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The White Wolf looked down upon the Dakota region's capital city of Fargo as the latest blast of freezing winter air slammed into him. Judging by how early the winds were rising, he knew this one would be a bad one. Typical. Winter was always worse during wars, and nobody had ever really wondered why. Close as they were to Kanadia, the city was almost perpetually covered in snow, and the gray stone buildings made the entire city look bleak, and sketchy. Tonight though, something had changed. The streets were alight with golden beacons bearing a symbol that once stood for peace. The people rallied around these light-bearers, despite the cold.

Even in the howling wind of the year's first snowstorm, Geralt Redwood's enhanced ears could hear the chanting, and it wasn't staying civil. Quickly it had gone from Arceus, to something about Unova, which involved blood, and then devolved into continued, unnerving chants of just 'blood' as they started marching en mass towards the west. He pressed the device in his ear. "This is Wolf. You can consider the Prophet's words in this regard to be true. Fargo is lit up with their symbol. They're whipping the locals into a frenzy, and taking them west..."

A woman's voice responded in his ear after a large yawn. "Copy, Wolf. You can go to sleep now, you know. It's four in the morning."

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He tried to think of a clever quip, and then realized he had nothing. Being awake for over a hundred and fifty hours took a toll on one's creativity and wittiness. "Perhaps you're right." He muttered into the device. "Wolf out."

His ears twitched as he heard crunching snow behind him. Two footsteps. Then, as it came closer, the two became four. His partner's evolved form had taken on an appearance similar to their species' Day Form, but anyone with eyes could see that Ghost was special. By the time they figured out how, the battle was usually over. Geralt gave his huge, pure white furred Lycanroc a thorough neck scratch as they eyed the city. "Find anything?" The wolf huffed, irritated. "Lycan."

Geralt sighed. "I figured…come, Ghost. Let's get some rest. You've more than earned it." The large ice and rock type yawned, displaying his long, sharp fangs, before huffing in agreement. Though neither would ever admit it, they were both exhausted.

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Scouting Arcean territory had become quite difficult of late, but the Pokémon Rangers were a part of the League as a whole, and they didn't skimp on winter gear. It wasn't his usual dark leather, but he didn't mind. It was warm enough.

Geralt and Ghost had been all along the 'new' border between east and west, and what they'd seen had not been promising. The League had wanted a situation report, before deciding whether to aid a side, or withdraw from the north-western quadrant of the world until things calmed down.

Either way, it seemed that either Fornia or Unova would become the next superpower to control these lands. He wished them luck. Those who claimed that mantle, with the exception of the divinely created Original Dragon, had a tendency to overreach with their power, and eventually collapse. It was a historical fact that, before the dragon first came, humanity's ancestors had tried re-establishing old world powers, with little success. Once the land had fractured, it had stayed that way until Tao appeared, despite humanity's best efforts.

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Everyone had, apparently, had their own idea of how to govern properly. The eastern cities had wanted to retain their control of the continent, but the western cities had refused. Sides formed, but oddly enough, a line of States in between both agreed to not war with either side. In the end though, they hadn't had a choice. History was vague on how exactly they got involved, but all anyone knew these days was that east, west, and center had collapsed into senseless wars of revenge, and their factions grew more and more splintered as greed and betrayal in a fallen society ran rampant. Naturally, the result had been a war that ravaged the land from coast to coast. It had taken another war declared by the Original Dragon and his first Tamer, the man who would become the first Dragon Emperor, to unite them all again. Before that, no one had been able to stop the carnage

Despite Tao's best efforts, it was only after taking out almost all of the armies who'd opposed him that the war was brought to a blood-soaked end. Even then, the ideologies of the past had persisted, and when the Dragon Empire fell, east and west resumed their feuding, though admittedly, their conflicts had been little more than skirmishes. The forced migration from Floria and formation of several new middle States had reinforced the buffer between east and west, and the fighting had been with Pokémon, rather than firearms. Bullets did little against most final evolutions, and they certainly had never matched a Hyper Beam's power, or destruction.

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Geralt sighed in disgust at the city below, and turned, heading towards his partner's massive form, easily big enough for a human or two to ride comfortably. "And so once more, Humanity repeats the past, blood is spilled, families are torn apart…and none of them will remember how terrible it truly was in about three centuries."

He felt a freezing nose push at his ear, for Ghost stood as tall as his shoulders. "Lycanroc. Roc, Lycanroc."

"Hmph. If you say so, but whatever hope I had in them vanished a long time ago. Be honest, Ghost. You've seen what I've seen. Humanity's only special power is to step on the backs of their fellow man so they can spend their brief span in obscene luxury. Over and over, we repeat this." The wolf grabbed his fuzzy white hood, and stopped him for a moment. He made a high-pitched sound, almost like a whine, but with more of a questioning inflection.

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Geralt laughed, yanked his hood free from his partner's jaws, and then shook his head. "What about him? The goofy kid I knew was always more interested in where his supply of Leaf was going to come from, than politics. His first decree as Emperor would probably be Leaf dispensaries in every university campus. No. I don't believe Alex can handle this. He is in way, way over his head."

Ghost snorted, and then moved his massive head between his Trainer's legs, lifting him up effortlessly onto his back. The white furred and primarily ice typed wolf trotted atop the snow, which was reaching four feet of height, minimum, as they headed down a slope, through the dead trees. "Lycan. Lycanroc."

Geralt settled into his usual riding position, and sighed. "Sure, he might've changed and gotten quite a bit stronger, but what if he's changed for the worse? What if who he's become is little better than the man he's fighting?" The wolf turned his head, looking at his Trainer with one eye, while the other navigated. "Roc? Lycan. Lycanroc." Ghost snorted, and picked up his pace. Evidently, he remembered the kindness he'd sensed in his Trainer's relative, and doubted it had turned so sour so quickly.

It was Geralt's turn to snort now. "I suppose you have a point…and last I saw him, he didn't seem too different...but again, that just means our new 'Emperor' is probably more focused on Leaf than politics." He felt the growl from his partner, and sighed, letting the issue drop. "Fine. I'll be skeptically optimistic, but you know what those ruins hold. If nobody tells him, he's going to die in there."

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Ghost gave a softer growl, of agreement, as they cleared the trees that covered the rise they'd perched on for several hours now. Any further conversation was put on hold as the wind began to pick up again, and howl. Ghost howled in return, and then began sprinting across the snow. It was risky, but in a storm like this, especially at night, he doubted any Arcean would see their white-furred figures against the blinding white of the snow. This was a satellite territory for them, and a newly gained one at that.

His doubts were proven incorrect as, after several hours of running towards their rendezvous, a hail of red tipped arrows arced down in front of Ghost, forcing the large wolf to stop hard. A quick glance told the Ranger that they were being toyed with. The arrows had formed a perfect circle around them, and then he saw the brown feathers that served as the arrow's fletching. "Muk." There was no point trying to outrun Decidueye.

They came quickly then, roughly six Trainers, each with a Decidueye. The leader of this merry band of soldiers, atop a blue and black feathered Decidueye, hopped down into the snow, and crossed his arms as he looked Geralt over. "What business have you in the Prophet's lands, stranger?"

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He was thankful the gear he had on was concealing the League emblem on his usual attire. Not only did it show who he served, it marked him as a Top Ranger. One of two, assigned to this part of the world. He raised his hands, showing open, empty palms. "I'm just passing through with my partner here. We're not looking for trouble."

The man, who was as blonde and tan as most other Fornians Geralt had seen, gave a smirk that told Geralt this was going to devolve quickly. Still, he might as well attempt to avoid a fight. The officer speaking was as tall as Geralt, and clad in similarly white clothing, suited for winter. He was still deep in the Dakota region, as they'd been heading east after moving far enough south of Fargo to, he had hoped, avoid detection. The fact that they'd even seen himself and ghost in the snow and storm in the dark of night was a credit to their Pokémon's sharp eyes.

"Trouble has found you, stranger. I'll need to see your ID. War is brewing, and we can't abide spies. You understand." He gave another smirk, and then raised a fist. His squad was garbed much the same as he was, and though they lacked the adornments that marked their leader as an officer of the Church, they each had helmets, whereas their leader only had what appeared to be a naval beret that didn't look like it could repel the cold very well. Arceus' emblem was emblazoned on the forehead of each of the squad's white helmets, and though he hated to admit it, he rather liked the look of their black T-shaped visors. Sleek, intimidating, and likely made of something strong. What they lacked in manners was made up for in aesthetic, and as he looked closer, he grimaced. Cipher's hand was in their armor's design. It made some sense, given where they'd fled to avoid the Jennies. Had he been a normal Trainer, he might've been intimidated.

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Ghost gave a low growl as the men approached, and Geralt hopped off of him, patting his raised hackles. "Easy, boy. They're just doing their jobs." He looked at the soldiers, and then their leader. "I'll cooperate, there's no need to get rough."

The man chuckled, and Geralt fell to his knees as one of the men smashed the stave he carried against the Ranger's back. Each had ten slots for Pokéballs, five on each side, and was adorned with Arceus' symbol at the top. Just below that, were three bars of some kind of material that could light with the power of fire, ice, or lightning as their wielders desired. He doubted the metal was high quality, but then, that didn't make it hurt any less.

"There isn't. But we're going to be rough anyways…search him." Their leader had approached, seemingly immune to the ever-increasing sound of Ghost's snarls. Ghost was eyeing the Decidueye, each of whom had an arrow trained on the large Lycanroc. For all the good they would do against an ice type.

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Geralt smirked as two of the soldiers tried to find pockets on his jacket, and then remove said jacket, but doing that while he was on his hands and knees was rather difficult. He met their leader's eye, and in that moment, decided he'd had enough of playing nice. He sat up onto his knees, slowly. "One would think…with all that 'divine guidance'... you people wouldn't la-"

He was cut off as the squad leader backhanded his face with a clenched fist. "I'm sorry, I missed that last bit. What were you saying?" The smirk had returned, and Geralt's reluctance to injure these men was rapidly fading. He'd been awake too long, and these idiots were keeping him from his bunk. Worse, his mouth was going to taste like blood for quite some time. The bastard hadn't been gentle.

His eyes met the leader's, and the man flinched, as they'd turned into thin vertical slits, like a cat's. The irises around his thin vertical pupils had turned an icy blue. "I said…you lack Manners." At his words, Ghost lunged, and the snow around them turned red with blood and feathers.

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Unova University – Unova Region

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The tumble in the autumnal trees and golden grass had lasted well into the night, and though Alex had been eager to move on to the ruins, a text from his brother via his Holociever stopped him. He was needed at the University's lab. Immediately. The time stamp marked the missed calls and message itself around right after he'd flown out of Icirrus, and he hoped whatever his brother needed didn't take too long, but then he remembered he needed to pay the lab a visit regardless. The sooner the better.

Thankfully, Teleporting cut his travel time down to nothing. He appeared in the middle of Gelauros' old pen, and the little Amaura popped free of his ball, crying with delight as he recognized his old home.

He looked up at his Trainer, and made a questioning noise. "Go ahead, bud. But don't get too distracted. We're leaving soon." The little Pokémon had run off to the other nearby members of his species as soon as he'd heard 'go ahead'. For all his training, he still had the ability to ignore commands that all hatchlings and young Pokémon seemed to share. They did as they pleased, and had a blast doing so.

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"Finally." Came the irritated tone of his brother. "I sent that four hours ago. I thought you'd be in the ruins by now, and that we'd missed you. What were you doing?" Eric's arms were crossed, and the blue eyes, so similar to his own, examined him through the glasses on his face.

Alex coughed. "Things. Stuff. What do you want? I'm kind of on a short timeline."

Eric rolled his eyes. "You're the one that found four hours to…jump in a pile of leaves?"

Alex looked down at his clothes, and sighed. He'd removed the leaves in his hair, but a few had evidently managed to hide in his pants. It wasn't all that surprising. He'd tossed them aside, and the wind had picked up several times. He yanked them free of his belt and pockets as he spoke. "Something like that. What do you want, brother?"

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"Well, first, I guess I should congratulate you? Does this make us royalty now?" He had a teasing tone and smirk. Alex had no patience for either. He'd dallied enough, and only because Jess had kept refusing to let him get dressed. Not that he'd minded.

"I have no idea. What. Do. You. Want?" He repeated, letting the irritation show, slightly.

Finally, the all-business-no-nonsense look came over his brother. "Your plasma sword. Jess mentioned you had one. May I see it?"

Alex gave the mental equivalent of a glance to Lux, who gave the mental equivalent of a nod. He tossed the hilt to his brother. "I was planning to show it to you anyways. I want you to-"

Eric cut him off as he examined the hilt. "Reverse engineer it, and distribute copies to those the dragon deems worthy?" Alex nodded. "Well…we'll take a scan, and then see what we can do."

"Lux." Alex said, as Eric turned towards the part of the lab that held the equipment, as well as the rest of the still-working Brain Trust. "Come on out. I don't want your energy messing with their scans."

"Oh fine." Eric jumped in surprise as the black and white Rotom departed his container. "I was going to have some fun with them. The smart Humans always get so panicky when their little machines stop working."

"I know." Alex said, smirking. "But we just don't have time, and they need these machines. War is brewing, and knowledge is going to help us more than pranks."

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The ghost, much like his Amaura, had stopped listening and floated over to the group of Aurorus and their young who had welcomed Gel back with reserved warmth. When it became clear he wasn't going to freeze them all by accident, they each nuzzled him, murmuring apologies for their past behavior. Gel, from his emotions, just seemed happy to finally be able to socialize and not freeze everything solid. Teaching him to control his power had taken Fornia's heat, and most of the summer though.

Alex sighed. "Champion of Unova…Tamer of the Original Dragon…and these are my ever-loyal partners." He shook his head. They were still new. He wandered over to the rest of the Brain Trust. There were five in all, including his brother, who was currently working on the scanning device. It would examine his plasma sword's composition down to the core, and more importantly, provide the bones of what would become a schematic, hopefully.

"How goes it, Frankie?" He asked, casually leaning against the side of his workstation.

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Frankie was as thin as Eric, though he lacked glasses, and a proper lab coat. His attire was sufficiently nerdy though. The green eyes met his, and the Professor-in-training grinned. "Alex. Always a pleasure. In short…it's not going well. But it could be worse."

Alex raised a brow. "Oh? What have I missed?"

"Professor Juniper came out of retirement for this, and Professor Bianca gave us the Elektross data you said we'd need. Moreover, Professors from all the other eastern States are arriving every day. I could name them for you, but we don't have all night. Tao is putting them to good use, or so I hear, but we're still woefully unprepared for this war. There's already been blood."

Alex's eyes went wide. "Already? Where?"

Frankie shrugged. "Not sure, but skirmishes are happening all over. Utado has already fallen, and Texico is apparently where most of the fighting is happening for the moment."

Alex chuckled. "Well that's not too surprising. They've been ready for this for centuries."

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"True, and that's why they're still holding." Frankie nodded, and then sighed. "But everyone else is not. The Illinowa and Tenina regions are also reporting attacks, asking for aid. They're likely to be overrun before we can reach them, though. The Prophet's army is enormous, early estimates are saying they number in the millions, and those are the low estimates of those on the border."

Alex glanced at his brother. "Then I need to move quicker. I could be out there, on Tao, stopping them. We could halt their advance fairly easily…"

David, another of the Brain Trust, chimed in then as his station was next to Frankie's. "Are you insane? That's the worst thing you could do!"

Alex raised a brow, and David continued. "What kind of General marches onto the front lines, no army, no support? Even if you do become the King, it's wasted effort if you're killed off in the first skirmishes." The Champion shifted uncomfortably. The words rang with logic.

"You really think they could take on the Original Dragon?" He said, quietly.

David, who was as pale and nerdy as the rest of them, made even more so by his green sweater-vest and tan khaki-esque pants, simply shrugged. "You'd know that better than I would, Tamer, but this isn't the ancient past. Generals don't go one on one in this era. We have weapons capable of handling Legendary class Pokémon. You need to assume Pravus already has access to such things, and is hoping you fly out to make yourself, and the dragon, a target."

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Alex sighed. "I bow to your wisdom. Regardless, I need to move. Brother, are you done yet?"

"Annnnd…yes." Eric said, as the scan dinged, and flashed a green light, showing a successful compositional analysis. He tossed the hilt back to Alex. "As expected, the scans indicate that we can indeed reverse-engineer these. The power source is going to be an issue, though. Your Rotom's crystal is…unlike anything I've ever seen. It's from the old civilizations. We won't be able to replicate that. Their technology might as well be magic, to us."

Alex nodded, as that was what Tao had called it. He pointed the hilt at Lux, who was absorbed by the black and white beam of light, not dissimilar to a Pokéball's, that recalled him. He recalled Gel as well, giving the young Pokémon a moment to say his goodbyes. He chirped cheerfully once he had, and returned to his ball as well. "Hmm. Call up the scan data."

His brother did so, and the two eyed the information, which was now displayed on the large screen that each of their work stations was placed around.

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Eric began chattering away, as he assumed it was too complicated for his brother to grasp with a glance. "You can see here how each of these…let's call them wires…connect to the crystal. It acts as both the focusing lens, and the power source. I can make a suitably sized replacement for focusing the beam, the real issue is a suitable power source."

Alex eyed the data. While it was, for the most part, beyond him, he'd had enough basic engineering lessons from his Gruncle, who'd given them while he'd worked on his old car. During his years in high school and then University, it had been his main mode of transportation, and fixing it had been his job. His father refused to pay for maintenance, and had told him he could always walk if he didn't want to bother learning how to fix various car parts. That had backfired, when he'd not only maintained the vehicle, but upgraded it with tandem rotors, and hover technology.

"So…if I'm reading this right, it's going to require a crystal regardless?" He was absentmindedly stroking his bearded chin, eyes still on the data.

Eric nodded. "I tried punching in the calculations for the Plate crystals, but for some reason, they won't work, apparently."

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Alex reached out to Lux. "Is there a way around this?"

The ghost seemed to chuckle in his head, and the hilt of his sword floated before him, the face once more appearing on the handle as it spoke to all of them. "Those crystals contain Infinite energy. Without a Pokémon to control them inside the weapon, activating it would be like turning on an infinitely powerful laser. It would slice through anything in whatever direction you pointed it at. Before exploding with overloaded energy."

"So we need crystals like yours…or with less power…damn." Eric sighed, and pushed the brim of his glasses up. "I don't think this is realistically possible anymore, brother."

Alex, however, was smirking. He walked over to the machine, and began typing in commands. It was easy enough to run a simulation. Such things were covered in the basic science classes the University taught. "I disagree. You forget, we're in Unova. We have an entire mountain's worth of…viable crystals." He said, as the simulation flashed green with acceptable parameters.

Frankie spoke up then. "Of course! Chargestones! That's…kind of brilliant."

Alex continued on. "They should have enough energy to last twelve hours, and if you add a way of recharging them, we'll be fine. Moreover, the crystals grow quick enough to give us a suitable supply without ruining the cave. The Pokémon that rely on the magnetic field they give off will likely be undisturbed."

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Eric shook his head. "Mining them is going to be tricky. If anything disturbs the Pokémon, it'll be the equipment."

The six of them sighed, quiet in thought as they tried to think of a way to avoid permanent damage to a beautiful natural environment of their home. Alex spoke first. "Then don't mine them."

Five pairs of eyes looked at them, and more than a few had eyebrows raised to Spockian levels. He continued on when nobody interrupted. "These blades shouldn't be mass-produced. In fact…" He punched in more numbers to the simulation, a base estimate cost for the materials they would need. They all gasped at the number of zeros. "That's what I thought. The metal components are precious, but we should have enough in reserve to arm those Tao wants to lead our troops. Have the Trainers go into the caves themselves. They can find their own crystal. If they're competent enough for the Original Dragon, they should be able to retrieve one without harming the local wildlife. Hmm...we could even make a test out of it, were we so inclined...maybe when we're not on the precipice of war."

Eric nodded, and then took over, punching in yet more to the simulation. "It'll take some time to finalize the schematics but…this could work." His voice took on a tone of command, and Alex watched, somewhat impressed, as he started giving orders. "Sarah, get to work on the recharging station. It'll have to be in the hilt, and don't skimp on the quality. We can't have these become unusable with wear and tear. They need to last. Also, account for the effect of temperature. It's going to be a long winter, and our leaders shouldn't need to worry about the battery dying from the cold."

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Sarah, who looked as masculine as the rest of them thanks to her short haircut and muscled body, nodded, and then Eric pointed towards Frankie. "David, you and Frank focus on the emitter. It shouldn't be too complicated, but make sure the length of the blade can be adjusted. The people using these are going to come in various sizes." The two nodded, and then began chatting quietly as they called up the data, and began to work. "Zack," Eric said, turning to the last of their group. "You and I are on materials. We need to figure out what these components are going to be made from, they need to be relatively cheap, durable, and easy to acquire. Furthermore, we need to make sure that, when combined, the metal doesn't melt, or negatively impact the weapon's function."

Zack, the only one among them who didn't have brown hair, but instead sported a fauxhawk of light blonde got to work as well, and Eric turned back to his brother. "Why are you still here? Go! Become an Emperor. All of this is pointless if you can't rally the people."

"Good luck!" The Brain Trust said, with remarkable cohesion and timing, despite the fact they were working. "Don't die." Eric added. Alex gave a nod, put Lux's hilt back on his belt, and then Teleported.

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Scandaga Lake – Upper Unova Region

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While Alex had focused on getting the Fornian Rebellion to Unova, Arthur had been tasked with finding Uxie, the Lake Guardian of Knowledge. During the first part of the summer, Alex and Jess had come to this lake for a few days, mainly to recover from Norstad. During said stay, the Giver of Knowledge had made himself known to the Gallade, and his Trainer. He'd even had a name, given to him by a Trainer, now long passed.

"Merlin!" Arthur let his telepathy echo over the water. "Wake up! Azelf has been captured!"

The lake was silent, the water calm. Arthur scanned it with his third eye, and found nothing. He was still sleeping, then. Sitting cross-legged by the lovely shore, Arthur began to meditate, keeping track of his Trainer, while simultaneously scanning the lake, inch by inch, for the telltale disturbance that would mark where the mythical Uxie rested.

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It took the better part of the day, and the sun had set before Arthur finally located the mythical being. He nudged the sleeping Uxie mentally, and felt the mind of the creature stir. He nudged again, but it remained asleep. Having an idea then, Arthur tapped into his newly acquired Mind Plate, which had fused with the now scarlet horn on his chest, and let the energy flow through him, as he mega evolved.

He raised an arm then, and moved it in a slow circle. Within minutes, the water of the lake was churning in a clockwise spiral around where he sensed Merlin resting. This, combined with a third persistent nudge, awakened the Lake Guardian.

Uxie appeared, rising from the waters by the shore. "Well well. The young Prince returns. Alone this time, are you?" Arthur nodded as the small Pokémon stretched and yawned, but his eyes remained closed. "I know of Azelf already. I also know that Nimue, the one you call Mesprit, is safe in her lake."

Arthur's eyes went wide. "She has a...nickname as well? Who named her?"

The powerful psychic type smirked. "It's not important. What matters, is that she is safe. Now, given these developments, I have decided. You and your Trainer could benefit from my wisdom, especially in this, a time of war. Take me to him."

Arthur shook his head. "I'm to take you to the Original Dragon. He asked for you specifically. By name."

The Uxie tilted his head at that, though his eyes remained shut. "Did he now? I see. Very well, take me to Tao, then." Merlin floated over, and one of his tails touched the Gallade's unsharpened hand. With that, they Teleported.

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The Dragonspiral Tower – Unova Region

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They appeared instantly before the Dragonspiral Tower, and there were murmurs around them as they did. Arthur sensed his Trainer nearby, rapidly heading east over Unova. He'd only half focused on what Alex had been doing once he finally got a response.

As he looked around, he noticed the humans from Fornia had set up in the old fighting type gym, and since it had largely been empty, it suited them well. The two psychic types floated into the air then, and shot towards the top of the tower, where the massive form of Tao encircled the top. He was meeting with the human leaders, and even at rest, his length encircled the topmost tower of the castle-like structure three times over.

"Here they are now." Came the dragon's pleasant mental baritone. "Welcome back to civilization, Merlin. Your skills are sorely needed."

The Uxie made a bow to the dragon, and then to the humans, who seemed surprised by it. "My knowledge is at your service, great dragon, free leaders of the States." The closed eyes shifted back to Tao then. "I am glad you have been made whole again."

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"Let me bring you up to speed." One of Tao's tendril-like whiskers, which dangled down from his snout, reached out to tap the psychic type on his forehead.

Merlin nodded, then. "I see. Things are dire indeed if they're strong enough to block your vision. Let us determine the state of Illinowa and Tenina."

Merlin raised his stubby arms, and between them, an orb of psychic energy formed, not unlike the various ball attacks that served as the base for Taijitu moves. It floated over the round mahogany wood table the humans were sitting around, and expanded. Electricity sparked over the orb at first, but then Merlin opened his eyes, focusing the shining rainbow colored orbs on the psychic sphere alone, and the sparks faded, revealing the two regions.

They all gasped, collectively. The view was aerial, and even from the height Uxie displayed, they could make out many of the cities and towns of the two regions, engulfed in flame. A low growl rumbled through the pagoda as Tao saw the destruction.

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"He burns territory he would claim as his own?" Unova's Governor spoke, disbelief in his voice. "How does he expect to quell rebellion? The people will despise them for this..." He spoke again, as Uxie's view zoomed in, and showed what must have been the Illinowa region's militia being marched towards an encampment surrounded by strong bars of metal, and covered with razor wire. Within, the citizens of the region were huddled together. It was cramped, cold, and muddy as most prison camps historically were. Such things had not been used in ages, however. They'd been deemed too cruel. In wartime, non-combatant civilians were supposed to be locked in their homes, but evidently the Church was done pretending to care.

Merlin answered the Governor, as he enjoyed answering questions. It was his nature to share knowledge. "The Arcean Church will likely subject them to long hours of indoctrination. Given their past success rate, the locals will likely bend the knee to the Prophet in a matter of days."

Illinowa's Governor, who had attended this meeting late, spoke up then, the desperation clear in her voice. "Surely his people will decry this…barbarism. Burning homes? Imprisoning soldiers? Indoctrination? The Arceans I know would never stand for any of this."

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Tao's eyes flashed, and gathered the attention of the group. "The Arceans you know are little more than delusional puppets, fed only enough information to keep them sincere. Most of the Prophet's followers are completely oblivious to what their army is actually doing, and Caleb Pravus is a master of manipulation. Observe."

They sat in silence for a moment, before a portable television set floated up to the pagoda by way of telekinesis. One of Tao's tendrils switched it on, revealing the dark suited form of the ever-charismatic Prophet of Arceus. He'd added to his attire, presumably under the pretext of being at war. A symbol of the Alpha Pokémon now hovered directly behind his head, encircling the man's head like a halo of sorts. Tao's nose tendrils lashed, angrily sparking with blue at the sight of the Alpha's symbol adorning the head of a Champion of Shadow who'd sunk so low as to infuse unhatched eggs with that foul substance.

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He had his hands raised, as he was in the middle of orating. The soothing tone of the Prophet's words filled the small building. "Many of you have sent in questions. The most common of these is 'Do the Tenina and Illinowa regions belong to the Arcean Church?'" The Prophet chuckled for a moment. "Do you think Arceus wonders if this tiny ball of a planet is loyal to Him? No! Because he is the Alpha and it does not matter what our opinions might be. Tenina and Illinowa are both a part of the world we're going to build with the power of our righteous Crusaders!"

He raised his hands higher, and the cheesy triumphant-sounding music that had been in the background as he spoke swelled with far too many trumpets. "The future belongs to Arceus' chosen people! We will do whatever we must to achieve the world we dream of!" A grim look came over his face. "No matter how many psychic heretics stand in our path."

The broadcast ended, returning to a view of a standard media news set, with a pair of Church officials dispensing 'news' to the populace. As they started gushing over their 'brave Prophet's words of wisdom' Tao flicked the screen off, in disgust. "We are dealing with a man who has mastered illusions, and has been preparing for this conflict for over a century at least. Do not expect aid or sympathy from his people. To them, we are all heretical blasphemers, and short of Church-officiated rehabilitation, all we have earned for our 'sinful actions' is death."

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Unova's Governor looked around the table, meeting the gaze of each of his counterparts, and nodding. "We are agreed, great Dragon. Our forces will answer to you, and your Tamer, should he survive."

Tao nodded, but otherwise remained silent, his eyes instead focused on Merlin. "Arthur." He said suddenly, breaking the silence, "Your brother has arrived at the ruins. Join him. He's going to need your aid." With a formal bow, the still mega evolved Gallade Teleported to the city closest to the ruins, one he was thankfully familiar with. Humilau.

Merlin tilted his head at the dragon. "You never told them? Either of them?"

Tao shook his head. "If they are to be proven worthy, they must overcome the Trial by themselves. We've given all the aid we can. Now, it is up to them."

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The Abyssal Ruins – Unova Region

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Arthur zipped through the air with impressive speed. By levitating his lighter body, he was able to fly faster than either of the humans with whom he usually spent his time. As he came over Undella Bay, the full moon was reflected on the water's surface, and in the bright night, the primarily white robed form of his Trainer hovered over the gentle sea.

The Gallade joined his Trainer, and the two eyed the ruins below. From where they hovered, the structure was little more than a slightly darker blue blob, just barely visible thanks to the faint glow of the Marine Tube. "This lack of light is going to hinder us." Arthur spoke through their link, and the rest of their team welcomed him back. Gelauros had been included now as well, though his mental voice was still child-like, he was learning as quickly as Cenomons had.

Alex nodded, and then descended. Arthur lowered himself as well, and the two stood on what passed for a beach in this area. Arthur whirled, glaring at the cliffside above and behind them. "Alex…we have gawkers."

He gave the mental equivalent of a nonchalant hand wave. He'd sensed them as well. "Let them gawk. As long as nobody interferes, I don't really care who watches." He wasn't all that surprised they had a crowd. Undella Town was right behind them, for the ruins were directly east of the coastal town. They'd had time to gather, and despite the late hour, his ears told him many had made the trek. This did, he realized, have the potential to make history. He was only reviving the ancient culture of his entire people. No pressure.

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"Alright boys." Alex spoke softly, "Come on out."

At his words, nine Pokémon appeared beside him and his Gallade, and all but Gel ignored the murmurs of the crowd behind them. Shruikan flew over them all, and circled in the air as the sliver of a sandbar would never support his size. The little Amaura gave a happy shout, and when those watching waved at him, he let loose a Frost Breath, which received a smattering of applause.

Alex chuckled, and let the youngling do as he wished, for the moment. The others would be enough. "Terra. We've never been able to get a proper scan of these ruins. Reach deep. I want to know how far down this structure has been covered by three thousand years of silt and dirt." The earth turtle slammed his feet into the beach, and closed his eyes. His entire form glowed with brown energy as he merged with the earth.

"Arthur, take Lux, and Blaze. Clear the water of bystanders, as well as the beach to our south. Don't terrify them. Be polite." He eyed his Charizard more than his Gallade, but they both nodded, and flew off.

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Lux stayed, however. "I think you're going to be needing the sparky kitten and I." He said, yawning, and stretching his plasma arms.

Alex shrugged, for once, not in the mood to argue with the plasma ghost. "Ictus, Ceno, Leo, keep an eye on Gel. I'll let you know if we need you. And make sure nobody comes down the beach."

At his words, his Lairon moved towards the sliver of sand that connected their sandbar to Undella Town. One Rockslide later, and the path was sufficiently blocked from bystanders. Ceno marched back then, and dug into the sand, which was still warm just under the surface. Leo joined him, thoroughly enjoying the sand, as felines do, while the crimson Skorupi and Amaura had a sparring match, much to the delight of the onlooking crowd.

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For his part, Alex had Hydrus Mega Evolve, and then set off across the water, the white and black ghost trailing behind him. Eventually, he zipped back into the hilt, as Hydrus's swim speed made it hard to keep pace while floating.

Under the darkened water they went, and Alex's eyes flared blue as he looked around. The glow kept the water from interfering, and his vision was surprisingly decent. He attributed it to the brilliant full moon above the bay. On any other night, he would've preferred to find a solitary spot and enjoy the stars.

Instead, he moved through the cold water, ignoring the foul salty taste leaking into his mouth, thanks to the speed at which Hydrus was zipping through the water. There were faint traces of power all over, and as they approached the first, he knew what he had to do.

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Each of the other Champions had visited these ruins before, or so they'd told him, and they had all agreed that while the area certainly had an interesting and mysterious history, anything of worth had already been 'recovered' by themselves, and other divers.

As usual though, his eyes spotted something the others had missed. To him, someone who had grown up with RPGs, and the various puzzles therein, it was obvious. To Trainers who'd been doing little else but battling since they were teens, he could understand how they might miss something like this.

He turned Hydrus towards the Marine Tube, and smirked as he saw the unnaturally triangular 'rocks' by the edge of the enormous trench the tube had been built over. He'd always thought their sides were too perfect to be natural. Evidently, they had not been disturbed, which was fortunate. He spoke mentally to his mudfish, "Can you lift those?" He gestured at the stone pyramids, and the Mega Swampert swam over.

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He nodded. "Heavy…but not too heavy. I'll be slow, though."

"That's fine." Alex said, hopping off his back. "I can swim on my own. Big hands. Bring these to each entrance of the Ruins. I think you'll find there's exactly enough for two apiece."

The mudfish blinked, and then raised a brow at his Trainer. "How did you know these were here?"

Alex smirked, crossing his arms. "Every kid sees the Marine Tube at least once. I did tell you we've vacationed here, did I not?" Hydrus shook his head. "Hmm. Well, you were still a bit young the last time we came through. Right before Nimbasa, remember?"

Hydrus thought for a moment, then nodded, and smiled. "I was so…small."

Alex gave his head fins a pat. "We were all small. Now get moving, bud. The others should be done by now." Hydrus nodded, and then further impressed his Trainer by lifting two of the pyramidal objects at once.

Though his hands, and thus the jets on his upper wrists, were occupied Hydrus could alternate between which sacs held his oxygen, and which propelled him through the water. The ones on his shoulders folded open, and two streams of water shot behind him from his shoulders as they propelled his hulking form towards the dark outline of the ruins, his large tail-fin guiding his trajectory.

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After surfacing, and inhaling deeply, Alex propelled himself over towards the ruins once more, hovering above them. His unearthly clothes were already dry, and his bag was watertight. It made diving much easier. Lux floated beside him, his ghostly tail still attached to the hilt of the blade he called home. "What makes you so certain those pyramids belong by the ruins?"

Alex shrugged. "I noticed that when I was younger. My brother and I went diving by the ruins. I couldn't go inside, as I didn't have a Pokémon, which meant wandering around underwater for a few hours."

The floating ghost raised what passed for an eyebrow for his species. "Wait…you're guessing?"

He smirked. "Something like that. Just trust my instincts on this." The small ghost sighed, and returned to the hilt. Alex flew back towards the sandbar, and took a closer look at the people occupying the cliff.

They were cheering, as the rest of his team had indeed finished, and now Arthur and Blaze were sparring, though they'd refrained from using moves. It was an impressive display, seeing a Mega Gallade go hand-to-claw with a Mega Charizard. He gave Ictus and Gel an Elixir, and then recalled everyone but Terra, Leo, and Cenomons. Shruikan still circled above them, his massive form occasionally blocking out the moon.

The giant earth turtle blinked once at his Trainer, and his Lairon yawned, then trotted over. He scratched them both under the chin. "How does it look, Terra?"

"It goes down quite far…further than the records say it should. There is a secret within, and the land below feels…odd." He looked over at the dark blob beneath the moonlit waves. "I sense much power within…old power. The kind the Sage warned us not to test."

Alex nodded. "I expected as much. Well done." He shifted his eyes to Ceno. "Can you make eight long, straight rods of metal?"

The Lairon tilted his head. "Why?"

"I…you know what? You'll see." He winked at his partner. "Trust me. It'll be quite the show."

Ceno grunted. "Mmph. How long?"

Alex glanced back towards the bay, and made a generous guess. "Fifty feet apiece should do it. They don't need to be high quality, they just need to break the ocean's surface."

The Lairon looked at the mountains just west of the bay, then nodded. "I can do it. Will take some time."

His Trainer nodded. "Go then, find the ore. We can wait."

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It took the better part of several hours, during which Alex meditated, floating over the sand and sitting cross-legged in the air. The voices from the cliff had grown quieter, and he resisted the smell of food that occasionally wafted down. Evidently there was a party up there. Finally, he blinked out of his trance-like state as he felt the cold metal nose of his Lairon nudge him. "It is done." Ceno yawned. "I need a nap." He pushed the button to his ball, and returned to it.

Alex stood, and stretched. Hydrus had finished some time ago, and contented himself by burrowing into the sand by the edge of the risen tide. Now, he rose as well, and lumbered over, still in his Mega Form. Each of the long rods floated into the air, surrounded by blue energy, and he ignored the shouts from above as he set out across the bay again.

The speed of his Swampert made placing each of the unwieldy rods relatively easy, though if he was honest, Hydrus did all the work. They placed each one in front of the pyramids, and once that was done, he gave his mudfish a well-earned rest.

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Floating into the air, he got the attention of his team. Lux and Leo woke from their naps, and after a few moments, Shruikan appeared in the sky once more. He'd been hunting while they'd waited. Thankfully, Wailord was not an endangered species in this part of the world.

"Leo, you have the one closest to the shore. Shruikan, take the north. Lux, the south. I'll get the eastern one." As each of his team moved into position, he nodded at his dragon, and the black Salamence turned his maw to the sky. With a roar that sounded more like a thunderclap, dark clouds rolled across the otherwise beautiful night sky. "Ready? All together now…Thunder!"

His Pokémon summoned the energy for the attack with ease, and with a Shout of his own, Alex managed a similar effect. Eight bolts of searing plasma struck the rods, traveling down their length, and into the sand below. Then, eight glowing triangles appeared in the dark water.

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"Again!" The Thunder attacks struck once more, and the glow increased. It took five in all, but eventually, eight beams of white-blue light shone up from below the water, and into the sky. He didn't feel the earth rumble, but he could hear it, and once it stopped, he smirked. It was the ever-welcome sound of a door, far away for the moment, being opened. "Well done, all of you. Return."

Lux didn't need to be told twice, and once Leo and Shruikan were in their balls as well, the Champion flew over the ruins. Thunder sounded again, but this time, it cleared the roiling clouds the dragon had summoned, once more illuminating the bay. The full bright white moon was hanging low in the sky by now, but he was finally ready.

He raised two fingers in the victory sign towards the cliff full of gawking Trainers, and then dove into the water. Originally, people had been against excavating the ruins, but over the years, and completely by accident, the eight square stones by each entrance had been uncovered. Usually, one's path through the ruins depended on where one dived into the water, but now, the deceptive structure revealed its four entrances, and from each one, a soft light radiated.

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Alex smirked, and headed in. He waited for the telltale click that would signal he'd set off whatever trap lurked in these ruins, and expelled would-be trespassers, but evidently powering the pyramids had not only disabled said trap, but drained the water from the interior as well.

Each entrance was covered by a strange, malleable membrane that admitted his form with ease, and after seeing that, and the cuneiform symbols on the wall, he realized which written language they belonged to. "Atlantican? Odd…nothing in our history suggests we had much contact with them…" There was a theory proposed by leading anthropologists that suggested the people of Atlantica had migrated from Unova, but both Unovans and Atlanticans had found said theory either ridiculous, or unlikely. Then again, he realized, Unova and Atlantica both had lost large portions of their history when the old empire fell. It couldn't be a coincidence that both had gaps in their history centered around three millennia past.

The Dragon Empire had been little more than a small kingdom, in the end. Who knew how many people had fractured away from it over the course of its violent decline? He walked through the ruins at his leisure, navigating by way of one of the numerous maps that detailed the insides. As expected, the area had indeed been picked clean by scavengers, but now that the water had vanished, and the trap was inactive, he could explore at his leisure.

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Eventually, he made his way to where the map marked a path upwards, and while there was indeed a hole in the ceiling, there was one in the floor, as well. Given that it appeared to be new, Alex jumped in, and floated down slowly. Or rather, he started slow. About halfway down, something interrupted his power.

Thankfully, he only dropped ten feet or so, landing in a three-point pose, hard enough to bruise his knee, but otherwise unscathed. He stood slowly, looking around, and as he did the blocks that made up the chamber began to glow with the same whitish-blue energy as the fields above. Comparing this room to the ones he'd gotten maps for, he realized he was indeed off the map.

It was a smaller room than the maze of tunnels upstairs, but like the upstairs, it had several blocks containing script. Thankfully, the cuneiform did not seem to extend down here. Instead, he noticed the letters were written with the shapes of Unown, the very creatures that the language spoken the world over, known only as 'Common', were derived from.

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There was only one exit from this room, only one path forward. Above it, he softly spoke the words that had been placed there. "To restore Balance to the world, you must first find Balance within yourself. Hmm…"

He crossed the threshold into the next room, and stared in awe. There was no doubt now. This was the Throne of the Dragon Emperor. One of them, at least. The last heirs to that legacy had both claimed that title, and had both sat upon thrones, but history claimed the one that supposedly sat within the Relic Castle was the newer one. This one, was thought to be the one used by the first Dragon Emperor, and most others throughout their civilization's reign. The chamber itself was large, larger than anything the maps had detailed, and the room was shaped much the same as a ziggurat, save for the ceiling, which was flat. No doubt, that was what served as a floor for the upper levels. As with most pyramidal structures, it became much, much wider underneath.

Perched atop a smaller, and yet equally flat-topped ziggurat within the chamber was the throne itself. The rooms above had to be newer additions, because despite three millennia of ocean currents passing over them, the stones that made up this room were much, much older, judging by how eroded everything was.

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The throne was in a state of disrepair as well. He'd begun climbing the smooth-edged steps, and found that the back part of it had been shattered in some other time. The armrests and seat itself were also rounded and marked with signs of wear.

Who dares to approach the Dragon Throne?

The voice echoed through the ancient chamber, sourceless by its very nature, though Alex was sure he'd heard multiple voices layered within the question. He stepped before the throne, and then turned, eyeing the vast chamber beyond.

He let his Voice echo through the chamber, as he Shouted back. "One who would be King!"

The white-blue energy suffusing the ancient stones shifted then, almost seeming to move. Then, he noticed, it was moving. Towards him. It gathered in eight spherical blobs on the stones around him, as the light was drawn from the entirety of the chamber, darkening it to his eyes, and illuminating only the throne now. The orbs rose into the air, and he could tell most were different colors. Red, blue, white, green, black and white, gray, gold, and in the middle, pale yellow

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He is no Harmonia. It was the centermost orb of pale yellow light that spoke now, Leave, intruder. You are not welcome here. Be glad to have seen what you have seen, and depart with your life intact. Seemingly finished, the central orb floated away from him, but the other seven remained. It paused, almost like it was watching them. The seven spoke in unison.

Speak, Tamer. Why have you so diligently sought out this chamber? What quest brings you here?

"The Original Dragon has been revived."

Each of the orbs seemed to shimmer, and glow a little brighter at his words. The one that had floated away coalesced into a humanoid figure, a ghostly shape of a man, tinted the same color.

Each of the orbs did the same, and Alex knew as he saw their robes that these were the Sages upon which Ghetsis had based his own. The central figure wore a crown, though it was as phantasmal as the rest of his form. That marked him as the last true Harmonia. N had declined to even examine the Relic Crown, and when Rosa had found one as well, he suggested they were fakes, though their purpose was beyond him. Who would put a fake crown deep within a maze?

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The ancient King floated back towards him, hovering over all of them, above the final steps before the throne itself. His hair was long, and unremarkably styled, and his beard went about halfway down his chest. His eyes though, were what held Alex's attention. He knew them. There was no mistaking the familial similarities, the inherent kindness, and sadness as well. This had to be one of N's ancestors.

As his form coalesced, so too did his words. "Who? Who has reunited the dragon? Name him, so that we may prepare the Trial."

Alex bowed properly, as Jess had shown him, and then glanced upward at the King, smirking. "You're looking at him. Alexander Redwood, at your service."

The King blinked. "You? Impossible. You are nothing. Where is my heir? He's the one who really reunited the dragon, isn't he?"

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Alex shook his head, slowly. "I'm not surprised that you do not know, but I can guess how you came by what little knowledge you seem to possess. I'm not the first Human to come here in recent times, am I?" The ghostly King looked away, frowning, and then glared at Alex once more as he spoke. "I thought so. The man who came to you, Ghetsis I presume, you entrusted him with finding and training your heir, didn't you? The man who could reunite the dragon and rebuild the ancient empire."

"A lucky guess." The King snarled, and the Sages looked at him, several raising eyebrows at the venom in his tone. "Speak then, if you know so much. Where is my heir?"

Alex sighed, softly. "Gone, now. Traveling the world, seeking greater wisdom and power to draw forth from his partners."

The King's eyes narrowed. "Then we shall await his return as he gathers wisdom. Your news is appreciated. Now leave, and be glad you do so with your life. We usually take it from those who see this place. Leave the dead to rest."

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Alex shook his head, and continued speaking. "I cannot. Your heir, known to us only as N, failed to unite the dragon. He couldn't even envision it, after what Ghetsis subjected him to throughout his life." The King's eyes went wide, and the rage in them was obvious, but he kept speaking. "I'm guessing you told Ghetsis where to find your heir, but I know what he did after. All of Unova does, N himself told us as much." In reality, it had been more due to John Crimson's determination to unveil the story of Unova's greatest hero, but the result was the same. Unova had only cheered their Champion more once they knew his origins.

He went on then, to explain what he knew of N's history, how he'd grown up, and what Ghetsis had forged him into. How he'd eventually freed himself of that destiny, but never quite finished walking that path. How he'd become the Champion, and kept Unova safe from Ghetsis' madness for years. How he'd traveled across the lands that had once also been called a part of Unova with Zekrom, and kept them safe as well, and finally, how he and N had battled for the title of Unova's Champion, faced down the rampaging Kyurem, and reunited the dragon.

"So you see," Alex said, finishing his tale, "He never had the chance to become the King you wished for. He was diverted from that path the moment Ghetsis found him, turned into little more than a puppet with just enough knowledge to be a competent leader. He never understood Humans, he barely understood Pokémon, and even as the Champion, the idea that the three dragons were One was simply never pursued. Mankind attempted to fuse them again, and only managed it with Kyurem."

The rage in the King's eyes had faded to sorrow once more as the tale had continued. Once Alex finished speaking, he resumed the form of an orb, and left without a word, sinking deeper into the pyramidal structure, to the floors that were presumably below.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

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The seven remaining figures shared a look, and then as one, nodded. One of the Sages, whose green tinged clothing bore a green circle with a square within it on his shoulders and chest spoke then. "You have proven your worth, Tamer. By your hand you restored the dragon's balance, and kept Unova safe. You succeeded where our King's own bloodline failed. At the very least, you have proven worthy of taking the Trial of Eight Paths. We will determine if you are worthy of bearing the crown."

"And if I fail?" Alex asked.

The man's countenance grew grim, and this time the Sage whose red tinged clothing bore a circle with a red flame within it spoke. "Failure means death. You must be willing to give everything, to become this land's rightful King. Will you face the Trial?"

Alex nodded.

The man with the green markings spoke again, as the seven other ghosts did as the King had, and floated into the lower levels. "Come, then. I will be your first challenge." With that, he vanished as well, and below the steps leading to the throne, another staircase of stone appeared. Though it seemed just as old, it had not been exposed to millennia of water, that much was evident.

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The Path of Earth

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Alex descended the stairs, until he came to a doorway that lacked a door. Above it, the words 'Path of Earth' appeared in the language of the Unown. He stepped through the doorway, and a wall of hardened stone rose behind him, sealing it off.

The ghost from before appeared again. Though it was hard to tell in the light of the throne room, he'd noticed each of the sage's phantasmal forms had a colored tint to them. This was what had made their clothing appeared colored, despite being ghosts. "Welcome. I expect you have many questions."

Alex smirked. "You have no idea."

The ghost seemed to chuckle at that. "Ask then, and I will do my best to sate your curiosity."

Though a torrent of questions came to mind, Alex paused, until he thought of one that seemed more important on an instinctual level. "What is the nature of this Trial?"

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The ghost tilted his transparent head, as if eyeing the Trainer for the first time. "What a question. This Trial was designed by the Original Dragon, and ourselves, to test the aptitude of those who would be King."

Alex smirked. "But there's more to it, isn't there?"

The ghost nodded. "By traveling each of the Eight Paths successfully, you will unlock your true power. Each of the dragon's candidates possesses such potential, always, but only this Trial will draw it forth."

"How, exactly?" Alex said, arching a brow. "I'm already stronger than most Humans, and I don't really need more strength. Nor do I desire it."

"Oh, but you will require it, and soon, should you succeed here." The ghost said, nodding as only a Sage could, "There are many Humans who can match, and surpass, your current level. A true King must transcend all others. Now, let us begin."

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The ghost's form sank into the floor, and the square blocks that made up the simple chamber flared green, before fading away to white nothingness. Alex looked around, reminded of Tao's world. The Sage's voice echoed again, "Kings are brave. Kings never lose hope. No matter what they face."

The blankness shifted, and an image straight from his memory appeared around him. The green tinged ghost stood beside him, as they watched the memory unfold. There he was, younger and with a patchy face full of newly grown beard, as he stood in the midst of an icy cavern, surrounded by two Legendary Dragons, and his childhood hero. Kyurem stared him down, and beckoned him forward for battle.

The scene shifted again. Arceus floated before him this time, and the Sage gasped in shock as it unleashed a Judgement attack upon the figure before it, who spread his arms wide, and welcomed it. Only now, seeing it from a different perspective, did Alex recall actually raising his arms. He'd done it on instinct, then. He hadn't even noticed. He'd been more focused on his failure and imminent death at the time.

More scenes followed. He faced down Tao himself, on the verge of rampaging, and calmed him. He flew into battle atop his Charizard as they faced down a golden Groudon. He faced down the Forces of Nature, and willingly battled their leader into submission. He dove headlong into the enormous wind wall that surrounded Norstad, atop his black Salamence.

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As the scene shifted to him stepping into Rayquaza's volcano and being struck by the Storm Crown's power, the Sage turned and looked at him. The scene paused, and stopped moving forward. "You bear the Storm Crown?" Alex nodded. "I see…then the dragon's will is made clearer." He waved a hand, and the visions continued.

Another slight gasp came as he saw the maw of the World Eater snap behind Alex and Shruikan, as they led the great beast towards his doom. He'd never realized just how close those jaws had come. It was a matter of inches. The memories increased in speed as they flew by, more for the ghost's benefit than his own by this point, or so he assumed. His journey across the continent had included several close calls, and eventually, the room portrayed his current predicament.

The shadowy form of what could only be Caleb Pravus loomed over him, and those terrifying red eyes he'd displayed in Uppsalir filled the room. The ghost nodded. "I understand now. War has come once more. You were right to take this Trial." He pondered for a minute, and then spoke again. "You have faced down dangers most Tamers of my era would have run from. Even some of our Kings would not have held fast before the World Eater himself."

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He gestured to the still-looming presence of Pravus. "This fear is different, though. You've seen the effect he has on the common people, and how easily he controls them. You've seen him go toe-to-toe with a being our species once labeled a God. Your fear is justified, but you must let it go. Do not allow it to hinder you, to cause you to pause. You faced down each of these tests by remaining steadfast. Your actions were well-intentioned, and honorable. Hold true to your courage, Tamer, and you will make a fine King."

Alex, for his part, nodded, and let the apprehension he'd had about facing Pravus down melt away. He might very well die if he faced Pravus as Thor had, in mortal combat. But if nobody faced him at all, his home, his people, his allies, would all be turned to little more than slaves. Jess entered his thoughts. There were worse fates as well for the women of the east. The Arceans were disgustingly blunt about wanting to 'breed with ideal females' as they called it. He felt his resolve burn to life, and a surge of energy ran up his spine from its base, giving him chills.

"What…what was that?" He asked the ghost.

The green tinged figure grinned. "That, was the first step on your path to awakening. You have traversed the Path of Earth. Go on, Champion. Face your next trial, and be aware, my counterparts share my knowledge. The more they learn of you, the harder this will become."

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The Path of Fire

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"Great…" Alex muttered, as the room returned to normal. One of the walls opened, and he moved towards it. Another doorway without a door. Another inscription in the language of the ancients. 'Path of Fire'.

Within the next room, he found the red tinged ghost, bearing the mark of fire, meditating the same way he did. Legs crossed, floating in the air. Though each of the Sages looked different, this one had been the only one to have a long, thin mustache that dangled down past his chin. Long beards that would be at home on a storybook mage's countenance had been the norm with his peers.

The Sage did not waste time as Alex stepped before him. "A true King has the willpower to remain good and moral in the face of overwhelming evil. Shame, doubt, anger, fear, sorrow, these emotions will cloud your judgement, and make you susceptible to corrupting influences." He opened his eyes, and examined Alex. "I sense much anger in you, though you bury it well."

The room flared white, and once more, an image from his memory came forth. One he'd repressed. He couldn't be more than eight or nine, but unlike some of the other visions he'd seen in the previous chamber, this one had crystal clarity to it. It made sense. Negative events always left a larger impression, and were more easily recalled.

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His younger self was on the playground of his local school, building a castle that, he realized now, looked remarkably similar to the Dragonspiral Tower. An ordinary day, at least for him. Alone, but suitably entertained in his solitude. And like most of his early days, this one included the arrival of a group of older children, each flanked by a Pokémon, as they circled him.

Their leader, a typical brat with a bandage across his nose, clad in red and black, stepped forward, stomping on his castle. "Alright Redwood. What've you got for us today?" His younger self held up handfuls of now-crushed sand, that slipped through his fingers. "Not good enough." The older boy bent to lift him up by his shirt, but his younger self stood, instead.

He'd been taller than most, even back then, and he glared the boy down, before pushing him away, and freeing his shirt collar. The boy stumbled back, and gave a command. "String Shot!" The boy's Cascoon sprayed his younger self with the sticky, purple substance, and his younger self struggled to move. The boy pushed him over then, and delivered a swift kick to his stomach. Alex winced, and he could swear he felt something stir in his stomach as well, but he was too focused on the image of his younger self.

With each kick, the sensation increased. That had been but one day, in the middle of years of such taunting. Always he was at a disadvantage, for he'd always lacked a partner. He felt sympathy from his team, but he ignored it. The old feeling of painful solitude was returning with a vengeance within him. Ein's sneering face filled his vision, and the room, as he taunted his seven year old self through the stages of grief. Pure, undiluted hatred built as he realized just how much he actually hated Doctor Ein. Being a generally chill person, it was rare for him to actually hate someone. There were those he disliked, those he saw as trash, due to their own choices, and he simply did not associate with those people, usually. But Frank Ein held a special place in his heart, as the direct source of his ruined childhood.

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The red ghost eyed him, and the scene shifted once more. It was his father's study, back in their house, and he immediately knew which memory this was. His father had not been pleased that he'd earned a Trainer Card. "What were you thinking!?" His father shouted, slamming the desk angrily. "Sneaking off after we told you not to! Shirking your chores for weeks! All so you could do what, play around in the woods!? You are not a Trainer, Alex. You will never be a Trainer! You heard the Doctor, and I know you're not that Stupid!" Alex felt himself shudder, as he realized he had more than a bit of hate for his parents as well. He did love them, of course, his mom moreso. They hadn't beat him or anything. His mom often made very good food, and his dad had gotten him his car, probably so he could do endless menial tasks around town easier, but still, the amount of emotion he felt towards his father specifically in that moment, shocked and scared him.

The memory faded suddenly, and the room was empty. Normal. Even the red tinged ghost had vanished.

"We sure showed him, didn't we."

A cold chill went up Alex's spine, as his own voice came from behind him. He turned, and beheld a perfect likeness of himself, but something was off. He couldn't figure out what, though. The doppelganger kept speaking. "We were quite the little rebel! Playing with Pokémon every chance we had. Trying to Battle…though it wasn't like real Battling, was it?"

His clone chuckled. "Oh no, nothing could compare to that thrill. Well, almost nothing, right Leafhead?" Alex glared at himself. "Don't deny it. I'm you. We spent our wonderful teenage years getting stoned in Gruncle's basement, just so that we could get through every single Mukking day we were forced to live through without a Pokémon of our own."

Despite himself, Alex looked away from his clone. His words rang with too much truth. The copy of himself was in his vision though, no matter where he turned. "Now now, don't ignore me…I've been ignored enough! You remember, don't you? The pure, undiluted rage we felt for father…you never wanted to admit it, but it felt good to hate him. It was right. He wronged us, and you know it. He wronged us just like Doctor Ein did, that Bastard. Honestly, by comparison, you could say our father wronged us worse than Ein. It's his fault we spent half our life in misery! Ein gave the diagnosis, but it was our parents who bought into the Bouffalant Stool. You might have repressed the past, but I recall it clearly! A few good years will never change that…"

"And what are you?" Alex said, finally forcing himself to speak. "An illusion, nothing more. A trick. An amalgamation of bad memories."

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The red ghost appeared then, standing between the two of them. "Not quite." He gestured to the clone. "He is as real as you are. He feels your feelings, thinks your thoughts, and if you fail to overcome him, it is he who will go on to walk the other paths. You, will remain here, and when he leaves, you will vanish into nothingness." The ghost grinned. "This is your Trial…" He raised his ghostly hands, and Alex looked down, noticing a familiar looking hilt in his palm. His plasma sword.

The snap-hiss of his blade filled the room, but it had not come from his weapon. Though similar to Lux's container, it was simpler in design, a combination of gray and black metal, all but identical to Eric's schematics. His doppelganger's blade was pure red, and it sparked with electricity. He activated his own, and found it to be similar, though the color was blue.

He barely moved his blade up in time, as the red-illuminated face of his clone struck, and forced a blade-lock, as he sneered. "Finally…I will be free…no more repression…no more being buried under your other emotions, forgotten, and left to fester…I will right the wrongs done to us, and I'll start with our dear old dad." The clone struck again, and it took Alex a second to realize his fighting style was the same as his own. His clone's eyes flared with psychic power, and the two identical humans clashed within the small room, moving with impressive speed. They spun into a blade lock, and then spun away, each using the spiraling motions that made up Tao's fighting style.

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"Perhaps some music, to make this more appropriate!" His clone said, grinning as he gestured to the room. A familiar tune echoed in the chamber as violins started humming a low, but building beat and his opponent grinned, dragging the crimson blade along the stone of the floor as he stalked ever closer, not caring for the damage it did. "Remember this? From those old Earth games you enjoyed so much. A classic piece of music from the Old Earth orchestra they kept in the Pokémon Wars Saga. You immersed yourself in that nerdy nonsense to dull the ache of your life, your lack of friends and Pokémon. Do you remember what this one was called?" His clone smirked.

Alex grimaced. He knew as well as his doppelganger did, the name of this particular song, and as the music swelled, he finally gave in. He hated fighting. Battling was one thing. It was sport, to his people. A contest of strength and honor, but always one that had good natured emotions behind it, or was supposed to, anyway. For Alex Redwood, it wasn't about winning or losing. It never had been. It was about the thrill of battling alongside the partners of one's heart and mind. Of understanding one's opponent, and overcoming them with the bond Trainer and Pokémon shared. This, however, was not a battle. This was a duel.

He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, letting his nerves fade as he found his center. He met his own gaze, and smirked, as he saw an unnerved expression cross his own face. His clone hid it well, but these were his own features. He knew what he looked like when he was worried. He fell into the stance Tao had drilled into his muscle memory, and let his power course through him. It flared off his large form in waves of deep blue aura.

"Duel of the Fates." He looked down at his sword, and his smirk widened. "Appropriate. I couldn't have chosen better."

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Rage came over his clone's expression, and with a yell, the two clashed once more. Sparks flew from their blades each time they hit. The speed of the music increased, and so did their strikes. The room shook, and Alex realized that his clone was every bit as good as he was. He needed an edge.

"Is this really the best I can do?" Alex smirked, as he yawned, and made a circular motion, disentangling their latest blade lock with one hand, as the other covered his mouth. "I thought you were supposed to be the embodiment of my wrath." He smirked at his clone, and raised his sword above his head, holding it horizontally, as his free hand made the universal gesture for 'bring it'.

"You want wrath!?" The veins in the clone's head bulged, and his psychic aura of power coalesced from faint waves, to a proper aura, not unlike Connor's had been. It was rounded at the bottom, and flared uncontrollably at the top. The color changed as well, from a lighter blue, to a deeper bluish-purple, more akin to dragon energy. Then it began to turn dark red, and his clone's form sparked with red lightning. "Repress this!"

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His clone lunged again, and Alex barely managed to deflect the first strike. The others were just as strong, and his arms ached as they took the repeated impacts. Still, it had the desired effect. His form was sloppier. Slightly. He needed more goading. Alex gripped the blade with both hands now, and the impacts were slightly easier to handle. He forced them into a lock again, and the plasma hissed and screeched as the swords met.

"Is that it?" Alex managed, still outwardly smirking. "Years of being kicked around. Mocked. Insulted daily. Cast aside like a worthless dimwit without even being given a chance! Perhaps you're not as full of rage as you let on." He swallowed, as he saw the look in his clone's eyes change from incoherent fury, to the cold stare he'd reserved for those who had truly managed to piss him off. A chill went up his spine. Was that what he'd done to those who'd been on the business end of this glare?

"You want to see our rage? I'll show you our Mukking rage!" A wave of psychic and draconic energy slammed into the real Alex, sending him flying back into the stonework by the entrance to this chamber. He hadn't noticed, but this time, the door was blocked by fire. Another chill went up his spine as his doppelganger began speaking in the Dragon Tongue.

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The draconic energy flared as the clone Shouted. "Mul! Qah! Diiv!" While the effects were not identical, they were close enough to the original Shout his other self was purposefully copying. His teeth grew longer, sharper, his hands were clawed, and red scales appeared across his face, and presumably, the rest of his body. His ears were pointed, and a pair of horns jutted up from his brow, and curled backwards, slightly. The copy of his hat had fallen to the ground, and his hair had become a similarly colored crest of red scales that trailed down under the white robe that covered his clone.

Alex grimaced as he looked over that which had once been himself. Twisted, and evil. That was what he would become if this clone was allowed to leave. Though, whether he could match him anymore was a mystery. He got his answer, as the crimson scaled form of his clone seemed to vanish, and he barely had time to duck as the crimson blade cut horizontally across the wall where he'd been standing a moment before.

He spun away, once more in his dragon stance, but he might as well have been hopping on one foot for all the good it did him. "They will all PAY!" His clone screeched as he slammed their blades together, and effortlessly forced his large form toward the other end of the room. Looking down, he saw that the clone's shoes had been torn apart by a pair of massive, clawed feet that could only be described as draconic. There were only three claws on them, but they had better traction than his shoes, and Alex grunted as the draconic aspect of himself slammed him into the other wall. He could feel the heat of his own blade pushing ever closer.

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That, was when he recalled a useful trick from the aforementioned games their epic music had originated from. He Teleported behind the furious copy of himself, and once more fell into his stance. His own power flared, and instead of wildly billowing above him, it coalesced around him like armor, outlining his form with at least an inch of protection. Though how well it would hold up against focused plasma remained to be seen.

His clone charged him again, and once more, their blades locked. Once more, he was being driven towards a wall. A corner, this time. Evidently his clone planned on doing this as many times as it took to work. He knew as well as Alex did that his Teleport had limited uses, and he'd used quite a few of them today.

That was when he switched his blade off, ducked under the slash that followed with his opponent's momentum, and elbowed his clone in the abdomen. Despite being scaled and durable, his strike had hit with enough force to make the dragon-man gasp and let out a hacking cough. It stopped midway through, becoming a soft sigh as Alex reignited his weapon under his opponent's guard, and felt his sword slash across the abdomen, dealing a serious, if not fatal blow. Evidently, not even his scales would protect him from a weapon like this.

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The power faded in a red mist, as his clone doubled over. His eyes were bloodshot, but they still retained some of the blue. Alex caught his clone as he fell, letting the blade he'd used for this fall to the ground. His doppelganger still seethed with rage, but it was dying out quickly. "Make…them pay…make all of them…suffer for…putting us through that…hell. We never…we never deserved it…"

Alex nodded, sagely. "We didn't. But we never gave up, did we? Every single person in our life, save one relative, told us to give up on being a Trainer. Even Jess thought that, though she never said it plainly. And we became the Champion anyways. These emotions you revel in…they helped get us there." He brought his clone close, in an embrace. "I never forgot you. All the rage, anger, sorrow…I always felt it. But I balanced it with the joy and love we gained once we finally had our chance…" He met his own eyes. "You are as much a part of me as every other emotion. Now come home." There was a warm sensation in his stomach as he felt the weight in his arms vanish, and once more, he felt power surge through his entire being, originating from his stomach.

The soft sigh of his clone was all that was left of him as his body vanished. Alex found himself kneeling in the red tinged chamber, and the similarly colored ghost rose up from the floor, arms crossed, one hand stroking his thin chin in thought. "I've rarely seen a manifestation with such raw power…and you still tamed it. You have walked the Path of Fire and come through unburnt. Advance to your next challenge."

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The Path of Water

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Alex bowed, and moved on to the door that appeared on one of the chamber's walls. Once he approached the next chamber, he looked up, reading the words once more. 'Path of Water'. He entered the chamber, and found it cooler, more refreshing than the previous one. The orb of spectral energy that was the blue ghost coalesced before him, and he blinked in surprise.

He hadn't noticed before, as he'd been placating the former King, but this ghost was undeniably female. She was beautiful, but had features akin to her fiery counterpart that marked her as hailing from Eous. Her voice was softer than the others, but just as confident and inherently wise. "Hmm. I was sure the fire would end you."

Alex raised a brow, and then smirked. "Fire cannot truly harm a dragon. Let alone one who would be King."

The ghost seemed to chuckle. "Keep telling yourself that, 'your highness'. A true King acts with love, and accepts all of his subjects. I've seen your memories. How do you expect to rule a people whose defining aspect of their society is the antithesis to everything you believe?"

Alex tilted his head. "I don't follow your thinking…"

The blue ghost walked around him in a clockwise circle. Like her counterparts, her ornate robes bore a symbol within a circle. A crescent moon, and three wavy lines that no doubt represented water, or the ocean. Like the others, it marked her shoulders, and her chest. There was no cleavage to speak of, which was in line with the clothing of ancient times, if he recalled correctly.

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"The people of the west view Arceus in a manner that is entirely foreign, both to you, and the Original Dragon. They worship him with blind devotion, and are so bound to their Prophet, they would, and have, gladly maimed themselves to demonstrate their loyalty." As she spoke, the room shifted with her words, though this time, the image was not from his memory.

It was the interior of an Arcean Church. Having never been inside one, Alex looked around, curious, and realized that it was disturbingly similar in layout to the numerous Pokémon Stadiums that littered the world. A circle of plain chairs in rows that stretched to the building's ceiling surrounded a central raised dais, upon which was a pulpit for speaking. Behind it, was the Arcean Cross, supporting the Alpha's symbol for all to see. Around the chairs, images of Caleb Pravus's admittedly appealing features, a bit exaggerated naturally, adorned the walls and free spaces in the form of paintings, and statues.

The ghost spoke again. "You've seen how the Church negatively impacts its followers, but you've completely ignored the beneficial aspects of cult worship that the Fornians have incorporated into their cultural psyche."

Alex frowned. "I fail to see how forced brainwashing is beneficial to anyone."

The ghost nodded. "And thus you've remained blind to a potential weak spot in an enemy, or even a beneficial way of thinking for your own would-be empire."

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Alex's frown deepened. "I will not subject my people to brainwashing. Of any kind. I couldn't care less what they believe in, it's what that belief drives them to do that I intend to stop."

The ghost's arms were linked in her kimono-esque robes. She raised a perfect eyebrow at him. "And what happens when you claim victory over Fornia? Let us pretend for a moment that you win this war you are not prepared for. You march into Sacreus, burn the city, and kill the Prophet in an epic clash that will be sung about in Unova for millennia to come. Is the Church going to disappear because you've cut off its' head?"

"Well I-" Alex started, but the ghost cut him off.

"Is the faith and belief in Arceus going to vanish from the hearts of Fornians simply because you, an invading and victorious conqueror, tell them to stop believing so blindly? What are you going to offer them in its place? Science? They know more about genetics than your Professors could learn in a lifetime. They have machines capable of shooting elemental energy as easily as projectile weapons fire bullets. Your scientific mindset is not going to sway them. Pravus has already blended their beliefs with the basic truths of the universe. Are they going to stop following the Prophet of Arceus's command to kill you on sight simply because you dismantle their Church?" The ghost eyed him expectantly, and he was allowed to answer this time.

"I expect not."

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The ghost sighed. "Consider this your Trial then, you who would be King. Half of a continent's worth of Human lives will be affected by your actions. Many already have been. The people of Fornia have held these beliefs for centuries. How do you expect to free them from this?"

"I don't know!" Alex finally said, raising his voice. He looked down at his feet. "If I had my way, they would have never been subjected to this foulness in the first place."

"And many would likely be happier for that." The ghost said. "But you cannot change what has already happened. Not without angering the God of Time. Bad things happen. All over the world, and many of these things are much, much worse than indoctrination into a Cult that fills the basic needs of living for millions of people. What do you intend to do about these terrible things? As King, your actions will eventually affect the world as a whole as well, like a stone cast into a calm lake. Can you truly handle that responsibility?"

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Alex thought for a long moment, and as he always did when faced with a philosophical question that stumped him, he relied on Tao's teachings. "What can I do, but try to prevent what atrocities I am able to stop? I can't be everywhere. Even as a King. Even if I could Teleport freely, anywhere in the world, I could never stop all of it."

The ghost nodded, and smiled. "The dragon's wisdom has reached you, then. That is promising. Now, answer the question I first posed. How do you expect to free the people of Fornia from the stranglehold their Church has on them? How will you prevent the rise of another Pravus?"

He thought again, and then the ghost's own words echoed in his skull. "A true King acts with love, and accepts his subjects, no matter who, or what, they are." He nodded, feeling more confident in his answer, though the ghost's face was as impassive as his own usually was. "All I can do is try to show the people of Fornia what they have lost in their blind pursuit of their Church's 'divine truth'. Families torn asunder. Childhoods ruined. Genetic experiments. Shadow Infusion of Pokémon Eggs. Murder, destruction of the land, these are just a few of the Church's own actions that, without Pravus, I can illuminate. They can't ignore my words forever. Even if I have to go to every single one of them and convince them face to face, I will free them from this oppressive mindset."

As he spoke, he felt a strange sensation in his stomach. Then, he realized it wasn't his stomach, but his abdomen. A surge of energy moved through him, cooling the heat that the Path of Fire had seared him with. The ghost smiled again. "I believe you. I've seen the strength of your willpower, as well as the power of your Voice. If anyone can reach the Fornians and help them rejoin the world in peace and prosperity, I believe it is you. The dragon has, as always, chosen well. Remember my words, Champion, and move on to your next test."

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The Path of Air

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The wall of water that blocked his path backward remained in place, and another entrance appeared on the opposite wall of the chamber. Alex bowed, and continued on. If he was being truthful, the issue of the Fornian's indoctrination had been one both he and Tao had been unable to find a solution to, but after this, he expected the dragon would agree with using Words over violence.

He was, like Alex, not a violent creature. Pravus had earned his fate, but his followers yet had a chance to be redeemed. Most of them, anyway. He sighed, pausing against the wall of the tunnel that connected the Path of Water to wherever he was heading next. He almost would've preferred another plasma duel. Almost. He hummed the tune of the Duel of the Fates as he moved on to the next room.

As with the others, the door to the next room bore the same lettering. It read 'Path of Air'. He moved into the room, and blinked, as it resembled, strongly, the rock garden that Tao had in his other Tower, the one that resided on another plane.

"Look familiar?"

The voice that echoed through the square room was lighter, but unmistakably masculine. An airy spherical orb floated before him, and coalesced into the pale gray form of a bald man, with a short beard that resembled a chin strap. On his robes was a circle similar to the other three, though this one had a swirl of gray and blue within it, that evidently represented air.

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Alex nodded. "It looks like the one Tao has in his…other tower."

"So it does." The ghost nodded, and smiled. "What brings you to me, you who would be King?"

Alex blinked. "Erm. I'm trying to complete the Trial. I'm here to walk the Path of Air."

The ghost nodded, still smiling. He was sitting cross-legged in the air, and his hands, both curled into fists, joined at the knuckles. They weren't threatening, however, as the pose seemed more meditative than anything. "And how do you think one walks such a Path?"

Alex thought for a moment, and then floated into the air, mimicking the ghost's sitting position with a smirk. This brought a chuckle from him, that devolved into a full-bellied laugh. "Oh…oh that's good. I set myself up for that one. It's been an age since I've had such a clever challenger. Literally."

Alex smiled as well. This ghost was one he inherently liked, and he suspected he'd been friendly with Tao as well. Had he yet lived, he expected the two of them would've become good friends. "I'm glad I could entertain you. Now then, might I ask what this test will entail?"

The ghost nodded. "To open your next Chakra, there are several lessons you need to know, though judging by your partners, you already know them!" He chuckled again.

Alex blinked. "Open my what now?"

The ghost blinked as well. "Has…nobody told you? Surely you've studied the secret behind the ancient King's powers. Nay, you must have felt them opening. You wouldn't be here if they were still closed."

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Alex shook his head. "Most of the knowledge of the old empire was lost in the war that the two brothers started. What we know now was only kept alive via oral traditions, until someone wrote it all down again, but much of that is considered historically questionable, and with the return of Tao, much has been revealed to be false."

The ghost sighed. "I see. I never liked those boys, but I believe the one who sought Truth would have ruled us better. I have always been partial to living in the light, though." He shook his head, and put aside the topic of the ancient 'heroes' for a moment. "The surges of power you've been feeling after each test. Have you not wondered what they are? Has the increase in your strength not been significant?"

Alex shrugged. "I was told that this test would grant me more power. I just assumed it came in bursts. Evidently there's more to it…?"

"So much more!" The ghost exclaimed. "I would've thought the dragon would tell you of what exactly this Trial does, no?" His eyes went wide. "You do know what happens if you fail to open them all, right?" Seeing the blank look on Alex's face, the man frowned. "How has nobody explained this to you!? This is why I should go first. Air is first in the cycle anyways!" He sighed again.

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"Perhaps…" Alex said carefully, "You should start from the beginning. Explain it now. Knowledge acquired late is better than total ignorance."

That brightened the ghost's expression, and his demeanor became cheerful again. His moods seemed to shift as often as the wind changed direction. Which was appropriate, he assumed. "True enough! Knowledge is indeed power, and if the empire's knowledge is gone, you must not know anything! Do we at least still have contact with Koria?"

Alex raised a brow. "Koria? They're on the other side of the planet. Moreover, that's Imperium territory. If you value your freedom, you avoid the Imperium. That's just common sense."

The ghost stared at him for a minute. "Imperium? Wait…the Imperium of Man? They're still around!? How in the name of the Dragon's divine dong did the Imperium of Man outlast our own empire!?"

Alex blinked. "The Original Dragon has a dong? Odd. He implied he didn't have…parts." When it came to typically genderless Legendary Pokémon, he went by the tone of their psychic voice. They could, after all, change it on a whim. He'd always assumed it was based on preference.

The ghost laughed again. "Oh, he does, hence the masculine terms we use to refer to him. He simply lacks the urges that drive Humanity. Well. Not so much 'lacks' as ignores entirely. It's hard to procreate when you're literally one of a kind. Anyways!" he said, waving a hand, "On to the topic of Chakras."

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Alex nodded, listening attentively. It wasn't all that different from how he'd been educated by Tao himself. Many of their philosophical lessons had occurred in his rock garden. The ghost began explaining. "Chakras are pools of energy within oneself. They flow throughout your body…much like a river. Unfortunately, some aspects of this material world can block the flow of this energy, and without training, it becomes blocked off, and useless, trapped behind the emotional baggage of one's life."

Understanding flooded Alex, and he spoke as the ghost paused. "And this Trial is meant to unclog those…energy pools, and thus, the King appears to be powerful…"

"When in reality, he is as strong as anyone who has learned to let their energy flow." The ghost finished. "For you though, there is much more energy than normal. Such is always the case with the candidates the dragon chooses. This too, is why the Kings of old were so strong. The dragon would seek out these powerful individuals, and teach them his ways, unlock their power, and with it, they maintained peace in the Empire. The last King's sons never took this Trial, and while they were educated in the dragon's teachings, they never proved worthy of the crown, or attained the power their father did. Instead of making one of them face the Trial, the dragon chose to side with both of them, rather than tear the empire apart with civil war... Alas…it tore apart anyway."

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Alex nodded. Their offspring had gone on to have a war anyways, with Unova as their battlefield. The final conflict had seen both Reshiram and Zekrom, emboldened by rage, truth, and ideals, clash repeatedly, and destroy much of Unova in the process. "I think I get it…so how do I open this…Air Chakra?"

The ghost chuckled. "A true King lets love and good emotions guide his actions. He uses them, to fight against the hatred that is unfortunately so common in the world. Or rather…used to be. I sense much has changed over the millennia. This is not a bad thing. This Chakra's energy is located in the heart, and is blocked by grief. I sense much grief within you, though you've buried it deep. What makes your heart so heavy?"

Alex looked away, face becoming impassive. "My…granduncle. He passed, recently. Not even Tao could heal him."

The ghost tilted his head. "Tao?"

Alex nodded. "The Original Dragon. I gave him a nickname."

At that, the ghost burst into laughter again. "Oh! The stones on this one! You gave a nickname to a creature of the Alpha, formed from the energy of Creation itself! Oh, oh ho ho! That is…genuinely amusing. But fitting! Very well. Tao. It works, I think." He made an 'ahem' sound. "Now then, you were speaking of your granduncle?"

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Alex looked away again, then sighed. It had taken a Trial he couldn't afford to fail to finally face this particular demon, and as he felt the grief, he understood how it was blocking his energy. "He was the only family I had that believed I could be a Trainer...the only adult, anyways. He never gave up on me. He taught me everything I know. It's…a darker world without him in it."

The ghost nodded, his jovial amusement faded now. "I see. You are versed in…Tao's teachings, yes?" Alex nodded. "Then you know about the energy that makes up…" He gestured to Alex.

Alex blinked. "You just gestured to all of me."

The ghost chuckled lightly. "Indeed, and that is exactly the point. All of what makes you who you are, the energy that formed in the unique pattern that is your conscious mind, that never truly fades away. Energy cannot be destroyed, young Redwood. Only changed in form. The energy of life is infinite. An infinite Spiral of infinite possibility, if one can but reach for it." He gave the Trainer a minute to process his words. It was something he'd already learned, as it was literally basic science, but hearing it again drove the ghost's point home.

An ephemeral hand touched his shoulder. "The love your granduncle had for you has not left this world. It still lives, within you, within your memories of him, and perhaps, even in Arceus' own realm. He is a loving Alpha, and if your granduncle is the kind of man who could produce a student that has passed three of these Trials, I think he has found a spot amongst those of our kin the Alpha deems worthy to spend eternity with.

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Alex smirked. "I don't think he'd like spending an eternity with a deity."

The ghost nodded. "Indeed, I got the sense from your recollections that he was a man of science and knowledge. Fret not though, Arceus is a being who can be...very rational. Now, as I said, energy can only change in form, and should one wish it, one may re-enter the world as whatever they wish. A bug. A Pokémon. Another Human. Some stay in the Alpha's realm for uncountable millennia, but eventually, everyone wants to experience this prime material plane once more. Even if doing so causes them to forget who they are…for a time. The urge to live…it's instinctual, even for a ghost."

Alex raised a brow. "What of you then? Do you not want to re-enter the cycle?"

The ghost nodded. "I feel the pull every day. The urge to come back. But if I did, the Trial would be incomplete. My knowledge would vanish until whatever I returned as passed on, and even then, who knows if I would ever remember all of it. No, the dragon commanded I stay to test and educate the Kings of the future, and if my happiness must pay the price for that, then I pay it gladly."

"Thank you…" Alex said, forcing himself to smile. Slightly. "Perhaps someday I can find another to take your place. Then you can all, finally, move on, hmm?"

The ghost shook his head. "My duty is eternal, young Redwood. I will be here, even after you and your long legacy are gone. But I appreciate the sentiment."

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The ghost removed his hand, and nodded at the Trainer. "Now, let the sorrow and the grief flow away. You may yet meet your granduncle again. Or you may not. Either way, I do not believe he would want your thoughts of him to hinder you. Remember the kindness he showed you, and go forward knowing that it will never truly leave you. More than most, it has shaped who you have become."

It took several minutes, but eventually, as the ghost said, the memories of the many, many fun times they'd shared eased the heaviness in his heart. He was right, in a sense. The Professor's legacy went beyond just himself, too. He felt the energy surge again, and noticed that it was indeed quite a large pool. If the ghost was to be believed, it would only grow larger. He hoped he could contain it.

"So passes another walker on the Path of Air. Move forward, Champion, and remember what you have learned." Alex stood as the ghost spoke, and let his feet touch the ground once more, though if he wished it, he felt he could've floated with ease. Even with his oversized body.

He bowed, fist to palm. "Thank you, wise Air Sage. I will keep what you've taught me in my heart." The ghost returned the bow, and smiled as he watched what was likely but the first of many Redwoods to come, proceed in his trials.

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The Path of Light

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Alex moved on to the next room, genuinely curious as to what it would be, now the four basic elements had been covered. He read the letters at the entrance of the next door. 'Path of Light'. That, more than anything, piqued his interest. Learning about Light energy would be invaluable against a man who'd found a way to infuse Shadow into eggs, amongst other things. He stepped quickly past the threshold, into yet another square room. At least, he assumed it was square. The blinding golden light within seared his vision, and he brought the brim of his hat down, though it did little to help.

Eventually, the light coalesced into a golden colored ghost, who bowed to him in the Unovan style. Arceus' symbol adorned his robes where the elemental symbols had adorned the others, on the shoulders, and the front of the chest. His gray beard easily went down to his waist, and his ephemeral eyes were kind. "Greetings, you who would be King. Welcome, to the Path of the Light."

Alex bowed as well. "Thank you. Tell me, what must I do to…wait a minute…I know you!"

The ghost blinked. "What? You…do?"

Alex nodded. "We lost much knowledge in the ancient war, but not all. Not the face of the man who advanced our world's technological capabilities by leaps and bounds thank to his scientific research!" He bowed again, lower this time, and in the formal style Jess had made him practice to perfection. "It is a genuine honor to meet you, Professor Aristole."

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The man smirked under his golden beard. It was full and curly, and unlike the other ghosts, he'd apparently kept his hair fairly short. "It is…a relief, I will admit, to know my work has not been forgotten, or unappreciated. Now then, on to the Trial. I've learned much of you, Alexander Redwood, over the course of these trials. I know you have the ability to Teleport, as I once did, and this means you must already possess part of the understanding required to unlock this Chakra."

Alex nodded, and the ghost continued on, one finger raised, as if he were lecturing. It was, in fact, the exact pose the Aristole Archive in Castelia City had him immortalized in by way of a statue. "Tell me, Tamer. Why do you wish to be King?"

Alex tilted his head. "Unova needs a leader, and the dragon has deemed that the time to reunite our fractured land has finally come. He's chosen me to lead them. Until I die, or he finds someone better."

The golden ghost nodded, and looked him over a second time. "And what of when this war ends, hmm? For one way or another, it must surely end. What then will you do with your Kingly title? Pass it off to another?"

Alex blinked. "I…hadn't really considered that."

"Consider it now, young defender of men. One must always be mindful of the future, especially a King." The ghost gave him another smile, but there was a glint of light in his eyes that seemed to indicate he was enjoying this.

Alex thought over what he knew of the man, and then nodded. He'd been famous for teaching, and his students had been a large part of what held Unova together after the empire fell apart. Now, he was likely going to try to educate him, as well. He met the ghost's eyes. "Defender of men?"

The ghost nodded. "Your name. Were you not aware of its meaning?"

Alex shook his head. "No…but it's starting to seem appropriate…very well…once this war ends, I suppose I'll do my best to rule. If I turn out to be terrible at it, someone else will be taking this Trial I imagine."

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The ancient Professor chuckled. "And what if you turn out to be great at it? What if, under your rule, this continent flourishes in a manner it hasn't experienced since last the dragon was whole?"

Alex frowned, slightly. "Speak plainly, Professor. If there's a point you're trying to get at, I'm not seeing it."

The room shifted to blinding white, and then, as with the others, displayed an image. An image of the world. From his perspective, Alex and Aristole were standing above it. "Consider our planet." The ghost began, gesturing at the world. Lines appeared across it, and it took him a minute to realize they were the boundaries humans had drawn on their maps. "Many cultures, many peoples, many civilizations. For eons, we have fought each other in the name of one of these things. One culture does not like another. One kingdom invades a neighbor to gain more resources, power, and land." The lines shifted as he spoke, and he blinked at Unova and Fornia. They were the more recently drawn ones. "Over and over the cycle repeats, and when a leader dies, the result is usually a fracturing of everything said leader created. Our last King is no exception to this rule. Nor, I expect, will you be."

Alex shrugged. "Tao told me the Storm Crown would turn my body immortal, provided I'm not slain by way of a weapon. In fact, he implied disintegration would be the only thing that would stop my regeneration."

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The ghost nodded. "Such is the power of the Storm Crown. What do you know of its history?"

Alex shrugged again. "Very little. Rayquaza and Tao have never told me much of it."

The ghost chuckled. "I expect they haven't. If you were aware of it, you might not want to bear it. Yet bear it you must." Alex raised a brow, but the ghost continued on. "Once donned, the Crown cannot be removed, until your disintegration. In you, our wise dragon has finally created a Human with a lifespan long enough to, perhaps, realize his ultimate dream."

Alex crossed his arms. "He hasn't mentioned this dream to me."

Another chuckle. "I expect he wouldn't. The dragon is a private being, always waiting for the right moment to impart knowledge so that he may turn things in his favor, but always remember, his dream is what guides his actions and words. It is the base of his truths, the heart of his ideals."

"And what dream would that be?" Alex asked.

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The ghostly Professor gestured at the world, and Alex watched. Slowly, the lines began to shift. First, Unova covered the whole continent it had once reigned over. Then, the border stretched south. Then across the ocean. Slowly, to every region, land, and government. The end result was a single, unified, globe-spanning empire.

Alex stared, not quite believing what he was seeing. "Are you telling me the most peaceful being I know is ultimately after world domination?"

The ghost laughed then, and nodded. "Indeed. Though I imagine that phrase still carries the negative connotations it once did. The dragon confided in me during my life, and told me of the world he envisioned. A utopia, where all of Humanity and Pokémon could live and flourish together. But not just on this planet. Across the stars, as well."

Alex shook his head. "I…I don't believe it. Humanity already tried the interstellar empire thing. It didn't even last a century before the colonies demanded independence, and started a war. That war ended our interstellar journey permanently. That's basic history."

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A subtle change came over the ghost, and Alex had a feeling he was about to finally reach his main point. "This is true. But do you know what happened to those colonies, after their war?"

Alex shrugged. "I imagine the old governments of Earth eradicated them, their families, and then nuked their planets. We were…a very violent people. Nothing good happened to them."

The Professor shook his head. "In actual fact, one of my students discovered an ancient document. 'The Mars Accord'. Evidently, all of the colonies, and the Earth, agreed to a ceasefire and to cut all communications and trade. Given what we know of ancient history, this was likely around the time our home planet was rapidly falling into chaos as the environment lost its balance, and pushed Humanity to the edge of survival."

Alex stared at the ghost. "So…what, you expect me to conquer the world, head into space, reunite the old colonies, if they even live still, and then…what? Spread across the universe?"

"If you manage to achieve world peace on Earth, would you not want that to be shared by our forgotten brethren? What of other sentient species? What if our Human methods of unity could help them keep from murdering each other as well? What of primitive races, still growing? What if we could enlighten them, and lift them up to join us in the stars? Is this not an ideal future to pursue?" The ghost eyed him, expectantly.

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"I mean…" Alex thought for a moment. Then a longer moment. A minute. Five. The more he thought about it, the less absurd it seemed. He was, according to beings created by a genuine deity, a human who'd achieved immortality. At the very least, his span of years would be longer than most. He asked himself, for the first time since donning the Storm Crown, what kind of immortal he intended to be. One like Percy? Going around the world, influencing people, entire cultures, with knowledge from old video games? He could, he realized, do more. A lot more.

Then, his realistic skeptic side kicked in. Humanity would never stop killing each other long enough to get along. There was too much hate. He'd likely be killed by it long before he ever made it to space. "It is a good dream." He said, finally, "But no more than a dream. You are not an idiot, you know how our species acts. Our default is violence. We stab each other in the back the first chance we get, all so that we may climb to heights of power and wealth on the backs of others, and live in absurd comfort for our brief span of years. Humanity will never overcome its greed. Not as long as Money is our God."

"Those…" The ghost said, "Are not your words. They are your granduncle's. Realism can be a useful thing to have. Skepticism has it uses as well, but you should know by now, all it takes for the greedy to control our world is good men, like you, with the power to change what we are, standing aside and doing nothing to stop them. Do you intend to spend your years watching Humanity devour itself over and over again?"

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"No." Alex said, before he could contemplate the question. He knew he was the kind of person who would act. He'd never hesitated in trying to help before.

"Will you stand idly by as unworthy men try to achieve this dream before you?" The ghost asked.

Alex blinked. "What do you mean?"

"The Storm Crown is a unique item. It was originally bestowed by the Alpha unto the Human he deemed worthy of Taming him." Alex's eyes went wide, but the ghost continued, "Once he died, it passed to another, the Successor, who reveled in its power and brought destruction wherever he went. Others saw this power, and claimed it for themselves. Ninety-nine times it passed through the hands of different Humans, each one killing their predecessor just so that they could enjoy the crown's gifts. Eventually, Tao had your Rayquaza take it from them, the way a parent takes a dangerous item from a child. We were not ready to bear it during the Dark Times, but now, here you stand, crowned and tested. Unless my instincts are wrong for the first time in my afterlife, you will pass this Trial."

Alex stayed silent as the Professor continued. "I ask again, Champion of Unova. What do you intend to do with these gifts of life and power?"

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He sighed. "What can I do that better men have not already tried? I can't erase the borders." He said, gesturing to the Earth. At his words, the lines reappeared. "We're too divided. The Imperium and Eous alone would be impossible. They've been fighting for centuries. There is too much hate. Too many divisions. One person can't remove all of them."

"The last one to Tame Arceus did." The Professor's words were quiet, and Alex realized his tone had risen above civilized levels. "For a brief time, he managed to unite the world. Would that the Storm Crown had been on his head longer. By the time he donned it, he was already lost to our mortal coil. You, though, have a chance to succeed where he failed."

Alex opened his mouth to speak, but the ghost cut him off, and gestured at their planet. "You should know this already, you who would be King. These lines…" He gestured at them, and they vanished, revealing the Earth as it was. "They are Human inventions. Little more than an illusion. A true King accepts all beings. Something you are more than capable of doing, based on your training so far."

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Seeing it before him drove it home, and he felt a surge of energy in his forehead. His third eye opened, and the world took on a new appearance. He gasped. Lines of energy surrounded and connected the planet, gathering at various points across the globe. Everything was connected, and he realized that unless he did something, humans and Pokémon would continue to walk down the same violent path they always came back to. They'd be trapped in this cycle forever, as they had for the past ten millennia since Arceus departed. They would continue to rise and fall in an endless cycle. Unless someone broke it.

"I understand." He said, finally. "I will remember your words, Professor. I have to ask, though…N seems like he was far, far better prepared to achieve this…ultimate destiny of our people. He can do things with numbers that make my head throb. How am I supposed to lead without that kind of knowledge?"

At his words, the Professor frowned. "That knowledge was passed to the one you call Ghetsis by our last King, but this did not ensure Ghetsis in turn prepared the Harmonia heir with everything he learned here. The King is capable of passing it to you, as well. He has the means. Whether he will actually give it, is another question entirely. One that depends on you, and your actions. Now go. Your next challenge awaits."

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The Path of Resonance

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Alex continued on from the chamber, pondering the ancient Professor's words. After that, he genuinely had no idea what awaited him next, and as he approached the next doorway, every bit as identical as the other five had been, he read the words at the top. The 'Path of Resonance'. He blinked. A sound-based trial?

He supposed he'd find out, and he continued on to the chamber itself. He found yet another square room, and the only thing that made it unique was a spiraling staircase that ascended upwards, with no railing to keep one who ascended it safely on the steps. A familiar orb of gray light hovered by the stairs, and it gave off a twinkling sound as it bobbed in the air, and then ascended upwards.

Alex followed, and soon realized the stairs did not require a railing. They were surrounded on all sides by rock once they reached the ceiling. He kept climbing, eventually floating as the monotony of climbing steps was straining even his legs, made strong by countless hours of training and travel.

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Finally, he came to a much larger room, and as he glanced at the floor, he realized it was the very room he'd entered through when he'd first come to the ruins. It had changed, though. The maze of walls had sunk into the floor, and a staircase had appeared in the center, not far from the one he'd just left.

The gray ghost manifested before the stairs, and he was greeted not by a man or woman, but by a mask, plain and unreadable. The figure's robes bore a G-clef on the chest and shoulders, and said robes did much to hide the shape of the ghost.

As it spoke, Alex's usual method of determining gender failed, as it had two voices, male and female, and they blended together perfectly. "Welcome, you who would be King. You have already unlocked your Voice's power, so for this Trial, you shall aid me in setting the stage for your final tests."

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Alex gave a short bow to the figure. "I am at your service."

The ghost seemed to chuckle, and its voice switched to the Dragon Tongue. "A true King can stir the hearts of their people with their Words. A true King does not speak lies, and refrains from divisive speech. This is something you have not always succeeded with, and even now, your Voice is being twisted, Dragonborn."

Alex blinked, but before he could ask how, the chamber was alight with Pravus's voice, crowing to his followers about how he'd captured 'hard evidence' of the Unovan Champion's supposed bigotry. Said evidence was, quite obviously, pieced together from different recordings but he supposed with enough fear and delusion, one could believe it was genuine.

The ghost's mask shifted to a sly, smirking expression as it watched him fidget uncomfortably. "Is your skill at Tinvaak so weak that you will let it be turned by a machine?"

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"Nid."

The Word reverberated through the chamber, and the ghost shuddered visibly. "Interesting…the Storm Voice has grown strong within you, who would be King…unleash it! Raise this ancient ruin, this seat of our people's ancient power, and show your people the strength of your Voice!"

Alex looked around the room, but saw no other path forward. He only hoped the raising of this structure didn't accidentally hurt anyone. He let his Su'um build, and then, began to speak. As he did, he felt the newly gathered energy in his body flow through his throat, and his Words seemed stronger than they ever had before.

"Alok, hil do faal Lokoltei.

(Rise, heart of the Empire.)

Naal dii Zul dreh hi daal wah lein. Alok.

(By my Voice do you return to the world. Rise.)

Naal dii Su'um fen faal Dovah Lokoltei daal. Alok.

(By my Breath will the Dragon Empire return. Rise.)

Naal dii Fen dreh faal Dovah Krund daasin ont zos. Alok.

(By my Will does the Dragon Throne surface once more. Rise.)

Aal nunon bahlaan praal voknau nii."

(May only the worthy sit upon it.)

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The ghost eyed him as he spoke, head tilting at his choice of words. The mask shifted to a smile though, so he assumed that was a good thing. It took a moment for the reverberating Words to stop echoing in the chamber, but as they did, the entire room began to shine, and the ghost gave a bow as the entire structure rumbled, and did as it was commanded.

"You have mastered the ancient tongue. Normally, this part of the Trial would take days. I have never seen it finished so quickly." The ghost bowed. "Ascend to the final challenge, you who would be King. Rise…or die." The figure vanished then with a genuinely disturbing giggle, and Alex headed towards the staircase to the top, even as the building continued to shake of millennia of silt and dirt build-up. It said much of his Voice that it continued to rise, despite the metric tons of weight upon it. Not even Tao's tower had been so deeply buried, but then, nobody had wanted to bury the Dragonspiral.

The last King Harmonia had not been a popular man, once his sons and grandsons tore their capital, and their dragon, apart with genuinely senseless war for centuries.

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The Path of Battle

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The stairs led up to another level, and seemed to continue. Alex would have gone straight up, had something not caught his Trainer's eye. A familiar shape, a battlefield, and an opponent upon it. Their eyes met, and Alex stopped ascending. It was too late to back off now. He didn't need a sign to guess what kind of Trial this would be. His team, thus far watching his progress, stirred from their earned rest, ready to battle. Their Trainer's awakening power had revitalized them, and the surging energy had only made them all eager to prove their worth. Even the young ones.

The palace structure stopped shaking by the time Alex reached his side of the field. His opponent was another ghost, one Alex hadn't been able to make out clearly before. Now, he knew why. An appearance like this would've distracted him. She was clad as he was, in robes from Tao's tower, in the same pattern of white and black. Her hair was as black and curly as his, though it was longer. Even her eyes were blue, and intense, like a Luxray's. The woman smirked at him. "Hello there. Care to Battle?"

Alex decided to take the advantage. If this ghost, presumably some sort of shape changer, was going to mock him by gender-bending his own appearance, he was going to make use of the absurdity. "Ladies first."

The ghost chuckled, and as she did, her skin turned pale white, and the rest of her became equal parts black. The most noticeable change was their eyes, unnerving, and devoid of pupils. One was pure white, on their black half, and the pure black eye was on their white half. "So be it. One on one...no substitutions. Best of three." They called out a Pokémon then, and it coalesced in a flash of green. A Tropius appeared, and he found his hand drawn on instinct to Gel's ball. He paused, as he saw the smirk on his opponent's face. He had a feeling then, that they knew exactly what was on his team, and what was needed to counter it. The Tropius was a lure, judging by how strong it was. It had been trained, but not nearly as thoroughly as his team.

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He sent Gel out then, and nodded at the ice type, as they joined their minds. Alex shivered, but he could endure the close contact for this. "If you feel the urge this time, my friend, do not repress it. The time has come. Give it all you have."

The white and blue Amaura gave a battle cry, and the air around the field turned cold. The Tropius fidgeted in discomfort. "Sunny Day!" The long-necked grass type, no doubt a distant genetic relation to the Amaurus before it, raised its head high in the room, and suddenly, heat filled the field. It felt not entirely unlike Fornia had, during the daytime hours of the summer.

That, was what Gelauros had trained in. He breathed deep, and exhaled frost, keeping his core as cold as he needed. The Amaurus had a feeling he knew what was coming next. Against orders, he fired an Ice Beam at the Solar Beam the Tropius shot towards him, and the two moves canceled out in an explosion of energy. It was a credit to Gel's strength that he managed to stop a Solar Beam that powerful.

The two Pokémon fired another series of beams, each one colliding with the other, and Alex found himself smirking. The ghosts knew what was on his team, but they hadn't accounted for Gel not having the rock typing that evidently even their era had been unable to remove entirely. In short, the Sages were not as omnipotent as they appeared. He gave Gel the plan then, and the Amaura sighed, but agreed it would be worth it.

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The Tropius prepared another Solar Beam, and this time Gel took the hit as he leapt into the air, and found a shot on this particular opponent's weak spot. For Tropius, it was usually between their wings, or their fruit. Either would do. The blast from the solar beam faded, leaving the white skin of the Amaura smoking with heat, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed. Barely inconvenienced.

The little mouth opened, and a powerful orb of ice formed within it. With pinpoint accuracy, a thin beam of ice slammed into the Tropius, and froze it solid. Given how much damage it had done, the battle was over. Gel began to glow as he ascended to his adult phase amidst the spiraling bright white energy, and grew larger, taller, Alex guessed, than even his kin back at the lab. He pulled out the Pokédex, and it listed his height at an impressive nine feet, five inches. Growth patterns suggested he'd max out at twelve, when he'd aged a bit.

The air around them, despite the move from Tropius that yet lingered, was freezing cold. Especially on Alex's side of the field. He gave Gel the affectionate scratch he was looking for, and then recalled the tall Aurorus, who'd retained his coloring of pure white, and deep blue.

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Next up came a Feraligator, and Alex answered with Hydrus, rather than his Torterra, to the evident surprise of his opponent. Within moments, the two Pokémon mega evolved. Having not seen a Feraligator ascend before, both he and Hydrus took it in. It was most comfortable on all fours now, and seemed to have reversed along its evolutionary path, rather than gone forward.

Now part water, part rock, the light blue plates of armor covered the Pokémon's form completely, but the muscle beneath suggested the Mega Feraligator could still move rather quickly despite them. Hydrus charged forward, only to, in the blink of an eye, find both hands occupied and wounded as the bulging arms struggled to keep the predator's deadly jaws from crunching shut. They had barely seen it move, and Hydrus had relied more on instinct than battle technique to avoid being seriously chomped.

Hydrus glanced at his Trainer, and Alex nodded. The Swampert focused then, as Pokémon and Trainer glowed a deep blue, and an aura of power settled over his Mega Form. Hydrus wrenched the jaws open with sudden strength, and then rotated in place, tossing the Feraligator into the nearest wall with a seismic impact. With a new unfamiliar weakness to fighting moves, the gator winced in pain, long enough for the aura-covered form of the Swampert to appear behind him as he struggled to stand.

Hydrus eyes shone an ominous blue as the bulky mudfish ended the match with one swift, merciless Drain Punch.

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Alex flashed the victory sign. "Best of three. What am I unlocking next?"

The black and white figure turned into a blur of gray then, vaguely in the shape of a humanoid. A mouth appeared on the head, but only when it spoke. It was unnerving to watch it move as the ghost spoke. "This Trial is not for a Chakra. The others do not care for me, because I represent something they all detest. Combat. Conflict. And the honor inherent to Battling in this world. If they had their way, I would simply not exist, but they cannot deny our species' will to compete. This is the drive I test in all applicants. Tell me, you who would be King, are they right? Would our world be less prone to violence if Battling for sport was not so commonplace?"

Alex smirked. Unovans in particular had already had this dilemma before, not surprisingly, from N. "I would argue that because everyone, more or less, knows how to Battle, the world is less...unfair. Those who are otherwise weak can become strong with the right partner. They don't need to sit idly by, trampled by those who are stronger. They have a chance to resist, and it is that very chance that dissuades so many would-be criminals."

"And what of Trainers like you? Do you not crush all who oppose you? I know your record, you know. Not bad at all. But to an average Trainer, they have a better experience not facing you at all. Defeat stings." The ghost paused, which was the only way Alex knew it was time for a response. There was no face to read, which was also unnerving.

"Defeat does sting...but I generally try to leave those I beat with some sort of wisdom. If they want it. If they don't ask, I don't push it on them." He shrugged. "Sometimes a reality check is useful. I've needed one more than once, and I've lost as well. I know exactly where my strength is, more or less, I know my limits, and how to surpass them...though I expect I'll have to re-evaluate them once I'm out of here."

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The strange mouth smirked. "Do not assume you will get out so easily...our King is not likely to surrender his family's legacy."

Alex glanced towards the stairs then, "We will see about that." He turned back to the ghost. "To answer your question, Trainers like me have an obligation to not run around crushing the hopes and dreams of whoever we meet. Obviously, sometimes only a Battle from someone on their level is the only thing that can set them straight. Those are the kind of Trainers I enjoy beating the most. They're always a challenge."

The ghost-smirk widened. "You understand, then, the responsibility of power. Intriguing. If only there was an organization in this world that could monitor and keep such Trainers in check."

Alex smirked back at the ghost. "If only." He headed for the stairs then, more than ready to finally pass this test, and start turning the tide of this conflict.

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The Path of the King

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Alex glanced briefly at the words above the door to this, the final challenge. He knew he should've felt tired, but seven pools of energy within his large form had been awakened, and now flowed freely. They demanded release, though he knew not what would occur when and if they were finally freed.

He stepped into the final chamber, and knew from his map that it was where Hilda had first found the Relic Crown. Evidently, that had not been the real one. The ancient King from earlier stood before him now, crownless. He gripped the ethereal crown with his right hand, and as Alex eyed it, it became corporeal.

"So. You've actually made it." The ancient King gestured at the walls of the room, and they lowered, revealing the topmost room of the ancient ruins for what it was. The ancient lighthouse of Unova's eastern coast, once regarded as one of the Wonders of the ancient world, and one thought lost to war. Four pillars supported the crest of the ruins, and as the King gestured again, blinding light formed where the walls once stood.

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"A true King must always be mindful of how their actions can, and will, affect the world at large. They see the consequences of said actions, and with that sight, are able to guide their people towards the path they deem worth following." The ghost had his back to Alex, but then, he turned, and the two locked their gazes. "A true King remains detached, impartial, and chooses what he believes to be the right course of action. This is his duty. His curse."

Alex met the ghost's eyes evenly. "I accept the burden."

The ghost chuckled. "Do you? Heavy is the head that wears the crown. You will never be rid of it. As long as you live, and you will live for a very, very long time, Alexander Redwood, you will be bound to Unova in ways you cannot possibly understand. Not yet, anyways."

Alex let his smirk play across his normally impassive face. "I accept the burden."

The King's sad eyes narrowed. "A true King inspires hope. In himself. In the future. Do you have any comprehension of what that means? Do you have any idea of what awaits you, once you take this crown?"

Before he knew it, Alex was standing directly before the old man. He could read every line on his face. His psychic gaze was telling him far more than ever before. Each of the ghosts had possessed dual typing, not surprising, given who must have trained them, and the King was no exception. Ghost and psychic. He could tell this specter of a bygone age longed for his own heir to be here, standing before him, but that was simply not how events had unfolded.

"I accept the burden."

With those words, the ancient King sighed, and the crown vanished from his hand. His ghostly form faded into nothingness as he whispered his final words. "Then may you carry it better than we did. For Unova."

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Alex bowed again. "For Unova." As he straightened, he felt the gathered power surge once more, rising high into the sky where it touched...something. The normally blue aura of his psychic energy shifted to gold, and his power formed in a familiar shape atop his head. The crown reappeared, and thunder boomed while lightning cracked the sky outside the now risen palace.

Eight bolts of plasma arced down from the heavens, and struck the glowing chamber, and its sole occupant. The crown pulsed with power, as the incorporeal Storm Crown merged with the corporeal vessel that could contain its awesome power. A circular opening appeared in the top of the room, and Alex ascended through it, lifting his form easily. He didn't even notice the weight of his large build anymore. Indeed, as the energy flowed freely through his body, his eyes saw what he imagined N must see regularly. Numbers that would have made his head spin but a few hours earlier. Patterns. Shapes. Paths half seen, and yet still very much there. It would take time to be able to read them properly. Apparently, this was how the Harmonias had seen the world, but to Alex, it was just another thing to master, with time and effort.

Then, he looked down, and his good mood shifted to one of unease. Undella Town was thoroughly wrecked. The Marine Tube had shattered, and now only a small salty lake, directly south of the upturned town, was what remained of the beautiful bay that had once drawn crowds of rich tourists. The pyramidal structure that was the Dragon Palace rested atop a newly risen land mass, and as golden light shone through it from the inside out, the weathered stone renewed.

Ancient carvings made themselves clear again, and the damage of eons of water flow faded before the energy surging through the building. Seven orbs of light joined him in the air above the palace, forming into the various ghosts he'd seen below.

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For your service, a second life I grant. Use it well.

A quick glance at the Sages told Alex that they had not, in fact, expected the hauntingly familiar tone of pure power that came from the heavens at that moment. Each of their multicolored forms shone bright with blinding gold light, and in the space of an eye blink, the seven of them were transported to the main entrance of the palace, now once more revealed and made whole. A pair of dragons were carved into both sides of it, one black, one white, and both reminiscent of the Original they'd no doubt been made to resemble.

Alex looked again at the Sages, and smirked. Each now once more possessed a body, though their skin tone remained the same color their ghostly forms had been. Evidently their 'service' would continue, even after these new forms expired. But for now, the pleasures of corporeal existence were theirs to once more enjoy.

As one, they bowed towards him in Unovan fashion, and with one voice said, "All hail the return of the King!" A roar followed their words, and Alex glanced up to see a familiar dragon, arcing through the sky. Tao smiled down at them, and then, went sailing through the air as a purple colored Outrage attack slammed into his left side, catching him completely off guard. Alex followed the trail of the beam, and spied a familiar Noivern, with a familiar Trainer on its back, head once more attached. Pravus' Hand of Death. Below him, running quickly over the mountains in the distance, he made out figures garbed entirely in black armored suits, their features covered by helmets with T-shaped visors.

"Muk."