this section is a WIP and some segments are incomplete!

I.

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TWs: injury / death & near death experiences / mentions of pregnancy and childbirth.

After the assassination of her fiancee, Arissa of Tassil fled her homeland; she was in the early stages of a pregnancy which had been a secret to all but her beloved. Were this child born into this political turmoil, his life would surely be in jeopardy. In order to protect him she traveled to Basme, the homeland of her mother. This land is known in modern times as "Kalos."

While in Basme, Arissa met a widowed blacksmith named Sairo, who had 2 sons of his own. Sairo thought he'd never remarry after the death of his first wife, but his heart soared the moment he laid eyes upon Arissa. Mindful of the fact that she was grieving her own loss, Sairo remained as a close friend to her for some years and even helped to raise her son, whom she named Azzeddine, after she gave birth. 2 years after the birth of her child, Sairo proposed to her in a rather unique way; in addition to the more traditional jewelry, he gave to her a flower-fairy Pokemon holding a blossom from her homeland; this was a symbol of his total love and acceptance of her. About a year after the ceremony, Arissa and Sairo had their first-and-only child together: a son who was given the name Xanthos.

This child would go on to become adventurous and noisy. Due to their age difference Xanthos was not particularly close to his two older half-brothers, who were already young teens by the time Xanthos himself entered the world. But Arissa's other son was only three years older than himself, and so the two spent much of their time together alongside the Flabebe that Sairo had gifted to their mother.

Even at a young age, Azzeddine was gifted with intelligence and a knack for invention. Though he was too young to work in his stepfather's blacksmithery, he was often within the studio to watch Sairo and his fellow smiths work. Sairo's main clients were those who wanted weapon and armor created for their Goletts and Golurks, which caused Azzeddine to form an interest in these Pokemon. While it typically took years of an apprenticeship to be capable of creating a Golett, Azzeddine mananged to make one simply after observing the process. This golett, which Arissa named Sisamnes, was gifted to Xanthos. This would be his first Pokemon. Azzeddine created one for himself soon after.

Xanthos at the time was constantly awe-struck at his brother's intellect... but even at a young age, a pang of jealousy formed within him. Seeing the praise his older brother recieved made him want much the same, but he was not skilled in the same way Azzeddine was skilled, and whenever he attempted to work with clay, or metals, or similar tools, it would never go the way he wanted. His own sense of failure only made his jealously grow worse.

When Xanthos was about 11 and his brother 14, the pair came across some strange ruins on the outskirts of their home village. The odd appearance of the small artifacts they found inside were unlike anything they'd ever seen before, and must have belonged to a culture long before their own.

Ignoring the dangers the ruins presented, both Xanthos and Azzeddine returned to them time and time again, fascinated by the mysteries they presented, and what the strange runes engraved on the walls had allowed them to do. A day comes where Xanthos decided to explore deeper into this cave, despite the cave becoming increasingly unstable the more it was transversed.
As they traveled deeper in, Azzeddine began to feel uneasy... but Xanthos ignored his brother's concerns. A slight tremor led to a rockslide, and Xanthos surely would have been crushed if Azzeddine had not pushed him out of the way. Unfortunately, Azzeddine himself could not escape unscathed; one of his legs became pinned beneath the rubble.

Desperate, Xanthos tried to free him... but he could not. He wasn't strong enough to do anything on his own, and Azzeddine's reasurrances only made him feel worse. Panicked and helplessness, Xanthos ran from the cave in order to find help, leaving Flabebe with Aza. Eventually, he found his older half-brothers...

The pair were able to rescue the injured Aza, and the younger two were carried home...
Though Azzeddine was alive, the event still left a heavy mark upon Xanthos' mind, only made worse by his mother's panicked sadness once the siblings returned home. Xanthos was plagued by the sense that none of it would have happened if he had only listened. That brother's injury was all his fault.

In time Azzeddine recovered, though his leg would never fully heal. Out of a fear of hurting him again, Xanthos took on a contraditory role. Emotionally, he would distance himself from his brother. Physically, he would cling to him for dear life, taking on the role of protector. He would do anything if it meant keeping Aza safe... even if that meant, at times, controlling his actions. For Xanthos, it was the only way he could stay close to his brother after committing such a grevious sin. And though Azzeddine assured him time and time again that he was not at fault for what happened... it seemed Xanthos could not bring himself to believe these words.

(All the while... while Xanthos and Aza grew distance, Aza and Flabebe grew closer. Xanthos became jealous of his relationship with her, all while refusing to see his own role in his distance from them both.)

II.

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As the two brothers grew into their teens, Xanthos continued to place himself in the role of "protector." Though more and more he existed outside of his own, establishing himself as a member of Basme's community, he would willingly and gladly drop everything for Azzeddine, and placed much of his own self worth on his ability to be of use to him. At the time, Azzeddine didn't have any issue with it. Due to his status as an "outsider," he enjoyed having someone be so desperate for his company.
Despite this... Aza still seemed to have a closer relationship with Flabebe than he did Xan. Years ago when Aza was still recovering from his injury, she remained by his side and since then had become a comfort for him. He felt comfortable telling her his every secret, and treated her with adoration.

When Xanthos noticed this, his jealously only deepened. To think his brother would prefer the company of a Pokemon! His jealousy, combined with a desire to fit in with his peers, led to Xanthos rejecting Flabebe as a family member. He could not bring himself to be cruel towards her, but he would no longer be affectionate with her in the way he had been in the past. Flabebe saw this, and it saddened her... but she was unable to express this to him in a way he would listen to.

As they grew older, Azzeddine began to tire of Xan's clinginess and overprotective nature.

When Xanthos was about 17, war came to Kalos; being a nation with little power, the king of Galar saw oppurtunity in attempting to claim the land for his own.

Xanthos should have been happy to learn of Azzeddine's victory... but he was not.
If Aza was intelligent, and powerful, and capable on his own... what purpose did Xanthos himself have? If he was unneeded by his brother, was his very existence pointless? This question plagued him...
Despeate, Xanthos came to a conclusion; he would remain in his brother's service by any means possible.

III.

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Some months after the end of the war, Azzeddine was declared king. He would be the first true ruler of the land; a massive task, but one he did not back away from. Xanthos in turn became a general of Kalos' army. While they were now in peace times, Xanthos ensured they were well-trained for any possible future threats.

Despite his high position... Xanthos could not help himself from intruding upon his brother's work.

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IV. All Things Fall Apart

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TWs: war / suicide attempt / drowning / general death and destruction

When he learned of Floette's death, Xanthos was devastated. In private, he cried until his tears would no longer flow. His mother had passed, and he was unable to attend her funeral; he did not even know where she had been buried. And now, all that remained of her was gone as well. Despite, Xanthos decided to press on; the war was certainly nearing it's end, and Xanthos would come out as it's victor. He had come this far already— he could not give up, and he would not allow his personal feelings to cloud his judgement.
"You must be blaming me for her death, brother. You must be envisioning me as a monster with blood-stained hands. You, who were always so careful, so mindful with her... you would not have sent her out into such violence. Was she stolen from you, I wonder?

As war continued to rage, a grief-stricken Nazhir began to work on the construction of a machine. He worked day and night without ceasing, until his hands and body were both withered. He constructed this machine in an area flush with life, but had otherwise been mostlky untouched by the war. Drawing energy from all within the earth, it's creatures, it's plants, it's life, he would resurrect his dear friend.
His reckless plan succeeded— though she was unconscious at first, Floette breathed. But Nazhir was still angry. The world had taken so much from him, and he would not be satisfied unless he punished it in turn. And so, his machine was used a second time... not to create life, but to destroy it.
Halfway across Kalos, where the majority of the war was being fought, a strange light shone down. And then... there was nothingness. The impact of the weapon was so great it tore apart the earth itself, sending tsunamis to destroy what remained.

It was only after this destruction that Floette came to.
The fact that greated her was not one she recognized, have become pale and sunken from his ceaseless work— it frightened her. And when she saw the destruction that surrounded her, she was frightened even more. She understood her own death, and more than that, understood what her brother must have done to reverse it. Disgusted and heartbroken, she left him.
Desperate, Nazhir shambled in the direction she flew in. He walked aimlessly, without cease, until he came Kalos' coastline. Xanthos too had followed a strange speck of blue, unsure of what to do. While his brother looked out over the sea while clutching a strange key, Xanthos stood in shock.
When Nazhir noticed his brother, he laughed an empty, hallow laugh. "Xanthos," he began, "She's... she's gone. I could not imagine being in this world without her. I refused. I worked to do the impossible. I returned her to the living. And yet... and yet!!"
Xanthos, unable or unwilling to comfort his brother, said nothing.

Nazhir continued. "You wished to rule this land, did you not? Then— it is yours. I bequeath Kalos— and it's reconstruction— to you." With those final words, Nazhir walked into the sea, and allowed the waves to take him. And thus, the war was ended.

IV. Reconstruction

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In time, Xanthos discovered the machine his brother had created, as well as the destruction that surrounded it.
Having no time to rest, he began to work to seal the weapon in the hopes it would not be used again. Alone, Xanthos dug around the machine. Alone, he buried it deep into the earth. He noted the strange keyole the machine held, no doubt in connection to the key Nazhir was holding when Xanthos saw him. He took this precaution all the same... if he could avoid it, he never wished to see such cataclysm again.

Xanthos was now King of Kalos. But he was king of a Kalos that had been utterly ravaged by war. The level of reconstruction needed was too much for king to handle alone, but he refused to back down. He had to work. He refused to pause for even a moment. Despite how his body was sore, despite how some days he felt liable to collapse, he continued.

Kalos' major city was rebuilt first, though it was smaller than it used to be. Xanthos married a Paldean woman, and became a father of three.

Xanthos began to notice some strange changes in his body. No matter how warm it was outside, he constantly shivered with chills. His hair began to turn white, despite the fact that he was still fairly young. And while it was not noticable at first, it seemed that every year, he grew slightly taller. And while those around him grew older... Xanthos, outside of a few wrinkles here and there, remained the same.

He realized that he had done all he could manage on his own. But Kalos was still nowhere near being the flourishing land it had been in the past. Xanthos could not tolerate it. He was stagnating, and that stagnation had affected Kalos' ability to grow as well. There was only so much he could do while remaining in Kalos... and thus, Xanthos passed his crown onto his eldest son, and began to travel.

IV. Halfway Across the World

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He didn't know how Nazhir was still alive. He didn't care. All the anger he'd held onto for years came bubbling to the surface. With tears running down his face, Xanthos slapped his brother. This soon became an all-out brawl between them, though Xanthos' sobbing did not stop for even a moment. How long had he worked to undo the mistakes his brother had made, all while his brother was off-somewhere, living another life? Did Nazhir even know of the ways he'd suffered— did he even care?
("Do you think you're the only one who has suffered?" his brother scoffed. "You don't even give a second thought to the pain you've caused! )

Nothing changed. Such a fight made neither of them feel any better about all that had transpired. But the world continued, and the brothers again went their seperate ways.

When they eventually grew tired of fighting... the two sat down with one another and talked.
Xanthos felt that it would be the last time they ever saw one another. And yet...

IV.

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In Kalos, the Ultimate Weapon had been unearthed. The person who attempted to use it destroyed this machine in the same breath, and had been left unconscnious. The only people to know of the machine were that of Xanthos' lineage. And the only person who held the key that enabled the machine's use... was his brother.

Outraged, upset, and sickened, Xanthos immedietly rushed to his homeland. He wasn't sure what he intended to do, only that he refused to sit idle and accept what he'd learned. The fact that someone of his bloodline was wiling to inflict that level of devastation onto the world brought back the feelings of failure he initially felt over 3000 years ago...

this section is a WIP and some segments are incomplete!

AZ

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Floette

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Lysandre

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Lucerne

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Trivia

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• Xanthos' full name is Xanthos Adamantios Smaïn Xerxes Salaün. He is Breton French, Macedonian Greek, and Algerian (more specifically Afro-Amazigh). He is also distantly Lydian (Turkish) and Lebanese
• Xanthos is descended from the Lydian king Tantalus through his father's side of the family.
• Xanthos is shockingly terrible at map reading and is prone to getting lost when traveling on his own. He also seems to lack a sense of spacial awareness and has a bad tendency of bumping into objects overhead. He gets embarassed if anyone points this out to him.
• Despite having struggled with metal smithing and similar crafts, Xanthos is very skilled when it comes to textiles. Though he will claim he only learned it because of necessity, it is obvious that he has a lot of fun sewing and weaving.
• The dilipidated house on route 14 actually belongs to Xanthos. It is rundown only because of his infrequent visits... due to his mysterious nature and sudden disappearances and reappearances, a legend of ghosts has begun to surround it, exacerbated by vagrants who break into his home in order to tell stories to impressionable teens. Xanthos, unfortunately, keeps forgetting to change the locks.
• Though the weapon was inactive at the time, it still radiated with Infinite Energy from its previous use. As Xanthos worked to bury the weapon, he absorbed this energy; this is the cause of his immortality. Due to the specific way in which this energy was absorbed into his body, he has some lingering health issues. Most notably, he is prone to sickness, chronic migraines, and the occassional fainting spell.
• Despite otherwise making an active effort to care for himself and his body, Xanthos doesn't sleep nearly as much as he should.
• The jewelry Xanthos wears is very ancient, and once belonged to his mother.
• Xanthos is deathly afraid of bug-type pokemon, and has been his whole life. He's deeply embarassed of his fear and tries his best to hide it... though it's a near impossible task with the types of reactions he tends to have.
• Whenever Xanthos gets embarassed about his own ignorance on a matter, he tends to overcompensate... somehow, this has led to him becoming quite an avid reader of old yuri manga. He loves adding to his collection whenever he is able to.
• Xanthos has an accent that is an amalgation of the many different places he has lived over the years. as such, it cannot ne ascribed to any specific culture or region.

Design Notes

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• Due to the effects of the Ultimate Weapon, Xanthos stands at about 9ft (2.7m) tall.
• His beard isn't actually a beard at all. Rather, it is hair that he's braided under his chin to mimic the appearance of facial hair. He enjoys the versatility this provides.
• He has a surprisingly cute fashion sense, and often incorporates accessories; it is clear that he makes an effort to keep up with modern trends.
• He also prefers skirts to pants, as he finds them to be more comfortable to move around in with the length of his legs.
• Being a former-warrior, his body was physically strong in the past. He still has some slight muscule definition, but he's softened up over time.
• He is rather androgynous and has some mannerisms that could be considered feminine.
• Xanthos has three facial moles: one on his forehead above his left eye, one on his chin, and another on his right cheek.
• The scar on Xan's cheek is from being slashed at with a sword, and has a "clean" appearance due to it (...if I remember to draw it that way, at least.)
• Xanthos has a flat, wide nose and larger lips. These are the only traits he inherited from his mother. (Any art by me that doesn't depict him with these features is outdated...)
• Xanthos has rather "dramatic" body language. He makes wide gestures and always takes up space. This combined with his firm yet eloquent way of speaking gives him a precense that demands attention.