Draco: I don't know why it feels so good to write about legendary Pokémon like this, but I think it's just the fact that I abandoned this fricker and I'm finally making up for it. Imagine the kind of euphoria I'd get if I'd thought to save the ~10 chapters of disOrder I wrote before I failed it and felt like going back to that one.

Heads-up, I'm probably not going to upload the Galarian chapter until after I'm done Kingdoms Unknown because I finally have all the petals on my lily in order and I want it to still be that way when I'm finished.

Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo.


(aside note: after much deliberation, Selene and I have determined that the extradimensional Pokémon encountered in Alola known as Ultra Beasts are not to be considered Legendary Pokémon. If you want information on Ultra Beasts, go visit the Aether Foundation | ~Cynthia)

Type: Null/Type: Full | Beast Killer

Selene: Much like the Mind Master created by Team Rocket in Kanto, the Beast Killer is an artificial Pokémon created by the Aether Foundation, strong enough to earn its place among legends. But all else about their history is near opposite. Type: Full was created to fight the Ultra Beasts that invade Alola without warning, and so was instilled with the 'RKS System', meant to allow it to change types at will. However, the specimens rejected the RKS System and were reduced to a berserk state, forcing Aether to fit the specimens with inihibitor helmets, and rebranding them 'Type: Null'. A Trainer in Alola would later discover that earning the trust of Type: Null would cause the RKS System to take hold, whereupon it will... evolve, in a way, destroying its helmet in the process and giving it the power to truly become a Beast Killer.
(I'm not going to think about how that RKS System sounds ominously similar to something else entirely | ~Cynthia)

Gloria: Whether the Aether Foundation has made some questionable decisions or simply been less than careful, at least one Beast Killer specimen has appeared in Galar, where there are no Ultra Beasts to fight. This seems to indicate that its creation does not include terribly secretive techniques. I can only hope that the specimens are capable of discerning which Trainers are deserving of their trust.

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Tapu Koko | The Guardian of Melemele

Selene: The lightning of a legendary Pokémon is terrifying to face. But the lightning of Tapu Koko is terrifying to witness - even when he's on your side. With his reputation as a fickle creature, witnessing the Melemele tapu in battle is a gamble; if the battle doesn't satisfy him, the tapu might simply turn on the next closest combatant to sate its intentions.

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Tapu Lele | The Guardian of Akala

Selene: The soft colour and consuming appearance of Tapu Lele's shell might convince a Trainer that she's a shy, cowardly thing. Appearances are deceiving, and she is nothing of the sort. The Akala tapu is actually feared as cruel, and smart enough that if she's at a disadvantage, she'll stop trying to win and just focus on not letting her opponent win.

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Tapu Bulu | The Guardian of Ula'ula

Selene: In sharp contrast, the aggressive color and bulky form of Tapu Bulu would convince a Trainer he's a brute. In fact, the Ula'ula tapu is borderline inactive, to the extent that most believe he's lazy. That said, one should not anger him any more than they should a Snorlax - he is powerful enough to turn full-grown trees into bludgeoning weapons.

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Tapu Fini | The Guardian of Poni

Selene: An unfortunate number of humans have marched into Tapu Fini's ruins and demanded the storied "water of purification". As a consequence, she's not terribly fond of humans with no Pokémon to vouch for them. The Poni tapu is an expert in subterfuge, shrouding her environs in fog to distract her opponents while she bombards them with powerful currents.

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Cosmog | The Child of the Stars

Selene: Unlike such legendary Pokémon as the Wanderer, the Time Traveller, and the Agent of Victory, Cosmog are small and cute and not particularly powerful. Actually, all things considered, they're not much better in a fight than, say, Feebas. But that doesn't mean they're not dangerous. They were called Children of the Stars because, when under duress, they can open Ultra Wormholes - the same Wormholes that beckon the feared Ultra Beasts that terrorize Alola. However, this puts an immense strain on the Cosmog performing the action - moreso if it is forced - and they do not have much control over how long the Wormhole is open, where it appears, or where it comes out. Forced means may be able to increase or specify these parameters... but at cost.

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Cosmoem | The Cocoon of the Stars

Selene: As incongruous as it sounds, Cosmog and Cosmoem are evolutionarily related. Further confusing things is that the evolution into Cosmoem is triggered not by exceptional battle progress, exposure to an stone or suitable environment, or even a strong bond with a trainer. Rather, Cosmog evolves when pushed to its limits - either by its own choice, or forced to by less scrupulous individuals. If direct contact is not made, Cosmoem will hover in the air, reflexively moving away from contact and allowing one to hold it above their hand like a Psychic-type. However, when an individual tries to move Cosmoem by direct touch, inertia kicks in - and as one of the two heaviest Pokémon known to man, that inertia is borderline immovable by anything like to encounter it.

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Solgaleo | The Sunne of Ultra Space
Lunala | The Moone of Ultra Space

Selene: Although revered as unrelated entities in Alolan myth, Solgaleo and Lunala are both evolutions of Cosmoem. Although there are a few different phenomena that may result in said evolution, the common point is that the Cosmoem must consent. Both Sunne and Moone are capable of opening Ultra Wormholes at will, with complete control over when they close and where they lead. Like the Agents of Gratitude, they are a bit more populous than most legendary Pokémon, yet no more common to encounter - they embody the light of Alola, and spend much time in Ultra Space as a consequence. Despite this, neither they nor their prevolutions are Ultra Beasts in and of themselves.

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Necrozma | The Blinding One

Selene: Once a radiant being that could fill the worlds of Ultra Space with light, Necrozma was victim to aggression long ago that inflicted dreadful harm upon it. Now trapped in a state of constant agony, it cannot generate light so much as redirect it... or steal it. If driven to desperate action, it is fully capable of enveloping the Sunne or Moone, taking control of their form and turning their light to its purposes. With such a bounty, it can briefly retake its former radiance in a phenomenon known as Ultra Burst - an experience not totally different from Mega Evolution. It is theorized that, under appropriate conditions, it may be able to permanently reacquire its former light.
(This... isn't in your Pokédex | ~Dawn)
(That's because I'm not the one with a witness account. Also, no one said you could use my Pokédex | ~Selene)

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Magearna | The Mechanical Princess

Selene: Magearna's body was created in the ancient past as a gift for some royal figure - a doll, of sorts. However, what gives her life is her 'Soul-Heart' - a jewel within her core that contains the life energy of lost Pokémon. This gives the Mechanical Princess incredible empathy, and so she is loathe to witness Pokémon suffering. However, if pushed to fight, the Soul-Heart allows her to unleash powerful blasts on par with or exceeding the power of the tapu. Theoretically, the Soul-Heart could be removed from Magearna's body and placed in an alternative - but attempting to do so is like to put the experiment-happy individual responsible on the receiving end of the aforesaid blasts.
(Did you say life energy? Zinnia's gonna flip out | ~May)

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Marshadow | The Shadow Dancer

Selene: Fantasy stories tell of entities borne from the shadows of heroes, with all the powers the hero possesses turned to evil. I believe that Marshadow is the source of those stories, for its possesses the ability to sink into the shadows of people and Pokémon, and learn from them. Its power in battle is not a matter of pure strength, but the skill to strike in the most precise of manners; further, it can attack a Pokémon who has been building power and seize that power for itself.

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Zeraora | The Thunderstrike

Selene: A bit of an oddity among Electric-type Pokémon, Zeraora is not capable of generating electricity itself. Rather, it must store electricity taken from other sources, and so if depleted in less-than-conductive environments, it has no means to recharge. To compensate, it is capable enough in martial arts to be mistaken for a Fighting-type Pokémon, and will use such techniques when its voltage is lacking. If it is sufficiently charged, however, it will use its voltage and martial arts in tandem - to the suffering of whoever is currently victim to it.


Draco: The treatment of Silvally's name still irks me, but I'm playing the workaround game because I still don't want to force my preferences on canon.

[quote]Can you use the term 'is canon' when referring to game elements present in a fanfic?[/quote] {laughs} No, I'm not gonna pass up the opportunity to say that again, but I'm mostly just using it to remind you guys to check the first chapter and make sure you're up to speed. I've gone back and revised that a couple times, mostly for Generations III-V. So, leading off from that...

Generation VI: Serena did it, and I have a Distorted contortion of a neutral version planned out in my head. Long story short, Team Flare had been accumulating Zygarde Cells and Cores prior to the events of the game in preparation for use with the Ultimate Weapon. The scientists each have a 10% Forme on a leash à la Ghetsis' control of Kyurem, the remaining cells are a 50% Forme that will be used to power the flower (sorry), and there's an Assembly Unit in Lysandre Labs. Good engineers want redundancy, and Xerosic feels that they should have backup power sources. This leads to encounters with Team Flare units, an unhatched Yveltal, and an inert Xerneas. After having both acquisitions thwarted, Lysandre goes "frick it" and starts the game plan anyways. The 10% Formes are brought to Geosenge as the closest thing he has to a backup, so you fight the Scientists in Lysandre Labs without. Zygarde proceeds to summon the 10% Formes beneath the Ultimate Weapon, where they disperse into cells, the 50% disperses into cells, and you get a fight with Complete Forme.

Not sure if that should go as Xerneas/Yveltal did and have the catch be mandatory, be more like Primal Groudon/Kyogre and have the catch be optional, or go full Black/White Kyurem and have the catch unavailable until post-Hall of Fame.
Also, I don't think you could justify a legendary Pokémon in Santalune Forest, so I think this version would have to save the climactic Flare fights until after the eighth badge because the only other forest is Route 20.

As far as her running into Mythical Pokémon goes, I'd like to say a friendly encounter with Diancie somewhere in Lumiose City (I could probably write a threeshot about the Looker Bureau solving a case around the Precious Jewel), a not-so-friendly encounter with Hoopa in the Chamber of Emptiness, and a run-in with Volcanion in the Kalos Power Plant.

Generation VII: Alola gave me a fun opportunity to be balanced on this one. There's an Ultra Wormhole at the end of Vast Poni Canyon that connects the Altar of the Sunne to the Altar of the Moone. Sun Version happened on this side of the Wormhole, by Selene's hands. Sina and Dexio got all 100% of Zygarde with her help. She got the Type: Null specimen that Gladion offered after becoming Champion, and Looker's Ultra Beast hunt was a little more diverse on Melemele and Ula'ula. Meanwhile, Ultra Moon Version happened on that side of the Wormhole, by Elio's hands. There were both Blacephalon and Skatataka in the Poni Grove, and Ultra Warp Ride had a few more possible destinations. At some point, Selene and Solgaleo happened to go through the Wormhole at same time as Elio and Lunala did... cue the collision and a very awkward conversation in Ultra Deep Sea. (I might write that sometime, I'm not sure.) Let's say that Selene had a curious encounter with Marshadow and Elio got off on the wrong foot with Zeraora.

All things considered, I prefer the Ultra Versions to base Sun/Moon Versions because they turned Ultra Space into a comprehensive series of worlds instead of just the ominous home of Nihilego. But I'm having Selene as Cynthia's reference because that spares me the trouble of going back to add "Elio also had an encounter" notes to bits and pieces because of Elio's access in Ultra Warp Ride.
Yes, I know the 'Version' designation was retired at the end of Generation V, shut up.

Generation VIII: Sword Version happened, by Gloria's hands, and I think I'm gonna leave it at that until I see what the Isle of Armour and Crown Tundra have in store.

...Why yes, I am comfortable saying that a specific one of the pair happened. There are way less differences between Sword and Shield than there are between most other paired versions. It's a lot like the Johto games, because both legendary Pokémon appear and are battled by the player. I approve wholeheartedly. True, there's no definitive events to give me a bias like there was between HeartGold and SoulSilver, but I ultimately picked Sword for this thing because it results in the tower summit events post-game having Zamazenta as the aggressor and Zacian as the defender, and I just love the irony of that.
And then I picked Gloria as the Trainer responsible because for some reason I feel like there aren't enough ladies with blades.