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The Palace of Ideals - Unova Region
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Po awakened from his insanely comfortable Luxury Ball as he heard noise from outside. He'd consumed well over a hundred berries through the night, of varying types and flavors, as Alex hadn't limited what he could eat, or how much. Yet. After a journey like his, the human was willing to give Po whatever he needed to recover.
As he popped free, he was greeted by the sight of two Gardevoir, belonging to other Scales in the palace, who murmured to each other in Pokéspeech as they saw him. "Is that a Kubfu?" One asked. The other nodded, and said, "He's with the Dragon Emperor, apparently." The pair giggled then, turning away from him, but as usual, Po's exceptional hearing caught their words. "I can't imagine how he was chosen." One said. The other stopped giggling long enough to say, "Because of his species, of course. The Emperor probably wants an Urshifu. Even if he's a Chubfu, now." The two strode off then laughing at their clever nickname, leaving Po just watching them go. He didn't lie to himself, their words did hurt, but he was more than used to Pokémon insulting him for his weight. Their little nickname wasn't original, either.
It didn't make him sad, but it did dampen his excited anticipatory morning spirit. He turned around, only to find a massive, golden Luxray barring his path. "Woah…" He said, as the black and gold colors appealed to his eyes, and he took in just how impressive his mane was. As their eyes locked, Po was not intimidated, which made Leo smirk.
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"You…are a lot stronger than you let on, aren't you." The thunder cat purred as he circled his newest teammate. "Getting insulted by two attractive females so early…it would ruin the whole day for most Pokémon your age."
Po just shrugged. "Gramps always said life is too short to worry about the opinions of others." The cub looked around, then. "Do you know where we get breakfast? I'm starving!"
Leo huffed, the cat equivalent of laughter. "You really only think about food. Come. You'll need to eat if Canis is training you. Most Pokémon quit after a few sessions with him."
Po shook his head adamantly. "I won't quit! I came this far to learn!" Leo nodded his maned head, and Po eyed his muscled form as they walked. It was hard to see under the dark fur, but this Luxray's muscles were very well toned. "I'm also hoping to…maybe drop some poundage through my training. I was hoping the trip here would help, but…"
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Leo chuckled again. "Eating a journey's worth of food after the journey probably didn't help. Once you've seen Nurse Joy we'll know how best to burn all that fat off."
"Good…" Po said slowly, as they passed some other members of their team already eating and conversing with the other Pokémon of the Scales. To a human's eyes they probably seemed large, clean, and healthy. To Pokémon, they all looked shredded as well. Po was in awe. He definitely picked the right Trainer. Leo plopped a bowl full of what Po classified as 'brown nuggets' in front of the cub, and then dragged his own food over beside him.
Shortly after, Canis joined them, glancing around. "Are we eating here, now?" Leo nodded. It wasn't their usual spot in the large underground room they were inhabiting, but it was in the center. One by one, the other members of their team showed up, and joined them, forming an ever-larger circle. Those he'd seen eating on their way in also saw Leo and came over. The circle expanded significantly as Terra and Hydrus arrived. Po greeted each new teammate, already struggling to remember their names. They all seemed interested in him though, and specifically where he'd come from, and why he was here now. So, Po told them the tale, with little detail. His first memory had been of the Urshifu he referred to as 'Gramps', and his two siblings. Very quickly, Po had realized they were different from him. They had trained hard, while he'd preferred to find, gather, and eat food instead. They also looked different from Po, being naturally thinner, and more serious. One thing they all shared though, was a love of martial arts, even if Po was pretty bad at using martial attacks. One sibling had preferred a fast, flowing style of strikes, while the other was more inclined towards incredibly powerful punches delivered with impressive speed. Eventually, his siblings left on a journey to gain more power, leaving Po alone with Gramps. Po had wanted to follow them into the world, but Gramps claimed he wasn't ready. As the old Pokémon's health had begun succumbing to age, he told Po to seek out a master of the Dragon Style, for that would be someone who could teach him Kung Fu.
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Po nommed his way through the 'nuggets' and glanced at Leo as he finished his story and his bowl. "Is uhh…is there more?" The older team members laughed, as did Leo. "Eat as much of these as you like. They're just mashed, cooked berries around vitamins. Very healthy."
Po eyed his last nug, and raised a brow as he examined it. "What kinda vitamins?"
"Protein." Canis answered, already finished with his bowl. "Mine have Calcium. Most of our food has, primarily, either Protein or Calcium. Our Trainer is big on attacking." In a single smooth motion, Canis got to his feet. "I'll show you where we get more."
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The source of round two was actually an Oranguru by the name of Oran, who could make pretty much any food recipe the Scales wanted for their team. He'd gone from being a second-string battler for his own team, to being responsible for feeding pretty much every Pokémon in the palace, as well as the Trainers. It wasn't a stretch to say he'd found his calling, and both his Trainer and the Emperor were more than happy to leave feeding the Pokémon teams to him.
He was surrounded by a circle of steel that acted as a table, with various meals in various stages of completion laid across it. Under said table was as many ovens as could be safely added, a dishwasher, and a large plastic box that held a mountainous clusterMuk of silverware. The wise ape looked at them as they approached. "Ahh. The Emperor's aura hound, and…someone new?"
Po bowed low with genuine respect for one who clearly loved cooking as he loved martial arts. "I am Po. Honored to be here."
The psychic chef nodded. "Protein then, I take it?" He asked Canis, who nodded, and psychically levitated their bowls over. Oran nodded as well, and then the assortment of meals began psychically moving, as he once more began cooking. The Emperor's team got priority meals, something Po was ecstatic about.
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Two bowls later, Canis ended their feast, and the morning training began. This mainly consisted of those with humanoid bodies going through the basic forms of the Dragon Style with excruciating slowness. Po found it frustrating at first, but then realized it was actually harder to stay consistently slow and moving so carefully took more focus. He also found it helped him memorize the movements quicker.
He was still glad when he and Canis specifically moved on to one-on-one instruction. Of the Mewtwo that Alex had mentioned, there was no sign. Canis taught him the finer points of Aerial Ace and Brick Break, as his physical attacks were almost as good as his special ones, and mastery of the Dragon Style, for him, had required him to master both. Once Po had these moves down sufficiently, it was time to battle.
His first opponent ended up being a Mienfoo, though it looked quite a lot different from the ones back in Eous. Po bowed to him, and fell into a fighting crouch as he said, "I look forward to sparring with you!"
The Mienfoo simply snorted. Po looked rather silly, as his fur was floofy and his mouth, unlike other Kubfu, was curved in a smile, not a frown. His completely circular midsection did not help either. "You're in my way, Chubfu." Snarled the mustelid martial artist.
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Battling alone wasn't new for Po, and as the Mienfoo was also without his Trainer, Po saw no issue with their matchup. They were the same level, but very quickly, after an exchange of Aerial Ace attacks, the young cub realized he was facing an opponent who had battled many other Pokémon and had put in quite a lot more effort than he had, in training their attacks. Despite that, the rotund cub kept up with his Aerial Ace, parrying it blow for blow, and as the battle progressed, managed to land the first real hit.
After that, the Mienfoo honed its claws to new levels of sharpness, and Po had to dodge thereafter, until Canis called the match a draw, as they both ran out of power for Aerial Ace. Po tried to shake the wushu weasel's paw, but it stormed off before he got the chance, muttering about the absurdity of a Kubfu that was obese, and smiling. Slightly disheartened again, Canis showed a rare bit of affection, as he could sense how words about his weight changed Po's aura, though the young cub didn't physically show signs of it bothering him, it still upset him enough for the aura hound to notice and be irritated by.
They went to see Nurse Joy then, who had taken up residence in the palace with her Audino after most of the resort town had been upended by the rise of the old ruins in the harbor. For the first time that day, as it was about noon, Po finally saw his Trainer. "Dragon Emperor!" The cub said excitedly, bowing as the tall human came into the room. He seemed sleepy, but more…relaxed? Po guessed he'd gotten a good night's rest but couldn't conceive of what said rest entailed. Humans were still largely a mystery to him.
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"Just Alex is fine from you, Po." Alex said, patting his floofy head. "Now that you're on the team, we don't need titles between friends."
Po wiggled excitedly, as the nurse stuck odd things on his fur. He sniffed them, but otherwise let them be, assuming this was part of her healing. He'd visited many a Pokémon Center alone on his voyage to Unova after learning that they healed injured Pokémon for free, and he had grown a fondness for the women who worked there, as well as respect. Anything he could do to make their job easier, he tried to do, when the opportunity rose. The nurse frowned, as she looked over his internal scans. His lack of a Trainer had, until now, prevented him from being thoroughly scanned.
Alex raised an eyebrow, but the nurse didn't notice. She and the Audino helping her were instead moving about the room, and Alex opted to stay out of their way, as much as his six-foot five frame could, anyway. It was almost impossible not to be in the way of something one of them needed in the small exam room, and he finally just shifted back to the doorway where his stupidly large form blocked the least amount of space. Finally, the nurse said something, after several minutes of looking through old medical books and gathering medicinal components. "Your little Kubfu has a parasite. It's from the old world, but we do sometimes see it today. Eucestoda, commonly called a Tapeworm. I'm guessing he ate some raw meat or fish at some point. This may be why his appetite is so large."
Alex's brows had furrowed, upon hearing that. "How…do we get rid of it? They live in their host's stomach lining right?"
Nurse Joy nodded. "Po's is rather large, for his body size. I suspect it's been infecting him for quite some time. Have him take this medicine, and it should paralyze, kill, and eventually remove the worm with his, erm…droppings. Within a few weeks his body should regulate itself, and his weight problem will likely lessen."
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Po frowned, as though he understood Common to a point, the nurse had used some rather large words. Oddly enough, he understood his Trainer perfectly by comparison. Alex relayed the information to him, sensing his confusion. "Limiting this parasite's food will also help get rid of it. You should be better in a few weeks, Po. At which point, I suspect we'll start seeing some weight loss. For now, focus on training inside your ball, and with Canis."
Po nodded, and then returned to his ball to hone his attacks on the punching bags Alex supplied him with. Being specifically designed to be used within a Pokéball, the training bags helped Pokémon hone their moves and stats while their Trainers moved about, which was great for Alex, as he had another busy day ahead. He collected the rest of his team, before he and Jess set out. According to Tao, the western half of Texico still needed housing and basic necessities, and from there he would guide the pair to whoever else needed housing for their surplus homeless population. Most of the areas were in Fornia, or its satellite regions, as the Church had kept many residents of said regions away indefinitely. With their return, many found their old homes already long occupied by other families, which usually ended in fights, and one of said families ending up homeless. It was a mess, but one that Alex could solve with his earthbending.
Several Scales came with them, from both of their squads. They had been working in the Dragonspiral Tower to master the art of bending elemental energy and would learn firsthand from the Dragon Emperor the kind of control needed to make a dwelling that was suitable for living in out of rock and stone.
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Several Hours Later - Unova Region
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Over the course of about eighteen hours straight, Alex and his companions had bamfed their way to Texico West, most of the major cities in Fornia, and then after splitting from the earthbenders to handle the smaller settlements of Fornia, moved back east through the other territories, building and bending as they went. Being what he was, Alex was usually able to deliver the envisioned home, or at least its shell, to the homeless citizens of his Empire. Many communities opted for a communal living space with two floors and multiple bedrooms, which was actually much easier to accommodate. Plumbing and electricity would come later, but for those without roofs over their heads in the face of an oncoming winter, any shelter was better than nothing.
His last stop had been Icirrus City, which thanks to its proximity to Tao's seat of power, had grown quite a bit larger and was in desperate need of housing as well. By the time Alex was done, Tao informed him that he'd made about one thousand eight hundred and sixty new homes in total, some one story, most two stories, and claimed that was enough, for the moment. Jess had also split from him, in Mewsia, both to do some paperwork, and to battle the local Trainers there to raise her World Tournament ranking. She had claimed she was going to traverse the whole Fornia region, and the satellite States, until she hit Ultra Class, and suggested he do something similar.
Alex had his own plan to raise his ranking, but today had been primarily focused on fulfilling his promise to his people. From the golden coast to the Foggy Swamp Sage's Island, he felt confident that pretty much every State now had a surplus of basic housing for those who needed or wanted it. As he finished the last house in Icirrus, he floated into the air, feeling a bit nostalgic as he looked over the hills to the north, where Trainer Exams were still regularly held for new Trainers who needed a Trainer Card.
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Given his newest goal, he recalled a few old friends he'd made back then, and wondered how they were getting on. He didn't start out intending to catch them, but seeing Sandy and Poli would be nice, assuming they were still around. He headed to the exam area on his own power, as Blaze was training back at the Palace of Ideals along with Shruikan and most of his team. Terra was with him, but resting, which left Noir, Hydrus, and a few others on hand for road battles.
As it had been decades since he'd been here, Alex didn't expect to find either of his old temporary partners. Just finding the lake he'd met Poli at was a challenge, but eventually, the sounds of the Poliwag line in the night drew him over. It was a bit chilly for them to still be active, but someone was still singing away. As he came up to the lake's shore, he saw her, and recognized her instantly. She was a Politoed now, and clearly a matriarch of her species, but he recognized his little Poliwag all the same. She was mid-song, a hauntingly beautiful melody that was hard to translate to Common in a manner that made sense. Naturally, Pokémon did not sing like humans, but it was still nice to listen to, and eventually he realized it was a lullaby of sorts. A few curious Poliwags floated up near him as they noticed him, and he smiled, tossing them some berries. "Here, little ones." They dove back under the water initially, but one by one, the floating berries were pulled under the water and presumably consumed.
Then, he noticed. The melody had ended, and all was quiet…at least until Poli landed on him with Bounce, or tried to. He dodged easily, swirling gracefully out of the way, and then held up a hand as she readied an Ice Beam. "Poli! Poli! It's me! It's Alex. Do you remember your old Human friend?"
The Politoed's eyes narrowed, and the Ice Beam grew bigger between her chubby fingers. Alex didn't move but rather inhaled. He was ready to breathe enough fire to match her Ice Beam. If that hit him, he imagined it would hurt quite a lot, given what he was now. He kept his eyes on her, hands out wide, and as she finally met his gaze, her defensive instincts faltered. Most humans ran by now, but as she regarded this human properly, and registered his words, her memories finally floated up to the surface. Recognition flashed in her eyes and her wide mouth turned up in a big grin. "Little Hyooman!" She croaked, before leaping at him, the ice attack now faded into nothingness. He caught her, and gave her a hug.
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"Mm. Big Hyooman now." She pulled away slightly, and he set her down, as she was rather heavy, and large sized for a Politoed. "You…can speak like us now?"
Alex nodded. "I've had an…interesting set of adventures since we parted. And look at you! Not so little anymore either. Not being bullied anymore, I bet."
Poli chuckled and waved a hand. "Those bullies became my consorts. The little ones you fed are probably theirs." She gave him a genuinely happy smile. "What brings you to us?"
"I just wanted to see if you and Sandy were still around here. I've missed you two." He said, mentally nudging Saur, who was sleeping, but overjoyed to wake up, for this.
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Poli bounced excitedly in place. "Sandy! Yes! That was what you called him. He is here. I will call for him!" She began croaking loudly then, her calls echoing out over the water.
Minutes later, an uneven line of dirt shot towards them, as Sandy emerged from the ground, a fully grown Sandslash now, with the claws to match. He wrongly assumed Alex was hurting Poli, and thus had aimed his Dig at him, only to falter in mid-air as their eyes met, and recognized that fiery blue gaze. "Little Human!?" He shouted mid attack, as Alex once more swiftly dodged, once more using only a single movement to do so.
"Sandy!" Alex said, as the spine-covered shrew landed, and turned. He scurried over to Alex then, who knelt and gave him a hug as well. "Arceus…you two have gotten so much larger!"
Sandy thumped his chest, proudly with his impressively sharp claws. "We lead our species, and we keep the peace around these woods."
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"The Humans aren't giving you trouble, right? You wouldn't know, but I too have become a leader of my species." Alex said with a tone between proud and bragging.
Sandy shrugged. "There are always some who are too abusive or too weak. We try to help them." He looked around then, sniffing, as if he caught a familiar scent, just barely. He looked up at Alex then. "If you are here, does that mean-"
At that point, Saur couldn't contain himself anymore, and erupted from his ball with a mighty roar. The three Pokémon shared a hug, and then Alex and Saur explained their team's goal, and offered the two a part in it. Their answers were largely identical.
"I'd love to help, Alex, but…I have so many little ones to watch over now." Poli said, with Sandy affirming that he too had a nest of shrews to watch. A whole colony of them, in fact.
"I understand." Alex answered as he quietly noted, once again, that the Pokémon bonded with him had a tendency to end up as leaders. Even those he'd only briefly trained. "I wouldn't be taking you away from them, though. I'd just have you hold onto your Pokéballs, and if you ever need our help," He said gesturing to Saur, "We will come and resolve any issues you're having. Especially with Humans. Like we said, our goal is to make this planet prosper. For Humans and Pokémon alike."
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The two shared a look, and then nodded. "No other Human has been able to tame me." Poli declared proudly.
"Yes." Sandy added, "No other Human felt…right, like helping you did. I always knew you and Saur would come back someday." Sandy and Poli met gazes then, and nodded, before smiling back at their old friend. "We will gladly join your team."
With that settled, they had a meal together, and met some of Alex's newer lineup. Seeing Terra amazed them, as he was bigger even than Saur. Poli's mind was practically glowing with pride as she took in just how many powerful friends he had now. When the meal ended and the night grew older after the time it took to recount their adventures, the two returned to their families, to stash their balls in a safe place. Alex knew this was indeed the Way, as watching them go both felt sad, but right. They too now had a place in their mental web, and the pair had actually cried a bit when they fully understood just how much he cared for them, and had missed them, despite their brief few weeks together.
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He headed back to Icirrus with Noir by his side, as after evolving he preferred the night to the daytime. They battled a few Trainers on the road, with their victories counting towards their World Tournament ranking. Even out here, there were Trainers hard at work, honing their skills and raising their scores. That was the other issue his mind addressed as he and Noir strolled through the night. How to get his still Normal Class rank up to the Superior Sixteen.
Once he started running, at a pace Noir could keep up with, the trek across Unova became much easier. By the time they reached the Palace of Ideals, most everyone was asleep, including Jess. He decided to run his plans by her in the morning, and as he was changing into sleep clothes, he found Po waiting for him in the room. Quietly, they left to talk outside of it so as not to wake the Empress.
"So, Po." Alex started, "How was your first day on the team?"
"It was amazing! Master Canis is so strong! But he said I should talk to you, if I wanted some…Dragon Wisdom!"
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Sensing his Kubfu was troubled, Alex guided him to a private room where they could chat in comfort. "What has your mind so troubled, young Po?"
The chubby cub scratched his floofy head awkwardly. "It's just…seeing the whole team today, and all the other Pokémon here…I'm realizing just how far behind I am. How…unskilled I am by comparison." He met the Dragon Emperor's gaze, and Alex saw the fire in his beady eyes. "My Kung Fu is weak. But I want to be stronger! I want to Battle and know I can win!"
"Well, given that you're technically a Legendary Pokémon Po, I can't really use you in the World Tournament. Although you might be fine to compete, as a Kubfu." Seeing how his new partner deflated, made an old tidbit of training knowledge from his Pokéless days surface. "What if I told you I knew a place that could quite easily make your strikes more powerful." Alex said evenly.
Po's eyes went wide. "Does…does such a place really exist!?"
Alex nodded, and shifted to an appropriately epic and deep-baritoned storytelling tone that absolutely hooked the young Kung Fu cub. "In a Region across the sea, in a land called Paldea, there is a place where powerful Pokémon live in great numbers amidst mountains capped by obsidian!"
"Obsidian…!" Po said, in total awe.
Alex continued. "If one Battles long enough in the bamboo forests of this special place, young Po, their attack strength will reach heights unmatched by the rest of their species."
"New heights…that sounds…sooo Awesome… But that's what's bothering me!" Po said animatedly. "Canis and the others can use so many types of energy! So many of the others can…and I want too as well. I'll definitely need it in a place like Paladia. The others said I'd need…tee ems? They said I'd need to ask you, if I wanted to learn such Moves."
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"Ahh." Alex said, pulling out his Teachy TV. "TMs are essentially knowledge disks made from Pokémon materials that can teach you how to use a new Move. Lucky for you, I grabbed some today that I had a feeling might interest you. I'll show them to you now, and you can hone them before you go to sleep."
That seemed to alleviate his Kung Fu cub's worries, as he nodded excitedly. The moves chosen were all three variations of elemental punches, Iron Head, Zen Headbutt, Dig, Acrobatics, Protect, and Metal Claw. With his move pool expanded, Alex and Po retired to their respective sleeping areas, and awaited a new day.
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The Secret Island - Alola Region
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"Focus your power, Elio."
Once more, the third Champion of Alola, and the longest reigning in Alolan history, did as the Secret Island Sage instructed. He was quite a few years older than when he'd won that title from Kukui, after Ash Ketchum had claimed the World Champion title. His outfit was still similar, though. He had the same style of hat, though this one was black and green, as was the rest of his ensemble of a tank top, and shorts. It matched his Decidueye well. Slowking was a very patient teacher, and Elio was truly glad to have been chosen to train under him on Alola's Secret Isle.
About as large as the Swamp Sage's Island in size and protected by a flock of Pelliper who kept up a constant Mist around it even on sunny days, few humans or Pokémon ventured to the island. Slowking enjoyed his solitude, but over his lengthy lifespan he had discovered that occasionally being visited by curious or just lost humans and Pokémon added variety to an existence that could at times become dull and rote. His chess games with the Swamp Sage were another such variation in his routine, but his star pupil Elio had by far pulled him out of his Shellder the most.
Once more the red-orange aura surrounded the young adult human, as he attempted to make use of Future Sight. It started flaring wildly around him as he focused his energy further and pushed his limits. Slowking's brow furrowed, as Elio was using more than enough power for the move, but as he let his focus wane, the human shook his head. "It's all darkness again, Master. Nothing but vague shadows."
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"The problem is not you, young Elio. Something dark is…obscuring your vision. And whatever it is…it is here, in Alola." The Slowking looked out over the beautifully blue sea and into the fog, towards the main islands. He glanced back at Elio, who he could tell was eager to ask him to deploy the Scales lucky enough to be stationed in Alola for the holidays. "Inform the Scales. Do a sweep of the islands…" He paused, closing his eyes briefly, before opening them. "Stop by the Aether Paradise as well. Lily has something that will help you track down any Shadow in the area."
Suddenly quite a bit more motivated, Elio summoned Nebby from his ball, and was soon galloping across the region, just over the water. In minutes, the Solgaleo in the prime of his life got Elio to the floating structure that was home to his girlfriend, her mom, and the majority of the Aether Foundation. By this point, Nebby had his own sky port that lowkey examined the sun lion's biology every time he passed through it. Nebby decided to fly inverted up the side of the foundation's complex, and then over and into the port, spinning out to be right-side up as he landed.
The three or four lab techs that saw his mastery of flight clapped, and Nebby looked quite pleased with himself. A Clefable brought him a bowl of food then, another reason the Legendary Pokémon liked coming here. Elio meanwhile had scurried off to where Lillie usually was, the lower levels, where she largely spent most of her time cataloging the various dimensions through local Ultra Wormholes around their part of the multiverse. Since the multiverse was a chaotic mess by nature, keeping track of which portals led where was difficult, without a beacon or signal telling them they'd visited before. There also tended to be Legendary Pokémon on the other side of these portals, and in the interest of balance, the Aether Foundation had a policy of not angering them, and not catching them. Over time, Elio had reported that most seemed to simply want a decent battle and were most satisfied with him when he gave them one, and then went back home.
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The other Scales stationed in Alola were also formerly Ultra Guardians who had been absorbed into the Scales ranks on the Aether President's recommendation. Among them were Gladion, Selene, Lillie, Kiawe, and Ryuki. Lillie was typically their connection to their home dimension, and thus often stayed behind, while the men of the squad had an ongoing contest for who went on the most missions. Staying at home and taking on ever more of her mother's duties meant Lillie was perpetually busy, and when she wasn't, Elio usually was. That didn't strain their relationship though, if anything it just made them more eager to see each other when the opportunity arose.
Elio found her typing away, cataloging by the look of it, which meant she was essentially just doing busywork. It was one thing to visit alternate planes through Ultra Space, it was another to categorize the beacons left behind, before they disappeared with the closing of the wormhole. Seeing she was engrossed in her work, Elio opted for stealth, and surprise.
As he got close to her spinning chair and inhaled for a surprising noise of some description, the chair suddenly whirled around, and Elio found his breath vanishing as Lillie grabbed his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss all in one smooth motion. The Alolan Champion was not startled by much, but he was properly dazed when she pulled her lips away and smirked at him. "You're awful at sneaking around, Elio." He just nodded, more by reflex than anything.
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Lillie looked behind him then and smiled. "Nebby!" The entire room shook as the gigantic Solgaleo galloped over to his second favorite human. She gave the extradimensional space lion all the scritches and looked back at Elio. "Is there a reason the Sage let you go so early?"
Elio nodded out of his daze. "My Future Sight is being obscured by some kind of darkness. Master thinks the source of it is somewhere here in Alola."
Lillie seemed to deflate. "I guess we should summon the other Scales." She perked up again slightly as she continued, "I also have some sort of…device that the Dragon Emperor sent to us. Apparently, it can detect Shadow Energy…"
Elio nodded, and then glanced around. "That sounds useful. So. You said they're not here? Not even Gladion?" Lillie shook her head. Elio's eyebrows rose higher. "And your mom?"
Sensing where his mind was going, Lillie flushed. "S-she has a meeting with the Professors."
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Elio grinned. "We can summon the Scales in like, ten minutes."
Nebby glanced between the two humans, rolled his eyes, and trotted over to his pillow set up in this area just for him, and sometimes Snowy. Lillie looked slightly disappointed as she pushed into Elio's arms. "Only ten minutes?" She pouted, but her smile was still visible.
It was Elio's turn to blush as he scratched his head. "I suppose we could extend it beyond ten minu- woah!" He exclaimed, as Lillie grabbed his shirt again.
"Good." She said, already walking, quickly, before anything had the chance to interrupt them. "Because I'm going to need more than ten."
Elio regained his footing and smirked at her. "As you wish…" He said, before breaking free of her grip and scooping her up into his arms in one smooth motion that took advantage of the island style martial arts Slowking was teaching him. He Teleported them, to save even more time.
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Elsewhere in Alola…
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Proditor, now disguised as a very pale vacationing businessman, had made his way across Alola largely unnoticed and availed himself of the many modern Trainer tools on sale on the Big Island. With his dark passenger quietly recharging their power, he took the opportunity to search for potential replacements for the pawn Zigma had taken from him.
He was distracted however, when his odd questions were redirected to the Pokénet by a vacationer who couldn't be bothered to answer everything the strange pale man asked about. The Pokénet was a revelation unto itself, giving him much needed context in a world he'd long since lost touch with. Amazingly, to him, the people of this era barely had more than two sentences about his era and his exploits on this newest world wide web of information. He did discover that Zigma had reformed recently, and who was responsible for undoing that particular goal of his people. While the article credited Champion Nelinha of Rio for recombining Zigma, the newly ascendant Dragon Emperor also got an honorable mention for his antics in Selva Muerta, which had resulted in Sombrador returning to Rio. Proditor didn't know the specifics, but he guessed that this Redwood and his party had successfully destroyed the Nexus somehow. Evidently, this Sombrador creature had guarded those ruins since Zigma's final clash with his pupils, when she was finally unmade.
The newest Dragon Emperor had been mentioned by Morgana as well, as the owner of Mordred's fated enemy, but she'd said little else. Once more he lamented losing his only pawn to the arrogant entity in his skull. He had another thought then, and in the quiet of the Malie City Pokémon Center's public CPU hub, called out his Shadow Gallade. His eyes widened, as the dark warrior looked around, saw Proditor, and then attacked, with the full intention to kill. Proditor went for his neck psychically, strangling Mordred and lifting him into the air, and then behind a stack of books. "Is this about the Witch?"
"You just…let her…die…" Mordred choked out, before kicking at the revived corpse. He made contact with the human's clothing, but Proditor's body just let his leg pass right through it, harmlessly. To Mordred, it felt like hitting a ghost type with a fighting move.
"Enough." The man snarled, holding the Gallade's whole frame in place as he summoned his power in a focused burst identical to Morded's frame. "The Shadowmind let her die. I still had use for her, but it deemed her not worth the energy it would've taken to free her. I didn't see You leaping from your ball to help her, either. Though I suppose you were recently wounded." He dropped Mordred to the ground then, as he sensed the Gallade's desire to kill him lessen.
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Pushing himself up from the prone position, Mordred glared at his latest would-be tamer. "You're just going to do the same thing to your team. Once we outlive our usefulness, you'll replace us." His arms burned to life with Shadow blades. "I refuse to serve another Human like Pravus…"
Proditor simply nodded, ignoring the young Gallade's display. The intent to strike had left his mind, and Proditor was too logical to be intimidated. "That was your first Trainer, right? I see he was competent enough to make you useful. Egg infusion. Ideal stats. Altered Nature. Proper training. But he abused you, didn't he? Hit you, or something."
Mordred's eyes narrowed, but his blades held, softly humming as they conversed in hushed tones. "If you can call damning me for my natural typing 'abuse'. He had many disgusting theories about Psychic Types. Ideas that he forced onto me from the moment I hatched, as well as his cult. And yes, he hit me as well. Only his Darkrai's strikes actually hurt."
"A Darkrai? Where is it now?" Proditor said, one eyebrow slightly rising.
"Dead." Mordred said, flatly. "Like the last Humans that tried to tame me. What makes you any different?"
Proditor just nodded again, smirking now. "I know his type. Violent, and just clever enough to be an irritant. I am not like that. Pokémon are living beings, not tools. You have your own dreams and desires, and that's fine. So long as they do not impede mine. Follow my commands, claim victory for me, and I will see that you have whatever you desire, when it is within my means to acquire it."
The angry Gallade processed the man's words, but ultimately found no lie in them. "I have Your measure. But what's to stop that thing in your head from abandoning us, too?"
Proditor's eyes grew hard. "Me. That was our…first fusion. We were in combat before we had properly aligned our powers and established an…agreement. I will Not allow it to abandon more of my allies so casually." He spoke with enough intent that he was certain the entity heard him, but it made no reply. "Now then…" Proditor hissed as the Gallade's gathered Shadow energy limning his arms dispersed, "I want you to tell me of this Dragon Emperor. Morgana was reluctant to elaborate on him. But your first Trainer seems to have…had some sort of history with him."
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Mordred rolled his eyes and crossed his pointed arms. "You have your Human information box. It can tell you everything I could."
Proditor once more simply nodded, and then crossed his arms. "With time, it could, but you have a unique perspective young Mordred. So, You will tell me. Now." He said, adding weight to his final word.
The Gallade's eyes narrowed, and he sighed, but then started speaking. Of the first duel with Arthur in Castelia City, and their degrading escape. Of how easily the Gallade and his Trainer were deceived by the Zoroark in Pravus's possession. And of their latest encounter, which had seen him plummet to the ocean not far from their current location, before marching under tonnes of water pressure, for days, towards Galar, and Albion. On the specific details, Mordred was infuriatingly vague, though that turned out to be because he was simply unaware. Dark Balls, unlike most Pokéballs, did not let their occupants see outside of them. Mordred had relied on his psychic power for that, but eventually, Pravus had discovered that, and repressed it. A Pokémon could go mad in that dark void, sometimes not called out for days, and then being severely disoriented when they finally were. Being infused with Shadow didn't help either.
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Mordred finished by saying, "There's a very good chance that Redwood will be on your tail soon, if he isn't already. And his Gallade will be right beside him."
Proditor nodded again, taking the information in stride. "You will deal with him, when and if he shows up. I will help you defeat this…Arthur. I don't like the sound of him. I would prefer he…not exist. When they turn up, as Heroes must, they will face your vengeance, and your new power. Thank you, Mordred." The Shadow Gallade nodded in understanding, as he was recalled to his latest ball. The rest of his Pokénet browsing taught Proditor much of the current civilization, and their goings on. Eventually, he found a rumor of a legend about the Haina Desert, which he recognized as having been named with a word from a language and time when Alola was known by a different name, a name that had still been in use, in his own era. In that now apparently forgotten language, the name translated as 'the Cruel Desert' and according to his research, it was so named because of what supposedly lay buried beneath the sand. The ancient enemies of Tapu Bulu.
In researching what this era knew of Guzzlord, he was surprised to learn that the Alolans had actually encountered other living members of the species. He knew Rapax had been stolen, and after learning of the Guardian Deities of Alola, he now finally had a guess as to who had been responsible for removing one of his most powerful Pokémon before his battle with the Hero King.
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As he departed the Pokémon Center without healing his team, the nurse called out to him, asking if he wanted to heal them before setting out. On a whim, and because of his lack of knowledge regarding modern technology and records, Proditor accepted her offer. The nurse raised an eyebrow as she saw the composition of his belt, which was currently his Blastoise, Gallade, Hydreigon, and an unbound Hoopa.
She had seen unique Pokémon teams with how many tourists Alola got, but what set off the system alarm was the severe Shadow Infusions in all four of his Pokémon, and the Trainer Number of Caleb Pravus, specifically on the Gallade. Luckily for Joy, she wore her best Pokér face until the unusually pale man left, at which point she contacted the League.
Proditor wasted no time walking, and caused a bit of a stir on the island as the ominous form of his massive Hydreigon flew towards the desert. Once above it, with the sandstorm passing harmlessly through him and his Hydreigon refreshed enough to withstand flying through it, Proditor reached out his psychic senses across its comparatively small circumference, and then deep into the ancient sands.
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A grin crossed his pale visage as he found what he sought. In his time, Rapax had been an alpha of his all-consuming species, and while it seemed Trainers in this age rightly feared Guzzlord, they could actually be quite decent companions, once one got to know them. Of all his team, Rapax had taken the most effort to acquire and train, but the unstoppable dark dragon type was worth that effort. Only a few species could hope to withstand its ferocious pull, and Proditor doubted any were in modern day Alola.
"Toraigon." He shouted over the howling sandstorm. "Free our Rapax from his prison. Tri Attack!"
With his aim psychically guided by his Trainer, the Hydreigon aimed his three heads perfectly, and began unearthing the deeply buried dragon. Pokémon fled from the powerful trio of beams, as bits of glass and frozen sand were sent flying, making the sandstorm even more damaging, even to ground types. Said Pokémon tried attacking Toraigon, but they lacked range and power enough to divert him. With no other recourse, they left, and headed north.
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Proditor was too preoccupied to care where the small swarm of Pokémon was going, as Toraigon required his focus to stay on target and not accidentally hit Rapax with his attack. Given his typing, Proditor had to aim each limb himself, while his enraged and Shadow Infused dragon provided the power the attack would need to unearth such a large Guzzlord. When the dust finally settled, the sandstorm stopped, and Proditor gave his three headed dragon type a potion for the damage the sand had inflicted. He walked into the sandy depression then, and grimaced.
"Oh…my violent, hungry boy…what have they done to you…" He'd thought Shahir had been in a bad way, but he had at least been breathing. Rapax was as ferocious as he had always been but was now seemingly made of stone. A tiny arm by his head had fallen off, and one of his claws was broken, and on the ground as well. The other tiny arm seemed to have simply eroded away under the sand, which was impressive, given how hard Guzzlord scales were.
Proditor summoned the Shadow and used the tendrils he formed to repair his partner's arms. The smaller tiny arm that had eroded was replaced with a Shadow version that Proditor grafted onto his stump in a more permanent manner.
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Beware… The voice in his head hissed. We have been discovered…
Proditor looked up over the edge of the sandy hole he'd made and swore. Floating obviously across his domain was Tapu Bulu himself, searching for the disruption that had sent his subjects scurrying for cover. The 'ting, ting ting ting, ting ting, ting' of his bell announced his presence obviously, and it was clear the burly island deity feared nothing in a space it probably considered its own domain. That meant Proditor had moments, at most. Knowing what fairy types were like with detecting Shadow energy, he opted to move Rapax. Scanning the area, he gestured at the ground near his petrified friend, and levitated his ancient crystalline ball out of the dirt. It was a masterpiece, gold and black with hexagonal faces, which had been marred by something from multiple sides.
He smirked as he realized the barbaric bull god had tried, and failed, to destroy his hand-carved masterpiece, and the last of the balls he'd crafted all those years ago. "Boooluuuu!" He heard from above, and he aimed a smirk at where the Tapu was going to appear, as he masterfully aimed the Teleport to another part of the island.
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As the 'deity' appeared, Proditor spat in his general direction and bamfed away. As he and Rapax reappeared elsewhere on Ula'ula, the Tapu's roar was still audible, and he chuckled. He pointed the ball at Rapax then, and recalled him into it, before once more disguising himself. He was glad that the ball still worked. His friend was likely still petrified, but he was safe, and portable now. He'd never pass for a local with his skin tone, so he went with a standard black and purple modern Trainer outfit, complete with a hat and genuine logos to hide his features and divert attention.
Sure enough, moments later Tapu Bulu appeared above Malie City, startling and awing the residents with his presence. From his hiding spot in the crowds, Proditor mentally taunted him, as the human shaped Wooloo around him cheered at the sight of their Island Guardian.
"Go ahead, you glorified Tauros. Destroy me, and your people's city. Show them what you really are."
The Tapu roared in fury, and the people quailed, mistaking his anger as being towards them. Unable to act, Tapu Bulu took a heavy breath, and chose a different path. Once, he would've leveled the city with no hesitation, but things were much different in this era. The humans of the island region had chosen a better path, one Ash Ketchum himself had guided both the islanders and the Tapus to.
Instead of rage, Tapu Bulu placed his hooves together, and massive walls of thorned vines surrounded Malie City. Thanks to Kahuna Gladion, the people trusted their Tapu, though more than a few Trainers brought out their partners as it became clear that Tapu Bulu was searching for someone. Sure enough, being a popular port and having a Riolu population in Alola, it was a matter of math until someone brought out a Lucario, who then barked, snarling on instinct as it immediately sensed the massive Shadow corruption of Proditor's fused essence.
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As soon as he'd heard the Lucario, Proditor had started running. He quickly ran out of places to go though, as more plant life kept growing, creating smaller and smaller pockets in the city. Soon finding himself trapped at the end of a long, straight alleyway, the vines beside him burned away, around what appeared to be a thick, burly black scaled claw that Proditor recognized as belonging to the Salandit line. "This way." A gruff voice called from the new opening, as the ominous dinging heralding the Tapu's approach came their way.
Proditor glanced between his options, before taking the exit, and finding a Trainer and his partner on the other side. The Pokémon caught his eye first, as it was very much a male of the Salandit species, a Pokémon that Proditor knew as Saladon. While more 'common' in places like Selva Muerta's volcanic ranges, in Alola, there was only one male born to the local population every century or so, and often, it was caught by a Trainer with a doomed fate. Such Trainers usually ended up becoming the Island Kahuna and had an affinity with Dark Type Pokémon, traditionally, and while this Trainer had indeed achieved that status, he had also been violently removed by Tapu Bulu. There was one other difference that marked the Saladon from his Dark Continent cousins. Runes of flame burned like lava against the black of his scales around his arms, and down his legs and back, and this particular male had an impressive spiny crest between his neck and shoulders that were also likely poisonous.
His Trainer had the skin tones of a native islander, and tattoos very similar in style to his Saladon's across his body. A black scarf covered the right side of his face and sitting atop both the scarf and his head was a cap reminiscent of a human skull, not remotely cartoony or silly, but kind of disturbingly real in how detailed it was. As his visible dark eye fell on Proditor, it narrowed, but the man spoke anyway. "Hurry. Before it catches up."
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Proditor followed the older human, as they came to a tunnel carved presumably by his Saladon, that led into Ula'ula's volcano. Behind them, Tapu Bulu finally discovered the hole in his vine wall, and roared with rage in his voice. Proditor could tell his antics and evasion was starting to get to the Tapu. "Why are you helping me?" Proditor finally asked, once they'd traveled some distance from the now sealed entrance they'd used.
"Any enemy of that pompous, overgrown Tauros is a friend of mine. Have you heard of Team Skull?" The man said, not looking behind him.
Proditor thought for a moment. "Yes…but you're at least a whole generation ahead of their members, most of whom are now imprisoned in Black City."
The man grunted in disgust. "Tourists. The original Team Skull, Team Iwipo'o, was much older, and far more…serious, than the idiots that succeeded us."
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Proditor sighed, genuinely not caring. "Fascinating. Why is that group of delinquents relevant?"
The man looked back at him, as he moved. "Because that group of delinquents is the only group still resisting the Tapu, and an enemy of it, is a friend of ours. I saw what you did in its desert. Bold, to unearth one of its ancient enemies in its own territory. That thing you have with you isn't the only one to be petrified and buried there. Bulu won't stop hunting you, now that you have its trophy."
Behind them, there was a mighty crash of earth and volcanic stone, and Tapu Bulu's cry again reached them. The man swore. "Sal. Start setting up and sealing false tunnels. Then rejoin ours, and seal it every few feet." The Saladon nodded, and suddenly turned left from them, as it used Dig to rapidly create a new tunnel to nowhere. It did this several times as the pair of humans kept moving.
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About ten minutes later it popped up behind them and started once more raising giant rock walls. Behind them, another massive quake and roar signaled that the Tapu had found the false tunnels. Then, a few minutes after that, they started hearing consecutive smashes, as the Tapu figured out their strategy, and rapidly gained on them. As if it understood where they were heading, somehow. Proditor grimaced. "It might have a Lucario helping it. It will be able to track me."
Hearing that, the old man swore, and suddenly turned down a different already carved tunnel, and had his Saladon seal it properly, so it was completely hidden. He then had it raise a solid ten feet of stone in the new tunnel, before they moved on again. Finally, they emerged from the tunnel to a truly pitiful secret base, that was, by Proditor's reckoning, under the part of the island called Po Town. These days it had been reclaimed by the people and their latest Kahuna and turned back into a proper place to live, though Gladion had given the land purposefully to native islanders, rather than rich tourists from the States or Japan. This made the island less popular thanks to the negative press, but Kahuna Gladion was fine with Ula'ula being seen as an island for Alolans, and not rich tourists.
With the surface reclaimed, what was left of Team Skull that wasn't in Prison had almost dispersed, but fate had seen them run into their newly freed founder, who'd just finished serving his own sentence in Black City, and had returned home, after decades away. As before, he rallied the group behind his Saladon, and moved them beneath Po Town, where they'd been ever since. So long as they didn't break any laws, Gladion had agreed to leave them alone, after he and the former Kahuna had tested each other in a battle, and reached a level of mutual respect, if not trust.
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The man who'd saved Proditor gestured to him as they arrived, out of breath and sweating from running several miles under a volcano. "This stranger is also an enemy of the Tapu. One of his partners was petrified by Bulu. The Tapu is on his trail even now. We will help him…" The man turned and met Proditor's gaze, "and in return, he will owe us a favor, in the future."
Proditor found it more likely they'd be his fodder in the future, but then banished that thought. He knew its origin and didn't like how easily he'd mistaken it for his own. He met the old man's gaze. "I swear to you, on my true name, I will repay this kindness."
The old man's face was unreadable. "I don't think I ever got your name, stranger. Or your purpose."
Proditor looked around at the ragtag collection of tweenagers, young adults, and old men who'd done hard time, and come out the other side of incarceration intact. "I am Cassius Proditor. But you may refer to me as Lord Proditor."
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The gathered thugs laughed. One of the youths spoke, and Proditor was treated to his first taste of modern 'speech'. "Yo, dude, what're you s'posed to even be da Lord of? Pale skin?" That too, made the big-brained monkeys laugh, and Proditor inhaled deeply, resisting the urge to simply drain them of their life energy, and leave.
It took Proditor a solid twenty seconds to keep his murderous intent in check, before he rapidly, unnaturally, raised his head and stared the tween down. "In my time, I was a Dark Lord of the Shadow, second in line to Tame Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon. My kingdom stretched across most of the supercontinent, and those who knew my full name, knew to fear it."
The group shared a look between themselves. The old man spoke then, "Second in line to…that would make you over ten thousand years old…and the man responsible for the Dark Times." His face stayed neutral, as he spoke, hiding how he personally felt about this particular information.
"I am." Proditor answered, deciding to be truthful in this moment. "I'm also the only person in Alola with the power and the means to stop your violent Tapu in his tracks. Perhaps even permanently."
Being a former Kahuna, the old man had heard the legends. Of the Successor to the man who'd tamed Arceus itself in its true form, only to fail, and drag the planet into chaos once again. Once again, the failed Kahuna had a choice before him. The walls shook with dust as Tapu Bulu forced its way closer. Once more, the 'ting, ting ting ting, ting ting, ting' of his bell announced his arrival, but it seemed less ominous now, and more discordant.
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Finally, the old man spoke. The remnants of Team Skull were, as always, waiting to follow the lead of someone with charisma and half a clue. "Alright. Fine. I won't judge you for your past deeds or ask how you're alive again. If you can stop Bulu, we're in. It's time my people were free of that monster." Said 'monster' was getting closer, and once it marked them, they were as good as dead anyway. At that moment, Sal appeared beside him, meeting his eye, and nodding. Better to die fighting than rot in ignominy in this damned tunnel. They'd resigned themselves to growing old in Prison, teaching the next generations, and dying in disgrace, but this stranger, if he was speaking truthfully, had genuine power behind him. A literal figure from prehistory. The old man was willing to gamble on a man that could cheat death.
With an explosion of rock, dirt, and dust, Tapu Bulu entered the base, slowly rising to its full height as it stopped crouching. Upon seeing Proditor, and the former Kahuna, its eyes bulged with fury. The red mask adorning its horns began to turn black, and most traces of color and light seemed to leave the Tapu, as it readied itself to both end an abomination to nature and take several human lives. He recognized many from the first Team Skull he'd violently disbanded. There would be no second chances this time and Gladion wasn't there to save them. Right here and now, Team Skull would end. Forever.
The Saladon was the first to step up and face the Legendary grass fairy, and he was soon joined by Mordred. Tapu Bulu roared as its golden aura flared to life around it and formed an empowering aura shield. Proditor gave the Saladon a final gift, as he raised a hand, and engulfed it in Shadow. "Use this power! It will dull the effectiveness of its Moves and empower your own."
The old man grimaced, as the natural orange-red runes of his Saladon turned purple and started uncontrollably spewing dark flames. Cracks appeared on his lizard skin, but the enraged burly salamander was too furious to notice, or care. "Yea. I know what Shadow Infusion does..." He sighed deeply, and then muttered, "Muk it. Shadow Claw!" Mordred used his own Shadow move, and the pair of them made contact, only to fade and reveal the Tapu had tanked them with almost no damage taken, such was its defensive ability.
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As the humans scattered, Proditor hid with them, knowing better than to stay near Bulu while it was in this state of rage. "If we want to win, we're going to need a Gardevoir. Preferably one with Synchronize and Skill Swap."
One of the female grunts spoke up. "I have a Gardevoir…but they don't have Synchronize."
Proditor nodded. "I expected that. Which is why I'm glad I picked up this...Ability Patch thing, in the city. If I understand its purpose accurately, it can help us." The grunt's eyes widened as they saw it. "Use this on her. Then have her remember Skill Swap."
"M-my Gardevoir is a male. You shouldn't just assume someone's gender, man." The grunt answered. Behind them, the explosion of moves shook the tunnel. Proditor just stared at her, first in disbelief, then in fury.
"I don't Mukking care what gender your amorphous Fairy Type labels itself as." Proditor snarled. "Just bring it out!"
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The clearly panicked woman glanced at her comrades, and then nodded sheepishly. She brought out the male Gardevoir, who took in the scene before them, and frowned. Proditor went to hand his Trainer the patch, and the Gardevoir blocked him. Proditor sighed, and threw it at her, leaving her to it. Then, he turned, and threw a timely Pokéball to help the flagging Saladon and Shadow Gallade. Shellraiser joined the fray, followed by Toraigon. They distracted the embattled Tapu long enough for Proditor and the old man to heal their partners. Once recovered, the four Shadow Pokémon faced down the enraged and blackened Tapu in a truly epic clash that shook the tunnels with each move they traded. Mostly, Mordred, Toraigon, and Shellraiser knocked its shields away so the newly infused Saladon could hit it with a move combining Shadow, fire, and poison.
Proditor whirled on the grunts then. There were less of them, but the one with the Gardevoir hadn't yet lost her nerve. "Are you done yet?" She nodded, and Proditor brought out his ace. The other grunts gasped at the sight of the petrified Guzzlord, and one of the younger male grunts backed away in appropriate fear.
"U-uh, Boss!? This guy's got a Guzzlord! This thing is big enough to eat the whole island!"
"He could." Proditor said with a grin. "But he won't, unless I will him to do so. Now, all of you…shut up." He looked at the Gardevoir. "Give him your new Ability, with Skill Swap."
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The Gardevoir looked at Proditor, then at his Trainer, and finally the petrified Guzzlord, then made the choice that the old man hadn't, and shook their head in defiance. Proditor fixed the Gardevoir with a glare and assaulted it mentally. "Listen well, amorphous one. You, your Trainer, and everyone in this tunnel will end up like my friend here without Your power. Use it!"
"No…"The Gardevoir answered, struggling against his psychic barrage. "You…are evil…pure evil…I won't…help…the Betrayer!"
Before Proditor could react, his dark passenger woke up, and acted for him. The Gardevoir's eyes started glowing with Shadow energy, and she used Skill Swap on the petrified Rapax. Seeing this, Proditor psychically guided his team into having the rampaging Tapu look at the petrified Guzzlord, now out from his ball.
Seeing his target, and the futility of fighting resistant Shadow Pokémon hammering somewhat futilely against his own defenses, Tapu Bulu moved towards Rapax. As he raised a hoof holding one side of his mask shield, Rapax's eyes locked with Tapu Bulu, and thanks to the nature of the petrification, transferred it via Synchronize.
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Slowly, the now darkened Tapu began petrifying, as the curse upon Rapax finally began to come undone. Bulu tried pulling away, but Mordred, Shellraiser, and Saladon held him in place. Only once the petrification was completely traded, did Rapax finally inhale, then exhale. With the exhalation came millennia of dust, followed by a full-body cough, given that its body was ninety percent mouth.
With the rock and stone coughed up, Rapax aimed its body upwards and inhaled the air of the tunnel, and on the 'exhale', let out the loud, maddening roar that its species was known for. The Hyper Voice knocked over the sturdy frame of Tapu Bulu, and Proditor smirked at it. "Shellraiser. Destroy it." His Blastoise mirrored his smirk and stomped with true hatred on the Pokémon that had jailed his friend for so very long. To his immense irritation, the stone only crashed further into the rocky floor of the tunnel, the 'statue' itself was unblemished.
The old man shook his head, and his eye met Proditor's. "That won't work. Right now, the Tapu is immobile, and essentially indestructible. The Tapu's petrification mirrors its own power, and despite our feelings about it ruling us…it is a Legendary Pokémon. According to the eggheads, this kind of petrification defies the laws of existence. The only one who can undo this status is Bulu…though one of the other Tapu might be able to cure it, all this fat, lazy bull can do is inflict it on others." He spat on the Tapu then, and his gang, the few that were left, followed his lead.
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Proditor finally noticed then, that the female grunt from earlier was among those who had now scurried off. He let her go. The psychic partner of her mind had touched the true power of the Shadow. They'd be back, with or without her. He turned to Rapax, giving him a rare smile. "It's good to see you, Rapax. I'm sorry you had to endure that for so long."
The Guzzlord made a tired, whining sound, as Proditor examined his formerly broken claw. It seemed intact, though the new tiny Shadow arm beside his head kept flexing on instinct. "You'll feel better after a rest. Then we'll see about getting you some food." The Guzzlord made another tired groan and returned to his ball. To the remaining grunts and the old man, Proditor said, "I will not forget this. When your need is dire, I will be there to give you aid. Until then…I would advise hiding. The Dragon Empire will likely convict you for your mere presence here."
Then, with a bow and a bamf, he was gone.
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The Palace of Ideals - Unova Region
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The decent rest Alex had been getting was interrupted by one of the Scales in his own squad, who had become his source of information for when the Muk hit the Fan Rotom. He had an infectious good mood, even at ungodly hours in the morning. "Goooood Morning my draconic overlord and lady!" Both Alex and Jess groaned in unison as they heard him.
Alex raised his head out of the tangle of limbs and blankets and glared through bleary eyes at the man. "Max…the world had better be on Mukking fire if you're bothering us this early, on vacation…"
"Maxwell Pendleton only intrudes when absolutely necessary, good Dragon Emperor! Alas…two situations demand your attention this fine morning. I'm only here to let you know that. I'll leave you two to get ready." Then, he was gone. Alex groaned again, and pushed himself up, failed, and fell back into the comfy sheets.
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He conked out for another five minutes, before he felt Tao keep his mind from re-entering a sleep cycle. He levitated himself up then, saw Jess was still out, and forced himself to get ready. Jess was still dreaming once he was done, so he wisely let her sleep and started towards the War Room, which was a smaller chamber off the Throne Room. His armor appeared as he walked, slightly slowing his stride.
As he entered, he saw Tao's eyes floating above the table as was his wont. Around the table were the Latios he'd met in Rio, Colonel Surge, and Warden Riker. "Alex." Tao rumbled in their heads. "Your quarry has surfaced. First in the ruins that once housed the Shadow Nexus. Then, after confronting and injuring Zigma, he appeared again on Ula'ula island, where he angered Tapu Bulu. Champion Elio is currently trying to find the specifics of what happened." Then, in just Alex's head, he said, "The Secret Island Sage sent him to investigate the sudden arrival of darkness in the Region. It was enough to block their Future Sight. He might have stopped the Successor, had he not been…distracted…by the Aether President's daughter."
Alex's brows crashed together as he stared Tao down, sensing his line of thought, and the reasoning he was using. "We're not having this argument again. The Scales will not be restricted in their relationships. And the Pokémon Wars Saga you would use to justify such celibacy also proves that they'll form attachments regardless of whether they're forbidden or not. How did that work out, in the Saga? We will simply have to help them through their emotions, when they inevitably become unstable."
"Instability is not the only problem, young Redwood. Distraction is also a problem, and the reason the Traitor again evaded us." The dragon continued, and Alex sighed.
"How often have those two been able to see each other?" Tao began to answer, but Alex cut him off. "If the Secret Sage is anything like mine, not nearly enough. That's why they were 'distracted'. I'm sure if Elio had known what was obscuring his sight, he would've acted immediately. He is also a Tamer, so don't count out his tracking ability just yet. He's on the trail now, I assume?"
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Tao gave an affirmative. "Then leave him to it." Alex said, closing his eyes, and reaching out psychically. He gave the mental equivalent of a knock to Elio, and the fiery mind of Alola's resident Hero touched his. "Champion Elio. I hear the Successor gave you the slip."
Embarrassment and irritation flooded his mind, overlapping the anger that was starting to boil under it all. Alex wondered what he wanted revenge against the Successor for but didn't pry. "...Yes, Dragon Emperor. He did. By the time the Sage and I sensed that darkness, he was already halfway through his antics. I'll have a report later."
Alex let his perpetual chill vibes flow across their link, and he noted the amusement from Elio. "Don't stress over it, I can get the details from others. I'm putting You specifically on the task of hunting him down. Use whoever and whatever you need to find and detain him. Alive, if possible, but do not underestimate him. If you can't detain him, either run and regroup, or have Solgaleo end him." Alex doubted the sun lion had a Spacium Beam but given that it was a Legendary Pokémon from another dimension, and had the stats and Z Moves to back up its hype, Alex wasn't worried.
Elio's determination burned to life in the wake of his words, and Alex radiated approval, even more confident of his choice for this. Alola's Champion had quite a reputation of his own, and if the rumors were true, had visited more alternate dimensions than any known currently living human. He was also a rather high ranked contender in recent World Tournaments and had reportedly been on an unbroken win streak through the latest one, like most Champions had, so far. "I'll detain him and figure out what he's doing. He won't get away from me again." Elio stated confidently.
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The connection broke then, and Alex could see Surge glancing at the others as psychic and silent conversations left the room filled with dead air. Finally, Alex opened his eyes again, and spoke. "Elio is on the trail. I need to know the specifics of what the Successor did in Selva Muerta, and Alola." He looked at the Latios, then. "Is Zigma alright? If she needs Light-"
The Latios held up a hand and met his gaze evenly. "Your offer is appreciated, but unnecessary, Dragon Emperor. We're indebted to you enough already. Zigma will recover. She was tended by Mew, and the three Mewtwo it was traveling with." Alex nodded, as he'd heard their own had disappeared from the Dragonspiral Tower and her training. "And Alola?" He was handed a Rotablet then, and the ghost in the machine showed him the report, in detail. Ula'ula's police force had pretty easily tracked and accounted for ninety percent of the Successor's time on their island between security cameras in the Pokémon Center, and cameras in the PokéMarts as well. He'd stolen quite a few items, apparently just by pulling them into his shadowy robe. "Put up all three of his appearances, including that Trainer disguise, and then have the footage and list of stolen items sent to our friend in Italia. If we can get Elio and the three Mewtwo to corner him at once, that might be enough to end this threat. Or at least contain it long enough for us to show up and deal with it. Which brings me to my next point…"
Alex met Tao's disembodied gaze again and spoke mentally. Surge and Riker shared a look, and Alex made a note to thank them for their patience. "The Burst Heart that Shruikan and I used. Where is it? I know you were the one who bamfed it away after we beat Pravus."
Tao chuckled. "For safety, young Redwood. You Humans so easily lose important items all the time. I see your reasoning. You intend to wield it again, to strengthen your Spacium Beam."
Alex nodded. "Ideally I'd use it with you, this time. Shruikan is powerful, but not…as attuned to the Light. With both you and I behind it, I think we can at least match the power that the Hero King of Galar used."
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Tao's eyes pulsed again. "Unbinding Shruikan from it was a painful process. If you use it with me, it will be permanently bonded to us."
Alex nodded again. "Then we hide it somewhere Humans will never be able to reach, once we're done with it. I already have an idea of who we can entrust with it." Suddenly, verbally, Alex spoke again. "Warden Riker. Thank you for your…patience. How are the Prisoners handling restricted leave?"
Riker stood a little straighter. "By all accounts…very well, actually. There have been rumblings of Sedition, but mostly from indoctrinated family members that have Arc News on all day. We're keeping an eye on them."
Alex nodded slowly. "Send me a list of who you believe we could safely release. Ideally, those without Seditious family members." He turned to the Colonel then and gave him a nod of respect. "Colonel Surge. How goes the training?"
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"Sir." The man said, coming to full attention. "Our armed forces have hemorrhaged members, as expected…but we're below pre-war numbers. Those who have stayed are training hard."
Alex nodded, expecting such a decrease. "We'll start recruiting again after people have time to cool down. In the meantime, select those who are fit for promotions. We want to reward those who chose to stay and serve their Empire despite peacetime." Surge nodded, and after checking with Tao to make sure that was everything, Alex spoke with finality. "If there's nothing else, gentlemen, I have a World Tournament rank to grind."
The Latios nodded, mentally wished everyone well, and then Teleported home. Riker did the same, although his method involved his Alakazam. Surge, however, did have something else to say. "If you need an opponent, Dragon Emperor…I bet it would inspire the troops to see you and I Battling for their entertainment."
A smirk crossed Alex's face. "I'd be genuinely honored to face the Lightning Unovan in front of the troops. I can get us there quickly, if you like." Surge nodded stoically, but Alex could tell he had reservations about Teleporting. "It'll be smoother if you picture the base as well." The Colonel closed his eyes and nodded.
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As they bamfed, Alex felt a tiny hand on his shoulder at the last minute. Thankfully, he was able to bring their third person safely with them. As they reappeared in the middle of the main battlefield in the capital's military base on the Long Island, Alex whirled on their unintended third, only to find Ledi Girl, slightly out of breath, and still in her sleeping clothes, a fluffy red onesie with black spots, and her spare mask. Alex smirked as he realized who'd followed. "You know, I would've gone back to get you. After breakfast. You don't need to be up as early as I am."
Ledi Girl rolled her eyes. "Right. I've talked with Jess, you know. I've heard how often you Teleport into…shenanigans. Her words. I promised her I'd have your back, and I won't let you make me a liar." She returned his smirk and crossed her arms. "You're stuck with me, D.E."
Alex's smirk fell away into a neutral, unamused expression. He let an appropriate amount of silence create dead air, and then said, "No. You'll use my name, if you want to address me. Nicknaming privileges are earned. Speaking of names…I did have a thought, if you're open to a change in moniker." The smirk returned. "I had a chat with Tikki while you were otherwise occupied. We're both in agreement." Punctuating his words, the Ledian popped free from her ball. "Ledi Girl used to work, but now, as far as names go…frankly, you've outgrown it. After beating Dark Moth, we feel you're more of a…Ladybug."
The teen's eyes widened, and then she looked downwards as she rolled the name around in her head. "Ladybug…" She muttered, nodding, as a smile crossed her face. It did feel right.
"You'll be able to Burst whenever you want now." Tikki added. "Multiple times. That's not all, either. The Original Dragon fixed an…old wound for me." She smirked up at Alex, who'd raised an eyebrow at her words. "Once you little Humans were all asleep. I'm at my old level of strength, now. And it's given us an…upgrade."
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As Ladybug's eyes widened at the idea of an 'upgrade', Alex turned to the Colonel, who was also smirking by this point in the conversation. "Go gather the men, after you get some breakfast. This one needs something to practice once our Battle begins." Surge nodded, gave a crisp salute, and then strode off at a brisk pace that made full use of the man's lengthy stride.
"Light Burst!"
Alex turned, smirking as the eager teenager activated her Burst Heart, and fused with Tikki. True to her words, Tikki had not been lying about the upgrade. Their wings were larger now, more akin to a Mega Pinsir, their mask became rounded, protecting their eyes with a bulbous black protrusion around them that covered most of her face and where her nose had been. Marinette's hair underneath the black and red exoskeletal helmet became four separate antennae. Each of their four fists was now covered in a black spotted and red exoskeletal 'gauntlet' of sorts that, from the look of them, could shoot webs with ease and block physical attacks. Her legs were similarly covered by an exoskeleton that resembled a pair of stylish boots, with the same color scheme, and overall, her synchronized form now had more black on it than just red with black spots, particularly around her lower pelvic area.
As Ladybug opened her eyes, they burned gold under the bulbous mask, and the black dot on the center of their forehead also glowed with the Light. She took in her new form, flexing her wings, and extending and shrinking her new web shooters on each arm. "I have been wondering, Ladybug…you seem to know a lot about Burst Hearts. My own sources are…infuriatingly vague on what they even are. How they work. What they're made of. Care to enlighten me?"
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Ladybug's eyes shifted, as she had an internal conversation. "I think…revealing that would be a bad idea."
Alex pressed her. "If I'm to train you, I need to know what I'm working with. Give me a run-down. You've given Burst Hearts to others in Kalos before, no? Tell me what you told them."
Ladybug's eyes shifted some more, before she finally nodded with a sigh. "Alright." She gestured for him to lean in, and he did so, leaning down significantly, so she could whisper to his ear. "Burst Hearts are specially formed crystals composed of the natural energy types of the universe. The type they have inherently, will resonate best with a Pokémon of that same type. Usually, once bonded, a Pokémon is forever tied to their Burst Heart, and while some of them can uncouple from them, it's a severely painful process. Legendary Pokémon cannot break this bond, and most Burst Hearts will become the main type of the Legend they're bonded to."
Alex's brows furrowed. "Resonate?"
Ladybug nodded. "Burst Hearts give off their own aura, again matching their type, and the better a Human and their partner can resonate with the Heart and each other, the more powerful the final fusion will be."
Alex nodded, and then met her gaze, turning his head slightly. "But what about yours? It's infused with the power of the Life Pokémon, but bonded with Tikki?"
Ladybug was quiet for a moment, before she spoke again. "Xerneas used to have what we call a Burst Partner. A long, long time ago. As did Yveltal. When their Humans died, the two Legendary Pokémon were freed of their Burst Hearts, and it was Zygarde who hid them away. Plagg stole Yveltal's, and upon touching it, became the embodiment of Destruction. To counter this new force, Tikki was selected by one of Zygarde's forms, and became the embodiment of Life. We were then charged with finding Humans to partner with, who would wield the Hearts responsibly." Tikki quietly left out the part where the Guardian of the Ecosystem had threatened to simply destroy them, and the Hearts, if they refused.
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Alex nodded slowly. "So Tikki has had multiple partners. Probably selecting them once a significant threat appears, right?"
Ladybug nodded. "Dark Moth found a Poison Typed Burst Heart and bonded his Venomoth to it. In using his power for evil, Tikki and Plagg woke up again, and were tasked with finding another pair of Humans to counteract his evil."
Alex stood up again, as a line of soldiers in the distance began shuffling onto the field at a brisk pace and into the stands surrounding it on either side, a welcome break from early morning training. "Thank you, Ladybug. I won't share this information too freely. I want you to get a feel for your upgraded abilities, while Surge and I have our Battle. Try not to get too…carried away."
Ladybug nodded, flexed her wings, and shot into the air significantly faster than she expected to. She let out an involuntary whoop as she looped through the air to kill her momentum, and then zipped off elsewhere on the base to do as instructed.
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Alex turned to face Surge then, as he was already standing in the Trainer box on his side of the field. Once the stands were full, Surge drew a Pokéball, and leveled it at the leader of his region. "Three on three, World Tournament rules. That work for you, General?" He asked, using Alex's military rank, which was the same as the other Unovan Champions.
Alex nodded, and as he did, the same Drone Rotom that had officiated his matches so far appeared again, flying in from the horizon. It announced the terms for all to hear, and then in response, the gathered troops started chanting. Surge looked unamused, but Alex chuckled. The number five was chanted repeatedly, and Alex looked at the Colonel. "I'm not one to deny our troops. I can do five on five."
The chanting slowly died down as the troops waited for the Colonel's response. Finally, once they quieted, he nodded his spiky blonde head. "Fine. Five it is."
The Drone Rotom spoke again, then as the troops whooped. "The competitors have agreed to change the match to five Pokémon each. Victory in this match will propel either Colonel Surge to the Ultra Class, or the Unovan Champion to the Great Class, based on their current respective standings. Let the Battle begin!"
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Surge threw his ball first, as five of Alex's floated into a half circle behind his head. As Surge's Magnezone appeared, Alex made his own choice. Kalagon appeared on the field, and this time, he roared at his opponent as he did so, taking a battle stance, arms wide as he got ready. Leveling up thanks to his frequent and recent training and usage in battle had turned the young Gible downright vicious, and eager for combat. Apparently, this was very common, when a Gible was about to evolve.
Surge smirked. "I'd heard you got a Gible. And that it was a baby. Seems it's already grown quite a lot."
Alex gave him a knowing smirk in return. "He's about to get a lot stronger. Earthquake!"
Surge's eyes widened as Alex took the initiative, but he tried to counter quickly. "Magnet Rise!"
As the slow Magnezone began levitating itself out of ground move range, the battlefield shook, and the troops whooped in response. The Earthquake struck, but the force of it only helped the Magnezone ascend. Alex didn't let that stop them though. "Kalagon! Dig, now!"
Surge seemed sure of this round, now Magnet Rise was in effect. "When it pops up, hit it with Flash Cannon." The Magnezone responded with an affirmative and began tracking the underground movement of its target as it gathered a bright ball of steel energy.
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Kalagon sensed the oncoming danger, and mentally reached for his Trainer. Verbally and in his mind, Alex said, "Come up and use Fire Fang!"
The tiny Gible launched from the ground with an explosion of flame, and the well trained Magnezone fired as soon as he appeared. Kalagon used his sight and Alex's in conjunction as his large jaw clamped down on the steel sphere and tossed it away. He kept the move going though as he spun through the air from the momentum of the throw, and chomped down again on the Magnezone for a super effective hit that did a lot less damage than Alex expected.
Surge however, stared at the damage in disbelief. "I trained my Magnezone to be a Steel wall…and your baby dragon just bit off a quarter of it." He shook his head, but smirked. "I guess your title isn't all hype."
Alex gave him a dark smirk. "You should see my first Dragon Type." He'd actually wanted Shruikan for this, but for the first time in a long while, the combat loving Salamence had denied him, and made him go with Kalagon instead. "Keep it up, Kalagon. Fire Fang!"
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Surge never so much as sweat. "Rise out of its range, and then get ready, Magnezone! I want you to rain Flash Cannons on that dragon!" As ordered, the floating sentient magnet rose out of Kalagon's jumping range, and the flames around his fangs fizzled. Then, it raised its magnets, and between them, a massive sphere, and likely most or all of its power for Flash Cannon, gathered between the magnets.
Seeing this, Alex nodded to himself. "Return, Kalagon. Goku, time for some dodging practice." The baby land shark nodded, understanding the battle had shifted. Out came the recently evolved Monferno, who had the speed to survive the oncoming Flash Cannons, and the typing to resist them if they managed to hit. The attack launched, and Magnezone watched from its lofty perch as the orbs of blinding steel energy began falling. For his part, Alex put a closed fist to his open palm, and let his heart beat in time with Goku's. The fire monkey did the same, and then as one, they fell into their Dragon Stance.
Alex focused on giving him a wider perspective of where the attacks were landing, and Goku swirled away from them with practiced, spiraling movements. His powerful limbs, several times stronger than a human's, helped him leap out of the spheres that Magnezone directed on top of him. Eventually, the spheres stopped falling, but Surge was unperturbed. "Magnezone. Lock On."
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Alex nodded, guessing what came next. "Get ready, Goku." He said, heightening their focus again. It was going to be Thunder or Zap Cannon, but Alex was assuming Surge would pick Zap Cannon. A powerful ball of electric energy was something he could deal with. A strike of intense plasma from the sky was less manageable. For now. Firebending techniques had spread among his fire types rather quickly once Cinder had come back. None of them had yet managed to cross into the territory of electricity control though. Blaze was working on that even now, with trying to master Thunder Punch, and not letting his flying typing get in the way of its full power.
"Zap Cannon!" Surge ordered, and Alex nodded in response.
"Goku. It's time. Do you think you can manage it?" His Monferno looked back at him, at the ground, and then gave him a thumbs up. Even Alex hadn't quite figured out how to manage producing lightning from control of fire. Goku was confident he could, though. He'd watched the TM for Thunder Punch many times by this point. His Trainer's words during their firebending lesson came back to him, as the Magnezone gathered so much electricity, a hit was all but guaranteed to blow the middle form monkey away, thanks to the difference in level between him and the Magnezone. He took a deep breath, and focused. "It's all just energy." Alex had said. "Firebenders achieve Electricbending by separating the positive and negative charge of their body's inner energy fields, and in the space between, create something new."
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Goku did just that, and found it easier than before, given how charged the air was. He was in his stance again, eyes closed, perfectly still but for the shifting flame on his tail. The flame flickered, as he separated the energy flow into what he identified as positive and negative charges and let the friction between them generate electricity. The fur around his right fist stood on end as the charge started to build, and Goku breathed deeply again, encouraging more. Then, all at once, it clicked. Right as the Zap Cannon fired, electricity sparked over Goku's fist, and the Monferno grinned darkly.
He put everything he had into the punch, his only hope of pulling off the plan Alex had in his head. He verbalized it for their audience, as the rapidly moving energy ball fired. "Smash it back! Thunder Punch!"
With the precision of the martial artist he was becoming, and with a perfect demonstration of a Dragon Style punch, Goku hammered the Zap Cannon back at the Magnezone, whose eye went wide as it realized its attack had been redirected. Though resistant to the damage, it was a severely powerful move, hence why one usually needed Lock On to make it hit. Below, Goku was panting slightly, fist smoking as he smirked, and watched the smoke clear. The smirk faded as Magnezone fell through it, and Surge countered. "Don't let it block! Thunderbolt!"
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Goku dodged instead, spinning gracefully over the bolt of plasma, as Alex called the move. "Get up beside it with Mach Punch!" In the blink of an eye, Goku was smashing into the Magnezone high in the air with a quick jab that, while effective, was nowhere near enough to finish the round. "Follow with a Flame Wheel!"
"Thunderbolt until it's unconscious." Surge ordered, and as the two Pokémon readied and used their respective moves, something odd happened. The lightning aimed at Goku forked against his spinning attack and smashed into the ground on either side of him, leaving the spinning momentum of the fiery wheel of pain to smash upwards into Magnezone. Seeing the hit had stunned Magnezone, and that it was on its last legs, Alex shouted another move. "Finish it! Fire Punch!"
After wheeling past and above the Magnezone, Goku put both his fists together as they burned with flames and brought them down in an overhead smash on his opponent. Magnezone smashed into the field with enough force to break the ground, and the Drone Rotom called the round as Goku landed, beat his chest, and roared at the crowd of troops, who were whooping. Money was changing hands quite obviously, and it seemed about half had bet on Surge winning the first KO. Alex recalled Goku, swapping him out for Kalagon once more, as Surge recalled his Magnezone. Though he'd dodged very well, grinding through that Thunderbolt with Flame Wheel had almost taken him out in one hit.
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Seeing that the baby dragon was out again, and mostly undamaged, Surge frowned. "Electivire." He said, intending to end the nuisance right there. He wasted no time as the burly electric sasquatch appeared with a flash and roared. "Take it down, Electivire. Ice Punch!"
"Kalagon." Alex said, not losing his cool, as the quadruple effective move manifested around Electivire's fists. "Keep dodging. Dig!"
Surge smirked, as Alex sent his Pokémon underground again. "Gotcha." The Electivire gave a dark smirk as the ice on his fists vanished into cold sparkles, and Alex felt that rare but familiar tingle of knowing he'd been baited in a battle. "Electivire, use Earthquake instead!"
"Get back up here, Kalagon!" Alex shouted, but it was too late. Despite his type, the Electivire smashed the ground and produced a sizable Earthquake, as the crowd of troops cheered. Kalagon very much took the hit, but Alex didn't sense him faint. Kalagon had fought through the pain. For him. Being in his head, Alex could sense his thoughts. Yes, he wanted to win, to get stronger, but he also wanted to help his Trainer, and by extension, his teammates, win the World Tournament. Listening to Blaze, Terra, and the other older members had instilled a sense of determination in the young dragon. They were all counting on him to win.
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Surge was still smirking, looking very proud of himself. "You can dig out your Gible, General. I'll wait." Surge donned his somewhat iconic black sunglasses then. "But I'd suggest bringing out a war veteran. My team was made quite powerful in our latest conflict. I wouldn't be here, if not for them." Hearing that, the usually hard to read Electivire glanced at his Trainer, nodded slowly, and then suddenly looked down at the ground.
"Don't underestimate my Dragons, Surge. Now, Kalagon! Your fastest Dig!" Like a brown bullet, a very injured Kalagon came up practically right between Electivire's feet, hammering his underjaw as he went sailing upwards. The Electivire rubbed its chin, but otherwise shook off the light hit, despite its super effectiveness. "Now, Earthquake, at max power!" As the brown dragon bullet curved in the air and back towards the ground, Surge grimaced.
His glasses were in his hand, as he shouted, "Don't let it land! Ice Punch!" Electivire reacted quickly, using its surprisingly decent speed to get within punching range. Unfortunately for Surge, gravity, and Kalagon's larger frame, made him slam the ground, before the punch could land. A sudden wave of breaking earth rose up and hammered the grimacing Electivire, as he was kept from his target and swallowed in a rumbling sea of earth that drew yet another cheer from the spectating troops.
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As Kalagon landed, the strain of wielding so much ground energy at once on the brink of unconsciousness, pushed the young Gible beyond his limits and enhanced his move all at once. The center of the Earthquake started to shine, as Kalagon finally embraced the Infinity Energy he'd thus far resisted so that he could master Dragon Claw sooner. While he'd learned the move, he lacked actual claws to make it work properly, as his baby ones were too tiny. As he traded tiny fingers for one large talon, that was no longer an issue.
Once the evolution faded, the Drone Rotom scanned the Electivire, and called the match. "Electivire is unable to Battle! The winner is Gabite! Congratulations on your evolution! Please select the next competitors." Kalagon thanked the Drone Rotom, and then fell on his rear, panting heavily, and looking like he was holding back tears.
Surge chose his ball as Alex recalled the injured dragon, and did the same, and they summoned their next picks at the same time. Surge went with an Electrode, which Alex had been expecting, prompting his own sturdy choice. "Adamanteus! Your turn." As the Steelix appeared on the field, he rumbled. "Finally…" As the Drone Rotom began the round, Alex raised a hand, clutching his Key Stone. "Here we go! Mega Evolve!"
Adamanteus roared as his body shone with infinite steel energy and sent him to the next evolutionary stage of his species' potential. Surge acted first. "Electrode! Explosion!"
Alex's eyes widened, as he hadn't expected that so quickly, from Surge. Exploding was their signature move, but he'd have thought whittling down a defensive tank like Mega Steelix would make more sense. "Quick! Coil!" The Mega Steelix did so, as the explosion went off, but despite the defense boost, it did quite a lot of damage. Then, before the smoke completely cleared, Surge had brought out another Electrode as the first one, blackened, unconscious, and grinning rolled behind its Trainer.
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"Go ahead, Electrode! Explode!" Surge ordered, laughing as he did so, to the backdrop of cheering troops. Again, the force and flame associated with the attack hammered Adamanteus, but he held on to consciousness thanks to another Coil, and his desire for a proper battle. Seeing the now electromagnetic steel snake was still up, Surge shook his head. "Well, there goes my strategy. I was hoping to get at least one of your Pokémon, if not two. But they couldn't even bring down your Steelix."
"That's right." Alex said, giving him a Max Potion, the only one for this battle, and what would ultimately seal Surge's fate. "Now all you have left is that Raichu of yours. I'd expected better than Explosion spam from a Trainer like you, Colonel."
Surge shrugged nonchalantly. "They love exploding." He said gesturing to the grinning pair of spent spark balls. "And I love winning. You'd be surprised how many Ground Types I take out with those two, and I'm well aware of how many you have on your cape. Come, Raichu." He said, turning and recalling his exploding mines. He didn't personally love their attack style either, but both of them had saved him and his people from many an Arcean ambush, making them veterans of two wars, now.
Adamanteus, now fully healed, uncoiled himself as Raichu appeared, and he towered over the comparatively tiny electric rat. Alex took the initiative. "Crush it! Iron Tail!"
"Dodge with Trailblaze." Surge ordered, and his Raichu did so, shifting out of the way of the Iron Tail effortlessly. A trail of green energy dogged the Raichu's steps. "Now…attack!"
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As the Raichu charged far too confidently for Alex's tastes, he gave an order. "Sandstorm!" With a single roar, Adamanteus summoned one, completely stuffing Raichu's momentum with the ferocity of the sudden storm. The troops booed as their view became obscured, and Alex's voice reached their ears.
"If only there was some kind of equipment to help us see in harsh weather." He focused, and then collectively bamfed their harsh weather goggles under their seats from where they were stored in the barracks. "If you'll all direct your attention under your seats…" The crowd of men and women cheered as they saw and donned the equipment. As an afterthought, he recalled the Colonel probably needed some as well. Once he also had a pair, Alex shouted, "Alright Adamanteus! Earthquake!"
"Stay focused, Raichu…wait for the hit, and then get in the air!" Surge roared over the intense wind accompanying the sandstorm. Suddenly, above the localized cloud, the Raichu appeared. His long tail uncoiled from the spring he'd used to get airborne. He seemed largely undamaged. "Excellent. Now, come down on it with Brick Break!"
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Taking a page from Pikachu, the World Champion, Raichu's tail glowed with fighting energy, and he rolled forward as he sailed into the sandstorm. That's when Alex gave the counter, "Wrap!" Just as suddenly as it began, the sandstorm subsided, as they sometimes did when created by a move, and not nature. It did however clearly reveal the Mega Steelix, who'd taken quite a lot of damage from Brick Break, now firmly entrapping the Raichu in his electromagnetic coils. Alex gave the Raichu a chance to struggle, but it was going nowhere. Adamanteus's eye shifted back towards him, and Alex nodded. "Now Slam!"
Dazed by the electromagnetism of Mega Steelix, Raichu began looking weak, and then he was spun and smashed out of said electric field, into the shattered ground of the battlefield, which only hurt him further. Even Alex winced at the brutality with which he was thrown. Only Adamanteus seemed unbothered by the pain he'd inflicted with such a masterful Slam, and sure enough, the bar depicting Raichu's health on their Drone Rotom went to zero.
Surge made it two steps towards his partner, before the rocks started levitating out of his way. Alex was there, in a flash, as Adamanteus watched on, silently. "A bit rough, that Steelix…" Surge said, as he saw his partner, and winced.
Alex held out a large palm over the fainted electric mouse, as his other hand fed it a Revive. Then, came the Heal Pulse. Any more serious injuries mended, rapidly, as did bruises, sore muscles, and the irregularity of the Raichu's own electric field. "I think the reaction between their energy fields may have had something to do with how hard your friend here took the hit…" Alex said, as the Raichu came to consciousness, and groaned. "I'm still going to have a talk with Adamanteus, though. Easy there, Raichu. You're healed, but you need to take a few days to fully recover. He's on bedrest, Colonel. I think you'll find Nurse Joy has a similar opinion."
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The Raichu mumbled something about bedrest, and then was out again, snoozing peacefully. Surge recalled him, and then the two both noticed the Drone Rotom hovering above them. "Raichu is unable to Battle, and thanks to the Dragon Emperor, not seriously injured! The victory goes to Steelix, and his Trainer. Congratulations on reaching the Great Class! The rankings will now be updated."
Alex watched his score rise, from Normal to Great Class. The border of his projected stat card became blue instead of red, and he found himself in the bottom tier of the Great Class. While Surge's rank dropped, he was still much higher than Alex was in the rankings for their class. As Surge went off towards the troops, Alex approached Adamanteus. The Mega Steelix stared him down, as if daring him to criticize his actions, and Alex gave him an appropriate amount of silence, before saying, "That was a bit harsh, Adamanteus."
The Mega Steelix lowered his head to his Trainer's eye level. "Be the Best." He rumbled. His Mega Form faded, as their hearts shifted out of alignment. "You told us that. All of us. I won."
Alex nodded. "You did. But being the Best doesn't mean we abuse our power. You knew the Raichu was out of it, and you didn't have to release the Slam so it hit the ground. You were in control enough to deal exactly as much damage as necessary, and you went for the maximum." Adamanteus growled, writhing before him, and Alex held up a hand. "I'm not saying you did anything wrong, in terms of Battling. I'm just saying, in the future, try to be more mindful about your opponent's wellbeing. We're Battling right now as a sport, not in war, and not how you do in the wild."
Adamanteus snarled again. "I do not know your kind of Battling. You rarely pick me."
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Alex nodded. "And that will change. As you're aware, you joined us at a much higher level of strength than the others. You haven't need as much training, because you're already strong. The rest of your teammates are at or near your level now, though, and I will use you more. To get you used to the level of power we expend during a Battle, while still trying to avoid serious injury. It's a delicate balance to achieve, but I believe you can do it as well as the others, Adamanteus. You just need practice. Now take a well-earned rest."
Slowly nodding, the Steelix returned to the comfort of his ball. Alex shot into the air then, gave the troops who saw him a salute, and then headed towards where he sensed Ladybug practicing her new powers. As he came over where he sensed the unique combination of Tikki and her human's powers, a web radiating electricity shot towards him, and he barrel rolled out of its path.
No other webs came towards him as he landed, and he found Ladybug flushed and fiddling with her web shooter as he came down for a soft landing. "Sorry about that…" Ladybug said, clearly embarrassed. "I'm working on a new Move and it…fired off early." She finally fixed her shooter and flexed it a few times before it zipped back into the new black and red exoskeleton-like casing on her forearm. "How was the match? I take it you won?"
Alex nodded. "Barring any more incidents, I was planning on going to Galar, and Battling my way down through Kalos and Paldea. Maybe hitting up a few more regions, before looping back to the States. Do you and Night Cat want to join me?"
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Ladybug looked like she wanted to politely decline, but curiosity made her say, "Wouldn't having more Trainers with you make things harder? Or at least slower?"
Alex shrugged. "We can Battle people multiple times. And the more people who help make the food between matches, the better it tastes. But don't feel obligated, I'm sure you have Holiday things to attend to in Kalos."
Ladybug pondered, then shook her head. "Not yet. I think my team would actually benefit from a trip. They need to get stronger. I can see my parents when we pass through Kalos. I know they'd be honored to meet our Emperor."
Alex chuckled somewhat awkwardly. "In that case, you guys can Battle first. Given how popular the World Tournament is, we probably won't have a problem finding opponents. But on our way down I need to have a chat with the local Professors."
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As Alex prepared to Teleport back, Ladybug tilted her head at him. "Why do you need the Professors?"
Alex paused in his mental telelocating, and opened one eye to look at his apprentice. "I've decided to try taming one of every Pokémon species. The Professors have access to quite a large number of rare lines."
Ladybug frowned. "One of…all the Pokémon lines!? How original… You seemed busy enough already. How will you manage even more partners?"
Alex chuckled, and nodded, closing his eyes again. "It is admittedly quite a lot, though I'm not going for every Legendary or Mythical. Some, like my Flygon and Gallade, have gone on to live their best lives…away from mine. There will be more who eventually decide to leave, I'm sure…so the plan is to collect who I need over time, and line by line, help them realize their full potential."
"Is there a reason you chose such a difficult and stereotypical goal?" She asked.
Alex nodded. "To create a…support network, of sorts. One filled with either Pokémon I've trained, or their descendants. One that can respond to any rising disasters or threats quickly, all over the planet. That's the goal anyway. The reality might look…different."
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Ladybug just stared at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "That would take…lifetimes, Alex. And who will care for your partners when you inevitably get old?"
Alex chuckled. "According to Tao, I'm functionally immortal because of…reasons. So, I have nothing But time, and with that time, I'm going to try to make this world flourish. It may be fruitless, I may have nothing to show for my efforts when I do eventually die, as all things must. All I build now may very well burn down in the end, as the efforts of Emperors so often have once they pass, but I refuse to spend my eternity with regret over not even trying to use my gift of long life to improve Humanity. We can be so much better than we are now."
As the Teleport energy started glowing, Tikki split from her human, leaving her in her red and black spotted pajamas once again. She addressed Marinette, "You will live a long time too, Ladybug. So will Night Cat. Maybe you could help Alex with his goal?"
Marinette shook her head on instinct. "I'm…not the best Trainer." She gave her master a smirk. "Not yet at least. I'm nowhere near good enough to keep up with you, Alex."
Alex spoke with finality as he readied the Teleport to include Tikki. "Marinette, you may be one of the only people who could keep up with me, in this regard. Do you want to know the real secret to training strong Pokémon?" She nodded after a brief pause, and Alex continued. "It's love. I know that sounds corny, but once you and your partners have a strong enough bond, you'll understand what I'm talking about. The more you care for each other, the harder they'll Battle for you. The power your bonds can create will take you to heights you probably never thought you could reach. Give your team some breakfast. Bond with them. You'll see your strength grow rapidly."
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Marinette barely had time to process his words before a giant hand grabbed her shoulder, and Tikki's hand grabbed hers. "He's right, you know." She said in her Trainer's head, and then suddenly, they were back outside the Palace of Ideals. She took in the ancient carving of Tao above the main entrance, and then the two later added carvings of Zekrom flanking the doors. As they entered the palace's winding entry hallway that had started to be filled by local artists with scenes from Unova's history, and even more contemporary scenes depicting the return of the Dragon Empire, she said, "I'll go and get Night Cat, and my team. When do we leave?"
Alex chuckled. "Get some food, first. Do some training. Bond. I have a few…Imperial duties to deal with before we depart."
Marinette sighed, fully expecting him to bamf away again, but she nodded and hurried off to do as instructed. Alex found his own team and recalled most of them onto his cape. Po and Canis were the exceptions. His first stop was the Enterprise, as even then, he knew Jimen was waiting on him to alleviate his guard duty over Vaatu and the stump that was Ozai. The mechanics told him their flagship was half finished, but work was proceeding faster, now that they had designs for technology that could and had functioned in space at humanity's peak. The Palace had many large underground chambers the further one went, and the Imperial government had made full use of them for building their space fleet in secrecy.
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While there, Alex found Aurea Juniper and Professor Bianca hard at work, and imposed on them for a moment. They noticed him as he entered their work area, and the older woman smiled and waved, while the younger stood at attention. Alex just chuckled. "You can relax, Professor. I'm not here as an Emperor, but as a Trainer. I'd like to know where the local Snivy, Tepig, and Oshawott lines reside, as I'd like to add each to my team."
The women shared a look. "Their habitats are a secret, even to regional leaders, Emperor Redwood…sir." Bianca said shakily. "We can't risk anyone disrupting the-"
Professor Juniper cut her off. "In the southwestern forests of the Unova Region, you'll find what you're looking for, young Redwood." She chuckled, and then looked at Bianca. "Alex is much like his Granduncle, Bianca. We don't need to worry about him disrupting the Pokémon. In fact, given whose Tamer he is, he might even help bring them into better Balance. You'll want to look just northwest of Floccesy Ranch."
Bianca paused, as that was not where the starters resided, but she did know who lived in that part of the region, and assumed her mentor had a reason for sending the Original Dragon's Tamer towards them. "Right…well, as long as he keeps what he finds secret, there shouldn't be an issue. If you'll excuse us…we really should get back to work."
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Alex had picked up that Juniper both was and was not telling the truth, but he let it slide. He trusted her wisdom, as his Gruncle had always claimed she was a good person, and quite intelligent. The ideal person to handle the young Trainers of Unova proper. Having been to Aspertia before, it would be no trouble to get to the ranch. He thanked the Professors for their time, and bamfed away.
He brought Goku out as they strolled along the route to the ranch and he had him battle the numerous Trainers they met on the road. By the time they reached the ranch, Alex was in the top thirteen hundred of the Great Class, and he was genuinely surprised he'd gone up so far. At one point, he asked the Drone Rotom, still the same one who'd thus far covered all his matches, why he was rising so fast. The response had been both accurate and informative. "Trainers who have unbroken and lengthy win streaks rise quicker through the ranks. It is possible to rise through both the Great and Ultra classes in a shorter period of time if you manage to go longer without losing."
So far, Alex and his team hadn't lost a match, but with this knowledge, he started using his stronger partners when a random road Trainer wanted a World Tournament battle. He still trained his younger members on wild Pokémon who wanted to test him, and road Trainers who just wanted a simple battle, and thankfully, they understood why. Adamanteus in particular handled most of the World Tournament matches on their way to and through the ranch, and Alex noted he was at least making an effort to not be so brutal with his attacks. Terra had also spoken with him and had promised that the later battles in the tournament, should he be picked for them, would be as intense as Adamanteus wanted them. He was much like Shruikan, with that mindset.
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As they finally reached the area the Professor had mentioned, Alex cast his mind out for a Snivy, or Tepig, or a source of water that might be home to an Oshawott. Instead, he found only the usual forest dwelling Pokémon, and then, several humans who were surrounding him and his Kung Fu monkey. Alex simply crossed his arms, though he sensed malicious intent, and assumed they had ranged weapons of some description aimed at him. "I know you're there. I come in peace. Let's not start a needless conflict."
He sensed them speaking, as most people formed the words for what they said in their head, just before saying them. He didn't intrude on what was said, though. Finally, one of them strode from the bushes, wearing clothing very similar in style to what Damon of his Elite Four usually wore. Though the man who appeared had the dark black straight hair of a Tribe member, his face was as pale as Alex's. "There is every need, stranger. You have intruded on grounds sacred to my clan. Leave, and we won't attack you."
"Attack me, and you'll be starting a war with Unova, and every other State in the Dragon Empire." He sensed the tension rise, and Goku fell into a fighting crouch, but neither side struck first. The man looked confused, so Alex continued. "I am the latest Dragon Emperor. Alex Redwood. I have no wish to hurt you. Professor Juniper sent me out here…and I'm guessing it was to meet you, and your…clan. What do you call yourselves?"
The others in the clan, all similar in dress, though not in appearance, joined their comrade. There were four in all, and several did indeed have the traits he'd come to associate with members of the Tribes, be it the hair or skin tones. They murmured among themselves, before the pale skinned man spoke again. "Our ancestors called themselves Draconids. We also take that name."
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Alex smirked, and though he tried to reach out to Tao, the Original Dragon simply told him to investigate, if he wanted to learn of these people so badly. Professor Aristole had been thorough with his lessons, and more than once, the clan of Dragon Tamers had come up. Famous for traveling the entirety of the globe, there was barely a single region where one could not find some ancient trace of their culture. The scholars of 'this age' as Aristole had called them, believed the Draconids to be long dead or dispersed, but Aristole had claimed that the Draconids had always lived in smaller clans, and had their own methods of forming them to avoid inbreeding or too many mouths to feed. All of them could, however, trace their lineage back to the Hooligan Tribe of Neuberke.
During the Dark Times, they had been systematically targeted by a number of powerful Shadow wielders, which had directly led to their 'decline'. Aristole had guaranteed Alex that they did still exist in pockets across the world, not advertising their presence, and staying hidden, lest some other lunatic wipe them out for being who they were. He'd also said that, as Alex had the dragon typing, he definitely had at least one ancestor who was of the Draconid's lineage, as they were the only humans who regularly gained such power, aside from those in Norstad.
Alex looked up from where his eyes had rested as he'd pondered their words, though barely a few seconds had passed. "If you are Draconids, you need not fear me. I am a descendent of your clans, apparently, and a friend to all people who reside in my Empire." He let his aura burn to life then, and the group gasped. Both sides fulfilled their expectations of the other, the Dragon Emperor had a mighty draconic aura, and the Draconids were psychically sensitive enough to tell what kind of power the deep blue aura gave off naturally. "I would like to speak with your leader, if I could."
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The four nodded, and in short order introduced themselves, and guided him to their well-hidden village. The genetic diversity only increased as Alex saw more examples of clan members. Some were from Eous, some had the pale tones only found in Galar, while others had the tanned tones of brown that only Alola's sun could give a human. Moreover, each of them had Pokémon working beside them in their chores or tasks, though most were not dragon typed. Despite their primitive buildings, they did have some technology, namely Pokéballs, and within their wooden domiciles that seemed to have been grown from multiple trees purposefully bent and shaped to form a house, he even spied televisions, and basic amenities like refrigerators.
As he was brought before the Chief of this particular clan, Alex found him kneeling on a pillow that sat in front of an ancient shrine. As he examined the shrine first, he blinked. While the surrounding architectural style was different, it was otherwise identical to the shrine Pacha had used in Selva Muerta. Unlike that shrine though, this one was more recently constructed, and he sensed a Pokémon within it. Alex bowed before the old man leading the clan then and took in his features. His lineage was of the far east, though where specifically, Alex could not tell, as he was not an easterner. Given who he was talking to, his family line could likely extend all across Eous. "Greetings, young Dragon Emperor." The old man said in a cracked voice, likely from disuse or age. "Damon told us you might visit one day. It seems you are indeed the one."
Alex raised an eyebrow at the Chief. "The one…to do what?"
The Chief chuckled. "The one to raise this little one. A time lost straggler, left in our care by Celebi." He whistled then, but nothing happened. With a sigh, the old man turned towards the shrine. "You need to come out, for this one. Come."
Alex heard a tiny sigh from inside the hollow shrine, and then, a rather young Oshawott crawled out of the shrine on its stomach and stretched. Alex could tell he was freshly hatched, as he didn't even have a Scalchop yet. Maybe a few days old, at most. Alex locked eyes with the little one, and he saw a fire there that was surprisingly strong, for one so fresh to the world. A Pokémon this young, that had been saved by Celebi, had probably seen some things to give him a look like that.
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Alex reached out psychically to the little one and sensed his emotions. Sadness, confusion, overarching hopelessness and a desire to become stronger. "You wish for strength." Alex said, and though the baby Oshawott didn't know Common and barely knew Pokéspeech, he somehow understood the words the large human was using. "I can help you achieve it." He brought up a Luxury Ball then, letting the cautious otter sniff it. "It will be difficult. At times, it will hurt. Are you sure you want to walk the path of Battle?"
The tiny otter rose unsteadily to his feet, and then fixed the human with a stern look. "Oshawott!" There were no words to translate, but Alex still understood his meaning.
"Alright then." Alex said, smirking. "In you go, little one." He booped the baby otter's snoot, and his tiny eyes widened as he experienced a Pokéball for the first time. After it dinged green, Alex chuckled as the ball rolled around in his hand as its new occupant explored the interior, but eventually, it stopped moving, as the tiny otter succumbed to the warm safety that all Luxury Balls included. "You will be Maromnis (Mare-om-nis)." He looked at the elder then. "I'll train him well…did Celebi have any instructions once he's trained up?"
The old man nonchalantly sipped on some tea that he produced from somewhere within his robes. "One day, he will return here. On that day…make sure you've said your goodbyes. He might not return to this time zone."
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Alex nodded quietly, guessing that Maromnis would ultimately be better off back in his own time period. The old man spoke again, as Alex was pondering. "Join us for a meal, Dragon Emperor. Your partners, too. Assuming you haven't had breakfast yet. Alex was about to decline, when his stomach answered for him with a loud rumble. "Breakfast sounds great, actually. Assuming you don't mind hosting us."
The old man hobbled up to his feet and then down from the shrine. "It is an honor to host a Dragon Emperor. I hope our meager meal lives up to your standards."
Alex waved an oversized hand. "I'm sure it'll be good. I'll eat pretty much anything."
The meal turned out to be mostly healthy and full of berries, and the conversation was focused almost entirely on figuring out where in the Redwood family tree they had gained Draconid genes. Alex answered what he could about his now passed family members, but realistically, all he remembered or had been told about was his Gruncle's generation, which also had included his own grandfather, who he didn't recall meeting.
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Alex managed to turn the conversation to Damon, as of all of his Elite Four, he knew the least about him. Will was fairly famous, every Unovan knew of Shauntal at this point, and Nick was an old friend. The Elite Four's Dragon Tamer wasn't just aloof with his Champion though, even his own clan called him a loner who'd preferred the company of dragons to people. Nobody had been too surprised when he declared he was leaving on a journey.
Apparently, Damon had recently returned home, just in time for Celebi to appear. They had a message for the clan, and psychically beseeched them to have their greatest Dragon Tamer train up the baby Oshawott that Celebi had brought with it. Damon had refused the little one, claiming he wasn't their best Dragon Tamer. He'd left shortly after that, and then several days later, Alex had wandered in, looking for Unova's starters, but only finding an Oshawott.
Alex thanked the clan for the meal and their information, and then headed back to the palace as quickly as he'd left. The entire team had breakfast by that point, and Jess had already bamfed her team out west. She was deathly serious about competing in the World Tournament, and didn't want her fiancé, a Trainer favored to end up a finalist, seeing how her new team was growing. Some of the older members, like Terra, Empolia, or Chari didn't like the idea of separating, especially since both humans were adding new siblings to their respective rosters, but Alex and Jess overruled them, claiming there would be plenty of time to meet their new siblings once the Tournament was settled.
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Alex eventually found Marinette, Adrien, and Connor waiting for him in the chamber they were using to store and feed all the Pokémon. Alex and Connor clasped hands as they met and gave a brief but very manly greeting as they both uttered the other's first name. "I didn't know if you were free to join us." Alex said, as he released his former neighbor's hand.
Connor smirked at him. "It's not like the League is in session right now. Did you ever get to that backlog of Victory League challengers?"
"Ahahah. Yep. Kinda. If having them be crushed by Hilbert counts as getting to it, then I definitely did." Alex said awkwardly. "Right then. First, we're off to the Galar Region. Everybody link hands." They did so, and in short order they appeared in Wyndon City, causing a bit of a stir as they appeared. As the Trainers in the crowd recognized them, Alex realized both he and Connor had left without proper disguises.
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Seeing Alex's internal panic face, Connor raised his voice to the crowd that was now growing and taking their phones out. "We're not here for autographs." He held up a black, white, and blue Pokéball in challenge. "We're here to Battle!" Someone in the crowd answered him with a challenge of their own, and just like that, Connor was off.
The other three with him disappeared as Connor drew their eyes, and they subtly moved into the crowd as they kept their heads down and reconvened at the field Connor was battling on. Calling it a battle was generous, for as soon as the Drone Rotom began the match, Connor resorted to his classic strategy of using his starter and no one else. In the blink of an eye, Gren had taken down his Galarian Linoone opponent in seconds, with an unblockable Brick Break.
Connor just shook his head at his opponent and recalled Gren. The Drone Rotom spoke, then. "Contestant Gladstone, please report to the Wyndon Stadium for your Battle to determine your entry into the Ultra Class!"
As the drone flew off, Connor just stared at it, and sighed. He looked back at the group then. "Looks like I'm already in the top tier. I'll meet you guys in the Wild Area, for this 'surplus' of World Tournament Trainers, once I'm done. Laters."
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He strolled off then, not a care in his stride, and Alex just nodded. He looked at the teens, then. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of being behind in the rankings. Once we hit the Wild Area, I say we split up." The teens nodded in agreement. "I'll head to the southern entrance, and move westward, or clockwise. Adrien, start in the west and move northward, Marinette start outside the Hammerlocke entrance, and head east. I'd advise offering to heal your opponent's Pokémon once you've finished Battling. It'll make them easier for the rest of us to challenge."
The two teens nodded, and hopped on their flying Pokémon as they headed south to the Wild Area. Marinette split off first, landing just outside Hammerlocke. Adrien continued on uninterrupted. Alex circled around his apprentice as Shruikan banked in a large circle. "If you need help, just shout for Lux!" She gave him a thumbs up, and he nodded in return, spurring Shruikan onwards.
Alex guided him low over the fields on purpose, as the Wild Area was properly packed with Trainers of all classes, duking it out. Feeling unnoticed, Shruikan roared, and got their attention. The roar was enough to vibrate the air and made more than a few younger Trainers look up in awe. Shruikan eyed their potential matches, and landed before a Dragon Tamer who was cleaning his Dragapult.
The two male dragons locked eyes, and Shruikan snarled a challenge as lightning sparked around his toothy maw, which the Dragapult answered with narrowed eyes. He went intangible, and the grime and bubbles covering him fell to the ground. He roared in response, and Alex tilted his head, as apparently the ghost dragon had simply been enjoying the sensation of being washed, rather than actually needing one. His Trainer leveled a Pokéball at Alex after donning his bluish-purple cape. "You get around quickly, Dragon Emperor. As expected of a Salamence rider. Come! Let us test our Dragon's strength!"
Alex smirked from under his hat. Shruikan had no intention of passing this one off to Kalagon. "Very well. Shruikan!" His black Salamence roared again, and the pair of incredibly fast dragons began dueling in the air barely a second after the Drone Rotom who'd appeared suddenly had started the match. Alex had to hold onto his hat as Plasma Bombs collided with Dragon Darts and sent concussive waves of force over those on the ground. Wherever this Dragon Tamer was from, he and his partner had trained hard. A quick glance at his human opponent confirmed he too was enjoying the battle. It was hard to remember that not so long ago, he was daydreaming about being in a battle like this, and once more Alex quietly thanked Arceus that this was his life now.