Apex Hydreigon

Nanuq wasted no time in returning Gyarados to the Premier Ball. The sinister sense carried by the breeze made his spine shudder with apprehension. He had no idea who or what was approaching, but he didn't want any part of it, so he did what was best then and continued to Opelucid City. 

It should take another 30 minutes to reach the city, after which Nanuq would visit the Gym to determine what was wrong with his Gyarados. Although sightings of the red Gyarados were rare, ample evidence supported its existence.

Nanuq looked at his waist, remembering that he had extra Pokeballs on hand. Although the environment was relatively tranquil, it was nevertheless swarming with Pokemon, both weak and strong. If Nanuq recalls correctly, a Hydreigon patrolled the grassy pastures. It was the Apex of this area, so if Nanuq left Gyarados alone, he was confident that it would come to investigate.

Gyarados was also an Apex, with a range that included practically every region. If Nanuq's Gyarados were to confront Hydreigon right now, she would undoubtedly lose.

The gap was simply too wide at the moment.

This did not imply that Nanuq lacked trust in his Gyarados; he was simply wise enough to avoid an unnecessary fight. After all, his Gyarados didn't have a Water-Type move at the time, which was what was holding her back. Iron Head was an excellent move that, when used to its full potential, could counter a wide range of moves. Ice Fang was effective against Grass and Dragon-Types, and Roar, as demonstrated in the battle with Callix, could be employed offensively.

If Nanuq played his cards correctly, he would like Gyarados to learn Aqua Tail. It was one of the more powerful Water-Type moves that could be employed for a variety of strategies. 

Nanuq failed to notice the shadow that seemed to be closing in on him as his mind raced with countless possibilities. He didn't react until he heard a powerful cry that seemed to make the air itself tense. Two Pokemon were in the air when he turned his head. 

One of them fell like a meteorite in Nanuq's direction, and his eyes grew wide. Before he could even leap out of the path, Nanuq's body was thrown into the air and spun around like a rag doll before colliding with a tree. 

Nanuq groaned as he said, "That....fucking hurts."

"Grr." 

Nanuq's head nearly snapped when he laid eyes on the form that almost made him faint. The six slender wings and the combination of black, purple, and dark blue were easily identifiable.

It was Hydreigon! 

However, there was something unusual this time. This Pokemon was without a doubt the pinnacle of these regions, and yet it lay on the ground, damaged beyond repair and visibly seeping a dark, blue liquid from its lips. 

Blood!

Despite his extensive studies, Nanuq had never seen a Pokemon bleed before, and he believed it was fiction. 

Despite its various injuries, the Hydreigon rose from the ground like a beaten horse refusing to die. Nanuq's attention shifted between it and the Pokemon in the air. His eyes shrank considerably as he noticed the hue of the Pokemon that fell on him and the Hydreigon. 

Nanuq recognized this as a quadrupedal, draconic Pokémon with a long, tapering tail; it wasn't a Unova Native Species. It is predominantly a ghost-white color, with a cream lower jaw and a heavily scaled underbelly. It has yellow markings on its throat, the underside of its tail, and stripes on the inside surface of its legs. In addition, there are prominent crystalline white ridges above its eyes. 

"It looks…like a Salamence?" Nanuq said with awe. "No…it is! But that color…"

"SUPERB! So, this is your science's power."

"Not so loud...my ears might fall off."

An approaching group of six persons caught Nanuq's attention; they were all dressed professionally, this was normally seen in places like Castelia City and other places of a similar nature. 

"But...to answer your question, it is, by tampering with the genetic makeup, we effectively learned how to change a Pokemon's type, however, due to our regulations, I am unable to tell you any more than that."

Having listened to every bit of information from the unusual group, Nanuq narrowed his eyes. When Nanuq sensed that the Hydreigon was not having a typical dispute, he automatically sought his Premier Ball.

"This Salamence is one of our complete experiments, as such, it's ready to be sold off."

According to Nanuq, Salamence were largely native to the Hoenn region, where they were at their peak. They usually had blue and red colors with some gray areas, but this one was white, cream, and golden yellow. It was... tested on like a lab rat?

"Then consider this--"

"HEY!"

"Eh?" The tall man was the first to pay notice to Nanuq, who shouted at the gathering. "What's a brat doing here?" 

"How do we know, Pyrus? I'm perplexed too. Maybe he's the trainer of that wild Hydreigon?" 

Nanuq's rage grew. "What the hell did you do that Salamence!"

Pyrus' lone crimson eye locked on Nanuq's dazzling green as if a rivalry was budding. 

"I can only say that we made it better, stronger, and more dangerous than the regular Salamence you may know of," Pyrus replied with a shrug.

Nanuq clenched his fists before directing his sight to Hydreigon. It was evident that Hydreigon was losing the battle. If it were defeated and removed, this area would see a flurry of battling from Pokemon attempting to fill the hole it would leave behind.

Although most people are unaware of this, Apex Pokemon are more than just a sign of power; they also represent authority. Their presence maintains a sense of balance in the environment, keeping Pokemon in check and preventing them from destroying everything in sight. 

This particular Hydreigon descended from a long line of Hydreigon who protected and preserved the environment. Nanuq realized he couldn't just walk away; his only alternative was to figure out how to help the Hydreigon with this situation. Of course, that was easier said than done; this was essentially two versus six, but even that seems like a reach!

Nanuq would only have to devise a strategy if he wanted to come out of this unscathed!

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AN: A bit late on the upload today, I've been busy with some stuff. Nevertheless, I hope you all enjoy this one. WIll explain more about Apex Pokemon and their placement in this story as we continue.

Extra chapters over on Patreon.com/Saurianmp4 and Ko-Fi.com/saurianmp4 (You can donate one time on Ko-fi to catch up instead of paying a monthly subscription.)