- Sea and Sky -

Alexa was worried about what she would encounter when she met the Legendary pokemon. Proper, major, and important ones instead of the more minor ones so far. Celebi was technically rarer to see, but also wasn't important enough for the entire region to get a full sized tower built just for her hundreds of years before.

"I'm just saying that gramps should have retired before I was put in charge of Shamouti," what had to be Lugia complained loudly. "Then I probably wouldn't be randomly meeting with pig pokemon that used to be human."

"I'll agree that it shouldn't have taken one of his great-grandkids taking over some alternate Unova city to get him to retire, but did you really need to send that girl to That Mew?" what was probably Ho-Oh replied. "Our other cousin might just go after us for giving her rival a bit of news about that Kadabra that they were fighting over first."

"I don't know of any other Mew that are free to go to other universes," Lugia replied as the two massive bird pokemon came into view. "I would have sent that young trainer to her even if that Fighting/Dark typed pig with them didn't have some of that idiot Kadabra's psy signature on him. Also I don't know if the pigs were actually the trainer's pokemon, I lost track of them before I finished explaining to her and I know I didn't see them get returned. She didn't even seem to notice, just laughed it off."

"If that mess comes back here so we have to deal with it I'm leaving it all to you, Lugia," Ho-Oh sighed, and then caught sight of Alexa's group. "... can you pretend that we didn't forget you were coming and that this was some noble and regal first meeting."

"I'm planning on introducing them to Ash, they were going to figure it out eventually," Lugia sighed, and Alexa kind of hoped that was a joke. Having the Champion of Lugia as someone she met in an official Legendary capacity sounded like a good way to have to deal with some sort of disaster. "At least once I work out if this is an 'avoid Absols' year for him or not."

"He still has those?" Suicune asked with surprise. "I thought that was just a cartoon thing."

"He met that version of himself once, and that version of the kid probably still hasn't had a month without worrying Absols," Lugia said in response. "I have no doubt he could have had just as strange of a time, and our impressiveness is for humans, not other Legendary pokemon."

"Here is a hint, pick trainers who are more sensible than Ash Ketchum for your Champion," Ho-Oh advised her, and Alexa froze at that insane idea. "Um, because you are major enough to merit a Champion, if not yet a full 'wins a League' level one."

"I'm not sure if 'Champion' is better or worse than 'Chosen One'," William complained.

"You probably aren't planning on sticking around me enough to fit," Alexa admitted from what she knew of the idea. The difference was minor, but did exist. One thing she knew was that Champion was a position that required more association after the fact than a Chosen One did. "I'm going to let the rest of my team out now," she said, and it felt awkward for that to be the first thing to say to the more important Legendary pokemon.

"That's fine. So you can be a Spectslurry too?" Lugia asked while Alexa team nervously assembled. "That's rare actually. Most humans are only compatible with a single one of these, and only a handful actually react to more than two. Well, except for Zoroark like your friend here, they can usually get different forms for just about any with a bit of a Dark typed theme."

"I'm sorry, but it sounds like you just said Zoroark are something to file under 'human' for these sort of things?" William questioned Darkly.

"Yes? That is how your kind is affected," Ho-Oh answered. "I've mostly heard it said that it helps to avoid discovery. I don't think I've seen a complaint before about that outcome."

"Wait, he just turns into human stuff?" Kingler asked as she came out. "That's kind of boring." Alexa sort of agreed, and could see that even William looked a little disappointed.

"Why do I get this news after I decided to let everyone know I was a Zoroark," William said tiredly. "I probably wouldn't have been as concerned about that if I knew."

Alexa's team gathered around the room, they had not quite reached the actual roof when they found the Legendary birds' conversation, and were in turn inspected by the two powerful pokemon. Herman had been staying in his Flying/Fighting bat form, Bellossom was in her Grass/Electric but reptile form, Kingler was still just a purple armored Water/Dragon, Rhydon was still a Grass/Steel topiary, and Charizard was the only one of her pokemon that looked the way his species usually looked.

"I give up, the only one I can identify is the Charizard, and that makes me wonder if they even are a Charizard," Ho-Oh declared. "What are each of you normally?"

"Um," Alexa said uneasily, because for the past few weeks this was 'normally'.

"I think I've seen the flower lizard before somewhere, but I can't quite remember where," Lugia said with a thoughtful frown. "It might have been a time travel thing. I recall that it was part of something really weird that happened to me."

"Okay, so either future me or this becomes a new species," Bellossom said dubiously. "I am a very changed Bellossom at this point."

"There were at least three of them and none had jewelry," Lugia said slowly, as if he was just remembering. "I remember Celebi laughing at me for some reason about how 'these ones don't wear jade'." Bellossom quickly demonstrated why that was notable by briefly removing the Chlorophyll Jade to show the Fire/Electric form under that change. "That, is a sign about how Legendary you guys are. We are going to have a list of things at this rate," the ocean defender mumbled after the display.

"I'm Herman, originally a Heracross," Herman said, and Alexa was glad he had some idea how to explain that. "Currently, well currently something else. I think I'm the only one not in my 'normally' shape, which is more of a rodent pokemon."

"Kingler, I kind of doubt that you don't at least have an idea what is going on with me," Alexa's crab pokemon introduced herself and tapped a claw against the Frozen Flame.

"Rhydon, Crystal Syrup turns me into a bush pokemon and I use layers of other stuff to stay like that," her remaining changed pokemon specified, with a color change to show what he originally looked like fairly well.

"Did you hear that there was some big development to make it easier to get?" Suicune pointed out. "You might not need to worry as much anymore about that sort of thing."

"Uh, that would be the layers thing," Rhydon nervously specified. "Everyone is making a big deal about it, even though it wasn't that impressive."

"Add that to the list," Ho-Oh attempted to quietly tell Lugia. "And you?" the Legendary bird then directed at William, who had been trying to stay out of things. "What do you think of as your 'normally' form?"

"I'm a Zoroark," the other trainer bluntly answered.

"Huh, you know you'd be surprised how many would still say 'human' in our experience," Ho-Oh replied easily. "It is strange to hear that you have not been changed to know the effects of it yet. Most young Legendary pokemon don't have that restraint. I'm pleased to see you are one of those that starts with that much."

"So, we're apparently something impressive?" Charizard asked critically, and then took a drink of Clearwater Geode water to take on a Fire/Water form.

"There are two general ways Legendary pokemon are powerful. The more common one is for them to be more physically powerful than most other pokemon," Lugia explained, without even blinking at the display. "However, overall the more hazardous are Legendary pokemon who have a unique power that mundane pokemon do not. Such Legendaries aren't always weaker in a straight fight, but are able to do things more normal pokemon cannot instead of being outright physically strong, and can be much more dangerous to others."

"And also much more helpful. I'm not as strong as some non-Legendary Water types, but my abilities are notable," Suicune said and tapped the floor with a squish that made her look down with a bit of embarrassment. "Usually that is, right now I'm not even Water typed myself."

"That is part of the list honestly," Ho-Oh said out loud instead of in a mumble. "Spectslurry do produce a bit of clay that can make other humans into more Spectslurry, but it is very rare and usually doesn't do more than keep a transformed human transformed. More typical examples of the species are actual dead Ghosts instead of changed humans, and they don't revert after a period of time without contact with that substance."

"In addition, we have found no equivalent to the Fire typed changes you are making. I may not have seen the details, but I have heard of both a new Legendary like form for humans and a new evolution of some kind," Lugia added. "I might just want to try that one myself."

"What my brother isn't saying there is that normally these methods do not work on us without significant preparation," Ho-Oh criticized. "Although it might also just be that you are using things that are more serious than I realize. That is another fast way to get Legendary, we tend to attract and produce artifacts of notable strength."

"I think I will want to reverse the change before you leave," Alexa decided firmly. "Because I do not want the first thing people notice after I leave here to be that Lugia changed types." Suicune was one thing, the Legendary Beast was well known to travel, and her sister apparently had already been changed. That could be easily excused as a chance meeting, but this was already a barely held together reason for the visit that definitely would fall apart if that happened.

"I am not up for going back to Shamouti without my typical types either," Lugia laughed. "Gramps hasn't finished finally passing the torch yet, and he would get on my case about that."

"I'm fairly sure the Articuno would too," Ho-Oh pointed out. "You know that job of yours is the only thing our sister ever agrees with him on."

"Some days I wonder if I shouldn't have let some other Lugia take over for mom," Lugia complained. "This is just one day off, when I'm in the tower so it can be isolated even."

"Fine, do not burn down this tower too," Ho-Oh dryly replied to that. "I can't cover for you with a convenient storm a second time."

"Father, what exactly does that mean?" Suicune questioned, and both of the Legendary birds looked uncomfortable with losing track of their audience enough to say that in front of the Legendary Beast. Alexa hoped this was just an inconsiderate topic, and not that it was actual news to Suicune.

"Okay, first off, do not blame your brother. I thought it would work like a Thunder stone, and-" Lugia started.

"Perhaps we can have that discussion later?" Ho-Oh quickly cut that off. "I'd rather not explain the details of why Lugia wanted to try that right when I managed to get back with a set of actual stones, and we probably should wait for Raikou and Entei to both have free time."

"Why would a Jolteon want a Thunder Stone?" William asked, although a quick glance at how horrified he looked told Alexa that the other trainer had not actually meant to say that aloud.

"We were a bunch of Eevee at the time," Suicune answered sharply. "I didn't get a chance to be a Vaporeon before I was more than that. I think you can understand why I was very happy to finally have access to Acid Armor." The currently clay Legendary glared at her father. "I think I will be traveling with Alexa this year, father."

Alexa wasn't sure she wanted such a known Legendary along for the League, but this felt like an awkward time to turn that down. "I had already planned on that," Ho-Oh said a bit sadly before Alexa could say anything. "Perhaps a better topic, like why I had planned on that. You do seem like a strong Legendary, Alexa, which means I want someone with you to explain just what that means in practice, and to answer your questions quickly and clearly."

There was a long moment of silence where it almost seemed like Suicune would not accept a change in topic, and then the altered Legendary padded over to sit next to Alexa. "I'm not going to actually need a Champion too, am I?" Alexa had to ask at that point. It had started like it was a sort of joke from Ho-Oh, but he seemed very serious about her being 'powerful'.

"A Champion is something between a chosen defender, a close friend, and a relative," Lugia answered with a chuckle. "Someone you really trust to help you when you absolutely need help. It is kind of like a Legendary's Starter pokemon, only they are usually trainers themselves."

Charizard groaned aloud at that analogy. "Did you have to put it like that? Because I'm already both her Starter and technically a trainer too," he complained loudly.

"If you count then I don't have to risk it, right?" William asked, and Charizard sent the Zoroark a dark glare. "There is a difference between asking Raikou to join my team and being a specific Legendary's personal Champion. Although even then I still ended up with a just as rare of an Electric type somehow."

"So you found more of that unique Flaaffy then? Because I know of at least two other Raikou out there," Suicune joked, and seemed a bit surprised to laugh at the idea after the serious topic just before. "He's complaining about that actually. You have already made a bigger impact on this League than he did last year." William groaned. "Although on that topic we were able to work out what I look like. One of the other regions has a more flesh and blood Ground typed Legendary Beast that looks quite close called a 'Jiten'. So not an Entei but still another variation, but annoyingly they did manage to learn Acid Armor naturally."

"I recognized the shape from seeing one use that move once," Lugia specified. "As for counting as a Champion, I will admit that it isn't uncommon for them to become Legendary pokemon themselves. A defender of a Legendary can become a Legendary of defense themselves because of that. It is one reason I ask that Witch who travels this region to stay away from Ecruteak when I might have Ash here. There was a very real risk he might have ended up a Lugia himself from that magic stunt they tried." The ocean bird paused for a long moment. "Which I might have to actually explain to him before he meets you." Lugia got a distant look in his eyes. "I'm going to have to explain why Silver calls him 'little bro' too," he said as he buried his face in his massive hand-wings.

Alexa looked between Ho-Oh, who looked vaguely amused, William who seemed as lost as she was with that statement, Charizard who seemed to find it funny, and finally to Suicune who looked annoyed. "You haven't told him yet? Even after that thing with the version of him from the cartoon?" the Jiten asked darkly.

"That sounded like a 'you count' to me," Charizard said before Lugia could answer on that strange topic. "So worst case if we are discovered I'm just going to say that I'm Alexa's Champion too and deal with how far they make me take a League Run of my own."

"Ash didn't actually need to go on the Johto League," Ho-Oh grumbled. "He just wanted to prove himself 'properly'. The cartoon hasn't really helped there. I didn't ask which parts are exaggerated, but I don't like the prospects there given how some of them I do know about went in reality."

"This reality," Lugia specified.

"I am not touching that topic," Ho-Oh declared darkly. "We have enough issues with that niece or whatever she is taking over a city in another world, or our cousin who is looking for that Kadabra with a bunch of other Psychics chasing him across universes. Both of which I like far more than 'cartoons can be real'!"

"So, I think at this point I would rather find out what I turn into from this stuff firsthand than continue this conversation," William cut in to firmly agree with Ho-Oh. "How about a break for Alexa to show off?"

William immediately regretted the suggestion he had made, but he did promise his team he would try Earthen Contagion, and even if that ended with him being a Spectslurry too he was going to follow through. Ho-Oh and Lugia had taken them to another room that was a bit more open, which allowed William to get his team out too.

"So, how do we tell if he turns into a Spectslurry instead?" Chesnaught questioned. "I get how it would be obvious for a Mephagic, but the others are all kind of just liquid. You are basically a shapeshifter too, how different is it?"

"I am still shaped like this under the illusions," William answered his Starter. To demonstrate he made a Vespikiln illusion over himself. "Like this I still really have two arms." He moved the upper and lower sets separately, but his actual limbs were hidden elsewhere due to the large difference. "I can look and act like I have four, but I don't actually have four right now. A real shapeshifter would."

Alexa, and most of Alexa's team as well, nodded in agreement with that. "I think the difference would be if he melts down entirely right off, or if he stays Zoroark shaped through the change," the typechange trainer noted. "Although if you want to try one of the others first to see more clearly it would be fine with me."

"Let's stick with this one, I'm mostly doing this to try Acid Armor for Goodra," William sighed and held out an arm. Charizard had the Pokedex carefully pointed the opposite direction of the Legendary pokemon, and Alexa dripped the fluid clay onto his fur.

The result was William's arm feeling like it suddenly started to fall, which made him turn towards that direction to try and catch himself, and that finished with him splattering onto the floor more quickly than he could handle. Then for a good minute William struggled to figure out which way was up and where his body parts had gone, made even harder by the fact that his body didn't seem to have distinct parts anymore. By the time he was able to form a bit of a head out of the puddle of clay he had become Alexa team seemed to be just about ready to turn him back for safety.

He let out a bit of a gurgle, and failed to form words before a splash of something else had him lying on the floor in a puddle of mud. "Ugh, what was that?" he asked with a groan.

"That would be the side effect of turning someone who isn't any good at Acid Armor into something that needs to use it constantly," Goodra answered somberly. "Sorry William, I didn't think of that outcome."

"We aren't letting you try that one again, at least until it is safe," Alexa said much more firmly. "That was not a good reaction at all."

"He probably can't learn Acid Armor easily," Suicune pointed out. "There should have been some instinctual knowledge there, and he just lost control entirely."

"I'd almost got a face," William argued, but not with much feeling as he had not managed to stand up again yet, and still felt very tired.

"I think it is a structure problem," Charizard noted, and William was sort of grateful that at least somebody wasn't making a big deal of things. "You kept trying to make parts, but didn't firm up a solid core to work from. I think you might be too used to having something under the part that changes. If you do end up a Lobasalt that is probably the best way to practice. Although I think that is an 'if', the head I saw for a moment there was really Zoroark shaped instead of like Alexa's Spectslurry head."

That was interesting news, but not helpful overall to William's situation. "What does that mean?" he grumbled.

"Well it could mean that you are affected differently because of the Legendary presence, or that this stuff Alexa makes doesn't quite work the same on Zoroark as what a typical Spectslurry makes," Ho-Oh answered.

"It could also mean that Zoroark lied to you about what this stuff does," Lugia suggested to his brother. "He ended up close to a Spectslurry, maybe they are all just close and use illusion to make up the difference."

"I think if I try another it will be the frog one," William groaned. "That is at least solid."

"Um, just as a warning it isn't that solid for my natural form," Rhydon warned him. "I ended up just some plates floating over a ball of toxic gunk. Didn't even realize it the first time."

"Well, I am done testing for a while," William declared at that. "I have been a puddle on the floor enough for a long while."

"That goes double for me, my trainer has been stuck as a puddle on the floor much too long," Goodra rather forcefully agreed. "I've seen that before, William, and it usually is a far worse sign."

"I have as well," Ho-Oh agreed. "Some Eevee have trouble with Vaporeon, and it is quite unpleasant for them to have to practically live in waterproof pots until they work out the details."

"My kind stay in rocky areas where those that don't get it quickly can stay in little pits in the ground," Goodra agreed more carefully, and William finally managed to get back on his feet. "Maybe we should move on now."

"My turn sounds like a good thing to do next," Lugia suggested. "I want to be a proper elemental pokemon for once."

"Flying is an elemental type," Ho-Oh argued. "It is the type of wind and air, which is elemental more than anything."

"They argue a lot when they have time together," Suicune said to Alexa while William moved a bit farther away from the two brother birds who both had Opinions on what the Flying type counted as. "It is the downside of them both being around at once, but I think they mostly do it for fun."

"Well in that case I'll be a two elemental pokemon like the rest of you for once," Lugia argued with a huff. "So, I want to see if there is a difference here, and I know I can handle Acid Armor."

"Why do you know that?" Ho-Oh questioned uneasily. "Brother, why do you know what Acid Armor is like?" he asked again after a moment without an answer.

"Ocean relics aren't nice, okay?" Lugia admitted sharply. "They tend to make you 'be like water' a bit more literally than most would want."

"And you didn't tell me about those because?" Suicune questioned.

"Because I don't think you would want to spend a couple of days as an ocean current," Lugia suggested. "Unless you would? I guess someone might like that."

"It can't be that bad," Suicune actually argued, and William officially lost the ability to guess what Legendary pokemon would think is a good idea. "I might even take you up after this League. Being ever flowing water for a bit sounds like it could be interesting."

"It honestly does," Charizard said thoughtfully, and William turned to stare at Alexa's Starter. "Although it sounds like it would be a bit tricky for me to try."

"I think I might be able to bring it close to the surface, but getting back out of the water again would probably be a bit risky if you aren't Water typed at the time," Lugia agreed with a laugh.

"Just to double check, we aren't recording this one, right?" Alexa asked as they all recovered from that hopefully joking conversation. "Because I have an idea of the energies that might be involved here and I honestly don't want to possibly burn out sensors if we don't need to get the data for this."

"To be honest? I don't expect this to do anything, but I also don't want a funny video of the failure," Lugia admitted. "You feel strong, but changing a Legendary of my status is a Big Deal. If you do manage it we might actually have to introduce you to some other high end Legendary pokemon after you are done with this year's League."

Alexa looked a bit torn after that admission, but William watched her nod and settled himself in at the far end of the room from where Lugia was situated. Most everyone moved a good distance away, with the only exception being Ho-Oh who instead took a spot between the wall and his brother.

Alexa flowed over to the white and blue bird, and very carefully used a vial of Magma Contagion on the other Legendary. There was an immediate burst of heat that nearly bowled over the entire room, and William was still off balance when he managed to look up at the results. Lugia still looked very much like a Lugia, but now seemed to be made of pale rock with a deep red magma under it that was exposed along the now mineral avian's belly where it used to be blue. The plates along Lugia's back were now shiny obsidian blades, with much the same at the end of the Legendary bird's long tail and above a pair of molten lava eyes.

Lugia immediately swore, and everyone flinched at the sound. "Okay, that goes on the top of the list. Turn me back now, the building probably can't keep this from causing problems long enough to work out what it does," the magma bird rumbled.

A look below him revealed that Alexa had not avoided the Contagion, as she was currently a much thinner and smoke covered lava salamander instead of a regular clay Spectslurry. "Sounds like a plan," she quickly agreed and then spat a spray of Contagion Cure that hit both of them.

Lugia had a dusting of rock fall off, and the room notably cooled now that there wasn't a major Legendary made of magma in it, but William could tell the Legendary was as shaken as the rest of them. "Right, that was a terrible sign for how strong you are. Stuff that changes me that much is not minor in the least," Lugia declared with a tired sigh.

[Author's Note]
The name 'Jiten' was suggested by saltyvigilante on SV.