The rotation system was, against all odds, working.
Every day, Marcus would spend time with a different group of Legendaries. Training, bonding, and giving the affection that gods apparently desperately needed.
What followed was a week that would become legend in its own right.
DAY ONE - THE CREATION TRIO
Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina
Marcus woke up to find three massive heads staring at him through his tent flap.
"GOOD MORNING," Dialga rumbled. "IT IS MY ROTATION DAY."
"OUR rotation day," Palkia corrected. "We are a TRIO."
"Technically, I'm here to stabilize reality," Giratina muttered from the shadows. "But yes. Trio day."
Marcus rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"
"Time is irrelevant. I AM time."
"It's 5 AM," Giratina supplied helpfully.
"You woke me up at 5 AM?!"
"We have been waiting since YESTERDAY," Dialga said. "Do you understand how long that is for a being who experiences all of time simultaneously?"
"A very long time?"
"ETERNITY. It felt like ETERNITY."
Marcus sighed and crawled out of his sleeping bag.
"Okay, okay. What do you guys want to do today?"
The Creation Trio exchanged glances.
"We... do not know," Palkia admitted. "We have never been asked that before."
"Never?"
"We are gods of fundamental universal forces. Beings do not typically ask us about our PREFERENCES."
Marcus considered this.
"Do you want to... play fetch?"
What followed was the most cosmically overpowered game of fetch in history.
Marcus threw a ball.
Dialga stopped time, walked calmly to where the ball would land, caught it, then resumed time so it looked instantaneous.
"That's cheating!"
"IT IS EFFICIENCY."
Palkia responded by warping space so the ball teleported directly into its mouth.
"ALSO cheating!"
"It is OPTIMIZATION."
Giratina simply opened a portal to the Distortion World, let the ball fall through, then retrieved it from a different portal behind Marcus.
"...Okay, that was actually cool."
Giratina looked smug. "Thank you. I practiced."
"You PRACTICED catching a ball?"
"I wanted to impress you."
Marcus felt his heart melt.
"You're all very impressive. And also cheaters. But impressive cheaters."
The Creation Trio made pleased sounds that caused minor temporal-spatial anomalies.
TRAINING SESSION: CREATION TRIO
"Okay, let's try something different," Marcus said. "Combat training."
"Against WHAT?" Dialga asked. "We are gods of time and space. What could possibly—"
"Each other."
Silence.
"You want us to fight EACH OTHER?" Palkia sounded incredulous.
"Spar. Not fight. Friendly competition. It'll be good for coordination."
The trio exchanged uncertain glances.
"We have not... sparred... since the creation of the universe," Giratina admitted. "It did not go well then."
"What happened?"
"The Distortion World happened. And several dimensional rifts. And a period of primordial chaos that lasted approximately three billion years."
"Let's try to avoid that this time."
The sparring session was INTENSE.
Dialga slowed time around Palkia, trying to land a Dragon Claw—
Palkia warped space to teleport behind Dialga—
Giratina emerged from the shadows to attack both—
The resulting collision of temporal, spatial, and antimatter energies created a briefly visible fourth dimension that gave everyone present a migraine.
"STOP!" Marcus shouted.
The trio stopped.
"That was... a lot. Maybe we scale it back?"
"How?" Dialga asked.
"No time powers. No space powers. No dimension powers. Just... normal moves."
"We have NEVER fought without our powers," Palkia said slowly.
"Then this is a good learning experience!"
The trio looked at each other.
Then they tried again.
Without their reality-warping abilities, they were clumsy. Uncoordinated. Almost... adorable.
Dialga tripped over its own feet.
Palkia's Dragon Claw missed by a mile.
Giratina forgot it couldn't phase through attacks and took a hit it could have easily dodged.
"This is HUMILIATING," Giratina muttered.
"This is TRAINING," Marcus corrected. "You're learning to fight without relying on your god powers. That's important!"
"WHY is it important? We HAVE god powers."
"Because sometimes the best power is the one you don't use."
The trio considered this surprisingly philosophical statement.
"That is... wise," Dialga admitted.
"Kenneth taught me that."
"The SHUCKLE is teaching you philosophy?"
"Kenneth teaches everyone philosophy. You just have to listen."
DAY TWO - THE LAKE GUARDIANS
Uxie, Mesprit, and Azelf
The Lake Guardians were TINY compared to most Legendaries.
They were also adorable.
"Hello, Marcus!" Mesprit chirped, doing a little spin. "We're SO excited for our day!"
"We have prepared activities," Azelf added seriously. "Twelve of them. Organized by priority."
"I have prepared nothing," Uxie admitted. "But I will enjoy observing."
"Uxie, you can't just OBSERVE. This is bonding time!"
"Observation IS bonding for me. I am the Being of Knowledge. I bond through LEARNING."
Marcus smiled. "Then learn away, buddy. What's first on the schedule, Azelf?"
"WILLPOWER TRAINING!"
"...What does that involve?"
"STARING CONTESTS!"
Marcus lost seventeen staring contests in a row.
In his defense, Azelf was the literal embodiment of willpower and also didn't need to blink.
"You're doing great!" Mesprit encouraged, radiating emotional support.
"I've lost SEVENTEEN times."
"But you tried SEVENTEEN times! That's willpower!"
"That's... that's actually a good point."
"I learned it from you!" Mesprit giggled. "Your Charizard tried for hours against the Elite Four. Your Magikarp tried for months to learn Bounce. Your Shuckle tries to... exist, I think?"
"Kenneth is VERY good at existing."
"Kenneth is the BEST at existing!" Mesprit agreed.
Uxie took notes.
TRAINING SESSION: LAKE GUARDIANS
The Lake Guardians didn't need combat training in the traditional sense.
They were psychic support Pokemon—powerful in their own right, but not built for frontline fighting.
"So instead of combat training," Marcus said, "let's work on your psychic coordination."
"Coordination?" Azelf tilted its head.
"You three are connected, right? You represent Knowledge, Emotion, and Willpower—the three components of the human spirit."
"Correct."
"So what happens if you combine your powers?"
The Lake Guardians looked at each other.
"We... have never tried," Mesprit admitted. "We each guard our own lake. We rarely interact directly."
"Then let's try!"
What followed was beautiful.
Uxie opened its eyes—something it NEVER did—releasing waves of pure knowledge.
Mesprit channeled emotional energy, creating a field of positive feelings.
Azelf focused its willpower, turning abstract concepts into tangible force.
The three energies merged.
And for a moment—just a moment—Marcus felt like he understood EVERYTHING. The universe made sense. His purpose was clear. His emotions were balanced.
Then it faded.
"Whoa," he breathed.
"That was..." Uxie closed its eyes again, looking exhausted but pleased. "That was NEW."
"We created UNITY," Mesprit said, awed. "Actual spiritual unity!"
"We should practice this more," Azelf declared. "It could be useful!"
"It could be BEAUTIFUL," Marcus corrected. "Not everything has to be useful."
The Lake Guardians considered this.
"That is also a philosophy Kenneth taught you?" Uxie asked.
"Actually, that one I figured out myself."
"...Kenneth would be proud."
DAY THREE - THE LEGENDARY BEASTS
Raikou, Entei, and Suicune
The Legendary Beasts of Johto had a different energy than the other Legendaries.
They were RUNNERS. Athletes. Built for speed and power.
They wanted to RUN.
"Race you around the region!" Raikou challenged, electricity crackling.
"Around the WHOLE region?" Marcus asked.
"Is that too far? We can do a shorter distance."
"No, I mean—I can't run around the whole region. I'm human."
The Beasts looked disappointed.
"But," Marcus continued, "I bet Floaty could carry me fast enough to keep up."
Floaty the Dragonite, summoned for the occasion, puffed up with pride.
"RACE TIME!" Entei roared, flames flaring.
The race around Johto took approximately four hours.
Raikou won, obviously—it was literally lightning-fast.
Entei came second, leaving a trail of volcanic heat.
Suicune came third, purifying water sources as it passed.
And Marcus on Floaty came in a distant fourth.
"That was AMAZING!" Marcus shouted, windswept and exhilarated.
"You did well for a human!" Raikou admitted.
"Your Dragonite has impressive speed," Entei added.
"We should do this again," Suicune said softly. "Perhaps weekly?"
"Weekly races around Johto?"
"It would be good exercise. For all of us."
Marcus grinned. "Deal."
The Beasts made sounds of approval.
TRAINING SESSION: LEGENDARY BEASTS
"You three are already combat-ready," Marcus observed. "You've been fighting and running for centuries."
"Millennia," Entei corrected.
"Right, millennia. So instead of training your abilities, let's train something else."
"What?"
"Teamwork."
The Legendary Beasts had never fought as a coordinated unit.
They were loners by nature. They ran alone, fought alone, existed alone.
But Marcus made them practice formations. Combination attacks. Cover strategies.
"Raikou, you're the fastest—you're the scout and first strike. Entei, you're the heavy hitter—you follow up with maximum damage. Suicune, you're the support—you heal and cleanse and protect."
"We have never had ROLES before," Suicune admitted.
"Everyone needs roles. It helps you understand your strengths."
The Beasts practiced.
It was clumsy at first. They kept getting in each other's way. Raikou was too fast, Entei was too aggressive, Suicune was too cautious.
But slowly, they found their rhythm.
Raikou would dart in, electrify an opponent—
Entei would follow up with a devastating fire blast—
Suicune would cleanse any counterattacks and heal any damage—
It was DEVASTATING.
"THAT'S IT!" Marcus cheered. "You're a TEAM now!"
The Beasts looked at each other with newfound respect.
"This is... different," Raikou admitted. "Good different."
"I have never felt so... connected," Entei added.
"We are still individuals," Suicune said. "But now we are also... something more."
"You're the Legendary Beast SQUAD."
"That name is terrible."
"We'll workshop it."
DAY FOUR - THE BIRD TRIO
Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres
The Legendary Birds were DRAMATIC.
Every entrance was accompanied by ice, lightning, or fire.
Every exit was the same.
They could not simply APPEAR. They had to make a STATEMENT.
"BEHOLD!" Zapdos screeched, arriving in a thunderclap. "THE ROTATION DAY HAS COME!"
"We descend from the skies!" Articuno added, creating a localized blizzard.
"THE FLAMES OF PASSION BURN FOR THIS MOMENT!" Moltres concluded, setting a nearby tree on fire.
"Please stop setting things on fire," Marcus requested.
"DRAMA REQUIRES SACRIFICE!"
"Drama requires CONTROL. Put out the tree."
Moltres grumbled but complied.
The Birds wanted to do aerial performances.
"We are creatures of the sky!" Articuno explained. "Our beauty is best appreciated from above!"
"So you want to... show off?"
"We want to PERFORM. There is a difference."
"What's the difference?"
"Showing off is egotistical. Performance is ART."
Marcus considered this.
"Okay, perform for me then. I'll be your audience."
The Birds exchanged excited glances.
What followed was genuinely breathtaking.
Articuno wove patterns of ice crystals in the sky, creating frozen sculptures that caught the light.
Zapdos danced through storm clouds, orchestrating lightning into rhythmic displays.
Moltres painted the sunset with streams of fire, turning the evening sky into a canvas of flame.
And all three together created something beyond description—a fusion of ice, lightning, and fire that should have been destructive but was instead BEAUTIFUL.
Marcus sat on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
"That was... that was incredible."
The Birds landed, looking pleased but also... vulnerable?
"You truly think so?" Articuno asked quietly.
"I've never seen anything like it. You're ARTISTS."
"We have performed for centuries," Moltres admitted. "But no one has ever... APPRECIATED it. They see our elements as threats. Our performances as displays of power."
"But they're not. They're expressions of who you ARE."
The Birds were quiet.
"You understand us," Zapdos said finally. "You truly understand."
"I'm trying to. That's all any trainer can do—try to understand their Pokemon."
DAY FIVE - THE SWORDS OF JUSTICE
Cobalion, Terrakion, Virizion, and Keldeo
The Swords of Justice were SERIOUS.
They had a code. A purpose. A mission.
They protected Pokemon from human cruelty.
And they weren't sure how to feel about Marcus.
"You are unusual," Cobalion stated bluntly. "You wield power that could enslave. Yet you seek friendship."
"I don't want to enslave anyone. I just want to be with my Pokemon."
"So you say. But power corrupts. How do we know you will not change?"
Marcus thought about this carefully.
"You don't. No one can promise they won't change. But I can promise that if I ever start becoming someone who hurts Pokemon, I want you to stop me."
The Swords of Justice stared.
"You would give us permission to fight you?" Terrakion asked.
"I'd give you permission to CORRECT me. If I go wrong, I need Pokemon I trust to pull me back."
Silence.
"That is... wise," Virizion admitted.
"And humble," Cobalion added.
"And REALLY cool!" Keldeo contributed. "See? I TOLD you he was good!"
"You have been advocating for this human?" Cobalion asked.
"Since day one! He gives REALLY good pets!"
"PETS are not a measure of character."
"They're a measure of SOMETHING."
TRAINING SESSION: SWORDS OF JUSTICE
"You're already perfect fighters," Marcus acknowledged. "You don't need combat training from me."
"Then what do you offer?" Cobalion asked.
"Purpose."
"We HAVE purpose. We protect Pokemon."
"From humans. But what if you could protect Pokemon WITH humans? What if you could train other Pokemon to defend themselves? What if you could be teachers instead of just warriors?"
The Swords considered this.
"We have never... taught," Virizion said slowly.
"Then let's start. The Pokemon at Paradise could use self-defense training. Especially the smaller ones who feel vulnerable."
"You want us to train the WEAK Pokemon?"
"I want you to help the weak Pokemon become STRONG. That's what justice really is, isn't it? Not just fighting bad guys, but empowering those who can't fight for themselves."
Cobalion was quiet for a very long time.
"You have given me much to think about," it finally said.
"Think away. And when you're ready, let me know. There are a lot of Pokemon who could use your guidance."
DAY SIX - THE TAOISTS
Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem
These three had ISSUES with each other.
Ancient issues. Fundamental issues. "We literally split from the same dragon and have been fighting ever since" issues.
"I represent TRUTH!" Reshiram declared.
"I represent IDEALS!" Zekrom countered.
"I represent the VOID left by your separation," Kyurem added morosely. "I am incomplete. Empty. A shell of what we once were."
"Okay, that's a lot of trauma to unpack," Marcus said. "Let's start with... what do you guys actually WANT?"
Silence.
"Want?" Reshiram asked.
"Yeah. Not what you represent or what you're supposed to do. What do YOU want?"
More silence.
"I... want to be WHOLE again," Kyurem admitted quietly. "I remember being complete. Before the split. It felt... good."
"I want people to SEE truth," Reshiram said. "Not just hear it. Truly SEE."
"I want ideals to become REAL," Zekrom added. "Not just dreams, but actualized futures."
Marcus nodded. "And you think you need to fight each other to achieve that?"
"We are opposites. Truth and Ideals cannot coexist—"
"Why not?"
The dragons paused.
"What do you mean, why not?" Zekrom asked.
"Truth and ideals aren't opposites. They're PARTNERS. Truth shows us where we are. Ideals show us where we could be. You need BOTH to make progress."
Reshiram and Zekrom looked at each other.
REALLY looked at each other.
For the first time in millennia.
"Perhaps..." Reshiram began.
"Perhaps we have been... incomplete... without each other," Zekrom finished.
"And perhaps," Kyurem said quietly, "if you stopped fighting... I could feel whole again too."
Marcus smiled. "Only one way to find out. Try cooperating. Just for today. See how it feels."
What followed was awkward, tentative, and beautiful.
Reshiram and Zekrom tried—REALLY tried—to work together.
They combined their Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt into a single attack.
The resulting energy was beyond anything they'd ever achieved alone.
And Kyurem, watching from the sidelines, began to GLOW.
Not absorb—just glow. A warmth spreading through its empty core.
"I feel... something," it whispered. "Something I haven't felt in eons."
"What is it?" Marcus asked.
"Hope."
DAY SEVEN - REST DAY
Marcus declared day seven a rest day.
No rotations. No training. Just... existing.
He lay on Groudon's back (it insisted), staring at the clouds (created by Kyogre, who also insisted), while Rayquaza provided shade by coiling overhead.
The Lake Guardians orbited lazily.
The Legendary Beasts napped nearby.
The Birds performed silent aerial routines.
The Swords of Justice stood watch, but peacefully.
The Taoists sat together—TOGETHER—in companionable silence.
And everywhere, Legendaries simply... relaxed.
"This is nice," Marcus said to no one in particular.
Mew appeared on his chest. "Mew!"
"Hey, Mew. You sneaking into another rotation?"
"Mew mew!" I'm always in the rotation. I'm too cute to exclude.
"Fair point."
Celebi appeared next. "Bi!"
"You too?"
"Bi bi!" Time travel means I'm TECHNICALLY always on rotation.
"That's cheating."
"Bi!" It's EFFICIENCY.
Jirachi materialized, already asleep.
"Let me guess—wish-based loophole?"
Jirachi nodded without waking up.
Marcus laughed.
He was lying on a Continent Pokemon, surrounded by gods, with three small Legendaries piled on his chest.
His life was absurd.
His life was WONDERFUL.
THAT EVENING - REFLECTION
Kenneth vibrated.
"What's up, Kenneth?"
Leo translated: "Kenneth says you have done something remarkable this week."
"I just spent time with my Pokemon."
"Kenneth says that IS the remarkable thing. You treated gods like friends. You gave them purpose beyond power. You helped ancient enemies find peace."
"I just... talked to them. Asked what they wanted."
"Kenneth says that no one has EVER asked them what they wanted. In all the millennia of their existence, you are the first."
Marcus was quiet.
"They deserve to be asked. Everyone deserves to be asked."
Kenneth vibrated again.
"Kenneth says you are a good trainer. The best trainer. And also that he would like more berries."
"I have berries."
"Kenneth says he knows. He can smell them."
Marcus handed Kenneth a berry.
The Shuckle made a satisfied sound.
And somewhere above, forty-plus Legendaries looked down at their trainer with something beyond loyalty.
Something like love.
CURRENT STATUS:
Week of Legendary Bonding: Complete
Relationships Deepened: All of them
Ancient Conflicts Resolved: Several
Gods Given Purpose: Numerous
Berries Consumed by Kenneth: 47
Training Accomplishments:
Creation Trio learned to fight without god powersLake Guardians achieved spiritual unityLegendary Beasts became a teamBird Trio recognized as artistsSwords of Justice considering teachingTao Trio stopped fighting (temporarily?)
Marcus's Emotional State: Fulfilled
Legendary Emotional State: Also fulfilled
Kenneth's Emotional State: Berry-satisfied
[A/N: A WHOLESOME CHAPTER OF BONDING AND GROWTH! Everyone got development! Next chapter: The outside world reacts to the LEGENDARY RESORT that has appeared in Johto, and certain organizations start paying attention! Also, the Legendaries want to do something NICE for Marcus, and their idea of "nice" is appropriately terrifying! Leave a comment about which Legendary bonding moment was your favorite!]