Pokemon Chronicles of Darkness

Chapter 24

As Cain passed through the entrance of the base, the view before him gradually opened up, revealing a scene not so dissimilar to the one he had left behind. The crowd had thinned, and a feeling of emptiness hung in the air. No doubt, thought Cain, many of those who had left had not yet returned, for the trial test was to take place on the morrow.

His own return had been prompted by the need to dispose of a Weedle egg, but as he took in his surroundings, Cain couldn't shake the feeling that the base was less a sanctuary, and more a prison. The coldness that permeated the air seemed to seep into one's very soul, causing hearts and minds to harden and, if one were to linger too long, even drive one to madness.

In a corner of the square, a teenage trainer busied himself with his Pokemon, and upon catching sight of Cain, a look of joy spread across his face before he vanished from sight. Cain took note of the boy but paid him little mind as he made his way towards the exchange center.

As he walked, he could feel eyes upon him, some filled with doubt, others indifference, and still others with a hint of malice. And then, as he entered the Trialists' special housing area, he came upon a house that stood out from the rest. Inside, in the center of a hall, a young man sat, a sly smile on his lips as he stroked the scales of an Ekans that coiled around him. On either side of him sat some eight people, each with their Pokemon, all of them too afraid to meet the young man's gaze.

"Boss, Boss Xander, that kid is back," a voice called out, as a figure rushed through the doorway. But as the words were spoken, the speaker's voice faltered and the thousand words he had intended to say died on his lips.

For the young man sitting in the center of the hall was none other than Xander, the first-place winner of the first test, and, if the original timeline held true, the undisputed champion of the entire trial.

"Oh? That kid who ranked second?" Xander's smile vanished as he sat up straight, his eyes becoming as sharp as knives as he fixed his gaze upon the newcomer.

The Ekans that had been coiled peacefully beside Xander's chair straightened as well, sensing the killing intent emanating from its trainer. Its long, narrow eyes now filled with an ominous aura, sending a shiver down the spine of the teenager who had come to report the news.

"Yes, yes, yes," he stammered, nodding stiffly.

Xander, however, seemed to relax upon hearing the affirmative answer, leaning back in his chair once more. But the Ekans beneath him remained tense, and the teenager couldn't shake the feeling that he had only narrowly avoided a terrible fate.

"As expected from the person I'm interested in," Xander said, a cold smile on his lips. "He stayed outside for that long and came back safe and sound. Haha."

One of the eight seated men, a strong teenager of about 17 or 18, suddenly stood up. "Boss Xander," he rasped, "it's just a kid who used a trick to get second place. Let me go and bring him to you." And with that, he turned to leave.

But Xander stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Rockwell, no need for that. I still want to see how he does tomorrow." The smile on his face belied the cold calculation in his eyes.

"Yes," Rockwell replied, his voice still raspy, and sat back down. On the surface, he seemed like a simple man, but in his heart, he was cunning and ruthless.

For in a place like this, where survival was key, strength was important, but even more crucial was the ability to be ruthless. And Xander had achieved this by defeating those who opposed him, killing their Pokemon, and making them watch as their beloved creatures were devoured by his Ekans. This brutal act, along with his strength, had quickly attracted a loyal following.