Draco: Not making quite as many changes to the party setups as I had intended. Mostly because I don't quite have the patience to revise every Trainer's teams.
I am very fond of Pokétopia, and feel that it received an unfair reputation because it had to succeed Orre. #ToughActToFollow | I am going to be including announcer chatter in regulated battlegrounds. And I would include that in Eternal Colosseum for all battle challenges, albeit with the same option to turn it off as Battle Revolution provided. (Not sure if that should be in the menu settings or something that they ask you about at the front counter.)
Pokémon and all related properties © Nintendo and the Pokémon Company.
Chapter 6: Trojan Ponyta
It didn't take long for Sherles and Johnson to arrive at the windmill - along with a man built like a Gurdurr.
"You two new in town?" the man asked Wes and Rui. "I'm Duking. I'm in charge of the Colosseum."
"And the rest of the town," Johnson added.
"No one asked for your two pd, Johnson," Sherles reprimanded.
"I'm Rui, this is Wes." Rui glanced over him. "If you're in charge of the Colosseum..."
Duking shook his head. "It's pretty hands-off," he admitted, "but any changes to the way the Colosseum is run have to get my approval."
If he can't see what Rui sees, Wes observed, I don't think we can hold him responsible for the Shadow Pokémon distribution. They wouldn't give him the details if they were trying to run it past him.
"You said Silva was responsible for this?" Duking asked the windmill's chief.
"Yeah," the chief confirmed. "He was ranting about how the Colosseum can just shut down or something." He shook his head. "With the Colosseum down, the whole city's gonna suffer!"
Rui turned to Wes. "I can't say this Silva guy is in the wrong," she whispered, "but he's trying to deal with the symptoms instead of the cause. If we want to find out who's distributing Shadow Pokémon, we've gotta get brought into that building."
"And that means winning a battle challenge," Wes agreed. Then, turning to the chief; "Could we offer to try and fix things?"
"I'd certainly be grateful," the chief agreed. "You've gotta get that gear he took off with, and bring it back here!"
"We'll try," Rui confirmed. "We saw him heading out of town; we should be able to figure out which way he went and catch up with him on the bike."
+x+x+x+
They resupplied at the Poké Mart before leaving Pyrite - although, with Poké Balls still not sold anywhere, they decided they would detour to the Outskirt Stand after they'd found Silva. That was easier said than done; the gear's trail in the desert sands was faint enough, but it led them straight to the construction lot of the tower they'd passed on their way to Pyrite.
"How did he get all the way here," Wes wondered, "without a vehicle, with that gear, in the time it took us to talk to Duking and stop at the Poké Mart?"
"Never underestimate the power of determination," Rui admitted.
The worker they had spoken to before looked unhappy to see them. "Oh, not someone else!"
Wes shook his head. "We're actually here about that. Did someone happen to bring a giant gear in here?"
"Yeah, he did," the worker confirmed. "Threw it here like trash. I assume he took it from you?"
"Took it from someone who asked us to get it back," Rui replied. Glancing at the gear; "You think that'll fit in the sidecar?"
"Not with you in there," Wes admitted. "We're gonna have to make this two trips."
"Glorious."
+x+x+x+
Duking was waiting at the town entrance when Wes arrived; he was more than happy to take the Gear from him (and capable of taking it back to the windmill without letting it run off like Silva did), leaving Wes to leave again and pick up Rui on the way to the Outskirt Stand. They bought a few Great Balls off the owner and headed back to Pyrite in time to see it being slotted back where it belonged.
"Thank you for your trouble," Duking praised as he, Wes, and Rui stepped out of the windmill. "With this, the Colosseum should have power again." Then, more seriously; "I can tell that you two have courage and honor. I have a favour to ask. Will you hear me out?"
Wes turned to him. "Sure, what's this about?"
"I want you to enter the next Colosseum battle," Duking insisted. "I need you to win the knockout challenge and find out what's going on there."
Rui stepped back. "What? You mean...?"
Duking nodded. "The new Pokémon distributions to challenge winners happened on the order of a man named Miror B. The more I hear about him, the more I'm sure something's up. The only way to figure out what's going on is to get brought to him."
"That was our plan from the start," Rui admitted. "Sure, we're on it."
"Glad to hear it," Duking insisted. "I'm sorry I can't do more." He turned his attention to Wes properly. "But you're no ordinary trainer. I have faith in you."
Wes glanced up. "It's getting late," he mused, "I don't think they'll be running a battle challenge before morning."
Duking nodded. "You should get a room at the Super Grand," he advised. "Let me cover your fee tonight."
"Appreciate it."
+x+x+x+
The next morning, Wes and Rui made their way to the Colosseum to apply for the battle challenge; Wes was rather concerned to find out that entering the Colosseum was a solo endeavour, and if Rui wasn't entering independently, she'd have to wait outside or join the spectators.
"What do we do?" Rui asked quietly as Wes double-checked his team. "If someone enters and has a Shadow Pokémon..."
"Head to the bleachers," Wes insisted, "and see if you can't get a seat near the front. I'll keep my eye out for you."
Rui sighed. "I guess that's the best we've got, huh? Good luck."
Wes made his way in, his Poké Balls at the ready. It didn't take long for him and his opponent to be led into position, where they were told to wait for the signal; once it arrived, he and his opponent both stepped out, to the cheer of the crowd.
"Pyrite Colosseum," the announcer called, "Knockout Battle, battle 1." Wes scanned the crowd, finding Rui had managed to wrestle her way to the front row on the blue corner. "Today's challenger has made quite the name for himself in Duel Square! Let's see how he handles a regulated challenge!"
You are challenged by Hunter Hoks!
The two trainers quickly seized their Poké Balls as the announcer finished speaking, throwing two forward each.
"In the blue corner - Espeon, Umbreon!" Wes glanced back at Rui as the two sides were sizing each other up; she shook her head to assure him that there were no Shadow Pokémon present. "And in the red corner - Barboach, Sandshrew! Here they come!"
"No holding back!" Wes instructed.
"Back at you!" Hoks retorted, taking it as a warning.
Umbreon and Sandshrew charged at each other, and Barboach seemed to take aim as Espeon's jewel gleamed.
"And now, the battle begins!"
+x+x+x+
Four battles came and went without any Shadow Pokémon; Wes wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. He made his way to the lobby, and Rui arrived while he was receiving his prize from the receptionist - a respectable cash prize, and a TM.
"We'll be looking forward to your next entry," the receptionist praised.
"I'll think about it," Wes murmured, turning to Rui. "Now what?"
"Now we hope they didn't cancel the distribution before you signed up," Rui admitted.
The two of them stepped out of the Colosseum and started back in the direction of Duel Square; they were halfway across the bridge when Wes saw someone come up to the far end of the bridge. Immediately, he knew they were on the right track; this guy was dressed in a jumpsuit and headgear of sorts that visually resembled armor, and although it was a stark white (in contrast to the red, green, or blue), it was unmistakably of the same make as the ones who had been with Miror B. in Phenac City.
The figure seemed about to cross the bridge, but saw Wes and Rui coming and stopped, stepping out of the path (the bridge didn't really have enough room for two-way traffic). As they arrived, he greeted them; "Hi there. You must be the superb trainer who has emerged triumphant in our latest battle challenge."
Wes raised an eyebrow. "Who's asking?"
"Miror B, the town's true mover and shaker, wishes you to have a wonderful gift," the figure explained. "Come with me, we'll take you to receive it."
"Jackpot," Rui murmured.
The figure (grunt? soldier?) led the two of them around the building on the other end of the bridge; for whatever reason, its only entrance was opposite the gorge. The building was rather run-down, and probably would've been suspicious enough even without the woman at the front counter, dressed in an identical pseudo-armor as their escort.
"Right," he told the receptionist, "I'm back with out latest challenge champion. Let's present our lucky winner with a Shadow Pokémon and watch the chaos unfold!"
"Well, well," the woman mused, looking at Wes. "This champ is quite the charmer. A nice change of pace from the bodybuilders who have... been..." The visor of the helmets left their wearers' mouths exposed, which meant he knew right away when her mood changed. "Wait... No way! You're that Snagger that Miror's been going on about!"
The man who had escorted them yelped, stumbling back in a panic. "What!? You're the one who messed with Cipher in Phenac City?"
"Cipher?" Rui echoed. "Is that what you lot are called?"
The escort growled. "I didn't know who you were when I brought you in! That means it's my job to boot you back out!"
You are challenged by Cipher Peon!
Wes quickly stepped back, throwing a pair of Poké Balls forward; Flaaffy and Skiploom appeared with flashes of light as the Peon sent out a Yanma and Nincada. Trying to fight alongside Shadow Pokémon had been a trial at best - Wes' wins at the Colosseum had been a very close thing after he'd decided to try and rehabilitate the Pokémon through battle - but the more time he spent with them, the more receptive they had become to his commands. And now, it paid off; the Peon's Yanma zipped forward for a sharp Wing Attack on Skiploom, only for Flaaffy to retaliate with a potent Thunderbolt to clip his wings.
Skiploom twisted, the green light of Mega Drain emerging from the Nincada and flowing towards her as the Peon recalled his Yanma. The Trainee Pokémon promptly burrowed its way into the floor as the Peon flung another Poké Ball forward; as the Pineco appeared, Wes realized that he'd need to change tactics, too, and withdrew Flaaffy before the Nincada could make to strike from below.
Noctowl appeared from the next Ball he threw, leaving no groundbound targets for the Nincada to attack; as soon as she popped out of the dirt, Skiploom finished her off with another Mega Drain. Pineco and Noctowl charged at each other while the Peon withdrew her, and the Pineco's Bug Bite did middling damage compared to the one-shot Aerial Ace that sent him rolling across the battlefield.
The Peon withdrew the Bagworm Pokémon as well and threw his last Ball; a Surskit appeared, and promptly found herself looking at two Pokémon she was very ill-suited to battling. Wes could see the terror on the Pond Skater Pokémon's face; as she tried to turn away, Wes withdrew Skiploom, letting Noctowl close the distance and take her out with another Aerial Ace before doing the same to him.
Surskit's dread was reflected on the Peon as he withdrew his Pokémon as well. "Small wonder you won the tournament," he muttered. "I don't stand a chance against you!"
"Then why did you bring him here!?" the one behind the counter protested. "Miror's gonna let us have it now!"
A door opened on the wall behind the counter, and the two Peons promptly fled as Wes breathed a sigh of exasperation. "No credit to the wicked," he mused.
"Oh, thank goodness you're safe!"
Rui turned to find a familiar burly figure stepping into the building, accompanied by a group of children - two girls, one slightly younger than the other, and a boy, about the older girl's age. "Duking!" she called.
"We saw that you came in here," the boy admitted. "Everyone was worried about you!"
"And with good reason," Rui admitted. "This is where they were giving Shadow Pokémon to battle challenge winners."
"Shadow Pokémon?" Duking echoed. "Is that what those rumors are about?"
"Yes," Rui confirmed. "We don't have all the details yet, but these Cipher guys are doing something to these Pokémon, and turning them into mindless fighters that attack anyone indiscriminately - Pokémon and people! Then they're giving them away to thugs as a reward for the battle challenges."
Duking growled. "That's what they were using the Colosseum for?!"
The older girl stepped forward. "Miss! That mirror guy took my papa's Pokémon as a prisoner! He said he was gonna hurt Plusle if Papa didn't do as he said!"
"What?" Rui screeched. "He's been threatening your Pokémon?"
"It's humiliating," Duking admitted, "but I can't take action with Plusle at risk. Please..."
Wes glanced at his arm. "How did he get your Pokémon?" he asked. "With that hair, you'd see him coming a mile away if he tried to be sneaky."
Duking shook his head. "Don't let his looks trick you into thinking he's not tough," he warned. "Miror may look like a fool, but his battling is all business. I reckon he's in charge of these goons for a reason. He beat me in battle and snatched Plusle's Ball while his Pokémon surrounded me."
"Brute," Rui muttered. "Alright, that settles it. We're gonna find him, and get your Plusle back. See if we can't send him running in the process."
"Thank you," Duking praised. "I'm sorry to leave everything to you, but I've got no choice..."
"Don't worry about it," Wes insisted. "Just get to safety."
Duking and the kids took off as Wes looked around; there was a PC behind the desk that looked a welcome sight. "First things first," he mused. "I totally forgot to patch up my team after the battle challenge."
"I thought we were forgetting something," Rui admitted as he vaulted the counter, "but I guess we were too focused on the matter at hand."
She followed him over as he was setting his team in the slots - and ended up knocking something off the counter. Wes turned in concern as it clattered to the floor - it looked like a binder of some kind, with a pale grey cover. An emblem lay on the cover - a black round that looked like an overly stylized crescent moon (maybe it was meant to be an eclipse?), with a vertical strike through its arms and a horizontal strike from the curve out between the horns. There was writing on the cover, and a confused Rui knelt down and picked it up.
Wes set off the healing procedure and turned to her. "What's it say?"
"Ein File 1..." Rui read aloud. "What's this?"
"Maybe something from Cipher?" Wes hypothesized. "Let's see what's in it."
Rui opened the cover and gasped in concern when she saw the header – Ein File 1: Analysis of the Endarkenment Process.
By administering a concentrated synthetic darkness to a naturally existing Pokémon, a Shadow Pokémon is created. This slowly closes the door to a Pokémon's heart, at which point the process can be finalized to seal its heart away. If endarkenment occurs over a single extended period, the process establishes itself over four definitive stages.
Stage 1: The Pokémon is no longer capable of forming new bonds with humans or other Pokémon.
Stage 2: The Pokémon is no longer capable of feeling joy or pleasure.
Stage 3: The Pokémon is no longer capable of feeling sadness or fear.
Stage 4: The Pokémon's existing bonds are broken, reverting to feral behaviour.
Upon reaching Stage 4 endarkenment, the process can be finalized, locking the door to the Pokémon's heart and creating a Shadow Pokémon.
If the endarkenment happens in short bursts, the stages may become disjointed as the Pokémon exhibits partial symptoms of each stage, although reversion to feral behaviour is always the final step before the endarkenment can be finalized.
"No way," Wes gasped. "That's how they make Shadow Pokémon?"
"A synthetic darkness," Rui murmured. "And it's breaking their emotions? What are those poor Pokémon experiencing?"
Draco: Wrote up whole new Ein Files, too. Trying to get in a little more information per File than the originals did.
The emblem described on the cover of the Ein File is the one on my cover image, which is intended to be the Cipher emblem. To answer Wes' question, yes, it's meant to be an eclipse; the same way that Team Flare's emblem is a F-shaped wisp of fire that blazes into existence from the bottom up, Cipher's emblem is a C-shaped eclipse that would have the 'light source' and 'obstructor' close in on each other from opposite sides of the screen.