he smiles.

her invitation is a much needed distraction from his various responsibilities as both champion and ceo. he's had to relinquish his title of gym leader but rustboro is in capable hands; he's made sure of its stability. but that's the least of his concerns.

today his worries fade into the back of his mind, kept there by the opportunity to meet a friend. she is a loyal ally but their relationship extends beyond promises and oaths. there is trust. 

the fabric of reality distorts for moments before a sudden vacuum is created and from it appears alexander and his gallade. TELEPORT has always been their main method of transportation, and so the odd sensation of moving through space and time is not unknown to alexander. he almost welcomes it.

"freya." 

the grass beneath them ripple under the pressure but they soon calm, as do the leaves on a nearby tree. he smiles at her, bowing his head slightly in greetings.

"it is lovely to see you. how have you been?"

freya morningstar

"glad to hear." and see. she looks much better than when he had last saw her in dragon's den. she's recovering as well as anyone can. hearing how she suffers from nightmares fills him with a sense of relief as well; it almost rationalizes his own.

"stressed. haven't been sleeping well." he repeats her words in a lighthearted tone and soon breaks a chuckle. "things are good. that still sounds strange to me: champion. i do not think i will ever get used to it." 

alexander nods at the stretching salamence and turns to address the two approaching dragons. as they glide on over gallade visibly tenses, unused to being surrounded by so many dragons, but soon relaxes when his mind synchronizes with alexander's.

at that, gallade greets freya with a bow.

"thank you. rustboro is home so i will always protect it, even if i am not its official leader." it goes unsaid that she's upholding her oath, he recognizes that.

he reaches a hand into his pocket and calls out his own few dragons. viphi stretches her wings and nuzzles her head against salami, then turns to greet the others. salami does the same.

"it is a very nice day out. is that why you asked me out here, freya?"

freya morningstar

he laughs at her comment that seems to have caught him off guard. he glances back at her and raises both eyebrows. "ah, now i know why you asked me here." his own dragons start spreading out across the open space, relishing the openness. viphi takes a tumble to the ground and rolls, the cool grass against her skin filling her with joy.

"if only nikolai was still around. he might not have been the most responsible of leaders but the people loved him. to go from him to abbiati is, well, tragic, to say the least." 

it is the most he's ever commented on the situation but they're outside of work. he deems it acceptable. plus there is a part of him that wants to say more.

"give it some time. the people will turn on her eventually. either that, or she will make them." 

he shrugs, but then laughs. he turns to freya and offers her a sympathetic smile.

"you two really do not get along well."

freya morningstar

"as have i," he admits, albeit reluctantly. he breaks the tension in his shoulders with a sigh, nodding to her words. "people are obsessed with titles. i said this to stormy recently but titles and legacies mean nothing. abbiati, silph, stone, morningstar; all of us will be forgotten eventually. what will not be forgotten are our actions and the changes we influenced with them. or at least i hope." 

more joy seems to overcome viphi when calcifer joins her on the grass. she purrs, flutters her wings, and nudges against the charizard's neck.

"i wonder why no one is trusting queen abbiati. one would be crazy not to." 

sarcasm drenches his words; a feature that alexander has rarely shown. it's a testament to how comfortable he feels around her and also how much he trusts her.

"do not overwork yourself, freya. know your limits and pick your battles. i need you around for the long run."

freya morningstar

whether they like it or not they both have their limits. they can only do so much with their power; sometimes it feels like it isn't enough. but what is there beyond champion? he's at the top and yet he feels restricted in his actions, in his capabilities to affect massive change in the region. perhaps there are too many seats at the table.

her whistle breaks him out of his thought. at the mention of a battle gallade springs to life; his shoulders tense, posture straightens, and a smile almost appears on his face. he's been craving one ever since the mossdeep incident.

at her suggestion, he turns. "what did you have in mind?" viphi rises back to her feet and flutters back over to alexander, landing next to salami. the two dragons watch their counterparts spar.

"salami will not be battling if that is alright. galahad will be battling in his place. he has been craving a good fight."

freya morningstar

just a bit of exercise. alexander doesn't have to look over to know the statement amuses galahad. neither of them make any indications of their amusement, however, as he simply nods his response.

viphi flutters forward and almost crashes into calcifer. thankfully for them she knows better than to charge straight in for a tackle. she lands next to him, mouth opening to try and summon a few embers like calcifer had done only to fail. but she doesn't mind.

"too many for one lifetime." 

the champion answers for him but salami dips his head regardless. the dragon lowers himself to the ground, or drops himself rather as the impact crushes the grass beneath his big body. he tucks his legs together and lays his head down, breathing.

galahad nods at the dragonite and takes his place next to it. he stretches, or at least appears to be stretching but in reality he's preparing himself with a SWORDS DANCE. the subtle move is noticed by alexander, though it's hard to sneak anything by each other, their connection too strong.

"i believe they are ready."

freya morningstar

the obvious and most natural choice for alexander's two is to battle each other because that is what they are most familiar with. galahad and viphi have sparred on countless occasions; the former usually being the victor. usually. but every now and then viphi manages to surprise her opponent.

the flygon charges straight ahead and meets fafnir in the middle. her DRAGON CLAWS clash against his FIRE and THUNDER PUNCHES, holding the dragonite back. she's smaller and doesn't look it but she's just as strong. her SUPERPOWER enables her to be. she keeps the dragonite in place as the two battle for supremacy.

"she is as well. strong, i mean." 

like a knight galahad takes a step forward while elegantly swinging his arm-blades. the prior SWORDS DANCE is all he needs to confidently slash forward to send a PSYCHO CUT barreling across at the awkward charizard. he takes a few steps forward away from alexander but maintains his distance from his opponent. he remains mindful of fafnir's aura.

the battle reminds him of another he had just recently. his mood sullies for just a moment, ever so slightly that it goes unnoticed, but it rises again when he remembers where he is and who he is with.

"freya," he starts, voice cutting. "i have to ask you something." he leaves her waiting in suspense, letting her imagination run amok while he properly gathers his thoughts.

freya morningstar