Only the first day of the official circuit in August and I'm experiencing challenges. Despite the fact that specialty battles are rewarded more, I have no idea what someone would like to look at. Especially at such a low level where custom moves are not even really used. That starts at around the 3rd to 4th badge but until then people mostly use moves with well defined effects. 

I don't know exactly how it all works but in my summer class they told us that if we got far enough that our Pokemon would be able to edit and manipulate TE to do things that are outside the preset moves or even moves that a Pokemon normally wouldn't be able to learn like a Banette creating a spiritual giant puppet that hangs over it and copies its moves or for the second thing a Weepinbell learning water gun. The pokedex can't understand the custom moves as they aren't programmed formations so it won't be able to tell a trainer about them but they still exist.

That's what really makes a trainer and that's also why so many trainers stall out there. Because they can only do what is expected or known and can't outwit their opponent when they start using specialized moves.

The next morning I decide to make a hard call and leave Ian and Puff to train their moves with Zac and Hannah's Pokemon. I specifically have them work on the previously mentioned weaknesses. 

After a lot of searching I find the public library with all the books I could ever dream of. "At least they got this right" I smile to myself. There is almost no one in the library except for the librarian and this other guy who is in his early forties and homeless as far as I can tell in the vast library but there could be more for all I know. The homeless guy is snoring a bit but the librarian is just clicking away on her computer.

I move over to the ancient tales/texts/stories section and start browsing. Tale of the Two Tailed, Venusaur's Garden of Life, Arthur's Medieval Tactics. 

I pick the last one as I vaguely remember Arthur being a conqueror who united Kanto and Johto for the first time. See, I do like history, but its the stories from older times that really entice me back. I couldn't tell you one thing about Arthur's political policies or why Hoenn took over the Alolan islands but I loved tales of how a kalosian lancer rode a Rapidash against an army of 1000 and won. Every time I had a problem with my creativity I looked back in history because I know someone, somewhere, at sometime was in a situation that could help me.

I start reading in a back table that is far away from others and glance through the book a bit. It mostly seems to be talking about his siege tactics of launching steel types into psychic barriers with fighting types and how his second strongest Pokemon, a Falinks, used substitute to such an amazing degree that he could have an army of dozens in at his hip in an apricot pokeball to combat larger numbers. 

It wasn't what I was looking for but it gave me another idea to look into. I picked up another book titled Famous Double Battles in History.

This process continued until I saw a book on a coffee table labeled A Guide to Pokémon Hierarchies in the Yon Dynasty of Ult. There was a man in his late 20s or early 30s sitting there but he was focused on a different book at the moment. 

"Excuse me but can I borrow that book from you?" I asked.

"Sorry but that one is actually a book I brought here myself. You can read it here but I can't risk it possibly getting lost" he responded, looking up at me after I picked up the book I was referring to.

"That's fine with me" I say, sitting down.

I start reading through it and it describes a Dragonite who was 30 feet tall and in charge of more Dragons who were bigger than they were supposed to be. The lead Dragonite was named Miracreas, meaning that supposedly it could speak to humans and had a name given to it by the world because of its actions and feats. Miracreas was known to give visible shields out to his minions that enhanced a dragon type through the excess energy. These Pokemon doubled their strength until the shields ran out and they were weakened greatly for hours.

I start forming an idea in my mind when I read about the visibility tactics the rebels used against them with ice types when the guy interrupts my thinking.

"You seem really focused there, what are you in here for? Aren't you around trainer age?" he asks.

"I'm trying to jumpstart some thoughts for my contest battle since that old witch did something called strike week" I explain. I turn back to my book when he laughs.

"Old witch is right on the money, haha. My name is Henry Johnson, what's your beef with her? Mine is her protectiveness of the Strange Forest's ruins as I'm an archeologist of sorts."

I write down my idea on the flyer I got from the gym before I answer with my real feelings "I'm Max and what she should be protecting are the people in the forest. My village has been partially destroyed several times in the past couple years and the Pokémon attacks are monthly."

"Ah you're a villager" he holds up his hand when he sees me about to say something "I don't mean it in a bad way. I know a lot of people who are from small villages. The organization I work for looks for people from smaller places almost exclusively so I mean no disrespect."

I calm down from a rude comment I was about to make "What's this organization called and what does it do?"

"Good questions but I can only say that it's name is Dawn and that its interested in wild Pokémon for research purposes" he says. "I'm actually here doing research on a group called alpha Pokémon which is our main focus."

"Neat, what are they if you can answer that" I joke. I'm more interested in this guy now after his organization's weird recruitment profile.

"Oh definitely, in fact I can teach you about them if you help with a bit of reading I need to do. I'm searching for two things really, one references to places where they reside or have resided in the past. The other thing I don't think will be in any of these books but I hope to learn more about is something called the crown of the first alpha."

I nod "That would explain a bit more if they are what I think they are. In this book Miracreas is huge, is he an alpha?"

"Yes, they are usually bigger in size, always at least three times bigger and even larger with additional might with a feel about them of rulers. Fun fact is that they were once normal Pokémon and just got more recognition from the world."

I had a feeling of goose bumps running over me as if that one word meant something "Can you repeat that, there was something wrong with the way you said recognition." 

"There was nothing wrong with the way I said it. It's a term used that is part of the world order and therefore has a special effect when you know what it means and are referring to it. All words like it have the same effect" he grins "By defeating other Pokémon or otherwise gaining fame alphas earn this recognition and are eventually noticed by the world."

A second word that feels like it has power. "So they get bigger by getting noticed?"

"Yes, but you don't have enough knowledge to use the word in that form. Maybe by the end of our talk you can but don't go spreading this around because it can raise some flags and get the cops called on you if someone freaks."

"Sounds good. Now" I smile as I pause "teach me about alpha Pokemon."

He grins back and he starts explaining what are apparently the basics of alpha Pokemon. The main things are that they start as normal Pokemon. Then through accomplishments they gather this recognition (I pick up the special effect about halfway through and it even affects my thoughts now) to get noticed and turn into what is called a beta. They are roughly 1.5 to 2 times bigger than they were before and carry over any variations they had like shiny or huge sized(the scientific classification of being 1.5 to 2 times bigger than average Pokemon that are physically stronger but also slower) with the difference from variants with size changes is that their size doesn't affect their speed at all, if anything it makes them faster despite being bigger. They also get a longer life span because of this and alphas get an even longer one.

From there they get promoted into alphas who are even bigger and stronger by gaining even more recognition and completing a feat(an act that is so skillful or great relative to the power of the Pokemon that the world recognizes it, like winning against an opponent of a higher rank by itself, healing hundreds of Pokemon back from the brink to full of energy, or most things that bend the rule of the world order) while not having any Pokemon of a higher order commanding it or, why the term is called alpha in the first place, its alpha. With their status in the world order they can use more TE and start changing the place they live to their liking by claiming (supposed to be a special word as are alpha and beta but neither he nor I picked up the effect like the other words) territory and having it passively changed. And it doesn't even have anything to do with dynamaxing so that would be an added bonus.

"That's amazing, why aren't these Pokemon caught and used by trainers. You told me that trainers can capture betas but why not alphas?" I ask.

He shakes his head and laughs in condescending tone "Ahaha my ignorant friend no amount of recognition can upset the fact that the trainer is above the Pokémon in the relationship we share. They lose their rank and become betas once again. Let's let that be the last question for now, you have to hold up your end too and I need to leave at around 4 for a meeting."

"Ok, at least give me a business card so I can find this organization."

"I can give you my phone number, its-. Wait give me your pokedex instead."

I do and he types in stuff for a couple minutes before handing it back to me "I added a call additional function to it with a promo code. I realized you probably don't have a phone and I apologize for asking that while knowing where you are from. I am used to calling everyone I now, hard to stop when it's so easy."

I thank him, accept the apology, and get to reading.

As I read up on the books he has collected and keep reading even as he goes to get a few more. I stumble upon 3 locations, two really old and one more recent of a hundred years ago. Surprisingly they are all from the Strange Forest but I guess we are right next to the thing and its pretty massive. I wonder how I never saw any of them before. I knew about huge mon and their counterpart of tiny mon but I never saw any that were a full 3 times bigger or more. 

I don't want to ask him it as he seems really intent on his current book like he was before I showed up and I'd hate to break the focus he has. I have started to think he's a pretty nice guy who shares some of my interests as he wandered to other historical topics sometimes. I find one more location before he stood up and started packing his books away while separating out the library ones. 

"Here's the locations I could find. Thank you for the lesson and the upgrade, it was really interesting" I say, handing him the last book.

He moves to shake my hand and as I take it he says "No problem Max, just call me if you ever want to join Dawn but know we require a bit of power first. At least 4 badges first as we like to keep Dawn smaller scale. Oh and if you ever see anything to do with the first alpha let me know or if you happen to find a couple more locations. Don't go out looking for them, your career as a trainer should be put first rather than any side projects from me."

"Will do Henry, I will call the number you added, its left left up and Henry Johnson right?"

"Spot on, I wrote it down in your notes section which is just right arrow of course. Now, if you will excuse me I have to talk with a couple of people in a few minutes, have a great day and good luck on that contest battle" he says as he waves and walks away. I realize that I already have what I came here for but walk elsewhere to not make it awkward. I have an idea now as I leave the building.