A/N: Well I could explain all the original stories I have been working on and provide all sorts of promises to you all.... Orrrr I could just drop this little gem here and let you all know that there are a lot of stories and stuff in the work that I am focusing on right now, but I will still be working on this and dropping chapters periodically. Comment, like, and let me know what you think, check out the big Pat yadda yadda....ON TO THE CHAPTER!!!!! P.S. 3,457 words this chapter
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(LEO POV)
Leo could feel the oppressive atmosphere even before his eyes adjusted to the darkness waiting for him after leaving the Alpha's snowy realm.
By his own calculations (A/N: Cap, he asked Momma Alpha) he had only been gone from the ghostly dimension his Draconic hosts had brought him to for a couple hours.
Blinking his eyes, still thoroughly confused as to how his senses were being affected in the first place, he almost missed the abrupt appearance of several presences that surrounded him.
"Huh, well hello everyone I guess you all most have been quite confused when I had to step out for a moment. I do sincerely apologize and promise to keep future disappearances to a minimum." Leo grinned, proud of his quick-thinking.
In response, a giant psychic bullet was shot at him from his blind side. Before he could react, Kitsfrost had already dropped her illusive camouflage and shot a shard of condensed crimson energy at the projectile.
A small explosion went off in the air where the 2 forces had collided. A visibly surprised Mew appeared floating in the air behind the smoke.
When she saw Kitsfrost and her unmistakable stance that screamed 'Stay Away From MY Trainer!' She nearly lost her mind to jealousy and rage for a moment.
Her bright galactic coat quickly darkened, streaks of gray being the only color left on her pitch black fur.
"WOAH, WOAH LADIES!! We are all on the same team here, let's not get this started off on the wrong foot please!" Leo quickly jumped between his 2 pokemon.
"Bastard Leo, get out of my way I'm going to make a fur coat out of this fox bitch!" Saphira growled out, her body surrounded by an ominous violet glow.
Leo gulped, already knowing that she was seriously pissed off if she was taking the extra energy to project her voice to the surroundings.
The whole time Kitsfrost glared daggers at Saphira, clearly sensing the strong bond her human had with the floating cat.
Thankfully, a gently cleared throat drew Leo and his Pokémon's attention back to the peanut gallery who had been watching the fiasco with various expressions.
"Well, I do believe that our little welcoming joke has gone long enough. I must say though young Leo, your parents and I certainly didn't expect your first connection in this reality to turn out like this.
They were quite certain that you had what they called a Soul Contract here. That being the case, it seems we may need to adjust a few things.
I am quite certain that the little one fated to be your partner will be quite cross to find out she lost her number 1 position." An elderly man at the head of the group spoke up.
Hearing him, Leo felt the color drain from his face. He had heard about this from his mom, but he hadn't believed it. Seeing how quickly his Soul Contracts were appearing now gave Leo a concerning feeling.
While he loved how fast his new family was growing, he knew firsthand that the more talented a creature was, the more time it would take to settle when given a Soul Contract.
That didn't mean there was any danger, but the drastic change in biology and physiology was already a pain to deal with. When combined with other creatures going through similar things, it was a recipe for disaster.
"Are you serious!? If my parents said I have a connection here, then I definitely do. I should probably go see this mystery pokemon soon, if they are anything like I am starting to suspect then I need to get ahead of this as much as possible."
Leo kept a mostly calm voice, hiding the very real panic starting to creep up inside. He could tell based off Kitsfrost's changes that even a regular bloodline like vulpix's could break the rules set in place by the universe.
What would happen to a pokemon with a bloodline as strong as the dragon clans? He could only hope that his new partner didn't have an especially violent temperament.
Seeming to sense his unease, the elderly man at the head of the impromptu procession decided to just guide the young boy to his partner. Best case scenario, there was nothing to worry about.
In the worst case, they would already be near the heavy hitters, so nothing should go wrong. "Ahem, let me introduce myself. My name is Lazars Blackthorn, and I am the current head elder of the Dragon Enclave."
Only after hearing the old man's introduction did Leo snap out of his thoughts. He took a closer look at the old man and the few people standing quietly behind him.
Lazars Blackthorn wore a robe that bore a striking resemblance to Ghetsis Black 2 White 2 outfit. The robe was midnight black, with deep azure accents that seemed to pulse with a steady rhythm.
Leo could feel a strange sense of familiarity when he looked over the outfit. Lazars was obviously an old man, with long pale-yellow hair and obvious age spots littering his exposed skin.
But even as he stood with an obvious hunchback and clutched a gnarled wooden cane with surprisingly steady if bony hands, he towered over Leo.
He had to be at least 6ft. 6in. (2.01m) even hunched over. The aura he radiated when he spoke let Leo know that this old man was no mere figure head.
Glancing behind the old man, Leo could see Old Bertha standing directly behind the Elder with an amused smile. Right next to her stood Cynthia, with Claire standing a half step behind her.
Unlike Bertha's amusement, Leo could see Claire glaring at him with such vitriol. He wondered for a second if she might hit him with a Glare attack.
Considering the density of Water and Dragon TE circulating violently inside her, Leo felt it was safe to assume that wouldn't happen. He still decided to keep an eye out for the next while just in case though.
Cynthia was much harder to get a read on. If not for his eyes being able to see people's emotional state so long as they weren't more than 10 levels above him, he might have no clue what was going through her head.
Murky as it was, Leo could still faintly see a tightly controlled ball of rage. It was covered in rational thought and cold pragmatism. Even so, it burned with stable fierceness, like the sun.
Leo was honestly impressed with her level of emotional control. He knew that without his bloodline abilities he would probably have less control than her.
She seemed to sense his subtle probes, shooting a faint glare at him. He felt her rage flare for just a moment, only for an impregnable wall to slam down around her psyche.
Feeling the wall of solidified dragon TE rip his mental probes to pieces Leo couldn't help sending a thumbs up and small grin of approval her way.
She seemed slightly startled, this being the first change in facial expression anyone here had seen from Leo. His parents had designed his shades to hide minor emotional responses from most people's cognition.
As a result, Leo was considered a 'cold young master' type among the other powers of the Outer Verse, even though he was quite easy going.
His parents tacitly approved of the misconception, to them the less people understood Leo the better. All that to say, Leo had long gotten used to people assuming that he was an arrogant, cold bastard.
It was all quite funny to him. Plus, it also helped him act out his chuunibyou tendencies in style. Leo could thus understand Cynthia's reaction, and as he watched her slightly flustered eyes dart around in confusion, he almost laughed out loud.
He shifted his attention back to Elder Lazars, noticing how the old man seemed completely at ease with his probing attempts towards his people. He even shot Leo a mischievous grin when he noticed he had Leo's attention.
Leo couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped from him then. He knew his parents must have placed him here for a reason.
Looking at the Enclave Leader in front of him, Leo was pretty sure this old man was a big part of that reason.
"Alright Elder Lazars you lead the way. I sincerely apologize for disappearing so suddenly. This little one had been going through a crisis which required immediate intervention." Leo gave a solemn bow of apology, not raising his head until he heard the elder burst into hearty laughter.
"HAHAHA, young man I must give your parents extra praise next time we meet! It is truly a pleasant surprise to see that their descriptions of you were spot on." The elders boisterous reply briefly stunned Leo.
A few moments later elder Lazars recovered, still wiping tears out of his eyes as he addressed the faintly embarrassed Leo. "I am aware of the unique circumstances surrounding this young one, no need to worry."
Elder Lazars gestured to Kitsfrost as he spoke. The legend stopped her silent glaring contest with Saphira just long enough to give one measuring glance to the elder.
She bowed her head in a sign of respect when their eyes met for a moment. "In any case, I think it's high time we moved this little welcoming party to the next location!" Elder Lazars spoke with an excited voice, clapping his hands with childish excitement.
Leo could see the tension leaving Cynthia and Claire's posture. They had even stopped glaring at him when they saw him apologize to the elder. Now he could see a faint anticipation on their faces, both seeming to brace for some invisible impact.
In that moment Leo heard Elder Lazar clap his hands again. For an instant the sound seemed to linger, distorting into a faintly eldritch screech as the sound faded.
Leo winced, more surprised than hurt by the unexpected noise. Suddenly they weren't alone. A shadow covered everyone, stretching as far as Leo's advanced eyesight could see.
Knowing exactly how far his vision stretched, Leo was stunned. He could see perfectly clearly for miles even in his home reality. Here he could easily see across a continent, his vision piercing through solid objects like they weren't even there.
At the same time, the darkness felt unnatural, constantly shifting and changing density in psychedelic patterns. Leo could feel vertigo threatening to overtake him.
Trying to maintain control, he turned his head up, hoping to see whatever pokemon must be causing all these effects. At first, he couldn't tell what he was seeing. It looked almost like they were transported to an empty part of space.
Infinite blackness spread across the skyline. Trails of red cosmic dust trailed in lines across the void, shifting around in mesmerizing patterns. There was a strange uniformity to the trails that made Leo's heart shake.
Looking around more thoroughly, Leo noticed that at the very edges of his vision there seemed to be a faint hint of gold. Hinting that whatever was going on was a localized event.
Feeling slightly calmer, Leo finally noticed 2 stars. They were tiny pinpricks of red. They shone with a ruby glow that was surprisingly bright for the seemingly infinite distance between them and Leo.
The more Leo focused on them, the more unsettled he felt. There was something wrong with those 2 stars. Leo knew that this reality had stars that were supposed to be pretty normal.
No faces, no memetic abilities that instantly turned you to dust whenever it howled. Yet something about those 2 ruby stars lighting up the supernatural void felt...off.
Leo barely registered Elder Lazars and the others walking over to him. He was laser focused on the unnatural stars. As he watched, the stars seemed to move, trembling for a moment.
Then, they vanished, gone from the void like they were never there. Leo felt his mouth fall open. He had been paying perfect attention, and there had been no warning.
One moment they were there, the next they were gone. His mind still spinning, he was shocked when saw the lights reappear. As he watched the lights they pulsed and grew larger in his vision.
He saw a black speck in the center of the stars. Before he could ponder that, the black speck moved. Leo was sure that the blackness was focused in his direction.
He could deny his suspicion no longer, especially when he heard an eldritch scream ripple through the void. No, this was no void. The being in front of him unshrouded its form, eldritch gray smog fading like a vacuum had sucked it away.
Giratina towered before them, its regal form exerting dominance. In its Origin state the serpentine creature stretched across the sky in infinite twisting coils.
Gold and black and red blended together, casting the sky in apocalyptic shades. Its eyes were ancient and unforgiving, savage power tempered by a force unknowable.
In that moment Leo had to admit to himself that this was what he expected a Legendary pokemon of the highest tier to be like. His own mew while powerful, was far too immature to be linked to the awe inspiring legends he remembered from his past life.
The eldritch god in front of him now made Leo's heart race. His own pride and ambitions crystalized his goal for this training. 'I will surpass him, my pokemon will defeat him.' Leo thought with burning fervor, a ferocious grin nearly splitting his face.
He finally noticed Elder Lazars and the others staring at him. The elder stepped forward with a grin, slapping Leo on the shoulder in approval. Leo winced internally, his body was in dire need of more physical training it seemed.
"That my boy, is one of the Ancestor's partners. His name is King and he's the overlord of all the legends in the Enclave. He's actually the 3rd strongest pokemon in the Enclave." Elder Lazars spoke with respect clear in his voice.
"He will be opening the path for us. As I am sure you can imagine, we have to be careful with the protection of our hatchlings. King is the one in charge of the hatchery, no one can get in or out without his permission."
Leo was impressed. He obviously knew the struggle of protecting valuable and weak creatures. His mom and her clan were known across the Outer Verse for their beast taming and raising skills.
His even knew his mom had an entire universe filled with all her creatures and guardians that she kept in a small purse. That purse was kept by Julie her Divine Time Witch.
All that said, Leo's surprise didn't stem from the extreme measures the Enclave had taken. He was shocked by the level King's bloodline had reached. He had a pinnacle 4-Star bloodline, something that should have been impossible according to Leo's understanding.
Before Leo could ask any questions King let out another roar, this one sounding like some sort of approval. The next thing he knew, their environment had changed once again.
Paradisical islands floated by overhead, young pokemon running, jumping and making all sorts of chaos as they frolicked across the different terrains.
The islands themselves were each a uniform 10 miles squared (16km). Each one had a different environment, forests, mountains, deserts, volcanos, lakes, and even more esoteric environments all floated around.
The only thing below them was a roiling gray mist that seemed almost alive in the way that it moved. Leo could see members of the Enclave moving around each island. Guiding and watching the young pokemon play with satisfied smiles.
Leo looked around, his group had appeared at some sort of checkpoint. This island was a simple plains field, with no pokemon and only a few members of the Enclave sitting around.
As Leo watched, Elder Lazars strolled up to an Enclave member who jumped up as soon as he saw the elder. "Sir! We didn't expect you for another 2 hours. I apologize for our lapse in judgement."
The man stuttered out nervously, giving Leo a slight surprise. 'I guess even a clan of dragons will have its meeker members.' Leo thought. Elder Lazars waved a hand nonchalantly, cutting off the mans rambling.
"Yes, well there was a change of plans. There's no need to worry you aren't in any trouble this time young man. But make sure you don't all take a break at the same time from now on."
Elder Lazars spoke in a warm tone, only adding a subtle layer of authority to the end of his words. The man in front of them gulped, nodding his head repeatedly as he visibly sagged in relief.
"Great! Now, with that out of the way can I ask you to give me the telepad for training area 3." Lazars held out his hand, the man scrambling over to a hidden hole in the ground. He quickly reached in, pulling out a small thin device.
Rushing back over to Lazars, the man offered the device to Lazars, only passing a small, concerned glance Leo's way for a moment. Elder Lazars took the device with a quick thank you and a smile.
The man waited a moment to see if Elder Lazars had anything else to ask of him. When he waved him off, the man practically vanished. Leo was shocked at his speed, only understanding when he felt the Psychic TE lingering in the air.
The elder fiddled with the device for a second before he tossed it to the ground. It unfolded upon landing, the thin rectangle unfolding out into a circle.
Unknown runic engravings filled each plate, emitting a faint blue glow. The brilliance intensified, the light congealing in the center to form a portal. The elder waved for Leo to follow him then stepped into the portal.
Leo looked at the others, Bertha giving him an encouraging smile. Cynthia and Claire stopped the quiet discussion they had been having for a while to give him tentative nods of support.
Throwing caution to the wind, Leo jumped into the circle. Everything went black for a while, no discomfort just a strange lack of sensation. After a few seconds light started to bleed back into his reality.
The light brightened until he couldn't make out any details. Then it was gone, leaving Leo blinking at the new surroundings. Giant trees stretched everywhere. Ancient vines draping across them like a spiderweb among the leaves.
That strange gray fog rolled across the ground, pokemon noises coming intermittently from the distance. Leo was honestly surprised at the strange contradiction he felt from the place.
There was an immense amount of life here, yet the surroundings felt more like a peaceful graveyard than any forest environment Leo had ever encountered. He saw Elder Lazars waiting not far away by a tree stump.
Jogging over to him, Leo could see the old man was scanning the tree lines around them. "Is this where we are supposed to meet my new partner?" Leo guessed, already prepared for what was about to happen.
"Yes, she prefers the peace and quiet here. It helps her control the power she carries." Elder Lazars spoke with a quiet voice. Leo could tell that whatever pokemon he was looking for, she had a strong and unstable power.
Before Lazars could give him any info there was a sudden change in the surroundings. The forest in front of them shifted and moved, trees and vines shifting away to make a small pathway.
From the depths, a small figure slithered forward. 4 emerald, green vines tipped with golden spears writhed from the shoulders of the figure. Everywhere they touched the forest died, only for another twitching vine to revitalize the area when it passed the area again.
As the figure got closer, he realized it was another mutated pokemon which wasn't the part that surprised him.
Leo was surprised that the pokemon had a surprisingly strong soul barrier that prevented him from reading her emotions. Even though he was sure she was one of his destined partners.
The second surprise came from her apparent species. A mutated snivy was certainly not the pokemon he had expected for a partner.
One glance at her pulsing red eyes and the energy construct vines she used to manipulate the forest around her and Leo knew. She was going to become an absolute monster by the time he was done with her.
All he had to do now was introduce himself and convince her that he could do it better than she already was. Leo grinned, wondering if this whole journey was going to be this exciting.