This was not how people were supposed to spend their holidays. Even she understood that much.
The youth next to her held no reaction on his pale face. That worried her; even though he now knew how to speak, he continued to hide behind that imperturbable mask whenever he was around others. No matter what someone did or said, it meant nothing to him. While it hurt her to accept that, she also understood why. After everything he had went through, she couldn't blame him.
The young lady slowly knelt down to the boy's height, tucking a strand of his tea green hair behind his ear in a fluid motion. "How are you feeling?"
"Why are we here?" His voice was more of a murmur, a pleasing tone that drew people in, including her. She was surprised he even answered her; he hadn't spoken at all before then. "I do not understand. Where is Father?"
"We'll meet with him soon," another girl interjected. She moved to pat the boy's shoulder tenderly, although the grave look in her eyes lessened the act of kindness. "It shouldn't be much longer."
The three stood in a poorly lit hallway, their surroundings visible only by distant torches. A massive oak door blocked their path, while behind them were only more locked doors. Columns shot down from the ceiling every few feet, reminding the girl of prison bars. Trapped, she thought.
From up ahead, she heard people shuffling about and converse. Echoes bounced back and forth in the barren hallway, leaving the three in an undesirable position of uncertainty. Truth be told, she barely understood why they had to be there at all. But she learned long ago to stop questioning her responsibilities.
"Friends."
The three simultaneously froze at the sound of that voice. There was no longer any noise.
"I thank you all for coming here today. I promise this will not take much of your time. As you all know, I am one of the Seven Sages, Ghetsis."
At the mention of his name, whispers began spreading out amongst people. Seconds later, they were hushed once again.
"As you all know, today is the day Unovians celebrate Thanksgiving. On this day many years ago, our ancestors decided to force peace throughout the foreign land by forcing its natives into battle. The victors of this massacre agreed to celebrate over a feast unlike any other. And with that, violence became tradition; on the day of thanks, we pit living beings together until only one remains standing. Innocent creatures are dragged into a never-ending battle for the enjoyment of thousands who view this event in stadiums. In another world, this would be unjust and cruel. Here, however, this is sport.
"This," the voice's owner paused to emphasize something only the people inside could see, "is what we give thanks for. This inhumane bloodlust has been the driving force of our happiness for centuries now! Pokémon have been enslaved and subjected to torture for our enjoyment."
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the boy began to tremble. "It's in pain..." he uttered.
"From young, we are told to be thankful for the lives we have been given. But tell me, is it fair that I be thankful for this life when it comes at such a steep price for someone else?! Is it fair that a Pokémon be beaten to death to make a child smile?! Tell me, what should I be thankful for?"
Screams erupted from the crowd, harsh words that caused all three to flinch. Rage exuded from the room, leaving them to fear just what exactly was happening behind that closed door.
"I grew bitter of the world around me. I wondered for years if this day of violence that I was supposed to be thankful for would ever end. If Arceus was against it, why hadn't it stopped this horrendous act before? However, I have recently been blessed to receive an answer. This answer is our salvation, and he will surely change the very foundation of the world as we know it."
The two girls rose at once, shoulders rolled back to present themselves well. They quickly stepped back while making sure their dresses were not messy. A soft thud cam from the door in front of them, most likely caused by a lock twisting. It was time. The young boy knitted his eyebrows together in confusion at their abrupt movement. "What is--?"
"I would like for you all to meet my son, N."
The oak door creaked open, revealing an enormous room filled with people in strange suits of armor and aged men in flowing robes. The crowd of hundreds split in two, leaving a strip of the room's center to walk through freely. At the end of the room was a sort of stage, where Ghetsis stood. His hand was extended out to the three, beckoning for them to join him.
With a gentle nudge from one of the girls behind her, N hesitantly stepped forward. While walking past the crowd, the boy kept his eyes on something near Ghetsis. He continued to stare at as he moved slowly, allowing for the people surrounding him to observe him better.
When the three reached Ghetsis, he returned to speaking. "This boy has a remarkable gift. He has the ability to converse with Pokémon." He waited for the gasps of shock to ebb before carrying on. "By connecting with their hearts, N understands the suffering of these creatures better than anyone else in this entire world. Thanks to the two goddesses before you, Anthea and Concordia, he has agreed to help us in our goal of liberating all Pokémon from the tyranny of our fellow humans. I am thankful for this new chance that comes in the form of my son. My friends, I am thankful for the new prince of Plasma!"
The crowd practically exploded into cheers at his words. A few people even began to cry. N shifted in place, his head turning every so often to stare at something. He was brought back to attention when Ghetsis placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Today marks history, my friends. Our goal is no longer a dream, but a reality. It is time we change what the world should be thankful for. The liberation of Pokémon has come!"
As Ghetsis stepped forward to bask in the crowd's praise, the girl turned her attention on N. Tears slid down his face in silence. She rushed to his side, wiping at his eyes as quickly as she could. "What's wrong, my prince?"
The boy didn't respond, too busy focused on something else. Following his line of sight, she found her answer. The girl paled instantly. "Oh, Arceus."
In the corner of the room was a cage, which housed a small Pokémon. Judging from its size, she guessed it was still a baby. Gashes decorated its fur in a sickening pattern. One eye was forever closed shut, caused by a nasty cut that covered most of the left side of its face. The beaten creature shivered violently, pressing itself against the thin bars to stay as far away as it could from the people around it.
"It wants to go home," N whimpered.
She glanced to the other goddess, who was also troubled at the sight of the injured Pokémon. While she didn't understand how he knew what the Pokémon was thinking, she doubted what he said was wrong. There wasn't anything she could say that would make him feel better, so instead, she squeezed his trembling hands.
Ghetsis lifted a hand to the sky. "Tell everyone you know: our prince has arrived!"
Word Count: 1,285
Yeah, I don't know if this really counts as a Thanksgiving story XD. Sorry about that, I couldn't think of anything else and I just went with it. If it wasn't obvious (and it probably wasn't), the point of view is both Anthea's and Concordia's. I couldn't decide between the two so...yeah (I can't explain things forgive me.)
Round 1 entry for izayoix's contest.
