Rainbow: Umbreon
The air in the grotto was humid, yet cool to Rainbow's fur. It was quiet, the only sound coming from the flowing water of the stream and the taps of Rainbow's paws against the slightly cobbled path towards the tree.
The size of the trunk dwarfed the two pokemon that now stood at its base. Veraloe stood twiddling her fingers while Rainbow admired the beauty of the Hidden Grotto. They waited for Bumbly to return to them and allow them entry into the tree. Rainbow took notice of Veraloe's nervous fidgeting.
"Is everything alright?"
Veraloe visibly flinched, apparently not expecting to be addressed. "Yes," she reassured him. "Well, I haven't seen my master in a few months. I also hope she wasn't sleeping, as she gets very irritable when she wakes."
Their peace was interrupted when the small Bulbasaur came hopping out of the tree. He came to a stop before the duo.
"The lady will see you two now," Bumbly announced to them. Veraloe nodded to the Bulbasaur.
"Thank you, Bumbly." She exchanged nods with Rainbow and they walked up and into the tree.
The hollowed trunk of the tree was surprisingly spacious. Glancing up, Rainbow could see the tree reach high into the air and a hole that let in sunlight. Rainbow didn't doubt that the stars could be seen in all their brilliance come nightfall. Rainbow felt a difference of texture under his paws as he walked into the trunk. He took his eyes off of the hole to observe the ground. The whole trunk was covered in flowers of every color, all in bloom. He took in the brilliant purples, the fiery reds, the calm blues, and the joyful yellows. The whole floor seemed splattered haphazardly with rainbow paint. And in the center of the space laid a pokemon who put the color of the flowers to shame.
Firstly, the pokemon was huge. It easily dwarfed Rainbow's Umbreon form even while laying down. It was lithe with mostly blue fur. The most noticeable feature was her antlers. There were eight of them, and each had a different color that seemed to radiate off of the appendages. Her piercing blue eyes had an 'X' in each as a pupil, and they were both bearing down on Rainbow. Well, he knew she wasn't staring at him, per se, but rather the plates he carried.
"Lady Xerneas," Veraloe kneeled before the legendary pokemon. Rainbow followed her lead. "I have returned from my two month mission with success."
"So this is the Champion of Arceus, then?" Xerneas's voice was a gentle breeze, yet also held fierceness and a certain level of command.
"Yes, I believe he is. I would not have revealed the grotto if I thought otherwise."
"I see. Well then, Champion of Arceus, what is your name?" She addressed him. Rainbow stood once more and met her eyes.
"My name is Rainbow, Lady Xerneas." He responded promptly, feeling as if it would be a bad idea to answer anything more or less than what she asked.
"While the plates around your neck may be proof enough, I would like to see your inheritance to verify your claim."
"Inheritance, Lady Xerneas?" He questioned as he had never heard of the term before. Veraloe answered him.
"What you have gained from the championship. Like my power to heal pokemon by using the life force of other willing pokemon."
"Right." He felt the glow once more overtake him, and soon he was staring up at an even larger Xerneas as an Eevee. Xerneas's eyes seemed to tire at Rainbow's show.
"I see," She sighed. "You see, I championed Veraloe because I felt a disturbance in the world that I have not felt in a very long time. I would bet the other legendaries did the same as well. The fact that you now stand before me verifies my fears. Tell me, is Giratina returning?" Rainbow saw a little light die in her eyes as he nodded to her question.
"Arceus fears Giratina has already championed a pokemon and is currently searching for the plates."
"Of course, for he needs the plates to return. But what is your goal, Rainbow?"
"I am following Arceus's wishes and collecting the plates before Giratina does." Xerneas shook her head.
"No, that is what Arceus wants. You are doing as he told you, but what is it you are doing it for? I heard no real conviction within you as you said that."
"Then, I left to protect my family. If I stayed with them, theft would only be in danger because of the plates I permanently carry." Even Rainbow knew that his answer was not what Xerneas was looking for.
"That is no reason to fight Giratina. You do not have to engage in this conflict to achieve that goal. All you would need to do is hide." Rainbow felt a bit of heat rise in his head, a mix of frustration and shame.
"I have no other reason." He relented to the legendary. Xerneas spit out her next words as if it was no longer worth talking to him.
"Well, champion, you are just a mindless puppet. A soldier with no conviction is the most useless article of war. You are Arceus's chosen, but without a purpose, you mean nothing to me and you mean nothing to the cause." Rainbow winced at the harshness of Xerneas's words.
"Lady-" Veralow started.
"Silence, Veraloe." Veraloe promptly fell silent. Xerneas's stare into Rainbow's core was cold as ice, a stark contrast to the warm climate of the grotto. "I sent my champion on a mission to bring me the Champion of Arceus. I wanted to verify Giratina's return and give my aid to the cause. However, if I could even fathom why Arceus would champion such a hollow puppet like yourself I wouldn't have even considered the idea. Now, out of my sight. I have no need of you."
"Wait-" Rainbow tried to speak out but was ignored.
"Veraloe, if you would please." Veraloe turned and gave Rainbow a very apologetic look. She raised her arms halfheartedly, yellow rings shooting from her palms. When the rings hit Rainbow, he suddenly felt incredibly drowsy. The last sight he could make out before the Hypnosis overtook him was of Xerneas disapproving gaze.
Rainbow: Eevee
Rainbow opened his eyes, yet his surroundings were still as dark. Glancing around, all he could witness was a never-ending blackness that surrounded his being. He was noticeably cold, even with the increased mass of fur on his Eevee form compared to his Umbreon form. Rainbow wondered if Arceus was tampering with his dreams once more.
"Arceus!" He called out to the giver of his inheritance. If Arceus was there, he did not respond. It was then that Rainbow spotted something. A light in the distance. A small, flickering, but seemingly real light. With no other options in his current circumstance, Rainbow trudged towards it.
He felt as if he was moving underwater, every sweep of his leg or raising of his paws tired him. It felt as if he was many times heavier than normal. His steps made no sound, and his soon ragged breathing was not heard.
The small glow grew larger and leather the further he traveled. So much, in fact, that he realized that it was not some small glowing particle, but a fire raging over a pile of rubble. When Rainbow came close to the rubble, he was hit with one of the most unpleasant smells he ever had the displeasure of experiencing.
"Oh, man..." The odor wafted into his nose. It physically pained him to smell it. It intermingled with the smell of the smoke, increasing its hideousness. He didn't know how to describe the smell, it was only disgusting. Rainbow lifted a paw to cover his nostrils and decided to start breathing through his mouth. This helped remedy the problem a small bit, but the effects of the smell still lingered.
Something moved within the rubble. A small piece of wood tumbled over, then another, and another. Something rose from the fire. It was black, quadrupedal, and a small bit larger than Rainbow. Rainbow stepped back as the being limped slowly towards him.
"Bow..." A harsh and disgusting voice came from the being. Rainbow's eyes widened and his pupils dilated. He only knew of three pokemon who ever called him that, and two of them were dead.
"Get away from me." He said to the being, his words coming out shaky. This only seemed to motivate the being. It started to limp towards Rainbow even faster than before.
"Bow… please… where did… you go?" Rainbow's jaw trembled and his eyes watered. He made out the being to be an Umbreon. But it was not black because of its fur. The fur had long since burned away, and the flesh itself was charred black. Its eyes were missing, a black void where they should be.
But even after all of the disfiguration, Rainbow could still recognize his father.
"Come back… Rainbow..." His father seemed to beg into the nothingness. He reached up towards Rainbow with one of his paws. Tears streamed from Rainbow's eyes. He started to dry heave, nonexistent vomit rising in his throat. The paw was reaching closer, approaching Rainbow's chest.
"Help me..." Rainbow couldn't take it anymore. He squeezed his eyes from the sight. He placed both paws over his head and screamed into the void.
"Bow?" He stopped. He no longer felt the chill of the blackness he was just in. The light of the fire filtering through his eyelids was fainter. The voice feminine, and was perhaps one of the most comforting ones he had ever heard. It was soft, caring, and almost melodic to his ears. "Are you alright?"
"Leave him, Azaelia." Another voice, male, he had never heard said. Rainbow couldn't describe it, but the poshness and the feeling of superiority he sensed from the voice made him want to punch whoever it belonged to. "He likely enjoys your doting over him." This statement was soon followed by a light slapping noise and a disgruntled yelp.
"Hush! You know how Giratina enjoys tormenting him!" This new voice had a motherly tone to it as if it was tired of the male voice's antics.
"Oh yes, and I'm certain Vera's master is Yveltal as well." The male voice made a comeback, earning another slapping sound. "Please pause from slapping me for two minutes!"
"I'll bring him somewhere to calm down." The melodic voice was closer now, he felt the voice's warmth close to himself. "Please, come along Bow." The voice wrapped an arm around his shoulders and led him away from the light. They walked a fair distance away until they stopped, the voice's owner deciding it was far enough.
The voice's owner drew even closer to Rainbow. Her warmth overtook him, and he felt himself enter an embrace. He felt an appendage begin to rub his back, and she started to nuzzle his head.
"It's okay, Bow. I'm here, alright?" Besides himself, Rainbow felt himself calming down. The tears ceased and his jaw steadied. He somehow felt no edge regarding the situation. He was in a place he did not know with pokemon he had never met yet he felt relaxed. Like everything was, and was going to be, fine.
Yet Rainbow knew deep down that this was not real. Like the image of his charred father, this situation was still just a part of his dreams. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
Rainbow grasped his consciousness with a splitting headache. While blisteringly bad at first, it settled to a mild thudding in the back of his head as he rose from his spot on the ground.
He was still in the grotto. The bluish hue still surrounded him and the slow rushing of the stream permeated his ears. He was on a patch of grass by the stream, somewhere between the tree and the entrance.
Rainbow's thoughts grew sour as he observed the tree. He had come here because Veraloe said Xerneas needed him. The last thing he expected was to be chewed out on his beliefs and ideals while being made to feel inadequate at the same time. He felt a sore spot for Xerneas start to form in his heart.
His groggy thoughts turned towards his dreams. He was still thoroughly frightened by the image of his charred father coming for him. He had really lost it in there. Even when he usually lived through the events of the night his parents died, they weren't that vivid. This time around, it was detailed and he could really smell it. So much so that he thought he still could.
But what of the dream that came after? He had certainly never heard the voices of those pokemon before, yet they felt familiar. He couldn't explain it, but thinking of those voices gave him a strange sense of longing. A feeling like he was missing them dearly. He mentally kicked himself. He didn't know whoever those pokemon were and missing them like he was didn't make any sense.
Anyway, he felt that he now needed to leave. The effect of the grotto's beauty was wearing thin, and he needed to continue on to Glass City as soon as possible. As he was rising to head for the exit he spotted a certain Gardevoir make an appearance from the tree and come towards him. He needed to at least tell Veraloe he was leaving, as it was rude otherwise.
"Oh, good!" Veraloe exclaimed to him as she came near. "You're up." She sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I apologize for my master's behavior. I mentioned that she didn't really like other pokemon."
"You did," Rainbow responded. "But I didn't think she would seek to belittle me." Veraloe gave him a sympathetic smile.
"I tried to talk to her about it, but she wouldn't have it. It is odd, though. I have not known her to be that harsh to the pokemon, even pokemon she has not met before. Anyway, she has allowed you to stay in the grotto for the night, as it is safe here."
"She has allowed me. Right." He repeated. Rainbow took a deep breath to clear his head. Right, it was probably nighttime by now and the grotto was located in the middle of a forest. It was most likely surrounded by feral pokemon and would be too dangerous to travel alone at night. It seemed he had no choice but to stay the night. He lay back down onto the grass.
"May I join you for a small bit?" Veraloe asked him. He nodded, and she sat down on the grass next to him. They relaxed in silence for a few minutes, Veraloe feeling at ease in the grotto and Rainbow trying to stay calm.
"She was right about me." Veraloe looked in surprise at Rainbow. Rainbow met her eyes.
"About?"
"My purpose. Now that I look back, I really did only leave on this adventure because Arceus told me so. If I wanted to keep my family safe, I would only have to run away and hide, not fight in this conflict. I really don't have a good reason to fight." There was another silence that fell between the two for a few seconds.
"I don't believe I see a problem with that." Now it was Rainbow's turn to loom at Veraloe in surprise. "After all, it is what I am doing as well. I heed my master's every command, no matter what she tells of me. If that is to leave the grotto to wait for a pokemon that may never come then so be it."
"But why? Isn't that exactly what Xerneas said was wrong with me?" Veraloe looked down to the ground.
"I have known my master for a very long time. I never knew my parents, you see. They elected to toss me to the wilderness the moment I hatched, apparently wanting nothing to do with me. They probably thought I would die." Rainbow joined her in looking at the ground as she continued her tale.
"As a hatchling, I couldn't do much. It was difficult to survive in the wilderness as a baby, but somehow I managed to procure food and water to live. Eventually, my luck had run its course, and I found myself on the very brink of death. When I had all but given up hope, who else was there to save me than my master." She looked towards the tree with a happy smile.
"She seemed to take pity on me, still a small child alone in the forest, and she took me in. She raised me when my parents never did. A few years have passed, and my master has become one of the most important things in my life. To me, she is more than just my patron legendary. She is like my mother or a close friend. I would do anything for her, even if it killed me." She ended her story with a determined smile and a caring love in her eyes. "So I do not believe it is all that bad to do something because you were told to. If the one that told you was someone close, then helping them is reason enough." Veraloe stood back up. "Anyway, If you have need of me, my patch is next to the tree. Have a good night, Rainbow, and I hoped I helped." She walked off, leaving Rainbow to his own thoughts once more.
Veraloe's story made him feel a tad better, but not by much. Sure, she does what Xerneas tells her because she obviously cares deeply for her master. But Rainbow did not have the same relationship with Arceus. He had only really talked to the pokemon on three occasions.
Rainbow thought again of his dream. His father was a victim of greed. His family was preyed upon by stronger pokemon because they could not defend themselves. They were killed because stronger pokemon deemed it necessary. Kerros the Ariados preyed upon Twinstick Village because the villagers could not defend themselves from him.
What Giratina wanted was to rule the pokemon world directly. In this world, the strong would rule the weak. A world where his family's fate would become commonplace. A world where pokemon would lose their lives because of the whims of stronger pokemon.
He suddenly felt a strong desire to not let that happen. He witnessed firsthand how stronger pokemon treat the weak, and he did not wish that upon anyone else. He realized he had to fight, but not because he was told to. But because there would be more pokemon like him if he did not. Rainbow rose and clenched a paw.
"To prevent more pokemon like me. To prevent any more deaths like my parents. I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else." He set his gaze back to Xerneas's tree. He wanted to speak with her once more.
Rainbow and Veraloe strode up to the tree once more the next morning. He wished to speak with Xerneas once more before he left for Glass City. As much as the legendary left a sour taste in his mouth after their initial meeting, he wanted to confirm something with her.
As they entered the tree, Xerneas eyed Rainbow with a cold and curious gaze. He tried not to let the pressure of the stare get to him. He steeled himself and walked alongside Veraloe until they reached Xerneas. Like the day before, they bowed to her.
"Master," Veraloe started. "Rainbow wished to speak to you once more before he departed."
"Oh? And what would the puppet wish from me now? I have already given him safe lodging in my grotto, and I don't believe I would like to give him any more." Xerneas frowned at Rainbow and raised an eyebrow. Rainbow grit his teeth at her words, but tried not to let her comments get to him.
"I only wish to confirm something with you. Please allow me this one piece of information." He tried to remain as subordinate to her as he could, lest she may through him out again.
"I think not," Xerneas responded to Rainbow's plea. "I believe I stated yesterday that I do not think you worthy of my aid." Rainbow opened his mouth to retort, but Veraloe beat him to it.
"Master, if I may?" Xerneas looked to Veraloe and nodded. "In the years that you have taken care of me, I have always done what you have told me without question. I felt as if I was not worthy enough to want something of my own. You took me in without any compensation, and I thought I would repay you with my undying loyalty."
"Veraloe, what are you saying?" Xerneas asked, her voice a small bit softer than before.
"I have never asked you for anything, as I felt it was only right that I couldn't. But I am asking you now, master, that you respond to Rainbow's plea. If I am allowed to want something, it is this, here and now." Veraloe finished her speech with another bow to the legendary, her surrogate mother. Xerneas stared at Veraloe for a moment. After a small bit, she slowly closed her eyes and exhaled.
"To think that you would go this far for a pokemon you barely know..." Her eyes flitted open once more, now looking at the Eevee before her. "Very well, Veraloe, I will humor your desire." Veraloe lifted her face back up with a smile. "Speak, Rainbow. But choose your words carefully, I will only answer one question to the best of my ability."
Rainbow glanced at Veraloe with a look that he hoped communicated a thank you. She smiled at him and nodded lightly. Rainbow looked back to Xerneas.
"I wish to know of the world that Giratina hopes to create." The legendary's eyebrows raised in a curious motion.
"As I am sure Arceus has told you, Giratina wishes to rule the pokemon world directly. Naturally, he would be at the top. But he would have the world be formatted as if it was a hierarchy. He believes that the strong should govern the weak. That only the strong have the right to live life to its full extent."
"So any pokemon considered weak would be tossed aside, like they don't matter?" Veraloe looked to the ground. "That's terrible..."
Xerneas nodded sadly to her champion. "That is the truth. I fear would happen to the world should Giratina make his return. It is a world that should never come to pass."
Rainbow brewed on her response. She was right. Giratina's world allowed the strong to do what they wanted with the weak. A world where weaker pokemon would more or less be shunned. He thought of his parents, of Kerros in Twinstick Village. Pokemon like those would be normal for Giratina's world. Backstories like his would become commonplace.
"I can't allow that to happen." He clenched his paws.
"Oh? And what will you do about it, puppet?" Xerneas replied to him. He made eye contact with her, a fire in his eyes.
"I must stop this from happening. The world Gratina hopes to create is a world in which pokemon would not be equal. A world where pokemon may be taken advantage of only because they cannot defend themselves." He looked down at his clenched paw. "I have experienced firsthand a place like that. The world we live in may not be perfect, but it is far better than that."
Rainbow heard shuffling in the flowers and raised his head to witness Xerneas rising to her full stature. She was huge, easily dwarfing both him and Veraloe in size. She exerted an immense pressure, not unlike Arceus had not long ago. Her antlers started to shine their brilliant colors and she was giving Rainbow an intense stare.
"So then, Rainbow, what is your purpose?"
Rainbow didn't back down from the pressure. In fact, he changed into an Umbreon and stood his ground. He glowed his rings, matching Xerneas's glowing antlers.
"My purpose is to gather the Plates of Arceus before Giratina's champion does, to prevent the world that Giratina desires." Xerneas's antler's glowed even brighter. Veraloe resorted to shielding her eyes. Rainbow had half a mind to join her, but he felt he needed to hold his ground. The light persisted for a few moments before dying down.
When the light show was over, Rainbow's eyes readjusted to a surprising sight. Everything was still as it was, but Xerneas's whole demeanor had changed. She no longer had a steely cold look about her. She was smiling now. She seemed genuinely approachable now.
"That was what I was looking for." She said to no one in particular. Even her voice had changed. It was more serene, peaceful, and calm. Rainbow was taken aback a small bit.
"What?" He dumbly asked. Xerneas had a joyful expression.
"Now I know why Arceus had chosen you. I wondered about the pokemon Arceus would champion. Would he be strong? Brave? Cunning? Small or large?" She chuckled. "But when Veraloe brought you, I must admit I was confused. I wanted to know what made you so special, what made you worthy to be Arceus's champion." Rainbow was at a loss for words at this turnaround.
"You were… testing me? The whole time?"
"Indeed I was." Veraloe spoke next.
"I did think it was odd that you were acting so cold. Even when meeting pokemon other than Bumbly or myself, you at least show them respect." Xerneas gave Rainbow an apologetic look.
"I must ask you to forgive me, Rainbow. I may have been a bit forward in my methods, and I hope I have not offended you too badly." She then bowed her head to him. "I apologize."
"No, it is quite fine, Lady Xerneas. I would question Arceus too in your position." He reassured her, trying to get her to rise back up. It just did not feel right for a legendary to be bowing before him. To his relief, she raised her head.
"Now that I've seen you for myself, I have but one thing to give you. Something to aid you on your righteous journey." She locked eyes with Veraloe, who seemed a bit surprised. "Veraloe, I have one more mission for you."
"Master..." Veraloe replied in a small voice.
"I wish for the world to remain as is. To accomplish that goal, Rainbow must stop Giratina's return. He will need all the help he can muster." Veraloe's eyes watered. "I have kept you near me for too long now. I believe it is time you spread your wings and be free at last."
Veraloe absorbed Xerneas's words with silence. Her eyes threatened to leak tears and her fists tightened. She appeared lost in thought for a moment before meeting her master's gaze.
"I will accept this mission without any reservations." Xerneas nodded at her response, satisfied with her answer.
"Good. Now be off, you two, time is of the essence. Giratina's champion will not be so patient as to wait for you." Rainbow and his new companion Veraloe took up determined glares and bowed once more to the legendary. Before they turned to leave, however, Veraloe had one last thing to do.
Suddenly, the Gardevoir bolted towards Xerneas. She stopped in front of the towering, yet bewildered, pokemon and reached her arms around her master's neck. She pulled Xerneas down into an intense embrace.
"Thank you, master. For everything you've done. I can never hope to repay you in a thousand lifetimes." She cried into the base of Xerneas's neck. The legendary crooked her neck to envelope the Veraloe into a return embrace.
"Witnessing you grow older has been rewarding enough, daughter. Now please take your leave. It is unbecoming of me to lose my composure in front of other pokemon." Veraloe nodded into Xerneas's shoulder and let go.
"We make for Glass City next," Rainbow informed Veraloe as they walked away from the grotto's entrance. "Baron Arteno is known to carry the Mind Plate. From there we make our way to Quartz City, the capital of Arkant, where the king keeps the Flame Plate."
"And what of the remaining five plates? Do you have a clue as to where they reside?" Veraloe asked Rainbow as they turned onto the path towards Glass City. Rainbow shook his head.
"Unfortunately not. After the Flame Plate, I've no idea where else to look."
"Well, I'm sure we will come across some leads eventually." Rainbow noticed that Veraloe's eyes were still a bit puffy from her earlier tears.
"Are you alright doing this, Veraloe? As in, joining me on a dangerous adventure such as this?" Veraloe gave him a reassuring smile.
"As I've said, Rainbow, I am quite fine with following my master's orders. No matter what she wishes I will do it. That is my purpose."
"If you say so..." Rainbow took her answer with some difficulty, but he knew that this was what she believed.
"And please," Veraloe started. Rainbow looked at her curiously. "We are companions now. Call me Vera."