Rainbow: Umbreon

Rainbow grew up in pretty humble environments. From his time in the run-down and relatively poor Quartz City to the small and cozy abode in the forest. Glass City was a change for sure, with its architecture mainly consisting of pure white stone and an overall bright atmosphere.

Nothing could have prepared him for the brilliance of Prism City. It was the capital of Arkant, after all.

The first thing he noticed was the walls that surrounded the city. Only half as tall as the white walls of Glass City, they were made of light gray stone and seemed to be thick enough to stop any potential attacks. Many Pokémon lined the top of the wall, all wearing the rainbow armband that Joltier also wore. This signified these Pokémon as part of the Prism City Guard Force, as opposed to the white armbands worn in Glass City.

The walls were not the only thing Rainbow could see right now, though. Towering over the walls, and seemingly protruding from the city center, was a gargantuan castle. It easily dwarfed the walls, probably the tallest building in the city. Made of dark gray stone bricks and also adorned with massive stained glass windows featuring every color of the rainbow. The patterns were so complex, Rainbow couldn't tell if they were meant to represent anything from this distance.

"It's huge." He bluntly stated, a bit awestruck by its massive size.

His sister joined his side, chuckling at his dumbfounded nature. "I know right? I was just like you when I first saw it as well."

"I take it that is where the King resides?" Vera asked, a bit rhetorically.

Lia chimed in, excited to share this part of history. "Castle Arkos, the pride and joy of Prism City. It's said it was built 450 years ago by King Fiero von Arkos I, the first in the Arkos line of rulers."

"Wait," Rainbow objected. "I thought the current king was named Fiero?" Joltier facepalmed at her brother's naivety. Lia, however, corrected him.

"He is named Fiero, but he comes from a long line of kings that bear the same name. The current king is King Fiero von Arkos XIX, the nineteenth in his line." Trying to keep the momentum of Rainbow's wondrous look, she continued. "Actually, King Fiero was in a bit of rivalry with the Arteno line. The late Baron Arteno was also the nineteenth in his line."

The light atmosphere was turned a little downtrodden at the mention of the late Baron. "Such a long line of Pokémon ended in one small night..."

Vera placed a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "All the more reason to continue our mission. We'll stop the senseless greed and violence for good."

He smiled at her, thankful for the reassurance. "Yeah, you're right." He instinctively placed a paw in his hidden three plates, thankful his fur was just long enough to hide them.

Their first obstacle appeared as they were all stuck behind a veritable swarm of Pokémon trying to get past the main gate. The road was overwhelmingly congested, with barely any room to move from side to side.

"This is crazy!" Rainbow tried to voice his opinion above the constant chatter of the dense crowd of Pokémon.

"Indeed!" Agreed a frazzled Vera. "I expected many Pokémon would attend the festival, but this is a bit overwhelming!"

"You better buckle up back there!" Zeb exclaimed from in front, looking claustrophobic in this current predicament. He had made many trips to Prism City before, but he always tried to avoid the festival season precisely for this reason. "This may take a good while!"

"It's a good thing I came along, then!" They all turned to Joltier, who was once again sitting on top of the sealed crate. "I can get us in, no problem!"

"And how will you go about doing that?" Inquired Vera to the Pikachu. Joltier gave a confident smile in return for the question and pointed around the right side of the wall.

"Around the wall on the right side is a small entrance reserved only for people with authorization from a member of the Glass City Guard Force." She turned her arm forward, revealing the rainbow-colored armband and insignia. "You're looking at one such member."

"And this entrance will work for us?" Zeb asked skeptically. Joltier waved her arms at him dismissively, much to his mild annoyance.

"Don't worry about it, old-timer! As long as I'm here, we'll be completely fine!"

Vera approached the front of the wagon, reassuring the old Zebstrika. "I'm sure it will be fine, Zeb. I wouldn't hurt to try, right?"

Rainbow nodded along. "As long as it gets us past this jumbled queue, I'm down to try." He fully trusted his sister to be right about this, making the Pikachu smile much more warmly.

It took a moment, but the Zebstrika relented. Sighing, he slowly turned the cart around and started walking around the gray wall. "You better be right about this..." He grumbled, mostly to himself.

It didn't take long for the party of five to come across a marginally smaller entryway than the main gate, although it was still large enough for the wagon to get through. They spotted a bored-looking Lombre standing outside the entrance, looking as if he'd be anywhere but here right now. His eyes perked up, though, as soon as he spotted the wagon.

"Woah, woah, woah!" He jumped in front of the approaching cart with his arms waving, causing Zeb to stop in his tracks lest he runs the guard over. "This is reserved for Prism City Guards only! Absolutely no citizens past this point!." The Lombre's resolute posture was suddenly broken down as he spotted Joltier come out from the wagon and into his point of view. He immediately groaned and covered his face in his palm. "Oh, great. You."

Joltier chuckled and hopped down to the Lombre's level. The rest looked on at the two. "Garland, buddy! It's been too long!"

"Not long enough." He mumbled under his breath.

"You see," she continued, ignoring his interruption. "After some weeks of traveling, my compatriots and I are dreadfully tired. Glass City is such a long way away, you understand."

"Get to the point, Joltier," Garland said impatiently.

She huffed. "Let me use the gate to get us through. I really don't feel like waiting in that line." She cut right to the point.

Garland pinched the bridge of his nose. "Joltier, this entrance is only to be used in emergency situations. This-" he motioned to the wagon. "Hardly counts as an emergency situation."

"Oh, come on! I'll buy you a drink?"

The Lombre deadpanned at his fellow guard's clearly desperate measure. "We're guards, Joltier. We're not allowed to drink."

Joltier stomped her foot and snapped her fingers. "Rats! I forgot about that pesky rule."

"Perhaps you will open it for me instead?"

The surprise question had both guards turn back to the wagon, where Lia had made herself known. The instant the Lombre saw the Ninetails, his eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he stood in a rigid salute. "L-Lady Azaelia! I was not told you would be returning now!"

Lia grimaced at the use of her full name, disregarding the confused looks from Rainbow, Vera, and Zeb. "Well, I'm here now. So shall I and my companions use this entrance?"

Garland bowed. "Of course, my lady! It shall be opened right away!" Garland then snapped his fingers in a distinctive pattern. This apparent signal was then followed by the gate opening up in front of them, revealing a path into the city. Garland stood to the side and ushered them forward. "Right this way, please."

As soon as Joltier was back on board, the wagon lurched forward and through the gate. They made their way down a small alleyway, the gate closing immediately behind them.

"See," Joltier started. "I told you we would get through."

"With no help of your own, mind you," Zeb interjected.

She rolled her eyes. "Details, details. What matters is we don't have to wait in that huge line."

Rainbow narrowed his eyes. "But what did that Lombre call Lia? He said 'Lady Azaelia'."

Vera crossed her arms, the both of them now staring intently at their Ninetails companion. "I was thinking the same." Lia shrunk back from their gazes, looking down in shame.

"I'm afraid I haven't been too truthful with you both regarding my true self. It's not something I wanted to bring up, at least not yet." Lia sat tapping her paws together awkwardly. Vera and Rainbow still looked at her expectantly, wanting an answer to their unspoken question. Lia relented. "But yes, my real name is Azaelia. I just shortened it to 'Lia' when I met you two."

Now Rainbow was a bit confused. "But why would you need to do that? Couldn't you-" His thought was quickly cut off by Joltier suddenly coming in between the two of them.

"Look, Bow! We're moving onto the event streets!" She grabbed his paws and led him to the side of the cart, distracting him from the confrontation. Lia exchanged a grateful look with her protector before moving to join them in admiring the decorations. Vera hung back, however, and silently observed the secretive Ninetails.

Rainbow was right. For what reason would Lia have to hide her true name? There were many possibilities, of course. For one, she could be a criminal on the run with the name 'Azaelia'. Or maybe she was some hugely important figure that needed to be kept hidden from the public. Or it really could have just been her wanting to be called a certain way.

Even so, the Ninetails was clearly hiding something important from the rest of them. What it was could be anyone's guess, and Vera didn't know much about their companion to figure it out. Although everyone is entitled to their own secrets, so who was she to harp on Lia for keeping her own? Reluctantly, she decided to let this whole thing slide for now and joined her companions in watching the festivities.

The group had found themselves riding into a main street of sorts. The street was massively wide, with enough room to fit multiple carriages across. It was kind of surprising to see the street was filled to the brim with all different species of Pokémon.

Streamers and decorations to celebrate the festival lined the many open shops along the street's sides. The different storefronts promised a wide variety of goods to purchase for the sake of the celebration, from jewelry to food items. Vera noticed a particular store having more attention than the others.

"What is that vendor selling, to have that many customers at once?" She asked either Joltier or Lia, as they were familiar with this city the most.

Joltier followed Vera's gaze to the specific storefront. The fancy sign above the entrance read: 'Twilight Jeweler'. Joltier chuckled. "Oh, that. They sell jewelry, obviously."

"That many Pokémon are lined up for that?" Rainbow then asked, also curious.

"Oh, it's such a romantic thing!" They turned to Lia, who now held a certain sparkle in her eyes. "They say if you give your romantic interest a piece of Twilight Jewelry during the festival, you'll turn out an amazing couple."

Vera eyed her. "Does that have any basis at all?"

Joltier interjected. "No way. It's one of those traditions that people do, like how kids believed in the Tooth Flabébé, or putting cookies and milk out for St. Delibird." Lia pouted at Joltier's disbelief.

Rainbow smirked at the Ninetails. "I didn't take you for the romantic type, Lia." This made Lia pout even more. "What even is 'Twilight Jewelry' anyway?"

This made Lia perk up once again, always eager to share her knowledge. "It's essentially silver jewelry, like necklaces and rings and the like, adorned with a Twilight Stone." Rainbow raised an eyebrow, silently asking the next question. "Twilight Stone is a rare material that is said to be formed over centuries of contact with the light of the moon, although that's the theory anyway. It's extremely hard to come by, and therefore is a highly sought-after material."

Vera turned back to look at the shop with an inquisitive eye. "Does it have any special properties?"

Lia shook her head, much to the Gardevoir's disappointment. "Not at all. At least, that we know of."

"This is quite lively, though," Vera commented as they were carried further into the crowds, moving past Twilight Jeweler. "The festival has not even started and the streets are already this crowded."

Joltier leaned against the side of the wagon. "Just wait until you see the actual festival. Trust me, you're not gonna get a good night's sleep the next couple of days, it gets pretty rowdy."

Rainbow then took notice of something else. There were small black poles sticking up on the side of the street at certain intervals. Each pole had a small object sticking out on top. He had noticed these poles at Glass City, but he had forgotten to ask about them before they left.

"Hey, Lia." He got the Ninetails' attention, confident she would know the answer. "What are those black poles sticking up on the street?"

Lia looked at him like he was an alien. That was until she remembered where he came from. "Oh, that's right. I imagine you and Joltier grew up without electricity?"

"Like the type?"

Lia covered her mouth with a paw as she held in her laughter. "Not exactly, but close. You see, it was discovered that certain materials held an electric charge from Electric-type moves. That energy is stored in those certain materials and distributed to places throughout the city to use for certain mechanisms. Like those black poles you mentioned, they're actually lights used to light up the city at night."

"That's… pretty useful actually." He admired the poles. While he certainly hadn't had this luxury while staying at the lodge, he also couldn't remember Quartz City having it either. Since he had seen these in Glass City and now Prism City, he couldn't help but wonder just why Quartz didn't have them as well. Another mystery for another day, he thought.

The group settled into a content silence for a few moments before Joltier sighed, bringing up something they were all dreading. "Alright, then. I guess it's time."

Vera nodded in immediate understanding. "Right." Lia looked down in sorrow as Joltier put a paw on Rainbow's shoulder, who now understood what his friends were talking about, remembering why it is they came here together in the first place.

"It's been fun meeting up with you again, Bow." She pointed a finger at Lia. "But I got to get my lady home before her parents send out a search party for her."

Rainbow let out a breath. "You know, I almost forgot about that the past few days. It's been awesome catching up with you, Jolt."

Vera knelt down and shook paw and hand with the Pikachu. "I feel the same. Maybe we shall see each other during the festival?" She asked hopefully.

Joltier shrugged. "It depends what guard duty I have over the next few days. But in case I don't see you two again-" she gave Rainbow a quick hug. "Good luck on your journey, don't get yourselves killed, got it?"

Rainbow cracked a small smile. "You got it, sis." With that, Joltier hopped down from the wagon, waiting for Lia to say her goodbyes and do the same. The two champions then looked at the downtrodden Ninetails. "You gonna be alright, Lia?"

Said Nintails closed her eyes for a brief moment. She most certainly felt as though she was not going to be okay. She was dreading returning to her parents and the constant fighting between them and her sister, as well as leaving behind the only true friends she had ever made. She felt some tears welling in her eyes.

Suddenly, though, a paw was on her back. She opened her eyes to see Rainbow close to her, comforting her. He had a sad smile on his face but also held a hopeful glint in his eyes. "We'll see each other at the festival. And if not then, sometime later. The one thing you can be sure of is that we will see each other again. That's a promise." The confidence in his statement seemed to suck her attention in, and she soon found herself wrapping Rainbow in an embrace, all nine tails included.

"Thank you two so much for being my friends! I couldn't imagine what I would be like if we hadn't met in Glass City all those weeks ago." She managed to get out over Rainbow's shoulder.

Vera gave a small bow to her. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Lia. May we meet again soon." Lia released the Umbreon, who in turn looked into her eyes.

"We will see each other again." He repeated in confidence.

Lia hesitated for a second. "Right. We will." She responded with significantly less confidence. She knew the situation she was in, and she knew it was extremely unlikely that Rainbow could make good on his promise. But she just couldn't deny his statement because she herself wanted it to come true.

With that, she reluctantly drifted away from the Umbreon and hopped off the wagon, joining Joltier on the paved street.

"You ready to go home, my lady?" Her protector asked her. Lia clenched her paws and sighed in defeat.

"As I'll ever be, I guess."

"Wait, what happened to the other two?" Zeb glared wide-eyed to the wagon behind him, noticeably missing two other Pokémon.

Rainbow scratched his head. "Oh, you didn't hear us from up there? Joltier had to bring Lia back to her parents, so they left."

The Zebstrika shook his head in disbelief. "When was this? I didn't even notice."

Vera thought. "I believe, about half an hour ago?"

"Unbelievable." He muttered in response. "But I suppose it isn't my business what they get up to now. Speaking of which, why are you two still here?"

Rainbow rubbed the back of his head and gave a toothy smile. "Well, we have no idea where we are going. Would it be any trouble if we stuck with you for a bit longer?"

Zeb grunted. "I suppose not. But you'll be parting with me soon, anyway."

Vera sat down at the front of the wagon, near the sealed crate. "Why is that?"

Zeb nodded up ahead. "Because I'm nearing my own destination."

Rainbow and Vera also looked ahead, gasping at what they saw. Ahead of them stood a massive tower. It was super wide at the base and shrunk the higher it went. The building looked like a giant pillar made entirely of pure white marble. It stood out like a beacon of light in the city, almost standing as tall as Castle Arkos itself.

Rainbow was about to ask what building it was, but he suddenly felt a massive pull overcome him. Or rather, the pull was coming from the plates around his neck. He thought back to his few meetings with Arceus, and the answer came to him.

"Prism City Tower... " He gaped at the white beacon in all its majesty. This was the ultimate end goal of the journey. At the top of the tower rested the Distortion Altar, the only means to open a portal into the Distortion World, and subsequently, the only way to free Giratina. He kept an arm around the three hidden plates under his fur.

He could not allow that to happen. Once he got his hands on the rest of the plates, he was going to send them back to Arceus where they belong. No more would they inspire the greed in other Pokémon, and no longer will the threat of Giratina loom over the world. And that all started with the two plates that were being held within Prism City at the current moment.

Nearing the tower's base, Rainbow spotted five Pokémon conversing with one another. They stood in a particular formation that struck Rainbow as odd, however. One Pokémon was a Watchog, standing upright and alone across from the other four Pokémon.

Two of the four were Wobbuffets, both wearing matching red armbands around their left arms, signaling them to be part of some city's guard force apart from Glass City or Prism City. The two guards were flanking two more Pokémon, a Milotic and a Gorebyss.

What was interesting about the last two Pokémon, though, was the red ribbon that twisted around their bodies. The ribbons were also adorned with gems and were lined with gold.

"Behave, you two," Zeb warned his two passengers as they were carried within earshot of the five Pokémon. "The Milotic and the Gorebyss are wearing red silk ribbons."

"Uh, so?" Rainbow asked him, confused as to why this seemed to be a problem.

Zeb grunted. "It means they're from the Eastern Province. And all that gold and jewels aren't just for show. It means they're pretty damn important." Before Rainbow could stew on what exactly the 'Eastern Province' was, the trio arrived at the base of the tower. "Excuse me."

At the sound of Zeb's interjection, the five Pokémon turned to the new arrivals. Their reactions were noticeably different from one another. The Watchog seemed curious as to who the newcomers could be. The pair of Wobbuffet guards stiffened and seemed extremely alert. The Gorebyss and the Milotic, however, just seemed plain annoyed at the arrival.

The Watchog spoke up. "Can I help you?"

Zeb breezed past the awkwardness of the situation with ease, just wanting to get this job over with. "I have a certain delivery for Magellan Megnias?"

The Watchog perked up at the mention of the name. "Ah, yes! I've been waiting for this for nearly a month. It's a huge relief that it has gotten here on time." The Watchog then turned to his other guests. "I'm terribly sorry, but I must be preparing for the auction."

The Gorebyss turned quickly turned away from the Watchog. "Yes, we were just leaving anyway. Come, Polelto, we have other things to attend to." The Milotic followed after the Gorebyss obediently, not without giving an annoyed glance to the others before they left. The Wobbuffet followed after.

"Enjoy the festival, Katrine!" The Watchog called out to them, specifically the Gorebyss. Katrine gave no visible reaction, continuing on her way as if the Watchog never called out in the first place. He looked back to Zeb. "I'm Magellan, you said you had the delivery?"

Zeb nodded then looked over his shoulder to Vera and Rainbow. "Would you two mind helping me out?"

Vera nodded. "Of course." She then activated her Psychic and levitated the sealed crate up and out of the wagon, landing it in front of the Watchog. After she was done, she and Rainbow departed the wagon and stood to the side.

Magellan looked over the crate, making sure the seal wasn't broken or had been tampered with. "I trust it was a peaceful journey?"

Zeb humored him. "You could say that. A few attacks from some ferals is all."

Magellan patted the crate, visibly relieved of its condition. "Sounds dangerous for a courier to have to deal with alone."

"I had some company to help me." Zeb referred to Vera and Rainbow, who were still watching the exchange from the side.

"I see." Magellan pulled out a small sack, happily handing it to Zeb. "I thank you for your service. Here is the promised payment." Zeb tossed the pouch into the wagon.

"Thank you for your business." As Magellan dragged the crate into the entrance of the tower behind him, Zeb addressed his two companions. "Alright, kids, this is where I take my leave."

Vera gave a sad smile. "Are you not sticking around for the festivities?"

The Zebstrika shook his head. "I'm not much of a party Pokémon, believe it or not. I've got someone waiting for me at home, anyway."

Rainbow offered a paw to the older Pokémon, which he took. "Well, it was nice traveling with you, Zeb. I hope you have a safe return journey."

"I feel the same." Vera also shook his hoof. "Stay safe."

Zeb nodded. "I will, don't you worry. Have fun at the festival, you two, and don't get into too much trouble, you hear?" Once he saw the two nod, he smiled at them and turned around, making his way towards the exit and back to Glass City.

The two then were alerted to the sound of the door to the tower closing. They looked to find Magellan staring at them, seemingly surprised they were still here. "Oh, you're still here. May I help you two?"

Vera spoke up. "Yes, I was just wondering: are you perhaps the head of Megnias Archaeology?" She inquired. She had overheard Zeb call this Watchog 'Magellan Megnias', which was the namesake of Megnias Archeology.

"Why, yes, I am." He confirmed her theory.

"The same Megnias Archaeology that's sponsoring the auction?" Rainbow then asked.

Magellan grew visibly frustrated. "If this is about the main item being auctioned, I am not revealing what it is." Magellan seemed to understand where the two were going with their questioning, having already dealt with this situation with multiple other Pokémon. "That is the point of a 'mystery item' is it not?"

Vera tried to steer away from the topic of the mystery item, instead calmly asking a different question: "Where exactly is the auction taking place? You see, we're new to Prism City and don't exactly know our way around."

"Oh, that's it?" Magellan then pointed to a sign on the street side. The sign read: 'White Plaza'. "Follow the signs to White Plaza. The auction is tomorrow, but the opening ceremony tonight is also being held in the same place." Magellan checked the time, eyes slightly widening. "You better hurry, though. The opening ceremony begins in an hour."

Vera politely bowed to the Watchog. "Thank you for the help, Mr. Megnias."

Magellan grunted. "You're very welcome. Enjoy the festival." With that, the Watchog retreated into the tower.

Rainbow raised an eyebrow as he heard the door to the tower being locked. "Isn't the Prism City Tower also a public museum? Why is he locking it?"

"Perhaps the museum is closed for the festival." Vera speculated as they made their way back down the street, following the signs to White Plaza.

Rainbow was a tad disappointed. He had wanted to see the Distortion altar with his own eyes, but it seems he will have to wait for another day. "I guess we'll go see what this opening ceremony is about?"

"I believe so. We must wait until tomorrow to see if the auction has a plate, and I doubt we can even seek an audience with the king right now."

"So we're stuck, is what you're saying."

"Might as well enjoy the festivities while we can. Perhaps I can find another souvenir." Vera excitedly stated.

"That reminds me." Rainbow looked at his partner. "What souvenir did you get in Glass City? I completely forgot to ask you with all the craziness that happened."

Vera put on a smug smile. "Observe." She simply said, holding out her left hand. In her hand was a medium-sized pouch, utterly plain in looks.

"Oh, a pouch," Rainbow said in mock excitement. "Cool, I guess."

Vera pouted. "It is not just any pouch. It is an adventurer's pouch."

"A what?"

Vera opened the pouch in front of Rainbow, letting him see inside. He was a bit shocked to see that the pouch had much more space on the inside than it looked from the exterior. "What the hell? That's so cool!"

"You see? An adventurer's pouch is a special object that is enchanted by a psychic Pokémon to have more space on the inside. It's incredibly useful for carrying things around."

"Psychics can do that?" He asked her, amazed at the possibilities. "I've never even heard of that before." He put a paw on his chin. "I wonder if I can do that..."

"I doubt it." Vera bluntly stated, deflating Rainbow's wonder. "I have heard it takes years of intense training for a psychic to be able to bend space in such a manner. Some even say that psychics trained even further than that level can enchant items to cast illusions, although that is just speculation."

"Speaking of psychics." Rainbow quickly ducked into an empty side alley, turning into an Espeon. He stretched his now leaner limbs. "I haven't been able to transform because of Zeb. I still need to get used to being an Espeon."

As the two walked towards White Plaza, they couldn't help but soak in the atmosphere. It was buzzing with excitement and general happiness as many Pokémon put up decorations and chatted with one another.

They saw a group of kids playing tag in the street, another group of older Pokémon drinking together and joking around. The Pokémon were as colorful as the city itself. Rainbow didn't appreciate it before, but the city was beautiful.

Opposing the dark gray Castle Arkos that dominated every other building in the city, the architecture was filled with whites, tans, reds, and blues. Many buildings also sported colorful mosaic windows that cast rainbow-colored shadows onto the light gray paved streets.

As the day grew darker, the electric lights Rainbow was told about came to life. They lit up the streets and were also multicolored, casting many-colored shadows as well as many-colored lights. It seemed like Prism City was proud to show off as many colors as possible, as opposed to the pure white of Glass City.

It was when twilight covered the sky that the two arrived in White Plaza. The relatively huge space was packed full of chatty Pokémon all excited for the opening ceremony. A large stage was set up in the back of the plaza. This seemed to be where the auction was going to take place, but for now, it served another purpose.

As Vera and Rainbow situated themselves near the back of the crowd on the opposite end of the plaza from the stage, the crowd suddenly went silent.

"What's happening?" Rainbow whispered to Vera, confused as to why everything suddenly went quiet.

Vera seemed at a loss for an answer until the sound of trumpets started blaring. It was a regal tune that only seemed to grow louder in the silence of the plaza. The trumpets were soon followed by a golden carriage arriving near the stage. The carriage was pulled by two Rapidash, and it seemed to glow in the lights. Whispered murmurs that Rainbow caught from the crowd revealed who the carriage belonged to. The king…

With one mighty swing, the door to the carriage swung open. Out of the golden carriage first was a proud-looking Pyroar sporting a flowing golden cape. The Pyroar made his way onto the stage with large and confident strides. He stopped in the middle of the stage, gazing out onto the crowd.

"Good evening, people of Arkant!" King Fiero addressed the crowd, his voice deep and bellowing as if commanding everyone to pay attention and listen to him and him alone. The crowd immediately blazed with energy, cheering the Pokémon with a massive cheer. After letting them celebrate for a few seconds, he stamped his par down with a mighty boom. The crowd was instantly silenced.

"As you all know, tonight marks the beginning of the Autumn Festival." Even without shouting, his voice carried all the way to the back of the plaza. "This is an annual celebration for the success of the kingdom, as well as the ever-growing happiness of its people!" The crowd erupted again, cheering the speech on.

"But in order to celebrate the present, we must remember the past." The crowd quieted once again as Fiero continued. "450 years ago, Arkant was in constant war. No one Pokémon could rule the region, and this caused many countless deaths and sacrifices of life. But one Pokémon stood above the rest. My ancestor, Fiero von Arkos I. He managed to unite Arkant and bring peace to the new kingdom! We are here to also celebrate the ones that came before us, as well as honoring their legacy by becoming better with every year!"

Once again, the crowd cheered on the king. This time, he let the sound die down on its own before continuing. "As you all know, I have held the mantle of the king for many years now, and I fear I am nearing the end of my reign." This time, the crowd cried out in indignation. They couldn't seem to fathom the king retiring.

"Please, stall your sadness and look to the future! While my time may be ending soon, it will only be preceded by a new ruler, a better ruler, as it has been from the first king to now!" The crowd turned their cheers into ones of hopefulness.

"Now please, enjoy the festival to your heart's content! This year, we are pleased to be joined by the house of Gracia, representatives from the Eastern Province!" Fiero gestured to his upper left, motioning to a balcony on the building behind the stage.

Following his motion, Rainbow's eyes bugged out at the Pokémon he was referring to. The same Gorebyss and Milotic from before, now seemingly eating up the attention. "Please welcome Katrine Gracia and her heir, Polelto Gracia!" The crowd blew up at the introduction. Katrine and Polelto simply waved to the crowd with their tails.

"And what kind of Pokémon would I be, if I did not welcome my own family as well?" Fiero chuckled, now motioning to the carriage he had arrived in. Now stepping out of the golden carriage was a Ninetails. "Of course, my beautiful wife and matriarch of the Arkos house: Queen Ophelia von Arkos!" The crowd roared as the Nintetails took her place by her husband's side, waving and smiling all the way. She also wore a golden cape that matched Fiero's.

"My first daughter, and heiress to the throne: Princess Blazeira von Arkos!" The plaza was a tsunami of sounds as the crowd was shown their next ruler. Out of the carriage stepped a Ninetails with a silver pelt instead of the usual tan, marking her as a shiny Ninetails. Blazeira wore a golden tiara adorned with rubies on her head. She swiftly took to her father's other side, giving a largely neutral expression in response to the crowd's jubilant cheering.

"And of course, we cannot forget my second daughter-" The king was somehow cut off by the overbearing chant of the crowd. It was monstrously loud, but Rainbow made out the chant to be 'Star of Arkant', almost like this person was some sort of celebrity. The plaza only grew louder as the next Pokémon stepped out of the carriage.

It was another Ninetails, yet different. Instead of a tan or even silver pelt, her pelt was an icy blue. It didn't stop there, as her fur was longer than a usual Ninetails as well as curlier. Her eyes were an azure blue instead of red. She also wore a silver tiara adorned with sapphires.

"That's a Ninetails?" Rainbow managed to ask Vera under the crowd's audibly enormous noise.

Vera nodded to him and answered. "It is an extremely rare variant of Ninetails that is said to only be born once in a century. An Alolan Ninetails."

The Alolan Ninetails quickly made her way onto the stage and sat next to her stoic sister, seemingly embarrassed at the attention she was receiving. The king recovered from the interruption of the crowd.

"Yes, my second daughter: Princess Azaelia von Arkos!" The Alolan Ninetails blushed and hid her face behind one of her tails. Rainbow's eyes widened and his mouth stood agape, confusion hitting him like a train.

"Huh?!"

"Dang, that's Blaze's sister?!"

Syn leaned forward on the rooftop so much that he almost threatened to fall right off. That shiny Ninetails he called his teammate had been holding out on him! That sister of hers was a downright beauty!

He turned to look behind him to his other companion on the roof. "Hector, you've got to see this! Blaze's sister is a real looker!"

The Hippowdon groaned and joined his teammate near the edge of the roof, looking onto the stage. He saw Blaze there, the silver fox sitting with her usual neutral expression. The Alolan Ninetails next to her must be the one Syn was referring to. "And?"

"Ah," Syn swatted at Hector. "You wouldn't understand. You only have fighting in that one-track mind of yours anyway."

Hector grunted before turning away, laying down, and shutting his eyes. "Wake me when we move on."

"Yeah, yeah." He dismissed his larger teammate.

Fiero could now be heard once again. "Tomorrow, Princess Blazeira celebrates another year of life! Tomorrow, she grows one year closer to ascending the throne! But for now, we celebrate! We honor our ancestors! We believe in our futures! We celebrate with each other!" The crowd blasted one last time. "Tonight, we begin the Autumn Festival!"

With that, Fiero raised a paw in his own cheer. By this point, the crowd went ballistic. Streamers, hats, and confetti were thrown in the air as the trumpets played a jubilant tune. Syn just couldn't resist, throwing his own fist in the air.

"Hell yeah!" He chuckled. He looked down to the stage once more. This time, he spotted Blaze looking at him at the same time. As they made eye contact, the Champion of Giratina smirked. "This is gonna be a hell of a time!"