Epilogue: Champions of Hearts, Part 4
The moment had come! For the second time since the team was formed, they were in the finals of the King's League tournament, this time facing a team they had only met once, but which nevertheless had a strange connection to Team Polarna vatra. And Epsilon was ready like never before.
"Let me fight first! Grimmsnarl will start! Because he can't abuse the format otherwise!"
Although Aurora had no objection to letting her mother take on this big fight, she was surprised by the confidence in the opponents' choice of fighters.
"And if not? Then you will never be able to get your revenge!"
"Who do you think Grimmsnarl is? He is selfish and wants to win! If it comes to round four, the same fighter will fight as in round one, since there are only three of them. That means that only if he fights first can he can win the entire match by himself! Grimmsnarl gets two points, the opposing team two, and then Grimmsnarl wins round five by himself. Even if things went a little differently against Team Radiance."
"Well then... go out there and do what you have to do. Good luck."
Epsilon looked at the Arcanine with a look full of fire.
"I won't need any luck. Grimmsnarl will, however! More than he will have!"
The spectators, who were all staring spellbound at the ring while Grimmsnarl and Epsilon entered the battlefield, didn't even know at this point what was really going to happen down there. For all of them, it was just a big fight for the chance to win the championship title.
"Grimmsnarl! Finally! We meet again! On this battlefield!"
"And you are?"
Not even the warrior himself knew exactly what he was getting himself into here.
"Of course you would forget me! It was a long time ago. Besides, I was never worth anything anyway, was I? After all, I'm only Epsilon!"
Now Olangaar also seemed to understand more.
"So you are that Pokemon! It was a long time ago, back then you were still a ridiculously weak, insecure Zoroark. Things change! Your peace turned into insight! Your insight turned into madness! And in the end you overshot the mark!"
"What mark? The madness that you prefer? Yes, of course I failed as a Pokemon. I strayed from my own path! And all because of you! Because of you, your tribe and your ideals!"
"Your mistakes are not my fault, Zoroark. You took some right steps, this is the fruit of my efforts, but that you went too far is your fault alone!"
More anger than before boiled up in Epsilon.
"My good steps were your achievement? My only good steps were those I took to escape from your madness! Everything that happened, the Plot Empress, is your fault! The fault of a system that should never have seen the light of day!"
Olangaar did not show insight. He had made no mistakes in his eyes.
"The morality of the tribe makes Pokemon strong. It made you strong too! If you had stayed and become who you are, you could have become great! Great! But you decided against it!"
A broad grin appeared on Epsilon's face. A shiver ran down Aurora's spine when she saw this expression.
"I could have become great. And yet I am Epsilon. And I will remain Epsilon. I am the bottom of your food chain. The trash of society, not even a Pokemon. Your entire system is based on your classes forming each other! And that's why I'm going to enjoy it! I'm going to enjoy stomping you into the ground. Taking revenge for our first duel! And watching your madness burn! Just imagine it, Grimmsnarl! A large audience, the huge stage, the eyes of the world, they can all watch how the weakest of all Pokemon, how an Epsilon, beats the great Alpha! How will your ideals be able to explain that?"
"There will be nothing to explain. You are no longer an Epsilon! You would be Beta, if not more! But I'll still win anyway. It's been three and a half years since I have lost to a Pokemon with a weakness to my type!"
Epsilon's claws began to glow bright red.
"Beta, Alpha, Gamma, Delta, they're all just figments of imagination! Once Epsilon, always Epsilon. That is what you yourself told me back then! And what I learned is to bear this title! And to use it! I've always been Epsilon! I'll always be Epsilon! And you know what? I'm proud of it!"
"A proud Epsilon? You really are special... and that's not a compliment! If you want to prove something, feel free to try!"
Another invitation was not needed! A powerful claw strike threatened to injure Grimmsnarl, but the giant Pokemon was ready and blocked. However, his counterattack also missed, as Epsilon had disappeared too quickly. Epsilon's typical game with fire would be more extreme in this duel than ever before, due to her type disadvantage and Grimmsnarl's brutal nature. Unfortunately, although he was a giant, he was certainly not a heavy one, which is why he did not yet fall under the clause. Shadows began to flow through the ground as the moon rose over the field. At the same time, Dark Pulse followed, which Epsilon simply blocked. Just like Incineroar against Kel, Epsilon now tried to use Grimmsnarl's surroundings for herself. Although the darkness was her only weakness, she was familiar with the shadows. And unlike Incineroar, she knew how to use this advantage without making herself more vulnerable.
From the darkness on the ground, a creation formed in Epsilon's hand. Pitch black, and yet everyone could see that this false blade was a replica of the Feathersword. This weapon was only a memory, lost in the darkness, but from the darkness the former master of the blade could also bring it back to life. In the darkness of the arena, the shadow of this weapon, only the silhouette of a Zoroark in sight, Aurora truly recognized the sworn enemy she had fought for so long. And even the quiet hatred that had always burned in the eyes of the mask was now reflected in Epsilon's gaze.
She immediately swung the shadow blade in her hands, from which lightning flashed, her target directly in sight. Once again, the warrior leader did not seem too impressed. He dodged quite easily, despite his rather sluggish nature. The moonlight grew stronger at the same time, the shadow of the dark one stretched almost across the entire ring. An act of intimidation, an attempt to create fear. But what Grimmsnarl did not know was that Marshadow had found somebody to rival him, even best him, in the field of shadows! Because the shadows were not a means of movement for Epsilon... but a fighters weakness. When light falls on a being, a shadow is created. An image of the light inside, reflected by pure darkness. A part of the being that does not belong. And yet it does, if you are able to feel the shadows in your very soul!
Epsilon stabbed her shadow blade into the ground beneath her feet, which seemed to release energy into the ground. Marshadow always suffered greatly from this technique in training, as it forced him out of the shadows. And Grimmsnarl's shadow was also forced out of the ground. A silhouette, shaped exactly like the enemy himself, but a bit larger. An outline that became part of the fight itself! And it stood for the Pokemon that brought it to life. Epsilon now had a shadow copy of her own enemy fighting on her side. And for the first time, it seemed as if Grimmsnarl actually lost confidence.
And Epsilon took advantage of this moment of shock and was able to land her first sword blow. It was not a powerful blow and Grimmsnarl was immediately ready to counter, but his own shadow protected his master and blocked the attack. However, he was just as unprepared for the immediate attack of the moon that had created him as Epsilon was. A powerful blow hurled her far, close to the edge of the danger area. However, the warrior could not follow up, again blocked by his shadow, and Epsilon was ready for the shadow geyser that poured out of the ground. She quickly got up again and sprinted to the middle of the field to shoot lightning from a distance again, which missed again this time, but gave the shadow Grimmsnarl the opportunity for a powerful hit. The great Alpha of Aralsa slowly but surely lost all control over the situation.
His shadow was an equal opponent, but Epsilon fought too. He was outmatched in fighting power and the Zoroark had almost unlimited space for her own ideas, since the shadow gave it to her. This would be the only chance to defeat the shadow. A mighty Moon Blast hit the living darkness and truly, it burst, but it revealed Epsilon, who was already on the attack. Metal Claw, a great weakness of the fairy Pokemon. The most powerful attack that has hit its target so far. And it was enough to put Grimmsnarl in the danger zone. And this was what kept the leader from the title of the most powerful fighter in the entire league. Tall, but thin, immobile despite his not particularly high weight. In this area his legs could not carry him anymore and became a victim of his own body. And Epsilon knew and saw this too, knowing that her victory was certain if she did not hesitate. One more, one last Metal Claw and...
"Epsilon beats Grimmsnarl, getting the lead for her team! One to zero for Polarna vatra in the grand finale!"
As the Zoroark looked down to the ground, where her defeated enemy lay, a strange feeling ran through her. A joy she had rarely felt. Countless years ago she had fought against this Pokemon and had lost badly, entering a life full of suffering, hatred and madness. And now, finally, after more than fifty years, she had finally taken revenge. Could this be a symbol? Was this life in which Epsilon had lost herself finally behind her? The shadows faded, as did the blade. The sun cast the warrior's normal, lifeless shadow to the ground again.
"Grimmsnarl... Do you see? Do you see what it means? Your ideals? Your beliefs? I am Epsilon! And I have bested you! It may only be a spark that passes through the masses, but it will ignite a fire. As soon as the word reaches your village, what will they say? Will your cult be able to hold up? If I'm unlucky, you'll only lose your place in your tribe, nothing more. But have I finally proven to you that I am more than you made me out to be?"
The dark one slowly stood up, but a rough laugh escaped him.
"Do you really think that anything will change because I lost today? Maybe... it won't break the tribe. No, on the contrary! It changes the whole picture! What you prove is not that war is not the way, but that even the most lost Pokemon can find the way to power! Even Epsilon can gain an Alpha's strength! But what did you have to give up? Intelligence, honor, life? No, it was your ideals that you had to leave behind along the way! Those who turn away from pacifism become strong. That is what you have proven today!"
Epsilon fell silent for a moment. In some ways he was right. To achieve this victory, her life had to turn around and her love of peace had to fade. She had become a warrior.
"You know what? How about you shut the fuck up?! The victors write history, and you are not one of them! I am me. Deep down, I always wanted peace, but the ways to get there have changed. What I have proven is that pacifism does not make you weak. And now leave! And hope that I will never see you again!"
With a disparaging look, the warrior left the field, as did Epsilon. It was up to Marshadow and Aurora to finish the finals, which was no problem for either of them. Polarna vatra were part of the Champion's Duel for the second time! And Epsilon...
Epsilon had found herself, in a place she had never expected. Yet right here, after this fight, she saw the world with different eyes. Her daughter, her boyfriend, her reincarnated son, her old partner in the stands, friends and confidants... maybe this world wasn't that bad. It deserved to exist the way it was. And even a Grimmsnarl could not change that!
A/N: The next chapter might take a little longer. Because it will be the last one. And it will be over double the length of all the others! Thus, I might need some more time to finish it up! I hope to see you one last time in the main story of War of Plot for the final Champion's Duel!