unown; protectors
Successors are, just like their Patrons, mortal. Dreadfully mortal–there is no such thing as a true immortal, no matter how powerful an individual may be. For even Arceus has a Successor. The balance of life itself relies on death, a cosmic truth that cannot be argued against.
But when the delicate nature of the universe relies on those who take its weight upon their shoulders, there should surely be someone who serves to protect those who keep everything running as smoothly as possible.
Unown.
In and of themselves, Unown function as servants to Arceus and the other Legendaries. Carrying out tasks for them, working for them, much like worker bees serving a queen bee. Whatever a Legendary may want done outside of their own duties, Unown attend to for them.
In the case of Successors, Patrons want their direct underlings kept safe.
As soon as a Successor survives their transition into a [???] Type variation of their legendary, each unique drove of Unown will seek someone out to take in and then be assigned to that Successor. The people the Unown seek out are those who are naturally powerful, and not just in terms of being skilled trainers. But also as combatants themselves, those who can hold their own in fights.
More often than not, they select people that have already had combat training or have been in the thick of some real shit. Each one is carefully analyzed to ensure there is no chance of that individual turning against their assigned Successor, and then they are asked whether or not they’re willing to do it. Nobody is forced into being a Protector–that’d just be a recipe for disaster.
Those who do don’t undergo too drastic of a change, not outright. A good boost in power, some minor abilities to enhance their prowess in combat. What one would expect of someone who’s meant to serve and protect a deity.
However, their lives are also bound to their Successor. As long as their Successor lives, they live. The Successor dies, they die. However, this isn’t true the other way around–Protectors can fall in combat or otherwise without impacting the Successor they served what so ever (well, outside of emotionally, probably). When it comes to keeping their Successor safe, one should keep in mind that a Protector will typically stop at nothing to defend them.
While Protectors can be killed, its a real pain in the ass to do so without going into a fight knowing what you’re about to square off against. Bullets alone won’t do it. All in all, I wouldn’t recommend fighting a Protector unless you just really want to have a go at a Successor.
Protectors aren’t very easily replaced, all things considered with whatever parameters Unown decide to lay out in choosing them. But they can be, and are, should one end up dying.
The Alpha Successor is assigned three Protectors. Omega Successors get two. Everyone else has one.