Inner Demon

[Mira]

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. This soil is no longer worthy of bearing even the nastiest of berries. We 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 look around, you 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 humanity's putrefactive ways that lays death on everything they touch. What have you done to make this a better place?

After many years of economical and emotional struggles, the regions of the planet have turned into each other to begin a raging, free-for-all war. In the times where they should've stuck together and been there for each other, the flaws of personality overwhelmed any sense of morality. Typical. Cliché, maybe; but we humans are afraid of listening to the truth. Soon, a fight to determine the strongest of the nations initiated, and for all the wrong reasons. The little book of crimes of war was thrown away, 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 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 everyone else, 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 left clear 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 for it. You know how they say that one person can change the world? This 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'd be inclined towards what was incorrect, but he never imagined it would get this far. Expectations were null. He almost fell 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 walk to their own extinction and bring the last shreds of his precious creation down with this irredeemable race. Or was it?

One night… One certain night, Arceus laid eyes on you. He noticed how deep you were stuck with your inner demon. It made him sad, but he wanted to help you change. Without asking for your permission (why should he?), he laid upon you 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 felt like you felt, and the world was going to act like you acted. The destiny of the human race would be altered whether or not 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, they would. The way others would live their lives and they way that the governments and masses would read 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? 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 with is just as amazing. Seeing how it was going to be tough to make it through the world because of the circumstances, 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. Oh dilemmas. Finally, you would receive another present. He'd bring all of the chosen ones together to see if they would help each other out if they so chose to take the aid of one another.

On a certain day, a letter was sent to many youth citizens of all of the regions. You had been invited to the newly created Hope High School, institution worthy of its name. Built somewhere on the outskirts of northern Sinnoh, it was a school built secretly by the government to save at least a few of the 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 'random'. Lodging and transport was provided. This actually seemed like a good opportunity. 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 self. Will you be able to overtake your maleficent habits in order to save society? Has Arceus anything else planned? 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 find itself in, it is quite a 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. That or aerial means, that is; but 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 biggest 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. Each building has a really professional look, but they still are warming and appealing. Most of them are square or rectangular and with flat roofs. Each desk is 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, for 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 bed for two 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 alumni-owned 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 a lot of students really happy, the Cafeteria. Denounced 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 start 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 computer, is found here. Free school supplies are also handed around. 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 you 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 area of the school because it is mostly used for storage and waste disposal. This doesn't mean, however, that it receives less care or attention from the staff than other fields. First thing you see, whether you like it or not, is the train station. It's not big or anything, it's more of a landing dock. The train comes here every week to get 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 all that, 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. Talking about statues, a large number of statues 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. 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 PG-15: 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 a minimum of one a week and preferably 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: (your character has been sent to a High School, so please keep that in mind)

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

Personality: (okay, so you should maybe re-think RPing if you don't know what this means... and you need to make sure to match it with your character's trait)

History: (tie it in with your character's trait well enough so that we know why on earth your person would have been chosen amongst all the emo 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: (choose some sort of math: Core 1, Core 2, Core 3 or Core 4 based on your character's grade and skill)
2nd period: (this will be some sort of language, either just an English class, Latin, Spanish, French or any sort of obscure language you could see your character taking)
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 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)

 

[_Diego//]

Chapter 1: Enter Hope High School, Enter Damien.

"God dammit… We're in the middle of summer, couldn't it be any more warm in here?"

It was eleven fifty ante meridiem in Snowpoint's train station, a luscious structure built to the northeast of the city deluged with ice. The weather was completely chilled, not much to the surprise of the male figure that absentmindedly sat on a chair and waited for his cue to leave. His body, both in size and mass, earned him weird looks; and his attire wasn't anything less notorious. But it seemed like he didn't even notice, or at least he didn't want to. He sat there, staring at the clocks on the wall. His fingers and feet shivered every once in a while. Everyone thought this was due to the temperature, but in fact it was because it had been a while since he last took his meds. For that, he stared around the place to try to distract himself. The train station was simple on the inside, subtle and warming. To match the whiteness of the outside, the paint on the walls and the tiles on the floor and ceiling were tinged with soft-to-the-eye colors. Pastel light-blues and pale shades were what they mostly consisted of. Landscape portraits, paintings of regions once undestroyed, message boards, and screens were hung around the pillars and walls. The biggest one of them all, naturally, was on the northern wall, location that led to the boarding docks, and it displayed the schedule of the trains.

"Passengers of train 1337 are now allowed to board."

A voice spoke through the PA, but the male seemed to ignore it. He had become too enthralled in the activity of staring out through a window. Snowpoint City was probably the only place on the world that wasn't destroyed. Temperature was too violent for troops of warmer regions, and a bombing in such a small place seemed useless. For this, the once almost-empty town received tons of permanent visitors each day. But don't let that distract you, Snowpoint as a whole was still a gorgeously place to be at. The trees and Pokémon made everyone happier. It gave them hope and desire to live, thing that was very lacking in these times.

But the flora wasn't enough. The male continued to tremble. He looked down at his luggage and gritted his teeth. Gah, how this could be solved by just stretching and opening a few zippers if it weren't for everyone around was annoying. His veins had almost set up welcome mats for any visiting needle, and all of his muscles yelled for stupefying substances. But no, it wasn't the time. What kind of impression would he give by arriving at Hope High School high? It's not like he cared what anyone would think about him. After all, no one cared about him either. But the time just wasn't right. In the meantime, he just breathed heavily, almost painfully, and forced himself to be patient.

"I repeat, passengers of train 1337 are now allowed to board. Please head to gate 9 and have your tickets ready."

It got to him now. Lifting his lower back from the chair, but without standing up, the male pulled out the ticket from his back pocket. He stared at it for some seconds.

"SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued to: DAMIEN DECAY
Depature: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM:"

Damien sighed. He looked over his shoulder to the schedule screen and saw how, within the blink of an eye, 'Now Boarding' appeared in green letters next to the train number. Unlike every other row of information, though, the one his train was at didn't display a destination. Instead, "---" was seen. This raised suspicion to those observant souls who noticed, while others simply thought it was a mistake with the computers. If they only knew the place it led to, it would cause commotion.

Damien didn't want to be late, so he stood up and initiated a tight grip on his bag. It was a black, ovular bag, kind of what people take to a gym, or like a horizontal golf-bag. It was, however, superbly big and seemed exhaustingly heavy. The man lifted it like it was nothing, though. As soon as his full stature was displayed, several individuals gave him a shocked expression. He didn't really mind, it was not something he wasn't used to. With his free hand, he reached inside through a hole left because of two untouched zippers and pulled out a black scarf; wrapping it around his neck quickly. Damien yawned, clenched his fists, and began his walk to gate 9; which was the very last one to the right.

Once he got there, he noticed three checkpoints stood between him and the boarding area. The first one was a security one, where a short, stubby man approached. Trying to sound intimidating, he looked up at Damien and ordered him to open his bag for him. Smiling hypocritically, Damien lifted the bag and slammed it on the table between him and the man. Tremorous, the man put on a latex glove and rifled his hand into the bag. It wasn't more than 5 seconds, though, before he pulled it out, shoved the bag forward towards Damien, and said "Good to go."

Damien smiled again, sad at how useless this man was. He had failed to notice Damien's drugs, which weren't even all that hidden; and he didn't even worry about Damien carrying a butterfly knife and a lighter on his pockets. For all he knew, someone with a firearm wouldn't have any trouble going in. There wasn't even a metal detector. It was truly shameful. But anyways, he didn't pay much attention, and he headed to the second checkpoint. He noticed, too, that either he was very punctual, or everyone had forgotten about this, for he was apparently the only person ready to board gate 9. At the second checkpoint, a lady simply asked to see his letter.

Nonchalantly, Damien reached in his other back pocket and pulled out the letter about Hope High School, which was folded into a small square. The lady quickly took it from his hands, almost as if she didn't want anyone around to know that he had given her this, and grinned.

"I shall be keeping this. You may go forward."

Damien remained silent, simply nodding and straightening his fedora. He liked methodic things, and much more in a situation like this, where he was seemingly alone. At the third checkpoint, a tall, thin, uniformed man requested to his boarding pass. He flashed it at him, and as soon as he did so the man teared off a toothed part, motioning for Damien to go. Again, Damien simply walked forward along the plain corridor and eventually got to a small open area. In front of him, the train was parked. It was noticeably separated from the rest of the trains in the station, which were visible only through a thick wall of trees. Suspicious, Damien boarded the train, which was also quite smaller. He noticed he was the first person in, and he also noticed the seats weren't numbered, so he could sit wherever he wanted. It looked like an airplane inside, two rows of seats separated by an aisle in the middle. A corridor and a window seat for each row. There were 25 files, meaning the maximum capacity was 100. Who would've guessed the school was so selective.

Damien took a seat in the 6th file, window. He disliked that someone was seating next to him. He didn't want to talk to anybody, now or never. Technically, the fact that someone sat next to him didn't mean he'd have to talk, but all in all he just wanted to avoid any sort of contact. Hopefully, someone as quiet as he was would pick the seat. Now, he just had to wait for the train to leave. He thought about pulling out his substances for a quick dose, but being catched by another boarding fellow wouldn't be nice. Damien took a deep breath as he looked up to the front, where, in the back of the seat in front of him, a TV with the message "No Pokémon are allowed outside of their PokéBalls on the train." Damien took his hand to his belt to make sure Zero's PokéBall was still there, and after that, he just kicked back, put his fedora over his face to block sunlight from hitting him, and waited…

 

[Mira]

"Yeah, I'm fine, mom. Y... Yes! Okay! I have to go now!"

Elizabeth flipped her cell phone shut and climbed onto the train, following a small stream of students who she supposed would be her classmates. If she were a smoker, Elizabeth would have wanted nothing more than to fill her bloodstream with nicotine in order to soothe her frayed nerves. How could a simple conversation with her mother possibly get under her skin that much?

Her parents had had very mixed feelings about sending Elizabeth to Hope High School, wanting to give her new experiences as well as getting her out of their hair, but yet wondering if this was the parent-like thing to do. Elizabeth's will finally won out, her constant whining and moping, which she learned from her older sister, finally convincing them to let her go. Well, now that she had won once, Elizabeth had decided to press her luck again, telling them that she had to go to Snowpoint a few days early to do registration and such. Her mother agreed to go with her, but had a last minute press conference that every member of the Lake Coordinators had to go to, just like Elizabeth had expected.

The results were absolutely wonderful. Elizabeth had gotten a room at a swanky hotel all to herself while she went out on the town and did whatever she wanted, just her and her Vulpix. She did go shopping, naturally, and she would be the first one to admit that she disliked doing so, but that statement would be followed with a firm "with my mother". By herself, Elizabeth was allowed to buy whatever she wanted without having pressure from her mother to undergo the process of "Lakeification" and then being forced to sneak off and secretly buy things she would later hide away into her closet. Elizabeth took this experience as her first true taste of freedom.

It had been glorious.

Elizabeth now looked around the train for an open spot, which wasn't difficult to find as there were only a few students finding their seats, their laughter already filling the air. Elizabeth sighed and glanced around, deciding to go up to the front where the fewest people were seated, only pausing when one particular person caught her eye. He was huge, that much was certain, incredibly tall and broad. His clothes and pale skin plainly announced him to be an emo, and his ridiculous muscles made him appear rather threatening, though all that Elizabeth saw was a person her parents would absolutely die seeing her interact with in any way, so that fact along with the cool hat over the guy's face sealed the deal.

Elizabeth dropped her suitcase on the ground in front of the empty seat next to him and sat down, folding left leg under her. She looked over the guy again, trying to discover whether he appeared to be asleep or not, but decided that he shouldn't be doing so anyway. Elizabeth smiled and extended a hand to the boy, smiling and silently hoping that she had inherited at least some of her family's congeniality.

"Hi. I'm Elizabeth Lake."

 

[Neiko Star]

"Goodness, Vlad, are you sure you're feeling all right?" Mrs. Constantin asked anxiously. "You look awfully pale."

Vlad shrugged. He was always pale. Why did people think that being pale meant that you were sick? Well, he was more or less used to it. His mother fretted constantly about him, especially when she was nervous. And he was pretty sure she was nervous right now.

"Could it be the cold? It is chilly in here, though of course it's a good deal better than outside. I don't know how these people can live here, no wonder most of them stay indoors. Who would want to come outside on a day like this? Though I suppose it's always this temperature around here. Really! How can they stand this? My feet are freezing, and I'm indoors! How can they raise children in such an environment? I mean..."

Vlad ignored his mother's chattering. That was another of her annoying traits. When she got especially nervous, she would blabber on and on about the most insignificant things, and usually wouldn't stop until she ran out of topics. Instead, his gaze wandered around in the train station, searching for a reflective surface. He wanted to see his face.

"No, but really! French fries! At the cafeteria! Can you believe it? How can you grow up to be big and healthy if you eat fast food every day?"

"Passengers of train 1337 are now allowed to board."

Vlad craned his neck. He saw a thin line of kids around his age stream into the gate furthest on the right. They were surprisingly few.

"And that's not all! They actually--"

"Mom, I'm going now," Vlad murmured in her ear as he brushed past her.

His mother blinked. "Wha..but..." she spluttered. She watched helplessly as her adoptive son squeezed through the crowd and headed towards gate nine. Then, deciding that there was nothing she could do, she called loudly after him, "Don't forget to brush your teeth every day!" Which earned her several strange looks from the passers-by.

"I know," Vlad muttered under his breath, picking his way through bunches of jumpy children and nervous parents. It looked like there wasn't only one school train around here.

Finally, he arrived at the entrance of the gate, where three checkpoints stood before him. The first one was governed by a small, pudgy man, who hurriedly wobbled over when he saw Vlad, and demanded in a very non-threatening voice to see the contents of his bag. Vlad, silently, showed him his belongings, which mainly consisted of toilettries. The guard grunted, allowing him to pass. Did he really expect someone like Vlad to possess dangerous things like drugs that could alter your appearance?

The lady at the second checkpoint smiled at him and asked to see his letter. Vlad slid it out of his pocket and gave it to her. She smiled again and motioned for him to pass. He did so without looking back. He did not like the lady. She smiled too much.

When he arrived at the last checkpoint, the man there asked for his pass. Vlad flashed it, and then he was finally allowed into the boarding area. The train he saw waiting there was much smaller than the ones he had seen at the station, but nevertheless he spotted many teenagers entering it. He stepped inside, and was unsurprised to find most of seats already taken. He slid into a random file and sat down in the first empty seat he came across. Fortunately, it was a window seat, and the glass was shiny and polished. He stared at his reflection and waited for the train to start.

 

[Swolligator]

Checkpoints, trains and Anton

The graffiti scoured all over the message board made it hard to see any of the notices that the train station displayed; "Kotone was here." "Salamence rulez!" All kinds of barely legible and often foul sentences were scrawled all over the plastic covering. Despite this obvious obstacle, Anton continued to read what had been posted there. His thirst for knowledge and information was what drew him to the notice board in the first place, but also served as a distraction from the drone of the real world behind him. There was a list of rules and regulations about conduct aboard the train, "information can be found in many of the most obscure places", a common saying from the intelligence division he served in. "Once served in" he reminded himself, thinking back to those days, the days he had actually felt accepted. Then his eyes fell on a single rule: "3. No Pokémon are allowed outside of their PokéBalls on the train."

"Shit." Anton exclaimed, making the young, sleeping Aerodactyl on his shoulder awaken and flap its wings rapidly. "Quiet Terror, I don't have a PokéBall for you to go in, but I do have a plan on how we are going to get you in."

"Passengers of train 1337 are now allowed to board. Please head to gate 9 and have your tickets ready."

Anton fished in his bag, looking for the small envelope that contained the contents he needed to get onto the train. "Hope High School", he muttered as he read the letter, the Aerodactyl no longer perched on his shoulder and now hidden out of sight. Even if the name suggests it, Anton was sure this place offered no difference to the world he now inhabited.

He placed the envelope and accompanying letter in the pocket of his jacket, ready for when he needed to use it. This place was cold so Anton kept his jacket unzipped, "I have survived worse than this, it's pretty mild." Shuffling into line, he glanced around at the other children who were attending Hope High, their parents hovering over them like prying vultures, they had sheltered lives, none of them could really understand the emotional and psychological events that shook and shaped Anton's life. "How I wish I had their luck."

The line moved on and Anton shuffled along, getting closer and closer to the checkpoints, closer to the train and closer to maybe a glimmer of hope. Head bowed down and shoulders hunched forward he managed to make it to the checkpoints without being harassed or disturbed by any of the other students. He reached the first checkpoint, a bag check. Anton had nothing to hide so slowly giving the man his bag, keeping his eyes firmly on the pudgy man whilst watching everything else from out of the corner of his eye. The man handed Anton's bag back to him, as it turned out he had taken nothing at all. He watched as he walked away and saw the man watching Anton as he proceeded to the next checkpoint, giving Anton the 'suspicious person' look.

The second checkpoint presented a different obstacle and a different person, this one, a check of the sent letter and a nice, smiling lady. "Don't smile lady, it's annoying." He thought as he handed her his letter, frowning at her still. She smiled at him again, a big, wide smile this time and motioned for Anton to continue onto the last checkpoint. "She would not smile once I told her half the stuff I had been through." He thought and carried on to the next checkpoint.

The third and final checkpoint contained a single man whom asked for Anton's ticket which Anton gave him and hurried on board the train. However, the man stopped Anton before he could go any further, grabbing him on the shoulder. Anton then took this as an attack on his person and promptly turned around to face the man. Anton had his fist held back ready to punch the man in either in the face, sternum or groin. Anton was nearly about to launch his attack when the man held up Anton's iPod which had fallen out of his satchel and onto the fall at the foot of the man. Anton promptly thanked the man then continued on, adjusting the zip higher on his ski jacket.

By the time Anton had hopped onto the train, nearly all seats had a passenger sitting in them. So he continued down the aisle, passing a sleeping giant and a perky witch and sitting in the cubicle behind them. He chucked his bag onto the opposite seat and lay down on the seat, lying with his back to the seat and begun to relax. He began breathing slowly and soon drifted off into a quiet meditative state, keeping his senses of smell, touch and sound to alert him to any intruder or thief. He also felt Terror move about under his jacket and his claws dig into Anton's skin. The pain was only momentary and he waited for the train to begin moving towards their destination.

 

[eveelution]

Nicholas stared out into the thick snow outside of the inn he had stayed the night at. His wind breaker was zipped up to his neck, and you could hear him grumbling, "Damn snow, so thick you can barely see in front of you." He was slowly gathering the courage to head towards the small train station on the outskirts of Snowpoint City.

Nicholas had his scarf wrapped around his mouth and ears, but his nose and eyes were bared to the elements. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his windbreaker, and as an extra precaution he had tucked his pants into his shoes, as if they could keep out the snow. He had on a blue backpack, that was crammed full of books and a few pairs of clothes. Then he steeled himself, rushing towards the doors in an attempt to act now and think later.

Nicholas slammed into the doors not realizing that he was supposed to pull, not push. His hands flew up to hold his nose, and the young maid in the lobby was quietly trying to contain her laughter. Sadly, she didn't succeed very well and chuckled to herself as she advised, "You might want to pull open the doors before leaving, kind sir." Nicholas just glared at the girl, quickly wrenching the glass doors open and stomping through the thick snow.

*

Nicholas snapped his book shut, growling at the distracting hustle and bustle of the train station. The soft blue walls of the train station could hardly be seen, the crowd was so thick. The noise itself was substantial, with the intercom buzzing, the crowd talking and the simple noise generated from so many people moving at once. Nicholas looked up at the loud speakers, as if he could glare them into quiet.

Then Nicholas' expression changed into one of befuddlement. Again, the loud speaker boomed, "May all passengers of train 1337 board now! May all passengers of train 1337 board now!" Nicholas stood up and growled, packing his book back in his bag. Then he walked away from the bench he had been sitting on, shuffling towards the gate on his boarding pass with his shoulders hunched. He stopped and raised an eyebrow at the short stubby man in front of him who demanded to see his bag.

Nicholas looked down his nose at the security guard that stood at the first checkpoint. He was a few inches shorter than Nicholas, and yet he was demanding to see the contents of the teenager's bag, as if the short stubby man had the highest of authority. Nicholas scowled saying, "Look, I doubt you could stop even a street urchin. You'd think this place would have higher security," as he zipped open his bag and showed the security guard the pile of books. The silly, little, security guard leered at Nicholas before saying "You may pass."

Nicholas gave the man the mother of all scowls before walking towards a friendly looking woman who simply asked for his letter. Nicholas gave it to her and walked on towards the next checkpoint, not even noticing that she kept the letter. The next person was a tall, thin, man wearing a uniform. He took a quick look over Nicholas' boarding pass, and gave a tip of his hat as Nicholas boarded the train.

The train was top of the line with almost a hundred seats and most of his new class-mates had already boarded, but there was a small trickle of students yet to board. Nicholas quickly took an empty window seat and pulled a dog-eared book out of his backpack, propping his feet on the edge of his seat. The seat next to him was quickly taken by one of those sheltered, friendly kids. Nicholas gave his usual almighty scowl when the young boy introduced himself. One could even see the poor boy gulp.

 

[Yuukihime]

One can say you'll never be forgiven for the sins you've done. You'll never rest in peace. Your soul will haunt the land in screaming agony when you pass on. Charity...Charity...

"Charity Eden to train 1337, please!" A voice awoke her from her day dreams. How long had it been since she nodded off? About an hour? Two hours? All she remembered was handing the man her ticket and then sitting down.

"No matter." Alyssa mumbled. Alyssa stood up and boarded the train. She could see all the people saying goodbye to their family. Mothers, fathers, cousins, sisters... Alyssa had none of that. She was alone, and she prefferred it that way. The less people, the better.

"Bag check please ma'am." The security said. Alyssa opened her bags, there was no metal detector so they wouldn't find the knife in her pocket, luckily. The silver knife that had a flower imprint wasn't exactly clean. She had used it against a person to steal a ticket. So the knife was still stained with blood but Alyssa had chosen this train station because their was no metal detector. She could clearly get away with carrying a knife on board. The only problem was when she got to school. They would probably pat her down for weapons

....Do schools do that? More importantly does this school do it?

"Your bags clean ma'am you may get on board." The man said, and Alyssa nodded.

Okay, so Alyssa's name wasn't really "Charity Eden." it was her alias that she would be going by. Hr made up story for Charity was that her parents had been in a terrible car accident, and she had been bounced around from home to home till she found a fost family but after time the foster family grew tired of her and sent her to "Hope High School". It was pretty believable.

How could they know the truth?

Why would they let in a teenager that was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and has already murdered a person? No one. Now Alyssa knew she didn't have Schizophrenia, there was something inside her. Gently whispering to her every time something bad happens to kil lthat person. To slowly torture them till they are a disembodied being? And the sick twisted pleasure she got from it would put her in a mental institution.

Again.

She had found a lone car in the back of the train. She had seen a few people introducing themselves. A girl who's name she overheard to be "Elizabeth Lake" who was introducing herself to some dark looking fellow. One could say from afar he looked rather handsome, but Alyssa saw the paleness from past abuse.

"Drug user." She muttered but it was loud enough so the two could hear her flat out insult torwards the pale boy. Of course it was an assumption, but a fairly good one at that. What would people assume about her? No one could possibly guess that she had murdered one person, and possibly murdered two more. Or could they? No, they couldn't. Alyssa looked like your typical clinically depressed child. Except that she was not depressed...

She at down on the bench in the car. The seats were covered by soft seat covering and when she sat on them dust filled the air. It was obvious this car was not used by people often. She looked out the window and wtached the people dart in and out of the train, sayuing goodbye to relatives, looknig for their bags, and Alyssa could almsot swear she saw a fight break out in the crowd.

"It's going to be a long ride if this noise keeps up..." Alyssa mumbled

 

[Umbreongirl]

As riddled as the tide.

Swim to me, Swim to me, let me enfold you. Here I am. Here I am, waiting to hold you.

"Hey! Move it, or get outta' line, lady!" A rather obtrusive voice growled, and rather than snapping back into her immediate surroundings, Siren whirled coyly around to address the brash voice who had ordered her on. Pale eyes surveyed the burgeoning gut of the boy, the dull, mousy brown hair swept up into an unkempt ponytail, and the knitted scowl of two bushy black eyebrows. Quite appropriately, at the boy's side, stood a Granbull, wearing a characteristic scowl to match her trainer's. She blinked dumbly, inquisitiveness kicking in as she automatically began scanning this fellow human being for some level on which she might identify with him. And then, she noticed it. Fashioned around the Granbull's throat, rather than the stereotypical spike studded black leather collar you might expect, was a much plainer collar of nylon, dappled with pictures of Luvdisc and Magikarp. Immediately, Siren brightened.

"You wouldn't happen to be a Fisherman, would you?" She asked casually, skin prickling sensually as she was returned to the Sea, the crow's nest, the sea salt whipping into her face, stinging her eyes, and causing her nose to smart. She sighed a wistful sigh, and turned eagerly back to the boy behind her, thirsting uncannily for his next words. Flashing her an eerily cheerful smile, the boy edged in close to her, almost too close, to where his flabby lips were dangling just inches from her outer ear. Siren leaned in eagerly.

"Read my lips." He whispered. "That's none of your business! Now are you going to get on the damned train, or not, because some of us would like to get to Hope High School sometime this millenium!" The boy stood back, smirking, evidently pleased with himself, and Siren staggered away from him, taken aback. Before the wounded Siren could even regroup, a flash appeared just inches beneath where the boy had bellowed into her ear, and a pintsized little Pokemon made its debut.

"Ralts!" The miniature Pokemon babbled gleefully, a large maroon iris winking down playfully at Siren, as acrobatically, he sprung from her shoulder to land a few feet in front of the Granbull and his trainer. Before the other trainer could even sling another unexpected wisecrack at Siren, Vira raised his stubby little arms dramatically, and with a wide grin, whisked them with a flourish away from his body, some type of zany conductor. In a flash similar to the one Vira had appeared into, the boy and his Granbull simultaneously vanished, only to appear moments later at the very end of the line.

Take your time. Vira smiled, nuzzling reassuringly into Siren's neck. This is your day.

Siren relinquished the leather messenger bag, the sole bit of luggage she had arrived at the Station with, to the designated Security, a rather sad and hopeless looking man whose friendly smile only widened as he laid eyes on the girl. Lilac eyes flaring suspiciously at the aged man, pulsating fiercely, she quietly turned away from him to cross her arms insecurely over her chest, craning her neck in an attempt to see into the imposing train, an attempt to get a heads up on the seating situation, so that when she finally was forced to make her inevitable awkward debut into the train, she wouldn't look like a dithering idiot scrounging around for a seat. It was no secret that Siren had procrastinated her arrival, and even still, Vira felt obliged to point out the obvious.

We're late. He announced from the cozy confines of her backpack, where he had admitted himself after the lady who had taken the letter had given a stern reminder that no Pokemon were to be outside their Pokeballs for the duration of the ride. Breezing through the final checkpoint, Siren laughed inwardly, this silent chuckle evoking a secretive smile upon her face.

Thank you, Captain Obvious. She replied affectionately, before halting immediately, a cold sweat breaking across her body as her worst fear was realized. Every single last double seat was occupied, leaving only displaced single seats, many of them window seats, meaning that Siren would have to clamber all over some stranger just to sit down. She hesitated, and as she did so, a good deal of the students received insight to her nervousness, and as she lumbered, intentionally delaying her footsteps until she decided which one of the strangers looked the least threatening, Vira plopped down into the nearest empty corridor seat he spotted, glancing expectantly up to Siren. The girl who sat at the window seat had been applying lip gloss, and as she caught sight of Vira in the seat next to her, pursued her polished lips into a disgusted perfect 'O', and glared at Vira as if a worm had slithered up into her seat.

"Uhm, this seat's taken?" She offered in sassy question-statement, and flashing the girl a silencing glare of her own, hurriedly snatched Vira up and continued onward. If it had been just her who had been rejected, Siren would've retorted back with an even "Yeah, you're right. By me. You're a bright one, aren't you?", but she refused to be within ten feet of somebody who wouldn't even give Vira a chance. Other people had begun to whisper when she passed, but at this point, Siren was only interested in staking out her seat. Finally, toward the back of the train, Siren noticed a sallow girl gazing out the window who seemed to be ignoring her presence altogether. This fascinated the girl whose very appearance seemed to attract immediate controversy, and so plopping herself down in the seat, Siren offered an inviting smile, but nothing more, realizing that if the girl were a conversationalist, nothing more would be required. Meanwhile...

Vira, what do you got on her? Siren inquired, neutral gaze never wavering from the other girl's face.

Hold on, i'm looking..

 

[_Diego//]

All around me are familiar faces. Worn out places, worn out faces.

Everyone's the same. Only the names and faces change. It was somewhat pathetic, no?

Damien sat comfortably in his seat and eyed every passerby through the corner of his eye, trying really deep to stare into everyone's soul. His whole stay in the school was sure to be dramatically affected depending on the kind of people that went in. As much as he disliked the rest of the world, he knew that in some way and some time or another he'd have to make some interaction. He was solitary, not stupid or actually scared of people. At first glance, everyone that walked next to him seemed to be a normal, happy kid; but he knew better than anyone how easily one could hide something.

More and more minutes went by, and his need for narcotics hadn't been sufficed. Dammit, it was almost noon! On any other day, he would've already been high at least twice by now. It was a horrible feeling not to be up in the clouds. The bottles and bags in his backpack were yelling at him, they urged him to stretch his hand and pick them up. His body needed it, his mind wanted it. The desire was so big that a voice behind his head was asking him to murder everyone inside the train so he could do whatever he needed in tranquility.

Everyone stared down at him, just like he conspicuously stared up at them. Many people were boarding, and sooner than later the train began to fill itself. More and more pressure built up. Some were really loud, others seem very calm. Some read books, some yelled their favorite songs to the top of their lungs, and others, like Damien, were flat out asleep or careless. Everyone was so minding their business, in fact, that Damien saw this as a pretty good opportunity to do something. Yes, the thought crossed his mind. There was no one next to him, or in his file in that case. No one was staring. Perfect. But just before his arm or any other body part could move to initiate his action…

"Hi. I'm Elizabeth Lake."

~You're so shi**ing me.~ Damien thought before doing anything. With a bored sigh, Damien rolled his eye and gazed at the newcomer through his bangs and fedora. A female of slender frame and delicate facial features topped by raven hair and vivid, scarlet highlights had decided to take the seat next to him. As she looked at him with vibrant blue eyes, he noticed that she had stretched her hand for a handshake.

Why had this girl so peacefully approached him? For all he knew, he didn't have a friendly demeanor or appearance. He just wasn't the kind of guy that automatically invited others to converse with him, so having a girl come close in such a manner rose many emotions inside Damien: fear, anxiety, nervousness, confusion, desperation, and many others. He didn't know what to do or say. Should he shake her hand, should he say his name, or both? Well, actually, maybe he could've started by looking up at her, for even though she spoke, his gawk hadn't been lifted from the ground, nor had his fedora been straightened to the part of the head it belonged. Damien was really uncomfortable. He could barely speak to people he wanted to; and now someone had come to him and he was in a deep state of drug-need. This could mean no good.

The idea hit Damien, though, that maybe interaction wasn't all that bad. Maybe, just maybe, this girl was good. She seemed friendly, and she had made things that much easier by coming to him. It might be dramatic, but this girl kinda gave hope to Damien. Like, he was at least somewhat approachable if she desired to talk to him. But just when he was about to arm himself with valor to look up and say something, another voice pierced in.

"Drug user…"

Another girl spoke, and that simple phrase was enough to break Damien down again. The unimaginable amount of braveness that the first girl had sparked now crumbled to dust because of the words uttered by the second girl. Damien knew it was true, but no one that didn't stare into his eyes or saw his ravaged left arm could deduce that. From the corner of his bloodshot, hazel eye, again, Damien examined the other girl. He, just like she had seen through him, could figure that this loudmouthed female was just as damaged as he was. Not through drugs, but in some other way. He decided to be the more mature person in the situation, though, and he remained quiet. Maybe if he ignored her it would seem like the words didn't get to him. It's not like he could retort in any way, not for now. After some moments, the girl walked away, and the original two were once again left alone.

"Bit*h" Damien muttered under his breath. Again, his desire for speaking had been brought down, and he didn't even bother. Damien only let out a loud sigh before moving his fedora even more over his face and returning to his resting position, blatantly ignoring Elizabeth Lake. It was such a jerk move not to shake her hand, but Damien didn't care. He was pissed off at the world once again.

"Attention all passengers, please buckle up, the train will depart from the station in a matter of minutes."

Silent, Damien did as ordered, and quickly then he made himself comfortable. He felt bad about ignoring the girl next to him, but he knew that doing that might maybe bore her off and get her to leave; and that was what he wanted. He hoped the train would start moving soon, for that would mean that Hope High School would be each time closer, and then he could lock himself in his room and be happy the only way he knew. But until then, he had to wait. He had to wait…

 

[Mira]

(OOC: Sorry guys... I have issues with "conversation" posts... >.>')

There was an awkward pause during which the only sign of life the boy offered was a rather annoyed sigh. So Elizabeth sat there with her hand outstretched, maintaining her friendly smile while inside she began to think through the situation she had just placed herself in. What was she thinking, sitting next to this boy who so obviously wanted to be left alone? Had she really taken her drive to go against the "Lake way" so far as to forget that she never interacted with people she didn't know until it was practical to do so? It would be a good idea to have made a friend by the time she got to Hope High School, though this boy didn't exactly come off as a willing candidate. Elizabeth supposed that there really wasn't anything to lose...

Except for my dignity, Elizabeth thought with a spark of frustration as she glanced down at her untaken hand. What's this kid's problem, anyway?

"Drug user..."

Elizabeth blinked and turned back to face the isle, catching sight of a blue-gray ponytail bobbing as the verbal offender settled into a seat. She felt herself frown, aware of a rather significant realization refusing to reveal itself.

"Bit*h..." the boy muttered, sighing once more before retreating even further into a glaringly antisocial position.

Oh... Elizabeth thought numbly, brain still halfway caught in her ponderings.

"Attention all passengers. Please buckle up. The train will depart from the station in a matter of minutes."

Elizabeth quickly obeyed, still attempting to make sense of the girl's strange comment. What on earth made her think that this guy was a drug user?

"Oh!" Elizabeth said aloud this time, an amused expression distinctly displayed on her face. Her shoulders began to tremble slightly as she pressed her lips together more tightly. She cupped a hand over her mouth in vain as she began to laugh uncontrollably.

People were just so stupid sometimes.

"We're all messed up, hun," Elizabeth managed to say as her laughter began to die off and she leaned back against her seat, shaking her head. "That's why we're going to this school anyway, because they still think that hope can be created in a nicely controlled environment, like it's bacteria or something. But let me just give you a heads up that pointing out somebody else's crap won't make whatever's wrong with you any better."

Elizabeth sighed, a smile still fixed on her face. She looked over to the boy sitting beside her.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name," she said cooly, pretending as if nothing had occurred.

 

[Yuukihime]

Will I redeem my soul, will truth set me free?​

Alyssa sat there thinking for what seemed to be ages. Her thoughts drifted from serious things to hat if she was caught to what she was going to eat when she got to school.

You ponder things too much, master. One of the stones on her necklace chimed.

When you're in my position what can you do Spiritomb? We are one in the same..having been locked away..saying that we are nothing but unstable monsters..You should understand this better than anyone.

I suppose your right, master. You may want to try and unwind though..I highly suspect they would ever think Charity Eden has done the things you've done.

I have no intention of getting attached to anything here. The less attached I am the easier it will be to leave when the police catch on. It will be a few days before they see my parents not moving, unless they managed to live and call the police.

Your memories say you left no trace evidence, correct?

Of course. The only thing the cops will find is a sanitized knife blade and shattered glass.. I'm not stupid. Of course they'll probably wonder about the runaway daughter..And knowing my history, I'll be the first person they question. I'm the 'Schizophrenic, violent, teenager.'

You are going to a place where many people are..Are you sure you're going to be okay?

A few missing teenagers now and again isn't going to hurt..I'm sure everything will be fine Spiritomb..you know what it's like..we formed a bond when I released you from that seal did I not? Your are connected to the very essence of my soul

Of course, master.

I'm not your typical Pokémon Trainer I suppose, you're not necessarily captured by me..you swore your loyalty to me.

Indeed, and that oath binds me to your will until you release me.

Which will be quite a long time from now, originally my meowth was going to be my starter but...

You murdered it.

Indeed.

Her conversation was cut short when a girl with a controversial appearance plopped her butt right across from here and had a smile on her face. Alyssa silently examined the girl. Her heart began to race..the first human being other than her parents she'd truly got to see in three years..

Alyssa's mouth went dry she knew what was coming. That very tiny voice laughing inside of her.

Stab her! You can do it! Stab her! Stab her!

The voice egged her on and Alyssa slowly went to grab the knife when it hit her..the first rule of killing someone..is never leave a witness..and unless she wanted to go on a complete murderous rampage now was not the time to do.
Of course socialization was not one of Alyssa's strong parts. She had been locked up in an asylum for 3 years so her social skills were nothing..

What could she say? All that would ever come out of her mouth is lies. In fact 'Charity Eden' was a lie. She wasn't a real person..merely an alias Alyssa had come up with. She was living proof of a lie. She was thinking of what to say when Spiritomb chimed in.

You know it's rude to shift through people's minds, that's an invasion of privacy.

As silence filled the room she heard the train enigineer through the intercom,"Attention all passengers, please buckle up, the train will depart from the station in a matter of minutes."

Finally words formed in Alyssa's mouth. "I'm sorry for my friends rudeness..I'm Charity Eden, and you are?"

 

[eveelution]

;)

After that the boy left to a different seat, much farther away from his original seat, as if Nicholas had the bubonic plague. Nicholas scowled thinking to himself, Good, that stupid kid was annoying and would only bring me trouble. Deep inside Nicholas actually felt bad for scaring off a potential friend but the voice inside him had told him to do so. The compelling voice told him how he deserved better things, how others were just a nuisance. Nicholas shook his head, averting his attention back to his book.

He only faintly heard the intercom boom, "Attention all passengers, please buckle up, the train will depart from the station in a matter of minutes." Nicholas subconsciously complied, focused so intensely on his book he didn't even notice. Nicholas didn't even notice that he was on the last page of his book.

Then his book was over, and Nicholas slowly closed his book as if trying to make the story last longer. Sadly the story was over and Nicholas sighed wistfully, looking around the train as if for his first time.

It was a very nice train that looked almost like an airplane. There was a single isle running down the middle of the train, with two seats for each side. The train was fully boarded, and most of the people were either keeping to themselves or having small conversations with the person next to them. Nicholas stared in particular at a gigantic teenager blatantly ignoring a slender girl with scarlet highlights in her black hair. What weird people, Nicholas silently thought Well, I guess that's the reason we were all allowed to go to a secret school in the middle of nowhere.

Besides the fact that the school had top of the line curriculum, and that it was safe from the war stricken world. Those facts wouldn't convince a family to send their child out into their unknown. Then again, why would he complain about being sent to this school? Where he believed he had a chance to maybe be liked. Where he might have a chance to be grateful for once.

Then he remembered that voice. The voice that told him whatever he got was not enough, that the whole world needed to know that nothing was sufficient. After that, he didn't worry about deep philosophical stuff. He still had two other books to read, and he set upon them with a passion.

 

[Umbreongirl]

Were you here when I was full sail?


My soul capsized. Like a fish, paralysed.

You know it's rude to sift through other people's minds. It's an invasion of privacy.

As Siren's unwavering glance froze, her Cheshire smile shattered, she began to experience Vira's presence infiltrating her being. Her heart clenched, and in a New York minute, she had already decided to bolt. Ordinarily, the Emotion Pokemon served as something of a mild tranquilizer for her, a calming constant to an ordinarily wayward and skittish flood of emotion. In essence, Vira was her confidence, her cool, her rationale, and her reason. But right now, it seemed that Vira was her curse. He froze in her veins, and as his panic flooded through her, Siren's heart flopped, her consciousness floundering as she lost all control.

Fortunately, this wasn't perceivable outwardly, where the girl's amorous smile remained fossilized, stuck timelessly in place, and her expression calm and neutral.

................

What is it, Vira? Came her inquiry, without her moving a single stalled muscle. Siren's heart lurched, but her body remained perfectly immobile.

Get the hell out of there Siren, get out right now!

Vira's instability lit a flicker in Siren's eyes, and only after this initial ignition, did she find herself able to move. Finally drawing a welcome gulp of air in, Siren began the painstaking process of soothing herself. After several long moments of silence, she began to deliberate over what had just happened. Vira was obviously still riddled, so Siren backed off in order to let him get a grip on his own emotion.

What, exactly, had just happened? A consciousness of a different sort had probed into her mind, and as she remembered the intense, icey cold of an ominous power slithering into her mind, Siren shuddered. The train wasn't in any fashion cold, was sickeningly warm, in fact, but Siren found that she couldn't stop shaking.

What is it, Vira? What was that? Siren wondered meekly, eyes flashing warily down to her lap, where the Ralts had materialized. Ordinarily, the little Psychic had the pep of a Skitty on Cat Nip, the rambunctiousness of a cooky musician. But now, he stood, a sobering and humorless little statue, glaring distrustfully up at the girl. Before he could respond, however, the other girl's words took precedence over his own, as was usual when it came to real-time conversation. Vira could only stare helplessly on as who he thought of as a sinister creature crept into their lives in a menacing fashion.

"Attention all passengers, please buckle up! The train will be departing from the station in a matter of minutes."

"I'm sorry for my friend's rudeness... I'm Charity Eden, and you are?"

That seemed all the innovation Siren needed for her charisma to kick in, and as Vira stared powerlessly up from down below, watched as his ordinarily observant trainer leapt all too zealously into the net the other girl held out for her.

"Your friend..?" Siren ventured with genuine curiosity, noticing seemingly for the first time the interesting relic strung around the girl's pale throat. Suddenly, it all made sense.

"Oh! She laughed self-consciously. "Of course."

For the two human girls who had grown up as hermits sheltered and chained, battered and broken, it was interesting, and almost heart-warming to see that out of the ruins, they were attempting to rise, to stretch toward the light, to establish a concrete sense of normalcy in form of a common conversation.. That, however, didn't mean that they wouldn't struggle with it a bit.

"And Vira made it seem like I had Countess Bathory on my hands. You wouldn't happen to be raising a Ghost-type Pokemon, would you?" She asked coyly, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her plump lips, casting an exasperated look down at the Ralts.

"You'll have to excuse my Pokemon as well, it would seem. He acted like we were sitting next to the Chief of a Cannabalistic tribe, conveniently leaving it out that you just had Ghostie in your company. So I guess I was just spooked for nothing.." Siren laughed aloud. Now that she had a grasp on a logical explanation to Vira's chilling behavior, she was going to hang onto it with a deathgrip, like people so often do. Unfortunate for Vira, who had been about to inform Siren of something much more macabre, something much more twisted.

Visions of the Meowth split in two danced in his head, and so stonily he sat, glaring daggers at the odd relic on the girl's necklace.

"I'm Siren Salmon, and i'm here because I kept running away from Foster Care. I'm guessing this is the last stop, end of the line for me. If I get kicked out of here, I hate to think where they'd then send me. Snowpoint City is the most godforsaken place in all the regions, i'd imagine. Though I can't say for certain.. I haven't done much travelling. What are you in for?" Siren inquired innocently.

"Let me guess..." She laughed. "This is your first taste of freedom, your emancipation from overbearing parentals? You're running away from mandatory confinement?"

Siren asked, not knowing how eerily on the mark she was.

 

[Neiko Star]

"Attention all passengers, please buckle up, the train will depart from the station in a matter of minutes."

Vlad absentmindedly did as he told. For the first time, he had realized something, a small detail that had escaped him before. It had been written in the letter that he could choose between Pokemon battling, coordinating and breeding. That he meant there were Pokemon involved, some that he would have to train. Also, that poster had said that no Pokemon were allowed out of their Pokeballs in the train. Which meant that all of the kids here must have Pokemon. And that he was supposed to as well.

It was a common thing. Vlad was smart, but always in his own world, so details and such oftenly escaped him, his mind only grasping them much later. He was required to have a Pokemon. But he had none.

Suddenly, he realized that a boy was sitting in the seat directly in front of him. He must have been there for quite a long time, but of course Vlad had not noticed his presence.

The boy looked about Vlad's age, with fair blonde hair and rather tanned skin. The front of his shirt bulged; a long, greyish tail poked out from under it. So Vlad had been right. All the kids here really did have their own Pokemon.

He leaned forward and whispered in the other boy's ear. "Excuse me, but is owning a Pokemon is a requirement to enter this school?"

 

[Yuukihime]

The secret side of me I never let you see, I keep it caged but I can't control it

Alyssa smiled at the girl, but it seems a cold chill had run down her spine. She stood there immobilized by fear.

Usually , that was after they saw her coming at them with a 12 inch blade and getting ready for her stab them and then...well..mangle their body beyond recognition.

"Your friend..?" The girl squeaked and laid her eyes upon the odd keystone on Alyssa's neck. "Oh! She laughed self-consciously. "Of course."

Alyssa kept her insincere smile on her face. The voice had stopped which was good, nothing was nagging at her too personally mangle this girl. The two, surprisingly, struck up conversation. She had no idea what this girls story was but Alyssa saw that she too had suffered confinement.

"And Vira made it seem like I had Countess Bathory on my hands. You wouldn't happen to be raising a Ghost-type Pokémon, would you?" She asked coyly, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of her plump lips, casting an exasperated look down at the Ralts.

"Yes, my Pokémon is a Spiritomb, I'm sorry if he startled you. He just doesn't like to be out in the sunlight so he hides in this odd keystone unless I call him out."

"You'll have to excuse my Pokemon as well, it would seem. He acted like we were sitting next to the Chief of a Cannabalistic tribe, conveniently leaving it out that you just had Ghostie in your company. So I guess I was just spooked for nothing.."

And for the slightest moment, Alyssa felt a sincere smile forming across her mouth for the first time in 3 years.

"Of course, Ghost Pokemon always seem to creep people out.. I find them mystifying however..Being told they're monsters and cast aside..It aches at my heart." Alyssa looked at the girl.

"I'm Siren Salmon, and i'm here because I kept running away from Foster Care. I'm guessing this is the last stop, end of the line for me. If I get kicked out of here, I hate to think where they'd then send me. Snowpoint City is the most godforsaken place in all the regions, i'd imagine. Though I can't say for certain.. I haven't done much travelling. What are you in for?" Siren inquired innocently, "Let me guess..." She laughed. "This is your first taste of freedom, your emancipation from overbearing parental's? You're running away from mandatory confinement?"


The tinniest of smirks crossed Alyssa's face and she felt Spiritomb getting anxious.

"You can say that...I must confess though, I would rather appreciate if you try not to dig through my head again. I know you didn't mean any harm, but I have things that I'd rather not bring up as I'm sure you have things that you'd rather leave unspoken. My secrets are best left unspoken, I've gone through quite a lot..from abuse to confinement and those are things I'd rather not talk about, nor have someone prying to get out of me." Alyssa smiled at Siren.

Another lie..most of it was anyone..everything Alyssa would speak would be lies..no one could get her to truly confess what she was truly like...

 

[Swolligator]

knowledge and interruptions

"When you are deprived of one or more senses, the others will kick in, become sharper, more refined…."

Information was everywhere these days, and the extents of the human body were still being found even by today's modern scientists. "We know very little about the human body, it is capable of extraordinary feats and we have the potential to be able to do this one day…" It was funny how that little bit of information had kept stuck in his mind amongst the clutter of everything else.

When Anton had lain down on the seat, he had not taken notice of the boy sitting across from him; he was just a person, no one in particular. Why should he communicate with those who have so much more than him? Even thinking about it just made his blood boil. Stupid people, they know nothing of the terrors of life. But he had not fallen into a meditative faux sleep to think about those he envied, no, he had deprived himself of sight, just another sense. In doing so though, his other senses had begun to kick in and already he could feel his hearing become stronger, sharper more refined to make up for the loss of his sight. He also kept his mouth shut, depriving yet another sense and again felt his hearing become clearer as he began the search for information.

"People leak much more information than they think; it's good to know what others know." Of course this was spying but who cared? They certainly didn't know that he was doing it and soon he had a picture of certain people he would pay close attention to.

"Two girls at the back, girl and guy up front, maybe more but they are definites."

There was not much to go on, stupid people talking about their friends, school and home life, just listening to them created a whirlwind of rage within Anton's stomach but then the two girls at the back became talking, it was very interesting indeed.

So for nigh on a couple of minutes he listened to each talk, noting down and memorizing what they said. "A ghost and a psychic Pokémon, eh? Very interesting."

However much of the end of the conversation was lost when the intercom overhead sqwarked:

""Attention all passengers, please buckle up! The train will be departing from the station in a matter of minutes."

Leaving Anton's ears ringing. Then only a minute after the announcement the boy that Anton had not paid particular attention to spoke up:

"Excuse me, but is owning a Pokemon is a requirement to enter this school?"

The boy had been fine when he left Anton alone but with his hearing disrupted and nothing else intriguing going on, he decided that this may be a chance to do some of that 'interactioning' thingy that his latest parents had tried teaching him. And so Anton got up, end looked at the boy across from him. Nothing seemed to jump out about him but in ways he did seem unhappy.

"Ask someone else." He tried, this seemed and alright reply for Anton did not know the answer to the kids question, why should he? Terror and him had been partners for along time, nothing could replace the bond (his only bond) that Anton had made with Terror. Then again, Anton wondered why he was spending his time on this kid, he would probably just end up punching the kid one.

Deciding to ignore the kid, Anton withdrew the ipod from his pocket and plugged it into his ears. He leaned back against the window and tucked Terrors tail back under his jacket and flicked through the artists on his iPod. He came to Dark Tranquility and pressed play, the melodic death metal seeped into his ears, filling his head with the rhythmic chaos that was music. He turned it up loud to drown out everyone else and begun to slowly leave his body, retreating into the recesses of his mind where he comfortably lay.

 

[Eletj]

Can't get her out of my head. Miss her, kiss her, love her; wrong move you're dead.

Artemis picked up his katanas, fully sheathed. Melding the swords' blades, he prevented them from leaving their holders, until he fixed them back into place. Hopefully, because he couldn't remove them, he could convince any security he encountered they were decorative. It was a crude plan, but it would work. Placing them into a long sports bag, he began to pack the rest of his things. He wasn't taking much, it was always better to travel light than heavy. Anything he didn't take, he could always win. He'd buy a pack of cards from the train station, and challenge any of the more arrogant students to a good ol' fashion game of Blackjack. Counting cards wasn't something he was proud of, but his father had taught it to him anyway. It wasn't too complex. Fully packed, he said a brief good-bye to his parents, before flying to the train station. The flight was brief, the wind rushing through Artie's hair as he rode his parent's pokemon.

Arriving at the station, he dismounted and checked his ticket. It read:
"SNOWPOINT TRAIN STATION
BOARDING PASS. ONE WAY TRIP.
TRAIN 1337
Issued to: ARTEMIS DALLAS PHOENIX
Depature: 12:00 PM, AUGUST 13, 2016
Arrival @ Location: 3:00 PM:"

The station itself was a smaller building. There was a small souvenir store in the corner, an electronic train time-table and a few reception desks. After buying a comical Abomasnow-themed pack of playing cards, he walked up to reception.

"Hey there, I just need to check in for-" He began speaking to the receptionist. She seemed to be a younger woman, with soft facial features.

"Passengers of train 1337 are now allowed to board."

"That train apparently." The woman let out a laugh, it was hard to avoid the charming smile and cheeky demeanor of Artemis.

"Well let's just take a quick look through your bags, shall we?" The mood was instantly lightened, just by a casual joke. The entire process took a few minutes, and was very simple. The lady didn't even ask about the swords. Artemis took his bags, and strolled onto the train.

The carriage had a small crowd of people. He spied a seat across from, a pair of girls around his age and walked over to them. Smiling, he politely spoke to them, they both seemed perfectly normal.

"Either of you from Snowpoint?"

 

[Wolf in the Rain]

(OOC: Crap Post. It will get better though. Just was writing an SS paper at the same time. (btw, if there is anything about WW1 in there, please tell me. :3))

IC:
As announcers yelled over an intercom and people flooded to their gates, a young man followed by his Buizel pushed through the river, almost like salmon swimming up a stream. A red duffle bag was slung around the teen's arm haphazardly as he forced his way past an endless amount of pedestrians. The Buizel, on the other hand, short as it was, used its fin covered arms and trainer to navigate. Soul hated all these people, this noise, this utter chaos, and was more than happy when they had announced his train arrived as an excuse to leave it all. Unfortunately, he had been on the other side of the station, which meant he would have to deal with the worse first. The whole place was one big circus anyways, the ringleader constantly directing the act. Suddenly, Soul rammed into some sort of businessman, receiving a stern look as a reward. Rolling his eyes, he continued to press through the crowd with Takeo close behind him, taking near the same approach.

After a few more minutes, the two reached their destination: Gate 9. The platform was filled with students all leaving for the school, some with Pokémon by their side, some with over-protective parents hovering by them. Soul was glad he left his over-concerned pair at the Saffron Station, sparing him the scene. While Soul surveyed the area, hands in his pockets, Takeo leaned against a nearby pillar, crossing his arms as well as closing his eyes. Soon, the booming voice again repeated itself over the loudspeaker. "May all passengers of train 1337 board now! May all passengers of train 1337 board now!" Although the voice seemed impatient towards the tardy passengers, Soul wasn't worried. Chances are, they wouldn't leave without at least 90% of the students, and they probably would send another train anyways.

Nudging Takeo to follow, Soul and his Pokémon made their way to the train platform. Almost instantly, the two came upon a security checkpoint, a lousy one at that. The obese security guard seemed as lazy as a Snorlax. It seemed any homicidal, idiotic kid could walk on with a gun or knife. And with all the strife in the world at the moment, wouldn't it make more sense to have some better security? Least the line wasn't too long, seeing as they were some of the last people to board. After waiting for a few moments in the line, they quickly made it to the front.

The security guard was already eyeing Soul as he stepped up to the plate, more specifically, the boy's Buizel. With a groan which made a Rydon's roar seem like music, the guard pointed to a nearby sign. The sign, on closer inspection, was covered with numerous rules. Soul's eyes immediately fell on #3, "No Pokémon are allowed outside of their PokéBalls on the train". The rule was met with a sigh from both Soul and Takeo.

It was such an asinine rule. Yeah, he could see maybe Steelix or Onix or gigantic Pokémon being a problem, but really nothing else. Then again, it was always possible that maybe some inexperienced trainers with no clue how to train their Pokémon could also cause a crisis. God, way to ruin it for everyone. Soul quickly inspected the Security guard, rapidly forming a plan. The guard didn't seem too bright but his expression was of boredom; maybe Soul could make his day a little more surreal.

"Sir?" Soul asked a little louder than usual, intentionally staring past the guard. "Is it something to do with my seeing-eye Pokémon? I kind of need him to... you know, see." On the outside, he tried to appear sincere, on the inside, he was mentally groaning. First he had to fight through a ton of people, now he had to lie to some lowlife guard so Takeo could get past the bloody rule. Who makes a stupid rule like that in the first place?

Takeo caught on fairly quickly (though, he didn't seem happy about it), standing in front of Soul. "Bui Bui!"

"Over where now?" After a few moments feeling around, Soul haphazardly placed the duffel bag on the table. Acting wasn't his strong point, and words to a train-security guard just appeared pointless. Why couldn't they just leave him be?

Lucky for Soul, the guard appeased the lie; perhaps believing it or perhaps figuringarguing was not worth dealing with an even longer line than he had now. After spending a moment to check the bag, somewhat reluctantly, he motioned for the two to pass by; Soul complied with a subtle grin on his face.

The second checkpoint consisted of a woman who looked like some sort of librarian. In turn, students approached her, giving her their acceptance letters. Soul reached into his back pocket, pulling out a crumpled excuse for a letter. You'd think he would've taken better care of it, seeing it was getting him away his over-controlling parents. No matter the state, the woman hastily snatched it out of Soul's hands inspecting the letter carefully, occasionally glancing up at the boy and his Buizel. Mildly concerned about what she would say regards to the Pokémon, Soul did his best to ignore it, instead looking blankly at the wall behind her in case he had to act out Ray Charles again. (What? Too soon?). Fortunately for the viewers, the narrator did not have to make another horrible joke, as the woman let Soul pass. While the two again hurried away, eager to get away from this mess and onto the train, she neatly pressed the note on the table before her before placing it on top of a stack of more.

The third and final checkpoint was at the entrance to the train. Without much thought and out of sheer frustration with the system, Soul shoved the ticket into the guard, heading to the train without another word. However, as he was about to step on, he was suddenly jerked back by a force on his shirt collar. He squirmed, breaking whatever force was stopping him, and spinning around, only to see the conductor standing there. A low growl escaped from Takeo, intent on revenge for his trainer. Soul immediately placed an arm across the Pokémon, telling the Buizel to stand down.

"No Pokémon allowed on the train, son."

Clenching his teeth, Soul looked for another way out, only to come back with nothing. He couldn't play the blind card, nor did anything else he could think of seem plausible. Damn, they had been so close too. Reluctantly, he pulled Takeo's Pokeball off of his belt, giving the Buizel a quick nod of approval and maybe a hint of sorrow, before returning him to the ball. Well, maybe he could find a way to free Takeo of his cage later.

As he placed the ball back on his belt, he turned to enter the train. "Sorry. I didn't think such a senseless rule existed."

When Soul entered the train car, another groan escaped his mouth, almost every seat was full. Although, he was fairly late and couldn't really blame lack of seating, it was still a pain.However, his voice was drowned out by the train speaker. "Attention all passengers, please buckle up! The train will be departing from the station in a matter of minutes."

Reluctantly, he forced his way down the walkway, avoiding feet, bags, and other trainers. "Move." He mumbled, knocking into some pale, black haired, rich-looking kid in a trench coat. He didn't hit the kid too hard, but didn't look back. Regardless if the kid said anything or not, Soul didn't care and just continued down the aisle.

Eventually, Soul came to a seat that was fairly empty, its only occupant a blond haired kid reading a book. With a sigh of relief, he placed his duffel bag down and sat down. Grabbing an empty Pokeball off the back of his belt, he tossed and twirled it around his fingers. The kid seemed distracted enough, Soul hoped it'd stayed that way.

 

[Neiko Star]

"Ask someone else," the boy replied irritably. He turned away, took out his iPod and started listening to the music.

Vlad complied. If the person did not want to be bothered, he would not bother him. Simple as that. He looked around for other people. There were lots of them, really, but most were running around or yelling at the top of their lungs. Vlad didn't like noisy people, so he thoroughly ignored them. Then, he spotted a pair of girls sitting a few rows behind him. They were chatting, of course, but they seemed to be doing it in a quiet enough manner. He saw a boy walk over to them. Well, he might as well do the same.

He lifted himself from the seat and approached the trio. One of the girls had dyed her hair an unnatural silvery blue colour and used coloured contacts. Vlad disliked all things unnatural. Why change the way you were born? That only showed others that you had no confidence in yourself. All that talk about appearance being secondary, about how the personality was what was truly important was just one big lie sewn together in order for people to feel good. It comforted those who dismayed of their appearance, and gave the others the illusion of being kind and open-minded. But were they not the ones who seeked perfection, who spent thousands of dollars for beauty products, for plastic surgeries or similar things? In the end, deep inside, everybody cared about their appearance. What right did they have to scorn Vlad for his selfishness?

"Hello," he said quietly. "Do you know if it's required to own a Pokemon in order to enter this school?"

 

[_Diego//]

There's somewhere else I'd rather be

"We're all messed up, hun. That's why we're going to this school anyway, because they still think that hope can be created in a nicely controlled environment, like it's bacteria or something. But let me just give you a heads up that pointing out somebody else's crap won't make whatever's wrong with you any better."

Interestin, truly interesting. Elizabeth Lake made a good, although obvious, point. Had this random girl actually stood up for him after the murky female tried to verbally assault him? He had lived in a world where he had to get down and dirty every time someone stepped on his toes, so having someone do the job for him spaced him out a bit. Elizabeth was beginning to earn Damien's attention, but he didn't want to speak to anyone just yet. A lot of persistence was going to be needed to win his trust and words.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name."

Elizabeth spoke again, relaxation evident in her vocal tone. From what Damien could see, she was cheerfully smiling and cutting laughs like she hadn't noticed that he had ignored her blatantly. Where did she want to get with this? If Damien didn't answer at first, then he most likely wouldn't be answering at any time; if only Elizabeth knew. Damien was afraid of people, and no matter how friendly she tried to be, he wasn't giving in any time soon. Where was the line that was considered "giving in" crossed, though? Yeah, for some moments and again Damien thought about saying something to the girl. She requested to know his name, so maybe that would do. He wouldn't be putting himself into a dangerous position if he did, or would he? How bad could it get? He knew that saying his name would lead her into asking other things, and therefore begin a conversation, but for some reason he wasn't all that against taking the risk. Maybe she didn't say anything else after getting to know his name, and that would be so much better.

After a very long breath, Damien finally looked up and straightened his fedora up in his head, staring right into the girl's pupils with his penetrating, hazel eyes. His expression was clear. He displayed boredom, desperation, and all in all just a 'go away' look. Deep inside his sparkling, bloodshot eyes, however, one could see that he was really in need for someone. His lips separated from each other for some seconds, signaling that he was about to speak; but before the first word came out, he was abruptly interrupted by a loud thud and vibration. The train began moving forward at a slow place, grabbing some momentum.

"Attention all passengers, this is train operator Samuel Jones, and I will be driving you to Hope High School. For your safety, please remain in your seat until it is prompted that you can do otherwise. Bathrooms are all the way in the back, while drinks will be served by a couple of car attendants in the front. As you might have noticed on your boarding pass, it'll be… Approximately three hours before we get to our destination. We hope you enjoy your trip."

After the PA stopped booming, the sound of the train had also perished, and it was now moving faster and completely quiet.

Damien sighed. He didn't like being interrupted, and less in moments when he had gathered valour to talk. Disappointed, Damien got back into his original position, just without the fedora over his face this time. He remained quiet for some moments, but then he broke the silence by speaking in a rather calm voice.

"Damien. Damien Decay."

Beep. The signal for 'Unbuckling is now safe' appeared. After saying that and taking a deep breath again, Damien stood up; revealing his outlandish height and frame. If he stretched his arms towards the ceiling, he'd probably have to bend them in order to fit inside the train. Without saying anything else or looking Elizabeth again, Damien exited his seat, moving in a careful sideway motion in order to avoid contact with the girl. He was the very first one to stand up after the PA spoke, and his outfit and size weren't really concealing, so he got some stares, but he didn't mind. Carelessly, he moved to the front of the train, which wasn't far away considering he had been sitting in the 6th file. He was surprised to see some sort of 'mini-bar' there. He hadn't noticed it on his way up, and he was surprised. No alcohol, of course. Only a car attendant or two serving different types of juices, soft drinks, coffees, and such. Maybe some small snack or treat, too.

Damien trembled a bit, and then he took a seat in one of the 4 stools available before ordering a really charged espresso. Caffeine was the closest that he was going to get to his narcotics while on the train; so that had to do. After receiving his drink, he took a sip, savoring the scalding sensation, and rested his arms and head on the counter, hoping that this trip would end really quick…