Auxtrema: The Clash at Indigo

The First Bout: To Haunt and To Hunt

The stadium was suddenly plunged into complete darkness, the kind that swallowed you whole.
Elliot's felt his entire body go rigid in his seat, seeming to forget how to breathe for a second. Little by little, a myriad of multi-hued lights started to twinkle across the crowd as the spectators illuminated their lightsticks. The entirety of the Indigo Stadium was turned to an iridescent night sky in a surreal yet beautiful display, definitely unplanned but entirely, silently choreographed by the awestruck audience. It was only when his throat started to hurt that Elliot realised he was screaming.
The blood was pounding in his ears but he could tell that Holt, Myra and the rest of the crowd were screaming too.
His hand moved to his pocket.
Fizzle was fine, still seeming to vibrate happily.
Maybe he was excited too?

Then the music started to change.
What once had been classic fanfare and the rattle of marching drums was completely eclipsed by a heart-stopping baseline, thumping loudly as smoke filled the arena floor.
Elliot looked at Myra who was eagerly leaning forwards, hands on her knees and eyes virtually hypnotised.
He stole a glance up at Holt who caught him looking and grinned, saying something.
Elliot couldn't hear him in the slightest but before he could ask for a repeat, a thunderous voice came back over the speakers.

"...and here they are, Pokefans! Give it up for the gym leaders of the Auxtrema Gauntlet!"

Lights illuminated eight silhouetted figures standing across a high platform that spanned the battle field.

"First up, coming all the way from Mount Picante. Can you feel the heat? It's the master of magma from the mountains of Alola. The pyro powered god himself. Heath Wave!"

A rubious, red light illuminated the statuesque man's form and a giant Incineroar roared to life on the screens above their heads. Though these flames were not real, Elliot felt as though he could feel the heat.

"Next, it's the guardian of Savourn Forest. The rogue ranger with a blade. The lone, surviving knight and wanderer of the wilderness: Leif Legion!"

A green beam shone down on the man, glinting as it washed over what looked like sculpted armour. It was eerily synchronised to the gleam of his Aegislash's blade- now playing across the screens.

"Get ready for a shock; he's the blastmaster, the electric entrepreneur and the mind behind Tyrim Labs! It's the Rex Vandervolt!"

The man stood motionless under the bright yellow light, the pixelated face on his mask simply changing to an arrow pointing upwards. A witty tease- directing the audience attention to his Exploud, pulsing silently on the screens. The arrow transformed into a grin, only seconds before the lights changed.

"The King of the Ring is going in for the pin! Get ready to tap out for the superstar behind Amarezza Gym: Nelson Kimora!"

This time, the light was a harsh, unapologetic orange, casting an almost garish beam down on the man with his fist raised in the air. The Machamp on the big screens mirrored his trainer's pose. Their victory belts were identical- gleaming beneath the beams.

"Some call her a peace-maker. Others call her the heart-breaker. Few can measure up to her! She's the lady of Sucredoux Spa. It's Harmony Harte!"

The pink spotlight shone down on the form of a woman. Rather than standing still, she appeared to blow a kiss upward to her Goodra, taking a battle stance on the screens above.

"Once he's in your veins, there's no escape. The prince of poison and the artful artiste behind the Sourore Labyrinth. Take a deep breath and say hello to Ricin Nyde!"

The man was hunched in a squatting position under the purple rays of light. His long white hair was soaked by the spotlight and instantly dyed the same colour as the growling, glowering Nidoking who looked down upon them all.