We heard a roar in the sky and a thump as something heavy landed next to me. Strong claws wrapped around my neck and I was lifted into the air. A raging dragon stared into my eyes. Korook roared in my face. His grip slowly tightened around my neck.
"Korook! It is not your decision!" I heard Sir Lance said behind Korook.
He grumbled and began to carry me away to the guild. Probably to the council room. I felt terrible inside as I was being carried away. I caught a glimpse of Katrina and Nora, both staring at me with horror and terror. That is not what I wanted to ever see.
Korook took me to the council room and slapped shackles on my wrists, legs, and neck. He smiled as he put the chains on me. I still felt the energy from the electric blast flowing through my body. The shackles didn't need to stop me. He left me and sat on his stone throne, still smiling at me.
The other council members filed into the room behind me. They did their best to stay away from me as they sat in their stone chairs. I slowly looked up and saw all of the council members staring at me. Most were on edge. Some looked like they were ready to strike and others were scared to make eye contact with me.
Sir Lance entered, but he didn't take his place among the other council members. He stood in front of me and waited for the council to begin, but they just stared at him.
"Sir Lance, can you explain how one of our best teams is now in shambles? How, we have scared citizens thinking that anyone in this guild is going to kill them in any chance they get? How we have two DEAD POKÉMON IN THE MIDDLE OF A FAIR!!!" General Hawl yelled at us. Surprisingly, he was louder than the Loudred.
There was too much tension in the room. Nobody wanted to speak.
"Bring in Zeina and Katrina. I want to know what they saw." General Hawl ordered.
Sir Lance nodded and left for only a few moments to bring in Katrina and Zeina. They both stared at me. I looked up and saw the same horror from before and lowered my head.
"Report." General Hawl said and both Zeina and Katrina stood at full attention ready to comply.
"I had taken Koro to the Kecleon shop to prepare him for upcoming missions. Sir Lance had instructed me to help him when we were to leave on an upcoming mission." I heard a few scoffs from the members of the council.
We purchased all of the supplies and left the shop. That is when we were separated. I went searching for him and found him on the platform, on his knees. He was in pain because I saw the dark aura fighting to come out." Katrina said.
"I was in the tent, where the incident began, Sir. Seeradans was doing his performance with his team, acting weird that day." Zeina started. "He would usually be more happy and energetic to show off to a crowd, but he didn't seem to notice us when he entered. When they called up volunteers for their show Seeradans picked him and that is when it all took a turn for the worst. Seeradans began to attack Koro with real attacks. Seeradans grabbed Tom's arm and broke it. Tom had tried to calm Seeradans down." She paused and I could hear a small quiver in her breathing.
That was when I saw his eyes. They had changed to the red eyes of a fallen pokemon, but they were worse. There was no white in his eyes like the darkness was further than before. He attacked his teammates and the crowd fled. I stayed to try and stop him, but Koro began to turn too. I saw his eyes turn red and he slammed Seeradans into the ground and then threw him out of the tent. I think it was because of something he said that made Koro attack."
"Wait. Seeradans, spoke? Was this after he had fallen?" One of the council members asked.
"Yes, sir. Multiple times sir. None of it made sense besides him saying that he wanted Koro for something." Zeina answered.
I could hear a lot of the council members shuffling and shifting in their seats. They were uncomfortable with something. Something wasn't right.
"Thank you both. Zeina, take Koro back to a holding cell and I want both of you to guard while we deliberate." The General ordered.
I heard a roar from Korook and he stomped forward. "How can we deliberate?! We know what we need to do!"
"Sit back down, Korook or I will put you back into your place!" The general yelled. I could feel his power as he yelled.
Zeina dug her claws into my wrists as she lifted me off the ground and out of the room. I struggled to walk as the feelings in my legs slowly returned. She took me further and further through the hallways. The sounds of the chains rang through the hallways.
An iron door creaked open and Zeina threw me in with the chains still on me. I slammed to the ground and heard the door slam shut behind me. I could hear Zeina huff and puff in fits of rage. What was she so angry for?
"Zeina, calm down." Katrina said.
"You don't get to tell me what to do?! You knew everything, didn't you?" Zeina yelled as she pointed at Katrina. I couldn't see them from where I laid on the stone floor, but their shadows danced from the torch light.
"I-I took him from the Grandon Village."
"Why didn't you kill him on the spot?"
"Because he had not completely fallen-"
"Katrina, you saw what he did. To the village. To my ho-" Zeina cut off and I felt the pain she felt.
"He destroyed my home. The only one I had. Do you know how hard it is for a mythical pokemon to find and keep a home? I spent too long roaming from place to place, but that village was my home."
I followed your tracks and I only saw the carnage that was left behind by him. My home was gone and my friends, gone, reduced to rubble. I helped to bury their bodies and mourn for them. So how can you tell me to calm down when the monster that killed my friends and destroyed my home is sitting in front of me!"
There was a pause.
"I did not have the choice to be what he is. To do what he did to your home. I have felt his determination to change. He has worked hard to show that. He can help other pokemon."
"Did he help Seeradans?"
"That wasn't him. That was the darkness reaching through him."
"No, it wasn't Katrina. I chose to stop him. He was going to hurt everyone." I said from within my cell.
"So is he different from the beast or are they the same?" I heard Zeina ask.
There was a long period of silence settled and I just listened to my heartbeat. The tension began to sink in and stopped anyone from speaking.
I laid on the floor and thought about what had happened. How Seeradans attacked and yet seemed like he was losing control of something. Probably the darkness, but he took on a new personality when he fought me. When he spoke, he spoke as if he was there when I first fell. As if he knew what I had dreamt. I remembered how he was still laughing as I choked him. I don't think I really won that fight.
I closed my eyes and tried to rest, but Nora haunted my dreams. Her scared eyes piercing my heart. I felt that I didn't break my promise I had made for her, but that's not what she saw.
A bang on the door woke me, but before the haze from my dreams left my mind, I was hoisted to my feet and dragged through the hallways. I could feel claws dig into my arms and I looked over to Zeina dragging me through the hallways. I swung my head to the other side and saw Katrina trailing behind us.
We burst through some doors and I was thrown to the ground in front of the council members. I rose to my knees and stared at them. Sir Lance looked tired and his age was showing through as he sat in his chair. He didn't dare look at me.
"Koro. We have discussed your situation and we have come to a conclusion."
I stared at the general as he spoke.
"Because you have made progress with Sir Lance and you were the one that had stopped the incident with Seeradans, we have decided against executing you."
I saw Korook couch his chair in rage at the statement and I heard a sigh of relief come from behind me.
"However, due to your struggle to control the darkness in you, we have decided to let Lord Ferris join in on your training to control the darkness."
I looked at Lord Ferris and saw a smile stretch acrossemia his slimy face. An unsettling feeling rushed through me and I saw Sir Lance look at me with a worried look.
"That can't be it! This is merely a slap on the wrist compared to the punishment he deserves!" Zeina yelled in an outrage. She stormed forward, but stopped as the general stood from his chair.
All of the council members froze as he stood. They watched as he walked towards Zeina.
"You owe it to all the pokemon he has hurt to punish him and-" She started, but in a flash Zeina was pinned to the ground and he stared at her as she struggled under his grip.
"You have trusted me for all these years. Do not let your doubt destroy that." He whispered into her ear and he left her on the ground.
"Take him to his dorm and leave him in chains. Lord Ferris will free him when he is ready.
I was very surprised by what had happened. I felt someone pick me up and pull me out of the room. I couldn't stop staring at Sir Lance. His aged face only bringing me more worry.
He walked through the hallways and I felt Katrina pull me closer to her and whisper into my ear, "Were you in control when you fought Seeradans?"
"Yes." I whispered back.
There was a long pause before she opened her mouth again.
"Why did you kill him?" She finally asked.
"I-There was something darker in him."
I could feel the confusion in her along with her fear. It was a cold feeling, very different from her regular warm aura. She slowed down a little as she pushed me back to my room. I felt cold and scared of what I was feeling from Katrina. Maybe Zeina was right? I don't know how much of the darkness was the beast and which was me.