Heroes of Darkness

I

ELIZABETH

Elli and her Luvdisc stood on the marble balcony with the other nobles still in attendance. She watched as the ship flying the Empress' banners disappeared under the tunnel of the white cliffs that surrounded the capital. Those flags instilled her with pride; blue as the sky around Sootopolis, emblazoned with the same deep crimson pattern that adorned her majesty's immortal Spirit Pokémon.

The year of learning for her and her peers was at its end. The other young lords and ladies her same age were departing back to their home towns. Elizabeth Tidall would not be joining them. For as long as she could remember, she had lived in the great marble castle of Sootopolis. It was no surprise that she and her Spirit Pokémon, Luvdisc, had graduated near the top of the class.

When the ceremony was over, she curtsied to all the other lords and her majesty's generals in attendance, and made her way back to her room. The guards she met along the way saluted her. Elli smiled back. She had grown up around them.

"Luv!" her Spirit Pokémon cried while they entered their chamber as they had a thousand times before. It was at the top of the new tower. Well, newer. It had been destroyed in a fire some time ago, but the builders had restored it even higher than before.

"I know, girl," she said as she looked out the window at the lagoon below. "We did it. We've made our family proud." The water was crystal clear, reflecting the sun in the sky. As Elli peered into the horizon, far past the white cliffs of Sootopolis, she could see the ring of dark clouds that spilt endless rain upon the rest of Hoenn.

Sootopolis was a holy place, the young lords and ladies-to-be learned during their lessons. The Empress and the God that was her Spirit Pokémon blessed them with nearly year-round sunlight. The rest of her majesty's kingdom was drenched in Holy Kyogre's rain. It was this rain that allowed Empress Glamour to maintain peace and prosperity throughout her rule.

Most of the other young boys and girls that Elli had spent her last year with were learning how to rule, and how to uphold the Empress' vast wisdom in their own lands. Elli took part in their lessons as well, yet ruling her own home city of Lilycove was never her destiny. That was her Uncle Thomas's job. No, Elli would always remain in Sootopolis as a representative on her majesty's High Council. She had watched and learned from her mother since she was young, and no doubt someday she would take up the torch and continue in her mother's duties.

Elli turned around and smiled as Luvdisc was swimming through the shallow fountain in her room. For a moment, she felt sad. I'd gotten used to their company, now it's just the two of us again, she reflected.

She loved gossiping with the other girls, who were now boarding the ship on their way home. They would visit each other's chambers late at night, and talk about this boy and that boy, and sometimes even a handsome guard or two.

Elli would miss laughing with some of the boys as well. Most were so nice and kind, and always had something funny to say. She even wondered whether or not she would miss the basic combat training. Elli and Luvdisc were good but not great when it came to sparring. They had mastered the basics. No, Elli was going to miss watching those who were really good at sparring. It was so artful, so elegant, watching them move. Leo Specter from Mt. Pyre and his Dusclops, and Cassandra Starfall and her Altaria were two of her classmates that fought the best.

She watched Luvdisc play in the fountain so happily. "Well, maybe I won't miss them all," she said when she remembered Chris Marsh, the second of his name. He was top of the class when it came to combat. His physical strength was appalling, his movement so swift, his technique was perfect. After all, he had learned from the Empress' half-brother, Ahab, personally. No, it was his personality she wouldn't miss.