It was a stormy day when the Dragonair attacked.

After Lucius realized that Tornadus and Thunderous were occupied with Landorus, he had decided to take the matter into his own hands...

He possessed one of the Enemy's Dragonairs, a special breed enhanced by black magic, apt to evil and gigantic. Then he slithered into the sea, biding his time, avoiding the Logarian and Alolan patrols, sneaking, sneaking, sneaking towards the fleet.

...

One of the watchman aboard the Reshiram saw a dark blue shape riding the waves, heading towards the ship.

Berothrim and Lian looked through the rain-fogged spy-glass at the Pokémon. "Dragonair are not found in these waters," Berothrim said, his concern growing. "In any case, we ought to prepare for trouble."

Berothrim checked the navigational charts again, and the sextant and last nights astrolabe reading showed that they were very close to the southern waters of Alola. The admiral bid that the fleet should turn as quickly as possible toward the Summer Sea, and to prepare to go off the course of Crescent Island.

The Dragonair espied the smallest craft, the Prudence. Before any of the crew could react, it flew into the air in great wrath, and brought its lengthy tail down upon the mast, snapping it in twain. A beam of shimmering energy from the broad horn upon its brow, and then the little ship was ruined, the crew and Pokémon falling into the sea.

"Defensive positions!" Berothrim yelled as the flag of battle was hoisted. "All Pokemon to the decks! We do not face any normal foe, make haste for Alolan waters!"

Lucius, through the Dragonair's body, was elated at the strength of his thrall. The rush of battle was broken, however, by freezing Ice Beams from some of the Clawitzers, and invariable attacks by Pokemon on the decks of the ship.

Irritated, the Dragonair sunk into the waves again, seeing that his target was aboard the Reshiram. The crew of the capital ship passed out small grenade-like bottles to everyone, with instructions to handle them with extreme care.

Lucius maneuvered his improvise body below the ship, and then started to slither about its length, much like a unfortunate sailor who is about to be keel-hauled. The Dragonair increased the pressure, more and more coils of its body going about the ship, bearing attacks with impunity.

Rei looked up with disdain, wondering when the ship would give. Berothrim signaled for all on the Reshiram to cease attacking, and wait to throw the bottles that had been given to everyone.

The ship groaned...

The Dragonair had wrapped the whole of its body about the craft, and began to squeeze even harder.

"NOW!"

Everyone threw the bottles.

KRAAKKKOOOOMMM! The Dragonair went down! Explosion after jarring explosion went across its body, making it smash into the deck, and then fall into the sea. Everybody cheered, although Rei wondered what was in the bombs.

"Turtonator droppings, I presume." Laventon said. "I have been reading up on these foreign Pokémon, it really is quite fascinating how many of them there are. Of course, no Dragonair could be that aggressive normally. The arm of the Enemy has certainly grown ever longer..."

Something was stirring in the waters.

A lopsided head emerged, with blank white eyes. The Dragonair was surfacing once more, almost being hoisted up by an alien force. The horn started to glow...

Only a moment earlier, the ship had passed into Alolan waters.

A roaring noise came from over the ocean, coming from Alola. Like a mighty comet, a being came in great fury and might, and smote the Dragonair down again. It then grabbed the unseen Lucius by the wing, and threw him from the region, the demon wailing as he flew.

The Alolans aboard the ship bowed in respect, and Rei was obliged to do so as well. Berothrim navigated the ship safely beyond the boundary of Alola, and then saluted the being.

"For your aid, Tapu Koko, we give our utmost thanks. Since you have repelled another slave of the Enemy, we consider you among the righteous elohim of this world, never to be given to the Evil One, and a constant protector of a fair land that has resisted him as well. Farewell, guardian! May we meet again in better days."

Tapu Koko looked in the direction of Dor Daedeloth, emitted a strange energy, and the rocketed back to its own land.

"I hope the Enemy wises up around here!" Artherim laughed. "We only have about a few more days before we reach the mainland, and then we begin our journey to Atun-Kaah. We will disembark at Shaaman-Pah, unless the winds prefer Otoch-Kaah..."

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Roria was a land that far surpassed what Rei expected.

It was warm, but not overly humid for the time of year. Berothrim had explained that it actually was the middle of winter in Roria, as they had crossed the Girdle of the Earth a week ago. Still, it was like a cool summers day upon the palm-covered shores of Shaaman-Pah, a fortified northern outpost.

The air was so clean and salty, with refreshing breezes coming from the south. The Ered Nicse, or the Frostveil Mountains, were like the Ered Engrin, only smaller, and far more beautiful. It was said that beyond the deserts of Old Nuria, there lay a paradise by the name of Beulah, where Pokemon lived in complete harmony with one ancient warrior.

But such wonder was not to last...

In the northwest, smoke and ash could be seen. Dor Daedeloth, flanked by the Mountains of Shadow, lay indomitable, fearing no assault, laughing at t he feeble resistance that was put against it. A distinct, roving, piercing gaze could be felt from far away, and Rei knew that it was the Enemy. All his thought was bent upon the Golden Company, a terrible will straining to perceive every movement.

After a few days at Shaaman-Pah, the company had obtained some finely bred Mudsdale, perfect for mountain crossings. Atun-Kaah lay in the mountains and caverns, and the only pass from the low-lying lands was constantly watched by the forces of the Enemy.

With Berothrim and a group of warriors, the company set out to Atun-Kaah, the City of caves and the great capital of Logaria. The road went through temperate forests, mostly, and a few rocky highlands where little grew. The elevation rose as the sight of the Frostveil Mountains loomed ever closer.

Along the way, Rei saw such a sight that he never forgot it, and it never lost its wonder.

The sea was still visible when he saw it. 'It' was the most inconceivably huge, absolutely absurd, cosmically gigantic, colossal being that could be believed.

It was a nephilim, golem-like and white, with six gemstones the size of towns on its body. Seven 'eyes' as large as mansions lay upon a yellow slope that could have been mistaken for a large hill range. On its shoulders lay two patches of green as huge as primeval forests, and all across its unfathomably vast body were patches of black, rectangular strips as large as entire plains.

It was standing in the sea, holding thousands upon thousands of ropes in hands that consisted of mountain-peak size fingers, coming out of a yellow band that attached to its nation-sized arms. The ropes were in the sea, but behind the giant was a island...and it was moving. Magma and ash spewed from its sides, a dull, grinding noise coming from the groan of a tectonic plate being pulled to who knows where.

The legends were true. Regigigas, Mover of Mountains, The Third Day Creation, was still present in the world, the elohim appointed by the Original One to continue the shaping of the Earth, even after the first creation had long been finished. Still, the damage done by the great battle between Kyogre and Groudon had to be rectified, and Regigigas carried out the task with solem purpose.

Rei did not know that after his time on earth was over, that Regigigas would be the very destroyer of Logaria after it fell into dark decline. It lost its vastness over the ages, its power diminishing, until it took residence in Snowpoint Temple in future Sinnoh, sleeping until it was given purpose again.

The sight was worth the entire journey. Even if Rei had to have swum the entire way, it would not have been for total loss, simply to gaze upon the being for only a few moments, before sinking into the depths. After the company saw Regigigas, they talked somewhat lesser, riding in silence.

As the hills turned into mountains, the winds bit hard and fierce. The warming cloths of Stoutland fur sustained everyone, but it was evident that the power of the Enemy had increased the frosts, even more so than in the Ered Engrin. But the path was clear and well-maintained, and the feet of the Mudsdale were hardy, and could even walk upon the snow with surprising grace.

Little more trouble was had over the journey of two weeks. The reason why so little had gone ill was not for the lack of the Enemy trying to intervene, he had been sending hordes of invisible demons to plague the hearts of the Company. It was rather, the impressive spiritual guard that was in Logaria, especially around Atun-Kaah, and the company individually.

The guardian took nonphysical form for the task, and they were a impressive lot. Zeraora, the Great Lion, who slew scores of demons as quick as a lightning strike. Latios and Latias, the deadly duo, always moving about from defending the folk of Hoenn in physical form, and doing warfare in the spiritual. The Swords of Justice were there, a famous trio of warriors that had already defended the Golden Company in the physical realm.

There were others, less known, that never had took physical form, and never did. Aarin, the powerful, jolly warrior that had descended from the heavenly spheres, hearing that there was war to be had in the little kingdom. Krioni and Usiu, fighters from Kanto, who once accompanied a family of righteous travellers across the world, fighting the demon lords of Alola and Kalos. Sorath, who had aided Cresselia in the binding of Darkrai, and fought with it for twenty-eight days, finally casting it into the Abyss on the eve of the fall of Nuria.

All this, for the moderate group of travellers. Rei, although he could not see his guardians, felt as if he was in good hands. The Forces of Arceus would not allow the quest to fail, if they could help it.

Atun-Kaah was nearing, the road banking into the final downward slope to the gates...

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One glimpse of the city, and Rei knew it was a Wonder of the World.

It was in a vale that was flanked by mountains on all sides but one, the gates being positioned thataway. Sheer, white walls of hewn and dressed stone surrounded the great doors, which themselves were covered in gold, silver, and with bars of iron and steelwood coating the dark spruce gates. For now, the impressive doors were open, with Pokémon and humans and all kinds of goods and commerce going in and out of them.

Beyond that, was the city. All kinds of monuments and houses and markets and store-houses lay in order, beautifully designed and crafted. Statues of kings were common, but always below images of the Original One's many forms. The entire city sloped somewhat up the mountains faces, making a symmetrical half-circle.

There were other deep caverns, hidden away, where people and Pokémon lived, and trade was done, and supplies were stored along with arms and warriors. The entrances to these great caverns were proudly displayed all about, people fluttering in and out of them with incredible pace.

And the Pokémon! Every kind of Pokémon was here, small, large, strong, weak, underwater, land-based, flying, physic, ghostly, four-legged, bipedal, insectoid, dragon-like, horrific, fair, strange, cold, hot, pulling carts, manning battle stations, doing countless duties about the great city.

Rei was, to put it into words, overwhelmed. He had never imagined a place this large built by man in Pokémon. Even in the Marcus's Halls, you couldn't see all of the stronghold at once. But the size! It just couldn't be done! Jubilife Town was by far the largest settlement in Hisui, and they got along quite well. But this! And so many people...the entire population of Hisui was likely only a few hundred thousand, and across a vast territory. But here...over a far, far smaller space, half a million people dwelt.

Adaman had a visible reaction of shock. He even went back and about whichaways, to see if his perspective was off.

It wasn't.

It had been done. The Golden Company had reached Atun-Kaah, and would prepare to bind the Evil Djinn forever.