----------------------------------------
Valaskjalf's Main Hall - Uppsalir, Norstad Region
----------------------------------------
Alex and Jess looked up at the sky, as the clouds had suddenly turned dark, not dissimilar from when he used the Strunzul. Then, the sounds of battle became clear. Heavy booms of thunder echoed from the gap in the newly formed door behind the village's main hall.
Alex shouldered his way free of Lokra's grip, and met her weathered gaze. "No offense to your…King, but Pravus is our quarry on this hunt."
He glanced at the sky again, as the clouds arced with streaks of lightning. He remembered then, something his granduncle had told him once about this particular weather formation, when he'd been younger. When the clouds boomed and lightning cracked the sky, it meant Thor was hammering away at something. Growing older, he'd learned his ancestors had also considered it a sign of rage sometimes, and a bad omen at sea.
----------------------------------------
Jess picked up on his thoughts, and the same underlying excitement was shared by her as well. She'd heard the same legends, and the chance to see one literally smiting evil before their very eyes could not be passed up. She gently moved the Chief's hand as well. "We will try not to interfere with, or disrespect your King…but Alex is correct. Pravus is the sole reason we came here. We cannot let him gain what he seeks."
Lokra sighed, and then shrugged. "Fine." Then, she jerked a thumb at the red haired, red bearded figure behind her, still grinning, and still encased in ice. "What do we do with this?"
Alex opened his mouth to say something, but Arthur popped free of his ball instead, his voice echoed to all within earshot, but his mouth did not move. His arms extended into swords as he glared down at the figure. "I will handle this." His eyes narrowed, and Alex raised a brow as he sensed his partner's thoughts. "I am well acquainted with the trickery of Zoroark…the one thing they can never hide is their foul stench."
The man hissed at Arthur's words, and then, changed form. As the form that had been entrapped was rather bulky and muscled, the lithe form it took then was easily able to slip free of the ice, but not before Arthur had mega evolved, and leapt after it, arms shining gold. As was the running theme with Pravus' team, the Zoroark had not been the color most of its species shared, appearing instead with fur that was black and purple. It had also appeared infected with Shadow, but of all of his team, Arthur was best prepared for that. His sword arm had, after all, stabbed Alduin's ball of dark matter, and dissipated it.
----------------------------------------
"I…think he can handle it." Alex said, watching as the malleable form of his Gallade caught up to the creature easily, and delivered a spinning roundhouse kick, whilst hovering, to its jaw, sending it sailing into one of the many rock cliff faces that surrounded the village.
The women nodded, and Lokra spoke then, "If you are intent on intruding upon the King's sport, I shall go with you. He is not aware that you are allies…and he sometimes sees treachery where there is none."
Alex and Jess shared a glance. If the legends were true, the god in question had a 'brother' well known for mischief and redirection. Such a sibling would make anyone paranoid. The excitement only grew, and they had to struggle not to fly ahead, propelled by their power. Lokra could've kept up with them regardless, as she was quite fast, and ran in a manner similar to Connor with her center of gravity forward and her arms out to the sides, though where his form was perfected, hers was still somewhat unsteady.
----------------------------------------
Eventually, the trio came upon a sight that awed them, as it seemed straight out of an old legend. It was indeed Thor, or Shor, as the locals had named him, and he was going blow for blow with Pravus, whose form had…mutated, into an approximation of himself, and what looked like parts of a Darkrai.
Massive fists of dark energy met the thunderous fury of what could only be Mjolnir, and as the three watched, smiles slowly came to their faces. The God of Thunder was toying with the man, laughing as he swung away at the energy hands. As they arrived, he glanced their way, eyes widening as he saw Lokra. The glance was exactly what Pravus had been waiting for.
The wind picked up and howled with ominous fury, as Pravus' arms, which were purple and identical to a Darkrai's, spun in slow, circular motions as balls of pure black energy formed within them, and then merged together, growing larger. Alex's eyes widened, as he recognized the move. "Watch out! That attack will put you to sleep!"
The ball of darkness shot forth, and Shor swung his hammer, sending it skyward, where it dissipated harmlessly.
----------------------------------------
Snarling in irritation, Pravus glanced his way, noticing the intruders for the first time. His eyes were glowing a lighter green, but the irises were still human, and still as dark as ever.
The God of Thunder gave him what seemed like an appreciative nod, and Alex had to fight down the fanboyish excitement. It was just a nod. No reason to lose his cool. "If you start calling him 'Senpai', we're over." His love's mocking tone echoed in his head, and he fought down a chuckle.
Instead of rushing forward with his hammer, Shor raised it above his head, and began spinning it by the leather bit attached to the handle. "You like to play with the wind…let us see if ye truly know its fury…" At his words, a tornado rapidly formed and surrounded the pair, almost obscuring them from sight. Thankfully, Leo was interested in watching as well, and he shared his sight freely. He was an electric Pokémon after all. This 'God of Thunder' could be a fantastic opponent.
----------------------------------------
Pravus and his opponent glared at each other, and slowly, a black haze began to fill the swirling air, coming from Pravus's own body. Even to Leo's sight, it made things murky. It seemed that the Prophet had yet more up his sleeve.
For his part, Pravus had deemed this whole weeks long infiltration venture a failure. He had not expected a God, or whatever this red haired being really was, to be waiting at the threshold of his prize. He was so close, he could feel the Fairy Aura. It permeated everything in this place. Life bloomed all around him. He needed that power.
At that moment, two things happened at exactly the same time. An airship, no doubt Percy's borrowed one, de-cloaked over the forest, further in, and dark figures began dropping from it. Pravus grinned. Perhaps his minions weren't as inherently useless as he'd thought…though he'd need to keep their task from being interfered with. The Unova Champion and that older woman with him were fierce fighters. He did not recognize the brunette beside the Champion, but assumed she would be capable of defeating his people as well. Why else would they bring her?
As he took a moment to ponder his options, his Darkrai's instinct caused it to suddenly shrivel up, and fade back into his shadow. Pravus fell to the ground, powerless, and snarled at his shadow. Then, he noticed. The area around himself and Shor had turned pink and glowed with the power of the fairy typing. He recognized the move as one of Xerneas's own.
----------------------------------------
Then, it appeared. The clattering of hooves echoed through the glade, and a kind, almost motherly voice echoed to all within earshot. "You come for that which your foul form cannot take in, Human."
Shor looked up as well, at the topmost roof of his hall, and he caught his hammer, causing the tornado to fade as well. The gold and red leaves of the glade swirled atop Shor's Hall in a miniature cyclone, and slowly, a form manifested within them. Within moments, Xerneas, she who gave life eternal, stood upon the hall's roof, and gazed down at them with x-shaped irises.
She was, in a word, lovely. White fur, light blue in some places, and deep blue horns that lacked the rainbow coloring at that moment. Xerneas' grace was unmatched as she leapt down to the pair of fighters, and trotted right up to Pravus.
Nobody moved.
----------------------------------------
"You have gained the Dark Typing. My power would drive you to utter, crippling madness. Forever. Take your forces, and leave. I will not have senseless fighting in my own grove." The hind spoke, and as she did, Shor grimaced, but otherwise stayed silent.
Pravus stared at Xerneas, his own expression unreadable, save for an eye twitch. Here she was, the one Pokémon capable of granting him what he'd sought for years, and now, it was beyond him because of his past choices. He was furious. His shadow formed a perfect circle around his feet, and the air grew colder. The stench of death filled the area, and the pure, undiluted rage that was of his very core, surfaced.
"It…matters…not…" Pravus snarled, glaring at the Life Pokemon. "I will draw what I need from you by force…if necessary. Or, you could give me what I seek, and I shall leave…"
Xerneas stared the human down, towering above him. "Your kind has not changed. You do not listen. You do not heed those Arceus himself put in charge of balancing your planet. You are as greedy and vile as every other Human who has come here before you, seeking my power, all but drooling at the thought of living forever…" The hind lowered her head to Pravus's height, meeting his gaze directly. "You know not what you meddle with…nor what you are truly asking for..." Her horns began to glow with every color of Infinity, and Shor stepped back several paces. "It is better for all, if you simply…cease."
----------------------------------------
"You Guardians are all the same…" Pravus said, looking down at the pink terrain surrounding him. "You think you have a choice in any of this…you think the decision is yours…" He looked up again, and Xerneas flinched, visibly. His eyes shifted color, and now burned with red energy, radiating from them in wavy lines of power. "You are tools on my belt…nothing more…" He drew a Pokéball that was entirely black from his pocket. "Now, get into your ball…"
The Life Pokémon brought her head up again, horns radiating with power. Being so close, Alex resisted the urge to fidget. Then, he remembered. Fairy types and dragons mixed poorly. What she said of Pravus was likely true of himself, as well.
The sky, for once, cleared over the area above them, and Xerneas was no doubt responsible. From behind the clouds, the moon appeared, despite the ever-present light of the sun during this season. It was full, and seemed to glow as Xerneas drew more and more power.
----------------------------------------
"Cease." Xerneas answered. An orb of light blue, similar in appearance to the moon in many ways, formed between Xerneas' horns, and at almost point-blank range, the Life Pokémon launched the Moonblast at Pravus. The man grinned, and opened his Dark Ball.
Much like the Ultra Ball, the Dark Ball had undergone a series of advancements as well over the years, despite being highly illegal. In the Fornia region, they had increased its ability to capture Pokémon beyond that of any other Pokéball, going as far as to include move-dampeners, and not even require it to touch the Pokémon it was aimed at. In a show of cleverness, Doctor Ein had turned the opening of the ball into a vortex, of a kind, that had the power to draw in even those considered Legendary. The first Pokémon it absorbed would be the one it caught, and Xerneas was directly in front of him.
Pravus grinned as the ball began to drag the massive hind towards it. The fairy type attack had been completely swallowed, and it looked as though the Life Pokémon would be as well. The four onlookers leapt into action, as they'd been waiting for the man to either retreat, or try something.
----------------------------------------
Alex and Jess, having expected Pravus to attempt a final, desperate act to catch Xerneas, launched a combined Psychic attack at Pravus' ball. It was the immediate threat, after all, but it was intercepted as his Darkrai rose from his shadow, and canceled the attacks with a Dark Pulse.
Jess' eyes widened as she met the Darkrai's gaze. "Wait…that Darkrai has-" Her words were cut off by the sound of thunder, booming almost directly beside them. Both Shor and Lokra had leapt into action as well. Shor's hammer created a fissure in the ground, and Pravus's Darkrai retreated into his shadow once more, levitating him above the attack.
Xerneas's hooves dug deep into the lush grass, but the ball's pull was incredibly strong. It had been made with the sole intention of capturing Legendary Pokémon, and Alex began to understand how the Arceans always seemed to have a Legendary up their sleeve. Even Tao would be susceptible to such a thing, if his defenses were down.
----------------------------------------
Seeing his attack had failed, Shor spun the hammer quickly, and let it pull him through the air towards his target. Lokra, for her part, had kept her spear handy, but the dark limned man moved away from it easily as she cast it towards him. She pulled it back to her hand with a yank upon what looked like a rope of some kind, but was pure white. Fallen tail feathers from Iizlokraan no doubt, tied to her weapon for easy retrieval. The spear nicked Pravus' face as it returned, but he didn't seem to notice or care.
The ball pulled Xerneas ever closer, and the Life Pokémon became truly desperate as her capture became inevitable. Before anyone had time to do anything more, she turned into a swirl of black light, entered the ball, and after a violent series of shakes, was caught with a ding that sounded more like a tolling bell than anything else. The Fairy Terrain faded, and Pravus grinned, eyeing his prize, only then remembering that an increasingly furious 'God' was hurtling towards him. The fun was over now, and it was time for this foul entity to feel his wrath.
Shor's hammer smashed into the Dark Ball with unerring accuracy, causing it to smoke and spark in Pravus' equally smashed hand. It released its occupant as the man dropped the ball, and snarled in pain. The Life Pokémon appeared again, horns once more lacking their golden color. She was motionless, and her head was lowered, but she seemed unharmed.
----------------------------------------
With a battle cry that echoed through the glade, Shor brought Mjolnir around in all its sparking glory once more, intent on finishing this, but Pravus dodged it gracefully in the air, and once he did, a familiar looking hand reached out from Pravus's knee, and grabbed the god's leg. Pravus spun, and the hand threw Shor towards his hall. The armored form of the Thunder God's body sailed through the air, and smashed through the wood of his hall easily, as he disappeared from sight.
Pravus' triumph was short-lived though. Alex had called out the first ball he reached for, which meant Terra was now on the scene, and had mega evolved. An Energy Ball containing the power of the ground and grass typing slammed into Pravus, and with its sheer size, drove him into the air, and over the trees. He snarled and pushed, but could not free himself from the massive, spinning Taijitu sphere of balanced grass and ground energy. Of all his team, Terra remained the best at condensing the layers of his Energy Ball.
All eyes went to Xerneas, but she hadn't moved, and looked more like a statue than a living Pokémon. Her x-shaped irises didn't move either, her gaze was locked on the spot Pravus had been. In the distance, they heard a pained yell, and a loud boom. Then, from the trees, a pillar of swirling dark energy rose into the sky. They could all guess its source.
Dark energy began to rise from Xerneas' form in small wisps, but before anyone could notice, Pravus once more appeared in the air, furious, and hurtling towards them. He was changed again. Alex began to wonder just how many transformations he had.
Dark energy covered his body like a robe, flaring out behind him as he flew through the air towards them, eyes burning with rage. Literally. The sound of splintering wood and thunder boomed from behind them as once more Shor flew into the air, and met the man wrapped in darkness hammer-first. Finally, Mjolnir met its' mark on the Fornian autocrat's cheek, and Pravus sailed towards the ground, impacting with a boom that shook the area.
----------------------------------------
Shor followed, as did more thunderous crashes, the sound of truly titanic combat. It said much that Pravus was able to hold his own at all against a being that was called a God, and had, if the legends were to be believed, been alive for countless millennia. The sound of cracking branches filled the area near them, and seconds later, the two men came hurtling out of the nearby forest, and back to the front of the hall. Pravus's jaw was askew, and already bruising, no doubt from a hammer blow.
Pravus bounced across the grass once Shor stopped, and groaned as he slowly rose again. His face was partially caved in on the left side, but that didn't seem to be stopping him. "I don't know…what you are…but you will not…win this…" He raised both hands towards the red-haired figure, and a look of pure rage came across his frightening countenance, black and red lightning arced from each fingertip towards his quarry.
At first, Shor laughed, loud and booming, until the first sparks touched his form. His visage grew grim then. "You meddle with power you do not comprehend…" He spoke through gritted teeth, and slowly raised Mjolnir to intercept the streams of burning plasma. Though it arced across his skin, it left almost no trace upon it, in fact, his skin appeared more like metal than anything else, in that moment.
"I am Power!" The lightning grew larger, more uncontrolled as Pravus poured everything he had into it. It was striking Mjolnir now, and Shor was doing everything he could to not be blown away by the ferocity of the attack. It had definitely caught him off guard.
Xerneas watched the display while remaining motionless.
----------------------------------------
"Qo! Ner! Kaask!" The Storm Voice boomed through the glade, louder than anything so far, and the power of it warped Pravus's lightning back on himself. It formed a spherical cage of volatile plasma, and burned both the ground and the air as it entrapped Pravus. He turned, slowly, towards Alex.
"You…are going to die…slowly…" His entire form was trembling, and small cracks had appeared by his burning red eyes, sundering his very skin. Blood had begun to drip from each of them. Finally, he was reaching a limit of some kind. Hopefully.
"Not today…" Pravus' head turned suddenly at the voice to behold Shor, hammer in hand, smirking. With another mighty upwards swing, Mjolnir sent the spherical cage of lightning into the air, but this time, in the direction of Valaskjalf itself.
----------------------------------------
Pravus gripped the electric 'bars' of his cage, searing his hands as he screamed at them in a manic frenzy, "You will all perish for this! Grrrraaagh!" He shook the bars with a rage that could only be described as manic, but the Storm Voice had effectively entrapped him. For now.
"For the Prophet!" A new cry from a new voice came from their left, in the woods, and from the trees came Pravus's lackeys, surrounded by their Pokémon. By this point, anything resembling the 'rules of battle' had long since been discarded. Every Pokémon they had was out, and the sheer numbers looked to be ready to overwhelm them.
That is, until an enormous beam of ice formed a massive wall in front of the newcomers, and around Shor and the three humans. Iizlokraan's telepathic voice echoed to all as she spread her wide white wings and shrieked, "They are safe, begin the Purge!"
----------------------------------------
The four looked up as the sky filled with what seemed to be all of Valaskjalf's riders. Ice Beams and flying type attacks began to rain down upon the comparatively small group of Arceans. Hydrus and Leo joined Terra, as they were the ones with the most energy left, and soon the Arceans had once more been effectively corralled by the riders.
More than a few openly and loudly complained about being frozen in the same manner twice, but before anyone could give orders for what to do with these new captives, a blur of black and purple zipped through them, freeing many of the Trainers, but only some of the Pokémon. As before, many had been cleansed of the Shadow's influence by the Articuno, but those who hadn't were now free, and were quickly recalled as cries of "Retreat!" echoed through their ranks.
A green and white blur followed the black and purple one, and they began to clash atop the wall of ice. It was, of course, Arthur, still engaged in battle with Pravus's Zoroark. At first it had seemed at a disadvantage, but now, the cunning fox-like creature was taunting the Gallade, who despite his speed, could not land his sword strike on it.
----------------------------------------
In seconds, Leo joined Arthur atop the ice wall, and with a combination of Iron Tail and Sacred Sword, kept the Zoroark from escaping. The tail of Leo's Mega Form, when using Iron Tail, became shaped like a scythe. He also gained saber-teeth, which made his Thunder Fang quite a bit stronger. He was even just as fast as the other two, a fact the Zoroark soon became aware of.
Alex glanced at how the dark fox fought, and then noticed something. It was using Night Slash to cancel out Leo's Iron Tail, but the other claw was bright with white energy, which parried the Sacred Sword, and kept Arthur at bay. Of course it knew Aerial Ace.
Iizlokraan landed before them, and Lokra hopped on her back, and then nodded at Shor. The Thunder God gave a nod as well, and then the Chief joined her fliers in the air. Various fire and rock attacks kept most of the Articuno at bay, but the dwindling group of Arceans soon found themselves between two walls of ice, as Iizlokraan created another, and prevented retreat into the forest.
----------------------------------------
The few who had gotten away were dropped back amongst their fellows, and their hard landings caused havoc and broken bones as they slammed into their comrades. It was as close to seriously attacking the Trainers as the Articuno came. Seeing the tide turning, the battling Zoroark suddenly vanished as Sacred Sword and Iron Tail bisected the dark, grinning figure. It vanished in a wisp of darkness, little more than an illusion. One that had fooled even Leo's eyes. The sly fox appeared again atop the Thunder God's hall, and let out a chilling howl that echoed for miles.
Arthur and Leo quickly leapt after their prey, only to find it recalled into a Dark Ball. They looked up, and beheld a very haggard, very burned Caleb Pravus. He called down to his minions, "Enough. We have what we need. Retreat." With that the man, who was still clad in a robe of dark energy, flew further upwards, before vanishing entirely.
Leo shared his sight with his Trainer, and Alex grimaced. "Their ship is above us."
"Not for long!" Lokra and Iizlokraan launched into the air beside Shor, at the same time the Arceans were ascending towards the ship as well. Some had what appeared to be jetpacks, but most rode their Pokémon up.
----------------------------------------
"Sandstorm…" The air around the ship became filled with harsh sand, enough to make even the massive Articuno, and Shor, pause. "Power Gem." The voice was Pravus's, and it echoed through the area, but the Pokémon launching these attacks was nowhere to be found. Thus, the rock type energy slammed into Iizlokraan from seemingly out of nowhere, and brought the massive bird down, hard. She was wounded, by the joint that connected her left wing to her body, but she managed to land relatively safely on the grass below.
Shor, for his part, had smashed the beam meant for him away with Mjolnir, and continued upwards, towards the faint outline of the ship in the whirling sand. Suddenly, with no warning, a massive Gigalith appeared above Shor, and though he paused for a moment, he continued towards the dropping mass of rock Pokémon.
"Explosion."
The grin on the God's face faded as the Shadow infused Pokémon did the only thing it could do: obey. A massive explosion usually would not have harmed him so much, but at that point, it was too close to avoid. Shor took the hit full force. The sound of engines burning filled the air as the smoking form of Shor fell earthward, alongside the fainted form of the Gigalith, which slowly faded into nothingness as the Shadow energy claimed another life. Pravus did not even bother trying to recall it. There were plenty of replacements in the Fornia region. The ship powered through the fading vestiges of the Sandstorm, and then, was gone.
----------------------------------------
Before Alex could spring into action to save the Thunder God, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, and glanced at Jess, who pointed. In the ensuing battle and confusion, Xerneas had been momentarily forgotten. Now, it was evident that ignoring her had been a mistake. The Life Pokémon was almost entirely dark purple, and Shadow was radiating from her form. Her white fur was slowly turning purple, and still, she remained utterly motionless.
Alex moved towards Iizlokraan, potion in hand. If anyone could cleanse the Life Pokémon, it surely would be this Articuno, but another of the Legendary Birds got to the massive hind before he even reached her, and her rider. Up above, a pair of riders caught the falling form of their King, and carried him to the ground. He too would need healing.
Jess and Folokraan approached the Life Pokémon. She remembered the last time she'd faced down a Legendary Pokémon battling with the corruptive power of the Shadow. The Life Pokémon's horns glowed with a dark power, and a ball of bluish-purple energy formed between them. Jess's eyes widened. She'd recalled reading about Xerneas being able to use Outrage, but nobody had ever survived seeing such a thing. She'd hesitated the last time, against Tao, when Alex hadn't. She would not make the same error twice.
She nodded at Fo, and despite being young, the little Articuno flapped towards the Life Pokémon, and touched her beak to the hind's snout. The purifying light was all Xerneas needed. The orb of dragon energy faded back into her body, and the Shadow burned away in the face of her multicolored power as it surged across and down her form. With her horns once more golden, the giant deer shook her antlered head before regarding the ones who had saved her.
----------------------------------------
"Thank you, little ones…I almost lost myself…" She looked between Jess and Fo and almost seemed to smile.
"We should've acted sooner…we're sorry for not doing so." Jess bowed low, and her Articuno copied her Trainer as best she could.
The Life Pokémon eyed them for a long moment, and then seemed to nod. "I understand, Human…things often become confused in Battle…now tell me…why do you and your mate wear a veil of Percival's power atop your clothing? What has the Fairy King done now?"
Jess began explaining the events leading up to the most recent battle, while Alex tended Iizlokraan's wing with a Max Potion. The great bird nuzzled him in thanks, and he gave the under feathers of her chin a good scratch. Soon after, he rejoined Jess, patting the smaller Articuno once he did. She chirped, and pushed into his hand. It was nice to see even Legendary Pokémon enjoyed it when he patted them. Magic fingers indeed. "…and that's how we ended up here." Jess finished.
"Percy asked us to try to convince you to end his imprisonment…" Alex said, picking up the conversation, "He wanted us to capture you, but I have a feeling doing so would be the wrong way to free him."
----------------------------------------
The large Pokémon brought her gaze to him now, eyes widening slightly as she saw his typing. As with all Legendary Pokémon, she too had the sight psychic types used. "And do you believe the Fairy King has changed? Will letting him out benefit, or cause strife to the world? From what I have heard, you have not known him long."
Alex shrugged. "I can't claim to understand Fairy Types, but I do know this: His mind and mine touched, briefly, and in that moment, I saw true, honest regret. It's buried, but it's there, and he feels it daily. He's desperate to be free again…desperate enough to ally with a lunatic like Pravus, and convince him to bring you to the tower. The thought of freedom consumes him. If he was actually released, he'd probably be fine..." Alex looked down for a moment, subconsciously stroking his beard as he thought. "How about a compromise? Free him, and if he returns to his darker persuasions, I will personally help you jail him again, in a much smaller tower."
Xerneas took a moment to think as well. She had curled up on the grass as Jess had told the story, and then, finally, nodded. "Very well, Dragonblood. If you speak true, I will release him from his imprisonment…in truth, I did not intend it to last so long…but I was…waylaid. If you speak true, and he has repented, I shall grant him his freedom. But I will need to see this for myself, before I believe it."
Alex nodded, glad that they'd at least managed to fulfill one mission successfully. He had no idea why Pravus had suddenly retreated, but it couldn't be a good thing. He wasn't the type to leave empty handed. Even in Castelia, the smoking remnants of his tri-energy cannon had disappeared after the battle, and building camera footage caught him taking it into his shadow, and then vanishing instantly. "Thank you…I'm sure he will do anything to avoid imprisonment again, even if it means behaving…now that's settled…can you make these outfits disappear?"
----------------------------------------
The Life Pokémon seemed to chuckle, a light huffing sound, and then nodded. Her horns glowed for an instant, and Alex and Jess sighed in relief as the armor faded away. They made a show of stretching, and Alex shoved his now once more iron helmet into his bag, trading it for his hat. He avoided holding eye contact with Jess though. Now that they were free of the armor, weeks of suppressed urges were rapidly bubbling to the surface. The danger was gone, but the adrenaline was still pumping after facing Alduin, and then Pravus.
Xerneas stood and a small smirk appeared on her mouth. "I will grant another favor. To the both of you." She focused her x-shaped irises on Jess. "Your mate has acquired the immortality of the Storm Crown. For saving me from that…pestilence, I grant you the same. You can still be wounded, maimed, or slain, but should you avoid such things, you will live a span of years akin to Percival's." The antlers upon her head began to shine. "Be warned, Human. That which I give, I can also take. Do not squander this gift. And always remember…every living thing has an end…do not think you have avoided death. It comes for us all, eventually."
Jess knelt, both knees resting on the grass. "I understand. You have my word…I will not waste my chance for a longer life."
----------------------------------------
The golden light flared, and from each of the seven multicolored orbs on Xerneas' antlers, a drop fell to the ground, halting before it hit. Slowly, each drop formed above Jess' head into a multicolored orb that radiated life energy onto her, her belt, and Alex's. It was pleasant, warm, but inherently infused with fairy power. It descended into Jess's head, and then she began to glow as well, though it soon faded.
"It is done." Xerneas said, looking slightly exhausted, "Now pardon me…I must see to Shor."
Alex thanked her again, and then knelt beside his love. "How do you feel?"
She shrugged. "Rejuvenated…but otherwise…the same."
Alex nodded, smirking. "I felt the same way. Who knew immortality would be so easily found…"
Jess raised a brow at him. "You call all of this easy?"
He shrugged. "No…but think about it. Some people spend their entire lives seeking out what we've gained in the space of a few weeks…
"The difference is obvious, love." She put a hand on his cheek, "We weren't looking for it. You gained yours to fight Alduin and save the world. I gained mine by keeping the balance in check. A Shadow infused Xerneas awake at the same time as Percy's Yveltal would bring even more death to this land…" She looked at the white and light blue hind. "The balance would've been disrupted, and the repercussions…worse than I can imagine, I'm sure."
She flushed as Alex's arms wrapped around her. "Tao would b- er, is proud." He said, as the dragon corrected his speech with the speed of thought. "Apparently, we've done well."
----------------------------------------
Percival's Airship – Somewhere Over Norstad's Western Edge
----------------------------------------
"S-sir? Not that I'm not glad but…why did we run? Xerneas was righ-" The sentence was cut off as the haggard looking Prophet of the Arceans struck his lieutenant across the other side of his jaw. Now he'd have matching bruises.
"Listen when I speak, Samson. I said we had what we needed." Pravus grinned, a macabre expression given that half of his face had a hammer indentation. The cloak of Shadow was gone, and the streaks under his eyes had scabbed over, the blood that had wept from them had also been washed away, yet he still knew he would need time to recover. His hands were a mess, but he had repaired them. Somewhat. Battling Shor had been more taxing than he'd anticipated, and the 'God' had very nearly killed him.
Pravus held up an object then, and Samson managed a small smile as well. It was damaged, sparking, and utterly useless for its original purpose, but they'd done more with less. His favored Zoroark had, out of all of his tools, performed the best. Not only had he deceived the riders, and kept the Gallade with the irritating sword at bay, he'd retrieved the Dark Ball from where Shor's hammer had knocked it to the ground without the 'heroes' even noticing.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
This new generation of Dark Balls was tied directly to their lab back home, and sent a full genetic profile of whatever it captured to their lab in Sacreus. They didn't often try cloning Pokémon from said profiles, as it was a long, arduous process, but in this case, the replication of the Life Pokémon would be worth it. Though it was no longer bound to the ball, Xerneas had been within just long enough to be infected with Shadow. The ball had finally run out of power once Xerneas cleansed itself, but that no longer mattered. They would make their own Xerneas, and from it, draw the secret of immortality.
----------------------------------------
The Fairy King's Tower – Northern Norstad
----------------------------------------
Several days had passed since the fall of the World Eater. Alex, Jess, and Connor had all been welcomed as heroes in the hall of Faarangar, and had earned the aid of Shor as well, should they one day require it. Naturally, Alex had been fascinated with the 'God', for upon getting a proper look at him, not distracted by a major battle, he'd discovered that he too had a dual typing. Fighting, and electric.
Shor, who preferred to go by Thor in private, had soon realized that humans were no longer as…gullible as they had been in the past. They had grown up, fallen, and then rose again. Even the Earth was vastly different to how he remembered it. Eventually, after several mugs of mead, Thor hinted that his origins were in the stars, but beyond that, refused to reveal more. That night had been spent singing songs, drinking mead, smoking plants, and enjoying the hard-won victory against the dragon, and the Prophet. The fact that he'd retreated at all still nagged at Alex, but he was too comfortably numb to care at that moment.
Then, when the dawn came, they'd met once more with Xerneas, who offered Alex and Connor a reward for their part in keeping herself and her home free of the shadow's taint. For Connor, she gave a Flame Plate crystal, and though it wasn't immortality, he still appreciated it. He'd been given an Icicle crystal by the riders, and had two more for his allies as well. A gift from the village they'd helped defend. For Alex, Xerneas's gift was a bit different, as his body was incompatible with her power, but his team's was not. For each of their Pokémon, she gave a gift of strength, and life saying, "A reward for their part in bringing down the World Eater. So long as your Humans continue to live, you will be allowed to stay by their sides, well past your own normal span."
The two humans again thanked the immortality granting Legend, and then departed. That had, in truth, been their biggest fear in earning immortality. Now, that fear was somewhat allayed, and Alex fully intended to return the Life Pokémon's kindness, when he was able.
----------------------------------------
Shruikan received enough energy to forgo recuperating and adjust to his new size entirely, while Blaze had been healed, and had grown several feet taller as well, reaching a new height of fifteen feet. Such was the power of the Life Pokémon. Shruikan and Blaze had, naturally, begun to spar, eager to test their new strength. Despite it, Blaze remained more than a match for him, for he was a cunning flier, and by far the best battler on their team. In his opinion at least.
Terra had received power as well, in his Mega Form, and the tree upon his shell had grown. He had grown bulkier, and was now easily one of the largest Torterra on record. He'd nicknamed the tree 'Yggdrasil', after Xerneas, which was what Shor called her. Much like Nidhogg, she had many names. Hydrus had been given a similar boost, and now the massive mud-fish was large in his own right. He was now as tall as his Trainer, who had gained three inches of height himself, from drawing power from the World Eater. They were both 6,5 now, and Alex guessed correctly that his Mega Form would be even taller. His little Mudkip wasn't so little anymore.
Leo had accepted a healing from the Life Pokémon and had filled out with muscle as well, but otherwise was content with his strength. Upon hearing Blaze's 'best battler thought, he'd joined in the sparring match between the two fliers, and had brought both down rather easily, demonstrating that Shruikan had not mastered his electric power as well as he thought, and Blaze would always be weak to it. Though their pride had been bruised, the lesson appeared to stick.
Arthur had been a different story altogether. He asked not for healing or power, but rather knowledge. Unfortunately, Xerneas had not been able to answer his questions, which were focused on his true identity, or his mother's, but with her latent psychic ability, she pointed him towards one who did know such things. The Foggy Swamp Sage. Needless to say, he was now even more determined to get back to the Swamp quickly. Out of all of them, the Sage had taught him the most, and after battling that Zoroark, he knew he needed to get stronger.
----------------------------------------
Before they could all return home though, they had one last thing to take care of. Xerneas accompanied them to Percival's tower, and a trail of life stretched all the way from Valaskjalf to the circular northern wind wall. It would no doubt fade, in time, but wherever Xerneas walked, life followed. Once the three humans and the Legendary Pokémon reached the wall of wind, Xerneas took the lead. She summoned a wind of her own, and opened a path through the howling barrier. As she passed through, it faded entirely, and they continued north to the tower.
That too was surrounded by wind, but this time, Xerneas approached the north-western side of it, and waited. Then, after several minutes, the wind rapidly increased. The circular tornado surrounding the tower moved, condensing, and reaching far above into the clouds. A figure descended from them then, spinning rapidly in the wind. Down it came with blinding speed, rising again just above the group as it spread its wings. The red-finned Lugia responsible for keeping Percival and his descendants behind the wind walls appeared, and dispersed the last wall of wind with a single flap.
----------------------------------------
"Yggdrasil. You come, at last. The Fairy King suffers greatly. I did not think you would jail him for so long." The Lugia's telepathy reached all of them, and his baritone was soothing, and full of concern.
Xerneas responded in the same manner. "I was…waylaid. Shortly after I left, my Kalos counterpart was awakened early, forcing me into slumber. While that region grew lush, ours all but died…the time has come for Norstad to be reborn…and I would have Percival's help…if he allows it."
The Lugia descended as she spoke, and then landed, folding in his massive wing-arms. He briefly glanced at the humans, and then ignored them, focusing on the Life Pokémon. "He may not…long has his hatred of his jailors burned…he wants nothing more to do with me…" The Lugia looked down, but the expression of sadness was easy to read.
"He may have spoken out of desperation, Sea Guardian. Do not lose hope so quickly. It is in his nature to despise being caged." The white Pokémon seemed to perk up slightly at her words, but the look remained unchanged. The three humans watched quietly, but said nothing. Alex noticed Connor fidgeting, and guessed he was eager to finally capture a Lugia. This one, however, already seemed to have a Trainer.
----------------------------------------
"I will open the tower…but do not expect warmth from him…being imprisoned for so long has…changed our King." The Lugia turned then in a single graceful motion, and raised its arms. Alex held onto his hat, as he could guess what was coming next. The air moved rapidly as the Legendary Pokémon flapped its wings, and the resulting wind forced the tower's lower doors open in an instant with a loud boom.
Then, they waited. Several minutes later, Percy appeared in the doorway, Kurama was behind him, tails extended. The fire fox snarled, but Percy patted him. He stayed put as his Trainer walked out of the tower, or rather, stopped at the very edge. As he did, a faint barrier of pink energy appeared. It had been invisible before, and now began to glow in front of him as he approached. He was still trapped, for the moment.
Xerneas started forward as she saw him. "Percival…" She stopped as she noticed a Pokéball in his hand. It was entirely black, and disturbingly similar to the one that had entrapped her.
"Yggdrasil…you finally come…but what brings you, I wonder? You are not in a ball…nor do you appear forced…have you come to gloat, then? To mock your former Tamer as he rots in this Hel?" Alex and Jess shared a look as they noticed his body language. He was tense, like a coiled spring. Or a trapped animal. Connor reached for Gren's ball. He had no doubt they could strike before this 'fairy king' tried calling out whatever was inside that ball. From what Alex and Jess had mentioned of their meeting with him, he could guess at what was within.
Xerneas seemed to sigh, and then, her deep blue horns began to glow gold. The barrier of pink energy appeared in its entirety then, and it encased the whole building. Then, it began to shrink. The energy flowed into Xerneas' horns, and once it had faded entirely, the Life Pokémon looked renewed. To Alex's eyes, she'd seemed fine, but only now did he realize how strained she'd been. And she'd bore that strain for millennia. While asleep. The power of Legendary Pokémon never ceased to amaze him.
----------------------------------------
Percy stepped into the snow, and gave a short bark of laughter, his expression one of disbelief. He then looked up at Xerneas. "Why…why, Yggy…why set me free now? I could be just as evil as before for all you know…just as twisted…"
Xerneas' horns glowed with psychic power then. A Heal Pulse. It washed over Percy, and he visibly relaxed. "I did not wish you to be entrapped for so long…there was a war, in Kalos…my counterpart was awakened, and thus, I was…"
"Turned into a tree…" Percy finished, sighing. "Of course…nobody could reach you while comatose, and I would guess you only awakened recently…I took your silence as a sign that you were ignoring me, content to let me rot, but you had no say in any of it…"
Xerneas nodded. "Several years ago, I awoke once more…but I was drained. It took a long time for my form to adjust to maintaining this barrier, and staying awake…I am sorry, Percy…you did not deserve to be trapped for so very long…"
Percy looked down. "I didn't…but that's just how things happened…and nothing can change it now." He met the Life Pokémon's gaze again, and pocketed the Dark Ball. "It matters not, I suppose…I am immortal, after all…what's a few millennia to someone like me?" He managed a weak smile.
"A very long time…" Xerneas said, and she brought her snout to his forehead. "Far too long…I knew you would snap out of it eventually…now, we can finally bring our family back together." She gave a meaningful look towards the Lugia, who still sat several yards away, and kept his gaze fixed on the ground.
----------------------------------------
Percy walked over to the Lugia, and gave a sad smile. "You deserve an apology old friend…the things I said to you…I was not myself. Will you join me once more on our journey?"
The Lugia regarded him for a long time, and then nodded. "That is all I have longed for over these long centuries…" Then, the Lugia brought one of its large hands forward, and with a blink of psychic power, three Pokéballs appeared in his hand. Percy took them, and put them on his belt, before finally regarding Alex and Jess. He didn't even glance Connor's way.
"You two made good on your promise, and for that, you have gained an ally." He took his hat off, and bowed low. It was formal, perfect, the kind of bow one gives to a king. "I am at your service, whenever you require it."
Alex nodded, and Jess thanked him. Alex spoke then, "You should know, Percy…there is a condition to your release…if you turn out to have not changed at all, if all of this is a trick of some sort…" He leaned in close to the man's face, eye to eye, as he mimicked Tao and Rayquaza. His tongue shifted to the language of Norstad. "I will jail you again myself, in a much, much smaller prison. Do you hear me, Fairy King?"
Percy grinned, despite the chills running down his spine from that glare. "Ooo. The little dragon has teeth now…very well. I've no desire to be imprisoned again, nor to make an enemy of a Dragonborn. I'll be on my best behavior…" He offered his hand, and Alex glanced at it for a moment, before grasping his wrist. They shook once. "One final token, Dragonborn." Percy said, reaching into his pockets. "A reward for setting me free." He pulled out a white crystal, with the symbol of flying types within it, alongside a pink one with the symbol of fairies. "Flying for you, and Fairy for your lady. Make good use of them."
----------------------------------------
Alex eyed the pale crystal even as Jess eyed hers. "Oh…I intend to…" He could already feel Blaze's excitement. Being the only one not able to use a Taijitu move had been…irritating for the proud Charizard. Now, they could finally practice combining the two types he embodied most.
Percy brought out a blue and white Luxury Ball then, and offered it to Xerneas, who entered willingly after bidding the foreigners farewell. He hopped on his Lugia then, and called down to them. "I'm leaving, I've spent far too long in this frozen Hel. You have my number. If you need me, I'll be in Alola!" By that point, Kurama had been recalled as well, and with his belt now five members heavier, Percy took off on his Lugia, and shot into the sky with a loud whooping shout, arms stretched wide as he breathed the free air again.
The three Unovans decided to leave as well then, and they traveled aboard Shruikan's now much roomier metallic undercarriage. Once they'd made it halfway down the trail of life Xerneas left, Connor announced that he had a few more loose ends to tie up, and that he was leaving. He wished his sister good luck with school, gave Alex a nod with the promise of seeing him soon in the Swamp, and then leapt off of Shruikan, and into the air. His Garchomp appeared then, mega evolved, and carried him southwards, towards Valaskjalf.
----------------------------------------
The flight back to Unova was a long one, but since they were no longer in a hurry, the massive Salamence took his time. His speed, when moving in a single direction at least, had increased as well, but the whole trip still took several hours. Several hours less than it previously had. Alex knew traveling the world would be much easier with such a fast flier.
Once they were back in Unova, Alex did much the same as Connor did in Kalos. They'd had a chat in Faarangar after the battle, and had agreed that they needed to cement their reputations as Champions in their respective regions as soon as possible. Both Alain and N were still around, and they knew from past Champions that the passing of that torch would not be so easy. They were both legends and heroes in their own right. They agreed that Unova and Kalos should remain friendly rivals, but Connor made it clear that he had his own path to tread now, and he wouldn't be following Alex and his sister everywhere like a third wheel.
Unova had, thankfully, been calm in the short month or so that Alex had been gone. N had only remained for a few days after the New Year, before leaving to travel the world. With him gone, Tao had kept the region in balance, and the region had prospered as a result. Ancient ruins had been cleared out and raised, old buildings repaired, and expanded upon. Unova had always had a knack for building, but with the return of their dragon, the desire to regain their position as the head of a legitimate continent-spanning empire had returned.
----------------------------------------
Since there was yet a month remaining before Alex had to return to the Swamp and the University's second half began, he spent the time resting. For about three days, he and his team recuperated from Norstad, mostly by sleeping. They were still recovering from the effects of Tao's world as well, and Jess did the same thing he did, as did her team. Folokraan was the only one who wanted to be awake, but she learned to be patient in those long days. With nothing pressing to deal with, they and their Pokémon enjoyed a well-earned break.
Eventually, they'd started to get fidgety, it was back to training. The training weights returned, and once they were adjusted for size, Alex realized there was a limit to how effective their original method would be. At some point, the weights would simply be too heavy to transport, and even now, they were already incredibly hard to move. Still, they trained with them daily, both at the Redwood's ranch, and across Unova.
Alex and Jess had landed in Castelia upon returning home, and had spent three days there in a spare room that John Crimson offered them. It was there that Alex first got the news. His granduncle had finally passed on. It was a crushing blow after all he'd accomplished in Norstad, and he realized just how distant he was from his relatives once he understood he now had nobody to call home to. He returned home then, and his better half kept his family distracted as he went to have a chat with his brother.
----------------------------------------
Eric was, as usual, at the local swimming center, riding around on his Blastoise. When he saw his brother, clad in strange white and black clothes, arms crossed by the edge of the pool, he'd guided Squirt over to him, and gave the water turtle a rest. The pool was only so big, but they often swam hundreds of laps, which tired out even the strongest of his swimmers.
"Let me change. Then we can talk." His brother blew past, and headed to the locker room, while Alex was left to stand awkwardly beside his Blastoise. Several minutes passed in silence, and eventually, Squirt leapt back into the water with a content sigh.
Once he'd changed, his brother returned, wearing their granduncle's lab coat over his usual blue attire. He'd gotten glasses as well, and almost looked like a Professor. He was still too young to pull it off though. Alex also spied a familiar diamond-shaped blue crystal pinned by the collar. It seemed the new method for Mega Evolution had reached even their backwater region.
----------------------------------------
"Where the Hel have you been?" Eric said, arms crossed. Alex raised a brow. He could count the number of times Eric had genuinely been angry with him on one hand, but he still knew that look.
"Norstad. There was…pressing business to deal with, after the New Year. Maybe you missed it, but the Arceans decided to give Ghetsis an airship, and throw him at us. Along with the Forces of Nature." Eric pinched his brow at his brother's word, and Alex only smirked. Even that looked grim, however.
He'd been more depressed than usual of late, but had put off proper mourning. Castelia had been full of fans, friends, and Trainers he'd battled on his first pass through the region, and Unova had required their Champion to keep his composure.
"You missed the funeral, you know. You missed quite a bit, actually. Malina came back, and she wasn't the only one wondering where you were." Eric's tone wavered as he spoke, and Alex looked closer at his brother. His cool demeanor was gone, and then he realized, this was hitting him just as hard. He supposed it would. His Gruncle had taught many Trainers, and had been hard not to like. He and Alex had been close, but so had the rest of their generation. The Professor had taught all of them.
----------------------------------------
Alex sighed, and they stood in silence for a moment, before he gestured for his brother to follow him outside, behind the pool building. Their conversation had been attracting too many eyes for his liking. It was especially unnerving since he knew many of those who were staring. "How did it happen?"
Alex knew he'd asked the right question as he saw his brother wince. "I…found him. He'd been missing for several days, nothing new, but he missed John Crimson's news report. Twice. When I went into his lab, I knew…I could…smell him."
Alex did the math. Two weeks. It had taken two weeks for someone to notice the Professor wasn't around. Alex fought down the sudden rage that had been mixing with his sorrow for the past three days at the thought of his favored relative literally rotting, alone and forgotten. He fought the emotions down into a clenched, shaking fist as Eric continued, "He opened the old door to his room in the basement…I found him in the bed."
Alex stayed silent for a long while. They were outside now, and he stared at the countryside of their hometown. The sky was gray, but the grass had remained gold, even under the harsh snow of winter, which was now almost entirely melted. "This is the price. He said being Champion would come with a cost. I'd even bet the old bastard knew this would happen. I'd be off on some epic journey, and he'd pass on while I was away." He swore silently.
----------------------------------------
"Have you been home yet?" Eric asked, his eyes also on the countryside. Alex shook his head. "You should go home…Malina might still be around. She missed you."
The thought of facing his favorite cousin after missing her father's funeral was too much right then. He shook his head again. "No…I'm going to leave again. Soon. There's nothing left for me here. I should've moved out years ago anyways."
"So you're just going to leave your family behind?" Eric said, turning to him.
Alex sighed. "No. Not entirely. I'll keep in touch, specifically with you. His lab is yours now. Go home, clean it up, use it. He left it for you, and knowing you, it's still a dusty mess covered in white sheets."
Eric shifted in place uncomfortably. Once more his brother's words had been unerringly accurate, and for some reason he could not fathom, they were ringing with an indescribable truth that he couldn't ignore, even if he'd wanted to. "I'm no Professor…" He mumbled, "And you should stick around."
Alex let his eyes flare blue, and his voice came out changed as the power added reverb to his voice. His brother flinched. "I have larger concerns to deal with now." He let the power fade just as quickly as it came. "He knew that. You should all know that too. N was always the one keeping the region safe, and not just ours. The entire eastern half of the continent has been saved by him, and the other Champions. More than once. That's my job now. Keeping the world in balance."
----------------------------------------
Eric rolled his eyes. "And who gave you that job? Does it pay well? What do you earn in a year? Will it pay for the house? How about the ranch? The lab?" Alex raised a brow, but his brother continued his tirade. "You have responsibilities here that you haven't even begun to deal with, brother of mine. You need to take care of those, too."
Alex shook his head. "No, I don't think I do." Eric opened his mouth again, but Alex cut him off and Eric found his forming words crushed by the forceful tone of his brother's voice. Something had definitely changed him, in Norstad. "You have always been the favored son. We both know you are first in line to inherit the house. Not me." Eric pinched his brow again, and turned back to the view. "And yes, it does pay rather well." Alex said, resisting a smirk. While his allies in Norstad didn't use traditional currency, they had given him several artifacts that were useless to them, but were priceless to the right collectors, or museums, here in Unova. Having currency was useful, sometimes.
He watched as his brother looked up again. His demeanor had changed. The cool façade was back. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that…the whole 'favorite son' thing." Alex stared him down now, arms crossed. He'd been expecting something like this for a while, now that he'd essentially proven his skill. "You're right, of course…in hindsight, you've been right quite a few times. You are the better Trainer, Pokémon listen to you more than they do with me. You have a talent for this…and I should've helped you out a long time ago. I'm sorry."
----------------------------------------
Alex let his eyes soften. Eric had turned to him as he spoke, and Alex waved his words away. "You had your own pressures to deal with. I understand the fear of dad's wrath quite well. Even if you had gotten me a Pokémon or something…we both know what he would've done with it." He offered a hand then, and Eric went to shake it, but Alex shook his head. "Not like that. Here…"
He showed his little brother how men shared a sign of trust in Norstad, and then began regaling him with the tale of his adventure. He hadn't seemed too interested at first, shifting uncomfortably at his harsh words towards the Arceans, but after he mentioned a certain hammer-wielding 'God', Eric's attention was hooked.
Once they'd finished talking, the two brothers went home, and set about cleaning up the lab. Eric agreed to take over maintaining the PC dimensions holding their other Pokémon, something he'd been doing anyways since the Professor passed. They both avoided the basement. Alex did so because he still couldn't stomach the thought of his Gruncle rotting down there, Eric did so because he hated the stink of Leaf and dead human. Eventually he'd brought in their cousin Aria's Bellossom to fill the basement with a more tolerable odor, but without windows, it would likely hang around for a while.
----------------------------------------
The rest of the family welcomed him home, as Jess had used her charms to cut through their anger, and explain why they'd needed to be away from Unova. What had started out as a trip that would take a few days had extended once Pravus had disappeared, and Alduin had woken up. His own parents were noticeably quiet, distant, and it took Alex a whole evening to realize they were avoiding him.
He guessed correctly that they were somewhat ashamed for holding him back for so long, something he'd confirmed after briefly sensing their thoughts, but he made no effort to forgive them for it. Evidently his battle against N had finally proven that he was, in fact, really good at being a Trainer. He'd spent most of his life ostracized thanks to them, a guilty conscience was the least they deserved. Twenty years, and a day. That was what he decided they could guiltily wait through, before he let the past go completely, and made any kind of attempt to reconcile.
He spent the next several days resting more, between bouts of training, alone in the lab's basement with Jess, and sometimes Eric. The door to his granduncle's room had been shut once more, and he had no desire to open it. He was more determined to fill the room with the stench of the Leaf, and after a few sessions with his Gruncle's old bong, the room returned to its usual odor. For him, at least.
----------------------------------------
Alex and his team had been home for a week when Leo discovered something that would once more further their journey. He'd been prowling through the barn behind the house, enjoying the unease he caused in the Tauros, Miltank, and Bouffalant. It was only right that prey should fear him, after all. That was when he noticed a pair of sad yellow eyes watching him from the rafters.
A quick sniff told him it was a Noctowl, and he briefly recalled hearing that his Trainer's now deceased relative had owned one. He was by no means the most articulate member of their little family, but he felt he should at least try to say something. Reaching out with telepathy was Arthur's domain however, so instead, he settled for 'Pokéspeech', the universally understood tongue that only Pokémon could truly speak.
----------------------------------------
"I heard of your loss, feathered one. You have my sympathy." The eyes blinked at his series of growls, and a voice echoed in his head as the Noctowl responded.
"Thank you…my partner had something for yours. Some…information. Papers. That sort of thing. He tasked me with passing it on before he…" The voice trailed off, and even Leo's usually cold hunter heart lurched for the sadness emanating from the bird.
Before he could try to comfort the Noctowl, it fluttered down from the rafters, a wooden box in one taloned foot. "Here." Came the voice again. "It is his. Now…leave me to my grief."
Leo moved towards the bird, and gave a low, rumbling purr as he nuzzled it. It was his kind's way of sharing affection, and the electrical current, while normally damaging to a flying type, only brought warmth then. The owl blinked again in thanks, and then flew out of the barn, and into the night. Leo then began the arduous task of trying to lift a large, square object with his fangs, but found his mouth too small. In this form, at least.
He growled the draconic word for electricity and mega evolved by drawing on his Trainer's stash of shards. Then he picked the box up, lifting it easily. His actions did, however, draw notice from his Trainer. He brought the box outside the old man's lab then, and soon, his Trainer appeared from within with damp eyes that were also rather bloodshot. The rest of his team were asleep, as only Leo ever prowled around at this hour. He dropped the box before Alex, and then let the power of the Plate crystal fade.
----------------------------------------
Alex gave the large cat a thorough scratch as he wiped the slime from the box, and opened it. Once he saw what was within, he walked into the abandoned lab, and took a seat in one of the lounging chairs by the back window. They still smelled like his Gruncle, and Leaf, of course. Inside was what the Noctowl had promised. Documents, yellow with age, but atop them was a much newer device. A Holociever, the resulting combination of the Cross-transceiver and Lysander's Holocaster technology. Alex had one of his own of course, everyone over the age of thirteen usually did despite how popular Rotophones were becoming, but this one was the familiar mahogany brown of his Gruncle's.
His team had taken to lounging around outside their balls since coming home, and all of them focused as Alex got their attention. Terra and Hydrus woke from the naps they'd been taking in the puddle of mud they'd made just outside the lab. Shruikan opened one giant, yellow eye which was visible from the lab's window, and though he was otherwise occupied, Blaze paid as much attention as he could.
Arthur and Leo usually stuck by their Trainer. Arthur did so because he was fond of speaking with the other humans, especially the little ones, and Leo did so for much the same reason, though he was mainly after belly scratches and many pets. Alex looked up at his Gallade, who had just taken a decent hit of the Leaf, and had put a sword-arm on his shoulder. The Holociever was, of course, capable of recording messages as well as sending them, and as Alex powered it on, his Gruncle's voice filled the room.
----------------------------------------
He heard dainty footsteps rushing up the stairs from the basement, and he looked up to see Jess. He paused the message, and started it over for her. He hadn't really listened anyways, after hearing a voice he was sure he'd missed ever hearing again. He wiped away the tears in his eyes he hadn't even noticed had formed, and then played the message again, for them.
"Alex…by the time you hear this, I'll likely be gone. Cliché, I know, but it is the truth, and a sad one at that. I can only imagine what you've achieved in Norstad. Knowing you, it's something you're not ready for, but have already somewhat mastered." Alex fought down a laugh as the holo-image of the old man coughed and wheezed, then looked at the hand that had covered his mouth. He wiped the bloody smear on his coat absentmindedly, and continued on.
"I can only hope that what the Dragon taught you has helped you survive that barbaric land. And yes, I was the one who asked him to train you up. He thought you needed more time to mature, but I know better. I've seen how you get when you have new knowledge to devour. Just remember that not everyone is used to seeing supernatural power. Humans have a history of persecuting those with psychic abilities, so keep them secret, if you can." Judging by the Professor's smirk, he knew how well that would go.
----------------------------------------
The old man coughed again, and thumped his chest. He took a hit then, and Alex realized he'd recorded this in the very chair he now sat in. "Ah…I've so much to say…and not enough breath to say it. Good thing these silly devices don't have hard time limits." The bong in the image went away, and the Professor entwined his fingers. A serious look came over his old, haggard face, and Alex leaned in subconsciously. He knew that look. What came next was important.
"I don't need psychic power to guess that Pravus wormed his way away from you. He's escaped professional Pokémon Rangers with ease, and Fornia is essentially a fortress. Try not to dwell on it. I can say that if he did retreat, it's because he found a way to get what he wanted. Eternal life. Don't look so surprised, he's been after that for years." Jess chuckled then, as they had both looked surprised by the Professor's knowledge. "Listen. If he gets what he wants, then our species is doomed. Pravus has mastered the art of indoctrination through his cult, and once he has this continent, he'll move on to another. He already has roots in Sinnoh, but that's Japan's problem. Let their Champions handle it. You have more important things to do."
Alex raised a brow, but the Professor continued on, "In this box, and in my room, are several hundred hard documents that are essentially a record of what that bastard has done. You'd think anyone with a brain would burn that kind of information rather than record it, but that's just how the Arceans operate. They record everything so they can use it later. On their enemies, and their own. It's part of what keeps people in their cult. Blackmail and fear are powerful tools…and with them you can finally dismantle this foul cult."
----------------------------------------
A Noctowl flew into the scene then, and landed on the chair. The Professor gave him a scratch, pondering his words before speaking again. "I tried exposing the Arceans for what they were, and was labeled a pedophile for my trouble. I caught one of their 'teachers' diddling students, and they put me on a PokéMeter until I 'confessed' to only having accused the man because of my own supposed desires. I said whatever I had to, to get out of that room. But this isn't about my name anymore. After this latest attack, Unova has a good idea of what the Arceans are about, and that means the end-game is coming. Unova was never meant to be indoctrinated, it was always a scapegoat. A focus for loyal Arceans to center their hatred on. Ghetsis was supposed to lay the foundations for future conversion of Unovans, but you stopped that plan cold when you united the dragons. Now that Tao is back, Unova will never follow Pravus. He learned that the hard way when he captured Tao, and all but started a war."
The Noctowl hooted once, and the Professor nodded. "I'm getting to that, Soren." The old man shook his head. "I've already told Tao of this, and he assured me that Unova would be ready for a surprise invasion. He said he could rally the entire eastern coast if needed, but that remains to be seen. In any case, it's not where you're needed. You need to travel to Fornia, and expose this bastard for the slime he is. Without the support of his people, his empire will crumble. Pravus has always underestimated the value of his own supporters, and that is the weak point that you need to strike at."
The Professor made an imitation of a building falling with his hands. "Expose Pravus beyond the shadow of doubt, and the entire thing comes crumbling down. The trick, as I'm sure you know, is getting Arceans to see, and believe, that their Prophet is a lunatic. I can only give you the tools lad. You'll have to figure out the rest. My advice? Start from the ground up. Most Arceans have never seen the Pokénet. They have no accurate idea of how the world sees their home. From their perspective, their cult is helping people all over the world, rooting out 'psychic warlords', and even curing 'drug addiction'." He demonstrated how effective that had been on him, by once more toking on his bong. "You'll understand how deep the indoctrination goes once you get to Fornia, and meet them. But don't give up on our western brothers. They may have their brains baked by all that sun and wildfire, but the people of the western regions were a part of what made the Dragon Empire so feared. If you intend to unite us, Hero of Unova, you'll need them on your side too."
----------------------------------------
The Professor let out a hacking cough again, and frowned into his hand. Blood trickled from either side of his mouth, and he wiped it on his sleeve. "It seems my mortality is catching up with me, so I'll end this, and hope you return from your journey alive. I've recorded other messages on here, for the rest of the family. This is the last. Pass them on once you're done with this." Soren hooted again, and it was a low, mournful sound.
The Professor leaned back into the chair, and sighed. "I don't know what the future holds for you, lad. All I can do is help you with this enemy, but you need to understand something…there will always be another Pravus. Another madman, another power-hungry intelligent being bent on dominating the entirety of Mankind. Knowing you, you're going to stop quite a few of them, but eventually, one of them will find a way to break you. This is a task too big for one Trainer, even a Champion, to handle alone."
Soren's eyes widened and his head turned rapidly towards his Trainer, but the Professor continued on, "The Pokémon League has a group of people within it, an adjacent branch with the same goal, specifically, people who run things behind the scenes, and operate in the shadows against other, more…dark-minded people, in the same shadows. There's a reason only a limited number of Mewtwo clones were ever made. There's a reason there always happens to be a heroic Trainer at the right place, at the right time, to stop a disaster. Someday, this group is going to contact you, as they did me, and when they do, I'm going to ask you to do something I told you never to do. Trust them. They may not be perfect, they're as Human as we are, but they're the best hope for our race's future. At least in this old man's opinion."
----------------------------------------
The old man coughed again, and gave a weak smile to the camera. "I can't guide you on your future adventures…but they might be able to help. Good luck, lad…remember what I taught you…keep your greed in check…and don't spend too long mourning my wrinkled ass…I've lived long enough." He held up his right hand then, and split his pointer and middle fingers from his ring and pinky finger, making a V-shape as the thumb curled up against his hand. He winked. "Live long, and prosper." With that, the recording ended.
Alex choked back a laugh. Tears had started flowing down his cheeks, and his repressed emotions were rapidly demanding a release. "I can't…did he really just…ugh…he would go out on a note like that… nerdy old bastard…" He wiped his face dry, only to look up and see that Jess and Arthur had done the same.
"I…I do not understand his last sentence." Arthur said, tilting his head at his Trainer. He'd tried mimicking the symbol the old man had made, but it was hard to do with three fingers.
----------------------------------------
Alex laughed again. "Don't…don't worry about it." He shook his head, and met Jess' gaze. "Shall we have a look in the basement?"
He could see the worry she was trying to hide. She more than anyone could feel the emotional turmoil within him, but as always, his practiced stone-faced façade stayed passive and unreadable, if a bit tear-stained. Only his eyes gave him away, as he had to blink back more tears. "Sure…" She said, after a long moment, "Let's…see what the old nerd left for us."
Alex raised a brow towards her as the four of them headed into the basement. "Does that mean you're coming with me to Fornia?"
He knew the slap was coming, but didn't dodge it. It was a good distraction from the pain everywhere else. The back of his head still hurt, though, and he adjusted his hat. "Like you even have to ask. That old nerd should've predicted I'd be going too. Besides, I know how golden coast girls act around Trainers like you. I'm not letting you out of my sight."
----------------------------------------
The four approached the door, and as they entered the old bedroom, Leo snarled in disgust. It was faint, but the smell of decay still lingered. To his keen senses though, it seemed almost fresh. Alex gave him a pat. "Wait upstairs…but lend your eyes. I'll need them." Leo did as he was bid, and soon, the night hunter's vision became Alex's.
With a glance, he could now make out shuffling foot marks on the old brown carpet. The indentation on the bed where his granduncle had laid down. There were clues all around the room to his hiding spots. A hand on his shoulder brought his focus away from the bed, and to the closet instead. It had been opened recently, judging by the pattern on the floor, and he knew nobody but his favored relative had reason to go digging in there.
Within, he found a much larger cache of papers, and after a bit more searching, found back-ups as well. He personally wouldn't have hidden them all in the same room, but it was good enough. He dug through the first box, and at the bottom, found a folder labeled 'Elaine'. Within, he discovered why his granduncle had been so Hel-bent on bringing the Arceans into the light, if not bringing them down entirely.
----------------------------------------
It was clearly a covert report, detailing the actions of 'Doctor' Ein as he infiltrated a large soon-to-be-purchased hospital in New Tork City in an effort to collect more stem cells for Shadow Infusion into Pokémon eggs, in order to create a Pokémon that was both monstrously strong, and could still evolve. Apparently, something had gone wrong while he was collecting from an unnamed 'female subject', but Alex could guess who they were talking about. The fools had even listed her room number, if not her name. Given the number was manually highlighted, Alex guessed his granduncle had known it was his wife's.
He shared what he'd found with Jess, and they both agreed then. These people needed to be stopped, or there would be more cases like Elaine's of collections gone wrong. For all they knew, there already had been in the intervening years. They hid the back-up caches away in different spots, and made digital copies as well. It was as they were finishing up that Alex decided to check his Gruncle's Holociever for other messages.
There were indeed more as his Gruncle had promised, including a smaller text based one for him, apparently. It read "Send these to their intended recipients lad. No peeking." There was one for everyone in the family, even his father, and he had to resist the temptation to open that one. He could only imagine what the old man had to say to him. He did as the note instructed, and knew it was likely to cause a stir in the main house.
----------------------------------------
Once everything was ready, Alex and Jess agreed that they'd need to leave at the start of the summer. That would give them time to finish school, study with the Sage a bit more, stock up on items, and prepare disguises to enter Fornia with. The last few days of their break went by swiftly, and though parting again was sad, it was made bearable by the fact that they could, if needed, reach out telepathically to each other, despite the distance.
Alex had an idea to solve the issue of distance, and after he'd helped her move into her room for the latter half of the semester, he began traveling south along the coast once more, heading for the Swamp.