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Elemental Trinity

A Harry Potter/Pokémon Crossover

By Zero Rewind

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Nov. 9, 1994

"Fifteen days left." I muttered to myself as I took a break from spellcasting practice, watching my new companions go through the drills I set them on doing— under Red's advice and guidance.

It had been almost a week since I had come across the secret study within the Chamber of Secrets.

"This regimen is something I fine-tuned over the years as I gained more experience as a Trainer. Back when I started, I had simply pitted my Pokémon against wild ones, as well as those of other Trainers. It was more of a trial by fire, really; my Pokémon and I advanced, or we didn't." Red said as his image shifted on the Pokédex to show a thoughtful look.

"Whatever exercises we did in between were few and far between, but they are significant— I would even go as far to say that they're necessary."

It was still a bit odd hearing Red speak in English. It had taken him less than four days to completely assimilate the English language.

Granted, using a few dictionaries I'd nicked from Hermione, and listening in to my classes— the ones I deigned to go to, anyway— helped a lot in that regard. The technology behind the Pokédex was beyond impressive.

It took even less time to display himself on the Pokédex.

Red got the idea after he scanned a few of the ghosts (they possessed Ghost-type energy, according to him) and portraits and worked out how they functioned. Next thing I knew, his moving image displayed on the Pokédex's screen.

"What do you mean?" I replied as I watched Squirtle trip over and obstacle and fall flat on his face, before getting back up and resuming his trek with a determined cry.

"The strength, endurance and speed training are a very important part in raising a Pokémon." Red explained patiently, placing his hand on his chin. "Most people are lucky that battling generally allows a Pokémon to get stronger uniformly."

"Generally?" I repeated as Bulbasaur leapt face first into the wall by accident. I stifled a grin as she immediately resumed the obstacle course, hoping no one saw that.

"Caught that, didn't you?" Red sounded pleased. "That was the key word. I've seen a few terrible cases where Trainers only made their Pokémon use a single move constantly. I'd say the worst one was a trainer with a Nidorino."

The image shifted to display a light purple, quadruped, with darker purple spots on across its spiny body. It had large, spiny ears, narrow black eyes, and a long horn dripping what I guessed was venom.

"That thing looks fierce." I commented.

"Oh, yes. Nidorino's a very powerful breed of Pokémon. Untrusting, vicious and powerful; but if you can gain their trust, you won't find any more loyal." Red confirmed as the image shifted back to him.

"I raised one, myself, at some point. Normally a decent move pool for a Nidorino would be Scratch, to make use of his front paws; Double Kick, to use his back legs; Poison Sting and Horn Attack, to make use of his entire body. The body parts respond to the frequency of move usage."

I nodded, not sure where he was going with this.

"This trainer had his Nidorino use moves solely involving his horn." Red's tone turned somber. "How to explain this in better terms… Imagine if you trained your right arm, and only your right arm. What would happen?"

Realization hit. "It'll be a lot bigger than the rest."

"That's one problem, yes. Can you guess any others?" Red was patient.

"…" I took a moment. "…The stress might cause the muscles or the bone to become damaged."

"Exactly." Red confirmed. "The Nidorino's horn broke when it impacted against a large boulder. It had to be taken into intensive care, for days. It never battled again."

I absorbed the severe words silently. "So, your training method involves strengthening all their body parts, while allowing them the required rest periods to ensure peak conditioning?"

"That's exactly it." Red said with a slight smile on his face. "Of course, battle experience is also essential, which is why they have mock battles every other day. With proper rest and sustenance, they will heal and reach fighting shape quickly."

"I hope so." I smiled as the three aforementioned Pokémon came to me, looking winded.

Instantly, a pile of leftovers appeared before them. A plateful of food appeared on the table at my side, and we all dug in excitedly.

That was another one of my new perks. With the help of Fred— or was it George? It was hard to keep up sometimes— I was able to find the kitchens and cut a deal with the elves.

They would deliver us food so less time would be wasted. The task was on the 24th, and it was important I make use of every second available to me.

It was also for that reason I stopped going altogether to History of Magic, as well as Divination, Potions and Astronomy.

I still attended my Herbology, Charms, Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes, as the spells and general knowledge might prove to be useful to my efforts in the tournament.

Potion making was something I could study in my own time.

Hermione had stopped talking to me completely after I'd given her my reasons.

"Just because you have no end-of-term exams does not mean you can simply not go to classes!" She had said quite vehemently, as if I was committing mortal sin.

"Sorry, but reading tea leaves, listening to a ghost drone on about goblin rebellions, looking through a telescope and dealing with Snape aren't exactly options which will help me survive this year," was my reply to her.

She'd stormed off, and hadn't said a word since.

She probably thought I was going to beg for forgiveness, since she was the smart one and I would need her in my upcoming trials.

Granted, she was certainly smarter than I was, but there was more to being a great wizard than memorizing and regurgitating obscure trivia from books.

The Patronus Charm was direct proof of this. I had seen her attempt the spell, to no results whatsoever. She knew the theory behind it forwards and backwards, but she still failed. It was a source of great shame for her, as well as pride for myself.

Anyway, I was not going to reach out to her.

She'd abandoned me just like everyone else did.

If she came back, apologizing, I would consider accepting her back. But, that was it. If she didn't come back, then it was over and done.

Whether I wanted her back or not was irrelevant to me. I had to grow up and make people treat me with the same respect I would give them.

I took a bite of chicken as I cracked open the same book I'd been reading for the past few days. It was written by Salazar himself, but it was very strange. I had expected a list of curses or dark rituals, but there was nothing of the sort.

It covered the basics, of all things; spells I already knew, like the Reductor or Severing curses. Its reasoning for doing so was simple.

"A good wizard focuses on the basics and masters them. Only a fool would learn a thousand spells, none of which he is a master of. The Severing Charm 'Diffindo' is a powerful multipurpose tool in the hands of the expert. With enough practice, both the incantation and wand movement can be sacrificed with a negligible loss of overall power. The same can apply for many simple, overlooked spells."

The book went on to explain how to tweak the use of these spells to ensure maximum efficiency and power.

Salazar was a damned genius.

'Or maybe he had over a century to refine his ways…' Another part of me said.

I nodded, conceding the point.

Wait, who was I conceding the point to?

I shook my head, before taking another bite of chicken. I really was going crazy.

At least, it wasn't so bad. I gazed down at my newest partners and marveled at the speed with which they inhaled food. Over the last few days, they had become my new family. I could even feel the energy linking us together.

It was a little worrisome, how quickly I had grown fond of them, but Red was there to soothe my worries.

He had explained that all Pokémon did this with their Trainers as a test; a rite of passage. Pokémon were able to see into a person's soul, it was said. If they found you worthy, the bond was initiated.

Red had later said that Pokémon's ideas of worthiness had nothing to do with human morality. They did not care if countless others were massacred, as long as their personal bonds remained intact.

There was a shift in weight on my lap. I looked down to see Bulbasaur leaning into me and closing her eyes.

"Sleepy?" I smiled softly as she lay on my lap. I gently caressed her head, watching Squirtle and Charmander fight over scraps.

Red had advised me not to interfere in these events unless they crossed the line between establishing dominance and threatening each other's life.

After a few minutes of scuffling, Squirtle managed to land a solid headbutt on Charmander's chin, dazing him long enough for Squirtle to snatch the last piece and devour it.

I sighed in exasperation.

They always did this; the day before, Charmander had won that particular bout.

"You two are incorrigible." I scolded the two Pokémon who made their way to me. "Why can't you be like Bulbasaur here?"

Bulbasaur gave the cutest mix between a yawn and a cry at that moment. I rewarded her with a few more rubs.

Charmander huffed, snorting smoke off to the side while Squirtle kept giving him superior looks. I rubbed the bridge of my nose for a few seconds before focusing on Squirtle.

"Well, since you seem to have so much energy, Squirtle." I smiled evilly as the Pokémon felt a rush of dread. "You can use Water Gun on the basilisk until you're tired."

With a hint of dismay, Squirtle did as ordered and turned its attention to the long-dead basilisk, shooting pressurized streams of water at the giant snake. It did little damage. I counted back from thirty, before calling Squirtle back over.

"You did good, little guy." I patted his head, before turning to Charmander. "Your turn. Practice your Ember."

Eager to please, Charmander jumped in front of the basilisk and unloaded Ember after Ember on it. After another thirty count, I stopped him as well.

I poked Bulbasaur. She didn't move, causing me to roll my eyes.

She always did this after mealtime.

"Come on, I know you're not asleep." I chided, flicking her on her back leg. "Up you go!"

Bulbasaur cried in annoyance, before hopping off my lap and extending her two vines, whipping the basilisk for all she was worth.

Huh, I hadn't even told her which move to use.

Was this what Red meant by Pokémon instinctively understanding their trainers?

"That's enough, Bulbasaur. We're done for the day." I smiled as she stopped her brutal whipping of the basilisk and happily jumped back on my lap, trying to go back to sleep. "You did great, all of you. By the time our training ends, we'll be ready for the first task, whatever it is."

And so I went back to reading through Salazar's book, absently petting Bulbasaur and keeping an eye on Charmander and Squirtle, who had decided that a staring contest was a delightful idea.

Neither had blinked in the last minute, as far as I could tell.

Such endurance!

I went back to the book, starting on the newest section: the Blasting Curse.

"This particular spell is simple to achieve, and its results are devastating." Salazar had written. "It comes as no surprise that such a messy spell is Godric's work, but I will give credit where credit is due, no matter how arrogant that fool may be."

My lips quirked in slight amusement as he then ranted about Godric's blunders leading up to that point. Apparently Gryffindor had accidentally blown up Rowena's summer home and pinned it on Helga, which had led to a most interesting catfight between the two female Founders.

Eventually, however, Salazar began to explain how the spell is used.

"As expected of Godric's simple mindedness, there is no wand motion. Your intent must be precise when casting. An unrestrained explosion will almost certainly lead to your premature death, as well as that of your allies and enemies." I took that point to heart. "The incantation is Confringo."

"Confringo." I repeated to myself a few times, getting a feel for the word, and committing it to memory, before gently scooping up Bulbasaur and placing her on the comfy chair I had just been sitting in.

I walked towards the basilisk, noting the scorch and cutting marks left by my Pokémon's onslaught on its corpse. When he first encountered it, Red had seemed surprised I was capable of killing such a gigantic creature using only a sword, but the proof was right there in front of him.

When he attempted to scan it, he had said it gave interesting readings, even while dead.

"It reads as a Pokémon." Red had said. "I detected traces of Aura from it, or magic, as you would call it. Judging by the damage done to its eyes, I would think its power is ocular in nature."

"It can kill you if you look into its eyes." I had confirmed. "If you look through other mediums into its eyes, such as water, a mirror, or glass, you become petrified like a statue."

"So it focused most of its power into Disable, turning it into a lethal move?" Red had sounded surprised. "Anything else it's capable of?"

"Its venom is said to be the most corrosive there is." I added. "And its skin is capable of withstanding great punishment. Obviously."

I shook off these thoughts and focused back onto the spell I was about to attempt.

"Confringo." I muttered, re-reading the passage on the spell, before nodding to myself and pulling out my wand and pointing it at the far end of the basilisk.

No wand motion. Intent to make a controlled explosion. The incantation—

"Confringo!"

BOOM!

I stared in undisguised shock as the basilisk's tail flew into the wall; the large explosion's sudden momentum being too much for it to handle.

"So much for a controlled explosion." I breathed after a few moments of staring.

My companions stopped whatever they were doing to stare at the damage I had done. The basilisk's scales were heavily charred, and it looked as if the flesh was dented inwards. Granted, its hide was weakened post-mortem, but it was still strong enough to withstand most hits.

Still, this was a spell I would use sparingly. Its damage potential was massive.

"A remote use of the move Self-Destruct?" Even Red seemed awed by the damage of that particular strike. "That's generally an Electrode's move, or a Graveler come to think of it. They use it to inflict the maximum amount of damage on their foes, but they faint immediately afterwards."

"They don't die, you mean?" I questioned as my three Pokémon excitedly ran to me— I guessed that little show was to their liking.

"The move is a bit of a misnomer, really. The Pokémon looked like they exploded, but they don't die." Red explained. "After we had one of the professors, Professor Kukui in Alola, study the move thoroughly, we gained a deeper understanding of the move's mechanics. The outward explosion does not actually touch the Pokémon at its center, but it does use up all of their stamina in one go, causing them to faint."

I nodded, trying to make sense of it.

"Readings show the damage isn't quite up to par with a true Self-Destruct, but you might be able to increase the flow of your magic to generate a larger explosion." Red focused back on the matter at hand.

"That's exactly what the book said." I agreed, trying to focus on my power. "I can probably manage a few more of these explosions before tiring out."

"Interesting." Red said as I went back to my chair, placing the book on the now empty table— house elves sure worked fast. "Perhaps you should devise some physical conditioning for yourself. It should theoretically increase your energy levels."

"It's something worth trying. I'll also have to get better control over this spell." I replied, adopting a thoughtful look. "For now, I should probably try to figure out what the First Task will be. The briefing on the task was vague at best. It was some spiel about facing the unknown. I don't quite agree with that sort of thinking— I'd rather know what I'm up against so I can adequately prepare for it."

"Especially considering you didn't want to be in it, in the first place." Red mused, scratching his stubble free chin in the Pokédex's display. "We might be going about this the wrong way. Scanning the relevant history books on the matter showed that it could be anything from capturing a cockatrice to battling a swarm of dementors."

He sounded intrigued by the creatures he mentioned— I suppose it made sense. The reason he had volunteered to have his consciousness copied to the Pokédex was because completing the Pokédex was one of his passions— alongside battling.

He reminded me of Hagrid, in a way.

Wait a second.

"Maybe Hagrid knows." I blurted out.

"Professor Hagrid is the groundskeeper, yes?" Red nodded thoughtfully. "It would make sense. The event is sure to draw in the masses— our League championships were the most popular shows broadcasted. Events like these need a lot of preparation, so he'll likely be asked to cooperate, since he is the keeper."

I grinned, feeling elated for a moment, before taking a breath and composing myself. I returned my three Pokémon to their balls to let them rest, before making my way back to the entrance, and up the staircase leading to the top.

Stairs: that was another thing I'd never considered before, though it was understandable at the time. Ginny had been in mortal danger and there was no time to think. I'd jumped down a similar dark hole the year before that, so it seemed par for the course at the time.

A quick check of the Map showed Hagrid alone in his home. With a slight smile grazing my features, I put it away and took the familiar route. I passed by Ron and Hermione in one of the halls, and lost my smile, instead schooling my expression into one of absolute cold.

Hermione had stopped to look at me in an attempt to get my attention, but I kept my gaze firmly ahead, moving past her like she wasn't even there.

I lost myself in the thoughts of broken friendships, only barely noticing the chill in the air as I exited the castle proper and made my way towards Hagrid's hut. I covered up halfway through the trek, the cold finally getting a bit too much to handle.

The sight of smoke coming out of the familiar hut was almost soothing, in a sense. I'd always enjoyed seeing Hagrid in my first few years. Why had I reduced my visits?

The door opened, revealing Hagrid who looked a bit frazzled.

Speak of the devil.

"Harry!" He called out after noticing me. "Didn' think I'd be seein' yeh anytime soon. Come on then, I've got a fire goin'."

"Thanks, Hagrid." I smiled at the older man, before entering his home. Fang greeted me with a whine, the cowardly thing. I petted him a few times before taking a seat, watching Hagrid scramble for his kettle.

"Didn' expect to have any visitors." Hagrid apologized. "Tea might take a while."

"It's all right, Hagrid. I've got time." I assured him, and got comfortable in my chair. "I'm having a small break, and figured this would be the only place I'm welcome."

Hagrid stopped his fumbling and turned to look at me for a second, before going back to his tea.

"Yer always welcome here, Harry. Never any doubt in my mind 'bout that." Hagrid said, pouring water into the kettle and taking a seat while waiting for it to boil. "Even if yeh hadn't helped me two years ago, yeh'd still be welcome here."

A genuine smile came over my face, and I looked down. "Thanks for not asking if I was telling the truth about the tournament."

"Only a fool would doubt yeh, Harry." Hagrid said resolutely. "I've watched yeh grow up from the scared lad in that hut on the rock, to yeh now. You'll be a great man, sumday."

I wiped the moistness away from my eyes.

"If I ever make it to adulthood, you mean." I tried to joke, but sighed at the end. "I've been learning loads over the last week. I've started learning the Blasting Curse, I've mastered the Cutting Curse and can even use the Summoning Charm, since they may be useful— I don't really know what the task is going to be, but with any luck I'll be ready for it."

"Actually, Harry." Hagrid interrupted. "I was about to tell ye, about the task, I mean. I was goin' to tell Ron to show yeh."

"Show me what?" I asked, before shaking my head. "Ron— and Hermione, for that matter— aren't on speaking terms with me. Ron didn't believe me when I didn't put my name in, and Hermione's upset with me not attending class and focusing on the task instead."

Hagrid's face soured at the reveal.

"Aye, that lad still has a ways to go." Hagrid muttered, annoyed on my behalf. "From a big family, he is. I've seen folks like 'im in the past, here. They want ter stand out. Give 'im a few years, and he'll right himself."

I don't have a few years, I have a bit over two weeks; that's what I wanted to tell him, but it wouldn't help the current conversation. I nodded, instead.

"Hermione, well…"

"She can't stop herself." I offered in a mixture of fondness and exasperation.

"That's our Hermione." Hagrid smiled and patted my shoulder reassuringly. "She'll come 'round, just you wait."

"I hope so. I really do, Hagrid." I said, honestly. "I've been virtually alone for the last week. Well, not really alone."

"Oh?" Hagrid got back up to check on the kettle.

'Should I tell him?' I thought to myself, considering the pros and cons of it. 'It's going to come out, eventually, and Hagrid is the only one who's shown me true loyalty, so far. Besides, this is the sort of thing he loves, anyway.'

"Yes." I said, pulling out Bulbasaur's ball and holding it out for him to see. He stopped fiddling with the kettle and curiously examined the ball.

"Pretty thing, that." Hagrid said as he poured us both some tea. "Where'd yeh find it?"

"In the Chamber of Secrets." I admitted, and continued before he could say anything more. "I needed to be alone for a while, Hagrid. The way they were looking at me…"

"Aye." He replied softly, surprisingly. "I understand tha'."

I grimaced, not wanting to remind him of how he'd been treated when the Chamber was opened both recently and fifty years ago.

"More importantly, I found this, and two others." I explained, showing him the two other balls clipped onto my belt.

"What's it do?"

"It'd be easier if I showed you." I placed the ball by my side in the huge chair and pressed the release button. There was the telltale flash of light, and Bulbasaur was there, disoriented. A few reassuring pats later, and she was curiously padding along the floor of the hut, making her way to an amazed Hagrid.

"Never seen anything quite like her, huh?" I smiled as she extended a vine to shake the man's hand, chirping cutely when he shook it. "She's a Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur, this is my friend, Hagrid."

"Where'd ye find— in the Chamber?" Hagrid was mesmerized by her. I grabbed my cup of tea, considering his question.

"Yes. As far as I was able to tell from his writings, Slytherin found the three balls on top of Mount Everest— apparently it went by the name of Chomolungma, in ancient times. They were sealed in a box which judged a wizard by his worthiness. It judged him unworthy." I took a sip, before wincing.

Needs more sugar.

"Judged yeh worthy, then?" Hagrid beamed as Bulbasaur sat on his lap, enjoying his petting. His own tea lay forgotten on the table. "I told yeh that yeh had the makings of greatness, Harry."

I smiled, happy to receive praise from a good friend.

The smile came off when he started telling me about my first task.

"I'm sorry." I choked on my latest sip. "Did you say 'dragons'?"

Well, I was pretty much dead.