Fanfiction Coltar: The Prophecy

Summary:
Following the aftermath of the battle, James and the others are taken in for questioning and statements. However, James gets curious, and upsets a few of the Guards keeping watch.

Interrogation
21​

Wednesday, May 10th, 1989

The local police station and offices were now a scene of controlled chaos. The sharp ring of the bell on the desk cut through the tension, signalling the start of the interrogation. Those who had managed to escape the fight, whether willingly or not, were now confined. The Lords and Ladies had cordoned off the waiting room, much to James’s annoyance. His gaze shifted from the door to Lieutenant Tomilson, who was nursing a scratched face and a badly injured arm. James, unable to bear the tension, rose from his seat and made his way to Lieutenant Tomilson.

“Can I sit next to you, please?” James asked. His words were muffled by the sound of workers sawing away up above.

“No talking, runt. This is a waiting room for interrogation.” A Lord walked up to him, grabbed him under his arms, and threw him onto the floor.

“Hey! Don’t throw him; he is a witness!” Young Lord Kek sprang up from his seat, his bandaged stomach and chest throbbing with every movement. He positioned himself between the Lord and James, his voice strained. “Back off, my Lord.”

“Fine. On your head be it.” The Lord stood back at the door. “No talking. Understand?”

James scowled and settled in the corner of the room, his eyes fixed on the floor. His fingers twitched with anxiety. I just want to be out of here. Okta, where are you? What will they do to me? She needs to be here. His attention was drawn to the Lord, who stepped aside, making way for Lord Orag. His droopy eyes, messy hair, and wonky hearing aid made James feel even more uneasy. Minutes dragged on, each one feeling like an eternity until Lord Orag's hand landed on James’s shoulder.

“Hi, Mr Bryson. I am going to start the questioning process. Come with me,” Lord Orag said as he looked at James. James recoiled at his words, pulling his knees up towards his face. He doesn’t want to talk yet. Probably doesn’t want to go first. Lord Orag readjusted his hearing aid to make it straight and placed his hand on James’s head. “Alright. Well, it is either I settle you down, or it is one of them.” He gestured to the other Lords and Ladies waiting to interrogate the participants in the room.

James glanced over his knees and up at Lord Orag and muffled, “Fine.” He slowly got up and held his side from when he had been thrown into the ground. The Lord opened the door and gestured forward to the wooden walled offices. “This sucks. I want to go and be with my onix.” His muffled words reached the ears of Lord Orag, who looked back at him for a moment, puzzled and then nodded. James took hold of the chair, but Lord Orag stepped in the way and gestured to the other side of the desk, further away from the door. James groaned and took a seat on the wooden chair. He looked around the small office. There were no windows, and all the light came from a single litwick asleep on the bookshelf. He refocused on the tall Elkran man opposite him, fiddling around with the touchpad of the holo device on his wrist, secured in place by some straps and a needle.

“I am Lord Aaron Orag. Please refer to me as Lord Orag or my Lord. I am here to interrogate you over the incident that took place in the park of Fehahra town at 10:02 on Wednesday, the 10th of May. This interrogation is being recorded for reference and may be used in evidence in a court of law if required. During this interrogation, you will tell the truth. Failure to do so will lead to punishments such as but not limited to flogging, jail time or even execution. Please state your full name and date of birth for the record.”

“James Bryson. February 15th, 1975.” James’s hands started to shake, so he tucked them under the desk and out of view.

“Alright, so you are under the age of 25. Under the Hamilton Youth Protection Act of 1910, also known as the Hamilton Accords, you are permitted to have a person over the age of 25 with you during this time period. This person can currently not be involved in a police investigation, a military investigation, in hospital, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or be in jail. This person must be within a travel time of two hours from the town and not be in a militarised or conflict zone.” Lord Orag paused and looked at James. “Are you still with me, Mr Bryson?”

James nodded and said, “I want Lieutenant Tomilson.”

“Under the Hamilton Youth Protection Act of 1910, you are unable to call upon Lieutenant Tomilson as he is currently part of a police and military investigation. Would you like your mum? Your dad?” Lord Orag asked.

“Lieutenant Tomilson. Or I won’t say nothing to you.” James placed his head on the table and buried it under his arms. “I don’t want anyone else.”

“Then you have no one. Sorry, that’s the rules. Let’s start off simple…” Lord Orag pressed his fingers together and looked at James. He isn’t interested in making eye contact. This isn’t the boy I know. “What were you doing in the park?”

“Fuck off,” James said. “I want to go home and be with Kuti and my onix. Can my brother come?”

I feel bad for this kid. I don’t think he is doing it on purpose, but he is not doing himself any favours. Leaning forward, Lord Orag said, “For the record, he is fourteen. Under the Hamilton Youth Protection Act of 1910, you are unable to call upon…”

“He’s thirteen. W-what about Lord Ikur? Can he come?” James lifted his head and looked at Lord Orag with wide eyes.

“I can do that. I’ll be right back. The two Guards on the door will assist you if you need anything. I’ll bring you some berry juice on the way back, yes? Durin berry is your favourite if I remember correctly.” Lord Orag grinned when James nodded, touched his left shoulder with his right hand, and lowered his head. He reached the door, walked through, and pulled it closed without a sound.

The office’s purple litwick light flickered as if the wind had crept through the non-existent window. James sat up straight and shuffled his seat away from the desk. He leaned back and started to swing on his chair. The creaking soothed his nerves as the minutes whittled away. Footsteps came from outside the door, and he rested his chair back down. What’s taking so long? Let’s just get this over with.

James jumped up off his feet, walked to the door, and took hold of the handle. He walked out the door and down the corridor. A yell rang out, and he turned around. No one was there. He tiptoed to the stairs and looked around, still seeing no one. He grabbed the metal stair rail and crept down to the cell block. One of the doors was wide open, and he heard the sound of sobbing inside. He stared inside. A sickening feeling rose through his stomach, and James stepped back against the wall in the corridor.

“What are you doing down here?” an Elkran soldier said, stepping closer. He called out for the Guard in Elkrat and approached James. He drew his sword and hung his tongue out of his twisted mouth. “That is what happens to Colran who are just like you.”

James’s heart pounded in his chest so loud he could hear a thudding in his ears. He ran toward the soldier and swung his leg up. The kick had landed squarely on his knee. He could see the confusion on the soldier’s face as he ran past him and up the stairs. One flight, two flights. He backed away from the top step, focused on his pursuer.

“Hey, little runt. Maybe you should have done as you were told.” The Guards approached him, laughing. “Now you have just given us an excuse. We came here all the way from your rot-infested capital, and it is just as bad here.” Poké balls flew from their hands with a flick of their wrists, and a mightyena and machamp appeared in front of James.

Out of the corner of his eye, James saw the absol from earlier, and he stepped back once again. The floorboards under his foot cracked, and he twisted. Thud. He pulled himself along the floor and glanced up at the very wide hole above him. The Guards looked down angrily but they didn’t move nor flex their pokémon’s muscles to get him. His ears rang, and his vision blurred, but he pulled himself along again anyway. He couldn’t feel his arm. Only the pain in his right shoulder. His feet and legs stung, but at the sound of footsteps, he forced himself to stand.

“J-James?” Young Lord Kek said. James pushed him back, but Young Lord Kek felt his hands push down. “Woah, hey, hey, breathe in. Breath out. Did you… fall through the ceiling? Geez, that looks sore. What were you doing on the…”

“Hand the boy over. He is a prisoner in the cells and escaped,” the Lady who had been pursuing James said. She scowled at Young Lord Kek’s shaking head. “I will have you thrown into the pit!” she barked in Elkrat.

“And I will have you done for false imprisonment, oh, and the bullshit you pulled,” Young Lord Kek responded in Colrat. “And would you look at that? My copperajah is fully healed.” He smirked as she scowled and marched off. His thoughts snapped back to James and the awful shape he looked in. He offered a hand to him, and he took it with a wince. “That’s dislocated and broken, probably. I can’t give you an adrenaline shot because, well… you are too small.”

“I am not short!” James snapped back before wincing.

The door opened, and Lord Ikur’s voice dominated the room. “What the fuck did you do? Okay, hold on.” Lord Ikur turned to Lord Orag and let out an almighty groan. He then tapped on his touchpad for a few moments and turned back around to Kitiku, who had followed him. “Right, the stretcher will be here soon. In the meantime, we are doing this damn interrogation before I lose any more of my hair, Mr … Bryson.” Lord Ikur shot a point at Lord Orag, who sat down on the floor cross-legged opposite James.

“I am Lord Aaron Orag. Please refer to me as Lord Orag or my Lord. I am here to question you about the incident that took place in the park of Fehahra town at 10:02 on Wednesday, the 10th of May. This is being recorded for reference and may be used as evidence in a court of law. You will tell the truth. Failure to do so will lead to. Please state your full name and date of birth for the record.” Lord Orag took his jacket off and began to fold it up. “Breathe, okay?”

“James Tak Bryson. February 15th, 1975. My arm really hurts; I want to go home.” James took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder and himself being lifted up and then pushed down onto his back. His head rested against a dubwool-cotton material. The scratchy softness of it promised him that certainty.

“Under the Hamilton Youth Protection Act of 1910, you are permitted to have a person over the age of 25 with you during this time period. This person can currently not be involved in a police investigation, a military investigation, in hospital, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or be in jail. This person must be within a travel time of two hours from the town and not be in a militarised or conflict zone,” Lord Orag said and nodded at James.

“Lord Ikur.” James opened his eyes to see Lord Ikur beside him. “I trust Lord Ikur… and I … I really…”

“Can you tell me what happened in the park at 10:02? Why were there?” Lord Orag asked as Lord Ikur gestured for James to breathe. “Sorry, James, I know you are in pain. For the record, the interrogatee has had an accident, but the information regarding the event has to be recorded urgently.”

James whispered, “I-I just wanted to be free. Then we had a battle and…”

“Can you state who ‘we’ is?” Lord Orag interrupted and tugged his hearing aid.

“Me and him…” James tried to lift his right arm but screwed up his face as pain shot to the joint. “It hurts. I want to go home. I want my brother. I want Pierre here…” James sniffled.

Kitiku stared at James from the door. His heart sank into his chest, and a sadness that had been wallowing inside of him exploded into a hollow numbness. He’s my brother…mine, not yours… He felt the tears drip down his face, and he snuck back into one of the side rooms and slid down the wall as quietly as he could. I miss him, too. I want my big brother to hug me. I want him to tell me it will be okay. I never really got to say goodbye… He listened as James spoke in the waiting room.

“…and then I got frustrated of being on my own, and I heard a noise, so I went to investigate, and then I saw the guy in the cell, and then those guards chased me, and I want my brother…” James streamed out in one mouthful, not taking a breath in.

“Alright. Well, why don’t we get you to the medical bay? Lord Ikur will fix your arm up, and then you and I can do your homework together. As I know you haven’t done it.” Lord Orag grinned, almost goofily, at James. “And I might forget that you started a battle against a young Lord in the park, and I might make sure that part of the record doesn’t get sent to Kirot-Akalt. Besides, you and your brother are smart. He’s more academically smart, but you have instincts, and that’s great sometimes. Since you won’t be able to do many er… sports or battling, I think doing mathematics homework is a fine way to pass the time.”

“Where is my onix?” James asked.

“She is resting. Come. If you don’t want to do maths, I can tell you all about the reason why you only have a suspected broken collarbone and not anything far worse,” Lord Ikur replied quickly to stop Lord Orag. Talk about maths. I swear you will make us all die of boredom. However, to his surprise, James groaned even louder. “What? You don’t want to hear about the spoink bone theory? Or the plated gastro-muscle theory? What about bone compaction?”

“Take me to the hospital and teach me maths because it’s less confusing,” James said, muffled. “Besides, Lord Orag gives us berry cubes if we get all the answers right. Also, his feraligatr is cool.”

“What is exactly wrong with my luxray?” Lord Ikur answered back with a little smile at seeing James’s grin.

Through his grin and gritted teeth, James responded, “The feraligatr can eat you easier.”

 

Roar
22​

Thursday, May 11th, 1989

The incident the day before had been plastered all over the news, not that Lioa could read it that well. However, the school paper had a good picture of the battle. Lioa slumped down at his homeroom desk and groaned. The thought of having to sit through another class drained his soul from his body. He imagined seeing it being sucked into the wooden floorboards and gliding out the door carefree. He looked at his timetable and felt relief at the saving grace of only being in classes for three hours. He grinned and remembered that his first period was Chemical Substances, and they had been promised the opportunity to meet a muk. The door opened and caught his attention, and he saw Lieutenant Tomilson come in. The room suddenly quietened down, and all eyes locked on him.

“Yes, yes, I have a scratch on my face. Moving on. You may notice two of your number is missing. Before you have a complete breakdown over it, James is in hospital with a broken collar bone, and Kitiku is in his room. They might come along, they might not.” He stretched his arms and sat down at his desk. “Oh, the first and second periods are cancelled.” The sound of the students getting up from their desks flooded the room. “Excuse me! That doesn’t mean you can leave. We have some important things to talk about.” Lieutenant Tomilson sighed. As well as I can play this part, I really hope they get their shit together in the capital and send teachers to Colran. Soldiers are not cut out for this job at all. They have their duties to adhere to. We are not trained teachers, damn it.

The door opened, and Kitiku crept it. However, every pair of eyes stared at him. His face went bright red, and he shivered. He crutched over to Lieutenant Tomilson, looked down at the floor, and shuffled a little. “S-s-s…” He trembled. The words he had wanted to say refused to come out. He tried to raise his hands to sign what he wanted to say.

“It’s okay, Kitiku. Take a deep breath and go.” The lieutenant plopped his hat on the desk.

“Sir, can we talk?” Kitiku signed. He briefly glanced up and saw Lieutenant Tomilson nodding at him. He turned around to take his seat, but a pot of ink struck his blazer. Octillery ink went everywhere, all down him, all over the floor. His head started to spin at the sound of snickering and laughter.

“That’s what you get for being an Elktan’s pet!” Lioa called out and swung on his chair.

“Takui! Sit the fuck down. I am not dealing with your bullshit today. People died in that fight. Your friend could have died, and instead of acting like a fourteen-year-old, you are behaving like you are ten. Do I have to send you to the Junior School, or are you going to behave like you belong in this school? You could at least have the decency to get my nationality correct! It is Elkran, not Elktan.” Lieutenant Tomilson paused and put his hand on his dragapult’s poké ball. “Kitiku, sit down. We can talk after class, okay?” He smiled at him before leaning against his desk.

“So, it is May. That means that for you, there is one month until the first Kirot Akalt Academy exam. This exam gives you the opportunity to go to the best school in the whole of Coltar, be it Colran, Elktan or, in some people’s eyes, even Kilgor. This, if you can get in, would give you a huge advantage in the future. However, only maybe fifty of you would make it in – not fifty in this school, fifty in the entire of Colran and Elktan combined. To clarify, there are two types of exams: the Guard’s Exam and the Student’s Exam. You will all be blood tested, and if you have a quarter or more Elktan blood, you are forced to take the Guard’s Exam; the rest of you have a choice, and that is what today is all about. Dr. Smith will be doing this class’s blood test. Please, do not upset her; I don’t want to deal with a pissed-off Lady.” Lieutenant Tomilson got up and walked to the door. “Stand when she comes in and bow; don’t, for the love of giratina, make a scene.”

Lieutenant Tomilson opened the door, and the class stood up, except Kitiku and the boy in a wheelchair sitting in the back. He knelt in front of her and moved his hand to his left shoulder. He closed his eyes and breathed out as she touched his shoulder. She looked at the class and then back at him.

“They don’t look the material, but we shall soon see. Also, you have a missing space. I suppose that is the child in the hospital? The one who had a full-on tantrum.” She nodded and walked to the front, and pulled out a needle. “Who wants to go first?”

Lioa raised his hand. “Bitch, please, let’s just get it over with. No one likes you, Elktan twats, anyway. I’m Lord material, just not yours.” He smirked and swung on his chair.

“Oh, for fucks sake…” Lieutenant Tomilson muttered under his breath.

“Hold still.” The Lady grabbed his arm and jabbed him. She saw him jolt up and close his eyes as tight as he could. “All done. Now let’s see if you are worthy, boy.” Carefully, she placed some of the blood on a small circular disk and sealed it. She held up his blood sample so the class could see it and then pulled out a small device from her inside jacket pocket. “This device is linked to the Elkran blood network, and it will check your blood for matches in the Elkran database.” She noticed the machine’s infernal beeping made some of the teenagers scrunch up nervously. “And done. Negative. You have no Elkran matches. Oh, right, I should do your hospitalised classmate’s blood, too.” Once again, she placed the blood sample on the device, and the beeping began. “What the… that’s at least a 50% match. He must have an Elkran parent, or two Elkran grandparents, etc.”

Lieutenant Tomilson looked at her, unsure at first. His screwed-up face stood out, and she looked at him. He felt the cold stare pass over him, so he dropped the look and stared down at the floor. James and Kitiku will inevitably have different results. Then what? He watched as a few others in his class flagged as potential candidates for the exams. So, James’s mum or dad was an Elkran Guard, possibly? If that is the case, then surely his grandparents will take him in. A hand touched his shoulder, and he turned, hand on his blade.

“Nearly done?” Captain Bourbabel asked.

“Oh, um, yes. I was just thinking.” Lieutenant Tomilson looked at the Lady who had just taken Kitiku’s blood. Here we go, he thought. However, nothing was said as Kitiku came up as negative. I suppose she didn’t realise. “Thank you for your time. Those who came up positive will receive a letter in your post-boxes soon. Now, Captain Bourbabel is here to talk to you about what he needs to.”

“Alright, so James is adopted. That is why he has test results that are different from those of his brother. He wouldn’t want me to tell you this, but considering a lot of you seemed not even to know he existed up until he turned up on day one, it makes sense. My understanding is his parents died before the war. Please respect the fact he won’t want to talk about it, and please treat him the same as you would any other person.” Captain Bourbabel glanced over the group, and he saw them nod.

“… excuse me…” Lieutenant Tomilson said, hurrying past Captain Bourbabel and out the door. I need to get closer to that boy. I need to find out the reason why Hanson Rei attacked them on that train. It is my duty to my nation to find and kill that man if I can.

Captain Bourbabel waved at him as he left and turned back to the classroom, filled with faces expectantly looking up at him. He smiled back at them and sat on the desk.

“Can we just get on with shit?” Lioa blurted out. “I’m so tired of being stuck in this damn school.”

“Of course, Mr. Takui. I know you are a little twitchy after the events that have been going on. So… so… so… so, what do we do, hmm? We have a powerful trainer on the loose and she is armed and dangerous. We certainly do not go looking for her. We absolutely do everything in our power to not get arrested or take the Elkran army’s or police’s focus off of her. She has killed, and she could kill again. As can he – Hanson Rei. They are not your friends. They are not on your side. I don’t want to have to take your lifeless bodies to your parents and explain how, despite being told not to, you put yourselves in danger and died. Do I make myself absolutely clear?”

The class nodded at him without a word, and Captain Bourbabel felt some relief wash over him. “On another note, the rogue charizard from the Marsten Hall incident has been allegedly spotted nearby. Under absolutely no circumstances are you to approach it if you see it. It is a high-level strength. It could very well kill you. As per the law, we are obligated to execute all of the evolution line. Do you understand?” Once again, the glass nodded under the muffled Yes, sir. “And with that, you may go. All classes are cancelled today.”

But what about our conversation? Kitiku thought as he looked around for Lieutenant Tomilson. He slumped into his chair and tucked his head down against his desk for a moment. He felt Captain Bourbabel place his hand on the desk and pull up a chair beside him. He looked up at Captain Bourbabel, and his tears dripped down his face.

“I think he wants to talk to your mum and dad about you and James. You miss your big brother? Would you like to go to the big memorial in the capital and celebrate him? We can talk to your mum and dad, and see if they want to come too. Would you like me to tell them how you feel?” Captain Bourbabel asked.

Kitiku raised his hands and signed, “Yes. I miss my big brother very much, and I’d do anything to be with him again. For him to be here. There is a tree memorial for him in the cemetery.” He smiled a little at Captain Bourbabel’s nod and slowly stood up from his desk. He picked up his bag and crutched out of the room behind Captain Bourbabel.

“It will be great!” Lioa said to Andrew and glanced at Kitiku and Captain Bourbabel coming out of the room. “Kitiku, you twat! You gotta come! We are going to go catch some pokémon.” He looked at Captain Bourbabel with an icy, cold stare. “Oh, I see how it is. Do you think you are better than us? Whatever. Come on, Rew-Rew.” Lioa stormed out the school door with his brother in tow. The rain started to patter down his clothes.

“Actually, Lioa, I’m going to go home. It’s raining a lot…” Andrew whispered.

“You know what? Fine. Be like that!” Lioa slammed his foot into a stone and sent it hurtling into the school wall. He pushed his hands into his pockets and walked toward the town. He saw the street lampent tuck themselves in, under door overhangs, tarps or even beg to come inside as the rain poured down. He saw his hair in a puddle, which had turned to a darker shade of cyan as he stared down at the ground. He walked through the town and into the Happy Gastrodon. The bell rang as he walked through the door. Lioa noticed the cashier was staring at him. I suppose there are no Guards or soldiers on duty today.

Lioa quickly walked down the aisle and picked up a small parcel of pokémon treats, stared at them, turned them over and pretended to read the ingredients on the back. He waited a few moments, glanced back to the cashier, and the second he turned around, Lioa picked up three poké balls and stuffed them into his pockets. He walked over to the desk and placed the treat box on the desk.

“This please, and um… a pack of the salac berry boosters please,” Lioa pointed at the pack on the wall shelf, and placed some coins on the desk.

“Do you have ID?” the cashier asked. To his surprise, Lioa took out his ID card and placed it on the desk. “Alright. You don’t look fourteen, but that’s what it says. Here you go, kid.”

Lioa nodded at the cashier, left the shop, and walked out the door to the edge of town. His clothes orange blazer had turned dark, and he refused to take any more water in. He glanced around the street. That’s… odd. There are no patrols? After that tauros shit lecture, they gave us… He huffed and pulled down on his blazer. With those super ‘dangerous’ people on the loose, they would surely be more twatty and put more patrols out. When I came in, there were Guards and soldiers everywhere.

Lioa’s hair dripped down his face, and he approached the forest. The trees looked dauntingly down at him, leaving Lioa with a twisting feeling in his stomach. However, he brushed past the low-hanging branches and marched on. The muddied trail covered his white shoes and his socks as his feet were sucked down into the path. The mud beneath his feet almost wobbled as a roar echoed out from deeper into the forest. A shiver danced down his spine, and he looked up to see the starly, staravia and even the staraptor of the forest flee. Close behind them were the other flying type pokémon rising above the forest. Even from where he stood, he could see their faces were filled with fear. That must be a powerful pokémon… Lioa trudged through the mud. His path was blocked by pokémon fleeing the mysterious pokémon in the distance. If it roars again, I might be able to determine what it is. He put his hand on his poké ball and ran into the trees.

The twisted path was filled with scorch marks on the trees and fallen branches. Lioa touched the marks on each tree he passed and felt the wood get hotter with each metre he ran. The trees started to appear contorted, bending over and twisting in on themselves, blackened and covered with ash. Lioa slowed himself as he felt his heart pound in his chest; he reached the nearby tree, whose wood disintegrated in his fingers. The roar echoed again, and Liao covered his ears as the soundwaves smashed into him. He felt a little blood on his hand. Covering his ears hadn’t been enough, and a tear snuck down his face. Fuck. My eardrum… this pokémon must be super powerful, he thought, and up ahead, he saw the clearing from where the sound emanated.

Silence fell for a few moments, and Lioa took a deep breath. Much to his annoyance, in front of him, stretched a yellow tape. He crouched down and squelched through the mud, slipping beneath it and into the clearing. He saw a toxricity in the clearing attacking some Elktan soldiers. Lioa craned his neck up to see its blue mohawk buzzing with electricity. Damn. That thing is well over two metres tall. Toxtricity aren’t meant to be more than like… one and a half. He covered his ears and tucked himself behind a log. He peered over the top of his temporary shield. Fuck me, they all have burst eardrums or worse. He stared at the toxtricity, waiting for it to make its move.

Lioa felt a chill down his spine, looked around and felt the static electricity in the air brush over him, like he was a bump in the street. He felt a little nausea creep in when he saw the large pokémon fire, which was a discharge bolt across the clearing. He ducked down behind the log once again and heard the screams and yelling of the soldiers being flung back into the trees or collapsing onto the floor. He peered back over the log to see the toxtricity. His legs shook, but he felt a tingle in the back of his neck, and his heart started to pound faster and faster. He stepped out from his hiding spot and pulled his gurdurr’s poké ball up to his chest. His eyes locked onto the toxtricity. The toxtricity let out another loud boomburst and he fell back over. His stomach churned a little as silence, with the exception of the newfound ringing in his ears, fell for the first time. He peered down at his aching wrist, now with a deep cut. Lioa scrambled onto his feet and glared back at the toxtricity. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadowy creature cast a dark cloud over the area.

“Good. Such a strong toxtricity, now rest,” Hanson Rei stepped out from the treeline. The poison stone glowed in his hand, shining a slight purple light on the two figures behind him. “Grektox, take these soldiers to the site.”

Lioa tucked himself back behind a tree and held his breath. Whatever they are talking about, it mustn’t be good. Rei is bad news. Who are the other two?

“Look, Hanson, you have enough blood. Like, what are you even going to do? The prophecy states that six people are chosen randomly - two kids, two adults and two gone,” Grektox said.

“There is more to the prophecy than just that,” a cloaked figure said, stepping forward. “Many people forget or are unaware of the rest of it. You see, Rett had three daughters, all illegitimate. All except for one bloodline died out…” the figure stopped and turned. “Do you think we are blind, boy? We know you are here.” He stepped closer to Lioa.

Lioa felt his heart race. His palms started to sweat. He felt a heavy hand on his shoulders, pulled out from his hiding place, and thrown into the mud.

“It is the boy from the train. The one who threw his friend off to save himself,” the cloaked figure laughed as he spoke, pulling down his hood to reveal his green but greying hair and green eyes. “Aren’t you that boy that Bukar plans to adopt? No idea why. You are a Colran child.”

“Hurry up and execute the brat,” Hanson Rei said, tapping his bandaged hand against his leg. “I want to get on with this.”

“Now, now, that would be very rash. You want to get the ground stone? Why don’t we use the boy? Lure them to the old crypt and take the ground stone. You can kill or torment the boy you are so obsessed with… everyone is happy,” Grektox whispered in Elkrat. His hair flopped down over his eyes, and his tone softened.

“What did you say, fucker?” Lioa shouted; his wrist ached as he pushed himself up in the mud to face the trio, noting Grektox’s demeanour being of a different calibre to the other two. Somewhat calmer, screaming a different agenda, at least in his eyes. “What about the soldiers? What did you fucking do?!” He tightly clenched his fist around his poké ball, his heart pounded faster, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. With his closed left fist, he swung clumsily at the hooded figure. However, the figure grabbed his fist and flung him back down into the mud.

“I said you will help us get the ground stone from your friend and tell no one, or we will string you up and feed you to Hanson Rei’s charizard while you are still alive. Oh, and your family, too,” Grektox said, leaning against a tree. “All we want is the stone.”

Lioa looked down and whispered, “O-okay… I’ll get it for you. Where do you want me to bring it?”

“Holy building, crypt, tonight. Bring your friend, the one who has the stone. Try anything, and I, General Greiss, will ensure your death. Oh, and I am giving you my name because I might have use for you again later. I am stationed in the office buildings. If I call for you, boy, you come. Understand? Let’s go.” The General walked off into the trees, turning his back to Lioa. “Remember to dispose of the soldiers. Tie them up and take them to the crypt around the back of the building. We can make it seem like a Colran attack, just like he wants.”

“It was written in the stars a long time ago that one of his blood would unite the Coltese people and rule alongside that beast of a pokémon locked away. Don’t you read the scriptures, Rei?” General Greiss remarked.

Hanson Rei kicked a rock as hard as he could, screaming, “Of course I read them. The only issue is that thing in the prophecy about the other fucking side, you dumb fuck. Kilgor knows. You know Kilgor are aware of the connection between the Piscar line and the Rett line through the birth of Ellio Piscar, or did you fucking forget? He had two kids…”

“One is dead, and the other doesn’t want kids or an heir. It is all good…” General Greiss reassured. Ellio Piscar was a monster. His son Erik was a fool, and his youngest son, Aaron… that man is stronger than any other ruler. He could have a dynasty if he wanted… but… after what his father did, I can’t blame him for not wanting to continue his lineage. At the same time, he is a damned fool. I hope Lord Captain Smith sees eye to eye with us…