You two take your fire lizards and storm that base. Two Mega Charizard should be enough to penetrate the storm. I don't have a strong flier that does well in ice, and I'm not even going to attempt to go by land."

Alex and Jess shared a look, then nodded. Map making. Sure. "Alright. If we're not back in three days, get backup. From Kalos, from Unova, from whoever is available. I'd rather not stay in an Arcean prison. If they manage to catch us."

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With the plan agreed on, the three set off, Connor on Raikou, and the two lovers on their Charizard. Raikou sent the Arceans, and what few Pokémon had remained, scurrying back into their frozen ship with a Roar, before following after the Articuno fliers. It didn't take Alex and Jess long to spot the storm. That they could see it from that far away was a testament to its size.

Alex had never really considered weather menacing, but seeing those black clouds swirling for miles, he got a sense of foreboding up his spine. By his estimate, it would take a day to cross over the mountains between them and the storm, but they could likely camp there. They had to make sure not to oversleep, as well. They were both exhausted, and could easily sleep for three days if nobody woke them.