Inner Demon [T] [Most Original 1Q '12]

[Mira]

(This is an RP revival. The original RP is here: https://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=206997)

The Story:

"Do your homework… Take out the trash… Walk the dog… Save the world."

If you thought that you had a lot of responsibility as a teenager before, you'd better brace yourself to take on the world. Literally.

It is sad to see that a world that was once so peaceful and pure has now been reduced to this. This is not the kind of world Pidgey and Starly happily chirp for. Its soil is no longer worthy of bearing even the nastiest of berries. You should all be thankful that the sun still bothers to rise upon this inane rock. This can't be called a world… You cannot be called humans. Everywhere you turn, all I can see famine, war, hate, wrath, disease, greed and angst, all of which can be traced back to your very hands. Well, perhaps not directly from you, but from your kind. Your parents, grandparents, and even your own lack of action toward creating a better world has caused all of creation to rot away. Yes, it is depressing. Devastating. The skies are gray, the plants have long since withered away. Why have humans decided to live this way? Every night, you can pray to whoever it is you kneel before and ask for change. Ask for divine intervention, beg for someone to get humanity out of its misery. Blah, blah, blah. It's your putrefactive ways that brings death on everything you touch. What have you done to make this a better place?

After many years of economic and societal struggles, the regions of the world have turned in on each other to begin a raging, free-for-all war. In the very times where all of you should have stuck together and been there for each other, the flaws of personality overwhelmed any sense of morality. Typical. Cliché, maybe; but you humans are afraid of listening to the truth. Soon, a fight to determine the strongest of the nations began, and for all the wrong reasons. The much-ignored book of fraternity was thrown away altogether, never to be found again. People tortured each other just for the fun of it. One nation just couldn't take enough of the resources of others. They wanted more and more of whatever they could take. Oil, vegetables, diapers; everything was at stake. To top it off, not only were the wars and guerrillas obliterating everything we all knew, but crimes and immoralities in general had taken over the world for no apparent reason. Nothing was ever going to be the same.

Who are you? Oh, you're just a troubled teenager trying to live whatever is left of this life; although you, like most others, doubt that it is worth it. Every day is just taking a step closer to the Grim Reaper's waiting room. Being alive is so overrated these days. Why tussle to be useful or good when it is more than obvious that you are the last generation? The apocalypse is dawning. Whether you come from a house with abusive parents, a rough environment of extreme poverty, or any other dark background, you've been clearly shown that there is no good in the universe. Does wrath take over you? Are you jealous of those that seem to display a better life than you do? Do you fear that you'll never be able to go back to your routine activities? Is your greed commanding you to take from others for your survival, or even just the thrill? Everybody has a dark side. A dark side with a dark trait. A trait you actually like to display quite often, whether it brings you pleasure or you're a slave to it. You know how they say that one person can change the world? This phrase has never been so literal.

Over our skies and surpassing our understanding, Arceus cried in the Hall of Origin. This was not what he made humans for. This was not what he had in mind for them. He knew they would be inclined towards what was incorrect, but he never imagined it would have ever gone this far. He felt ashamed of having created this 'things' that now battled each other. But what is easily made is easily destroyed, and the Original One was sure it would be better to kill everyone himself instead of letting them march to their own extinction and bring the last shreds of his precious creation down with that irredeemable race. Or was it?

One night… One certain night, Arceus' eyes fell on you. He noticed how deep you were stuck with your inner demon. It broke his heart, but he wanted to help you change. Without asking for your permission (why should he?), he laid upon your shoulders quite a heavy task. He linked your senses and emotions to the source of life in the world. With a wave of his hoof, the world was bound to feel what you feel, and its inhabitants were to act as you act. The destiny of the human race would be altered based on whether you decided to thank your mom for dinner or not. Arceus thought that if one person could get rid of a nasty trait, no matter how fond they were of it, the whole of humanity could and, with this connection, would. The way others would live their lives and they way that the governments and masses would act were hanging on the loose thread of you overcoming your problems. The more you let your demon take over you, the worse the world be, and vice-versa. Hard to understand? Well, you have to figure out. Eventually. You'd better, punk.

But that was only the first step of Arceus' plan! What he then decided to grant you was just as amazing. Seeing how it was going to be tough to make it through the world because of its state, he sent you a "gift." A power worthy of appearing in action movies, an ability only belonging to superheroes. Although it was mainly intended to aid you in your journey and discovery, it also held a more obscure side to it; a side that would somehow draw you nearer to your demon, but also held the key to bring you away from it. Oh dilemmas. Finally, you would receive another present. He'd bring all of the chosen ones together to see if they would help one another out, if they so chose to take the aid of one another.

On a certain day, a letter was sent to many youthful citizens of all of the regions. You had been invited to the newly established Hope High School, an institution worthy of its name. Located somewhere on the outskirts of northern Sinnoh, it was a school built secretly by the government to save at least a few of the salvageable teenagers in the world, hoping that they could somehow normalize society once the wars passed. If they ever did. The process by which the students were picked was made clear to be 'random'. Lodging and transport was provided. This actually seemed like a good opportunity to you, or maybe your parents just wanted to get you off their hands. Could this be the new beginning the world was crying out for?

And so the adventure begins. A trip of self-discovery and wrestle with one's darker side. Will you be able to overtake your atrocious habits in order to save society? Has Arceus anything else planned for you? Does anybody know about your power? Will someone try to stop you, or is this fight truly against yourself?


Hope High School:

Hope High School might not be the coolest place ever, but taking into consideration the situation the world finds itself in, it is quite the landmark. Located in northern Sinnoh, past the woods and mountains of Snowpoint City, the majestically large structure sits on a beautiful, green valley. The only way of getting to this place is through the specially-built train that comes from Snowpoint City and crosses the mountains. Due to the noticeable protection on the rocky mountain area (the government wants these kids to be safe), air traffic is prohibited. There are no walls surrounding the property, only some semi-tall hedges adorned with precious flowers. The school is also divided by imaginary borders into four areas, dubbed as 'fields': north, south, east and west. Each area is composed of different buildings with various sizes and shapes.

Northern Field: The Northern Field is the part where most of the studying takes place, and it is the area with the most and largest buildings. The roads between buildings are paved with elegant, gray bricks, and signs that point to the location of everything are found at each intersection. Every building has a very professional look, while still managing to be warming and appealing. Most of them are square or rectangular and with flat roofs. Each desk is new, neat and tidy, but don't expect a hidden minicomputer to come out with a tap. The most stylish edifice is found in the middle of the northern area, and it is the teacher's lounge. Going over the hedge on the Northern Field leads you to a beach. Untouched by humans, the paradise receives its warmth from some volcanoes on the north. It's a good place to relax, meditate, and catch some water Pokémon.

Eastern Field: The Eastern Field is much simpler than the Northern Field, as it only contains two buildings. A groomed dirt path leads you to the dormitories. One for guys, one for girls; and both structures are facing each other. The dormitories are individual, and they are very comfortable. Having an ample king-sized bed and a long couch, the peachy pastel paint on the walls helps you to clear your mind after a hard day. A small bathroom and closet is found in each room, along with some nightstands, lamps and dressing counter with a big mirror. Each building has a 'garage' to store bikes and other basic means of transportation. Exiting the school's borders through the Eastern Field leads you into an unexplored forest. It's all good as long as you don't venture to far, for it is unknown what lies further. Many wild Pokémon are found here.

Western Field: The Western Field has the building that makes most students extremely happy: the Cafeteria. Represented by an outlandish sign of a crossed spoon and fork, the cafeteria has many tables surrounding a buffet bar in the middle. It's no five-star restaurant, but the food is actually very good. Deeper into the Western Field is the school's biggest building, the library. Possibly every book in the world, along with super-fast computers, is found here. Free school supplies are also given to students at a desk in the basement. Various tables and benches are spread around the Western Field, positioned next to light posts for those who enjoy reading at every hour. The second largest building is here, too: the auditorium, where important briefings are held. Skipping the borders through the west leads to a trail that takes students to the mountains on the south. It's a long way, but the sight is worth it if you make it to the top. Although the mountains are directly in the south, there's no way to get to the top if you don't start from the west.

Southern Field: The Southern Field is… interesting, to say the least. It is the least visited section of the school because it is mostly used for storage and waste disposal. This doesn't mean that it receives less care or attention from the staff than other fields, however. First thing you see, whether you like it or not, is the train station. It's not big or anything, as it's more of a landing dock than anything. The train comes here every week to obtain disposed of the trash, which is kept away until then to prevent smell or unpleasant sightings. A storage room for… Storing important school stuff, like gardening tools and such, is found too, but it is under lock. Unlike the other areas, exiting through the Southern Field is discouraged, almost restricted. That is because going over the southern border leads you into a dark cave under the mountain system. This cave is said to be inhabited by reckless and furious Pokémon who may have never seen a human before. The cave, ironically called 'The Cave', has also been a site of legends for quite a while. Some say there's nothing in there, some believe it is an alternate entrance to the Snowpoint Temple, and some even believe it is the door to The Hall of Origin. Whichever is the case, students aren't permitted to enter.

The whole terrain has green grass and dew-dropped flowers all over. There's no sign of Snowpoint's snow. The sky is always blue and the sun never ceases to smile. Berry trees of all sorts can be found, too. Finally, there is a tremendously large fountain in the middle of the school, consisting of one statue of Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit flying. Speaking of statues, a large number of sculptures of different people are scattered throughout the school, these being the founders of Hope High School. Small, basic and baby Pokémon also roam around the school at will. After school hours, students are allowed to do whatever they please within the rules of the school. Overall, it is a place of diverse flora and fauna; and one truly delightful to all the senses.

___


Rules:

1. RESPECT OTHERS: This means that flaming or otherwise harassing other RPers is not permitted. We understand that there will inevitably be conflicts, but we won't hesitate to take action if we feel that things have gotten out of hand.

2. KEEP CONTENT UNDER T: This includes language, violence and romance. We will confront you if we feel that your posts have gone too far.

3. MAKE QUALITY POSTS: While we don't expect you to make mammoth-sized posts every time, we do typically want you to have a few paragraphs. There will be times where there's simply not a whole lot to post about, but if there's not enough for you to make a good paragraph, then you should probably just wait to post. You should also be sure to use correct grammar and punctuation in each post in order to make them easier to read for your fellow RPers.

4. DON'T GODMOD: In other words, try and keep your characters' actions realistic. Your character has powers, but that doesn't mean s/he would magically have them mastered at the beginning, nor will they be the ability to kill an army of zombies with a single sneeze. It just doesn't work that way, hun. This also includes bunnying other people's characters without permission. Just don't do it. If we see someone complaining that you have indeed bunnied without permission, we will shove marshmallows in your ears until you fix your posts.

5. BE ACTIVE: You will have conflicts (we all have real lives to deal with, right?), but we'd appreciate it if you would come and speak to us if you're having trouble finding the time to make posts or you will be gone. You should make sure that you are able to post regularly before you sign up and know that you can do that much at least every few days, though the RP's pace will be changing and you are expected to try and keep up. We will not be enforcing this rule as much unless we find that you've been falling behind or have disappeared.

6. KEEP OOC DISCUSSIONS ON THE OOC THREAD: Pretty much self-explanatory...


Sign-Up Sheet

Name: (pretty much self-explanatory)

Gender: (call me old fashioned, but please stick with one of the classic male/female options, okay?)

Age: (the school accepts students between the ages of 13 and 19)

Appearance: (umm... if you don't know what this means, look it up)

Personality: (this section is completely optional and I would encourage people to ignore this… a character's personality will be made clear during the story, and I will be looking at your RP sample to learn how you write)

History: (tie it in with your character's trait well enough that we know why on earth your person would have been chosen among all the problem children of the world)

Negative Trait: (obviously choose a negative trait of humans that would be well-represented by your character)

Power: (don't make it too big, as your character will grow more powerful over the course of the RP)

Schedule:
Homeroom (this is when the teacher will take attendance and read the daily announcements)
1st period: (Core 1, 2, 3, 4, and Advanced Calculus)
2nd period: (English, Advanced English, Spanish, Japanese, Latin)
Lunch
3rd period: History/Mythology (a required class for all Hope High School students)
4th period: (a Pokemon-related class: Battling 101, Pokemon Care and Breeding, Pokemon Contests)

Pokemon: (your character is required to bring a Pokemon to Hope High School and will be supplied with one there if s/he doesn't have one (please choose a reasonable first-stage Pokemon and keep in mind that it won't start out being very powerful), so please note here your Pokemon's species, nickname (if it has one), gender and any unique markings or other physical traits (no shinies, please))

RP Sample: (copy and paste a past post here or something you've written before that you think demonstrates your skill well)

NOTE: It would be nice to be able to have RPers play teachers as well. If you would like to sign up as one, PM me.

 

[Mira]

(OOC: Ready... set... GO! ^.^)

What a lovely day to leave everything near and dear to me behind.

Elizabeth had a bit of pep in her step as she walked toward the train. The weight of her suitcase seemed like nothing compared to the burden she was ditching, not to mention the fact that it was a good tool to knock the other people dawdling at the station out of the way. A few who looked about her age glared at her when she shoved past them, but most of the people there were just parents anyway. It didn't matter if they didn't like her, since she would never see their faces again anyway. Being polite wasn't exactly on her agenda for the day... or, any day really. Besides, she wanted to get a good seat to watch the stage be set for her latest performance. It would be a breath of fresh air, to say the least.

Then again... maybe everything I'm leaving never was quite so near or dear, she thought with a smirk, hopping up onto the steps.

"Your ticket, miss?" a wrinkled old woman wearing way too much makeup said with a crinkled smile that was probably supposed to look polite. There was a streak of tacky red lipstick on her front teeth.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, dropping her bag with an irritated sigh. Reaching into her pocket, she took out a crumpled piece of paper. She glanced at it for a second, double checking to make sure that she was at the right place.

"SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued To: ELIZABETH LAKE
Departure: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM."

Of course I'm at the right place... Only a school would be stupid enough to tell all of its students to go to Snowpoint of all places. The drive up there with her mother hadn't been especially pleasant. Luckily, she managed to ditch the old lady in the parking lot. It would take her at least fifteen minutes to find the train and force Elizabeth to take the trunk filled with frilly, bright, expensive clothing that she had forced her unhappy daughter to go shopping with her for the week before. The woman would without a doubt send it after Elizabeth as soon as possible, but at least she wouldn't be forced to lug the stupid thing across the campus. Then again, taking it with would mean that she could "accidentally" drop it off of the back of the train...

The impatient teenager sighed again, crossing her arm and tapping her foot as she waited for the old hag to rip off the stub and give it back to her with a shaky hand. She snatched it back and scooped up her bag, nearly knocking the woman off of the train in the process. Her eyes grew wide for a moment as she gripped the railing, but her fake smile quickly returned.

"Have a wonderful day!" the woman called after Elizabeth.

She laughed quietly to herself as she lugged her bag along. Stupid old idiot... I can't think of anything that could make any day better than when I'm saying goodbye to my family for a whole nine months. Heck, maybe I can talk them into letting me stay at the school over the summer.

A part of Elizabeth knew that they would offer little resistance if she gave them the chance to let her spend even more time away from them, but she chose to ignore that fact. She plopped down on her seat with a sigh, tossing her bag on the one next to her. The train was only half full, those boarding taking their sweet time getting to their seats. Nobody looked particularly interesting to her on the train, which was a little disappointing. Then again, few people ever seemed to be particularly captivating to her. They were all so boring and eventually proved to be completely useless eventually. She seriously doubted that this school would be an exception to any other she had been to in her life, but it was worth a shot. After all, it was unlikely that the variety people invited there could be half as bad as the annual Lake reunion. Chatty people with perfect teeth, pale skin, blue eyes and disgustingly groomed Pokemon... Just thinking about it made her want to tear apart the stupid cheap fabric on her seat. She stared at the hideous pattern with growing irritation.

Loud and obnoxious... Already feels like I'm back home.

Elizabeth flopped back in her seat and shoved her hands in her pocket, grabbing her iPod and shoving the earbuds in. She turned it up loud and closed her eyes, placing her feet on the back of the seat in front of her. If the person sitting in front of her didn't like it, they could deal with it. She just wanted to get the stupid show on the road already.

"This place'd better be worth my time," the girl mumbled.

She doubted that it would.

 

[Saturated Hue]

It was a bright, sunny day with no clouds in sight. Pleasant breezes blew through Alexis's hair as she handed several bank notes to the taxi driver, and walked down the pathway leading to the station. She took in a deep breath and savored it. It was a nice change from the damp, musty odor her old boarding school had, which was one thing about it she was glad to bid adieu to. She went through the automatic double doors leading to the station, and she was immediately greeted by the noisy chattering, through cellphones or otherwise, the smells of cheap hot dogs and bagels, and the overwhelming number of people crammed within the station. She found herself sighing, as she was sure to have to fight her way through all of these to get to her train.

"Out of my way," Alexis hissed as she waded through the crowd gathered around the gate leading to her train. She towered over most of them, so it wasn't a particularly hard task to push them out of her way, but she had to let herself touch these--these commoners! She whacked a few of them with her suitcase--getting a few angry "Hey!"s in return, all of which she silenced with her trademark glare--until she got to her train, where she sighed with relief and dusted herself of those commoners' germs.

"Your ticket, miss?" said an old lady at the mouth of the train. Her face was covered by a thick layer of powder and an even thicker layer of blush. There was a stain of a strikingly bright lipstick on her teeth, at which Alexis laughed heartily. "Is...something the matter, miss?" the woman said, evidently confused.

"No," replied Alexis briefly. The old lady ripped the ticket in two and gave back one half to Alexis. Alexis took the ticket and promptly elbowed her out of the way. The woman doubled up in pain, but Alexis ignored her and walked casually past.

"H...have a wonderful day!" Alexis heard her call out after a while, though it was clear from the waver in her voice that she wished for the exact opposite to happen to Alexis. Alexis cracked an amused smile as she made her way to her seat.

When she found it, she shoved her luggage into the overhead cabin and plopped down on her seat. Alexis reached her pocket and pulled out a soda can. She popped it open and took a sip, before resting her back on the leather seat. She glanced at the silver Quartz watch etched onto her left wrist. The time was 11:45, and the train was supposed to depart on 12 o'clock. She had some time on her hands, so she took out her BlackBerry and checked her messages. There were a few messages--mostly "goodbye" texts from people she could swear she never met her entire life. However, there was a message from her best friend Taylor from back in the boarding school.

"Hey bb. Were ru now? I miss u"

Alexis smiled faintly before replying, "Alrdy on the train, leaving in 15 mins. Miss u 2"

Alexis knew, however, that Taylor was as glad as she could get to be rid of her, just as the rest of the school was.

 

[Swolligator]

Kieran Davis : I'm Better Than You and I Know It.

Kieran pushed his way through the mass of humanity that crowded around him like insects in a swarm as he tried to make his way across the busy train station. The train that had taken him from Goldenrod City, Jhoto had arrived to its destination in Snowpoint City, Sinnoh half an hour late due to several hiccups that had occurred along the way. For Kieran at least, it had been just another day, staring out the window as the scarred landscape swept by while the train hurtled towards its destination. But now he was pushing his way through people, avoiding them as if they were plagued and diseased; to him being poor was as much the same as being diseased. He absolutely hated dirty poor people, they reeked of foul odours and wore shabby clothes, but Kieran knew he was better than them since he had money, money his parents had earned, he just didn't understand how they could choose not to be wealthy. He took his mind off of those less fortunate, looking down at the train ticket grasped firmly in his hands.

"SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued To: KIERAN DAVIS
Departure: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM."

It was quarter to, and the train had already began to board passengers, kids showing the ticket attendants their boarding pass in order to get through while parents waved at them, teary eyed to see them go. Kieran scoffed at this, he didn't need his parents to wave him off at a train station like he was some twelve year old child. The closer he came to the platform, the thinner the stream of people became, but that didn't stop one of them bumping into him, knocking him slightly despite his big frame.

"Watch it!" he snapped at the offender, but as Kieran turned in a full circle, he did not find the person whom had bumped into him. Pushing his wallet further down into the pocket of his straight cut jeans and hefting his bag further onto his shoulder, he carried on towards the train platform, pushing in front of some younger kids who looked less well off.

Kieran had neither the time nor the patience to converse with the attendants, giving a simple nod of his head as they asked for his ticket, wished him a good day and even ventured to try and ask him how he was. He was above these people, so he thought at least, so he didn't need to talk to them at all; he was better than them.

Dropping his head, Kieran entered the train carriage to find it half full of students chatting away to one another, texting on their mobiles and listening to music. The noise they made was raucous, assailing Kieran's ears making him flinch slightly; he did not like this at all. Spying a four seater room occupied by a single freshman, he lumbered towards it, picking up the frightened kid by the scruff of his neck and dumping him on the floor outside, kicking his school bag out after him.

"Respect your elders, poor kid," he spoke at the kid, his deep voice making him seem even more menacing than he initially intended to. The kid got the message, and in a spurt of fear shot up and literally ran down the other end of the carriage to cower in a room with others of his kind.

Shutting the door relieved Kieran of the outside noise, muffling it to a more acceptable level. What animals, he thought to himself as he watched the other students jumping on seats, talking loudly and eating disgustingly. Where are their manners? Kieran wanted nothing to do with the other students, maybe the busty blonde who walked past his seat whom seemed to be upper class like himself, but he doubted that she was anywhere near his level.

His phone buzzed incessantly in his bag, the expensive cellular device announcing the delivery of a text message from a contact, but he chose to ignore it, reaching in to grab the book he was reading at the moment; Plato, Timaeus.

"For in front of the mouth which you Greeks call, as you say, 'the Pillars of Hercles', there lay an island which was larger than Libya and Asian together, and it was possible for the travellers of that time to cross from it to the other islands..."

Kieran was not the kind of person who would read trashy teenage novels, classics always interested him the most as they brought more to think about than the importance of having a boyfriend. The one at which he was reading at the moment told of a fictional place where there were no Pokemon, and humans ran around in skirts and wore metallic armour. It had been written long ago and was inspired by the tragic sinking of Sootopolis in Hoenn.

Still looking at the words on the page, Kieran took a trip far away, letting his mind wander like he always did, to a place where there were no problem, where Kieran no longer had his faithful Alec... Coming back to the present, Kieran realised that he had not released Alec when he got on the train like he had promised the young Elekid. Fumbling in his bag he found the familiar yellow and black ball, and disregarding any possible rules of having Pokemon out aboard the train, he released the ball to the ground as Alec came forth from the ball.

Alec didn't seem too pleased for being kept in the PokeBall for so long, but a quick snack soon brought the Elekid over and Kieran placed his feet up on the opposite seat so Alec could sit onto of them. The Elekid always amused Kieran, although they shared many similar qualities, Alec seemed more childish than his trainer, which only served to remind Kieran just how old the young Pokemon was.

"Now in this island of Atlantis there existed a confederation of kings, of great and marvellous power, which held sway over all the island, and over many other islands also and parts of the continent."

Kieran returned to his book, blocking out everything but himself and the small Elekid sitting on his legs as he avidly read the book in his hands.

 

[Skymin]

Atom Watcher - I Feel So

"Anyways, Principal Ingram says Hope High School is just perfect for you and it was really lucky that your application was randomly selected. It's meant to be really beautiful there in Snowpoint City. Can you imagine? We're in Sinnoh! I've only been to Sinnoh once before with your father when we were younger. We were gonna visit Spear Pillar but never got the chance. Maybe they take students there on excursions. Doesn't that sound nice? Addison? Addison?"

Atom merely grunted in reply. He hadn't really listening to his mother. He was more interested in the foliage outside, catching the eye of a few Pokémon every half mile that appeared on the side of the road. If it was his choice, he would have much rathered to have served the rest of his house arrest, but no, he didn't get a say in any of this. The police had decided that he was put under house arrest. The principal decided to expel him. His mother decided for him to accept the invite to Hope High School. Everyone was trying to plan out his future and it pissed him off to no end. Nobody cared or believed of his dreams to become a superstar baseball player or a kick-ass guitar player in a band where girls scream and throw their clothes at you. He knew he could make these things possible. Everybody else though, was more like "keep your options open" and "maybe something a little more stable". Screw them.

"Addison? Are you listening to me?" his mother glanced at him a few times, exchanging looks with him and the road. She had offered to travel across country to drive him to a train station. Probably to watch him, so that he didn't escape from some retarded escort that the police would have provided. As much as Atom wanted to jump out of the car, he couldn't. One, because his mother's Luxray slept on the back seat and would not hesitate to zap the nerves out of his legs, but two, mostly because he loved his mother too much to hurt her again. "Addison, look at me."

He turned his head, his eyes first falling on the bruise on the left side of her face. He did that to her. He didn't mean to, but he did.

"Addison, don't be so glum about it, okay? This will be good for you."

Good for him. Sure. Whatever.

* * *​

"Be... behave, okay?" his mother stepped on her toes and kissed him on the forehead as Atom kept watch, making sure they were far enough away from the station so that nobody would see them. She took his hand and put a smooth, classic, red and white PokéBall in it. Atom frowned, about to ask, but his mother answered for him. "It's a Shinx, one from the litter that Delilah and Noah had. You can name her whatever you like. She's your first Pokémon!"

Atom gripped the ball a little hard, staring at it. He'd never had his own Pokémon before. He had a little time to think about it before bags were thrust on his arms. Two, plus a guitar. He shoved the ball in his pocket, the guitar on his back and had each bag in each hand. His mother pushed him off, smiling warmly at him.

"Love you!"

"... Love you too," he breathed as he turned around, heading into the crowd. He could feel her waving at him like a maniac, which only pushed Atom to walk and get lost a little faster. He was now officially cut off his mother. For almost a year. It sounded like paradise.

He pushed through the crowd, heading straight for the train. He would rather have not spent ten minutes slowly maneuvering around all of the people. This was the faster way and he didn't hesitate to give the old lady his ticket. He clambered in, looking for seats, seeing most were taken by crazy kids, mopey-looking kids about his age and... just general freaks. Atom picked his seat wisely, taking a double seater opposite a girl who had generally no respect for furniture and her ears; her music could be heard from where Atom was. He dumped his bags in the compartment above him, keeping his guitar with him and a backpack he had packed himself. He looked inside, smiling as he did. He had managed to sneak two beer-bottled sized bottles of alcohol; Baileys and Bourbon. His mother couldn't watch him all the time. He had other things in there, like baseballs and pencils and paper, but those were barely as important.

Putting his bag down, he pulled out his beat-up guitar and strummed a few notes, plucking together a song. God, it felt good to be free. Sort of.​

 

[Mira]

(OOC: Time to get the ball of interaction rolling :P)

Elizabeth sighed again. She had been doing that a lot lately.

The train wasn't moving yet. There were few things she hated more than just sitting, waiting for things to actually start happening. Watching the pathetic little tear-eyed dawdlers weep into their mothers' shoulders got less entertaining as the minutes crept by.

"You found me
when no one else was looking.
How did you know
just where I would be?
And you-"

What the heck kind of crap music is this?

Elizabeth quickly changed the song before the sappy lyrics could progress further. Her sister had been using her iTunes account again... Great. Now she would have to sort through all the fluffy, preppy songs that made her want to gag. Who listened to that kind of crap, anyway? Pathetic people, that's who. Lonely little puddles of emotion that-

She felt something brush into her leg and she opened one eye a crack, feeling annoyance rise up in her again. A boy had apparently decided to join her... Though she couldn't imagine why. Her posture clearly showed that she didn't want to have interaction with anyone at the moment.

Sighing, she opened her eyes completely and looked at him with a bored expression, wondering if he would get the idea and scamper off to sit with more willing company. But then he pulled out a guitar and apparently started playing. Curious, Elizabeth turned down her blaring emo music and continued to blatantly stare at him. He wasn't half bad, actually.

She inspected him more closely, growing less and less annoyed by his presence as she did. The fact that he could play an awesome instrument gave him major points, that was for sure, but the guitar was among the least of his qualities she was intrigued by. He was tall, dark hair styled in a very... interesting way. His build was good and from what she could see of his arms, he was at least decently strong, though the small black star on one of them was what drew special attention from her. Back at home, it was rare for a guy to have so much as an ear pierced, but this kid didn't seem to mind breaking that mould in the slightest. His piercings were many and varied, not just confined to his ears, either. He was nothing like any of the guys she knew from her high-class neighborhood and equally rich school. They would never wear such cheap clothing, either. This was exactly the kind of person her mother would have looked down on with an upturned nose, hated at first sight.

Elizabeth found him very attractive.

The girl sat up and smiled, putting away her iPod. She took her feet off of the seat and sat up, looking at him more directly. Yep... He was exactly the kind of person she had hoped to meet at the school. Maybe the random selection system wouldn't let her down after all.

"Hey, I'm Elizabeth," she said, doing her best to appear friendly without over Lakeifying herself. The last thing she wanted to do was come off as fake and corny. So glad I'm getting away from them...

"Respect your elders, poor kid."

Elizabeth glanced over in time to see a terrified kid scamper away, nearly falling over himself as he dragged his bag along. Her eyes found the perpetrator, annoyance rising up inside of her again.

So... a rich kid who thinks he's better than everyone else... What else is new?

She decided that it would be best to show him his place. After all, the only way to take care of a weed infestation was to tear the stupid thing up by its roots and throw it in the fire. The same applied to a person's misplaced ego, more or less.

"Sorry, I'll be right back," Elizabeth said with a polite smile, standing and picking up her threadbare bag. She had to complete her look, after all.

Eyes fixed on her target, she quickly made her way over to the rather large boy who had decided to claim his territory in such an unsavory manner. Upon reaching him, she plopped down beside him without so much as a word, an entertained expression on her face. Humming to herself, she straightened out the fingerless gloves on her hands, examining her tattered fingernail polish. She was suddenly glad that she had been too lazy to repaint them last night.

Her eyes flickered over him again, only serving to confirm what she already knew. Overly muscular, expensively dressed, a stupid, overpriced scrap of time-keeping fashion metal on his wrist. Yup, he was exactly like all of the guys back home. Well then, that would just make her job all the more satisfactory.

"Hello," Elizabeth said, not bothering to conceal her smirk. She knew that she looked to be a "poor kid" in every way, and she bore little resemblance to her precious Lake family upon first glance thanks to the sun and lots of hair dye. Besides, nobody would expect a member of the famously fashionable Contest family to walk around wearing a beat up old hoodie of all things. Nope, she appeared in every respect to fit in perfectly among of the lowly crowd he obviously enjoyed to look down on so much. She suddenly wished that she had taken off her ruby necklace before coming over, but he doubted that he would notice that trinket amidst the rest of her inferior attire.

This would be fun.

 

[Legend]

Cody felt a wave of relief when he had finally arrived at the train station for his new school. It was if he was Odysseus completing his great Odyssey when reaching Ithaca. It was an achievement if Cody had ever earned one. His epic journey started back in Unova at the airport at Mistralton City, where with a single swipe of his parent's credit card got him on a flight out of the country and his way to Hope High School. Cody texted his dad, "Srry. Had 2 use credit card. Needed $ 4 plane tix. Bbl." Cody enjoyed texting simplified 1337 (or leet for you no readers in the audience) to his parents. It was his way of not only saving time texting but also troll his parents simultaneously. That is what they get for only getting him a cheap Nokia phone, while getting his little sister an iPhone.

Unfortunately, the plane did not go to Sinnoh, flying to Hoenn instead. That was not Cody-like luck, but then again he was absent minded when asking for a cheap flight out of the country. Luckily, Cody wasn't too far from Slateport City which had numerous ports with cruise ships leaving on a regular basis. None went to Sinnoh, obviously. That would be too easy. Also, none were in his price range. At the time, he had already received 5 angry voicemails from his parents for using their credit. One from his brother too, who would just ask where the hell he was going. Cody ignored all of them. He didn't bother to call them back. Too much work. Instead, Cody did something that was out of character: robbery. Swiping a ticket from one of the rich people in line, Cody squeezed himself onto one of the cruise ships headed for Johto. With a comfortable room to himself, Cody was able to nap away as the ship sailed to Olivine City. He had not gotten caught. He was quite flexible, if in a matter of speaking.

From Olivine, Cody caught a ride on a kid's bicycle (he had bike pegs for Cody to perch himself on) to Goldenrod City. Upon arrival, Cody purchased a train ticket all the way to Snowpoint while handing the child a 20 dollar bill for thanks. Cody texted his dad again, "LOL needed 2 use card again 4 train tix. kthxbye." The train had a few problems causing Cody to be a bit late. He didn't particularly care though. He was lucky that he even got on the train, considering he stole a cruise ticket and his parents had not canceled the credit card in the past 24 hours or so following Cody's obvious spending. That was Cody-like luck. So everything went better than planned. Cody ignored several phone calls during the train ride. He answered once. The last one to be exact.

"Where the hell are going that you need to spend…ugh never mind how much money. Answer the damn question!" Cody's dad roared with anger.

"School," Cody mumbled.

"You go to school on this side of the world."

"Not anymore. I go to Hope High School, or something. It's in Sinnoh. Look it up on the Internet. Oh yeah, don't cancel the card quite yet. I may need it for books. Kthxbye."

Cody's dad was furious, but Cody was fairly confident he was going to listen. Call it a gut feeling. His father, at heart, was a good person even if he had a terrible temper and rarely showed any concern for Cody's well being. He'll probably call in a few hours and tell Cody to not spend more than he needs to. Cody will likely nod nonchalantly because arguing was too much of a bother. Typical conversation within the Willingham family.

The Snowpoint train station was surprisingly packed with people. It reminded Cody of the streets in his home city. That gave him the experience to weed his way through the crowds of people without bothering anyone. In a daze, Cody squeezed his way through the crowds of people. In the corner of his eye, Cody noticed others taking a more frontal approach to crowd navigation. Plowing through the crowds instead, Cody scoffed at them finding them somewhat rude. "Jerks. They need to calm down," Cody said under his breath sighing. Admittedly, they distracted him and Cody got lost trying to find his platform.

After a few minutes of mindlessly walking and and some cloud watching, Cody returned to earth and found his plane. He got in line and watched as others flashed their ticket and boarded the train. When it came to Cody, he shuffled through his very large black duffle bag and rummaged through the clothing, portable game consoles, laptop and other random objects that displayed Cody's nerdy behavior before finding his ticket:

"SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued To: CODY WILLINGHAM
Departure: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM."

The elderly woman who strangely reminded Cody of his kind grandmother examined the ticket for a solid few moments before revealing a toothy lipsticked painted smile. "Have a good day, sir!" she exclaimed with glee. Cody smirked and nodded before boarding the train with little joy. Perhaps it was the fact he was going to be stuck another train for about 3 hours. Perhaps it was the fact he was going to be forced to likely interact with people. Most people bored him easily as few people were remotely interesting. His close friends Mike and Nick kept him sane for the most part, probably because they were few people that provided him with challenges to keep his brain from going idle. Aside from that, nothing kept Cody active for long. Meeting people who could sub in for Mike and Nick would be a chore. Cody hated chores. Another possibility for Cody's sudden onset for apathy would be the fact he finally realized he was going to school. School! Cody hated school more than anything. It was always monotonous, arduous and time consuming. And not the good kind of time consuming like naps or sleep. School was never engaging in his experience. This place would hopefully be less dreadful than his last school. Hopefully.

Cody boarded the train as a young woman, probably about his age walked by. Cody carefully maneuvered around her as she walked by. Luckily with Cody's new found "flexibility" came a newfound sense of agility. Even without it, Cody was always a natural at being limber and rather agile. Came with the build and the few years of martial arts he took when his parents tried to force Cody to find new "hobbies." Cody tried to follow her field of interest to see what grabbed her attention. Unable to do so, Cody decided to follow her, half interested in the commotion. More interested in her, considering she dressed strangely similar to him. In fact, their hooded sweatshirts were nearly identical. Both zipped, the only difference was that Cody's was gray, matching his void-like eyes.

The girl sat next to guy who was a stark contrast to Cody. He was clearly tall, well built and Cody hazarded a guess that he came from a fairly wealthy family. Cody rolled his eyes, thinking it was fairly obvious that a girl would like a guy like that off first impressions. Of course, Cody guessed that the man she sat next to was probably a total *******. They always were. Bias though, lied in Cody's opinion as he spent the better part of his life either in the corner in the room just observing people or in the dreaded friend zone with relative apathy.

"Sup?" Cody asked anyway directed to the both of the them. "Anyone sitting here?" he motioned to the side opposite the girl. Cody didn't bother waiting for an answer and collapsed onto the chair, immediately slouching upon butt to chair contact. Cody looked around the room and noticed the jock-like boy's book. "Plato, eh? I prefer Aristotle myself."

Cody wanted to test the waters and see if these people were worth talking to. If not, he'd move on and stare out the window like he planned to.

 

[SV]

The last place Edward Trent expected himself to be was on the way to school again. He had stopped attending his own back in the big city in Saffron. But a set of strange events occurred. It was these occurrences that, upon the receiving of his letter from Hope High School, he decided to go attend.

To Edward, there are no coincidences. Things happen for a reason, and those with luck can guide their way through such events. Being the superstitious person that he was, all matters of chance were guided by luck, but in Edward's case, luck was guided by his own "lady luck". Who was that, you say? Perhaps it was some deity Edward worshiped in these turbulent times. Or perhaps it is luck itself incarnate in physical and spiritual form. For whatever reason, Edward turned to her quite a bit, for luck and for guidance.

His parents didn't mind. To them, it was like attending a free, private academy. They had no idea of his current life anyway, so they jumped at the opportunity. Edward had convinced them when he said it was all-expense paid, even the trip there. Of course, that was a lie. But Edward never had to worry about expenses.

***

So there he was, standing on the platform at Snowpoint, about to board a train to Hope High School. Edward eyed the other students as they made their way across the platform. A smile began to creep onto his face. Just because he was going to school again doesn't mean he has to change who he is, at least completely.

The first step is to observe, it always is. Observe the prize, the target, the person too. Observe their clothes, their manner of speech, the way they carry themselves, their eye movement, their feet distribution. Be careful with this step, as what you see isn't always what you get. Still, profiling does tend to be accurate most of the time.

The second step is the approach. Approach with caution. Don't move too fast, nor too slow. Moving by yourself in one direction will naturally cause the other person to look at you, which is what you must avoid at all costs. Approach with others, move at their speeds, and don't stand out.

The final step is contact. Make sure your bodies do not touch for more than 1 full second. To them, it must be a bump, and nothing more. Upon contact, never reach into the pocket of their current front leg. The material of the pants or jeans squeezes the item, causing it to be harder to acquire. Aim for look pockets, jacket pockets, or short pockets, unless you're feeling extra lucky. Avoid any unnecessary contact.

Edward eyed a particular person. His clothes wasn't the best indicator of his wealth. It was enough to assume he wore a variety of things, but it wasn't enough. However, upon observing, something else stood out. It was his mannerisms, and the way he moved. As he pushed past people, he kept a sort of distance between himself and anyone else that moved. As if they were below him, or as if he was above them either way, match found.

Edward kissed his tattoo on both of his wrists, and proceeded. He moved with another crowd of people heading the same way. He was as inconspicuous as possible as he eyed the items on the dude's body. There was a noticeable bulge in his pocket of his jeans.

Wallet.

Edward seemed to swim through the people as he walked with them, and a moment later, he bumped into the target. His quick fingers went to work, making sure the pocket with the wallet was his hind leg. He reached in, and felt for the prize, and there it was. Contact was broken a moment later.

"Watch it!" the boy said, but as he turned to face Edward, Edward had already made a spin, and began walking the same direction as him. Edward counted the amount in his hands, and delighted.

Oh, my god...he's loaded! Edward thought as he counted his prize. From that moment, Edward dubbed him Mr. Rich Guy, and vowed to steal from him every chance he could at Hope High School.

Satisfied that he had a bit of extra cash on him, Edward boarded the train, flashing his ticket he had.

SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued To: Edward Trent
Departure: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM.

The old woman examined the for a moment, before setting her eyes on Edward. Her eyes fell to his tattoos on his arms, but she forced a smile.

"Have a nice trip, sir!"

Edward replied with a smile himself. "Why thank you!" Edward said, as he patted her back. She was clearly uncomfortable around Edward, and Edward loved making people even more uncomfortable when he knew they disliked him. Edward boarded the train, and looked around for an area to sit. He would have liked to sit alone, but a familiar voice filled his ears.

"Respect your elders, poor kid," the voice said.

Mr. Rich Guy.

Edward followed the direction of the voice. He found the source. Three people sitting next to each other. Now in normal circumstances, Edward would have moved and decided to sit somewhere else, but this time was different. Edward eyed the three people. There was Mr. Rich guy, then there was a girl, a pale slender girl with a short, sleeveless red dress and a black zip up hoodie. Then there was another guy, a fairly unappealing appearance on top of moppy brown hair. But two things stood out about the three of them. The boy wore a fairly fancy watch, as well as an interesting pendant. The girl wore a very prominent ruby necklace around her neck. Mr. Rich Guy sported a very, very nice Rolex.

Edward smiled at them, and sat down.

"Hope you don't mind, but I don't want to sit by myself. I get lonely..."

His eyes wandered between the three of them, more particularly their items of value, as he pulled out a roll of dollars (ironically belonging to Mr. Rich Guy), and began counting in front of them.


​

 

[Saturated Hue]

When it was evident that she had no messages left, Alexis slipped her earphones into her ears, turned on her favorite playlist and decided that eyeing the passengers was the least boring thing she could do for the time being.

There were more people on board now, Alexis noticed. The first person to catch her eye, and rightfully so, was a guy with a basketball player height, probably even taller than her. He had a six-pack build, and a good tan as well. His eyes, from what Alexis could see, was a dark shade of green, and they appeared to look at Alexis--and the rest of the students in the carriage--with disdain. Alexis shot a menacing glare his way in response, but he had already moved on.

Her interest captivated, Alexis leaned her head out to see where he was headed. She was just in time to see the guy dumping an intimidated freshman on the floor, his bag with him. "Respect your elders, poor kid," the jock said menacingly, before he moved into his seat and disappeared from Alexis's vision.

Alexis smiled. She and the boy would get along swimmingly.

Resting her back against her seat again, Alexis went back to her people-watching. The next to draw her attention was another tall boy, but he was darker in appearance, with black, punky hair and tanned skin. He was carrying a guitar, and it immediately sent an image to her head--it was one of poor, lower-class guitarists without a penny to their names, strumming the one thing they possess aside from the clothes they have on, against a slum background.

Needless to say, her first impression of him was not a very good one.

Next came a boy who loooked ordinary in almost every respect of the word--in fact, the only thing that seemed to differ him from others was how ordinary he looked. Perhaps the only thing that set him apart from the masses of the middle class Alexis loathes so was his fancy watch. Still, Alexis thought lowly of him.

The last person Alexis paid attention to was someone with a Pokemon Dollar sign etched onto his left wrist, or perhaps both, since Alexis couldn't see his other wrist. She didn't really get a good look on the actual person, so she only vaguely remembered him. She does remember that he was fairly tall, though, with a pale complexion.

Then the influx of people boarding the train seemed to slow down, and it became apparent that she'd have her four-seater all to herself, at least for now. Good, she thought. No commoners to bother me.

With no one to talk to, Alexis found the window to be much more appealing than the train's contents. They were all insignificant, with very few exceptions. She was better off alone.

 

[Aura Rift]

"So you're sure you have everything?" Joshs Mom asked. "In that small little bag?"

"Yes Mom... for the millionth time, I have everything I need." Josh complained, he didn't really have everything he needed, in fact he was surprised to see his mother was so gullible as to believe he could fit all the supplies needed for a school term in the tiny rucksack he now carried over his shoulder. Haze was still in his pokeball, the small ghost type creeped him out a little, however Josh hd to admit he was an excelent listener, mostly because he just kinda sat around ominously and stared until given an order, but oh well. Suddenly Josh was knocked forward slightly and his Mother reached his arms out to steady him. Josh turned to see a girl, roughly his age, shoving him and various others out of her way to get to where she needed to go. Josh felt a strong hatred towards her.

"Obnoxious cow..." Josh muttered.

"What was that Josh?" His Mother asked. "Oh no matter, come here son!" She leant in and gave Josh a large full on hug. "Don't forget to visit if the chance ever arises."

Josh smiled. "Count on it Mom."

Josh walked away from his Mother then, waving his hand in the air, he was sad to leave her behind, but also felt like a weight had been lifted, now that he wasn't in the company of his Mother he didn't have to be nice anymore. With this thought in mind Josh stepped onto the train and headed over to an elderly woman collecting tickets.

"Oh! He... hello there?" The woman pronounced it as a question. The other students had obviously given her a hard time. Josh could respect that. So he'd put on his nice face one more time.

"Hello there mam, I believe this is what you're looking for." Josh said, handing the woman the ticket as he did.

SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued To: JOSHUA DAVID MIST
Departure: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM.

"Oh... why yes, yes it is." The woman said slightly surprised as she ripped the ticket in half, she handed Josh the other half. "Enjoy your journey."

"Thank you." Josh said, doing his best to smile.

"Respect your elders, poor kid," Josh turned as he heard the harsh disrespectful voice of another student.

The student in question had tossed a freshman out of his seat, his bag following. Now Josh didn't like playing hero, nor did he like being nice in general, he felt being nice and polite was just over-flattering horrible people with half-assed compliments and signs of respect. However he also believed that not everyone was of the same horrible calibur so being disrespectful and downright cruel was a no-no. In other words he really didn't like this guy.

First things first Josh walks over to the first year, poor kids almost crying at this point. Josh grabs his arm and backpack and helps him off the ground.

The kid wipes his eyes and looks at Josh with a look of gratefullness.

"You'd best go to another room kid, arguing with a **** like him honestly isn't worth the breath." Josh murmurs, trying to hide his hatred for the boy standing in the room a few steps away.

The freshman nodded and Josh let the anger seep into his face. He turned reaching for the door handle when he saw a vaguely familiar face, the girl who had shoved him earlier. *Pfffft should have known she'd hang around with a bully, well... I had expected it, though I had assumed that she'd at least wait until we were actually in school.* Josh thought to himself.

The other in the room, the boy who thought it was funny to disrespect and mistreat those smaller than him, he was dressed pretty damn good and he wore a rolex byt the looks of it, oh great, rich kid, all talk and money but no actual right to do anything more than anybody else. There were two more in the room, who Josh noticed as he walked in, they were easily dubbed. Emo musician and greedy moneyman. Most people would have found this shower of misfits either disgusting or plausable, Josh found it absolutely hilarious.

He slowly and calmly opened the door, closed it behind him and began laughing.

"Hahaha! Oh my God I can't believe this is happening, I walk into a room and find the ultimate cliches of high school life!" Josh laghs and turns to mister ignorant. "Over-priced clothes, showy watch... oh and you like to throw freshmen out of trains, yup, over-confident rich boy." Josh smiles and turns to the girl. "You probably don't remember me, I was one of the many people you decided to shove out on the platform, so already I see you have a disregard for other people, also the fact your sitting beside Rich boy most likely means you're a bully and easy to anger, but I won't jump to conclusions, oh and your dress makes you look desperate, just saying." Josh smirks to himself again, he enjoys being a jerk, but only to people he believes deserve it.

He turns to the boy whos counting dollars. "I'm not gonna lie dude you look shady, but I've got nothing of actual value on me so I'm pretty safe. I'm not gonna say anything more." And finnaly Josh turns to the shaggy haired emo kid. "You my friend look like an emo, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it for you, however you and moneyboy look alot more pleasant than Rich boy and pushy cow, so I think I'll sit on this side of the room." With that Josh squishes himself in between the boy counting dollars and the "emo".

"So now that thats cleared up, my name is Josh, what are yours?" Josh asked the group as a whole wearing a cheesy grin on his face.

(OOC: I'd just like to mention that I'm very much enjoying this XD)

 

[Swolligator]

Kieran Davis: If It Were Up To Me, You Would Not Be Here.

Kieran felt their shadows cast by the light move around him, Alec stiffening on his legs before Kieran saw them come in one by one. With no iPod in his ears, he could not pretend that he hadn't heard them, but a quick glance out the side of his periphery vision showed him that he did not want to even deal with them at all; their appearance told him all that he needed to know.

"Bloody commoners," he whispered quietly to himself as he turned the page of his book, trying to focus on the words that spread across the page rather than the stink of humanity they all gave off. It was naïve of him to think so, but maybe if he ignored them they would move on to annoy someone closer to their social standing.

Unfortunately for Kieran, this was not a luxury he was allowed. He was doing alright when the girl came in and sat down beside him, slightly less so as the other two boys arrived one by one. One commented about his book, announcing that he preferred Aristotles over Plato, which gave Kieran the brief hope that at least one of them was somewhat educated, while the other made a comment about not being alone while he counted a wad of notes. To Kieran, a person who looked like that did not seem like the kind of person who would have a lot of money. It wasn't until the last boy came in, the emo looking kid mouthing off to everyone and acting like he deserved everyone's attention. By this time, Kieran had had enough of lower class people.

Gathering up his backpack, book under his right arm and Elekid by his feet he got up to leave the compartment which was already overcrowded with people. He wasn't in a hurry, but neither did he want to stick around any longer and have to deal with three commoners and an emo scum that seemed to welcome a beating. As he walked past, he pulled his left hand back, punching the newly arrived kid who had insulted everyone squarely in the jaw, a satisfying 'smack' bringing a grin to his face as he felt the kid reel from his hit. If Kieran had taken a full swing, the kid would have been knocked out, mouth bleeding as some teeth fell out, but he wasn't going to do that to a student, not yet anyway, but he still hit him with enough force that he would feel it in the morning as a small drip of blood formed at the side of his mouth.

Kieran left the compartment with a smirk on his face, in search for another; freshmen huddled in packs as he walked by, but Kieran already had his eyes on an empty compartment. As he entered and shut the door, he got a little fright, not noticing the girl sitting in the seat, gazing out the window rather at the lower class children around them.

"Oh, didn't see you there," he spoke in his deep voice as he took a seat opposite her.

Kieran counted himself lucky, aboard this train that seemed to be full of lower class scum, there was at least someone else who was upper class looking. Giving a brief smile, he retrieved the book from under his arm and began reading again, picking up from the very word he had stopped on in the previous compartment and keeping an ear out if the girl started to talk to him.

Someone I would actually have a reason to talk to, he thought to himself.

 

[Aura Rift]

Josh sat smiling as the expected punch landed square on his lip. He had only half-expected that, a simple test on the mental strain of a bully, due to his obviously "higher class" upbringing he had had the slightest notion that this kid would have some self-restraint, he was sorely (and I mean literally sorely) mistaken. He had felt bad about insulting the others about their various bad traits, he was sure they were all very nice people, well maybe not the pushy girl, however if he had singled out the rich boy as a single target for his verbal abuse then he wouldn't have gotten the necesary response. He sensed something in him then, a ripple in the rich boys energy, or at least what he assumed was energy. The strange green orbs he could create, they drew on his own unique form of this power, soon Josh began to notice that others had this aswell, however Josh could barely notice and in no way control the energy of another. However whereas the rich boy had walked away very content with himself, he had played just the way Josh had anticipated, he was testing his fellow students, the boy in question in particular for their level of restraint and control over their emotions, a test that that pompous child had failed the moment he struck him.

Josh simply smiled and wiped his bleeding lip. "Huh... it would seem I made him quite mad, or maybe he is just naturally violent, like a child who was rudely awakened. No matter, I suppose theres no point in continuing with this since my main point of interest has left... I apologise for any prior insults to you, the last thing I want is to anger my new classmates, but that one... I don't like him, in fact I "hate" him." Josh said the word hate with an edge of poison in his voice. "What a boring and predictable person he is, don't you agree? I mean just look at him!" Josh watched the boy walk and sit in another cabin. His posture was triumphant as if he thought he was the greatest person on Earth. But then Josh saw weakness, no, understanding almost even kindness.

"He walks away triumphantly, reveling in the fear of younger students as he goes, however as he enters his new compartment he sees another person in there, didn't notice her until he sat down which is why his expression was delayed and yes I know it's a she, he had a certain flicker in his eyes, it's a dead give away, however he doesn't look down on her like he does on us his expression is much much different. This means one of three things, he either fancies the girl, knows the girl from before this little journey or... aha, the girl is of roughly the same social to him, at least in his eyes anyway... no, I don't like this guy one little bit." Josh smirked.

With his fathers constant alchaholism and abuse of his mother, reading facial expressions became a vital skill for Josh, plus spending time in a mental asylum for a few months wasn't exactly bad practice, he learnt much from the doctors when he went along with their childish tests and from watching them when they treated patients, however this led to an insatiable curiousity for Josh, he found that if he tested people on an emotional level he could know alot about their point of view, a useful skill, however it didn't always work and his system was far from flawless. However, although Josh didn't know it yet, his new affinity to aura boosted this skill slightly. When Josh read or at least attempted to read people it often came as a little offputting and strange, however he didn't mind, people usually thought of him as strange anyway.

"Well that boy bores me now, not worth my time or trouble, well lads, I think I'll stop forcing an uncomfortable situation and move into the now vacant seat." Josh stood up and flopped down in the pre-heated seat of the pompous rich child.

Josh sniffed loudly at the air.

"Too much cologne for sure." He muttered.

Josh turned his head towards the girl who now sat beside him. She looked like she was cocky, her posture showed that and her eyes, they... they showed.... Josh didn't know. He couldn't even make an assumption, she was almost like an enigma. Either she was very good at hiding her emotions, she had a very serious mental illness, or she was simply a sociopath and didn't feel anything. Yeah, that had to be it... or was Josh simply nervous? Josh suddenly realised he had little experience with the opposite sex, in fact... yup, he had NO experience with the opposite sex, at all. She was quite a petite girl, not very tall with a slender figure, she had an almost welcoming face but her eyes were an icy blue and her hair was black with streaks of red. Josh gulped slightly and mentally slapped himself. She was just a girl, another picture for him to observe an open book for him to read. He had to come to his senses, the girl was dangerous, she had an underlying personality, that much was obvious and she was... pretty... no, that wasn't right. *What the hell is wrong with you brain! Whats the difference between her and rich boy other than the fact I find her... no it's possible for me to find her attractive? This is just a new experience for me, meeting a, moderately, pretty girl of roughly the same age, nothing to worry about.* Josh sighed slightly as he suddenly tasted something warm on and in his mouth, it tasted slightly metalic. *Ah right.* Josh remembered. *I'm bleeding.* Josh rubbed his mouth to find it almost covered in blood. *Hmmm you think I would have thought to fix this a bit earlier. It's actually quite painful.* Josh did a mental facepalm and turned back to the girl purposely disregarding previous thoughts about her.

"Terribly sorry, but you wouldn't happened to have any tissues on you would you? I ehm, appear to be bleeding." Josh said a slight grin on his slightly bloodied face. He would do his best to be nice, at least for now.

 

[Mira]

(OOC: I was almost done with this post when you posted, and the tissue thing was in there before I saw him ask xD Careful with his face reading, though. It's a bit much.)

Commoner? That... ugh... He has no idea what he's talking about.

She wanted nothing more than to beat the living daylights out of that heavily roided creep. It had been a long time since she met someone she resented so completely, and that was quite a feat to accomplish considering the fact that she was almost always surrounded by fatheads.

But what she hated most of all was when useless people interrupted her plans. They proved the rich snob's point almost perfectly, that was for certain.

"Idiots..." Elizabeth hissed, watching as her target made his grand exit. "All you... stupid..."

She clenched her jaw, struggling to restrain her rage. When the rich kid punched the loser with a big mouth in the face, she didn't so much as wince. He deserved it, and this way she didn't have to do it herself. Her eyes flickered back over her new companions, finding nothing particularly interesting about them. Well... one of them had some sweet tattoos on his wrists, but the fact that he thought that it was right to show off all of his money in front of everyone else more than made up for that topical virtue. She glared at them all, shaking slightly as her anger intensified.

"Idiots," she repeated, eyes now fixing on on the boy who had called her a cow.

Though she didn't notice, the temperature around her began to increase. She didn't listen to what he was saying, too distracted by the internal struggle of quelling her emotions. She heard him say something about tissues and her hand slipped into her bag immediately. Her fingers brushed against the switchblade carefully hidden there.

"I was about to put that snobby piece of trash in his place before you dimwits showed up and made yourselves look like complete morons," Elizabeth growled, standing abruptly and throwing a package of tissues at the bleeding boy's face. "Though maybe you can't help coming off that way, hmm? Maybe it's just how you are." Her lips twisted into a sardonic smile.

I think another fist would be more appropriate... she thought, another wave of irritation hitting. Nobody called her a cow and got away with it. Nobody. And yet, she'd rather not be known as the girl who beats up guys before she even got to the school, even if she could. She definitely could. And the doofus did deserve it...

She grabbed her bag brushed passed them, moving as quickly as she could manage. Each of them received a disdainful glance from her, the bloody cow boy getting a special stomp on the foot as she trampled into the walkway. She quickly fulfilled its purpose, walking away quickly toward her other seat.

Elizabeth remembered exactly why it was she wanted to sit by herself during the train ride to the school. She wasn't exactly much of a people person. But it didn't help that she was surrounded by creeps. Everything would just be so much better if people just looked at things her way for a change.

Plopping back down in her seat, she sighed and clasped her hands together. She struggled to regain some sort of composure, the angry flush slowly draining from her face. The boy was still there and chances were that he had seen her little... episode.

Great... she thought, lip twitching in annoyance. Now he'll think I'm crazy.

Elizabeth turned and smiled at him again, attempting to do damage control.

"Sorry about that. As I was saying, I'm Elizabeth Lake. And you are...?"

Hopefully this plan would go over better than the last.

 

[Skymin]

Atom Watcher - Kaleidoscope Eyes

Atom raised his eyebrow as the girl walked off, rearranging his posture so he could see down the hall, but not where she went into. He heard a commotion, what sounded like a punch (Atom only knew the sound too well) and then a boy walking out, though he didn't get a good look at his face to see if he was the puncher or the punchee. All he could see was that he was pretty damn buff, which probably made him the puncher. He leaned over his seat more as he heard the girl's voice raise then hastily sat back up as she too left the carriage and returned to her seat. He made a face at her, one that practically said "what-was-going-on-over-there?"

"Sorry about that. As I was saying, I'm Elizabeth Lake. And you are...?"

"Atom. Atom Watcher," he said, returning the smile. He switched to a D major chord, followed by a tiny melody he threw in for fun. Stuff the girls liked. Her eyes looked quite beautiful in contrast to her black hair, though he would have preferred it without the red streaks. She was dressed fairly average, like Atom himself, though her necklace looked out of place compared to the rest of clothes, but Atom didn't care. She was a girl and she was pretty and she was talking to Atom. Yeah, those eyes. They were pretty mesmerising.

He played with his guitar a little more, alternating between C major and C minor, humming under his breath. He wouldn't have gone to much effort if Elizabeth (he was going to call her... Liz. Or Lizzy) wasn't sitting opposite him but he wanted to make the most of the opportunity being thrown at him. He had to make friends, right? What better way than to start with a girl?

"What was that going over there?"​

 

[Legend]

Cody was used to being ignored, so he didn't exactly find it offending that the jock across from him neglected Cody's attempt to converse with him. Cody rebounded easily, choosing to stare out the window instead. The silence that befallen the boy was broken by the entrance of another. It was a young man who was rather tall, but then again Cody would say that about most people. He had an average build with long black hair tied back. With his unique flavor of facial hair and tattoos, the boy was interesting to say the least. He glanced at everyone with what appeared to be genuine interest. He took a seat, but strangely continue to stare at everyone with a certain lust in his eyes. Cody didn't particularly mind those. Some people suffer from wandering eyes and get lost in the beauty of people. What was more interesting was the boy's counting of money in front of them. Was he flaunting his wealth? No, not likely. Few people are as arrogant as that. Did he just acquire said wealth? Plausible. But how does one obtain money at a train station? Bah, didn't matter. Cody went back to minding his own business. Clearly, he did not pick the social seat. It's not like he expected excitement. It gives him more time to be enjoy the nature outside the confined space of the train car.

Cody's pleasant vacancy of mind was rudely interrupted by a roar of laughter. It was another young man, and like the others, he was a student. Had a teacher shared this boy's appearance Cody would likely not take the teacher seriously, if he even bothered to give the teacher any of his attention in the first place. His long hair was unwashed and more unappealing than Cody's ragged mop. His fashion sense was striking with a long black overcoat being quite notable. Normally, Cody would rub off the appearance and say something along the lines of "whatever floats your boat" and have an interest in the boy. Interesting people capture Cody's attention. When people somehow do that, Cody often wants to befriend them for they keep him entertained. Everything else bores him. So hopeful was apt way to describe Cody's first impression of "Josh" as he would soon be able to call him. However, Josh ruined any hope Cody once had when he began to speak. The words filled the air but Cody only paid attention about halfway through Josh's…."introduction." What Cody could gather, which was taxing on his idle mind to say the least, was that Josh preceded to insult every person in the small compartment. The rich Jock was deemed a bully more or less by Josh. Fair assessment. The girl was called a desperate bully and a pushy cow, at least more or less. Cody couldn't see it. He called the other newcomer shady. Once again, a poor assessment. But what was the most off base was the proclamation that Cody was in fact, an "emo." Wait, what? Now Josh looked foolish, among other things.

Josh squeezed himself between Cody and the newcomer. The rich jock across from the crowded seat rose up, wasting no time with Josh clearly lacking the tolerance to stand the conversation. Cody continued to stare out the window, keeping only the situation of the room in his peripheral vision. Gathering his things, the rich jock decided to leave the room with haste not without a parting gift for Josh. A rather violent one that. Cody didn't catch the entirety of the scene, only the results. Josh was left with a bloody face (Cody was unsure of the precise point of impact) but was not without his mouthy insolence. Josh blabbered away incoherently, and shifted his seat over to the other side where the jock perched himself with his novel. The warm seat calmed Josh a bit it seemed as the insults were traded for casual conversation, of which the sole female in the room was not too fond of. Assuming everyone to be complete morons, she hissed around before stomping off, complaining that Cody and the others ruined her plans to "put that snobby piece of poop in his place" or something. Cody was too lazy to bother collecting all the words in his head. She insulted all the boys including Cody and the money counter, who were pleasantly innocent from the whole ordeal. That stung a bit. Being grouped in with that crowd off the bit was the last thing he wanted. In reality, he wanted a fresh start. New friends may make this whole school thing interesting. Maybe he could actually be productive for once. It wasn't likely though. Can't blame him for trying.

Cody sighed as the room emptied. A small wave of depression came over him, but at least blame was easy to assign. "Josh was it? You, my friend," Cody began mocking Josh's introduction to him. "remind me of certain boy in my classes back in Unova. He had no idea how to interact with others, so he forced things. He talked a lot. Tried to make wisecracks. Tried to sound all intelligent. Tried to stir up conflict to be cool. Tried to make everyone acknowledge him as the center of attention. Tried many things to make friends. But in the end, nobody particularly liked him. In fact, most people hated the poor guy. You are very much like him. More than you would to want to admit in fact. Want to know why I didn't like him though? It wasn't the drama or anything. I avoid that stuff. Too much work to keep up. It was his inherent nature that bothered me. You see, the boy enjoyed analyzing others and tried to figure how they worked, but he was incredibly ignorant. He was judgmental and frankly a fool. He was nearly always wrong when he tried to judge someone or figure them out. He focused on rather simple things when analyzing a person based on first impressions. A idiot like him is not an interesting person. Idiots, like yourself, frankly bore me. You insolent chatter is bothersome and your idiocy is insulting to absorb. I rather waste time in utter silence than be trapped here with someone like you. Good bye, good sir. Good luck at school. You'll need it," Cody finished. A bored apathetic expression was glued to his face during his speech to Josh. He never made eye contact, however. Instead, he remain fixated with the sights beyond the window.

Not one to overstay his welcome, Cody prepared to leave the room, grabbing his things. On the way out, Cody stopped in front of the boy with money: "Now you seem interesting. Feel free to join me if you want. I will be looking for a new seat." Cody smiled as he walked out, closing the door with care.

Cody stepped out of the compartment and walked down the hallway. On the way, Cody noticed the jock from earlier sitting with a fairly attractive girl. In the back of his mind, Cody felt the need to commend the jock for some reason and decided to do it now before he forgot. Cody slowly opened the door, and poked his head in: "Sorry to bother you two. I will be quick. Rich Jock…guy. Nice punch. The punk deserved it. Enjoy Plato and good luck in school," Cody waved goodbye and closed the door quickly as to not disturb them for any longer than he needed to.

Cody made his down the train to find a new empty seat. He didn't have much luck as for whatever reason, the train was filling up. On the way, Cody saw the girl he once found fairly attractive upon learning of her horrifying personality. She was chatting with a young man, who was quite built and carried a fine guitar. Cody wanted to compliment the man on his guitar and condone the girl's rude rant from earlier. However, Cody was too lazy at the moment and wanted nothing more to find a new seat to melt in. He would have an opportunity later. Maybe. Meh, whatever. That compartment was far too stressful.

In due time, Cody found a new empty compartment and took the window seat, staring out with his plain expression.

 

[Mira]

Atom Watcher... Even his name is awesome.

By awesome she of course meant different from those of the people she knew and therefore completely unrefined, but that was beside the point. Elizabeth's expression softened as he began to strum his guitar once more, her smile fading to one of genuine contentment rather than forced politeness. It was obvious that his playing was now with the intention of pleasing or perhaps even impressing her, and that made listening all the more pleasurable. Her eyes glittered faintly as the chords began stringing together in a melody. It seemed to be an odd one to her, but she wasn't exactly an expert in music to any degree. His faint humming made it all the better, drawing her away from her muddled thoughts and into a story woven by the notes. Any and all traces of anger were quelled. The phrase "music tames the savage beast" had seldom ever proved to be more applicable than in that moment.

With people like this around, perhaps the school would be bearable. Enjoyable, even. Perhaps she would be accepted for a change, instead of simply being called the pathetic rebellious rich girl who didn't belong anywhere. Her imagination began to wander and she leaned back slightly, relaxing. And if he's interested, maybe...

"What was going on over there?"

Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her seat at the words. Broken from her odd daze, she snapped to attention all at once, eyes meeting his sharply. The memory of her earlier encounter immediately rose to the front of her mind and a flush met her cheeks, causing her to look away. Irritation began gnawing at her and she did her best to ignore it. Those people... if she could somehow get rid of those creeps, things would be substantially better for her. She decided that she would do her best to avoid them, but with the size of the school she was heading to, the fact that such a feat would be difficult was obvious.

"Ah, it's nothing," she said with a laugh. Looking back at him, she brought the polite smile back to her lips. "I attempted to introduce myself to someone and things didn't exactly go... well."

Her hand went to the pendant resting at the base of her neck. She fingered it and broke her gaze again, searching almost desperately for a change in topic. Things were going so well and she didn't want to ruin it so soon by exposing her temper. It was inevitable that it would show up sooner or later and things would unfold then as they would now, but she chose not to think about it. She was too busy trying to save face at the moment to worry about the future.

Feeling she was running out of time before another question fell on her, she fixed her eyes on his hands. She frowned faintly and looked up at him again, eyes now taking on their characteristic curiosity.

"What happened there?" she asked, nodding toward the signs of past injury.

Scars... He just keeps getting better and better.

 

[SV]

Edward eyed the new arrival for a moment. Usually, Edward was generally indifferent about people right from the get go. He didn't hate anyone, nor did he really like anyone. He didn't have the time to hate or like. The only thing that really mattered in his mind was the coin they carried or the valuables they possessed. However, in this case, he actually found the boy quite annoying. And if he found him annoying, he could only wonder what the others thought. So it came with little surprise when Mr. Rich Guy landed a hit right on the face. Edward couldn't help but chuckle briefly, as he put away his money, and watched events play out in front of him. Mr. Rich Guy departed to another section of the train, to which Edward sighed.

For a moment, Edward thought about following him, but he alluded back in his mind to the three rules of pickpocketing, specifically rule #2, in his mind: Approach with caution. Don't be too obvious. Besides, he didn't want to appear to be a complete stalker, although, to be honest, that sort of exactly what he may be doing during most of his time here at Hope High School.

The newcomer rambled on, but Edward payed little attention to him. Again, it wasn't so much as he didn't like him as much as he plainly had nothing to gain from a conversation with him anymore. The boy, who introduced himself as Josh, said it perfectly earlier himself. He had nothing of value. The others, however, were different. They had something Edward wanted. Striking conversations with them may actually be beneficial.

The girl broke into a rant as well now, insulting all of them, before making her exit. As with the other student, Edward was less upset about what was actually said, and more upset that, yet again, someone with a prize was gone. Edward made a tsk sound, and looked out the window. A few seconds later, the third guy with the bracelet and watch broke into a rant against the Josh kid. Edward tuned in as he spoke, but remained silent throughout. The next thing he knew, he too was on the approach out. He spoke to Edward as he made his way out.

"Now you seem interesting. Feel free to join me if you want. I will be looking for a new seat."

Edward eyed him as he made his way out of the compartment, and left only himself and Josh in there. Edward took a look at Josh one more time, who held a napkin as he wiped the blood away from his face. Edward shrugged and spoke to him.

"Ain't high school a b***h?" He said, and got up, stretching. Seeing nothing of value for him here in the compartment anymore, Edward decided to join the other guy. "Well, I best be going. See ya around." He said, as he proceeded towards the exit.

Edward took one more look back inside the now empty compartment with only Josh inside, and smirked, before shutting it and moving on. Edward wandered the now-filling train as students struggled to find seats. He looked through the other rooms to find where the other guy went off to, taking his sweet time to admire any of the other valuables possesions on the other students and taking mental notes of them. There were some people with fancy watches, good-looking coats, valuable earrings, filled wallets, and so on. Hope High School may not be so bad after all. Edward caught sight of the girl from before as she sat with a guy with a punky hairstyle and a bunch of piercings. The guitar, however, looked valuable. Edward had one more good look at both of them before smiling and winking at the girl. Edward will be seeing her again later, and perhaps the guy as well. He did have a guitar that could fetch quite a bit.

Edward moved on, and was in front of the compartment where Mr. Rich Guy now sat. He smirked to himself, knowing he'll definitely be keeping an eye on him for a while during his time there. Edward looked over the other girl in there as well. But he also admired her looks for a moment. Edward's longing for valuables did not only reach possessions, but sometimes also women as well. Again, he knew he'd be paying a visit to these two as well as some point.

Finally, Edward poked his head through a compartment to find the guy from before sitting there, staring out of the window. His eyes wandered to his wrist where his watch sat, and his necklace. He opened the door, and walked in.

"Hey there." he greeted him with a smile, sitting down opposite the guy. "Edward Trent." He said, pointing at himself, his eyes wandering between the guy's watch, his bracelet, and his face. "And you are?" In honesty, Edward didn't really care what his name was. He was just making idle conversation in the hopes that he wouldn't walk up and leave again. Getting closer to the prize is always the goal, in whatever way befits the occasion.

 

[Wolf in the Rain]

Soul Muze- One Way Trip

(OOC: Alright! Time to RP for the first time in forever and a half! *Epic Pose* Let's get to-! ...ZZZzzzZZZZzzzzZZZZZ )

SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued To: Soul Muze
Departure: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM.

"One-Way Trip" Soul groaned as he read the ticket once again, peering through the endless mass of people, searching for his train. The chaos that was Saffron Airport had been bad enough, but compared to the hundreds upon hundreds of people searching and scrambling for their own train, this was hell incarnate. The smells, the noise, the throng of people, Soul despised it all. Scoffing and throwing his duffel bag over his shoulder, Soul shoved and violently pushed past the people in front of him, knocking one woman's cell phone out of her hands and receiving a lesson in some of the more inappropriate words in the Sinnoh Language as she scrambled to pick it up. His Buizel, Takeo, followed close behind him, growling at anyone who looked in his general area.

"One-Way Trip." The words played on repeat, echoing throughout Soul's mind. He left Lavender Town, Hades, behind, a choice he hoped was for the best. To become a better battler, that's what his goal was. Not to make new (or any) friends, like his parents had hoped. Simply to become the best. Besides, Hades could make it on his own, Takeo, the newest addition to his team, would never be able to. Still, since the school had a class period set aside for battling, it seemed ridiculous how he was only allowed to bring one Pokémon. Soul groaned as he pushed through the middle of the conversation of two businessmen, who were rudely standing in his way. Battling was the only reason he was convinced to coming to this damned school in the first place, and the #1 reason his parents resented him going.

Somehow, he managed to fight his way through the seemingly endless crowd, arriving at train 1337, with very little time to spare. Soul flashed his ticket to the conductor, a tall, lanky fellow with a stereotypical conductor handlebar mustache. Soul hadn't even placed one foot on the train when the man stopped him.

"Excuse me, Sir." The conductor sneered in a pretentious accent, placing his arm between the youth and the train. Soul stopped in mid motion, slowly turning his head, and simply glared at the conductor. The youth's eyes blazed up, burning a deep yellow. His pupils fluttered, seemingly turning more elliptical, almost lizard-like; perhaps a trick of the light. His look seemed to cut straight through the man. Back in Lavender Town he was infamous for this talent. Some believed Soul was possessed, that he had been around his Haunter for too long, others, that he was the spawn of Darkrai. Soul liked to think it was a gift from Arceus, for his glare kept many people away.

The conductor paused, taken aback by the stare. After a moment, the man cleared his throat and continued on.

"…I will have to ask you to return your Pokémon its ball. It-"

"He." Soul interjected/growled, adding as much spite to his voice as possible.

"...He is much, much larger than the allowed size and has the potential be a danger and a nuisance to the other passengers. So if you don't mind..."

Soul's golden eyes flared with abhorrence and anger at the man's words, but his face was unchanging. Without breaking his gaze, he reached into his duffle bag, rummaging through clothes, electronics, and whatever else was in there. Finally, Soul found what he was looking for. He took his hand out of the bag, middle finger raised and directed at the man. Soul left the conductor dumbfounded as he and Takeo casually walked onto the car.

As soon as Soul walked into his train/car, his fears about this school were instantly confirmed. Suave haircuts and fine clothes filled the cart. Both himself and Takeo groaned simultaneously. He left Hades and Lavender Town behind for this? They probably owned all the rarer Pokemon, had the best items, latest tech… Hell, Soul wouldn't have been surprised if some of the richer looking ones had somebody train their Pokemon for them.

Readjusting the duffle bag hung over his shoulder, Soul sauntered down the aisle, searching for a compartment with as little people to no people as possible. In one, some douchebag with a guitar attempted to impress a girl by strumming a few notes, another had a kid administering a bloody lip, a third showed a muscular guy pretending to read Plato with an Elekid on his lap and a kid across from him. Soul groaned, realizing searching for an un-occupied cabin would be like searching for Cressilia. With a sigh, he threw open a compartment-door, letting Takeo in before closing it. Inside were two people. One, a mop-headed kid just gazing out the window. He looked sick, dark shadows filled beneath his eyes, perhaps that meant he would be too weak to talk. The other, Soul hardly noticed. He was some Emo-Looking kid with long, black hair and sideburns. Hopefully, he would be too busy cutting himself to bother to Soul or Takeo.

Perhaps sensing Soul's mood, the mop-headed kid moved to sit with the emo-kid. Without uttering a single word of thanks, Soul shoved his bag under the seat across from the mop-head, before him and his Pokemon sat down. Takeo took the seat closest to the window, the one the mop-headed kid had before he moved, while his trainer took the other. The Buizel crossed his arms, leaning back into the seat; his trainer did the same. Both let out a sigh as they too looked out the window.

It was a One-Way trip. No going back now.

 

[Skymin]

Atom Watcher - Mutt

"Sounds like high school," Atom gave a laugh, focusing on his fingers. D major, G major, D minor and, his personal favourite, E minor. Guitar was what Atom was best at, though he could hold his own in a fight. And baseball. And maths. Numbers just seemed to come to him. Other than that, Atom was pretty much useless. He only read lyrics or magazines, he only wrote music, he only learned new songs. He had cruised through his previous years of high school, doing what he wanted, when he wanted. Party? Atom was there. Skipping class? Atom seemed to do that better than spelling. Make-out session in the library? Atom was usually the one getting ushered out by the angry librarian. He was a little fearful his freedom here would be as strained as it had been the last few weeks, but he was truly happy to be away from his home. Another day or two and he would have had to been chained to his bed to stop him from running away. Staying in the same place for extended periods of time was not his thing.

He threw in some lyrics to pull Liz in further. Something he had been writing in his head. Atom wasn't a perfect singer, but he could do it enough to hold up a song without any unfortunate melodic accidents. He sang softly; he would only use his rough voice when his guitar was electrified. Or when he was angrier.

Cage me like a bird,
you don't understand what it's like
to be free like this right here,
to be me like this right here

It was a work in progress, but it would do for what its purpose served.

"These?" he didn't stop playing, gesturing to his knuckles with his eyes. "Well, let's just say I don't really get along with a lot of people." A question popped into his head, relevant to hers, though probably a little inappropriate. As if that mattered. "What about you? Are you a... good girl?"​

 

[Mira]

Elizabeth sighed quietly in relief when he accepted her answer, placing her elbow on the armrest and her head on her palm. She continued to watch him, a smile growing as he began to sing. Atom wrote lyrics... Seriously, how could he get any more perfect?

She quickly realized that he was either a complete and total flirt, or into her already. In all honesty, either was fine with her. Something told her that he wasn't exactly "boyfriend" material, or at least he wasn't yet. Maybe she would find some way to work around that little issue.

If this is how big I win based on chance, maybe I should start playing the lottery.

She laughed quietly at his explanation. Elizabeth could relate to his aversion to people of course, but she didn't have such obvious marks to announce that fact. No, her personality pretty well tipped others off on that fact.

"How about you?" he asked, addressing her now. "Are you a... good girl?"

The smile fell from her face and she sat up. Good girl...

"So Lizzy, you promise to be a good little girl?" The low, strong voice asked through the faint static of hercell phone. Elizabeth flinched, her stomach clenching. The voice more foreign to her than familiar, the picture in her mind it carried even more fuzzy than their connection. Her fingers tightened around the little electronic, her eyes stinging. How dare he... How dare he?

"No," she said sharply, eyes flashing with anger. The girl's face was flushed with heat again, the temperature around her rising accordingly. I can assure you that I won't be.

Elizabeth laughed and leaned back again, forcing herself to relax. She smirked and crossed her arms, looking over him again.

"Why? Do you only go for good girls?" she asked, tone a bit playful.

The answer to her question was obvious, of course. In her mind, she already thought she knew exactly what kind of person she was. After all, those she had been surrounded by her entire life had been predictable enough. Even though he was different, he was still just a guy. What drove them was easy enough to figure out.

Then again, she had been wrong before.