The Flame Body would activate, and the burn would hinder his hound, and it would soon be met with the crashing of her bird, clothed in flames of fury crashing into him.

Perhaps a normal trainer might have swapped out his pokemon.

A normal trainer would have seen the disadvantage.

However Gaius was none of those things, and instead he placed a hand on the Keystone that he wore around his neck, and his Lucario was soon bathed in a soft blue glow.

The burn was sundered from existence as his form changed. Now standing before her was Mega Lucario, and he let out a piercing roar.

Claws of Meta extended far more ferocious than before, jagged swords of retribution as they sought to find purchase in the flesh of the foe in front of him. It's new Adaptability made it's attacks even more deadly than before.

Gaius all the while was just smiling at the scenario.

Was it amusement?

Was it happiness?

Only he knew.

AIRI WATANABE

Gravity intensified in the area around the powerplant. Gaius had come here for no grand or noble reason.

This place offered prey, it offered training, and so he would sink his fangs into them.

A Metagross was at his side with strange markings that to someone knowledgeable enough would identify it as a Illumina pokemon.

However that was the only light his opponents would see as soon the ground underneath them would quake, shake, and break apart as a powerful Accretion sundered his surroundings knocking them all out in one swoop.

Gaius left the wreckage of this fight in his wake, and he marched on deeper into the depths of this place.

These could not sate his hunger.

If he was spotted, he didn't notice, and continued to leave a trail of broken, and fainted pokemon behind him.

Yuina Higashi

A creature encroached upon this garden, and it would meet with the loyal Hound.

Thus when a pulse of draconic energy was used, Extreme Speed was quick to evade, and smash into the opponent, and in a follow up attack a point blank Aura Sphere.

The Dragon was sent reeling backwards into a nearby wall cracking it. Defiant to the end the twin headed beast stood up ready to continue, but a beam of red surrounded it as a pokeball was tossed to capture it.

One....

Two....

Ding....

Gaius stepped forward, and picked the ball up.

"I have use for you." With that a new beast was added to his collection.

shiv

(Using a Pokeball to capture it! Gaius has 8 left!)

Taking this with Yuina Higashi

That city had fallen spectacularly, the man had told him that if he got that Titan he would become stronger, and that had not been a lie.

The sheer unbridled power of the Rock, and Ice Titans was enough to make his own blood shiver in delight. He needed to fight them, he needed to fight that man.

However as he currently was he knew that he wasn't powerful enough to take on either of those creatures without incurring significant losses for insignificant gains.

He needed to get stronger.

That was why he was on the outskirts of this city adjacent to the ruined one, and he was training. His faithful Hound was squared up against its fiery counterpart, and the two of them clashed violently.

The battle was so intense that it was keeping the wild pokemon away, and Gaius merely watched. To fight tooth, and claw to give it your all. To put your life on the line. Only when your soul was in danger of shattering could it be galvanized.

Gaius needed to galvanize his own soul, and his pokemons so that he could properly fight that man. He had found two Apexes so far, he was sure that there were more, but they were the ones at the top that he wanted to devour for now.

If he found more, then he would add them to the list.

Althus Rex

"The natural reaction to being threatened is one of two things." He stated to her.

However he did not elaborate, and instead his Hound used Extreme Speed to close the gap between itself, and her Talonflame. An elbow already primed to smash into the birds chest if it didn't dodge.

This girl should not give ultimatums if she wasn't prepared to dish out the consequences one way or the other.

She was a mouse, and he was a lion, and he would remind her of her place on the food chain before this battle was over.

A savage grin crossed his lips as he looked her over.

"Like I said. Mice have no place trying to command lions." The words weren't spoken like an insult, for him they were just facts.

For one who lived the life that he did, who roamed from battlefield to battlefield. Whose only desire was strength, and the will to achieve it, the strong devouring the weak was as natural as breathing to him.

It was why where ever he went battle, and violence followed. He was seeking something that could slake his thirst, something that could make him full. However he had yet to meet them....

AIRI WATANABE

The fights, and whims of others mattered not to him.

He felt something nearby, something that was unnatural, and that presented unbridled strength to him.

Like a moth to a flame he was drawn towards the creature. It was bathed in a beautiful golden light, and emanated power beyond compare.

"You are worthy...." He said to the creature, not even paying attention to the girl, and her tiny little ogre. Instead he immediately gripped the Keystone that hung around his neck, and his Lucario was soon bathed in a light of it's own.

It's form changed as it Mega Evolved, and it became more ferocious. Metal Claws extended from it's hands, and it leapt at the creature attempting to hack into it with it's newfound might.

"If you are not strong enough to handle this creature....Do not get in my way girl." He stated the words to Andrea Vaneau without even giving her a passing glance.

He had no time for weaklings who would only bog down his glorious battles.

Andrea Vaneau

"Wild pokemon provide the best training. They still have their instincts intact." Something that most normal trainers, and pokemon had lost over the years.

The primal savagery of the wilderness was the true nature of the world. Untamed, and beautiful where there was only one truth. Survival of the fittest.

Gaius wished to become the Apex, to stand ahead of everyone else as the most ferocious creature. To do that you had to fight such creatures.

"I wouldn't expect any of you understand." He stated simply as his opponent once again used counter, and that gave his Lucario ample time to Copycat it, and give him the chance to use another Counter.

If this was to be an endurance contest, then his Lucario would succeed of that he was sure.

Tangaroa Emzar

A laugh was the only response she would receive from him as his Hound snarled in defiance at her.

"Mice have no place commanding lions." His eyes narrowed as he kept her in his focus. "If you want me to leave....Make me." He challenged her simply with another harsh laugh.

There was no way to make him leave this mountain where there was plenty of training for him to have, and do.

His Hound was already ready to strike should she take him up on that offer, if she was some bigshot captain, then she had to have at least a little strength didn't she?

Gaius wasn't familiar with the rankings of organizations that he had no care in, but he was sure that was a higher position.

She at least wasn't some nameless grunt for him to trample over.

The Graveler who she had told to stop it's attack wasn't unnoticed by the Lucario, but as long as it wasn't making a move it would be safe for the moment.

"I suggest you don't dally on your choice either. I am not known for my patience." He grinned widely at her.

AIRI WATANABE

Peculiar Plates Mission

He was content to continue to head up to the mountain, he wanted to know what was at it's peak, but then something came to him.

A mouse leaping into the snapping jaws of a lion.

He did not answer her immediately, instead crimson red eyes met sapphire blues, and he smiled.

"Are you here to defend the defeated? Are you strong?" Came the simple question to the woman.

He didn't answer her question, he didn't deny the accusation.

He simply stood tall where he was, and his faithful Hound at his side was ready incase the woman tried to sneak attack them.

Perhaps she would afford him the ability to test his new strength on someone.

Would what he had gained, and earned prove powerful enough to take on those titans he wondered?

A Geodude sprang into attack towards the Lucario, but it was swiftly cut down by a Metal Claw. Another body to the pile around them.

Luckily for them, or perhaps unluckily none of the pokemon were dead at the very least. Just in various states of injured, and conscious. A tilt of his head to her, and a wide smile flashed at her as he awaited an answer.

AIRI WATANABE

Peculiar Plates Mission

He stared at the hunk of metal that was uprooted during his battles in that now destroyed city.

A souvenir, proof that he would meet Kouji Matsubara, howard slayte, and Eduardo Hisakawa again. It had strange symbols on it, and it seemed to glow when it was close to his Lucario.

So they were testing out if it empowered his ever faithful Hound.

Around them were pokemon that had been dispatched by the duo. The incarnation of violence, and battle, and his faithful Hound. Geodude, Numel, Graveler, and Camerupt all lay around them knocked out.

Spoink were fleeing from the pair as they ascended the top of the mountain.

It didn't matter to him if this was under jurisdiction of some flaccid faction. All that mattered to him was finding the extent of his current power.

He hadn't won any of those battles. At best they had been draws, and that wasn't good enough for him.

That didn't even count the battles on that sinking ship, where he was constantly sent from one foe into the next.

He was itching for a proper bout, for the next hunt.

Gaius was hungry, and so he left a trail of prey that weren't worth devouring behind him.

AIRI WATANABE

Peculiar Plates Mission