Coltar: Escaping His Shadows - (Pokémon)

10. Glimpse Into Reality

Sunday, 2nd January, 1966

The ground beneath Aaron's feet shook, and the water's sloshing stole his attention for another moment. His fingers could barely maintain their grip on the quarterstaff. The pokémon began to move towards their target. He looked across the battlefield at the Colran ruler, whose expression had not changed. A stark realisation crossed his mind, and he stepped back. Oh no.

Lord De Jou's eyes turned pink, and his hair started to move on its own. With a slight flick of his right ankle, he kicked up off the ground into a low hover. He took the quarterstaff into his mouth and held it tightly with his teeth, leaving his hands free. He turned them upright to face the sky.

Lord Bradford rushed toward him, his quarterstaff in his right hand and his cinderace beside him. "Damn it! Sir, do something!" he called out to Lord Interrogator Phillipe, shouting over the energy that was being formed around the Lord Elite.

"I need not stop it. I can win despite our differences in strength. Let him use his powers. Show these Elkran why Colran is supreme." He glanced over at Aaron and Clarence and placed his hands behind his back.

Now, now, Kinhixo, your youth and arrogance may be your folly. Lord De Jou threw his arms back, releasing a vibrant pink wave of energy. Behind him, his pokémon started to glow, warp and transform.

"He did it!" Usek called out over the microphone. "Multiple mega evolutions at once!"

David nodded at his colleague's excitement. "He used his empathic bond to mega evolve his pokémon without mega stones. For those of you in the crowd who do not know, this ability is incredibly rare in general and is often associated with powerful psychics."

"What the fuck?" Aaron snapped at the Lord Interrogator before looking down. "Sorry, Lord Interrogator..." he muttered. However, the man was gone already.

"Head in the game, son," Lord Bradford said.

Lord Interrogator Phillipe sprung forward, grabbed hold of his hydreigon's wing and pulled himself onto her back. The large dragon pokémon flapped her tri-wings, catapulting them both towards the Lord Elite. No need to mega evolve just yet, he thought, as he pulled his quarterstaff back and swung forward. "Ha!" he shouted out, unphased by the ongoing sandstorm.

The mega chandelure phased back to avoid the strike from the quarterstaff, spinning his black and twisted body around before his body amassed a large black and purple ball of energy. His eyes locked on to the large hydreigon and the Lord Interrogator on her back.

Good move, Kinhixo. You have learned so much, Lord Interrogator, Lord Elite De Jou thought. His eyes locked briefly onto the hydreigon, who dived back down behind Lord Interrogator Phillipe's aegislash for protection.

The large shadow ball darted forward, cut through the air and collided with the defensive form's shield. The aegislash let out a cry of victory, blinking its single purple eye and waving its green tassels around.

Clarence raised his arm to block the sand stream from entering his eyes. "I don't get it!" he called out. "Why not tank the hit or try to dodge it and counterattack‽" To his horror, a long blue tail appeared through the sandstorm, aimed for his head. He jumped back, wobbling on his feet. That feraligatr... It looks like it is a water and ice type. His eyes glanced over at the ice skull that had covered the feraligatr's head, and the red fins that once would sway in the water were now solid and ice-blue. "Mitix, use bite!" Clarence called out.

The mawile swung around, opened her large jaws on top of her head and snapped wildly at the feraligatr's tail.

"Calling out one's commands can put one at a disadvantage!" Lord Elite De Jou called out. "You are psychic, boy. Use your mind! Or find another way of giving out orders. After all, I can read you like a scripture." He ran forward with speed, despite his age, and moved into a more spacious area.