----------------------------------------
Battle Room - Imperial Palace, Unova
----------------------------------------
As the newest Professor Redwood descended into the depths of his brother's pyramidal palace alongside one of Unova's own Champions, and now a war hero as well, the sound of the theme track played during Galarian Gym Leader matches boomed through the Battle Room, as the intensity of the more-anime-than-game inspired bop refused to be contained by the ancient stones set by the Hero of Ideals.
It seemed Blaze was acting as the training partner this time, and the ferocious fire lizard let out a roar, as he beat his wings, and pushed back the Grovyle and Riolu he was facing alone, while their Trainer stood between them, silently giving commands to both sides, as he essentially battled himself. Those they had chosen to join their 'B Team' were eager to get started, thus they'd returned for a brief training session. Canis, his Riolu, had opted for minimal supervision, and his Grovyle, Arbor, had claimed he wanted to try battling alongside the newest member of their ever-growing family as a team with limited guidance from Alex, save for move suggestions that were easily ignored, if they felt they wanted to use something else.
Canis attacked with Vacuum Wave barrage. After a PP Max, Canis could launch seemingly endless flurries of such attacks before he tired out. His Grovyle had a comparatively limited amount of Energy Balls, but over the past half day of training, he'd started to grasp how to condense them, and being a fire type on an entirely different level than the newbies, Blaze could take whatever they dished out. Dodging what he gave back in return was also part of the training.
----------------------------------------
The Charizard reared his head back before he unleashed a Flamethrower, dragging his head side to side as he aimed it at both of them, though it weakened the move's power. Canis dodged in front of the Grovyle, and punched through the flames after focusing his aura into a Vacuum Wave that Alex knew was coming closer and closer to being what his species line was known for. As the flames parted in the manifested vacuum, Arbor, his Grovyle, fired an Energy Ball from behind the Riolu straight at Blaze, who this time instead of tanking the hit on his stomach, blocked it with a wing, as he noticed the newcomers, and Alex mentally slowed the battle to a standstill.
He snapped his fingers, and the epic beats ceased. The hat turned back around, as the Dragon Emperor of Unova turned to meet his contemporaries. Beside his brother was Hilda, and behind them, were a pair of women he did not recognize, though one did not have to be psychic to sense their devotion to N. Their bracelets matched his, though it seemed N had taken one from each woman for his own wrists. More than that, their minds were radiating both a similar sense of calm, and constant surface thoughts about the man, and his well-being.
The one with the long pink hair spoke first, with a deep bow. "It is an honor to be in your presence, Dragon Emperor. I am Anthea, and this is Concordia. We are the Goddesses of Love and Peace, chosen by the Seven Sages of Team Plasma to raise N as King." She said, as she gestured to her similarly calm companion. "We cannot sense our Lord N. Hilda said you may know something about his sudden vanishing."
----------------------------------------
Alex nodded, as he kept his face passive, and debriefed them on the events directly following his beheading of the Shadow's latest champion. By the end, their faces had gone through admiration, shock, the verge of tears, and then a bleary-eyed determination that he had to admire, even though neither woman seemed to possess a Pokéball.
Hilda had a reaction that while similar, burned hot enough for Alex to realize there had indeed been some truth to the rumors surrounding her and Unova's strongest Champion. Her eyes were on fire, and he had a feeling that, if for some reason he denied telling her how to reach N, she would battle him right there for the information, and that matchup was one he knew he'd lose at the moment. Most of his team was off enjoying their well-earned break, and his team for Koria was still coming together.
"If you want to reach the dimension he entered, you'll have to speak with the Aether Foundation." Alex grumbled. "They control everything related to Ultra Space, and travel through it, for the Empire. Apparently."
Hilda shared a look with the other two women, before they all nodded, in unison. She met Alex's eyes evenly as she spoke. "We're going in after him...possibly forever. I'm going to take the contents of my Boxes with me, on my cloak...I don't expect to come back. Hilbert has already gone off to train, and I don't have time to find him. I don't want to leave N alone any longer than he's been already. Good luck, Dragon Emperor, and give this to my brother when you next see him." She passed him a Pokémail, and he pocketed it for later.
----------------------------------------
Alex nodded then, though his eyes narrowed slightly. "Champion Hilda, you are stripped of the rank of General, and are free to pursue whatever mission you choose worth your time. If you ever make it back, Tao and I will gladly welcome you, and N, home."
The three women bowed again, and then ran from the room at a hurried pace. Alex knew her Pidgeot would carry her to Alola rather quickly, especially now that the airspace over Fornia was friendly. The islands had again become swamped with tourists from both the east and the west now, with all the benefits and detriments they brought, and many Alolans had come to the mainland, to test how they ranked against Fornia's newest rising stars.
Eric spoke, once the women left, eyeing his brother up and down with a barely hidden sigh. "Is this how you prepare for a new mission? Standard training?"
Alex smirked. "Clearly our training methods are good, if not the best. Else you would be Champion, brother. I assume there's a reason Tao told you of my classified mission?"
----------------------------------------
Eric pinched his brow. "I've essentially become the head of anything scientific that he requires. Our lab is well-funded, but the workload is...extensive."
Alex nodded. "I heard. Well done, Professor. What else is he making you work on? How many new Trainers have you started from our little hometown?"
Eric met his gaze evenly and pushed up his glasses. "The next projects we have coming down the line are universal language translators that, when we're done, should be able to translate unknown tongues in real time, and get us a Common equivalent reasonably fast. We're also working on a device that can replicate medicine, food, and spare parts using Infinite Energy...but that one is more complicated."
Eric glanced at the stairs, then back to his older brother. "As far as new Trainers go...that's one of the two issues I have for you before you go off to get involved in another region's issues...we're running out of eggs. Your...fans...are always clamoring for Turtwigs, Mudkips, and Charmanders. Most of our Trainers have to wait, if they want a Fire Type. They go the quickest."
Alex shrugged, glancing at Blaze. "I doubt he and Chari could produce more than they already are. Chafing is an issue for all species, it seems, if certain things are done often enough. See if Brad is willing to lend his to the cause. His Charizard should be of Egg-making age by now. As for Hydrus...that won't be a problem. He's settling in just fine in that lake out behind our house. Find your Mudkips there. Terra is another story...Torterra breed slowly, but in great numbers. Maybe you should contact other Professors or offer other Pokémon. What about Saur? Or one of my other starters?"
Eric thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I'll check your Boxes, see if there aren't worthy substitutes. We may end up giving out different ones on different days."
----------------------------------------
Alex recalled Canis and Arbor then, while Blaze left to go answer nature's call outside of the palace, and then his vacation. "You said you had something else for me?"
Eric nodded. "I've been examining the Pokémon used extensively during the war...namely those who regularly used Mega Evolution. Yours are the only ones not suffering DNA degeneration at an alarmingly fast pace. I told you using the power of the Plates was dangerous. At the very least, our data is telling us that their lifespans will be shorter."
Alex's brows furrowed. "Kalosians have been using Mega Evolution for centuries, and only with truly excessive use has it shown anything life threatening."
Eric sighed and pinched his brow again. "The Kalosians have been using a pair of stones, and a bond between a Trainer and usually one Pokémon, for centuries. A method created by ancient masters, I might add, who understood Infinity Energy far better than we do. Their stones are flash-crystalized remnants of other Pokémon with essentially the same genetic sequence, enough to not force the modern Pokémon's strands out of whack. The bond with the Trainer, and their Key Stone, are directly tied to the lack of pain and out of control rage Mega Pokémon sometimes display. Our method just has our Trainers using their latent psychic bond with their partner to guide Infinite Energy of the Pokémon's Type into their partner. Take us to my lab, I can show you the data there. I also have something for your journey."
Alex's face shifted to a frown as his brother spoke, but a dry smirk had returned once Eric finished. He held out a hand. "Are you the one who will be outfitting me on missions now?"
----------------------------------------
"I already outfitted you, your Scales, and the entire Imperial Dragon Army. You should be so lucky, to have us working on things that will make your excursions easier." Eric grumbled, as he took the offered hand. With a flash of pinkish energy and a bamfing noise, they reappeared back in Derrion Town. The rest of the Brain Trust looked up, as the two brothers appeared. Like Eric, they also had lab coats now, and the entire lab had gone from questionable or out of date machines to the most modern equipment a superpower like Unova had access to. It had also been made bigger, and now had three floors. Alex had to fight down the sudden rage he had for his father, as his Granduncle had tried many times to expand his home, but it had never been 'allowed'. It was one of the main reasons his cousin, his Gruncle's daughter, had left him in his advanced age. Eric's voice cut through his rage and Alex saved it for a later tirade, and his eyes shifted to the screen hanging from the second floor balcony for viewing from the first floor. "Bring up the genetic strands."
Alex didn't see who typed away at their keyboard, as his eyes were focused on the screen before him. Eric continued. "As you can see, your team's DNA is at the top, and the DNA of ten of your strongest Scale's Pokémon partners are below for comparison. Some are degrading faster than others, but yours remain stable, because the Plates they hold are keeping them that way...without those however, the data suggests they'd have months to live. We need to solve this, Alex. The sooner the better. For now, we've been able to outfit many Scales with Mega capable partners with Plates, Tao even showed us how to forge them from shards, so they won't get any worse...and with no Mega Evolving, they should recover in time, but we can't outfit every team in the Empire with them, and your Mega method has caught on in every State."
The frown returned, and the Dragon Emperor's voice cut through the hush that had taken over the lab, and its aides as they delivered the bad news to him. "How long do we have before we start losing lives?"
Eric shrugged, though Alex knew when his brother was panicked, and was suppressing said panic. He didn't blame him for feeling such things. His mind grasped what the data was telling him, perhaps not as detailed as the Brain Trust understood it, but between his Trials and lessons with Professor Aristole, he knew his mind was a lot sharper than it had been at the start of his journey. "Have you consulted the Sages? Perhaps they are aware of what we're doing wrong here...I refuse to accept that using the Plates and shards isn't viable, but for the moment, we should slow down their usage. Tell the Pokémon League to spread the word, and then consult with the Sages. I need to get to Koria...perhaps something I learn there will help us with this...if we're lucky."
----------------------------------------
Frankie, one of the other Brain Trustees, spoke up then. "If there's one thing you have on your side Redwood, it's luck."
Eric shot him a look, before turning back to his brother. His right hand fished in his lab coat as he spoke. "Alex has a point. Koria is renowned for their mastery over energy. Their people have a deeper understanding and tie to several Types of energy that other Humans simply do not. Be thorough in your investigations, and you'll come back with something we can use, I'm sure. Now then...these, are for your 'B Team'." Eric said, as he fished out three Pokéballs from his coat.
One was red and white with gold-ish highlights and a dark blue middle, rather than black. The middle one was a combination of purple and yellow, and the last seemed like a normal Pokéball, with the exception of several perfectly circular black spots on the red upper half.
----------------------------------------
Alex took the one on the far left first, and tossed it. From within, a Scorbunny materialized, adorable wide eyes taking in the lab as he looked around. Finally, the eyes fell on Alex, who already had his Pokédex out to record the data. He knew Galar produced legitimately strong Trainers thanks to their starters, but until Leon had taken over as Chairman of their League, those matches had largely been focused on Galar, and hosted by Galar for Galarians to participate in. The World Tournament was the one exception to that.
"Scorbunny, Scor?" The tiny fire type's name was all the others in the lab heard, but Alex heard his question.
"I am your new Trainer. You should know though, little one, I only take on Pokémon who want to be among the best Battlers in the world. It's a long road, with exhaustive training. Do you think you have the will to walk that path with me?" He'd knelt down to the fire rabbit's level, more or less, and held out a fist to bump as he finished speaking. The Scorbunny did a flip, and hit his fist with one of its startlingly warm feet. "I'll take that as a yes." Alex said, smirking. "Get some rest, for now. We'll start training soon."
The Scorbunny leapt towards Eric then, and bopped his ball's button with the same inverted flip kick, as he returned to it in a flash of white light. Next, came the purple and yellow one, as Eric pushed the release, and found Scorbunny's ball floating from his hand, to Alex's belt. If all three Pokémon here accepted his typically offered terms he gave to new catches, that would leave him halfway to a full team.
----------------------------------------
"This one was a bit too...rash...for his Trainer to handle. Since he had almost a thousand other partners, apparently, he was eager to see this one go to a good Trainer." Eric's voice registered in Alex's ears, but he was too busy admiring the Pokémon before him now. He'd never even seen a Toxel outside of the Pokédex.
The perpetually skeptical looking electric poison type looked at Alex, and tilted its head, as it spoke its name. "What are you supposed to be?"
Alex smirked. "I'm your Trainer. I'm going to teach you how to Battle."
The Toxel frowned. "Battle. Will it hurt?"
Alex nodded. "Quite a bit, sometimes. Ground Type Moves are common and will be the bane of your existence."
The frown deepened. "Why Battle, if it hurts?"
"To gain experience. To grow stronger. To evolve. To become as strong as you can be...and then go beyond your limits to heights unheard of." The Unovan Trainer's eyes were on fire, and the rest of the room, upon seeing the conversation, had sudden interest. They'd heard the rumors of course, that their latest leader could also speak to and understand Pokémon, but seeing it firsthand was fascinating to any scientist.
----------------------------------------
The Toxel still seemed unconvinced, and Alex knelt down to its level, and opened his Pokédex, as he brought up Toxel's data. He swiped the screen, and the Toxel's eyes widened as he saw not one, but two possible evolutions.
Wide eyes went up to Alex's. "I'll look like mama?"
Alex shrugged, "Probably more like your dad...bulkier, more muscle mass. But powerful." He winked, and then swiped again, as the seemingly very young Pokémon's eyes went wider.
"Whaaaat." He said in child-like awe, and Alex chuckled. "That's what happens when you...Gigantamax, apparently. We can add it to our to-do list in Galar, if you want to Battle like that. Using that much power is a big responsibility. But together, we can be pretty strong, I think. It's not going to be easy, but it will show results, and quickly. You'll be evolving before you know it."
The Toxel seemed to think for a second, and his eyes glanced at Eric. The purple electric lizard looked back to Alex then and nodded. Eric tossed the last ball, and a Blipbug appeared, causing Alex to sigh inwardly.
----------------------------------------
Seeing his reaction for what it was, Eric spoke. "This one is perhaps the most important to your mission. You'll be able to trace the Guardian's energy in its Avatar...when it becomes a Dottler."
Alex glanced at Eric, and then back at the nerdy bug worm. "That won't be hard. Bug Types grow quickly...is that something you'd like?"
The Blipbug blipped, and Alex's brows furrowed, as his ears only translated the noise as a blip as well. "I suppose that means yes…" He muttered, standing as he summoned the Scorbunny again, and looked between the three. "We have some things to do before we set out...first, is giving you names." He pointed at the Scorbunny. "You, will be Cinder. After your final form." The Scorbunny said it to himself a few times, though it just sounded like his own name to everyone else, but then he nodded enthusiastically. Alex looked at the Toxel then. "You will be Temere (Tem-air-ray), and you, shall be known as Sensus." He finished, as he then looked to the Blipbug. None of the young Pokémon seemed to mind their new nicknames.
The Pokéballs for all three levitated in the air around him as they expertly pinpointed and recalled their respective targets. The Toxel had started to wander off as he spoke, but had not managed to escape the recall beam, while the other two seemed eager to rest. Alex manifested only his cape then, as it draped down around his shoulders, held up by his psychic power rather than the dragonbone mantle as he grabbed a ball, and then returned the cloak holding his balls, and the link to his PC boxes, back to his belt.
----------------------------------------
"Eremus makes six…" Alex put his ball on the belt as well, making his Flygon his secret weapon for Koria, as his level was by far the highest on their growing team. He looked up at Eric then. "Anything else for me, while I'm here?"
"Fornia is still on fire." The female member of the Brain Trust said, from behind them. "You should probably put that out before you leave."
"A good suggestion." Alex said, as he envisioned the canyon within which the Fornian Rebellion had once taken shelter. "I'll do that." The Brain Trustee in question blanched at his answer, but Alex didn't notice, as he was already across the country, mentally.
He mentally contacted Hydrus, before he bamfed to the central cave of the Fornian Rebellion. Though the Tribes were returning, they were taking the long way home, healing the land as they went. Alex clacked quietly on the PC in the abandoned rebel base as he retrieved his Swampert, and several other water types strong enough to help with what he had planned.
Eremus carried him swiftly towards the part of Fornia that had once played home to Brad and his family, and atop the mountain, Alex found a deserted, dried out lakebed. With a mental toss, his water types were out. "This was the first of the land that the Church decided to start burning, and from here, it will end. Line the crater, boys." Once the gathered water types had done so, he nodded again. "Now, Rain Dance!"
----------------------------------------
Hydrus set the beat, rhythmically pounding his fists against the ground as the Wartortle, Seismitoad, Swanna, Starmie, Vaporeon, Croconaw, and Mantyke he'd summoned to help all matched the rhythm he was beating out, and danced around the edge of the crater. As the sky darkened over Fornia again, the clouds radiated for miles, but he needed the dark clouds to be much, much bigger. "Hydrus. Mega Evolve."
The Mega Swampert looked skywards once he ascended, and fired a Water Pulse towards the clouds, where Alex was aware that it had burst, and dispersed into the clouds, turning them even darker. For a good thirty minutes the dancing and chanting continued, before Hydrus finally nodded at Alex.
For his part, the human inhaled, and then bellowed at the clouds which, by Hydrus' reckoning, now covered all of the areas over Fornia that had seen the worst of the flames. Thunderous noise cracked the sky as he Shouted, "Lom Lokluv!" The sound of the Hyper Voice visibly rippled through the clouds, and as it passed through them, they began to pour down the combined Rain Dance's accumulated water onto the parched Fornia region.
----------------------------------------
Suddenly, the sky above those gathered on Pineus Peak opened, and sunlight burned down around them, even as the rain continued to fall. Her descent caused a rainbow, and as Ho-Oh hovered above them, leaving both Alex and his partners in awe at her appearance, he spied a familiar flame haired figure atop the restored rainbow phoenix. Jess winked at him, and then murmured something that apparently only Ho-Oh heard.
The legendariest bird flapped her wings, and a circular wave of Light energy radiated out from her rainbow wings, as it infused the clouds. The water came faster, and all around those on the peak, grass, flowers, and greenery began to appear on the cracked, brown earth. The lake began refilling rapidly. Across all of Fornia in the distance, the green was returning.
Ho-Oh landed beside her Tamer, but her eyes were focused elsewhere. "And from the east…" It took a moment to see, but all gathered kept staring. His Swanna saw it first, and Alex guided his partner's gazes towards the farthest point on the horizon, from which, a rapid wave of gold was coming, overtaking the green. That which blessed Unova now also covered the entire continent. The fires were ended, according to his Pidgeot who'd been scouting them, and he knew Fornia would want to know why their green plants were suddenly turning golden.
----------------------------------------
"You have done well, both of you, in restoring this land to what it once was. Atop the golden continent, the ancient people of these lands built an empire. I look forward to seeing what your minds create of this fresh paradise." With that, Ho-Oh ascended upwards with a single wing flap and disappeared into the clouds.
As the Legendary bird vanished, Alex oofed, as he felt arms around his neck and a familiar figure press against him. "I'll handle Fornia...you should get going to Koria. But before that, Ho-Oh suggested I give you a parting gift."
Alex smirked. "I'd love to, genuinely, but I don't have four hours. I really do have to leave…"
Jess rolled her eyes, as she searched through her bag, and then pulled out an incubator, holding an egg with red and blue triangular markings. Alex inhaled audibly as he looked at it, and Jess arched a brow. "You know what species it is? Ho-Oh suggested you should raise it."
Alex eyed the egg, and then peered within it with his third eye, smirking at what he found. "I can guess." He took the incubator then, and placed it within his own bag, in a special slot solely for egg carrying that let it hear and 'experience' the sights around it, but also kept it hidden and safe from potential thieves. "I don't usually go for Fairy Types, but for this one, I'll make an exception."
----------------------------------------
Jess seemed to be trying to remember all the fairy types, as there weren't too many, and which one he might now have, as she summoned Folokraan, and climbed atop the rapidly maturing Articuno. After a moment, Jess shrugged. "Tell me when it hatches. And be safe." Their eyes stayed locked for a good few moments as Fo leapt into the air, but then Jess stoically turned her head towards the sky, and their destination, somewhere on the coast.
For his part, Alex recalled and replaced his partners, including Hydrus. Only Aero, his Pidgeot, stayed out as he claimed to enjoy flying in Fornia, and was willing to carry Alex to Port: Land, now known as Cascadia, since the Arcean Church was disbanded. The change in name apparently was a sign of the citizen's willingness to embrace their new future without the all-consuming Church of Arceus to steal their money. Fair wages seemed like a lot to people who had previously been forced to give almost ninety percent of what they'd earned in the course of a year to the Church, in 'donations' for their 'charities', building acquisitions, and fundraisers.
Many people had embraced the Dragon Empire once they not only usually kept their positions, but were given free time, reunited with their families, and more than fair pay. With what the Scales had discovered in Pravus's bunker-city, they had enough funds to keep Fornia employed, on the Empire's dime, for at least three centuries. The hoard of gold and currency had only made Alex slightly nauseous, as he saw just how much had been stolen from Fornia's people and hoarded for no reason other than greed.
He tossed Aero an Oran Berry and tied Hilda's Pokémail to his leg as they parted. "This is where Hilbert is currently," Alex said, as he'd been able to sense his contemporary after expanding his mind to search for him. "Take this mail to him, and then return home. Stay safe, Aero." The Pidgeot cawed, and then launched into the air, winging his way towards Superior Forest, and the Great Lake it surrounded.
----------------------------------------
Alex paused in the city by a park to sort out his new team of six, that with time, would fill out to ten. Arbor, Canis, and Eremus already had the moves needed to battle and win, usually. But this was a good opportunity to give the others their vitamins and respective TMs before he could board the ship that would take him to Sinnoh, in Japan, as they stopped to pick up goods, and then the Southern Water Nation city of Katavik.
After about an hour of trying to keep three younger Pokémon now all with stronger moves, in check, Alex was again on his way. Cinder had found Flame Charge to be very fun, Sensus's Bug Buzz would need some work, but for a young bug type Pokémon, Struggle Bug would have to do for battle. Temere had found that Thunderbolt was a bit more intense than he expected, but the rash baby Pokémon was firing off something closer to a Thundershock.
Sensus received his Exp. Share harness, and Alex still barely grasped what he was blipping while he put it on. He gave the tiny worm a pat though and promised it would make him stronger. At the very least, it seemed he understood his new Trainer even if he initially found the harness restrictive. Alex didn't intend for them to get much experience soon as sailors were only so challenging, but as he went to board his boat, he found it being held up, quite literally, by a pink aura full of fairy typed energy.
----------------------------------------
In front of the floating boat were several grumpy looking sailors, a weathered old man who Alex assumed was the Captain, and in front of them, the man undoubtedly responsible for the levitating ship. Percy. The svelte figure gave Alex a bow, before he spoke. "Welcome to Cascadia, Dovahkiin. I have one last challenge for you, before you leave, and a prize, if you manage to win with that team of yours."
Alex turned his hat backwards, and smirked. "I accept. Standard one V one?"
Percy arched a brow, then shrugged. "One it is. Choose wisely."
Alex's smirk widened, and with a nod of his head, he sent out Canis, who he'd put in the point position after realizing his mild punchy puppy was capable of great things in the way his Gallade had been early on. They were already becoming closer, and it wouldn't be long at all before Canis had mastery over his aura and managed to evolve.
----------------------------------------
In the same moment, Percy sent out a Sandslash, of the Alolan variety, which Alex recalled him catching, the last time he and Jess had visited the islands. It greeted Canis with a nod, and a slight bow. His Riolu put a closed fist against an open puppy palm and bowed in return, before dropping into his species' version of a Dragon Stance.
Alex knew better than to assume the type advantage would win this, but he also knew how painful quadruple weaknesses could be, and how often Trainers underestimated them. He was among their number as well. Terra, Hydrus, and others had all eventually felt the sting of such effective moves, despite his best efforts to shield them from such hits.
Percy opened by shouting, "Ice Punch!" which Alex countered with, "Brick Break!" As the Riolu and Sandslash met in the air, the fighting move's greater power and type advantage won out, sending the bulky ice shrew awkwardly in one direction, as Canis guided his claw's momentum. The steel appendage slammed into the ground, and froze there, before Alex shouted again, "Now, A flurry of Force Palms, right under the arm!"
Canis obeyed, and delivered four quadruple effective hits before the Sandslash broke free and swiped blindly at the already retreating Riolu. He was hurt, but not down yet. "Pin Missile!" Came the command from Percy, and Alex responded quickly, "Dodge them, and counter with a Vacuum Wave for each pin!"
----------------------------------------
The two Pokémon traded at least five blows, two of which Canis tanked, and three of which hit the already flagging Sandslash. Looking slightly annoyed by the hand fate dealt each of them, Percy persevered. "Use Rest!" As his Sandslash slept and regained full health, Alex's eyes narrowed. "Brick Break until it's finished."
Canis nodded, and in a swirl of motion, danced around the sleeping, tanky ice and steel type as his fighting typed punches struck it, but seemed to do little. A low flute sound hummed through the air, and Alex swore as he saw Percy wink at him, before playing the melody that awoke Pokémon from sleep on his Pokéflute. "Fury Cutter!" The Sandslash spun in place, bug type energy glowing around its claws as it struck Canis, who dropped back with a snarl. "Again!" Percy shouted, and his Sandslash responded.
All Canis could do was dodge, and dodge he did, as he shifted his paws on the pavement in circular but random patterns that the Sandslash couldn't predict. "Focus…" Alex said, as Canis continued to bob and weave through Fury Cutter misses. Even back to regular strength, a move that strong from a Pokémon with such a higher level would likely knock Canis out at this stage. They had one chance left for a win, after the Rest.
"Now!" Alex shouted, "Focus Blast!" Canis danced around another Fury Cutter, and then put his paws together, one facing up, the other facing down. From between them, an intense orange sphere of power burned to life, and launched into the Sandslash, sending the Alolan Pokémon hurtling across the pier, into a dock post. The post took more damage than the steel typed Pokémon, but he was sufficiently unconscious enough for a win.
----------------------------------------
With a sigh, Percy recalled him, and lowered his hat. "Well. A Riolu. I certainly did not see that coming. I thought you were more of a Grass Trainer."
"I have plenty of strong Grass Types," Alex said, smirking as he and Canis approached the Fairy King of Norstad. "I'm just training Canis here at the moment." With a single leap, the punchy puppy was perched on his shoulder, and he eyed the other human's aura, unable to quite decide if he liked it, or despised it. "Now then, you said you had a prize for me?"
Percy chuckled and shrugged. "I thought it would be harder won, but aye, I've a reward for a well-fought Battle." He brought out a Pokéball then, colored a light gray on the center part of the ball's top half, while the rest was a deep blue. The black bits in the middle were more of a yellowish cream color, and it took Alex longer than it should have for him to recognize the pattern the ball's former owner had placed upon it.
Having an inkling of who laid within, Alex tossed the ball at the ocean, where a rather young Lapras appeared, and chirped, as she saw the humans, and swam up to Percy. "Take good care of her." He said, as he gave the young Pokémon a thorough scritching under the jaw. "Wait until she's a bit bigger before you ride...you're large for a Human."
----------------------------------------
Alex rolled his eyes. "She'll grow quick enough." He met her eyes, and her mind, to his surprise. Hers actually brushed against his, emanating simple emotions like joy, curiosity, and an overall modesty to her nature that suffused every part of her mental being. "Does she have a name?"
Percy nodded. "Pruina. She'll become rather strong, like her mother. Koria has many islands, and waterways. Having a Lapras to ride will come in handy. The Imperium and the Fire Nation don't like people flying anywhere, so if you want to stay unnoticed, just Surf."
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Alex nodded, as he quietly asked the Lapras if she was willing to battle, and her response was both enthusiastic and adorable. Her young eyes were on fire though, and that more than anything was what he sought from his teammates. He bid Percy farewell, as the man bamfed away, allowing the crew of his ship to finally board, and prepare to sail.
Alex spent the time waiting teaching Pruina moves like Ice Beam, Water Pulse, and Protect. Since she'd only known how to Sing, and he had no intention of keeping her from having such a useful move, he gave the same amount of vitamins as he had the others, as well a number of PP Maxes from his already dwindling supply.
----------------------------------------
Once Pruina and the others were fed and tired out, he recalled them, and set to work on his Pokédex, as the long ride to Sinnoh began. He soon had to float in place, with the pieces of the disassembled machine, and pieces of his Holoceiver as well. He was combining them all together into a single machine, and with some help from Lux, whose hilt was in the bag beside the egg radiating warmth, he was able to 'fuse' the devices together into a device his Rotom finally agreed to inhabit semi permanently. He'd claimed that his previous Pokédex and other such Earth devices were too primitive for him, and he'd only end up breaking them, but on this, he had seemed almost eager to finish it.
It took them most of the trip, but the result was an item unique to them that they dubbed the Holodex, and his Rotom seemed to enjoy being inside of it immensely, as he now would often share tips he found on the PokéNet with members of their team, connected via their mental web. It soon became obvious to his Trainer, that the alien ghost type preferred being a teacher much more than a weapon. Having a wise weapon was a boon though, and Lux understood well the need for the kind of overwhelming defense psychic powers and a blade that could cut through anything provided.
----------------------------------------
Several Days Later, The Sea of Kazam - Somewhere North of Sinnoh
----------------------------------------
"And what did you say this strain was called?"
The weathered Japanese captain gave Alex Redwood a knowing grin. "Dream Lotus. A fine blend of lesser strains, culminating in a powerful hybrid."
Alex shrugged, hit the bong, and then passed it to one of the crewmen who'd agreed to sail him and his team to the southern edge of Koria. The Fire Nation kept a constant naval blockade between Japan and Koria, and reaching Katavik was something of a challenge, if one went by sea. The Imperium's air forces kept a hard border in the sky with their Thunderhawks, while the Fire Navy controlled the sea.
"So how exactly do we reach Katavik, Captain?" Alex asked, as he noted a long line of battleship sized black colored dots on the horizon.
----------------------------------------
The captain nodded to the youthful member of his crew, currently partaking of the happy herb. He declined any more, once the struggle of almost coughing had ended. His eyes, clearly influenced as they were, were then turned towards the horizon. They closed, and Alex stared, watching closely as the young man of darker brown skin tone raised his arms, and through them, controlled the water surrounding their modestly sized ship. He wasn't moving the water though, for Alex's psychic sight revealed his typing, which had until that moment been hidden even to him. The typeless nature energy within his body shifted to water as he summoned reached out to the nearest source of the element, and the ocean responded in kind. It was quite a sight.
"That there is Akos. He's a native of the Water Nation's southern tribe, and in return for some honest currency, he guides us into Katavik to trade and buy goods neither of our regions can get, with the blockade in place." The Captain winked at Alex then, and the ever-present sack he kept over his shoulder swung around, to reveal quite a massive number of Ultra Balls. "The Water Nation are very good at trading between rebellious Fire Nation elements, and the Earth Nation's military. If those standing in the shadows against the Imperium can learn to be Trainers, and element benders, they can face the invaders with some measure of success. Sinnoh isn't helping officially of course, but the League has...subtly been keeping those of us trusted enough to trade, supplied for several decades."
Alex watched the boat as the old Sinnoh native rambled on, for it seemed to sink beneath the waves, and a bubble of air kept them still 'floating' on the water around them. Akos brought them deep, and they began moving faster, as the young man windmilled his arms. Then, he frowned. "Captain...they have mines. Hold on to something."
----------------------------------------
The Captain bumbled towards his ship's speakers, and Alex knew it would take the teetering old man too long to reach it, for the speed they were going. Thus, he Shouted instead, "Mines!"
Thankfully, the crew was well aware of what that meant, as the Word reached their ears, and instilled the appropriate amount of panic associated with death by explosive. Many water benders cleared such dangers away, as deep sea battle was not something the Imperium or the Fire Nation had mastered in any capacity. Yet. Sometimes the fields of explosives were a nuisance, sometimes not, but when they did appear, they were numerous, and often based on motion detection, surrounded by others based on touch, and thus easily avoided.
Masterful benders were able to tell the two deep sea mine variants apart at a glance, but more than a few of the younger ones were known to set off explosive getaways from the blockade. Often, they rode the pressure of the explosion through the water like a wave, and escaped that way, but such tricks were dangerous. One moment of lost concentration could make the water between them and the explosive force come together, and that usually meant death, or a wrecked ship, and a ruined career as a guide.
Akos's movements became smaller, more close to his body, though they still moved at a fair pace, the field of potential death around them on all sides made everyone tense. It was still interesting to watch, and Alex glanced between him, and the ships above, where his eyes made out vague humanoids radiating a mastery of the fire type. He also sensed the rage that fueled it, and frowned.
----------------------------------------
Akos managed to guide them safely through the field, and instead of gunning it as soon as they were away, he continued at an even slower pace for a good mile. Alex spied several buried mines in the floor below them, and above, they would still be in sight of the ships, or a good scope.
Experienced guides knew the Imperium liked to order varied nets of obvious and subtle sea explosives, in patterns that were both financially practical and most strategic. Some officers took advantage of having nearly limitless resources, but the Imperator prized efficiency over pure results with no thought to the cost. Being somewhat clever Akos was able to read the patterns the Imperium drones had set the mines into easily enough, as he knew the signs of different kinds of dangers. More than once Alex had followed his darting gaze only to notice a different kind of weapon, like an undersea turret, and several nets hung between coral reefs that were bone white in death and radiated ghost type energy.
Eventually, they picked up speed once more, and the bubble around them expanded to its original size, rather than the almost cramped shell they had crouched under for what seemed like quite a while. Many of the crew stretched and groaned, but Akos kept bending, and after another hour of travel in the same direction they'd held since leaving Sinnoh, they surfaced again.
----------------------------------------
Akos was panting for his efforts, as Alex approached with a water bottle in hand. The young man chugged it rapidly, and Alex let him finish before offering a hand, and saying, "Hello there. I'm Alex." The Water Nation native looked at his hand, and then swallowed his mouthful of water, as he left him hanging. Alex persisted anyways. "So...that was Waterbending, yes? I've never seen anything like it."
Akos shrugged. "I do alright...but I am no master. The Fire Nation took our masters, and eventually takes anyone whose outed as an element bender as well. The Imperium claims that they're 'mutants', and as such, under Imperium law, they're subject to constant monitoring. Earth, water, air, it doesn't matter. Only the Fire Nation is allowed to bend openly."
Alex pondered for a long moment. "Is it possible to learn how to bend? Could you teach me?"
Akos shrugged. "I've only met Korian benders, and while some people gain the skill to wield two elements, if their parents are from different nations, it's rare. Only the Avatar ever mastered four, and it was by this skill that we knew they spoke with the Guardian's authority each time they reincarnated."
Alex blinked. "They reincarnate? Who was the last Avatar, then?"
Akos nodded at his first question, but the second one darkened his face with a frown. "Avatar Kora. She was Water Nation, like me. After the Air Nation nomads had their temples were burned, they fled with the help of their Avatar, a fellow nomad called Aang. Kora came next in the cycle...grew up here, apparently. She started finding Fire Nation turncoats, and supplied the Earth Nation with their intel. She got the Water Tribes involved in strategic warfare and tactics...she kept the fight going for over a century, before the Fire Nation caught up to her. Now, the next Avatar is somewhere in the Earth Nation, but they could be anywhere, from deserted mining towns in the Si Wong Desert to the Impenetrable City. It's been almost three decades since we lost Kora, but there's no word of the new Avatar. Some people are beginning to think the cycle stopped, that after Kora fell, the Guardian lost hope in Koria, and did not reincarnate the Avatar into the Earth Nation."
----------------------------------------
Alex nodded as he listened, stroking his bearded chin as he pondered the information. Sensus had gained quite a bit of experience after their battle with Percy, but he wasn't quite ready to evolve yet, and icy terrain made a poor training environment for bug types. By all accounts, Katavik was situated on a massive chunk of ice that was inexplicably stationary, a home base for a tribe of people who lived primarily on ships. "Shuoma...that's one of the Earth Nation's last strongholds, right? How does one reach it?"
Akos frowned. "Not easily. The Thunderhawks regularly fly around the islands between Katavik and the mainland, and since they can land on water, ships are easily stopped. Sometimes, they're just shot at on sight. Apparently, for target practice." Akos clenched a fist, and his tone told the Unovan that he was sick of the oppression the Imperium offered to those they conquered.
"Let's say I had a way to reach Shuoma. Would you be interested in joining me? Your skills would be very helpful...and I really want to try Waterbending." Alex said, as he looked towards the north, and then back at Akos.
"I am free after we bring this ship in...we're only hired for single voyages, usually...but if we're going to travel together, I have some questions. Like, who are you, for one. The Captain was very tight lipped...but I can tell you're no simple tourist."
Alex gave his best attempt at an innocent shrug. "Am I not giving off a tourist vibe?"
----------------------------------------
Akos looked over the large frame of the Unovan, clad as it usually was in a lengthy white robe that was open in the front, with black stripes down the sleeves. Black pants with white stripes on the outside covered his lower half, and his hat still bore the symbol of Unova's newest government. The same symbols were also on the shirt beneath the white robe, and Akos could tell the westerner was quite physically fit. Like a warrior. "No... not really, no. I've never seen a tourist dressed like you. And none of them have your...bearing."
Alex arched a brow. "My bearing?"
Akos nodded. "You're not gawking at the ocean views or the giant blocks of ice." He said, gesturing to the freezing sea around them. "You stand confidently. You speak intelligently, and the questions you've asked indicate to me that you have seen something as magical as bending before. That there's a specific reason you've come here."
Alex shrugged again as he smirked. "Guilty. I've seen quite a number of...strange magics. But your bending was genuinely impressive." He glanced around the ship, very much aware that the crew, while they pretended to work, or worked diligently, were dropping eaves. "Is there a place in Katavik that is not easily spied upon? I'd rather not discuss why I've come so...openly."
"For a Waterbender surrounded by ice, caves for privacy are easily made." Akos said. "I will make one, and we will talk openly. We still have two days left of sailing though."
Alex nodded. "In two days, then. You will know why I've come, if you're still curious."
----------------------------------------
Two Days Later, Wolf Cove, Katavik - Koria Region
----------------------------------------
In the span of two days, Alex trained his Lapras against the local wildlife, primarily Sealeo, Dewgong, and Sharpedo, which she took down easily with Thunderbolt. Sensus, who rode on her back to get a feel for actual battle, evolved thanks to the shared experience, and had been growing in strength and mental ability ever since. The pair of modest Pokémon both grew rather quickly, especially once a pod of Sharpedo tried swarming their ship. Between Pruina's Thunder and Sensus's Energy Ball, they were driven off, and both gained quite a bit of experience for taking down so many strong foes. Once Sensus could hold his own, and had grown almost as strong as Pruina by doing so, the Exp. Share harness passed to Temere. Despite his Box Link sharing it party wide, he discovered wearing it actually increased how much its wearer gained from that, and he tried not to think too much on how much exp had been wasted, since it had largely been sitting unused in his bag since his first trip to Castelia, when he was still gathering badges.
Once they arrived in Katavik, Alex and Akos had gone to his home which turned out to be a dome of ice bricks that was surprisingly warm inside, where he revealed he already had a sub-ice level chamber. Hidden with water bending, the sparsely decorated room was covered with white furs with black spots, and several tusks that looked to have belonged to a Walrein once. Given the lack of berries on the iceberg, Alex was not surprised the locals had taken to hunting. From what he'd seen, they had established rituals associated with hunting, and those they hunted, if they lost, willingly gave their essence, that the humans might continue to live.
It was a delicate balance to maintain, and balance was one of the many things Alex highlighted for his waterbending ally, as he reiterated the highlights of his journey, since getting his Turtwig. "...and then Tao sent me to Koria, to find and aid your Guardian and her Avatar in restoring Koria to what it once was." He gave the water bender a moment to process before speaking again. "Will you help me, Akos?"
----------------------------------------
"Will I help you, the Tamer of the Original Dragon, track down the hero of my region so we can defeat our mutual enemies? Absolutely. According to our legends, the First Dragon was the one who taught the Fire Nation to harness the element...back when they had honor. As for joining you on your quest, though...you might want to get someone more skilled." Akos said, as he finished with a downward glance.
Alex arched an eyebrow. "You seemed skilled enough when we were dodging mines."
Akos met his gaze evenly again. "You've never seen a real Waterbender. I have. What I can do...doesn't even come close."
Alex nodded, as he inferred that, apparently, creating bubbles of air wasn't a hard trick, nor was speeding up a fairly sized ship while bobbing and weaving through fields of death. He knew Akos was no master, but he also recognized a gifted student in need of a teacher. "You need to study with a master of your craft. For me, I studied the best Trainers, while I was forced to sit on the sidelines during my childhood. Lance. Leon. Red. I watched every Battle they had, that was recorded, and I learned the history. Read the PokéDex in its entirety. Battling is so much more than a sport...but the nature of sports is a valuable part of it. It has Greatly curbed Humanity's desire for constant violence."
Akos furrowed his brow. "I wasn't going to say anything but...honestly, Battles always seemed a bit...cruel...to the Pokémon. So does shoving them into a ball. Most benders in this region feel this way, and with the lack of consistent Pokéball access, we don't have many Trainers. The Water Types are fun to practice with, though. I learned most of what I know by watching them. I couldn't be comfortable, shoving them in a ball."
----------------------------------------
Alex suppressed a deep, Unovan sigh, and then smirked. "Their balls are more comfortable than any field, and there's no chance of them getting randomly ousted from it by a stronger Pokémon. It's a home they can always come back to, that's directly connected to their Trainer. Pokémon Trainers have a different...kind of Pokémon, usually. They're not like the wild ones you're probably imagining, who enjoy their freedom and frolic in it. Those don't typically attack or jump out at Humans. The ones who do, are either mad at having their territory invaded, or want to Battle the Pokémon in the Human's balls, because they know they're stronger. Usually. If they really detest battling, most Trainers release the Pokémon. Obviously, some Trainers don't, but I like to think most Trainers have enough sense to release a Pokémon that doesn't like battling, if battling is all they do."
Akos's brow furrowed further. "So... what makes a Trainer's Pokémon different, then? I don't get it."
Alex nodded, sagely, and then called out Eremus, who immediately crouched, and then curled around the somewhat cramped subterranean room. The desert born dragon shivered against the ice, but connected as he was to his Trainer, he had agreed to prove this point to the man that would, ideally, be their guide as they searched Koria. "Take Eremus, here. I met him as a Trapinch." Alex said, as his Holodex hummed to life and began floating in the air as it displayed what a Trapinch looked like. "Trapinch don't usually let their prey go, so when he trapped me, I had to battle him to the faint, or catch him. I was in a hurry, so I just used a ball. I found out later, once I could understand him fully, that many Trapinch in the Desert Resort seek Trainers out, instead of their usual prey, so that they can evolve, and become a Flygon. Thus, I trained him until he became one, at which point I gave him a choice."
Alex scritched under the Flygon's chin as the long head finally looped around the small room to his Trainer. "Continue climbing in strength with us, as a Battler, or some other option, based on whatever his preference was, now that his goal was achieved. So far, he's agreed to keep Battling. Someday he might leave, true, but even those few Pokémon who have left after evolving wanted to keep their tie to their balls, just in case I need them. I've let quite a few go, once I speak to them and realize they don't want a life of combat and glory. Pokémon are far more compassionate beings than Humans give them credit for being, but this...bond, we share. It's there for a reason. The capacity for connections this deep, on a mental level, are by design. They were created, after all."
----------------------------------------
Akos snapped his fingers. "Right...that...deity Pokémon the Japanese pay homage to...Arceus, right? You're saying it actually exists?"
Alex nodded. "Can confirm. He's appeared before me, once or twice. I'm about seventy five percent sure we Battled once, but dream rules are in no way fair. I think reality would prove...different...even if I still end up losing, but I'm not in the business of bothering a deity just so we can Battle. Legendary Pokémon have more important things to do. Most of the time." He recalled his shivering Flygon then, and mentally adjusted the heat within his ball to be even more akin to the desert Eremus preferred.
Akos thought for a moment. "I do know a Piplup that always wants to follow me around. Even back here to Wolf Cove. Even among people who would look at it and see dinner. Do you think it wants me as its Trainer?"
Alex smirked, as the almost hopeful tone in the bender's voice gave him away. Having a genuine fondness for Pokémon was what made great Trainers. Akos's potential was another reason Alex wanted him as a guide. He sensed the potential for a psychic awakening, and having a psychic waterbender as an ally would be a very good thing. "I think it's worth asking. I can translate for you."
----------------------------------------
Akos nodded then. "Provide me with one of your balls...help me tame this Piplup...and I will journey with you." He offered a hand out then, and Alex did not hesitate to grasp it by the wrist. To his mild surprise, he found Akos reciprocating the Norstad style of handshake, and Alex began to wonder if it was a bit more widespread than he had previously thought.
"We have an accord, then." Alex said as he let go, and then fished around in his bag for an Ultra Ball. He poked the top of it several times, and Akos watched with childlike let-me-try-it excitement as he watched the westerner color the ball from the original, classic, black and gold to Empoleon colors.
Akos tossed it several times, as he examined the ball. "It's...heavier than I thought it would be."
Alex nodded. "A reminder of the weight of the life you're protecting within it. Also, capture technology, and the interior design features, made them heavier over time. Cheap to purchase, expensive to fix. Especially in places without master crafters."
Akos smirked. "I kind of want to throw it."
Alex shook his head, as they stood, and exited the igloo, one among many in the surprisingly small settlement, one of several on the iceberg that was Katavik. "I have something for that." He fished around in his bag again, and then withdrew a similarly weighted, but squishy, half red half white ball of rubber. "I practiced all the time with this, back in the day. Save yourself years of training, and just spin it into a curveball. It's easier than wildly throwing. Here, watch."
Alex turned then, as he sensed the ghostly presence behind him move in to strike. This port was full of spirits, though the locals seemed oblivious to them, the Ghastly currently attacking him was clearly after his psychic power. The ghost's mind was hungering for his life essence, and in one smooth motion that came with his turn, he threw an Ultra Ball, and it spun counterclockwise in the air, adding a curve to its trajectory, which brought it down on the Ghastly's forehead. "Excellent!" A voice from the ball chimed, and Alex clenched a fist in victory. Then, the ball sucked the ghost within, and bounced onto the ground.
----------------------------------------
It bounced up immediately after, did a single flip, and then dinged, as the ball recorded and cemented the catch. Alex pulled it to his hand, and seemed to stare at the ball, from Akos's perspective. Once the ghost understood, and eagerly accepted his part in their team in exchange for food. He and Lux began chatting and didn't stop for the entire walk out to the ice fields west of the port, where the Empoleon reigned supreme among the wildlife. The Ghastly informed him that he would be called Nox, and his Trainer smirked, as once more, it seemed he'd found balance between light and dark. If Nox wanted to use Dark Pulse and ghost moves, Alex wasn't going to deny him. He was modest about how strong he was, in comparison to the rest of the rather fresh team, and Alex was glad he was almost a Haunter. Training up a Gengar was no easy task, and he didn't intend to put Nox through the emotional trauma of a trade.
"So Akos...you mentioned Koria does have some Trainers...what's their deal? Do you guys have a Pokémon League?" Alex asked, as he kept his head on a constant swivel while they walked. It was a leftover from his days of ranching, and keeping a constant eye out for trouble, that had proven useful in the Forest of Death, in war, and now again on a massive iceberg that his senses were telling him played home to far more than just Piplup, Spheal, and their evolutions.
Akos had his eyes in a similar pattern, though they were watching their back, and the sky, for many flying types used the iceberg to rest, before flying on, and some species had no qualms about hunting human. "We do...but it's more of an Earth Nation thing...they have the resources to set up Gyms and buy Pokéballs from the rest of the world, so it's usually Earthbenders and Earth Nation citizens who enter it. We used to have many Trainers...and then the Fire Nation combined the power of their element bending with the power of Fire Type Pokémon, and all but wiped out the Air Nation's nomads. With a bit of Imperium assistance...officially, the 'Air Rebels' were classified as 'mutants'. The Imperium brought in a Legion of their strongest Thunder Warriors to exterminate all four of their temples and subjugated the Impenetrable City a week later. The Fire Nation has been in charge of Koria ever since."
Alex arched a brow at the Korian man. "Wouldn't that make it the Penetrable City?"
Akos shook his head. "Impenetrable to anything the Ash Makers could bring to bear on it. They didn't realize how outclassed Koria was by the Imperium's technology. From what I've heard, the Earth Nation has been trying to fix that, by subtly educating more and more of their populace, though that's had...unintended consequences... for the Earth King."
"Educated people want the freedom to decide their own governance." Alex said, smirking knowingly, and Akos nodded.
"It's a bit of a clusterMuk of a Nation, but they're the only Nation able to counter the Fire Nation in terms of population size, Type advantage, and military strength. The Water Tribes have...never been very expansionist or...modern. Most of our elders are firmly stuck in their ways, and the enemy has made us pay for it. Repeatedly." Alex nodded silently as Akos finished.
----------------------------------------
Akos stopped then, at the edge of an icy ridge, that below, played home to many variations of the Spheal line, as well as the Seel line, living in harmony. The Empoleon kept watch over the herd as a whole, while the younger ones stayed in the water and snow. The water bender covered his boots in ice, and skated down the ridge, giving the Pokémon fins high fives as he went. As Alex followed, a Sealeo barred his path, until he explained that he was here with Akos, and also came in peace. The Sealeo still wanted a battle though, and Pruina obliged him, drawing attention as a pair of Thunderbolts, spaced out by an Ice Ball from the Sealeo, struck the large Pokémon. Alex gave him an Oran Berry, before moving on, and the Pokémon recovered the rest of his strength by taking a Rest.
Akos was already by the alpha Empoleon of the herd, by the time Alex caught up, and the westerner bowed in the Imperial style, as he approached. He looked to Akos then, "Let me guess. The Piplup you want is his offspring?"
The young man's mouth was slightly ajar as Alex spoke. "How did you…"
"It's a theme." Alex said, smirking, and turning to the Empoleon. "If you have doubts about entrusting a son to this Human, let me allay them." He lifted the robe he wore then, suppressing a shiver as the freezing air flowed within his warm shell. "I too am a Trainer...I will make sure Akos knows how to care for a Pokémon, before I am done in this region. You have my word."
The Empoleon seemed surprised he could understand the human at first, and after a long look into Alex's eyes, found no deceit. "Very well. You may take him. Make him strong."
----------------------------------------
The Piplup in question then was summoned with a deep honk from the Empoleon, and the tiny Pokémon strolled over to Akos, then chirped excitedly, as he saw the ball in the human's hand. Akos looked to his translator, as the excited Pokémon chirped at him. "What's he saying?"
"That he wants to be strong. That he wants to be your partner. Apparently, he's wanted that for some time now." Alex replied, smirking slightly.
Akos bopped the ball against the Piplup's beak, at which point it drew the Pokémon in, and dinged immediately, signaling a successful catch. That was when Lux took the initiative, floated out of Alex's pocket again, and reiterated the basic entries regarding what the scientific world knew of Piplup for the Water Nation native.
After that, the pair returned to town, Alex purchased overpriced but still useful Earth Nation clothing that, with its subdued black and brown colors, could be from any nation. He even incorporated his cloak into it, as it merged well with the shawl type garment, and hung around his larger frame from his shoulders, trailing in an epic fashion whenever he moved. He also had to put his hat away and swapped it with one that was more black than white, and still bore the symbol of his homeland. Apparently, getting tourists wasn't unheard of in the Earth Nation, but Akos still advised against wearing it in the Impenetrable City, which was their ultimate destination. His hood on the garment went over the hat, and he noted once again he was in Terra's colors. When he asked the earth tortoise's opinion though, he found his starter sleeping, and opted not to wake him.
----------------------------------------
After a decent amount of training, Pruina had grown large enough to comfortably fit the two men, though her shell still lacked firm handholds, and was more smooth than tough, for now. Their first destination was Shuoma, an Earth Nation city that, according to Akos, was still fighting the good fight against the Fire Nation.
With food, a disguise, and a ride in the form of Akos's bone and leather rowboat that Akos called an umiak, the two set out on the seas, heading north, towards Shuoma, as Pruina pulled them rapidly through the waves. Alex pondered the map he'd bought alongside their provisions, and his eyes narrowed slightly, as he saw something that looked like a city, with a slash through it. "Akos...this mark here...what is it signifying?"
Akos saw where he pointed, sighed heavily, and answered as he stared out at the ocean. "One of my tribe's greatest failures. The southern Air Temple once played home to our good friends, the Air Nomads...it was one of the first two temples that the Fire Nation attacked when their war of conquest began...about three hundred years ago, now." He turned to Alex then, and the Unovan quickly realized that this loss was one Akos and his tribe took seriously. "They were our best trading partners. Wise, humorous...and they were slaughtered for no other reason than a demonstration of power. By the time we knew, our fighters were too late to sail to aid them...but they went anyways."
----------------------------------------
Alex nodded, listening intently, and he noticed his Lapras was listening as well, though she did not completely understand, she knew a mournful tone when she heard one. Akos continued, "The southern and western temples fell quickly, and the Air Nation lost half of its people in one day. The Avatar of the era, an Airbender named Aang, was training at the easternmost temple at the time. He rallied the Earth Nation and the northern tribe of the Water Nation, before heading to the northern Air Temple, and evacuating the people there. The Earth Queen of that era agreed to ferry them eastward, and the war began in earnest. Then, one day, the Avatar vanished, along with his people, and the entire eastern Air Temple. Nobody knows where they went. The Fire Nation likes to pretend they're extinct."
Alex thought for a long moment, and then spoke. "This Avatar...did he return to fight once his people were safely vanished?"
Akos nodded. "Avatar Aang led a combination of all three Nations to the foot of the Regis Caldera, in the Fire Nation...right into the waiting jaws of a Legion of Thunder Warriors. Their counter-offensive shattered our forces and drove them all the way back to our current destination. Aang was finally brought low at the Straits of Shuoma...by an entire company of the Imperium's Thunder Warriors. The legends tell that he wiped out most if not all of them...but their Prime Archon eventually managed to kill him, and the cycle continued. The next Avatar was a ferocious warrior, from my own tribe...and for the crime of supporting her, the Fire Nation brought us low next. They took most of our benders, released and drove off our few tamed Pokémon, but we never lost hope. For the next century and a half after the Imperium forces were shifted elsewhere, Avatar Kora waged a secret war against the Fire Nation. She did well. Very well…too well. She brought the Imperium's attention back to Koria, and once more, the Thunder Warriors brought her low. It was a different Prime Archon leading them that time...they lured Avatar Kora into a trap, and then fired until there was nothing left of her. No ashes, no skeleton, nothing. Or so the story goes. People say the Avatar didn't reincarnate into the Earth Nation after that...but I'm not so sure any of that is what actually happened. The current Avatar should be about thirty by now, if they did reincarnate. Historically...that's how long mastering four elements takes. More or less."
Alex nodded again and tapped Pruina. She started picking up speed, and the wind began to affect his mop of curly hair, and Akos's perky ponytail as she swam quicker. "It seems to me, that every time your Guardian manages to strike back at the Fire Nation, the Thunder Warriors arrive to stop them. The Avatar is likely the Earth Nation's best kept secret...I need to speak to the...Earth Monarch. Do you know who currently reigns?"
----------------------------------------
Akos thought for a moment, then shrugged. "The last Earth Queen was a big supporter of the war effort...but when she died and was replaced, the Earth Nation seemed to...lose their spine. All I've heard of the current Earth King is that he's never left the Earth Palace. Without stiff resistance from the Earth Nation's army, we've had...peace, as the Imperium's Iterators call it...every few months the Fire Nation arrives to take what they like from the people of Koria. Money, heirlooms, wives, nobody can stop them, and the Thunder Warriors. I don't blame them for losing hope."
Alex turned his gaze northward, as he stood, and gave Pruina a scratch for the itch that rose behind her ear. "Hope is not going to oust the traitors, or the Imperium. But I'm willing to help." Akos began to say 'how', which was when the black and white plasma sword flew out of his bag, seemingly on its own, and then ignited in his right hand. The ocean around them was empty for miles, and Akos stared in awe as droplets from the waves marking their passage hissed against it. "You are not alone in this fight. Eous continues their long tradition of resisting the Imperium, and now, you have my aid as well."
Akos pulled out his own weapon then, oddly shaped and made of bone that shone like metal, marking it as being from a steel type. "All I have is this boomerang...how do I get one of those?" He said, as he gestured to the humming plasma sword.
----------------------------------------
Alex smirked, and stowed the blade then, and he felt his Holodex hum to life within his pack as Lux returned to whatever it was he did on the PokéNet. "With training...and practice. Lots of practice." The smirk widened as he saw the young man's eyes narrow, and he continued, "Well...I guess I could look."
Akos blinked. "Look?"
Alex chuckled, and then the smirk vanished back into the passiveness he usually wore. "Don't worry, it won't hurt."
Akos blinked again, as his voice cracked with mild panic. "Hurt!?" But Alex's eyes were already glowing an intense blue, as he focused his Future Sight on Akos. There wasn't enough power for an attack, but he could scry on his target's future, and gain an inkling to how they'd handle a psychic awakening. His eyes, especially his third, showed him many formulas, and it was easy to read those who would shirk their responsibility and go mad with the power.
Luckily, what he saw of Akos was the young man rising to some position of tribal prominence, being a great leader, and a great friend...to a figure his mind had trouble seeing, as it was cast in Shadow that refused to be removed. He sensed a mental wave of Light from Tao, and the image cleared, focused, and revealed a man in his prime, clad in a green training robe of one who practiced the martial arts. He and Akos had their arms clasped in the Norstad style, and the visions shifted, continuing, as Alex saw the pattern, and what it needed to occur. If he befriended the Guardian's Avatar, Akos would become a powerful ally. He nodded then, and his eyes returned to normal.
Akos just stared at him, boomerang raised defensively, as he felt nothing. He tried moving, and found it easy enough, though on a fast-moving umiak, shifting was a bad idea. He'd met the Lapras's eye as her Trainer's eyes started glowing, and the creature smirked, winked, and then continued speeding through the waves, testing her stamina, and pushing her limits.
----------------------------------------
"I will train you, if that is what you want. Only a certain kind of person can handle a sword like that. If you end up following the right path, I will awaken your talents." Alex said, once his eyes were a regular blue again.
"I kind of just wanted the...wait, I have the talent!?" Akos said, grinning. "Psychic Waterbenders are very powerful...and rare."
Alex frowned slightly, as he realized Akos had far to go. That explained why he'd been at least two decades older in his vision. "It is a heavy responsibility. I have yet to determine if you would truly be up for it...the future is...always moving. It's hard to see, and what is seen can change greatly...depending on your choices."
Akos pondered for a moment, and then snapped his fingers, deciding he definitely wanted a sword like that. "How about this: if I'm making the right choices, you give me a nod, yeah? That way you don't influence me too much, and I can tell if I'm straying. You seem...wise, for someone not much older than me...I'd like to learn what you know."
Alex smirked, and then turned to face their destination, with his arms crossed over his chest. "In time...perhaps. Your path is your own, but...I can provide an occasional sign post. Sure. Why not."
----------------------------------------
Pruina let out a cry, which drew the two men's attention towards their destination, and the mountain on the horizon. Before it, were a pair of cliffs, surrounding a waterway. It was almost like a fjord, but it lacked ice, and vegetation. Akos's face grew grim as he spoke. "The Straits of Shuoma...Aang's last stand."
The Water Nation youth bowed his head, but Alex looked around, keeping silent out of respect. There were craters everywhere, in almost perfect lines, and he knew then that the rumors of the Thunder Warrior's ranged weapons, Bolters, guns whose projectiles exploded on contact, were not exaggerated. They would need to be dealt with when the time came for battle, otherwise a genetically enhanced army of such warriors with those weapons would be unstoppable. There were other marks as well though, and his psychic sight picked up residual energy that almost seemed like Light, and yet it was also different to the Light he knew. "Sensus."
Akos glanced towards Alex as his Orbeetle appeared, and hopped onto his shoulder. "Get a trace on this energy...it will lead us to the Avatar." Sensus blipped an acknowledgement, and then quietly began blipping, as Pruina glided through the straits. She too was surveying the damage, and as she ducked under the water line, Alex merged their sight. The barren, rocky bed below was also devoid of vegetation, and looked like it too had been used in the battle. He could not yet picture how one person fought with four elements at once, but from what he had seen so far, the fighting had only gotten more intense closer to the mountainous city in the distance.
----------------------------------------
Then, right before the straits ended in a small beach, with odd looking stairs leading up the cliffs, Alex saw the final mark of battle. Akos hid his umiak as they slid ashore, and Alex recalled Pruina as Sensus continued to blip. He breathed deep then, and reached out mentally to the shard of a Splash Plate he'd acquired from Connor what seemed like a lifetime ago. It glowed blue, and he let the energy flow through his body's network. Once it was suffused, he raised both hands towards the water, and though he was surprised at how hard it was to move relatively little water, the shallow waves of the strait parted, as Akos stared on in disbelief. "You never said you were a bender!"
"I'm...not…" Alex managed through the strain of holding the water in place. He took a deep breath as he inhaled, raised his arms higher, and revealed what lay at the bottom. "Look…" Akos did as he was bid before he could point out that the westerner did in fact seem to be bending, and he fell to his knees as he saw the grim reality of his region's situation.
Within a crater caused by what seemed to have been a massive release of power of some description, was the remnants of a suit of 'rock armor' that Earth Nation benders tended to use when fighting in close quarters. It was cut perfectly in two, but within the rock, were hints of white, the color of bone.
Sensus flew down towards it, and made a mournful blip, before returning to his Trainer. "I have the trail...this sacrifice was not in vain."
----------------------------------------
Alex exhaled, and the waves once more covered the grave of the former Avatar. "Sensus has what he needs. We can track the Avatar now." He put a clenched fist to an open palm, and bowed towards the remains. "The third round of this battle is only just beginning."
Akos nodded, and his fists were similarly clenched, as the two men ascended the stairs towards the mountain. Alex kept Sensus on his shoulder as they approached, and while he did not sense the Guardian's Avatar in Shuoma, he blipped excitedly as they came closer.
Akos looked up from staring at the ground as Shuoma loomed over them. "Is he-"
"No." Alex said, crushing the hope in his companion's eyes. "But they were here at some point...and we need supplies. Information. Someone in this city knows the current Avatar...we just need to figure out who. Keep searching from your ball, Sensus...I don't want anyone trying to steal you while we're here."
The psychic bug blipped in acknowledgement, and returned to his ball, as the two men began the long climb towards the Earth Nation city of Shuoma.