Chapter Text
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming and staying with us to such an exciting event! As the last of our fireworks go off, we also like to thank all of the trainers that participated in this global event!”
The announcer said his final words before dropping the microphone on the ground, breaking it and creating fireworks of its own. Trumpets flared and the people roared as the Pokemon World Tournament came to an end. The orchestra of people and Pokemon played away their souls into their final anthem. Everyone, even the audience, were as tired as tired can be, but still gave it their all for one final cheer for the people in the center.
In the middle of the stadium now laid a large pedestal, with Tobias standing on the tallest part labeled 1st, another trainer standing to his left on 2nd, and Eon standing on the shortest, labeled 3rd. Next to Tobias was the large, black and white jewel-crusted trophy that all the trainers competed for.
Eon and the others waved silently to the audience in the stadium from the 3rd place winning pedestal. As part of the trio finale, he fought and won against the loser of the same finals round for third place. His Larvesta happily jumped up and down on his head, enjoying the praise it was receiving from the world.
Tobias’s last words to Eon still rung in his head.
“One second later and my Talonflame would have been the first to fall.”
As the crowed cheered for the top three competitors, Eon wondered if things would be different if he had fought against someone other than Tobias that round.
~
All the spectators and trainers began departing from the stadium to return to home. Many of them had to check their voices to see if they still worked after such a long, intense competition. Some chose to stay inside the gray dome, where they are provided another room for a free night stay, but many chose to simply go home, saying good bye to the friends they made and good game to the rivalries that formed. By the time all is said and done, only two people were left awake in the now quiet gray dome.
“. . . I guess third place is better than no place.” Eon broke the silence with a forced chuckle towards Nurse Joy.
“You know, for someone who was very perky throughout the tournament I never expected you to be so down in the dumps from being defeated.” Nurse joy whispered back.
“Normally I would agree with you. But I, no, my team was so close to victory. It’s a little difficult to stay positive after that dance of luck from that match with Tobias.”
Nurse Joy scratched her hair, not too fond of seeing such a peppy individual depressed. A thought occurred to her however, and she straightened her hat.
“Well, if you think about it, you get more gratitude out of finishing in third place than second.”
“Oh?” Eon’s ear perked up with interest on hearing this. “I’ve never heard of that before. Why is that?”
“Well, in another region I used to work in, there was a global competition called Pokeathlon.” Nurse Joy held up a few fingers in front of Eon as she spoke. “A few scientists did a study and found that participants who reached third place were very content to be represented while those in second place felt that they could have done better. I believe it has to do with something about being better than third, but not good enough for first. I don’t remember the exact details, but that’s basically how it went.”
Eon thought about what Nurse Joy said to him before nodding his head. “I guess that makes sense for the most part. I should be happy that my Pokemon had the spotlight on them for so long. . .”
Eon took out all five of his Pokeballs, with the three that fought against Tobias on top of the small stack.
“Thanks for the advice Nurse Joy. I just needed to get my priority fixed up. At the very least. . .” Eon spoke softly as he held them all close to his chest. “I am proud that my Pokemon were able to show their full potential to the world.”
Heracross materialized outside of his Pokeball upon Eon’s word and gave him a hard slap on his back, making him jump and drop his balls all over the fllor. “Ha ha!” he laughed in high spirits with each pat, shaking up the lad’s mood. Soon after, all of his Pokemon jumped out of their Pokeballs one-by-one, joining in on comforting Eon. Beedrill let out a soothing buzz akin to that of a cat’s purr, nuzzling Eon’s face with his own. Leavanny embraced her trainer with a small blush on her face, still touched by his words. Even Kricketune joined in by playing a version of Eon’s favorite song with his knife-like arms, rubbing them together to imitate the tone of a violin.
Tears filled Eon’s eye as he saw everyone’s effort to cheer him up.
“You guys. . .”
“Vaaaaataaaaaa!” A warm sensation on Eon’s head brought his attention to Larvesta, who suddenly blew fire upwards and made everyone around the trainer jump back. It seemed as though the larva Pokemon was asleep and the show of affection from everyone disturbed its slumber. Larvesta looked around, unsure who to point its dagger eyes towards. Everyone but Eon pointed to Heracross, who panicked and looked to Eon, pleading for him to help out like before.
Eon smiled for the first time since his loss. “Sorry Heracross, the competition is over, so I can’t save you this time.”
Larvesta jumped off Eon’s head and began breathing fire at the now fleeing Heracross. They ran around in circles like a cat and mouse before going outside.
Eon and the rest of his team were about to give chase before his last Pokemon, Armaldo, materialized underneath him, giving a large height boost to his trainer.
Eon could not help but to laugh at Armaldo’s timing. “Thanks everyone, I’m feeling much better now.” Eon pointed to outside. “Now let’s go! We’ve got a Heracross to save!”
Nurse Joy watched as Eon as his team left the gray dome. She sighed in relief as she began packing up her things before making her way out.
“What a wily bunch.”
~
“La ta la ta!” Larvesta chimed a happy tune on Eon’s head, feeling much better after taking out its frustration.
“Cross. . .” Heracross complained, rubbing his scorched behind. Larvesta may be small, but it sure packed a punch if it wanted to.
“Well Heracross, that is the cost of being first,” Eon said through his laughter, riding casually on Armaldo accompanied with an energetic Beedrill, a snickering Leavanny, and a depressed Kricketune, still trying to imagine holding onto the large trophy.
“Herr. . .,” the Pokemon groaned.
“Don’t worry too much about it Heracross. I’ll treat your burn once we get home.”
Kricketune sobbed out loud and obnoxiously, unable to contain his sorrow.
Eon sighed, sympathizing with the mustached musician. “I know Kricketune, that was a pretty valuable trophy too. Tell you what. How about I take you to that famous restaurant in Castelia City while we’re here?
Kricketune’s mood sparked up and he let out a large whoop.
“In fact, everyone! We’re going to eat out tonight, my treat!”
Everyone cheered for Eon’s proposal. A good meal sounded divine to them after all the battles and horrible food they ate during the competition. As they began their trek to their destination through a small forest, Eon spoke what was on his mind.
“Still, it would have been nice if the stadium provided better snacks for the trainers. The food there was just absolutely terrible.” Everyone agreed with a grunt.
His mind wandered to Tobias again and to the fact that he was paired up with him in the first place. “I wonder if we would have won if we didn’t pair up with him in the first part of the finals. . .,” he said out loud.
“I think you should have won regardless of who your opponent was.”
Just then, a mysterious voice echoed from around the companions, making them stop in their tracks. Everyone looked to Eon, who shook his head and denied that the line came from him. Laughter rang around them, putting the group of friends on their toes. Unsure if whatever was talking to the group was another person or a Pokemon, Eon decided to speak up.
“Is someone there?” He asked, caution filled in his voice.
“Do not fret warriors, for I am simply a fan from the tournament.” The voice rang out again more clearly, enough for Eon to identify it as feminine. The surprised trainer relaxed somewhat before Armaldo’s feather’s began twitching and tingling just like earlier. Eon felt Armaldo’s spine tingle as well on his pants, signaling him that the presence in front of him was the same one from those few days ago.
“That makes sense, but whatever way you are speaking to us is making my buddy here go on the fritz. Do you mind telling us how long you’ve been watching us?” Eon asked the mysterious voice, handing Larvesta over to Leavanny to defend.
“But of course. I have been watching since the entire tournament and I must say, your team has shown some very impressive skills.” Hearing this, Heracross grinned and puffed his chest out, glad that someone appreciated his power. As the voice spoke, Armaldo’s feathers calmed down a bit, but his eyes still darted around with the others, unsure as to where the voice is coming from.
“Thanks, but could you perhaps tell us where you are now? You ‘re still freaking out my Pokemon and me,” Eon asked.
“Oh where are my manners? Perhaps I do need my beauty sleep after all if I am forgetting them. Excuse me for a moment.”
A purple light appeared before Eon and his Pokemon, taking in the form of an oval. “There. Can you see me now?” The light blinked as it spoke.
“I think so. . . all I see is a purple light though. How about you guys?” Eon’s Pokemon shook their heads in agreement. The voice hummed in thought before talking again.
“That’s unusual. . . you should be able to see my face at least. I guess there is more to the mirror that I have to learn.”
“Mirror?” Eon emphasized.
“Oh don’t mind that,” the light blinked. “In any case, I appear now before you just to see the group that I vouched for in person.”
Eon scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
“Umm well, thanks for your support I guess, but exactly who are you? No, the better question is what are you? I am pretty sure that no normal fan would use such a weird device to talk to us.”
“Well, I guess you could say that the tournament has attracted . . .galactic attention.”
Everyone blinked. The violet light began its explanation.
“Yes, if you may have guessed by now, I am not of this world. I was originally browsing the galaxies through the light you see here in search for something crucial to me and your tournament had caught my eye. There, I saw these wonderfully powerful creatures combating with one another, and your team stuck out to me very much.”
Leavanny’s face was as red as a tomato now that even the cosmos may have seen her and Eon’s team fight. Eon scratched the back of her head to calm her down.
“That sounds nice and all, and thanks for the praise too, but if you are looking for something, shouldn’t you be, well. . . looking for it?” Eon asked. “I know that the flashy tournament may have distracted you, but it’s kind of over now. If this something is crucial, you should prioritize that rather than get sidetracked by talking with us.”
“That’s just it though. I already found what I was looking for, you!”
Eon’s eyebrows rose up two folds that night in bewilderment. “. . . me?” He said.
“If you count the gladiators accompanying you then yes!” The light clarified with excitement.
“Gladiators? Oh no, these guys aren’t any of the sort. They’re my Pokemon and friends, with the latter having the priority,” Eon said, giving his Beedrill a thumbs up. Beedrill happily agreed with an energetic buzz.
“Well, regardless of how you call them, you and your group are perfect for what I am looking for. You see, the world I live in is facing a serious yet hidden threat and the defenses here are not enough to ward it away. I need to find warriors capable enough to protect me -” the purple light suddenly cut off for a moment before reforming and spoke again. “To protect the land and remove all signs of the threat. I guess you could say that I am searching for heroes to exterminate the threat.”
The word ‘hero’ got the attention of Beedrill, who was now paying attention to the speaking light, buzzing with anticipation.
Eon pondered about the light’s reason and asked another question. “You have seen the tournament, yet you chose to invite the team that scored third place. Why not choose Tobias, the one that won the tournament or the guy that won second place? I am sure those guys are far more capable of taking out whatever is threatening your world than us.”
“Mmm, modesty, I like that in warriors. As for why not them. . .” The light paused a moment before continuing. “The one you said was Tobias had creatures that would cause serious disarray with their presence should they appear in my world. Alas, it would be too risky to take him. As for second place, well. . . there is a saying here that went something like this: second place is for losers. Additionally, I find it a lot easier to relate to your. . . Pokemon, if that is what you call them, than to others.”
*rumble grumble*
Kricketune’s belly began making loud noises, interrupting the light’s speech. He tugged on Eon’s sleeve, telling him to hurry up. The purple light gazed at the Kricketune and an idea formed in its head.
“Of course, I am willing to provide a handsome compensation for your service.” Kricketune jabbed at his own stomach, silencing it and perked his antennae towards the mirror with interest.
“In my world, time passes differently from yours, as the span of your entire tournament was simply noon and nighttime over here. If needed, I can manipulate it enough to send you back to that moment in the finals round, giving you another chance for first place.”
Everyone gasped upon the words spoken by the purple light.However, Eon does not seemed convinced.
“A second chance sounds nice, but I think we already came to accept our loss. Even if we were to get a second chance, what would make you say that we’ll reach first?”
“Simple. You have seen the opponent’s skills in person and should you follow through with my call for help, can now create the perfect plan to defeat this so-called Tobias and take first place.”
Eon was about to speak up before the mirror interrupted him.
“Of course if you are not interested in going back in time, I can reward you with alternates. Money, jewlery. . .”
As the mirror talked on, Eon dismounted Armaldo and addressed the group. “I don’t know about this guys. What do you think?”
Beedrill was the first to say yes, nodding his head as fast as his wings could flap.
Eon sighed. “C’mon Beedrill, I’m serious here. Don’t just jump the bandwagon without knowing the danger. Do you really want to risk going to another world we have no idea what could hold in store for us?”
Beedrill looked down for a moment in thought before buzzing again, nodding his head in favor for going through.
Eon sported a small smile. “. . .you sure stick your mind to your goal, huh? Alright then. How about you Heracross?”
Heracross scratched his chin for a moment before grinning and giving Eon a thumbs up pose.
“So that is 2 who want to go now. Kricketune?”
Kricketune did not hear Eon calling him as he had his attention focused on the purple light, which was still talking about other ways the light would reward their efforts.
“. . . how about a diamond the size of the stadium? If not, perhaps enough gold to satisfy your needs for life?”
Kricketune’s mustache and mouth were dribbling saliva until Eon shouted his name, snapping him out of his drooling trance.
“Kricketune! Do you want to go or not!” Eon yelled.
“Whooooop!” Kricketune shouted back, making Eon and his group cover their ears. After he finished, Eon shook his head.
“I guess you really like shiny things, don’t you? How about you Leavanny?”
“Nave. . .” Leavanny said, being the first to disagree with the rest.
“Va?!” The Larvesta protested in her arms.
“Nave!” Leavanny said again, turning against the purple light. The others looked with interest as Leavanny refused to go along with the purple light’s proposal.
Larvesta had other plans, however. With some effort, it squirmed out of Leavanny’s arms and jumped away, landing in front of the purple light and nodding vigourously at it, wanting to follow the others.
“Hmm. . . it seems like the little one wants to come along, too,” the light commented.
“Vean!” Leavanny called out in frustration, demanding that Larvesta come back to her. Larvesta shook its head and focused its gaze on the light. Shocked at Larvesta’s defiance, Leavanny looked over to Eon to talk some sense into it. However, he too was in deep thought about Larvesta’s decision.
A smile curled onto his lips as he began talking. “Larvesta, after some thought and your performance in the tournament, I think you are now able to make your own decision, so now the total vote is 4 to 1.”
Leavanny gasped at Eon’s statement. How could he be in favor for letting Larvesta go into a potentially dangerous place? Just then, her trainer’s word during the tournament rang into her head.
“You also need to know when to let it learn on his own. We’ll always have each others’ back, right?”
Leavanny remained silent for a moment before picking up the struggling Larvesta and walked towards the light, nodding at it with sincerity.
“. . . make that 5 to 0. I guess the last one to decide is. . .” Eon was interupted with a poke to his stomach by Armaldo, giving him the last say to go or not. Eon looked at the large fossil Pokemon as if he had just spoken outside of battle.
“Armaldo, you alright? You are usually the one to think about these kind of things before making a decision. . .” he asked. Armaldo simply tapped his left claw using his right, symbolizing that it wold take too long for him to decide.
Eon snickered at his response. “Hah, I guess you have a point there. So I guess it all falls to me, huh. . .”
Eon thought about the costs and benefits for going through with this deal. On the one hand, getting a second chance for first place would be a miracle in itself and if needed, he could trade it for a different reward. On the other hand, there is no telling what kind of dangers lurk in this other world, or if there is a way to get back . Would his team be able to handle the risks ?
Eon shook his head. “No, I know we can deal with whatever gets in our way,” he said to himself.
A good 10 minutes passed until Eon walked to the purple light.
“I have one question for you before I tell you my decision,” he said. “Are there any training facilities in your world?”
The light seemed to pause in bewilderment before replying with excitement.
“There’s plenty of them here! I can guarantee it. I even managed some from time to time myself. If you are looking for a challenge, I could even - ” The light disconnected before reappearing again. “Please excuse me, I may have gotten a little excited there.”
Eon gazed into the vibrant, purple light, almost as if he was trying to see who was on the other side. Eventually he sighed and nodded his head.
“Alright. We’ll help you.”
As those words left Eon’s mouth, the purple light shifted into a brighter shade of magenta.
“Oh thank you thank you! You will not regret making this decision, not at all!” The light said in gratitude. “All you have to do is wait a bit while I get the spell ready. It might take a while for you to arrive, so when you step in, please wait for a moment. Hm. . .”
Just then, the light stopped in thought and asked a question of its own. “Eroz, you are human correct? Your species don’t seem to have any powers of your own here. I should warn you that the forces hiding in my world are very strong. Knowing this, will you take the risk and come along?”
Eon nodded yes. “Either all of us go or none of us do.”
The light let out another haughty laugh before speaking up. “Such loyalty. It’s perfection beyond comprehension!”
Eon ruffled his hair at the compliment. Suddenly, one thought occurred to him and he spoke up. “Hang on there, blinking light. If we want this to work, I need to know your name. You already know most of us from the competition, and it would be nice if you refer to me as Eon instead of Eroz, but what is your name?”
“I prefer to save name introductions until we have officially, but for now, you may refer to me as. . .” the light suddenly expanded in size, surprising everyone.
“Your queen.”
The light swallowed all of Eon’s team and the trainer with little effort. Just like that, they disappeared, along with the light source. As the light faded away from Eon’s world, the light said one final thing into everyone’s mind.
“Now is the perfect for my much needed beauty sleep. Goodnight. . .my royal knights.”