Rainbow: Espeon
All thirty-two contestants now lined the perimeter of the circular arena, facing each other with fiery determination. The rules for this tournament were a little different than usual, much to everyone's surprise.
"As this tournament is starting rather late, we do not have enough time for one vs. one battle all throughout. Therefore, the first round will be used to weed out the weaker contestants."
It was determined that the first round of the tournament was to be a battle royale between all thirty-two contestants. They were to compete in a free-for-all brawl until only eight Pokémon remained. At that point, the tournament would then continue in a bracket-style one vs. one format.
Rainbow looked to his left and saw Polelto further down the line. He was glaring each Pokémon in the eye, one by one. When he reached Rainbow, he sneered. Rainbow stuck his tongue out, causing Polelto to cringe and look away.
Rainbow snickered before then looking to his right. The Hippowdon was silently watching those around him as if already contemplating how he would beat each and every one. Rainbow felt a chill when he watched the Pokémon. As he said to Polelto, that Hippowdon just didn't feel right to him. He just screamed 'danger'.
Rainbow then glanced up to Vera, who was situated near the front of the stands. She met his eyes and smiled, giving him a thumbs-up for good luck. 'You've got this' she seemed to say. Rainbow nodded, reassuring her.
He then shifted his gaze to the most eye-catching Pokémon in Indigo Plaza. Azaelia sat near the railing of her private box, her paw was clenched onto the banister. To his surprise she was already looking at him, blue eyes meeting purple.
Azaelia frowned, her eyes glazed with worry for her friend. While he wouldn't die in an official tournament like this, there was still a chance that he could be incredibly hurt. She dread what might happen to her precious friend, and that was putting her on constant edge. She pursed her lips tightly and tensed.
All the tension and fear left, however, when she saw him give her a toothy smile. A smile that seemed to say to her: 'Leave it all to me.' Azaelia relaxed instantly, melting into the smile he gave her. It was then that she believed him, that he will win this tournament, that she had absolutely nothing to worry about.
She released a breath, feeling all the pent-up tension leave her. Her lips upturned into a small smile, her eyes turning slightly hopeful. She nodded confidently in return. She raised her paw into the air, clenched in a fist.
All the contestants noticed the gesture, now tensing and waiting for the paw to swing down. Silence overtook the plaza, so much so that the drop of a pin could probably be heard. All the Pokémon in the arena only had one thought on their mind:
Win.
Princess Azaelia von Arkos threw her paw down, and the Pokémon sprinted forward. The battle had begun.
Rainbow felt part of his fur singe as he ducked under a Flamethrower. He flipped forwards and regained his footing before retaliating with a Psybeam. His attack flew straight and true, nailing the Camerupt that was his current attacker. The Pokémon was pushed back. Camerupt came to a slow stop, grimacing at the pain before glaring at the Espeon that was his target. He stomped and sprinted towards Rainbow with a Flame Charge.
As Rainbow had done years earlier with a feral Houndoom, he stood his ground and prepared to sidestep the Flame Charge right before it hit. He could then pile another attack on top of the out-of-control Camerupt and hopefully put him out of commission.
His plan ultimately did not come to fruition, however, as the Camerupt's charge was suddenly interrupted by a powerful Aqua Tail that smashed him off course and into the side of the arena, unconscious. Rainbow blinked in surprise, looking to the origin of the attack.
Much to his chagrin, he saw Polelto whipped his tail back to his side, flicking off the remnants of the Water energy. The Milotic smirked at Rainbow. "What, you can't even handle one Pokémon?"
Rainbow's eye twitched in annoyance. "I was hoping to meet you in the proper tournament," his purple eyes glowed as he charged another Psybeam. "But it looks like I'll just have to eliminate you here."
Polelto sneered. "I'd like to see you try." As Rainbow unleashed his Psybeam, Polelto quickly reared his head back and opened his jaw wide. The powerful Psybeam was met with an equally powerful Hydro Pump.
The clash of the two attacks produced a sudden steam explosion, cutting off the visibility for a good portion of the arena. Rainbow moved his gaze all around him, trying to spot any Pokémon he could in the heavy fog cloud. He could hear the shouts of the audience and the grunts of his fellow competitors. A multitude of colors flashed all around him, signaling the many attacks that were being thrown around.
His hairs stood on end, and he quickly dropped to his left. He narrowly missed a sweeping kick from a Hitmonlee sail just over his head. He kicked off with his left paw and gained some distance from the fighting type.
The Hitmonlee chased Rainbow, sweeping another kick from the right, then the left, then jumped into the air to deliver an axe-kick from above. Rainbow was quick on his feet and narrowly dodged each strike. As the Hitmonlee was recovering from his final attack, Rainbow blasted him away with Psychic.
The Hitmonlee flew from the super-effective move and skidded to a stop on the ground. The Hitmonlee struggled to get up but stood back on his feet nonetheless. Without missing a beat, and feeling slightly bad for the Pokémon, Rainbow shot a Psybeam onto the recovering Hitmonlee. This attack kept the Pokémon down, putting him out of the game.
Rainbow sighed in relief. The fog was now starting to clear up, revealing that almost half of the contestants were still in the game. He spotted Polelto currently battling an Onyx, a battle of serpents it would seem. He also saw the Hippowdon standing still and observing the other competitors. He had barely a scratch on him and seemed rather bored.
Rainbow shook his head. He had no time to observe the others. There was only one way to continue on, and that was to survive these last eliminations. On that note, he targeted his next Pokémon, a Metang, and charged in.
The Metang quickly spotted him. It held its ground, waiting for Rainbow to come in closer. Rainbow stayed low to the ground, his tail shining Steel energy as he charged his Iron Tail. As he arrived right under the Metang he used his momentum to suddenly backflip, aiming to strike the Pokémon from under.
The Metang foresaw this and backed away just before the Iron Tail struck it. While Rainbow was still airborne, it Bullet Punched the Espeon's chest. Rainbow grimaced in pain at the first real hit he had received this round, and it hurt. Turns out his Espeon form doesn't have nearly as much defense as his Umbreon form.
"Surrender yourself," the Metang spoke in a monotonous tone. "This matchup is out of your favor. You will lose."
Rainbow cursed under his breath. His opponent was right. He didn't have any effective moves to use on the Metang and he had already taken a heavy hit. He had entered this tournament as an Espeon to feel out the evolution in battle, as this was the perfect opportunity to. Against this opponent, he really wished he was an Umbreon. He couldn't switch in front of so many people, though. Doing so would draw too much unwanted attention to himself and the plates he held, so he just had to tough it out for now.
He glanced to his side and semi confidently smiled at what he saw, a plan already forming in his head. If he couldn't fight this Pokémon effectively, he would just have to use his surroundings. "You're gonna have to knock me out first."
The Metang seemed unfazed at Rainbow's taunt. "Very well then." It shot a Flash Cannon, causing Rainbow to dodge to the side, before charging in with a Thunder Punch.
Rainbow felt the sparks of the attack as it grazed his cheek. He ducked away and hopped back a few paces, but the Metang was already in him with a Bullet Punch from above. The attack would have smashed into Rainbow's spine had he not seen it just in time enough to roll.
The punch left a small crater in the stone ground that was the arena floor. Rainbow winced at the power behind the attack, really hoping he wouldn't be on the receiving end of one of those any time soon.
Rainbow backed away a few more paces and fired a Psybeam at the recovering attacker. It didn't seem to do much in terms of damage, but it roused the Metang to come after Rainbow with more vigor. With a grunt, its fists flew at an incredible speed towards Rainbow, each one charged with the incredible power of a Meteor Mash.
Rainbow but his lower lip and focused on the fists that were flying at him. Right, left, his chest, his head, a hook. He began to sweat at the constant assault, most of the attacks just grazing him. Just how many punches could this Metang throw?
He didn't have to ponder the question long, however, as the attacks seemed to be slowing down in rate. With one last grunt of effort, the Metang threw a Thunder Punch. Rainbow tried to dodge, but the Metang had purposefully delayed his attack which caused Rainbow to mistime his dodge. This allowed the Thunder Punch to land squarely on Rainbow's left cheek.
He skidded back on all fours, trying his hardest not to go down. His head was ringing from that last hit and his cheek felt sore. This guy could really pack a punch. Quickly checking where he was, though, but a confident smirk on his face. They were in position.
He goaded the Metang into an attack with another Psybeam. Again, it didn't do much damage, but it still caused it to rush forward one last time, intent on finishing this battle once and for all. Rainbow waited until the last second before dodging. The straight Meteor Mash flew past Rainbow…
...and right into the rump of a Hippowdon.
Said Hippowdon barely flinched from the attack. Instead, he slowly turned around so that he towered over the Metang. Rainbow quickly ducked away from the confrontation.
"That was a cheap shot. Are you a coward or something?" The low and booming voice of the Hippowdon came out over the Metang.
"My apologies, but you seem to be in my way." The Metang then said. He charged another Meteor Mash, seemingly unperturbed that the last one didn't do much damage. "Please move."
The Metang rose up to the Hippowdon's face and threw his punch. It seemed like it would land dead center, until the Hippowdon suddenly opened his mouth, crushing his massive jaws down on the Metang's arm. The Steel-type gasped in pain at the unexpected Bite. He tried to get his arm out of the mouth, but it was trapped.
The Hippowdon wound his head to the right, taking the Metang along with it. He then threw his head to the left, letting the Bite go at the height of its speed. The Metang flew like a bullet, looking only like a blur in Rainbow's eyes as it impacted the wall.
It made a more-than-large vertical crater in the arena wall. Rainbow winced at just how powerful of an impact the Pokémon made. One thing was for sure, this Hippowdon was strong. As the dust cleared from the impact, one could see the Metang partially stuck hanging from the wall. Its one arm was crushed, but it was thankfully unconscious.
"I hate cowards." The Hippowdon spat.
With that, horns blew throughout the plaza. The crowd roared and cheered at the now eight remaining Pokémon still conscious within the arena.
"The first round has concluded!" Azaelia announced from her box. "These eight Pokémon remain, the strongest of the initial thirty-two!" Rainbow spotted Polelto among these eight. He had a few scuff marks on him but otherwise seemed fine.
Rainbow didn't know why, but he felt the need to nod in acknowledgment at the Milotic. Polelto caught the action, only staring at Rainbow's action. After a moment he nodded back, albeit with some reluctance.
"Warriors," Azaelia started once again, drawing their attention. "Return to the stands. Your matchups will be announced shortly."
The eight followed her instructions, joining the crowd in the stands. Most were being cheered on and patted on the back in congratulations by their fans. Polelto looked disgusted by the contact and told them off while Rainbow rubbed his neck in minor embarrassment at all the attention he was getting. Eventually, he found Vera, who beckoned him to sit next to her.
Vera patted Rainbow's shoulder as he sat by her side. "Good job, that was quite the fight." She congratulated him.
"Thanks," he acknowledged. "Though it was pretty tough, especially that Hippowdon." At the mention of the Pokémon, he glanced around until he found him. The Hippowdon was seated near the outskirts of the plaza, with the same Absol from before talking up a storm. He looked… disappointed.
Rainbow jumped in surprise when he felt the soreness and stings of the attacks he took start to fade away. Vera still had her hand placed upon his shoulder, green energy flowing from her into him.
"You didn't have to use your blessing for this, I can tough it out." He whispered to the Gardevoir. She only gave a small chuckle in response.
"You have to be in top condition for this," she finished healing him, retracting her hand and placing it on her lap. "Plus, this is all I can do for us to reach Azaelia once again. Allow me this much."
Rainbow looked at her in surprise. Her eyes sparkled in determination. She truly wanted Rainbow to win this tournament, and this was all she was capable of doing to help. He smiled back at her and nodded.
"Alright, then," he held his paw out expectantly in a fist. Vera stared at it for a second before meeting it with her own. "We'll reach her, using both of our strengths."
It was then a horn was sounded, signaling the announcement of the matchups for the second round. All sound died down and all eyes turned to the private box, where Azaelia was now standing up.
Azaelia then announced the first fighters of the one vs. one matchups. "I call Sulfra the Monferno from Geonick Village of the Northern Province to the arena!"
At the announcement, a Monferno excitedly leaped from the crowds and into the pit that was the arena. She spun in a circle, arms waving and a smile on her face. She was really soaking up the attention.
Azaelia continued. "Next, her opponent will be Hector the Hippowdon from Gold City of the Eastern Province!"
A slow lumbering was heard coming from the stands. The crowd parted, revealing the Hippowdon. He reached the edge of the stands before hopping down into the arena. He landed with a loud thud. He did not smile or wave, but rather kept his gaze on his opponent.
Sulfra the Monferno hopped to her side of the arena, eager to get a move on with the match. "Such a downer, huh?" She goaded her opponent. "Come on, man. You got to give the fans something!"
Hector only glared at the Monferno, giving her only one response: "Do not disappoint me."
Sulfra smirked at the statement, readying her fists. "You got it."
Azaelia addressed Sulfra. "Fighter one, are you ready?"
The Monferno threw some mock punches, then saluted the Alolan Ninetails. "Let's get this thing started, Princess!"
Azaelia nodded to her before turning to Hector. "Fighter two?" Hector only nodded, his glare never leaving Sulfra. Azaelia raised her clenched paw up once again. "Then, let this round begin!" She threw her paw down.
At the signal, Sulfra dashed forward, seemingly going for a straightforward assault on the larger Pokémon. "Get ready!" She warned, a Mach Punch already cocked and ready. She soon reached the Hippowdon, who had yet to move, and threw her fist straight and true towards Hector's lower jaw. She smirked as her fist grew closer to its mark. This Hippowdon was making it easy on her, huh.
But as the fist almost connected, something flashed in Hector's eyes. Instantly the Hippowdon brought his trunk of a leg up and slammed it down.
"AH!" Sulfra screamed out in pain. Her fist was stomped down by Hector's leg, smashing it into the ground and trapping her. Tears of pain formed around her eyes. Her arm felt like it was on fire like it had been completely pulverized under the force and weight of the stomp.
Hector looked down on the Monferno that was his opponent in disappointment. "Pathetic."
With that one word, his whole body quickly lurched forward. He bashed his trapped opponent point blank with a Take Down. The force and power behind the attack consequently freed Sulfra's flattened arm from under Hector's stomp. Sulfra's body was blown backward, flying a few meters away before tumbling to a halt.
She laid flat on her back. Her eyes were closed shut and her arm was absolutely mangled. Blood leaked from her mouth and nose. She was out and down for the count.
"The… the winner… the winner," Azaelia started, her voice shaking. She was obviously not expecting such brutality in what she thought was only going to be a light-hearted tournament. "The winner is Hector."
The plaza was filled with boos and jeers, the crowd obviously disliking Hector's style of combat. A duo of medical Pokémon appeared in the arena and carried the Monferno out of the arena and away from the crowd. Hector only lumbered back to where he had previously been, the crown avoiding the Pokémon like the plague.
"Oh my Arceus… " Vera held her hands to her mouth in shock. "That poor Pokémon… "
Rainbow gulped in nervousness. "Yeah, that was… too much."
Rainbow bit his lip. That display was brutal and unnecessary, but it was also a warning. There was pure power behind that Hippowdon, no, Hector. This was a message to the rest of the fighters, one that spelled doom for all of them. Hector of Gold City was not to be underestimated.
He looked to Hector, who was once again being talked to by that Absol. Rainbow clenched his paw at the sight of the relaxing Hippowdon. In a tournament like this, he was bound to meet Hector or someone even stronger if he was to win.
He averted his gaze to the private box. Azaelia was shivering, clearly frightened by the previous fight. Rainbow clenched his paw into a fist. He had to win, no matter how powerful a Pokémon he had to face. Whether it be Hector, Polelto, or even someone else, he had to prevail.
Because if he didn't, he may never be able to reach his friend again.
The next round came and went more smoothly than the first. The contestants were between a Gliscor and a Shiftry. Without much brutality, the Gliscor prevailed, and the next round was called after the two left the arena.
Azaelia, relieved that this match was less violent than the first, stood and announced the next fighter: "I call Felman the Scolipede from Laketown Village of the Southern Province!"
Felman the Scolipede arrived into the arena without any words, only bowing to Azaelia and the crowd.
Azaelia continued: "His opponent will be Polelto Gracia the Milotic from Prismarine City of the Eastern Province!" The Milotic slithered down into the arena, smiling and waving at the cheerful crowd. He soaked in the cheers with a satisfied smile, his royal red ribbon waving around his body.
Polelto turned and bowed to Azaelia. "I shall win this bout for the sake of your beauty, my lady Azaelia."
Azaelia was taken aback by the forward comment, an awkward smile on her face. "Uh, thank you. I guess?" She mumbled the last part under her breath. She found herself glancing in a certain Espeon's direction before returning her gaze to Polelto. "Are you ready to begin?"
Polelto smiled. "Naturally."
"I am as well." Came the soft-spoken voice of Felman on the other side of the arena.
Azaelia nodded, raising her clenched paw into the air. "Let this round begin!" She threw the paw down, and the two rushed forwards.
Felman lowered his head in his charge, powering up a Mega Horn. As the two grew close, Polelto lurched forwards in a frontflip, his tail coming down in an overhead swing and meeting Felman's attack with his own Aqua Tail. The two struggled for dominance in the clash until they broke away from one another.
Felman retaliated immediately by throwing out a Sludge Bomb. Polelto reacted quickly, batting the attack away with another Aqua Tail from his powerful appendage. The Sludge Bomb was thrown into the side of the arena with an explosion.
Polelto quickly fired a Hydro Pump in retaliation of his own. The powerful beam of water came close to the Scolipede, but Felman dropped to the ground onto all of his legs. He scuttled to the side, getting clear of the Hydro Pump, before rolling himself up and charging forwards in a Rollout.
Polelto gasped, hurriedly cutting off his Hydro Pump and erecting a Protect. Felman crashed into the barrier, recoiling back after not being able to break it. Polelto dropped it, then swung his tail in a horizontal motion and sidelined Helman with a Dragon Tail.
Helman grunted in pain, the first attack to land this match. He recovered quickly and landed on his feet, immediately charging with Rollout again. Polelto smirked, he was ready for it this time. He easily slithered to the side of the attack, making sure to bat the Scolipede with another Dragon Tail as he rolled past.
Felman grit his teeth. He had only taken two hits, yet he felt as though he was run over by a stampede of feral Tauros. This Milotic's tail was powerful, and in the hands of a fighter like Polelto, it was extremely dangerous.
The effects of Rollout were not over, however, as once again Felman charged straight at Polelto with another Rollout. Polelto smirked at the predictable move. "Now you're making it just too easy, peasant."
Once again, Felman could do nothing as Polelto moved to the side and smashed him with another Dragon Tail. His ribs were starting to hurt like hell, and he still had to let out two more Rollouts before the effect was gone. He had to bear it if he wanted a chance to win.
Again he charged with Rollout. Polelto sighed. "Looks like I won't even get to use it." He murmured in disappointment. "Ok then, let's get this over with."
But as he was about to dodge, his tail was suddenly held in place. He widened his eyes in shock. "What?" He looked down to just catch something black around his tail before he was bashed with the Rollout. He lost his breath at the unexpected hit and was thrown back, his tail now free.
He prepared himself once more as Felman used Rollout one last time. Again, as soon as he readied himself to dodge, his tail once again got stuck on something. Looking down once more, he saw a grey arm with red claws seemingly appearing from the shadows on the ground and latching onto his tail.
At that instant, he couldn't believe exactly what he was seeing. His thoughts couldn't last, though, as he was consequently bashed by a double-powered Rollout. He grimaced at the pain in his body, but it was still bearable.
Felman uncurled himself, now glaring at Polelto in rage. "Do you pity me?!" The once soft-spoken Pokémon had now lost his cool.
Polelto caught his breath then glared back. "What?"
"I asked if you pity me." Felman grit his teeth. "You could have easily dodged my last two strikes, yet you stood and took them without retaliation. Did you pity me?!"
Polelto scoffed at the accusation. "Ha! Do not think so low of me, peasant. My tail was simply caught, that was all. Why don't you silence yourself and come at me!"
With that exclamation, Polelto fired a Hydro Pump. Felman scuttled around the beam, staying low on all of his appendages and coming close. Megan Horn was charged as the Scolipede shot up right under Polelto's body.
Using his superior flexibility, Polelto leaned back and dodged the attack. As he fell back he whipped his tail in an upwards motion, coating it in an Aqua Tail as he did. The attack was in perfect condition to uppercut the recovering opponent.
The Aqua Tail swiped perfectly under Felman's chin, launching him in an upwards arc. He didn't let that stop him, however, as he already flipped himself around and shot a Sludge Bomb while he was still in the air.
Polelto slithered forwards, matching his speed to the flying Scolipede's. The Sludge Bomb landed uselessly behind him, serving only to kick up some dust. As Felman was coming in for a rough landing, Polelto stood idly at the Scolipede's presumed landing spot with a Dragon Tail ready.
Felman spotted Polelto under him and widened his eyes. After a moment of desperate thought, he closed them, resigning himself to his fate and bracing himself for the blow. Polelto reared his powerful tail to the side. Just when Felman was about to hit the ground, he swiped his tail horizontally into the falling Pokémon.
The attack caused the Scolipede to smash into the ground at an accelerated rate. This fact, coupled with the power behind Polelto's tail, finally rendered Felman unconscious. Polelto let out a small breath, and the crowd roared.
"The winner is Polelto Gracia!" Azaelia announced from her box. Polelto smiled and basked in the cheering crowd. He used his tail to wipe some sweat from his brow.
"Was there ever any doubt?"
Fiero threw open the door to the planning room with vigor. Stepping inside, he spotted a large table in the center with a map of Arkant spread on top. Desks filled with papers stood abandoned throughout the room, the usual workers either out on patrol or enjoying the festival. The only one still in the room was studying the map.
"What have you called me here for, captain?" Fiero walked up to the side of the Golurk. This Golurk was the current leader of the Prism City Guard Force, Captain Stonerook. He wore the signature armband of the Prism City Guard Force as well as a rainbow-colored cap. The massive Pokémon took a brief respite from his studying to greet the king.
"My King, I thank you for humoring me. I know you must be very busy with the festival at this time." The Golurk spoke in a low drone of a voice, yet it still held proper respect.
"Yes, I am extremely busy. But if the captain of the Guard Force himself asks for my presence, it must be serious."
Stonerook nodded to the king. "It very much is, as I believe we may be facing a potential threat to the country itself."
Fiero narrowed his eyes at the Golurk. "Explain yourself, Stonerook."
Stonerook gestured to the map spread on the table. Arkant was the shape of a poorly proportioned circle. Looking from the bottom, it was split into four distinct regions: The Northern Province to the top left, the Eastern Province to the top right, the Western Province to the bottom left, and the Southern Province to the bottom right. The Southern Province, however, was a water-filled bay that covered the whole province's portion of the map. The circle was instead completed by three large islands that outlined the southern portion of the province.
Prism City was situated in a large plain right on the border of the Western and Northern Provinces. Glass City was located south of Prism City in the heart of the Western Province and right on the outskirts of the Southern Great feral forest. Prismarine City was far to the east, right on the shores of the Great Kyogre Sea that was most of the Southern Province's region.
What piqued Fiero's curiosity, however, was the multitude of marks on the towns and cities of the Northern Province. These marks seemed to revolve around an epicenter, where the density of the marks rose significantly.
"What is all of this?" Fiero asked the captain as he studied the marks around the map. Stonerook lumbered around to the other side of the table and laid a massive finger on one of the marks.
"These marks are all certain incidents that have happened. Everything from petty crimes like stealing and disturbing the peace, to more serious crimes such as vandalism… and even murder."
Fiero clenched a paw at the mention of that particular crime. "Crimes happen everywhere throughout this country. It's a shame the Guard Forces cannot catch them all, but why are these crimes specific crimes marked?"
Stonerook retracted his finger and slowly walked to one of the desks in the room. He grabbed a stack of parchment paper and walked back to the map, plopping the stack onto the table. "These are all of the incident reports we've gathered for these crimes in particular." He selected a few from the top of the stack and handed them to Fiero.
The king glanced through the few reports he had on hand. A theft from a berry gatherer, an assault on a local civilian, and an assault on a preacher. Each one seemed like their own separate occurrence, but what they had in common was a single name that each report mentioned at least once.
"Stonerook," he gained the attention of the guard captain. "Do these incidents all have the name 'Sunset Stars' involved?" He asked Stonerook.
Stonerook nodded gravely. "Yes, my lord. Each and every one of these incidents marked on this map have all been reported with that name specifically. From theft to murder, they all are somehow associated with the name 'Sunset Stars'."
Fiero looked back to the map. There were hundreds of these incidents spread all throughout the Northern Province. It was baffling to think that all of those crimes were associated with these 'Sunset Stars'. "Do we know who, or what, they are?"
Stonerook shuffled through a few pages before landing on one in particular. He showed it to Fiero, who narrowed his eyes at the highlighted words:
Sacrilege
Heretics
Giratina
"My lord," Stonerook brought Fiero's attention back to him. "from several of these reports we have gathered that… we may be dealing with a cult."
Fiero stepped back from the papers spread out before him in shock. "A cult? Certainly, these incidents seem to be connected, but to say a cult is responsible?" He shook his head and raised an eyebrow to his guard captain. "Is there any proof?"
Stonerook raised a massive hand to his chin in thought. "It's not definitive, so we cannot conclusively say that this is the case, but there is a possible tell." He shifted through multiple other reports until he came across a few more that seemed to be the ones he was looking for. "Some of these reports also have a more staggering connection."
Fiero looked at the new reports that were now before him. Like the last bunch that had overlapping words, these ones also had one detail about the criminals that connected them together.
Stonerook summarized: "From some of these reports, notably the ones involving physical and violent crimes, the attackers were seen with a certain symbol burned onto their bodies."
Fiero came upon the last paper in the reports. This one, however, was detailed with a drawing. Any regular Pokémon would see this symbol as a weird-looking rectangle that was broken into two pieces. But Fiero could recognize that weird-looking rectangle. It was messy, not entirely a perfect representation, but he could tell what the artist was going for.
A Lost Plate of Arceus broken in two.
"I call Rainbow the Espeon from the Southern Great feral forest of the Western Province to the arena!"
Rainbow hopped down from the stands, Vera joining the crowd and cheering him on. He energetically hopped from paw to paw, eager to start the fight. He liked this a lot better. A free-for-all was fun, but he could carry himself better in a classic one vs one fight.
He noticed Azaelia giving him a look of apprehension from his peripherals. He turned to meet her gaze and gave a soft smile. Azaelia hesitantly returned the gesture, her smile filled with worry, but also a little hope.
"His opponent will be-"
"Let's get on with it already!" Azaelia faltered under the unexpected interruption. She looked to the other side of the arena where a Marowak now stood, cockily leaning on her bone. The crowd jeered Rainbow's opponent for interrupting the Star of Arkant so brazenly. "I don't have all day."
Azaelia frowned at this Marowak's attitude, but the show must go on. "Yes, anyway, his opponent will be Desmi the Marowak from Baspen Village of the Northern Province!"
Desmi twirled her bone and waved at the crowd. She was met with some boos from her earlier action, but was still cheered on by most.
Azaelia raised her paw one more time. "Are both fighters ready?"
Rainbow nodded in determination, narrowing his eyes at the Marowak. Something that struck Rainbow as odd from her appearance, however, was the apparent burn mark on her left thigh. It had a weird shape to just be some scar, as it looked like a rectangle that was broken in half. He shook his head, not letting it distract him any more than it had to. "I'm ready."
Desmi rested her bone across her shoulders, an open palm now facing the Espeon that was her opponent. "On with it, princess. I'm gonna mop the floor with this guy as quickly as possible."
Azaelia frowned with worry for Rainbow one last time before resigning herself to her role. With a heavy breath, she threw her paw down.
The fight had begun.