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The Ocean Around Wailord Tail Island - Koria Region

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"Incoming landing!" One of the Fire Navy soldiers shouted, and each of them stood at attention on the deck of their Imperium Class Fire Cruiser, as the blue burning taillight from their Princess's black scaled Charizard appeared on the horizon. Each one of the soldiers was garbed in tones of black and varying shades of red and had a vaguely skull-like white faceplate covering their faces. Their heads shifted, as they saw Prince Okuz emerge from within the ship. His golden eyes were narrow, and intense. His dark hair was bound in a distinctive royal ponytail. His armor was the heavier version of the standard Fire Nation uniform, and it covered his comparatively paler skin well in the colder southern climate of their region. He stood between both lines of soldiers on the deck, arms behind his back as he watched his sister approach.

The door to the inner ship compartments opened and closed again, but the soldiers knew better than to look, this time. Okuz muttered to his uncle, a long-retired Fire Admiral, and a Dragon in his own right. "She doesn't look happy, Uncle."

The old man stroked the longest point of his tri-pointed Fire Nation style beard. "She never is." Being a retired Admiral, Iroh of the Fire Nation had let himself go, just a bit. He'd actually trimmed down recently, as this trip forced him into a diet of primarily noodles and salty pork, while his niece and nephew hunted uselessly for traces of the Avatar. They had been at it for well over four years now. Koria's Guardian had evaded their grandfather Sozin, and their female incarnation, Kora, had encountered and fought their father, Iroh's brother Ozai, many times, without capture. But that had been in his youth. Their final clash had seen Ozai the victor over the aged Water Nation woman. Since declaring himself the 'Phoenix King' after his triumph, Ozai liked to think of himself as the strongest Trainer in the Fire Nation.

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Princess Aluza came in with a landing that could only be described as hot, for her Charizard shared her mood. She ripped off her helmet and slammed it into the metal deck of the ship, as blue colored fire accompanied and propelled it over the side. She stormed towards her family then, and Okuz met her gaze, without letting his eyes linger on the burn mark that covered almost the entire left side of her face. She hid the deformity, usually, with a golden metal face covering, but it was impractical in combat, under a Fire Navy helmet. Her own outfit was lighter, letting her keep her speed and not die of dehydration in the humid swamp.

She began to storm past Okuz, but her unscarred brother stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. Aluza looked at him, ready to strike, until she saw the cold gleam in his eye, that made her hesitate. "Did you find them?"

Aluza exhaled, and the air steamed as she did. "No. They were long gone by the time we showed up. The swamp tribe, the Rebels, the only thing we encountered was some sort of fire-resistant swamp spirit. We couldn't even burn it down. The entire place was too damp...but the Rebels have clearly moved on."

Okuz's thin eyebrows narrowed. "You had orders to burn that swamp to the-"

"Let's take this discussion inside, Prince Okuz…" Iroh said, intervening. "There's no point in angering a Spirit by burning a swamp nobody lives in. The Fire Nation has enough problems, without retribution from Spirits." Iroh had placed a hand on both of his younger family member's shoulders, and the siblings shared a look, before sighing, and shoving their way free of his grip as they went inside. Aluza paused by the door to glare at the troops. "Be sure that Cae is well fed. Or she will feed on you." Her Charizard gave the soldiers a deeply unsettling grin, as she heard her Trainer.

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Aluza didn't even wait for the cries of 'Yes Princess Aluza!' before she slammed the black iron door and followed after her brother and uncle. The old man had gone to her brother's room, as being the leader of their expedition, he had the largest space. Iroh was brewing a pot of tea as she entered, and Okuz was standing before his wallcovering of the Fire Nation's symbol, arms behind his back as he stared at his sister expectantly. "I hope, for your sake, that you did not return without any kind of trail…"

Aluza scowled at her brother. "All trails end at the ocean, when dealing with the Rebels. I told you they had Waterbenders. They've probably gone back to Minjujuui City by now."

Iroh spoke then, as he poured the Jasmine tea, but neither of his nephews moved to take a cup. "I can handle Minjujuui. President Raiko and I have established a working diplomatic relationship."

Okuz spoke then, and Iroh sighed inwardly at his words. "We've tried playing politics, Uncle. It has gotten us nothing...our father will not tolerate failure forever…"

Iroh gave his best attempt at a devious smirk then, but whatever evil had infected his brother's side of the family, it had skipped him, entirely. Mostly, he looked constipated to the younger firebenders as he said, "I will occupy Raiko's focus, and the focus of his police. While they're distracted, you two will enter their sewers. It is the most likely place, for Rebels to hide."

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Aluza and Okuz grimaced, and the sister was the one to speak next. "Surely not, Uncle...what sane person would ever hide in a sewer? Being surrounded by a city's worth of filth would invite disease."

"Not if you can bend the filth out of your way…" Okuz said, as he stroked his chin, and thought it over. "It's out of sight, nobody would willingly go there, and they're surrounded by a favorable element that none of our soldiers would want to be hit with...I agree, Uncle. The sewer does seem like the place this...General Meelo would hide. We'll need a trail to follow first. I don't want to wander the sewers of an entire city without a lead."

Iroh nonchalantly sipped his tea, as Okuz spoke. "Greed is a powerful motivator for the less fortunate. Give them currency, and they are likely to have information for you."

Aluza sneered at her uncle. "You expect us to trust some street hobo? We only have Fire Nation coins, and not many of those remain, after keeping you fed, old man. We should dispose of the hobo once they stop being useful. Father would not want loose ends."

Iroh sighed deeply, but his niece and nephew sat at the table then, and drank from their tea, hiding their enjoyment of it in their own way, as the three continued to strategize.

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The Spirit Portals - Spirit World

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"What's wrong?" Came Lux's concerned tones, but Alex waved him away, as his headache faded.

"I... saw something…" He looked at the tree again, and at the hollow within.

Alex fought down a sense of the urge to upchuck his lunch as the mere thought of wanting to see inside of it, brought him to the edge of the tree's hollow. He gripped the edge, and held still for a minute, until the sensation of vertigo faded. He blinked, as he sensed his ghosts floating up behind him. Lux looked around rapidly, as if seeing something above and around them within the tree's hollow, but Nox was focused on his Trainer, with a mutually blank expression, that formed into an unsettling approximation of Alex's own smirk.

"Interesting...that you would end up here, of all places…what did you see?"

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"Some sort of...evil kite ghost. It was imprisoned here, once. So... you know where we are?" Alex said, arching an eyebrow at his newest ghost, and the Ghastly nodded.

"The Tree of Souls…" He said in his soft, but haunting baritone, "The exact center of the Spirit World. From here, one can see the past, present, and future all at once...if their spirit is balanced."

Alex nodded. "Then it's most likely here that I'll find the answer to our Mega Evolution problem…" He looked at Lux, then. "See anything?"

"Mars." Lux said, frowning as he zipped around. "It seems like a fixed point in the Time Nexus, likely the closest to the present...it keeps popping up. Just a planetary view of the Red Planet."

Alex frowned as well, and his thoughts drifted back to what Tao had said of the Imperator, and his current distraction. He was obsessed with the Moon, and getting beyond it, to space itself. Humanity's first logical step into space had always been Mars, and it was rumored that some humans still lived on the Moon, from the ages before Pokémon and the old civilizations, but most people treated the stories about 'ancient Moon Men' as fairy tales. According to Tao, they were very real, and worth allying with. They were master politicians, and the Imperator had been forced into constant retreat, personally, with the weapons and technology the Moon residents had access to. Apparently, they also had Pokémon, and every member of their society was a Trainer of some description. So far, the Imperium's attempts at space warfare had been pitiful by comparison, so diplomacy had begun, and the process promised to be a long and arduous one.

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Tao himself, now that they were at peace, was focused on winning them allies on the Moon by giving them an alternative to becoming slaves of the Imperium, and that effort was what had taken up most of his time in the few weeks since the conflict ended. Alex glanced outside the tree, and then at his partners. "I need you two on opposite sides of me...here, and here." He said, pointing and guiding them. The two ghosts shifted, and Alex sat cross legged within the center of their opposing energies, as he began to meditate.

Within the tree, he discovered, his psychic abilities were somewhat more intact. It seemed that within the Tree of Souls, he could use his third eye, at least. With it, he saw what Lux had been staring at, and as he looked around at the various, shifting moments of time around him, fragments of the lives that had and would come to rest in this realm, he saw one in particular that drew his focus.

Every Trainer worth their balls knew Alain, the now former Champion of Kalos. The vision showed him, mega evolving his Charizard for battle, and as Alex watched, he saw something he'd never noticed back when Mega Bracelets and Mega Stones were still the preferred method. Energy from the two stones connected in the air and the reaction from the human's Key Stone gave the Pokémon in question enough energy to evolve past their final form. The scene replayed over and over, and Alex stared, as an idea began to form.

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He hopped out of the tree with a single leap, and called out Arbor, who glanced around at their strange surroundings, and then at his Trainer. "Arbor...we need to try something. I intend to practice this with everyone eventually, but for now, I'd rather have you try this first. I think I've figured out our Mega Evolution problem."

Since finding a cache of Plates in Fornia, Alex had made sure to keep spare Plate crystals on hand, just in case. Alex handed him a Meadow Plate crystal then, and the Sceptile eyed it for a long time, before clenching it in his claw. Alex held a similar shard from Draconis Mons, theoretically of the same Plate. Instead of just pointing it at Arbor and guiding the energy into him, Alex held it up, as Pokémon and Trainer locked eyes. Then, almost by itself, the two Plate crystals harmonized, and strands of green Infinity Energy leapt from each crystal and connected the green energy in the air above them. Arbor's eyes widened as he sensed the power of the dragon typing become his, and with a roar, he took the form beyond his final evolution.

"Seed Bomb!" Alex said, pointing randomly in the distance. The Mega Sceptile responded rapidly to his command, swirling in place, and launching his tail pods, and tip, at the area. The attack left tiny craters in the landscape on the darker side of the area but given that craters covered the rest of the visible area on the edges of the darkness, Alex assumed the rest of that side's terrain was similar.

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Arbor stepped into the light side of the mountainous encircled area, and inhaled, enjoying the light, warmth, and life as only a grass type could. After a few moments, he let the Mega Form fade, and Alex left him to bask as he entered the tree once more. This time, both Lux and Nox were eyeing the tree's once more invisible visions, and Alex joined them. "That was a good start. If I can teach everyone how to resonate like that with the crystals and their partners, we can avoid a crisis. Potentially. I'll have to try it with my own Key Stone too... if I can find one. The real issue will be finding enough of the Plate shards...now then...let us find our path to this...Raava."

As Alex spoke the name, the fragments of visions coalesced into one massive vision that drew the trio's eyes as it coalesced. An idyllic landscape, still in the Spirit World, filled it. There was a small building that almost looked like a Korian shop of some description, and in the distance, a massive mountain loomed over the scene. Alex swore he saw something yellow flying around the summit, but he knew the focus of their search was at the hut in the foreground, given how the vision centered upon it.

"That is our destination...now, we have to find the others. If they were here, they would've approached by now...which means they've wandered off. Nox, can you guide us to them?" Alex said as he stood, and stepped from the tree.

Nox nodded his entire 'body' as he floated in place. "I can sense which direction they are in... but they could have wandered far. The Spirit World can be...disorienting to Humans."

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Alex gestured for the Gastly to take the lead, as he recalled Lux and Arbor. As they began walking, Alex realized that his connection to his other Pokémon was weaker, almost non-existent, in this realm of ghostly energy. "It is a realm of Dark Energy too…" Nox said, as he heard his Trainer's thoughts, "but there is also Light. The spirits live within the balance...but Humans, especially corporeal Humans, can easily unbalance everything with their wild emotions. They have before. Take care to stay calm."

Alex smirked at the ghost as he spoke within his head. "Don't worry about me...be more concerned about Ara and Akos. Boto is probably fine, but those two...have a way to go."

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Meanwhile… - Elsewhere in the Spirit World

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Akos and Ara found themselves opening their eyes to what seemed to be another swamp, though this one was darker. The water wasn't wet, as they waded through it, and though they could bend it, they lost control of it shortly after moving it around a bit. If attacked, their counters would need to be swift, single strikes.

Akos had attempted to hack their way through the Spirit Wilds but had very quickly learned that plants in this realm fought back. They made their way mostly by moving or holding the brush aside with teamwork, and their progress was only halted, by a discovery. Ara and Akos stared upwards, at the impossible, and frankly magnificent building that was seemingly hanging upside down in the canopy of the spirit trees. Each of the building's corners had a tall, thin spire of stone reaching towards the forest's floor. A domed building sat behind a central one, with a smaller pillar of rock atop it as well.

Ara called out Oogie, and the two climbed atop his back as the sky bison ascended without becoming entangled in the relatively wide clearing the strange upside-down building created within this forested space. Their perception of their surroundings flipped as they ascended, and Oogie lost his balance, as the world seemed to spin. He flopped onto the stone floor of the building's entrance with an unamused groan, and Ara recalled him, as the two siblings ventured within.

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The interior of the building was primarily white, and surprisingly bright. A network of straight crossways provided travel over a seemingly bottomless void to the thousands of shelves of books that filled this grand room. Spiral staircases of what seemed like marble led up to further levels, with even more bookcases. "What...is this place?" Akos wondered aloud, as he stared around in awe.

A deep, powerful, and feminine voice rang from all around the two humans. "This...is a sanctum of knowledge...a Library for...spirits." The pair didn't have to wait long for the speaker to show herself, for she stepped forward from her unseen hiding place upon realizing what had stumbled into her abode this time. "Humans...interesting...where are you from, mortals?"

Ara eyed the figure in disbelief. She was vaguely human in appearance, but every sense the young waterbender had was telling her this was in no way a human. Once, perhaps. But no longer. She towered by what seemed to the humans like hundreds of feet above them. Her skin tone was a darker brown than any Korian, and her garments were foreign, and pure white with golden highlights. A pair of unsettling and burning gold eyes glowed from beneath her ornate white hood, but she had a kind smile, and that more than anything made Ara trust her, in that moment.

"We are Waterbenders...of the Koria region. I am Ara, that's Akos." She said, gesturing to her gawking brother.

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The smile faded, and the woman almost grimaced. "Humans of Koria are no longer welcome in my Library…" At her words, there was a slight flapping noise, barely perceptible, as a shiny Decidueye perched upon the woman's left shoulder. His cloak of feathers was black as the night, and his legs and underbelly were an unsettling white. Instead of a blue cowl, his was the same color of gold as his Trainer's eyes. He screeched at the humans and flared his wings offensively at them from his perch.

"Hush, Wan Jian. They are of the water, not the flame." The giant spoke, and the ghostly bird turned his body around in a huff, stood tall again, and then glowered at the pair by turning his neck all the way around as the giant woman spoke again. "I am Kormir, the...caretaker...of the knowledge within this wondrous place. Why have you come here, Humans?"

Akos spoke up this time. "We seek knowledge of the Imperium of Man, and the Fire Nation. Got any books on them?"

Kormir seemed to give a deep, mournful sigh. "Humans...you never change...the sum of countless sources of knowledge at your fingertips, and you seek only to continue your own cycle of slaughter. I will have no part in it."

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Akos seemed put out by her response and spoke before Ara could shut him up. "But they murder people! Families! Fathers, brothers...and what they do to our women...I suppose it's too 'uncultured' for a place like this." Akos crossed his arms defiantly, daring the giant woman to tell him otherwise.

The giant woman's eyes seemed to burn brighter. "Long are the list of atrocities committed by your species, and you have no idea of their scope, or consequence. What has happened to your people is kind, by comparison. The information you seek was burned away, by a Firebender, also of Koria. There was much to be learned from the Imperium's rise, and now, it is ash. Be gone, Humans...I will not have my books ruined by your bending as well."

As Akos let out several choice swears upon hearing that, Ara spoke this time. "Please, noble Kormir, we seek only to help our region. If you will not tell us about our enemies, please, guide us to the Avatar of our region. They are the only hope we have of restoring balance to our home…"

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Kormir glanced at Wan Jian, and the Decidueye shrieked, and turned his beak up in haughty defiance and with a clear air of superiority. The woman scritched under his chin then, and the angry ghost owl could not resist the smile that crept onto his beak. She turned back to Ara, her face and tone calmer. "I refused the Firebender's request for that knowledge because he was a brute...but he brought a sufficient donation to my collection...even if he ended up burning large swathes of it...what do you bring?"

Ara and Akos shared a look, and Ara shrugged, as she had nothing but water skins for bending and drinking. Akos snapped his fingers then, and smirked. "Have you…" He fished in the pockets of his furry, deep blue attire as he spoke, "Seen one of these?" He held up the ball of his Piplup, who he'd since nicknamed Pado.

Kormir leaned in to look, and an eyebrow arched as Akos pressed the button, and enlarged the ball. Another press brought the Piplup out, and after a brief yawn, he locked eyes with Wan Jian. The grass and ghost typed owl smirked and mocked the tiny penguin with a sardonic call of its species name, and Pado took immediate offense, bouncing around and hurling obscenities, until Akos recalled the tiny, angry penguin. Kormir spoke again. "I have heard of the capture technology of your planet...I did not think it would be so...small. You could fit several in a single pocket."

Akos nodded, still smirking. "And that's why we call them Pokémon. Pocket monsters! Consider that to be my contribution to your knowledge." He said smugly, as he returned the ball to his pocket and crossed his arms, in victory.

Kormir didn't blink, but rather just seemed to stare, for a long time, at Akos. Her face might as well have been a cliffside for all that could be gleaned from her neutral expression. Finally, she nodded, slowly. "I suppose that counts." The burning eyes shifted to Ara then. "And you?"

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Ara thought for a long time about what knowledge might be accepted, then, she shrugged. "Can you keep a secret?"

That, made the giant glowing woman smile at an irony neither of them could ever comprehend. "I can. But why would I? Knowledge should be shared."

Ara scowled. "Because I don't want what I tell you to be given to the next bender who wanders in here."

Kormir's smile lessened, but it was still there, as she stared down Ara. "I will be moving soon...too many Humans have found this place lately. It is time to move...elsewhere." Wan Jian nodded sagely in agreement. When that did not satisfy the waterbender's scowl, Kormir sighed, lightly. Despite her attitude, she found the young woman likeable, and familiar in many ways to how she had been, as a mortal human. "I will not pass on what you tell me, Ara of the Water Nation. You have my word."

Ara glanced at the Pokémon on her shoulder, and Kormir murmured to him. Wan Jian dropped from his perch then, sailing down into the pit below the many crossways before using the vast space to arc up again, and fly off to a different part of the building that each of the humans realized, the longer they were here, was bigger on the inside. Once the ghost owl left, Ara spoke. "The Korian rebellion against the Fire Nation, is headquartered within Minjujuui City."

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Kormir nodded, as she understood that this information was valuable, to Ara, and secret to many. That gave it some amount of power, that only Kormir would benefit from. "Your contributions are accepted. You may browse the library until it is time for us to depart, in an attempt to find your regional Guardian. Ask one of the Thievul if you need refreshments."

Akos tilted his head. "Thievul?"

From behind them, came a soft padding sound, and the siblings turned to see a red Thievul, tail full of something she had undoubtedly stolen, trotted by them with a greeting of "Thieve." She moved towards Kormir, knelt, and then deposited the tail's worth of acquired books and tomes before her. Kormir nodded, as she looked them over, waved a hand over the pile of books, and sent them sailing away to where they were best suited.

"Well done, Caithe. Go enjoy a well-earned rest, and be aware, we are moving soon. Tell the others to return swiftly or be left behind."

The Thievul inclined her head in a slow, respectful nod and then trotted off further into the library. Ara and Akos bowed as well, and the giant woman smiled, and then vanished in a flash of light as she left them to peruse.

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Ara soon became distracted by the wealth of knowledge as most of the Avatar related history had either been burnt or was something she already knew. Eventually, she spent her time practicing her waterbending, near one of the fountains she'd found within a rather lavish room, without a giant gaping hole in the floor. It was its own part of the library, almost entirely different in design to the central chamber, and yet also full of water, and perfect for her needs. She felt several Thievul and Nickit eyes upon her as she practiced, but she made no move to purposely damage the waterbending scrolls in Kormir's collection.

Akos convinced one of the younger Thievul, after giving it a treat, to get him a Pokédex. In response, the thieving fox had guided him to a room full of the devices, some in disrepair, and many from separate regions, and even separate decades. He settled on a blue Holoceiver that he knew had a built-in Pokédex, and Pokénet access as well, though there was no service in this plane of existence. Feeling more like a real Trainer, he began wandering, giving his new Thievul friend an occasional scratch behind the ear as he traveled beside Akos and Pado.

The two stayed for several hours, and Kormir agreed to let Ara keep the scrolls, and Akos keep his new Holoceiver, but only if they cherished both for as long as they lived, and ensured they were passed on. Their word was honest enough for Kormir, and as the pair left on Oogie, who once more lost his equilibrium mid-flight, they saw the library turned upside down again, and then in an instant, it was gone without so much as a flash.

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Oogie landed in the spirit jungle once more, and Ara rubbed his head as they took a minute to get their bearings. "I know big guy, but we won't have to do that again." "Booouuuuufff." Oogie said, before drenching the Waterbender in a juicy tongue-lick. The sky bison's droopy ears twitched, as something came through the brush towards them. Oogie snorted, and lowered his head, until he saw the human from earlier, and a Gastly, emerge from the foliage.

"Not bad, Nox." Alex said, as he eyed the pair. "Ara. Akos. We know where this...Raava is. Maybe. Nox can guide us...wait, where's Boto?"

Ara and Akos shared a look. "He wasn't with you?"

Alex thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I didn't sense him...but this plane wreaks havoc with psychic abilities. I didn't see him around, but looking around was kind of…vertigo-inducing. It stopped once I left that place. I think I appeared in one of the strongest centers of ghost energy on this plane."

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Akos lowered his head, and then shook it. "We need to focus on finding the Avatar...once we get to wherever you think we need to go, we can look for Boto and circle back. We can't just blindly wander this place...it's...weird."

Ara pulled water, and quite a bit of it, from the air around them in a swirling rotation of her arms and body and smirked at her brother as she guided into his face. "I kind of like it here. I've finally gotten the hang of bending the water."

Whatever Ara had discovered was a mystery to Alex, as his sight was as simple as it had been when he'd first acquired it. He could see her normal and water typing with a glance, but peering into another's energy flow was a technique that required the mind's eye.

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As the group trekked onwards behind Nox, he told his Trainer they were nearing their destination, and when they were a few minutes away, that was when trouble struck. Other ghost types, primarily Dusknoir, had been seen by the humans as they made their way, but most of the inhabitants of the Spirit World ignored the humans in their midst, and the humans in turn did their best not to disturb the spirits.

The disturbance began when they entered a clearing, near the edge of the latest patch of spirit jungle. In the distance was the mountain Alex had seen in the Tree of Souls, but it was still far away. Out of nowhere, a Mismagius appeared before them, with a grin that looked downright unsettling, made only more unsettling by the aura of Shadow she radiated, and the Ultra Ball in her ghostly hand.

Alex and Nox barely had a second to react, before the Mismagius threw the ball, and revealed a Copperajah, radiating a far stronger aura of Shadow. The tranquility of the Spirit World was shattered with the metallic elephant's shriek, as the Shadow drove the usually rather friendly Pokémon into the kind of mindless rage it only experienced during its mating season. The angry male's shriek echoed for miles, and then, it charged the humans. Behind it, the Mismagius began chanting, low and fast, and too drowned out by the oncoming steel titan to be heard by Alex.

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Nox heard his command though and moved to enact it as soon as he said, "Confuse Ray." The ball of gas floated before the Copperajah, and his eyes flared as he used a blinding flash to further disorient the Shadow Pokémon. It turned as it charged, mistaking a spirit tree for the humans as it bashed into the tree's trunk, and began to savagely thwack it with its own trunk. That left Nox to handle the Mismagius, and he would have, if the magic wielding ghost hadn't fired off a Psychic attack while Nox was distracted. The wave of psychic energy sent him towards the enraged Copperajah, and he passed through the rampaging steel type, just in time to be hammered hard by a swing of his powerful trunk.

Wisps of his gaseous body faded away, and seeing this, Nox's eyes narrowed. He expanded his body then, encompassing the Copperajah within the space of two seconds. Alex blinked, as he recognized Fire Punch being used from gaseous arms against their opponent, and after a brutal hammering, the Shadow Pokémon finally fell over, fainted. The struggle had left Nox weakened, but he had enough left for the Mismagius.

He floated slowly back to face the smirking ghost witch, and then he closed his eyes, and inhaled, drawing in the life essence of the Spirit World itself to capitalize upon the boost that fresh battle experience had given him. His body glowed impossibly bright, and became more corporeal, as he became a Haunter. The grin he gave the Mismagius as the light of evolution faded made her flinch, and Nox used his new hands to summon a ball of shadow, and a sloppily condensed spherical blob of a Dark Pulse. The Haunter's eyes glanced at his Trainer then, and Alex nodded, producing a Spooky Plate crystal, and holding it up as it gave Nox the boost he needed to form, or attempt to form, a Taijitu move. Lux had filled his head with stories and images, and now that Nox had hands, Alex knew exactly how eager he was to try one for himself.

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The shard of Plate gave Nox what he'd required, and both orbs swelled, combined, and were then hurled at the Mismagius all at once. Shadowy flames were sent out from the ghost mage to meet the combined spherical move, but the Shadow Move was overpowered by the dense swirling ball. Nox directed his new limbs upwards with glee, and his Trainer watched the ghost control the energy orb, as it rose and simultaneously pummeled the Mismagius into the 'sky' and then out of the Spirit World entirely, somewhere between it, and the prime plane of existence.

Alex started a slow clap, which Akos joined, as Ara facepalmed. Nox smirked, and bowed, then opened his toothy maw as Alex tossed a Sitrus Berry his way. There was a heartbreakingly mournful sound that drew the group's attention, as they saw the Copperajah, still wounded from the fiery pummeling Nox had given it. Alex approached, and Nox hovered over his shoulder, still ready to punch it down again if the Shadow drove it to further violence.

The metallic trunk weakly reached out to the human, and mentally, Alex kept Nox from reacting, as he reached out and touched it. With that contact came memories. Several Cuphant, a herd of its own kind, likely in Galar, at least he assumed it was Galar, until one of its memories of wandering showed him a city that, judging by the architecture, had to be situated in the Indius region. There were more, so very many more memories, many involving a vague half-remembered human shape, but Alex knew he had limited time. "I don't know if this is going to work, in this realm...but I can try to free you of the Shadow...just stay calm and try to focus on your family." The Copperajah's breathing was ragged, and the raspy sound was echoing through its metallic body. He didn't need a Pokémon Nursing Degree to know it was dying. He could sense how thoroughly the Shadow had been infused, but he reached for the Light anyways, in an attempt to save its life.

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His psychic aura flared but was pushed down by the constant and oppressive ghost energy in the Spirit World. He tried seven times, before he too was panting, and frustrated. Without a psychic connection, it was impossible to let the Light flow into his chakra network from the surrounding universe, assuming he was still even in his universe. The Copperajah seemed to give in as he nodded at Alex, withdrew his trunk, and closed his eyes. They opened again, as they heard a slapping sound. Alex had enough power to pull the metallic elephant's ball to his hand, and he met the Pokémon's gaze. "Hang on...once we are out of this realm, I will be able to cleanse you...but you will need to fight to stay alive. Don't give up. Your story will not end like this…stay alive, and I will get you home again."

He recalled the Pokémon then and minimized the ball. Theoretically, that should've sent it back to whatever storage dimension the ball was linked to and keep the Pokémon in stasis. Such safeguards were put in place for those the ball's sensors deemed critically wounded. Hopefully whoever had infused it in the first place did not try withdrawing it, as that would teleport the Pokéball to them. To do so was almost certain death for the creature. Alex looked at the others. "We need to move quickly. Nox, guide us forward."

The Haunter looked around, and then zipped towards the edge of the clearing. "We are already here…" He pulled aside the foliage with his new hands, that he very much seemed to enjoy having, and beyond it, was the building Alex had seen within the Tree of Souls. He walked towards it at a quick pace, and his longer purposeful stride left the Korians needing to almost jog to keep up with him.

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As he stopped outside the house, Alex squinted at the writing, as it wasn't in Common, and didn't use any runes he was familiar with. Their shapes were thin lines mostly, almost reminiscent of buildings or towers, but he recognized written language when he saw it. "That's odd…"

"What is it?" Akos asked, as he and Ara caught up.

Alex gestured to the shack. "This writing...I was told once that the last Human to tame Arceus made a wish...that all languages would coalesce into one. Some others survived the Dark Times, but not many, and none like this…"

Akos peered at the runes as well. "Looks almost like Japanese to me. But it isn't, that much I'm sure of. If it was, I could read it."

"If I had my psychic sight, I could divine its meaning...but I'm less than useless in this realm of ghosts." Alex sighed, and then looked around the front of the shack. There was a table just outside of it, one that could seat six, at least. It was bare, save for a solitary teapot that had been left upon it.

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He looked around the clearing several more times, as did Lux and Nox, and after a minute, Alex noticed Nox staring at the teapot. "What is it?" He asked the Haunter. "Thirsty? I have one of those, but we could use this pot if you prefer."

"That...would be a bad idea, for me." The poisonous ghost replied in his head, as he chuckled. "That is no ordinary teapot."

Alex peered closer at it, and then stepped back. "Lux." The plasma ghost hopped in his sword, and Alex soon had the black and white plasma blade leveled at the teapot. Ara and Akos stared at him, wondering if the ghost realm was starting to affect his mind, as he threatened pottery. "Why don't you show yourself?" Alex said, as he spoke to the ancient looking pot. "We won't hurt you...so long as you don't hurt us."

Silence reigned as the three humans watched the teapot. It was gray in color, with an ancient looking wooden handle, and it seemed to be made of clay. A beige swirl marked either side of it, and after several moments, it sighed, and came to life.

A tiny white and blue head poked up from under the top of the teapot, and the Polteageist within stared at Alex with its swirly, light blue eyes. He didn't need his Pokédex to know this Polteageist was different, and he blinked, as his eyes brought its type to the fore, for him to see. He and Lux relaxed, as they saw the symbol of the Alpha Pokémon, on what had to be the first genuine Light type, aside from Arceus, that he had encountered.

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The head poked up further, as the black and white plasma sword deactivated, and Lux flew out of it. He bowed, as did Nox. Alex glanced between them, and then inclined his head in a respectful nod towards the inhabited teapot. "That's it. Come on out...I think you can help us."

The tea ghost's eyes moved between his ghosts, and then fell on Alex. A soft, calming voice echoed in his head. It reminded him very much of Arceus, in that he felt calmer as he heard it within his skull. It was nowhere near as commanding, though. "Why...would I help you, Human?"

Alex hung the plasma sword's hilt back on his belt, and stepped closer, stopping after two steps. "I am Alex, of the Unova region." He gestured to Ara and Akos. "This is Ara and Akos, Waterbenders of the Koria region. We seek Koria's Guardian, Raava, and her Avatar. We wish to aid them in restoring Koria's balance."

The Polteageist let out a sad sigh. "Unfortunately...that may no longer be possible." Alex's brows furrowed, but before he could respond, tiny white and blue legs popped out of the teapot, and it walked over to Alex, looking up at him, as it continued to wear the removable top part of the pot as a tiny clay hat. "I am Kashiji. Raava was once carried in my pot in a weakened state by her first Avatar, a human called Wan. He was...a good friend to the spirits. Your aura reminds me of him."

Alex gave another respectful nod. "I'll consider that a compliment."

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The talking teapot gained a slight amount of sass to his tone as he responded. "You should. He was a good Human...one of the few decent specimens your race has spawned, over the centuries. Because of Raava's time within this pot, I came into existence, once she left with Wan to bring balance to our home. I have stayed here ever since, watching her adventures through our faint, but lingering connection."

Akos spoke then. "That's great! So, you can tell us where she is now. You're connected to her."

Kashiji looked at Akos and shook its head. "Unfortunately, I am no longer connected to her...Avatar Kora had...an intense battle with the Fire Lord, Ozai, at the end of her life. To counter Raava's Light, he embraced the power of the Shadow, and it has since taken him over. With it, he severed Kora's link to her past lives, and Raava's spirit. For a time. Kora was able to reunite with Raava and drive the Fire Lord back, but the effort caused her to eventually reincarnate...the current Avatar has no spiritual connection to their past lives. They probably aren't even aware of Raava. The battle severely weakened her...it may be several cycles before she awakens again. Because the connection to Kora's past selves was severed, their combined knowledge, their power, what made the Avatar such a capable Guardian of Koria, has lessened significantly."

Alex absently stroked his curly dark brown beard as he absorbed the information. "In my experience, the Shadow has always yielded to the Light. Is it not weak to it?"

Kashiji nodded. "The Shadow is weak to concentrated Light energy, but Light energy like Raava's is also susceptible to the Shadow, if it is strong enough. In balanced amounts, they are equal. Arceus made it all but impossible for Shadow energy to become so concentrated...but there is one entity who embodies the Shadow, that is able to wield it against the Light to great effect. The first and eternal Champion of the Shadow, and the being responsible for our two planes being connected. Vaatu. Raava's counterpart. It was his power that first forged the bridges to your planet and infected it with Shadow energy. Even if you slay Ozai, it will persist. If you Purge it with Light, it will return. Vaatu is relentless."

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

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Alex grimaced. "This Vaatu entity wouldn't happen to resemble a seriously evil looking black and red kite, would it?"

Kashiji chuckled at that, an enjoyable sound that echoed within its pot. "I have...not heard Vaatu referred to like that, but...yes, I suppose he does resemble one of your...kites." The Polteageist chuckled again, and then became more somber. "He is the opposite to Raava in all respects. Vicious where she is kind, ruthless, where she is merciful. Rash, where she is wise. He was able to overtake the greed of the Fire Lord, and merge with him...somehow. It should not have been possible, but he found a way. If he finds the Avatar again, he will provoke them until Raava comes forth, likely by instinct. If the Guardian dies while using her power, she and her human will be split forevermore, the world will descend into darkness as Vaatu grows stronger in her absence, and the cycle of the Avatars shall end."

This time, Ara spoke up. "All the more reason to guide us to Raava. Please, Kashiji, we need to find them."

The Polteageist yawned then and stretched its tiny limbs. "I can...attempt to connect to her...but not for long."

"All we need, is a location." Alex said, "I came to this region at the behest of the Original Dragon. He told me to aid Raava in restoring Koria to balance."

Hearing that, Kashiji turned back to Redwood. "Truly? Interesting. The Original Dragon and Wan were also good friends. He passed on the secret of Firebending to Wan, and from Wan, it spread to the people of the Fire Nation. Yes...I can sense the Original Dragon's aura on you, now. That is partially what reminded me of Wan. If he is finally One again and ready to aid us, the least I can do is guide you to Raava. This attempt will take some time...please, sit. Enjoy some tea."

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A line of ghostly energy flowed into the shack then, and at that point, the three humans realized it was a tea shop. Relatively simple in design, but well stocked. Three cups came floating from within, and the door closed behind them. Kashiji then poured its essence, combined with its tea, into each cup. "Please enjoy, while I attempt to contact Raava."

Kashiji went silent then as the tea ghost returned to its pot, and as Alex sipped the tea, he felt some of his own vitality transfer to the teapot. Understanding what Kashiji needed then, he drank more of the tea, and motioned for Ara and Akos to do the same. Warmth filled their bodies, and it seemed only Alex was aware that the Light type was drawing on their life essence to empower itself. If it meant finding Raava, he could spare some energy for the friendly teapot. It helped that the tea itself was also delicious.

Kashiji glowed a bright bluish white as it focused its energy and gave off a soft 'bwom' sound. The humans sat around waiting for a good ten minutes, before the teapot stopped glowing. A much more tired looking Kashiji popped its head up, once it stopped. "Agna...Qel'a...that is where...the Avatar currently trains...forgive me, Humans...I must rest."

"Here, have some of these. Restore yourself." Alex said, as he offered three Sitrus berries. Kashiji took them with weak ghost arms one by one into its pot, and then put its tiny hands together as it 'bowed' in thanks.

"This will...help much. You have my thanks, Humans...you are welcome here...any...time." Kashiji yawned then, and returned to its pot, leaving the humans to stare at each other.

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Ara just smirked at Alex. "You...seemed awfully unfazed by the talking teapot."

Alex gave her a light grin in return. "Honestly, this isn't even the weirdest thing I've seen. You should travel the world someday, Ara. There is much out there that is...far stranger than our new friend here. We have our destination now. The capital city of the Northern Water Tribe...so...do either of you know how to leave this place?"

Ara and Akos shared a look, and then simultaneously answered. "Nope."

Alex frowned, and then glanced at Nox, who unlike Lux, had not tasted the tea. "How about you two?"

Lux shrugged, as Nox drained the rest of his cup into Lux's, as he hadn't ingested any, and nodded. "The portals by the Tree of Souls are one way out. However...they are linked to your planet's poles, which...according to your memories, are very far from Koria. Perhaps we should find our Drifblim friends."

Alex's grimace grew. "Assuming they haven't returned to reality, yet. We also need to find Boto."

Nox turned suddenly towards the tree line closest to the mountain in the distance, and then shifted back to Alex with a grin. "Actually, we don't. He has found us, it seems...and he brought our friends."

Alex's eyes narrowed slightly, in suspicion. "That's convenient…"

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"Ho there!" Came Boto's voice a moment later. "There you are! Finally...we've been walking for hours. Dawn is almost upon us...but we haven't found any trace of Raava in this place. Have you young ones had better luck?"

Ara and Akos informed Boto of what they had learned and mentioned to Alex their own library-related adventure, before he'd found them. With Boto, came only three Drifblim, as it seemed the rest had continued to float, while three had gone with Boto to help the dropped humans return. Alex also gave them berries, as thanks, and after that the Drifblim were more than happy to return to the prime material plane with the humans in tow.

As Ara and Akos shared a Drifblim, and the largest of the trio took Alex in its 'arms', he looked back at the tea shop, and the sleeping Kashiji, as they ascended towards the 'sky'. He had a feeling that, for some reason, they would return to this place again before long, but he trusted the Path he was walking to guide him, as Tao had promised it would.

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They awoke to an awful sight, illuminated by the light of the dawn. All around them was a burned forest, and between the trees were the uniform and darkly methodical footprints of soldiers in a formation. It was something Alex recognized quickly, as he stood and inspected the area. Their armor was as heavy as what his own troops now wore, judging by their tread, but what little firebending he'd seen suggested free movement was a good idea.

"These prints are old...but nothing has disturbed them since this...atrocity was committed." Alex said, breaking the silence.

Nox floated out of his shadow then and looked around with a grim expression. "Many Pokémon were lost here...Alex...what would you say if I was to...track the soldier's essence back to their camp? Give them some...retribution."

Alex sighed, though internally he too wanted justice. "Revenge is not a motivator that we use, Nox. We Battle when we must, and always attempt to minimize harm to others." The other three had gathered themselves behind the pair as they spoke, and seeing they were ready to depart this sad place, Alex checked his map, and then headed south along the coast. "However, given that this is a semi-occupied region, and we're aiding the Rebellion, I would allow such a thing when combat begins. It's different to Battling...and you'll know when it starts. Incapacitation is always preferable to death, Nox. Do you understand?"

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The Haunter nodded, slowly, as he floated behind his Trainer, and then sank back into his shadow. His eyes could occasionally be seen constantly sweeping, almost eagerly, for signs of the enemy. That night, Ara informed Alex and Akos that their next stop was Minjujuui City, one of the largest and most advanced cities in Koria. Compared to the rest of the world, their technology was actually primitive, but for Korians, after three centuries of licking firebender boots, it was a progressive step forward.

Ara claimed they had some sort of weapon that could stop even the Fire Nation, but only the city's President, and the high-ranking rebels in the Korian Rebellion had access to it. Minjujuui was one of the last free cities that the Fire Nation openly traded with, as opposed to conquering them. They had tried to conquer first, of course, but Avatar Kora had driven them out repeatedly, alongside their superweapon. These days, the Fire Nation found more benefit in trading with them, and keeping Minjujuui friendly, as they funneled troops towards the Earth Nation's failing armies.

The Impenetrable City of the Earth Kingdom, also known as Ba Sing Se to the locals, which translated as the same name in Common, had been taken shortly after Kora finally fell. Without it, the Earth Nation had been consistently losing large swathes of land, which Ara pointed out for Alex, via his region map. Personally, he felt the fighting should cease, and the Earth Army should hide, collaborate with the rebels, and grow to fight another day, but according to Ara, they were stubborn, and many former Generals of the Impenetrable City refused to give up the fight.

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That night, as they camped in the forest, Alex moved off to a quieter part of the woods, and after asking the local Pokémon not to disturb him, he called out the Copperajah from earlier. It had been resting within the ball, but as it materialized and saw an unfamiliar human, the Shadow-fueled rage kicked in again.

It all happened in seconds, but Alex's perception was once again enhanced by his psychic abilities. For him, it was all in slow motion, and all pretty well illuminated by the orange crescent moon in the sky. He dodged the massive trunk as the metal elephant reared up, and then levitated into the air as he saw its legs ready for an Earthquake by glowing with ground energy. In the space of an eye blink, that to his credit the Copperajah followed with his eyes, Alex had moved to place his right hand on its metallic forehead, and then, the entire area lit up with the Light.

Very quickly, he realized this infusion of Shadow was slightly different to the Arcean method, which involved tainting eggs, and raising Shadow Pokémon capable of growing in strength, something Cipher's early methods had been unable to do. This variation was more akin to Cipher's imperfect method, in that it stopped experience from being gained, but it was far more thorough than anything the criminal organization had ever created, in those early days. Alex's brows furrowed, as he understood that this meant someone in another region, somewhere, both knew how to enter the Spirit World, and how to infuse Pokémon with Shadow to a degree rarely seen.

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The golden light burned into the sky, in a pillar, as Alex drew in more of it, and systematically moved it through the Copperajah's body. The whole process took less than five minutes, but Alex felt as though hours had passed. The result was worth it, however. The tired male Pokémon weakly placed his trunk on the human's lap as they both panted, and Alex patted it, before grabbing a Sitrus Berry for the tired metal elephant to munch on. The trunk curled around the gift and brought it to the Pokémon's mouth. Once it was done, Alex gave him another to hold, and then recalled him to his ball. He eyed the hand painted Ultra Ball that matched the Copperajah's tones for a moment, wondering if there wasn't a way to connect them to his berry pouch, so his partners could nom whenever they wished.

He felt several mental pings of approval at that thought, and smirked, as he pocketed the Copperajah's ball, and headed back towards their camp. He ran into Ara and Akos on the way. Ara was the first to speak, and she looked ready for a fight. "We saw a giant pillar of light...what happened?"

Alex let out a tired exhale and met her gaze evenly. "I Purged the Copperajah from earlier of its Shadow Infusion...it required more energy than I thought it would...but it worked. He will live. Now come...I need a rest."

"We should move on, before that. If there's Firebenders around here, they just saw that." Akos said, and Alex sighed again, but agreed with his logic. Eremus, who was comparatively fresh, and Oogie took them to a new campsite under the cover of darkness, and the group slept there for the night. Being rather mentally and physically exhausted, Alex let his body rest, as his mind subconsciously sought out another, half a world away.

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They awoke at dawn, and it took several hours to finally reach Minjujuui City the next day, and what Alex saw on the horizon when they finally arrived raised his hopes. It reminded him of New Tork in size, but he knew the population density was probably lower than back home. Airships patrolled the skies, and Ara had told them many either were for travel, entertainment rides for rich citizens, or belonged to the 'Steel Benders', a police force founded by one of Avatar Aang's friends, full of earthbenders who had learned to bend metal as well as rock and stone. At the very least, the airships would be useful in countering the massive fleets he'd seen from the Fire Navy. Some kind of aerial defense would give Koria a chance in the fight to come.

Ara had helped Alex with his disguise before entering the city, and like Akos and Boto, he now wore the blue of the Water Nation. His outfit was lined with white fur, but black fur ringed the heavy navy-blue hood that he soon realized was not uncommon, even in a city. Minjujuui was home to every kind of people, with the only noticeable exception being members of the Air Nation, and many traveled with hoods, even on a cloudy day like the one they'd awoken to.

He also noticed many Trainers from other regions, though most of the time, they seemed to be subtly selling western technology, like Pokédexes, or Pokéballs. The prices made him grimace, and he knew the poorer class of the city, by far the largest by his count, were probably not Trainers. Ara led them to one of the city's parks, one of three massive areas that citizens and Pokémon alike were free to enjoy. She claimed the rebels would contact them, and while they waited, she offered to show Alex how to waterbend.

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Eager to learn how to control one of the strongest natural forces on the planet, Alex agreed, and the two practiced streaming the water between them, near one of the park's ponds. It had taken Alex half of an hour to figure out that he needed to let the water typed nature energy constantly flow through him like he had with the earth, and guiding and shaping that flow required movements that didn't interrupt it in any way. Waterbending required one to shape and influence the water energy as it moved through one's body. Eventually, he grasped it thanks in no small part to many of the Dragon Style's more advanced movements. Pruina cheered from the center of the pond, as she watched her Trainer, congratulating him with a Water Gun to the face.

About two and a half hours into his lesson, as he attempted to master what Ara called the Water Whip, a dingy hobo of a man came up to their group. He had wild gray hair, two splotches of a mustache, and a full beard along his chin that was as wild as his hair. His clothes were soiled and full of patches, and several flies constantly buzzed the man, who seemed to have grown an immunity to being annoyed by them.

Boto and Akos were relaxing alongside their gathered Pokémon, and it was Canis's ever watchful eyes that first noticed the hobo was singling them out. His low growl reached Alex first, who stopped the water he was bending, arched an eyebrow at the dirty man, and then removed the water from his clothes as he left the pond.

Ara dashed past him, and went to give the hobo a hug, despite the aura of stink, reminiscent of a sewer, that followed him around. "Gommu! Finally, I was wondering how long it would take one of you to see us."

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The hobo eyed Alex with suspicion, before patting Ara's back, and ending the embrace. "We saw you were with a stranger...but since he's apparently a Waterbender, my superiors decided to take a chance."

Ara chuckled, and glanced back at Alex, who at that point, was getting mobbed by Sensus, Cinder and Temere, who were all eager for more food. "I didn't trust him at first either...but he's...good people, I think. Nobody that good with Pokémon can be bad, y'know? Akos trusts him."

Gommu eyed the Unovan, who ignored the stare as he handed out food to each of his team and nodded. "You can fill me in fully back at HQ...but I'll trust your assessment. Come, all of you. There's an... issue that you might be uniquely suited to help us with."

Alex recalled his partners as they nommed on their food, and Akos and Boto packed up their camp. Gommu led them through the maze of a city, into increasingly deeper and destitute parts of it. It reminded Alex of New Tork's slums, but Akos seemed more unnerved by it. "I always heard everyone in Minjujuui was...living their best life. This is...not what I expected."

Gommu, who turned out to have a somewhat cheery disposition about life in general, continued giving them tips about the city and life within it as he answered Akos. "It's not all bad, fella. We may not have much, but we do help each other. Every vagrant in this city does their best to keep others alive. Benders, non-benders, Fire Nation, Water Nation, we're all just people, y'know? Personally, I enjoy the nomadic aspect of this kinda living."

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Akos winced, as Gommu stepped in a pile of what he hoped wasn't human feces, without so much as blinking. "I think I prefer living on an iceberg to living in... this." Boto nodded sagely in agreement. It took thirty more minutes, but eventually they came to a well-hidden passage that led into an underground sewer system. The canals were filled with the usual refuse of humanity such a den of disease and stench often afforded, but at the very least, the canals had been built with walkways beside them, for those unfortunate engineers that sometimes descended to keep the pipes maintained, and functional.

Gommu didn't blindfold them, and Alex soon realized why, as he recognized the crafty hobo was purposefully leading them in a pattern through the sewers that none of them could easily memorize. Still being attuned to the water, Alex was able to sense they were heading towards a central part of the sewer, from which the water in the canals flowed. Knowing that, he felt reasonably sure he could get back to it, should he become lost.

The headquarters itself was situated around a near-constant stream of refuse and foul water, falling into the sewers, and being piped around the city before eventually flowing into the ocean. Glass walls kept backsplash from hitting the people here, and Alex noted several that were not dressed as vagabonds, and still seemed affected by the stench. Gommu led them to a dingy campsite surrounding a dead campfire that looked to have been urinated on, as he, Boto, and Ara went to talk shop with their superiors. After about an hour, Ara came back, and it was time for them to meet the rebel's leaders as well.

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Alex was surprised to find the leaders ensconced within an incense-scented room, hidden by earthbending. It was spartan in decoration, having only an old and slightly worn metal table surrounded by moderately comfy metal chairs within the room's center. On each wall, the symbols of each bending Nation were displayed in equal importance, though some of the banners were obviously newer than others, with the oldest being that of the Air Nation. Seated in front of that one, was a man with an arrow tattooed on his forehead. The rest of his head played home to a close cropped and suggestively militaristic hairstyle, wild eyebrows, and an equally wild dark brown beard who Gommu introduced as General Boomi. He and Alex shared a nod of respect, before the hobo introduced the others. "Next to our fearless General is Lin, the Chief of the Steelbender Police Force, beside her is Minami, daughter of Kuzon, one of our most reliable Fire Nation allies."

The elderly and wrinkled Police Chief glared at him for a long moment, before nodding once, and the Fire Nation local, the first Alex had met, gave him a polite nod. Lin was encased in what was essentially a streamlined suit of armor, not unlike something Galarian knights of old would wear, while Minami was in her nation's classic clothing combination of red...and darker red. Alex gave both women a respectful nod, and they nodded back, as Gommu continued.

"Across from General Meelo, we have Asami, an engineering genius, and the daughter of one of Minjujuui City's smartest futurists and engineers. She's taken over what her father built and turned it into marvels we thought Koria would never see. And last, next to her, is our de facto leader, since Avatar Kora left this world, and General Meelo's own dad! Master Tenzin, of the Air Nation." Tenzin and Meelo, now that Alex looked, did share some family resemblance, and though their clothes were very different, they both had arrows upon their heads. Tenzin was bald however and had on a yellow and orange set of robes, while Meelo had on leather armor covered in scorch marks, and signs of heavy use. Tenzin's beard stuck out from his chin, and was longer than his son's, though his was entirely gray. He seemed to be near Lin's age and looked very much like a human who'd been alive for over a century.

For her part, Asami was a perfect ten, with jet black hair that almost reminded him of Jess, save that hers had streaks of gray, as well as curl and volume for days. She spoke the least, and among the gathering of benders, Alex's sight informed him that she was the only one without an elemental tie. The old Air Nomad that led this group of influential people spoke, as his fingers steepled before him. He eyed Akos for a moment, and then settled his gray gaze on Alex.

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"So. You are the foreigner sent to us from the Dragon of Unova...Aratak tells me that you're good with Pokémon, and are worthy of an audience, if not our full trust. Apparently, you were going to help our allies in the Great Swamp, but they were already out of danger by the time you arrived."

Meelo broke in, as his father paused in his speech. "Hyu sensed them coming before they even landed. Thanks to him, we were able to get away without casualties...but that Firebender leading them...the one with the black Charizard...she is going to be a problem." Meelo finished, giving his father a look, as he crossed his arms. His outfit shared a similar color scheme with his father's clothing beneath the armor, but the leather itself seemed designed on purpose to help blend in with foliage.

"President Raiko has informed me that the Fire Nation has once again sent us envoys...he is meeting them as we speak. Based on what we know of their ship and its last known route, it is likely this Firebender that Meelo encountered is with the delegation. Tell the troops to stay out of the city for the next week, just to be safe...we must be sure that they do not find us. If they are as competent as you say, we cannot risk them getting back here, which leads me to my task for you, Alex." Tenzin said, as he focused on the Unovan. "Lately there has been an Onix causing us no end of trouble down here. Damaging pipes, burrowing through tunnels...those of us with Pokémon have tried to drive it off, but it's too strong for us. It's pretty big, at least several centuries old. Find a way to remove it, and you will have the trust of my people, and the thanks of our city's President. This is a problem for him, as well. The damage it has caused so far is an expense the city can't afford, if it's going to keep supporting our cause."

Alex nodded at the old man, and resisted smirking, as he considered what an Onix could do for balancing his new team. "I can handle a rampaging Onix. Leave it to me, Master Tenzin...I would ask for something else, once I'm done."

"Name it." The old airbender replied.

"I wish to learn how to bend the air...and fire, if possible. I would be honored to learn your ways." He bowed again then, fist to palm, and Meelo shared a look with his father.

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It was Meelo who spoke up next. "Gommu tells us you're a Waterbender. It's unusual, but not unheard of, for a foreigner. The Water Tribes were almost as nomadic as my people, back when Koria had peace."

Alex nodded. "I can indeed bend the water...to a degree. As well as the earth. My method is...different to how you and your people bend the elements, but it's similar enough to share a label."

That, made both of General Meelo's eyebrows rise. "Are you telling us you're like the Avatar?"

Alex chuckled. "No…well...kind of." He looked around the room and decided to trust these people with a bit of information about himself. "I am what some regions call 'Dragonborn'. Humans like me are rare, but if we manage to awaken our draconic blood's power in our lifetimes, we can become akin to Dragon Types. It is the nature of Dragon Energy, to bind and control the other elemental Types, that gives me the control necessary to learn your styles of fighting, in theory, among other impressive powers. That, combined with my psychic prowess, has helped me learn your element bending arts rather quickly. Mastering Nature Energy manipulation is what the Original Dragon claims is the next stage of my training. I have already learned much in Koria...I would be honored to study under true masters."

Tenzin nodded slowly. "I see...well, such a person would be a valuable ally to us." His gaze shifted to his son, then and raised a single bushy gray eyebrow. "There is one thing, however…"

Meelo's eyes and tattoos began to glow with a white aura, and in his head, Alex heard him say, "Show me your...psychic prowess." His aura appeared around his form then in a shield of white, sending a constant, and heavy breeze through the isolated chamber as the aura expanded. The group held on to their papers, and every single woman at the table sighed, as Meelo started his shenanigans, while Tenzin watched on without a word. Alex was quick to respond to the psychic challenge, and the deep blue of his own aura emanated off of him in a similar manner. The edges of the two auras met above the table and crackled with psychic sparks as each vied for dominance, but neither overpowered the other.

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"Enough." Tenzin said, and the firmness of his tone shocked both his son and Alex out of the focus needed for matching their psychic strength without harming the others.

Meelo, for his part, was grinning. He looked at his father. "I'm convinced. He wants to help, he's at least as strong as me...we could really use someone like him on our side."

Tenzin stroked his beard again, looking first at his son, and then at Alex. "Hmmm…"

Alex guessed what he was thinking and spoke. "I will still take care of your Onix problem regardless of whether you trust me or not...but the sooner I can Teleport in supplies for your rebellion, the sooner the occupation of Koria will end."

The leaders discussed then, and Alex waited patiently as they did. Not all of them shared Meelo's opinion of the newcomer, but he had, quite purposefully, gotten a strong psychic indication of what Alexander Redwood was about in their brief psychic struggle, and Alex had in turn gotten an impression of the General. He was a bit rash, more impulsive than what he'd been told Air Nomads were like, but he was genuinely kind, and a powerful Trainer in his own right. He would make a fine ally, in the wars to come.

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Before the gathered representatives could come to a decision, a messenger was let into the room from the outside and accompanying him came a fresh whiff of fecal sewage that made all gathered except Gommu grimace. His words cut through the conversation going on between Minami and Asami. "Master Tenzin! The Onix has returned. It's still angry from last time, and our scouts say it's heading straight for us."

All eyes in the room shifted to the old airbender, and Alex did not envy his position. Trying to hide and run a secret rebellion from a technologically superior enemy with a rampaging Onix on hand was difficult, to say the least. Keeping their operation secret without a base would be double the trouble. Tenzin met Alex's gaze in turn and raised a bushy gray eyebrow towards him.

Alex nodded. "Seems like I'm up. Please, my new friends, continue your conversation, and when I return, we can find a spot for these supplies to appear within." He turned to the messenger then. "Show me the last known spot this Onix was sighted."

The messenger nodded, and he led Alex back into the sewers, taking only a few turns, before Alex felt the earth itself rumbling. "It's close!" The messenger said, slightly panicked.

"Head back...if I don't succeed in stopping it, you will all soon find out." Alex said, as he faced the direction of the vibrations. He attuned himself to the earth around him, and smirked as he felt the messenger run. Standing in place, he attuned to the rock and stone around him, before suddenly halting the flow of nature energy, and rapidly shifting the earth as he did, to gain the charging rock snake's attention. His eyes opened, as he felt it shift to move towards him.

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"Canis. Arbor." Alex spoke, and the two Pokémon in question popped from their balls, eager for battle. They shared a nod of mutual respect and fell into a similar style fighting crouch. "Canis, stop its momentum with your strongest Vacuum Wave. Arbor, weaken it with Leaf Blade." As he finished speaking, the head of the rock snake broke the sewer tunnel, and it roared in rage as truly foul water, amongst other things, splashed its face and head as it came up to their level. Seeing them, the Onix slithered forward rapidly, and Canis moved first, placing both his palms together as he charged, and then fired the Vacuum Wave. The fighting typed ball of sparking energy hit the Onix head on, and the rock snake lost his momentum, as he headbutted it. Eventually, the super effective move exploded in his face, which only made the massive rock snake angrier.

Arbor took that chance to dash into the smoke, and another pained roar echoed through the sewers as his Leaf Blades did their work. Arbor was a green flash within the haze, and the tight quarters gave him plenty of room to zip around, and dodge the Iron Heads it was trying to stop him with. The Onix was quite massive, despite it actually being comparatively young, from what Alex could tell from its mind. He was ambitious, strong, eager to grow stronger, and more than intrigued by this human who so skillfully handled two partners at once.

The Onix was around the same level of strength as Arbor and Canis, and because of that, the three super effective hits brought it where it needed to be for a successful catch. Massive rocks, from a Rock Throw, hurtled past Arbor, towards Canis and Alex, and the two moved in a unified spiral pattern as their fists broke the rocks. Alex swirled away from the last one, drawing an Ultra Ball as he did, and sent it flying back towards the Onix, adding the usual spin to it that made it curve in the air.

The rock snake's eyes widened as it saw the ball, and Arbor backflipped away, as the massive tail came forward to try to smash it away. All the tail did was cause more devastation by taking down several walls and flooding the area with dust, before the Ultra Ball drew the Pokémon into it. Arbor turned, catching the ball on his leafy tail, and sparing it from the sewage flowing rapidly into the hole the Onix had made with his entry, as he did. It wiggled several times, angrily, but the weakened state and superior capture technology was enough to keep it in, as it dinged with the sound of a successful catch. Alex psychically pulled the ball to his hand, pocketed it, and then gathered more nature energy for the repair job.

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He glanced at the giant hole, and the chaos it would undoubtedly cause the sewers if left unfixed. Using simple earthbending, he fixed the area around the Onix tunnel's entrance, as well as some of the more structurally necessary walls the rock snake had demolished in his rampage. He glanced up, as both Arbor and Canis growled, alerting him to someone else being down here with them. Canis began to chase them, and Alex swore, shouting at Arbor as he finished the final wall. "Go! Make sure he isn't stolen or killed!" The grass lizard nodded and dashed after the punchy puppy.

Arbor and Canis did not go far, as Canis barked the intruders all the way up a ladder, and out of the sewer. He growled but did not follow them up into the foreign city he did not know, in an area of the city that would take one look at him, and try to sell him for parts, or as a novelty from Sinnoh. "I have your scent, fire tossers…" He growled, before turning, noticing Arbor, and then storming past him, back to their human tether.

Alex recalled Arbor, and kept Canis on his shoulder, once he heard that apparently firebenders had gotten unnervingly close to the rebel's base. He headed back to the HQ, only to find it filled with people who cheered as they saw him return triumphant, though really, most were astounded by the adorable Riolu hanging off his shoulder.

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It seemed that Tenzin and the other leaders had come out, likely after hearing what he'd told the messenger, but they too were smiling.

Tenzin stepped forward and floated effortlessly over the now once-more flowing river of filth between him and the Unovan. "A quick and masterful display of Trainer ability, young man. I am impressed. Come. The others and I have agreed to let you give us supplies. I am told you need a room to...anchor your powers to. Truth be told, the ability to Teleport is something my people lost, when the Fire Nation almost eradicated us three centuries ago."

"Well, if we have time, I would be honored to share the trick with you and Meelo." Alex answered, as they walked. "If you're anywhere near as strong as him, it's something you will both be capable of doing."

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Tenzin led him in what seemed like a circle as Alex informed him of what they'd seen in the aftermath of the Onix. Eventually they came to what seemed like a blank rock wall, but actually turned out to be a cleverly hidden room that seemed to be used for storage. Several hobos, Gommu among them, were in the process of clearing space for what he was bringing. "Now, Ara mentioned that the Imperium may detect multiple uses of psychic power. She said you had a way to protect against their discovery of this method of moving supplies and people."

Alex nodded. "The Original Dragon will hide the energy...I will act as the anchor in the room, and he will bamf the supplies here. He says the Imperium likely won't detect it, if he is the one that does it, but I don't know if there's a difference to how he Teleports, and how we Humans manage it."

Tenzin stroked his beard for a moment, in thought. "The Original Dragon is a master of many arts and has lived many millennia. I am sure there are quite a few tricks he has yet to show you, young Redwood. In any case, I will stand by outside to keep watch for anything going awry. I have some...psychic prowess myself, you know. You may begin when ready." He finished, with a light smirk.

Alex nodded, entered the room, and then sat in the center. "This may take a moment…" It took almost ten minutes for him to psychically anchor his mind to the room, but Tenzin seemed to have the patience of a Sage. Finally, once he was ready, Alex mentally poked Tao, and with a minor thought on the dragon's part, the supplies that had been standing by for several days now, were moved halfway across the planet in the space of seconds. Alex suddenly found himself in the midst of a room packed with boxes, and he sucked in his belly as he carefully slid his oversized form free of the now very filled space.

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"There should be more than enough food, fresh clothes, medicine, bandages, things like that. We have a surplus of such things leftover from our most recent war. You are welcome to them, with our thanks for your trust." Alex bowed again to Tenzin, who returned the gesture.

"We thank you for your aid. I believe Ara told us that you're challenging the Gyms of our region. Asami happens to be the Gym Leader of Minjujuui City. She's extended a challenge to you." Tenzin said, as they began heading back towards the center of the sewer-based headquarters.

Alex blinked, at that, as it wasn't unheard of for Gym Leaders to call out Trainers. It had simply never happened to him, though, he realized, he had never actually met a Gym Leader outside of their Gym before challenging them before. He felt Cinder's ball twitch, as Alex reasoned that an engineer probably had steel types. Given where they were, she likely also had a few partners that represented her primarily Earth Nation city. "I look forward to challenging her. If you need me for anything else, let me know. I'm here to help."

Their group was given several hours to rest, as the meeting was scheduled for the morning, and the sun had long set during their journey into the sewers. Alex did not need convincing to fall asleep, and did so easily, letting his tired and drained body rest, as his mind reached out to another, for yet another mental reunion.

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Several Hours Earlier Lord Okuz's Ship - Outside Minjujuui City, Koria Region

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Their ship approached the constant light of Minjujuui City, as night fell, and darkness covered the sky. Okuz and his Blaziken, Ken, were practicing their firebending on the topmost level of the ship, what was essentially a larger crow's nest than one would find on a standard Imperial Fire Navy Cruiser. Okuz was as relentless with his Pokémon as he was with all his sparring opponents, and his flawless form often snuck by the fighting fire chicken's guard. Flames erupted from the top of their ship, and he was sure the locals in the city could see the epic clash of fist to fist fighting as well.

Ken launched a Blaze Kick that Okuz caught on his crossed arms. He forced them apart then, stopping the kick's momentum, and cancelling out the fire from it all at once. He brought his outstretched hands together then, and two walls of flame crashed on the Blaziken, finally making him drop to a knee. Okuz and Ken panted, eyeing each other, before suddenly, their gaze was drawn to something on the horizon. A massive pillar of golden light lit up the night sky under the orange crescent moon, and Okuz couldn't help but grin, as he finally saw proof of what his semi-mad father had called a 'Light type'. According to Ozai, there was only one, in Koria.

Most of Ozai's advisors thought he was mad, when he ranted almost daily about finding the Avatar, and tearing them limb from limb, but seeing was believing, and Okuz now knew beyond doubt, that what his father sought, and feared above anything else, was nearby. He formed a small smile as he realized he might finally be able to go home. "Well done, Ken, get a good rest." The Blaziken, while initially expecting to continue, bowed, and returned to his ball without complaint.

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Okuz jumped from the crow's nest then, and he whistled as he began to plummet. His falling form was caught by his red orange scaled Charizard, Druk, and he gave his starter Pokémon a pat, as they circled the roughly hundred or so feet down to the deck. On their descent, they were sent spinning in the air by the black form of Caeruleus, and her rider. Aluza sneered at Okuz as she sped by, and brought Cae in for a landing, giving zero Muks as her ride's claws tore into the deck.

Druk was fuming as he righted himself and landed. He snarled at his sister, who smirked at her brother the same way her Trainer did to her own relative. Aluza and her shiny Charizard made quite the pair, but Okuz knew in his heart that Druk was stronger. He hopped off of Druk and turned to see his uncle appear from within the ship. "So." The old man began. "You two saw it as well."

Okuz placed a hand on his partner and drained the excess heat from Druk's agitated state into the night air, as he helped the fire lizard cool off, but the calming of his mind did little for his mood. Druk continued to glare at Caeruleus, who continued to smirk. Aluza was grinning like a madwoman, and her half-covered face only helped that appearance. The golden face covering hid her entire burn and kept her eye useful. "Forget the feast, Uncle...we should go after that light."

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"I agree with Aluza." Okuz said, as he internally didn't quite believe he was uttering the sentence that just came from his mouth. "We need to figure out if that was the Avatar. Dinner can wait, Uncle."

Iroh sighed, heavily. "I'm not one to put food above a mission, but this feast is about more than filling our bellies. We must appear to be friends to these people, to keep the peace between us. Minjujuui could make things very difficult for our supply lines if they decide to help their founding Nation." Iroh looked at Okuz, then. "You still have it?"

Okuz nodded and produced the 'family heirloom' the old man had given him the day he and his sister had been exiled and sent on this futile quest. It was an old circular object with a double ended symbol upon the circular surface that reminded Okuz of the decorative Herlemin, a double-ended axe, on display back at the Fire Palace. One of many outdated, but unique weapons his father enjoyed hanging on walls. An S like line looped behind the double ended axe shape connecting the top and bottom parts, and two spheres, with a gem of some description, sat at the northern and southern points on the object. Beneath the symbol, the disk was a faded grayish-blue, and covered in swirling patterns. His uncle had claimed it was a gift, from a far-off region close to Galar, that could apparently detect Light types, and glowed in the presence of the Light.

"Good." Iroh said with a nod. "Bring that tonight. Whoever created that pillar will have moved by now, if they're smart. They may even be in the city by now. We could be having dinner with them, for all we know. If they are in the room tonight, you will be the first to know, Prince Okuz. Now, both of you, go and ready yourselves for the feast. Commander Zhao will be there as well, and the Royal Family will be better behaved than he is." The old man finished, with a glare at Okuz, and then one that lingered on Aluza.

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With a pair of sighs, and an eye roll from Aluza, the pair of young fire royals returned to their cabins, as Iroh and the crew brought the ship into Minjujuui's harbor. They were parked next to what he recognized as Zhao's own vessel, and he subtly shook his head as he noted each of the cannons were manned, and armed, occasionally swiveling, and fraying the nerves of the dockmaster. Iroh gave his crew the night to enjoy the city, before the three royals were led to City Hall, the building that housed events like the feast, and played home to the city's politics during the daylight hours.

Aluza's outfit was as close to scandalous as a royal could get. Okuz hated to admit it, but compared to the other women he saw as they were announced, and entered the building's main floor, his sister was superior when it came to aesthetics, as evidenced by the entire room's male population unabashedly eyeing her fit and curvy figure as they entered the party with the usual announcement of their presence. Okuz sighed inwardly, and hid his frown, as the half-mask and exposed cleavage drew the eye of every male in the room for a good ten seconds.

His face shifted, as his mouth formed a thin line. He had an expression between constipation and hatred, as Commander Zhao approached them, two cups of tea in hand. He was a tall man with an aged face covered on either side by burly sideburns, he was as physically fit as Okuz, and still wearing his military outfit, even at a party. "Admiral Iroh, and the Banished Royals. I'm surprised you came to an event like this. Has your search for the Avatar led you to this...city?" He asked, as his tone alone implied what he thought of their current location.

Iroh took one of the offered cups, sniffed it, and then bowed to Zhao. "Commander Zhao. Unfortunately, we are here for repairs, and rest. Our search has been fruitless. Come, and I will catch you up on all that has transpired." Iroh glanced at his niece and nephew, only to realize Aluza was already in the crowd. An earthbender who was, in a word, unapologetically shredded, and wearing a too-small green vest over his bulging pectoral muscles, already had Aluza chatting and flirting. Okuz simply gave his uncle a nod, and then found a dark corner to brood in.

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He leaned against one of the massive pillars holding up the roof of the building, arms crossed as he examined the crowd, and glanced at his 'heirloom'. More men had crowded Aluza now, and Okuz sighed, as he left her to her amusement. Such behavior had helped her get that scar, and join him in banishment, but if she wanted to fraternize with earthbenders, he wasn't going to stop her from living her life. After denying one of the more attractive serving girl's offer for a tiny piece of meat wrapped in what looked like a bun of some sort for the eighth time, he began planning his exit from the party. Nobody here had any importance to his mission. He needed to investigate that light, alone if possible. He was also obtuse enough to not realize the serving girl seemed smitten by his classic royal family good looks. His mind was too focused on potentially recovering his honor, and returning to the Regiis Caldera, to entertain the idea of romance.

Okuz dodged through the crowd, smiling and nodding to guests as he did. He approached one of the drink tables, and as he left, and subtly singed one of the far corners with a small ember. He disappeared again into the crowd, and shortly after, the rapidly building flames caused a small panic. A nearby waterbender security guard handled it quickly enough, but by then, Okuz was gone. His royal garments were carelessly incinerated in one of the alleys outside the building, and below them, was his armor. Mostly dark red and black, it helped him blend into the night, as he skulked through the city with his Greninja, who went only by 'Ninja', leading the way.

It took two hours of subtle travel, but by the end of his tour through the city, he'd acquired a travel cloak to hide his head and garments and had rather easily escaped from the city. Getting back in would be harder, but it seemed nobody cared that a random traveler was unofficially leaving in darkness. He called out his Arcanine once he was far enough away, and the fast fire beast carried him towards the area of the coastline around the city from which the light pillar had come.

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After about an hour of running at top speed, Okuz let the panting pooch slow, as he felt his side grow warm. He drew the strange object Iroh had given him from his travel pack, only to find that the gray under patterns with swirling designs had begun to glow with a faint whitish blue. He stared at the symbol as it pulsed in his hands, and using it like a dowsing rod, he walked towards the forested area it seemed to be drawing him towards.

Eventually, he came to a clearing, and had to blink as he noted a truly massive, unnatural depression, likely made by a Pokémon, on the ground. He couldn't tell which, only that it was evidently far squarer, or at least, had several more right angles, than he expected a living being to possess. The object was glowing much brighter now, and a quick perimeter walk confirmed that this was the epicenter of the Light pillar. "Alright, Arca. Find me a scent we can track…"

"Leave that to me, Kuzkuz." Came Aluza's voice from behind him. Okuz grimaced, as she was almost exactly twenty minutes behind him, judging by when she'd appeared. Arca growled as she met the gaze of Aluza's current partner, free from his own ball, a Houndoom that his brilliant sister had simply dubbed 'Doom'. With a nod from Aluza, the Houndoom trotted forward, and quickly locked in on a scent. Not to be outdone, Arca also followed it, and seemed to find several others as well. "They've got something." Aluza said, as the thrill of the coming hunt added excitement to her sadistic tone. "Let's follow it, capture whoever was stupid enough to light up the sky, and go home."

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"After you." Okuz said, gesturing. His sister brushed past him without so much as a glance. Like him, she was in her armor again, and this only confirmed his suspicions. She'd gone back to the ship. He repressed a shudder.

Aluza called out Caeruleus then, and hopped on the shiny Charizard's back, as they followed Doom's rapid pace from above. Arca paused only to let Okuz back on, before catching up to, and matching the Houndoom's pace, much to his irritation. He snapped at one of Arca's legs, and Okuz answered him with a furious flash of fire to his face. He resisted such things but took the message not to mess with Arca all the same. If Aluza cared that her brother had firebended at her partner, she didn't appear to show it.

The scent trail led them to another clearing several hours after the sun rose, and after that, the pair surmised that whoever they were tracking had likely arrived in the city by now. They continued to follow the trail back into Minjujuui City, only having to flash their Fire Nation emblems to avoid harassment by the guards. Once inside, they donned cloaks, and let Doom lead the way, as he was less conspicuous than a fully grown Arcanine. Houndour were common within the city as well, though none were as purely bred for battle as Doom, he could blend in as a local, from a distance. Anyone who looked closer would notice his ribs weren't showing, his fur was shiny, and he was in remarkably good health, for a city Pokémon.

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When the trail led them into the slums of the city, Aluza finally cracked under the smell. Okuz could tell the lack of sleep was starting to affect her, and he too felt his eyes growing more tired, but they continued on, convinced that they were close to their target. Eventually, Doom led them to a sewer entrance, and after fashioning barely efficient face masks for themselves, the pair of firebenders entered the smelly sewage network. About twenty minutes in, still following the trail, they felt a rumble in the earth, and it was Aluza who stopped Okuz from walking straight out into a causeway that, in an instant, became home to a rampaging Onix rising out of the earth, who was doing battle with a green blur, and a Riolu.

Whoever it battled was skilled enough to catch the rock snake rather quickly, and both firebenders wondered who exactly had the kind of tech for such a thing in Koria. Such technology was prohibited from Korian citizens, and catching Pokémon was not a common skill. As the struggling Onix brought his tail forward to try to stop the ball, he took out a wall near them, and exposed their cover. Slowly, and as quietly as possible, Aluza, Doom, and Okuz moved backwards, but the green blur, revealed to be a Sceptile, spotted them, and was soon followed by the barking Riolu as well. Muttering an expletive under her breath, Aluza recalled Doom, and then dashed away from the scene. Okuz was right behind her, and after a few quick turns, the pair climbed a ladder they'd found to the surface, and passed through a manhole cover, to their freedom.

They kept running, and deciding subtlety was out, Okuz called out Arca once more, letting the massive flame dog clear a path for them with her bulk, as she used her speed to return them to the harbor at an expedited pace. Neither of the siblings spoke, but they both knew the importance of what they had found. The Light user was likely working with the rebellion, and they had likely been close to the rebel's base. Now they knew where it was, they could press their authority as regional overlords to send troops in, capture everyone there, and question them, until they gave up the Avatar.

Now that they had the location, marked so conveniently by the Onix, the end of the rebellion was all but assured, and the time for their return home was approaching rapidly.