The night at the Guild Hall was filled with passionate violence, and Zarius could not care in the slightest as he indulged in carnal desire, biting, heaving, panting. All in all, it was a fantastic night, and by the time morning rolled around, he was refreshed. Despite the amorous activities, he felt energized. They both went to the baths before heading to get Zarius' newly mended clothing.

  The tailor gave Zarius a dour look, "Try not to ruin them again. I'm running out of red and black thread. It'll be patchwork, bulk white going forward."

  "If that's what we need, that's fine," Zarius replied as he donned his gear and left.

  He and Corina walked back to the Guild Hall, where a nervous-looking Water Trainer was standing with a short spear and shield.

  Bradley straightened up as if coming to attention as they approached. "I-I'm ready to train," he muttered shyly.

  Zarius glanced at Corina, "We are going to the river today, correct?"

  "Yes," she replied as she fluttered her wings ever-so-slightly before settling them behind her back. "I know the best place for us where we can really let loose, without scaring anyone."

  Heading out of the town, the trio earned stares of curiosity, which prompted Zarius to ask, "Is training uncommon for Trainers?"

  Bradley nodded emphatically, but his voice was still soft. "Corina is rough, Wilson doesn't train, and Mary doesn't either."

  Corina giggled slightly, "You should've seen the first time Bradley trained with me! Ass-up, face down, in the mud, with welts all across his torso."

  Bradley shyly laughed, as if appeasing her or trying to fit in. "It wasn't a fun time. But I did learn something! Spears are good at keeping people at bay."

  Zarius kept silent and tried to absorb as much information about Bradley from his gait and demeanor as he could, as the two other Trainers chatted back and forth. He is reticent, quiet, and is eager to impress.

  "Good, you picked up on that as well," Yveltal replied. "Water Types tend to be shy in nature. Solitary, in a way. Much as many sea creatures prefer to be solitary. Save for the smaller fish, like Magikarp, who are not shy around each other."

  You're saying that he would get along well with other Water Trainers? Zarius thought back.

  "Correct. Trainers of compatible Types get along. For example, Corina is Flying. If you were Rock or Ground Type, you both would not get along at all. But I, and therefore, we, are Dark...but our ascended form is both Dark and Flying. As the old saying goes; birds of a feather flock together." Yveltal said the last with some humorous bent to his voice.

  Makes sense. We seem to be getting along famously.

  Corina led them to a bend in the river. A large, easily two-hundred-foot wide patch of rocky gravel from where the river used to run higher made for the perfect practice area, and the wide expanse of water, easily another eighty feet across, ran deep and swift. She walked to a spot equidistant between the grassy berm and the river's edge, planting a steel spike into the ground which had a squat, square box on top. The box was inscribed with odd symbols that Zarius recognized as the language of the gods.

  What does it mean? he thought as Corina took a few steps away and the square cube began to glow with a dim, green light. A shockwave of energy pulsed out, and it made Zarius' skin crawl, and he had the urge to itch himself all over. I can't read it.

  "The language of the gods auto-translates when it is related to our improvement, but otherwise, you cannot read it if you do not know it. That has the word "life" and the phrase "prevent death", along with the area designation of "large radius."

  Anyone who can write the language of the gods can make one? Zarius thought back.

  Yveltal chuckled, "No. It takes special Abilities that certain magi - those who have tapped into elemental essence without the aid of a Pokémon Bond - have developed."

  Corina pulled her Apricorn from her belt and tossed it. A glimmering sparkle of black and steel-grey shimmered in the air for a brief moment, then expanded as the huge, steel-covered bird form of her Corviknight manifested. She walked over and scratched him under the chin, and the bird cooed. "What shall we practice first? Trainer on Trainer? Pokemon on Pokemon?"

  "Why not both?" Zarius asked. "We Trainers can train with each other while our Pokémon practice against each other."

  Corina shrugged, "We could do that. You just have to choose which Pokémon you want out."

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  Bradley walked toward the river and dunked his head into it. Zarius' sharp ears picked up him screaming something, but it was garbled by the water. The young Trainer pulled his head up and shook the moisture away. "Suddsy will be around soon."

  Zarius held both Apricorns, holding his two Bound Companions to his ears, "Okay, we are doing some training. Who wants to come out and participate?"

  Lucien spoke, his voice groggy and satisfied. "I'm being built to support you. I'd be best at training with you, not fighting other Pokémon."

  "Can you both hear everything out here?" Zarius asked, feeling a slight bit of apprehension that they both would have heard his last night's activities.

  "Yes," Evelyn replied. "We can hear everything out there. Pull me out, and I will train."

  Zarius put Lucien's Apricorn away and threw Evelyn's a short distance from him. She manifested in a flash of purple sparkles, and the Apricorn jetted back to Zarius' hand as he put it back on his bandolier.

  Evelyn looked at him, then at the Corviknight, who seemed to tense. "Ah, a good practice partner. Sturdy."

  "Corvi!" the large bird replied as it flapped its wings with mighty gusts that caused Evelyn and Zarius' ghostflames to flicker.

  Corina walked over with a hand on her hip and the other hanging next to her - the shield and short sword mounted already. "Huh. Never heard of a Ghost Type like this before."

  Evelyn looked at her, then looked at Zarius. "I will begin training with this feathered fellow, then." She turned and began walking to the Corviknight, talking to him as he responded with his cries.

  A sound of water being breached caught his ears, and Zarius looked to see a large, white-shelled Pokémon emerge from the water next to Bradley. "Lapras," it rumbled as it arched its head down to nuzzle Bradley.

  "Hey, Suddsy. You're going to train a bit with Graven and my new buddy Zarius' Pokémon." He pointed at the two who were squaring off.

  "Cute. He thinks we are his friend," Yveltal said with a chuckle.

  Zarius drew his sword as the young trainer came closer. He seemed to be full of confidence after dunking his head and saying hello to his Bound Companion. "Okay! I'm ready to practice!"

  Corina drew her short sword and held the shield at the ready as she squared off against Bradley, "Let's have you practice some basic thrusts."

  The young Trainer raised his spear shakily and ran forward with a jab. Corina batted the polearm aside with the flat of her blade and bashed Bradley in the chest with her shield. "Come now," she chided as he reeled back and caught his footing. "I told you - spears are good for staying back and poking."

  Bradley took several deep breaths and was about to reply, but Zarius had a burst of insight. He walked over to Bradley, "Hand me the spear for a moment," they said.

  Bradley looked at him and did so, also handing Zarius the shield. "Okay?"

  Zarius looked at the young man's armored shoulders and shifted his stance to face Corina. He raised the shield to be in line with his shoulder, and couched the spear atop the small, square lip. "You should stand like this. You have the armored pauldrons from your Trainer Bond that will make you harder to hurt. If you crouch down," they crouched to cover more of the shins and legs with the shield, "Then you will make yourself a nearly-impenetrable target from the front. Then, just shift and pivot to stay facing your opponent." They stood up and handed Bradley the weapon and shield.

  Corina frowned, "And when did you learn that?" she asked with curiosity tinged with frustration.

  "I won't tell," they replied as Zarius walked a short distance away and turned back to face the melee. "Okay, Bradley. Do what I showed you."

  Bradley took up the stance that Zarius had described and demonstrated, and from the front, he was a near-impenetrable bulwark. Corina approached, and Bradley kept his guard up, pivoting as she tried to circle him. But her short sword could not reach to the only opening near his feet, and despite her quickening her speed in circling him, the young Trainer pivoted to keep her in that defensive spot.

  "Now try jabbing!" Zarius shouted, arms crossed, as he felt satisfaction that their insight was effective. Prior lives coming in handy, Zarius thought.

  "Yes. Our prior incarnations and vessels have much that remains," Yveltal replied with pride.

  Zarius turned away from the combat and saw that the Pokémon were in their own savage encounter. Evelyn was sparring with the Corviknight; her blades formed out of metal and lacked the ghostly flames as they clashed with the armored wings of the Flying Type. The Lapras on the side seemed to be providing some encouragement, and would occasionally blast the two with jets of sparkling, crystal-clear, blue water that forced the two combatants to dodge. Well, good thing they are picking up quickly, he thought.

  Corina let out a grunt of frustration, "This is not fair!" She backed away from Bradley, who held his stance fairly firmly, but his front leg was shaking. "Zarius, let me use your longsword."

  Zarius pulled the Claw of Yveltal and held it by the blade, hilt towards Corina as she reached a hand out and grabbed it. She immediately recoiled, and Zarius raised an appraising brow, "What?"

  She pulled her hand back and shook it. "What did you do? It feels like my hand fell asleep."

  "It is only useable by us," Yveltal advised.

  "Only I can use it," Zarius said as he flipped it around and sheathed it in one smooth motion.

  Corina sighed and glanced at Bradley who still held a ready-stance. "Fuck it. Zarius, you practice against him. I can't do shit with just my short sword."

  Bradley seemed full of confidence and grinned, really coming out of his shell. "Come on! I'm ready!"

  Zarius drew the Claw once more and bladed his stance, "You ready?"

  "Ye-" Bradley began.

  Zarius burst forth, his footsteps crunching on the gravel as he rushed the younger Trainer, a manic grin on his face as he ducked under the spear and slid, whipping out the flat of his sword with a resounding whack on the young man's shins. He went down to the ground, grunting in pain as Zarius pushed himself up and flicked the blade's tip to the younger Trainer's neck. "Not so hard," he said triumphantly as he looked over at Corina.

  She looked pissed off. "Bradley, get up and take a break," she growled.

  Bradley had dropped his spear and shield and was holding his now-aching shins, "S-sure," he muttered as he rubbed them. "That hurt."

  Zarius pulled his blade away as he went over to square off against Corina, "That's training," he replied.

  Corina raised her shield and short sword, "No Moves. Just round two. To the blood."

  Zarius raised a quizzical eyebrow, "You sure?"

  She nodded, "Let's do it!" she rushed forward with her shield in front, wings spread as they encircled her sides, and sword pulled back to stab.