Vuduin nodded carefully, following along with Drystan's explanation. Apparently the businessman appearance was not just for show, if he had the ability to bring a small band around with him and find as many false leads as he indicated. Doubtless he was somehow able to make use of his power for momentary gain in some way, though Vuduin wasn't terribly interested in the how. Interesting that he hadn't fixed the cigarette. A matter of preference or power? No matter.

"Very well, I only have two more questions for now. What do you think I can do to help you that your 'eyes' can't and what do you intend to do with the orb? It seems evident that you intend to prevent this rampage, but without any real knowledge of what this orb does, I'm at a loss as to how you intend to do it." Perhaps it was something precious to Giratina and Drystan intended to hold it as a hostage of sorts. There was any number of things that could happen with an artifact that had unknown powers and Vuduin would prefer to know just what he was signing up for so to speak. Vuduin was also genuinely interested in why Drystan wanted his help. Perhaps he thought Vuduin had influence similar to his own, or powers that would be helpful in finding the orb. Of course neither were the case, but Vuduin would likely be willing to lend what aid he could all the same.

A prickly question, that one.

Nevertheless, he’d come this far already.

“Well, Vuduin, at this stage I have no idea what you can do that the others cannot, however i’m having a very bad day, and merely the knowledge that another person - and an Avatar at that - is searching for me would improve my mood immensely.” Drystan glanced around the room disdainfully. “After all, I’m more or less trapped in this stuffy hole until the tournament is complete.”

He thought deeply before speaking again. “I guess curiosity as to the Orb’s actual use is warranted here. Not many people actually know, and it’s not the kind of information that you want idly floating around in common conversation.” Rapping his fingers on his knees in a repeated pattern, he attempted to phrase the explanation in a way that would be easily understood. “It’s… complicated, to say the least, but i’ll try my best.”

“Let me apologise up front,” he said, succinctly. “This may come across as a history lesson, but the earlier we start, the easier things will be to grasp.” Reclining in the chair, Drystan shifted to get comfortable, opening the top few buttons on his shirt and loosening the tie around his neck in an attempt to deal with the heat. “And besides, I love a good story.”

Rubbing his hands together, his eyes were filled with something resembling glee as he began to speak. “Most people mistakenly link Dialga, Palkia and Giratina together in a trio, but that isn’t strictly true. While the three are closely related, Dialga and Palkia are a matching couple, whereas Giratina plays a different role. He is, in many ways, the opposite to Arceus. Where one is Light, the other is Dark. Where one creates, the other destroys.”

“Giratina’s power comes from the other world. The Distortion. The Void. The Space Between," Drystan said, smiling, “and I could go on. It has adapted many names dating from the very dawn of language itself. Commonly, the Distortion is a symbol of nothingness. That, my friend, is a lie,” he stated with a shake of his head. “In fact, it is a plane wrapped in darkness, containing the energies of death, madness and evil. The true kind, not like a single act engineered in anger, but the raw kind that causes wild Pokemon to flee in terror and the land to wither.”

Nearby, an attendant placed down a box of alcoholic beverages, some kind of beer, surrounded in ice. Despite not being the kind of man to get emotional over things, Drystan nearly shed tears of sweet joy at the sight. “Hold that thought,” he said to Vuduin, holding up a finger before striding over and grabbing a couple of bitter-cold glass bottles. Returning to his chair, he remained standing for a moment, holding both out in front of him. It took her a moment, but Deladriss noticed the patient look on her master’s face, and she opened both bottles with her claws in the blink of an eye.

“Drinking before a match probably isn’t the wisest idea, but neither is dying from heatstroke before it even begins.” Placing one bottle beside Vuduin and re-taking his seat, Drystan took a slug of beer. The look on his face was something only a shade from pure bliss. “Now that was most definitely worth the detour. Anyway, Arceus was the one who originally created the Griseous Orb when Giratina was first imprisoned. It was to act as insurance should he ever escape, and was entrusted to Dialga and Palkia, who used their powers to seal it away.”

Taking another greedy gulp, he forced himself to slow down, before the effects ended up hitting him right before the match. “One of the first things Dialga asked me to do upon our merging was to locate the Orb, knowing full well that Giratina might walk the earth once more. Naturally, it was gone,” he said with a sigh. “Neither Legend thought to check on it, given that it had been sealed away using Palkia’s ability to warp the very fabric of space. Whether it was a group of tenacious humans assuming they’d found an expensive gem, or some kind of curious burrowing Pokemon is a question we are yet to answer.”

“The Orb itself is a connection between Giratina and the Distortion. More specifically, it is a power limiter, designer to stop the sheer and unfiltered power of the Distortion from flowing directly into his head. Consider just how many years of entropy the thing has had to cope with already, and now with Giratina using his power again, it will increase the rate of decay several-thousandfold. As it weakens, so does its effect, giving Giratina more power to use. A vicious cycle, one that will break.”

Placing the bottle against his head, Drystan relished the freezing droplets of water which began to run down his face. “If that Orb is allowed to shatter, what happened last night will be just the start. A colossal monster will roam the land, nigh-unkillable, spreading decay and blight wherever he goes. A blight that would make the power plague look like a joke,” he said, visibly paling several shades as though contemplating the outcome. “Giratina will get the blame, even though the matter will be entirely out of his control. That cannot happen. I will not let it.” Drystan’s face had shifted, taking on a mask of dark and steely determination.

“I must find the Orb. With my power, I can tick back the clock, just as I did with your glasses. If I make it as new as the day Arceus crafted it, I can stave off the apocalypse for another few million years. That is the stakes I am dealing with right now, and why I am willing to throw as much money and people at this problem as possible.” His eyes snapped wide at that. “Oh, of course. I do not expect you to search out of the goodness of your heart, either. I can afford to pay you for your time, and I am a very generous employer, Vudin.”

“Of that you can be assured.”

Vuduin followed the explanation with mild interest, it wasn't like he had anything better to do. He hid a slight distaste when Drystan began taking droughts from the beer. Vuduin found beer to be rather crude and not good for much, other than the fact that Shade seemed to like the stuff. Which spoke for itself in his opinion. Seeing Drystan press the cold glass to his face he realized that it was getting rather hot for some reason, his own clothes not helping the matter overly. Not that it was overly bothersome as he was used to ignoring adverse temperatures. Vuduin glanced at the bottle he'd been offered and shrugged. Shade took the gesture for what it was and floated down, wrapping his tongue around cap the and twisting it off, then carefully began lapping it up somewhat noisely. Vuduin on the other hand, was thinking about how Drystan's story was somewhat odd.

Though Palkia and Dailga may not be a trio with Girtina, he'd always thought they combated and neutralized each other. That and the orb had been described as a neutralizer and limiter, if so why had it been hidden? Drystan explained as insurance, perhaps that was the case if the orb's power functioned in an area, but it still seemed an ill-conceived idea. For some reason it just seemed off. Still, Vuduin doubted that this man getting the orb would produce an overly negative effect, combined with the admittedly somewhat alluring promise of generous payment. Vuduin nodded slightly, "Very well then, I will help you." Vuduin pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen from somewhere in his robes and scribbled down his phone number and offered it, "In the event we are not nearby and you have a request of me." He explained. "Though like you, I shall remain here until the tournament is concluded, is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

The twinkle in his eyes could be seen from space. “I...”

He took the piece of paper from Vuduin. “I can’t possibly thank you enough,” he said, unable to contain the relief and joy washing over him. “Our little band of misfit Avatars will prevent destruction, and perhaps people will look a little kinder on us as a result." Hammering the number into his phone, he sent a blank text message to it. “My number in return. I look after those in my employ, Vuduin. Should you need to talk to me, have any leads, or want to discuss payment, don’t hesitate to call.”

“Outside of that, I don’t have anything else that I can think of for the moment,” he said with a beaming smile, “unless you would like a down payment for your services?” Drystan’s heart hammered in his chest as he began to take out a roll of notes from a pocket just inside his jacket. He flicked them in a flipbook style allowing Dialga to count the notes for him. A little over $1,500, he thought. Dissapointing, but then, if it isn’t enough, I can always make more. Taking the few odd notes from the total, he held the money out to Vuduin.

“Is $1,500 suitable?”

Vuduin nodded, whatever this man wanted it was obvious he was thankful for the help and that alone was enough to convince Vuduin to proceed. Of course the payment of enough money to keep Vuduin going for at least a year didn't hurt. Vuduin was glad he wasn't drinking the offered beer because he was pretty sure he would've done a rather embarrassing spit take. As it was he managed to get away with coughing forcefully. "Of course, it is very generous of you to offer so much before I've even done anything." Vuduin said thankfully and carefully grabbed the offered notes, tucking them away. "If I find something or am in need of something, you can be assured you will be informed quickly." Vuduin said as genuinely as possible. "With that, I believe our business for now is concluded, good luck with your next match, I'll be watching it for sure."

Removing his hat and clutching it close to his chest, he lowered his head in a gesture of respect and thanks. “It is appreciated more than you can possibly imagine. Farewell for now, then.” Turning to leave, he replaced the hat before looking over his shoulder once more. “Enjoy the beer, Shade,” he said with a smile.

Drystan wandered, giddily swaying along the way. Today had been a complete whirlwind of emotions. For whatever reason, though, he had a good feeling about Vuduin. Passing a training gym, it was completely empty. Everyone who is still in a position to need the gym must have been out for lunch, leaving the Avatar alone in the room with only his thoughts, his Legend, and his Scizor. Having fared remarkably well since leaving his newfound friend, he finally couldn’t hold it back any longer.

He laughed.

It was a solid, guttural laugh, the kind that’s impossible to fake. The room was quickly filled with it, reverberating around the empty space. Wallowing in it, Drystan lit his cigar and allowed the sweet smell to simply float for a moment. He took a long draw, before continuing to laugh.

“Perhaps I don’t give you enough credit, my host,” Dialga said, in that trademark ethereal tone. It sounded particularly sing-songy now. “Your calling was in acting. Theatre work would suit you, the way you lead on an audience and captivate hearts.” The Legend chuckled. “I am impressed.”

Giving a theatrical bow to his imaginary crowd and the empty room, Drystan relished the praise and respect on offer. He so enjoyed proving himself more than just a pretty face to Dialga. A rasp like steel on steel cut through the air as Deladriss asked the simple question. “Why?”

“It’s not like you to take an interest in the business side of things, my dear,” he said, flashing her a wolfish smile. “Why the sudden interest?”

The Scizor sighed. “Must you answer every question with another question?” Deladriss moved to lean on the wall, calling back as she moved. “I don’t know what you see in them. Do you even know who he is? Then there is that Gastly,” she said with a shudder. “You know how much I hate ghosts.”

The Avatar let off another chorus of laughter at that. “Ah, yes, the big-bad Scizor who is afraid of a little ghostie.” Blowing a column of smoke into the room towards her, he did his best to make it vaguely ball shaped. “Wooooooo. Spooky, eh? ” he said, with another light chuckle. “No, I don’t know for sure who he is, but I have narrowed it down to two.”

“Oh?” Dialga asked, very interested to see exactly what his host gained from the encounter.

“The dark clothing - in my mind - marked him out as either a Dark or a Ghost Legend. From the Gastly, you’d assume it was the latter. But...” Drystan left the sentence hanging to build suspense - and annoy Dialga. “When he allowed Shade to drink the beer, he did so with a gesture. Ergo, no telepathic communication.”

“And the only Dark Legends are Darkrai and Yveltal.”

His host answered with a smile.

Deladriss simply scoffed. “But why him?”

“Human intuition. You should try it sometime.” Fishing out the leftover notes from his deal with Vuduin, Drystan pushed a continuous stream of power into his hands, spreading outwards to anything he would touch. Taking the largest note, he began ripping pieces off, each one reforming into a whole time and time again. Doing this roughly twenty times, he placed the notes together, rolled them up, and replaced them inside his jacket pocket. “And it didn’t even set me back by a meaningful amount.”

Although she wasn’t happy, the Scizor accepted the outcome of the conversation.

“Why did you come up with that spiel about the past?” Dialga asked. “Did you suspect he wouldn’t help if you told him the truth?”

Rolling the cigar in his hand, Drystan felt damn good. He felt as though finding the Orb was assured, and within the near future too. He almost completely missed the Legend’s question - too preoccupied with the possibilities. “I suspected that I couldn’t afford to take the chance. Vuduin seems to be a good guy, if a little ‘Soldier of Fortune’-y. That said, I don’t think it would have made a great deal of difference. We are still working towards the end goal of a safer world. We are trying to prevent mass casualties.” Unable to swallow the smile creeping across his lips, he looked skyward in a defiant challenge to the Heavens. “Just not quite in the way I said. We will see how he fares. With luck, he’ll be worthy of and willing to take a spot in our group.”

“Speaking of which, the second anniversary of our plan is this week,” Dialga stated proudly. “Have you given any thought to the name yet?”

“Yes. Given how much we have grown, it feels like high time to name our little group, doesn’t it?” The Avatar paced back and forward, smoking the cigar and pondering the question. Only when a stub was left did inspiration finally hit him. “Sochraide Para.” With that, Dialga began to laugh audibly inside his head, while Deladriss stared blankly. “It’s taken from the tribal language, to preserve our secrecy. After all, many people wouldn’t agree with this. It translates to The Funeral Parlour.”

“I approve, my host. We shall soon have the Orb, and our progress can really begin.” The Legend’s ethereal voice darkened slightly, filled with determination and grit. “And only when we stand above the broken remains of that pompous so-called ‘God’ will it finally be complete.”

The policewoman continued to keep an eye on Germaine for a while longer. She left near the beginning of the broadcast Tournament, but not without giving the Avatar one last half-hearted warning to stay put. Apparently, the officer had more important things to do right now than babysit an injured murderer.

The tournament was shown on every television on the hospital. It was even displayed on mute in the rooms of sleeping patients, just in case they woke up and wanted to see the main event. Most of the hospital staff dutifully continued their jobs, though they stole glances at the show whenever they could.

The handcuffs still chained Germaine to his bed, but at least the officer's stern gaze was no longer boring into him. He remained alone in his secluded, peaceful room... until a break between battles, at which point a man quietly walked in unannounced. The man looked to be in his late twenties. He sported a bowl cut, simple athletic clothing, and a pair of dark sunglasses. Something seemed familiar about this man... perhaps Germaine had seen him earlier in the festival. The man approached Germaine with a neutral expression on his face.

"Germaine, Avatar of Giratina," he began in a smooth voice. "First of all, are you okay? Killing an Avatar is a terrible thing, but losing another would be much worse. Do you need my assistance in any way?"

----

Not much occurred after Rebeccas intervention - it went surprisingly well despite all of the odds that said otherwise, it probably explained as to how a fight didn't break out between Giratina and herself when they had that talk a few days ago.
Now, it was just him in this room.
The Police officer left for some business after she decided that I was not going to run or try and blow the building up, maybe she believed him, Rebecca likely helped on that front; albeit inadvertently.

Germaine had just been watching the last fight before the room was disturbed once more by another person - someone whom was neither Police or hospital staff.
Something that instantly intrigued him.
After he had said his piece, Germaine retorted.

"I'm sorry, but you have me at a disadvantage - just who exactly are you? And what did you mean by "losing another avatar would be much worse"? Are you implying that my life is in danger?"
This man - he had an oddly familiar look to him; yet he couldn't pin it.

"My name is Silas," the athletic man answered placidly as ever. "You may have seen me in the parade." The man's head tilted slightly as he gave Germaine a once-over.

"The danger I mentioned was your injuries," Silas clarified. "At second glance, while they look quite painful, they seem survivable by a typical human, let alone someone like us. Being handcuffed to your bed, though... that is an inconsiderate insult to anyone." The man seemed to stare at the chains from behind his sunglasses as he pondered for a moment. Then he gave Germaine the slightest of smiles.

"Well, you may be in luck. As a Avatar, I have ways of changing minds and absolving crimes. I might be able to provide a future get-out-of-jail-free card, so to speak. Before you ask... of course I request something in return. I have been searching for an item that happens to be in your bag. However, I do not know the current location of your bag. If you simply tell me the last place you had it, I will find your bag for you and make arrangements to compensate for the plate."

Germaine listened attentively to this unknown man named Silas, well... Man may be the improper term here as he was an avatar, but which one?
That was all shoved to the back of his mind when his newly acquired friend mentioned the payment for absolving Giratinas crimes.

The Spooky Plate as those foolish humans called it; it was a piece of Arceus himself a plate that granted him immunity to Normal type moves and severely reduced the effectiveness of anything humans could do to the wielder.
It held great value to Giratina, and Germaine shuddered to think just what he'd do if he traded it away to an unknown entity.

"Silas, You still haven't told me who you are... your human shell is merely a front for what's inside, for that is what truly wants this artifact - not you.
So tell me; who are you? And furthermore why do you want the plate?"

----

Silas sensed thoughts well to the surface of Germaine's mind. The backpack he sought subconsciously flickered into view for a moment, but it never coalesced clearly enough to discern a location. A fog of fear seemed to conceal any concrete information he could hope to gain from a mind already stronger than a typical human's. Quite frustrating... but, that roadblock could be useful information in itself. Silas chuckled lightly.

"I should've known you wouldn't be so quick to trust, having lived with the king of grudges for so long. Very well. I am the Avatar of Uxie." At this, the athletic man gave a slight, courteous nod.

"It is true that my human roommate also wants the plate, though our reasons are quite different. He seeks a favor from Arceus... I seek to preserve the balance of the world... fortunately, our goals can be met by the same means. I'm not sure how you obtained that plate, but it belongs to Arceus. If he discovers one of his precious artifacts has been taken... well, you of all people know what can happen when Arceus feels betrayed."

The edges of Silas' mouth creased with concern as he pondered his next words for a moment. His voice dropped to barely over a whisper.

"As the living representation of knowledge, I have been gifted-- sometimes cursed-- with knowledge unavailable to anyone else. Legends say Arceus can sense everything in his slumber, and if enough of his plates go missing, he will return as an Avatar. This could be very bad for the creator and guardian of the world... and for you, if he catches you with a plate. So, this is all I ask: one item that never belonged to you in return for a favor, anything my abilities can provide. And perhaps we can save both our skins in the process."

Germaine sat with a disinterested face for a while, he felt that this man had ulterior motives, some sort of alternative plan in place even if Germaine refused.
The plate in question wasn't on his person; but nor was it in the city, Kirlia had took it back to their home when the avatar of Diance had crafted that adorable statue a few nights ago.
And as of the moment, Kirlia would not be happy with him, she would be here in time and probably toss anything she could muster with her mind.

Germaine was brought out of his thoughts when Silas enlightened him as to his Avatars identity.
The spirit of Uxie, Pokémon of knowledge.
It was Ironic that, that was the very thing it was asking for.

One; the human, sought the God Arceus' favour for returning what was once his, and the Pokémon aimed to restore balance, the very job him and his brother and sister were tasked to do; it was their purpose and as such little surprise that this is what he sought.
The humans wish was self serving and pathetic, Germaine knew that's what his "friend" - Giratina would think, he felt something stir slightly in his mind and could only assume Giratina himself was squirming at the mere thought.
And Uxie merely wished to do his duty - somewhat admirable in one sense.

Germaine was deep in thought until Silas' voice dropped to a whisper - forcing him to concentrate on the hushed and cautionary words.
It was one sentence that set his mind ablaze - it felt as if someone had buried ice-picks in his temples.
The sheer discomfort was evident in his face but Germaine refused to allow himself to yelp in pain.

That one sentence "Legends say Arceus can sense everything in his slumber, and if enough of his plates go missing, he will return as an Avatar..."

Giratina spoke in his mind - the creature was finally awake once again, clearly recuperated from the mental exhaustion that it had endured.
"This... This is news that has made me beyond happy, do you realise Germaine?!
That this knowledge could aid us in ending both of our incarcerations!
Fitting is it not? That the Legend that was sealed away from the world was forcibly locked in a humans body - your body, in turn causing you to enter your own prison, your life seemingly took away from you at a moments notice merely because our God lacked the power to end the blight on the world, despite the fact that he created it.
Absolutely pathetic! He has ruined countless lives through his own failings Do you not want revenge? Do you not want justice?!
This is your chance... No.
Our chance to set what is wrong; right!"

Germaine could barely focus on both this unbearably strange sensation of a another being speaking in his mind, and keeping track of what Silas was saying.
Not only that but what Giratina was proposing, was equally tantalising as it was abhorrent.
This creature had the strength to kill the Avatar of Xerneas and survive; if not weakened slightly - the only living thing to ever take the life of a Legendary Pokémon, the only thing that had done this was the Power plague and this was a thing that God himself could not stop.
Surely, this meant that Giratina, if given the time to recuperate and strengthen himself up then he could potentially do it, if they managed to get more plates -somehow.

"But how on Earth could we even get more plates, given our current situation and of course that we have Uxie and most likely the other 2 of this trio are searching for the others, this is aside from the fact that you're asking me to aid you in killing God?!"

Germaine felt what could only be described as a groan in his mind, Giratina was audibly annoyed at that statement.
"Does it matter? Say that you yourself do not know where the plate is located and that only I do, since they will not know I am awake in your mind we can deceive them, ask to help in the search for the other plates -that it is imperative they be found and collected before Arceus awakes, then we will discover their locations, having the most knowledgeable being in the world aiding us.
Uxie is no match for me, he is reliant on the trio being together to match any of the Legends they aim to keep stable - and they failed once to do that, they can easily fail again.
At least you will have time to think this through during the search. As well as this, we must search for another item, one that is imperative we find in order for a fighting chance at Arceus...

The Griseous Orb.

It must be found, intact and safe! It is absolutely necessary for myself to regain my true power, if it is unharmed and in my possession, nothing can stop us.
Do what I ask Germaine, and we will have the World."

Giratina pushed a hard bargain, he spoke true that Arceus was failing and above that he had caused so much pain and suffering on the world through negligent acts and unjust acts - the fact that this creature created the world meant that it felt it could do whatever it liked with it, and that meant the beings that inhabited the world too - what if one day it felt it was getting out of hand and tried to start again?
It could end everything, and yet there was a chance we could prevent that from every potentially arising.

It was worth thinking about for now.
Still, there remained the current issue at hand.

"I see, clearly this "plate" is very important, one must wonder how Giratina managed to get his hands on it in the first place? Or tentacles, whatever he those things are...
I... I do not know where it is, Giratina does, but he remains dormant in the recesses of my mind, Arceus knows what will happen when he awakes but either way, I feel that I must try and be of some use in the mean time, Surely I can assist in finding these plates with you?
Hopefully I will learn of the location of the Spooky plate in the mean time."

Germaine was treading a dangerous path now, but it was based on the hand he was dealt - micromanaging the mad God on his head and preventing it from wresting control from him at any moment, as well as keeping his mind open to the possibility that he was correct, maybe his internment in this Distortion world was actually because Arceus seen him as a threat, and locked him away to ensure that he couldn't do any harm to the God, rather than some punishment for an action.

Right now, one thing was for certain - he had to keep options open, and in time - choose a path.

---

Germaine's surface thoughts were... interesting. They seemed to fold inside out and back again as moods and ideas chased each other in a loop. Useful bits of information alternated with strangely blank periods. Germaine was clearly taking his time to think over the situation. Silas suspected the Avatar might be trying to conceal something, some ulterior motive... and he could hardly blame the man for that. Whether for good or for ill, it could be fruitful to keep in contact with him.

"Well, losing your bag is a disappointment," Silas responded. "For both of us. It seems you were locked inside your head more thoroughly than I imagined. I can relate a little... my intelligence has been greatly limited by this human bond. It's aggravating."

As Silas finished up his comment, he peered intensely at Germaine behind his sunglasses, as if trying to see through his skull. In reality, he attempted to see past his humanity. The Avatar felt brief pulse of... something. Overwhelmingly dark, with a mix of anger and... something else unidentifiable. Silas' breath caught for an instant before he pulled back his powers. It took him a second to recover his placid tone of voice.

"Any and all help returning the plates would be appreciated. How about this: you can search Hoenn while I seek allies in other regions. Or you can choose a different region, if you prefer, as long as we decide now so I know how to reach you. If you bring me a plate or information leading directly to one, I will repay you with some favor only somebody with my abilities can provide."

Germaine was slightly in awe of what had just happened, Silas had just agreed with him and offered his hand in aid, it appeared that despite being the Pokémon of knowledge and as well as that but a psychic type, he could not detect that Giratina was indeed conscious.
"See, the hapless fool fell for it, you and I are more alike than I originally thought, Germaine - together, we can acquire the aid of the other avatars already in Hoenn and search for these Plates, our motives forever disguised, but not only that we can mould the information provided to us in any way we want, we have been; provided with an excellent opportunity, one that we must jump upon with both feet."

Germaine pondered slightly on his situation; it was one that heralded many dangers- but not only that it meant the possibility of killing a God - the God of all creation; whereupon Giratina, and himself included would sit upon the throne that ruled the very world - is this right?
Or is it wrong?
Arceus has a lot to answer for, but is death really necessary; undoubtedly there remained many things that Germaine need to clear up in his own mind before truly dedicating himself to Giratinas plan, time was the only thing that provide these answers.

Taking a short breath before answering his new friend Germaine asked "I see, well then I shall stay in Hoenn and hopefully convince some of the other Avatars to aid me in the search through the country whilst you yourself check the other countries out there - no doubt Sinnoh will hold a few, if you've not already searched that land?"

Giving his shackle a little rattle Germaine asked "So, will you get me out of the mess Giratina put me in?"

Silas nodded lightly, pleased by his and Germaine's agreement. He rummaged through his bag while he replied.

"I agree about Sinnoh. Hopefully the thieves haven't had time to travel too far. It would be helpful to have eyes on the borders."

The athletic man pulled out a slim notebook, tore out a small slip of paper, and began to write on it.

"As I said before, it would be unwise for you to leave the hospital now. I'm sure you and I both regret that your mission will have to wait at least a couple days. But when--"

At that moment, a young nurse rushed to open the door and pointed an accusing finger at Silas.

"Where did you come from?" she demanded, as baffled as she was stern. "We-"

Before she could get out another word, the Avatar stepped in front of Germaine's bed and whipped off his dark sunglasses. The nurse's face went slack for a second, and then she toppled over. Silas teleported in time to catch the dazed woman and replaced his sunglasses.

"She is unharmed," he explained calmly to Germaine. "I have simply erased her memories of the past minute." He gave Germaine a smile. "And now, when I say my powers can get you out of court or prison... perhaps even Arceus' wrath... you know I mean it. Now, time to drop this nurse off somewhere safe and resume my search. If you need me, I'll be... somewhere."

With that, Silas and the nurse disappeared into thin air. The only trace left of them was a small slip of paper with a phone number on it, resting on Germaine's bed.

Silas had agreed to the terms set out, and their new partnership had finally started, although it would take a few days for Silas to work things out with the authorities, but nevertheless Germaines freedom was certain.

"Good, it is not wise to keep a Pokemon like myself incarcerated, I've lived my entire life like that, never again."

Germaine merely gave a small nod of a head and a "Good Bye" as Silas seemingly vanished with an unconscious nurse draped over his arms.
And just like that, he was left, once again, alone in his room.
Well, technically he was not alone, now he had Giratina in his mind whom seemed quite content to stay there.
"So, tell me Giratina - why did you kill Xerneas? I thought your anger was against the likes of Dialga, Palkia and Arceus?"
Germaine felt the creature stir in his mind as if it were moving around in his head.

"I killed him because he deserved it - the arrogant little brat thought because he was the embodiment of life, he had the right to chastise me for my incarceration, we live by different laws and rules to you humans, Germaine.
And I live by my own, namely becuase I have had only myself for millennia, I've never had anyone to gain kinship with or friends, concepts practically alien to me - although I must say, the Human body did aid in me gaining back a lot of which I had lost.
It, just wasn't enough however.

Was Giratina the bad guy? Or was he just misunderstood? How can you possible try and put yourself in a creatures mind when it is as alien as Giratina; even his forme looks unnatural in comparison to any other Pokémon.
"I see, I did gain a fair understanding of you when I was asleep, in the recesses of your mind - I probably understand you more than any other being.
Which, to be quite frank, I'm not sure how I feel about it - maybe I can repair some of the damage you've done to both of our names - speaking of which, in terms of the other avatars, who should we go to first?"

"Hm, I'd probably say Rebecca is the best option at the moment, maybe Vuduin as well - Rebecca is strong, both in will and body she will make a hardy ally, but even more so a difficult opponent - whats that human saying? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.
This applies here for her.
Vuduin is an odd one, but definitely a worthy ally, he embodies Darkrai; if we connect to his Pokémon rather than the person, then we may be able to manipulate him to our own ends - other than these two the others are either uncertain or unneeded, I suppose time will tell.

Rebecca, that was the woman with the odd markings that seen him earlier, she was oddly sympathetic with him on the matter of what had happened.
At any rate, Germaine and Giratina alike could do little at the minute, he'd have to wait till he was released before he could start collecting allies.

About fifteen minutes after Emry's battle, she and Solomon walked up the dim stairs, searching for Rebeca. The girl had changed into the shiny Rapidash shirt and pink light-up shoes she had worn on Friday, and her round silver glasses were back on. Her hair was pulled up into a bun in an attempt to hide the parts in the back that had been burned off.

"What do you think about her?" Emry silently asked her companion. Solomon pondered for a moment.

"As I said before, the Avatar of Groudon's actions seem determined by her emotions. That's good, in terms of honesty. However, I'm concerned about her ability... or desire... to keep secrets and stick to a discreet plan."

Emry evaluated those words as she stepped out of the basement, wincing for a second as daylight flooded her eyes. She soon spotted Rebeca leaning against the concrete wall. The Avatar smiled lightly and approached the tall woman. "Thanks for the battle and the lunch," Emry began. "Can we find somewhere quiet to eat? Maybe somewhere quiet with Pidgey nuggets?"

Giving the girl a small smile, still barefoot and wearing the same jacket and shorts from the fight, Rebeca pushed away from the wall. The jacket was zipped up this time, both to ensure that she didn't get more complaints about how little she was wearing, and help keep Maya snugly in place against her chest. Mihkail was waiting patiently beside her, eyeing up the newcomer. "I'm buying, so whatever you want."

It didn't take long for the group to find a fast food chain restaurant. There were a few scattered customers in the building, but it was still a little early for the lunch rush. "Um, I'll have the Pidgey nuggets meal," Emry told the cashier. Still looking ahead, she communicated with the Pokemon behind her. "Want anything?"

"I'll just have some of the snacks we packed," Solomon replied. "No need for me to inconvenience your acquaintance any further."

A few minutes later, everyone who ordered food received their meals. Emry shuffled to a table in a corner. The girl's mind whirred, still not sure how to say what she wanted to say... so instead, she began cramming crispy chunks of golden Pidgey into her mouth.

Drinking from a bottle of water, Rebeca lounged in the booth, letting her legs stretch out beneath the table. "So, where're ya from?" she asked, letting her head rest against the back rest.

The blonde's eyes shifted for a second. "Kalos."

Raising an eyebrow, the taller Avatar smiled slightly. "No kidding? Sounded like you had an accent of some kind." She closed her eyes. "Never been to Kalos. What's it like?"

Emry wasn't quite prepared for such simple small talk from Rebeca, who struck her as a straight-to-the-point kind of person. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked it. "Well... it's cold," she replied. "Not all of it, but at least it's not as hot as here. And, uh... they have better onion rings there."

Huh. Pursing her lips, she raised the bottle and took another drink. "Don't really feel the heat, myself. Or the cold, really. How're the mountains?"

"...Mountainous? I mean, it's not like I've travelled all over Kalos."

Rebeca chuckled. This was practically a kid after her own heart. "Guess you're kinda like me, huh. Not one for talking much."

Emry nodded... though, from what she had seen so far, this Becky didn't seem like the quiet type. A few moments passed in silence while the Avatar muched on a fry. "So, uh... You said your brother wanted you to fight in the tournament? What's he like?"

Grinning, Rebeca thumped Mihkail's side with her foot. "He's an annoying old rock, ain'tcha Mihkail."

I wouldn't have to be if you would stop being so stubborn and stupid. Despite his words, the Rhyhorn gave a good natured growl, munching on a bowl of berries.

Chuckling again, Rebeca raised her head. "According to Rhyhorns', apparently being a mountain hermit means you're either a predator, or just crazy."

Emry looked a little confused by the exchange. "Oh," she responded. "I wasn't expecting your brother to be a Pokemon. Hi, Mikhail."

The Avatars continued to share small talk and munch their food. As time wore on, Emry started to fidget a little more.

"Solomon," the blonde communicated, "What do you think? Should I tell her? What if she turns around and tells the wrong people?"

The Lucario contemplated his answer for quite some time. "You know I cannot read minds or predict the future. My abilities uncover the fundamental tendencies of a creature, but anyone may choose to obey or disobey those standards at any given moment. I cannot give you any more information than I already have." Solomon then broke the duo's habit of looking away from each other while telepathically communicating to give Emry a serious gaze. "I cannot make all your decisions for you, Em. This is your mission. If you don't want to do this alone, you will have to choose someone to trust at some point."

Emry frowned and looked down at her shoes, apparently not very happy with Solomon's response. She fidgeted a little more when she realized how long the pause in conversation must have seemed to Rebeca. The girl glanced around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. "So, uh... th-the reason I came to this festival..." Emry attempted to keep eye contact with Rebeca, with mixed results. "I've heard there's something really bad happening, and I can't stop it by myself, so uh..." she paused to take a deep breath before forcing herself to continue. "I have a Xatu friend who can peek into the future. She said someone would try to steal Arceus' plates and use them for their own selfish gain. If too many plates fall into mortal hands, it could lead to a world-wide disaster. Grandmother Xatu used her wish to wish that the plates would leave their places in the Hall of Origin and be scattered throughout the world."

Ooooh, that one was FUN! the youthful voice in Emry's mind chimed in. Too bad none of them were scattered right by us, though.

The blonde sighed and nervously nibbled on an onion ring. "We thought that would be enough to keep the plates safe, but apparently not. When I saw Grandmother Xatu again a couple weeks ago, she said the future is in even more danger now that the plates are further from Arceus' watch. So now, a few trusted Pokemon and I are trying to look for them to bring them back to the Hall of Origin. But... well, you know, I'm not very strong. And whoever this is, they must be pretty strong if they might affect the whole world. I'm looking for Avatars to help."

Emry looked Rebeca in the eye for a second, then looked away. "I mean, y-you don't have to... but you're pretty strong, and I think you'd be a good pick if you want to. Whatever you do, just... please don't tell anyone else. I don't have any way of knowing who this plate-stealer is or who might be on their side."

Rebeca blinked. Of all the things that she might have expected Emry to say, that was not on the list. Though she couldn't imagine anyone being stupid enough to try it. "I'll admit, that's a pretty weird story you're telling me." She glanced at the markings on the back of her hand. "But, two years ago if someone had told me that I'd be an Avatar of a legendary Pokemon, I'd have said that they were fucked up in the head, but here I am, flames and all." Her tone was slightly bitter, but she pushed it aside. "I gotta ask, if somebody was planning on stealing those plates, whatever the hell they are, didn't you think to maybe, I dunno, let Arceus know?"

Emry gulped. "That's part of what I'm worried about," she replied. "I don't know a whole lot about Arceus, but I do know he's very vengeful. It could be that, if he awakens, he can solve the problem quickly and easily without anyone getting hurt. Or, he could be so angry at the creatures who dared to steal his property that he will destroy entire cities. That's why I want to solve the problem soon, before he decides to take matters into his own hands."

Sounds reasonable enough, I guess. Makes him sound like kind of an ass, but I get it, Rebeca mused to herself. Pursing her lips, she leaned forward and braced her elbows on the table. "And what made you tell me this? What makes you think I'm not the thief?" She shrugged. "Not saying I am, I've got enough problems with the power I've already got."

"Well..." Emry mumbled, visibly unnerved by the thought of Rebeca being the foretold threat. "At some point, I have to take a risk with somebody. I already know you're not so focused on winning that you'll beat up a kid to do it. And Solomon says you seem genuine."

Rebeca smirked. "Thanks," her eyes flicked to the Lucario sitting next to the girl, "I think." Pursing her lips, she sat back in the booth and folded her arms, careful not to disturb Maya beneath her jacket. Silent for a moment, she shrugged. "Alright. What's the first step?"

Emry stared in silence for a second. She hadn't completely expected to get this far. "Um... maybe finding an Avatar or Pokemon who can tell where the plates are? Or try to get more allies?" An air of anxiety still surrounded the blonde, but a small smile crept onto her face.

It was this moment that Kaze chose to waltz toward the table with a Miltank burger and fries in hand. His focus was mostly on Emry; he couldn't deny feeling intrigued at the presence of another Avatar his age. And after she revealed her face, somewhere inside he even felt somewhat attracted to her, but he couldn't outright reveal that just yet. "Hi, guys!" he called as he made his way toward them.

"You really don't have any idea what you're doing, do you." Rebeca kept her tone gentle, raising her eyes as she caught sight of the other kid, the one Maya had liked. "We'll talk about it later, looks like we've got company. Look who's here!" She grinned as she called out to Kaze, half-assing a wave.

Emry looked down sheepishly in response to Rebeca's comment. She continued to seem uncomfortable as Kaze approached, perhaps upset that her long-awaited progress was about to be halted by another set of ears. "Hi," the blonde unenthusiastically but politely greeted Kaze. "We're mostly done, but... you can sit here if you want to."

Kaze was far from oblivious to Emry's discomfort. "Are you alright, Emry?" he asked. "Did I come at a bad time?" He would have liked to eat alongside people he knew, but he didn't want to cause issues. Especially after everything that had happened over the past couple of days.

"Nah," Rebeca chuckled, "we were just talking about how somebody was trying to steal Arceus's plates and how we might find said thief. Is it you?" Her tone suggested that she was mostly joking.

A gurgling slurp was heard as Emry inhaled sharply, nearly choking on her last few sips of soda. "I told you not to tell anyone!" the girl declared with a coughing squeak. "Terrible things could happen if you tell the wrong people."

Solomon gave Emry a concerned frown, then calmly watched the other two Avatars. He wasn't happy about Rebeca spilling the beans to literally the first person she talked to-- but he wasn't about to freak out like his partner.

Rebeca simply continued to grin. "Yeah, I know, as a joke it's not all that believable. I mean, who'd be stupid enough to try stealing from Arceus, right?" She shifted her attention to Kaze. "You'd probably have to be suicidal or Zubat-shit crazy to even think about it." Reaching out, she gently patted Emry's head. "Don't worry, just because you're not good at making jokes doesn't mean you should be ashamed of it. If you keep trying, I'm sure you'll come up with better ones, right..." she frowned at Kaze, "Sorry, what was your name again? Lot of stuff has happened."

Kaze simply chuckled at the exchange. He really wasn't sure whether either of them was serious or not. Maybe Emry had some fantasy of chasing down some evil people who were stealing from Arceus, or maybe she thought it was legitimate and Rebeca just didn't believe it. Either way, Kaze wasn't sure it was any of his business. "It's Kaze. Your name was Rebeca, right?" Kaze replied, deciding to ignore the statement about Arceus' plates.

The larger woman nodded. "Yep. How do you two know each other?"

"I only met Emry just before the tournament," Kaze explained. "By the way," he said, turning to Emry, "it's nice to see you without the mask."

"Thanks...?" Emry replied, not sure how to respond. She sighed slightly. "I bet I looked weird, didn't I? Maybe I was a little paranoid. But if everyone knew who I am and what Pokemon I represent, I'm afraid nobody would leave me alone, and that would just make everything worse. Does that ever happen to you guys?"

Smiling wryly, Rebeca braced her elbows on the table and held up her hand, letting the younger Avatars look at the black markings on her skin. "You know how many people I've had asking me if I was the Avatar of Groudon before today?"

The door to the restaurant swung open with a bang as Aktzin strode in, heavy black jacket flowing in the backdraft. A small line was between him and food, which gave time for a scan of the environment. People were sitting laughing, eating, but there was an undercurrent to the atmosphere. A tension that hung so thick in the air you could almost taste it. Just how bad was that attack last night? One particular table really caught his eye. A young girl, an older girl, a young boy,a Lucario and a Rhyhorn. Certainly a strange bunch.

However, several of them looked like Avatars. This gave Aktzin pause. He was supposed to report any Avatar sighting to Drystan, but Arceus only knows how to get a message to him from here. Hesitant to act on his own - and incur Drystan’s wrath - Aktzin remained in line, keeping a watchful eye on the group. Or he did, until he saw the menu.

Pidgey nuggets, Tauros steak, Miltank burgers… For a brief moment, Aktzin felt physically sick as the bottom of his stomach almost dropped out. His tribe rarely ate Pokemon, and those times when they did were sacred ones during rituals or ceremonies. Each one remembered into eternity. Here, however, was a shop selling them for profit and public enjoyment. The air began to dance around him, as it charged slightly with electromagnetic waves unconsciously being emitted by the Avatar. As his stomach rumbled again, however, it promptly died right back down.

Aktzin realized something. That fury was not directed at those people who ate the food. Nor those who prepared and cooked it. It was directed at himself for not being more outraged at the scene before him. In truth, he was as hungry as the next person here, and was about to happily wolf down whatever he ordered. Which just happened to be a grilled Magikarp.

Waiting around at the counter on his order, he pulled out a wad of cash, peeling off several notes to hand to the cashier. The reason behind his new outlook on life and the reason he had all this money was the same. Drystan had handed over the bundle as spending money before they arrived at the city. He had bought him the jacket, introduced him to the finer things in the world, and Aktzin had acquired a taste for them. Living in a nomadic tribe for years, feeling hunger pangs each and every night, had now been substituted for glitz and glory. Drystan had once taken him aside shortly after joining to tell him he’d now live ‘The Life of Riley’. When Aktzin had asked for clarification, he had shaken his head, smiled, and said that “He’d never go hungry again.”

He could get used to that.

As the cashier handed over his meal, Aktzin had a renewed sense of purpose. He approached the group of Avatars. With Drystan not around, he’d have to take it upon himself to do the introductions. Surely his initiative would net him a bonus. After thinking about the best way to introduce himself, he finally settled with a greeting he had seen several people use since his time in the cities. ”’sup. You guys are Avatars, ain’t ya?”

Kaze was unnerved by the new person's appearance. He seemed foreign, not that any of the rest of the Avatars didn't, being half-Pokemon and all, but this man seemed moreso. Trying to give a friendly smile to the stranger, Kaze nodded, suddenly very aware of the diamonds on his own arms. Unfortunately, his jacket's sleeves didn't reach his wrists, so he could do nothing to hide them. After taking a glance at Emry, he remembered his reasoning for joining the tournament earlier, and reached inside his pocket, lightly grasping the Pokeball inside. He didn't know what to expect from this man, but wanted to be ready if his asking about Avatars turned into malice.

Raising an eyebrow at the newcomer, Rebeca laid her head on one hand, looking him over. He seemed rather...dour.

He smells...tingly.

Her eyes flicked down at Mihkail, then back to the stranger. Tingly, huh?

Like those Electrike we keep running into.

Is that right. She blinked, then shrugged. There wasn't really much point in hiding it anymore, not after having her face plastered all across TV. "Maybe. Depends on why you're asking."

Solomon tilted his head slightly toward the newcomer. "He appears to be of two minds," the Lucario informed his companion. "He is likely an Avatar, or perhaps he's trying to be someone he's not. I would advise limiting the information you give him for the time being."

Emry decided to take his advice a step further by looking down at her empty Pidgey nuggets box and remaining silent. She could hardly control the other Avatars at the tournament knowing what she was, but she had hoped the general, greedy populace would remain ignorant of her legendary connection.

"Well, it’s always fun to meet new ones.” Aktzin tried to smile, sensing some hostility, but it didn’t come naturally. ”Especially when you can compare powers and see which ones drew the shorter straws. Then you have the fact I’m under orders to socialise with anyone who even remotely looks like an Avatar.” The smile turned more into a grimace at that. ”Seems to me that’s a good a reason as any, huh, Salem?”

A yet unseen Umbreon appeared from a gap under the table to land on Aktzin’s shoulder and let out a cry.

He nodded, as though that answered the question to his satisfaction. ”So I’m supposed to offer greetings and salu-somethings on behalf of our small group,” he said, before pausing to search for something else to say. ”So, um… Greetings, I guess.”

Rebeca blinked. "Your group? Under orders? Sounds to me like you don't really want to be here."

When the leather-clad man made his introduction, Emry felt uneasy. When he mentioned comparing powers and working for some mysterious group, she shut down. The blonde quickly piled her food wrappers onto her tray, not bothering to finish the last couple of cold onion rings, which Solomon snatched. Teal eyes nervously met those of Rebeca and Kaze. She hoped they would get the message that she really didn't want to stay here.

Kaze, too, began feeling uncomfortable with the situation, knowing he was in over his head for trying to speak with this man, so, following Emry's lead, he also moved to dispose of his trash. "I should probably be going," he said to the foreign man. "Nice meeting you." And with those words, he ducked out of the restaurant, carefully avoiding eye contact with the newcomer.

Watching as one of the group slinked away and feeling the overall atmosphere shift in a strange direction, Aktzin suddenly felt rather overwhelmed. He'd dived right in, now finding himself struggling to keep his head above water. ”No, I'm fine with being here,” he said with a gulp. ”Why wouldn't I be?”

He snapped the second half of the sentence out before suddenly regretting it. ”Well, I suppose this constitutes a greeting. Let's go, Salem.” The Avatar turned on his heel and slipped away to another part of the restaurant to eat, wondering exactly what'd he'd done wrong. One this was for sure.

He certainly wouldn't be telling Drystan about this.

Her gaze switching between the departing Kaze and the weird newcomer, Rebeca pursed her lips. And I thought I was bad with people.

You are. Just a different kind of bad.

She rolled her eyes at the comment and sighed. "I'll meet you outside, Em. We can go shopping or something." Slipping out of the booth, Rebeca tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket, making her way over to where Aktzin now sat. "Hey. Those two are kinda shy, so don't worry about it." She gave him a smirk. "But if you're in the tournament, I hope you'll show a little more backbone than that." Heading towards the door, she waved. "See ya later kid."

The fourth floor of the sprawling basement hummed with increasing energy as the Tournament of Legends' finale approached. With only a few minutes left until 1 pm, volunteers began to lead Alain, Drystan, and Rebeca to their starting places. The wall that had formerly split the cavern in half had been lowered into the ground below, creating one monstrous stone battlefield.

Most of the faces in the audience were the same. The mayor seemed to have convinced his wife to attend the finale, but their children weren't present. Mrs. Mayer anxiously eyed the Avatars while occasionally nodding at appropriate times in her husband's one-sided conversation. Many former competitors were also present. Emry had conked out soon after lunch. Solomon had propped her up in the chair beside him and planned to wake her just before the start of the battle. The Lucario absentmindedly twirled a strand of her blond hair as he scanned the crowd. Some of the volunteers gave Emry curious looks, but they hurried back to their work, their minds too busy to linger on one former competitor for very long.

One new face was that of Justine Huang. The CEO sported a hefty sling on her right arm and a few bandages on her face and left arm. Other than that, she looked pretty well for a woman who was bombed just yesterday. Justine had an exhausted air about her as she conversed with one of the many nurses lining the arena. Ten feet away, Porygon-Z hovered low to the ground, also exhibiting much less energy than it had previously. Every once in a while, the pink Pokemon let out what seemed to be a sad sigh.

Vuduin got up from his chair and began heading to the soon to be battleground. It should be interesting to watch, though not necessarily safe. Upon entering the arena he saw that the audience was mostly the same as before, with a few auditions. Also to his surprise was Justine and her Porygon, who seemed somewhat down. Vuduin snuck through the ground and popped up behind him the Porygon, bonking him on the head lightly. "Hey little guy, what's going on?" Vuduin asked with a silly grin. He would've thought the Porygon would've seemed bouncing off the walls energetic in the presence of so many legends and what was about to be a fight between them. Shade, befrit of his material warping master, hurriedly floated over and hid in his master's robes. He hated being without Vuduin in front of people.

Porygon-Z slowly looked up at Vuduin. It then emitted a series of beeping and buzzing sounds not unlike a dial-up modem. The small device it wore on its arm was still missing-- apparently, Justine hadn't been able to repair its communication device yet. Humans and Avatars would have no hope of interpreting it now. As for Shade, he would be able to recognize the Pokemon's language, but the technological rendering was a little difficult to understand, kind of like Porygon-Z was speaking in a thick accent. The impression Porygon-Z's beeping gave went something to the effect of "Not pleased, people Pokemon death, waffles." After its feeble attempt at communication, the virtual Pokemon sagged a little more and rested its head against Vuduin's leg.

One volunteer scanned the audience for a minute until her brown eyes landed on Kaze. She quickly made her way toward the Avatar.

"Mr. Elwynn," she began in a reedy voice, "Mr. Graye has dropped out of the competition. As the runner-up in that qualifying battle, you may replace him in the finals if you wish."

Drystan felt sick.

Physically, gut-wrenchingly sick, and the world around began to cloud and spin. “Host? What is-” Dialga was cut off before he could get any further.

“Shut up,” Drystan said harshly, “you goddamn idiot. All this searching for a single Orb, the costs I have gone to and still failed to procure it, the direct result of your baseless obsession with an object we don’t need.”

The end of Drystan’s outburst hung in the empty room, leaving a stunned Legend and Pokemon looking on in shock. “What?” Dialga asked, incredulously.

Swallowing his sudden excitement again, the Avatar’s composure returned. “It’s a bargaining chip. We are going to buy his loyalty with the Orb, because the Orb is the only thing in the whole world that Giratina is likely to covet.” Taking a deep breath, Drystan exhaled in an attempt to calm himself slightly. “The problem with that is so obvious, but i’ve remained blind to it. Pushing my resources to the limit searching fruitlessly for that one trinket, when all we had to do was to tell him the truth.”

“He’ll never listen. The second we show up without the threat of the Orb to hold him back, that maggot will destroy us!”

“Oh, please,” Drystan chuckled. “He can certainly try. Personally, I think you’ll find him rather biddable, especially when we offer him Arceus’s head.”

There was a stirring sensation in the man’s mind as his Legend fell silent. A warmth spread out across his body, a tingling like a very slight electric shock. “Oh.”

Drystan smiled. “Oh.”

Rolling, ethereal laughter polluted his senses as Dialga finally grasped the whole situation. A hard, steely determination fell over Deladriss’s face. “Does that mean everything is in place?” she inquired.

Opening his mouth to speak, her master was cut off by the Legend’s voice. “Not everything,” he boomed. “But a great deal. Host, I believe the time has come for me and my brother to have a touching family reunion.”

“You know,” Drystan said, sporting a positively vulpine smile, “I couldn’t agree more.”

The trio made their way through the door, towards the main arenas where the battles earlier had taken place. Marching with a purpose, the Avatar approached one of the more official-looking attendants and promptly stated his wish to withdraw from the tournament. The prize was almost certainly not anything worth his time. Not now. Stating the reason for withdrawal as ‘business-related’, they let him go without too much time wasted nor bravado. It would seem that young Kaze would get the opportunity to compete in his place, and Drystan instructed the officials to wish him luck on his behalf, should he accept. That done, together they weaved through the crowd towards the exit, past security and into the cool afternoon air. After the morning spent underground, the natural light washing over them felt good and was just warm enough to be comfortable. Leaning on a nearby wall, he fished out his cigar, before lighting it and beginning to smoke. Extinguishing the match, he replaced it with his cellphone and - a quick search through his contacts later - it began to ring. Seconds later, the call connected.

“Aktzin. Things are progressing much better than I originally thought. Time to earn your keep. Meet me at Mauville General in half an hour.” Without waiting for a response, he tapped the red button and hung up. Another drag of the cigar later, Drystan kicked off the wall, gestured for his Scizor to follow, and began to saunter down the road into the midday sun towards the hospital and a long awaited reunion between two old and bitter foes.

So,to lighten the mood, he began to whistle a tune.

It took a few moments for the woman's words to register with Kaze. Dropped out? he wondered, the words echoing through his head. He had been planning on being no more than a spectator for this battle, but now he was given an opportunity to prove himself again. He could actually practice putting what Dialga's Avatar had tried teaching him.

On the flip side, he'd be battling with some of the most powerful of Avatars, including Rebeca. He wasn't sure how he felt about going head-to-head with Groudon's Avatar. He could get crushed, but at the same time, Emry had made it out okay, so maybe things wouldn't be so bad. Maybe.

"Sure," Kaze finally replied, not entirely certain he meant the confirmation yet. Yet he stood from his seat and gave a nod with his bravest face on. He needed to do this to learn. He needed to become strong like the others.

Before following the attendant, he looked across the croud, finding Emry and smiling toward her--though she wouldn't have seen due to being asleep--and the Lucario who sat beside her. Then, he returned his attention to where the attendant was leading him, needing to jog to catch up.

Unfortunately while Shade understood Porygon vaguely, Vuduin did not understand either of them. Still it wasn't hard to get the impression that he was sad about something. Vuduin sat down next to the depressed Pokemon and patted it on the head lightly, "Aw don't sad little guy, I'm sure things will start to look up." He said comfortingly, letting it rest against him without complaint. He wondered what could've set the little guy off. Well maybe the battle would help cheer him up, he seemed to be exciting about the avatars and seeing them use their moves before after all.

"Ladies and gentlemen," an amplified voice rang out, "the finale will begin in just a few minutes. Please return to your seats and do not approach the battleground until the winner is declared."

Ms. Huang quickly located Porygon-Z and looked a little surprised to see the shadowy Avatar nearby.

"You heard the man," Justine said. "Follow me."

In an instant, Porygon-Z's demeanor changed from sad wallowing to neutral obedience. It trailed Justine to her seat near a back corner of the audience.

"Em," Solomon telepathically nudged, "Time to wake up. The battle will start soon."

After a bit of physical nudging, the girl awakened. In her bleary state, she felt incredibly confused as to why Kaze stood at the edge of the battlefield. Didn't he know that only competitors in the finale were supposed to go there?

"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer proclaimed, "Our final match in the world's first Tournament of Legends is a thrilling three-way battle between Alain, Avatar of Yveltal..."

A spotlight beamed down on the young man for a few seconds, giving the spectators here and throughout Mauville City a chance for raucous cheer.

"Becky, Avatar of Groudon..."

Same chance for cheering, though the Hoenn native legendary seemed to be more popular with this crowd.

"And, replacing Drystan who unfortunately had to drop out of the competition, we have Kaze, Avatar of Suicune!"

Some members of the audience looked disappointed that the Avatar of Dialga would not be fighting, but others were happy to see Suicune get a second chance.

The spotlights began to move wildly around the battleground while several seconds of anticipation built up, almost like a circus act.

"Let the battle...... BEGIN!"

https://titanpad.com/6sD7JQCfDa

Emerging from the entrance tunnel into the arena, Rebeca surveyed her opponents. If she was being honest with herself, she would not have predicted these two making it to the finals of a combat tournament. Alain was kinda weird looking with those wings of his, and she'd seen that he was certainly capable during the parade attack, but he didn't seem like he had the temperament to go up against serious fighters. Maybe he just hadn't encountered some until now, Rebeca hadn't paid much attention to the other fights, preferring instead to work out.

She also had mixed feelings on Kaze replacing Drystan. On the one hand, it was something of a relief not to be facing Dialga's Avatar. The impression that she had gotten from him when they had talked had not been a good one; like he was a worse version of who she used to be. On the other hand, if he wasn't here fighting, then he could be anywhere, and unless he didn't have access to a TV (which she was pretty sure he did), Giratina most likely knew that he was in Mauville. That was a disaster in the making. The best she could hope for was that Germaine had the sense to keep his tagalong in check, and that Drystan stuck around to watch the fight in person.

Kaze himself made her grimace. Alain at least looked like he might be around her age, but there was no hiding the fact that Suicine's avatar was barely out of childhood. She did not want to be fighting yet another kid, but it was looking like she wasn't being given a choice.

Again.

As the announcer boomed out her assumed name, a slight meloncoly feeling passed over her, memories calling her back in time. A quick shake of her head, however, and she dismissed the feeling. They're all gone. I can't go back.

Mihkail, sensing her morose mood, nudged her bare foot with his nose. You alright?

She nodded, rolling her shoulders as she shucked off her jacket. Yeah.

A soft rumble came from the Rhyhorn's throat. It wasn't your fault, and you're better now. A slightly more amused note entered their connection. Now go show them, "Becky".

Rebeca rolled her eyes and dropped her jacket over her brother's head. Shut up, and look after Maya.

As she entered the battlefield in nothing but a sports bra and a pair of old shorts, her markings were on full display as they glowed red. Dry heat rolled off of her in waves, spreading across the arena and leaving the three Avatars feeling like they were standing under the hot noon sun in the middle of a very clear day. To all outwards appearances, Groudon's Avatar was completely relaxed, paying the cheering crowd around them not even the slightest attention, eyes flicking between the other two.

Alain wore the same torn trousers and jacket he usually did, but to use his wings in the fight he would need to take the latter off. This would be...uncomfortable for him, as he was painfully aware of the audience and spotlights shining on him. The announcer callled his name, and he nodded quickly, as if to acknowledge that yes, they had found the correct avatar of Yveltal.

He looked at Kaze, briefly remembering him as the avatar that had given him a soothe bell when he was frightened during that dinner that that he had gone to. He didn't know much about him, except for the fact that he seemed to be young. A little young for the arena, Alain thought, but he evidently wasnt being forced to attend, so...

...and the other one. He remembered the other one from the parade fight. She was pretty strong, and carried herself in a confident manner. She was probably going to be the one to worry about. And...she wasn't wearing much. He noticed that. He quickly turned away, his face going a bright red as he attempted to think of something else quickly.

He briefly wondered where Exo was. Knowing him, he was either laughing at his awkward situation in the arena, or attempting to seduce another bug pokemon. Or, more likely, both.

Oh, right. The battle. Finally getting the courage, he pulled off his jacket and let his wings unfurl to their full size, before crouching and turning them to steel. As soon as one of them moved, he would strike.

Alain wasn't intending to give them a chance to hit him back.

Rebeca's mind was already flipping into "battle mode", analyzing what her opponents were doing and comparing it to what she had already seen as white light percolated into claws around her fingers. Setting aside their ages and temperaments, this wasn't going to be an easy fight for her. Most of Alain's attacks that she had seen at the parade meant that he could hit hard from range, and being able to go air-born would limit her ability to get close to him. She knew even less about Kaze, but at the very least he was a Water type, so she could expect similar attacks, making him the bigger threat to her. The heat would lessen the impact, but she wasn't about to rely on that.

On the plus side, with their respective typing she was reasonably sure that neither of them would be able to stand up to her attacks after a couple boosts, if she could connect them. Best strategy for now was to stay defensive, try to slowly get close. The sooner Kaze was out of the fight, the better it would be for her.

The heat billowing into the arena was going to put a damper on Kaze's strategy. Or rather, it wouldn't be damp enough. But that was the least of his worries. With Alain looking like a predator ready to strike, and with Rebeca looking as steadfast as ever, Kaze couldn't let himself be an easy target for either of them. He would worry about making things more wet in a moment, but for now, he used his power to conjure a breeze which sounded amplified due to the structure of their arena.

Using this wind to his advantage, Kaze began to move at full speed. He wasn't aiming for anyone in particular, though his momentum was in the direction of Alain's territory. He knew one thing: He didn't need to get close to Rebeca. If the last battle was any indication, he wasn't going to be able to hold his own in a close-range battle with someone with even half her strength. But in the case of Alain . . . Kaze had seen his hesitation before, and maybe, if he was lucky, he could gain the upper hand from that.

One was moving! And what's more, he was moving fast. Alain didn't expect this, as he assumed that the smaller avatar wouldnt be much of a problem. He quickly tried to remember the typing. Kaze was...water? Yet, oddly enough, he seemed to be using the wind. Strange. The other would be a ground type, giving him a slight advantage. He still didn't want to get in a pitched fight with her though. He still remembered how dangerous she was in the parade.

He couldnt remember seeing Kaze fight though...so he decided to go for him first. Once he was out of the way, he could concentrate on the Groudon avatar. He kept his eyes fixed on Kaze, concentrating as he moved. As soon as the Suicune avatar slowed down, he would neutralise him on the spot. At least, in theory.

Kaze sensed Alain was preparing a direct attack, and he didn't exactly feel like getting hit in the face with a sheet of metal today. He made the first move from a short distance, firing a stream of bubbles at the winged Avatar.

Alain prepared to strike as the Suicune avatar slowed down, only to realise he was about to attack. He was pleasantly surprised when, instead of a jet of water, he fired a stream of bubbles. Diving to the side, he landed on the balls of his feet as the bubbles passed over his shoulder. He didn't know if they would hurt, but he didn't intend to give his opponent a second chance to attack. He launched himself foward, swinging his wings though the air to hit him like a steel wall.

The glowing claws that enveloped Rebeca's hands pulsed and became a little brighter, her amber eyes also taking on a slight glow as she silently watched the battle going on in front of her. It was just fine by her if they decided to wear each other out, it would make ending the fight that much easier for her. She wasn't here to impress the crowd.

Vuduin watched the battle progress, though to be honest he was not as excited as he'd thought. At first the thought of seeing avatars go toe to toe with each was exhilarating, but now it just seemed crude. Fighting another avatar had been just like fighting a normal person and it honestly made things seem just gladitorial. Vuduin found himself wishing there had been something less confrontational and more like a contest. Like an obstacle course, or an eating contest. Ah well, he was basically just thinking selfishly. Vuduin brought his attnetion back to the fight. It seemed Rebeca was merely waiting for her chance to strike while Kaze and Alain were going at it. He toyed briefly with the thought of disabling whatever Rebeca was doing, but that would be rude and against the rules, despite how amusing it would be.

Meanwhile, in a bar outside of the arena, a lonely bartender was cleaning some glasses inside out, while watching the ongoing fight on his TV screen hanging above the bar. The rest of the bar was deserted, as it seemed everyone either stayed at home to watch or was at the finals themselves. Suddenly, the door of the bar opened. The bell at the door made a small noise that alarmed the bartender about his new customer. "Welcome sir, what do you like to drink?" The customer, a young man with brown hair and a red clothes, sat straight across the bar from him. "This is the 'Em-bar', right? Where they serve 'the hottest drinks'?" "yes sir, this is the place." The bartender responded proudly. "Well, I want something so hot, it melts my body." The bartender first laughed, but then saw the look on the customers face. "You're serious? Well, I might have something in the back." He said, then moved to the back of the bar. Meanwhile, with nothing to do, the customer watched the TV to see the finals.

The steel wing hit Kaze full-on in the chest, sending him tumbling to the ground. The Avatar groaned for a second. Then he kipped up, using the momentum to fire another Bubble Beam at Alain.

Alain put his wings in front of him like a shield, wincing as the bubbles popped against them, luckily, they were still steel, so they managed to block the worst of it. He was surprised by the parkour that Kaze was capable of, but at least he hadn't been able to dodge the worst of his wing. This looked like it would take a while though, and he couldn't afford to waste time. He had noticed that the Groudon avatar had not joined the fray, which led him to assume she was powering up somehow. He needed to get rid of them both as fast as possible.

He had already activated his entropic field, but he wasn't sure when the effects were going to be apparent. It depended on their constitution. That would certainly help, but...

He looked around, noticing shining claw-like appendages on the groudon avatar's hands. This was going to be a waste of time. The suicune avatar had been more resilient than expected. Alain smiled, and launched himself at Kaze, materialising a dark pulse in his hands, he raised his hand to strike, but at the last second, landed on his foot and spun around, launching the pulse in the direction of Rebecca.

As soon as he did that, he stepped back and covered himself in his wings, preparing for Kaze's counterattack. They weren't as durable as when they were made of steel, but they still made decent shields nonetheless.

A peculiar, tingling feeling came over Rebeca, and her eyes narrowed. In a situation like this, she wasn't about to dismiss anything as trivial or unimportant. Somebody was doing something, and as long as she didn't know who or what, that was a problem.

Abruptly, Alain sent a stream of violet energy her way. The sudden change in tactics wasn't too surprising; apparently he had noticed that she wasn't just standing around watching. Still, she remained disinclined to go on the offensive just yet, instead choosing to just duck down as her claws pulsed yet again. The Dark Pulse passed overhead harmlessly, carving a shallow furrow in the concrete several feet behind her.

Standing back up, Rebeca finally began moving, slowly circling the other two Avatars as they continued fighting.

Kaze noticed Alain's change of focus and used that time to dash away from the two fighters. As much as the whirling wind helped his agility, he knew he couldn't win an endurance race against these opponents. It was time to start packing a harder punch. Kaze's limbs moved gracefully with the wind. A rumbling sound echoed throughout the cave as a dark cloud formed overhead. Then, a downpour started at the end of Kaze's Rain Dance. Fortunately for the audience, the deluge stopped just short of their seats. The referees and medics were not so lucky... along with the other two Avatars.

Vuduin blinked in surprise as the torrent of rain hit him as well, though only for a few seconds before he phased through it. Ghastly however beat a quick retreat away from the rain, though it wouldn't disperse him or anything the rain going through his body was distinctly unpleasent. Vuduin sitting now alone in the rain with his silver hair wetted down made an imposing figure as he spectated the battle. He silently made a bet with himself than either Rebecca would win or the other two would temporarily team up against her, maybe even both.

Alain, with his long hair and wings, bore more than a passing resemblance to a drowned rattata in the sudden downpour. He managed to keep his hair out of his eyes, but it was still going to be annoying. Couldn't his two opponents fight each other for a while? Why was the ebodiement of destruction considered to be the one they should stop?

Although...it could be interesting if he tried something with it. He put his hands together, and slowly spread them apart, forming a miniature cyclone in the centre, before opening his arms, causing the new hurricane to almost cover him before he launched it at Rebecca.

Wisps of steam curled off Rebeca's skin, forming a barely noticable aura around her as she squinted through the rain. It took only seconds for her to be completely drenched, her Ponyta tail plastered against her neck. It was nothing more than a minor annoyance, however; she'd walked through much worse storms in the mountains back in Johto.

Then the wind began to pick up, until it was howling in her ears and buffeting her powerfully, peppering her exposed skin with raindrops like tiny darts. She shielded her eyes, trying to see, and dropped down to one knee. The glowing claws around her hands pulsed and shrank a little, some of the light flowing down her body to form a second set of claws around her bare feet, and she dug into the concrete as the wind strove to drag her loose..

From the looks of things, Alain wasn't going to leave her alone anymore. Smart boy. It was only a matter of time before Kaze decided that he had more of an advantage of her than he did over Yveltal, and Rebeca had no desire to be fighting a Water-type in a rain storm.

Come on boys, just a little more... she thought to herself as her claws pulsed once again, growing until all four sets were the same size.

Kaze gulped at the sight of Rebeca's claws growing ever longer. At this point, the fear was not as much about getting knocked out as being decapitated or something! A violent torrent of water streamed forth from Kaze's outstretched hands as he fired the Hydro Pump at Rebeca. Then, he used the rushing wind to dash away from the Avatar of Groudon, hoping Alain would present himself as an easier target. Kaze felt his footsteps slow down as the Tailwind petered out.

Alain watched Rebeca's claws glow again, desperately trying to pay attention to them and...nothing else. Quickly, he began to think. Her claws would take him down easily if he wasn't careful, but even then, he didnt know if she had any ranged capabilities. If he brought her down first, Kaze wouldnt be too much of a problem...

His entropic field had been on for a while now, and Alain realised that the effects would be felt by now. Of course, it didn't take a genius to figure out that the draining effect was coming from the embodiment of destruction...In that case, they would go for him. Ideally, he would use another hurricane while it was still raining, but there was a distinct lack of debris that would cause any serious damage. His entropic field would become stronger the closer they got to him, but getting close to Rebeca would be idiotic...

...suddenly, he smiled to himself, before crouching and turning his wings into steel once again. Finally, he launched himself foward, his wing cutting through the air towards Rebeca while his fist went straight for her face.

When at last the wind cleared and she was able to see properly again, Rebeca's eyes widened as she saw the immense stream of water heading straight for her. SHIT! Immediately she threw herself to the side, but wasn't quite fast enough, the powerful torrent catching her trailing leg and spinning her off course, tumbling across the ground. Everything below her knee hurt like a bitch; walking or running was going to be out of the question.

Things didn't get much better from there. When she looked up, she found Alain racing towards her, arm drawn back to throw a punch and wings gleaming beneath the stadium lights. Rolling onto her back, Rebeca caught both wings in her hands as she jerked her head to the side, his fist striking the concrete right beside her ear.

The tingling feeling that she had felt earlier intesified, until it was like something was being pulled out of her. Instinctively, her grip on his wings tightened, the smooth metallic feathers bending and crumpling beneath her claws, and she snarled, a deep, throaty growl that was more Pokemon than human. Her good knee rammed upwards into his groin, and she yanked him to the side, ignoring the spikes of pain in her palms as the edge of his wings sliced through, bucking her hips, until their circumstances were reversed, and she now had him pinned to the ground. Straddling his waist, she released one wing and reared up, the light from her feet and occupied hand racing up her body, until the entirety of her free arm was glowing.

Alain grunted in pain as her knee smashed into his crotch, but didnt have enough time to do anything else before Rebecca pulled him to the side by his wings, somehow ignoring the blades sticking into her palms. HIs face was planted in the floor as he felt her hold onto his wings

"There's a woman wearing very little sitting on my back! What am I supposed to do?!?!"

The answer was simple. He concentrated, and fired a dark pulse radiating from his entire body, launching her backwards a few metres as he got up, whirling around to meet her next attack.

The blast of dark energy caught her off-guard, leaving her entire front feeling scorched and like something was crawling beneath her skin. Panting, and feeling far more exhausted than she aught to have been, given the effort she'd been putting into the fight thus far, she raised her still glowing arm into the air. She wasn't going to give Kaze a chance to capitalize on her sudden vulnerability, as she smashed her fist into the concrete. An immense shockwave raced through the ground, and a sound like a thunderclap split the air as the concrete broke into a spider web of deep cracks around the Avatar. The powerful attack shook the stadium to its foundations, shaking loose a shower of dust and miniscle rock fragments from the ceiling.

Kaze felt relieved to see his opponents going after each other, giving him more time to gain more distance away from the brawling Avatars. However, that relief was short-lived. With a deafening crack entire floor erupted into sheer rocky chaos. Even much of the audience were jostled out of their chairs and thin cracks traveled up the supporting walls.

Without a Tailwind up, there was no way for the Legend of the North Wind to avoid such a massive attack. A tidal wave of rock hurled Kaze into the air and sent him careening right into a wall, leaving a nice splatter as he unceremoniously dropped to the ground.

Fortunately, the wall was conveniently right by the waiting medical staff. Once the crew recovered from their own taste of Earthquake, a few nurses and Pokemon quickly assessed Kaze's wounds. All the audience could tell was that Kaze was unconscious, there was a lot of blood, and one leg looked sickeningly twisted out of place. The pinkish glow of Heal Pulse radiated from the area and nurses began to put splints on him. Nobody injected him with a revive; it would be best for the Avatar to remain unconscious for now.

From the stands, Emry groaned and rubbed a bruised knee. Being a steel-type, the outskirts of the Earthquake had affected her about as much as the normal humans. The blonde looked back at the battlefield, a hand flying to her mouth in shock. She paled at the gruesome scene. Solomon quickly deduced the cause of his companion's distress.

"I can sense his aura," the Lucario assured. "He is alive, and with proper medical care, the Avatar of Suicune will probably recover." According to his aura sense, his statements were mostly true.

Vuduin felt a vauge sense of relief that he was already incorpreal, as it made the wave of rock and shaking ground had no affect on him, other than being mildly intimidating. Goodness Rebecca was terrifying, not that he was lookng at her anymore, given her somewhat undignifed current state. Not that she minded he knew, she probably couldn't care less but that wasn't the point. Such an odd battle this, decided more by character than anything else. He felt a flash of alarm as Kaze was ragdolled but the staff seemed remarkably prepared to deal with it, rushing him into safety quickly. Hopefully another attack like that didn't happen, otherwise the area might be in danger.

Alain jumped to his feet as he watched Rebecca fly backwards and land on her feet. He materialised another dark pulse, only to see her raise her glowing arm. In half a second, he realised what she was doing.

That was far too late.

The shockwave smashed into him, launching him backwards through the air. He must have spun a few times, befpre managing to get himself upright in the air, using his wings. The claws would shred him if he got hit, so he rose into the air, making sure she couldn't run and jump to get him.

He needed to finish this fast. He was starting to get tired, and with his fragility, he would go down easy to another powerful hit. He clapped his hands together, forming another ball of energy, which slowly began to almost seep into his wings, like water on his feathers. Soon, his wings and his entire body were glowing.

Watching the other Avatar spiral through the air, Rebeca's eyes narrowed, the usually molten amber irises taking on a silver sheen. Up above, a matching silver light traced a sizable circle in the ceiling, and with a loud cracking sound, a three meter wide chunk tore itself free and plummeted towards the stadium floor. As fell, the chunk continued to break up into smaller pieces, like stone buckshot, except this seemed to home in on the floating Alain.

"OBLIVION WI..."
A chunk of rock struck Alain in the shoulder. A massive beam shot out from him, but the rock had thrown off his aim, making it carve a trench across the arena not half a metre from Rebecca. Struggling to right himself in midair, he was able to land on his feet.
He was grounded. All he could do now was go all out. He charged, turning his wings to steel once again, with one cutting towards her chest while his other hand grabbed at her arm. Partcially to stop her hitting him again, partly to drain her faster.

Rebeca saw stars as the hard wing slammed into her chest. She staggered back for a moment. But the Avatar of Groudon was a fighter, and this battle was not over yet.

With her right arm pinned, she lifted a foot, as if she were about to strike back with another Earthquake. But instead, she put her remaining strength into a crackling uppercut of a Thunder Punch into Alain's chin.

Alain hit hard and fast, ignoring the pain in his back as he struck with metal wings and fists as fast as he could. He could win this; He knew it. He had been beaten a lot before and had a surprising ability to ignore pain. Of course, it would come back with a vengeance eventually.

He hit again, striking her in the torso...
Which he realised was mostly uncovered. He turned bright red, and for a second, he was back in the restaurant, his shyness overcoming him.
It only lasted a split second, but in that split second, he moved his gaze slightly up a bit.

It was enough. He didnt see her move her arm until it was too late, and felt her fist smash into his chin, blasting a current of electricity through his entire body as he was thrown up into the air and down again, landing on his back. Slowly, he scrambled to his feet.

"I...m...still....not...done..." He groaned, raising a hand, dark power beginning to form in it...

...and then proceeded to fall face down in the dirt.

More rumbling, more rocks falling, and everything finally fell silent as Alain lay defeated on the ground. So that was the end of things hm? Well to be honest Vuduin wasn't sure how to feel about it. This tournament had been the oddest mix between sparring and fighting to the death for victory, something he'd been unable to prepare his mindset for. Ah well, it had been an interesting experience. He wondered what would happen next and looked to the mayor and Justine expectantly.

A breathless hush fell over the stadium for several seconds, the audience waiting to make sure the epic battle was really over.

"And the winner is BECKY, Avatar of Groudon!!"

The still stadium instantly erupted into a flurry of noise and activity. Groudon was a fan favorite, and even though the cavern only held about fifty people, the echoing cheers echoed loudly. Mayor Mayer hollered the loudest, proud to see a legend of his own region come out on top. Emry clapped cheerfully, glad her acquaintance had won... and, honestly, that all the chaotic violence was over.
Of course, there were also plenty of people disappointed by the outcome, but they still applauded the amazing battle. Justine appeared to be one of those people... she was looking intently at Alain with her customary neutral expression when Vuduin glanced over.

Several medics rushed onto the field the second they deemed it safe. A couple ran over to tend to Rebeca's wounds. The teen was barely standing, but she refused care, more concerned about the Avatars she had beaten. A few medics assessed Alain's wounds while one prepared a Revive.

In a flash of impossibly fast movement, the medic was on the ground. Blood... and possibly brains?... splattered out ten feet from his head. A tall figure in a hooded gray cloak stood over the man, one deep brown fist extended from a punch. In the timeless beat of stunned silence, the man took a deep breath.



A shockwave pulsed out with his booming voice, knocking back many of the volunteers and colliding with the cameras. One camera's lens completely shattered, leaving only its audio. Another's audio was destroyed and the lens damaged, leaving a fuzzy black-and-white view. An alternation between these half-functional cameras was all the outside world would ever witness of the chaos to follow.

Dozens of popping lights flashed as volunteers sent out their Pokemon. The cloaked man had just started scooping Alain up when an Electrike bit his leg. Several more Pokemon converged on the newcomer. Other Pokemon rushed to surround the Avatars in the audience, waiting for them to make any move that could suggest alliance with the cloaked man.

What the fuck is going on now? Rebeca thought blearily. She stepped forward to help Alain. Then a loud crack pierced through the commotion, followed by a few screams of terror. Rebeca glanced toward the sound to see Mikhail running to brace a cracked wall on the verge of collapse. Shit... shit...SHIT! The Avatar stumbled to the wall just in time to help Mikhail hold it up. Her sore muscles screamed from the strain... whatever madness was happening all around her, those people had better find a new place to do it soon if they didn't want to become pancakes.

Several nautical klicks out, where Mauville city is but a small smudge approaching the horizon, a ship is currently clipping through the waves, making good time for its next stop: Vermilion City. On the deck a young woman is currently laying on a chaise longue, one conspicuous for being the only one on deck while the rest of the passengers, few as they were, were making use of deckchairs. The woman, wearing a pink shirt, black stockings, a short skirt and a biker jacket was currently watching the tournament on a large monitor with her Milotic by here side.

Claudia Jund was only half heatedly watching, her associate Drystan Graye had been supposed to be taking part, however he had apparently withdrawn and whatever he had been up to instead would probably not bode well for anyone, for the brute was guaranteed to be doing something foolhardy. She was starting to regret her hungover decision to rush of back home at the first sign of trouble. She had a tendency to want to micromanage everything but, as her Darling Milotic and Palkia often told her, she really should trust her subordinates to get on with things.

Palkia was of the opinion that dealing with every problem when they had minions to handle the minor ones was frankly beneath them both, the goddess of space itself should not be worrying about every minor upset of one small city, she had bigger fish to fry.

Darling thought that all this busy work and activity was not good for her health, that she should take it easy every now and then, take some me time, go to a spa, go out drinking, kick some punks ass, anything to blow of steam. By this she meant she wanted to do these things but she needed Claudia to do the organizing, she couldn't exactly slither into a shop and buy her own ribbons. Darling got bored easily and all the decision making and frankly bureaucratic tasks running a major gang with no opposition left her with little to do than act as a framing piece to Claudia as she traveled around town solving issues. She had been rather excited to go on this trip and was currently sulking, watching the tournament they should have won while Claudia texted Erika, Celadon City's gym leader, who was dealing with the plague outbreak.

Erika Was rather miffed at Claudia, both with here command of the city in general and with her poking her nose back in so soon after leaving. She was one of the few who had to be brought round to her rule with violence, Darling certainly enjoyed that bit of the takeover. Naturally all above board, she was simply challenging the local gym leader, it was certainly not a veiled threat or show of force, the massive crowds that gathered for the glamorous spectacle could definitely see that. She was of course humble in her victory and it was simply a coincidence that everyone saw who was the strongest, that she was not just a pretty face who was good with words. The first time she had to use her 2 lieutenants Pokemon along with Darling but now that Palkia and her became one, the last thing she did before leaving for the festival was reaffirm who was in charge, 2 vs 3. Darling enjoyed that one even more.

Erika to Claudia, May 6: Like I said Claudia, it’s not a big outbreak, your minions must have overreacted when some of their Pokemon got sick, if they think you need to return. I have everything under control, thank you very much. The quarantine is working properly and most of the infected are too low level to be seriously affected.

Claudia to Erika, May 6: My subordinates simply reported the situation as they saw it and I decided that I should head back in-case the the plague got worse. You must understand I was concerned for my friends in the city and it simply would not do for me to have stayed at the festival if the situation went badly. I have been kept up to date with your ongoing efforts and they must be commended. However unless something comes back I will be coming back to oversee things personally.

It was going to be really embarrassing when she showed up and everything was fine, but turning back now would look bad without an adequate reason.

“Claudia, you simply have to see what is happening at the tournament“
“I am darling”
“you really should pay attention, you're not really looking or hearing, but are lost in thought. Focus on the now, the past and future can be left to Dialga Palkia chimed in, like she was handing out some great pearl of wisdom.

The image of the man standing over the dead medic declaring:

"AVATARS! LEAVE THE CITY NOW!!"

Was all she caught before the cameras where damaged, leaving everything that followed unclear.

“They dare command us! We must go back at once and show this one that no-one orders a goddess to do anything!“ Palkia’s smug demeanor from having noticed something her host had not while they shared the same eyes was overturned in an instant, replaced with a righteous fury.

“It would be good for your beloved caring self to be seen responding to this, we should go back at once and forget about the boring plague” Darling sounded way to pleased with the fact that someone had been killed. Still it was a good excuse.

Claudia to Erika, May 6: Something has come up. Won’t be coming back

Claudia stands and puts away her phone, the chaise longue shrinking to a size that would fit in a doll house.
“Let’s see if we have to bail out our violent idiot out of his latest endeavor while we are at it shall we?”
She pockets the chair and pulls out an equally tiny motorbike, which she expands to full size and then mounts, the passages scattering as she revs the engine. Darling coils herself around Claudia, half riding the bike, half being pulled along behind it as she floats. They ride straight towards the distant Mauville City on the horizon, pulling a wheelie and jumping up over the railing and into the open air. A large pink portal suddenly opens and they pass through it, landing on the solid road at the docks that the boat had so recently departed from, before riding into the city proper. She would need to call Drystan and see if she could meet up with him.

Emry sat frozen in fear, gaping at the eruption of violence around her. Even when Solomon tried to snap her out of it, she wouldn't move.

We have to save our friends! came that daring childlike voice. C'mon, it'll be AWESOME!

Somehow, the small voice drowned out everything else. Before she knew it, Emry was grinning, enjoying the adrenaline rush as her small frame weaved and ducked around all kinds of battling Pokemon. After a moment of alarm, Solomon sprinted beside her, shielding her from a couple stray attacks that flew their way. Though there was still much distance between her and Kaze, Emry knew she would soon heal him and be a hero!

While panicked people had began to stream out of the unstable cavern, Pokemon determined to capture a murderer continued to pour toward the center of the arena. The cloaked man fought back with powerful blurs of martial arts, but the sheer number of foes was beginning to overtake him. With a flash of light, the man released a Pokemon. For a second, the Charmeleon looked overwhelmed by confusion at the ensuing chaos. But soon she leaped into action, scorching a Pokemon who had its jaws clamped around her trainer's ankle.

Suddenly, the Charmeleon reeled back from a dizzying water attack. The cloaked man blocked another from hitting Alain, and still another splashed across the Avatar of Yveltal's feet. The assault happened so quickly, the attacker blended back in with the crowd before the Charmeleon or her trainer could see what... or who... it was. As the gray-clad man scanned the area, his veiled eyes stopped on Vuduin. Perhaps he recognized the Avatar... or perhaps it was a good guess, informed by the dark type's style of dress.

the cloaked man pleaded, his thunderous voice sending three of the nearest Pokemon tumbling backward.

Right as the words left his mouth, a pink Pokemon interposed itself between Vuduin and the medics' area. With an expressionless face, Porygon-Z let out a series of unintelligible beeps. While the details of its communication were rather lacking, it gave a strong impression that Porygon-Z did not intend to let Vuduin pass.