Escaping His Shadows
End of Cycle
Friday 31st December 1965
It was a long way down if one were to fall, but that didn't stop Aaron from sitting on the edge of the highest point of the Elkran Citadel. His fingers felt frozen, even though he had bandaged them under his dubwool thick gloves. His ears had been tightly tucked under his fluffy dubwool hat, but his green braided hair stuck along the left side and brushed down his icy pale skin. His feet dangled down and blew in the strong Elkran winds. All he wanted to do was jump and fly away. However, he knew that wouldn't happen.
Aaron's father, Lord Elite Ellio Piscar, grounded his salamence following an incident involving setting his brother Erik's bedsheets on fire. Naturally, Aaron denied it. He looked down at the other young Lords and Ladies leaving the citadel for the new year's break. Most would come back looking completely different. Some have piercings or skin markings to celebrate their turning 15 and beginning their first year in the high school section of the citadel. But not him. He groaned and undid his tie. He stared at the blue mareep cotton with the little tab pattern in one corner. It was light blue. The colour of the house of Piscar. His father's house. Of course, Aaron knew he could have been sorted into the house of the Lord interrogator or Lord Captain, but at the time, he was stuffed into his father's house.
He stretched his legs, stood up, and held tightly onto the pole, waving the blue and purple crossed swords of the Elktan flag. He lowered himself and hung on for dear life as he dropped inside the tower's arch-shaped window and into the pilots' dorm.
"Hey," a boy with long blue hair said, jumping back.
"Sorry, Cla'ence. I didn't mean to frighten you. I was just… thinking." Aaron shuffled his feet, and knocked the snow which had built up on his black tauros skin boots onto the floor. "Ah, shit. What?"
"I was wondering if you wanted to come to the city centre with me today. I can't go home either, and well… Mylious doesn't have a home. So maybe we could celebrate together, as friends. I know your onix is in the healing bay. She got really hurt by your dad. You got to say something, Aa'on," Clarence pleaded, flicking his hair back.
Aaron went to reply, but the door into the tower swung open, and he closed his mouth tight. His eyes collided with Lord Von Recht. An uncomfortable feeling brewed inside of him quickly enough to make him feel the urge to vomit. However, Aaron took a deep breath and knelt on his right knee before the Lord. He placed his closed fist above the left side of his chest and lowered his head. The Lord waved his hand, and Aaron straightened himself up again and walked past him with Clarence.
"I don't know. I mean he is my dad. He is just training us to protect him," Aaron said. The stairs wound around until they reached a long corridor which led into the large hall. Aaron peered inside to see his father sitting on his golden throne. His legs were crossed, and he was being served roasted meat while Colran and Elktan slaves danced for him and served him.
"Aa'on?" Clarence said.
"He treats people worse than pokémon," Aaron said, tightening his fists. "When E'ik rules, it will be different. I will be his Lord Captain and make sure of it." He saw the other students and young Lords and Ladies sitting at the tables enjoying the buffet. "I am so glad I never grew up experiencing that life. It is so unfair."
"T-t-that's j-just life…" a timid voice said.
"Mylious!" Aaron shouted and jumped onto his tall friend.
Mylious shrugged him off and peered down from his enormous stature. He walked over to the table with his back to his friends before he slumped down at the end by the small water fountain.
"What's wrong?" Clarence asked and sat down beside Mylious.
"I a-am the l-last Jackson alive," Mylious whispered. "A-at least in Elktan. I have n-no one," He sniffled a little and tugged on his short black hair. His grey eyes were red from his tears. "Oh… um A-Aa'on… h-here." Mylious reached into his blue jacket's pocket, pulled out a poké ball, and placed it in his friend's hand. "I h-helped heal her. S-she should b-be ready to b-battle soon."
"Thanks, Mylious." Aaron stared up at his dad and then back at the table as the lunch bell rang out through the citadel.
Ellio Piscar stood up from his seat on his throne and walked to the microphone. His long black hair was platted back, and his green eyes shone in the flickering chandelure light. The Lords sitting behind him grinned, excited for what he had to say.
"Damn, what a line up this year for his advisors," Clarence said. "Isn't that?"
"Yeah, that's Lord Captain Jun-Seo. I thought he was in Munta for the holidays," Aaron replied, and stared up at the tall black, brown-haired Lord sitting beside the throne. His eyes were covered by a blindfold, which left an uncomfortable tingling sensation in Aaron's stomach.
Clarence continued to look at the Lords. I didn't expect Von Recht to be the Lord Interrogator this year. The guy is such a twat. Poor Mylious. There is Lord Smith, the Reynaldo twins... damn it's a real mixture. Holy tauros shit, Lady Qu is on the council?
"Excuse me, can I sit next to you?"
Clarence turned to see Lady Qu's daughter, Hélena talking to Aaron. Like please say yes Aaron. I've been crushing on her since I was 10. He saw her brown braided hair pulled back behind her pale face. Her eyes were as bright as his and her uniform was too big for her.
"Oh, um sure! My name is Aa'on. Aa'on Pisca'," Aaron said, bowing a little and offered her a seat. I can't believe she spoke to me. She's older than me, a highschooler. She looks so nice. He blushed a little.
"I know who you are. You are the Lord Elite's son, and Erik's brother," she said, and sat down.
"Aa'on will you be quiet!" Ellio Piscar shouted out and the hall fell silent.
Aaron glanced around, realised he was the only person still standing up, and looked at his dad and then back down at the seat.
"200 points are taken from the house of Piscar, and you will all do 50 push ups," Lord Captain Jun-Seo said without skipping a beat. He picked up a bottle of dritze, made from chillan berries, and poured it into his glass. A loud groan echoed throughout the hall, and without skipping a second beat he added, "I can make it 400 points and 400 push-ups if you want. I can also cancel the feast and the celebrations in town."
"Fuck off you old Crobat!" Aaron shouted. "Not like I am able to celebrate anyway. You know what? Let's talk about this now! You hurt my onix, dad! You really hurt her."
"Aa'on, let's not do this now. I am doing a big speech," Ellio Piscar said, he took out a poké ball and sent out his exploud, and raised the normal stone up.
Aaron started to squirm as his head started to ache. He could hear the sound of the exploud shouting in his head. He grabbed his ears and fell onto his knees.
"S-stop it! You are h-hurting him!" Mylious shouted, and quivered as he jumped onto his feet, stood in front of Aaron and drew his sword. Beside him, Clarence leapt up onto his feet too, rushed over to Aaron, and offered him a hand.
"Control your cronies, Aa'on. Or I will for you," Ellio Piscar said.
"You are a bastard! No one here even likes you. You might be Lord Elite, but you don't deserve it! Why can't you just leave me and my friends alone? I am not your golden son, so go shove it up your uppity arse! I challenge you to a battle, my Lord!" Aaron spat on the floor and raised his poké ball to his lip, ready to fight.
From his throne, Ellio Piscar stood up and walked down the stairs. He raised a poké ball to his chest.
"Aa'on, that is not how you speak to me. I am your father and ruler of this region. You will show me some respect." Ellio Piscar stared into his son's eyes and took a deep breath. "What seems to be the issue?"
"I won't ever respect you! To you I am just the spare heir in case Erik dies! Why can't you just love me and let me have fun?" Aaron shouted back. He stepped forward and tossed his poké ball onto the wooden floor. The sturdy slats creaked under the weight of his samurott, as he swung his sharpened blade on top of his head around, and narrowly avoided knocking the largest chandelure out. Aaron observed as his father kissed his poké ball and tossed it forward. The angle it was thrown allowed it to bounce back up to him, and he caught it in his hand as the spiritomb swirled around in front of him.
"Aa'on, that is enough. I don't want to fight you over this. Is this because I said you couldn't spend the end of year with your mother. Is that it? Well great job on convincing me you are mature enough to not forsake your duties." Ellio Piscar scowled down at Aaron.
"Aqua Jet." Aaron pointed at the spiritomb. Aaron's samurott gurgled water in his mouth and water surged around his flippers and he shot forward at the spiritomb's floating mass swirling around the small key stone he had poured out of.
"Dodge it and return a dark pulse." Ellio Piscar grabbed his knife and rushed at his son.
The hall fell into complete darkness and a loud ringing filled the room. The students whispered in a panic. A few screams broke the whispers followed by three explosions of a black puff of smoke, and a thud followed quickly.
Aaron fell onto his back and held his right arm. His father's knife still dripped with his blood as he pressed it against Aaron's chest. Aaron shuffled back until his back pressed against the wall, and he glared into his father's eyes as the smoke cleared. He looked back at his samurott slumped against the wall.
"Fuck!" Aaron said, as tears fell down his eyes. No… he wiped me out in one move?
"Throw my son in jail. He will learn he cannot attack me. If he doesn't learn his lesson, I suggest we take some drastic measures, don't you, Von Recht?" Ellio Piscar smirked as two large Lords in full Guard uniforms grabbed Aaron by his arms and dragged him along the floor toward the door.
"Yes, my Lord Elite, I would be more than happy to teach the boy a lesson," Lord Von Recht replied, a giant smirk across his face. "Stick him in the Tauch. That will teach him a lesson."
Not the Tauch. That's so bad, Mylious thought as he watched Aaron get dragged away. Lord Jun-Seo might bail him out. He's a good guy. He helped me settle down when I first came here. Mylious jumped up and grabbed Clarence's arm and dragged him out of the hall.
"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Lord Captain Jun-Seo said, slushing around the yellow liquid in his glass.
Lord Elite Piscar sat down and glanced over at his Lord Captain before saying, "I don't know what to do with him anymore. He used to be so…"
"Calm? So, calculated? Your son is a tactician, but he is also a teenager. Ellio, he isn't like you at all. I can tell in his voice." The Lord Captain reached over and refilled his glass before adding, "Any psychic will tell you he will achieve great things and be a great leader someday. I have seen it in my dreams."
"What I would give to have psychic powers. It isn't common, you have it, a few of the Lords have it, a few citizens, that Bourbabel kid has it, and what is scariest of all is De Jou has it. Why couldn't my bloodline have been exposed to the Great Shadowing?" Ellio Piscar looked over at the students, who silently sat up patiently. "Von Recht, can you speak for me?"
"Of course, my Lord, if it pleases you. As for your son… I say punishing his so-called friends would snap him into line. It works with prisoners; it should work with that brat." Lord Von Recht got up and moved to the microphone.
Lord Jun-Seo coughed and under his breath said, "No wonder his kids have all died. If you want my advice Ellio, and I assume you do since you haven't stormed off like your son would have, go talk to Aaron. Aaron's friends are very loyal to him. In fact they are probably trying to break into my office right now to rescue him. I should probably intervene."
Ellio Piscar said, "You are right. I was far too harsh on him. He doesn't understand the world right now. He is only 14. Erik is only 17."
"I have an idea, of course you will have to trust me… but I think this will be good for Aaron, and for you. It will be dangerous. You could die," Lord Jun-Seo said with a smile across his face. He reached for his bottle once more.
"You only are here to please giratina once." Ellio Piscar smiled back.
"Damn, I am all out of dritze," Lord Jun-Seo remarked, as he shook the empty bottle. "I will set things in motion."