On the final night before the most dangerous game of the tournament, Kay managed to get plenty of sleep, even though the hall was far less c
On the final night before the most dangerous game of the tournament, Kay managed to get plenty of sleep, even though the hall was far less comfortable than the luxurious room he had stayed in before.
The cold floor and dim lights didn't bother him much; he knew that getting rest now was important, more important than ever.
At some point during the night, Kay woke up briefly to eat the dinner provided by the guards. It came in a small box and contained only a few pieces of dry bread, a couple of boiled eggs, a bottle of juice, and a small bottle of water.
It was a big change from the warm, satisfying meals he had enjoyed the night before. Still, Kay ate it quietly without complaining and then went straight back to sleep, not wanting to waste a single moment.
The next morning, Kay woke up to a familiar sound; the tournament's signature music playing softly from hidden speakers.
He had grown used to this tune over the past few days.
As the music faded, the large metal doors of the hall creaked open. From behind them, the Marowak-masked man entered, walking with his usual confident steps.
He stopped in front of the players, who were slowly gathering and getting to their feet, still half asleep and full of tension.
The man looked over the group for a moment, then asked in a calm but serious tone, "Are you ready for the next game?"
The players answered with a weak, almost silent, "Yes..." Their voices were low and uncertain, and Kay noticed it right away.
He wasn't the only one nervous. Everyone here was scared. Everyone felt the danger waiting for them in this new game. The air in the room was heavy, and no one dared to act tough now.
The Marowak man didn't say anything about their weak response. He simply turned to the Cubone-masked guards and said, "Start giving them their packs."
Then the guards began handing out small black backpacks to each player, one by one. Kay received his pack and immediately held it tightly, wondering what supplies they would be given.
After every player had their backpack, the Marowak man explained, "Each one of you now holds a survival pack. Inside, you will find a few potions, some food, and a basic survival kit."
Right after hearing this, some players began to unzip their bags and check the contents, but before they could fully dig into them, the Marowak man raised his voice slightly and added, "Even though I said there's food and a kit, don't get too relaxed. The food you received will barely be enough for a day."
Kay opened his own bag and found out that the Marowak man was right. Inside, there were just a few small cookies, two water bottles, and nothing else in terms of meals. That wasn't even close to enough for one day, let alone five.
The Marowak man continued speaking, "As for the survival kit, it includes only the basics: A small rope, a box of matches, and some bandages. That's all. Nothing more."
Kay looked through the items quietly. Everything in the bag felt cheap and temporary. It was clear to him now that these items weren't really given to help the players survive the whole game; they were just meant to help them survive the first few hours, maybe the first day, before players got used to the dungeon's environment. The real challenge would come after that.
From that moment, Kay understood what he had to do once he entered the dungeon. He had to act fast.
He needed to search for clean water, for a safe place to sleep, and for any kind of food he could find.
After the players received their backpacks and the Marowak-masked man finished explaining what was inside, he clapped his hands loudly.
In response, Alakazam suddenly appeared from the middle of a swirl of multicolored light, using Teleport.
No one was surprised this time; Alakazam had already appeared like this before many times, and the players had gotten used to the strange but impressive way it showed up.
Since the Marowak man had already explained the rules of the game the day before, there was no need for further talk. The players knew what was coming next.
Without needing to be told, all ten players began moving toward Alakazam. It was almost automatic, like a habit they had formed during the tournament.
The group gathered close around the Pokémon, standing in a loose circle. As they got into position, Alakazam's spoons began to glow and spin slightly in the air.
Psychic energy gathered quickly, surrounding them in a light blue aura. Its eyes turned completely blue, and then, with a bright flash of light, they all vanished from their place, along with the Marowak man. Only a few remaining sparkles of light hung in the air for a few seconds before fading away.
When the teleportation finished, Kay blinked and looked around. They were now standing in front of a massive pink gate, much taller than any of them.
The area was quiet but heavily guarded. Surrounding the gate were many Cubone-masked guards, much like the ones they had seen before, but these ones were clearly different.
Kay immediately noticed that their uniforms weren't the same. Instead of the standard black skeleton clothes that the normal guards wore back at the hall, these guards also wore skeleton uniforms but in other colors: green, gold, blue, and other colors.
What caught Kay's attention even more was the presence of other Marowak-masked men standing near the gate.
It was the first time Kay saw more than one of them. Just like the Cubone guards, each Marowak-masked man was wearing a robe or cloak that matched one of the colored uniforms around him.
Kay didn't know what these colors meant, but it was clear that each color was connected to some kind of category.
He tried hard to figure it out. What could the colors mean? Were they part of different teams? Did they come from different regions? Did the colors show their level of authority?
No matter how much Kay thought about it, he couldn't come to a clear conclusion. The situation was strange and confusing.
Still, one thing became clear in his mind: these people weren't just here for the tournament.
Their strong presence, high numbers, and the way they stood guard in front of the gate made it obvious; they were also here to make sure nothing came out of the dungeon.
Kay thought deeply for a few seconds. 'This dungeon was special. Unlike the normal ones, this one was human-made. If the dungeon followed human-world rules such as time and matter, then maybe it had other dangerous differences. Maybe, unlike usual dungeons where wild Pokémons stayed inside until the break of the gate, this one could allow Pokémons to escape into the real world.'
That idea made Kay nervous.
Just as he was lost in his thoughts, the Marowak-masked man clapped his hands again. The sound was sharp and loud, snapping Kay out of his deep thinking.
The man's tone was colder and more serious than usual when he said, "Come on, let's move. It's time to enter the dungeon and begin the game."
Kay noticed that even the Marowak man seemed more focused than normal. There was no playful tone in his voice, no mocking words, just seriousness.
With that, all the players followed the Marowak man as he led them toward the massive pink gate.
See you in the next chapter...
Drop some Power Stones...