Pokemon Odyssey 2: The Dark Tournament [Most Missed Aug/Sep '11]

[XxSweetDreamsxX]

Nova the Espeon
Kingdom of Tollen

Before she knew it, the Duchess had approached her. Nova made a small smile as to welcome her, while the Skarmory joined in right beside them. "What do you think of the Tournament? Milady? Nova?" the steel pokemon asked, his humble attitude pleasing both the Espeon and the Cinccino, who Nova allowed to reply first. "Hmm, well I would say personally, that I think it would be a little turbulent but nevertheless I'll compromise on it being an ever-changing breeze. Don't you think so?". The Skarmory eagerly spoke up, scratching his beak on his wing, "In honesty, I don't know what to expect. From what it seemed, the invitations were sent to the best of every country, every nation. We can expect every other person out there to be just as strong as us."

Nodding slightly in complete agreement, Nova sat down from her standing position, relaxing herself more in the comfortable enviroment. She was chatting with nobles, and would let them finish before she spoke up herself. As the Duchess Charporé looked upward, she couldn't help but follow the pokemon's eyes up to the point of the Spire, where the Aerodactyl had disappeared from sight. The fluffy pokemon was fiddling around with her scarf as she spoke, "I hope I'm not the only one sensing that something's amiss here. And mind me, for lack of a better term, this place seems to be purely ancient".

Not too long after the Cinccino was finished, a Dewott came to join them. He was coated in armor, symbols of the Kingdom of Tollen plated on. His greeting was impressive as he bowed to the nobles, "Duchess Charporte, Sir Orthanius, greetings". A slight nod was sent in her direction before the water pokemon turned away. She made no comment, only slightly irritated. She hoped no one found her as 'awkward', though the silence was lingering from her direction. Instead, the Skarmory continued, "Hello, Sir Jinkiro. We were just discussing the oddities of the Tournament...'staff'. These 'Keepers' are quite unusual, would you say?"

They were, in no doubt odd. The hoods they wore added onto their mysterious effect, as they must have been hiding something underneath. "Let's depart this area. We have had a long journey here. Let's relax a bit in town. I'm sure we can find something to do there, eat, perhaps rest," the Skarmory said, Nova taking one last glance at the Skarmory before he left. Being here had left her at a loss for words, as she was still trying to take in everything that was happening. The Espeon didn't 'fit in' with the nobles. How could she lead a conversation with them?

Looking over to the Cinccino, she appeared nervous. Nova decided to speak up in reaction, "Are you alright? We can follow Sir Jinkiro, if you wish". Her voice didn't have much emotion inside, although it was obvious the Espeon was glad to be talking to the Duchess.

 

[Xilfer]

Hydra​

Hydra looked up at the great Spire. It was huge, it had probably taken a long time to build, and had probably been here for a very long time.
Zion, after not speaking for the whole little trek, spoke to the keeper.
"I will be replacing Regigigas as a fighter for the Order." he said, in his deep voice. "Very well." the Pokemon in the hood said. Hydra had no idea what this Pokemon was, he'd never seen it anywhere before. But the shape looked familiar, he'd seen a skeleton with that shape somewhere before....

As the group of four entered the battlefield, Hydra felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see it was Zion. The hooded Alcantus leader pointed to a group of Pokemon dressed in gold. Gold Tribe. They could be recognized anywhere because of their fancy gold, and at the front was Kent Reed. "Sons of b***hes!" Hydra muttered. "Gold Tribe. Best keep out of their way for now." Zion said. Hydra wanted to rip the group to shreds now, but that would be saved for later. "Alright." Hydra said, nodding to the hooded Pokemon.

Suddenly, a huge Pokemon came down from the sky. Unlike the keeper at the gate, Hydra had seen this type of Pokemon before. It was an Aerodactyl. They were pre-historic Pokemon that had recently been brought back to life using groundbreaking technology. However, this Aerodactyl was larger than most. And he surely looked like he did not want to be messed with.

"Welcome, challengers and citizens of Argos....to the Dark Tournament." exclaimed the Aerodactyl, causing the crowds around to start cheering and wooing very loudly.
"I am Rector, the host of the Dark Tournament. I am in charge of all of the proceedings of the event, as well as in charge of security. The security for this tournament are the hooded Pokemon you see all around called the Keepers. You may speak with them later if you have any additional question about the tournament. I welcome all challengers from the distant lands to this grand event. For it is grand, an event that can shake the very foundations of life, or stabilize them completely." shouted the Aerodactyl, or, Rector. Hydra looked all around to see hooded Pokemon stationed everywhere. Most of which he couldn't tell what species they were. He was then brought back to Rector as he explained further.
"This year, there are exactly 510 fighters participating in the tournament. All competing, with their heart and souls to achieve the prize, the ultimate prize. The prize that all Pokemon want, but in the end, one, and only one can have: The Ultimate Power." he shouted, causing the crowds to, once again, go wild.
"I realize there are a lot of you who aren't very sure what it is the Ultimate Power really is. I am not here to reveal what it is. I am only here to say that it will be worth the fight, worth the danger. After all, over the many, many years that the tournament has been going on, many have died. Died trying to win it all. This tournament, may claim your life, but if it's for the ultimate prize, isn't it worth the risk? Imagine your greatest hope, your greatest aspiration, and then imagine the Ultimate Power." Rector continued. "It better be. Those God Tribe scum won't be taking it off my hands anytime soon." Hydra thought to himself. Glaring at the golden-dressed Pokemon.

"Now then, on to the rules of the Tournament. They aren't very hard, but are subject to change as every round passes, as all of them are, in fact, different. However, you'll see once you get to them...that is...if you get to them. For now, these are the basic, underlying rules:

Rule 1: You lose when you are knocked out, killed, forfeit or unable to continue fighting, unless the round calls for something different.
Rule 2: If it is your turn to fight, and you do not make your appearance within a given amount of time, you are automatically disqualified from the tournament.
Rule 3: Any extra weapons or such must be examined by the Keepers before you are allow to use them in battles.
Rule 4: Do no attempt to cheat, especially with bribes, as you will not only be eliminated from the tournament, but harsher punishments may be implemented.
Rule 5: Do not cross the Keepers, or you shall receive a very dreadful death.
Rule 6: Follow the rules of each round. Breaking of rules will result in disqualification, and possibly worse." Rector bellowed. Hydra made sure to keep these rules to heart.

"The Dark Tournament will begin in 2 days. At that time, I ask all fighters to make their way back here, where you will be taken to the arena. Until then." Rector bowed. "Sleep, eat, rest, enjoy yourselves. After that, The Dark Tournament commences." Rector bellowed one last time, before taking off, sending dust flying into everyone's eyes, to the clouds. "Huh. Why would he fly up to the clouds like that unless there was something concealed at the top of the Spire." Hydra thought to himself. Voicing his concerns, he moved over to where Zion was standing and whispered it in his ear. When he looked back, the Gold Tribe was gone. And so were the other contenders. Hydra sighed and moved along, indicating for the rest of the Order to go with him.

Two days was long enough.

(OOC: I'll make Stingfist's intro later.)

 

[Aura Rift]

Lorenzo "The Speedster" Aria​

Kingdom of Tollen
Lorenzo entered the hall with Zachary, while some of the others had not entered with them he had stuck by the skarmorys side. When they entered the spires entrance hall Lorenzo felt a great sense of irony.

"Such beautiful architecture for such an *Ahem* intimidating place... The irony here, it is quite strong."

Lorenzo suddenly realised that Zachary, along with most all of the pokemon in the room, were gathering around an Aerodctyl, Lorenzo headed over quickly and listened as the erodactyl addressed the croud.

"Welcome, challengers and citizens of Argos....to the Dark Tournament." Lorenzo joined in as the entirety of the croud burst in a combined cheer.

"I am Rector, the host of the Dark Tournament. I am in charge of all of the proceedings of the event, as well as in charge of security. The security for this tournament are the hooded Pokemon you see all around called the Keepers. You may speak with them later if you have any additional question about the tournament. I welcome all challengers from the distant lands to this grand event. For it is grand, an event that can shake the very foundations of life, or stabilize them completely." He paused for a moment.

Lorenzo wasn't sure if this "Rector" was totally serious, or just being melodramatic. Rector continued.

"This year, there are exactly 510 fighters participating in the tournament. All competing, with their heart and souls to achieve the prize, the ultimate prize. The prize that all Pokemon want, but in the end, one, and only one can have: The Ultimate Power."

*Perfect, more competition!* Lorenzo thought. Many whispers of excitement and worry were bouncing around the room. However many of them were quelled by the continuation of Rectors speach.

"I realize there are a lot of you who aren't very sure what it is the Ultimate Power really is. I am not here to reveal what it is. I am only here to say that it will be worth the fight, worth the danger. After all, over the many, many years that the tournament has been going on, many have died. Died trying to win it all. This tournament, may claim your life, but if it's for the ultimate prize, isn't it worth the risk? Imagine your greatest hope, your greatest aspiration, and then imagine the Ultimate Power."

This restarted the whispers and Lorenzo began to become seriously interested in the ultimate power.

Rector continued.

"Now then, on to the rules of the Tournament. They aren't very hard, but are subject to change as every round passes, as all of them are, in fact, different. However, you'll see once you get to them...that is...if you get to them. For now, these are the basic, underlying rules:

Rule 1: You lose when you are knocked out, killed, forfeit or unable to continue fighting, unless the round calls for something different.
Rule 2: If it is your turn to fight, and you do not make your appearance within a given amount of time, you are automatically disqualified from the tournament.
Rule 3: Any extra weapons or such must be examined by the Keepers before you are allow to use them in battles.
Rule 4: Do no attempt to cheat, especially with bribes, as you will not only be eliminated from the tournament, but harsher punishments may be implemented.
Rule 5: Do not cross the Keepers, or you shall receive a very dreadful death.
Rule 6: Follow the rules of each round. Breaking of rules will result in disqualification, and possibly worse.

*Fair enough* Lorenzo thought. *Lets just hope all of the participants abide by them, unfortunately I highly doubt the likelyhood of that outcome.*

Rector spoke one more time.

"The Dark Tournament will begin in 2 days. At that time, I ask all fighters to make their way back here, where you will be taken to the arena. Until then." Rector bowed. "Sleep, eat, rest, enjoy yourselves. After that, The Dark Tournament commences." The aerodactyl then aruptly flew up into the clouds and disappeared from sight.

"What a wonderful idea!" Lorenzo exclaimed. "Some free time will be warmly welcomed by me!"

Lorenzo quickly flew out of the spire, and searched for a water source. He saw a nearby well and landed by its side, he sat down and took out his satchel, he dug through the apple tea mix and pulled out one of the three china cups he had with him and filled it with water, he then added a handful of apple tea to the water and released a small static charge, the kind all electric types can generate, to heat the tea up. he then hopped down to a bench at the foot of the well and drank his tea sparingly, taking various sips from time to time as he watched the various pokemon pass him.

He began to speak lowly to himself.

"What a beautiful city this is... if only we had more time to relax... but the king gets weaker every minute... and so does, no I can't say so outloud, who nows who could be picking this up, regardless of how low I say it. Besides the needs of the king must come first above all else, for now I must I must be relaxed and carefree for two days from now..." Lorenzo looked up at the spire, taking another sip of tea. "The dark tournament begins.​

 

[Silver Rogue]

Sorry I haven't updated recently, I was ordered to clean the garage (has a nervous breakdown) and then I also finally decided to get Pokemon Black, SO I have been a bit busy/procrastinative...

Silver walked along the street, deep in thought, thinking both about the Dark Tournament as well as other things. He had excused himself from the rest of Gold Tribe a while ago, saying he had to "Take care of something", and that he would "Hopefully be back soon". Now he found himself walking through the streets of this strange new reigon, taking in the sights of pokemon he had never seen before and brightly colored booths in the market.

He hurridly pushed his way through the crowd. He did not like to be encased in a mob of pokemon. A few pokemon were fine, but he did not like crowds. He finally pushed his way through the mob of pokemon and moved on to quieter and slightly less crowded streets.

For the past two years, he had been trying to track down his past, ever since his memory was stolen from him in the war against the Neoverse. One of his few leads led here, to an address in the reigon of Argos. He continued on through the streets, as the buildings on either side of him changed from shops to apartments, then to small city houses. Finally, he came to an old looking house that matched the address he was given.

Silver was nervous. He wanted to know more about his past, where he came from, who he was. But he was also nervous of what he might find. He pushed his doubts away and walked up to the door, and with only a moments hesitation, he knocked on it.

After a minute that felt like an hour, the door open noisily on old hinges, and an Alakazam appeared behind it. The Alakazam stood there for a moment, just looking at Silver, and then said, "Well dont just stand there! COme in! Please, come in! It has been a while since I have had visitors."

Silver, somewhat startled, cautiously followed the Alakazam inside to the house. It was quite cluttered, with papers and plates on the table, and other odds and ends strewn around the small house. The Alakazam quickly walked into the kitchen and said, "Well, would you like some coffee? Or perhaps som tea...?"

SIlver slowly walked towards the kitchen, closing the door behind him and nervously replied, "Coffee please, black." He was unsure of what to say next, did this old pokemon have the answers he needed?

The Alakazam chuckled and said, "Two coffees it is then! Please, sit down", gesturing two comfortable looking chairs. After they were sitted, the Alakazam went on and said, "Now, I am Mohinder. And you look like you have something to ask me."

Silver awkwardly gathered his thoughts for a moment, than asked, "Do you know me?"

Mohinder stared at him for a while, then quietly replied, "I might. I know a lot of people. I know that you are an Absol. You are also a memeber of Gold Tribe, and you are here for the Dark Tournament. But something tells me that is not the answer you are looking for...?"

Silver sighed and said, "No, that is not the answer I am looking for." Then he briefly told Mohinder what had happened to him and how his memory was stolen from him.

By the time Silver, Mohinder had gotten up and had poured the coffee for them. Then he sat down and closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He suddenly spoke up and said, "Well, I might be able to help you. Just tell me, what was your name again?"

"Silver" ,the absol replied.

"Silver, good name. Well Silver, I do believe that I could help you." He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, then quickly scrawled something onto it, then passed it to Silver. "That is an address. You are looking for the previous owner, but you might have to do some searching. But, that is a start."

Silver looked at the address for a moment, then said, "I already looked at a map of this city, and this street was not on there. Where is this?"

Mohinder looked him in the eyes and said, "No. It is not even in this reigon, nor the one you come from. It is a location in the Kingdon of Tollen."

Silver rose, startled. "But thats too far away! I have to be back here in two days before the tournament starts!"

"Yes", Mohinder replied, "you wont make it. You could look it up at the library perhaps. Maybe you could find a newspaper article or something that could help." Then the old alakazam rose and said, "Well, I must be off, and I suppose you must be off too. So! I hope to see you soon."

And with that Silver found himself on the street even more confused than before he had entered the house. "Well," he said to himself,"That was maddeningly unhelpful!" Then he walked down the street again, with more questions than answers yet again.

 

[Roserade]

Rule 1: You lose when you are knocked out, killed, forfeit or unable to continue fighting, unless the round calls for something different.
Rule 2: If it is your turn to fight, and you do not make your appearance within a given amount of time, you are automatically disqualified from the tournament.
Rule 3: Any extra weapons or such must be examined by the Keepers before you are allow to use them in battles.
Rule 4: Do no attempt to cheat, especially with bribes, as you will not only be eliminated from the tournament, but harsher punishments may be implemented.
Rule 5: Do not cross the Keepers, or you shall receive a very dreadful death.
Rule 6: Follow the rules of each round. Breaking of rules will result in disqualification, and possibly worse.​

What was it that made Ambrosia so anxious? Every rule. She listened with unease as the Kabutops continued speaking. Then she curled herself up and away from the crowd. She wanted to explore the city. He had said they had two days. She wanted to see the sights. But, for some strange reason, she continued to feel waves of fear enamating from that spike. She looked for some comfort and grabbed her necklace. She swirled it around and looked to her right. There was another participant, sitting right across from her. She looked at them and they met her gaze. Both quickly turned away and continued to daydream. She moved closer to him, she could tell it was a boy by his lack of lash above his eye. He moved closer as well. Soon, they were face to face, eyeing each other wearily. He was Haxorus, and a strong one at that. She could tell by his shiny skin. She could also detect a sense of endurance, after all the scratched near his arms. She was about to speak when he turned and ran, leaving behind nothing but dust.​

After that awkward experience, Ambrosia followed the Gold Tribe to find some food. She trailed off from the pack to a nearby fruit stand. It was littered with dazzling color and she couldn't resist. She looked at the keeper of the stand who whispered to her, "The first one's on me."​

She took a Pinap Berry, and slumped down near the stand. She took a munch out of the top and proceeded to eat around the edges until, finally, only the core remained. She tossed it into one of many trash cans and asked for another. She pulled out some money and laid it on top of the stand. ​

"Three of your finest Watmel Berries...please." she giggled at the sound of her commanding voice and turned back to the salesman. He offered her a three for two deal, but she denied, saying that after observing his stand, he would need the extra cash. The man thanked her and she left holding her fruit for a moment before they were gone. The trail left by the thieves turned into a suspicious alley way. With an empty stomach, and a bit of rage, she slid into the alley.​

She was easily bigger than the three Herdier, but they were rowdy. They began to bark loudly, but the distance between them and the market was much too large. Of course, this was a disadvantage to Ambrosia. She looked at them, theire shaggy fur, their unclipped nails. They were into something terrible. They had bruises and scars, and their barks sounded more like weak whimpers. She turned back around and slid to get some more. She could hear them whimper, thank you, as she turned back to the stand. She watched them stay in the alley and hungrily devour the food. Then, she noticed there weren't three Herdiers, there were four. But they were so skinny she could hardley tell them apart. The smallest one didn't even look like a Herdier. It was a Lillipup! She could make out its paler skin. She strolled back to the stand.​

"I'll take everything you have."​

"But...are you sure?" the man asked; he could barely hide his smile.​

"Yes. Now hurry." she put down more than enough money and left. It occured to her that the currency may be different here, but there was a Visitor Center, so there should be an exchange. She pushed the cart over to the alley way, wrote a little note, and sent it flying down the hall. She heard howls of happiness and munches of greedy eating. She hoped them the best and went away. Two souls had benefited from her stay. Confident and happy, she strode away to find the Gold Tribe.​

 

[Stingray]

"They have no respect or manners," said Shiro with a frown and a look of disgust as he shot a glance at one of them. He then sighed and said, "Something about this tournament is … not right… why give up such an item of power?" asked Shiro thinking of possible reasons. He was so deep in thought he partly missed what Zachary had said, and didn't catch on until the steel pokemon started to leave.

"Food would be good I agree, but I think we should try to find somewhere to stay… somewhere safe," said Shiro and he followed the Skarmory out the door, but stopped when the Skarmory headed into a commoners area. Watching the Skarmory Shiro said, "Sir Orthanius I think it would be best to stick to the better parts of town…" The Skarmory was too busy looking at random wares to pay attention to the Dewott. Sighing, Shiro turned to Nova and the Duchess and said, "Duchess, and… I'm sorry Umbreon I have forgotten your name… I would prefer to find somewhere more… upscale to find food and lodge. You can join me if you like or go with Sir Orthanius. I would not be offended if you choose to join him instead. Honestly, I feel like we will find trouble in those areas of town especially with some of the competitors lacking any sort of honor." Shiro knew he was laying down judgment without knowing everyone, but with 510 competitors there had to be a few dishonorable creatures among them.

He then stood patiently and waited for the two female pokemon to answer. Little did Shiro know he had called Nova the wrong type of Pokemon. He knew she looked like an Eevee evolution but her fur color threw him off, and he wasn't the best at identifying all the different kinds of pokemon out there.

((Short post sorry))

 

[SV]

Gold Tribe

The members of the Gold Tribe separated and walked their separate ways, exploring the town. He saw Argentum and Tactician leave off and go about their own business. Bellator went into a bar. The rest, he lost track of at the moment. But he didn't bother. They were probably tired, and needed their rest anyways. Besides, they were Gold Tribe members. They could handle themselves.

Kent took this time to scout around at the other competition. He noticed some of their symbols and insignias. They all represented something, a nation, a faction, a country, a kingdom. Some, Kent was actually familiar with. Others, Kent had never heard of. But one thing was clear: if Kent had heard of a few of them, then a few of them also might have heard of the Alpha Alliance, and by extension, the Gold Tribe, and not all of them might have been on best terms with the Gold Tribe, like the Order of Neoverse was.

Kent began now to glance at the different homes around. Despite distance in land and culture, in the end, Pokemon still had some things they shared. Their home design here in Argos was, to Kent, quite different. In the Alpha Alliance, especially in bigger cities, houses were generally a few stories and quite thin and close together. Here, they were generally one floor and a bit wider. It was more spacious here.

Kent wandered a bit now, exploring the different houses around, marveling at the city called Abel. He forgot his troubles as the Gold Tribe leader. For now, he felt like a wanderer, exploring a distant land.

Kent saw an open window, taking a quick look inside, he saw two Buizel sitting together. He smiled, and proceeded to examine the house from the outside, marveling.

From a hill not too far off, an unknown Pokemon called Zion watched the Gold Tribe leader through his cloak, deep in thought.

 

[XxSweetDreamsxX]

Nova the Espeon
Kingdom of Tollen

The Dewott beside them gave a long sigh, turning to both her and the Duchess. Nova had forgotten his name, although she knew he was the son of the Royal Guard. Keeping quiet, she let him speak, as she had no choice anyways.

"Duchess, and… I'm sorry Umbreon I have forgotten your name… I would prefer to find somewhere more… upscale to find food and lodge. You can join me if you like or go with Sir Orthanius. I would not be offended if you choose to join him instead. Honestly, I feel like we will find trouble in those areas of town especially with some of the competitors lacking any sort of honor," the Dewott said, his eye contact ranging more to the Cinccino.

Nova's calm and light smile remained, although there was a growing anger on the inside. Was her species really that indistinguishable? The Espeon guessed he did not mean to offend her, however she disliked the situation as a whole. Nova wasn't regal, nor was she 'important' in the least compared to the pokemon surrounding her. Her pelt color was easily to be mocked at, along with her quiet nature and low ranking. She didn't even have a real name. Yet, they showed no sympathy. Perhaps the Espeon didn't deserve it? Why not?

Tucking her boiled feelings behind, she took a silent breathe before speaking aloud, making sure her irritation wasn't shown. "Pardon me, then, sir. My name is Nova. As for my species, I'd like to clarify that I am not the eeveelution you have wrongly identified me as, for I'm an Espeon, the opposite of the moon pokemon. Anyways, I agree with your statement. I would be honored to join you, as I'd hope the Duchess would also accompany us."

Glancing to the Duchess, her gracious smile widened, even if the Espeon's grin was slightly covered by her dark fur.


(Sorry, a little short. Oh well.)

 

[Stingray]

The Dewott looked at her for a second and he looked a little embarrassed that he had made himself look like a fool, "I am sorry Nova… I thought Espeons were…" Then it clicked in the Dewott's mind that that she was one of the odd colored Pokemon (much like himself). All of a sudden he half exclaimed in a very fast talking manner, "You're one of the blessed! I wondered why the Emperor would send a commoner, especially one not a soldier, to compete in this tournament. Sorry for my excitement, but meeting another reassures me that fate is guiding us here. Sometimes it blesses some pokemon with different colors to set us apart from our peers because they we are destined for greatness. This is an omen that fate is on our side!"

The Dewott had obliviously been told this line growing up a few dozen times, and he took great pride in his own darker fur. Then it clicked in his mind that with her fur being so much different than a standard Espeon compared to his fur just being darker… did that mean her destiny was greater than his? But why would fate choose a commoner over him? All of a sudden the commoner that he had disregarded worried him a little. While pondering all this, he was staring at the Espeon, but he quickly snapped out of it.

Looking around he realized he might have made a little bit of a scene. He quickly acted by trying to suppress his excitement and said with a small bow, "Sorry for my outburst… I have shown a lack of restrain and have embarrassed myself and shamed my name." When he returned to an upright stance it was clear he wanted to start moving quick so people would stop staring at him. It was as if their stares were weighing down on his shoulders, and a hint of worry started to appear on his face.

 

[King!]

(OOC: IT'S SO SHORT AND LATE AGAIN! But I realized that I hit a spot where I could possibly stop...AT EXACTLY 500 WORDS. LIKE LAST TIME. Isn't that cool? So I thought, 'What've I got to lose, I can always make a follow up post! SO yeah. It's 500 words AGAin. :3 feel free to run into damian or whatever, idc.)


Damian floated above most of his competitors (besides the birds of course) and watched as an ancient Pokemon – Aerodactyl – swooped down from the sky. All of the talking that had been giving him a headache for the past few days immediately stopped. Obviously this Pokemon wasn't somebody you wanted to mess with. He had seen some other Pokemon like this one. The ancient ones that were very uncommon nowadays. They all had to be working for the same side – the tournament.

"Welcome, everyone…to the Dark Tournament!" the ancient bird exclaimed, and all at once the noise picked up again. Damian felt as though his head were about to burst. He was fed, but he sure was tired still. He was relieved when the Pokemon started talking again.

"I am Rector," the Aerodactyl said. His voice was loud and important, and he was very intimidating, especially with a name like Rector. Luckily, the way it sounded, he was the host – and would not be participating in the tournament. "There are exactly 510 fighters participating in the tournament. All competing, with their heart and souls to achieve the prize, the ultimate prize. The prize that all Pokemon want, but in the end, one, and only one can have: The Ultimate Power." So there were only 509 other Pokemon between him and…the prize. Five hundred Pokemon that would be losing this tournament.

Rector continued, addressing the dangers of the tournament, how many Pokemon had died trying, and how it would all be worth it in the end. It would definitely be worth it for Damian. He was old, and he was alone…there was nothing left to fight for but this. And he would definitely die for it. The chatter amongst the crowd was slowly building up again, and a drowsiness swept over the overweight Slowking once more. He was going to fall asleep if he didn't find somewhere to rest soon. Hopefully the ancient host would be done soon.

"Now then, on to the rules of the Tournament. They aren't very hard, but are subject to change as every round passes, as all of them are, in fact, different. However, you'll see once you get to them...that is...if you get to them. For now, these are the basic, underlying rules…" Rector said.

Damian half-listened impatiently as the Aerodactyl announced how the tournament would work. They were simple enough, predictable things like you needed to follow the rules of each round and you couldn't be late. Nothing too complicated. Damian's eyes were just about closed when Rector finished up. "The Dark Tournament will begin in 2 days. At that time, I ask all fighters to make their way back here, where you will be taken to the arena. Until then." Rector bowed. "Sleep, eat, rest, enjoy yourselves. After that, The Dark Tournament commences." The massive Pokemon, now finished, flew up into the air andleft. Damian didn't bother to watch as the beast flew off, instead collapsing to the ground for a quick nap.

(OOC: Also, I'm horrible at all the beginning, creative, on-your-own stuff. They'll be much more detailed when the tournament starts and the juices get running. :3)

 

[-Nocturnal]

NEW PAGE!


"Child at heart? I think you're right. Like so many things, it can be a curse or a blessing. Maybe a little bit of both. But, its better to be a child at heart then never being a child again. That's not right, just because you grow up doesn't mean you need to stop being a kid completely. Just not at inappropriate moments." Anna spoke, looking around, glancing at the vases and ornaments. Dylan had to admit, Oceania was doing a great job cleaning the house, as the house was literally sparkling without a large dust ball in sight. Smiling proudly, Dylan turned and looked at Anna once again. To his surprise, she turned and looked at him as well, at the same time. Blushing, Dylan continued to look at her, his eyes unable to move away from hers, as if they were locked together, forcing him to blush even more. What was going on? He felt different. Well, first of all, he felt happy. Finally, a friend to talk and play with. But then, he felt...a little more than that, but he couldn't pin down what it was. It was strange and new for him, something he had never felt before in his entire Buizel life.


Alas, Anna couldn't do it, and she turned away, looking at the ground. Everything she looks away, it hurts Dylan so much, as Dylan thought she didn't want to talk or be friends with him. But Dylan continued to talk to her, hoping that she could be less shy in the future. "T-Theres not much to tell. I came here a couple months ago, I had been traveling with a couple that I had met in Ruzol. And I decided to follow them here." Dylan was suspicious, but he knew that asking for more would just make things worse, so he stayed silent for a while. Despite that, he didn't believe her. It didn't sound right. That had nothing to do with the bruises and scars on her body, and Dylan was determined to find out in the near future.


Just then Dylan could hear some rustling coming from outside the house, which made the young Buizel frown in deep thought. People didn't visit him often, so who could it be? Thieves? Bandits again? Or just someone passing by? Placing the fedora away, Dylan stood up, then glanced at Anna with warm eyes, "Anna, stay here. I'm going to see what's going on outside. Wouldn't want you go get hurt." Knowing that Anna would be cold by just laying there, Dylan fetched a little wool blanket and covered Anna gently, then turned and headed towards the door.


What he saw was unexpected. It was the Zangoose he saw earlier at the Spire, the one with a golden insignia on him. Thinking about the scene once again, he seemed to be the leader of the little group. The Zangoose didn't look evil like most Zangoose did, and he didn't look scary at all. Actually, his eyes were rather kind compared to most contestants out there, and judging by his actions, he seemed to be rather smart and sophisticated as well. Dylan had a cocky smirk on his face. If the Zangoose was invited, he must had good skills and abilities...so if Dylan could win him in a fight...maybe he could prove to the others that he deserves an invitation! Knowing that it'll be hard doing so, Dylan wanted to give it a try. After all, another chance to show off his skills!


"Hey," Dylan said, walking towards the Zangoose, closing the door behind him, "I've seen you before. You were there at the Spire, together with some other contestants." Dylan glanced at him from top to bottom, then continued, "I wonder if you deserve it...judging by your looks, you don't see too powerful. Actually, not powerful at all. Maybe you got the invitation from the trash can or something?" Dylan snorted, then looked at him, moving to the other side, like he did before he fought his mother, Oceania, "I deserve the invitation, but I didn't get one. You did, so fight me, and prove that you deserve it, Zangoose."


The Zangoose spoke calmly, staring back at him, "Go to your mother, young one."


The Zangoose was obvious underestimating the eleven year old Buizel, and Dylan could feel his anger growing inside him. Growling, Dylan focused, surrounding himself with water, then launched his body towards his enemy with Aqua Jet, pushing himself as fast as he could. When he was near, Dylan's tail turned silver and heavy, and when he was still flying towards the Zangoose, he spun his body in mid-air, doing a sideway 360 degree spin, slamming his double Iron Tail onto the Zangoose's body, knocking him back by a little.

-Dylan Demetrius

 

[SV]

Gold Tribe

Kent was admiring a particular house when suddenly, one of the Buizel that was inside the house came outside and began addressing him. Kent politely nodded at him, and the Buizel spoke to Kent.

"Hey," he said, approaching Kent, closing the door behind him, "I've seen you before. You were there at the Spire, together with some other contestants. I wonder if you deserve it...judging by your looks, you don't see too powerful. Actually, not powerful at all. Maybe you got the invitation from the trash or something? I deserve the invitation, but I didn't get one. You did, so fight me, and prove that you deserve it, Zangoose."

Kent looked at the young Pokemon in front of him. He was cocky, and rash, but confident. Kent was reminded of small children who occasionally challenged him back in the Alpha Alliance. He was like them, except Kent felt something else, something special. He buried that feeling for now. Whatever he was, he was very young, and Kent didn't want to harm him.

"Go to your mother, young one." He told him.

This seemed to anger the young Buizel. He rushed in for an attack as Kent was walking away. He turned to see the Buizel, covered in water, rush Kent with Aqua Jet, then propelled himself into a 360 degrees motion and attacked at Kent's body with an Iron Tail.

Who is this kid? Kent thought, taking the surprise attack to the side. Nevertheless, he had to show him the error of attacking any random opponent he would see on the street, and the price for arrogance. It might one day come back to haunt the little Buizel. Kent charged quickly at the Pokemon, using a Slash at him, but instead of attacking with the sharp edges of his claws, he flipped his arm around, using them as a punch instead. He didn't want to hurt the guy too badly. The backarm punch took the Pokemon off his feet, and sent him a bit of distance to the side. Kent held his stance for a position longer, before returning to his normal pose, and sighed, speaking to the Buizel.

"You see only with your eyes, which makes you easy to fool." He told him, hoping his words made sense to the young Pokemon. Kent underestimated the Buizel, true, but the Buizel also underestimated Kent. Kent turned and began to walk away.

 

[Neptune Vasilias]

Duchess Caitlyn Charporé
Kingdom of Tollen
​

"In honesty, I don't know what to expect. From what it seemed, the invitations were sent to the best of every country, every nation. We can expect every other person out there to be just as strong as us."

"I was thinking a similar thought. If I were to wager, I'd say this Tournament has been going on for a long, long time. But...just how long exactly?"

The Duchess nodded thoughtfully at this thought-provoking question. The Skarmory addressed the Dewott, Shiro.

"Hello, Sir Jinkiro. We were just discussing the oddities of the Tournament...'staff'. These 'Keepers' are quite unusual, would you say?" After a formal exchange of words, Zachary turned to face the rest and suggested.

"Let's depart this area. We have had a long journey here. Let's relax a bit in town. I'm sure we can find something to do there, eat, perhaps rest." Caitlyn agreed to the notion and watched as the Skarmory set off out of the Spire. Just then, Nova spoke for the first time within the group.

"Are you alright? We can follow Sir Jinkiro, if you wish".

"Food would be good I agree, but I think we should try to find somewhere to stay… somewhere safe," said Shiro and he followed the Skarmory out the door, but stopped when the Skarmory headed into a commoners area. The Cinccino heard the nobleman muttered something before sighing as he faced Nova and her.

"Duchess, and… I'm sorry Umbreon I have forgotten your name… I would prefer to find somewhere more… upscale to find food and lodge. You can join me if you like or go with Sir Orthanius. I would not be offended if you choose to join him instead. Honestly, I feel like we will find trouble in those areas of town especially with some of the competitors lacking any sort of honor." The Dewott spoke a tint of prideful contempt and the Duchess found some of his words to be true, thus reminding her of the robbery that took place earlier. "This place seems to be not so dangerous and I believe that we should be able to care of yourselves, if not, then why do we attend?" The Scarf Pokemon uttered philosophically.

"Pardon me, then, sir. My name is Nova. As for my species, I'd like to clarify that I am not the eeveelution you have wrongly identified me as, for I'm an Espeon, the opposite of the moon pokemon. Anyways, I agree with your statement. I would be honored to join you, as I'd hope the Duchess would also accompany us." The Espeon explained, a little vivaciously.

The Dewott blinked at Nova, his face plastered with embarrassment, "I am sorry Nova… I thought Espeons were…" The otter suddenly seemed to have a bulb lighted up inside for he half exclaimed his words like a gushing waterfall, "You're one of the blessed! I wondered why the Emperor would send a commoner, especially one not a soldier, to compete in this tournament. Sorry for my excitement, but meeting another reassures me that fate is guiding us here. Sometimes it blesses some Pokemon with different colors to set us apart from our peers because they we are destined for greatness. This is an omen that fate is on our side!"

"Ah, yes. The Prince used to have a fashion that specially-coloured Pokemon had the best Tollen blood. However, I don't think he used that as a judging matter. I am, too, what the working class entitles as a shiny Pokemon. Not that I don't radiate, which I think I do and strive to do, but perhaps a slight alteration in my blue-blooded family has provided me some...how should I phrase it?...umm, aesthetic differences. Much less, its good though. I think it fits well with fashion." After saying that, the Cinccino combed her fur neatly down and with her dual fluffs brushed her ears off the dust that seemed to be all around the Spire. Or maybe it was just Caitlyn Charporé, and she thought so.

"Fate, eh? I don't believe it." Caitlyn murmured apologetically. "I dislike not being able to have control of my life." Brushing that topic to a corner, the Cinccino fumbled with her scarf while speaking back on track, "Come now. Let us not waste anymore time. If we were to talk, let's sit for it may rouse looks and it tires me standing." She glance at Shiro would had started to make way to a more private area of the city. The Dewott strode upright and Caitlyn took a last glimpse towards Nova to see if she was moving too. She flicked her white-grey tail and said with a little carefree tone, "Lead the way, Sir Jinkiro!"

 

[-Nocturnal]

Dylan landed on the ground after smacking the Zangoose with his Iron Tail, then prepared to land another attack right after it. But the Zangoose was faster than Dylan was, and Dylan couldn't dodge or run away from his charge. Flipping his wrist, the Zangoose punched Dylan in the stomach with his fist, knocking the Buizel backwards. The Zangoose's stronger than I thought. Who is he? Dylan thought as he regained his balance, staring at the Zangoose. It was obvious that he was holding back, as slashes were much more fatal than normal punches. Either the Zangoose was still underestimating him, or the Zangoose didn't want to hurt him in the battle. Could be both. The Zangoose stayed in battle stance for a while, then sighed and turned. He seemed to lose interest in Dylan, and now he was leaving.


"You see only with your eyes, which makes you easy to fool." he spoke, then turned and walked away, just like that. Dylan understood his message, but what the Zangoose said didn't help calming Dylan down, and Dylan wanted to attack once again. If fighting once couldn't work. Maybe twice. Maybe thrice even. Third time's the charm, people say. Glancing around to see if there was a weapon he could use, Dylan noticed a broomstick leaning onto the brick wall outside his house. it was Oceania's, but she wouldn't mind. Running towards it and grabbing it, Dylan turned to the Zangoose and spoke, growling as he wasn't turning back still.


"Rematch..!" Dylan called from behind, his eyes narrowing as he poised for an attack, his left foot before his first, facing the Zangoose slightly sideways with the head of the broomstick facing the ground, held by his left paw, the other side of the broomstick facing the air, held by his right paw, ready to attack. Dylan was rather surprised himself, but he didn't show it. He didn't know this battle style, but his body was working on his own as if something was telling the body what to do. The same feeling he had earlier with Anna. Something. Pushing that thought away, Dylan continued to stay at that battle pose, ready to fight the Zangoose once again.

*********************************************************

"My defensive stance." Neptune smiled, watching from above, beaming as he observed the battle, "He's learning fast..."

-Dylan Demetrius

 

[SV]

Gold Tribe

He heard a rustling sound from his back, and slowly turned back as the Buizel spoke something to him.

"Rematch..!" He yelled at him. Kent closed his eyes and sighed, as he turned and faced the young Buizel once more, but what he saw next was the last thing he expected.

It was a stance. Not just any stance, but a particular stance. A stance an old friend once took when they were about to face the hordes of Order of Neoverse Pokemon in battle in Cape City, a trident held sharply in his hands. Whether it was on purpose, or it was done by accident, Kent looked at the Buizel and, for a brief moment, he look like he was staring into the eyes of Neptune, the Tidechanger. He felt his spirit standing behind the little Pokemon, as if to urge him on. He recalled something that Neptune said to him, one of the last things he heard his departed friend say.

My soul, my essence, is still inside it. Right now, it's with Kaiser. He's bringing it with him. But right now, it's in 'shutdown' mode, and it'll require a certain someone in order to activate it once again. That certain someone must have Empoleon blood, and must have enough youth and potential.

Kent remembered these words, and thought briefly to himself.

"Could it really be him? It's just a broom...no, there's something about this kid."

With that, Kent laughed. He looked up to the sky and spoke out loud.

"It's him, isn't it Neptune?! Hahaha..." Kent sighed, still smiling, and looked down at the Buizel, and approached him. He bent down on one knee as he spoke to him now.

"My name is "Kaiser" Kent Reed, the leader of the Gold Tribe, the sworn protectors of the Alpha Alliance. What's your name?" He asked, before continuing with his questions. "That's an interesting stance you have there. I have a proposition for you. You seem to have some skill, and quite a bit of potential, and you definitely are a warrior at heart. You want to learn about fighting? How would you like to become my pupil? I can teach you the ways of combat, and the humility and respect that comes with it."

Kent realized this was a strange thing to ask to a Pokemon he barely knows, and an even stranger thing to accept from a person he never met, but he knew this was the Pokemon Neptune spoke of, and Kent would honor that final wish.

 

[angel]

Anna watched Dylan get up, she didn't want him to go. Even if it was for only a short time. She'd been alone for most of her life, she didn't want to be alone anymore. It was killing her, from the inside out. And Anna liked Dylan's company, she felt nice when with him. And he seemed like a good Pokemon to be friends with. After all he did fight off three bandits for her. When he didn't even have to, Dylan could have just walked away and pretended like nothing happened. But instead he stayed and fought.

Anna was pulled out of her thoughts by feeling something warm go around her. She looked down at her body and seen the wool blanket. It was actually pretty warm. Anna looked up at Dylan and gave him a small smile. "Thank you." She said before he went outside. Anna watched him until he shut the door, shutting her out. But she could still hear fighting sounds because the window was open. She gasped hearing a loud thud. Anna quickly got up, letting the wool blanket drop, some on the couch, some on the floor. She quickly ran to the door and opened it. Anna was just in time to see Dylan get back up and grab the broomstick. She watched, still standing in the doorway, Dylan charge at the retreating Zangoose.

The Zangoose turned back around and seemed to be amazed at Dylan's battle stance.

"Its him, isn't it Neptune?! Hahaha....." The Zangoose said towards the sky and for a couple minutes, Anna thought he was nuts. But, then again he might be talking to a departed Pokemon. Anna thought watching the Zangoose sigh and smile. Then he looked at Dylan and started to approach him. Anna held her breath, hoping he wouldn't attack Dylan again. When he knelt in front of Dylan, Anna let her breath out.

So his name is Kent Reed? Of the Gold Tribe. Anna thought looking at him and then glanced at Dylan. She wondered what he'd say, if he would say yes. Throughtout traveling Anna had visited the Alpha Aliance, the region the Gold Tribe was sworn to protect, once. It was a small town named Filo. The town had been empty except for one Ninetails who walked silently around the city. Anna seen her many times but they never spoke. In fact she had never heard the Ninetails speak, not even a peep. She just looked lost and sad.

 

[-Nocturnal]

After screaming 'Rematch...!', Dylan held the broomstick ever so tightly, still in battle position, ready to take or deliver another attack if needed. But when the Zangoose turned, his eyes were rather larger they were before, as if he was surprised or astonished. Glancing around with his eyeballs, Dylan had no idea what was causing him to be surprised. Surely a Buizel holding a broomstick wasn't THAT scary. He seemed to be in deep thought as he had been totally silent for a few seconds, and when he finally spoke, he laughed, out loud, and talked to the skies above, looking at the clouds on top of him. Is he nuts? Out of his mind? Dylan thought, tilting his head.


"Its him, isn't it Neptune?! Hahaha....." The Zangoose spoke, and after a few seconds, his eyes were on Dylan. Then the Zangoose approached him slowly as if he had something to say. His guards up once again, Dylan grasped the broom tightly, ready to block a punch. But when he was close, Dylan looked into his eyes. He didn't want to fight. Letting the broomstick go and throwing it away, Dylan stood there, ready to listen what he had to say. He didn't know that Anna was watching him from the window. Then, he bent down on one knee, looking at Dylan with serious eyes. Is he mad?


"My name is "Kaiser" Kent Reed, the leader of the Gold Tribe, the sworn protectors of the Alpha Alliance. What's your name?" He asked, I rest my caseDylan thought, then he continued, "That's an interesting stance you have there. I have a proposition for you. You seem to have some skill, and quite a bit of potential, and you definitely are a warrior at heart. You want to learn about fighting? How would you like to become my pupil? I can teach you the ways of combat, and the humility and respect that comes with it."


Dylan stared at Kent, blinking twice. He really does mean it. Dylan told himself, the thought about it. He was willing to take him under his wing, to teach him the ways of combat...for free. Why was he doing this? Why Dylan? He couldn't answer. But alas, this was his chance, and he wouldn't decline it. Nodding slowly, Dylan smirked, his old cocky grin on his face.


"If you can let me participate in the Tournament, I'm in. My name's Dylan. Dylan Demetrius." Dylan smiled, his voice full of determination once again. As the Zangoose, Kaiser, nodded back, Dylan grinned even more. Looking at the window, he saw Anna looking at them, and ever so quickly, Dylan turned to Kaiser, speaking.


"But I can't go now. We can meet when the Tournament starts, okay?" Dylan spoke, then waved before running back into the building, smiling when he saw Anna. She seemed to be okay now, as she was standing, and she wasn't hiding any pain, judging by her facial expression. Dylan liked to be with her. After all, she was the first friend in years, and she was the only Buizel in miles. Walking towards her and reaching for her hand again, he tugged gently, pulling her back to the couch, speaking softly, "You can stay as long as you want, Anna. I don't mind. It's good to have a friend with me..."

******************************************************************

"Thank you Kaiser..." Neptune spoke, smiling, some happy tears rolling down his face, "Thank you for fulfilling my wish...now you know my last name, but it doesn't matter. The Trident will have its new owner soon..."

"Neptune!" Triton spoke, placing his hand onto Neptune's back, "We're playing Poker. Wanna join us?"

"Who's playing?" Neptune asked, stilling looking at the lands below.

"Just me and some old Gold Tribe guys."

"Yes, Triton. But can you give me a sec? I want to do something." Neptune told him, and Triton nodded, walking away. Closing his eyes, Neptune thought about a distant land, his home, his home nation. The Alpha Alliance. Opening his eyes, Eternity City came into view, the old city where Neptune fought his very first war. Moving to a small town named Filo, Neptune saw the person he wanted to see. A Ninetails - Genevieve, his one true love. She was strolling around with nothing to do, her expressions lost and sad. Neptune's heart missed a beat. She was so sad without him. Sighing, he picked a heart-shaped leaf, and wrote the letter N on it. N for Neptune. Then releasing the leaf, Neptune watched as it drifted into the Pokemon world, falling slowly like a small parachute. Like magic, the leaf landed right before Genevieve's legs, the N facing up. Hopefully she could see and know that he was still up there, watching and protecting her.


"Please. Don't be sad..." Neptune murmured, then sighed, turning around. Doing these things, such as talking to a Pokemon from above, or dropping things from above were depleting his life force, which meant if he kept doing this, he would fade, forever, his essence and soul no longer anchored to the world. And he would disappear. Forever.


"It doesn't matter. When that happens, they won't need me anymore." Neptune told himself, joining the others, "I am so gonna beat you guys with a royal flush."

-Neptune, Dylan Demetrius

 

[Aura Rift]

Lorenzo "The Speedster" Aria
Kingdom of Tollen​

Lorenzo sipped the last drop of tea from his cup and let a sigh of relief escape his body.​

"Nothing like a cup of apple tea to calm me down, I wonder what the others are up to..." Lorenzo said to himself.​

However speak of the Darkrai, his allies walked around the corner, he glided over to them and began to fly in synch with their pace.​

It would appear that the Espeon, Nova, was joining the dewott, Shiro, were going to find better lodging. He came close to the Espeon and began to use charm.​

"Though the invitation was not held out to me I would most graciously wish to join you two." Lorenzo said heavily using charm now.​

"Especially you miss Nova." He lowered himself to the ground lifted up her paw and kissed it, trying to be as much like a gentleman as possible. He had always been a ladys man and just because he was on a mission for the king did not mean that would change.​

"Now let us depart shall we?" He said a grin on his face as he turned to face the dewott. He then tilted his head back and winked at Nova.​

(OOC: Short post sorry)​

 

[angel]

Anna smiled listening, she felt a little bad for listening. But Dylan was her friend now, she needed to stay in the loop. The tournament? He wants to be in the Dark tournament? Anna thought scared. She was scared for him. The Dark tournament had a reputation to it. Anna didn't want him to die or anything of the sort, but he was going to make his own desicions. Anna blushed softly when he looked over at her. She quickly looked away.

Anna looked up when the door opened, to see Dylan there. Confused she glanced out the window, to only see Kaiser there by himself. Anna looked back as Dylan took her hand. She fought the urge to pull her hand away. If they were to be friends, she needed to stop being afraid of him having her hand or touching her.

"Oh no. I couldn't possibly have you and your mom do that. You two already done a lot for me. Thank you." Anna said softly as she sat back on the couch, still holdining his hand.

************

Genevieve was walking around Filo, she was on her way back to Eternity. She hadn't been there in a couple months, but Genevieve was glad she had the chance to help rebuild the Alpha Aliance back to its former glory.

Genevieve walked around and looked at the deserted Filo. I wonder what it looked like in its golden days. She thought and then felt something crunch beneath her feet. Confused, Genevieve picked her paw up and looked at the ground. Under her paw was a single heart-shaped green leaf. Genevieve looked closer and seen a big 'N' had been written on it. Well, it looked like it had been written with claws. Genevieve gasped staring at the leaf. "Neptune?" She whispered, a steady stream of tears running down her cheeks.

Then she heard it, the voice that made her heart stop. "Please. Don't be sad...."

Genevieve lifted her head and looked at the sky. "I love you Neptune. I always will." She said, praying that her words would reach him. But now Genevieve would do as he wished, she'd stop being sad. For him, she'd stop being sad.

 

[SV]

Gold Tribe

"If you can let me participate in the Tournament, I'm in. My name's Dylan. Dylan Demetrius." Kent thought for a moment. He was young, but he had skill, quite a lot of it, as well. Besides, if this young one was under Kent's watch instead of roaming, he could be properly brought up, and trained not just to be strong, but to be humble, to be respectful, and to fight for the right reasons. Just then, Dylan spoke again.

"But I can't go now. We can meet when the Tournament starts, okay?" Kent nodded, and Dylan left. He would let him be a kid for a little while longer. In a few days, his world will change. He will be apart of the most dangerous task in his young life. But Kent would watch over him. No matter how dangerous it may be, Kent won't turn his back on Dylan. He won't let him die in this thing, no matter how dangerous it gets. That is his promise, and he will keep it.

Kent turned around and walked away. He sighed, turning his head to the sky an smiled upward. He felt like the spirit of his departed friend was with him, in Dylan.

"Just like old times..." He spoke to himself, walking into the dead of night.

****************************************************************

Order of Alcantus

Zion reached the outskirts of the city, where Regigigas stood. The large Pokemon spoke to the smaller one.

"So, Zion, what happened?"

"The opening ceremony was completed. As suspected, the Gold Tribe was there."

"I knew it!" Regigigas said.

"Are you sure you want me to take your spot?"

"Yes I'm sure! Besides, while you all will be fighting in this thing, I'll be gathering the Order."

"Gathering? What do you mean?"

"In a few weeks time, a few hundred of our troops will be arriving in Argos. After a bit longer, the rest of the troops will arrive. Once we have secured the Ultimate Power. Then, we can begin our invasion of all the lands, starting here in Argos!"

Zion nodded. "I see...."

"If the Gold Tribe isn't destroyed in the Tournament, we'll destroy them afterward in the crossfire. Ha...ha...ha!" laughed the large Regigigas. "We will have revenge on the Alpha Alliance, Zion, wait and see!"