Successors of the Swords (Swords of Justice Headcanon)
[C](This was something me and my friend summoner-robin had worked together to come up with back when I was playing Blaze Black 2 just because it sounded fun, and it gave us inspiration to make Pokémon OCs.)
After Keldeo had finally learned to properly wield, and master, the latent power of their Secret Sword, it seemed like their training had mostly been finished, now that they have been recognized as a Sword of Justice by their mentors, Cobalion, Virizion, and Terrakion. Keldeo would go on to use this new power to assist the three swords in keeping the peace in Unova, protecting innocent Pokémon from aggressive and invasive species, and leading them to safety from natural disasters.
However as time passed, each of the formers would somewhat begin to miss the days when they were just helping Keldeo grow from weak and reckless to strong and with great resolve.
The Swords would then convene at their usual gathering place, where Cobalion would bring forth the idea that each Sword would raise their own apprentice. It sounded like an interesting prospect to all the rest, as their heroic efforts garnered them a proud reputation among the local Pokémon, who admired their bravery and steadfast approach to all manner of dangerous situations. Some of those Pokémon have even expressed desires to learn from these heroes so they too can better protect themselves, their families, friends, and their territories.
It was decided then that each Sword would go to visit the locals in their downtime to seek out any willing potential successors, under the key condition that they should be of one type the same as the master. Training a Pokémon of the same type as oneself would ensure they would be able to learn from the best parts of the master's natural abilities. Eventually, each would regroup, bringing along a young Pokémon that suited their range of expertise, ones that they could be certain would grow into the finest protectors of their kind.
Training under Cobalion is a Riolu named Spencer. He and his family have known of the Swords since generations ago, when they saved his great grandfather from a rock slide that nearly fatally wounded him. Out of all the Swords, Spencer had the most respect for Cobalion, who carried his ancestor to safety, and admired their sacred sense of duty. Wishing to protect his kin from future disasters, he accepted Cobalion's invitation with child-like glee. The two would make a perfect combination, as Riolu's evolution is the exact same dual-type as Cobalion, Fighting/Steel. Cobalion would teach Spencer about focus and knowing when and when not to act in a desperate situation.
In Virizion's care, a Deerling who was crowned the name Marigold, she got her name when she was born during the fall season, and so her first fur coat was the autumn variant. Virizion once rescued Marigold when she strayed too far from home, and found herself surrounded by a vicious pack of Houndour led by a Houndoom. Despite being partially Grass type, Virizion showed no fear in dealing with the fire-fanged aggressors. Personally indebted to Virizion for saving the fawn's life, Marigold wanted to learn all she could from Virizion, not in the way of fighting, but to provide comfort and a safe way out of crisis for the scared and helpless among her. As such, Virizion would teach Marigold how to better understand her surroundings and find vantage points to either escape from danger, or slow down attackers. Marigold would also learn from Virizion's example to remain calm and show bravery against all odds.
Conrad is an interesting little guy. For how small and meek he may appear to be, he doesn't fear anything no matter how big or mean-faced it is, and that's exactly what sold Terrakion on welcoming him aboard. Conrad doesn't have any history with the Swords, but he is known by his peer group of other Dwebble to be pretty stubborn and reckless, often throwing himself at anything he can just to try and prove he's the big man in a child's body, and so never fails to amuse Terrakion, always getting a hearty chuckle out of the brute. Terrakion's favorite nickname for Conrad is 'Connor' because they know it makes him mad, because he thinks 'Connor' makes Conrad sound weak. At times, it seems like Terrakion and Conrad are playing more than training, but Terrakion truly believes that Conrad can grow up to be big and strong like the big bull that can destroy a castle wall. Seen together, one would think they look like a father and son match made in heaven.
Though the former three Swords have easily managed to find themselves an apprentice that fits them perfectly, Keldeo would be the last to find themselves a partner to take under their wing. They've struggled to struck a chord with any water-types along the riverbanks and lakes given that Keldeo hasn't had much time as a Sword to build themselves notoriety within the region. Though eventually Keldeo would find themselves a successor through the help of the other Swords, who scoped out a secret admirer in an Azurill named Marin. He never appeared to them first because he felt he wasn't worthy of their time, but was more than eager to join their cause when the Swords finally met Marin and gave him the opportunity. At first, Keldeo was a bit put off by the Azurill as a candidate, as he didn't seem at all like the type who enjoyed fighting as much as he just enjoyed being in the company of some legendary Pokémon. However Keldeo would not have much room to argue, so they reluctantly accepted their new compadre. Despite the awkward initial phase, Keldeo would end up growing to love the little water ball of energy, Marin reminded Keldeo of themselves from before they became a Sword, wishing to become brave and powerful and mature like Cobalion, Virizion and Terrakion. An unbreakable friendship blossomed between the two, and Keldeo hoped to teach Marin everything that the Swords of Justice ever taught them.