I'm back! I hope all of you in the States also had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Enjoy the new chapter!
Drumbeats reverberated throughout Indigo Plaza. The rhythmic pounding grew louder with each passing moment. Pokémon of all shapes and sizes filled the plaza's audience stands, all here for the singular purpose of watching the final match of the impromptu tournament.
Veraloe took a deep breath in an attempt to steady the drumbeats, which she now recognized as her raging heart. She placed a hand on her chest. If this match had her feeling this way, she could only imagine how Rainbow must be feeling right now.
The tension she felt inside did not show on her face, however. She had resigned herself to remain as calm as possible in any given situation. But that resignation did not stop the pounding of her heart nor the stiffness in her posture.
With the true intentions of Polelto Gracia revealed, she now knew the gravity of the situation. This final match not only determined the winner of the competition, but also the emotional future of Princess Azaelia van Arkos.
Veraloe could gauge Pokémon pretty well, she thought. Upon meeting the Ninetails a few weeks ago, she found her to be the following: shy, soft-spoken, and the feeling of wanting independence. She noticed how much the princess would light up whenever she was on the topic of history and myths. Veraloe could see the passion behind her eyes whenever she talked about Arkant and its history.
But even deeper in those eyes was something else, something darker. Veraloe could see the melancholy seeping through small cracks inside. A sadness, loneliness, and heartbreak.
Of course, she couldn't know the princess's situation exactly, but she could relate to the feelings Azaelia felt. They were feelings everyone would find themselves going through at some point in their life. Everyone is hit differently by these negative feelings, and Azaelia had obviously been hit hard.
She took another deep breath, rubbing the tiredness from her eyes. She saw the two Pokémon already facing off in the arena, staring each other down with visible tension and intensity. Polelto towered over his Espeon opponent, but he showed no signs of arrogance or overconfidence.
Veraloe could not disagree with the Milotic's train of thought. Azaelia needed companionship. Pokémon that she could lean on and be supported by. He seemed completely genuine about doing so as well.
But going about it through marriage? To her, it seemed like an extremely rushed and unwarranted leap. The craziest part was that it seemed plausible. Prismarine City is an extremely wealthy and high-class city. Political marriages are common, and she doubted Polelto was anything below the King's standards for a suitor.
But forcing an already emotionally volatile Pokémon into a marital relationship was dangerous, especially if it was against her own wishes. No, what Azaelia needed was a friend. Veraloe wholeheartedly believed that the Espeon facing down Polelto was just the type of Pokémon that Azaelia needed.
After all, that was the reason she and Rainbow had come to this tournament in the first place. Sure, the money and title were certainly tempting. But the wellbeing of their mutual friend mattered all the more.
Veraloe could see it in Rainbow's eyes. Right here, at this moment, he had completely forgotten about their greater purpose for attending this festival. To him, all that mattered right now was to talk to Azaelia at least just one last time. The plates, well, they could worry about later.
It was a dangerous mindset to be in, yet endearing all the same.
She soothed her beating heart once more. It wouldn't be long now.
Rainbow: Espeon
Rainbow could see the apprehension in Azaelia's eyes.
Her face remained as emotionless and neutral as ever, but her eyes were a raging pool of conflicting emotions. He didn't need to be psychic to tell that much. She shifted her gaze between the two competitors on the field as if she was wholly unsure of how to feel about the match.
That was fine. After he won, he would show her that she has a friend and a companion in him. He didn't want to see her so lonely and isolated any longer, especially after he got to know the real her so well.
He shifted on his paws and met the hardened gaze of his opponent, Polelto Gracia.
When he had first met the heir to Prismarine City, he could admit that he didn't like him. The Milotic seemed so arrogant and full of himself. He looked down on Rainbow and others because of their determined social status.
And yet, he showed heart. His wish of giving Azaelia companionship in her loneliness came from a place of genuine concern, maybe even sympathy. Of all the things Rainbow could dislike about the Pokémon, his heart was his most admirable feature.
The crowd was suddenly hushed as all eyes turned towards the princess. She stood upright, her head level and addressing the plaza.
"Today we gathered some of the best fighters Arkant has to offer. We watched as thirty-two Pokémon were whittled down to just two. Only one of these two brave fighters will be crowned the first champion of the Autumn Festival Tournament!"
The crowd roared in applause. Cheers for both contenders were heard filling the stands. Even with the public reveal of Rainbow's power, many Pokémon still bet on Polelto winning this match. Azaelia continued:
"Polelto Gracia, are you ready?"
The Milotic in question simply nodded confidently to her question, never taking his eyes off of Rainbow. "Of course, Princess." There seemed to be no overconfidence this time. He was taking this seriously.
Azaelia then slowly shifted her eyes to meet Rainbow's form. With some hesitation, she asked him the question. "Rainbow, are you ready?"
For a moment Rainbow did not relay his answer. Then he turned to her, a small smile on his face. "I'm ready."
Azaelia made a small gulp and sighed through her nostrils. With slight apprehension, she raised her paw. The electric lights may be shining into the arena, but the pale blue moonlight seemed to shine onto Azaelia's fur of the same color, giving the Star of Arkant an almost ethereal glow. At this moment, Rainbow could really understand her nickname.
His attention was diverted, however, when her paw was thrown downwards. The final battle of the tournament had started.
Polelto started the round by immediately gunning towards Rainbow in a zig-zag pattern. Rainbow blinked once and the Milotic seemed to already be on top of him. Rainbow's eyes widened in surprise at the speed of the attack.
Not allowing the Milotic to come any closer, Rainbow focused his mind and surrounded his opponent with Psychic. His plan was to throw the larger Pokémon back and follow up with some ranged attacks.
That plan, however, fell through as Polelto opened his mouth and fired a Hydro Pump from his frozen state. Rainbow dropped the Psychic and hastily erected a Light Screen just before the attack landed.
Even with the defensive move, the Hydro Pump still managed to throw Rainbow back a few paces. With his newfound freedom, Polelto continued straight towards Rainbow and swiped an Aqua Tail from Rainbow's left.
Rainbow saw the attack coming and decided to at least use this opportunity to get a hit in as well. He quickly switched to Umbreon. The Aqua Tail hit Rainbow on his right shoulder. He rolled with the hit and used the momentum to push off the ground and into Polelto with a Payback.
Polelto's serpentine head was blown back and he grunted in pain. He followed the lead of his momentum and slithered away from the Umbreon. They both stood still for a few moments, taking a short respite.
Rainbow was already short of breath. His stamina had yet to completely recover from his last match. He could only switch a few more times before he completely exhausted himself. He would have to fight conservatively from now on.
"Not bad," Polelto smirked at his recuperating opponent. "But I hope that isn't all you have to offer."
Rainbow finally steadied his breath. He returned Polelto's expression with his own. "You haven't seen anything yet."
Rainbow led the next confrontation with an Assurance. Polelto nimbly dodged to the side, quickly bringing his tail up. Rainbow was completely out in the open from his missed attack, leaving him unprotected from Polelto's next move.
Polelto used the opportunity to wrap his lengthy tail around Rainbow's midsection, trapping him in the serpentine appendage. He then started to swing his tail in an arc, winding up to throw the Umbreon into the nearest wall.
With how powerful Rainbow had seen Polelto's tail be, he couldn't risk taking this next blow. Deciding it was necessary, Rainbow switched to Eevee. His now smaller size allowed him to slip from the tail's hold.
While Polelto was still recovering from his spinning tail, Rainbow rained Take Down into the Milotic's chest. Quicker on his feet as an Eevee, Rainbow skipped backward while swiping his tail and fired a Swift as he retreated.
The barrage of stars struck Polelto as he still recovered from the previous attack. He recoiled back in pain but held his tail up with a Dragon Tail just in case he had to deflect any other attack. Rainbow did the same, readying a Swift to be fired at a moment's notice.
They both stood across one another once again, each panting in their own form of exhaustion. Rainbow couldn't tell how many switches he had left today, and Polelto didn't know how much more damage he could accumulate. After all, he did not have the luxury of Veraloe's apparent healing ability.
"Look at that… " Polelto breathed out, Dragon Tail still at the ready. "I'm at my limit here. I hate to admit it, but I think I've underestimated you."
"Same here," Rainbow responded. "That tail of yours is no joke."
Polelto narrowed his eyes. "I'm afraid I'll have to end this fight here."
Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the statement. Polelto had clearly taken more damage than himself. Only a few more attacks would do the Milotic in. "Mind if I ask how exactly you plan on doing that?"
"I still have a trick up my sleeve, champion." Just then, Polelto's eyes shone a deep ocean blue. Rainbow's eyes widened in a mix of shock and surprise. A blue aura shot out from Polelto and into the open night sky. For a quiet moment, nothing happened.
Plop
Rainbow saw it. A singular water droplet landed on his left, wetting the ground. Then another, then another, and another until the arena itself was overwhelmed by a torrential downpour. Rainbow could hardly see a few feet in front of him and his hearing was rendered void.
What was this? Polelto had already shown off his four moves, and none of them were Rain Dance. He winced as he was pelted by large drops of water that came out of seemingly nowhere. He didn't think Rain Dance produced a storm such as this either...
Boom!
A loud bang of thunder rumbled the arena, shaking Rainbow to his bones. Lightning flashed across the sky. This was definitely not a Rain Dance. That move did not produce thunderstorms. The blue energy was not unlike his own or Veraloe's...
Wait. What did Polelto just call him?
"Woah!" He screamed in alarm as he ducked under a Hydro Pump that seemed to manifest out of the void. He mentally cursed. This was no time to be thinking about these kinds of things. He could worry about everything later, right now he needed to focus up and win this match.
Rainbow stood straight and was on high alert. It seemed Polelto could navigate perfectly under the cover of the storm while he could only stumble his way around. He needed to stay on his toes and find out where the Milotic was. One or two hits would do the Pokémon in. That was all he needed to end this fight.
He jumped to his left to dodge another Hydro Pump, then back to the right almost just as fast. More thunder rumbled above, lightning flashing on his damp fur. He ran to his left, hugging the arena wall. He needed to stay on the move.
He only made a few strides before he had to jump back from yet another Hydro Pump. He bit his lower lip, shifting his mad sprint to hugging the right wall instead. He couldn't keep on the run like this, he needed a plan. In his rush, however, his front paw slipped from the wet ground.
His small body tumbled to the ground as he tried to right himself. He heard the telltale sign of another Hydro Pump incoming and braced himself with his paws crossed in front of him. He took the brunt of the fierce attack, feeling the damage being accumulated on his body.
He needed a plan now. But he was at too much of a disadvantage here. How could he attack a Pokémon he couldn't see, hear, or smell? He'd have to be some sort of psychic…
He mentally smacked himself. Of course! He had the ability to become a psychic! He didn't exactly know how to sense other Pokémon as psychics can, but how hard could it really be?
Rainbow stood his ground and cleared his mind. He felt an odd tingling sensation coming from his band but he elected to ignore it. He felt the Normal energy leave him and prepared to draw Psychic energy from the Mind plate.
It was then the odd tingling sensation exploded. Rainbow grimaced as he felt electricity suddenly shock his system. The lightning from the storm must have been drawn to his band, completely shocking him in a wave of powerful electricity.
But then something curious happened. The shocking sensation from the lightning lessened dramatically, and he instead felt some sort of energy rise within himself. It was not the Psychic energy that he expected.
He felt energized and jittery like he had just downed a boatload of caffeine. Looking down at his paws, he was surprised to not find the lilac fur of an Espeon but a striking yellow in its place. An uneasy smile crept onto his face. It shouldn't be possible right now, but he seemed to have transformed into a Jolteon.
His smile quickly turned into a frown. The massive Electric energy within himself was fading fast. He had to make the most of this temporary transformation as he could.
Rainbow sprinted to his left once again in an attempt to gain Polelto's attention. He was fast, faster than he ever had been before. He had seen how quickly Joltier could move, now he was getting a taste of such a speed.
"Come on, come on." He goaded to himself. He searched for any sign of a Hydro Pump, hoping that his opponent would take his bait. His energy was falling fast. Only a few more seconds at the most.
There it was. The large water cannon that was Hydro Pump came barreling towards Rainbow from his left side, on a crash course straight for the Jolteon. This was it. This was his only chance to beat Polelto now. He didn't know if he would have the stamina to battle after this, so here goes nothing.
He stopped right in the path of the powerful attack and braced himself. The water blasted him, the powerful vortex encompassing his form and damaging him. Not quite as badly as before because of his current typing, but it still hurt like hell.
"Let's end this!" He shouted through the torrent of water. He felt the electricity within himself build up in an instant. He then unleashed the rest of the energy out of his body, releasing a powerful Discharge straight into the Hydro Pump.
He got the result he was looking for as the electricity traveled up the water and through the storm until it met the source. The Hydro Pump attack ceased as the electricity found its target.
"Aaah!" Rainbow heard Polelto scream in agony as his body was shocked to its core, certainly not expecting a super effective move like that to come through. The yellow glow through the storm only lasted a few seconds before stopping.
Rainbow wobbled on his paws, completely out of energy from that last attack. He felt the Electric energy now completely die out within him, being immediately replaced by the Mind plate's Psychic energy that he had originally intended to use.
No more attacks came from the void, leaving Rainbow struggling to stand against the pelting rain. Slowly the storm began to let up. It grew lighter and lighter until the last drops hit the arena floor and the dark clouds disappeared from the sky.
The audience, being unable to see the arena as well, leaned forward in anticipation. When their view into the arena finally cleared, the champion of the first Autumn Festival Tournament had been revealed.
Rainbow felt himself slowly move forward in the silent arena. He panted in exhaustion, his fur completely wet with rainwater. Eventually, he reached his destination.
Polelto was sprawled across the ground like a used rag. Some of his scales were blackened with electrical burns and he had grown large bruises from where Rainbow had hit him with physical attacks.
"You…" Rainbow started to say to the downed Milotic. He wanted to ask him about what had happened during their battle. Instead, he shook his head and looked Polelto in the eye. "I did it. I beat you."
Suddenly the Milotics body convulsed. He made a few hoarse coughs before he focused his eyes back on the Espeon in front of him. "It would seem so." His voice was weak and rough.
Rainbow furrowed his brow in concern. "I would like to talk with you. After all this." He asked simply.
Polelto only smirked at the question, amusement in his eyes. "Go claim your prize, peasant. After this… Kyogre would like a word with you."
Rainbow widened his eyes slightly and tried to respond, but Polelto's eyes rolled back into his head and he plopped down to the ground. The Milotic was out cold. Rainbow stared blankly at his downed opponent, eventually broken out of his trance from Azaelia's voice.
"The winner and champion of the Autumn Festival tournament is… Rainbow from the Southern Great feral forest of the Western Province!"
Cheers from Indigo Plaza filled the night in Prism City. Rainbow could swear he was going to go deaf from how loud the plaza had been. Among the cheering crowd, Veraloe stood with a soft smile, politely clapping her hands in celebration of her friend's victory.
"Now," the Princess continued. "Please come and claim your rewards." She looked down at him, her face showing expectedness. But her eyes held an air of uncertainty, her mouth twisted slightly into a frown.
Rainbow took a deep breath and climbed up to her private box. Standing across from Azaelia, her silver fur still glowing in the moonlight, he realized that he had done it. This was his chance, and he didn't want to waste it. Before Rainbow had a chance to speak, he had a small pouch shoved in front of him.
"As promised, here is the 5000P reward for first place." Azaelia's voice came out even, but Rainbow saw her shaking pupils. He also noticed her subconsciously placing a paw onto the illusionary band on her arm.
"Uh, thanks." Rainbow accepted the money awkwardly, placing the pouch on the ground beside him to look her in the eyes once more.
"For your other prize, a personal reward from me." She stood tall and puffed her chest in mock-stoicism. "You may wish one thing from me, and I will do everything in my power to make it happen." She seemed to try her hardest to avoid eye contact with the Espeon in front of her.
Rainbow blinked. That was an awfully generous reward, especially from someone like her. He was suddenly extremely glad that Polelto did not win.
The small silence that descended on the two had made Rainbow acutely aware that the crowd had gone silent as well. They all waited in bated breath to find out just what someone like him would ask of a member of the royal family.
Rainbow steeled his nerves, trying to ignore the prying eyes of the audience and instead focus on the Alolan Ninetails in front of him. She shifted on her feet, seemingly getting anxious over the length of the silence.
"My wish…" The crowd leaned in, straining to hear just what the winner of the tournament was going to say. Azaelia winced in anticipation. Rainbow only smiled. "I want to give you something. I ask that you accept it."
Murmurs of uncertainty went through the crowd, clearly questioning why he would ask something so simple. Azaelia opened her eyes, confused at the odd request. She had expected anything, really. Her father had made it very clear that she was to accept any request that was made. Any request.
She didn't know what to make of this. She was only asked to accept his gift? Part of her felt relieved that it was so simple, but another part of her was cautious as to what kind of gift he had in mind.
Azaelia's mind raced as Rainbow dug through an adventurer's pouch that Veraloe had seemingly just given to him. The prize money aside, why would he want to go this far just to give her something. They were only acquaintances, weren't they? He had no reason to win the tournament, at least no reason that she could fathom.
Rainbow's voice had broken her away from her thoughts. It seemed he had found what he was looking for and was holding out to her. "I wanted you to wear this. No offense, but I think it suits you a lot better than the one you're already wearing."
Azaelia could hear the whole crowd gasp at the gift Rainbow was holding out. She tentatively looked down at his outstretched paw and found herself doing the same.
It was a beautiful silver bracelet etched with a pattern of leaves and flowers, adorned with a single black gem in the center. But while the bracelet itself was pretty, it was the type of gem that had taken the breaths of Azaelia and the crowd.
"Why…?" She quietly asked him, still eyeing the black gem.
Rainbow scratched his neck as Azaelia slowly took the bracelet. "Why? Well, uh, I just thought that it would look good on you." He momentarily stopped talking as she met his eyes once more. She was visibly shaking now, looking as if even a gentle push would topple her.
"I mean why?" She asked again, her voice more intense than before. "Why would you go through with this? Why would you go up against all these Pokemon, getting yourself hurt, just to give me a piece of jewelry? What were you thinking, giving me something like this? It just doesn't make any sense…" She hung her head, trying to hide the tears that were now welling up in her eyes.
Could it be? Did he still consider her a friend? After her lies and deception, did he still want to be friends with her?
No, that couldn't be it. She was a terrible Pokémon for what she had done. Her mother's voice rang in her head. A Pokémon like her couldn't be friends with a Pokémon like him, it just didn't happen.
She was Princess Azaelia, not Lia. She was meant to stay within the social class of her family and not stray from it. That was what a proper princess should do, right? But was it really so wrong to want a friend when being alone hurt so much?
This was bad, she thought. She was letting her emotions get to her in public. She couldn't let them see her like this. She was meant to be the Star of Arkant, the peak of regalness and maturity. The public couldn't see her lose herself and cry like a little girl, it would break everything they thought of her as.
"What was I thinking?" He echoed to her. He furrowed his brow in confusion at her statement. "Do I really need a reason to help out a friend?"
Time seemed to freeze for the princess. The edging voice of her mother faltered. Her blood froze and her eyes widened. Had he said what she thought he said? She slowly lifted her head to meet his gaze, not even feeling the stray tears that fell.
Rainbow glared back with a thorough seriousness. "Please, take off the Illusionary Bracelet. Hiding behind a mask, putting up a false persona… " He shook his head. "It's not the Azaelia I know. I want to see the Pokémon that loves history. The one that seems so shy yet will pour her heart out whenever the legendaries are brought up."
The void around Azaelia was starting to brighten up. The guiding light she had lost from her sister was gone, but another was slowly filling its place. It was a warm light, she thought. A light that seemed to be accepting her no matter what she had done.
Her jaw quivered and her voice shook. "But… I lied to you. I didn't even attempt to contact you again. I was going to leave you behind, never see you again. I thought I would never see you again."
Rainbow drew a small bit closer to the shaking princess. He didn't care that a crowd was watching. Right now it was just the two of them. "I don't care about any of that."
"How could you not!" Her voice started to rise. "What I did was horrible to such an honest Pokémon like yourself. You deserved so much better than what I had done to you. I don't deserve to be friends with you, not anymore."
Rainbow grit his teeth. "You still deserve to be happy!" He let out a breath and placed a paw on top of her own. "Please, just trust me. Take off the Illusionary Band. Stop here with the lies and the masks. Just be yourself."
Azaelia looked into his eyes once more. They now only bore kindness and genuine care directed towards her. She sucked in some air through her teeth. Did she truly deserve friends? Could she still ascend from the void of loneliness and succumb to the warm glow of genuine bonds?
Something within her said 'no'.
But an even greater part of her trusted the eyes of the Espeon.
With a shaking paw, she reached around her Illusionary Band and slid it off.
A massive weight instantly dropped from her shoulders. She felt a sudden feeling of lightness and hopefulness fill her very soul. The dark abyss she had been in was suddenly filled with a blinding light that left a warm and comfortable feeling in her heart. Much more easily, she slid on the bracelet from Rainbow. It fit her wrist perfectly and seemed to glow along with her fur in the moonlight.
"See?" He gently asked her. "It wasn't so hard, right?" She responded with a smile that spoke a thousand words. "Alright then, let's start over." He held out his paw. "My name's Rainbow. I hope we can be friends."
Azaelia looked at his extended paw. She wiped the final tear from her eye and took his offer. "I am Azaelia von Arkos, and I truly wish the same." The two shared a kind smile with one another, soaking in the moment where their friendship was officially birthed.
"Ahem." The two were suddenly pulled from their world and found themselves back in Indigo Plaza. Veraloe had gained their attention. "If the two of you are finished, you should probably be going."
Rainbow let go of Azaelia's paw and tilted his head in confusion. "What? Why?"
"Um, Rainbow?" Azaelia hid a blushing face behind one of her tails. "You do realize what you have just given me, right?"
The Espeon did not really know what his princess friend was getting at. "Yeah. It's a pretty nice bracelet, but I don't see the problem?"
Veraloe sighed at her partner's apparent cluelessness. "Oh, Rainbow…"
Azaelia, still covering her blushing face, held out the leg with the bracelet. "Rainbow, this is a piece of Twilight Jewelry. You remember what I told you, right?"
Rainbow thought back to that conversation. It was when they had first entered the city. She had mentioned that someone would give Twilight Jewelry to someone… they… love…
His lilac fur suddenly tinged a deep red. "Y-yeah. But I didn't really mean it that way…" He stammered out.
Azaelia clutched the tail that was covering her face. "E-even so, I still accepted it. So…"
Veraloe saved the two from embarrassing themselves even further. "The reporters are going to have a field day over something like this. Not to mention the outcry from all of the Star of Arkant's fans. It seems the crowd is still relatively stunned. We may make it out of here if we leave now."
Rainbow, now paling at the thought of a swarm of angry fans and hungry reporters, started to move out of the private box. "Oh crap, you're right! We've gotta get out of here!" Before he left, however, he turned towards his friend. "Are you coming, Azaelia?"
The blushing princess peeked out from behind one of her large tails. "You go on ahead. I must return to the castle for tonight." Rainbow nodded to her and prepared to sprint off, but Azaelia stopped him. "Rainbow!"
He turned to her once more, shifting anxiously on his paws. "Yeah?"
Azaelia sucked in a breath. "If possible, may we meet again tomorrow?" She winced, preparing for his answer.
Rainbow only flashed a toothy grin. "Of course we can! We're friends now!"
She nodded back, a light feeling spreading throughout her at his smile. "Right. See you tomorrow, then."
With a nod from Rainbow and a small wave from Vera, the two bolted off into the night, leaving a swarm of angry fans and reporters to chase after them.
"Friends, huh?" Azaelia boarded her carriage and told the driver to escort her home.
Still sitting in the private box of Indigo Plaza rested a golden Illusionary Band, its previous owner now seemingly having no more use for such a thing. Only time would tell if her choice was the correct one. But for now, she was perfectly happy with her decision.
That was finally the conclusion to the tournament. A lot of things have been both setup and revealed over the length of this event on top of the whole thing with Azaelia. I haven't really done anything that ambitious before, so I hope it turned out well enough for you readers to enjoy. It's crazy to think that I consider the start of the "Prism City Arc" to have been chapter 12. In total, this arc has been like 35k words. That's almost half of the story! I don't know if any of you care but to me, it feels like this arc has already been going on for a long time, and I still have a bunch more things planned for it.
I want to sincerely thank everyone who was read this far from the bottom of my heart. It truly means a lot for someone to enjoy this story of mine, and I appreciate every one of you.
Thank you, and until next time!