Okay, I want to stop with the tragedy for a bit, because I'm kind of tired of it. I'm sure you are too, but the fact remains that tragedy happens and we can't avoid it all the time. For now, though, I'll focus on happier times, or at least get Alpha back to his job. As Alpha and Rose walked along Route 5, he thought about what he was going to do next. He couldn't change the past, and while he would miss Blitz, he knew his lineage would survive, and that was a positive thought. He looked down at his sword and began to contemplate further.
"Hmm…" Rose looked over at him and asked
"What's wrong?" He met her gaze and replied
"Nothing. I'm just wondering if I should go and finish my training with the Musketeer Quad. They told me I was almost finished, but not quite. And since there's nothing going on, this would make an ideal time to become a master of the sword. I also need to master the final technique of my sword, Judgement." Rose looked at him again and told him
"It's only been about three, four months. You've already become very proficient with it. There's no need to rush things." Alpha nodded and said
"I know, but the sooner I have this technique mastered, the more I can focus on the work ahead of me which seems rather dormant right now. In fact, the only thing I have to ahead of me is taking care of Blitz's and Leya's child, who has yet to hatch." Rose laid a hand on the egg and said
"But he's getting close, isn't he?" Alpha nodded. They continued walking and Alpha thought out loud.
"While we're in this small bout of peace, I also want to come up with some more combo moves to teach you guys. The problem is, most of the moves I can think of can only be used really by you since you have such a diverse knowledge concerning special moves."
"Such as?" Rose asked him. Alpha collected his thoughts and told her
"Well, I've been thinking hard about your Focus Blast and wondering if we could combine that with anything, possibly Shadow Ball, and make a move that's powerful but can affect a broader spectrum of types." Rose thought for a moment, then began to charge a Focus Blast and Shadow Ball, like when she was learning Shadow Pulse, and brought them together to create a strange ball that a solid sky blue in the middle but had misty purple surrounding its core. She threw it at the ground to her right and created an explosion that made a small crater. Alpha regarded her with awe and said
"Boy, if you have a daughter I know exactly what moves she'll be learning and what I'll be focusing on stat-wise." Rose blushed and asked
"What if I have a son?" Alpha didn't miss a beat as he replied
"He'll be learning how to be a powerful Gallade, unless he desires to become a Gardevoir. I have nothing against it, but only male Kirlia can become Gallade, so with a son that option's out there. In order to make that happen, you need to convince Loran to have children first." Rose blushed again and she said
"When we have some time to ourselves, I'll make him see reason. I don't want to leave you without some way to remember us. I won't delude myself, I know we can't live forever. But we still have time to work on an heir or two." Alpha was touched by her words, and he said
"That means a lot to me, Rose. I promise I'll give you guys that chance, but take his desires into consideration. You shouldn't make your decisions based on what you think I want. I admit that I would love to raise your child the way I'm going to raise Blitz's, but I don't want you to rush it. Take the time to love each other the way I know you two do." They decided to move off the topic since it was both awkward and depressing to talk about, both of them knowing the circumstances under which Alpha would raise her child. He had always stressed that his friends could raise their own children if they wished, but it seemed to be a general consensus that he would have the honor when they were… no longer around. Shaking his head violently to remove those dark thoughts, Alpha began to see a problem in his prospective adventure.
"How do we transport this egg around without any risks involved? I don't want to fly with it; I doubt that I would drop it, and I know flying on one of my pokemon would be safe, but there are always the unknown factors. I would say take a ferry or ship of some sort, but you need ID for that, and all my IDs are outdated or irrelevant. I suppose we could do a lot of teleporting, but that idea I hate, and I don't know if that's good for the egg or not. This is a bigger dilemma than I thought. What do you think, Rose?" She considered the position for a moment, then said
"Well, I admit the idea of cruising around on a ship is fantastic. I haven't been on one of those since Hoenn, and I love the sea. But the only way I could think of getting on in your situation is to become stowaways, and that will just lead to trouble. You couldn't renew your ID?" Alpha shook his head and said
"Given that I no longer age, things would get suspicious, and it's too big of a hassle to keep renewing my ID in different regions every few years. Besides, even if it wasn't, someone would be bound to catch on, and then we would be in a heap of trouble. Even if they believed I was Arceus' knight, which I myself would doubt, they would be even harsher on me, a supposedly noble knight breaking the law. We need a solid plan." Rose thought for a second, then asked
"Would your badge work?" Alpha snorted and said
"I don't think every ship attendant is a Legend in disguise, Rose. No, this doesn't officially count as my ID. Maybe I should just wait until this egg hatches, then fly." Rose shook her head and replied
"No, eggs may seem close to hatching, but sometimes that can fool you. We don't have a good estimation of when it really will hatch, so the best course is by ship if you want to arrive in a timely manner. Could I just manipulate the attendant's mind into thinking you have the pass?" Alpha growled and said
"That's low, and you know it. I will not use your powers in that manner unless under the direst circumstances. And even then with hesitation. No, we can't do that; it just might cause more trouble." Rose pretty well gave up then and said
"Well, just wing it then. It's obvious we can't agree on a solution, and we're not going to get there by arguing." Alpha just sighed and they continued into Vermillion City, the famous port city. Kanto had become quite the hotspot with Alpha's, then Red, defeat of Team Rocket, and the most famous place was by far Lavender Town's Tower of Memories, although if he remembered correctly, it had been moved and replaced by a radio tower. Alpha hadn't too happy about that, but there was nothing he could have done about it. Moving past it, he decided to check around and see what had changed since the first time he was here. There were new buildings in some places, but the Pokemon Center and PokeMart remained the same as ever, which gave Alpha a sense of nostalgia. Then he wanted to check the gym for some reason. He knew that the original leader, Lt. Surge, would be long gone by now, but he still had to see the gym.
As he walked over, some people gave him strange looks at his abnormal attire, walking beside a Gardevoir holding an egg. Then they caught sight of his sword and rushed off, obviously scared by it, and Alpha began to wonder if he could get on the ship with it. They reached the gym, and Alpha felt a fresh wave of nostalgia as he beheld it, not looking too different from his time. When he walked inside, though, he could see that the electric fences were gone, a favorite of Surge's when he reigned over the gym. Alpha walked forward and saw the regular attendant who asked him if he was eager to try the gym challenge. Alpha shook his head and brought out his Kanto badge case, displaying it and saying
"As you can see, I already have this badge." The attendant looked closely and regarded him with confusion, then asked
"Who gave you this badge?" Without thinking, Alpha said
"Lt. Surge." The attendant began laughing loudly and Alpha asked him
"What's so funny?" The attendant composed himself and said
"This badge came from almost ninety years ago! Surge was here at the time, but there's no way you were! Seriously, who gave you the badge?" Alpha muttered an answer about having to be somewhere else and hastily left the gym. Rose caught up with him and said
"That was too close." She noticed his demeanor; he was shaking from sadness and rage, and she asked
"What's wrong?" His voice filled with emotion as he said
"Things have changed too much, Rose. I wonder, what will become of me? I will not age, but those around me will. I will witness every change that happens around me, whether or not I like it. And there won't be a thing I can do to stop it." Rose placed a calming hand on his shoulder and said in a soft voice
"Change is good, Alpha. You yourself should know this; you changed a lot along your journey across the world, and you changed things for the better whenever you defeated an evil syndicate who intended to rule the world. And now you will change the world further by making your mark on the fabric of relationship between humans and pokemon alike. Just remember who you are and what you stand for." Alpha straightened up and turned to her, then pulled her into a rough hug, softly saying
"I don't know what I would do if you weren't here to advise me the way only you can. You're right; I have to accept that things change; they have to, or the world will become monotonous. And if I'm honest with myself, I was fully aware that this would happen when I accepted the position. I just need some time to adjust." He released her and she smiled, but inside she worried what would become of him if she wasn't around. All the more reason to have a daughter who could take her place when she could no longer fill the position. For the time though, she suggested they go to the port already and try to catch a ship to Unova. Alpha agreed and they began walking again.
Two hours later…
Alpha was amazed at their fortune. As it turned out, there was some sort of special going on that involved the winner of a battle getting a free, all-expenses-paid ride to wherever they wished. It was a one-way trip, of course, and the battle was designed to be a real challenge. Fortunately, Alpha and his friends had almost no trouble winning, so they got the trip to Unova Alpha was looking for. He had promptly boarded the ship, after assuring the authorities that the sword was only for show (thank Arceus they hadn't challenged this) and he found his room. He looked over to Rose, who was still by his side and smiled as he said
"Well, looks like we hit the jackpot, eh?" Rose giggled and nodded, saying
"Now we'll get there in no time." Alpha decided he had had a long day and to call it a night. He returned Rose so she could get some rest herself in private. Then he carefully set the egg aside and undressed, clambering into bed and falling asleep shortly after.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Alpha woke to the gentle rocking of the ship, and he sat up, yawning and stretching. He got out of bed and checked the egg, which still had not hatched. He laid a hand against the warm, smooth surface and felt it rock a bit. It would still be a short while before the Charmander hatched. He began to wonder what he would be like. Odds were he would be as feisty as his father had been, and the thought made him chuckle.
He dressed and buckled his sword and badge, then stored his pokeballs until he was down to Rose's and Leya's. He knew he was on a pleasant cruise, but he wanted to keep a sharp eye, or mind, in this case, out for any possibly abusive trainers. He kept Leya there because he wanted her to be the one to witness her son's… was it really a birth when a pokemon hatched? Well, for the time (and Alpha wondered how the issue never came up before) he would call it his "coming into the world". Yeah, that would work. He released Rose and bade her a good morning. She yawned and repeated the phrase, and the two exited the room, going for the dining hall of the ship.
They entered a massive room filled with tables in the middle, and on the sides were various heating tables covered with an assortment of human foods, and even some pokefood. Alpha didn't think that would appeal to Rose though, so he encouraged her to choose from the human's section, which she was eager to do. They grabbed plates and filled them, Rose simply grabbing whatever Alpha did. They picked a table that was close to the exit which would lead to the top deck, and Alpha carefully set the egg on a chair next to him to ensure no one was tempted to take it. After taking a few bites, he motioned for Rose to contact him telepathically.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I want you to keep your mind open for any distressed feelings, especially from pokemon. We may be on a cruise, but there could still be abusive trainers around, and I'll be damned by Arceus himself before I let that get away from me." Rose nodded and continued eating, but he could feel her spreading her consciousness around the room, searching for anything that would fit the bill. After a few moments, she frowned, and she closed her eyes. Alpha could see she was concentrating on something, but he couldn't tell what. She would tell him when she was finished. When she opened her eyes again, she made contact with him again and informed him
"I can't be too sure, but I think I'm picking up some distress from a pokemon. Something small, and young. I can't tell the extent of the problem, but it's coming from that guy." She directed him with her mind to a trainer who looked to be near or in his twenties. He had short, sandy hair and baggy clothes, and it looked like he was rather irritated about something. Alpha shoveled the rest of his food, Rose following suit, then he scooped up the egg and tailed the man, hoping to see the problem soon. The man stopped on the path that led to the top deck, and since everyone was at breakfast he thought he was safe from anyone seeing him. He unclipped a pokeball from his belt and held it up, releasing the pokemon inside. When the flash subsided, a terrified Vulpix was staring up at its trainer, and Rose shouted in Alpha's mind
"That's the one, the little Vulpix! She's the one giving off that wave I felt earlier!" Alpha turned his head to her and asked
"You sure?" She nodded, and he brought out his money saving device. This kept track of a trainer's personal funds, much like a bank, and like a bank it had an interest rate on it. Alpha smiled as he knew he had never been much of a money spender, so his funds were extremely high. Rose looked over his shoulder and asked
"What are you thinking?" Alpha put the device away and handed her the egg as he replied
"Obviously I can't punish him here, and it would be a bad idea to demonstrate my power on a trap unless I fly out, which I don't want to do with that egg. So I'm going to try and buy her off of him." Alpha and Rose waited as the trainer began to rant at the Vulpix, making her cower.
"I can't believe you lost again! I feed you, I take care of you, and this is how you repay me?! I swear, you have to be one of the most useless pokemon! Maybe I should just throw you overboard and be done with it!" Rose began to growl fiercely, and Alpha quickly silenced her. He hated the man just as much as she did, but there would be no point in blowing the cover just yet. The Vulpix threw herself at her trainer's feet and began begging.
"Please, no! I swear I'll do better, just give me one more chance!" The horrible trainer just sneered and said
"I may not be able to understand you, but even I can tell what you're saying. But you've had it! I won't tolerate failure on my team, and since no one else will take you-"
"Hold it, sir! Please, wait!" Alpha shouted out, running toward him. He masked his voice to make it sound like he didn't want to tear the man limb from limb. He paused by him and tried to take the stance of an interested fan.
"Please, wait. I have a special interest in small pokemon, and I was wondering if I could take a look at your Vulpix?" The sandy-haired man looked at him in shock, but made a dismissive gesture and said
"Whatever." Alpha nodded his false thanks and bent down to look at the Vulpix. She was a small thing, smaller than usual, and he guessed that she was still very young. His rage grew worse as he realized that this bastard would have killed an innocent baby! He quickly forced his anger down. Blowing his top would get him nowhere, so he gently picked up the Vulpix, who tensed heavily. He began to make a false inspection, the way he had seen some doctors inspect his pokemon. He made sure to be gentle and not violate her privacy, though. He gently set her down and faced the man, putting a wide grin on his face.
"Well now, it seems you have quite the Vulpix here!" The man scoffed and said
"Then clearly you're new at whatever it is you're doing. This one isn't worth anything." The Vulpix lowered her head and Alpha nearly drew his sword. He abstained and kept his smile, however, as he responded.
"Well, I certainly don't think so. In fact, I'll pay you 10,000 for her." The man jolted his head up in shock, but after a moment it narrowed in suspicion. Alpha quickly said
"Not enough, my friend? Very well, 15,000!" Now the man was gasping like a fish out of water, and Alpha smirked inside. Now he could make the deal-sealer.
"You drive a hard bargain, sir. Fine, 20,000, but that's my final offer!" The man mentally slapped himself and took Alpha's outstretched hand, shaking it hard and shouting
"Deal!" Alpha's grin widened on the outside, keeping it friendly, but inside he reveled.
"Hook, line and sinker." He took out his banking device and connected it to the other man's, putting in the command to transfer the 20,000 to him. The exchange was made and Alpha handed the trainer his device back. He checked to see that the transaction had gone through, and when it had he smiled and handed the Vulpix's pokeball to Alpha. They bid farewell and the trainer left them behind, not even giving the confused Vulpix a second glance. She looked up at Alpha in fear and confusion and asked aloud
"What just happened?" Alpha gave a real smile to her and replied
"I just saved you from your abusive trainer. I couldn't stand hearing that he would have killed you because you're young and don't have the capability to battle yet. My name is Alpha; what's yours?" The poor Vulpix couldn't wrap her undeveloped head around this; she knew that whoever this man was had saved her from being tossed over the ship, but she didn't know what kind of person he was himself. Maybe her life would turn out better, but it could just as easily turn out for the worst.
"I-I don't have a name…" she muttered. Alpha frowned at this, and he looked up as Rose came around the corner, still carrying the egg. Alpha quickly but gently scooped up the Vulpix and walked over to her, and the vulpine seemed terrified. Alpha started to rock her and make reassuring sounds, then on an impulse he scratched her behind her right ear. She flinched at the contact, but soon relaxed in his grip. Rose stopped in front of him and breathed a sigh of relief, saying
"At least that wasn't too much trouble." Alpha nodded in agreement and said
"This poor little one doesn't have a name. I think we should fix that, what about you?" Rose nodded but said
"That should be left to you, though. You were the one to save her." Alpha shrugged and said
"Maybe, but if you hadn't found her, I would never have known she was in danger." Rose waved it off and said
"Look, I'm sure we could argue about this all day, but I will make you submit to the point that you were the one to spend your money to save her. You made the moves to save her life, not me. Ergo, you will be the one to name her." Alpha chuckled and said
"Alright. So, what would be a good name for you?" He stared at the Vulpix, who was watching him with bright wide eyes. A name he hadn't used before occurred to him, and he thought about it for a minute, then lifted her up to his eye level and said
"How about Lexi?" The vulpine's eyes widened for a second, then closed as she purred to it.
"I like it!" she replied, opening her eyes again and yipped in joy. Rose giggled and Alpha chuckled again, beginning to relax from his encounter with the trainer he hoped wasn't abusive to his other pokemon.
"So, what's your story, Lexi?" Her ears drooped as he set her down and she turned her face up to his.
"Well, I was with my family in our forest, when we heard the sounds of humans approaching. My mother grabbed me and started to carry me off, but we got caught up in a stampede. She lost her hold on me and I flew away somewhere. I found a rock and crawled under it to avoid the pounding hooves that would have trampled me. I waited for my mother to find me, and the next day I heard footsteps, so I stepped out. That's when that other man found and captured me." Alpha thought for a second, then asked
"When did this happen?" The Vulpix thought for a second, then responded
"Well, I can't be too sure since there's no way to tell time in those balls, but I would say it's been about two or three weeks." Alpha contemplated this for a moment, then said
"Okay, I'll tell you what; I have some business to attend to where we're going, but I don't think it should take too long. When we're finished, I'll bring you back and try to help you find your family. Are you okay with that?" He was pounded by the vulpine as she jumped at him and made a clumsy attempt to hug him.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried out, sounding happier now. Alpha smiled warmly and petted her, saying
"You're welcome. It will be a while longer before I can help you, though, but I promise I will do what I can for you." He scooped up Lexi and walked to the deck of the ship, Rose following behind him. Lexi snuggled warmly into his arms and he smiled. This was just one of those benefits from his job now, and he was determined to enjoy it. Alpha continued walking along the deck after having set Lexi carefully on his right shoulder and taking the egg back from Rose. He made sure Lexi was safe and comfortable, then walked out onto the battle field that was laid out for the benefit of any trainers on the ship. He faced Rose and said
"Okay, Rose, I think I have another idea for a combo move, and this one shouldn't explode in your face." Rose laughed at this, then asked
"How does it work?" Alpha smirked, then motioned for her to get onto the position where she would stand if they were in battle. Then he told her
"Charge a Shadow Ball in your left hand, and a Thunderbolt in your right, keeping the Thunderbolt balled up with your psychic power." Rose nodded and did exactly as he said, and she looked at him over her shoulder for further instruction.
"Now, position the Shadow Ball in front of your body, extending your arm all the way. Next, place the Thunderbolt behind it, making sure it doesn't get too close to the Shadow Ball. Let the Thunderbolt escape straight through it, and aim at the sky. Let's see what happens." He watched nervously as Rose faced away from the front of the ship and executed the maneuvers. She let the Thunderbolt loose, and it passed straight through the Shadow Ball. The interesting part, though, was the fact that as more of the Thunderbolt passed through, the Shadow Ball would continue to shrink. Further, the Thunderbolt that had passed through already was still yellow, but now a whitish color was accented in the middle, and surrounding the lightning bolt was a shadowy aura. When the power of both attacks finally dissipated, Rose was left standing there in awe at the power she had just unleashed.
"Wow…" she said.
"I think we'll call that one Shadow Shock" Alpha told her as he stepped up next to her. She faced him in astonishment and asked
"Where do you come up with these ideas?" Alpha chuckled and began to explain
"Well, you probably weren't born at the time, but back when I was fighting against Cipher in Orre, I came across many Shadow moves, all of which were super-effective against anything that wasn't a shadow pokemon. I remember four Legends were subjected to that fate, Lugia, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres. Each one had a particularly powerful shadow move relating to their types, and I wanted to imitate that. I don't believe it will affect normal types, but I can't tell if it will still lower an opponent's special defense. However, it will still be able to paralyze opponents. All I can say is, Psychic/Water types, beware. And with those Legends in mind…" Alpha delved into the pack containing his pokeballs and withdrew two. Holding them in his hand, he released the two inside, and when the light faded his Houndoom, Mark, and his Froslass, Theya, popped out in front of him. Alpha knew had these two not been trained specially by him, there would be a far different reaction going on. Houndoom were natural disasters to Ghost/Ice types like Theya. As it was, they greeted each other warmly, then turned their attention to their trainer. He faced his Houndoom and said
"Mark, I have an idea for a new combo move I want to teach you. The same goes for you, Theya." They both nodded and awaited instructions. Alpha directed Mark to the area that Rose had recently occupied. Then he said
"What I want you to do is charge a Shadow Ball in front of you. Hold it and use Flamethrower, making sure to direct it through the Shadow Ball." Mark reacted in surprise, but he immediately set to work. He opened his mouth wide, and small wisps of shadow formed in front of him, creating the first stage of the new combo move. Then the back of his throat began to glow a fiery red, and he shot the flames from his mouth and aimed it at the Shadow Ball. Like before, the Shadow Ball decreased as the second attack went through it, and the Flamethrower was altered after it passed through. It was now a darker shade of red, so instead of it being bright and colorful, as usual, it was a fiery, blood colored crimson. Alpha smiled and told Mark
"Congratulations. You just learned Shadow Burn." Mark gave him a toothy smile and stood aside to let Theya take his place.
"Okay, Theya, much the same, but I want you to use Ice Beam." She nodded and charged a Shadow Ball in her left, an Ice Beam in her right. She adopted the same position Rose used before, and Alpha wondered if she had contacted Theya, then Theya unleashed a dark, glittering beam of ice. Where it struck, a massive stalagmite of the darkened crystal formed, glinting in the bright sunlight, reflecting within it the beauty of the power of ghosts. Alpha chuckled and said
"And that, ladies and gentleman, is Shadow Freeze. Mark, melt that with Shadow Burn, if you please." Mark seemed eager as he quickly charged the Shadow Ball and fired his Flamethrower, aiming at the ice and even sweeping his head a bit to get maximum range. Thankfully, the Shadow Ball remained in front of his face the whole time, giving Alpha a bit of relief on that point. He knew that the combo attack wouldn't work as well if it didn't fully utilize the ghost move, but he hadn't been sure if circumstances would have worked in his favor if the secondary move missed the base move. Now confident in these discoveries, he allowed his pokemon to crow in delight at these new moves and the power it presented them with. Then he returned the two he brought out, satisfied with the success, and took a seat with Rose on a nearby bench. Lexi stepped down from Alpha's shoulders and curled up between him and Rose, and they both looked down fondly at her. Alpha rubbed her back and whispered
"I remember when Lucy was like that. She was so sweet, and always bitterly rivaled with Woof. They never got tired of shooting fire at each other. Woof could handle it better, but Lucy has Flash Fire, so he was really helping her defeat him. The look on his face was so funny, but when he evolved before she did, he had accidentally found a Fire Stone, she became… infatuated with him. With his help, they found another Fire Stone and evolved her, and the two became mates." Rose smiled and said
"That's a nice story, Alpha. How many more do you have like it?" Alpha chuckled and said
"More than you think. And you know, there were quite a few pokemon that I received from a trade or a professor, but the majority of the pokemon I have I rescued in one way or another. You, for example. I later learned that I had rescued you from the clutches of a man who was affiliated with the pokemon black market. You surely would have come in for big money, a young virgin female Ralts. If I hadn't been in Rustboro that evening, who knows where you would be right now?" Rose shuddered and replied
"Let's not think like that, okay?" Alpha shook his head and responded
"You don't understand, Rose; it's pretty much my job to think like that. If nothing else, it serves as both an incentive to continue and as a reminder of what can happen if I slack off. The best thing to do would be to shut those accursed black markets down for good, but they have a way of hiding. Besides, even if they do get shut down, some lowlife will just start it back up. The fact remains that my job is to protect all pokemon from danger, but I'm just one guy. I don't think Arceus has another knight…"
"Why don't you just ask him?" Rose asked. Alpha shook his head and replied
"No, if he did have another knight, wouldn't he have just sent me straight to him, instead of sending me to train under the Musketeers? Moreover, Heatran explained that my sword was a one-of-a-kind, never made before. Even if Arceus had another knight before me, he fell out of grace and Arceus could see the potential in me, so he enlisted me. At any rate, there's no one I could think of who would know the position I find myself in, spreading justice over the lands. I used to be just a kid, a simple-minded kid who, like the rest of my peers, aspired to be a pokemon trainer. In Orre, though, there was no such thing as the Pokemon League. All you had to do was challenge wild pokemon until you could take on trainers. I already had an advantage in that my father had left me a pokemon before he died." Rose stared at him for a moment, then asked
"What was it? And where is it now?" Alpha chuckled and reached into his pack, drawing out a pokeball.
"He left me an Eevee, which I evolved into an Umbreon. I named him Umbra, perhaps not very original, but it suited him. Come on out, Umbra!" The pokeball opened in his hand and a flash of bright light settled on the floor before him, revealing an old-looking Umbreon. He looked up at Alpha with some effort, and he smiled and said
"Hello again, Michael." Alpha rolled his eyes and responded
"My name's Alpha, didn't you get the memo when Arceus revived me?" His smile grew and he replied
"I've known you longer than any of your other pokemon, and you have always been Michael to me, no matter what region we visited. Since you couldn't understand me before, you couldn't contradict me. Besides, you wouldn't deny an old pokemon the pleasure of referring to his oldest friend by his real name, would you?" Alpha chuckled and picked him up, setting him in his lap and scratching him behind the ears.
"No, I wouldn't. You have been with me the longest, so I guess I would expect you to remember my name by this time." Alpha thought back to the times they had experienced, then laughed a bit.
"Heh, remember that pathetic first grunt we battled against?" Umbreon scrunched his forehead in thought, then asked
"The one who had the Teddiursa which was the first shadow you caught after having just received the Snag Machine?"
"That's the one" Alpha answered.
"He had a strange personality, as I remember. Didn't he rush to tell his boss the developments of his mission, leaving the Teddiursa behind without a fight?"
"Yep. And we went all over the place to find the professor. From Agate, to Gideon, and Pyrite. When we finally found their base, we attacked with a vengeance. That pink-haired girl was quite the annoyance, though. She gave us some trouble, she did." Umbra nodded his head thoughtfully, then said
"By far, the one who annoyed me most was the arrogant idiot who thought he had control of Phenac. He depended on those moronic sextuplets to disguise themselves as the leader of that gym, what was his name?"
"Justy."
"Right. It was amazing no one suspected anything, even when they came out. Of course, by that time most of the citizens had been trapped underground. Still, that guy was quite the irritation, thinking he had the world under his finger, when in reality he was one of the weakest leaders! If anyone was powerful and wasn't the mastermind, it was that gorilla-man."
"Oh yeah, Gorigan."
"You know, after you left for Kanto the wild pokemon really started coming back. And that was when I found my mate, Mei. Arceus, did I love her, and she blessed me with six little ones, which you have done a remarkable job with. Can I see my children, Michael?"
"Of course" Alpha replied, already fishing out the remainder of his Eeveelutions. He released them all and let Umbra back onto the ground. They all rushed him, the girls shouting
"Daddy!" The boys approached more slowly, but they had grins on their faces all the same. Alpha smiled at the sight of them all. Ruby, the Espeon; Pyro, the Flareon; Aqua, the Vaporeon; Spark, the Jolteon; Crystal, the Glaceon; and Ivy, the Leafeon. He had loved them all equally and raised them to be as strong as their father after he had returned briefly to Orre for a visit and found that Umbra had started a family. He had been very proud of him, and he helped Umbra to the best of his ability since his mate as disappeared overnight. Umbra had agreed to let Michael take them under his wing, as long as he could come along.
Michael had acquiesced and soon Ruby, a female, had evolved into an Espeon. It wasn't hard to find the stones to evolve Pyro and Spark, both boys. Aqua had been a bit harder to work with though. She had always loved water but couldn't decide whether to become a Vaporeon or not. Eventually, she touched the Water Stone and evolved, and she hadn't regretted it, except for not becoming one sooner. The last two, both female, had waited to see what they could be. Luckily, after Michael's, then Lucas, Sinnoh journey, he had learned there were two more options for them. He quickly presented them, and both girls had been excited about the news. One of them loved the cold, so being a Glaceon was the obvious choice. Ivy wasn't all too sure, but since she didn't want to be anything else, she settled for Leafeon, growing to like it, no pun intended. Alpha relaxed and let the overlapping voices wash over him, feeling truly at ease again.
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Alpha stepped off the cruise ship onto a port in Castelia City, appreciating the reprieve. The cruise had been nice, but he felt rather confined there. He didn't want to waste any time, however, so he made sure Lexi was secure on his shoulder, Rose still by his side, and the egg safely in his clutches. Recently the egg had been shaking somewhat, and he could swear every now and then he could hear one or more squeaking sounds coming from it.
It was getting close to night, however, and Alpha remembered that the journey across Skyarrow Bridge was particularly long, so he decided to grab a room in the local Pokemon Center for the night. He found it quickly and went inside, and people looked at the door as they usually do when someone new arrives. The difference, though, was that the sight that greeted them was stranger than normal. Here was an adult man wearing some odd clothing indeed, with a sword no less, traveling with a Gardevoir outside of its ball, a Vulpix on his shoulder, and carrying an egg. It wasn't the egg so much that was strange, that was normal in itself for the occasional trainer, but to be keeping a pokemon out of its ball was rather weird. But this man was keeping two pokemon out. Alpha ignored the stares he received and went to the front desk, whereupon he said
"I need a room for the night, please." The nurse took his visage in for a moment, then snapped back to work.
"Very well. Sign here, please." Alpha signed his new name (though it wasn't very new to him anymore) and the nurse stared at it and him for another moment. She shook her head slightly and muttered something that sounded distinctly like
"-showoff trainers." Alpha accepted his room key with a nod, and then to allay the stares he returned Rose to her ball and stared them back. They quickly returned to their other business and he went to his new room. He unlocked the door and went inside, appreciating the simplicity of the motel-like accommodations. He set aside his pack and searched around the room to see if there might be anything suspicious. He had begun to wonder if he was being watched, and that was important tonight because he had a question for Arceus, one which, after his conversation with Rose back on the ship, would not let him relax. After he determined nothing was out of the ordinary, and he closed the curtains he called to Arceus. The god appeared in front of him, scaring the living daylights out of Lexi, and it took a little while to soothe her. When she understood who it was in front of her, her big eyes grew rounder, and both Alpha and Arceus chuckled. Arceus looked at Alpha and said
"So, you wished to speak with me?" Alpha nodded and sat down on his bed, rubbing his temples since he'd had a headache for a while, the matter in his mind giving him worry.
"Arceus, tell me the truth; am I your first knight?" Arceus sighed and was bathed in a soft white light. When it dissipated, what was revealed was a human that had the same presence as Arceus, and his resemblance to the god's looks was somewhat uncanny. He wore all white; shirt, pants, jacket, even his hair was white! The only difference was that he was wearing a gold, emerald studded belt and golden shoes. His red eyes pierced Alpha as he answered the question.
"No, you are not the first choice I have made for a knight. However, you are the first to have made it this far." Alpha's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he asked
"What do you mean 'made it this far'?" Arceus sat in a chair and faced him, then replied
"You do not honestly believe that I made the choice to adopt a knight only after seeing your pokemon, do you? No, I have had that idea for many, many years now. I chose to test you to see if you were worthy of becoming my knight. I have tested many young trainers whom I thought could be potential allies to my cause. However, they were either too brash to realize not to take on certain enemies, or that committing certain acts would result in the loss of their status. Only recently have I realized that someone who has extensive life experience could avoid such a fate, but for obvious reasons that was out of the question. Once I saw the conditions that faced you and your pokemon, I figured I could use the situation to my advantage. I restored your youth but kept your memories so you would not lose the wisdom you gained during your lifetime. By doing this, I ensured that I did not select an idiot or a cripple to spread peace throughout the land. I'm sorry you're not the original knight, but I am happy to say that so far you are my favorite." Alpha bent his head in disappointment, but if he was honest with himself, he figured this would be the answer. Arceus stood and said
"Listen to me Alpha; we often have questions, and we will not be satisfied until we have our answer, even if it isn't to our liking. However, I will say this; of all the knights I have enlisted, you are the only one who has been able to draw that sword. Even if you aren't the original White Knight, you are by far the worthiest of the position. And I understand that things have changed too much for your liking. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't take advantage of it, either. The fact that no one besides your pokemon know you among the human world means that you can give information that might otherwise cause you harm in return for other, more useful information. Life will throw many surprises at you; what determines who you are is how you react to them." And with that the deity took his leave. Alpha gathered his thoughts and sat back, releasing a pent up breath. He could accept he wasn't the first knight in Arceus' roster, and it was heartening to know that he had been the only one to be able to utilize the sword's power. But there was something rather depressing about being just another face in the lineup. Perhaps his case was unique, but that didn't move past his issues that none of the other knights had faced. Or had it been worse for them, sending their pokemon to a sure death?
Alpha couldn't tell, but he knew this much; out of all the knights, Arceus said he had survived the longest, and while that was frightening to some level, it also encouraged him to continue. At least, while he was the only one able to wield the sword's power, he could use it to further the goals of spreading peace and goodwill. With that in mind, and with the prospect of being the first knight to master the sword, he soon fell asleep.
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The next morning he decided to set out early. He returned the key to the desk nurse, who seemed surprised for someone other than her to be up so early. He left without saying anything and continued down the road to the gate entrance/exit. He came out and saw a wide expanse of ocean, and hovering over it was a long bridge he couldn't see the end to. Setting his apprehension aside, he climbed up the stairs to the bridge and began his long trek across. While he walked, he stared out over the ocean, wondering just what creatures could be found in the briny depths.
There was your general sea pokemon, of course, but many scientists were convinced that there were others that they had yet to find, just as there were new discoveries about existing pokemon every day. Alpha walked on, sometimes passing other people along the way. When he was about halfway across, Alpha heard a loud cracking noise. He looked around until he felt the egg in his arms shake violently. He quickly looked down and realized there were cracks spreading across the surface of the egg. His hand zoomed to his belt and he released Leya, not wanting her to miss this. She yawned and asked
"What's going on?" Alpha didn't have time to respond as the next loud crack resounded through the air. Leya's expression widened in surprise, then changed to ecstasy. Before long, the cracks began to glow and the egg pulsated in Alpha's arms. He set it on the ground, and a bright light consumed the egg. After it faded, a new pokemon entered the world. It was a small lizard-like thing, smooth and colored a dull orange with large blue eyes. The most notable feature, however, was its tail which glowed with a bright orange flame. The new pokemon was lying on its side, and Alpha bent to pick it up, and as he did, the little pokemon cooed happily, then spat a steady stream of fire that caught Alpha full in the face, leaving him charred and with an eye twitching. He fell over and Leya picked up her child, cuddling him. Tears of happiness filled her eyes as she held him, and soon Alpha picked himself up and brushed himself off, saying
"The kid takes after his father pretty well." Leya looked at her child in the eye, and she could detect traces of the determination that had always filled her late mate's gaze. She felt a sense of longing to be with him again, so he could see his proud son. Alpha came up to her and inspected the child for himself, and he couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia when Blitz had been presented to him as his partner, and he rubbed the Charmander under the chin, making him smile. Alpha smiled as well and asked Leya
"What do you want to name him?" Leya smiled at the little lizard and responded softly
"Casey." Alpha smiled a bit, then said
"Casey it is. What do you think we should do now?" Leya looked at him, her face narrowed in concentration. Then she said
"I think, if you're okay with it, that I should stay with him, at least for a while. I want to get to know him more. After all, he is my child." Alpha nodded and said
"Of course. What do you think of that, Casey?" Casey turned to Alpha and unleashed more fire in his direction; Alpha's shout of pain could be heard, and when the torrent of fire ended, Alpha was revealed, looking blackened, though his clothes were fine, and he stood lopsided. As he began to fall, he said
"Yeah, he definitely takes after his father." Then he fell to the ground, his legs sticking up into the air, and Leya laughed again, feeling lighter than she had as of late. Alpha picked himself up again and joined in her laughter, and the three began walking again, Leya speaking to her child, who was staring at her with wide eyes. After a couple of hours, the end of the bridge came into sight and Alpha ran to it, emerging in Pinwheel Forest. He waited for Leya to make her arrival, then he began to let out his pokemon, one at a time. He put Lexi on his shoulder, saying he had a friend for her to meet. When all of his pokemon were staring at him, he told them
"Okay gang, while I'm training with the Musketeers, I want you guys to relax and stretch yourselves. Enjoy the forest, just don't cause trouble, okay?" His pokemon agreed amiably, and he added
"Also, Lucy, I want to speak with you for a minute." As his pokemon dispersed, Alpha took Lexi off his shoulder and set her in his arms to wait for Lucy. When she began walking toward them, accompanied by Woof, Lexi gasped but didn't say anything. Lucy stopped in front of Alpha and eyed the vulpine pokemon with curiosity. Alpha set her down in front of him and told Lucy
"This is Lexi. I found her with a trainer on a ship about a week ago. He was going to throw her overboard since she couldn't battle, and that's because she's still a baby." Lucy's hackles raised, and she growled menacingly. Lexi cowered, and Alpha told Lucy to stop. When Lucy realized what she was doing to the young pokemon, she immediately stopped and said
"I'm sorry, little one. I just hate the idea that someone would force a cub into battle with not even the most basic of moves, then try to kill them because they can't battle!" Lexi's posture straightened a bit, and she ventured forth cautiously. Lucy turned to Alpha and asked
"What do you wish for me to do with her?" Alpha smiled and said
"Lexi was separated from her family, so I figured she would feel more comfortable with someone of her own species. I just want you to play with her, if you don't mind." Woof chuckled and responded
"I don't mind; we could think of it as… practice, for when we decide to have children ourselves." Lucy blushed somewhat, and Lexi cocked her head in confusion. Lucy brushed the child's questions aside and scooped her up in her numerous tails, setting her on her back. Lexi yipped in excitement, and Alpha smiled as he watched the three disappear into the forest. Then he turned and began to walk down the path, searching for the way that would lead him to Rumination Field. Alpha walked along the paths until he found the one that was familiar to him. He walked along it until he came across a river, and Alpha recognized the river, but not this specific part of it. Alpha looked down both ways to see which part looked more familiar, and he chose his left. He continued to walk down it for about ten minutes, then came across his training spot with Terrakion. He recognized it because of the jagged rocks that were the result of his training with Terrakion, mostly deflecting or dodging his Hyper Beam. It was not an easy task, but he had steadily gotten better at it. Of course, Terrakion had significantly lowered the power of the move so that Alpha wouldn't have been obliterated until he was sure he could handle it.
Alpha smiled as he remembered the training, then he walked back into the forest down the path he had taken so many times before. He continued until he recognized the area where Keldeo had tutored him in courage, which he was actually a very good teacher with despite his youth. He walked on until finally he came upon Virizion's dwelling, Rumination Field. No one was there at the time, so Alpha decided to meditate for a while. As he did, various small grassland pokemon came running through, and while some looked at him curiously, most simply ignored him and continued about their business. Alpha smiled as he saw a small pair of Cottonee floating around him, begging him to play with them. He finally relented and drew his sword, summoning some air currents to blow them around for a while.
The two squealed in delight as they romped with each other in midair, and Alpha smiled at the sight. He remembered when his Whimsicott, Scott, was a little Cottonee. He would often use a handheld fan to blow him around when playing with him, and Scott had been eager to evolve so he could float higher. Alpha, then Black, had caught Scott in this very forest, and he wondered how Scott felt to be back home again. A rustling sound caught his attention and he stood quickly, not raising his sword, but not lowering his guard either. Virizion appeared from the back of her field, and she was surprised to see Alpha again.
"Alpha, what are you doing here?" Alpha smiled at the opportunity and replied
"Playing with these little Cottonee." Virizion's face became impassive and she stated
"You humans and your sense of humor. Why have you returned?" Alpha sheathed his sword, telling the Cottonee he could no longer play, which they complained about but left all the same, and Alpha returned to seriousness as he answered Virizion's question.
"I have come back to finish my training. So far, there isn't anything going on and I thought since my training wasn't finished yet, or so you told me, I would finish it up and be on my way." Virizion stepped forward and told him
"Well, I'm afraid we won't be able to help you. Terrakion, Cobalion and Keldeo have returned to their various dwellings. I have no issue with you staying here until they return in a few months' time but until then your training will remain incomplete. I apologize for this, but we were not aware you would be returning so soon." Alpha waved a hand and said
"That's alright, you each have lives of your own. I understand. I suppose we could hang around here for a while. Leya needs to get better acquainted with her child anyway." Virizion regarded him with confusion, then asked
"What do mean by 'we'? And who is Leya?" Alpha responded
"By 'we' I mean my pokemon and I. And Leya is my Dragonite. Recently, her mate passed away, and they left me an egg. I hatched it, and right now she and her child, Casey, are becoming acquainted with each other." Virizion walked over to the spot where she often rested and lay down, saying
"I am sorry to hear of your loss. And I wish to say congratulations as well. Taking care of a friend's child can be very rewarding." Alpha looked up at the canopy for a second, then returned her gaze and said
"Thank you. It means a lot that you care about my well-being, whatever the reason. But I fear that I'll be losing one more friend soon. I hope I'm wrong, but my hunches have yet to fail me."
"Well, whatever the case, just know that while your friends may not be with you in body, they shall always remain with you in spirit. And that is a bond that can never be severed, no matter what happens." Alpha nodded and bowed to her, and as he rose, he could hear a voice behind him.
"Michael, can I speak with you?" Alpha flinched and turned, seeing Umbra in the entrance to Rumination Field. Umbra stiffly walked up to him, acknowledging Virizion, who bowed her head in return, and Alpha said
"What is it?" Umbra whuffed as he sat down, his joints giving him some trouble. He looked up at Alpha, who sat next to him so they could speak more easily.
"My joints are becoming more and more painful with each passing year. Anyway, Michael, I wanted to speak with you about an important matter." Alpha's gaze darkened in sadness and he said
"Is it about time?" Umbra nodded his head sadly and his gaze drifted down.
"Yeah, I think so. We both knew this day would arrive, and neither of us liked it, but we knew it would happen to one of us eventually. But I don't want you to suffer, so I wanted to say that I think I should leave." Alpha's eyes misted up as he said
"Do you have to go? You know I would rather be with you the whole way." Umbra's eyes began to tear up as well and he replied
"And you know that I would appreciate that very much. But we both know that you wouldn't be able to see me like that, as much as I couldn't bear it when you had to leave us. I have already consulted this matter with my children, and they do not like it, not at all, but they agree that I am not of much use when it comes to battling anymore. I cannot move the way I used to, and my energy is quickly depleting." Alpha shook his head and told him
"Even if you couldn't battle anymore, I still appreciate your company, especially since we've been together for most of our lives. I don't want to lose you." Umbra's tears began falling and he said in a thick voice
"And I don't want to go. But you and I both know that my time is very well up, and you wouldn't be able to handle seeing me like that. I only have one request; I would like to be left in Orre. It has been, and always will be, my home. Will you help me?" Alpha looked down between his knees and let the tears fall for a time, then he returned his gaze to his friend and said
"Tell you what; let's reminisce one more time, look back at all the good times we had. Then I'll drop you off at the Relic Stone in Agate Village. The forest behind there is peaceful, so you should be relatively safe. What do you say, old friend?" Umbra gave a shaky laugh and replied softly
"Who are you calling old?" The two friends shared a soft laugh, while Virizion, who was watching the whole scene, had a difficult time hiding her emotions. Here was an example of two friends who shared a deep bond, and the curse known as time was making its interference yet again. Umbra raised his head to meet Alpha's, and he said
"I would like nothing more than to do that. When shall we leave?" Alpha wiped his eyes and said
"How about tomorrow morning? It's getting a bit late right now, and I want to make the most of the time we have left, okay?" Umbra nodded and felt tired, so he went to sleep then and there. Alpha shed new tears as he heard his friend's snoring, remembering the sound during their travels together. He looked at Virizion and motioned his head, asking silently if it was okay to sleep here. She nodded her head and left herself to give the two deep friends their privacy. Alpha shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the two of them, letting his warmth comfort the Umbreon.
The conclusion coming up next.