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The route north to Clara Vista being quite long, and Alex's efforts to Purge the old city, slowed their travels down. Despite being weak to ghosts, Alex used his Kadabra and Metang, and Shadow Ball/Claw respectively, to cut through the primarily lower-level ghosts lingering about in the closest parts of the infused ruins, mostly Lampent and Haunter trying their luck for a meal. Isamu had Dynamight and Kanchi protecting him, and the Blaziken and Riolu were further backed up by Po, who often just let them battle whatever tried jumping at them. He only intervened two times that first day, and that was against a rather strong Dusknoir, and a downright bloodthirsty Gengar who wasn't used to getting rolled by a single attack.

Eventually, Po called in Nox to help him defend Alex, and Nox, inherently lazy being that he was, jumped at the chance to stop training. Alex kept him busy, though. Any member of his species line they encountered, he had Nox face down. Usually to the wild Haunter and Gengar's amusement. Every single one laughed, once they saw what Nox was, and that seemed to irritate him enough that he didn't mind driving them off or sending them to reform in the Spirit World. Alex managed to Purge three sites that first day, and they actually camped at one. An old, abandoned posh hotel, that had many of the luxury items still intact. There was even running water, and with their electric types, they managed to get a TV functional. They took the penthouse suite, a bit structurally unsound, but mostly untouched, so long as one didn't mind dust, and that was where they had their anime binge that night. The next day, Alex and Isamu chuckled, as the local news, during their breakfast, reported sightings of activity in their skyscraper, which was apparently unusual in the Shadow filled zones.

About twenty minutes into the report, Leader Aceron appeared with an announcement, standing in front of a podium, before a crowd of people. "Fair people of Rio! Do not be alarmed. Yesterday, after his victory at my Gym, Alexander Redwood and his latest Padawan promised to purge the lingering Shadow in our old city. I'm guessing they took over one of the old hotel suites while they rested. Rest assured that Queen Iaria knows of the kind Dragon Emperor's efforts in further cleansing and restoring our Rio. It's also why the images seen were…" he squinted at his notes, and then pinched his brow as he said, "Evidently from the restored Old Earth anime, Full Steel Alchemist: Brotherhood." He faced the camera again directly. "There are no cults in the abandoned city, I'm told that some parts of that anime simply get a bit…dark. Again, there is no reason for panic or concern. AceCorp will be moving in a few days to make good on the Emperor's cleaning efforts, and soon we may just have our city restored to its former brilliance. I will keep everyone apprised of our efforts. Thank you."

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Alex laughed for a full minute. "Oh man…his face was priceless, when he read the anime name."

Isamu was also chuckling. "You're not concerned that now all of Rio knows what you watch?"

Alex waved him off. "Not at all. That report will probably lead to people investigating the anime themselves. They won't be disappointed." Isamu had to agree, as he was enjoying it too.

Nox floated up from his shadow then, and said, "There's a lot of direct messages from Chatter about the proper viewing order…" He grimaced. "You might want to make a post about it."

And so, once his growing Chatter following knew the 'proper' order of how one viewed this Old Earth cultural classic, the pair resumed their trek, though unfortunately, Purging a city of Shadow was not as exciting as it sounded. Alex's team made any danger minimal, and most of their time was spent walking through hauntingly quiet ruins of people that were no longer alive, a fact they were reminded of by every ancient skeleton or long decayed home. It was actually quite a somber experience, and after the appropriately labeled 'sad arc' they'd gotten through the night before, involving a mad doctor, his daughter, and his pet dog, it put the pair of Trainers in a somber mood. It didn't help that the pupper had shared Alex's name, too. The whole thing had gotten him right in the feels.

The monotony was broken up by certain things though, things that progressed their readiness towards a World Tournament worthy party. Dracala evolved into a rather impressive Noivern, and was sent to Casseroya Lake to hone his special attacks, before Alex planned to use him in Clara Vista's gym. Isamu's Varoom evolved as well, as did Kurchak, who had taken to joyfully bashing down Gastly with his Knock Off attack infused into his drum stick, until doing so got him enough experience to evolve. The teenaged ape's personality shift was immediate, and disruptive, and Alex low key ground some Exp. Candy into his food so that this 'I'm a loud teenager, deal with it' phase would end as soon as possible. Over the next few days, Alex had him use Knock Off and Fling as often as he could, and sure enough, after thrashing that same violent Gengar who seemed to be trailing them now, Kurchak achieved his final form. Maturity tempered his desire to create an Uproar all the time, and Alex sent him briefly to Temere for his attack power training. The poisonous rocker all but demanded to oversee the drummer's training.

Only one other interesting event occurred, as often happens when one digs through the forgotten trash of a bygone city, Alex and Isamu eventually, through a series of locked doors, managed to find a platinum colored Beldum in a stasis capsule, that was deadlocked shut and powered by the earliest version of what was being called 'Infinity Tech', which was technology that could utilize the infinite power of that energy, and not immediately collapse, explode, or burn out.

The Beldum's mind was also asleep, but it had been Atlas who had even sensed them in the first place, while he'd been honing his Shadow Claw on the local ghosts. Evidently, the only way to open the capsule was by taking it to the Stone family, of the Devon Corporation, in Japan. Alex promised Atlas they'd take a detour there, and the Metang eagerly helped Purge the rest of the city after that. Alex understood his hurry, but he'd have time to send a clone after they finished gathering Rio's gym badges.

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Psi was also in a rush, but the Kadabra simply wanted to return to searching Bulbapedia for answers on whatever interested him. The base forces that comprised reality had, naturally, snared his focus and he had been relentlessly studying Infinity Energy and the Types of it, for days now. In between launching Shadow Balls at the occasional Haunter. Their journey eventually culminated in a rather large source of Shadow, this one, Alex determined, belonged to a Pokémon, most likely. Judging by the higher level of those around them, which Po was taking care of, it promised to be strong. Alex brought out Atlas as well, and had him use Reflect Screen, and then Iron Defense for good measure. He would be on Barrier duty for this fight.

The infusion of Shadow they approached was the largest yet, and Alex summoned Lux again. This one was in a shabbier part of the city. When it was 'intact' it seemed to have been a haven of the poor and lower levels of society, which meant little else but shells of their 'homes' still stood. Much of the area was a barren field of ash, sharp, jagged, and long rusted corrugated metal, and the occasional stone structure of what might have been a more solid building, once. It was, naturally, into the lower level of one of these stone structures, that they found a door, which collapsed into dust when they touched it, leading to a hole in the earth from which a powerful wave of Shadow energy was radiating.

It might have once been a basement, or some sort of no doubt illicit storage facility, but in the modern era, all that remained were the solidly built concrete foundations. Even the floor was mostly dirt and dust. The dust swirled up in a tornado of malice and ghostly energy as Isamu brought out Dynamight. The air rose rapidly in temperature, as between ghost hunting and sparring with his rival Garuda, the young Blaziken had rapidly grown into his final form. Flames burned around him in a valiant attempt at an aura shield, but the fiery chicken was too frustrated by their refusal to obey him to properly focus them into a shield. His temper had only grown worse with evolving, and this was apparently common with freshly evolved Blaziken near other males of their species.

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"Your Moves can only be normally effective, and that's only if they'd be super effective normally. Shadow Moves will always hit you like they are super effective. Build your speed and then hammer it with Knock Off."

The Blaziken acknowledged his Trainer with a caw, before crouching and leaping towards the freshly formed Zoroark. This one was the rare but not unheard of normal and ghost typing. It was however obscure enough for Alex to need to point Lux at it, and as he scanned the Dex entry, its burning, Shadow filled hair tentacles, presumably made of some kind of ectoplasm, smashed into the burning fists, and feet, of Dynamight, who held them off, but was also kept from getting close to the Shadow infused ghost.

The fury of the ghost fox focused on the young Blaziken, which left him open to a blindside from a Legend. Po was a blur of violence, and though the Shadow Zoroark saw him approach, and attacked, Po masterfully blocked the ghostly hair tendrils with one hand, while the other fist delivered his Foul Play straight to its midsection. The ghost fox's eyes bulged, and it went hurtling into one of the concrete walls with a thunderous boom. Dynamight watched in awe, his own attacks paused as Po took over and wasn't nearly done yet.

In another blur, the stocky Urshifu was above the crumpled Zoroark, and despite the wave of Bitter Malice the wounded fox launched at him, Po struck it with a Dragon Fist encased in powerful energy as he fainted the ghost. He stepped to the side then, eyes never leaving his opponent, as Alex hurled a Luxury Ball, and a moment later, it dinged shut. He psychically pulled it to his hand, and simultaneously tossed his hungry kung fu bear a meat bun. Dynamight cautiously approached, and began chatting with Po, while Isamu gave Alex a look, prompting him to say, "I can release him once he's Purged. This kind of Zoroark is tricky to cleanse, though. I'd rather get help from a Ghost Type user. I believe they're weak to the Light Type, and I don't want to injure this one more." He shrank the ball, put it in stasis, and shoved it into his bag.

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He dispersed the Shadow with a powerful wave of Light and then contacted Leader Aceron. The man visibly grimaced as he saw Alex's face. "Redwood. Finally finished your anime binge and fulfilled your promise?"

Alex gave him a look. "We traveled as far as any reasonable people would, per day. What we did in our downtime at night, did not slow down our progress. The ruins are Purged, but the Ghost Types are...scattered. Disoriented, by living amongst so much Shadow Energy for so long. They aren't organized, not even in smaller groups, but you'll have to catch them to relocate them." Alex's knowledge of ghosts was, as a psychic, limited, but he knew enough to know that kind of behavior wasn't normal for them. They'd been absent, reactive, and violent. "They did seem to regain some focus after my Purges. Hopefully in time, and with the increase in Humans, they'll either acquiesce to being trained or depart for the jungle."

Aceron nodded, repeatedly as he took in the information. "And you're sure there's just Ghost Types?"

Alex shrugged. "I took the most direct route and only encountered a few properly Shadow Infused Pokémon. I just caught by far the strongest I encountered out here. Which brings me to my next proposition."

Aceron nodded again. "You mentioned having something else in mind for our new partnership. Go ahead, let me hear it."

"AceCorp travels all over the continent, mining things, growing food, etcetera, yes?" Aceron nodded and Alex continued. "I imagine you guys get attacked quite often, now that I know exactly how violent the wildlife really is out there."

Aceron sighed heavily. "You have no idea. Every single convoy is a death sentence for at least one of my people. Crossings without loss are seen as a miracle, and the food deliveries especially are relentlessly attacked."

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Alex nodded with a grim expression. "Iara told me some time ago she was considering just giving up on growing food in the west. This brings me to my proposal. Don't stop growing the food, just give it to the local Pokémon in Selva Muerta. Let them learn that attacking Humans does not give food. To expedite this process, and keep it safer for all involved, I'd like to send some of my Scales to accompany your caravans as guards. No matter how much food you have, you will be attacked at some point, but my Scales are excellent Trainers, and Selva Muerta will sharpen them, as it has sharpened me, and my team. Your caravans get to stay alive, my Scales get some proper life-threatening training, and the Dragon Empire is more than willing to give you guys whatever Berries we have in excess, which last I checked, is most species of them. As our farms move away from costly crops, we will have more to share."

Aceron stroked his beard stubble and then nodded. "I'll have to confirm with the Queen...but I like this proposal. We should also speak of opening a training facility for your Scales in Rio. There's quite a lot of aspiring Trainers here that wish to join or at least see if they're worthy of wielding a plasma sword."

"If the Queen is amenable, I would be more than happy to train Rio's psychics, and other gifted individuals. Being so close to Selva Muerta, they would likely quickly become some of our strongest." Alex answered. They gave their pleasantries, and then ended the call, satisfied with the results. With that done, Alex and Isamu continued on their journey.

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Clara Vista was a standard small town, with architecture that seemed more at home in the States than the rest of Rio. It was actually outside the northern gate into Selva Muerta, cordoned off from the megalopolis by a large white curtain wall that had, naturally, been absolutely covered in graffiti, on the side that faced the rest of Rio. They'd seen it on their way to Porto Nova, albeit from a distance, but it had not been very flattering towards Leader Serafina. Now, on the opposite side, they found the wall to still be mostly white, that is, until Isamu wandered closer to inspect it, and a cold chill went up his spine, as he realized it was a list. A massive list of names, in about a size twelve font, that went along the entire wall. He had no doubt, these could only be the names of those who had died in the aftermath of Rio's war with Atlantica, and the subsequent sacking by the Shadow sorcerers from the west. The very event that had turned most of the mega city into a Shadow filled nightmare and had cost Rio its Guardian.

Despite the spooky vibe that radiated from around the wall, the city itself was like any other human city. Aside from people commonly having a ghost Pokémon with them, it was a standard representation of modern humanity, going about their lives. Alex and Isamu went to the Pokémon Center first, where Alex had to affirm that the Shadow Zoroark was a fresh catch, and one he was bringing to Leader Serafina.

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The creature was quite malnourished, at least physically, and Nurse Joy insisted on accompanying them to the gym, once Alex had mentioned the Gym Leader. The Clara Vista Gym was certainly unique in its design. It reminded him of one of those shrines in Japan with the unnecessarily long stairway that led up to a courtyard surrounded by buildings that each had different architectural styles. Some were influenced by the States, like the rest of the town, but the others were either too simple to have a style or had one Alex simply hadn't seen before. Either way, the architecture made him pause again, as his eyes took in the intricacy of how it all fit together.

A Gym Trainer he could only describe as creepy greeted them, not in a hooded robe, but one with a long round collar that covered her face's bottom half. She had dyed white hair, and her robe was adorned with glyphs that Alex didn't recognize. The woman's reddish-purple eyes glanced at Nurse Joy, and then the challengers. "You must have a Pokémon from within the Blight. Come. Lady Serafina can help."

They were brought into the lower levels of the gym shrine, where the architecture became simple concrete, covered in indecipherable glyphs whose meaning eluded even Alex's eyes. The hallways didn't twist or disappear, but they did pass rooms full of Gym Trainers who were sitting in creepy circles, cross legged. Alex could sense they were meditating, but Nurse Joy seemed unnerved.

"They're only meditating." Alex rumbled. "Nothing suspicious. Some Indius psychics have found that arranging meditation groups can sometimes amplify their psychic abilities."

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Leader Serafina's office also seemed to double as a meditation chamber for one. She was as inherently creepy as her subordinate, with pale white skin that lacked the warmth of true life, white hair tinged with purple, adorned with two compacted Pokéballs, and reddish-purple eyes that held a quiet fire, and a confident, but small smirk on her unnaturally young face. She was dressed in a similar outfit as her Trainers, long black robes with frilly lace on the edges, with deep purple accents and a white center. Strange symbols marked the majority of the garment. She stood, but didn't rise very high in height, coming to a fun sized four feet, by Alex's guess.

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She moved towards them slowly, and stopped before Alex, looking up at him with a creepy stare. "You have a Shadow Infused ghost with you. But it is not your partner." She raised a tiny pale hand and gestured at the meditation circle on the floor. "Release it there, and I will attempt to cleanse it." The runes around the circle started to glow, and Alex stared at the Gym Leader for a long moment as she also began to glow, with both psychic and ghost energy in equal amounts, before doing as she asked. The white hair, reddish eyes, and undeathly pale skin had raised some flags for him, but her intentions were genuine, and the Zoroark needed help.

The still mostly beaten-up ghost fox appeared where Alex aimed, and Shadow empowered ghost energy surged towards every human in the room. Or it tried to, anyway, stopping short at the circle. The tiny ghost and psychic typed Gym Leader, who seemed to embody those types literally according to Alex's eyes, started to sweat, as the powerful Zoroark released more of its Bitter Malice.

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Finally, after about thirty seconds, she said, "I could use some-" Her words cut off, as Alex's aura burned to life like a lighthouse beacon beside her. Serafina winced, but then focused, as the potent mix of dragon and psychic energy surged into her floor and kept the Zoroark contained. Serafina stepped forward then, subtly keeping her face out of sight from every human present as she did so. Her eyes turned black, and the words she intoned came out in reverse. Pinpoint holes to another dimension, four in total, appeared on now revealed rather shiny and smoothly polished parts of the floor that had previously gone unnoticed around the main circle. The Shadow was drawn from the normal typed ghost inch by inch down its body, in what seemed like an excruciating process, down into what Alex assumed was the Reverse World.

When it was done, the runes faded, leaving only the containment circle intact and glowing, and Serafina fell to her tiny knees, panting as hard as the Zoroark. She tilted her head, as the two locked eyes. Something transpired between them. Then, seemingly recovered, she stood and leered up at Alex once more. "This one…I want him as my partner. I will Trade for him."

Alex shook his head. "That's alright, actually, I have all the Ghost Types I need at the moment…"

Serafina tilted her tiny, creepy head. "Ah. So, you have…been training harder than expected. I see. In that instance, I will use my Future Sight and see if I have a partner who will be of aid." Before Alex could object, the tiny Gym Leader's eyes rolled back in her head, and an aura of ghost energy started flaring around her form, not unlike a psychic's aura shield.

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After a moment, the small woman's smirk widened. "Of course, it would be him…very well." She closed her eyes then, and moments later, an ancient style Apricorn Pokéball zipped into her hand from outside the room. She offered it to Alex, and he handed her the Luxury Ball that was bound to Zoroark. They confirmed the trade with their phones, and Serafina spoke, as she recalled the Zoroark. "Don't let him out here, alright? There's not enough space."

Eyes widening, as only one ghost type would have enough physicality and size for such a problem, Alex pocketed his new partner, and Serafina's eyes fell on Isamu then, who'd been quietly observing from the background. "This one will go first. Three on Three shall do, if I am to face both of you and not tire out my friends."

Isamu led with his Revavroom, but Serafina's Mismagius was well equipped with fire spells and psychic powers. She made short work of Hayaisha, leaving Isamu down by one. Mismagius had also not been hit by the freshly evolved ghost car, who was still getting used to his body. Isamu's counter to Mismagius was Blaziken, and Dynamight tore through her spells and her ghostly form with masterful Shadow Claws that had been boosted with bursts of flame from his feet, propelling him through the air and speeding him up. It was a custom move he'd learned from having to keep up with Garuda, who now understood the basics of Agility.

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Serafina's second was a Chandelure, and while Dynamight had the firepower to match her, the ghostly décor brought him down with her, consuming his vitality and seeming to find it delicious. Now evenly matched, Serafina threw her last pick first. She wouldn't normally have used this one on Isamu, at his skill level, but she wanted the remaining three Pokémon she owned, the only ones she owned, to be ready for Alex, and his challenge.

A Xatu appeared from her side of the field, and it waddled forward a few awkward steps, and cawed, as it side-eyed Isamu, with its left eye. Serafina's creepy voice echoed over the battlefield. "The right eye sees the future. The left eye sees the past. What do you see, Xat?"

The clever bird then did something that Isamu did not expect. It verbalized its thoughts in Common, through its psychic power. The psychic flyer's aura was massive, permeating the gym, but nowhere near as oppressive as the Mind Sage's aura. Isamu stood tall, unfazed, as the bird spoke. "Small. Sad. Fate. Determination. Growth. …Might." The bird nodded in respect, seeing the most recent events, like Dynamight in Sao Paulo, and his Zygarde in Porto Nova.

Serafina grinned, as Isamu made his choice. An orange, brown, and yellow Luxury Ball enlarged in his hand. "And the future?"

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The bird waddled awkwardly, and then rapidly turned its head. This eye was markedly different, in that it seemed to have natural pinkish sparkles amidst the typical black circle that was a Xatu's eye. "Training. Brotherhood. Competence. Conflict. Victory. …Hero."

Isamu blinked, as he called out Judenho. His newly evolved Raichu was living his best life, and he smirked darkly at the flying type before him, as his electric glow brightened in the gloom of Serafina's gym. The aesthetic was the same ancient, weathered stone, they'd simply gone underground to a standard sized League battlefield. The only thing notable about anything in this place were the nearly invisible runes carved along the battlefield's line, and every single stone brick of the walls around them. Because of how sturdy it was, the people of Clara Vista had nicknamed the gym, specifically the battlefield itself, Ultima Cancha. The last battlefield, since it would outlast all other structures around it, no matter what happened to their society, or the Earth in general.

As the silence stretched on for an awkward amount of time, as neither Xatu nor Serafina made a move, Isamu finally spoke, "Alright then. Rain Dance." Judenho started doing a hilarious jig as he appealed to the heavens to bring water, and a guaranteed hit for Thunder. Sure enough, the calls were answered, and the already gloomy battlefield became covered in clouds that quickly descended and filled the entire field. This happened, as the Xatu's eyes glowed with a powerful bright blue psychic aura and then faded completely.

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"There's a good chance it hasn't moved, Judenho! Keep it that way! Thunder Wave!" Isamu ordered, and his partner responded immediately, his sharp ears catching the telltale bird grunts of a waddling Xatu. They had trouble flying naturally, thanks to the way their sight worked, and waddling was just safer for all involved, unless absolutely necessary. There were of course, more commonly, Xatu that leaned more into their flying powers, than their psychic ones, who had no trouble shifting their unique vision to all but simultaneously focusing on the near future and recent past. Serafina's was the opposite and had clearly focused entirely on honing its psychic power. They could still transport their Trainers, they just usually did so via Teleport.

As the Thunder Wave hit, something strange happened. It seemed to bounce off of Xat, and back onto Judenho, who then started to glow brighter in the fog, as his Lightning Rod boosted his firepower. His smirk was now a wide grin. Without prompting, the eager Raichu hammered his opponent with Thunder Wave after Thunder Wave, willingly catching the rebound six times. With its right eye facing Judenho, the Xatu simply ran around in circles, as it saw what was coming, though the franticness made Isamu wince. He could, clearly, sense that the poor bird was terrified of the pain a six-stage boosted Thunderbolt from a Raichu would cause.

"Judenho!" Isamu called out, and his Raichu was practically drenched in sparks by this point. Hearing his Trainer, he readied Thunder eagerly, and the mist around them crackled. "Judenho!" Isamu shouted again, and upon not hearing the move, he turned to look, blinking back to focusing. "Only use enough power for a faint. Don't get carried away. And don't make it needlessly hurt, either. You know where to aim."

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The Raichu let out a disappointed huff, and let the energy die down some. As he did this, Xat also stopped panic-waddling, and then, Serafina recalled him. With a snap of her fingers, the damp fog disappeared from the battlefield as she said, "I forfeit. I don't want my poor boy getting zapped by such a strong Raichu."

Judenho, quite angry from the stress of holding so much power, was determined to discharge it, and did so with Discharge, filling the entire field with Electric Terrain. He sighed again, and returned to his ball, disappointed. Serafina giggled, as she handed Isamu the Spirit Badge. "Tell him I'm sorry, would you? I know how excited he was to zap something." She leaned in conspiratorially then, "Leader Duarte, your next challenge, has a Honchkrow that thinks it's hot Muk, but it's a real babaca. Have him Thunderbolt that one. He's earned it." Isamu nodded, and said that he would, and then, Alex was up.

The tone changed, as he took his place, and confidently brought out Revan. Serafina sent out a Claydol in response, one that sparkled with familiarity to Alex, at this point. Its golden eyes burned to life, and an earthy brownish golden aura surrounded it, as it took in Revan and Alex.

From the start, things did not go well. It was the kind of battle that, despite his best efforts, Alex was struggling in.

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Claydol's mastery of Earth Power, combined with violent Psychic slams into the ground, where it used yet another Earth Power, quickly took Revan down before he could so much as Flame Charge. He managed to get in exactly one hit thanks to Phantom Force, but Claydol exacted a harsh toll for it, fainting him with an explosion of Earthy Power. Next up was his Kadabra, Psi, who fared just as poorly.

Despite being psychic types, it was a duel of Shadow Balls, one that Psi simply couldn't keep up with. For every single Shadow Ball the spoon wielding psychic conjured, Claydol had three to answer it, and did so immediately, not holding back as it fired the Shadow Balls from its arm cannons. Almost as depressingly easy as Revan, Psi went unconscious as well. Unlike Isamu, his match was a four on four, but thankfully, Psi had at least managed to overwhelm the floating clay doll's psychic defenses, to score more hits.

"Atlas!" Alex called, and his platinum Metang answered with a metallic roar. "We're down two, and she's down one. Even the odds for me, bud! Shadow Claw!" Atlas charged in with the speed of a Metang, roughly sixty miles per hour, but once again type advantage and Earth Power managed to slow them, enough for Claydol to pelt the steely psychic with Shadow Balls. To his credit, Atlas fired his own Shadow Balls and cut through the excess with Shadow Claw, enough to land another hit. Claydol continued to hammer it with ghostly balls of pain, but Atlas refused to let go, and the pair of Pokémon crashed in a fainted heap, together.

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Properly backed into a corner, and not wanting to repeat this gym battle, Alex brought out his training team's ace. He hadn't intended to use Po for gym battles, but Serafina, through luck and ridiculously well-timed crits, had pushed him to this point. "It's down to you, Po. We lose here, and we lose our win streak. Not to mention we have to come back tomorrow."

Po smirked back at Alex. "No worries. I've got this."

"Interesting. It seems you are capable of taking me seriously." Serafina said quietly. Her next pick was a Gothitelle, but it was over in an instant, thanks to Po's speed, and a Wicked Blow. "Irritating. Serafina said, recalling her partner." I had thought only Single Strike Urshifu could use that annoying Move."

"Po's ability is Dragon Fist. This allows him to master both styles, and turn them Dragon Type, as necessary." Alex responded calmly.

Serafina grimaced. "So he knows Surging Strikes too. Great." She seemed nervous, but shook her head, and threw her next pick. An Annihilape. He put up a better fight than Gothitelle, managing at least to match blows with Po, but the Surging Dragon Fist ended it with three weaker but still guaranteed critical hits in a row. Properly irritated, Serafina brought out a Dark Ball. "That's it! I need to win this one, dammit! Come! I need your power!"

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Alex's eyes narrowed, as the Pokéball she threw, did not open. And yet, the top split from the bottom anyway, and the darkness that poured forth had enough physicality and mass to force them apart even further. This all happened quickly, but having seen Dark Balls in action before they went out of style, replaced by the customizable and more fairly priced Luxury Balls, he knew the ball simply hadn't activated. She'd drawn it forth on her own, and as the Darkrai manifested before them, both Alex and Po had the final piece of their accusatory puzzle.

"Darkrai, huh. That confirms it. You're one of the sorcerers from the west. The ones that sacked Rio and worshiped the Shadow." Po breathed slowly, and his fists, as well as the fighting aura shield around him started to shine with the Light. His method of reaching divinity involved inner peace, being so emotionally balanced between harmony and focus that he could channel the power of the Alpha's realm. It was also worth noting that he had used this power, as they traveled, making berry trees grow, healing minor wounds, and sometimes ones not so minor, that had required Alex's help, along with his knowledge of human anatomy. Po's power always left those it affected somewhat dazed or even in awe, which amused him greatly. The exception to that, was when he channeled that awesome power into his Fists of Justice, which he readied as he took his Dragon Stance, and stared down the Darkrai.

Serafina's voice gained a ghostly reverb, and the sigils around the battlefield began to glow an ominous purple. "So you know my origins…it's been a long time since one of my Challengers figured that out…"

Po winced, as both the Darkrai and his bonded human's powerful fused presence surged through the field, and yet…he did not strike. Nor did Alex order him to. They shared a look, and nodded in agreement, on the same page. There was no Shadow between them, darkness yes, and Serafina's own perhaps too large affinity for ghost energy, but that was all. And if she was a Shadow sorcerer, one who must have turned, if she'd attained Gym Leader status, it meant she was ancient, and probably more dead than alive at this point, hence the ghost energy. All that to say, they were not radiating the usual malice and murderous intent, and thus, with a soft sigh, Po powered down the Fists of Justice.

Alex arched an eyebrow, as the dark, ghostly pair shared a look. They had revealed their fusion, and their auras bled together like one being with Darkrai surrounding and protecting their ghostly center that was Serafina, but neither attacked first. Indeed, Alex got the impression that, despite her bluster, Serafina disliked battling. "You're…not wielding Shadow." He said, awkwardly.

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Serafina gave an exasperated sigh. "Of course I'm not! I'm a Gym Leader. My Pokémon regularly see Nurse Joy," she said, gesturing to the nurse, who was still present, on the sidelines. "If I used the Shadow, I would be caught immediately. Iara does not tolerate it within her demesne."

Nurse Joy also spoke up then. "I know you have an, erm…reputation for Purging darkness with the Light, Dragon Emperor. I just wanted to make sure you didn't Purge our beloved Gym Leader on a miscommunication. And, that Zoroark needed help. It's all better now, though." She smiled, and flashed a victory sign at him, which also helped kill the tension.

"Well then…" He rumbled, "By my count…we're both down three, and our fourths are already out. They're both Legendary, so things remain equal, more or less. Let's finish this Battle! I want a Badge from a Shadow wielder." The idea of such a thing amused him, and the fact that she was embracing the creepy little girl stereotype on top of that just made it a memento worth fighting for.

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"Close Combat." Alex started, smirking as he spoke. Po was a blur, but Darkrai was classed as Legendary for a reason. It was the prime example of a fast special attacker, and because of its power, its defenses were quite good too. Thus, the counter was instant.

"Sucker Punch." Came Serafina's obnoxious voice.

Despite being struck first, Po snarled through the hit, surprising the Darkrai, and briefly overwhelming it with a brutal series of hard-hitting kicks and punches in return. But it was not enough. The Dark Void attack hit point blank, encompassing the entire field as it expanded, but before it could, Alex countered, "Flash!"

Also technically a Light move, albeit one more practical than damaging, it cut through the Dark Void, burning it from the field, even as Po's eyes drifted closed. Alex swore. He could flex through paralysis, lick away a burn with his bear saliva, and shatter ice, again also by flexing, but confusion and sleep, especially mind based moves, were very effective on Po, if they managed to land.

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He fell forward with a heavy thump, his stocky muscled form rising and falling with a loud snore. Serafina acted before Alex could stop facepalming. "Dream Eater!" The being of darkness she'd bonded to her very essence reached towards Po with a glowing psychic claw, but before it could make contact, Po suddenly shot to his feet, still asleep, and began wiggling in place, as though he was climbing something.

The Darkrai paused, tilted its head, and then continued. With eagerness in his tone, Po reached for the Dream Eater, rumbling, "Coooookiiiieeee…"

"Po!" Alex shouted, making the bear's ears twitch, "That's not a cookie! Evil! Evil cookie!"

Pink dream mist started to flow from Po, but he suddenly leapt back from the attack, unevenly raising his fists. "Stay back, you doughy abomination! You're no cookie!" Irritated, the Darkrai's claws surged towards Po, but the sleeping Kung Fu bear dodged with another leap. "Confectionary criminal!" He shouted, before somewhat gracefully shifting away from another attempt to claw his dreams. "Kneaded knave!"

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It was Alex's laughter that finally brought Po back to consciousness, and upon seeing this, the Darkrai abandoned Dream Eater for Psychic. While his dreams had caused him some damage, in a Darkrai's presence, said damage had not healed the dark entity. "Man, that was one sketchy cookie." He rumbled, taking a proper stance.

"A very suspicious sugar circle." Alex said, still chuckling. "End this, Po. Close Combat and Brick Break!"

"Hold nothing back, Darkrai. Psychic!"

The two Legends launched their attacks, but Po was ready. A pulse of dark type energy disrupted his opponent's Psychic, and he broke through the wave of power with Kung Fu fury. The following beating brutally knocked the Darkrai around, and Serafina held her face in panic. "Get out of there!"

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Darkrai tried to retreat into a shadow, but Po literally grabbed him with fingers encased in fighting energy and pulled him back out. He slammed the dark entity into the ground, and then finally finished it with a Brick Break. The ancient entity tried to rise, but Po's fists hit like a truck at the start of an isekai, and unconsciousness claimed the dark being. It seeped back into Serafina's shadow, and she clutched her hair, before suddenly dropping her arms, letting them hang limp.

"It seems you've beaten me…how unfortunate…for you. You've been training hard indeed, to take my Darkrai down so effectively." She padded over with her tiny feet and handed him the Spirit Badge. Unlike the other gyms in her circuit, the generic type symbol had been changed instead to an ominous skull that seemed to have a purple sheen to it. "With your Badge…I'll pass along some wisdom, too. You should see your would-be wife. Sooner, than later, if you can."

Suddenly more concerned, the somewhat amusing end to the battle gave way to silent concern. "Why…" he tried, "Have you seen something?"

She grinned wide at his reaction. "Just…speak with your other half, Dragon Emperor."

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With that, he turned and left the gym, a frown on his face. They made their way back to the Pokémon Center, only for Alex to call Jess three times, and still have no response. This either meant she was busy training, or with something else, or in mortal peril. Her Delphox hadn't reached out to him, so he checked mortal peril off the list. While he waited for a call back, he decided to meet his latest partner. He went outside to let him out, and sure enough, a Golurk manifested from the ancient ball in a kneeling position. "Hello there." Alex said, as the massive ghostly mech stood to its full intimidating height of ten feet or roughly three meters.

The ghostly automaton creaked a greeting, as it leaned over and scanned him with a barely perceptible ray of ghost energy. "Grrrrreetings, new Tamer." Its voice translated, genderless and very much robotic to Alex's ears. "Harmonia gene detected. Our...my...designation is...Vector Prime. I look...for-ward to wor-king with yooouuu..." His words trailed off at the end, as he held out a massive iron fist for what Alex assumed was a fist bump. He hesitantly booped it, and the iron giant stood back up to full height, as it started to glitch. Its head spun in a full circle. "Har-ar-ar-ar Harmonia Gene detected. Harmo-" It suddenly went quiet then, for a full thirty seconds. Alex let the ancient machine intelligence process this information. "Harmonia Gene detected. Communication level: comprehension. Error. Genetic sequence is not of Royal Family." The Golurk turned to Alex then. "Explanation requested."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Look, Vector, was it? I don't really have time right now to-"

"Vector Prime." The Golurk corrected loudly. "Harmonia gene detected. Explanation demanded." It said, more forcefully. It seemed, for whatever reason, it was getting hung up on him being able to speak with Pokémon and not being a Harmonia.

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And so, Alex recounted his trials in Unova and confirmed that he was the current Tamer of the Original Dragon. This made Vector Prime spin its torso and raise its arms in what Alex eventually realized was an expression of joy, or rather, a programmed joyous response to news of the Original Dragon being reconfigured into a single form. When Alex finished, Vector Prime said, "Designation updated: Emperor Alexander Redwood, Tamer of the Original Dragon. This unit will now Comply."

"Alright..." Alex said, somewhat following its processing. "In that case...state your primary purpose."

Vector Prime let out a series of low whistles, and steam. "Irrelevant. Previous parameters are now non-factors. This unit serves the Dragon Emperor."

"I understand." Alex said, patting his cold, but still very much physical leg. "But I'd still like to know. State your previous primary purpose."

Vector Prime tooted an acquiescence, and then said, "This unit's purpose was to monitor the Time Vortex for the previous Dragon Emperor Harmonia. Emperor Harmonia is now deceased. Current purpose: Unknown."

Alex nodded in understanding. "Time Vortex huh? Interesting...I guess...continue to keep an eye on that. Your secondary purpose is combat. Do you know what a Pokémon Batte is?"

The Golurk nodded. "Confirmation. This unit is capable of compliance with all official Victory League rules. Request modern update, records may be outdated."

Alex showed him how to use the Pokénet then, and had Lux and Nox further instruct him from within his ball, which Alex swapped out for a modern one. He still kept the old style one though, in case he ever needed it. Or wanted to try his hand at making one himself.

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Once they were done in Clara Vista and had waited long enough for a return call from Jess, Alex and Isamu began heading in a straight line to the dark typed gym of Sombra Verde, owned and operated by a man called Duarte, it was apparently the most unconventional gym on the circuit.

Despite the bubbling frustration Alex had from not being able to contact Jess, as most of his clones were within the cellular black hole that was the jungle, he and Isamu continued on. Alex was impatient though, so he hopped on his Noivern while Isamu mounted up on Shodoroki, who had since become a Dragonair. It was still his first time flying with a human, so their initial pace was slow. Height didn't help with Alex's connection problem, so soon after they took off, they started speeding towards Sombra Verde. Once he was able to compensate for Isamu, the Dragonair naturally adapted to flying within minutes.

They actually overshot the city, hidden by foliage from above as it was, and one of Duarte's people came to guide them in on foot. Almost immediately, Alex and Isamu noticed that the 'city' was more akin to a war camp, and the buildings seemed to be essentially tents. There was, amusingly, a Pokéball painted onto one of them, thus, that was their first stop. Even on the edge of Selva Muerta, flying in the skies meant Crobat, especially at night or dusk, Noivern, and various other hungry flying types. Judenho had dealt with all of them and had a blast doing so. Isamu had also, finally, started emulating Alex by picking up items on the ground, and through doing so had acquired a Zap Plate shard, which the thunder mouse was now holding.

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They healed their teams, had their respective sandwiches, and continued their discussion about Taijitu Moves. "Basically, you activate the Plate shard, while Judenho forms the other half of whatever energy you're using. Then, you have him draw them together in an equal amount. You'll know when they're equal, the energy will form a familiar pattern, and at that point, you just have to aim."

Isamu's eyes moved back and forth as he stared at the table, processed, and chewed his sandwich. "The focus on Type mastery…on using not just a few extra Moves, but all of them…" A sound stopping Barrier formed around them, as his Padawan made the connection. "You're doing this with as many Types as you can, aren't you? Once Pokémon learn a Move well enough, they can draw on that power effortlessly. You could combine them all!"

Alex smirked, just impressed. "What you're describing is Stellar Bomb, and that's…just theoretical still, as far as I know, for every Pokémon not named Terapagos. Mew or Mewtwo could probably do it. And it's only feasible with other Pokémon in a Double or Triple Battle, not to mention, quite draining on both Trainer and Pokémon."

Isamu smirked back at him. "You've definitely tried it."

Alex sighed deeply, checked his Barrier's integrity, and then leaned forward. "I've discovered that weaving more than two Types together is something Pokémon at or above what we Humans call level one hundred can do. With absurd ease. If they practice enough. It also helps them use the entirety of those Move pools more effectively. This is what most of my new catches are striving to reach, as we speak, and it seems to be working. I like our odds against Ash, or Leon. Aside from them and Red, I feel confident against the other usual World Tournament Trainers."

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With their lunch finished, the two looked around for a gym of some kind, but everyone they asked about it either sighed, or just laughed at them, and said nothing. There weren't many people around this camp, and everyone around was very clearly doing something, usually, related to reinforcing the well-crafted wooden barricades, and anti-flying type defenses for the 'city'.

Asking for Duarte led them to the largest tent, where they were brought to a man with serious eyes, clad in all black. His clothes were leather, but suited for the jungle, and a pair of knife hilts sat on his back. Tying his entire look together was, naturally, his hat. Undoubtedly from East Texico, where the pale toned man was from, apparently, it too was black. Duarte looked between them as he turned around from what looked like a map of the area, and his eyes went dead. "Let me guess. You want a Gym Badge."

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Alex slowly raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem?"

The man sighed. "No. Fine. Whatever. I can do a two v. two, no substitutions, for both of you. I don't have time for anything else. Let's go."

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Before they could even ask what was going on, Duarte led them out of the tented area, to a small clearing amidst the trees of Selva Muerta. They were properly in the jungle by this point, but this spot was technically closer to the ruins of Rio, and thus would have less Pokémon, probably.

Once more, Isamu went first and brought out his Riolu. Nodding in understanding, Duarte picked a partner that would, potentially, push the pup to evolve. He seemed high enough in level, and close to his Trainer, so all that was really needed was a legitimate challenge.

"Mayhem." Duarte said, and from his belt, a flash of black and light brown, a golden sand colored Tyranitar with a pink armored crest on its stomach manifested in front of the Gym Leader. Seeing its opponent was Kanchi, the gold-colored male roared at him, hard enough to send his much, much weaker form sliding back several feet. It was the physical manifestation of the difference in power between a 'baby' Pokémon, and one regarded as a pseudo-Legend.

Even Isamu looked shaken, but then, a Tyranitar was exactly what he expected of a seventh badge fight reduced to a two on two. "Y-Your only chance is speed. Agility! And Dodge!" Kanchi nodded and started running. The impatient pupper had actually mastered the move, running up and down large swathes of the Estrada Real while Alex and Isamu had battled Trainers, wild Pokémon, or got distracted by running to grab an item.

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Duarte, for his part, seemed content to do absolutely nothing. He had his hands in his leather jacket's pockets, watching the Riolu run around his golden tyrant with a bored expression. In a bored tone, he finally gave an order, and to his credit, his clearly impatient Tyranitar did not strike before that.

"Stone Edge." The Tyranitar stomped the earth, and even at six tiers now of enhanced speed, the move rose from the earth in front of him and hammered Kanchi, brutally ending any momentum he'd gotten as he was sent rolling across the grass. "You took too long raising your stats." Duarte muttered, fulfilling his obligation to teach Trainers who came to him by the barest minimum. "You could've struck, with quadruple effectiveness, and still built speed later. Now you won't get the chance. Hyper Beam."

Kanchi struggled to his feet, panting hard, but nowhere near done yet. Isamu's eyes widened, as Mayhem formed the Hyper Beam with speed and ease in his toothy maw. As Kanchi had mastered raising his speed, it seemed this tyrant lizard had mastered blowing things away with one of the most powerful moves a Pokémon could use. Knowing outrunning the area of effect was a pipedream, Isamu prepared to take the hit instead. "Bulk Up as much as you can and then use Rest!"

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At six raised tiers of speed, Kanchi managed to bulk up his tiny body twice, before the Hyper Beam hit. He stayed just conscious enough to use Rest and returned to full health through the move's psychic power. Then, while sleeping, he stood up from where he'd taken the hit and raised both paws, and smacked his cheeks, waking himself up with minor Force Palms. Mayhem's sharp eyes narrowed in anger, but Duarte smirked. "So, you do have some tricks. Good. Mayhem! Ready another one!" And despite being exhausted from already using a Hyper Beam, the Tyranitar charged another anyway, albeit slightly slower. Even as Kanchi could power through sleeping, Mayhem apparently could overcome its exhaustion. At least once. That probably got harder to do with repetition.

"Copycat!" Isamu ordered, "Then get Protect up as fast as you can!"

Aura radiated off the Riolu as his move copied the awesome power of Hyper Beam, and he fired back. It struck Mayhem full force and yet, through the dust from the explosion, that ominous orange sphere continued to grow, unfazed. Tired though he was from even copying the draining move, Kanchi managed to raise the beginnings of Protect thanks to Agility, but Mayhem's power blew it away and scored a hit. Once more, he was hurt but still standing.

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Isamu didn't wait. "Kanchi! Time to finish this! Low Kick!" Sensing what his Trainer had in mind, the speedy aura hound dashed towards Mayhem, who was readying, naturally, yet another Hyper Beam. The fighting energy encased paw of the Riolu's leg spun into the stocky Tyranitar's legs, and yet despite the size difference, Mayhem fell onto his stomach as the tiny fighting type stole his balance. Isamu followed up while he was prone. "Reversal!"

Kanchi's aura turned more intense; the deep almost reddish orange that fighting energy appeared as visually. He leapt, somersaulted in the air several times, and then came down between the Tyranitar's back spines, as he was smol enough to hit between them. Mayhem's eyes bulged, and he fainted as the damage from Low Sweep and the empowered Reversal, with a quad weakness to fighting moves, brought him down. As Kanchi leapt off his opponent, Isamu was there, smiling genuinely, with a fist bump. They bumped fists, and sensing his Trainer's emotions, the Riolu began to glow.

Isamu and his Lucario shared a nod, and then Kanchi returned to his ball, as Isamu readied Judenho. "I want your Honchkrow, Leader Duarte."

Duarte gave him a strange look, then shrugged. Sure enough, the massive black boss bird appeared with a confident gleam in his eye, as he took in Isamu. The green haired teen sent out his Raichu then, and the Honchkrow's smirk shifted to a frown. Judenho grinned darkly at the Honchkrow, as his electric aura flared to life around him. The Honchkrow let out a low honking caw, and around them, in the trees, Murkrow started appearing.

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Duarte went first. "You know what to do, Honcho. Haze." The giant black bird raised his wings, and with a single flap, turned the battlefield into a haze-covered murk. "Heat Wave." Duarte followed.

"Discharge!" Isamu countered, testing whose special attack was stronger. The electric and fiery energies collided in equal terms of power, and Isamu followed up with, "Thunderbolt!" Judenho launched it at what looked like Honcho's form, but it was just a trick of the Haze, now made heavier by the move collision.

"Psychic." Duarte ordered the counter, and somehow, the dark typed bird sent a wave of powerful psychic energy at Judenho, flinging him into the air, and then hammering him into the ground.

"Grab it! Quick Attack!" Isamu countered. Despite rising slightly slower, Judenho got to all fours, and then ran, rapidly striking Honcho, and then grabbing his body. "Thunderbolt!" Isamu called, and the Raichu summoned all the power he could. One hundred thousand volts surged through the Honchkrow, and yet, it did not die, but rather fainted, giving Isamu his seventh badge.

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Isamu and Judenho moved to the side of the field, to watch Alex, as he took his place. Though he looked irritated, Duarte promptly brought out his next Pokémon, which appeared as nothing but a floating sharp-toothed grin. Recognizing a Muertan Meowscarada, as Noir had since become one, Alex brought out Gauss. The Vikavolt tended to spend his days sucking sap from trees, or electricity from power poles they passed, in between being used on any Trainer with a flying type that Alex had run into. This clone's team composition meant that only Fulguron and Gauss were really equipped to handle them.

"It's like Noir." Alex said quietly. "Bug Buzz. Don't let it get close." Gauss buzzed an affirmative, and the electric yellow sparks along his body shifted to green. As the sinister smirk advanced towards him with fire manifesting around the fangs, Gauss let out an ungodly shriek manifesting and expanding as a wave of potent bug energy. The smirk shifted to a frown, and the lithe striped, green fur of the Meowscarada became visible as he rolled on the ground, holding his ears with his paws. The ever-present floating pink flowers also became visible, and Gauss followed his attack with a rapidly formed Thunderbolt, aimed not at the Meowscarada, but his flowers. The surging plasma arced purposefully through each of them, reducing them to ash.

With a grimace, Duarte countered. "Shadow Clones. Get in there with Fire Fang."

Alex responded with his own counter. "Bug Buzz."

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Though there were more of the Meowscarada this time, they were visible, and the powerful wave of screeching bug energy overwhelmed the dark feline enough to cause a faint. Alex tossed Gauss his berry of choice, since he didn't really care for any human food he'd tried, and Alex recalled him to his personal pocket plane to enjoy those noms. Next, he brought out another of his bug types that needed a workout. Blaze had actually recruited him, and after learning Ancient Power alongside Blaze, Velocibra had become a large percentage of their bug typed power.

His Yanmega took the field, and immediately, he started flying in a triangle pattern as his Speed Boost got to work. Even Eric had been shocked by how absurdly fast the Yanmega could beat his wings without them sustaining some kind of strain or damage. It also made his moves quite powerful. Frowning, and wishing now he'd saved Mayhem for this, Duarte brought out his Krookodile. "Alright, Chomper. Rock Moves. Crush the bug."

The crafty sand crocodile nodded and sank into the ground like it was water. "Stay high, Velocibra. Break any rocks that come near you and watch the shrapnel. Krookodile are crafty." His Yanmega was high above the battlefield in under a second, content to further build his speed, as Chomper took his time trying to get an angle. Suddenly, the crimson crocodile jumped up from the ground it submerged in, and with his landing launched a multitude of rocks at the Yanmega with Rock Slide.

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Already boosted by four stages, Velocibra's wings sped up suddenly and rapidly, and the resulting Sonicboom shattered every rock into a fine powder, surprising the Krookodile. Then, came the Bug Buzz. Everything Gauss knew of the move came from Velocibra, and the speed with which he attacked actually launched, by Alex's guess, three Bug Buzzes in a row. The powerful move rolled across Chomper, who then fell onto his back, fainted and clutching his ear holes.

Alex hid his disappointment as he congratulated his partner and then recalled him. He wasn't impressed with the lack of experience this far into the circuit. No warmup Trainers, and only two of the Leader's Pokémon, neither of which appeared to be his ace. The Meowscarada might have been, but a quad bug weakness was crippling against a special attacker like Gauss. He was supposed to face Drago next, and yet Duarte seemed to have made this a habit. While they'd battled, Alex had asked around, having spotted a break area on their way to the 'gym battlefield'. Apparently, Duarte rarely went more than three on three, because he wanted them fresh for the nightly raids from Selva Muerta's Pokémon.

Duarte recalled his partner with a sigh, and casually walked over, handing him a badge that looked more like a kid had made it, than an official League emblem, but Alex could tell effort had been made on it. There were giant trees, and the darkness flaring from between them made the whole thing appropriately edgy and ominous. Fitting, for the Sombra Badge. Alex spoke, as he pocketed the badge. "You guys have it pretty rough out here, huh?"

Duarte glanced up at him, his expression having been hidden under his hat until now. "Oh boy, is it my turn for some Imperial charity? Don't bother. The kind of buildings you make just crumble down onto my people and kill more of them. Tents are superior."

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Alex blinked, as the man guessed his intentions. "You need some kind of defensive structure, or they won't stop. I've been in their minds; predatory Pokémon will see a setup like this as weak enough to test. You need to make the attack not worth the effort, and even if they hate you, they'll try their luck on easier targets." Duarte raised an eyebrow, and Alex nodded. "Most predators, but felines especially, are actually typically rather lazy. An easy meal, and time for a nap, is always preferable to battling and being hurt. Usually. There are exceptions to that, especially among Fighting Types."

Duarte nodded with his reasoning. "That aligns with what I've seen. Hmm. If only we had a Tangela…or another prolific Grass Type. Tangela vines automatically attack anything that damages them, and as long as you keep them moist, they don't shrivel. Not hard to do, in a rainforest."

Isamu had come over as well by this point and he and Alex shared a look. Alex smirked back at Duarte. "How do you feel about lime green?"

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In short order, Alex had Chloros on hand and called out. Duarte looked up at the massive shiny Tangrowth, and it greeted him with a simple wave of an arm tendril and an unblinking stare. Isamu brought out Kuromuchi, and immediately, the two shiny Tangrowth stared each other down. Despite technically having eight badges, Kuromuchi ignored Isamu, far more focused on Chloros. The two seemed to be having a staring contest, as their vines linked, and they communicated. The neon green vines started glowing with grass energy, shining brighter until it became blinding, and Alex felt his Tangrowth tapping into the infinite power of the Meadow Plate shard he'd been given to hold.

When the light faded, Kuromuchi exploded in a cacophony of fresh, new vines, and the older ones, Alex now saw by comparison were much more brittle and almost shriveled, were willfully cut away. Isamu spoke then. "Kuromuchi hasn't really been able to stretch his vines for some time now. Being back in this climate helped, but he did eventually tell me it was just an age issue. But it seems…the shard of the Plate has rejuvenated him…" he looked up at Alex. "Pokémon like this could live forever while holding something like that…"

Alex nodded. "And so long as he does not abuse his power, the Plate shard will be his to wield. But I trust Chloros, he's good people." A wad of neon vines rose up around their Trainer then, and Alex chuckled as they tickled him mercilessly. In short order, they had given Sombra Verde the makings of a legitimate town, instead of a bunch of tents. Fifty-foot-tall stone walls surrounded them, topped with Murkrow sentries. Outside, on the ground, Duarte had his Meowscarada looking for trouble, or ground attacks. Alex had also had Simon reinforce the walls beneath the earth, specifically so they could handle an Earthquake attack, using human methods and technology, and replicating them with bending, and various types of ground and stone. Sombra Verde happened to be atop a large amount of granite, so that was what Alex used. That night, for the first time in years, the locals of Selva Muerta didn't test the defenses of the unwanted human settlement. Not in meaningful numbers, at least.

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Alex heard their cries and snarls towards the humans, and understood them, but they mostly boiled down to blind hatred over how much space the humans were taking up. Alex advised Duarte and his people against expanding outward, and recommended going either up, or down, when they needed to. When the sun rose the next day, they departed, with Alex getting Duarte to promise to take his next challengers a bit more seriously.

As they came in through Rio's southern jungle entrance, near the grass gym, they walked into what seemed like a crowd of people lining both sides of the route into Rio's center, waiting for them specifically. Apparently, people had seen the walls and sturdiness Sombra Verde now benefitted from, and thus rightly assumed Alex and Isamu would be heading for Drago next. The city was alight with eagerness. Cheers of good luck came their way, as well as quite a lot of homemade food, the closer they came to the gym stadium, which judging by the roars from within, was already packed.

As they came within sight of the entrance, there was a loud whoop and a sudden and increased cheer from within the stadium. The unmistakable baritone of Leader Drago filled their ears. "Laaaadies and gentlemeeeen! Our Challengers have finally arrived!" They looked up, and saw Drago, atop his Salamence, shouting down at them. "Now the only question is…who goes first!?"

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The cheers were deafening, and then, the crowd started to chant something, something Alex made a show of pausing and listening to, smirking wide as he heard the words coalesce from thousands of voices: "Ro Sham Bo! Ro Sham Bo!" He laughed, and turned to Isamu, who had already readied his fist. Once again, in front of all of Rio this time, probably, the Drone Rotom caught them engaging in some rock paper scissors. This time, it was the Dragon Emperor's mighty rock that was covered by paper, and thus, Isamu went first.

"Looks like it's the Padawan's turn first!" Drago shouted eagerly. "In the interest of fairness, I'll kindly ask the Dragon Emperor to wait in the locker rooms below, while the Battle is ongoing! No peeking, now!"

Alex looked disappointed. "I want to watch it though!" He shouted up at Drago, who heard him.

"You can watch the replay! Our Battle is going to be for World Tournament standing, and I want it as fair as possible when I face your best Dragon Types! The people of Rio's heart crave an all-out high level Dragon Type showdown! And we shall give it to them! But first, young Isamu must prove himself worthy of eight Badges! Please proceed to the field!"

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Grumbling and salty, Alex went to the locker rooms and sat quietly as he listened to the no doubt awesome spectacle above. He'd tried sneaking a clone through, but security was checking everyone's face, and the box he'd sat in with Iara last time was shuttered closed. Even the TV in the locker room was missing its power cord into the wall socket, and Alex's saltiness increased, as he decided he'd be wiping the floor with Drago. Nothing too crazy, but an appropriate reality check on the difference between a Gym Leader and a Champion. He started bamfing over his dragon types, as he had a feeling Drago would pitch a fit if he used anything else. Revan, Atlas, Fulguron, Gauss, Garuda, Simon, and Kurchak were all just as salty, as they'd been looking forward to facing some dragons. Psi, as usual, did not care, and had about twenty Bulbapedia pages open within his ball. "It's alright guys." Alex muttered, as he sent them to his main body. "We'll get you a proper eighth Gym Battle. I have to rework the Victory League's lineup anyway."

It was an issue he'd been putting off over Festivus, and the weeks that followed. Both Cheren and the Striaton triplets were retired. Skyla was demanding freedom from Gym Leader duties but still wanted to keep the perks of being Gym Leader, and Elesa had also announced her retirement. Things were, she claimed, just not the same without Burgh, and it was time for a new light to shine in Nimbasa. That meant his Victory League was down by six Gym Leaders, as Marlon had decided to stay in Fornia, and Nate wanted his free time back as well. Roxie remained at her post, and Clay intended on passing his mantle to his daughter. That left every other slot open and their status as the hardest League in the world was very much in jeopardy, but he had a plan to keep them sharp.

Nate had been the latest to withdraw his willingness to oversee Opelucid, though at least he and Elesa had replacements in mind. Skyla hadn't responded to him about who would take over her gym, and Lenora had also declined to take up the role again, meaning they now completely lacked a starting Gym Leader. The tattered state of the Victory League was going to be one of his first projects upon his return, as he needed a lineup before the summer started bringing new Trainers. Already, there were gripes on the Pokénet about incompetence from the Champion. There were also rumors that Will and Shauntal wanted to retire and start a family, but he had begged them to hold off, at least for this year, and they'd agreed to stay on, understanding how it would look if two of the Elite Four left as well. This had happened before in the Victory League, and not since Alder was Champion had things really changed. It was halfway into planning, finally, who would take such iconic spots in what was, arguably, his League, that he heard the victory announcement for Isamu, and the call for him to ascend to the battlefield.

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Alex had his seven dragons on him, including Archon, who had finally made his way to their camp, just in time for this match. He and Shruikan would likely end up doing the most work, as Drago's team was no joke. The other six he had with him, who floated into a semicircle behind his head, were Shruikan, Kalagon, Blaze, Arbor, and his newly competition ready Kingdra, Kral. Dracala took the last spot, though Alex doubted Drago would use anyone at his level if this was for World Tournament standing.

Alex put on his armor for the first time since the war ended, in its entirety. The roar of the crowd and the feel of his full raiment made him pause for a second, as the snow and blood filled images he'd witnessed from under the helmet flashed past his eyes. He shook his head free of them and focused on the present. Drago was still dressed in black and gold, flying on his Salamence, and judging by the look on the ground bound referee's face, it seemed like he'd stolen the man's mic. "Oho! The Dragon Emperor dons his armor, just for us!" There were just as many jeers as there were whoops, following the Dragon Master's statement. "I'm glad you're taking us seriously." He said, grinning down at Alex, and his levitating Pokéballs.

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image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/ditpntm-24322003-cd1a-4288-982b-e4f0fae3c8a0.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGl0cG50bS0yNDMyMjAwMy1jZDFhLTQyODgtOTgyYi1lNGYwZmFlM2M4YTAuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.C_410y89939IaL7CGDPARM0gI4p_9_o_UdppzvRgQVs]

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Alex shouted back up at Drago, and yet the entire stadium heard him. "I'm using all seven of my Dragon Types. Only one isn't quite ready for ranked World Tournament Battles."

Drago caught on to what he was saying. "Six on Six then! Substitutions from the Challenger only, and freedom to use all Moves and power ups as we see fit!" The crowd roared, as Drago and his Salamence descended back to the field. "You know my first pick! Summon yours, and we shall begin!"

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Alex thought his choice over carefully, as this battle now mattered, thanks to Drago. His several ranked battles on the Estrada Real had helped him keep his status in the top thirty-two, and he'd been sitting at twenty consistently, while other Trainers continued to battle and raise their points. Defeating a Dragon Type Master, and a Gym Leader ranked as the eighth in his region, would probably catapult him back up to tenth in the world, or even the single digits. Masters over a single type were exceedingly rare, especially in the modern era when any Trainer worth their ID knew type coverage was essential. Finally making his choice, Kral, his Kingdra, came forth from his ball, and though Shruikan and Blaze were salty, Alex prioritized his newer team members over a species both of them had fought plenty of times. They were just eager for a battle that counted, and he was sure he'd need them later for Drago's team.

The Salamence eyed the Kingdra, and growled a statement of respect towards him. Kral returned it with a trumpeting roar, demanding a worthy battle from the strong Salamence, and with that, the Drone Rotom began the match. Drago went first, mega evolving his partner as he shouted, "Get in there Sala! Dragon Claw!" The crowd roared as they bore witness to a Mega Salamence, hiding what Alex said to Kral, but the attentive Kingdra listened carefully.

"Bring the rain and snow. Keep it back with Ice Beam and use Agility when you can." Kral nodded, and psychic power surrounded his form as the Salamence closed the distance. With Agility, Kral dodged, and a series of rather accurate Ice Beams forced the aerial dragon to loop away from them, though one of the three did hit the dragon's flank.

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Again, Kral sped up, and again, Drago ordered the same move, and again, Kral dodged it with ease. This time the Ice Beams formed a frozen prison several feet thick around the Salamence, blocking off sound and sight, as the Snowscape mixed with the Rain Dance Kral had summoned. Alex had, while training his Kingdra, taken a page from arguably the strongest Kingdra known to the Trainer world, who just so happened to belong to Sikandar Jiyoshi. The Great Wall of Indius had no issues against dragon types, and Kral was lowkey Alex's answer to Raajapani, assuming he met Sikandar in the finals.

Finally, furiously, the Mega Salamence Brick Breaked its way free of the ice, only to emerge into a raging snowstorm. "Blizzard!" Alex shouted again, and as the Mega Salamence emerged, it was quickly shoved back into the ice dome, which became absolutely buried as Kral directed snow, wind, and ice to fill it and trap the Salamence within. A quadruple weakness to the cold made this tactic all the more effective, but Drago's Salamence burned free regardless with a mighty Fire Blast. To its credit, it did manage to drive off the Blizzard, but as it focused on doing so, the speed boosted Kingdra shifted into its blind spot and sniped it with a pinpoint Ice Beam, ending the round.

Drago grimaced, as he recalled his partner. "You Battle like the Indius Champion."

Alex smirked at him. "I Battle to win, and Sikandar is quite good at winning. I'm glad to be compared to the Strongest in Eous."

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The crowd cheered at his words, and surprisingly, there were quite a few loud shouts of Sikandar's name as well. It seemed the Indius Champion had a following on the Dark Continent. Drago brought out his own Kingdra next, and Alex had Kral fire off a Draco Meteor as it took the field. With Dragon Dance it spun past most of the meteors, though a few area of effects were unavoidable. As the Kingdra prepared to fire back, its eyes widened along with Drago's, as they realized Alex had made a switch, resetting Kral's depleted special attack power, and summoning the perfect counter to a Kingdra.

Archon's massive form rose slowly from the sleeping position he'd been in, and he roared at the Kingdra, his Voice shaking the air as he woke up. Alex's was almost comically small compared to it, as he shouted, "Dragon Pulse!" The stadium shook as the titanic dragon bridge fell to all fours, and the crowd cheered as they saw the sky darken in response to how much dragon energy the ancient Archaludon was summoning.

The draconic energy manifested the vaguely draconic head and wings of a dragon as it boomed towards the Kingdra, and despite firing an Ice Beam, the sheer amount of dragon energy overpowered it, and struck home. Despite being critically struck, the Kingdra held on, but Archon didn't even blink at the Ice Beam it launched and finished the sea dragon with another massive Dragon Pulse. "That Archaludon…" Drago said, as he recalled his Kingdra.

Alex nodded at the unasked question. "Behold Archon, Ace of the first Dragon Emperor! He has agreed to join my team. This is actually our first Battle together." Drago just sighed and nodded, bringing out a well-trained Flygon. Its wings buzzed to life as it faced down Archon and narrowed its eyes. "It'll be too fast for Dragon Pulse. Just keep the Rain Dance going." Archon nodded, and with a roar, the rain increased to uncomfortable levels. The ground typed dragon was visibly irritated.

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Alex switched again then, back to Kral, who began adding snow to the intense rainstorm as he appeared. Drago smirked, as Alex ordered an Ice Beam. "Flamethrower!" The fire and ice attacks canceled out, and Drago followed with, "Alluring Voice, go!" The Flygon tried to whip up a sandstorm, but the air was already dominated by the wet and cold. Powerful waves of fairy energy hammered Kral, who struck in turn with Ice Beam.

Both dragons were panting hard after that, and their Trainers repeated the moves called once again. Ice Beam from the sniper struck home, but so too did the fairy typed sound waves that Flygon shot at Kral. Both dragons went down, fainted, but Alex retained the lead. Next, came a dragon Alex had long sought but never found the secret to acquiring. Hydrapple was a grass dragon, a literal wyrm in an apple, but there were actually seven dragons in there, and the 'apple' that constituted its bottom half was no apple at all, but rather congealed and hardened (and quite delicious) syrup that Hydrapple naturally produced. Despite its sinister serpentine appearance, it was actually quite friendly and would often share its sugary syrup for those lucky enough to know how to acquire both a Dipplin and then make it evolve.

Alex threw Kalagon out, and his violent shark dragon started to drool as he scented the opposing dragon's syrup. "Kal!" Alex called, and the Garchomp snapped back to attention. "Watch the Syrup Bomb, it'll make you slow. You can eat some after the battle, right now, focus. If it hits you, you will be a sitting Ducklett." Kalagon growled an affirmative, and Alex pointed, holding up a Draco Plate shard that resonated with his Garchomp's Draco Plate, and empowered his dragon moves further, one time. "Mega Dragon Claw!"

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Kalagon shot forward with the speed of a fighter jet, closing on the much slower dragon as he attained his Mega Form, and somersaulted his massive draconic scythe arms through the air. They struck home not on Hydrapple, but the candy-coated shell they were all hiding in. It started to split but was quickly sealed by a spray of syrup from one of the wyrms within. "Watch the counter!" Alex warned, and Kalagon started spinning into a Dragon Dance.

Sure enough, Syrup Bombs started falling across the field, and though the ravenous Mega Garchomp wanted to bite one, he held off. "Sandstorm!" Alex ordered, as he looped around their side of the field. A sudden explosion of sand overpowered the fading rain and snow, and Kalagon's moves grew even stronger. "Poison Jab and Aerial Ace!" He shouted, trusting the shark dragon to use them as needed. In a display of aerial agility that the crowd had to watch through heat vision on the stadium's screen, Kalagon masterfully sliced through the Syrup Bombs with Aerial Ace. His scythes had such fine precision, that the syrup didn't even linger on his blades to slow him down.

They sank easily into the freshly made syrup, spreading dark purple poison with Poison Jab. At that point, the round devolved into a melee, and there was only one dragon that excelled in such combat on the field currently. Somewhat sticky, Kalagon emerged from the fading sandstorm victorious, but damaged, and Alex recalled him, as Drago did the same. The Dragon Master had lost his bravado with each defeat. Being down four to Alex's one did not sit well with his ego. He brought out a Naganadel next, and seeing its level, Alex only had one real choice. Also, Shruikan was likely to burst out, if he wasn't picked soon.

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Alex summoned his sparking black Salamence to the field, and Drago's grin returned. "Now that's who I wanted to see! Your Ace!"

Shruikan raised his head proudly, taking in the cheers that followed Drago's statement. Alex responded by raising his Key Stone, and Shruikan nodded, ascending to his Mega Form, and setting the crowd off again. A Mega black Salamence was a new sight for them. "Alright Shruikan! Plasma Bomb!"

Drago grinned darkly. "Keep pace with it." And despite sitting at a terrifying seven hundred points of power for its stats, the Naganadel kept pace with the Mega Salamence, with ease. "Dragon Pulse!"

The two dragons fired their projectiles and peeled off from each other. Shruikan Dragon Danced away from the arcing beam of blurple energy, but his Plasma Bomb was locked onto the biochemistry of the poisonous dragon. It slammed home hard, but the Ultra Beast was nowhere near done. "Alright Shruikan, Earthquake!" His Salamence smashed into the ground immediately, and the crowd roared as the electric dragon proved he could Earthquake as hard as the rest of his team, with ease. "Now get in close with Psychic Fangs!"

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Despite its attempt to dodge, the wave of rising ground caught the Naganadel, and then, in a blur of pain, Shruikan was there, his psychic energy limbs fangs sank into the Ultra Beast. "Leech Life!" Drago ordered, and the Naganadel shifted, piercing Shruikan with its stinger.

Before it could start absorbing, Alex shouted, "Fire Blast! Get away from it, and Plasma Bomb!" A massive five-pronged blast of flame suddenly overpowered the bug move and burned the Ultra Beast's stinger as it forced it away and then exploded in flame. Naganadel roared free from the attack's smoke cloud, Dragon Pulse ready to fire, but Shruikan had already launched his Plasma Bombs. Not taking any chances, Alex added, "Dragon Claw! Make sure it's down!"

Shruikan nodded and flew rapidly into the dust cloud of the exploded Plasma Bombs, found his target clinging to consciousness, and then ended the round with his claws. A thunderous crack boomed through the stadium, and the dust cloud instantly dispersed, as Shruikan stood victorious, and roared. The crowd roared with him, and his tail swished eagerly at so much praise. Alex was just glad to see him enjoying himself. His partner didn't smile nearly enough these days, and Alex knew why. He was smiling now though, and that grin grew wider on his sparking, toothy maw as he saw his next, and final, opponent as Drago shouted, "Come, Helion!"

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The evolution of Heliolisk was exceedingly rare, in that only Dragon Tamers from the Dark Continent had ever managed to figure out how to evolve one. Doing so, and bringing out Heliodon's full potential, was what had made the League qualify Drago as a Dragon Type Master. It was big, built like a Druddigon, but far less rough. Its leathery skin was primarily yellow, though its head and belly were mostly black. Four black spikes and three yellow spikes flared from either side of its head and a crest of spikes ran from its shoulders to its tail, but Alex saw no sign of the trademark frill of its prior evolution. At least, not until it stood up to its full height, and stared down Shruikan. A strange arrow-like shape burned to life over its tail, and with a roar, a burning halo of radiance appeared behind its head. White in the center, and ringed with orange, it glowed like the Sun, but the energy it gave off was electric, not fire. Though he'd studied Heliodon, there was much he did not know about it, like that its frill was composed of energy and not always visible.

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image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/diwcgf5-1814fabd-dad3-4aa9-b928-1044fda3d9f2.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGl3Y2dmNS0xODE0ZmFiZC1kYWQzLTRhYTktYjkyOC0xMDQ0ZmRhM2Q5ZjIuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.8uMscFvoQ6--c_yGk3kRsCm7tEV5KxW5RSsYbjPfV5I]

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Shruikan sparked with electricity in response, as he came around, and landed before Alex. The battlefield began sparking with the potent mix of electrical powerhouses that would normally never have encountered each other if not for humans.

"Plasma Bomb!"

"Solar Burn!"

The two electric dragon types fired off their signature moves, and the concentrated burning beam of plasma shot towards the condensed, spherical ball, also of plasma, where the attacks collided. This only served to properly electrify the terrain, as they canceled out.

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Alex grimaced and then shouted at Shruikan. "Time to use it! Storm Voice!" Shruikan looked thrilled at his Trainer's words. They'd determined using Hyper Voice to combine three attacks was a bit too strong for regular battles. But the Heliodon could take it, Alex was sure. "Dovah! Qo! Gol!" Shruikan chose his three elements, in this case, dragon, electric, and ground, and weaved them together with dragon energy into a swirling multi typed ball of pain. Helion looked back at Drago, whose mouth was open. Then, he reacted, "Reflect Screen, and Dig!"

The Sediidah exploded on the field as the Heliodon hastily formed a psychic shield, and then dove into the earth, its energy frill once more vanished. Alex didn't know exactly what that meant but given that he'd bet money the frill was a part of or reacted to the electric dragon's ability, whatever it was, he preferred forcing them to keep it hidden. He smirked, as he heard Drago call for Dig, and the counter was immediate, and brutal.

"Earthquake."

Shruikan was a speed boosted blur, and this time, his Earthquake was also boosted thanks to Dragon Dance raising his speed and his attack power. The field shattered, and the yellow form of the Heliodon appeared amidst the raging sea of earth. "Finish it!" Alex ordered, "Dragon Claw!"

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Drago wasn't done yet, though. "Helion! Sunny Day!"

Shruikan struck the electric dragon as he fired the burning orb of fire energy into the sky above the stadium. Shruikan roared in victory, but the referee didn't call the match. He buzzed the ref and growled, trying to get him to pay attention, but his eyes were focused on the sun dragon. Alex grimaced, as he made an assumption.

They were going to have to eat the sun.

"Shruikan!" His name got the dragon's attention, as Helion started glowing a bright, intense orange and yellow. "Use Psychic Fangs and swallow the Sunny Day!"

Shruikan gave him a look, and started moving, but mentally he said, "I'm not fireproof on the inside. You know this."

Alex sighed. "Psychic Fangs will create a bubble around it. You need to control that energy and make it yours. The Sun is just a star. And what are stars made of, brother?"

Shruikan smirked at him from the air, as he shot towards the Sunny Day.

"Plasma."

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As Shruikan opened his psychic encased toothy maw to literally swallow the Sunny Day, he winced from the heat but then turned it to his purposes. Alex called the move as fiery plasma became condensed, focused, and enhanced within Shruikan's maw.

"Plasma Bomb!"

With the light from Sunny Day literally eaten, which seemed to stun the crowd, and Drago, the Heliodon stopped glowing, and slumped, but slowly raised its head towards Shruikan. This time, the Plasma Bomb was burning red, and it practically roared as it detonated with enough force to shake the stadium, and the surrounding city. Alex slowly stroked his beard, watching with interest at the difference in power, and Shruikan sighed, as he had a feeling he'd be doing his sun-eating trick again. It wasn't that bad, though. Aside from a few painful but small mouth burns, he was fine to keep battling.

Helion however, was not. That final, brutal explosion had sent him into unconsciousness, and Drago recalled him, as he began walking across the field. Alex, meanwhile, examined Shruikan's 'minor burns' which were actually pretty severe. Nothing a Max Potion didn't fix, but they needed a better way to contain the heat of Sunny Day. Maybe Fire Fang, or dragon energy.

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The crowd started chanting as they realized the match was over, and Shruikan eagerly raised his wings. "Go on." Alex said, "Bask in the glory." He chuckled as Shruikan, still boosted from Dragon Dance, shot into the air with a victorious roar. The crowd was chanting 'Sol Comedor' over and over, and though he wasn't super familiar with what was left of Rio's languages aside from Common, he knew enough to know what Sol meant, and guessed they'd dubbed him the Sun Eater. Shruikan was definitely enjoying the newest of his titles.

Drago handed him the Dracon Badge, which was shaped like a Heliodon, but colored the blurple of dragon types. "That…is one impressive Salamence you've trained there." Drago said, offering his muscled arm for a handshake.

Alex took it, gripping it Norstad style, and nodded. "His temper can flare sometimes, but yes…he certainly is something." Their manly arm clasp ended, as the sound of the World Tournament rankings updated, and Drago winced, as he saw how far he'd fallen. Alex, meanwhile, had a wide smirk. "I have to thank you Drago. Your Battle got me back up to number nine."

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Alex and Isamu thanked the Dragon Master again and then returned to the locker room below to use the healing machine there. "What will you do now?" Isamu asked sensing rightly that Alex was about to finally dissipate this clone.

"I have some things to deal with back in Unova. You'll be alright in Paldea?"

Isamu nodded. "Aria wants us to take our Champion Assessment together, and I need seven more Badges to do that." He sighed, heavily. While he enjoyed Gym matches, they did, he had noticed, tend to get somewhat repetitive eight times in a row. The same was true even for Gym Leaders, but the system worked and had been in place for centuries. It was unlikely to change much.

Alex shrugged. "Naranuva may allow you to get credit from your Battles here. Gambino and Duarte may not end up being enough to count, given what happened with them, but the others should be fine. If there's an issue, just have the Paldea League contact me. I'll corroborate your competence." Alex held out a hand, then. "Good luck, Isamu. Once you work with the rest of your team some more, you're going to be more than worthy of Champion rank."

"Does…does this mean I'm a proper Scale now, too?" The green haired teen asked.

Alex shook his head. "Not quite yet, Padawan. But I think we can at least see about getting you a plasma sword. Finish your travels in Paldea, and when next we meet, we'll pay the Chargestone caves a visit." With their goodbyes said, Isamu left the locker room, and Alex bamfed his partners to his main body. The clone body he'd used for a few weeks now, by far the longest he'd kept intact, finally dissipated, leaving the tiled locker room emblazoned with Rio's colors eerily empty.