"The Holy Temple... Knight Order?"
"We do not advocate violence, but we cannot abandon it. To uphold the Lord's glory, battle is inevitable. This is a team unique to the Lord, fundamentally different from the group of pirates.
Their existence is solely for spreading the Lord's glory. This is a chaotic world, and the turbulent Sea threatens people's safety.
We need to show them that the Lord can bring peace, can bring rebirth to the world.
Come with me, I happened to arrange for Miss Shaina to inspect the Knight Order's strength."
Tiger believed he had sufficient understanding of the teachings, but now it seems he underestimated the development of the Arceus Sect during this time.
An Altaria flew out of the clouds, taking Tiger and Misu to an open area of Hakumai.
Thirty members of the Arceus Sect were already waiting here, comprised of both men and women, divided into five groups of six. They were awaiting inspection.
...
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Shaina. I spent a little extra time explaining the teachings to some newcomers."
"It's nothing. They seem quite prepared, don't they?"
"Of course, they have awaited this day for far too long. From my beginning, we all have been prepared to dedicate ourselves to the Lord..."
"There is no need. Don't forget the words of the Saint Beast: life is the most precious thing. In the face of overwhelming odds, protecting oneself is most important. I have matters to attend to, so let's begin."
"Understood.
Children! The time to test your efforts has come. The Lord watches you from afar. Let the Lord's messengers witness your hard work!"
Under Misu's guidance, their bodies began to transform. This Zoan transformation ability is not uncommon in the world of pirates, but peculiarly, all these individuals looked the same after transforming.
Instead of transformation, it was as though they all donned armor.
Golden armor covered their entire bodies, each hand held a golden Shield with red protrusions, and their heads were encased in golden helmets, each topped with a red metal crown, with five of the crowns significantly larger than the others.
Their Shields were also unique, featuring a triangular notch.
"Are these... the Holy Temple Knights?"
"Correct, this is the Lord's power. These children, for various reasons, lost their original families and struggled to survive in the Sea's corners. We brought them back and taught them knowledge.
These thirty are the most physically adept and comprehensive in ability, and are the first graduates of Rokushiki.
They have a devout faith in the Lord, having passed the trials of the Holy Mountain, and thus received this honor."
Pokemon are not singular entities but biological groups. In the natural environment, Pokemon mostly exist in the form of these groups.
Some Pokemon have little dependency on their groups, while others heavily rely on their companions, like Wishiwashi.
Individually, they are weak, but when countless Wishiwashi gather, they become a formidable sea monster.
The abilities of these thirty are akin to such powers—Formation Pokemon—Falinks, a very special type of Fighting-type Pokemon.
In the games, six Falinks collectively form one Pokemon.
However, when Falinks' abilities are bestowed upon others, each Falinks acts as an individual entity, and six people with Falinks' abilities form a complete Falinks squad.
According to Falinks' tribal habits, the Falinks at the forefront is the strongest and wisest, tasked with controlling the formation and commanding the others behind.
The same principle applies here. They are the elite of the assessment, so they became the leaders of the Falinks.
Unlike the individually powerful officers, their individual strength cannot compare to theirs. Yet, through teamwork, they can amass each person's strength to perform greater feats.
Moreover, the limit is not just six. While six form one squad, five squads can also be combined to exert even greater power.
"Battle formation, Falinks!"
The Falinks' leader takes the front, with the others behind. A triangular assault formation quickly appears before Shaina.
For better survival, wild Falinks' leaders have absolute control over their behind Falinks, able to command them to the right position, at times even sacrificing individuals for greater collective benefits.
But here, the Falinks' leader can only rely on the crown on top of their head for better communication, making quick responses essential. Therefore, discipline and obedience are crucial, which the undisciplined pirates are not suited for.
Only these believers, united by faith, can achieve such unquestioning obedience.
Their existence is not to combat those monsters. Using Magic to defeat Magic, against those monster-like enemies, naturally, monster-like high-ranking officials will handle them.
The purpose of this Knight Order, besides spreading the glory of the Arceus Sect, is to potentially turn the tide in grassroots battles in future conflicts.
This means they must have real strength, not just be an attractive facade, hence the need for a test. Shaina's wings fluttered behind her, sending numerous Fire Feathers towards these young individuals.
"Defend!"
The advancing triangular formation halted in place. Their Shields interlocked tightly, forming an impenetrable Shield wall.
Clang, clang, zing!
Facing Shaina's attack, the Falinks' iron formation did not budge. Even if someone got injured, they would immediately be shielded by the contracting formation.
"Not bad, it seems I've underestimated them. They should be able to face even stronger forces."
That was merely a casual strike from Shaina. To remain unscathed by such an attack already earned her commendation.
"Disperse! Surround!"
The Falinks ability users, gathered together, moved in different directions with their leader, encircling Shaina from all sides, ultimately enclosing her within a Shield formation.
As a test was underway, Shaina opted not to fly and instead attempted a direct breakthrough.
...
The result of the battle held no suspense. Their strength lagged significantly behind Shaina's, and their numbers were insufficient to close this gap. Yet, they managed to hold Shaina back for a short while, which was already an impressive feat given their strength.
With the appropriate leader, this elite squad could undoubtedly perform unexpectedly.
"Miss Shaina, what do you think of them?"
"Not bad, they did not let down the power bestowed by the Saint Beast on them. However, this is not enough. Next, real combat awaits them. The New World's environment is somewhat perilous, so begin with the first half."