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From ear to ear, Roy was all smile. He had accomplished his goal, but it only brought promise for the short term. This was just step one in a very long list of objectives. The death of a king meant a successor should take his place, and as his assassin, Roy deemed himself worthy of the position and there was no one powerful left to object.

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With his leg sprawled over one of the arms of his new throne, Roy imposed orders and decree across the land. Taxes were reduced. Food was made plentiful. No civilian was left without their own pokemon. The kingdom of Hoenn wasn't relieved from all of its problems, but it was better than it was before. The towns people were happy. Instead of taking the power for granted, Roy became the change he was asking for. Despite his origin to power, Roy was a benevolent king.

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Unfortunately, this state of peacefulness and tranquility would have an expiration date. The region of Unova sent word that they planned to assault Roy's island paradise and take it for themselves. Hoenn's focus on prosperity made them weak and their sudden expansion of resources made them the perfect target.

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Roy didn't plan to go down without a fight.

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The forces of Hoenn and Unova clashed. Battles were fought all of the world. Both sides experienced victory and loss, but Hoenn's victories were far more seldom. The future looked bleak. This wasn't Roy's intention. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Rightfully, the citizens of Hoenn started to lose hope in their new king. Despite the quality of life, the townspeople of this tiny island paradise missed the safety they had with their previous king.

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Roy was forced into desperation. There was no winning this fight if he didn't seek help. He sent what men he had across the world to seek answers. Although he lost additional men through these explorations, one group returned with an ancient relic said to house a very powerful pokemon. The men were unable to activate the device, but they brought it to their king regardless. Frustrated with their finds, Roy stripped the artifact from his men's hands and suddenly it activated.

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A burst of blinding light enveloped the castle's interior and then quickly dimmed to reveal a new entity before the king. It was an onyx serpent with a body that seemed to stretch on endlessly. Like thunderous clouds, the creature darkened the sky and brought an unsettling feeling to the citizens of Hoenn. It spoke out to the king, but no one else could hear. It offered him deal.

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The dragon would extend its strength to protect Hoenn, but in return, the dragon would only remain until the king's demise. The beast was only interested in the ending to king's story. Nothing more.

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Roy accepted.

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With his new ally in tow, Roy shifted the tides of war. Battles continued all the same, but the kingdom of Hoenn was often the victor. This was a sudden change and the kingdom of Unova took notice. Their forces increased on all fronts, but it simply wasn't enough. The power of Roy's new legendary pokemon trumped any that stood in its way. Roy went undefeated and he planned to take this strength directly to Unova's front-door.

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Beating his way through a series of skirmishes, the king of Hoenn would finally reach his goal. With both his men and his giant onyx behemoth at his side, Roy sieged the Unovan castle. There were causalities of course, but not nearly as many as Unova endured. Roy needed to defeat the king if he wanted to finish this, so he made it his duty. After reaching the throne room, Roy discovered himself. The king of Unova was a carbon copy. The resemblance even extended beyond appearance. Apart from the legendary dragon, Roy and his doppelganger also had all the same pokemon.

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It was a curious circumstance, but Roy knew there was no time for hesitation. He challenged his double to a duel. Although even in every other way, the giant serpent gave the Hoenn king a clear advantage. The Unovan king put up a fight, but there was no path left for success. Like the previous king of Hoenn, Roy annihilated his opponent without a second thought. Upon the king's defeat, the jet-colored serpent escaped into the clouds as the deal was finalized. The legendary pokemon had seen Roy's death.

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Through diligence and perseverance, Roy conquered his inner demons and finished his only threat. He may have lost his core source of power through the process, but his goal was ultimately accomplished. Unova wouldn't cause anymore problems. This was the ending to the hero's story, but it somehow felt incomplete.

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Why were they so similar? Why did the dragon leave once their battle was complete? There were too many unanswered questions. The future held all the answers, but estimated guesses felt impossible with the current state of things. The kingdom of Hoenn flourished with wealth, but their king was haunted with every question left unanswered. He was going mad. This was no reward.

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Roy appeared to age faster than the previous kings of Hoenn. His face grew wrinkles with spots from the sun. Silver and white locks of hair had replaced the black and blue. The citizens would remember him as the perfect king, even if he felt weak. Regardless, he would serve his term until the very end. On his death bed, Roy would receive a visit from the serpent, but only through a vision. The dragon confirmed that Roy was the only danger to Hoenn and he had to conquer himself to accomplish his dreams. Roy thanked his old friend for the answers with a smile.

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Then he woke up.