Finally, it's here! Although I'm sorry to say, there won't be as much action as there will be in following chapters, but don't worry, galladefenrir44 and I have our plans pretty well made. So in the meantime, if you're still following this, send in your reviews!

A woke up feeling quite refreshed after his night in the Pokemon Center from the past. He walked up to the window, basking in the glow of the past sun. He needed to stop doing that, referring to everything as the past items. Although…

A's mind clicked as he wondered something; how exactly would the future Arceus give A pertinent information if he couldn't interfere in the past? Or was A on his own now? He heard a deep chuckle in his mind and his eyes widened for a moment before he heard Arceus' voice in his head.

"Do not worry, Alpha. I exist outside of the space-time continuum; therefore, I am not limited to the present you know as the future, nor the time you know as the past, but I am always present in the now." A's head cocked in confusion, a headache already starting to form.

"How in the Distortion World does that even work?" Arceus chuckled again and replied

"Don't worry about it for now; you have not the time to learn its fundamentals. The one I told you about, Warlord Aeruthael, will not be here for a while. I suggest you take this time to go over some things with your pokemon; I have no doubt there will be surprises in store for you." A frowned, unsure what the god was getting at, but he decided not to argue with him. He had quite a few ideas for new combo moves anyway, as well as teaching other pokemon current combo moves. Rose would be instrumental for at least one of them. He dressed and buckled his sword and badge on, making sure he had everything he needed, including the store of knowledge he had attained over the past seventy to eighty years. Of course, knowledge wasn't so easy to lose, but he made sure he had it nevertheless. He walked out of the Pokemon Center, attracting many stares on his way, which he ignored. He came out and paused, taking a deep breath of the past air.

Dang it, he was doing it again. He shook himself and looked around, trying to find a suitable place where he could properly train the overwhelming majority of his pokemon. He wanted to let them all out at once but not attract any untoward attention. But he was in Pastoria, which while it wasn't too crowded, it was hardly the countryside. Unnerved by this, he reviewed his knowledge of the past city to think of a location that would work. Eventually he settled for going deep into the woods and hoping no one was there. As he set out, he began to wonder about his newest dispatcher, Warlord Aeruthael. He had never heard that name before, and while Sinnoh wasn't exactly the hottest news back in his Hoenn reign, the effects of a war of the magnitude he took this to be would surely have been of monumental importance.

Perhaps it had been kept on the down-low to avoid any further complications. He couldn't tell. After about twenty minutes, he came out to a clearing that was fairly free of the swampy smell that usually pervaded the air of Pastoria, credit of the swamp that served as this region's Safari Zone. He took another deep breath, then began to release his pokemon. Once they were all out, he addressed them, asking

"Okay, I have a host of new combo moves I want to try out for this war we're participating in. Any volunteers?" Lucy stepped forward, blushing somewhat and stammering

"A-actually… uh, I can't… um… participate in this war." A regarded her with confusion, asking

"Why not? You've never refused a fight before. Why would this be any different?" She blushed harder, and Woof came to her side and answered for her.

"There are extenuating circumstances, Alpha. She can't participate in this war because she's currently expecting." A's jaw dropped, making Woof chuckle and Lucy blush ever harder. A straightened a bit uneasily and stammered

"So, Lucy… you-you're… pregnant?" She couldn't blush anymore, but she nodded her head, and A cleared his throat nervously.

"Is there… uh… anyone else who has these… extenuating circumstances?" Several more stepped, slithered or floated forward. Sonia, his Serperior Jade, Leera, an Absol, Crystal and Ruby, Spectra the Mismagius, Mia the Milotic, his Victreebel Razy, Mary the Togekiss, Bloom the Bellossom, Rika the Girafarig, Leana the Rapidash, and Kat the Delcatty. They were all blushing to some degree, some more than others. Among these were Kat, Ruby, Jade and Mia. A nervously scratched the back of his head and said

"Well… this uh, changes things." He looked over his gathered pokemon and came to a decision.

"Okay then, all expecting and Leya are excused from this session. However, I do not want to see anymore… extenuating circumstances… until we get home. Those who are expecting will stay behind in this Sanctuary and protect it if need be. As for the rest of you, line up!" The pregnant females moved behind A, along with Leya and Casey, while the rest got into a regular formation. A paced in front of them and shouted out

"Rose, join me up here!" In a flash of white light, Rose appeared in front of him. A didn't flinch, having long been accustomed to her surprises. He stopped his pacing and faced his pokemon, calling out

"Those of you who can use both Shadow Ball and Dark Pulse, front and center!" A's Sableye, Sean, Weavile, Weaver, Honchkrow, Vinnie, Gengar, Spook, Drapion, Boris, Toxicroak, Tosia, Spiritomb, Spiridon, Dusknoir, Galvin, Rotom, Rotem, Bannette, Caleb, and Shiftry, Shikoba, all stepped to the front lines. A continued

"The move I plan to have Rose teach you is one with dangerous capabilities, which makes it perfect for this war. Since you all have extensive training by me, you have capabilities that many pokemon can't claim. As a result, you will all be able to do this after you get the hang of it, and do it well. Rose, show 'em." Rose pulled off the Shadow Pulse in one go, aiming it at an old tree, which split with a loud retort. Everyone seemed in awe at the power she displayed, and the pokemon to learn this move were excited. A nodded at Rose and said

"Better get started. Blaze, I want to see you over here! Everyone else, talk amongst yourselves until I call you!" A moved off to the side and waited for his Blaziken to arrive. When he did, tall and strong as ever, they nodded to each other and Alpha told him

"Okay, I have two ideas for you to try out. The first I have called Flame Uppercut. Combine your Fire Punch with Sky Uppercut; you might be able to deal more damage to flying foes. The other is one I have dubbed Focus Thrower. Simply put some Flamethrower into a charging Focus Blast and see what happens. Go ahead and practice with those." Blaze nodded and began to cloak his right hand in fire while it glowed white. A turned to address some of his other pokemon waiting.

"Wing Attackers, over here!" A multitude of his bird pokemon flew over to him, and he addressed the Shadow Pulse learners.

"Hey Rose, you got any masters over there yet?" Rose nodded and replied

"Yeah, Sean got the hang of it easily, given that both types play perfectly for him. You want him?" A nodded and Rose turned back to her students, calling for Sean the Sableye. The small sharp pokemon ran/wobbled over to him, and Alpha had him stand by his side. He addressed the flyers again.

"Okay, the next idea I have concerns your move Wing Attack. I want to try combining it with Shadow Ball, creating Shadow Wing. Sean, I want you to spread your Shadow Balls, two in each hand, over their wings once they have their attack charged. Understand?" Sean nodded and grinned in his wide, creepy smile, then stalked over to them. As a ghost, he felt obligated to make things as creepy as possible. Failing that, he would try to scare the living daylights out of any victim nearby, including his teammates. Most of the time, however, he was beaten back. It was funny at times, but it wouldn't really have its place here.

"Sean, no antics today, please. We're on a tight schedule." Sean seemed disappointed but nodded at him, then continued walking normally. He jumped on the back of Rick, his Pidgeot, and waited for him to charge his attack. Rick's wings began glowing white and he spread them wide. Sean then crossed his arms. Two dual Shadow Balls grew within his hands and he threw them to the side, smearing the dark lump over Rick's wings. It looked like the ball was made of dark water, not energy, as it flowed over the individual feathers. A was interested by the phenomena, but he let it slide as Rick took off after Sean jumped off his back and flew at another tree to test the attack. When it connected, a burst of dark purple could be seen and it left a sizable gouge in the tree. A nodded approvingly and watched as each of the flyers performed the same moves, altogether taking out several trees. A began to wonder if they would take down the forest before Warlord Aeruthael came for him, or whoever he sent to retrieve him. A had wondered about this guy, or Gallade, his Lord told him, and just what kind of pokemon he really was. Arceus said he had extensive experience fighting, and while Alpha wasn't quite the physical battler himself (though that was quickly changing) he had just as much experience in battles as the next child hero. Oh, wait…

Yeah, there weren't really many of those. A crossed his arms and frowned as he contemplated the fact that many people had been curious about Team Rocket, the majority had been terrified of Cipher, most were astonished by Aqua and Magma, worried about Galactic, and mocking of Plasma, yet they did nothing. In all of those cases, he had been working mostly alone, except when he chose a partner to join his crew, or if he made a rival/friend of some sort. He missed Cheren's company. Admittedly, he wasn't ideal at a party, but he was very valuable in the lines of information. Bianca was a different kind, as well. She acted too much like Barry had; always running around not paying much attention to whatever happened to be in her way. But she was a kind, loving person nevertheless.

Then there was Blue. Good old Blue, it only felt like yesterday that he had been saying "Smell ya later!". A chuckled as he remembered that line, not appreciating it much in his youth but not saying anything. Out of caution, he had never been a talker lest someone recognize him and he would no longer get a moment's peace. But it hadn't really mattered since he created a legendary name for himself as Red. Then he did the same as Brendan, Lucas, and Black. Actually, he remembered the last call he received on the XTransceiver as Black, from Cheren and Bianca. He was leaving Unova to search for N, and they wished him luck on his journey. They also told him to come back to visit, and while he had returned, he didn't want to interfere in their lives again. He had never managed to find N, but he had hoped he was doing fine with Zekrom, the Dragon of Ideals. He had enlisted Reshiram's help but promptly released her after Plasma had been put down. A sighed and called out

"Curtis and Ryan, up here!" His Heracross and Nidoking came up to him, discussing something beyond him, and when they arrived, A told them

"Okay, I have a few ideas for you guys to use your horns with." They looked surprised but excited, and A continued.

"Okay, I know you can each use Fire, Ice, and Thunder Punch. I want you to divert that power to your horns. This method should work especially well for you, Curtis." The Heracross nodded and charged up a Fire Punch, then lifted it to his horn. It caught and he stood there with a horn of flame, slightly surprised at it.

"Okay, that's Fire Horn, but you're supposed to use Horn Attack for maximum efficiency. Of course, it won't compare with the second stage." Ryan and Curtis stared at each other, then back at A. He directed Curtis

"Use Megahorn, then light it up." Curtis nodded and charged his Megahorn, then used Fire Punch on it.

"Congratulations, you just used Mega Fire Horn. It should be the same process with Ice Punch and ThunderPunch. Zack, you should be able to do the same, so have fun." They nodded and A left to address some other ideas.

"Okay, Water Pulse and Focus Blast users, over here!" Once they were assembled, he said

"Okay, combine Water Pulse with Focus Blast to make a Water Ball, and if you have it, use a Shadow Ball with it to get a Water Ball Blast. Blizzardians, this way! Bring some fighters with you!" Once the above had arrived, he told them

"Okay, what I want to see here is the move Blizzard, and while it's in effect, the fighters use Close Combat. This will be called Blizzard Striker." Over the course of the next several hours, he and his pokemon worked hard to utilize a multitude of moves, including Ice/Fire/Thunder Wing, which combined Wing Attack with Ice/Fire/Thunder moves, as well as utilizing the three elemental punches with Focus Punch. Shadow Ball became of more use in moves such as Shadow Beam, which was Shadow Ball and Signal Beam, and A even modified his earlier Shadow Freeze/Shock and Burn, combining it with Dark Pulse to achieve the similar, if somewhat darker, results. After the hours had passed, A received another message from Arceus.

"Alpha, the time has come for you to meet with Warlord Aeruthael. Currently he is working on something in Pastoria. I do not want you to interfere; let him come to you."

"Where must I go, my Lord?"

"There is a warehouse on the other end of the city. He is finishing some business in there. Again, I don't want you to go in there. He's almost finished, anyway, but it might still be a short while before you meet."

"I understand, Lord Arceus."

"Very well, then. Good luck, Alpha. Remember, for the duration you are here, your name is A." A nodded and began to recall his pokemon, knowing there wasn't anything he could do for the damaged trees. He walked back to Pastoria and searched for the warehouse. He soon found it and made a rock rise out of the ground with his sword so he could sit. He kept his sword drawn and admired it yet again. No matter how often he wielded it, it still filled him with awe, and elation, considering he was the first knight Arceus had enlisted that could utilize its power. He would have to make sure that no one tried to use it, though, or else he might end up killing the Warlord! About ten minutes after he sat, he heard the door open and he looked at a sight above all others thus far. He saw three Gallade, two Gardevoir, and a Blaziken. One of the Gallade appeared normal, while the other had somewhat overlong hair and a somewhat dispassionate air. The last one was colored oddly, a dark green. One Gardevoir was shiny, the other was normal. Something seemed off about the Blaziken though. A couldn't put his finger on it, but he felt the Blaziken might be worth keeping a sharp eye on. He stood and sheathed his blessed blade and the long-haired Gallade approached him. The Gallade asked

"Are you A?" A nodded and replied

"I am. Are you Aeruthael?"

"Yes I am. I hear you came to help me." A nodded again and told him

"Yes, I was given orders from Arceus to help you...if you would have me on your team, that is."

"I will accept you on my team. It surprises me how you can understand me, but I'm not about to ask questions when Arceus gives me an order." A smirked and responded

"Preaching to the choir on that one." Aeruthael stuck out his hand and said

"Welcome to the team." A took his hand and shook it.

"Glad to be a part of it." When Aeruthael broke the gesture, he mused

"Now to head back home and figure out where to put you guys." The normal Gallade chuckled and said

"I may have something you might find interesting. Call it a parting gift since my time is running out."

"Oh? What is it?" A was a bit confused at this point, but he decided not to get into it right now, simply following his new liege and whatever orders he might have. A was directed to a car that Aeruthael claimed he drove. A was a bit skeptical about pokemon having the ability to drive, but he didn't argue with him. The normal Gardevoir joined him for reasons A was unsure of, but didn't question. Not five minutes on the road, Aeruthael turned his attention slightly to him and said

"So A, tell me a bit about yourself." A didn't hesitate to reply

"What do you want to know?"

"Just tell me who you are, per se; anything, really." A thought for a second, then told him

"Well I spent my entire life traveling the world with my Pokemon. I fought many battles in my life, but I have very few regrets." Then Aeruthael questioned

"You fought with that sword?" A backtracked a bit and replied

"Well, I haven't owned this sword for too long. I've used it in fights, though."

"What do you use it for?" he asked. A said somewhat proudly

"For the protection of pokemon, for that's what I was tasked." Aeruthael responded

"That's a good thing to fight for. For a human, anyways." That last comment was slightly irking, but A held it back and asked

"Can I ask what you fight for?"

"I fight for home, family, and freedom." A frowned a little and said

"Freedom? I see you as very liberated."

"Don't get me wrong, we just don't answer to any human. I fight to take down Team Rocket and their associate, so that they don't threaten the lives of pokemon everywhere." A chuckled and said

"Somewhat like me." For a moment, there was silence, then Aeruthael said

"I have to ask, is A really your name?" A shook his head slightly and replied

"No. My name just changed when I started to work for Arceus." Aeruthael's eyebrow lifted at this, but he said

"Well I'm happy I didn't get my name changed by him." A laughed inwardly as he thought of all the aliases he had gone under to avoid detection by any previous enemies or associates. Then something came to his mind and he asked

"Speaking of which, what do you want me to call you?" Aeruthael shrugged and told A

"You can call me anything you want. My friends call me Rick and my family...and my entire city calls me Aeruthael, including Arceus. Aeruthael is my birth name." A contemplated this for a second, but the Gardevoir shifted her position and A remembered his manners.

"Oh, sorry miss, I never got your name. Arceus didn't tell me." Alara smiled back at him and replied

"My name is Alara Saifer, soon to be Fenrir." A's eyes widened and he said

"Ohh, so you're engaged. To whom… and I feel like I just asked a stupid question." A was mentally smacking himself repeatedly as he put two and two together and Alara responded

"Not at all. I'm engaged to Rick here." A thought for a second, a bit thrown off at the suggestion.

"Oh so his last name is Fenrir. Interesting, and kinda fitting for a leader and warrior. How long have you two been engaged? Also, didn't know that pokemon could get engaged." Alara began to explain.

"Well, in the pokemon civilizations they can. Mainly the pokemon that have been influenced by humans go through it. Don't worry, the Sanctuary is so similar to a human city that you should have no trouble settling. Also, to answer your question, Rick and I have been engaged for three days now." A responded

"Well that's very recent. Congratulations! I wish you guys the best. I'm sure I'll fit in, but I'm kinda used to living in the wild. I did travel for most of my life. When is the wedding by any chance?"

"May 14th."

"Well let's hit that milestone" A joked with them. Everyone in the car laughed. Rick then said

"So how long are you going to be here?" A answered

"Until the war is over."

"Perfect! Better for us; and I should go prepare your accommodations."

"You have a place for me?" A asked, surprised. He thought he was going to have to find a cave or something similar.

"Oh please, two new dens were created in the Sanctuary. We have more than enough room for you...and your pokemon."

"How did you figure out about my pokemon?" A asked, suspicious now. Rick hesitated slightly before saying

"You said that you were traveling the world with your pokemon and...I read your mind."

"Why?" Rick sighed a little and responded

"I had to make sure this was legitimate, and you check out." A bit annoyed but knowing he was justified, A said

"Well okay, happy that you can trust me now. Anyways, yes I do have my pokemon. Is that okay?"

"Of course! You should see my team there. We are all different walks of life and every pokemon is accepted into the Sanctuary. Even humans, but with either the Chief's permission, my permission, or the Council's permission. You can also come in with an invitation. Don't worry, you're free to be there with my blessing. You'll be the only human there taking part in any residence, short term or long term." A laughed silently

"Yay for uniqueness. So what kind of people are the Chief and the Council?" Alara answered

"The Chief is my father. He's a huge teddy bear when you get to know him. There's no malicious bone in his body and he's very carefree." She then sighed and continued

"The Council is the third in command in the Sanctuary. They are a group of twenty Gallades and Gardevoirs, my grandfather being the head of the Council. Most of them are decent individuals that saw me group up... then there's Zenek." Sensing a bit of annoyance mixed with hostility, A inquired

"Zenek?"

"Councilor Zenek, he's the councilor for the eighth den. Also known as the wealthiest of all the dens. It's filled with nobles, tycoons, and other rich folk. They may be wealthy, but the first den houses the most important people and is the most well protected. Anyways, Zenek is pretty stuck up and mean spirited. He tried to have Rick punished for saving me. He says that he's doing what is the best for the people, but he's really doing everything for himself. Thankfully my grandfather shuts him up quickly and he has no power over Rick. He always tried to get rid of officials with more power than he does." A thought for a second, then thought out loud.

"Why not just kick him out of the Council?"

"Just because he's an ass doesn't mean that he doesn't know how to do his job. We want to get rid of him, but it won't be in our best interest. So we put up with him until his time is up."

"How long does a councilor stay in office?"

"Twenty years until we can get rid of them no questions asked. Most however have been there for more than twenty years."

"How long has he been a councilor?"

"Eleven. Nine more to go."

"What happens if you get rid of him now?"

"We have to compensate him for his remaining time, unless he does something illegal."

"You seem to know the law really well" A observed.

"I was trained and raised to be the next Chief."

"Oh? You're an only-child?"

"Yes and no." A raised an eyebrow and asked

"How?"

"I have a sister, but I'm the only child my parents birthed." A's face dawned with understanding and he asked

"So I'm guessing that your sister is adopted?"

"Yes, she's a Lopunny name Amber. You'll meet her when we get there." Rick interrupted their conversation by asking A

"Is there something you need to tell me?" Now wholly suspicious, A asked nervously

"Umm... why do you ask?"

"I can feel that there is information that you want me to be aware of."

"Yes, I carry pokemon with me. Is that going to be a problem?" Alara answered

"Yes and no. I don't think Rick knows our feelings towards these things since he hasn't personally experienced this, but we accept humans with pokemon. However, our people are pretty apprehensive about humans. This is primarily because some humans have tried to capture some of us before, me included." Rick passed a quick glance at her.

"Yeah sorry, I didn't tell you. I was about eight years old, but that's not important. You'll be fine, just don't bring out an empty pokeball at all, not even as a joke." A nodded and said

"Okay, understood." Fifteen minutes later they arrived at massive gates which A took to be the entrance to the Sanctuary. It was quite a surprise for him since he had been expecting something more along the lines of a natural habitat of some sort. Rick sat there for a moment until the silence was broken by a ringing that came from Rick's wrist, and A recognized it as a Poketch.

"Hello, Warlord Aeruthael!" Rick replied

"Hello, Luan! I'm happy to see that you guys aren't at the gate. You took my advice."

"Yeah, we figured that you were right, because standing outside of the gates to a secret civilization is kinda like saying 'Hey we're right here!'."

"Alright, can we go in?"

"Sure! One second... hmm."

"What's up?"

"Our sensors are picking up a human presence in the car with you."

"Oh yeah! We do have a human with us. He has my permission to come with us, and quickly let the Chief know that we're going to the Chief's Court immediately."

"Alright...well everything is clear. Standby! Opening the gates." The gates to the Sanctuary opened up and soldiers quickly escorted the cars inside. Once all the vehicles entered the doors closed and the gate was hidden. Soon after clearing the entrance they all drove to the Chief's Court, with many eyes on them as they drove over there. A tried to hide himself from the view of all the pokemon, wishing to avoid suspicion. Rick looked back and told him

"Don't worry, they won't do anything to you." A replied

"That's not what I'm afraid of; I don't want to scare them while I'm here."

"I understand how you feel. However, if I say that it's okay for you to be here they will be alright with your presence around them." A smiled and asked

"They trust you that much?"

"Yeah. I keep them safe and in return they give me their trust and respect."

"It must be good being the Warlord."

"It has its moments, but it's mainly work and training. However, I wouldn't want it any other way." A suddenly became curious.

"Can you explain to me what the Warlord is?" Rick chuckled and responded

"I'll tell you what I know so far, though Alara might tell you more than me. The Warlord is the supreme commander of the Sanctuary's army and guards. The Warlord oversees that all the Sanctuary's defenses are at the highest possible level, and their warriors in the same caliber. The Warlord is probably the biggest public servant, other than the Chief. They have to keep the peace inside and outside the community. Mainly by making arrests, resolving issues, and providing for the people. The Warlord is what you humans might like to call a mix of the Chief of Police and the Commander-In-Chief of the Army." This sounded very similar to a position A was familiar with, so he asked

"So like a President?"

"No, Warlords are not elected officials, unless there's no successor. Warlords do not make or participate in the making of laws; rather, they enforce them. The Chief and the Council make the laws, the Warlord makes the laws happen. However, the Warlord can stop laws that the Council makes, but cannot veto the Chief's laws."

"Oh, so the power tree goes first to the Chief, then the Warlord, and then the Council."

"Correct! I haven't had to veto any laws yet, and I don't expect to as long as Alara's grandfather is the Head of the Council." A wondered if he was getting annoying, so he said

"May I have one more question?"

"Go ahead."

"How do you become the Warlord?"

"A good question. I'll let Alara answer this one." Alara nodded and answered A's question.

"The Warlord is brought into power either by, as was stated, being voted in by the Council, but only if there is no Warlord and there are multiple successors. The other way is most common, you inherit the position after a Warlord steps down from office. It's actually debatable if Rick became the Warlord this way. The last way is by defeating the current Warlord in battle with the Chief, the Army, or the Council present. It's also debatable if Rick became the Warlord because of this way." A was now confused.

"How did he become Warlord if it was debatable?"

"Because while there's no question that he deserved it, it's debatable because it's not clear which method was utilized. The last Warlord was his uncle Daedalus. He defeated Daedalus in battle, in front of my father and the Council, but he didn't take the job. The he was told by Arceus to take the job and Daedalus stepped down, so Rick inherited the job. So I guess his reign falls under the inheritance line."

"Do you have to be related to inherit the title?"

"No, the Warlord chooses who gets the job after them. It doesn't have to be a relative."

"Well, that's interesting."

"Yep, the Warlord become immortalized in the Hall of Illia. Which is found at the Illia Memorial."

"Illia?"

"The first Warlord of the Sanctuary. She was also the queen in her time. She's our most celebrated individual in our history. We call her the Mother of the Sanctuary because she founded the Sanctuary."

"Makes sense." Rick was listening to them talk and then asked Alara

"What's the Hall of Illia?" Alara answered

"The Hall of Illia is the large building behind Illia's obelisk. That's where the Warlord gets inaugurated."

"Hmmm... wait... what? I have to get inaugurated? I'm already the Warlord."

"Crap! I forgot to tell you. Yes, you are the Warlord without a doubt. However, your name does not go into the Hall of Illia until you're inaugurated and take Illia's Oath."

"Oath? No one told me anything about an oath, inauguration, or the fact that I have to go through another ceremony. So tell me, when is this ceremony?" Alara sweatdropped and laughed nervously, replying

"Umm...Tomorrow." There was a short silence in the car and then Rick said emotionlessly

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm just wondering why I wasn't made aware of this earlier."

"I forgot and I thought that you would have found out by yourself."

"Well I didn't see anything that could tell me it was going to happen." Alara looked outside and said to Rick

"Look at towards the Illia's Obelisk." Rick looked and saw a large number of people decorating the steps of the memorial. He then said

"Hmm... that's impressive, and how did I miss that? Anyways, what is it that I have to do?"

"Well you have to go to the memorial, escorted by the army. Once you are there you wait until my dad finishes speaking, and then you walk up to where my dad and my grandfather are and my grandfather will oath you in. Then you give a speech to the masses. Finally your name is immortalized in the Hall of Illia."

"So now I have to give a speech?"

"Picture it as a president's inauguration."

"Alright." Then it seemed that Rick had some sort of small revelation and he addressed A again.

"Oh yeah I forgot about you for a minute there A. You've been really quiet." A chuckled and replied

"Oh, I've just been trying to process everything." He looked outside and saw a massive and important-looking building.

"Wow! What building is that?" he asked, amazed to find something like this in a civilization of pokemon.

"That would be the Chief's Court. Where the Chief, queen, and the Council conduct their business."

"Oh! So I'm meeting the Chief?"

"Yes, don't worry he's a really great guy. As Alara stated, he's a big teddy bear at heart." Rick parked the car near the building. As A got out, he began trying to fix his hair. Why his mother ever let him style it like this was beyond him, but it worked. Nevertheless, he knew appearance was everything in diplomatic cases, and given that he was a human among a vast grouping of pokemon, he would easily stick out like a sore thumb. Alara noticed and laughed.

"Oh you don't have to make yourself too presentable now. If I know my dad he probably smells like Slim Jims and Mountain Dew from going through a video game bender." A was slightly confused by this statement, believing a chief should be a bit more prideful of their position. However, he said absolutely nothing about it, also trying to keep his thoughts clear of his opinion, which he was sure the two Ralts evolutions could pick up on. Rick and those that traveled with him walked up to the doors to the Chief's Court, where the guards looked at each other and then back at the group. One of the guards then asked Rick

"Um… sir...you do realize that there's a human behind you?" A discreetly rolled his eyes, thinking

"Yeah, and I have had many people gawking at me because I had one of your kind out. Surprise, surprise." Rick nodded and told them

"Of course! He's here on my invitation. I recruited him. Treat him with respect, men." Both guards looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Alright, it's your call." They then opened the doors to let the group in. The team walked inside the Chief's Court and saw Alara's parents on their thrones and Rick's mom on a throne next to Keera. Alara's dad saw the group walk in and smiled at the team. He spoke first to Rick and his daughter.

"I'm glad to see you guys again!" He saw the new faces behind Rick and Alara.

"Oh, looks like you guys brought in some new faces." The dark green Gallade bowed to him, the shiny Gardevoir curtsied, and A bowed along with the Gallade. The Chief regarded him for a second, then said

"Oh, looks like you brought a human here." He then spoke to A.

"May I ask who you are? If you can understand what I'm saying." A replied

"I can understand what you are saying. I received that gift. My name is A. I was sent by Arceus to help the Warlord here in his cause."

"Hmm, interesting. You may rise if you want." A got up and faced the Chief.

"So, you look like an able fighter. You're welcome to stay here if you want with my blessing." A smiled and gave a smaller bow, saying

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Tell me, do you have any pokemon in your possession that we must be made aware of?"

"Yes sir, I have a large number of pokemon."

"Well, we will have to find lodging for all of them." Rick then said

"Sir, is there land for sale in the 22nd den?"

"Yes, no part of that den has been claimed yet. Why?"

"I'll like to buy a large piece of that land for A and his pokemon so they can have some sort of residence there."

"Hmm, very generous of you Aeruthael. Very well, go talk to my attendant later."

"I'd like to have a tour first before I buy anything. In fact..." Rick looked at a Gallade in their group and said to him

"Lang, go with the Chief's steward to the 22nd den and tour it for me. Make sure to send me pictures." Lang nodded and replied

"Yes sir!"

"Lang, we're family."

"Oh, ok. Yes...cousin Aeru!" With that he left with the Chief's steward. A then looked at Rick and asked askance

"Do you really need to get me property?" Rick chuckled and turned to look at him and respond

"Of course! You'll be staying with us for a while and your pokemon will need their own lodging as well. Mainly because I expect all your pokemon to be outside their pokeballs for the time that you are here. I don't want you to pull out any pokeballs and spook my people. Are we understood?"

"Yes sir. I do have one thing to say, though."

"What's on your mind?"

"You see, I'm going to need medical attention to some of my pokemon." Rick became concerned, as well as the Chief, and he asked

"Is there something wrong with some of your pokemon? Are they sick?" A shook his head and quickly replied

"No, nothing like that." Now confused, Rick asked A

"Then what seems to be the problem? Do some of them have special needs?" A chuckled, replying

"You could say that. The truth of the matter is that some of my pokemon are expecting mothers. I want them to be taken care of."

"Ohh! I see." He turned to Alara's parents and asked them

"Do we have anything like that in that den?" Alara's mom stood up and walked over to the group, telling them

"As a matter of fact there is. A hospital was built there and we can hire doctors to work there immediately upon your arrival." A immediately knelt down to her and thanked her

"Thank you so much your majesty!" A was truly happy for this; he knew that under regular circumstances his expecting pokemon would more than likely be able to handle it, but with the assistance of professional doctors, there would be no trouble. Alara's mom appeared flattered and gave him her hand, which he kissed and stood up.

"Well, at least someone knows how to be formal. Unlike some people." She immediately looked at Xeron, who didn't hesitate to stick out his middle finger at her. A was a bit appalled at this behavior and almost said something, but abstained, reasoning that perhaps insanity ran through him and sometimes dictated his actions. Everyone laughed for a moment, then Rick said

"Oh yeah! Hi, Mom!" The remaining Gardevoir on the throne smiled and shook her head.

"Oh, so I'm not invisible. I've been so far ignored by you, my husband, and my future daughter-in-law."

"Sorry, mom." She directed her gaze at Xeron and told him

"Well, some husband you are. You ignored me this morning to play video games and then you go on a trip with Aeru and recruit people." A looked at Xeron and then at Aldira and said

"Oh, you're Aeruthael's parents?"

"Yes! Now Xeron, what goes through your mind when you ignore me?" Xeron thought for a second, then responded

"That I'm going to regret it in the future. But give me a break, it was a Halo match." A vein appeared on Aldira's head.

"Oh, it was a Halo match?" She suddenly teleported the Halo game disk to her hand.

"So this is only a Halo disk." Xeron immediately got concerned.

"Oh no! Do not be that girl right now!" She then said coldly

"Oh I'm going to be that girl right now." She immediately snapped the disk in half and threw it at Xeron.

"YOU ARE EVIL!" Aldira smiled slyly and said

"Ignore me next time and the disk won't be the only broken thing." A watched throughout this whole ordeal, his sweatdrop progressively getting bigger. Everyone laughed again and Rick's team suddenly entered the Chief's Court, shocking A by the variety of pokemon. A asked Rick

"Who are they?" Rick replied

"That's my 'family', my team." Rick quickly walked up to the others.

"Hey guys! We have new members." The Sceptile of their group spoke.

"Oh we know. Alara sent us all the details not too long ago."

"Oh, that's good. Less need to explain."

"Indeed." An Umbreon stepped up and got Rick's attention.

"I got a message from Ashlyn." Rick raised an eyebrow and asked

"Oh? What did she say?" As they talked, A felt a dull ache gradually grow in his heart. Of all the times he had to come across an Umbreon, why did it have to be now? It had barely been three weeks since A had dropped Umbra off at Relic Forest, next to the Relic Stone. The scene of that departure began to bring tears back into his eyes, but before they could properly form, A rubbed them out of his eyes. The movement caught the attention of an Alakazam who said

"Umm, Rick? You do realize that there is a human here?" A rolled his eyes, getting a bit tired of the whole 'Oh, look, a human!' business. He certainly didn't go around saying 'Hey look, a pokemon!'

"Of course! He's one of our recruits. Courtesy of Arceus. He's no average human, in the fact that he understands our speech and he was personally referred to me. I'm not going to challenge the order from Arceus. You guys should get to know him." Rick looked at the team and seemed to consider something.

"Where's Amber, Amari, and Serenity?" The doors immediately flew open and a Lopunny and a Scizor appeared at the doorway. The Lopunny said

"What's up everyone and the unexplainable human visitor, but I'm not going to argue it. Anyways, Amari and I were bored earlier today and Serenity was in the room with us. We started toying with our human forms and we ended up giving Serenity a makeover." A rolled his eyes again; it wasn't much, but it was a slight improvement from all the suspicion he was receiving so far. Then he heard what she said in his mind again and something struck him.

"You guys have human forms?" Everyone ignored him and went back to listening to Amber. A small vein pricked up on his forehead, but he didn't say anything else.

"So without further ado, the new Serenity!" Nothing happened and "Serenity" didn't appear. Amber quickly spoke to her

"Come on! Show the guys your new look." What sounded like a teenage voice called out

"No! I'm too shy to do this." Amber sighed and walked out of sight. Suddenly, sounds of pain, most likely of someone being pulled by the ear rang out. Amber then reappeared pulling on Serenity's ear. She let go so everyone could see Serenity, who stood there blushing. Her new human appearance, to A, was strange. She was wearing a white jacket, and a black tank top. She had a white skirt-skirt and had matching shorts with black leggings underneath. Her hair was mostly white but layered with black. On a bang that came out over her face, she adorned a red ribbon. There was something distinctive about her appearance, but A couldn't figure out what. Rick laughed and said

"Love the new look Serenity." Serenity then responded

"These two tackled me and did this to me by force. I didn't know they changed my look until they let me go." A Raichu laughed and said

"Well, I guess it was worth it. Right Sage?" Then the conversation became a bit more hushed, and while A had a bit of trouble understanding them, even though he was fairly close to them, he learned this was a conversation best saved for somewhere… a little less public. Then there was a bit of awkwardness where Serenity and the one called Sage were forced to speak to each other, although apparently they had already done so that morning. There had to be something in the air, A thought, which was seriously making them lose track of the situation at hand, namely the war. Wasn't Team Rocket of paramount importance? Certainly they had been a fairly large threat the first time around, when he was Red, but from what he had gathered, they were even more powerful this time. Evidently, Giovanni had thought ahead, or wanted to make sure Red was long gone so he wouldn't make an appearance again. But still, why, in the midst of this threat, did the Warlord cavort around as if he hadn't a care in the world? Said Warlord grabbed his attention when he said

"A! Come with us!" A snapped back into reality.

"Oh, yeah! Right behind you!" A followed the group outside, now a bit unsure what his intentions might be. After a good walk, A found himself, still at the back of the group by choice, at what seemed to be Rick's house. A was surprised by the sheer size of Rick's house and how an armory was able to fit in it. He had never been aware that something like this could have existed, and he didn't even want to think what all went into keeping it in running condition. They entered what A believed to be the main armory and Rick faced his father, asking

"Something you forgot to tell me?" Xeron replied

"Nope! Something I was waiting to show you. Let me ask you a question: What is my profession?" Rick frowned and replied

"The former Warlord of course."

"No! That's my inherited profession. What do you think was my original profession?"

"Umm...soldier?" Xeron chuckled and said

"Yes and no. The answer is combat engineer."

"Engineer. That was unexpected. Why are you telling me this?" Xeron looked at the dead end of the armory and pushed a tile in, revealing a green force field.

"Because I left some toys that I made sure Saifer never told you about."

"Dad what is that green force field?"

"A teleportation field."

"Teleportation?"

"Yeah, one of my greatest engineering marvels. You can move from one place to another at a moment's notice without the use of energy. But this is minor compared to the gifts I left you on the other side. Step through." Xeron stepped through the teleporter, followed by Aldira and Alara's parents. Rick turned to his team and said

"Let's get this over with!" He and the group the stepped through the field. A was the last one to go through, and he did so with some trepidation. He didn't experience the same discomfort he usually did when teleporting, and certainly not when Arceus had delivered him here. Once they arrived at the other end they saw they were in a new room. It was very large, circular, and had five floors of different rooms for housing. There was an octagonal table that looked as if it was meant for meetings. In the middle of the table was hologram projector that projected a 3D map of the regions. At each seat was a computer that controlled the projector. Everyone was surprised by the sight and Rick asked his father

"Dad, what is this place?"

"This is the War Room. Here you will bring your team, brief them, or just hang out. It is one of my greatest creations and I was hoping to one day use it...but I guess it's yours now."

"This beyond anything I ever thought of you creating."

"Well it was still under construction when I was the Warlord and Saifer told me that it was finished a few years ago, because he modified it. I saw it and loved the modifications he made. I was also happy to know that he kept his promise of keeping it a secret from you until the time was right." Rick looked at the five floors of rooms and asked

"What are these rooms for?"

"Those are the crew's quarters. Saifer got his hands on the recruits' dossier from Alara and he made some of the rooms pertaining to the personalities of each recruit that you have to go get."

"How did he do that?"

"He's had a few months." Alara then mused

"I had absolutely no idea of that."

"Your dad is more cunning than you know Alara. Anyways, everyone has their own room here. There's a lounge on the third floor, with a mess hall, and a game room. The top floor only has one room, the Captain's Quarters or Warlord Quarters. That's your and Alara's room here. Look at the table here. This table is for mission briefing and for conferences. The hologram projector can make a digital image of anything on the map and you can contact people through it, and it will make a 3D render of the person, making it seem like they are there with you guys." Rick became curious.

"Why do we need rooms? This place isn't going anywhere."

"Here's the next surprise. Follow me out of here." Xeron walked into another teleporter and the others followed. Once they arrived at the new area, they noticed they were on a platform. They looked around and saw that they were in a hangar. However the biggest sight there was a gigantic aircraft in the center of the hanger. There were different kind of pokemon working on the aircraft and A just wondered where this hangar was located. Xeron walked forward and said

"Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the S.A Mercury. This behemoth of a floating fortress is the largest and greatest piece of combat engineering ever developed by the combine forces of many pokemon civilizations. Currently there are 500 members of the crew, mainly consisting of: Navigators, Engineers, Medical Personnel, Soldiers, Artillery Gunners, and the Chief Pilot, Gunners, Intel, and various other needed individuals. This aircraft can house up to on average 1,000 people, more or less." As the conversation continued, a panicked look came over A's eyes, but no one noticed.

"No, no, no, no, NO!" A shouted in his mind. He listened over some of the details of the craft, and with each passing sentence his horror grew.

"Oh, this can't be happening. What is wrong with them?! Are they trying to destroy the whole damn planet?! How could Arceus let something like this pass?! I'm supposed to be the protector of pokemon, not an obliterator! And they're practically packing nukes on this cursed thing! If they were to unleash that kind of power, I don't think that meteor from Mew's story would compare to this!" These and darker thoughts ran through A's mind as the tour continued, and he was horrified further to learn that the control of one of the ship's most powerful weapons was under the sole jurisdiction of one person; the pilot, who was sure to be a regular bulls-eye. It didn't help that the target, a Gallade by coincidence, was red in color. They went through another teleporter and Rick held a meeting of sorts with a man A recognized as Mr. Silph. A tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

There was next to no chance that Silph would recognize him, but there was no reason to become complacent while he could be. What horrified A beyond all he had seen thus far was Silph's apparent vendetta against the Rockets. Okay, they had infiltrated Silph Co. and held him hostage in an attempt to swipe the Master Ball, but was it really necessary to kill?! Rick then got a message on his Poketch. He checked it for a minute and said to A

"Looks like your new home is ready for you to move into." Rick snapped his finger and two soldiers appeared.

"Take A here to the 22nd den so he can get settled into his new accommodations...all of them." Rick looked at A again

"Don't worry, all the furniture is all set in each house for you and your pokemon. Go enjoy yourself, but remember what I told you." A thought for a second, then nodded and replied

"Of course! Do not take out pokeballs of any kind."

"Also, don't try to capture any of my people. Otherwise, we'll have a problem."

"Wouldn't dream of it. And I can't; Arceus told me not to."

"Good. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes. Goodbye!" A was escorted away by the soldiers, and as he was, he thought back on everything he had seen. It was nothing less of a horror film to him, and he had seen plenty of horror within his lifetime. After a major amount of walking, and even an elevator ride, the soldiers led him out to a wide clearing that appeared to be large enough for a city, though at the moment it was unoccupied.

"Enjoy your stay" one of the soldiers said to him, moving back to the elevator. A gave him a nod of acknowledgement, then stared back out before him. It really looked a lot like a city, or more accurately, a large housing enclosure. Which it really was, when A considered this. He couldn't guess the exact dimensions of the place, but if he had to guess, he would have said it was a rounded square that was at least between fifty to a hundred miles around. He traveled down and looked around, trying to get a better understanding of the vast dwelling. He was interrupted by a Gallade he had seen earlier. He walked up to him and said

"Hello. You're the new resident of this den, correct?" A nodded and asked

"You were the one Warlord Aeruthael sent to inspect this place, right?" He chuckled and said

"Yeah, that's me. My name is Lang, by the way" and he stuck out his hand. A grasped it and simply said

"A. So, what are you here for?"

"Well, I figured that since you're new to the Sanctuary, you could use a tour of this place. I'll give you some general locations of important places, but then I've gotta get back to work. I'm sorry I can't give you the grand tour." A waved it off and said

"Even general locations is better than trying to figure this out for myself. Lead on." So he walked along the roads, informing him how the den system worked while at the same time pointing out the various buildings which could be used to live in. He also informed him that regular deliveries of food and water would be made so they could survive, to which A was grateful. Eventually he pointed to the hospital, and A made a thorough mental note on where to find it. Then he led him to what had to be the largest house he had ever laid eyes on. It was about twice the size of Rick's own mansion, which Lang informed him was for the purpose of his pokemon living there.

He granted a cursory tour of the home so A wouldn't get hopelessly lost and pointed out a back window to the large combat field in the backyard. A intended to get some use out of that. Eventually he had to leave, apologizing again. A waved that off too and thanked him for his time. After he was sure he was gone, and knowing there was no one else here besides the employees of the hospital, he began to release his pokemon. When they were all gathered on the combat field, they face A and he said

"Okay, gang! We made it, but this is only the first part in what is sure to be the biggest adventure we've ever had. Thankfully, we have a gracious host; soon-to-be mothers, you are to situate yourselves in the hospital over there." And he directed them to the large white building. Once they left, A faced the remainder of his pokemon and told them

"While we're here, I'm expected to keep you all out of your pokeballs. Evidently, the pokemon here get suspicious if a human brings out a pokeball since there were attempts to capture various citizens in the past. There are many buildings here, but the majority, if not all, of you should be able to fit in this mansion provided by our kind host. So, you're all free to do whatever you want. I suggest roaming around the Sanctuary and learning its borders." A paused for a second, then said

"Rose, I want to speak with you for a bit." The Gardevoir he traveled with for so long appeared faithfully by his side, for which A was grateful. He dismissed the rest of his 'army' and walked around with her. At first he didn't speak, consumed as he was with what he saw earlier. Finally, Rose interrupted his thoughts.

"Your mind troubles you heavily." A chuckled humorlessly and said

"You ain't kidding. I can't reconcile myself with what I saw in that hangar." Rose cocked her head, confused.

"What do you mean?" Alpha began to explain everything he had learned during his excursion, and she appeared horrified, just as he had been.

"Weapons of mass destruction?! I thought this was going to be just a larger repeat of what we did with the remnants of Rocket!" A shook his head and said

"I'm no fool; I knew this was going to be a far larger scale than what we went through, and I even expected weapons. Just nothing of this caliber. I don't want to see so many die at the hands of that… monstrosity… at once. It might be more practical, but at what cost? Hundreds, maybe thousands of lives? Is that really worth it?" Rose sighed and told him

"Well, you already knew you were in for a rough time." After a brief pause, she said

"And you know the chances of us dying are far greater here, now more than ever?" A slumped and said

"Yeah, I know, and that bothers me even further. If I lose a large mass of you, I don't know how I'll cope."

"That's hardly befitting of an Arceus Knight" said a strange, masculine voice. Rose and Alpha turned this way and that before the voice chuckled and said

"Up here." Alpha's head flew up and he saw the image of a darker Gallade standing on top of a building. He jumped down in front of them and Alpha challenged

"Who are you?" The figure chuckled and said

"A brother. My name is X. Like you, I'm an Arceus Knight." A frowned and asked

"Arceus Knight?" The Gallade scoffed and asked

"Don't you know anything about us?" A crossed his arms and said

"All I knew was that Arceus chose and resurrected me to become his White Knight, the protector of pokemon. Other than that, he was very secretive toward me." The being who called himself X chuckled again and said

"Yeah, well, Arceus is mostly straightforward with our objectives, just not the whole spectrum of why we do it or even how sometimes. Nevertheless, you and I are similar, if only that we protect the sanctity of Arceus' realm. What you might not realize is that some of us have jobs farther away from home than others. You're one of the few who stick around on this planet, which is good right now." A scowled and said

"What's that supposed to mean?" X sighed and said

"Look, I'm just going to skip to the point; compared to the rest of us, you're fairly weak. Since you're new to the position, that's to be expected. But it won't help you here, so I'm going to be training you. Mostly your strength and speed, but I can also help in your sword technique. You've done well, given your circumstances, but you still have very far to go until you officially reach the title of Arceus Knight. Since we're limited on time, I'm going to be taking you to a special place and train you till you're black and blue, but don't worry, it won't seem like more than a day or so to your pokemon." A frowned and asked

"How's that possible?"

"I'm essentially the master of the time flow and fate. As such, I have the ability to transcend time and space."

"Impossible-" A argued

"-Dialga and Palkia are the masters of time and space, with the exception of Arceus, of course." X laughed loudly and asked mockingly

"I didn't say I was the master of time and space, though, did I? I said I could transcend through it. Now, if your quite finished…" A ripple surrounded X, then A, and they both disappeared, leaving Rose flustered for a while. A found himself in a dark, shifting room. It was full of various weapons and training equipment. He faced X with a dark expression and said

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Training you. Now then, the first thing we're going to have to do is build up your strength, stamina, and speed." A drew his sword and lit it up, growling

"If you think I'm going to take orders from you, you've got another thing coming." X smirked and disappeared. A whirled around, looking for him, and soon he felt a sharp pain on his back and neck, sending him to the floor. X appeared in front of him and said

"Let the hell begin."

Alright, now X is training Alpha! Before anyone asks, yes, I had galladefenrir44's permission to do this. This chapter was far longer than any other I've ever written, but I think it's good anyway. So, tell me what you think!