Arcadia

Episode 1: The Banished Dragon King

Who's That Avatar? It's Rayquaza

-2024 A.D. 26 years after the defeat of Lord Voldemort bringing peace in the wizarding world-

A mansion is shown from the outside. On the front gate is the word 'Excelsior'. Inside the mansion in one of the rooms with the name King on the door we see different clothes magically flying around the room and going into a luggage case as a young 25-year-old man with wild light brown hair and green eyes is seen siting on his bed staring at a picture. In the picture is a younger 17-year-old version of himself in Ravenclaw robes with 2 other people. They are Max Storm a 17-year-old blonde boy with Hufflepuff robes and Victoire Weasley a 17-year-old blonde girl with Gryffindor robes. They are standing in front of the Hogwarts Express. The radio is playing in the background in the room.

Radio Announcer: Today marks the 10th anniversary of Arcadia, the new magical sport sweeping Europe but started in its home country of Great Brittain created by the child genius, Galahad Olivander. Over the past decade, lots of amazing teams have emerged, and more and more star players have stepped onto the stage. While the most legendary one, absolutely is the Dragon King, Xavier King. 7 years ago, the star player, Xavier King, joined Team Excelsior, marking the start of the Avatar Rayquaza on the professional battlefield. Lead by Team Captain Xavier King, Team Excelsior has won the Championship three times! Everyone who plays Arcadia knows his name, the Dragon King! Today Bishop Corp releases 100 new Avatars that will be sold in Arcadia shops for any new players or for any player that wants to start over. The legend of Arcadia continues. Let's expect a bright future for Arcadia. 

With all of his clothes inside the luggage case, Xavier King puts the picture in his pocket and closes the case. He looks at the crystal ball with a clay creature inside on his desk. The creature is a large, green, serpentine Avatar that also resembles a missile. It has red-tipped, rudder-like wings on its shoulders and down its body, and similarly patterned fins on the tip of its tail. Yellow ring-like symbols run across the length of its body, and it has an additional yellow ring on top of its head. It has two limbs with three-clawed hands, and two long, flat, horn-like structures on its head, with two shorter horns along its jawline. It has small, yellow eyes with black pupils, prominent pink gums, and two discernible fangs in its upper jaw. This creature is the Avatar Rayquaza. The door to his room was pushed open with a bang. Xavier didn't turn his head, he just walked up to his desk to take Avatar and spoke to the person behind him as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Xavier: Is he here?

The person who opened the door was a 22-year-old blonde girl. That girl was Madison 'Maddie' Storm, the younger sister of Max and a girl who was like a sister to Xavier. Even though she was always a happy person even on the battlefield, right now though she had a look of sadness.

Maddie: He's here.
Xavier: Let's go.

With all of his clothes already packed he closed his luggage case. He waved his wand casting a Reducio to shrink it so he can fit it in his pocket and grabbed his jacket on his way out.

Xavier and Maddie left the room and walked all the way to the end of the corridor. Located there was a spacious conference room. At the entrance was a magical display that showed the rankings of the 'Arcadia Professional Alliance' and various statistics. In bright letters was 'Ranking: Team Excelsior #19- second to last place.'

For a trump card team that had once won 3 consecutive championship titles in the league, this score was painful. It hung brightly and glaringly on the wall as if mocking everyone. In the room members of team Excelsior were all gathered around one person like the sycophants that they were. Most of them didn't react to Xavier's arrival, and the ones that did quickly looked away as if they couldn't bear to look at him in shame. The Team Manager Cody Lee saw Xavier come in and immediately spoke to him.

Cody: It has been decided that new transfer Zane Stark will take over your position as Captain. Also, from now on, Zane will be in control of your Avatar Rayquaza.

Cody spoke in such as cold way with no warning as if he were throwing away an old toy that didn't work anymore.

Maddie opened her mouth to defend him, but Xavier lightly tugged at her sleeve. He smiled faintly and shook his head at her, indicating for her not to bother.

Zane: Sorry Xavier, they gave me the position as soon as I walked through the door. I mean, how could I refuse.

Zane smirked at him showing that he wasn't even sorry at all. He sat at the head of the table, a seat that was reserved for the team Captain. It used to be Xavier's seat. But Zane sat there leaning back on the seat with his legs on the table barely sparing Xavier a glance. But his gaze did fall on Maddie who was standing right next to Xavier, looking her over. Which wasn't surprising as she was known as the Arcadia Professional Alliance's number one beauty. She was always showing up on cover of Arcadia News- an Arcadia sports magazine- and the cover of Witch Weekly.

 
One of team members brought the topic back when he said.

'Rayquaza should be under Zane's command! Only he can show its true potential.'

This brought everyone's focus back to Zane Stark, a genius-level player of the new generation. When he joined the league last season, he won Best Newcomer title. This season he led the mediocre Team Conquering Warriors to 8th place. But during the mid-season transfer window, he transferred to the collapsing team Excelsior. It was because, although Excelsior's performance this season was terrible, they still possessed the strongest Avatar 'Rayquaza'.

Zane Stark had blonde hair and green eyes. He was young he was only 21 and hadn't even been a part of the Alliance for 2 years, but everyone was already calling him their leader.

Cody: Xavier, give him the Avatar now!

Even if Xavier acted like he was unfazed his heart still broke in this moment. He had a strong bond with Rayquaza. Rayquaza was the Avatar that he created and chose to use when he first created Arcadia (not that anyone knew that Xavier was actually the creator of Arcadia and has been living under an alias so that he could compete).

Rayquaza has been with him for 10 years. But 7 years ago, when he entered the professional circle, he signed a business contract with the team transferring to them all of the rights to Rayquaza. He had long known that they would part ways one day, and now that day has finally come.

Xavier's hands started to shake as he walked toward Zane with his Avatar in hand. Maddie had to look away, she didn't want to see this knowing that she couldn't do anything to stop it. Now everyone else in the room they all looked delighted to see his downfall. 

Zane's eyes lit up with greed and excitement. Team Excelsior had been plummeting and the only reason he agreed to transfer here was with the sole stipulation in his contract that Rayquaza would be his. He could already see himself as the new Dragon King.

Zane: Mine!

Zane instantly grabbed the Avatar but when he tried to pull away Xavier resisted. Zane smirked.

Zane: Let go, Xavier. Your time is over the title to Dragon King is mine now! The best thing you can do now is Retire!

Up until now Xavier had acted indifferently but after hearing Zane say this, he saw Zane's true face and he didn't like it.

Xavier: Do you like this game?
Zane was startled.
Zane: What?
Xavier: If you really liked Arcadia, then you would treat this as a blessing, instead of acting like this is something you earned.
Zane: What did you just say?

Zane was furious. At this moment, without knowing why he felt like he was a bug compared to Xavier. He came here to replace Xavier King. He came here to take the Dragon King Rayquaza.

Xavier: Take care of it.

Before Zane could think of anything to say Xavier had already let go of Rayquaza and had already walked away.
The manager stopped him from leaving the room.

Cody: The team doesn't have any suitable Avatars to give you right now. For now, it would be best if you stayed as a training partner.

Training partner...He had built a dynasty in the Alliance and earned all of the individual honors of Arcadia. Now he was reduced to a measly training partner. How the mighty had fallen.

Zane smirked at seeing the insult of this arrangement.

Xavier turned toward the manager laughing.

Xavier: Ha ha. Me? A training partner? I don't think so. Just cancel the contract.

The manager looked at him as if in deep thought.

Cody: Are you really asking us to cancel the contract?

That was when Maddie finally reacted and rushed over to stop Xavier. The Alliance had its own rules. Except for special reasons during the contract period, anyone requesting to cancel a contract had to pay a penalty fee. Xavier still had another year and a half in the contract with Excelsior. If he were to forcefully request a termination of the contract, then the loss would be millions of Galleons. But more than that, Maddie didn't know what she would do if Xavier left. He was the last piece of her brother that she had left.

Maddie: The Team President/CEO Thatcher Snyde isn't here yet. Why don't' we wait for him before we make any decisions?

Xavier looked at Maddie and laughed bitterly.

Xavier: Maddie don't you get it? This was the President's decision. I no longer have any value to them.
Maddie: How could that be possible? You don't lose to anyone.
Xavier: The issue isn't my power on the battlefield. It's business. And I've never had any business value since I never show my face.
Cody: You should have had value. You chose to give it up. If you had just done the PR stunts and the interviews.
Xavier: Right, this is my choice.

The current Arcadia Professional Alliance was flourishing, sponsors flocking left and right. Celebrity players in Arcadia were naturally sought after for advertisements or endorsements. But even though Xavier was a top-tier player, he rejected all advertising offers. He even refused to take part in interviews and press conferences. What people didn't know was that the reason he never did was so people wouldn't make the connection between Xavier King and Galahad Olivander and that they were the same person. In the eyes of the team, he was a gold mine, yet they couldn't dig out even the slightest amount of profit. The only reason they put up with him was because of how powerful he was bringing them fame and glory, but since the team is losing now, they had no reason to keep him.

The current Alliance was full of greed. Every Alliance team President/CEO's first consideration was how to exploit the team to make a profit. Xavier loved how the Alliance used to be in the beginning when it was all about the love of the game. But now, the Alliance only strived for profit. 

Maddie didn't say another word. She knew exactly what he was talking about, after all she saw all of this firsthand. She and her brother Max were there when the Alliance was first created. Even after her brother died in a hit and run from a muggle car, she still stayed to help Galahad and then joined the Alliance herself when she turned 18. 

Her eyes were brimming with tears. She knew Xavier had no choice but to leave and she would follow him to the ends of the earth, after all they might not share blood, but he was her brother.

Maddie: If it's like that then...
Xavier: Don't. 
Xavier knew what she wanted to say, and he couldn't have her follow him.
Xavier: Don't worry, I'll be back. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Cody: Well, if that's your decision let's talk about the penalty fee! Honestly speaking, since you've been with us for so many years and contributed so much, we won't push it. If you want to leave, the let's all sit down and talk about the details of cancelling the contract.
Xavier: Stop beating around the bush and tell me what's the conditions?
Cody: The condition is simple: announce your retirement.
Maddie: Retirement! You call that simple?

Maddie was furious. Xavier just said that he didn't want to quit and here manager Cody was forcing him to quit. Everyone knew that Retired pro players of course were not qualified to participate in tournament. Although they could return, the Arcadia Professional Alliance had a rule stating that a retired pro player could only return after a full year. This was to prevent the team-switching games played by people retiring one day and returning the next.

Xavier: I agree.
Maddie: Are you crazy?
Xavier: I've worked so hard for so many years, what's so bad about a year of rest?

Maddie looked at him trying to understand what his plan was. Cody had already handed over the document. Xavier took a glance at them and almost laughed. These documents were prepared years ago! It was as if they were just waiting for an excuse to get rid of him. Xavier picked up the quill and quickly signed his name. Xavier took one final look at this place where he had spent seven years. He didn't even bother saying goodbye and just left the room with Maddie quickly following behind him.