**A/N: Ugh, I am so tired and hungry... Hope y'all sparks enjoy the chapter and all that stuff... Primal signing off **
The deeper they traveled into the Dragon Enclave, the quieter the forest became. The enormous trees surrounding them seemed to absorb every sound, leaving only the occasional crack of a branch beneath their feet and the distant calls of unseen Pokémon.
Leo found the silence strangely uncomfortable. It was not peaceful in the way the forest surrounding Princess had been peaceful, because there was something beneath this silence that made his instincts remain alert.
He glanced toward Lazars, who continued walking several paces ahead with his wooden cane resting against the ground.
The elderly Dragon trainer appeared completely at ease, as though there was nothing unusual about bringing Leo and the others into one of the oldest territories in their world.
"How much farther?" Leo finally asked.
Lazars looked over his shoulder with an amused smile. "Not much longer, although I suspect you will have plenty of questions once we arrive." He turned forward again, tapping his cane against the ground as he continued walking.
Leo smiled faintly at that answer. "You seem unusually confident that I will have questions."
"You have demonstrated that tendency quite consistently since arriving here," Bertha said from behind him.
Leo glanced backward and noticed the older woman wearing an amused expression. Cynthia and Claire walked beside her, although neither appeared particularly interested in joining the conversation.
"I prefer to understand what I am getting myself involved with," Leo replied.
"That is generally considered a useful habit," Bertha answered.
Cynthia glanced toward him but said nothing. Leo could still sense the controlled tension surrounding her, although it was considerably less pronounced than it had been when they first met.
The group continued forward until the forest suddenly began to change.
Massive stone pillars emerged between the trees, each one covered in strange markings that appeared to have been carved into the stone centuries ago.
Some resembled written language, while others seemed closer to diagrams describing forces Leo could not immediately recognize.
Princess slowed beside him. "These markings are old." Leo nodded while examining one of the nearest pillars. "Older than the Enclave itself, perhaps."
Princess looked toward him. "You can determine that?"
"Not exactly," Leo admitted. "They simply feel older than everything around them."
Princess gave him a thoughtful look before returning her attention to the markings.
At the center of the ancient clearing stood a massive stone structure. Its walls were dark gray and almost completely undecorated, with only a few faint blue markings glowing across the surface.
Leo stared at the building for several seconds.
There were no statues, banners, or elaborate entrances that announced the importance of the person inside. Somehow, that made the structure feel more imposing rather than less.
Lazars stopped before the entrance. "We have arrived." Leo looked toward the structure before glancing back at him. "This is where the Supreme Elder lives?"
"One of them," Lazars answered.
Leo raised an eyebrow. "One of them?"
Lazars gave him a knowing smile before pushing open the massive stone door.
"You will understand soon enough."
The chamber beyond was larger than Leo expected. Several enormous pillars supported the ceiling, while thin streams of blue light traveled through cracks in the ancient stone like veins beneath the surface.
The moment Leo stepped across the threshold, his senses reacted.
Someone was inside.
Leo stopped for half a second before continuing forward, his eyes narrowing as he attempted to understand what he was feeling. The presence ahead of them was powerful, but that was not what made it unsettling.
It felt distant.
Not physically distant, but distant in a way that Leo struggled to describe. It was almost as if the person sitting at the far end of the chamber existed several steps removed from the normal flow of reality.
A woman sat quietly upon a simple stone seat.
She appeared to be middle-aged, with dark hair falling naturally around her shoulders and simple dark robes covering her body. There were no elaborate ornaments or symbols upon her clothing, and her appearance carried none of the arrogance Leo had expected from someone called a Supreme Elder.
Yet the longer Leo looked at her, the more difficult it became to maintain that impression.
There was an ancientness surrounding her.
It was not something he could see.
He could feel it.
Her eyes slowly opened.
The atmosphere within the chamber changed immediately.
Leo's body became tense as his instincts warned him that he was standing before something far older and more dangerous than her appearance suggested.
Princess shifted closer to him, while Cynthia and Claire both became noticeably more alert.
Lazars lowered his head respectfully.
"Supreme Elder Z, I have brought the visitors."
The woman looked toward Lazars before slowly turning her attention toward Leo.
"You may rise, Lazars."
Her voice was calm and almost gentle. Yet every word carried a strange weight that caused Leo to pay closer attention.
Z studied him for several moments.
"So this is Richard and Lenora's son."
Leo's eyebrows rose slightly. "You already knew about me?"
"Information travels quickly among those who have survived long enough," Z replied.
Leo remained silent.
There was something about that answer that bothered him.
She had not spoken like someone who had merely heard stories about his parents. She sounded like someone who understood the passage of time in a way that made ordinary generations seem insignificant.
Z's attention eventually shifted toward Princess.
"You are the distorted one." Princess's expression immediately hardened. Leo noticed the change and stepped slightly closer to her. "She has a name."
Z's eyes moved toward him.
"Princess."
The Supreme Elder said the name without hesitation, as though she had already known it, never mind how impossible that should have been. Princess remained quiet, although Leo could feel her distortion beginning to move beneath the surface.
It was subtle, but he recognized it. The energy was reacting to Z. Leo quietly expanded his perception. Princess immediately noticed.
"You are examining me again."
Leo kept his voice low enough that only she could hear him. "I am checking whether your energy has changed since we entered."
"It has."
Leo's expression became more serious. "How badly?"
"Enough to become irritating."
Leo almost smiled. "That sounds better than the alternative."
Princess gave him an unimpressed look. "Do not become arrogant."
Z watched their exchange without interruption.
After several seconds, the Supreme Elder finally spoke.
"You have developed an unusual relationship with her."
Leo looked toward Z. "She is my partner."
"That is not what I meant."
Leo's expression became more serious.
"I know."
Z leaned back slightly, studying him with an unreadable expression. "You understand that her condition is not simply an excess of energy."
Leo nodded slowly.
"I understand."
"And you believe you can help her."
Leo hesitated before answering.
"I believe I can try."
Something subtle changed within Z's expression.
"That distinction matters."
Leo looked toward Princess before speaking again.
"I have been studying her energy since she joined us. I think I understand part of what is happening."
Princess turned toward him.
"You do?"
Leo nodded.
"I believe your distortion energy is constantly fighting against your body, your soul, and your connection to reality. You are not simply carrying too much power; your existence is struggling to determine where that power belongs."
Princess became completely still.
Leo continued speaking quietly.
"I cannot promise that I can fix everything. However, I believe I can help you redirect the energy instead of forcing yourself to suppress it constantly."
Z's eyes sharpened.
"You have already considered attempting this."
Leo nodded.
"I have."
"And you did not tell her everything."
Leo glanced toward Princess.
"I did not want to give her false hope."
Princess studied him for several moments before looking away.
"That was reasonable."
Z remained silent for another moment.
Then she slowly stood.
The movement itself was completely ordinary.
Yet Leo immediately felt the difference.
The pressure surrounding the woman increased without her seemingly doing anything at all, and his instincts once again warned him not to underestimate her.
Z looked toward Princess.
"Your condition deserves a proper examination."
Princess narrowed her eyes slightly.
"By whom?"
"By me, if you are willing."
Princess looked toward Leo.
He did not answer for her.
Instead, he simply nodded toward her.
"The decision is yours."
Princess considered the offer for several seconds before finally turning back toward Z.
"I will allow it."
Z nodded once.
"Good."
Leo quietly released the breath he had been holding.
There was still one question he wanted answered.
He looked toward Z.
"May I ask something?"
"You may."
"Are you Giratina's trainer?"
For the first time since their arrival, something resembling amusement appeared within Z's eyes.
"Yes."
The space behind her suddenly distorted.
A massive black-and-red form emerged from the distortion, its enormous wings spreading across the chamber as its serpentine body hovered above the ground.
Giratina.
The Legendary Pokémon slowly lowered its head and stared directly at Leo.
Leo stared back.
For several seconds, neither moved.
Princess glanced between them with growing confusion.
Cynthia watched the legendary Pokémon carefully, while Claire's hand remained close to her equipment. Bertha, meanwhile, looked as though she were thoroughly enjoying the situation.
Leo finally raised an eyebrow.
"So that is Giratina."
Z nodded calmly.
"It is."
Giratina lowered its head another few inches.
Leo could feel the immense pressure radiating from the Legendary Pokémon, although he sensed no immediate hostility within it.
It was evaluating him.
Leo allowed his own presence to remain steady.
Giratina continued staring at him before eventually shifting its attention toward Princess.
Princess immediately crossed her arms.
"What is everyone staring at today?"
Leo looked at Giratina before glancing toward her.
"I think Giratina is curious about you."
"I am not entertainment."
Giratina released a low rumbling sound.
Leo looked toward Z.
"I assume that means something."
Z's expression remained completely serious.
"It means Giratina agrees with you."
Leo blinked.
"I was not expecting that."
Bertha laughed quietly behind him.
Even Claire seemed to struggle against a small smile, while Cynthia simply shook her head.
For several moments, the tension within the chamber disappeared.
Then Z's expression changed.
The amusement vanished from her face.
Leo noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
Z slowly turned her head toward the entrance.
"Something has changed."
Cynthia's expression hardened as she focused her senses.
"I feel it."
Claire moved her hand toward her equipment. "Where are they coming from?"
"Outside," Z answered.
Leo expanded his perception.
Multiple energy signatures were approaching through the forest.
They were powerful.
More importantly, every one of them carried the unmistakable presence of Dragon energy.
However, something about them felt different from Lazars and the others.
Their energy was aggressive.
Not directed specifically toward Leo.
Toward everyone.
Lazars tightened his grip around his wooden cane.
"I had hoped we would have more time."
Z glanced toward him.
"You knew this was possible."
"I knew it was likely."
Leo looked between them.
"What exactly is happening?"
Z's eyes remained fixed upon the entrance.
"The Dragon Enclave contains many tribes. They share the same broad affinity, but they do not share the same beliefs or ambitions."
Leo's expression tightened.
"So this region is divided internally."
"Every region is divided internally," Z replied.
Her voice remained calm despite the approaching danger.
"Power creates alliances, but beliefs create enemies."
The stone walls suddenly trembled.
A thunderous roar echoed through the forest outside, causing dust to fall from the ceiling.
Princess's four vines immediately rose behind her shoulders, their golden spear tips gleaming with dangerous energy.
Cynthia summoned Garchomp.
Claire drew her stun baton.
Bertha shifted into a defensive stance while Lazars positioned himself beside the others.
Leo felt the atmosphere change completely.
Then the entrance exploded inward.
Stone fragments tore through the chamber as a violent wave of Dragon energy followed immediately behind them.
Giratina roared.
Princess's vines snapped forward.
Cynthia shouted an order.
Leo raised one hand.
The incoming attack struck.
The entire chamber erupted into chaos.
For a moment, Z remained completely still.
Her ancient eyes remained fixed upon the figures emerging through the dust and shattered stone.
Then she finally spoke.
"They have decided to make their move."
Leo stared through the settling dust.
Several figures stood beyond the ruined entrance, their silhouettes surrounded by powerful Dragon energy.
He tightened his fists.
"How many tribes are there?"
Z's expression became colder than Leo had seen it before.
"Enough to make this inconvenient."
Another roar echoed through the forest.
Princess moved beside Leo, her vines hovering protectively behind her.
Leo looked toward the destroyed entrance.
The meeting with the Supreme Elder had barely begun.
And already, the Dragon Enclave had reminded him of something important.
Even among those who shared the same power, the same territory, and the same enemies, unity could never be guaranteed.
Sometimes, the greatest conflicts came from within.
And the Dragons had just arrived to prove it.