Chapter 41: Judgement

  The air in the ancestral hall was cold. The faint torches barely gifted warmth to him. They hadn't during the night either. Not that it would've helped him get more sleep either way.

  He sat near the back of the chamber, motionless, his paws resting in his lap. The faint pulse of the seal on the type energy reserve in his chest throbbed like painfully while surpressing his powers completely. The lack of energy flowing through his body, something that was natural for him, felt wrong in an undescribable way. He felt emptier for it and hated every moment of it.

  Across from him, Elder Gorun dloated near the great stone doors, his expression unreadable. The Dusknoir had been quiet since morning, patiently waiting for the preperations of the trial to finish. If one could call it a trial. Auri preferred to call it a farce. He was quite sure he wouldn't manage to walk out of that trial just like that. No, the judgement had most likely already happened behind closed doors between the other Elders somewhere.

  "Well? Are you ready?" Elder Gorun finally asked, voice low.

  Auri snorted, but before he could answer a heavy knock echoed from the other side of the doors. Captain Kaen’s voice came through, low and steady, but edged with something Auri couldn’t quite name. "Elder Gorun, the trial can commence. The preperations are concluded, and everyone is gathered." The words felt like stones in Auri's stomach.

  Elder Gorun gave a slow nod. "Then it’s time."

  With a wave of the Dusknoir's hand, psychic type energy flooded out of him and with a deep groan of stone against stone, the heavy stone doors opened slowly under the influence of Elder Gorun's [Psychic]. The first wave of sound rushed in, a collective murmur of hundreds of voices, the restless rustle of the crowd outside. Auri flinched without meaning to. He hadn't expected pretty much the entirety of Newleaf Village to come. So he was supposed to be turned into a spectacle as well, huh?

  Captain Kaen stepped in first, mane bright with the morning light streaming through the open archway. His eyes swept over Auri before shaking his head. "It’s time to step out," the Arcanine said quietly.

  Auri rose slowly. His legs felt stiff and heavy, his thoughts racing. But he knew perfectly well that there was nohing he could do right now. He glanced once towards Elder Gorun, half expecting the Dusknoir to speak up again, to offer even a single word of reassurance. But Elder Gorun’s jaw tightened instead. His silence was answer enough.

  Captain Kaen turned, and Auri followed. The light outside was blinding after the dim calm of the ancestral hall. He had been correct, pretty much every villager was there. Old, young, even children sitting on their parents’ tails or shoulders. Their eyes followed him as he stepped forward, their whispers rippling through the air like falling leaves.

  "That’s him…"

  "The human reborn…"

  "Dangerous, they said…"

  Auri kept his gaze low. He didn’t want to see their faces. He didn't need to see the judgement and disgust he would find there. He felt even more alone right now than when he entered Newleaf Village for the first time.

  Risa joined Captain Kaen and together they flanked him as they walked toward the raised stone platform before the ancestral hall. The other guards formed a loose perimeter around the crowd, their expressions tense but restrained. Myra’s shadow passed briefly overhead silent as ever, circling high above the rooftops. She could've easily stopped all that from ever playing out, but had chosen to throw him to the Houndoom instead. Honestly, he couldn't even blame her for that.

  He could hear Yuki somewhere near the front of the crowd. He didn’t need to look to know she was there, of course she would be. He wouldn't have ever expected anything else from her. Part of him wanted to find her eyes, to anchor himself there. But he didn’t. He couldn’t, really. Because if he saw the emotions behind her eyes, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep walking. So instead he kept his head down.

  As they reached the steps of the platform, Auri caught his reflection in the polished stone beneath the Hall’s entrance. The golden fur that once gleamed so brightly now looked dull, almost gray in the morning light, especially with how he still hadn't cleaned it since the Stormspire Prison.

  "Stand here," Captain Kaen ordered and Auri obeyed. His paws touched the cold surface, and he exhaled slowly, trying to steady the tremor in his chest.

  The Elders would come out next to pass judgment before everyone. Elder Seori would probably speak first, introduce the matter, and also shape if this trial was going to be little more than a judgement or an actual chance. As he'd already said, just one big farce with the first option being far more likely then than the second. This was less of a trial and more of a ritual, one in which he was presented as the scapegoat for the villagers fear.

  He closed his eyes briefly, the faint buzz of the seal still pressing on his chest. He had no moves, no way to fight, no way to run. And for all his quiet strength, all the courage he thought he had built since the day he woke in the crater, he had never felt so powerless.

  However he quickly shook these thoughts away. If this was how it ended, if this was the weight he had to carry for the desolate legace he had apparently once left behind, then at least he wouldn’t face it running or scared. No, he would stand straight even in the face of adversery. That was the least he could do for himself.

  He was ripped out of his thoughts as the other Elders finally appeared and stepped on the platform. Elder Seori led the way, the light catching the pale gold of her fur, every step measured and deliberate. Her tails moved in perfect harmony, brushing the stone with ghostlike precision. To her right walked Elder Ilyra, her eyes sharp and watchful as always, and to her left E?der Brenno, his expression calm but unreadable. Elder Gorun silently appeared next to them.

  When Elder Seori stopped before the crowd, silence fell completely. Her voice carried easily, clear and elegant, the kind of tone that could calm storms. Or direct them against others, of course.

  "Citizens of Newleaf Village," she began, "we gather here today to judge the Pikachu known as Auri and to determine his fate, ofr he has put all of us in terrible danger. By now you all have heard the story. The rumor has been circulating the entire weak already after all. Of the human who brought ruin upon the world, whose arrogance shattered balance and left our kind in ruin. We have lived generations trying to rebuild from the ashes left in his wake." Her eyes turned toward Auri. "And now, another stands before us. The very same human, reborn into our world a second time, who kept his nature hidden until he unleashed another calamity."

  Auri flinched, though he didn’t bow his head. The seal still pulsed faintly on his chest, reminding him that no matter what he said, no one here would see him as anything but a threat.

  "Many of you may ask what he did. I want to answer that question for you. Auri here freed the ancient Storm Menace from its prison while our protector Lord Noctem is still sleeping. At this very moment our Mythicals and even the Lesser Legendary Velari are fighting a desperate war of attrition against the Storm Menace at this very moment, in the hopes to stall the monster until Lord Noctem awakens once more," Elder Seori continued. Her words were precise and provoked a round of fearful exclamations and gasps of surprise.

  "He acted beyond the control of any team, without permission, and with power none of us fully understand. He claims ignorance of what he is and was, yet history has taught us what ignorance of a human’s nature can bring. Personally, I do not believe him."

  Elder Ilyra tilted her head, speaking for the first time. "You would have us judge him for being what he is and was, Seori?" she asked, her tone curious, not confrontational. "Not for what he’s done?"

  Elder Seori’s gaze did not waver. "No, I am judging him for what he already did. He freed the Storm Menace. His type energy proved that it carries the power to bring calamity over all of us. Maybe it already has. Isn't that rpove enough?"

  A murmur rose again, some in agreement, others uneasy.

  Elder Brenno cleared his throat softly. "Perhaps we should hear his account before making assumptions," the Torterra suggested, but his tone lacked conviction. He spoke as though the outcome had already been written, and he simply wished the story told in full before the end.

  It was then that Elder Gorun finally floated forward. "You speak of the damages he caused," he said quietly, "but aren't you simply judging him by his legacy? The things you claim he did are consequences of actions Noah once took. Can you truly name him guilty for that?"

  A few heads turned at that. Elder Seori’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she did not rise to the challenge. "And yet," she replied calmly, "even that legacy has proven dangerous. Can we really gamble our safety on sentiment? I don't think so. You yourself sealed his type energy because you knew what it could do. Tell me, Gorun, do you truly believe that power belongs here? Or even has a right to exist at all?"

  Elder Gorun hesitated. The silence stretched long enough for Auri to feel it pressing against his ribs. Finally, the Dusknoir said quietly, "I still second Brenno's opinion. At the very least, I believe he deserves a voice. That's enough votes in favor, right?"

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  Elder Seori’s expression didn’t change, but there was a faint shift, a tightening of her stance, a hint of frustration beneath the surface. She turned back to the crowd, letting her voice rise again. "Then so be it. Let him speak. But know this: "We do not judge out of malice, nor vengeance, but out of duty to those who trust us to keep them safe."

  Auri barely managed not to scoff at that claim. As if their intentions would make any difference for him when they made their inevitable judgement. Meanwhile Captain Kaen gave a small nod, signaling him to step forward.

  The murmurs grew once more, louder now, restless. He could feel their doubt, their unease, wrapping around him like a shroud. So here he stood and was supposed to defend himself in front of people who wouldn't believe him anyways? What a waste of breath. But he'd promised himself to not give up without at least trying properly, so he drew a slow breath, his voice barely above a whisper at first.

  "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I didn’t plan on freeing the Storm Menace either," he began, his voice low but steady. "All I did was defend myself, a right I believe every Pokemon should have. At no point in time did I even touch the barrier keeping Zuko sealed. If anything take that up with Miu, who counciously broke the second seal. And why would I ever want to free the very being Noah seemingly wanted to see sealed once? No, I did not plan on any of this. Though I did let myself be manipulated."

  His words echoed into the quiet, but no one moved. "I didn’t hide what I was because I wanted to deceive anyone. I didn’t know myself until I was told so by Miu. That I was actually Noah was a secret revealed even later to me, by Zuko himself. I don't know if I'm truly him. I never asked to be Noah, and I’m not the one who destroyed the world. I’ve spent every day since I got here trying to help and I think many of you can attest to that."

  He paused, searching their faces for even a flicker of understanding. Elder Seori’s eyes were unreadable. Elder Brenno’s gaze had dropped to the ground. Elder Ilyra’s looked like she was seeing straight through him. Only Elder Gorun still met his eyes and gave a small encouraging nod. Then Elder Seori spoke again.

  "Words are easy, Auri. But it's action that truly speak." He flinched slightly at the sharpness in her tone. "I can only repeat myself here. By freeing the Storm Menace you have proven to be a dangerous risk to Newleaf Village, no matter your reasons. If you wanted to or not is secondary here. Important is that our entire village is now threatened because of your actions."

  The crowd stirred in agreement.

  Auri wanted to reply, but the words got stuck in his throat. Could he truly claim that Elder Seori was wrong? After all he could understand where she was coming from. From her point of view it was probably even resonable!

  Elder Seori, seeing how Auri was done talking, turned her gaze toward Yuki. "Yuki, one of our own," she said softly. "Step forward."

  Yuki startled, feathers twitching. Her eyes darted briefly to Captain Kaen who gave her a single, grave nod and then to Auri, who quickly shook his head faintly. She should not involve herself in his mess at all! But it was too late. The crowd was already parting for her. She stepped into the open, head held high despite the tremor in her legs.

  "Tell us," Elder Seori continued, her tone smooth as glass. "You have fought beside him. Trained beside him. You are the closest thing to a friend he has in this village. Tell us what you truly believe."

  Yuki took a deep breath. Then she spoke the words she had repeated in her head the entire night, just for that moment, and now she knew exactly what she wanted to say.

  "I believe he saved my life. More than once." Her voice carried, thin but clear. "When we first met, he was scared and confused. Not dangerous. The last months I've got to know him closer than anyone else here. He always tried to protect others, even when it hurt him. He never used his power to hurt anyone, not even when he was pushed. If he’s really the same human who did all those terrible things… then I think that only proves that Pokemon can change."

  The murmurs started immediately, some surprised, some disbelieving. As if they had expected that even Yuki would speak against him.

  Elder Seori tilted her head slightly, tails swaying. "You speak with conviction," she said, "but conviction is not proof. Could it not be that he deceived you? Humans are skilled at earning trust. Perhaps he merely used you as a shield, just as he is doing right now."

  Yuki’s eyes flashed, the script she practiced instantly forgotten. "He didn’t use me! He is my friend and a savior to multiple people here, both from small and big trouble!"

  Seori didn’t flinch at the outburst. Her calm never cracked. "And yet, here we stand, because he is the very reason Newleaf Village, our home, might cease to exist soon, should the Mythicals and Velari loose."

  "I don’t care!" Yuki’s voice broke, the dam giving way. "You can say whatever you want, but I know him! He isn’t Noah! He isn’t some monster who wanted the world to burn! He’s Auri! He’s my partner! And of course I would stand up for him!"

  The word 'partner' echoed across the crowd, raw and fierce. Auri slumped even lower, still not daring to meet Yuki's gaze. She was gambling her entire reputation within the village on him. She really shouldn't.

  For a brief second, the silence that followed felt heavy enough to crush the air itself. Then Elder Ilyra’s voice cut through it, bringing the excuse Auri had waited for already the tnrie time. "She’s too close to him," she said softly. "Emotion clouds reason. Her loyalty is admirable, but it cannot cloud our judgement. I vote we forgo her claims."

  Elder Seori nodded slightly, as though the point had already been proven. "A heart bound by affection cannot see clearly. Her intentions are not in question. Only her objectivity."

  Elder Brenno shifted, his expression torn. His mouth opened slightly, but in the end he said nothing.

  Auri caught Gorun’s gaze again. The Dusknoir’s jaw was tight, his claws pressing into the stone beneath him. But even he couldn’t speak without worsening the divide already forming.

  "Elder Seori!" someone suddenly called from within the crowd of villagers. Two small figures stepped forward,Velia, the Snubbull holding her head high and her tone clear, and Karo, the Skorupi nervously following a step behind. Vira, as the guard closest to them, immediately moved to block their way.

  "You are interrupting a sacred trial," the Luxray warned. "Stand down. It is not your place to involve yourselfes without being asked to by the Elders or Captain Kaen."

  Velia didn’t flinch. "We have something important to say regarding this case! Please! The village deserves to know!"

  Elder Seori regarded her for a long moment before inclining her head. "Step aside Vira. Let them speak."

  Velia took a breath, looking straight at Auri, then turned to the Elders. "We… we overheard something. A few weeks ago, just days before Auri and Yuki vanished, we've seen Auri meeting with Miu. And not just then. Based on the conversation they had been meeting for weeks! She even helped them while pretending to be an ally. The same Mew who later sided with the Storm Menace!"

  The crowd rippled, whispers rising like waves crashing against stone. Velia pressed on, voice growing stronger with every word. "If Miu was helping him all this time, then maybe it wasn’t actually an accident like he claims! Maybe everything that happened was planned! Maybe they freed Zuko together!"

  "A lie!" Yuki’s voice broke through the uproar, shrill and furious. "You’re twisting everything that happened! You haven't even been there, I'm sure of it!"

  But her words were drowned beneath the roar of the crowd. The guards moved closer, and even Elder Gorun’s omnious rumble couldn’t silence them.

  Elder Seori’s tails shifted once, brushing the stone. Her eyes closed, slow and deliberate. Then she released the pressure of her type energy on everyone in the area. "Enough."

  The uproar instantly faded into a tense hush. The subtle threat had been very well understood. Elder Seori would not hesitate to remove them from the area should they impede the trial. And the guards were there to enforce that if necessary. "If what the young one says holds truth, then the danger we face is greater than we thought. The human soul walks among us once more, and we have already seen what ruin that soul can bring."

  Elder Ilyra looked away, troubled. Elder Brenno muttered something beneath his breath, but didn’t stand. Elder Gorun’s expression turned to open defiance. " So that's it Seori? You would condemn him over hearsay and fear? The same thing you just claimed wasn't trustworthy? Really?"

  "Because all I have is hearsay?" Seori’s words struck like ice. "No, Gorun. We have proof in the form of our Mythicals fighting the reawakened Storm menace right this moment! Do we need much more?"

  She drew in a deep, steadying breath, her voice low but carrying through the square. "No, we do not. Now there is only one path left to us."

  Auri lifted his head, and for a heartbeat the world seemed to hold its breath.

  Seori’s eyes were calm, too calm. "Auri, or rather the legacy left behind by Noah, will be broken. His type energy reserve is to be completely shattered, his strength stripped away. He will live, but he will never again command the power that festers within him. He will not pose a danger to anyone anymore."

  The words fell like stone through water. The crowd gasped, some flinched outright. Even the guards at the perimeter shifted uneasily, their paws tightening on the ground.

  Auri felt his chest constrict. They wanted to destroy his reserve, the very center of a Pokemon’s being? The place where energy gathered, the one organ that allowed them to grow stronger? The one thing that couldn’t heal with time!?

  He stared at Seori, disbelief curdling into fear as his legs gre weak. "You can’t mean that…" he whispered.

  Elder Gorun took a step forward before Auri could say more, his gravelly voice shaking with barely contained fury. "You can’t. You can’t! That’s no judgment, it’s mutilation! Do you even understand what you’re saying!? To destroy a Pokemon’s core is to-!"

  "Enough," Elder Seori said, her tone firm but measured. "It is the only way to ensure he never endangers another life. The human Noah burned half the world once. I will not see it happen again."

  Her gaze turned to the other Elders. "Then let the council decide."

  Silence settled like dust. Elder Brenno looked down at his claws, jaw tight. "I abstain," he muttered. "There’s no right choice here."

  Elder Gorun’s voice was firm. "I oppose. You are about to destroy an innocent soul because you are afraid of what he might become!"

  Elder Ilyra hesitated, her eyes clouding as she looked into the distance. For a moment, it seemed she might side with him, but then she looked at the terrified faces in the crowd, the whispering villagers clutching their children, and her resolve cracked. "I… cannot in good consciance abstain from this. I vote in favor," she said softly.

  Seori closed her eyes. "Then the motion stands. Two in favor, one against, one abstained. The judgment is passed."

  The crowd erupted, shouts of disbelief, some cheers, some sobs.

  Gorun turned sharply toward her, ghostly teeth bared. "You call that justice!? You’re butchers!"

  Seori’s tails stilled, her expression unreadable. "No. This is mercy, Gorun. The same mercy that Noah has as far as we known never shown."

  Yuki’s scream cut through the silence. "No! You can’t do that! That's no better than outright killing him!" She lunged forward, only to be caught by two guards. Auri’s heart slammed in his chest, the world narrowing in on that single phrase Elder Seori had just uttered.

  Blocking his type energy reserve? This feeling of incredible weakness, pain and emptiness, they wanted to make it permanent!? That truly wouldn't be much better than outright dying!

  His resolve sharpened into focus instantly. He might not have access to his type energy right now but if that was their plan... He wouldn't go down without fighting them every step of the way! He would not allow them to shatter his type energy reserve!

  Important characters in the chapter:

  Pikachu (Auri) – Level 16

  Ability: Lightning Rod

  Battle Nature: Lonely

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 75

  Attack: 49

  Ranged Attack: 44

  Defense: 52

  Speed: 58

  Total: 278 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Nuzzle], [Tail Whip], [Quick Attack], [Brick Break], [Thunder Wave], [Feint]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Thunder Shock], [Electro Ball], [Swift], [Thunderbolt], [Discharge]

  Utility Moves: [Nasty Plot], [Charm], [Double Team], [Growl], [Agility], [Dig]

  Torchic (Yuki) – Level 17 (Evolution Requirements Not Met, Stat Boost Applied)

  Ability: Speed Boost

  Battle Nature: Hasty

  Stats:

  TE Pool (Health/AP): 84

  Attack: 49

  Ranged Attack: 49

  Defense: 57

  Speed: 42

  Total: 281 (Strength Level: Teenager)

  Moves:

  Close Combat Moves: [Scratch], [Quick Attack], [Feint], [Fire Spin], [Flame Charge], [Aerial Ace], [Counter], [Slash]

  Ranged Combat Moves: [Ember], [Sand Attack], [Overheat]

  Utility Moves: [Growl], [Detect], [Dig]