Welcome back to another chapter! I am actually really motivated to write this story right now, and I hope that feeling persists for as long as possible. I'd hate to not be able to get to some of the parts in the story I've thought up. Anyway, enough about me. I hope you enjoy it!

It had taken Rainbow around an hour of trekking through winding forest paths and following faded trail signs until he had finally spotted the worn gates of Quartz. Being the mostly unregulated city that Quartz was, and showing how little the Baron seemed to care, the gates were unguarded. This allowed pokemon to wander freely in and out of the city if they so pleased. Rainbow gave his silent thanks to the ruler of Quartz before passing through the gates and entering the city.

Immediately following the gates was Rainbow's favorite part of town, the Market Square. Even when the sun was almost set, the market was bustling as ever. The many stalls that lined the walls of the market were filled with many odds and ends that could make any antique collector or treasure hunter quiver in excitement. Rainbow spotted a few familiar faces in the crowds and even more of pokemon he had never seen before. He could hear laughter and joy in the many conversations the flooded the marketplace, even the odd cry of sorrow as someone was scammed out of their life savings. But this isn't where he needed to be, though, as the berry market was located further in.

As Rainbow started to head deeper in, he couldn't help but notice the looks he was garnering from a few pokemon he passed. Some looks were surprised, others had a look of greed, while some even seemed malicious. Rainbow pondered why these people were staring at him like this until he was reminded of the weight around his neck.

The looks weren't for him, but for the plate hanging from the band around his neck.

He was suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious.

He sped up his pace, hoping that nobody would stop him as he made his way towards his parents' stall. Rainbow thought with annoyance how fate seemed to hate him today.

"Hey kid, how much for the necklace?" Rainbow was stopped as a towering Beartic stepped in and blocked his path. His fangs lurching to make a pseudo-friendly grin. Rainbow inwardly frowned, trying not to let it show.

"It's not for sale. I'm sorry." Rainbow let the pokemon down as quick as he could and tried to move to the side. The Beartic met this move by sidestepping and blocking Rainbow once again.

"Don't be like that, Eevee. That's an Onyx stone around your neck, worth around 10P. But, because I'm generous, I'll give you a nice 15P for it." The Beartic started to reach down towards Rainbow's small frame. Rainbow backed away a few steps to avoid the attempt to grab the plate. He knew the pokemon was trying to scam him.

"I told you, it's not for sale," Rainbow growled to the larger pokemon. The Beartic's eyes hardened, but he threw up a friendly smile and shook his head.

"Don't be like that, I'm helping you out here. I'm sure your family could use the money."

Rainbow glared at the Beartic. How did he know about his family's situation? Either he was one crazy stalker, or he was one of Gengar's crew. This pokemon slipped up, and he seemed to realize it as his eyes widened and he reached towards Rainbow with a much quicker hand.

Rainbow once again dodged the grab by sidestepping the reach and bolted past the Beartic. Rainbow used his small frame to weave through the market crowd. He ignored the Beartic shouting for him to stop and used his superior speed and mobility to quickly lose the pokemon in the crowd.

Rainbow ran a few minutes before coming to a stop just as he reached the berry market. Confident he was now safe, he walked at a steady pace towards his parents' stall. He looked down at the plate hanging from his neck in thought.

If pokemon had thought this plate was that valuable, maybe he shouldn't have agreed to carry it in the first place. He shook his head. It wasn't like he had a choice, right? All he did was tap the plate and it was suddenly attached to him, seemingly permanently. He couldn't really decide if he wanted to keep it at that moment, he was forced to.

His thoughts led back to the voice that accompanied his finding of the plate. What pokemon was it? Why did it want him to keep the plate safe? Why couldn't it keep the plate safe itself? The more questions Rainbow thought of, the more mysterious this voice seemed to be. But, with many questions and no answers in sight, Rainbow focused on the road ahead of him as well as finding his parents.

"Heavens, Rainbow! What is around your neck?" His mother asked him as he approached his parents. The sun was just starting to disappear behind the horizon before Rainbow finally found his parents. They were in the middle of packing up for the day before he made himself known.

"It's a… stone I found in the forest." He answered her question. His mother met the eyes of his father. They exchanged a look of extreme concern before cleaning up their stall even faster than before.

"Rainbow," his father addressed him as they finished, "stay close behind me and your mother. Keep your head down and do not wander." Now Rainbow was concerned. He had never seen his father look this serious before.

"Um, okay." Rainbow nodded, thinking it was best to follow his father's advice for now. Rainbow snuck up close behind the two older eeveelutions and let them lead him. It was now almost pitch dark and the warmth of the day was being replaced by the chill of the night that ran down Rainbow's spine.

Almost all the pokemon in the market have left by now, only a smaller number remained in the streets. There were no more conversations or laughter. His parents did not make an attempt to speak with him nor did he try to speak with them. The only sound he could hear was the patter of their paws against the cobbled street.

Rainbow felt a few minutes pass by in silence until they eventually reached their small home. He was pushed inside as soon as the door opened. After his parents set down their baskets and his father closed the door, they turned to him.

"Rainbow," his father started, "where did you get that?" His eyes were serious, as if Rainbow had committed a heinous crime unknowingly.

"I found it in the forest."

"The immediate forest?" His mother chimed in. Rainbow nodded in response, still not getting what this was about. His father asked another question.

"Do you know what that is?"

Rainbow thought for a moment. Should he tell them about the voice? About how that voice told him that the stone was a 'plate'? He thought not. They already seemed worried enough, he didn't want to stoke the fire even more.

"I don't. I thought it looked cool so I brought it back with me." He lied.

His parents exchanged another look before his mother sighed.

"Rainbow, that" she pointed to the plate, "is one of the legendary Plates of Arceus."

The only reaction that hit Rainbow was confusion. Who was Arceus? He had certainly never heard of the name before. Was that who the voice was?

"Who is Arceus?" He questioned them. There was a small silence that followed the question, but it was his father that eventually broke it.

"Arceus… is a legend. No one knows if it was a real pokemon or not. But it is said that Arceus was the creator of the world, and even pokemonkind itself."

Ah. Okay. That would line up with what the voice had said. It mentioned that it was the creator and that he was rarely spoken of. It seemed to only be believed as a legend, one that is passed down through generations and is meant to teach young pokemon a moral lesson. But that voice can't just be some pokemon of legend, right? If it was, why was it in a cave out in the middle of the feral forest?

"We've never told you this story before, but all pokemon eventually come to know it. Sit tight." His mother came over and sat herself down next to Rainbow, her heat comforting him. His father sat across from the two and started.

"Arceus was a kind and benevolent pokemon. After he created the world and its inhabitants, he elected to let them govern themselves. He did not want to rule them, only observe. Though he was the original and the creator, he came to create beings that could rival his own power. Some of these beings include Dialga the Lord of Time, Rayquaza the Invoker of Dragons, Ho-oh the Consumer of Flames, and Lugia the Wielder of the Winds. Of course, these were not all of them, he had created a great many."

Everyone has heard of these pokemon before, even Rainbow has. But this Arceus was the creator of pokemon as powerful as them? Who exactly was this pokemon? Why did he fade into legend?

"But one of these pokemon did not agree with how Arceus resided over the world. This pokemon thought that they should be revered by the world's inhabitants. That the legendaries should be the ones to rule over pokemonkind. This pokemon was Giratina, the Traverser of Shadows."

Giratina? Like Arceus, Rainbow had never heard of this pokemon before. The story continued.

"Giratina eventually brought some of the other legendaries to his side and started a great war with Arceus over the fate of the world. Giratina fought to rule, while Arceus fought to observe." His father took a breath and gave a slight pause before continuing.

"Eventually, Arceus and his forces prevailed over Giratina. It is said that to defeat Giratina, Arceus used the power of his plates and sealed Giratina into another dimension for the rest of eternity." The Umbreon was now staring blankly at the plate Rainbow was carrying.

"But, after Arceus sealed him away, the 9 plates he had used scattered around the world. Arceus declared that no legendary pokemon was to interact with the world directly. They were to live out their existence in peace away from the inhabitants of the world. He then retreated to his own dimension, where it is said he resides to this day."

Rainbow looked down, trying to get a look at the plate. Was it that important? Was he holding a piece of legend itself? Rainbow's mother moved away from Rainbow to look at the plate as well. She continued the story.

"Of course, the only thing that keeps this legend believable are the plates themselves. Some of them are actually known to be in possession by some pokemon or another. There were rumors of the Psychic Plate being kept by Baron Arteno of Glass city, and High King Fiero is known to flaunt the Fire Plate every year at his daughter's birthday festival."

"But how do you know that this plate is one of these legendary Plates of Arceus?" Rainbow questioned his parents. There were only 9 in the whole world. What would Rainbow's luck be if he just stumbled upon a legendary artifact? This had to just be some cool rock or something.

"You felt it, right?" His father asked. "The plates are said to just pull pokemon in. Like you can't help but want to get closer to it. Like its calling to you."

Rainbow did feel that. He was drawn to the vortex, couldn't help himself from reaching out and touching it.

If this plate was the real deal, was that voice he heard really the Arceus from the story? Rainbow was starting to wonder just what he had gotten himself into.

"Anyhow, you have to take it off." Rainbow looked back up at his father.

"Why?" His mother spoke next.

"Rainbow," she started, "that is a rare artifact of legend. Some pokemon would kill to have it and sell it to the highest bidder. It could turn the poorest of pokemon into a millionaire in an instant." She licked his forehead in comfort. "As long as you keep it, you are in danger."

Rainbow thought back to the Beartic he had met in the market, the looks that some pokemon were giving him as he passed. He shuddered. They were right. He had to take it off.

There was only one problem with that solution, though.

"I can't." He blurted, revealing his plight. His father stared at Rainbow questioningly.

"You can't?" He repeated back to Rainbow.

"Yeah, I can't."

"Why can you not?"

"Um," Rainbow cringed a bit, "it just won't come off..." Rainbow's mother was just about to answer before there came a rough knock on the door.

The room went silent, and Rainbow froze. His mother looked down in thought as his father called out.

"Yes? Who is it?"

"Open the door, Dutch."

The family was frozen with dread. Rainbow bit his lower lip. He knew that voice, his mind flashing back to this very morning.

The Gengar had come, and he did not sound like he was in the mood for games.

Why was he here? Had his parents not paid him off yet? Did he want more? Did he know about the plate? How? These questions raced through Rainbow's mind as his father went to open the door. As soon as it opened, however, Rainbow knew exactly how the Gengar knew.

When the door was fully ajar, Rainbow could see the Gengar taking up most of the doorframe. But just over his shoulder was a pokemon that gave Rainbow a pit in his stomach. It was the Beartic from earlier. He really was with the Gengar after all.

"Ah, Mourge," his father greeted through a clenched jaw, "how nice of you to show up."

"Spare me the pleasantries, Dutch, I'm here on business." The Gengar, Mourge, addressed Rainbow's father, Dutch. "I know I previously stated that I would be back tomorrow morning to collect what I am owed," Mourge's eyes flitted around the room, seemingly looking for something. Rainbow tried to look as small as possible, "but I decided to collect in advance." His eyes finally landed on Rainbow.

"You can take whatever we have, but please leave us alone." His father tried to bargain. Mourge's eyes only lit brighter and his ever-present smile seemed even more dangerous.

"I want that necklace around your runt's neck."

Rainbow couldn't help but kick himself. They had come for the plate. Of all the pokemon he had to run into at the market, it had to be one of Mourge's gang.

"Well… you heard him, son." Dutch turned to look at his son. "Give him the necklace." Rainbow saw a pleading look in his father's eyes. A look that said 'make this easy' and 'they'll leave us alone.' Rainbow looked to his mother, who was still slightly in front of him and was also looking back. Her eyes said 'It's for the best.' As much as Rainbow wanted to take the plate off and be rid of it for good, he couldn't.

Even if it was kind of involuntary, Rainbow still made a promise.

There was also the slight fact that he couldn't take it off even if he wanted to.

"I can't take it off." He let out a whimper. He could see from the slight change of Mourge's expression that that was not the answer he was looking for.

"You can't? Well then," the Gengar hummed in thought for a moment, before brightening up once again, "I'll just have to take that Eevee."

The room was silent. Rainbow felt his muscles tense, ready to either fight or run. His mother shot the Gengar an incredulous look and his father shrunk a bit, but still blocked Mourge from entry.

"Now Mourge," Dutch's voice shook," we can do anything, but please do not take my son."

"Oh? So now you like to tell me what I can and cannot do? Remember, Dutch, you still owe me." The Gengar got up close to Dutch's face, forcing the Umbreon to back away a step.

"Even so, you will not take my son!" Dutch seemed to force himself to drop into a fighting stance and growl. The Gengar chuckled.

"I didn't know you had it in you. But, I will have that Eevee."

Mourge lurched forward in an instant, all remnants of his friendly persona dissipated. His fist glowing white before it was set on fire. He bashed a searing Fire Punch into Dutch's head. The force of the blow blew the Umbreon past Rainbow and into the wall behind.

Rainbow's mother cried out for her mate, before, her eyes glowed. She picked up one of the only chairs in the room and broke it against the Gengar's frame, destroying the piece of furniture. Mourge grunted but stood tall as if it didn't hurt him in the slightest.

The Gengar stepped towards the Espeon, his fists glowing a sickly red before he slammed a double-powered Payback into her side. She cried again, this time in pain, as she was pushed to the ground and slid off to the side.

As Mourge made to grab Rainbow, he suddenly winced as he was given a Bite. Rainbow would not go down without a fight.

"Really? That's it?" The Gengar shrugged off the attack as if it wasn't super effective. "Even if you were the son of these two weaklings," he gestured towards Dutch and Rainbow's mother, " I still expected you to be stronger than this. I guess I overestimated you."

Rainbow released the bite and stood aghast. Mourge just took a move like that as if it was just a Splash. Was he really that powerless in this fight? He backed away, trembling, and he realized that he may not be getting out of this. Rainbow desperately looked to his parents.

His father was still struggling to get back to his feet, and his mother wasn't moving. He assumed the worst until he saw her body expand contract with ragged breathing. Mourge seemed to come to some conclusion.

"Actually, I have an idea." He turned to the Beartic who still stood outside. "If that plate really is one of the legendary Plates of Arceus, it wouldn't break easily. And I can't just take this rebellion sitting down, now can I?"

Rainbow saw his father finally get to his feet, unsteady and looking like he was a small breeze from falling over. His mother was pulling herself towards him.

"Bergo, destroy it all. We'll find the plate from the rubble, pull it from their corpses if we have to."

"You got it, boss." The Beartic, Bergo, responded.

Rainbow's eyes widened as he saw the Beartic take a long inhale before opening his large maw. Rainbow saw a light grow brighter and brighter from the depths of the Beartic's, of Bergo's, throat. A shock ran through Rainbow's body.

A Hyper Beam.

They were planning to destroy the whole home with them inside it.

Rainbow backed away, desperately trying to find any cover he could. He cursed how empty the room was. The only way to stop this was to take out Bergo, but Mourge was covering him. And, of course, the Hyper Beam would not affect the Gengar.

The Hyper Beam was near completion, the light starting to take a malicious form as it started to reach out of the Beartic's jaw. This was it. No way out.

"Merrida! Protect him!" Rainbow saw his father call out for his mate. Rainbow glanced at his mother and saw just how close she had gotten to him. Her eyes glowed once more and a sturdy bubble appeared around the both of them. She had used Protect. But that Protect did not reach his father.

He looked shocked at his father, fear ebbing unto his face. The look his father gave him, though, replaced that fear with surprised sorrow. Dutch's expression was worried, loving, and all traces of the fear it once showed was gone in place of a fierce determination and peace.

The room exploded.

The Protect did its job. The force of the Hyper Beam was negated, but the slight heat of the blast still permeated the barrier. Rainbow couldn't see, the light was blinding to him. He felt his mother latch on to him as they were blown back.

He felt himself land on the graveled road, gaining a few scrapes from the loose stones. He felt the heat dissipate in turn for the coolness of the night to overtake him. He opened his eyes hesitantly.

His home was gone. No, not just the room, but the whole building was a heaping pile of wood and stone. They were on the other side of the building, opposite the doorway. The explosion blew Rainbow and his mother through the wall before it collapsed.

His father was nowhere to be seen. A sick feeling grew in Rainbow's stomach, a pit of anxiety and despair. He couldn't wrap his head around the events that had just transpired. His father was there and then he wasn't. In an instant, he went from the challenge-loving pacifist Umbreon to a pile of debris.

Rainbow's eyes stuck to the pile of rubble that was once his home. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. It was as if he fully expected his father to crawl out from under the building and tell him that everything was okay.

He felt cold, but he also felt himself being lifted.

He didn't acknowledge his mother as she silently lifted him with her Psychic and started to limp away with him in tow.

"Stop looking at it, Rainbow. Look at me instead." His mother said between shaky breaths, the stress of the situation wearing her down. Rainbow followed her suggestion and locked eyes with her. Her lavender eyes were dark, overcome with grief and sorrow. But they had something else in them, too. A fierce determination to see things through. She had already lost her mate today, she would not fail her child as well.

"Things are bad now, Rainbow, but they will be better. Bad times always give way to happier times." She turned a corner just as they heard shouting from behind them, not letting them being spotted dissuade her from her purpose.

"Remember this. Whenever things seem tough, or when you're backed into a seemingly inescapable corner-" She glanced behind her, making sure they were not being directly followed.

She limped ahead some more and stopped. Rainbow recognized this place to be the bank of the river that flowed through Quartz. Its water was rushing downstream, where it ran out of the city and into the wilderness. Its dark and churning waters a threat to any pokemon that was not a water type.

"Never give up. There is always a way." She dropped Rainbow into a fishing basket used for catching feral fish pokemon. She then picked up the basket with Rainbow now inside and made her way onto the river docks.

She placed the basket into the water but held it in place so the water wouldn't carry it away. Rainbow stared at her in disbelief. Was she going to let him go? To flow down the river and escape? But what about her?

She leaned in close and licked his forehead.

"Carry on ahead, Rainbow. If anything, you must be the one to survive." Her eyes were watery, tears threatened to fall if her composure broke if even for a second.

"Mother, please. What are you doing? What about you!?" Rainbow started to struggle in the box, trying to escape and face down the Gengar together. To help her. She needed help.

She shook her head.

"I will follow close behind, all right? I'll find you and we can live happily again. For your father." She gave him a melancholy smile filled with heart and sorrow. Rainbow knew then, that she wasn't coming.

It was then her eyes lost their glow. The basket then started to float down the river.

Rainbow… didn't move. He only watched in stunned silence as his mother gave one last sorrowful look before turning around and standing her ground. The basket rocked back and forth in the waters threatening to capsize if Rainbow shifted his weight even the slightest.

"Mother!" He shouted out trying to get her attention. She didn't turn around. Her frame was growing more distant by the second.

"Mom!" He saw her tremble slightly, as if all of the courage and determination was leaving her. She limped forward and wandered back into the city to face whatever awaited her.

Rainbow watched as his mother limped away. He watched as she turned a corner without looking back, leaving him on his own. He shrunk down into the basket, letting the weave overtake him.

He let the tears fall. His small body trembled with every sob. His cries being lost to the sound of the rushing waters. The tears on his face were warm, but his body grew colder as he was pulled from the comfort of the city into the darkness of night.

Oof, what a day, huh? I consider these first two chapters as a sort of prologue to the main story, to introduce you all to a bit of the world and its history. I hope I got some of those scenes right, and that it didn't seem rushed or impatient at all. Anyway, see you all next time!