AN: Another new thing I'll try. Again, feedback is welcome.
*** Scene Change ***
My master, 'Greg' as the humans call him is incredibly insightful and knowledgeable. He knows things about how the world works which even Prince has failed to correctly find the ways to describe. He complains about it endlessly, which is annoying, but only raises the opinions of us - "The Pokemon of the Conqueror" all the more in favor of him.
When I was a Charmander and was prepared for the selection process of going with one of the 'young prodigies' who are sent from Pallet, I was told what to expect by my mother.
"Your trainer will be inordinately skilled for a beginner, in all likelihood. You will almost certainly evolve once in this coming year. You will probably end up either stalling around the sixth gym leader or perhaps make it further, if they have real talent and skill. It is impossible to predict these things. Support them and keep team morale high, though. Trainers feed off the energy and desire to grow more powerful we feed them. If we become downtrodden or faint of heart, our trainers can stumble. So keep your head high and lead your team as far as you can go. Come back again and again. Year after year. Grow, change and leave your mark on the world. This league will not be conquered in one year. Perhaps not even two or three. But if you keep your head high, your trainers spirits lit, then you will conquer the land some day." This was how she began that final speech to me which I can remember so well. Her eyes had been alight with remembrance of her own journey. She had been passionate but hadn't wanted to tell me something I could not achieve.
Because I can plainly see, from the journey on that boat, and regularly in the houses of healing how weak our 'peers' are. The Professor had ensured we were prime specimens ready to head to battle and grow. But what talent was brought forth would be due, in no small part, to the skill and knowledge of our trainer.
I am convinced my trainer is the most skilled and knowledgeable trainer of all to start this year.
I had, of course, had been happy to be chosen first. I had been prideful in my continued victories in that first city we stopped in. I had been grateful my trainer was able to push me to my limits and help me develop new moves and skill so rapidly. I could feel myself growing more powerful by the day. I could feel my knowledge and control expanding. I knew I was becoming more powerful.
What had earned my master my loyalty - however - had been when he went swimming and came back with a Dratini. I was willing to work with and follow orders before then, but that had clinched it.
Humans are unaware of how delicate and capable of detecting their emotions the line of Dragons are. They can feel falsehoods and lies and weakness like tangible things. They can feel terror in innocents and the urge to cause it - or the happiness of those who delight in doing so. They are noble and powerful.
Most humans hide some dark, vile secrets. Only one who could gain the respect of a true Dragon or perhaps a Fairy could be known to be truly pure. Even then, some fairies, like the Ninetails line I train with have been known to be less than honorable. They can be excellent judges of character, or incredibly poor. Blinded by emotional ties to those who raise them.
Dragons have no such compunctions. If you are incompetent, harbor vile ideals or are less than a pillar of good, most dragons will have nothing to do with you. At least, those native to Kanto.
I'd since learned - with Garchomp - not all dragons judge the same.
Garchomp only cares for three things, power, food and growth. Garchomp wants to be the apex predator of the world to keep himself and his kin fed and happy. His loyalty was earned by growing his power, feeding him and helping him evolve quickly. The born apex predator.
However, most of them do not realize how advanced and skilled our trainer is. Even as I watch presently, he is demonstrating his knowledge and skill. Turning bathing into training. He is indeed relentless.
"Focus on how the energy flows in the water you are controlling passively with Aqua Ring. You can tell its cooler than the spring, right? You can feel the difference in thermal energy inherent to the water because you can detect when ice is in a glass and when it isn't with your eyes closed. You can also pick out boiling water. So you can feel it, right? When you lose that control on the water healing you, and it reverts to normal water, it will lose the steady temperature. I want you to grow to anticipate this before it happens and keep a tiny drop of water out of the spring. Keep that single drop aloft. When you manage to do this, we can move on to the next step, okay?" He instructs Milotic. Another astounding member of the team. Their kind usually detest violence.
He had earned her respect by explaining how growing powerful enough to deter violence and issues with her presence would end up causing less suffering over time than if she remained docile and weak. As if there was more needed after he'd helped her evolve, which no human knew how to do, apparently.
Even Milotic had not known.
But yes, he had tested us. To see what we could feel. The only energy types he seemed yet confused by was the brutal nobility of the draconic essence and the tricksome nature of fairy type energy. He needed to grow and understand them. They are advanced reflections and interpretations of reality.
Because all dragons are rulers. I'd found the way they rule is the only difference. Garchomp rules with power as the apex, Dragonite rules with compassion and an iron fist on evil. Salamence are as tyrants, while Goodra, from what I'd heard, seemed to be the masters via friendship. Threats to their station were the methods of causing them to attack.
I puffed out a deep sigh as I noted my control on the ambient heat of the lava pool I was near had become something out of my control. I noted when it happened - as I'd been ordered - but I had been unable to keep the final ember of the fire I controlled alive and under my control while the rest of the energy I'd controlled burned out. I could feel my energy stretch, bend and then break as a twig. Perhaps I ought to keep a larger portion alive, then shrink that until I can barely hold it.
Then shrink again. And again until I can hold only that one ember as easily as breathing? Yes. That sounded easier. More correct.
"Prince, if you could inform the others of my idea, then I do think they would benefit from the knowledge." I puffed aloud, before sinking back into my meditation as Milotic lost her move and seemed agitated at failing her objective.
We'd been told we had upwards of a month to master this, but that our master and the rising conqueror of this region would prefer to see us done in two weeks with the simpler elemental transmutations. Able to control the smallest amounts of released energy.
If we mastered this, or figured out how to control the natural state of our element in all of its forms then we'd be allowed to move on. The latter came to me more readily.
After the Master had pointed it out, it seemed obvious. How everything moves and how the waves they give off are their body heat. How I can contain and amplify that energy to create paths of heat for my own energy to follow. How I can refine that fire I use to burn them more readily by heating their body subtly or suddenly with the impact of the fire to increase the damage done.
Because I know things burn better when its hotter and drier. My Master had explained that early to me.
"Garchomp wonders if you are not being weak to require such an indirect way to preform your duties." Prince eventually returns as I keep a small ball of coals burning under my power - hotter than those around them. I huff in annoyance. Garchomp. Seeking to challenge me on raw elemental manipulation was like a child trying to contest an adult in building a sand castle. They have more innate talent due to the tools they are naturally given, but they are not inherently better.
He has natural Geokinesis. That ultimately means he can infuse any individual grain of sand with his power as he had a control of that power. So our master, in his wisdom, had him use earth power to cause eruptions of stone. Then Dragonite would distract him somehow and he'd let the move drop, but had to keep the one piece of earth - Master demanded it be dirt - afloat. No stone, no sand, no.
Dirt. Which Garchomps Geokinesis naturally struggled with. In fact, I think his Geokinesis does not work at all. The master demanded it be the same size as his grain of sand or neither would count.
"Remind Garchomp his piece of dirt can be no bigger than the grain of sand. Ask him if he can even infuse his energy into a solitary ball the size of our containers at their largest yet? Because I can do that with fire, as you can determine." I respond at last, banishing the small ball, and resetting the exercise.
I hear the distant roar of outrage, and I smirk, standing to take a break instead of beginning the next exercise. I decide to go speak with Ninetails. She has interesting concepts on our master, after all. It takes only a few moments to find her glaring at a small pile of floating snow. The rest melting quickly.
A single perfect snowflake was her task.
"Ninetails." I greeted, pulling in my wings as I did so.
"Charizard. Always a pleasure." Her cheshire voice of satisfaction mixed with annoyance was, as always, confusing.
"What do you think of our latest training exercise?" I ask, and she tilts her head, then smiles.
"I think our Master is brilliant. I don't know how, but he fools the universe while also staying true to himself and us. His trickery is so masterful even I cannot see through it, but I feel it. Lingering just under his skin. This method of training is also like that. Tricky and holding hidden meanings. It is fooling us. We are not supposed to be able to do what we have been set to without cheating. I have discoved how to cheat already, but I think cheating is antithetical to you and those draconically aligned. Attend." She snickers, then summons and cuts a snowstorm. She doesn't attempt to control any of it. It all lands and I feel the energy of hers melt from the elemental attack. Then, I feel a piece of the energy which naturally belongs to the world now, change to belong to her.
That isn't right. She is exerting her will on the energy of the world. It is not hers, and yet she controls it like it is indeed hers.
I squint, then nod in understanding.
Just as I can increase the ambient temperature of things like body heat. I need to learn to control things like the natural fires of the world. I need to control and stoke them using only the energy which is there. The resources are naturally apparent. My flying type can supply the oxygen, and the coal in the bed of my lava pit will be the fuel, so I just have to convince the fire to burn hotter, larger. Or hotter and smaller in this case.
I understand now. Being able to take natural or even energy I had nothing to do with according to my senses and controlling it. Not a new idea, but this is a more advanced application.
I should also see about controlling and moving the lava I create, as a surprise. Then I should see about compressing as hot of a fire as I can into a ball. I had heard the master explain how plasma works once, and how that is different from fire. Orders of magnitude hotter than fire.
I wonder if I can make that?
"You understand what I see? This is what the Master meant when he mentioned our draconic allies would not like it. They do not like cheating their way to power. They will buck and squirm under this. Master mentioned energy control is hard for dragons and the reason why there are a number of high level dragon types who get walked out of the Elite level is this exact thing." She continues lecturing, then snaps her tail to me, expecting me to finish.
"They have to release their pride and arrogance that they can do anything if they try hard enough." I rumble in agreement.
"Or be so good that they can do it without cheating. Which, according to what I understand from my attempts, would be a year or two of very careful refinement with another year at least to fully master the concept. Master has myself and Garchomp working on expanding our range of influenceable elements instead of just ice and snow for myself, he is having me work on half water half ice. Slush, he called it."
"I think I understand. What you have learned is not so hard to comprehend, however it does allow me to test some new variables. As you will learn liquid and ice mixed, I will try to learn how to move the combination of stone and fire. Lava or Magma, Master called it. Heat is energy. If I can learn to control and direct the energy as I do with air currents…"
Ninetails eyes lit up with glee. "Imagine the look on Garchomp's face when you hit him with his stone edge when you turn them to pure lava. You already had a method to do this, in a way. But if you actuall manage perfect control instead of the trick, then you'll have more tricks and methods than one which can be overcome with enough force. Layers of tricks are the best tricks. He already countered the first, so layer on a second, third, fourth, and so forth. Eventually your counters to all kinds of issues will be so extensive none will be able to pierce your veils of flame… or my Ice. I must thank you for the idea. For I have my own ideas on how I can defeat those who counter me with this. Master told us about how rapid temperature fluctuations can shatter steel, remember? What would happen if I froze then ripped all the ice energy out of a Steelix's hide?" Her gleeful rant cut off with a sharp bark of amusement.
I felt bad for those Steel Types. But I suppose I should not. As Rock types are to me, Steel types are to her. I would never feel bad for those abysmally slow Rocks.
"Let's take a break. I think we can work out a new trick between us. After all, if I pull all heat towards me and you pull all cold towards you… what do you think happens?" I question. Ninetails blinks, then grins.
"I think we should find out."
*** Scene Change ***
I wasn't sure what I, the First Dragonite of my line was expecting today. I don't suppose I was expecting a hurricane. I felt an intense blast of heat and cold wrapping, warping and then getting torn through each other. I felt the air get spun like one of those tops I'd seen children in farms playing with while searching for a worthy kit of the Kantonian Ninetails.
That air 'top' kept getting spun faster and faster as a small fire and ice tornado appeared on each side of the larger phenomena, spinning in the proper directions to accelerate it. Then, I watched in annoyance as it sucked the fire up, then the blizzard, and it turned into a proper hurricane.
Heavy downpour included with winds which are actively tearing the palm trees out of the ground on this small island we're on for the day. I suffuse my body with energy and go grip the hurricane with my mind and then slowly bring it to a stop.
On one side, Charizard grinning like the lovable goofball he is. Trying to act honorable but not understanding the concept truly. On the other, the Trickster Queen of our team. Ninetails sits in a frozen tundra. It looks like they fully saturated the area around them in their elemental types, then after they mixed and mingled for a moment creating a spiral of heat and cold due to their influence, they'd pulled them back to themselves to see the outcome.
It was merely a category four, in human terms. The winds, while powerful, were hardly worth my notice. If I hadn't heard it or been rained on for it, I would not have cared to meddle with the attack.
"How!" Charizard yelled up at me, I rolled my eyes.
"The masters training was easy for one such as I. I understood the purpose and mastered the technique in mere moments." Truly I had been working on a similar concept to allow for hypersonic travel for my trainer. Human are rather squishy and incapable of handling hypersonic travel. My work to this end had aided me in my control, so when the idea of our training was brought up, I figured it out nearly instantly.
Because you can't just do what he suggested. It's not so simple. It would be easier to fake it by taking something which you did not create and making it act as though you did. As I cannot control the winds or how they acted before this, I can now bend them to my will. It allows far greater movement speed and also reduces the pressure exerted by the wind massively.
Now, honestly, I'm working on draconic energy. Most think it to be the energy of the noble. That is the barest surface of the truth. It is raw power, the power needed to wield. The concept is power. Inherently uncontrollable and untamable. To rule the power is the ultimate goal.
So, I make my attempts as I watch Garchomp throwing clods of mud around with anger not understanding that he needs to alter his perception to win. I think everyone else has honestly figured it out.
Though Charizard did have an interesting concept of how to attain the instructed skill in somewhat shorter periods of time, I decided it would take me a good year or so to master the level needed to do what I can pretend to do now.
Still, when I need to work on something other than my speed and controlling the raw powers which hold all of reality together, I suppose I can work on it.
After all. Time, Space and Dimensions are all held together by Draconic power. There is a reason Dragons are so arrogant. While my kind are unlike those others… we were not always so. My grandmother had told me of such before I left the nest in search of a mate.
Our seclusion to the south of this continent was to find peace. We had succeeded. The others had continued to ravage and conquer and dominate. They knew they were connected to the founding powers of the universe. They knew they controlled some fractional level of that power.
But they failed to understand that a beast is driven by their instincts. We of the Dratini line had sought to master ourselves and thereby have a chance to master the power.
Garchomp may have an intuitive hold of the power, but I think he fails to realize how limited his mindset is. If only he had been forced to look outside of himself. I had the ability to force lightning, ice, fire, water and even ground type moves into reality through my sheer will and control of the powers I felt floating in the world.
With greater control of this power will come greater variety and power in those abilities. As I master each I will gain more knowledge and power and control. Eventually, I will achieve the goal of every Dragonite - the ability to ascend to the levels of the Legendaries. To fight those great creators as one worthy to challenge them.
Because if those others seek to conquer only the lands of mortals, we Dragonite must be so arrogant as to conquer the realms of the gods. We may not hold the throne, but to win even one battle against a legendary… this is my dream.
My lord trainer can achieve this, and indeed not abuse the power I wield.
For the Conqueror of these lands has come. Only the best are able to stand aside him. Some may leave in time, but he who conquers all would hopefully understand. They were as his stewards in the wilds. Keeping his kingdom safe from the wild interlopers. The ancient monsters. Mayhaps even the Legendaries.
For the Conqueror, Dragonite doubted he would stop with just these lands of Indigo. He would likely move on to other, greater lands. Conquering them as he goes.
Only when he meets his equal will he find his mate, after all. He had all but said so to the Misty one. What better way to find an equal than to conquer until you find someone who might yet stop your conquest? It was as when the Draconic species were young.
So, I would watch. This was a young dragon, a conqueror. Yet, contradicting this was his tricks. His understanding.
I knew he had the power of a Dragon. Ninetails insisted his spirit rang with the chimes of the Faeries. Others had commented. Solid as Steel. Flowing around some and crushing others as water. Wrathful as lightning. Passionate as fire.
But the concepts of reality are thus.
Dragons are power. Faeries are life. Steel is stable. Water is flexible. He may embody each of these, true, but it is like those humans who declare that Milotic should be a Faerie because of her beauty.
They are fools. Milotic is just water.
The Conqueror is just a Dragon.
*** Scene Change ***
I idly flicked my tail as I listened to the commands our master was giving us over the computer console. Specialty training with ideas for where to push from each stage to increase potential gains. I trilled in agreement, while the others bobbed in agreement. It was time to get to work.
"Master specifically asked us to develop a technique each. Do each of you remember your instructions?" I asked imperiously. I may not be the strongest of my Masters Pokemon - not even top five - but I know how to work hard and train.
Strength, however, is not required for my job. Only skill. Control. All of us have tasks like this. Growlithe controlling the heat in a way to create an electrical dead zone. Controlling each leaf in Razor Leaf to fly in different directions, ideally spinning around myself in a relatively tight shield. Honestly, the master had such interesting ideas.
The leaf shield, he had admitted, was a concept core to the idea of a counter move to block things I'm weak to. The basic idea had been rather unrefined as he explained it, so he had asked me - perhaps his most graceful Pokemon aside from that blasted Milotic - to refine the concept into something compact and elegant.
And teachable to every Pokemon he captures.
He had explained, after all, while we're here we should work on distinct counters to our weaknesses while he works on power with those in his party at the present.
"Serperior." I heard a small voice chirp from behind me, and I turned, offering a small smile at the tiny little Kirlia known as Princess.
"Yes, dear?" I queried, keeping the kindly look on my face. She gave me a still timid look but then nuzzled into my side, almost hiding in my coils.
"Do you know how he means for me to help you guys? I don't know what to do…" she trails, and I rub my head on hers before taking her upon my back.
"Watch my practice and tell me what you feel. You have different perceptions than I - and may determine something I don't. Like some piece is too thin with my energy or too thick. I pull some parts too sharply and others not sharply enough. I cannot see the whole of what I am doing at all times, and this would be a great help. When I start to comprehend, you could offer the same for the others. We're all rather young and most of us - even I - are not used to our power and control. We still make mistakes. We may know what to do, but if we could have someone help us as Master does, even if you don't feel you do as well - it will help us move along faster." I explain what I think she can help with. I had long come to realize this little one was unlike myself or the others. She mostly wanted to help and not fight. When she fought, she was timid and only used the exact force needed to knock her opponent out. Not one hair less.
Her control was sublime.
If she could impart even a few pointers to each of us, then we'd surely improve a bit faster.
She just needs the confidence!
"O-oh.. if you're sure. This one isn't worthy, but shall attempt to appease.." she trails, and I bop her lightly with my tail.
"You are Princess. The Masters Princess. You are not some servant required to refer to yourself in third person!" I chide lightly as we settle into a resting position, and send out a handful of leaves, increasing them one by one until Princess lets out a small humming noise.
"I think the one at your 122 is too loose. You should pull it in a little, while letting 301 out. Treat the leaves like grass you're weaving into a bracelt for master. It must not fall apart. The leaves are the heads of the grass. The weave must be air-tight." She instructs slowly, trembling on my back.
I pretend to not notice, but do as she says. If I were to make a bracelet for master with the grass I grow, I would make it a pattern like… this!
Suddenly, the control clicked into place for all of a second, before a leaf ran into another, and then they were suddenly all falling at my jolt from the mistake.
I sighed, and started again.
"This first bracelet you weave. Do it as slowly as you can. Make sure it is perfect for master. Next time, try to do it faster, but still perfect. Master need not know how long you spend on it or how many attempts to make the flawless product you require. He will be happy with the product if you apply yourself and fulfill his wish for one tightly woven bracelet." She calmingly says, still shaking on my back in abject terror that I'll beat her up or something. I lightly rub her head with my tail as I keep very slowly weaving my bracelet in my mind.
Slow but steady… and faster, later. I'm still barely able to keep this pathetic pace up. I scoop the Princess out of my coils and move to send her off.
"Thanks for the tips. Maybe some of the others could use ideas, too?" I suggest, and she nods, then starts wandering off in the direction of fire and howls of frustration.
I sigh. Master shouldn't have had him preparing a fire based exercise. Growlithe is liable to burn the forest - and my glade - down at this rate.
Maybe I can surprise master with a method to smother flames using my control over my plants? Fire is one of my core weaknesses, and if I'm developing my resistances…
I suppose I can put some effort in when I work out the kinks with my counter weave.