Though in my mind the gender of the main character is female (basically Dawn) I haven't specified so feel free to implement yourselves into the story as you see fit.
The building was on fire again but not, for once, by my doings. The severe drought, to be ironic, in water Pokémon made hosting a full scale contest like this risky but at even the slightest hint of postponing the most anticipated event of the region caused record protests from all but the most hardened of Pokémon rights activists. Vaporeon had been called in all the way from Hoenn and were well needed, for this time the blaze had engulfed a significant portion of the Kari stadium. Of course the audience, in true Unovan fashion, had simply moved to the nearby Ochi stadium so no real threat was posed.
While generally you're supposed to watch the other performances after your act the transitions had taken longer, not helped by a poorly aimed Flame Burst, so a unanimous decision had been reached to just go home and rest for the night. 'Well done Jäeger, I can see all that practice has really paid off.' I took a step back as my Volcarona gave a celebratory flash of embers, beautifully illuminating the nearby pond in the shades of the sunset. He was, naturally, happy with the fact that he had finally mastered Heat Wave, a flaw we had found during practice a few weeks ago that nearly resulted in the loss of my eyebrows save for Airalin's quickly summoned Safeguard. 'And you, Taiyaki, your Flash Cannon would send any ice type running for the hills.' The Lucario gave a wobbly smile, accompanied by a muttered 'Thank you, master (Don't call me that).' While her bitter rival, Airalin, turned away in disapproval Taiyaki gave an audible raspberry. 'And Airalin, well, with a Moonblast like that hills wouldn't be enough.' This time it was Taiyaki's turn to look away from the Gardevoirs smug face but the certainty that we would enter the Semifinals was enough to shroud everything in a lighter shade. Even Sherrin, my Absol, was coming out of her usually solem atmosphere, flitting from shadow to shadow like a Haunter, revelling in the moonlight. Haitono looked fit to burst as he whirled around, attempting to simultaneously wrap himself around my legs and chase after Koi, who was climbing around on Shishimei. Upon closer inspection he appeared to be making a sort of game out finding the more viscous parts of the slime that coated the Goodra's body and making miniature artworks from them with a speed that rivalled a Pokémon's. 'Y'know, mabye letting Koi come tonight wasn't such a bad idea after all, even if he did try to paint Haitono.' I gave a laugh at the memory; the poor Buizel had come running with his face coated in a whole plethora of colours and a crudely drawn lightning bolt down his sides and tail, hotly persued by Koi with a paint brush taken from the face-paint table. Of course, the two were immediately best friends again afterwards, being so similar in their heavily childish nature despite the fact that both are at least sixteen. I looked fondly upon everyone's joyful faces and found myself in need of a suitable reward for them all, glancing at a procession of people who were leaving the stadium behind us and wondering if I could perhaps arrange for a visit to a Poffin-house? The contest wasn't over, we might be able to make it before a queue forms, perhaps... If the contest hasn't finished then why are there so many people that- I was shaken out of my thought process by a very stressed looking Airalin. 'Hello?! We might want to hurry up a little, Slowpoké!' I blinked, the people hadn't been leaving the stadium, there were too many of them for that to be... I picked up my pace considerably and called for Koi to take Sherrin, Jäeger and Haitono and go home. Those people weren't contestants. I'd forgotten that today they would be having a "peaceful protest" or, as some of the locals had began to nickname them "Helix Hates." (I've never been very good at discerning the meaning behind expressions but after asking around I found that it is crude pun on a children's game in Unova-"Slowpoké says") A procession of Helix glorification priests endlessly declaring the Helix's abbhorations and how despicable it is to commit such an act et cetera and all other nonsense that sometimes I am convinced they make up on the spot. I considered for a moment returning everyone to their Pokéballs but I feared having them stolen from me in the throng so it was with a nervous glance at Taiyaki, who didn't handle crowds very well, that we were swallowed up into the mass of seething bodies, swept forwards without relent.
As the silent march reached a close I came across a small clearing and pushed forward into a less menacing looking crowd of those who had came to watch the grim spectacle but were sucked in with the tide and now, like us, were trapped in the "eye of the storm." Rather a accurate term for the broiling masses of whirling black robes, excessive trinkets and angry faces that rang out fanaticism. A faint prayer could be heard flitting through the nearby stream, more reminiscent to the chants of a demonic ritual than something worthy of a (supposed) god's ears. Unable to leave I watched in disgust as a peculiarly orange man with a terrible wig stepped forwards with a megaphone and began to rant about chess, leavened bread and other nonsensical prohibitions. A short while later, by this point the crowd of unwilling participants had grown to a considerable amount, my attention was attracted by a scuffle near where we were and I turned in horror to se a man and his Blaziken pushed into the centre of the grim process. Forced to the floor by some stony faced grunts they lay in front of the orange man, who immediately proceeded to ridicule them. By this point I had had enough, maybe it was the way the trickle of blood that ran down the forehead of the poor man mixed with his tears that drove me over the edge, but whatever it was I did something very, very idiotic: I stepped into the circle. Striding up to The Wig I informed him of my wish for him (in words slightly more colourful) to go away and leave the man and Blaiziken alone whilst adding, with appropriate gestures, that he was a semi-sentient pile of cow manure.
Immediately The wig turned upon me, screaming 'do not be having relations with your Pokémon for this is a sin! Do not defend or aid those who have sinned! You are a sinner, filth in the eyes of the Helix! For Pokémon are but tools for human advancemen-' I threw the megaphone away and glared at horrible man. 'And this is why your so-called God cannot be so.' The Wig's eyes bulged 'For that is not good, that is not loving. You say that God is all loving and forgiving yet your bible, your proclamations are of hatred, Poképhobia and even Homophobia! Do you think people choose to be as they are or choose to be what gender they are? That's like saying someone chooses the colour of their skin; completely ludicrous!' I took advantage of the temporary stun upon The Wig and glanced around to see that Airalin and Shishime were almost clear of the crowd, defending the poor man and his Blaiziken. 'Although quite frankly I feel respect for those who do choose who they are or want to be, because the amount of confidence that requires to admit to because of people like you is beyond me.' I sighed, tired out from my own rant. 'it's easy to hate something different.' I stepped back as the small man visibly swelled from anger and fumbled at his belt. 'Well, let's see if all this love nonsense can defeat proper hard training then shall we!' There was a triumphant look in his eye that somehow alarmed me more than anything else that I had seen in this dark day as he pulled three Pokéballs to counter my singular Pokémon; Taiyaki.
I turned to Taiyaki as The Wig sent out a Granbull, Mismagius and Infernape, 'I'm sorry for forcing you to fight like this but we have to teach this horrible man that true love knows no boundrys, that no-one should live in fear of retribution from those radicalised by the Helix. Please, teach them,' I gestured towards the increasingly large crowd. 'That Arceus cares for them. If not for me then fo- Taiyaki pushed past me, her red eyes now infused with a fiery blue that seemed to cast a different person entirely upon the Lucario's body, 'Master, it is always for you.' I didn't even have time to respond before she leapt forewards towards the waiting trio, a blinding white forming from her palms, blasting across my vision and into the torso of the Granbull, which fell to its knees. Taiyaki's Flash Cannon not only functional for contests. Rolling under a Hypnosis attack from the Mismagius she finished off the Granbull with a Drain Punch and using the recovered energy to regenerate the blackened skin from a head on Shadow Ball that the Musmagius had landed she charged on, narrowly avoiding the wraith of flames that was the Infernape and dived forwards - through the Mismagius! She landed looking disgusted behind the Pokémon, which began to shake, with a black mist forming from its mouth. She had used a Dark Pulse inside the Mismagius, taking advantage of its immunity to her contact. Rising from the defeated Mismagius she turned to the Infernape, which flickered out of view. A Mach Punch! 'Taiyaki! Look out!' My shouted warning was too late and she turned into the attack with a cringe-inducing crunch, falling backwards with a triumphant shout from The Wig, who ordered the Infernape to use a Fire Blast to "Finish this sinful creature." I knew that Fire Blast took a precious few moments to summon and desperately groped for Taiyaki's Pokéball, hoping to pull her out. I had to hurry before The Wig, who had clearly become so infused with whatever source he drew his endless rage from that he had effectively ordered her death, managed to claim his sinister harvest but something was amiss. The broiling flames forming from the Infernape that had began to radiate sweltering heat that could be felt even through the November chill had stopped as though restrained by something. A strange purple mist emancipating itself from the now shrinking ball of fire. The Infernape had shut its eyes now, whimpering slightly as it backed away from Taiyaki, who sat up! After taking a Mach Punch like that? The unfortunate Infernape began to rise in the air, surrounded by the seeping tendrils of purple light that seemed to originate from... Taiyaki?!
Something was different about her. Her eyes, they were not their usual crimson, or their Aura powered icy blue but a shade of pink I had only ever seen in the eyes of Airalin. Taiyaki had learnt Psychic attack without anyone's help? I stepped back in awe as she even began to shift of the ground herself, psychic rage radiating off her, The Wig hastily jangling his many trinkets at the "Apparition of the False Prophet." There was an almighty blast of dust as the Infernape came down again. Considerably faster than it went up. I stumbled forwards through the fading dust, catching hold of Taiyaki's heavily bruised body as she fell from her psychic elevation, exhausted beyond even movement now. I turned towards the The Wig with anger flooding my body, but it takes a lot more than defeat to stop such an audacious man as he. 'Priests of the Helix! Crush this heretic!' The rage that had fuelled me so far suddenly abandoned me and I fell to my knees, strength sapped on both mental and physical levels. Even the ground seemed to vibrate from the roars of all the pokemon that were simultaneously released upon us as I pulled Taiyaki close, defeated. The ground was still shaking. I looked to the sides, where people had began to scatter from the muttering crowd as... something erupted from the floor nearby, spraying rock and dust into the air like a Sandstorm attack.
I squinted at the creature the danced among the ranks of Helix Pokémon, striking one after the other with lightning fast attacks that seemed to shape the very particles in the dusty air into graceful blades. A Garchomp with a Sand Veil? But I thought only Cynthia had- She stepped through the swirling mist of what I now knew was indeed a Sandstorm attack and held up a hand, as though stopping an event of sorts. I looked behind me in horror to see the Garchomp lower its claws and dissapear into the storm. Alarmed, I blurted out in desperation. 'I'm not one of th- 'Can she walk?' She spoke each word with a careful structure as though she planned to lecture death itself. I shook my head. 'She needs help, fast!' I began to jog towards the nearest Pokécentre but found a hand upon my shoulder. 'Get on, quickly.' I turned, receiving a glare from a Braviary that Cynthia had already mounted and hastily clambered on, the process made difficult by Taiyaki's unresponsive form but I refused to hand her to Cynthia. I couldn't. Not after what had just taken place.
The ride was harrowing but thankfully short, with nothing occurring except a brief period of some Drifloon trailing us along the way. Nothing was said, nothing needed to be said so it was in silence that I dismounted and ran into the Pokécentre. Luckily, nurse Joy already standing by, for the Helix marches often turned violent with disastrous effects.
Though terrifying the process was relatively seamless, Joy coming up with various concoctions with her team of Audino and Chansey that worked magic upon Taiyaki, who insisted, whilst slipping in and out of consciousness, that I stay with her. Despite my best efforts the clutches of sleep pulled me into a state similar to hers and, soon I found myself falling. Falling, but rising too... They were all there, Airalin, Koi, Yuuri, all of them. All of them except Taiyaki. Where am I? Where is she?! Why am I rising up when I don't... I don't have everyone to rise with? Where... Is Taiyaki?