Prologue
----------------------------------------
The Gohara Desert – Plateau in Central Eurafricasia
----------------------------------------
He'd underestimated the locals when they'd told him how high the plateau was. Even with all his skill, it had taken most of the day to finally reach the top of the massive plateau, known in these parts as the 'Master Plateau'. There was a reason nobody climbed up here. The wind was too strong for most flying types, and though several of his teammates had been eager to test that, he had ultimately decided to test himself against nature instead.
Nature, for her part, was pushing back. The wind almost reminded him of Norstad, but it lacked the bitter, freezing cold. Looking around, he didn't see or sense anything for miles. He was alone, on the top of the world. He stared at the fiery sunset on the horizon for a moment, and then turned his deep blue eyes back to the barren emptiness around him. This was, as promised, the ideal place to train his team. At their level, a sparse field in a forest simply wasn't going to work. They were too destructive, if they wanted to train seriously and not catch some one or some thing in the crossfire of their ultimate moves.
----------------------------------------
The wind gusted suddenly, and the Trainer growled in irritation, one large hand clamping his black and gold hat down against his head before it could fly off. The hat itself was a throwback, to several years earlier, in terms of style. Most Trainers would recognize the style as Unovan, based on the era that saw the twins, Hilbert and Hilda, take down Team Plasma's first incarnation. It was an ordinary Trainer hat, really. Black in front, gold in back, with the symbol of his homeland front and center at the top against the black background. The symbol of eternal Balance, a Taijitu sphere of black and white.
His dark brown curly hair, as always in a constant state of 'needing a trim', curled up from under the edges of the hat, and was being windblown by the absurd speed of the wind on this treeless, deserted plateau. He hated when the wind messed with his hair, but there were more important things to deal with. Training in this kind of wind was going to be a problem for most of his team.
At a height of six foot five inches, or one hundred and ninety five point eight centimeters, the Trainer usually towered over most people he met. He wasn't fat per se, but if his clothes were baggy enough, he could appear that way thanks to his stupidly large body type. His current attire was the opposite of baggy however, as it fit his form with a tightness he wasn't used to, and highlighted his musculature far more than what he usually wore, but only when he moved. Human-made fabric simply wasn't as comfortable as what the Dragon had given him early in his training, but one simply did not turn down the attire one earned at the World Tournament.
----------------------------------------
The black and gold robe whipped wildly in the fierce wind. The symbol of the Original Dragon that was on his hat was on the back of his garment as well, and underneath, he wore a plain black shirt with a green Pokéball symbol upon it. His black and white pants, he'd kept unchanged, as he saw no reason to change them out, and he still enjoyed wearing the otherworldly material around his more…sensitive regions. They were black going up to his waist and crotch, as well as along his inner thigh, but the outer edge was a stripe of white all the way down on both sides. As his robe was usually tied, nobody really saw his pants.
Black flames contrasted with the gold coloring of the robe around its bottom edge, and its sleeves, which he'd been told was called a 'Haori' back in Japan. Given the nature of the World Tournament, and having been dominated by Ash Ketchum for so long, the Japanese attire hadn't really surprised him. The Japanese Leagues were incredibly popular, and easy to watch, and their clothing styles had caught on once the aforementioned World Champion had continued his winning streak against the strongest Trainers the world had to offer, every four years. He did genuinely like the garment, which came down to his ankles, or would have, if not for the wind, flaring it out behind him. He would've felt epic if he was battling like this.
While mostly gold, by request, he'd asked for the black flamelike pattern on the bottom of his relatively new attire to be added once he'd earned it. An obvious homage to a certain anime protagonist, and a subtle reference to his not-so-secret weapon. The wind gusted again, and as he felt even his large frame lifting from the ground, he decided enough was enough as he stamped his stupidly large feet firmly onto the plateau and cemented them there atop the earth. He focused his mind, and let the breath build within his lungs, but before he could do anything, the wind suddenly ceased. He exhaled softly, somewhat disappointed. He liked clearing the skies.
Ceased was the wrong word, for the wind still moved his attire with a light breeze, a credit to its strength, given that Air Lock was supposed to remove all weather effects. He looked up to see the long, snake-like form of his Rayquaza, arcing through the clouds. He was, as far as he knew, the longest Rayquaza on record. It made sense, for he was also apparently the first, and therefore the oldest. Or so the Legendary dragon had told him. He gave the Rayquaza a nod of thanks, and he could've sworn the dragon was smirking at him. He had no earthly idea as to why, but the ancient dragon had surveyed his training before, and he didn't mind. He tended to have useful insights, and the man considered him a friend and an ally, free to roam the skies as he pleased until he was needed. They had stopped several natural disasters in the making together, though he had no idea why Rayquaza was here now, quite far from where the Trainer knew he preferred to rest between meals.
----------------------------------------
After he adjusted his hat, the Trainer once more surveyed the area, and began mentally setting up locations for where his team would train, and with whom. As he reached for the camouflage patterned Pokéball, as always, in point position, a voice interrupted him mid-throw. "Hello there!" The Trainer turned, and stared the intruder down, slowly raising an eyebrow at what his eyes revealed. To all appearances, a perfectly normal looking human.
Normal, in this case, was a term he applied to the general masses of humanity that had yet to awaken their psychic potential. Even amongst them however, this man would've stuck out. The shape of his body was round at the bottom, and thin all the way up. His first thought, was how similar his shape looked to a bong, a glass instrument used in the smoking of Leaf, a herb this Trainer was particularly fond of, but not reliant on. Trainers the world over, particularly those with grass types, often shared it at Pokémon Centers, and the man was, at his core, a lover of grass types, and their relaxed vibes.
----------------------------------------
"Well well." The strangely shaped man said, "It seems the rumors are true after all. Unova's Rayquaza has a new Tamer." Alexander Redwood raised a brow at the man approaching from about a Pokéfield length behind him. He'd had his Rayquaza for years. Most people who followed Trainers with his kind of record knew that, though he supposed it was possible the man simply hadn't heard before. He didn't really use Rayquaza for battling, as he was more of a friend and advisor. Rayquaza appeared in the clouds again, and the ancient dragon coiled his massive body in the air, resting on said coils, and watched the pair from his lofty perch. Alex knew that through that dragon's eyes, his other mentors were likely watching him as well. Bunch of old crotchety bastards. He did like them, even if their sage wisdom occasionally left him more confused than anything else.
"He found me worthy." Alex said as the man across from him stopped, and put his hands on his hips. His attire didn't help his oddly shaped body. His bag stuck out from his overly round hip, not unlike the slide one filled with Leaf before smoking it. Alex resisted chuckling, despite the absurdity. There was something off about this Trainer and his appearance here, but he couldn't quite figure it out. His own psychic senses again confirmed the man was, seemingly, a normal human but Alex knew there was something special there.
----------------------------------------
He wore a robe similar in style to Alex's, so similar in fact, that it was uncanny. It was white, rather than gold, and a swirl of artfully woven red lines moved to Alex's right around the bottom. When the garment shifted, they appeared to swirl, almost like water, or smoke. His shirt was a plain, smokey gray, and his pants were white cargo shorts, several years out of style. Even his head fit the uncanny similarity to a bong, for his hat was white with an open top, which revealed an entirely bald head underneath.
The symbol on the hat was green, but rather than the normal leaf symbol, or even the spiky variant found in Grassium crystals, this leaf symbol had five prongs, each looking slightly serrated. Alex shook his head, and bit his tongue. His eyes were probably red as well, and though it was hard to see at this distance, he knew that look, the look of someone who was enjoying the highs a bowl of the Leaf gave. This had to be a prank. He was about to tell the tourist to kindly piss off, when he noticed a familiar stone on the strap of the man's bag. A legitimate Trainer, apparently, despite his appearance.
----------------------------------------
"I assume you're here for a Battle, then?" Alex smirked. The fact that he hadn't sensed this man at all had piqued his interest, something many Trainers unfortunately failed to do these days. Being in the world's top tier of Trainer could be boring at times, and after the World Tournament, many people recognized him, but only a few actually wanted to battle. He couldn't really blame them.
The man nodded. "My name is Clarence. Grass Type user. The best Grass Type user, I'd wager. I've beaten all the others that are of note. All except you, and your Torterra." Alex nodded, understanding. Of course. He was here for Terra. Everyone wanted a piece of the fabled 'Yggdrasil', and his legendary defense.
"I'm not strictly a Grass Type user." Alex said, flaring his robe open as he began reaching for the power, deep within. The strange new arrival was treated to the sight of what had to be at least fifty Pokéballs, clipped and miniaturized along the robe's insides. Alex kept his eyes from flaring up with his power, he had summoned just enough for a battle connection with his first Pokémon. Trainers with his kind of abilities had been allowed by the League, provided they stayed in their own heads, and verbally issued orders. Said orders did not have to be moves, though. Clarence eyed the collection of balls with a cursory examination, but his focus was on the camouflage patterned one still in Alex's hand.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
----------------------------------------
"I'm aware…your team is rather impressive, I admit, but I've seen plenty of impressive teams. You heard me, Redwood. I didn't come to this Arceus-forsaken wasteland for the rest of your belt. I want your Torterra." The man was smirking, but Alex pinched his brow, and sighed.
"Everyone thinks they can handle my Torterra." He said, looking up again, and then gestured at the field. "But, you're in luck. This is actually a battlefield that could handle his punishment. He might only break half the plateau."
The smirk disappeared, and what replaced it was hard to make out. Fear, perhaps? Constipation? "Break half of the Master Plateau? You're overselling, Redwood. I'm ready to buy, too much, and I'll lose interest. And then who will be left to challenge you? Who would take the risk?"
The smirk left Alex's face as well. "You incorrectly assume that the rest of my team is as wild as Shruikan. He's a Dragon Type. Honestly, it's like you people forget what Salamence are best known for. Ferocity. Everyone loses control, sometimes. That's why we have our friends to bring us back to our senses." The mood had shifted, at least for Alex and his team, who were connected by a series of mental links, stemming from their Trainer and forming a mental web of sorts through which they could share thoughts, feelings, and words. They did not take kindly to people who insulted members of their family. Alex kept their anger in check, however. There would be time to use it.
----------------------------------------
Before more words were exchanged, Clarence drew, and threw his own Pokéball. "Brute Root! This is the Trainer. Prepare for Battle!" The Venusaur let out an impressive roar as the flash of green light that accompanied its arrival faded. It was certainly one of the stronger male specimens Alex had seen, and unique in that the ten serrated-edged petals atop his tree were a deep forest green, rather than pink. Moreover, there was another stone upon its thick trunk stemming from its back, a Venusaurite. It had been a while since he'd met a Trainer who didn't use his method to reach a Mega Form.
A quick glance told Alex that this Venusaur, for whatever reason, was a pure grass type. There was no poison typing with it, which only further increased the strangeness of this Trainer. Pure grass type Venusaur weren't unheard of, but they were usually ancient, wild, or responsible for breeding many Bulbasaur. Such offspring would then go into the world, and usually acquire the poison typing from the pollution human cities still produced, despite their best efforts to stymie it.
"Impressive," Alex said, nodding at the Venusaur. Old memories of his own Venusaur, who had also been a pure grass type albeit with normal colored petals, filled his mind. His time as a League Pokémon had made him more of a breeder than a battler, which meant he stayed home at the Lab, these days. "I still don't think he can handle Terra, though…recall him. I don't want to hurt such a unique Venusaur. They're a favorite of mine…"
----------------------------------------
Clarence's expression shifted to a grin. "I know." Before Alex could ask what that meant, the Trainer opposite him pressed two fingers to his Key Stone, and Alex sighed. Evidently, this battle was happening, despite his warning. Oh well. He'd tried.
"Respond to my heart, Key Stone! MEGA EVOLVE!" Clarence shouted, as his Venusaur climbed to the next level of power in a long, drawn out sequence that really wasn't needed. Lines of Infinity Energy connected the Trainer and his chosen partner, as they slowly advanced Brute Root to his Mega Form.
"Are you done?" Alex asked, once the Venusaur was finished. It certainly looked impressive, and he had to admit he was curious as to why it radiated a familiar Stunky-esque scent from its newer, larger petals, but he still knew it was no match for Terra. Then again, he'd been wrong before.
"Saaaauuuur!" The Mega Venusaur roared a challenge that one didn't need psychic powers to interpret. Alex glanced down at his hand, feeling a twitch from Terra's ball. He'd been called out by a fellow grass type, and was more than willing to put this Venusaur in its place.
----------------------------------------
Alex shrugged. "It seems Terra wants to accept your challenge. Very well." Clarence raised a brow as his opponent gave the ball a casual underhand toss high into the air, and in another flash of green, a large Torterra appeared on the barren, rocky field.
Terra was everything one expected a titanic earth turtle to grow into. Like his Trainer, he had grown larger over the course of their adventures, and had to be pushing, in Clarence's estimate, eight hundred pounds. Minimum. His legs were not dissimilar to the species of tree in his Trainer's surname. Large, thick, and sturdy with large but well-maintained rocky toes on each leg. His shell was massive, easily large enough to ride, or camp on. The Ash tree on said shell was set in the center, and was large enough for a pair of Decidueye to roost comfortably, and the massive spikes on the right side of the shell were mirrored by three more on the left. That, more than anything, set Terra apart from his species, though such growths weren't unheard of in Torterra that lived long enough. With tending and care, Trainers could help keep their grass turtles from becoming unbalanced by their trees, and often, more stone spikes would grow to compensate, as said trees shifted to the shell's center. Moss covered each rocky spike, and gave the massive turtle the appearance of a Pokémon in his prime.
Despite all of that, Clarence appeared undeterred, as did his Venusaur. As impressive as Terra was, he was still just a Torterra. Terra looked back at his Trainer once he took stock of his opponent, and was seemingly unimpressed. "Torterra?"
Alex shrugged, seeming to perfectly understand what his starter was asking. "If you want. There's no reason to restrict yourself. This time."
"Terra." The earth turtle nodded, and then began to glow green, as a green aura surrounded his titanic form. The green almost metallic looking square affixed to his shell just above his head flared with the Infinite grass typed energy that he could use to power his evolution, and strengthen his attacks. With that, the already massive Pokémon began to evolve.
His form shifted as streams of green light arced up and behind Terra into the air, while similar streams of Infinity Energy from Alex's own Key Stone did the same, emanating from somewhere on his right hand. They met in the air, and catapulted his Torterra to the next stage of his species evolution at a much faster rate, compared to the Venusaur. The white horns on either side of his head grew longer, sharper, and the green that usually covered his head became white, connecting to his new head spikes, and forming a helmet of sorts. His tail lengthened as well, and a pair of deadly looking spikes on either side of the now clubbed tip shot out, just as long and sharp as the pair on his head. Each of the stone protrusions from his shell were humming with power growing the Torterra further in size, until he'd finished changing. The massive Torterra roared, and slammed the ground with his tail as the light faded, and his aura pulsed through the ground. The plateau around them trembled as the titanic tortoise stomped on it.
"Last chance." Alex said, smirking as the entire plateau ceased shaking. "I really don't want to injure your Venusaur. Now you know I'm not overselling. Recall him, and we'll enjoy a bowl of Leaf instead. Something tells me you'd like that." He couldn't help chuckling now, this was too ridiculous.
----------------------------------------
Clarence's hand moved, by pure instinct at the offer of Leaf, towards his Venusaur's ball, and then it stopped. He grinned. "Fascinating. No command…it just changed on its own...and so quickly. I didn't believe it. I guess Plates can cause Mega Evolution."
Alex raised a brow from under his hat. "This isn't exactly new information…people have been using Plates and crystal shards made from said Plates for Mega Evolution for…years, now. Have you been living under a rock?"
Clarence stiffened, and his Venusaur looked back at him. "Something like that… years, eh? Hmmm…let's just say that, where I come from, Mega Evolution in general is…a touchy subject."
Alex nodded. With the explosion of new Mega Forms the Plates had revealed, had come new problems. That much Infinite Energy coursing through a Pokémon, could have damaging side-effects. Without proper mastery and control, the Mega Forms could go berserk, and long-term usage could even, if wielded improperly, cause fatal injuries, or retire them from battling altogether.
----------------------------------------
As Alex had something of a hand in making Mega Evolution so easily available through Plates and their shards, Alex had also taken steps to find a solution to that particular issue. It hadn't been easy, but the results spoke for themselves: a world in which a Trainer, once they had a proper bond, could Mega Evolve their beloved partner without worrying about killing them. Normally, the influence of one Trainer wouldn't have much of an effect, but after it was discovered that his method actually worked better than just pointing and pumping Infinity Energy into one's partner, many Trainers chose to learn it, rather than risk hurting their Pokémon. Those were the people he gladly taught the technique.
Those who only cared about using their Pokémon as a weapon, with unlimited access to the most powerful evolution phenomenon yet discovered, and there were many, had not been taught the technique. He had suspicions a few had found ways around that, but for the most part, the scum of the earth was kept from limitless power. Pokémon were tools to them, but those tools would die, and need replacing, if they used Infinity Energy too often. Many countries had still opted to forbid Mega Evolution in their Leagues, but Alex hoped that someday, they'd change their minds. He'd travel to all of them, if he had to. Everyone deserved to battle on the same level, if they could handle such a thing.
----------------------------------------
"I understand." Alex said, finally, "But where I come from, it's been found to be harmless, now that we understand it." The problem with energy overload had been a uniquely Plate based phenomenon. Several Kalos Trainers had discovered that using Mega Stones limited the amount of Infinity Energy pouring into their partners, to the point that it could be safely ignored if their bond was strong and their hearts were one. That method of reaching the next evolutionary form had, if he was being honest, been what led Alex to his own discovery of keeping the power of Arceus from damaging his creations. Either way, Mega Stones were still nowhere near as useful as the Plates. They could evolve any Pokémon that had the same typing as the crystal or Plate in question, and the only thing a Trainer needed was a Key Stone, and a bond strong enough to handle the sheer power of Mega Evolution.
"I will admit…" Clarence said, eyeing Terra, "I was seriously tempted to take your offer. That Torterra is…well, look at him!" Terra slammed the ground again, though whether it was for effect or a result of impatience, Alex couldn't tell. Probably a bit of both.
"Impressive as you both are, it's not important. I don't care how many Badges you have, or how many regions worship the ground you walk on, oh future 'Tamer of Arceus'." Clarence said through a smirk as he used finger quotation marks, "I will have the Battle I came for!"
"Saaauuuur!" To Alex's ears, Brute Root echoed his Trainer's sentiment.
Alex sighed again. They really weren't backing down. "Alright. Fine." He said, finally giving in. He turned his hat backwards, the Meadow and Earth Plate crystal shards that were a part of the strap that held the hat in place and adjusted its size, became much more noticeable. He gave his usual smirk as he spoke. "Don't say I didn't warn you."
----------------------------------------
image [https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/107dc055-197f-4c79-a8d4-bf5e3018e03b/dgvrsvq-0f2af491-53a4-4191-ba5c-02058552205c.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzEwN2RjMDU1LTE5N2YtNGM3OS1hOGQ0LWJmNWUzMDE4ZTAzYlwvZGd2cnN2cS0wZjJhZjQ5MS01M2E0LTQxOTEtYmE1Yy0wMjA1ODU1MjIwNWMuanBnIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.1OdAd1P7Fht6D-pgohCP4VMIj86dIi6qqDGhdd4_P0I]