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Crater Atop Draconis Mons - Unova Region
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She opened one lazy eye as another loud smash echoed throughout the crater atop the mountain they all called home. The black beast that ruled over them, a Charizard that looked twice his age, but had the passionate fire of one who had just evolved, had been slamming his tail into the wall of his perch on the northern edge of the crater for two days now, out of sheer frustration.
They had all felt the power that surfaced, the power that drew their overlord into a rage that had, by all appearances, cooled. She wasn't convinced however. She could see the smoldering embers of hate in his eyes, always looking below, searching desperately for any sign of the Charizard that had roared back at him in open defiance. He had killed for less. But there was nothing.
For two whole days, the tension in the crater had been high. She had been preoccupied, however. She was a Salamence, one of the stronger species that lived on this mountain. She didn't necessarily hate humans, as so many of the other full-grown Pokémon did. Her human had passed a long, long time ago. In a far away region. She couldn't even recall his face now, just the kindness he'd shown her, the battles they'd won.
But those days were long gone. She'd flown far away from that place, found a suitable mate, and settled here on this mountain. There had been many good days…until the day a golden Charmeleon emerged from the tunnels that led into the mountain, and evolved.
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In the course of a day, the Charizard he had beat and mercilessly killed many of the strongest Pokémon that had lived on the mountain, and refused to submit to him. Her mate had been among them. After that, the Pokémon who maintained the tunnels had shut them all, barring the black one's rage from entering the core. Now, the black one was furious, and to top it all off, one of her offspring was missing.
He'd gotten old enough to begin to burn with the desire to train, grow stronger, evolve, and finally achieve flight. That was fine, every mother expected her young to leave the nest at some point. Many of her past clutches had done just that, choosing to roam far away. But it was still too early for this latest son of hers to have been gone for so long.
She worried about that Bagon. The skies had been so loud, they'd even annoyed their black scaled ruler the night his egg hatched. The storm raged for hours, only ending when the shell was finally broken. Even Pokémon had legends, and Salamence were no exception. Dragons had long lives, and longer memories. She'd heard, once, what that omen foretold, but she didn't entirely believe it.
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Worse, he was missing at a time when she and the others could feel a change was coming to the mountain. Many Charizard and other species had challenged the black one for dominance…but there was something about that roar that had them all on edge. It hadn't been like the others, it had almost reminded her of their ruler's, but his was pure rage.
This one had something else fueling it, some other power that had made the very mountain shake with the force of it. She shifted again, making sure to turn her gaze from the black Charizard as she did. He noticed everything that moved, thanks to the state he was in, and had been shooting Flamethrowers at any who looked at him and met his gaze. He hadn't slept, either. Something about that defiant roar had him on edge.
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Down below, under tons of seemingly solid rock, the source of Lizardon's rage had been training relentlessly for two days straight. The point of said training had been to get his team used to their new bodies, but a problem soon presented itself.
Blaze didn't quite know how to fly, and though the instinct was there, the confusing air currents and lack of experience in the hot mountain had kept him consistently crashing into the ground. He desperately needed time in the air, under the open sky. Down here, the most he could do was flap aimlessly around the training cavern, like a Noibat trapped in a house.
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Over the course of two days however, in heat even fire types found oppressive, Blaze had slowly, and painfully, learned to move with the curve of the air. At first, he simply stayed aloft on the warm currents of air, and didn't crash into the ground. In the same day, once he'd mastered that balance upon this 'wind', he began doing tricks, flips, all sorts of aerial maneuvers.
He slowly learned what he would need to beat Lizardon. That he seemed born to the air, a true flying type, only helped. Even in this hot cavern, large though it was, he managed to learn to soar, and knew that under the open sky, he would be even more impressive. Provided no unknown wind patterns disrupted him.
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Once the crystal had been given, the old man and Morty had vanished, far, far below the fiery cavern where their chance at freedom from Lizardon trained almost to exhaustion.
At the old man's request, Morty had opened a large tunnel in the base of the mountain, and other types, like grass and water, that lived in the forests around the mountain, once more found their own ancient caverns within. There was room for every known type, and several as yet undiscovered by humans, scattered throughout the enormous natural structure.
They came from the woods and forests nearby, for the sole purpose of seeing a place of such power freed from the grasp of a tyrant at last. The power that slept under the dragon mountain had been awakened by Blaze and now drew them all. None could imagine it would be a Trainer that freed them though.
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Far above Draconis Mons, a pale white clone of the Alpha Pokémon, Arceus, had his attention drawn to the world below. He knew of what transpired atop the mountain where once man and dragon had trained together to achieve a new level of power, but those days had long since passed. What drew his focus now, was a piece of one of his Plates, one that yet held a spark of power from his own realm within it. This is what set it apart from other shards of his Plates, for while they could boost the attacks of a Pokémon holding them, most Plates had long since lost their Light. This one, though had retained it, sustained by the energy of a volcano that, without his creations, would have long since erupted, and decimated the region around it. Arceus kept his gaze upon the peak, curious as to what the human who now held the awakened shard would do with it.
The Shelgon, now called Shruikan by the strange Trainer, had watched the human and Charmeleon train together in awe. A Pokémon that had been raised from its first stage by a Trainer was a new sight to the Shelgon. Now, he watched the Charizard called Blaze slowly learn how to dodge, duck, dip, and dive through the cramped cavern, and the fire in his eyes became truly envious.
He needed to fly as well. He would be the greatest of his species with this Trainer by his side. Someday, he would ascend to the status of Legend among all of them, for this was the Trainer who could make him into such a dragon. Or so his instinct said.
For now, however, he had to deal with his hard shell of a body. He was stronger yes, strong enough for a normal Salamence to evolve after such intense training with Blaze, but Shruikan knew he was no normal Shelgon. He needed fire to evolve, as Blaze had required magma.
But not just any fire would do. So, he would continue to train, reaching the highest level he could in just two days. As the old man had said, it was enough for them to reach new heights of strength. With the intensity of their battles, they might just be strong enough, together, to have a chance of beating Lizardon.
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Eventually, Shruikan mastered moving quickly with this new body, forgoing his stubby limbs entirely, and simply rolling towards his opponents. He trained against the Charizard, and slowly, painfully, learned their fighting style.
Always the wings were an advantage, but one Shruikan eventually overcame. Once he and Blaze could only cause a stalemate between them, the old man had stepped in, and told them to rest.
The cavern of the grass types in the base of the mountain welcomed them, and for the first time in just over a month, they slept soundly, far from the ever-present malice of the beast above. Alex marveled at the grass types, who wholeheartedly shared food and played with him. Even the larger ones were kind.
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He wondered briefly why he hadn't picked one of them when he became a Trainer. He was especially fond of the Turtwigs. Several fell asleep in his lap as he dozed off as well. They liked him on instinct, and there was something comforting and familiar in their presence. He slept soundly on the back of their mother, a Torterra, who was just as kind, and had almost seemed to recognize him for some reason.
Even then, the names nagged at his brain. Jess. Terra. An image of a different mountain, with a different Trainer who both was and was not him, and a different Pokémon, mastering Energy Ball to a degree only the most skilled reached. He knew these were his memories, but he couldn't place them. Always the image of that black tail slamming into him kept them barred.
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Finally, the third day dawned. Another echo in the Ice Cave under the crater signaled Lizardon's impatience, the force of which shook the mountain itself, even the fire cavern they had returned to.
Alex looked to his two Pokémon, wondering if this was the path his regular self would take. He knew the strength of his partners, but he yet doubted he could beat Lizardon. That monstrosity was in his own weight class, one that could rival dragon types.
He shook his head, and met his partner's gazes. They were ready. They knew it. He took strength from their confidence. Morty, a powerful Magmortar whose strength could not be underestimated, had bored a hole to the upper levels large enough for a Charizard. He had been the one who'd trained the black Lizardon, now, he righted his mistake, and released another Charizard to face him, armed with an awakened piece of the Plates that contained the very essence of the Alpha Pokémon in the hand of his Trainer. Only a few areas of the world had such rare crystals, though shards of them were easy enough to form. Some people had been able to reforge them into Plates, but they had only ever boosted a Pokémon's typing. Alex could recall having touched such an artifact once at a museum, but the power in the shard he held now felt different. Awake.
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Morty had been charged by a pale clone of the Alpha himself to guard this mountain, and the powerful crystals within. Over time, the Pokémon that lived here had forgotten what had drawn their ancestors in the first place. But the shards of the broken Plates remained, and Morty was only one of the Pokémon who had stood guard over them. The night before he'd evolved, the golden Charmeleon had slain the other guardians, an act of barbarity which had dulled their fading Light. Now, only Morty remained, and he'd given up one of the crystals he'd been bid to guard.
It would finally right this imbalance, with the aid of a human. It was overdue. The mountain had not always housed abandoned Pokémon. Once, humans had been allowed to hike up here, and gaze upon the world, battle on the natural ring suspended over the crater, and share the company of dragon types. There was one glaring difference in the modern era though. The Unovan Dragon was not around to keep them all in balance. Still, he remained split.
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But that had been ages ago, before dragon types were rare enough to sometimes be called legendary. Morty watched the human and his partners leave before beginning the process of resealing the upper mountain caverns, which was easier than boring through them, for him anyways.
There was something about that human, that Morty had sensed was unique. He wasn't like the old man, who had long since given up hope of beating Lizardon, with good reason. He fought on, and had the fire to keep going, all the way to the top. If anyone could remind the Pokémon here that not all humans were so cruel, it was a Trainer like that. He also had no other choice, if he wanted to see this mountain freed.
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Up above, the black Charizard roared with fury when he smelled the challenger approach… beside the human he'd killed weeks past. And a Shelgon. One of their own. A traitor. He spread his wings, when one of the Salamence on the mountain roared at him with a rage that halted even his eternal fury.
Normally, she would die for such an act, but she moved from his path immediately, and pointed with her long head. They were climbing to the arena. They sought a proper challenge.
Lizardon's red eyes burned with hate as he weighed his choices. He ignored the Salamence, for she had several Bagon to nurture. He disliked killing females, even more so those with young, but if they challenged him for dominance, he treated them as males. Other Salamence and grown dragon types roared, as she had, and he knew if they all attacked at once, he might not survive to retaliate. At the very least, there would be none left alive to lord over, and he did not want that. He'd been alone enough.
This one had merely pointed out the situation. The Charizard with the human was impressive, to say the least, more than his last challenger, but he was walking, not flying. Shackled to a mere human.
The human held his gaze the longest. In the past, he'd thrown them from the mountainside, which wasn't necessarily a death sentence, if they were strong. Other times, he'd had loyal Tyranitar scare them away. Killing too many humans provoked a response from them, but injuring a few and having them spread tales of the mighty mountain Pokémon had seemed to work as a better deterrent.
Then this human had arrived, Charmeleon in tow. Maybe it was the fact that, but for a twist of fate and time, he could've been that Charmeleon. Maybe it was that familiar fire burning in the human's eyes. Maybe it was the hat, so similar to his former Trainer's own, save the color. Something had ignited his rage, and urged him to end this human's life.
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He'd instructed the servile human to get rid of the body…but it seemed this weak, hairless ape had the strength to survive one of his attacks. He snorted blue flames, his fury ignited once more. A worthy challenger, then. He flapped once, and landed hard on the suspended arena. It had taken far heavier landings, and stayed intact.
Some force held it in place, much to the joy of the Pokémon who had once battled for fun atop it. Now, it was the site of many a slain challenger to the might of Lizardon. He spewed blue flames around the arena as the challengers approached.
Alex stared in disbelief at what Lizardon wrought with his fire. A true classic arena, from the days when official Pokémon battles were still mostly unorganized. It was shaped like a Pokéball, with two rectangles on either side for the Trainers. Lizardon stood in his, and then stepped forward. He was his own master.
Blaze stood beside his Trainer in his own rectangle, which was still smoking from the heat that had renewed the carved shape. Maybe this was what had inspired the first arena fields. It was certainly old enough. All Lizardon had done was renew the ancient borders.
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"Shruikan." The Shelgon stepped forward, growling at the much larger Charizard before it. The black one scented the Shelgon, and cast an eye towards his mother, the same female Salamence that had stopped him earlier. Now it made more sense. He snorted blue fury again.
If her clutch was as rebellious as their fallen father, they would go down as well. The flame on his black tail shifted to blue as his rage swelled. His eyes grew pure red. Such rebellion was commonplace these days. Always they defied him. If he gave an inch, they took a mile. No more. He could stand being alone if it meant not having to deal with constant attempts to usurp his authority. He'd dealt with this kind of irritant for decades now. This latest act of defiance had been the straw that broke the Camerupt's back.
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He roared his intent, to burn every one of them until he alone ruled the mountain. All the dragon types began to gather now, at the entrances to their caves. Their ruler had just declared his intention to burn them all out of their homes.
If this human failed, they would sacrifice everything to finally bring him down. They could not know however, that if this human did indeed fail, Lizardon would gain a power that would ensure his rule lasted well beyond a normal span of years.
A Fire Blast shot from the maw of the black Charizard, huge and unrelenting in its fury.
"Into your shell!" While Shruikan did know Protect, he could only use it so often. Still, the instinct remained, and it would take more fire than this to end him. The blast met his shell with fury, the blue five-pronged figure slamming into it hard. Shruikan struggled to stay rooted to the ground, even as his Trainer did the same.
"Now, let go and use Dragonbreath!" Shruikan had stopped wondering where his Trainer's battle instinct came from, and had learned to, sometimes quite literally, roll with it. As he did now. He let his shell be tossed into the air by the flames, and then, once he spun in the right direction, he shot his Dragonbreath at the ground, spinning him further into the air, and turning him into a cannonball of blue dragon flames.
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Lizardon's eyes were on his own attack, searching for his opponent in the smoke that had erupted from the impact. He never saw the furious ball of flame coming in just above his field of vision. It hit him square in the head, and his entire form shook, both with anger, and the new paralysis the critical hit had given him. His skull throbbed with pain.
"Dragon Pulse!" Another attack, another hit, directly to his stomach, as Lizardon was unable to move. He shrugged off the pulse however, fighting through the paralysis. The red eyes shifted to look towards his perch, lined with berries that could heal such wounds.
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"Blaze, if he makes a move for his berries, burn them all." The Charizard shot into the air in response, and hovered right above the ledge on the northern side of the crater. Landing on it would've drawn the black one for sure, but his hovering only threatened.
"I have no items!" Alex shouted, pointing at Lizardon, "You won't be using them either." The black beast snorted blue flames, and inhaled to Roar at the human, and send him scurrying. Without aid, the Shelgon would fall easily. "Zen Headbutt!" He'd taken his eyes off the Shelgon as he'd readied the move, a rookie mistake, as the human had distracted him long enough for the insolent whelp to roll in close, and ram his stomach.
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With a single flap, Lizardon took to the air. Blaze hovered closer to the berry stash. Without the old man's aid, Lizardon might've cured his weakness, as Alex would've never learned where they were.
He hoarded the berries of the mountain, staying strong while forcing others to eat weak, unwanted berries to survive, or expend energy hunting. Either way, the others were kept too weak to rebel successfully.
The old man had seen the stash however, and had warned them of it. The stash was not the black one's target, though. A claw of purplish-blue energy formed around his black claw, and he swooped down towards the Shelgon. This was it. Dragon Claw, combined with flight.
"Protect!" There was a grating shriek as claws of energy wore away, and Lizardon's real claws ran across the shell. He roared in fury, as he hovered in the air, and then unleashed a deluge of blue flame at the Shelgon's form with a Flamethrower. Blue flames covered Shruikan's vision, but he'd need fire much, much hotter than this for evolution.
"Dragon Pulse!" As planned, the fire did little against Shruikan, but it was beginning to wear on him. His shell was smoldering, though it cooled once he rolled his face opening towards his opponent, and expelled the attack at close range.
Lizardon slid back, pushed across the arena by the powerful dragon type attack. Another Flamethrower followed, and Shruikan winced. A normal Flamethrower was hard to resist, but this one was powered by pure rage, and burned all the hotter for it. Seeing he was about to be burned badly, Alex reacted, trusting his Trainer instinct.
"Shruikan! Alpha maneuver!" The Shelgon nodded, and a Fire Blast of his own pushed back slowly against the Flamethrower's continuous stream. Lizardon had forgotten that Fire Blast was self-propelling however, and so when Shruikan again came down on him, hitting his head once more, he was even more surprised. A quick Dragonbreath-aided jump into the air and another rolling descent scored another critical hit.
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Lizardon reeled, clutching his skull, and roaring in pain. On the southern cliff face of the mountain, the Greninja known simply as Gren sat motionless. He'd watched for two days, moving only when nature urged him to eat or void his bowels. Now he was witnessing a true battle between a Trainer with natural skill, and the strongest Charizard nature could possibly create. He had a feeling the human was the one he was looking for, but he had no intention of interrupting such a contest. It was a spectacle, for sure, but the mood shifted suddenly.
A foul stench filled the air. Every Pokémon knew then, the battle was about to get serious. Lizardon looked up at the Shelgon, blood dripping from the head wound. His vision was already questionable after two days of constant vigilance and no sleep. Now, the blows to his head made his vision swim. He realized he might actually lose this. The human was clever, as humans tended to be.
It wasn't fair. He should've been this Trainer's Charmeleon. Or at least had a Trainer worthy of his power, but no. He'd been given a coward, and then had been abandoned. It wasn't fair.
It wasn't fair that he'd had to fight to survive in the wild, abandoned, young, and alone. It wasn't fair that he'd had to learn how to battle all by himself, no parents, no guardians. He'd achieved power on this mountain, and in his mind, ruled fairly. After all, what leader would've tolerated the insubordination he'd put up with for so long?
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Now, his rule looked to be toppled by this upstart Shelgon and his human. They couldn't have been bonded for more than a few weeks, and already, their power was enough to give him a challenge. It was unnatural. Dragon types could never grow so strong so quickly.
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It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. It would not stand. The blue flame around his tail burned hotter as his blood fell to the ground, and the Pokémon watching could only look at their mighty ruler with pity.
He was roaring his frustration now, screaming to the heavens in his own roaring tongue about how none of it was fair. A fair creator would not subject him to this life. He demanded the power that was his birthright.
And the power was given.
The clone of Arceus that now watched the mountain had, like its inhabitants, come to loathe humans, at least the ones who treated Pokémon like that black Charizard so badly. So, he intervened, though he knew he shouldn't.
The bright golden light of Arceus shone down from the sky, surrounding the black Charizard, giving him the energy needed to advance along his species' evolutionary path, a power that should have been his, would have been his, had he not been abandoned, had the humans of the region remembered the importance of bonding through battle, win or lose.
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His form grew more monstrous, more grotesque, his surroundings changed his very typing to match that of the Pokémon that lived in this crater. He became a true dragon type then. The means to keep his power were now his. This Trainer was also, at the same time, being tested.
Arceus was, naturally, well aware that his memory was gone. He was battling on instinct alone right now. This would test the human's potential, for reasons that were Arceus's alone. Two birds with one stone. The heavens stopped glowing, and Lizardon stood before Shruikan, fully Mega Evolved.
"Zen Headbutt!" Alex had glared at the sky, as if to say 'Really?', but this was still a battle. He had to win it. The headbutt was obeyed by Shruikan, who took strength from his master's confidence. Someday, he too would evolve like this Charizard. But he would do it the right way, through a bond, not pure rage, desperation, and an Act of Arceus.
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Lizardon caught the headbutt with ease, the skin of his claws sizzled as they grabbed the hot shell of his opponent. He did not care, for fire could not truly harm a dragon like him. He was unnaturally black in this form, retaining his scale color upon evolving. He flew into the air, and Alex lowered his hat. This was it for Shruikan. He ordered a counter anyways, refusing to give in.
"Roll in his claws!" Shruikan struggled to obey, and rotate as he had done in Blaze's claws, but these were different. Stronger. Lizardon's grip was iron, like his desire to win. Higher and higher they flew, and Shruikan knew a fall from this height would end him.
Lizardon circled then, and in a true demonstration of aerial grace that only Shruikan saw, and burned into his mind, the newly evolved Charizard threw the weakened Shelgon at the ground. Shruikan fell like a meteor, and Lizardon followed him, fully intending to finish this whelp and crack the already weakened shell. When he fought, it was to the end.
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Before impacting, Alex raised Shruikan's Pokéball, and the unusual beam of black light hit his falling form, recalling him into the ball. The force of his impact shook the ball in his hand as the inertia was canceled out, but these balls were designed for such stress.
Alex held it steady. "Well done, my friend…well done. We hit him harder than we thought we could…now we-" He was interrupted as a furious roar broke the sky.
Lizardon shot down from the clouds at speeds only a Mega Form could handle. He swung in mid-air, bringing his tail around. It glowed with the purplish-blue energy his claws had, and Alex knew he wouldn't survive this hit.
But this was not his first time on this mountain. He had a true Charizard with him now. A similarly glowing orange tail met black, and Blaze roared in pain as he took the furious hit for his partner with Dragon Tail. The sheer force of the impact would've normally broken it, but the typing advantage from the move canceled it out, and more damage was actually done to Lizardon. He was unused to his new typing, and was using his new form on pure instinct.
"Dragon Claw! Finish him!" Blaze met Lizardon's own Dragon Claw, and the two battled on the ground, the younger Charizard slowly pushing the older one back with pure force, or so it appeared.
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At the last second, Lizardon's heightened perception let him lock his Dragon Claw with Blaze's. He spun, slamming his heavy tail into the younger Charizard, and followed that up with a Fire Blast, as blue and intense as the first had been.
Blaze was shoved back. He'd caught the tail's impact again, more than ready after training so long with Magmar, and catching its tail. The Fire Blast however, was too much to block. His claws pushed against it, and he roared for help from his Trainer. Alex, for his part, was momentarily awed by the power of the Fire Blast, as it towered over him by many feet, but Blaze's cry for help jolted him back to reality.
"Let it hit you! Absorb the heat!" He knew the max temperature of a Charizard's flames. Even with a Mega Form, they could only burn so hot without igniting the atmosphere itself. Blaze had withstood lava, he could take this. He hoped.
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Wings flared, Blaze did as instructed, and the flames surrounded him. Lizardon snarled through a dark grin, but faltered. The fire burned around his opponent now, in a manner that was unnatural, circling up and around Blaze in a fiery blue tornado odd flames infused with dragon energy. Alex looked at his hand. The red crystal shard was glowing with power…he needed to do something, but what? He looked at his Charizard, and their eyes met. Blaze nodded at him. He was waiting…for something. For him.
Alex raised the crystal on nothing but instinct, and a red light shot from his clenched fist, hitting his Charizard. "Do it! Do it now!" He wasn't entirely sure exactly what Blaze would do…but this felt right. He trusted his instinct, and his trust was rewarded.
The flames around Blaze shifted to red-orange, and then soared even higher as he roared, the sheer power of his voice filled the air. Even Lizardon winced. Finally, the fire faded away, leaving nothing but a scorch mark on the stone. Blaze stood in the center of it, with a Mega Form of his own. But he was different.
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Where Lizardon had become fierce, horned, and fueled by intense rage, Blaze had become what one might expect a Charizard to evolve into. He had three horns now, a wider wingspan, wing-like fins on his arms, and spikes along his tail. He was slimmer than Lizardon, but no less imposing. He almost looked like a crowned king, strongest among his brethren. Blaze looked back at his Trainer, and smirked, giving a thumbs up.
Alex blinked, as the gesture almost brought back memories, recent ones, or so he felt. "You…you want to handle this by yourself?" Blaze roared an affirmative, and his Trainer smirked. "Alright…you know what to do. Win!"
Blaze snorted blue flames of his own, and the color of the one on his tail shifted to blue as well, out of sheer intensity. Both parties were at their peak strength now. This would be a show of power this mountain hadn't seen in an age.
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The two titans clashed loudly, slamming into each other with Dragon Claws on each paw. Their aerial battling was fierce and almost impossible to follow, such was their speed. Alex let a dazed Shruikan out to watch. The envy of the Shelgon only grew as he watched the aerial display, and munched on one of the Sitrus Berries they'd saved for the battle.
He could've won, if he'd been able to fly. Of that he was sure. The two Charizard soared ever higher into the sky, trading Flamethrowers as well, now. As they ascended, they became a faint speck in the sky, with an occasional streak of blue, high above the already tall mountain.
Alex would not see the rest of this battle for a while, but Blaze would remember every moment of it. The satellite responsible for monitoring and recording this area of Unova caught sight of the fight, zoomed in, and streamed it live, and many would count themselves lucky for having been able to watch it in real time. That wouldn't diminish those who would watch the scene later, however. This fight was about to go down in legend.
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Blaze knew it on an instinctual level, and so, he demonstrated his skills, almost able to feel the eyes of the world watching with envy. He was the one responsible for dragging Lizardon this high.
He'd hurled insults with every roar, taunts with every Flamethrower, and always met his enemy's Dragon Claw. They'd scored multiple hits on each other, but after taking so much damage, Lizardon was feeling the strain more than Blaze was, thanks to Shruikan. Without him, the Charizard had no doubt he would've lost already.
And now, far above their planet, the rage of his flames was burning out what little oxygen there was to fuel them. Alex had explained to Blaze, after their first day of training with his flight, that flying too high outside would cause his tail to go out.
If it did, he'd have to fall and re-ignite it, or he would certainly die. Now, the clever fire lizard had lured his tired opponent to this height. He just needed to stay on top of him, and his plan would work. A final Flamethrower hit Blaze square in the chest, but sputtered almost immediately. The air had run out. Breathing was impossible, and as their flames went out, both Charizard began to plummet.
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Blaze forced himself to stay conscious however, his link to his Trainer pushing him to win. Without it, he would've passed out like Lizardon. But this was one fainting from which this tyrant would never awaken. He inhaled through his nose, and let the frigid air warm in the center of his body, where his flames dwelt. As he exhaled, his tail re-ignited.
Blaze stabilized himself with his larger wings and arm fins, but their speed was only increasing. Exhausted, but still willing to fight, he came into view of Alex as he cartwheeled in the air, and hit the unconscious Lizardon with the full force of his Dragon Tail. The attack was pure instinct, but it hit the black one directly in the stomach.
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The new spikes upon his tail pierced the black beast, and blood flowed freely as his massive form shot towards the platform with a loud boom that cracked the air, such was the force of the hit. Lizardon fell faster, as the Dragon Tail increased his velocity significantly.
Blaze hadn't aimed for the platform however. He'd let his eyes guide his tail, and Lizardon clipped the stone structure with a wing, breaking it and sealing his death, as he plummeted to the crater lake below.
There was another loud crash as the impact of his large body hitting the water, which was hard as concrete at that speed, echoed throughout the mountain as the force of the impact mercifully ended Lizardon's reign with the quick efficiency of a broken neck. Blaze landed on the rock platform soon after, as blood filled the water for the last time. He roared, letting the entire surrounding region know; it was now free. The mountain was safe again.
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The female Salamence immediately flew over. She'd waited until the two titans had stopped battling, before moving to nuzzle her offspring. She kept a wary eye on the human, but largely ignored him. Those upon the mountain who had been like her and outlived their Trainers could tell this human was, as they termed it, a good egg. Besides, what harm could a lone human pose a dragon?
Shruikan explained everything to his mother in a series of growls, and Alex let him as he stood beside Blaze at the platform's edge, looking down into the dark scarlet water.
The power faded from Blaze's form, returning him to normal. He growled softly, lamenting the fall of a worthy rival, and Alex nodded, understanding. "That he was."
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He raised his head then, noticing the dragon Pokémon watching him expectantly. Once more, he let instinct guide his actions, not with battle, but words. He knew they could understand him. Most had known the human tongue once.
His voice cracked from disuse at first, but he cleared his throat, and forced himself to orate loud enough for every Pokémon in the crater to hear. Luckily, the acoustics of the arena helped him with this.
"Lizardon…was a menace. That much is true. But he was a menace that Humanity created. His Trainer abandoned him, probably after assuming he was weak, despite his unique coloring. Every Pokémon starts out weak. You need to train to be strong. Humans understood that, once. These days though…we'd rather abandon them than train them to their full potential. Store them away in favor of something stronger. It isn't right." Many of the gathered dragons nodded, once, in agreement.
There was something about this human…they felt a connection, like he could understand their pain, and gladly shouldered it. He almost seemed like one of them. Shruikan's mother glanced toward Lizardon's cave, and blinked, confirming that it was indeed glowing a deep bluish purple. Not for her offspring, or either Charizard…it had started when the human had spoken. She eyed him again as he continued, genuinely curious now as to where exactly he'd come from.
"I'm sorry many of you were released. Abandoned, or left without a partner for whatever reason. But you need to let us help you remember how to be kind again. Let Humans come to this mountain top. You will see that we are not all bad, and maybe, you'll find a Trainer that IS worthy of having you." There were mixed grumbles throughout the crater. Prejudice and old hatred was not so easily erased, but suddenly, Alex sensed a large presence behind him.
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He looked up at the neck of a female Salamence looming several feet above him, and she roared at every one of them, as if telling them to come to their senses. The Tyranitar by the path down the mountain roared back, and stepped out of the way, deciding he'd had enough of playing guard dog. The way was clear, and would stay that way. Alex looked up at the large dragon type in awe. She looked down at him, winked one large eye, and backed up, lowering to his level. He pet her snout as he admired just how strong she was.
"Thank you for raising such a fine Bagon. I'll make sure he becomes a truly legendary Pokémon. Keep an eye on the TVs around Castelia City. If you can make a suitable nest there, you will see him. Eventually." The female Salamence eyed the Trainer, very clearly understanding his words, and nodded. She lifted off again, revealing Shruikan behind her. They nodded to each other.
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"Alright Blaze, fly us home!" Alex said, patting his Charizard. Blaze responded by yawning, and tapping the Pokéball button for Shruikan's ball, then his own, each disappearing in their own black and red-orange lights respectively. The message was clear. They'd be walking, after such a hard fight.
Alex sighed, and began heading towards the mountain path down, giving respectful nods towards each dragon type he passed. They nodded in return, seemingly impressed. But dragon types were hard to read. At least they weren't trying to burn him and eat his flesh. While many would never forgive humanity, this one had overcome adversity, and freed them from a tyrant. He'd earned his freedom.
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Seeing all he'd needed to, Gren leapt from his hiding spot, catching Alex's gaze for only a moment, before vanishing.
Alex was still trying to figure out why what looked like a Greninja would be here of all places, when he noticed the old man by the path down the mountain. "Old man. Are you going home too?"
The Kanto man shook his head. "I'll stay here. Make sure tourists don't flood the place. Only Trainers will come up this mountain. Real Trainers. I'll have a hut. Make it a true wildlife preserve."
Alex nodded. "I'll see about getting Humilau to send some people out to help you." The old man nodded, gave Alex's waist a pat, which at 6,2 was all the old man could reach with his stoop, and then shuffled back towards his cave.
"Hey! Wait!" Alex called, "You promised to tell me your story. Why are you here?"
The old man looked back at him, and gave a sad smile. "I had a Charizard once, like you, and like you, I thought to climb the Dragon Mountain. I thought the Pokémon up there could give us the strength we needed to battle and surpass my greatest rival. I'd heard they hated Humans. I wanted to change their minds. When I got to the top, Lizardon was waiting for us. He killed my friend…and I...refused to leave until I got his bones. They're in his cliff nest."
Alex stared at the man, heart wrenching for his loss. It wasn't quite his life story, and there was still no name, but losing one's partner was always tough. "I'm sorry, I can help get them ou-" The old man cut him off.
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"No. His bones will stay there, in a place of honor, no longer a prison. He is free now. And has you to thank for that." He bowed low, and formal.
Alex scratched his head. "It's no problem…any Trainer would've done it. All I did was follow my instincts…I still can't remember anything."
The old man gave him a long look, then grinned for the first time, revealing far too few teeth. "You will. Go. Back to civilization. Oh, and one last thing." He turned, shuffling back, and offered a hand with a green crystal in it. "The Torterra from below gave this to me, for you, as thanks for saving our mountain home. You earned it."
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Alex took the crystal, eyed it, and saw a leaf symbol etched within its center. As it brushed against the fire one in his palm, it too started shining and gave off immense, but subtle power. He'd need a grass type to properly use it. "Don't lose that lad. Those crystals are more precious than you know." Alex nodded, and made his way down the mountain, still wondering at what exactly these Plate crystals were. They looked familiar, but his damned memory was still befuddled.
He knew they weren't Mega Stones, but they could make Pokémon Mega Evolve, so they had to be unique. He knew Mega Evolution used Infinity energy, but what exactly that was, and how to tap into it, was something that was for the moment beyond his knowledge. He placed the grass crystal next to the fire crystal in his inner pocket within his tattered, dirty jacket, and made the climb down the mountain.
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The old man watched him go, then looked out at the horizon, to the south west. The sun turned the entire sky a familiar orange as it began to set.
"Rest in peace now, Zippo." The old man whispered, then turned, and shuffled back to his hovel. He would bathe, and return to civilization just long enough to make sure the fools running this region didn't abuse the mountain now that Lizardon had fallen.
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As Alex wandered down the mountain, pondering the mysterious crystals still, he forced his mind to other matters. Like who he was, where he was from, the mystery behind the names on the edge of his consciousness.
He once more let instinct guide him, and headed in the direction of the town he'd seen from the trail, what could only be Humilau City, to the south.
As he walked however, his nagging memories became more insistent. With the threat of losing his life gone, and the stress and adrenaline that had come with it, he was struggling to remember himself, but he felt closer than ever. He pulled the note again from his pocket, wrinkled and torn now after so many times reading it.
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All of a sudden, for no explainable reason, he looked up from the note, and stopped dead. Before him, standing on the path, was a Ralts. The note was pulled from his hand via telekinesis, and the Ralts examined it for a moment as it hovered before the tiny Pokémon's covered eyes. He seemed to be reading it, something that Alex wasn't sure Ralts could do. Then the Ralts looked away from it, and walked up to him.
"Ralts!" it said, reaching its stubby arms towards him. Alex didn't quite know why, but he felt the sudden urge to kneel down to this Pokémon's level. He raised an eyebrow.
"Why?" The Ralts tapped its strange horned head with one stubby hand, then lifted the other hand towards his own head. Despite his wariness, Alex knelt.
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The Ralts came closer, rising higher on its legs until the large red horn on its head touched the human's. Alex's eyes rolled, and his memories came flooding back, the image of Lizardon's tail was finally moved, now nothing more than a memory, half remembered.
He...felt...somehow, that the Ralts had gained something in the contact as well, though what it was, he could not tell.
Alex knew who he was now, more certain of it than ever after his actions while he'd had amnesia. Blaze and Shruikan appeared in a flash of red and black light, and they both glared at the Pokémon interfering with their friend's mind. They'd sensed Pokémon power emanating from him, affecting their Trainer, and had responded. After their hardship together, the bond between them was quite strong.
The growls increased in volume, causing the Ralts to slowly back away, until their Trainer raised a hand. It would take a while to sort everything into its proper place, but he managed to stand, at least.
"Calm…calm down you two. My memory is back, and this Ralts is responsible." The little Pokémon chirped again, smiling. He could tell it was happy to have helped. The Ralts looked once more at the note then, and read it, staring for a long time at the name the note gave this human. Alex tilted his head. He knew psychic types were intelligent, but for one so young, understanding the intricacies of written Common should've been beyond him. He smirked. Unless he'd borrowed the knowledge from another mind.
The young Ralts had been told that his path would cross with a turtle of some sort. He examined the human with his senses. He seemed different somehow, and the Ralts realized that his kind act had accidentally awakened something. There was power in this human. Familiar power. Psychic power.
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Alex looked for a long time at the small Pokémon, still not quite believing it. He'd felt his lucky streak was over, that had been the source of his constant dread and stress while in the mountain, he was subconsciously convinced that his being attacked would kill him, slowly, if not outright.
But now, with the finding of the last member of his ideal team, the team he'd dreamed about once, long ago, he knew there was more to his path than luck. Things like this simply did not happen by coincidence. These events were too coincidental. He found his ideal psychic type, who restored his memories, just after he happened to free a mountain full of Pokémon from a tyrant and catch a Bagon in the process? No, there was more to this path he was walking. Especially after that Act of Arceus he'd born witness to. For now, he decided to trust where it led.
The little Ralts' demeanor changed then, suddenly, as he looked up at Blaze and Shruikan, as if properly seeing them for the first time. They weren't unfriendly, but they did have a lean fierceness to them after their ordeal. Their Trainer wasn't the only one that was malnourished after so long without decent food, and such intense training in sweltering heat.
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The Ralts started to back up slowly again, away from the larger Pokémon, when it bumped into Alex, who had moved behind it. The little psychic type jumped, startled, but Alex gently patted its horn, which could allegedly sense emotions. "It's okay…they won't hurt you. Nor will I. You're actually a Pokémon I've been looking for. I don't have your Pokéball on me, however. If you come with us, I can go get it, and we can complete our team. What do you think, little guy? Want to join us?"
The Ralts' horn quivered at his touch, and he smiled. He turned towards Blaze and Shruikan each, and while he still seemed hesitant about Shruikan, he found Blaze as friendly as his Trainer, once he realized what the Ralts had done for Alex.
"Ralts!" It said happily, pushing the return button on both of their balls with a small, controlled burst of psychic energy. Somewhat surprised, the two Pokémon were recalled, and then, the little Pokémon put its stubby limbs on its new Trainer's hand, and in an instant with little more than a 'bamf' sound, they were back in the room he'd stayed with Jess in. Her stuff was still here, as was his backpack, on top of which, was his badge.
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He sighed with relief, and then searched his bag for the purple ball he'd chosen for his psychic type. He tossed it at the Ralts, and the ball flipped, capturing the Pokémon within it immediately, before it had even hit the ground.
He picked it up then, and smirked, before putting it on his belt beside the other two. Leo and Hydrus' balls weren't here either, nor was his spare hat, that he alternated to keep both from getting too dirty.
He still had spare clothes though, so he began to scrub over a month's worth of hard living off in the shower unit. Once that was done, he saw his reflection, and did a double take. Gone was the lingering fat from his face, replaced now with a thick, dark brown, unruly beard. It wasn't as majestic as his friend Connor's, and there were still a few patches that seemed singed off, but with some trimming and growing, they would fill in. His hair was in desperate need of a cut, and his eyes were sunken, from so many restless nights without remembering who he was.
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He did what he could with a comb, and then breezed out of the shower, bumping into the unmistakable form of Jessica, who'd just entered the room, and had moved to investigate who was showering in it. They stared at each other for a good fifteen seconds.
She was sweaty, unusual for her as she preferred to lounge around all day without lifting a nail, and she was wearing his hat, which was filthy, damp, and covered in sand. Just like her clothes.
For his part, his muscles stood out clearer now, though he looked a bit ragged. He was nude, save for a towel, but he hadn't yet quite realized it. She was stuttering, he realized, and he moved in to hug her, sighing contently.
It certainly felt right, though at that moment, he became fully aware that the cloth separating his nudity from her could fall easily. He pulled away slightly, bringing the towel up, but she stopped him.
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He adjusted it as she met his gaze, smirking. "Wow. I really do like the beard." Seven words had never hit him so hard. He felt like he'd fallen for her all over again as the feelings he had also returned, slightly delayed as they were by remembering everything else. He made a note to throw out his razor. For the first time, he dropped his guard around her and gazed at her the way he'd always done from afar.
Jess felt her face heat up as she returned his gaze. His eyes were as intense as Leo's and had a similar fierceness to them. They were still much the same, however, changed only slightly by…whatever he'd gone through. Still just as kind, still just as blue.
His instincts had been…on fire, since regaining his memory, and right then, they were insisting that he kiss her. He couldn't have ignored them if he'd tried.