A short distance away, Hibiki watched the facade with fascination. "I never get tired of watching my brother act," he said with a grin. "Today, the world's gonna get a show to remember."
"We'd better not linger here," came Ivy's voice behind him. "Let's get to the stadium before anyone notices the distortions in the air."
Hibiki turned back and looked at what, to himself and the rest of the world, was empty space. In fact, he was virtually invisible too. The only sign of their presence was three shadows upon the ground, and a wavy blur of the background when they moved. Hibiki could only describe the distortion as how something might look through the hot air over a fire.
"This is nuts!" he whispered excitedly, as they made their way quickly toward the enormous domed structure that was Indigo Colosseum. "We're invisible! They didn't even see us when we came out of the smoke!"
"Refraction," Ivy said in a self-satisfied tone. "An ability unique to Galicorn, in which they can bend light waves around themselves to blend into the environment. It raises evasiveness, and wild Galicorn only ever reveal themselves to pure-hearted maidens."
"Kinda like Latias," Hibiki mused. "Wait a sec. So are you saying you're a pure-hearted maiden?"
"Maybe . . . probably not. But my mother was. She passed Galicorn down to me, just before the trainer ban interrupted my journey." There was a note of sly amusement in Ivy's voice. "Were you doubting the goodness of my heart, then?"
Hibiki felt his ears burning. He didn't answer.
"I'm just kidding." Ivy's voice was casual, but it soon turned serious and frustrated. "Ah! Look at the entrance. It's crowded, and there are dogs at the door. They'll sniff us out."
The two trainers were still amidst trees and stone pillars that led to the competitors' quarters of the Indigo Colosseum. The main entrance led out into a vast parking lot, where legions of people were already pouring in, despite the relatively early hour. As Ivy had observed, wardens in blue uniforms stood at the civilian entrance, assisted by every canine sentinel from Growlithe to Mightyena. Being invisible would prove useless if they were set upon by pokémon bloodhounds.
"Galicorn has wings, right?" Hibiki whispered. "Can't he fly us over the top of the arena?"
"Not an option," Ivy replied. "It would disrupt his light refraction, and he can only carry people while walking, anyway."
Geez, then what good is a horse's wings? thought Hibiki cynically.
"Wait, I've got a better idea. Look to the right."
Hibiki followed Ivy's instructions, and his eyes fell upon a set of double-doors around the back of the stadium, facing away from the parking lot. It might have been a simple storage shed, except for the fact that the blonde-haired head of Topaz was disappearing through it.
"The challengers' waiting area?" he mused.
"So it would seem. C'mon." Ivy's camoflauged form hurried away, and Hibiki hastened to stay within Galigorn's light-bending range.
"But wouldn't it be guarded?"
"I'll bet it was, until all the guards posted there stacked up on Victory Road's exit." Ivy paused at the door. "We can get through to stadium seating this way. It still won't be easy, but the other routes are too dangerous-"
She pulled open the door, then to the startling of Hibiki, gave a shriek before covering her mouth.
"And what if there had been a guard on this side?" came the voice of an older girl.
"Onee-san!"
"Never mind, get in. And bring your friend with you."
Hibiki felt Ivy's invisible hand yank him inside, and a moment later, Galicorn's light distortion wore off. Standing before them with arms crossed was a slender young woman in her early twenties, whose most prominent features were purple hair and black glasses. Hibiki took only a second to recognize her.
Rosette Cedars . . . the Champion from Herron. Wait- did Ivy just refer to her as a big sister?!
"I didn't know you guys were related," Hibiki blurted out, not knowing what to say.
Rosette glanced at him. "Why else would I be standing here?" she said calmly. "I knew Ivy and Ian were coming. You caused a lot of commotion for so early in the morning."
All at once, Hibiki noticed that a crowd of trainers had begun to gather, attracted by Ivy's shriek of surprise from earlier. There weren't all that many, since the majority of Masters was still to arrive, but Hibiki only recognized the faces of Topaz and Blue among them. A couple looked at Ivy and himself, though most eyes were trained upon the unfamiliar Galicorn.
"Uh, sorry to bother you all," Hibiki said meekly. "We were just, uh, saying hi. We'll be going now. Nothing to see he-"
At once, the double-doors behind him burst open, and Kenta and Red marched through and slammed them shut, breathing heavily. Their backs were turned for the moment.
"Lousy fanboys," Red grumbled, glaring at Kenta, who was wiping his brow with his hat. "What did I say, Gold? Didn't I tell you that sticking around out there would draw unwanted attention?"
"I'm sorry, okay?" Kenta replied, in a defensive-whiny voice. "I needed to confirm that the trainer spectators were allowed to bring their pokémon inside-"
The two of them stopped arguing and looked slowly behind them, suddenly aware that they were being watched. In a way, Hibiki was glad that the attention was off of him, but it wasn't really any better. The silence was so thick that it could be cut with a Scyther claw.
"Um . . . hi, everyone," Red finally said lamely. "I'm Red. This is Gold."
The next few minutes were a blur to Hibiki. Questions and exclamations came thundering down upon them like a series of unrelenting ocean waves. At first, everyone was interested in Red: where he had been, what he had been doing all this time, and why he had suddenly decided to come back now of all times. But steadily, Red's answers turned the eye of public interest toward Kenta, and all faces- even Blue's- aimed towards him. Kenta covered his own face with his officer hat, and after a few unrequited inquiries, held up his hand for silence.
"I want to tell you guys what's going on, just as much as you want to know," he said. "But there are more Pokémon Masters who still have to arrive, first. When the tournament is ready to commence, I'll have a message for everyone. For now, is there a room me 'n Red can stay in?"
Instantly, several forms were uttered of the question: "What? How come you get to hang with Red?", especially from Blue. However, Hibiki felt the collar of his shirt snatched from behind, and then Red was dragging him and Kenta through the crowd of Masters and down a hallway with a series of doors. Rosette, who had somehow gotten ahead of them, pointed a helpful finger into one of the rooms, and Red pulled them in without a second's hesitation. Hibiki looked back just as she was shutting the door.
"Uh, thanks for the assist. But why are you helping us?"
"Because you brought Ivy to me. I've been wanting to speak with her for a while now." Rosette waved her hand with a small smile. "Bye now." And the door clicked shut.
Red moved in to lock the door, and Hibiki noticed that his backpack wasn't on anymore. He turned around to see Kenta, holding the backpack and staring wide-eyed at a trainer matchup chart on the wall. A second later, he promptly yanked down his pants. Underneath, he was wearing black-and-gold shorts, but Hibiki put a hand over his eyes anyway.
"Geez, dude! Why don't you turn on some 80's porn music while you're at it?"
Kenta pulled a pair of Brendan Birch-style black pants from Red's backpack and tugged them on. "I'd laugh at that, but frankly, I'm trying not to throw up, here. Come over and have a look at the pairing for the first-round match."
Hibiki positioned himself close enough that he could read the roster. His heart skipped a beat as he read the combatants' names.
Brendan Birch Vs. Steven Stone.
"Looks like they intend to start this contest off with a bang," said Red quietly from Hibiki's left. "And would you look at that . . . I'm all the way on the opposite end. If I were to end up facing Brendan or Steven, it wouldn't be until the final match."
"It's a shame that won't be happening," said Kenta, pulling Brendan's beanie cap over his head. "Pokémon limit or not, that would have been an epic match." He stared back at the roster. "It looks like Brendan's going to be approaching from the east gate of the arena, and Steven, from the west. Which side are we on right now?"
Red shook his head. Both looked at Hibiki, but he merely shrugged. Kenta sighed.
"Well, then. I'm going to have to be confined in here until showtime. Hibiki, you've got a job to-"
A sharp series of knocks on the door broke his speech. "Red?" came a nasally voice. "It's Blue. Can you talk right now?"
The three of them exchanged hasty glances, and Red drew a finger across his throat. "Can this wait?" Red called back. "The tournament's not until ten, and I still need some prep time."
A different voice spoke from outside the door, and Hibiki saw Kenta tense in recognition.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Red. It's Brendan- Blue told me you were here. I meant to welcome you as soon as you got in, but I was tied up with some League matters."
Red said nothing, but looked inquiringly at Kenta. Hibiki, judging by the naked dread on his brother's face, could only imagine what must be going through his mind. It was probably something like:
OH MY GOD! It's BRENDAN! I'm not ready for this yet! What do I do? If we let him in, will he recognize us? Will he freak out? Will he be angry? Will we have to knock him unconscious?
Hibiki cringed as the last thought hit him. Where did that come from?
"Red?" Brendan called again.
In a flash, Kenta rushed forward, scooped up Hibiki, and charged toward a line of lockers at the far wall. "Uh, yeah, alright, just a second," Red murmured, as Kenta stuffed Hibiki into a locker. Kenta gave him an apologetic look, then slammed the metal door. A moment later, Hibiki heard the locker beside him shut as well. Both Nyna brothers were stuffed away like extra sets of smelly workout clothes.
"We'd better not linger here," came Ivy's voice behind him. "Let's get to the stadium before anyone notices the distortions in the air."
Hibiki turned back and looked at what, to himself and the rest of the world, was empty space. In fact, he was virtually invisible too. The only sign of their presence was three shadows upon the ground, and a wavy blur of the background when they moved. Hibiki could only describe the distortion as how something might look through the hot air over a fire.
"This is nuts!" he whispered excitedly, as they made their way quickly toward the enormous domed structure that was Indigo Colosseum. "We're invisible! They didn't even see us when we came out of the smoke!"
"Refraction," Ivy said in a self-satisfied tone. "An ability unique to Galicorn, in which they can bend light waves around themselves to blend into the environment. It raises evasiveness, and wild Galicorn only ever reveal themselves to pure-hearted maidens."
"Kinda like Latias," Hibiki mused. "Wait a sec. So are you saying you're a pure-hearted maiden?"
"Maybe . . . probably not. But my mother was. She passed Galicorn down to me, just before the trainer ban interrupted my journey." There was a note of sly amusement in Ivy's voice. "Were you doubting the goodness of my heart, then?"
Hibiki felt his ears burning. He didn't answer.
"I'm just kidding." Ivy's voice was casual, but it soon turned serious and frustrated. "Ah! Look at the entrance. It's crowded, and there are dogs at the door. They'll sniff us out."
The two trainers were still amidst trees and stone pillars that led to the competitors' quarters of the Indigo Colosseum. The main entrance led out into a vast parking lot, where legions of people were already pouring in, despite the relatively early hour. As Ivy had observed, wardens in blue uniforms stood at the civilian entrance, assisted by every canine sentinel from Growlithe to Mightyena. Being invisible would prove useless if they were set upon by pokémon bloodhounds.
"Galicorn has wings, right?" Hibiki whispered. "Can't he fly us over the top of the arena?"
"Not an option," Ivy replied. "It would disrupt his light refraction, and he can only carry people while walking, anyway."
Geez, then what good is a horse's wings? thought Hibiki cynically.
"Wait, I've got a better idea. Look to the right."
Hibiki followed Ivy's instructions, and his eyes fell upon a set of double-doors around the back of the stadium, facing away from the parking lot. It might have been a simple storage shed, except for the fact that the blonde-haired head of Topaz was disappearing through it.
"The challengers' waiting area?" he mused.
"So it would seem. C'mon." Ivy's camoflauged form hurried away, and Hibiki hastened to stay within Galigorn's light-bending range.
"But wouldn't it be guarded?"
"I'll bet it was, until all the guards posted there stacked up on Victory Road's exit." Ivy paused at the door. "We can get through to stadium seating this way. It still won't be easy, but the other routes are too dangerous-"
She pulled open the door, then to the startling of Hibiki, gave a shriek before covering her mouth.
"And what if there had been a guard on this side?" came the voice of an older girl.
"Onee-san!"
"Never mind, get in. And bring your friend with you."
Hibiki felt Ivy's invisible hand yank him inside, and a moment later, Galicorn's light distortion wore off. Standing before them with arms crossed was a slender young woman in her early twenties, whose most prominent features were purple hair and black glasses. Hibiki took only a second to recognize her.
Rosette Cedars . . . the Champion from Herron. Wait- did Ivy just refer to her as a big sister?!
"I didn't know you guys were related," Hibiki blurted out, not knowing what to say.
Rosette glanced at him. "Why else would I be standing here?" she said calmly. "I knew Ivy and Ian were coming. You caused a lot of commotion for so early in the morning."
All at once, Hibiki noticed that a crowd of trainers had begun to gather, attracted by Ivy's shriek of surprise from earlier. There weren't all that many, since the majority of Masters was still to arrive, but Hibiki only recognized the faces of Topaz and Blue among them. A couple looked at Ivy and himself, though most eyes were trained upon the unfamiliar Galicorn.
"Uh, sorry to bother you all," Hibiki said meekly. "We were just, uh, saying hi. We'll be going now. Nothing to see he-"
At once, the double-doors behind him burst open, and Kenta and Red marched through and slammed them shut, breathing heavily. Their backs were turned for the moment.
"Lousy fanboys," Red grumbled, glaring at Kenta, who was wiping his brow with his hat. "What did I say, Gold? Didn't I tell you that sticking around out there would draw unwanted attention?"
"I'm sorry, okay?" Kenta replied, in a defensive-whiny voice. "I needed to confirm that the trainer spectators were allowed to bring their pokémon inside-"
The two of them stopped arguing and looked slowly behind them, suddenly aware that they were being watched. In a way, Hibiki was glad that the attention was off of him, but it wasn't really any better. The silence was so thick that it could be cut with a Scyther claw.
"Um . . . hi, everyone," Red finally said lamely. "I'm Red. This is Gold."
The next few minutes were a blur to Hibiki. Questions and exclamations came thundering down upon them like a series of unrelenting ocean waves. At first, everyone was interested in Red: where he had been, what he had been doing all this time, and why he had suddenly decided to come back now of all times. But steadily, Red's answers turned the eye of public interest toward Kenta, and all faces- even Blue's- aimed towards him. Kenta covered his own face with his officer hat, and after a few unrequited inquiries, held up his hand for silence.
"I want to tell you guys what's going on, just as much as you want to know," he said. "But there are more Pokémon Masters who still have to arrive, first. When the tournament is ready to commence, I'll have a message for everyone. For now, is there a room me 'n Red can stay in?"
Instantly, several forms were uttered of the question: "What? How come you get to hang with Red?", especially from Blue. However, Hibiki felt the collar of his shirt snatched from behind, and then Red was dragging him and Kenta through the crowd of Masters and down a hallway with a series of doors. Rosette, who had somehow gotten ahead of them, pointed a helpful finger into one of the rooms, and Red pulled them in without a second's hesitation. Hibiki looked back just as she was shutting the door.
"Uh, thanks for the assist. But why are you helping us?"
"Because you brought Ivy to me. I've been wanting to speak with her for a while now." Rosette waved her hand with a small smile. "Bye now." And the door clicked shut.
Red moved in to lock the door, and Hibiki noticed that his backpack wasn't on anymore. He turned around to see Kenta, holding the backpack and staring wide-eyed at a trainer matchup chart on the wall. A second later, he promptly yanked down his pants. Underneath, he was wearing black-and-gold shorts, but Hibiki put a hand over his eyes anyway.
"Geez, dude! Why don't you turn on some 80's porn music while you're at it?"
Kenta pulled a pair of Brendan Birch-style black pants from Red's backpack and tugged them on. "I'd laugh at that, but frankly, I'm trying not to throw up, here. Come over and have a look at the pairing for the first-round match."
Hibiki positioned himself close enough that he could read the roster. His heart skipped a beat as he read the combatants' names.
Brendan Birch Vs. Steven Stone.
"Looks like they intend to start this contest off with a bang," said Red quietly from Hibiki's left. "And would you look at that . . . I'm all the way on the opposite end. If I were to end up facing Brendan or Steven, it wouldn't be until the final match."
"It's a shame that won't be happening," said Kenta, pulling Brendan's beanie cap over his head. "Pokémon limit or not, that would have been an epic match." He stared back at the roster. "It looks like Brendan's going to be approaching from the east gate of the arena, and Steven, from the west. Which side are we on right now?"
Red shook his head. Both looked at Hibiki, but he merely shrugged. Kenta sighed.
"Well, then. I'm going to have to be confined in here until showtime. Hibiki, you've got a job to-"
A sharp series of knocks on the door broke his speech. "Red?" came a nasally voice. "It's Blue. Can you talk right now?"
The three of them exchanged hasty glances, and Red drew a finger across his throat. "Can this wait?" Red called back. "The tournament's not until ten, and I still need some prep time."
A different voice spoke from outside the door, and Hibiki saw Kenta tense in recognition.
"I'm sorry to bother you, Red. It's Brendan- Blue told me you were here. I meant to welcome you as soon as you got in, but I was tied up with some League matters."
Red said nothing, but looked inquiringly at Kenta. Hibiki, judging by the naked dread on his brother's face, could only imagine what must be going through his mind. It was probably something like:
OH MY GOD! It's BRENDAN! I'm not ready for this yet! What do I do? If we let him in, will he recognize us? Will he freak out? Will he be angry? Will we have to knock him unconscious?
Hibiki cringed as the last thought hit him. Where did that come from?
"Red?" Brendan called again.
In a flash, Kenta rushed forward, scooped up Hibiki, and charged toward a line of lockers at the far wall. "Uh, yeah, alright, just a second," Red murmured, as Kenta stuffed Hibiki into a locker. Kenta gave him an apologetic look, then slammed the metal door. A moment later, Hibiki heard the locker beside him shut as well. Both Nyna brothers were stuffed away like extra sets of smelly workout clothes.