Unnoticeably, Orzo eyed the boy and his strange birds carefully... yet his smile and demeanor remained utterly affable, without any hint of deception. If there was something on his mind beyond 'those birds look weird' it was impossible to tell just what. Yet all the same, with the knowledge everyone now possesed, there was something unsettling about his green-eyed gaze... or perhaps it was just imagination.
And as the others put on their show, there was a discreet flash of light near the entrance of the restaurant. Celebi appeared, flanked by several trainers. Simultaneously, Latias and Latios appeared with Jade and Laura.
Meanwhile, Xavian and Clink watched the display, eyes shining with delight. "Marvelous!" Xavian declared. He seemed about to make another comment, when the smoke from the cloth actviated the alarms. Ringing filled the air, and coupled with heat from the attacks, the sprinklers activated.
Water sprayed over everything - tables, chairs, food and the people. And Orzo.
Xavian gave an exclamation of shock, shielding his head with one arm and Clink with the other. From under Xavian's arm, Clink's gaze jerked immediately to Orzo.
Murky water pooled on the seat beneath where he levitated. Like a movie unfolding in slow motion, the colors of Orzo's body began to bleed together. Gray oozed into pink, the two becoming a muddled mess, even as his whole body dripped dark water. Streaks began to appear on him.
Streaks of gold.
The water from the sprinklers slowly petered out, and a strange silence fell, punctuated only by the sounds of dripping. Orzo's body was muddled, but there was unmistakeably gold beneath the gray.
Xavian stared at his partner, his expression shifting from confusion and bewilderment to shock, then fear. Clink pressed himself unconsciously into Xavian's side.
Slowly, almost unnaturally, Orzo stretched out one hand, gazing idly at the gold that had been revealed almost the way one would regard an interesting painting. An odd smile spread across his marred face, yet there was no joy in it. Then Orzo's emerald eyes flickered, shifting abruptly from their usual green to scarlet. The air around it hummed with psychic energy and the cheerful expression on its face began to change...
“Well well well.” His mouth twisted into a smirk, like a predator about to strike. “You got Orzo!” He spoke, his voice dripping with blatantly fake cheer. He laughed, a cold, heartless sound. And then, the rest of its colors began to fall away. Flakes of gray and pink from his body, like rotten wallpaper, revealing what lay underneath - pure gold skin.
“Did Orzo surpriiise you?” He giggled to himself. Energy flared around Orzo and he brandished a ring. "How fun! You found out Orzo even sooner than I expected." He snickered again, covering his mouth with hands. He stopped laughing abruptly and swept his malice filled red eyes across the room.
"But not soon enough."
Chaos broke out.
Moving like a blur, he slid another ring into his other hand. His head jerked around and he fixed his gaze upon Wallace and Victora. "Orzo will have his prize," he hissed.
He lunged, and Victoria reacted. A blast of water smashed Orzo back. Orzo flipped a ring around and absorbed the attack, sending it back at Victoria. I struck cleanly, but she managed to shake it off.
Orzo vanished, then reappeared several yards away to take in the situation. Anger contorted his features. He threw out a barrage of dense, powerful shadow balls, smashing Celebi and the Lati's into a wall. Chef Flygon lept at Orzo, claws glowing with draconic energy, only to be struck to the floor by an absurdly strong psychic wave. Then Orzo made a lunge again, this towards Xavian.
With a tiny pop! And a flash of light, Clink appeared in front of Orzo.
KIII—EEEE!
A pink flash of light sliced through the air and knocked Orzo back.
“NO!” Orzo snarled. He dove into the ground, melting into shadow. Then he remerged, this time with a ring. It enlarged, until it was huge, almost as tall as the ceiling, the inside swirling and somewhere beyond its void like expanse, distant shapes could be seen - the other trainers!?! Before he could be stopped, he seized a stunned Xavian in psychic hold and hurled him through the ring. And then the ring began to drag at everyone, pulling them towards it, sucking them in slowly, even as some made every attempt to grab on or fight back -
"Xavian!" Clink shrieked, their cry filled with agony. They turned to the group and brandished a key. A glowing keyhole appeared midair. They pressed they key inside and turned, and a door appeared, expanding, growing larger.
The door grew and grew, expanding into a series of circles that grew ever wider, pulling at all the trainers, dragging them in, away from Orzo's deadly ring. Even the strongest of pokemon and trainer would find themselves helpless against the pull.
Orzo emerged from the shadows behind Klefki and struck, sending them crashing to the ground before snatching them in one hand and flinging them into a wall. Clink smacked into it hard and fell to the ground. Orzo reached for a ring and-
The air above Orzo twisted and a ball of pure ghostly energy slammed down, sending Orzo tumbling across the floor and knocking the ring aside. A moment later Jirachi descended, another shadow ball primed and eyes blazing with fury. “It’s you!” they cried. “I knew it!” Behind them were Violet and Hazel. They turned to Klefki. “Everyone, go! Into the door
now!” Jirachi turned back to Orzo, priming another shadow ball.
A combined blast from Latios and Latias distintegrated Orzo's portal ring, and the pull of Klefki's portal became impossible to resist.
Meanwhile Orzo rose, looking unharmed, though even more furious. “S̶i̷l̵l̸y̴ ̷l̶i̶t̶t̶l̵e̸ ̵s̴t̶a̸r̵.̵.̶.̴ ̸y̵o̷u̸ ̷s̵h̴o̷u̶l̵d̴ ̵n̷o̷t̵ ̷h̴a̵v̶e̶ ̶i̸n̴t̸e̶r̴f̵e̴r̷e̶d̸.̵ ̴N̸o̷w̵ ̸I̵’̴m̶ ̵g̸o̴i̸n̸g̷ ̸t̴o̴ ̵
e̵x̴t̵i̶n̴g̵u̸i̷s̴h̶ ̴y̵o̸u̴.̸”̷” The two lunged for each other, trading swift, vicious blows. The other mythical pokemon, somewhat recovered from the earlier strike, joined in the furious fight, even as it seemed Orzo was barely hurt by their blows, and each strike he landed on them
hurt and it seemed little better than a desperate stall
-
Clink shot a final, sorrowful look at Jirachi and the others, then limped through the air and into the
portal, which snapped shut behind them.
