"When the universe was created, its shards became this Plate."

"The power of defeated giants infuses this Plate."

"Two beings of time and space set free from the Original One."

"Three beings were born to bind time and space."

"Two make matter and three make spirit, shaping the world."

"The Original One breathed alone before the universe came."

"The powers of Plates are shared among Pokémon."

"The rightful bearer of a Plate draws from the Plate it holds."

- Inscriptions on the plates from Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum

A/N: This fanfiction takes place after the events of the SwSh games, and since I separated the Minor and Major League into separate seasons, there's a whole new cast of Gym Leaders. As for Gordie and Bea, they aren't going to be in the Minor Leagues. They're going to be taking over from their Sword counterparts.

At the end of each chapter, there will usually be an additional tidbit. These are things that sort of explain weird things that would make no sense to explain in universe [like why the Star Festival is more widespread in this verse] or as a way to elude to something that will happen later on in the story.

Prologue: The Underbelly of Legends

A full silver moon glowed above a high-class mansion, illuminating the dirt path that wound through a forest that surrounded it. Even though the house was in perfect shape, it gave off an eerie vibe as the trees around it swayed. It looked like something out of a rich person's magazine, but since it was far away from the nearest town, it also seemed to be a bit haunted. The white walls contrasted against the bright greenery that surrounded it, and the fences gave an imposing feeling to all humans who walked past them. On the other hand, as a family of wild Furret and Sentret demonstrated as they traveled across the dirt road, the Pokémon would occasionally stare at it with awe and mystique.

A single window was lit up in the three-story house, almost as if it was a beacon to let someone know that people actually lived there. The Furret inched a little closer as its children stayed behind. The little critter crawled up to the fence as it stared through the bars, trying to get a closer look inside.

"Do you perhaps know who lives here?" a feminine voice asked, spooking the Furret. Scrambling to turn around, the Furret came face-to-face with two Pokémon that it had never seen before.

One was a blue wolf that had fur that draped over its creamy underside. The Pokémon had sharp amber eyes and a pink, fluffy tail, along with two pink flowing braids that extended to its hindquarters. There were pink tufts of fur on its shoulder and it had a massive set of claws on its paws that came to a sharp point. It had pink wing shaped markings near its eyes and a pink marking on its head that was sliced by a wound. Speaking of wounds, there were healed wounds all over them, almost as if they had been in a fight that Furret had only heard horror stories of.

The other wolf was red, but it had shorter fur than the blue one. The creature's underbelly was white. It had a similar dark blue tail to the other wolf, and a dark blue tuft of hair that resembled a plume on a medieval helmet. It had two dark blue lines that rose from its paws to right underneath its shoulders, and two dark tufts of fur covered its fronts paws. Two black spurs protruded from its hindlegs. The face on its fur resembled that of a heater shield, with the bottom part being a dark blue. Its face also had a similar dark blue marking to the other wolf, which was also sliced by a wound.

"Ahh… not really. I've never seen the residents clearly," the Furret said before perking its ears up. "Oh, but I do remember that a girl recently came to live here! Before that, all the residents were boys of varying ages." she said, before narrowing her eyes. "By the way, who are you? I've never seen anything quite like the two of you."

"I'm Zacian, and this is my little brother, Zamazenta. We're from the Galar region, so it's no surprise that we're strange looking to you," the blue wolf cooed.

"Oh no, not strange looking! You look a little like Suicune, and he looks like an Entei. A little bit. You do know of those two, right?" Furret asked.

Zacian tilted her head in confusion.

"Should I? Is Suicune an important Pokémon?" she asked.

"Of course! She is a Legendary Pokémon! She will often come into the forest to purify the lake and protect us if some big baddy shows up! She's more powerful than most Pokémon! Even the ruler of this forest can't defeat her!" Furret exclaimed.

"Legendary Pokémon, huh? I guess there are more than the ones I grew up knowing. Anyways, who is this ruler of the forest?" Zacian asked.

"Oh, well he's a mysterious Pokémon. Some say he's apart of the mist, while others say he's an illusion conjured up by Unown. I've heard rumors that he is a giant Noivern that appears and defends anyone in this forest from harm. On the bad guys, he exacts a toll. They are taken away; never to be seen or heard from again."

"Hmmm, I'll keep that in mind. Well, we should probably get going now. We have someone to meet, so its best not to keep them waiting."

"Okay. Well, I have to make sure my children get to the den safely. It was nice meeting you Zacian and Zamazenta! May your path be sheltered from the poor weather!"

With that, the Furret waved her tail to call her children's attention, and they disappeared into the nearby brush. Zacian gave a little chuckle as she walked up the dirt path with her brother.

"You were so silent, brother. Is something wrong?" Zacian inquired.

"No, I was just thinking. Tomorrow we have to announce the first members of our House in front of all the other Legendary Pokémon. I was wondering if my choice was going to be the correct one. I mean, we've only been awake for a few days and I haven't really gotten the time to know too many people." Zamazenta said.

"Oh, please. This process doesn't deserve so much respect. When we go to the Floor of the Houses tomorrow, we'll just pick whatever people come to our mind. I'm not going to give this committee anymore brain power than it deserves. After all, they're the one who took our children away from us." Zacian said as she nudged the gate open. Her brother and her padded pass the topiary that were cut into the shape of various Pokémon such as a Grandbull and Primarina.

Soon, the pair came to the door of the manor. In front of them were two sturdy, oak doors with a golden Dragonite knocker. Giving his sister a glance, Zamazenta scratched at the door to let the owner of the house know they were here. A few heartbeats later, the pair could hear rustling at the front door. A rather young voice greeted them as they heard the jingling of a lock being opened.

"Hey, Zai and Zaza! Lugia and Latios have already arrived, and everyone else from my House went out," the voice said as the door swung open. A young teenager, about fourteen or fifteen, opened the door. He had dirty blond hair and bright, clear blue eyes. But, instead of wearing a normal outfit, he was wearing his pajamas. A Lugia onesie with a tail that dragged across the floor, and a hood that resembled Lugia's head.

"Young prince, you seem to have been swallowed by a Lugia pup. A very small one at that," Zamazenta said, tilting his head. "Did you perhaps slay Lugia's little one? From what I know about humans, it's not uncommon for humans to wear-"

"No! I did not slay anyone, Zaza! And no one even does that anymore! Besides, Legendary Pokémon aren't allowed to have children," the boy exclaimed.

"Not allowed? What draconian thing is this?! Young prince, was this one of the Houses' decisions?" Zacian asked.

"Yeah, it was premise that the council was founded on. Unless a vote is held to approve it, such as the case with Suicune from Zetsuboji, a Legendary Pokemon cannot have offspring. So, it isn't just your unique case that isn't allowed."

"How unfortunate. I thought that was a line they would be unwilling to cross, but I guess I was wrong," Zacian sighed and shook her head. "Young prince, I cannot thank you enough for shielding our pups from their full wrath during the incident."

"Of course. I'll always keep the vow I made to you," he gave a smile before turning away to lead the two inside. "Let's go to the backyard. Lugia and Latios are waiting for us."

With that, he swiftly began to walk down the corridor to the backyard. Following after the teenager, Zacian and Zamazenta entered the house. The interior was bathed in a golden, amber color, with pale yellow, close to white walls. There was a second and third floor above the two Pokémon, and a twin spiral staircase that led upstairs, flanked the backyard door. A massive crystal chandelier hung above them, illumining the corridor. On either side of the Pokémon were giant columns that allowed for a full view of the surroundings. The living room and dining area could easily be seen from where Zacian walked.

In the living room, a Dragonite was playing cards with a Gumshoos. In the dining room, a Grandbull was helping to clean the table with a Typhlosion.

As she neared the backdoor, Zacian paused as a faint jingle rang through the air. To Zacian's ear, the jingle sounded like the distinct sound of a Pokemon that she had heard a long time ago. Kommo-o. Zacian thought as she tilted her head towards the second floor. But, to her displeasure, the floor was empty, and the lights were off. The soft clanging of scales drifted through her head as she hoped that the impossible had happened.

Could it be…? Zacian shook her head before she could finish the thought. No, nonsense. He's dead. It was probably just my imagination. Unlike the young prince, they wouldn't keep him alive.

"Is something wrong?" Zamazenta snapped her out of her daze. He had paused a few steps ahead of her and was gazing at her with worry.

"Yeah, I just thought I heard something. Don't worry, it was nothing." Zacian stated as she caught up with him and walked under the stairs. Her fur slightly shivered as she fought back the instinct to run upstairs like an excited puppy. If it was the same Kommo-o from 3,000 years ago, she would have happily drop everything just to see him. As she noticed her tail wagging and her tongue begin to loll, she shook herself to bring her back to her senses.

Stop it. He's probably dead. He has to be. Zacian scolded herself as she walked up to the door leading to the backyard.

The door was a Ponyta-shoe shaped door with star carvings on it. Zacian could recognize some of the patterns. The Gemini constellation that was usually represented with two Pikachu, both Ursa Minor and Major were represented by Tediursa and Ursaring respectively, Lyra, which was always represented by Jirachi due to Vega, Cygnus which was represented by Kyoger, and finally, Aqulia, which was represented by Braviery and housed the star Altair were all on the door. On the doors' outer edges, there were vine carvings that wrapped around the frame.

The "young prince" opened up the doors and the dull moonlight and glistening twinkle of the starlight illuminated the backyard. Stepping into the neatly trimmed grass filled haven, fire glowed on both sides of Zacian. From the corner of her eyes, she could see rustic lanterns that held the flame.

Her friend, Lugia, was sitting a few feet away from the doorway. His size was just as imposing as it always had been, and even though he was lying down, he took up half the yard. Beside him was a smaller Legendary Pokémon, Latios. She had met a Latios once when she had visited a region far off to the west, where her mate and the "young prince" were living at the time. Next to Latios was another boy, who kept his gaze trained on Zacian. Zacian return the stare, trying to figure him out.

He seemed to be the same age as the "young prince", if only a little bit taller. He had black hair and bright green eyes. He was wearing a simple black shirt with navy blue jeans and red and white sneakers. Nothing about his appearance really stood out, but something stood out about his aura. While Zacian could never see aura, she was naturally inclined to sense if it felt "off." It felt as if there was a slight pull towards him, but not one that affected her.

Come to think of it. His aura feels similar to how I first felt with the young prince, except I did feel drawn to him. I wonder what that is all about. Zacian thought as she flicked her tail about.

"Gavin, you took way too long. I really just want to do my job as a witness and get out of here," the boy grumbled as he shifted his focus towards the boy in the Lugia onesie.

"Come on Lior, I know you don't want your sister to see you being helpful, but you can't really be that impatient. I only took a few minutes," Gavin chimed as he gave a wry smile.

"Oh, please! Like I care what she thinks! As the Head of the House of Latios, I have important things to do before tomorrow's meeting at the House Floor. The Speaker of the Houses wants all the Heads to come over tonight to discuss the plans for the prophecy," Lior said.

"What prophecy?" Zamazenta asked.

Both boys gave a sideways glance away from Zamazenta, almost as if he had asked a question that was sore to both of them. So, instead, Lugia decided to answer his question.

"The Giants of Old are going to return soon and destroy the world. Eternatus's awakening was just the beginning. The other sixteen will be awakened soon and they will wreak havoc on the universe until there's nothing left. According to Xatu, Gothitelle, and Celebi, they will probably rouse in about twenty to thirty years." Lugia answered.

"The Giants of Old?! I thought those things were tightly sealed by the plates. Then again, Eternatus did awaken… twice. And we had trouble taking it down, so taking down sixteen at the same time is going to be an impossible task for us…." Zacian sighed.

"That is true. Xatu did say all roads end in failure, except one. And according to Celebi, who you choose is supposed to contribute to getting on the path," Lugia said wistfully. "Well, that's how she interpreted it at least. So, I'm curious now. Who could possibly set this two-generation spanning journey into motion?"

"Yeah, I want to know that too. Especially since I was trying to prevent this path, but you know, other people think they know what's best for the world," Latios said as he shot a harsh glare at Gavin. Gavin gave a rather sheepish smile before hiding behind one of Lugia's massive feet.

"Oh please, the future we were working to achieve would have been a wasteland. There's a reason a baby Lugia and Celebi came to stop it," Lior grumbled.

"It would have been much better than letting the world be destroyed! In fact-" Latios was interrupted by Lugia sighing.

"Hey, remember, we were supposed to do this quickly? The more you argue about this, the slower the process will actually go, Latios." Lugia reminded, sending both Lior and Latios a harsh glare.

Folding his arms indigently, Latios floated to the ground to sit down and listen, while Lior also sat down.

"Right, so who are you picking? Zamazenta, you can go first." Lior said, casually gesturing towards Zamazenta.

"Right. Well, I will choose Affray Audley." Zamazenta answered.

Lugia tilted his head and looked at Gavin, who was peeking out from behind his leg. "Hey, Gavin, who's that? You went to Galar, so you should know if he's important."

Gavin put his hand under his chin to recall if he knew the name. His eyes widen as he seemingly landed on an answer. "Oh, yeah, he's that kid genius. He was the valedictorian for his elementary school, he took a test that allowed him to skip all the way to high school, and he's going to participate in the Minor League of Galar this summer since it doesn't require a letter of recommendation. Of course, Hop is going to give him one anyways. Although, the magazine I also read also mentioned that he was doing all of this to search for a cure for his ill brother."

"Hmm, should we really take a kid like that away from his family? Honestly, this isn't a glamorous life, even if you do live forever. Of course, that's only if you don't die from serious injuries," Lior remarked.

"I think he'll do just fine. He's ten years old, so he'll be rather easy to mold into an ideal candidate." Zamazenta responded.

"Ah, I see," Lior said, giving a knowing, yet bitter, smile, "you're picking up a ten-year-old to shape him into the perfect representative. It's rather devious. Anyways, who's your pick, Zacian?"

"My choice will be Joshua Cornwall," Zacian announced. There was a clear silence as Gavin gave her an unsure look.

Additional tidbit: The Sinnoh folk stories are all based on somewhat true events. As a reminder, the first story was about eating a Pokémon found in the stream and returning it to the stream so it can be reborn. The second story was about a Pokémon who slept as a human but roamed the village as a Pokémon. The third story was about Pokémon and humans intermarrying/ or "eating at the same table" in the English translation. In chronological order, the stories were written: Sinnoh folk story 3, Sinnoh folk story 2, and then Sinnoh folk story 1.

You can submit your own characters, which will fill out the Gym Challenger roster.

Rules:

All Legendary Pokémon are transient parts of a person's team, and a Pokémon form does not need to be filled out for them. Only people raised in Zetsuboji, a region under Unova, can have a pact with Legendary Pokémon, unless there's a good reason for them to partner up with a human outside of that region.

Shiny Pokémon are allowed, but within reason. On another note, black coloration [melanistic] and white coloration [albinism] are allowed. I'll take other coloration on a case by case basis, just to make sure that the ratio is balanced. Neutral colors such as brown and gray will probably help a Pokémon survive more, while vivid colors such as pink and purple can show strength, health, good genes, and help attract mates. For the most part though, Pokémon should be the same color as their counterparts in the game. The reason this rule is here is because if Pokémon only had to focus on one Pokémon instead of the over eight hundred, they would add more patterns. We see this in Magikarp Jump, where there's 33 unique patterns; sort of like Alcreamie's 63 [9 base patterns, 7 candies, so 9×7 = 63].

Only Pokémon from the Galar region will appear. So, unless there's a trip outside the Galar region, the Pokémon outside of the Pokedex won't appear in the story. The only exceptions to this rule are Legendary Pokémon.

Be creative. It's not going to be a normal traveling story all throughout, so you can go all in with it. If something is impossible in the story, I will tell you and help edit the idea into something that can work into the confines of the story.

There are a few things that are not allowed, due to being plot points later on or in later stories: Unova Elite Four, not the Unova Champion though, cannot have children, House of Jirachi cannot accept any members, and Colress, Ein, Ardos, Eldes, and Lovrina cannot have children.

Human Sign-Up sheet

Name:

Age: 10 or above

Gender:

Home Region:

Appearance:

Role: Are they a Gym Challenger, Ranger, normal Trainer, Gym Trainer, Council Member for a Legendary Pokémon {Specify which one}, Contest Star, ect.?

Challenger Number: If they are a Gym Challenger?

Goals: What do they want to accomplish in life?

Personality:

Familial Relationships: This takes place a year after Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Bulbepedia have a helpful timeline that I'm following. So, technically no one can be the children of the heroes of other games because they're not old enough to have ten-year-old children. The only way around it would be being displaced by either Celebi or Dialga, mainly Celebi. So, besides that, just put who the character's blood relationship.

Other Relationships: Like friendships and romantic relationships.

Starter Pokémon: This can be any Pokémon, except a Legendary Pokémon. I'm not too picky. For the purposes of this story Ultra Beasts are not Legendary Pokémon (yet), but they're not allowed to be starters. If they are a part of the Gym Challenge, or a trainer, the starter cannot be fully evolved, but I will accept second stages; as long as they evolve under level 20. Also, I'll consider when the OC will appear and power up the Pokémon based on that.

Background: Where did they grow up? What was their life like? Why are they traveling?

Other interesting details?: Do they have any hobbies? Specific quirk?

Request?: Any request you might have for me.

What fear rules them: From this list, what's the closest thing that's a deep-seeded fear for them – Being a bad person/ compromising their integrity, being unloved, being worthless, having no significance, being helpless or incompetent, having no support or guidance, being unfulfilled/ wallowing in sadness, being controlled/ harmed by others, or undergoing separation and loss.

Spirit Pokémon?: What kind of Pokémon would represent them? For example, Gavin's spirit Pokémon would be a Cutiefly. It doesn't have to be in the Galar region, and it can be a Legendary Pokémon. Technically, spirit Pokémon is called a fylgja [fil-ja] in this fanfic.

Pokémon Sign-Up sheet [Additional Note: Only fill this out for important Pokémon. An OC can have as many Pokémon as they want. A Pokemon learns moves as they level up, but they can only use four moves in most battles. The first four moves used in a battle are set. So, a Pikachu can use Body Slam, Thunderbolt, Brick Break, and Charm against one trainer's team, and Thunderbolt, Feint, Grass Knot, and Charm against another trainer. But, the more times a Pokemon uses a specific move, the better it gets at using it. So while the Pikachu might know Feint, it might use Thunderbolt more, and as such, know how to use the attack in more creative, stronger ways. Preferred moves are the moves that a Pokemon is most proficient in.]

Species:

Nickname:

Gender:

Ability: Can be a Hidden Ability. But, the HA has to be available in the region the Pokémon was caught or obtained in. For example, Minccino in any region, except Alola, can have their HA.

Preferred moves: This is for the moves the Pokémon uses most often, and as such, is exceptionally skilled at them.

Unique moves: This is for egg moves and TM moves.

Description: What does the Pokemon look like? Like the average member of its species or does it have a unique feature? Does it have some accessories?

Personality:

Background:

Battle Tactics/ Style: How do they like to battle? Hit-and-run? Rapid flurry of attacks? Wait-and-see? Does it mesh with their trainer's training style?

How was it caught/ obtained? Also, where?: