Ch.19

May ended up catching a Munchlax while I constantly made poké block for all my Pokémon with me and back on the ranch. When the other people's poké block went missing and they'd tried to blame it on Munchlax, I called them idiots before having Gallade use brick break to whack both team idiot members in the face. I told the trainers that those two idiots distracted them while Meowth and a Wabuffet stole all their poké block which they deserve for being idiots themselves and believing there was such a thing as professional poké block taste testers.

I waved a hand and Gallade cracked each of them upside the head before coming back to my side while I worked. "That's for being dumbasses and blaming an innocent Pokémon for your own stupidity. Do it again and bones will break."

They all backed away and blamed team idiot, finding Meowth and Wabuffet, catching them red handed and getting their poké blocks back. Team idiot was sent flying and May caught her Munchlax before I made her a case of the Snorlax poké blocks to keep Munchlax full. We ended up on an ocean liner cruise to Slateport where I spent all my time practicing and not caring about the small stuff. My Feebas had evolved into a Milotic like May's had with the prism stones.

Soon enough we arrived at Slateport and I managed to make it through the elimination matches easily once I explained that I was a powerful psychic and had a direct telepathic link to my Gallade's mind. I'd gotten a perfect score for the appeals stage with charm and a heal pulse combo. I'd warned May of Harley and she'd gotten a ninety-four, making it right after Drew in the points contest. Harley got mad at May for not following his failing advice and tried to get May to use her Skitty in a risky assist showing.

I didn't offer advice, telling her to do as she pleased because I'd given her all the advice I could fairly do as a competitor. I was up fourth with Milotic, earning a near perfect and beautiful score with an aqua tail and water pulse combo leading into a Safeguard that outshone the competition and finished up with a recover. We did another appeal as one of the top three from the appeal stage. An ice beam and light screen combo made a dazzling show that made a giant icy diamond heart for the middle of the stage with Milotic.

The next day at the grand festival was the battle sequences for the sixty-two contestants. It was awful for everyone that went up against me because they were two on two battles. Milotic and Gallade together were a nightmarish combo that beat down the competition while not losing any points. May beat Harley easily while Robert and his Milotic/Claydol combo beat Drew.

In the end May lost out on the third stage to Drew just before Robert beat him and faced me in the finals. Robert and I had a hard battle even with my Gallade and Milotic versus his Claydol and Milotic. When it was over I'd barely won the battle while Robert's Milotic and Claydol had fainted. I got the ribbon cup and the title of top coordinator, telling them I'd never again participate as a coordinator.

I announced that I'd only entered so expand my knowledge of Pokémon and the battle techniques involved to perfect my own abilities as a trainer. I sent the cup back home with all the other awards to be put on display in the mansion. I said goodbye to Ash and the rest, mapping out all of the Hoenn region in my travels as I faced all the gym leaders, the battle towers and all the battles I could find in Kanto, Johto and Hoenn.

I traveled for the next six weeks fighting every battle and training my Pokémon harder than ever, switching out to include all the Pokémon I'd caught in the Hoenn region, Kyogre included. By the time I arrived in Evergrand city for the league conference, I was half wild and my Pokémon had grown so much they could even beat my original champion team. I met up with Ash and the rest before blowing through the competition.

In the end I faced Tyson, the guy that beat Ash. We'd made it to the finals with ease and I'd only ever used my Gallade. As it it I had to switch out half way through crushing his team for Blaziken. When Blaziken came out the area heated up so much the temperature rose in the area and the grassy field burned away, leaving dust and ashes on a rocky ground.

Smirking, I watched Blaziken beat his Meowth down hard before demolishing his Sceptile and scorching his Metagross. I told him he was the strongest trainer we'd faced in the competition, but our goal was never to beat the competition, it's a lot higher than that. I recalled Blaziken and turned to the elite four members watching. "What's say we show them all what real peak battles are like? I don't mind now and it'll only help those training hard to see what real expert battles are like."

They accepted my challenge and I told them it would be a consecutive battle however they'd like to play it out so I could beat them all now without waiting. I faced Sidney first and his dark type Pokémon made quite the impression, giving a tough battle for my Gallade, but in the end they all fell one after another to it's fighting type moves and my brutal strategies.

Then came Phoebe who used Ghost type Pokémon and lost horribly against my Metagross. In fact it was only Glacia who managed to put up a fight with her ice type Pokémon against Blaziken and forced me to switch out to Slaking before she lost. Drake was a whole other story and put up a brutal fight, knocking me down to two Pokémon, my Salamence versus his own and my secret weapon. When he barely beat my Salamence, I brought out Kyogre and his eyes widened as I yelled out. "Kyogre, sheer cold!"

The entire arena frozen in seconds along with Drake's Salamence, an instant KO. He recalled his Salamence and I'd officially beat the elite four with all six of my Pokémon. I recalled Kyogre and smirked, shaking Drake's hand. "Thanks for the battle, though you'll forgive me if I decline the champion title and duties."

He nodded numbly and there it was, the battle of Hoenn's strongest recorded on live television and broadcasted throughout all of the region. I got the trophy for the conference and left, sending Kyogre back to the ranch while I worked on raising and healing the strongest champion level Pokémon. Ash, Brock and I said our goodbyes to May and Max before heading back to Kanto with Brock.

We got as far as Viridian before Ash ended up in a battle with Agatha. I watched him lose and heard about the battle frontier. I was invited almost immediately without needing a demonstration to face the frontier and become a brain of a frontier tower. I declined as a brain since the frontier held no interest for me.

Instead I took the lead and left Ash to do as he pleases while I teleported around battling the frontier brains and earning coin pendants as proof of my success. It took all of two days to beat them all and most of that was waiting for them to be ready to battle. On the bright side I got to see Misty and my red headed daughter Kissa. I did a few dozen battles while Ash was out chasing the frontier as well.

I did go with Mewtwo so I could meet Mew with him and get a fur sample. Mew was kind and very interested in my necklace. I learned of aura and nearly killed myself reviving the ancient Aura Guardian, Sir Aaron. In the process I learned how to control my own aura and sense aura of others like Lucario.

Sir Aaron was alive long enough to thank me and as I started to die, he and Lucario saved me to protect the others, leaving me with a pair of aura channeling gloves and an egg Lucario reverted into as an innocent Riolu. I became the caretaker of the egg and when it hatched while we spoke to the princess, I became the shiny Riolu's aura companion. I cheered May on as she went for the indigo ribbon cup while doing major work on the ranch planting berry trees for the supplies all over the ranch. The berry trees were planted along the fence linings surrounding the preservation along with the forests and selected Pokémon territory habitats.

May went on to the top sixteen second round battles in the ribbon cup festival in the end. She and Harley faced off with her winning by KO on both of Harley's Pokémon. May was soon in the top eight facing Drew. She barely beat Drew and advanced to the semifinals.

Ash ran out with an Aipom to battle and catch it. May lost to Soledad in the semifinals and did amazing, but couldn't bring it all the way just yet. I flicked her forehead and sighed. "You battle like Ash does, constant attacks and always pushing. Now I think it's time you learn to battle in other ways and adapt your strategies accordingly. There's an old saying, be virtuous like water for water doesn't compete. It means you need to learn to go with the flow and eventually all obstacles will be washed away from your path. Just remember, no matter how great a coordinator you are and become, you must always strive to better yourself, ribbon cup or not."

She agreed with tear filled eyes and I smiled before suggesting they stop by the ranch to see all the Pokémon there after the last frontier battle Ash has to do. They all agreed so we parted ways for now and I gave May my old Pokédex from Johto, telling her to call me if they need help with anything. I taught her how to use it and said my goodbyes before heading to the ranch to train my Pokémon, see my women and help Mewtwo in the labs.

I released a full Pokémon encyclopedia for the three regions I'd been to. Everything I knew about the Pokémon, their habitats, diets, training tips, all the abilities each of them could learn at each stage, how to train said abilities and how to evolve each Pokémon while looking for their best conditions and avoiding dangerous ones like a Pikachu overload. Hell, I called it an encyclopedia, but it was more like a bookshelf's worth of knowledge. It included a full underwater sea chart for each region with nesting locations, seasonal travels for each group and accurate locations for all the Pokémon species in each region, legend and mythical Pokémon not included.

There was mention of the legends and mythical Pokémon of each region though and a detailed description of how legendary Pokémon and pseudo legendary Pokémon got around territorial disputes. Todd helped me out when I let him on the ranch to get pictures for the books and even let me keep the pictures for free since he'd be mentioned as the photographer of every picture. I gave him a list of Pokémon I needed pictures of that weren't in my ranch and he set out with a map I gave him of their locations and an Alakazam who helped him by teleporting all over Kanto, Johto and Hoenn.

I wrote a book on Pokémon contests and Poké blocks as well as the unique and accurate move combinations they used that I fully recommended all trainers at least study even if they weren't interested in the contests themselves. I made another Pokémon guide to held items and their effects on Pokémon, from incense to teeth, claws and evolution stones. I studied a lot into the Pokémon evolution cycle and hypothesized that when a Pokémon was ready to evolve, their body underwent rapid controlled cellular mutation brought on by an emotional and physical trigger or instinctual need brought on by environmental causes.

I studied it deeper with Mewtwo and put in that Pokémon are constantly storing energy in their cells as they grow and adapt to learning new things. The more energy they expel, the more their cells are primed to store more energy until they reach a maximum capacity and they're forced to evolve in a blinding glow of rapid cellular growth and mutation into their next evolved form. It was all very in depth and long winded with several scientific examples and slide proofs.

By the time Ash and the others finished helping a Ranger and Manaphy, they were ready for the battle pyramid and Todd was returning with all the photographs including that of a hibernating Groudon, Relicanth and other Pokémon like Rayquaza roaming the northern lights. Even Deoxys and the other Pokémon not captured and staying on the ranch were happy to help mostly. Todd got a picture of the Regis and Mew with my help and Mewtwo let him add him to the Pokémon pictures.

When it was time and my books were all published, it shook the world that so much information was released to the public. Everything anyone could want to know about the Pokémon of all three regions including Donphan mating habits was in those books. Even professors Elm, Birch and Oak had to agree my work on Pokémon and the study of the move's effects, egg moves, evolution and training was unparalleled in the scientific community. They each said so openly when questioned and the knowledge inside the books on ancient and fossil Pokémon was on par with Professor Oak's own work of Pokémon and human relations in relevance and detailed knowledge.

From under water temples to ancient ruins, fossil locations and ancient Pokémon societies that are dust in the wind, everything was in there. Hell, even Forina and Jirachi as well as what it does to keep Forina alive was there. The Hoenn league immediately declared Forina a Pokémon preservation and made it illegal for trainers to enter and disturb the habitat there. I released videos of all the things and places I'd seen and many more special no humans allowed places were protected soon afterwards all across Kanto, Johto and Hoenn.

The Relicanth and Groudon location was given to the league and they appreciated that discretion at least. As for the last piece, Entei stayed on the preserve a lot with Ho-Oh and Raikou when it wasn't out wandering Kanto and Johto. The excess Pokémon eggs that came from the ranch went to the safaris across all three regions and the more important issue that arrived was the advancements of the scouters being released to the public with three advanced ones being released to the trainers approved of in each region by Elm, Birch and Oak.

The regular scanners with basic apps and uses were released to the public at decent prices while the advanced ones were released to those that could afford them for sky high prices. By the time Ash beat the frontier, I'd already made millions off the patent. I got an extra five percent increase in stock with the Pidgey Express when I made human teleportation platforms a thing alongside item transporters that weren't Pokéballs.

The Pidgey express made the item transporters an in house item for their businesses at HQs all over the regions while the human teleporters were released in mass and rented to each city of each of the three regions. Even small towns were given the platforms at my insistence, but the trainers and people using them would be charged a small fee instead of the towns themselves buying them. Solar generators took over the fossil fuel industry and pollution was eliminated for the most part.

The gym and habitat reconstruction company went in and did cleanups, repairing places like Grungy city to the clean smelling natural city it always should've been. News came back to me that Teams Aqua and Magma were disbanded which was good news to hear. Ash and the others soon came to the ranch where they saw everything we'd built. I showed them all the fields, the feeding time and the things Mewtwo and I were studying in the labs.

I headed for the Sinnoh region after speaking with Professor Oak. I ended up ahead of Ash and with the Riolu egg as my only Pokémon on me for now. My Magmar back home had evolved with the Magamarizer so even that was taken care of. I was world famous already both as a trainer and a researcher.

When I arrived in port near Sandgem town. There I ran into a Shinx wandering around the docks. It was wild and starving while trying to catch fish so I bent down and fed it while sitting on the docks. When it was time to go, I petted Shinx and it rubbed up against my hand. Smiling, I asked it. "Would you like to come with me and be my Pokémon?"

It nodded and purred so I smiled and sighed. "I can't promise a perfect life, but you'll always have food and water with plenty of chances to get stronger."

I held out a Pokéball and it nudged the ball, catching itself just like May's Skitty had. Once it clicked, I stood up and headed to the Pokémon center, telling nurse Joy about the Shinx's condition and how I caught it. She nodded and said it was common for those abandoned Pokémon raised in captivity not to know how to hunt properly so they're left to beg sadly. She treated it and gave me a dietary list I'd have to follow for it to get healthy enough to train.

I stuck around for two weeks until Shinx was ready and saw Dawn with Ash's Pikachu. When it ran to me, cheering after it was healed up, I caught it and chuckled. "It's good to see you too Pikachu. I take it that Ash is in Sinnoh as well now?"

Pikachu nodded and I sighed just as my backpack rubles and glowed. I took out the egg and it hatched into a shiny Riolu. Smiling, I felt it's pull and used my aura, hearing it's voice in my head calling me 'Master'. I ruffled it's hair and sighed, telling it to call me Ren or friend instead.

It blinked and tilted it's head before saying my name. I chuckled and asked if it was strong enough for a Pokéball yet. It hopped out of my arms and I tapped it on it's head with a ball, catching it without resistance. Dawn was surprised herself and asked if I was Pikachu's owner.

I shook my head while rubbing Pikachu's head, making Pikachu smile. "No. He's my little brother's first Pokémon. They've been together nearly three years now so we know each other pretty well as well."

Pikachu sat on my shoulder and Riolu came out on it's own, jumping up on my other shoulder and sitting down. I had him get checked up and got a call a bit later from Ash at Professor Rowan's lab. He relaxed when he saw Pikachu on my shoulder and I told him we'd head to him so he should meet us halfway at least. Dawn agreed to come along as well, telling Ash that Pikachu toasted her bike.

I looked at the little rodent and asked. "Again? Seriously? That's three bikes now. Sigh, forget it, I ain't replacing it like I did May's."

Pikachu sweat dropped and rubbed it's head in some form of Pokémon apology. Ash sweat dropped as well and we set out to meet him. We ran into team idiot and Pikachu did a volt tackle while Shinx did a thunderbolt and Riolu used metal claw. When it all failed, I had them return and told the team idiot. "Leave now before I get angry."

They said they were invincible and even my psychic powers couldn't hurt them in that particular robot. I snorted. "Alright, you asked for it."

I held up my hands and slammed my palms together. The earth around them glowed and did the same, smashing half of the robot like a pancake and marking it explode, sending team idiot flying. I repaired the ground and took the remaining metal to study by putting it in a capsule and sending it to Mewtwo. Ash and Brock of all people came running over with a Starly.

Pikachu jumped into Ash's arms and I sqmiled, greeting them both. We headed back to Professor Rowan's lab where I handed Ash, Brock and Dawn a scouter apiece. I told them how to hook it up to their Pokédexs and showed them how to use them before telling them I'd had to upgrade the materials to make them nearly indestructible because the prototypes kept getting busted by newbie trainers who got hit by their new Pokémon who didn't obey them.

I handed Professor Rowan two more and told him he could give them to the trainers that pick the other two Pokémon remaining. He said the last trainer already came and took the Turtwig while the Chimchar was too wild for new trainers. He asked me to look after it in exchange for allowing him to study the scanner. I shrugged and took the Chimchar who tried to double slap me only for Riolu to quick attack it hard, repeatedly and into submission.

I leaned down to the crying fire monkey and flicked it's forehead gently. "Don't be mean. I'm not a newbie trainer and I will spank you if you misbehave. Now, you can come with me and become my friend, growing and getting stronger by my side, or you can act like a mean baby and stay here with Professor Rowan until he releases you into the wild where you'll watch day by day as all the Pokémon you're mean to are caught and become friends with trainers, leaving you behind."

I looked into it's eyes. "So, the choice is yours. Are you ready for a life of adventure and fun or do you want to pout and hit those that are trying to be nice to you?"

I held out my hand and Chimchar said it's name before taking it and climbing up onto my shoulder next to Riolu. Shinx purred as I carried it in my arms and I took Chimchar's Pokéball. Humming, I was headed out while Ash had a battle with his would be rival. I told Brock I'd travel alone for a while and train before meeting up with them sometimes since I'm only going after the badges and seeing all of Sinnoh.

He agreed and wished me luck so I took out a bike and put my Shinx in the basket while Chimchar and Riolu rode on my shoulders. I was already signed up for the Sinnoh league. On the way to Jubilife city, I stopped by a lake for a rest and bumped into a Turtwig while my Pokémon and I ate lunch. I fed it before battling it with Chimchar and winning. I caught the little grass turtle Pokémon and added it to my now half full team. I healed up both Chimchar and Turtwig before training all my Pokémon to learn new moves, tactics and building trust.

It wasn't immediate like Riolu and I, but a brick of trust a day builds an unshakable foundation of faith between Pokémon and trainer. Turtwig bit my head gently before showing me the way to an old lady's house was. I introduced myself to her and told her I'd just caught Turtwig and it wanted to meet her for whatever reason before we leave. She nodded and told me it was the protector of this area and helped both people and Pokémon.

She assured it she'd be fine and we left after some herbal tea. We passed through the bewilderment forest easily enough and got some training done along the way by bringing down and healing the wild Pokémon after each battle. Even the Beedrill were nice after they were healed up for whatever reason. We ended up in a wetland area with tall grass all around for a while.

There we met a bunch of water Pokémon as well as some Ludicolo who were water and grass types. We soon moved on after helping them make friends with each other so they could have an even bigger berry harvest. We headed to Oreburge city on my bike which took only two days. When we arrived, I trained more while I waited for the gym leader Roark and while my Pokémon rested, I went to the coal mines and dug up a Cranidos fossil.

I took it to the local museum where I had it revitalized and revived fully into a Cranidos I then caught. Roark congratulated me on my cool Cranidos, saying his own was pretty powerful. I got my badge case at the gym entrance before I faced Roark in the gym itself. I beat his Geodude fast with Shinx using iron tail before facing Onix with Chimchar who used dig repeatedly.

Once Onix was gone, I left Chimchar out because Onix had used stealth rock. A flamewheel and Zen Headbutt mashup injured Cranidos's left leg repeatedly until it couldn't use Zen Headbutt easily anymore. Chimchar was done though so I brought out Riolu and it got hit by stealth rock, but came out swinging with metal claw and rock smash. Cranidos soon went down, especially after taking it's own Zen Headbutt with a counter from Chimchar.

I got the coal badge and thanked Roark before warning him to make sure Cranidos gets that leg checked out. He thanked me for my worry and asked if I was planning on challenging the elite four here as well. I shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. I might retire as a trainer and stick to field research and Pokémon studying after this conference. After all, I've polished my skills as a trainer and I seem to have hit the official ceiling, but as a researcher there's always more to learn about this world and many others now that the Hoenn space program is up and running."

I scratched my chin and sighed. "Besides, I don't think my women back home will let me run off as I like for much longer, even if I am helping to expand the human race's knowledge of Pokémon and our reality as we know it. I'm still a father after all."

He nodded sagely and I yawned before saying I'd stay for a few days and get some training in while challenging trainers in town so while my Pokémon are resting I'll help him in the mines since I've got nothing better to do while my Pokémon heal up. He thanked me and we put our Pokémon in the center before heading to the mine. I helped pull coal out of the mines by the tons and fossils even more.

I ended up with a Shieldon as a thanks because I'd literally emptied a mine of coal and fossils going deeper than they were used to. That is until I ran into and accidentally woke up a sleeping Heatran. On the bright side, I caught a Heatran, on the downside, I nearly fell into a lava pool and had to collapse the extremely deep mine shaft I'd dug up. When I came out and showed Roark and the crew the Heatran, Roark said I was quite lucky it'd clearly been trapped in there since before when the area was full of active volcanoes.

I shrugged and petted my new pseudo-legendary, technically legendary, Pokémon. It seemed quite happy to be freed so I made a few calls to the Hoenn, Kanto and Johto regions before telling Roark that Devon Corp would soon be selling affordable rechargeable solar batteries and generators to the Sinnoh region all over. I asked to try something with some of the coal and he agreed so Heatran and I worked together.

We turned a pile of coal the size of a hill into a diamond the size of a house. When it was almost done forming, I shaped it with great difficulty and I leaned on a post, exhausted as it cooled rapidly. I wasn't done yet though because I took out several chests of gold and made a statue of all all four fossil Pokémon holding the giant diamond above them with the pre-evolved forms opposite of each other and the evolved forms opposite as well.

When the gold finished cooling, I was tapped and needed to sit down and rest as it finished it was a tower of innate beauty as the blue and white diamond shone with a hint of reflected gold. At two stories tall, Roark and the miners were mesmerized. They hauled it into town with the fossils and a great deal of help from their Pokémon before setting it in front of the Gym. They made a water fountain around it and I helped carve out the fossil Pokémon of Kanto/Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh.

They thanked me yet again and I shrugged it off while I relaxed and thanked Heatran. The water fountain was hooked to an underground spring and flowed freely while we relaxed. The next day I challenged a lot of trainers to battle nearby once the crowds of people had stopped gawking at the huge ass diamond and gold statue. I trained and pushed my Pokémon, heading to more of the mines as the solar technology soon became available all over Sinnoh and out the coal miners out of business. Instead I taught them how to make diamonds and turned a lot of coal into said diamonds myself, earning their gratitude.

Soon the coal miners were mining coal to make more diamonds and support their families. I soon left Oreburgh city for Eterna city north over route 206. Along the way I ran into a Pokémon hunter squad led by Jay or whatever her name was. She'd heard about my Heatran and wanted it to sell.

She used her sealing gadget on Heatran and I stopped her as well as her Pokémon, freeing them and shattering her Pokéballs after freeing her Pokémon. I walked towards her and growled as my eyes glowed blue. "You really pissed me off lady, now it's time to pay the consequences."

I stopped her minions and knocked them out before telling her former Pokémon to leave or be rendered to ashes. They felt my rage and fled quickly before I made Jay take me to her cloaked hover ship. I made it land, took what I needed from their minds, tied them up together and teleported them to the police along with the load of captured Pokémon. I left them there with officer Jenny to be returned to their owners, giving her their client list both past and present to re-squire the stolen Pokémon.

I helped with the cleanup and had teleporters installed all over Sinnoh thanks to Pidgey express who built a local headquarters and expanded beyond Hoenn now. After retrieving all the stolen Pokémon Jay ever captured, I dug through her clients minds and uncovered tons of illegal Pokémon trafficking all over the place, helping to shut all of it down and return the Pokémon to where and who they belonged with. As for Jay's technology, it was all in my lab with Mewtwo who studied it and figured out how it all worked.

I ended up heading to Eterna city via teleporter platform and challenging the gym leader. In the middle of fighting Gardenia's Cherubi, my Shinx evolved into a Luxio before finishing it off. Then came her Turtwig which faced my own until mine evolved into Grotle and used Superpower to finish off her Turtwig. I returned it and sent out Riolu.

It was an extremely hard battle, but Riolu managed to beat her Roserade in the end, if only barely. I hugged the lovable little guy and he evolved in my arms into a Lucario. I chuckled and swung him around happily before congratulating him. I got the forest badge and grabbed a teleporter to Vielstone city after battling and training for a week in Eterna city.

I spent a few days battling and training in Veilstone city as well, teaching my Pokémon new moves and helping them master them in battles before facing Maylene at the gym. There I beat her Lucario with my own and force a draw with her Meditite before bringing down her Machoke with Chimchar who evolved into Monferno mid battle. When it was over, I thanked Maylene for the badge and the chance to battle her Pokémon again sometime.

I finished beating all the trainers in town before resting up and teleporting to Pastoria where I swept the gym with Luxio and Cranidos who evolved into a Rampardos. Next was Hearthome city which had a ghost type gym. It took Lucario, Luxio and Monferno to beat Fantina's team of Duskill, Haunter and Mismagius and even then it was exhausting while sending auras and fighting a triple battle with such new Pokémon. In the end, after we won, I insisted on further training and took us to lake Verity.

We trained there for a couple weeks before I caught a Piplup and we left to Canalave city. There we faced the steel type gym owned by Byron and crushed them with Luxio evolving into Luxary, Monferno evolving into Infernap and Piplup evolving into Prinplup. It was a total sweep and got my sixth badge before we rested and I heard Ash was on his way to Eterna city on foot. I headed to Snowpoint city and beat Candice, wiping her team with Prinplup, Heatran and Infernap.

I could've used a fourth, but didn't need to really. I headed to train more and when I came back from traveling and training, Ash was on his way to face Maylene in Veilstone city. They had a lot of hiccups along the way and Dawn was doing the coordinator routes so it took them longer to get things done, especially on foot. Still, I soon faced Valkner and beat him with my new Empoleon, Torterra and Bastiodon.

I had a full team so I sent Heatran, Bastiodon and Rampardos back to the ranch to get acquainted with their new homes. Mewtwo had a volcano habitat ready which was on a mountain the dragon type Pokémon mostly lived near beachside they liked it hot. The natural hot springs and the special waters I had brought in along with a lightning crystal that I made by copying the one Zapdos used to recharge after I scanned it made the hot springs a perfect home for dragon, fire and electric types.

Even some water type Pokémon enjoy the hot springs from time to time. Magmortar shared the inside of the volcano with Heatran so they had plenty of room in there together no doubt. As for the fossil type Pokémon, there was a preserve area just for them with ancient fruit trees that were once fossils themselves. The food was plentiful, the preserve was huge and the place was fully protected with state of the art technology and powerful legendary Pokémon.

I heard the news that Jay escaped prison and didn't much care either way. I headed to Alamos town so I could meet up with Ash and the rest by chasing after them. I sensed the battle to come and sent Luxary to Mewtwo who came with his own ball and the stuff I'd taken from Jay, emptying the lab and putting my will into motion, leaving it all to my mom, my women and my kids respectively. Mewtwo and sensed out Ash and teleported us to him, arriving floating in the air next to a hot air balloon.

When a space and time distortion started, Mewtwo and I looked up towards Mt.Coronet. Ash asked what we were doing and why Mewtwo was with me. I shrugged. "I got all my badges and Mewtwo was feeling bored at the lab so we came to see what you all were up to."

Ash introduced me to Alice before we landed and got the tour. We ended up in a garden where I let out Torterra, Empoleon and Infernap who impressed Ash. I told them the rest of my Pokémon were back on the ranch where Professor Oak was studying them. Dawn finally realized something and asked. "Are you the one who made that giant statue in Oreburgh?"

I shrugged and leaned against the stone rail while their Pokémon fought with the locals. They looked at my Pokémon who lazed about enjoying the garden while ignoring the fighting. I chuckled. "It seems your Pokémon need more training if they're fighting like children."

Alice played a song on a leaf flute before a Gallade came. I returned my Pokémon and we went to see what happened. A baron blamed Darkrai and fooled around while another space time ripple came. I looked to the sky with Mewtwo and spoke. "That's not Darkrai. That's Palkia and Dialga, the legendary Pokémon of space and time. They're battling and these ripples are aftershocks of their intense battle."

Ash asked. "Hold on, I thought Celebi was the time Pokémon?"

I shook my head. "Celebi is a mythical Pokémon who can travel through time. Dialga is the Pokémon that is thought to have brought forth time itself from the vast void when it and Palkia were made by Arceus, the Pokémon god of this world that created all of existence from itself. To beings like that even Darkrai is but a petulant child and Kyogre and Groudon are no more than lizards and fish with no difference from a Kecleon and Magikarp."

I turned as a statue broke, freeing the sealed Darkrai in the garden. "Speaking of Darkrai, that last shockwave broke that statue that it was sleeping in."

The baron tried to battle Darkrai and Ash nearly got hit until Mewtwo batted the attack upwards, missing us completely. I grunted. "Leave now Darkrai, you can't beat us."

That made it try harder and I nodded to Mewtwo. "Beat it down so I can capture it."

Darkrai tried to escape, but escaping from Mewtwo was an impossibility. It's shadow travel only worked in so long as you couldn't sense it's mind and find it. The baron interfered though and tried to capture Darkrai when Mewtwo knocked it out. Mewtwo deflected his ball and I caught Darkrai in a legend ball, a creation of my own we'd put into practice with all the evolution stones and legendary Pokémon items from the legendary Pokémon I'd captured. Add to that all Mewtwo's and my research into all the types of Pokéballs I knew of.

It was incomplete, but more than capable of catching a Darkrai or most other legendary Pokémon. The only thing better was the complete master balls for absolute assurance of catching anything it was used on. The Darkrai didn't stand a chance and the moment I retrieved my legend ball, the baron demanded I give it and Darkrai to him. I told him no and he had his Lickilicky attack me.

Mewtwo used a shadow ball that instantly knocked out his Lickilicky and blew it into him, sending them flying through dozens of trees at a terrifyingly fast speed. By the time they stopped, the baron had to be immediately hospitalized and his Lickilicky sent to the ER in the Pokémon center. Mewtwo told them coldly that if anyone else attacked me they'd be in far worse condition because while I may be strong, he would always protect me.

I slipped Darkrai's ball onto my belt and we headed to the Pokémon center to get it healed and checked out. Once Darkrai was healed, I asked it why it was telling everyone to leave. It said it wasn't speaking to us, but to Palkia and Dialga who keep trying to come through to our dimension. It said it was defending Alamos and I asked if it wanted Alice as it's trainer.

When it said yes, I gave it's ball to Alice and told her. "Darkrai wishes to be your Pokémon, I won't stand in it's way. Protect it well."

She nodded and Mewtwo and I both felt another coming clash. "We need to go now. Palkia is coming and if we don't stop it all of reality will warp."

I turned to Ash. "Tell mom I love her."

I flew up and left with Mewtwo at high speeds, telling Darkrai to stay out of the coming battle. We headed off Palkia as it came in weakened from it's battle with Dialga. As soon as we engaged it in battle the entire town was pulled into an alternate dimension and soon enough Dialga came. They fought and we joined in until I cloaked myself and captured Dialga with a master ball.

Mewtwo held Palkia off and I caught it as well, stopping their rampage, or so I thought. While the town returned to it's normal place, without Palkia and Dialga around to stop it, a portal to the reverse world opened and Giratina started to come through. Mewtwo and I brought out Palkia and Dialga before all four of us charged at Giratina who wasn't about to give up now that it's rivals were tired and injured. We battled on and I pushed myself to the limits trying to break through the shield Giratina had around itself.

It was a lot like trying to destroy a planet with a hammer and I'm no Thor. Still, I didn't give up and with persistent attacks from three legendary Pokémon, even with the backlash, we managed to get through so I could capture Giratina. Still, we were sucked into the portal which closed behind us and while Palkia and Dialga were powerful, the reverse world was a prison world created to restrain Giratina, a Pokémon that embodies antimatter.

Needless to say I called back Palkia and Dialga while Giratina refused to help so I was left with no other options and no way out. It couldn't come and go from a master ball, so there was no other choice. I put the four Pokémon I had away thanks to leaving my current starters at the Pokémon center with Ash. My barrier eventually gave way under the strain of antimatter bombardment and there I died, torn apart atom by atom.

I smiled in the end, thinking I'd lived the best life I could've in that quirky world. I'd certainly helped it for the better if nothing else and all my research had been shared with the world before we'd made arrangements. Hell, Ash even had my badge case and backpack now that I think about it. Still, going out taking three of the strongest legendary Pokémon with me, priceless and certainly bad ass.

My only regret was not capturing Arceus as well considering it started that whole mess. I was reborn once more as Anhur, twin brother of Atem, the would be Pharaoh of Egypt. He and I were raised together, fought and bled together and defended our world from the monsters and those who used them for power. Upon my eighteenth birthday, I was taken by the priests at our father's orders and strapped to a chair with my arms resting in two bowls.

My father forced my brother to watch as he told him that there could only be one pharaoh or Egypt would be divided and fall to it's enemies. I glared at the old man without making a sound and didn't even flinch when spelled liquid gold was poured over my wrists. I smelled my skin burning and glared harder at the bastard until they were clapped in spiked irons that bleed, forming the seal of the millennium items.

I growled in anger and rage as magic poured out of me, lashing out and destroying those that held me down. Bloody chunks of gore was all that remained as my gaze turned cold the chair and seals snapped afterwards and I stood up. I spoke coldly. "Aknamkanon, I curse you and your wicked mind to rot for all eternity, driving you as insane as the ten plagues of egypt would eat at any mortal mind. By the blood of your blood you've spilled this day, I banish you to the shadow realm. May the mindless beasts eat you whole for the betrayal of your kin and may you become one of them for eternity!"

The shadows enveloped the pharaoh and I tore his Millennium puzzle off as he was sucked into the shadow realm. I turned my gaze to Atem and tossed him the Millennium puzzle. "Think what you like brother, hate me, despise me. You are pharaoh now, that is your right."

I lifted up the wrist bands and showed them to him. "I can never be more than a warrior now, and soon I will be executed as a traitor for my curse. I regret only that his and my actions hurt you Atem."

I turned and left, delving into the darkest arts and learning all of the powers the priests and the pharaohs themselves held. I spelled and warped the magic the pharaoh had placed on the armbands until they could house my soul for the coming future. They had all the powers of the millennium items before them including the puzzle by the time I was done. It was magic only the pharaohs themselves knew how to wield after all.

I was captured and dragged before our mother and Atem. I was put on my knees before the new pharaoh and he was forced to sentence me to the worst possible execution, being mummified alive. He'd had no choice and I was unrepentant of my actions. I wouldn't remove my curse and as such he couldn't stay his hand.

And as such my life as a prince of Egypt soon came to a brutal and abrupt end. Even my wife, the priestess Isis, had to distance herself from me because of how heavy my crime was. I don't know what happened afterwards, but I did know I could've avoided it by forcefully becoming pharaoh, something I hadn't done because of Atem. So my soul slumbered for five thousand years, waiting for the day when I would awaken once more.

That day came when the young Ren Muto, brother of Yugi Muto, was hit by a car in a hit and run accident in Domino city. His father was out of the picture and he was staying with his grandfather with his brother to make it easier on their mother. In the end, Solomon Muto found the millennium bracelets said to have great power that even the pharaoh who sealed them away hadn't dared use them.

I heard all this as I awoke and remembered all of Ren Muto's life. I groaned as the bracelets heated up and branded themselves into the flesh of my new wrists. Seeing this, old grandpa? Gramps, that's it, Gramps. Gramps frowned and pondered that something might be wrong. He tried to take them off and I moved my wrist, shocking them as I woke up fully.

I sighed and greeted them politely before saying I'd felt better. He nodded, saying they must take more time to work then. A week later I was released from the hospital with a broken arm and a concussion. I was promised a great present when I was old enough to treat it responsibly so when my body turned seventeen, I was given Gramps's five pieces of Exodia.

He said they were the most powerful cards in the game when combined right and I had to agree. I never used them, but I built a deck around them and everything. Tristan, Tèa, Joey and Yugi were the only ones who knew I even played Duel Monsters and I hardly ever played them because I always won, even against Yugi. Still, I kept my deck on me at all times and when the others were out the next day after Grandpa showed off his Blue Eyes White Dragon causing Kaiba to want it, I stayed at the shop to help Gramps out.

When Kaiba's men came to force him to accept, I stepped forwards and told them to leave. They pulled out guns and Gramps said it was fine, that he'd go. I stopped him and asked him tif he trusted me. He said he did so I told them. "Seto Kaiba wants my Gramps's Blue Eyes White Dragon as a prize if he beats him. Tell him that I'll duel in my Gramps's place and if he wins the Blue Eyes is his, but if he loses all three of his Blue Eyes are mine from now on."

The short bald man made a call and put Kaiba on speaker. He agreed to my terms and I nodded to Gramps. "Leave this to me Gramps."

He nodded and told them he'd come along and witness the duel. We left after he grabbed the Blue Eyes and gave it to me to use, saying it could help and if I do win I can keep it. I thanked him and he nodded as we road in the car to Kaiba's offices. There we were taken to a state of the art dueling arena and I proved to Kaiba that I had the Blue Eyes before he proved he had the other two.

I shuffled my deck and we began, starting off with a five card draw. With three Pot of Greeds, a Graceful Charity and an Upstart Goblin. Three pot of greeds later I had four pieces of Exodia and two more upstart goblins. I used all three Upstart Goblins to Kaiba's surprise and he gained three thousand life points right off the bat.

I hadn't gained any pieces this time, being just two basic Soldier of Fortunes and a Dark Hole. So I used the Graceful Charity, closing my eyes and relying on the Heart of the cards as I was taught. Without looking, I grinned. "It seems this game is over before it can even begin Kaiba."

I opened my eyes and laid out all five pieces of Exodia, obliterating his life points. He was so shocked it looked like he nearly shot himself. The dual arena let us down and I took my prize before handing Gramps his Blue Eyes back. "I don't need it now and I couldn't make you part with all your treasures Gramps."

He thanked me and Kaiba asked. "H-how? How could I lose?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes it's the faith in yourself and in your cards that matters more than winning with brute force power tactics. Don't worry though, I won't tell anyone that I beat you. Though I will be keeping the Blue Eyes and I can't speak for my Gramps not telling anyone. I'm sure you can always get more cards."

We turned and left, chatting as we went back to the shop, arriving just as Tèa, Tristan, Yugi and Joey arrived. I spent my allowance and extra pocket money getting cards to build a Blue Eyes deck out of. It would take more time and money to complete the rest of the deck, but it was a start. Still, Yugi and the others heard about what Kaiba did and he went to have a chat and duel with him.

I passed Yugi my Exodia deck on the way out and told him I had faith in him, as I always have. He came back the uncontested winner of another duel and word spread of his victory over Kaiba. I spent the next several weeks picking up extra shifts at the shop while Gramps taught Joey how to play Duel Monsters. I got a package at the shop for myself and another for Yugi.

Gramps took Yugi his package and I closed up the shop after cleaning up. I checked my package and found the glove and two star-chips. I received the cards with a message the next day after hearing about Gramps's soul being taken. Two nights later Yugi and I entered the ship with Joey whom Yugi helped get on board.

I had both my decks and seeing as Yugi's basic deck wasn't going to cut it, I gave him my Blue Eyes White Dragon deck, fully finished and flush with powerful combinations. He thanked me and I shrugged. "It's for Gramps and besides, I can't let my shorty brother be picked on by these people because his best card combo was a basic warrior set. At least this way you're guaranteed the best chance besides myself for beating Pegasus."

A bit later I watched Joey trade cards and Yugi give him the Time Wizard. Weevil Underwood, the current regional champion, asked Yugi to see the Exodia pieces and he said it wasn't in his deck, but mine. He asked me and I told him. "You'll see them when I obliterate you bugs, though if you're really curious, you can challenge me now. I'll take your room and your Star chips now, unless you're afraid that is?"

He snorted. "Afraid? I'm not afraid of anything! You're on!"

I smirked and told him. "How about the winner gets the rarest card of the loser so you can have Exodia's head if you win?"

He agreed more hesitantly and we shuffled each other's deck. I knew my deck inside and out, trusted it and had faith entirely in it so I knew I'd win. After a quick shuffle, I let him go first. When he did his best, I used two pot of greeds and three Upstart Goblins to refill my hands, using the last pot and a card destruction to his surprise, drawing eight cards myself and burning through his hand with it.

Seeing I didn't have any of the pieces, I used a Reload and drew seven cards, smiling as I pulled the pieces I needed. I showed him Exodia and winning the match. He said it was unfair and I took his two star chips, tossing one to Yugi and Joey, making theirs even as I took the Great Moth and tossed it to Joey. "There, now you have a rare and powerful monster that works well with your Scapegoat card if you use it right. Be sure to study it right and remember, I only care about this tournament in so far as it saves Gramps, the rest is about as interesting to me as watching paint dry."

I got up and told him. "If you wash our I'll eliminate your opponent and take his or her Star chips so I can progress, so don't lose easily and I'll have more star chips that way."

I tossed Yugi the room key. "There, now you have someplace warm to rest. Get some sleep Yugi, we have a long tournament ahead of us."

He nodded and I waved them to Tristan and Tèa's hiding place. "I find taking a walk before beat clears my head."

He raised an eyebrow and Joey brought him towards where I waved while I went inside. Weevil was still raging about his loss and crying while I went to find Rex. I beat the Dino douche within three turns and didn't rely on Exodia. A simple change of heart and Swords of Revealing Light dealt the death blow thanks to his Red Eyes Black Dragon I won with the star chips.

Like Weevil he was still reeling from his loss when we made port. After we were greeted by our host, I put my glove and chips on it before heading to find my first target. I gave Joey the Red Eyes and told him I beat Rex on the boat as well. I went and beat several newbies after the fireworks timer went off, beating them one after another.

I had thirty chips by the time I finished trashing thirteen weaklings. I even ended up with a set of pretty decent rare cards including another Red Eyes Black Dragon, Jinzo and both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. I decided to keep them for now since I couldn't hold their hands forever. I went to watch Mai and Joey face off in a duel.

Joey acted irrationally until Yugi and Atem fused and spoke to him. When Mai said we were duelists as well, I told Joey. "I don't give a damn about money Joey, if we win this tournament then the money is yours to use for your sister's surgery, regardless of if Yugi or I win it. The one and only reason I'm here is to get my Gramps back from Pegasus. I couldn't care less about this tournament."

Joey woke up from his doubt and relaxed, thanking us when Yugi/Yami/Atem, agreed. Joey closed his eyes and figured out Mai's tricks. He won with a Thousand Dragon thanks to a Baby Dragon and Time Wizard combo. He only got two star chips, but then Yugi had already won another battle so they were even at four apiece.

I was getting hungry so I went to the coast and put away my deck and glove before making a spear out of a tree branch. I stripped to my boxers and jumped into the sea, catching a couple dozen fish before cleaning, building a fire pit and smoking them. I did my best to turn it into a great meal for the group and while it cooked, Joey and the others came running.

When it was done cooking, even Mako, a famous sea dualist was attracted to the scent and for good reason. Sanji had taught me to cook well and I had to use plenty of those skills over the years. Mako challenged Yugi because of the fame he gained for beating Pegasus outright and openly. Needless to say, Mako's deck didn't have anything to prepare him for a three Blue Eyes White Dragon assault.

In the end he lost two star chips to Yugi and that brought Yugi up to six. Then we came across one of the guards hauling off a duelist who'd been robbed. We ran into Kaiba's little brother Mokuba who challenged Yugi. I chuckled and told Yugi he was quite popular today.

When he faced off with Mokuba, they talked a lot and Mokuba tried snatching Yugi's chips, getting half of them before running off and stopping as Yugi spoke to him. I retrieved the deck he stole and used before heading to the docks with them. We were too late and the guard knocked the chips into the water, Yugi's and all. He grabbed Mokuba and told him he was going back to the cell and I waved Yugi and the others back.

I stepped forwards and held up one of the cards from the stolen deck and it became blank as I spoke in a chilling voice. "There is magic in these cards and this game you so arrogantly call childish. How about I show you here and now."

Space and time warped as his soul was sucked into the card. His body dropped and Mokuba was freed while I flicked my wrist, sending the card to his body. "Trash like you serving a cruel bastard like Pegasus- tsk. If it weren't for witnesses I'd have made you all and this entire island disappear."

My wristbands glowed briefly and I relaxed, turning to the others. "The star chips are gone, but I have my ten already and I can challenge Pegasus whenever I please."

I put the other cards in my pocket, deciding to keep the extra deck in case I need to trade later or if it had something rare inside it that was worth something. There was no ghoul because Yugi had the Blue Eyes and he was building he is own deck from Grandpa's without them which he seemed to favor. In the end we ran across a ghoul anyways and to my surprise, it had three Blue Eyes White Dragons.