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The Wild Area - Galar Region

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Being right outside the train station was a good way to get a crowd, Alex found, as Plasma Bombs and Draco Meteors started shaking the area violently with the sheer power of the pair of dragon types clashing in the skies. "Dodge, Shruikan! Dragon Dance!" For the third time, Shruikan danced gracefully through his opponent's Draco Meteor, as the Dragapult's special attacks became well and truly useless.

Shruikan arced up above the Dragapult he was battling, and let his wings flare as they blocked out the sun. Alex and his opponent called their moves at the same time.

"Dragon Rush!"

"Dragon Hammer!"

Shruikan rolled forwards, bringing his tail down as he summoned the dragon energy for the attack into it, while the Dragapult aimed itself, and then shot upwards. Its dragon energy appeared around it like a veil extending from the pointed tip of its snout, and it charged boldly, head first, towards Shruikan. As the moves collided, the more powerful dragon of the pair, in this case Shruikan, fared better. While damaging, his Dragon Hammer struck true through the Dragon Rush, and from the cloud of smoke their colliding moves created, the Dragapult came down and smashed into the earth like a meteor.

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Seeing there were more civilians around them, Alex barely had time to summon a Barrier around the Dragapult's impact site. Unnoticed by his eyes, another figure had stepped in with blinding speed to smash the debris caused by the Dragapult's impact, only to find it handily blocked by said Barrier. Alex stared as he lowered the psychic move, finding a Single Strike Urshifu standing behind it. It slowly fell out of its stance, as it watched Shruikan descend, victorious from the sky, and land. He roared then, and glancing around, Alex noted many Trainers with various first form dragon types who had, apparently, been called out to watch this clash of high leveled titans.

As they heard the roar, the younger dragons bowed their heads, and Shruikan raised his, rising up to his full height. Alex reached up with his long arms and gave him chin scritches and a Sitrus Berry, before heading towards the Urshifu. Seeing him coming, the black and white bear started to turn away and leave, which was when Po leapt out of his ball. "Saitama! Brother!" He shouted, and the sound of his voice made the Urshifu stop.

He turned, and raised an eyebrow. "Po…?" Po, for his part, was already running, and stumbling, towards him. He slid to a stop before his puzzled expression. "Why…are you in Galar? What about the old one?"

As Po began explaining why he'd left and how he'd come to be in Galar, murmurs erupted through the crowd. "It is! It's him!" "Oh wow, the Champion!" Alex kept an eye on the Urshifu, though it didn't seem like it would attack, as he turned to take in the newcomer. It was indeed the latest 'unbeatable Galarian Champion', Victor, in the flesh. He wasn't much younger than Alex, probably around Elio's age, but unlike the Alolan Champion, Victor had started growing some facial hair. It was in a pattern similar to Alex's but Alex could tell he hadn't shaved it often enough, as most of it still seemed more like peach fuzz than true wiry beard hair.

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As Alex looked back at Po, namely since the Urshifu had raised his voice, Victor looked their way too. "You were supposed to be helping the old one! He can't survive on his own power anymore! Idiot!" The Urshifu snarled, and Po's body seemed to deflate. As Victor headed towards what Alex surmised was probably his Urshifu, their eyes met, and a smirk lifted the Galar Champion's mouth. His gaze briefly darted to his Pokemon, who had gone from clenching his fists, to pinching his brow, as Po continued trying to account for his need to leave their homeland. Then, seeing it wasn't going to attack, he looked back at Alex. "Wots all this then? I'd heard we 'ad a visiting Champion. Redwood, right? From Unova?" He held out a hand.

Alex gripped and shook it, applying a small amount of pressure, as he always did. With handshakes, and hands as large as his, he tended to match the grip strength of whoever he met, or just use a small amount of pressure. Victor matched it, and pulled his hand away, as he eyed their Pokémon. "Seems like moi Urshifu knows your…Kubfu…though honestly mate, I don't…think that is a Kubfu…it looks a bit, ehh…different."

"You think so?" Alex said, tilting his head. Slowly, he brought up his Pokédex, which made Victor smirk. The Galarian entry for Kubfu was recited, and Alex had it scan him just to be sure. The device dinged, and again repeated the entry for Kubfu.

Victor shrugged. "I guess it is a Kubfu…just a fluffier…smiley-er…one."

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By that point, the battle-loving bears were seemingly done conversing, and with a grunt towards Victor, Po's elder brother returned to his ball with a look on its stern face somewhere between disappointment, and sadness. The hard-style martial artist didn't let his emotions show, but Alex could tell from his eyes that hearing the old bear who'd raised them was gone by now was hitting him on an emotional level. Po hadn't shared how his mentor had passed, but Alex could tell he'd had longer to deal with the reality of mortality. Apparently, Victor's Urshifu was younger in terms of emotional age, repressing such feelings, whereas Po, probably on instinct, had accepted that his guardian's time had come, and had done so a while ago. "I think I'll…sleep too." Po said, and Alex nodded, recalling him.

"Get a good rest, Po. You'll see plenty of action in Paldea." He felt the ball shudder in response, and then put it on his cloak.

Then, he noticed. Victor, and much of the crowd, were staring at him. "You talk to 'im like you understand'im."

Alex smirked. Many people, by this point, tried confirming if that rumor was true with roundabout questions. Given the history of Pokémon rights in Unova particularly, and N disappearing into an Ultra Wormhole, a headline which had made world news, he guessed Victor assumed it was a sensitive subject. "I can. The Harmonia's gift has been granted to me, the current Dragon Emperor. I understand Pokémon as easily as you understand me, now. It's all just Common, to me."

"Fascinating." Victor said, sounding genuine. "I bet the Prof would love to ask you sum questions."

Alex tilted his head. "Professor Sonia?" Victor nodded, and Alex smirked slightly. "I'd be honored to meet the authority on Galar's ancient history. My Granduncle was always impressed with how she, and I quote, "Untangled the ClusterMuk of fabrications, folktales, and fairytales" that Galar used to teach as its history."

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With no discernible motion, Victor summoned his Rotophone. "I'll give ya her number." Alex nudged Lux, who floated out again, and exchanged information with Victor's device. "I gotta be off now, jus' came after Saitama. Good luck in the World Tournament, eh Redwood? P'raps we'll be seein' each other before too long."

Alex smirked at him. "If you want that streak of yours to stay unbroken, you should hope to face someone else." The two Trainers chuckled then, shared a nod of respect, and then Victor was off, dashing towards the Corviknight Taxi he'd summoned. Returning to the task at hand, Alex turned to the crowd then, but instead of battle, all they sought was his autograph. One of the littles asked to see his Charizard, which fed Blaze's ego, but Alex found he couldn't disappoint those big eyes. He listened closely as the crowd murmured, and was immensely satisfied when these longtime Leon fans gauged Blaze to be around Leon's level, at least.

Alex promised them a match to remember, a true Charizard v. Charizard showdown, and then flew away from the train station to his part of his party's circular route. Po got the most experience, as the Trainers they found were at his level, though Noir switched in later, as they came to an area he could only describe as haunted. An old watch tower from a time when humanity was much more primitive. Though the ancients had eventually wielded magic and vast armies of Pokémon, they'd all had to claw their way back from the ruins of the old Earth first. Such towers had likely been quite necessary, especially if any enterprising bandits of the era had found a way to bond with the local Pokémon. Now, all that remained were ghost types, and ghost Trainers. Noir Night Slashed his way through all of them.

Before Alex knew it, the sun was setting, and his loop was ending. Eventually, he'd run into conquests of his teenaged teammates, many of whom were unwilling to lose a third time, and were well aware of his rank in the Victory League. He'd managed to convince a few of those to have simple, friendly battles, but it seemed of all of them, Adrien had gained the most battle experience throughout the day. Connor called Lux once the trio had reunited and set up camp, and soon he joined them, insisting that they have curry for dinner, something Alex was very down for, as was his team. The Kalosians had apparently never had curry, but they, and their teams, were big fans of Connor's cooking and Alex's effort.

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The next morning, they traveled by train to Wedgehurst and through Motostoke. Alex and Connor soon learned that Galarians did not, in fact, have battles on their trains, but the conductor and his staff were so used to Unovan passengers, that they'd eventually added a car specifically for battling. It was rickety though, damaged from another battle, and the two rivals agreed they probably shouldn't duke it out in such unstable surroundings. In the end, they'd actually pooled their currency and offered it to the conductor to get the cart fixed and properly outfitted for battles. There was also enough in the final sum for general maintenance, for several years.

After surveying the skill level of Wedgehurst's Trainers, Alex and Connor agreed to let the teens take them on, as neither of them had Pokémon low level enough for decent matches, and given most were little kids, they probably wouldn't be World Tournament contestants. Connor decided to update his outfit at the local clothes shop, which left Alex to call and then visit Professor Sonia's lab, which wasn't far away. A downright ancient elderly woman spoke to him, as Blaze came in for a landing. "Ahh, good. Leon dear, could you help me with these Berries? My back is aching something- oh!" She exclaimed, and then smiled as she saw her visitor was not her strong, useful grandson-in-law. "Pardon me, dear. I heard a Charizard's wingbeats, and just assumed…"

Alex smiled at her. "Professor Magnolia, right? I can help you, it's really no problem." She thanked him, and then exclaimed, as he levitated the vegetables with ease.

"Oh! Oh my! Well-mannered, and a skilled Psychic!" She peered closer at him then, and Alex let her, as her eyes were very clearly old. Then, he saw recognition in them. "Ahh. Now that's a Redwood if ever I saw one. You must be the Grandnephew. Alexander, right?" She glanced at him, and then at Blaze, who was also carrying berries, and had plopped a Tomato Berry into his toothy maw, munching happily as he took advantage of the kind old human's offer to help himself to her harvest. "I see they finally let you have Pokémon. And judging by how healthy that Charizard is, I'm betting you're quite a Trainer! I'm afraid I don't follow the Leagues too closely anymore."

Alex chuckled. "I'm the reigning Unovan Champion, at the moment. If that helps. Now, where did you want these…?"

Magnolia, as she insisted on being called now that she lacked a Professor's coat, showed him where she wanted the berries, and rattled off a number of other chores besides, all of which Alex handled fairly easy with minimal psychic effort. About five minutes after they'd sat down and chatted while the lab cleaned itself, Professor Sonia walked in as Magnolia said she would.

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After introducing himself, and getting her some tea, he finally asked the question that brought him to the lab in the first place. "What brings me down here today is…curiosity mostly. I'd like to know where the starter evolution lines like to reside here in Galar. If that's alright."

Sonia twirled a red-orange lock of hair as she looked him over, and then glanced at Magnolia. "That's…private information for a reason…but seeing as how you're a Champion…" She tilted her head. "We don't have a Grookey right now, but we do have a Scorbunny and a Sobble. They're harder to find, especially Sobble, but I have another one coming in soon."

Alex nodded. If there were no Grookey here, he could find one elsewhere. He knew from past tournaments that once in the Ultra Class, there would be a lot of traveling by plane to find his matches. He preferred a wild Grookey from Selva Muerta or Old Africa anyway. "I have a Cinderace already, actually. I'll have a look at the Sobble, if that's okay." Sonia led him into a side room then, where the aforementioned Scorbunny was asleep. He looked around for the Sobble, and caught it vanishing into invisibility on the ceiling, as new people entered the room. At that moment, Cinder popped out, as the Scorbunny was in the process of waking up at the sound of new arrivals. He greeted the smol bun, who was looking up at Cinder with awe. Cinder asked him if he wanted to practice his footwork, and the two fire rabbits enthusiastically scurried outside to toss a flaming pebble around. Sonia left to go make sure a child form's lack of skill didn't burn down her lab, leaving Alex alone in the room seemingly by himself.

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Deciding patience was the best way forward, he sat in the center of the room cross-legged, and waited. Then, though it was very faint, he heard the Sobble muttering, and smirked. "This Human is strange. Older than the ones that the Professor usually shows me. But he's just randomly sitting on the floor. Subject number sixty nine, verdict; investigate further."

Alex chuckled to himself as he heard the analytical Sobble. "Heh. Nice." The soft sounds of damp sticky feet plodding along the ceiling and then the wall filled his ears. Then, again, came the murmuring.

"Subject seems to be…asleep?" Alex opened his eyes suddenly then, and let them shine with blue energy. The Sobble briefly lost his camouflage, and panicked, but kept making observational notes. "Holy Arceus! He's psychic! And my cover is blown! Abort! Abort!"

Alex chuckled loudly as the Sobble scurried away, more visible now, as he was drying out. "Cover fading…can't reach my bowl…this may be…the end for me! Mom, I…I failed, I'm sorry…"

Alex watched as the Sobble became visible again, crouched, scared, shaking, but oddly enough, not crying. Alex glanced at his bowl, and focused for a moment. With a guiding hand motion, he sent a fresh stream of water over the small cowering chameleon. "It's alright, little guy." Alex finally said, "You're hidden again. But you don't need to hide, I'm not going to hurt you."

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He hid the glow from his eyes, but kept the power, using it to keep track of where the Sobble was. After a moment, he realized he was invisible again, and started muttering his narration once more, as he scurried back onto the ceiling. "By some miracle I still have cover! Subject seems non-hostile…and I can understand him better than the other sixty eight…more investigation is needed."

It was at this point that Alex stopped goofing around. "If you're so curious about me, young Sobble, why don't you come down here, and ask your questions?"

There was a brief pause as once again he understood the human perfectly. "Subject seems capable of speaking like Pokémon. Fascinating…I must learn more. Agent Bubble O7…descending!" A trail of Sobble slime appeared from the ceiling then, landing right in front of Alex. He hid his instinctual disgust, as the slimy mucus string wobbled with the invisible Sobble's descent. Finally, he appeared before Alex.

He stared at the human for a long, awkward moment, neither side saying anything, before he raised his tiny bubble-covered hand to his mouth and murmured, "Subject seems to have gone mute."

Alex chuckled. "Normally the person walking up to someone else speaks first."

The Sobble's eyes went wide, and he murmured to his hand again. "Once more, I still understand him…" Alex watched, bemused, as the young Pokémon finally noticed. His big eyes narrowed slightly. "Human…can you…understand me?" Alex nodded. "Have you been able to understand me this whole time?" Again Alex nodded, and the smirk widened.

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"I've actually been looking for a Sobble. Someone good at being stealthy. Someone who, eventually, will be a spy for me. Once they're an Inteleon. That will be your primary mission, should you choose to accept it." Alex said, still smirking. "Interested?"

The Sobble eyed him with skepticism. "How do I know you can make me strong enough to evolve? The sixty eight before you were all incompetent noobs! Even that one Champion guy was just a giant jerk…"

Alex briefly wondered where he'd learned all these words, and which Champion he meant, before saying, "Hydrus." His first water type appeared in the small room, and upon seeing the Sobble, flexed his muscles, making them bulge quite a bit. It was at this point that Professor Sonia returned, eyeing Hydrus in surprise and then with a different look altogether as she saw the bulging biceps that were as defined as Leon's. She blinked and looked down as the Sobble waddled over to her, and pointed at Alex. "That one." He said, nodding at Alex. Sonia looked up at Alex, as Hydrus returned to his ball with a satisfied smirk.

"Champion Mikolaj of the Polska Region had partnered with him first, for that challenge Leon set up a while back. He returned him here though, for a different Sobble. Never said why. Since then, he's sprayed every Trainer I've paired him with, not you, though. I think he wants you as his Trainer." She said with a smile, offering Alex his ball.

"He does." Alex confirmed as he processed her words, "It took some convincing, but we've reached an accord." He looked at the Sobble then. "All you need now, my friend, is a name."

The Sobble turned to him, and thumped his chest. "I am Agent Bubble O7!"

Alex nodded, trying not to laugh. "Bubble O7. Of course. But that's a call sign my friend, you need a proper name, too." Hearing what Sobble apparently called himself, Sonia burst into laughter.

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The Sobble looked around, and then scooted closer to Alex as he whispered behind his hand. "This is classified information but since you're my new Trainer…my name is Pond. James Pond." Hearing that finally broke Alex, and he laughed hard enough for a tear to form in his eye. When he met Sonia's gaze, he repeated the name, exactly as James had said it, and she too broke into a giggle fit.

Looking between the humans, James deflated slightly. "Why is my name funny…I thought it was cool." He sniffled, but again, didn't cry.

Alex gave his head a pat. "It is cool, my friend. It's just funny because of how fitting it is. We're going to watch some movies tonight that I think you'll enjoy. For now, say your goodbyes."

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Saying goodbye to Scorbunny and Sonia finally brought tears to the young Sobble, though not many. A few minutes later, Alex was back outside, and rendezvousing with his group. Adrien and Marinette had crushed the local Trainers with ease, and Connor had adjusted his outfit to handle the harsh weather of the mountains between Kalos and Paldea. They rode Shruikan and Gar across the Galish Channel, to Kalos's northern shore, which was where they decided to camp. Alex and Connor put their heads together to figure out how to project their movie of choice onto a rock slab Alex raised from the earth, while Marinette and Adrien made dinner, which was popcorn and poffins.

James was amazed and enthralled at the spy movies, old Earth classics featuring James Bond, and the little Sobble giggled every time he heard the main character's name. They had, naturally, continued the series into the modern era, and added Pokémon, but Alex had insisted on starting James with the classics. Maromnis, Alex, and James were the only ones to make it through the entirety of both films awake, and Alex quietly, and psychically, packed up the extraneous parts of their camp while Noir watched over them in the night with Leo, atop the movie slab.

For the first time in a while, Alex rose after only four hours of rest, as he'd stayed aware enough to meditate and recharge the way Arthur did. The fact that Jess wasn't around had also helped. He found his cats, Plagg, and Lux, watching an anime, and after heading into the darkness for a four twenty A.M. toke, while watching what Lux was projecting, he returned and joined them. Unbeknownst to him, they had just finished Fullsteel Alchemist and the Kalosian cat was introducing them to Dark Clover.

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Alex found it as entertaining as Leo did, though he was initially disappointed when the cooler and by all accounts smarter protagonist, Yuno, turned out to evidently not be the main protagonist. That role belonged to his 'brother' Asta, who loudly and boldly declared, over and over and over, that he'd become the greatest Aura Champion that the Clover Kingdom had ever seen, and with his adamant Riolu's strange aura ability that nullified the energy of Pokémon moves, he had a solid chance of getting there, someday, if the rate of his tiny body's muscle growth kept increasing as it had through the five episodes they made it through, before everyone else woke up. Alex had Lux load up the anime he was behind on, namely Fullsteel Alchemist, and the one Leo kept getting his terms from, an old Earth anime called 'Naruto', whose episodes had been faithfully restored, in the modern era. All seven hundred and twenty of them. As he wondered how long it would take to watch them all, his brain mathed for him. Twenty one minute runtimes, times the total number of episodes, and divided by twenty four hours in a day came out to ten and a half days, at which point he factored in four hours of sleep, and reached a total of thirteen days. Roughly. Not even half of his Festivus break. With travel and other distractions he guessed just over two weeks would be the maximum. If he skipped filler episodes.

As the Pokémon rose from the comfort of their balls and each of the four Trainer's teams greeted each other, Connor whipped up omelets for the humans, while Gren used his Ninjutsu to bamf each Pokémon's bowl to their sitting space. Marinette spoke first, once the food was ready, and the humans dug into their breakfast. "I was thinking, Alex…Adrien and I should probably challenge the Kalos Gyms. Our teams respect us because of Plagg and Tikki, but without Badges, any new partners we get might not."

Alex nodded, finding her logic to be sound. "A wise decision. We can linger in Kalos for a while, too." He glanced at her team then, which was just Tikki, Kaalki, a Zebstrika, and Mullo, an Emolga. "You should probably also catch more, while you're here. In fact…" He checked his map, as Lux brought it up for him. "You and I will head just north of…Vaniville Town. Santalune Forest. You'll find some partners there, I'm sure. Then, we can beseech Professor Sycamore for starters. Jess has a Delphox, and I have Invictus, Blaze, Saur, and Blast…which just means I need a Froakie."

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At that point, Connor chimed in. "I have a Froakie for you. In fact…I've been trying to find a worthy Trainer for him for some time now." He summoned his Phone Rotom, and in short order had a Pokéball transferred to his hand. "Consider this my thanks for letting me join your Scales, and sorting that mess out." He tossed Alex the ball, and Alex nodded, eyes widening in shock as he realized just who he was holding. Gren's offspring yes, but a rather special one, judging by what his stats said.

"In that case…let's make it a proper Trade." He felt apprehension from his team as he said the word, but his choice was made, and he pulled his Wartortle from his cape, calling him out, as he knelt to Blast's level. The Wartortle yawned, and looked around, then, his brothers caught him up, and his eyes went wide, and became shinier. "Blast." Alex said, getting his attention, and his ears perked up. "I don't like trading…but Connor here is one of the best Water Type experts around. I think he'd make you the Blastoise you want to be. What do you think?"

The Wartortle looked at the ground. "This is…because your brother has Squirt, isn't it. That's why you picked me. You don't need an extra male Blastoise."

"Oi." Alex said, and the Pokémon's attention snapped up again. "I care for all of my partners. Enough to…let them go, when that will help them fulfill their dreams. I've seen you trying to be stealthy, flipping around, and using pinpoint Water Type attacks. Connor can help you master them to a level I simply cannot. I'd like to have a Blastoise. They're very powerful, when used right. I …believe your path lies elsewhere, though. You prefer Physical Moves, that's your nature. Connor can train you to hone them until they're as good as your Special Moves would've been, if you wanted to be a Special Attacker. But the choice is yours."

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At that point, Hydrus popped out. He looked at his Trainer for a long time, and Alex could sense irritation under the passive expression of the Swampert. But he was focused on Blast. "What do you want, brother?"

"To be strong…" The Wartortle mumbled, before raising his head, tears in his eyes. "To be the Best. Like all of you."

Connor and the others had gone quiet by this point, watching the scene and grokking about half of what was going on. Finally, Connor said, "I'll do some training with Blast if you want, Alex. But I don't need him. I'm covered on Water Types. No offense of course, Blast." The Wartortle nodded. "You're helping me by training Gren's son there…he's…special, as you saw, but not a fast physical striker like his dad. His abilities are…weird. But so are you, Alex. So is your whole team. He'd fit right in, I think. Don't feel obligated to give up one of your own."

Alex seemed to sigh in relief at his friend's words. "A temporary parting, then. I train this Froakie, you train Blast, and when they're grown Blast will come home and…we'll see what the Greninja wants at that point, but I'll gladly keep him on, or find a new Froakie for a more permanent position. My Inteleon will need backup, after all."

Blast nodded, clearing his eyes with nothing but a determined head nod. "I'm okay with that. As long as I'm still with you guys…your dream…I want to be part of it too. I can Battle well…and someday, I can protect wherever needs protecting when I eventually get too lazy and old for combat."

Alex stitched between his ears, and the Wartortle grinned at the sensation. "You'll be fierce, by the time Connor is through with you, I'm sure." Alex had always intended to train him against Gren at some point. He had a feeling they'd have plenty of chances to train while romping around Kalos.

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With that settled, neither Trainer changed the ID of their Pokémon, and both balls were registered as on loan. Once that was sorted, and Gren had begun speaking with Blast, Alex felt Hydrus wanted to speak. He excused himself behind the stone pillar of anime watching, and entered his own mindspace. It was a simple white octagonal plane with infinitely high walls and, naturally, a symbol of eternal Balance in the center. He brought Hydrus in, and stared down his mudfish. "Everything alright, bud?"

That, made the Swampert's brow twitch with anger. "Alright!? You just almost…Traded one of us away! Like it was nothing! That is not alright! Why did you do this, Human!?"

Alex blinked, as he realized the massive mudfish was so upset he was using basic Pokéspeech. "It's…what Trainers do, when someone offers them a ball, usually. And-" Hydrus cut him off.

"It's what Trainers do!? Does our bond mean so little that you'd just…give it away!?" He was speaking mentally again, but his body gesticulated, and Alex sensed more than a few of his team's minds siding with his Swampert's anger.

Alex held up a finger, and that made Hydrus angrier, but he spoke anyway. "First of all…if you'd seen your newest brother, you'd understand why my first thought was to make the trade even. Permanent. Lasting." Another finger rose. "Second, I was ready to give him to Connor. Not some scrub on the Pokénet. A Champion, and someone who's been my best friend for longer than I've known all of you. Our friendship may not be the same as it is between me and all of you, but I trust him. Not so long from now, he's going to be family too. Blast was never going far. And Third, you all know I don't particularly care for trading, as a rule. I've seen how it confuses Pokémon, and breaks their hearts. Makes it harder for them to bond. Pushes them closer to Shadow. I'd never just give one of you away, especially one who has agreed to our team's goal."

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That seemed to finally reach Hydrus, and he exhaled an angry breath. "I'm…sorry I got so heated, it just…"

"It happened rather quickly, I know. Don't ever apologize for calling me out, bud. The last thing I want is one of you guys unhappy." He gave his mudfish a mental hug, and then opened his eyes. They fell upon the ball in his hand, and he felt it twitch slightly in response to his focus. The rest of his team was satisfied with his rationale, and now were curious as to what could have possibly prompted their Trainer to even consider a trade.

Alex let the suspense build for a moment, and then thumbed the ball. Appearing in a flash of blue and black light, was a Shiny Froakie, modest in nature, and with skills he had inherited from both of his parents, that the HoloDex had labeled as Amazing. Understanding flooded their mental network, and Alex sensed his team's opinions of Connor's apparent skill at breeding increase. Alex was very much aware of how sought after the slightly lighter blue frog was in the Trainer world, mostly because of how insanely cool their final evolution looked. And, his Ability was Protean, which until they formed a Battle Bond, would more than suffice.

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Alex knelt down to the Froakie, who eyed him in suspicion. "Hello there. I'm Alex. I'm going to be training you for the foreseeable future. Assuming of course, that Battling and becoming strong, strong enough to be the Best, is something you desire."

In the Froakie's short life, he'd only experienced apathy from Connor, and naked desire from other humans that, to his enhanced psychic senses taking in their obvious greed, disgusted him. But this time…felt different. The infectious fire in the human's eyes lit one in his own, and he spoke softly. "Yes…the Best…better even than my father." He gave Alex a meaningful look, and Alex groked that the young frog understood who he was, to some extent. "You can make that happen?"

"I can." Alex said, confidently. "Now all we need is a name for you…"

"I am Kagemusha…" The Froakie said, with slight disgust, as he remembered Connor giving it to him, and explaining its meaning, and how it denoted his job as a bodyguard for Gren. "But everyone calls me Kage (Kah-gay). It suits me more."

"A shadow." Alex said, nodding, as he knew just enough Japanese to know the meaning. "I will have need of a shadow. You and my spy will be crucial to our…future endeavors. For now, you and James should try to hang out together. Bond. The stronger your friendship, the better you'll do as partners." Kage nodded slowly, and then returned to his ball.

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In short order, Adrien and Connor were off to Shalour City, for a badge, as Adrien's team was more filled out at six, and was higher level than Marinette's, Connor had suggested he master the basics of Mega Evolution, and the best place to do that was the Tower of Mastery. Once outside Santalune Forest, Alex summoned Kage to battle the younger Trainers on the route, while Marinette successfully caught a Buneary for her team with some timely frubble assistance from Kage. After befriending the shy bun, who Alex ensured wished to be trained at her request, they continued on. Marinette caught a Combee as well, once she saw a female she liked the look of. She'd found two, in fact, one was haughty and mean to the male Combee, but the other was kind, and helpful. Not to mention higher leveled. She briefly worried about taking a competent future Vespiquen from the environment, but upon looking around, saw there were more than enough female contenders around this area. As a massive route-long garden, there were thousands of Combee, many of whom were capable of evolving. Two partners and one badge heavier, the pair strolled into Lumiose City, and the Sycamore Lab within.

Age had only enhanced the charming Kalosian Professor, as, judging by the looks he got, he had embraced his graying hair gracefully and stylishly with his expanded facial hair and slightly less styled haircut. It still was much the same as his younger years, but was streaked with gray, and cut shorter while still possessing wavy volume. He smiled as he greeted them at the lab's reception. "Ahh, Emperor Redwood. Professor Sonia mentioned you might come by. I have a Froakie, Chespin, and Fennekin waiting for you, and a Squirtle, should you need one." Evidently, he already knew Alex had a Charizard and a Venusaur, which made some sense as his childhood days, and being denied a Pokémon, was apparently a large interest to his people, and Gary Oak had been all too willing to share Alex's earliest win record with PNN's hour-long investigation into how he'd gotten his Trainer Card, despite Arcean trickery. From what he'd seen of it, they'd gotten quite a lot correct.

"I'm actually all set on starters, Professor, thank you, but Marinette here could definitely use some…elemental power on her new team." With two bugs, two electric types, and an eventual Lopunny, she was lacking critical type advantages, like fire and water.

Sycamore wasn't fazed though, and shifted his focus to her instead. "Marinette, eh? Ahh, I see…" Sycamore's Phone Rotom floated in front of him then. "Good grades…sketchy attendance…well liked…first partner is…a Ledian? Hmm. I see no reason to deny her. And a Starter will round out your team at six, until you're ready to train ten. Come with me, Marinette."

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Alex waited by the desk as Marinette did her thing, and focused on teaching Kage useful new moves, like Mud Shot, Surf, Water and Dark Pulse, to complement Extrasensory and give them something more substantial than Bubble. They'd made good use of his natural bubble cloak on the route to Lumiose, but Marinette and Tikki had done most of the damage in their double battles. Tikki had also swept the Santalune Gym with her flying moves and superior level. When Marinette returned, it was with a cheerful female Fennekin by her side, which she'd named Trixx.

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Alex eyed the Fennekin, and then nodded to himself. With a little training, she'd fit well with who Marinette had so far. As they made to leave the lab, Professor Sycamore called out to them. "One moment please!" They turned, but once more it seemed Marinette was the focus of the Professor. "Your mentor here already has one, but Miss Dupain-Cheng, I would like for you to have this." He held out a Key Stone then, and Alex stared at it. It was definitely a Key Stone, but to his eyes, it was quite different from his own. To double check, he drew his from where he safely kept it, and compared them, before nodding to himself.

"B-but Professor…" Marinette stammered, "This is so rare! And I'm just a new Trainer, surely I'm not ready-"

The Professor cut her off, excitedly. "Nonsense! Trainers like you are our future. Consider this an…investment in the safety of Kalos. Just hold onto it for now." He said, smiling at her, and then glancing at Alex.

Alex smirked. Naturally, the clever Professor had figured out, or at least suspected, who she actually was. And that was likely because the Dragon Emperor was training her, and she had a Ledian. "It's alright, Marinette. It's a synthetic Key Stone." He held up his own, and the Professor grinned as he saw the blue tinged sphere. "Arming the next generation with Mega Evolution. Smart. If they can find a Plate shard or a Mega Stone, before long they'll be able to wield Infinity Energy."

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"Exactly!" The Professor nodded enthusiastically. "If I'm honest, I'd like to study yours, Dragon Emperor. I've never seen a Key Stone from Indius before."

Alex chuckled. "First things first, Professor…Marinette, could I see yours, for a moment?" She nodded and handed him the stone, and Alex held them side by side. "Compositionally they're the same, but…something is…missing from yours, Professor…I wonder if…" He pressed his Key Stone to the synthetic one then, and they all gasped as light flashed between them, and a pulse of aura swept through the building's front room, ruffling plants and blowing away papers from the reception desk. Sycamore was just staring in awe.

Marinette's Key Stone was now glowing with the telltale rainbow colors of Infinity Energy, and he handed it back to her. "Focus your Aura on this, Marinette. As much as you can. That will make it yours."

Marinette did as instructed, and Tikki pressed a hand over hers as she summoned what aura she could. The stone flashed again, turning red this time. Black spots also appeared across it, but the helix swirl of Infinity Energy remained visible, if now surrounded by crimson and black spots. "I can…feel it…it's…it's mine, now."

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Sycamore laughed, somewhat in disbelief. "Colress said scientific marvels happen around you, Dragon Emperor, but this is…fascinating! The implications alone…"

Alex cut through his enthusiasm with a measured and commanding tone. "Professor Sycamore. If you're up for it, I'm charging you personally to go to Indius, and visit Mt. Anant. I believe a Key Stone from there will help your goals here. My brother, the new Professor Redwood, believes that Key Stones bonded to their wielder's aura, like mine, result in a much more stable Mega Form. One that can be achieved faster, too. If you awaken the Key Stones you're creating with the power of Indius and its Guardian, I believe they will acclimate to their wielder's Auras in time. With a Key Stone of your own, you'll be able to awaken them, as I have. Theoretically."

Sycamore stood at attention, then furrowed his brow, and brought out a naturally formed Key Stone then. "But I already have one. Mt. Anant will not give me another."

Alex nodded, taking that information in stride. "The Mega Medicham who guards the stone. Tell him you were sent by me, and that you need to touch yours to the Infinity Stone. That should be enough to have yours awaken as well, and since you've had it for a while I assume, it should already be tuned to your Aura. After that, you should be able to awaken synthetic Key Stones, as I did here."

The Professor nodded. "I'll plan a trip to Indius, then. The future of Kalos looks bright indeed, so long as that Dragon wisdom keeps guiding us." He chuckled, and Alex did as well.

"I look forward to seeing the next generation wielding their Key Stones, synthetic or otherwise, in a safer manner. Safe travels, Professor."

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With that, they left the Sycamore Lab, and were once more in the streets of Lumiose. Marinette yanked on his cloak then, and dragged him in a specific direction. "Come! Next stop is my house." She scurried off then, and he had to make use of his absurdly long stride to keep her in sight.

Her house turned out to be one of Lumiose City's many cafés, which seemed to also be a bakery. It was red themed on the interior, and as her parents tried to cope with the shock of a world leader casually visiting their establishment, she kept astounding them with a truly impressive story about some nonexistent student mentoring program with the Scales that would make her a better Trainer, and set her future up solidly. At that point, she pulled out her badge to prove she'd gotten better, and sell the story.

They gave them an impressively large bag of pastries on their way out, and Alex had to detour to one of the many nearby parks for letting out one's Pokémon, as he knew his team needed to try these. For a solid half hour, the Pokémon and humans did nothing but gnosh on pure all natural deliciousness. Seeing the state of Marinette's team, he also showed her that many Pokémon had specific areas or crevices that needed to stay clean. It got a bit gross, but in the end, her team was shining in the Kalosian sun, and raring to go.

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Marinette easily took on the Lumiose Gym with Kaalki, who tanked Clem Bot with its Motor Drive, and Bulldoze combination. Then, they flew north on Blaze to Laverre City, as they didn't have time for a fairy swamp detour. This time her Emolga, Mullo, claimed victory, with Double Team and Iron Tail, she hadn't even been touched by Leader Valerie, or her Gym Trainers. For his part, Alex ended up in a triple battle with his three new water types, James, Kage, and Maromnis, and all three performed quite well, and seemed to have good synergy. Hydrus had taught them well, and Kage was a natural leader. His quick thinking and timely Extrasensory power had saved both of his teammates, and his newly learned trick of curving his pulse moves helped him land hits without hitting his allies.

Maromnis was very much a physical attacker, since gaining his Scalchop, and all James had mastered move wise, was Pound, since Lux had been streaming all the James Bond movies for him, instead of letting him train in his ball as they walked. Alex didn't reprimand him, though, they were in no rush, and the spy knowledge he was gaining might someday prove quite useful.

From Laverre City, they headed to Route 13, and they once more took the ground route, as flying was impractical. They battled the ground types around them, which were quite violent, and the ground-type favoring Trainers were no better, but Noir and Tikki rolled through them fairly easily. About halfway across the desert route, they spied a pair of figures in the distance, also on foot. One had black clothes, and something blue on his head, and his smaller teen-sized friend was a blonde in all white clothes. Alex just smirked, as he guessed what was about to happen.

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It was about high noon when Marinette and Adrien crossed paths, both determined to get their badges and prove their worth as Trainers, once they saw they had collected an equal amount so far. Despite only half a day of effort, Marinette's team had improved by leagues as she now had a Vespiquen, Lopunny, and a Braixen. Three evolutions in one day was a lot, but her burgeoning team was embracing their growth spurt with fire in their eyes.

The teenage lovers had a murmured rendezvous as Alex and Connor caught each other up on what they'd been doing. Then, the teens drew Pokéballs, and stepped back to a battling distance. Marinette led with Kaalki, which prompted Adrien to summon Wayzz, his Torterra. Kaalki bravely Flame Charged into him, but then the Earthquake counterattack took him down with a single hit, and it became clear just how much of a higher level Adrien's team was at. Tikki took down Wayzz with a single Bug Buzz, as her own level eclipsed Adrien's newer teammates. She had taken part of his Rock Slide though.

Adrien brought Plagg out then, and through luck, landed a critical hit on his Fire Fang, which fainted Tikki, and after that, Adrien easily rolled through the rest of her team with his Noivern, Sass, leaving Marinette in the dust, on her knees, trying to comprehend how she'd been beaten so easily.

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Adrien tried to comfort her, but Connor beckoned him over, and the two continued on their way, while Alex gave Marinette a minute. Once she wiped her eyes, Marinette stood up and approached him, head down. "I lost so easily…I made your training look ineffective. Sorry."

Alex shook his head. "Adrien has been training them longer than you have, and many of your partners were caught today. Your main issue is that you rely on Kaalki and Tikki too often, and they have easy counters, like Fire, Rock, and Ground. When you use them on weaker opponents, the experience you all gain is significantly lessened."

Marinette nodded in understanding then. "That's why you usually try to make it equal. I was curious, but thought it was your preference."

Alex nodded. "I do prefer an even fight, as a rule. Even your strongest partners get more experience that way. It's harder, but very worth it." Marinette nodded, but still seemed down. "Don't worry about losing." Alex continued. "It's not about who wins or loses. Your team tried hard for you right? That's what matters. Next time, Adrien won't know what hit him, and your teams will be more even. Don't be afraid to swap frequently, especially once you have momentum."

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Marinette nodded again, absorbing the information, but still seemed mopey. Alex did what he could against the sandstorm as they finished crossing the route and made their way to Coumarine City. Once at the gate, Alex parted from her, saying he had things to buy at the Pokémon Center. Once more on her own, Marinette looked around Coumarine City with a sigh. "Probably a Water Gym. Hmm." She traveled around the complicated city layout for almost an hour before she finally found where the gym was. Not far from where she'd first entered the city.

The sound of a well-played harp entered her ears as she approached the gym, and she looked towards what seemed like a small park beside the entrance to the city. A well-dressed man in a long green cloak hanging from his shoulders was strumming a harp made from a pair of entwined Mew, to the delight of the city folk. Marinette felt Tikki poke her head up as she stopped to listen to the masterful musician.

A sense of tranquility filled Marinette and her partner, and they swayed along to the peaceful beat. Tikki blinked her eyes open, as the sound came closer, but Marinette didn't seem to notice, until the minstrel was right in front of her. She opened her eyes and then flushed as she realized the dashing minstrel was playing in her general direction. He finished with a smooth strumming flourish, bowed to the crowd behind him, and then turned back to her with the same motion.

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She seemed like the young woman the Dragon Emperor had mentioned, so Nando struck up a conversation with her. "Bonjour, mademoiselle. You are a Pokémon Trainer, no? I am Nando, the Coumarine City Gym Leader."

Marinette introduced herself in turn, and said, "I am. My name is Marinette. This is Tikki, my partner." The Ledian gave the musician a cheerful greeting. "We're here to challenge you and your…Water Types?"

Nando chuckled. "Not water, no." He gestured to the titanic tree atop the mountainous entrance to the city. "That is the Gym. Historically, we use Grass and Bug Types here. Come. Let us see how you do against my Gym Trainers."

Nando led Marinette and Tikki to the entrance, and then grabbed a hanging vine in the room that, with a tug, launched him up to the top of the tree. As Marinette took the long way, a tune floated down from the top, more epic in feel than peaceful, it set a good backdrop for her battles with the Trainers in the gym. Remembering Alex's words, she didn't use Tikki, but instead brought out Trixx, and as promised, the eager young Braixen gained quite a bit of experience for her team.

She was undefeated, and hadn't been touched by her opponents by the time they reached the top level of the tree-based gym. Marinette restored her partner's Flamethrower, and then faced down Nando, who had just finished putting his lute away.

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He led with a Kricketune, and Trixx once more took the field, eager to win. The musical bug lelelele'd his way past two Flamethrowers with Swords Dance, but the third finally caught and finished him, making his stat boosting useless, as Alex had promised it would be, against such opponents. Nando watched as the Braixen celebrated, but all Marinette had was a small smile, and Trixx's enthusiasm lessened as she saw her Trainer's reaction. She seemed bored, from Nando's perspective, so he changed things up, and got serious.

He called out his Lopunny then, and Marinette's eyes went wide, as Nando said, "Your Master asked me to give you a thorough workout! I intend to! Jump Kick!" In a flash, the large, high leveled fighting bun was in front of Trix. She backflipped, and kicked her chin, sending the fiery fox into the air. "Now Double Kick!" Another kick sent Trixx higher, and the spinning follow up sent her slamming into the wood floor.

"Trixx!" Marinette shouted, as once more she saw her cute little partner getting thrashed. Slowly, Trixx got back up, and the flame on her wand burned brighter. She saw the Lopunny smirking, and snarled at her. She was nowhere near done yet.

"She's fighting hard." Nando said, calmly. "For you. Even though you've only had her for a day."

"It's true, I've only had her for a few hours…but she's my beloved partner all the same! I don't want her to be hurt! Return, Trixx! Tikki can handle this."

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The fiery fox shook off the recall beam, and then whirled on her Trainer. "Braix! Braixen!"

"You still want to Battle…? But it's so much stronger…" The two turned, as the Lopunny Mega Evolved, and started hopping in place. Trixx gulped, . "Return for now, Trixx. I'll need you for the rest of his team." The Braixen nodded, and returned this time, taking the time to rest, before she was needed again.

Out came Tikki, who winked back at her Trainer. "Let's try this Mega stuff too!" Marinette heard in her head. Then, she saw the heroic bug was holding what seemed like a shard of a Pixie Plate. She could guess who gave it to her. Marinette steeled herself, nodded, and then held up her Key Stone. But nothing happened.

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Still holding off on attacking, Nando chuckled. "It is your first time, no? I will not rush you." He brought out the harp, and started strumming a pleasant tune. "Your heart…the heart of your precious partner…" He flourished his fingers along the strings masterfully. "They must be in sync. Remember the tough Battles…remember the fun picnics…and let the energy of those emotions flow into her…"

He smiled as he opened one eye slightly, and saw the Key Stone shining bright. He also noted the wonder Marinette seemed to be feeling. A smile finally cracked her face as she held up her Key Stone. "Tikki…Mega Evolve!"

Tikki whooped as she felt the power of Infinity react to her human. Her form shone bright, and grew taller as the power revealed her true form.

Her wings split into six, her entire body looked more like a female humanoid though she was still very much a bug, and was now glowing pink with black spots across her body. Her carapace hung down by her legs like a dress bottom. Her legs were thin and glowing whitish pink. She had six arms again, with humanoid hands clenched into fists, and glowing with the Light. Three light blue bulbous eyes were on her head, and her antennae looped around her head like a halo.

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Nando had stopped playing, and both he and Marinette were staring at Tikki in awe. Marinette was the first to get over her surprise. "Tikki! Miraculous Barrage!"

As Marinette called the new move she felt capable of using, the fairy bug vanished in a flash, and then reappeared before the Mega Lopunny. Six super effective fairy typed strikes hammered her into the back part of the old gym, which was not designed to withstand a bout between Mega Forms that were this strong. The mega bun lost her form, and fainted, leaving Nando stunned, and Marinette victorious.

Nando just nodded, and brought out his Sunflora, while Tikki was switched out for Trixx again. His little sentient sunflower tried to dodge while it charged up a Solarbeam, but Trixx was on fire, and accurate. Another Flamethrower brought it down. Out came Altaria, and Tikki faced her, still in her Mega Form. Mega evolving helped the Altaria keep up with Tikki, but in the end, Nando had to resort to Perish Song, which took effect right before Tikki landed her fairy typed barrage.

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"And just like that…I'm down to my ace. Roserade!" Nando threw his final ball, and Marinette countered with the Cherish Ball she'd used for Trixx once again. The Braixen was still very much fired up.

The moves came at the same time. "Flamethrower!" "Leaf Storm!" and they collided in the center of the field, but Marinette wasn't done. "Trixx! Fire Spin!" Masterfully, the branch wielding vixen shifted the flames of her Flamethrower upwards, into the new move, blinding and injuring the Roserade.

Nando wasn't idle though. "Blow it away, with Dazzling Gleam!"

As the smoke and flames cleared, both Nando and his partner saw Trixx, already leveling another attack at them. "Use Psybeam!" Marinette shouted as she pointed at their target. Roserade's eyes had time to widen, before the fiery fox caster attacked. Nando called a move, but it was drowned out by the powerful hum of the Psybeam, which became more of a Psyshock as Trixx started shining with the light of Infinity.

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With a final gasp, Roserade fainted, leaving a very satisfied looking Trixx to exhale, and calmly take in the win, and her new body. All the power she'd felt as a Braixen was now significantly stronger, as a Delphox. Some Pokémon might have been disoriented by evolving twice in the same day, but Trixx just seemed satisfied. She gave her Trainer a victory hug as she came over, and psychically assured her that she was fine.

Nando came over as well, badge in hand, and said, "I hope you'll remember your time in Coumarine City. I got the feeling you weren't sure about being a Trainer when you arrived. Has that changed?"

Marinette took the badge, and pondered his words. Her partners had battled hard. For her. Their bond had resulted in genuine power, and Trixx had even evolved twice, for her. She would be a Delphox for the rest of her life. She'd been battling hard since she'd been given to Marinette. All of her partners had. Finally, she answered Nando. "It has. I know I want to be the best Trainer I can, for the partners on my belt. I'm not going to catch all the Pokémon lines, but I think ten should be just right for me."

"That's good." Came a familiar baritone from behind her. "Leader Nando, do you have any objections to Marinette being given permission for ten active partners?" Alex asked as he walked up beside the musician.

"None. So long as being a Trainer is what she wants." Nando stated with a smile.

Marinette looked at Trixx and Tikki chatting excitedly, presumably about their win, and their new forms. She nodded again. "I'm many things. But I think I like being a Trainer most. Even when we lose."

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Alex nodded, glad that Nando, new as he was as a Gym Leader, had managed to reignite her passion for battle. "Losing isn't as fun, but I think you'll find those are the Battles you remember most. As long as you learn from the loss, it's not a wasted effort."

They left Coumarine City then, and continued to Shalour City, where Fighting Master Korrina was also stomped by Trixx and her new psychic powers. Korrina gave them containers for their Key Stones after Marinette Psyshocked her way through the entire gym. Marinette kept hers below her neck with a choker, but Alex got more creative, and carved a simple wooden block with a Taijitu swirl upon it that could hang around his neck. On the back was his Key Stone, masterfully embedded into the wood without damaging the stone or the wood.

By that point it was sunset, and instead of a potentially awkward dinner with a female teenager that would inevitably cause Alex a media headache, Shalour City's Mayor, upon hearing who was spending the night, offered them their best hotel suite, which was on the ground floor, and had space for a team as large as Alex's.

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While he prepared the one meal he knew he'd reasonably mastered, burgers and curry, he listened to his newer members, who had formed a team of their own. Po, Romulus, Kage, James, and Maromnis were discussing who should be their leader, and everyone but Kage seemed to want Po. Po was flattered to be considered, but Kage wanted the position. Unfortunately his stoic ninja demeanor stood no chance in terms of popularity against the cuddly Kubfu.

They'd done quite well with their own battles during Marinette's challenge, and Kage had even managed to evolve. This was his main argument for being the leader, but it wasn't working. Silently, Alex reached out to the ninja frog. "You'll catch more Combee with honey than vinegar."

The ninja frog went silent as the others deliberated. "What?" He said irritably, as he stewed in his frubbles.

"Kindness, young Shinobi. Understanding. This is how you can be their leader." Sensing the young frog still didn't understand, Alex continued. "Try telling them that you understand them, and how best to synergize their abilities. Appeal to your bond as friends."

"Friends?" Kage said with disgust. "Ninja do not make friends. They are just comrades who Battle alongside me."

Alex chuckled, both physically and mentally. "That's what friends do, Kage. That's what comrades are. Just another term for friends. You already have friends on this team, you can't bottle that Hoopa now. Not without being a jerk to them, which I know you don't want. They're clever enough to understand your point. Use your words."

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The young ninja frog pondered his new Trainer's wisdom, and he recalled what his father had said about Alex Redwood. With only a year of training, he and his Torterra had matched Connor and Gren, in terms of move mastery. He'd beaten Champion N, the Tamer of Zekrom. He'd even taken on a colossal Salamence, both in life and in death, and came away alive both times. He recalled the story of how they'd actually slain Alduin, and the point was driven home further. Maybe, there was something to having friends after all. He'd also noticed that Gren had befriended his own team, eventually.

Finally, he spoke to the group, using his new height as a Frogadier as he spoke. "Friends, I know you want Po to lead, but this team needs a leader that understands your abilities, like I do, and how to use them. I know Po is funny and well liked, but we don't need a popular leader, we need a leader who knows where and when to use the abilities we possess. A leader who can help us win I can be that leader."

Hearing that, and having no interest in leading himself, James raised a small Sobble hand. "I second that. I like you, Po but Kage is right. My…particular set of skills must be used properly."

Kage nodded sagely, then said, "Without a doubt, an Urshifu is going to be an important part of our team. But you're better as…our secret weapon, Po. The one who shows up just in time to help us when the Muk hits the Fan Rotom. Our ace."

Po's eyes were wide. "Secret Weapoooon! Yes! I will totally be a secret weapon!" His voice turned epic then, and the others giggled. "A weapon…of Kung Fu!"

"Alright then." Maromnis said quietly. "Kage will guide us."

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"Oi, Secret Kung Fu weapon, the foods ready." Alex said, as he added the Gigantamix and then psychically distributed the food to each of his team.

Po's eyes went wide as he watched the towering pile of curry rise three times. "Ahh yes," he said as the others lined up by their bowls. "My greatest love…greater even than Kung Fu." He walked up to his bowl of protein filled deliciousness, eyes shining. "Hello gorgeous." He dug in with an ursine sense of manners. Even with his appetite, gaining levels, eating healthy, and a few large calls from nature had filled the young cub out with muscle, instead of flab, mostly. He seemed healthier and happy, which was how Alex wanted him. For his part, Kage watched his Trainer as they ate, as he tried to, not for the first time, figure out what his deal was, in light of his wise words.

Neither Connor nor his father had seemed to think very highly of him, in private. It was as Astrum landed on his broad shoulder for some scritches, that Kage grasped the difference between him and the Kalos Champion. Connor was very much all about the hard-style life, as Po would call it. Redwood was much calmer, had the same skill for battling, and, most importantly, possessed genuine kindness. Training with the Original Dragon had also made him wise, from Kage's perspective, and by the time they settled in for some Dark Clover, the young ninja frog had accepted him as his Trainer. He had no intention of going back to Connor.

For his part, Alex was pondering who he'd be facing the next day, as he'd managed to grind his way to an Ultra Class match. Between Canis and his new partners, they'd climbed the ranks rather quickly, and he was sure someone in Kalos would be able to give him a genuine challenge.

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Somewhere in the Central States - Dragon Empire

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Proditor cast his mental net wide, as he sought out his starter. His Abomasnow. Optimus. As with every other continent he'd visited since escaping Alola, all he felt was silence. He did however, notice a blob of Shadow in what was billed in this era's media as a golden continent at one with the Light.

He psychically adjusted himself along the world's energy pathways, and bamfed himself close to this source of burgeoning Shadow. He cloaked himself in the darkness of the void and entered into the well-hidden tunnel that led to the underground cavern housing this rebellion in the heart of the Dragon Empire. Several seemingly local denizens of this landlocked and central province of the Dragon Empire had entered ahead of him, and he trailed them expertly as they navigated the complex of tunnels.

He arrived just in time for one of the speeches that these Arceans seemed to enjoy giving every chance they got. The speaker this time was Champion Octavius Thorne, of the formerly Arcean state of Wyogon. He was platinum blonde, as tan as every other Arcean, and his hair was a more modern style, flaring up in wavy wisps that were swept to his left.

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His attire was a fine dark navy suit with gloves and a collared undershirt that seemed out of place with his followers who were, by majority, farmers and those Proditor saw as peons. The lowest caste. Salt of the earth. Poors. As he could sense their thoughts, or lack thereof, he marveled that such low intelligence and easily manipulated people still existed in this era of superior technology. His own era had combined 'magic', or manipulation of the universe's natural energy types, with technology, but their actual level of mechanical expertise had been surpassed in this new age, and if the rumors on their Pokénet were true, the Empire and its allies had already begun rolling out tech powered by Infinity Energy.

"My Brothers in the Light! As you have all doubtless heard, the Halfbreed Emperor has once more drastically altered our nation!" Proditor snickered to himself. Building houses manually and revitalizing barren areas was classically seen as a good thing. But he knew the speaker's type, and his next words confirmed Proditor's bias. "The houses that the Dragon's minions have created are surely wired to spy on their occupants, and even the Empire's scientists can't tell just how much severe change the new rivers he's created will cause to Fornia's ecosystem. Our nation has been in a significant state of decline since the war ended, and things will surely only get worse!"

"Then DOO sumthin'!" One of the sentient Wooloo brayed from the crowd. His companions in the crowd greeted his quieter statement with single word affirmations that made them sound as simple as they looked. Others in the crowd tried speaking up, but the speaker drowned them out with his podium's microphone.

"Please refrain from shouting out, ladies and gentlemen." Again, Proditor snickered in the darkness. He would've bet money nobody in this crowd knew what 'refrain' meant, or possessed the intelligence and sense of shame to keep quiet. "We have been coordinating with our people across the nation, for a targeted strike against the Empire's infrastructure. Soon, we will strike back against the Dragon Empire! Each of us must work hard, in this time of tribulation, until our States are free and United once again!"

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The Wooloo cheered as the pompous rich man told them to continue spending their life hours toiling away at what was very likely a futile effort, from what Proditor had seen of the Original Dragon's efforts in rebuilding his Empire's infrastructure.

Such waste… His dark passenger rumbled in his head. I…We…could put them to better use.

Mentally, Proditor answered the Shadowmind. "I agree…let's have a conversation with their rich ruler. I think we can overpower him if necessary…but I'd rather use words. His last superior was a brute, a product of his lesser cult, but I think…he may just shine under Our guidance."

Proditor sank further into the shadows, not hard to do given how dark things were, and followed the man further down into the earth, where he eventually entered a new room. After experimenting with his physical form, Proditor had found it quite malleable, and was able to slip under the door behind him.

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The speaker from earlier was met by two much younger looking subordinates, just as blonde and tan and blue eyed as he was. Proditor heard him sigh before saying, "If we have to give a speech every time these peasants decide to stop working, we will never accomplish our goals."

The younger man answered him, and while he was physically attractive in a more feminine but still masculine manner, Proditor could sense the darkness in his thoughts. "It's not like we can resume throwing them in pits and keeping them behind barbed wire. We no longer have those resources, and everything the Empire does lately, is focused on making the lower and middle classes more comfortable. Just today, they raised taxes on the nation's billionaires. All of them. All at once. The propagandists are claiming it's the first time the rich have paid their 'fair share' in centuries."

Thorne's aged face cracked a smirk. "This will make my next meeting…far more productive. If we can get the wealthy on our side, we can import more peasants. Perhaps from Eous, or Texico City."

The woman chimed in then, and Proditor noted she too was clad in some sort of formal looking naval officer outfit that had apparently been the norm for what these Arceans tended to wear. "Not Texico City…apparently, the only people left living there after General Rosa's slaughter love everything the Dragon Emperor and his people have done for him. If we try to turn them against the man who almost single handedly had their city rebuilt, we will have little success."

Thorne waved a hand. "It matters not. There's always idle hands to be found somewhere. Veronika, Valarian, I leave things here in your capable hands. Now…who has agreed to show, at this meeting?"

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The pretty man, Valarian, apparently, spoke this time. "The heads of most of the Empire's largest corporations. Including a representative from the Rotom Phone company, as you asked."

Thorne's smirk shifted to a dark grin. "Excellent. Now all we need to do is get them on our side, as Caleb should have done before launching the Blitz." With that, he turned and walked into a teleporter, which brought him elsewhere. The two subordinates shared a look, and then left through the door, leaving Proditor alone in the spacious room that seemed to be some sort of lounge or rest area for the elite remnants of the Arcean cult. He manifested his body again, changing his attire up. He pulled from his old outfit as the Successor, and Lord of the cults that had popped up in the wake of Arceus leaving this plane. Long metal shoulder pads adorned his broad shoulders, flaring out from them horizontally. Hanging down from behind them was a luxurious looking cape. His robes of vague Shadow energy solidified into a more tangible outfit, a suit akin to what the Arceans wore, under black robes fit for a dark king, with red and purple undertones. A pair of black metal gauntlets covered each of his hands, but he felt he'd pulled off the 'business casual Dark Lord' vibe he'd been aiming for.

Finally, his white skin turned a pale toned flesh color, albeit one tanned by the sun, and his white hair became sandy blonde, though the style of it, unkempt and short, did not change. His claws became fingernails, and he inspected his disguise, nodding in satisfaction, before he too headed through the teleporter.

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He appeared in a room with a long dark wood table, surrounded by chairs that had no windows, which seemed to be the standard setting for where the rich of this era did business. As he appeared, the heads of the old and primarily lighter skin toned men turned towards him. Thorne was speaking as he appeared. "-from my base… Ahh. Well, you don't look like a Scale, so who the Muk are you? This is a private meeting!"

Proditor just chuckled. "I…am a legend, to you, who live in this era. Once, I was called the Successor to the Tamer of Arceus. The one next in line to inherit that power, and responsibility. Lord Proditor."

The room laughed, albeit nervously, as his psychic aura invisibly moved through all of them. Only Thorne seemed to notice, as he stood and answered. "The Successor to the man who Tamed the Alpha!? That would make you several millennia old…and the one responsible for the Dark Times, if the legends are true..."

Proditor nodded, coming up to the opposite and unoccupied end of the table near the teleporter. "I am he. Recently, the Witch Queen of Albion revived me, and I have since been gathering my Pokémon. The ones that still exist, anyway."

Thorne took in his words, and said, "Why would you come here, then? We do not have your Pokémon. This is a private meeting for those of us under the rule of an Empire we don't want. What business do you have here, if you are who you claim to be?" While driven by a lust for power, Thorne was a man who understood that the masses needed a charismatic figure to cling to. Without Pravus, they had lost thousands of loyal Arceans to the deprogramming efforts of the Dragon Empire. Before him was, assuming the historical records and his bold claims were correct, the man who had toppled the global organization Arceus's Tamer had created. He had started the Dark Times, but he'd also apparently successfully led quite a large cult in his age, though the name and deeds of said cult had long been buried from the historical record. He could be exactly what they needed, right now.

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Proditor met Thorne's gaze evenly. "I am here…because I seek to rebuild my power base. In my time, I rallied the psychics of the world to one banner. I intend to do something similar here. I heard that this is a meeting of the wealthiest people on the continent. Am I correct in assuming that you are all firmly united against Redwood and the Dragon? You have all considered the…potential consequences of making such a choice?"

The group glanced at each other, murmuring as they did so, and Proditor resisted chuckling. He sensed each of their unguarded thoughts, all but one, a platinum blonde woman, the only female in the group, who was not muttering, but watching Proditor with a quiet intensity, fingers steepled before her. They seemed unsure, but ultimately intrigued by him. It seemed, in wealthy circles, they had at least heard of the effects of his deeds. Some things couldn't be hidden from those with obscene wealth, and across eons, that at least had remained true. The woman whose mind was shielded spoke then. "You were defeated, as I recall. I admit I know not by who, or how, but you were beaten so thoroughly that the name 'Proditor' doesn't exist in the historical record."

Proditor waved a hand nonchalantly. "Death was an…unexpected inconvenience. But understand something…the man who ended me did so with a power of Light that has long since left this world. He was an Archon. Their King, no less. I doubt any of you have heard of them, either." Again the men rumbled, but none claimed to know that title or its meaning.

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Thorne spoke this time, "The Dragon Emperor has also claimed the power of the Light. The Alpha supports him…for now. Our plan was to sway Arceus to our side, once we demonstrate that Redwood is unworthy in every way."

Proditor couldn't help himself. He started laughing a genuine villain laugh, but soon realized that the entity in his skull was also laughing. As he tried to stop, it seized control out of nowhere, forcing his body to laugh, as a byproduct of its own laughter. Finally it ceased, realized it was in control, and said, "You think to…persuade Arceus…" It laughed again, and internally, Proditor told his ally to warn him before suddenly taking over. The being agreed, and then they spoke once more in unison. "Arceus has already deemed your Cult to be worthless. We have seen the footage from your war. It said so itself."

The woman shielding her mind said, "Who is… 'we'?"

The entity continued, and as Proditor spoke, his disguise began to unintentionally slip, as from his shadow, the formless mass of his dark passenger began climbing up the wall of the dimly lit room via his shadow. Only Thorne and the woman with the shielded mind seemed to notice, though. They also got a glimpse of what he truly looked like, glowing purple eyes, white hair, dead skin, and a genuinely sinister grin. "The Light has abandoned you, all of you, for the Original Dragon's goal for eons now has been to eradicate the hold currency has upon your race. It will not stop, at taxes. Those with large amounts of currency will also soon be vilified and killed in the name of progress."

The men mumbled again, and one said, "Surely not…"

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"Your kind has always maintained its elite status by being ahead of the changing times. The first to abuse and…copyright…new technologies. Humanity has again harnessed the power of Infinity, and in this era, your…technology is capable of wielding it with precision. With Infinite power comes Infinite resources. Already, the Dragon's scientists have learned to make objects from Infinity Energy, and common materials. Soon, the need for your currency based system will be eradicated, and you who have amassed fortunes will be spat upon in a society that achieves freedom from it." Proditor grinned at them, and then dropped the disguise. The old men visibly recoiled, though Thorne and a few others were intrigued, as they could sense the power he possessed. His aura had spread through the entirety of the room now. "I am Cassius Proditor. I am the one who will bend this era to my Will. Join me, and I will ensure that you, and your family lines never lose your status in your society, regardless of what becomes of currency. Bend the knee…and I shall grant you power not seen for millennia."

Once more, the men shared a look, but Octavius Thorne was the first to stand, push his chair back, and then kneel. His head came to just above the table's edge. "I will serve, Lord Proditor. Long have the Arceans kept record of the man from whom our Church's founder drew wisdom. A man who was said to understand the nature of both Light and Shadow. His name was lost to history, but…this power…this vision…I am sure it was your writings he learned from."

Proditor nodded, still grinning widely. "Indeed! You are aware of the ancient source of your Church's teachings. That simplifies things." The glowing purple eyes shifted to the rest of them. Expectantly. "And what of all of you…?"

One by one, after glancing at each other and Thorne, the men stood, pushed back their chairs, and knelt before the Successor. All but one, anyway. When all the others had knelt, and Proditor's attention shifted to her, she stood. She was an older woman with platinum blonde hair, in a suit as nice as her contemporaries, with only a few noticeable age lines. "I would think…that after we have seen what the Shadow hath wrought, we would know better than to so quickly kneel to another so clearly corrupted by its influence. Perhaps even more so than Pravus was. I will never serve the Darkness." She made a sign with her hands then, her pair of pointer and middle fingers crossed, like a T.

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Recognizing what she was doing, Proditor was briefly surprised, but then, he struck. Unfortunately, his surprise gave the Ninjutsu user a chance to escape, and the pointed Shadow tentacles that attempted to pierce her stabbed only air, as the old woman vanished in a bamf of energy.

"It matters not…" Proditor declared, as he let the overwhelming power of his aura manifest in the room. The table was crushed, flattened to the floor, the windows shook, and surely whatever building they were currently in was also shaking. While the men felt the pressure, enough to keep them in a subservient position, they were allowed to stay kneeling, and Thorne bore witness to just how fine this ancient psychic's control was. "The Dragon cannot stop what is coming. Not even Arceus can stand against the Power we serve."

Somewhat meekly, but burning with curiosity, Thorne said, "What…what power would that be, exactly, my Lord?"

Proditor and his Shadow entity decided to give their newest minion with the most potential an answer. "The oldest evil in the Multiverse. He Who Arises in Might. The Elder King. The Lord of the Dark." Proditor paused for dramatic effect, and then spoke the being's name, much to the delight of the entity in his skull. Their words, specifically the name of the being they were speaking of, reverberated through the very fabric of reality, bound and enhanced as they were by their unholy fusion. Proditor felt…elation? Amusement? A strange mix of heightened feelings from the Shadowmind as it whispered to him, needlessly confirming what he sensed, as the whispers from beyond his home dimension filled his ears.

He has heard us…He is coming.