Sunday 2nd January 1966

The afternoon sun's rays intensified, and the teenagers started to sweat more. The soft waves from the surfers on Estok Lake splashed against the walkways, and the winds gently blew through the town.

"Erik! Aaron!" Lady De Jou called out but stopped in her tracks. You've bonded with them, haven't you, Bradford?

Lord Bradford laughed as Aaron screwed up his face and stuck out his tongue as he pulled the bow back. "If that expression helps you hit the target, why not?"

Aaron let go of the arrow. "What do you mean?" he asked, tilting his head, to which Erik stuck his tongue out and screwed up his face. "I don't make that face!"

"Oh, my Lady Elite..." Lord Bradford said, about to bow before seeing her raised hand. "I was just keeping an eye on them. They've been good. Boys, I think Lady De Jou wants to take you to the painter."

Aaron nodded and noticed his brother looking back at the gallery once more. "You coming, Erik?"

Erik hesitated; his gaze fixated on the prize bow. "I really want to win that bow..."

Lord Bradford raised an eyebrow, and before Lady De Jou could answer, he said, "Kid, it's 3 PM. You still have plenty of time. Go and have your face painted; I am sure it will still be here when you get back. However, I shall be the one taking the bow home. After all, no one will beat my high score. Not even you." He grinned competitively.

Erik shrugged at the Colran Lord before jogging over to his younger brother. This place is so strange. Even the Lords here are weird. "Where did Lord De Jou go?" Erik asked as his ponyta trotted along beside him.

"He's gone to take some time to himself. He doesn't like to be treated like a ruler, especially during the festivities. The traditions catch up to him a lot – and they remind him of something he wants to forget." Lady De Jou flicked her hair out of her face and sat down on a bench near some stumps and a small tarp-covered stand. "You boys are old enough to be allowed adult warrior markings – as is tradition in Colran – or you could still have the one for children, oh, except Erik, he's too old." Lady De Jou took Mylious's hand and helped him sit next to her. "So, you could have your faces painted as a luxray, a monferno... any Colran pokémon you'd like, or the warrior markings. The painter will decide which markings best suit you. Oh, and don't worry if they get wet. They take a while to come out."

The painter came out from behind the stall. She was in a traditional Colran outfit and covered in the furs of a ninetales. The tails draped down over her shoulders, and she sat in the middle of the stumps. The furs covered her hair, but Aaron could just about make out a black curl of hair escaping the clutches of the outfit.

"Can I be an adult, please?" Aaron asked, unable to think of the exact phrase in Colrat.

The painter nodded at him and gestured to the wooden stump with her fingers, which were laden with a multitude of paint colours.

Aaron sat down on the wooden stump and fidgeted with his fingers as the woman sat opposite him. She dipped the tip of her brush in the black mixture, which he dared not ask about. His vision narrowed as the brush moved closer, pressing against the slither of skin in between his eyebrows. His nose started to tickle as the woman painted the black substance down his nose, stopping at the tip before picking up a second brush, this time dipped in red. Aaron's leg began to twitch. However, the woman placed a hand on his arm.

"It's okay. I am nearly done," she said, dragging the red brush across the bridge of his nose, leaving three distinct red markings. "I need your arms," she said.

"Oh, um... okay..." Aaron said, unsure. "Why are you holding three?" he asked as she picked up a pink, blue and black-tipped brush.

"You aren't from Colran, are you?" she said, trying to hide her suspicion. "Well, the pink represents cresselia, the black represents darkrai, and the blue represents giratina. We draw a ring around your wrists to show the gods are looking out for you. Like this..." she added, painting the three loops around each of his wrists.

"Oh, I see... that's really cool," Aaron said with a smile.

"Can I go next, please?" Clarence asked Lady De Jou. With her nod, he sat down on the stump eagerly. "It looks so cool. Can I look like Aaron, please? Er... my friend?" he asked, pointing to Aaron.

The woman shrugged and said, "Your roles in life are not the same." She turned around and picked up a brush and dipped it in the blue substance. Beginning, as she did before, at his eyebrows, she carefully painted three lines heading down towards the tip of his nose. She picked up the red brush, but before applying it to his skin, she drew two blue lines on each of his cheeks before only crossing through them once with the red. "Now, for the three loops of life." She picked up the blue, pink and black brushes and painted the three loops around his wrists.

"Thank you," Clarence said, lowering his head.

"Kitlix, we need more paint!" the woman called out, and at her beckoned call, a smeragle stepped out from behind the stall. His tail's tip was coated in the different coloured paints that were being mixed. With a sticking out tongue, he nodded at her.

"I don't believe in your gods. There is only one god, and that's giratina!" Erik snapped. "Sorry..." he quickly said, noticing Lady De Jou's expression. "Um, can I have only those colours, please? Um... actually, can I... be the same colours as my new friend, please?" Erik said, rubbing his arm.

Erik? Since when were you indecisive? Aaron swung his legs off the bench as his brother sat down in front of the painter.

"Of course. Kitlix! I need some pastel pink and green!" the painter called to the smeargle. "Okay, I'm going to paint your friend first while Kitlix makes the paint up." She placed a hand on Erik's arm and squeezed him gently before getting up and sitting next to Mylious on the bench.

The smeargle stuck his tongue once again and swivelled his multicoloured tail around. His small, pale, furred, beret-topped head tilted slightly, and the dark brown fur under his eyes intensified. He slipped back behind the stall without a sound.

"What about you?" the painter asked.

Mylious clenched his fists and tightened his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I-I-I don't b-believe in gods. I... I don't w-w-want anything on m-my face... if that's okay..." He squeezed his eyes shut and hoped she would say it was okay. "I-I don't want this..." he whispered and looked to Lady De Jou.

Lady De Jou's expression softened, and she pulled him against her shoulder. "It's okay. You don't have to. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I'm going to watch the battle. Is that okay?" Aaron asked and walked over to the small metal barrier and wooden platform on the water without waiting for an answer. That's a lot of whirlpools. The sound of the flowing water drowned out the announcer, but it was an unmistakable sight. Lord De Jou, the Colran Lord Elite, had stepped out onto the battlefield.

"Come on, Bradford, you and your group are going to give this a go, huh?" Lord De Jou said, grabbing a wooden quarterstaff with his left hand and taking a poké ball from his pocket with his right. Three on one? That seems a little unbalanced." He smiled. Clarence! Aaron! Get into the battlefield. Lord Bradford needs assistance.

Lord De Jou stepped back and took off his hat and jacket, throwing them to the crowd, eliciting a scream. He rested his fingers on his head as the crowd gathered, and the energy around the battlefield buzzed louder than a swarm of yanma.

"Come, young Piscar. You and your friend are about to experience a real battle." Lord Bradford picked up a quarterstaff in each hand, offering one to Aaron and Clarence. "Pick your pokémon. We will handle the rest. If your pokémon faints, or if you get knocked out of the ring, you lose." Lord Bradford gestured to the white, chalky ring inside the battlefield.

"Right..." Aaron said, taking the quarterstaff. "I know who I'll use."

"Me too." Clarence reached into his pocket and pulled out a poké ball.

Lord De Jou tossed two poké balls out onto the field. With a thud on the wooden ground, the platform wobbled in the water. Sand spat up out of nowhere, and a roar echoed all around them. The immediate silence was quickly interrupted by a second roar and a flash of electricity.

"Lord De Jou sends out his tyranitar and his luxray!" the announcer called out from the stands. "We have some wonderful numbers for you all on these pokémon."

"Yes, we do, David. The tyranitar on the field right now is a little smaller than average and has the ability sand stream, whipping up a powerful sandstorm on the battlefield. Now, all of you just joining the battle arena have absolutely nothing to worry about. The protective shield around the field will keep you all safe from any wild attacks. Those taking part in the battle, however, will have to deal with a genuine threat. Lord Elite De Jou's tyranitar comes in at 197 kilograms and is 1.7 meters tall. That can go up to 2.2 meters and 220 kilograms if mega evolved. What a slam! Our wonderful Lord Elite's luxray is one of the most iconic pokémon known throughout Colran, coming in at 1.6 meters and weighing 50 kilograms. Is that intimidate? It looks like it! If he chooses to mega-evolve his luxray, something special will happen – you will all have to wait and see how the battle pans out. I am on the edge of my seat, Usek!"

Aaron spun around, skimming over the crowd to try and find the announcers. "Fuck..." he muttered. "Okay, let's go!" Aaron tossed his poké ball onto the boards, and out popped a purple gas cloud.

"The young Piscar sends out a haunter? Ha, ha. That's not a favourable matchup at all. Does the Elkran heir even understand matchups? I suppose we will find out soon." The announcer coughed and cleared his throat. "Haunter's ability is already on full display! However, we can guess the size of this floating ghost is around 1.2 meters. A very underwhelming entry into the battlefield!"

Aaron clenched his fists and, at the top of his voice, shouted, "That doesn't mean shit!"

Clarence stepped forward. "Ignore that guy! He's trying to get into your head." He threw his poké ball onto the board. The mawile appeared in front of him, spinning her large jaws around, snapping at the tyranitar hungrily. "You can do this, Aaron."

"Is that a mawile? Damn, that kid is on point. We rarely see a mawile. What can you tell us about them, Usek?" the announcer said.

"Well, David, mawile is a steel and fairy type. Not many people cross them and get to see another day. That's something. That looks like another intimidate on the field. This mawile looks pretty big, perhaps a meter tall. And... oh my, it is 18 kilograms!" The second announcer paused before saying, "I wonder what other pokémon will enter the fray. Lord De Jou reaches for his next two pokémon! Wait, is our Lord Elite really going to take four others, including a Lord and his own Lord Interrogator?"

Aaron stepped back. The Lord Interrogator is here? He swallowed hard and took another step back. A hand gripped his shoulder, and he looked up. A young man with blond hair looked down at him.

"Careful. Focus on the battle." The man stepped to the side and tossed his poké ball three times before it slammed into the wooden platform.

"That's Lord Interrogator Phillipe's ace! What do you think of that, Usek?" the commentator, referred to as David, asked.

"Well, David, that's one hell of a hydreigon. The average hydreigon is 1.8 meters and weighs in at 160 kilograms, but not this big boy. Oh no, this big boy is a whopping 2.5 meters and comes in at around 350 kilograms. That's more than your average hippodown, torterra and even skeledirge!"

"I wouldn't want to be slammed by that!" the commentator, referred to as Usek, shouted out over the microphone.

Aaron muttered under his breath, "Me neither..." The wooden planks beneath his feet started to rock more violently under the flapping of the large hydreigon's wings.

"Time for pokémon number two." Lord Interrogator Phillipe stomped his foot down and hurled the poké ball forward with tremendous force and spin, leaving a mark on the wooden planks as it slammed into it.

"Outcomes the second powerhouse and crowd favourite, his nidoking! What can you tell us about this particular nidoking, Usek?" David asked as the crowd's roar drowned out the microphone.

With a little laugh, David looked at the data being gathered from the tiny sensors under the boards. "Well, let me tell you a story, this nidoking is special indeed. It was, in fact, our Lord Interrogator's first pokémon – now, isn't that something? Coming in at a overbearing 2.2 meters, that's right, 2.2 meters, and 107 kilograms..."

The crowd let out a gasp and a cheer at the pure size of the creature. Aaron looked to his left and saw how large it indeed was. Sickness sunk into his stomach as he and his small haunter were sandwiched between two abnormally large pokémon. The sounds all around him were choking him. The crowd was so excited that there was no escape. He looked down at the wooden planks under his feet as they wobbled again and again. Minutes passed, and his head echoed from all the sound on repeat. I am going to die here. I am going to die here...

Aaron's daze was cut out by a high-pitched squeal coming from the speakers above his head.

"Now our Lord Elite's ace is on the field! This is incredible! There is no way he's going to do it! Is this going to be an eight versus eight? Will the platform hold?!" David shouted.

"Take it easy, David. Here are some stats for you avid watchers in the crowd. We see you all... Lord De Jou's ace is his gallade, coming in at just under 1.7 meters and 55 kilograms, this pokémon is a powerhouse of its own. With access to mega evolution and the fighting stone, this pokémon will be a force to be reckoned with." Usek leaned over the microphone and said, "Remember to keep an eye out for those tied to the prophecy and pay respects to our glorious ancestors!"

Words that made Lord De Jou huff a little. If we wanted to do prophecy purging, we should go back to the dark ages. He clenched his fists. It isn't their fault if they get picked.

"Scovillain! We have Lord De Jou's scovillain on the field! What is super special about scovillain is the split mega evolution. One converts it into a fire and a dragon type, and the other a grass and a dragon type. Unlike volcarona, the core mega-stone is not restricted to its flavour at birth." Usek leaned back on the commentator's desk, flicking his black hair back. "You know, in the big sporting leagues, they call us the scovillain."

"That's right, Usek, they do. Except I am the cool fire head, and you are the boring grass one. Moving on, let's see what else we have entering the battlefield!" David said with a chuckle. "I'm sure it will be a fantastical battle!"

Aaron knelt and turned away from the action. "I can't do this."

Lord Bradford crouched down beside him, and with a calm voice, he said, "Young Piscar, let me give you some advice out there. We are a team, yes, but you focus on your battle. Pick a pokémon to attack and give it your all. Leave the quarterstaff fights to us, stronger and better Lords." He got back up and looked across at the feraligatr and hydrapple that had just been sent out onto the battlefield, along with the Aegislash. "Alright, let's give it our best shot." He pressed the buttons on his poké balls and out poured the cinderace, flicking its white ears and bouncing fire on its large bunny-like feet, while his Muk almost slipped in between the cracks on the wooden platform, forgetting its viscosity for a moment. With a roar, his sceptile stepped to the side.

"There are so many pokémon. I'm not a good leader, unlike Erik, and I'm not the best battler either..." Aaron whispered in Elkrat.

"Where the fuck is this coming from, kid?" Lord Bradford said in Elkrat back to him, taking him by surprise. "Look, I've known you a day, and you have always been the one in the lead – get up and battle. If you lose, so what? It's just a bit of fun." He offered Aaron a hand.

Aaron reached up and took the Colran Lord's hand. "Sorry, you are right. Let's do this."

This will be a good practice, young Piscar—a good practice for your destiny. Lord De Jou waited, his hands wrapped around the quarterstaff. The moment the siren goes off, it begins.