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

[SV]

Gold Tribe

Kent listened to Lightheart intently, enjoying the conversation of an old friend.

"What do you make of it? Think there could be a possible connection?"

Kent shrugged. "I don't know. It could be. I felt something earlier when he tried to attack me, it was...very strange. I guess I will learn more when I train him a bit. He's also joining the Tournament with us, so we'll get to train him in betw-" Kent was interrupted as a Throh brought Dylan over, unconscious. Kent sighed and began speaking to Replicus, doing a facepalm.

"Fallax, he's just a kid! You don't think you went a little overboard?"

"This kid can use knows Steel moves. He remembers a bit about Neptune too. I guess we should question his mother about it." Replicus said.

"Until then, I'm off to have some fun. If you decide to talk to his mother, meet me at his house. Until then, Cheerio!" He said, winking at Kent.

"Fallax wai-" Fallax already went back towards the house. Kent groaned, as he was about to tell Fallax it was none of his business to go and bother the mother. As much as he wanted to know more about the connection, he didn't feel comfortable if strangers walked into a normal home and bombarded the mother with question out of nowhere, and therefore, Kent, being respectful as he was, wouldn't do such a thing. But Replicus didn't have the same demeanor as some of the Veteran Gold Tribe members. Kent looked over at Genevieve and managed a smile.

"Fallax is a strong warrior, one of the best among the new recruits of the Gold Tribe. But he lacks any sort of manners...or tact for that matter either. I will have to teach him some sometime."

He picked Dylan up. "He doesn't seem to be too bad, just unconscious. Let's take him to his mother. I was supposed to go train him, but now I'll have to wait until he wakes up again. Come on, Lightheart, let's go stop Fallax before he does something rude."

He walked casually next to Genevieve, carrying the young Buizel in his arms. Once he reached the house, he noticed Fallax transformed in his Buizel form. Kent did another facepalm, then yelled after Replicus.

"Fallax! Stop your foolishness right now!" He said, opening the door of the house, and placing Dylan on the couch to sleep. "You don't just break into others' houses like this, especially strangers you don't know, and try to take advantage of them! Have some decency! Do you wish to dishonor the name of the Gold Tribe?!" Kent dragged Replicus away, he politely bowed to the female Buizel lying in bed.

"Forgive our rudeness. We shall depart right away." He said, making for the door, holding Replicus in his arm with a tight grip. Once they were outside, Kent turned the Ditto over and spoke to him, sternly and with vigor.

"Now listen here, Fallax. You are here, in this unknown country, representing the honor and integrity of the Gold Tribe, and here you are, barging into stranger's homes and messing with their residents? Have you no shame?" Kent turned away, still speaking. "You are a strong warrior, but it's not just about strength here. THINK FALLAX! We are in a foreign land, where many fighters gather from dozens of countries we have never been to, and some we have never heard of, and most likely, they might not have heard of us, either. Is this truly the first impression you want to give to them? That we are a bunch of brutes who have no disregard for rules or laws, like vigilantes?"

Kent turned back to Fallax. "Remember the oath you took when you became a Gold Tribe member." He said, and recited the all-too familiar oath every Gold Tribe member took.

"Do you swear to honor the customs and traditions of the Gold Tribe? Do you swear to respect your fellow Pokemon? Do you swear on your honor, on your life, on your heart to protect those who can't be protected, those who asked to be protected? Do you swear to defend the freedom and liberty of the Alpha Alliance? If you do, rise a member of the Gold Tribe, and choose yourself a title."


He looked at the Ditto, wondering if he understood. "This oath isn't about protecting and fighting for what we represent. It's also about respect, about honoring the customs and traditions of the Gold Tribe. I hope you understand that, Fallax."


All of a sudden, his whole demeanor changed at once. He looked at Replicus, then Genevieve.

"Come on, Lightheart, Fallax. While we're waiting for Dylan to wake back up, we can get some training in. Let's spar."

 

[angel]

Genevieve Demetrius
Gold Tribe​

Genevieve watched Kent's face as he talked. You could tell by his expression that he was excited, which didn't happen much. Genevieve remembered the same look being present when Neptune was still around. He had been so proud to call him a fellow Gold member. And Neptune was a hero in the eyes of the Gold Tribe, the way it should be. He was a member during the war and he had given the ultimate sacrifice. Giving up his life in order for the Gold Tribe to win against the Order, against Galleon.

Genevieve thought about it. She didn't know if that was wise. Even if the young boy had a connection with Neptune. He was just a child and there were powerful Pokemon competing in the tournament. And Genevieve would bet that some, maybe even most, would do anything to win. Use any dirty trick they had. Genevieve was about to say something when Kent started talking to the Throh, whom was a Ditto called Fallax. As Kent talked Genevieve looked at the Buizel, he was all beaten up. Clearly Fallax hadn't thought much to taking it easy on the young Buizel. But by the looks of Fallax, the young Buizel didn't go down without a fight. Genevieve said looking at Fallax and then back at the Buizel. Looking at the Buizel gave her a funny feeling, something like, well she couldn't explain it exactly. The Buizel looked so familiar, but how could that be? Genevieve was sure the Buizel had never left Agros, considering how young he was. And she had never traveled out of the Alpha Aliance, let alone a country as far away as Agros, until now. So was there a connect to Neptune they didn't know about? Did the young Buizel know about it?

Genevieve was pulled out of her thoughts by Kent's voice. She looked back over at him and then glanced in the direction Fallax had went. She had to agree with both statements. He was almost like a grown child, in the aspect of fun comes before work. "From what I can see, he is a stronger fighter, looking at the buizel alone. If he got his priorities straighten out he'd be even stronger. But that's something he'll have to learn." Genevieve said standing up.

Genevieve looked at the Buizel again, who was now in Kent's arms and nodded. "Let's just hope we get there before he upsets the residents." She said and started to walk with him. Genevieve followed him into the house and looked around as Kent talked to Fallax. She didn't want him to think she was looking down on him or anything, she'd just met him. Though Genevieve wouldn't look down on someone anyways, she didn't find it to be right.

While looking around Genevieve did notice the Buizel girl dive under the covers when Kent and her walked in. Genevieve found that rather peculiar, but they were strangers so her response was explainable. Though, she seemed to be shaking and Genevieve wondered why. They weren't scary, but it was possible that not a lot of Pokemon in Agros had heard of the Gold tribe, maybe just small stories or such.

Once again, Genevieve was snapped out of her thoughts by Kent's voice. She was amazed how he could just change his attitude like that. But, Genevieve was excited about sparring with Kent and Fallax. She had never fought with him, she'd just seen him fight and Genevieve had always wondered if she could handle going head-to-head with him. And there was Fallax, he seemed like he'd be a good opponent, with his unique ability. So Genevieve followed them out, nodding politely at the Buizel, who had poked her head out of the blanket. They walked back to the hill, it was spacious enough for a fight.

Annabell Grace​

Anna had been waiting for Dylan to speak when a Zangoose and a Ninetails had walked in. She quickly dove under the covers, shaking. But she peeked out at them. Anna didn't like strangers, she'd had to many bad experiences. But when she looked closer she realized that it was the same Zangoose from earlier, though she did not know the Ninetails, or the Buizel before her. Anna nodded softly as the Zangoose apologised and made for the door. She waited until she heard the door close before coming out from under the covers. Then Anna got up, not wanting to rest anymore, she wasn't that tired anymore.

Anna walked into the living room to find Dylan laying on the couch, unconscious. "Dylan?!" She cried running to over to him. Anna nudged his hand softly, but got nothing in return. Not a twitch nor a groan. Bitting her lip she raced into the kitchen to find some potions or something to help. She was sure Oceania wouldn't mind, after all they were for her son. After a couple minutes of searching, Anna found some. She quickly grabbed them and raced back into the living room. Anna wasted no time, as soon as she reached the couch, she started to use the potions on him. "Please be ok." Anna said softly as she worked.

 

[XxSweetDreamsxX]

Nova the Espeon
Kingdom of Tollen

A knock on the door shot her eyes open, both of them narrowing in extreme irritation only to widenen a few seconds after.

"Oh Arceus...I overslept," she panicked to herself, leaping out of her bed and snatching up the nearest brush with her telepathic power while making her bed at the same time. The Espeon had probably stayed up too late, causing the incident. It wasn't like her to sleep in so late. "I could have just ran to the inn if I didn't have to wait for those ridiculous nobles," she murmured, shaking the negative comments out of her mind as to guess who was at the door. Was is Sir Jinkiro? The Duchess? Zachary? Nova hoped not, slightly blushing to herself in embarassment. Good impressions were hard to make when it was more fun being a slob, and now her efforts would all go to waste.

"Ahem... Miss Nova have you awakened yet? It is now roughly a quarter past mid-day and I would hate for you to miss your last day of exploring this beautiful city because you slept in," a voice came through the door. The Espeon was still unable to identify it. Letting the brush flow out of her dark fur, Nova set it down on her bed before rushing to the entrance. Unlocking the door, she let her tail lightly push the door open as she kept her fake smile on. It turned into a real one as she saw the Emolga from last night. Relief poured in immediately, Nova surprisingly feeling much more comfortable seeing him rather anyone else.

"Ahh, Lorenzo, good morning," she giggled to herself, letting her split tail switch the doorknob closed, "I assure you I'd never want to miss out on such beautiful scenery. My fault for sleeping in, of course". Relaxing slightly, her gem lit to full color as he dark eyes peered into Lorenzo's own. "Umm, I'm assuming the others are elsewhere?"

The Espeon wasn't sure if the nobles had stayed at the original inn, probably not, guessing Shiro had paid extra for better rooms. Nova was just glad she had a place to sleep.

"What to do..."

 

[-Nocturnal]

Dylan's eyes were slowly able to open up once again, and when the injured Buizel glanced around, he found himself lying on the living room couch. What happened? Dylan could remember fighting, fighting against a Ditto named Replicus. Dylan recalled fainting, and recalled a powerful voice booming inside his head. What was going on? Dylan moved a little, trying to lay down in a more comfortable position, but when he tried, he winced in pain. His injuries weren't fully healed yet. Slowly managing to turn his head, he saw Anna, using some potions on him, begging him to wake up.


"Please be ok." Anna said softly as she worked on his injuries, using the potions all over him. In a flash, his large wounds seem to heal and close up, and his burn marks were vanishing slowly as the potions took effect. The muscle pains were also gone, and looking around was not a difficulty anymore. Smiling at Anna, he leaped from the couch and glomped her, both of them falling onto the floor. Dylan did it gently, so Anna wasn't hurt at all.


"I feel much better Anna." Dylan smiled, hugging her tight, "Thank you...!"

-Dylan Demetrius

(sorry for the short post)

 

[angel]

Annabell Grace​

Anna worked quickly, bitting her lip in worry. She didn't want her new friend hurt. Not again. The first time had been her fault, he had stood up for her when the bandits came for her. Anna had felt terrible about it. But had always wondered why he did it. Dylan had said it was because they were both Buizels. But was that the only reason? If she was a different type of Pokemon, would he have kept walking? The thought of Dylan only rescuing her because she was a Buizel, gave her a sad feeling in the pit of her stomach. And she didn't know why. Anna tried to shake the feeling by concentrating on healing Dylan. Whatever the reason. I'm eternally grateful. Anna thought as she noticed Dylan move. She was about to tell him not to move when he jumped off the couch and tackled her.

As she was talked, Anna screamed. It wasn't a scared scream, more of a surprise scream. When they hit the floor, they slid across it a little. After they stopped moving, Anna looked up at Dylan with large eyes. There was a deep blush covering her whole face. "You shouldn't move so much, Dylan. You were severely hurt." Anna said softly, not trying to sound like she was scolding him. She gasped softly as she was hugged. "I just used some potions. I didn't do much. And I'll pay your mom back for them. Really, I will."

 

[Karma Police]

Replicus 'Fallax' Decendas
Gold Tribe​

The Buizel had just woken up when Kaiser and Genevieve walked into the room.

"Fallax! Stop your foolishness right now! You don't just break into others' houses like this, especially strangers you don't know, and try to take advantage of them! Have some decency! Do you wish to dishonor the name of the Gold Tribe?!" Kaiser yelled at Fallax.

"Now listen here, Fallax. You are here, in this unknown country, representing the honor and integrity of the Gold Tribe, and here you are, barging into stranger's homes and messing with their residents? Have you no shame?" Kent turned away, still speaking. "You are a strong warrior, but it's not just about strength here. THINK FALLAX! We are in a foreign land, where many fighters gather from dozens of countries we have never been to, and some we have never heard of, and most likely, they might not have heard of us, either. Is this truly the first impression you want to give to them? That we are a bunch of brutes who have no disregard for rules or laws, like vigilantes?"

Replicus listened intently, and then defended himself, "But I wasn't going to harm her! I was simply going to ask her if she wanted to train with Dylan! Honestly!" Replicus whined.

"Remember the oath you took when you became a Gold Tribe member?" Kent said.


"Do you swear to honor the customs and traditions of the Gold Tribe? Do you swear to respect your fellow Pokemon? Do you swear on your honor, on your life, on your heart to protect those who can't be protected, those who asked to be protected? Do you swear...."

"....to defend the freedom and liberty of the Alpha Alliance? If you do, rise a member of the Gold Tribe, and choose yourself a title. Yeah, yeah, I remember it! Like I told you, I was simply trying to ask her if she was gonna train! I didn't want to scare her, which is why I went as Dylan!" Replicus cried.

"This oath isn't about protecting and fighting for what we represent. It's also about respect, about honoring the customs and traditions of the Gold Tribe. I hope you understand that, Fallax."

Replicus sighed. "I'm sorry, and I sincerely apologize for my disrespectful behavior that could hurt the customs of the Gold Tribe and the Citizens of Argos."

Kent suddenly changed. "Come on, Lightheart, Fallax. While we're waiting for Dylan to wake back up, we can get some training in. Let's spar."

"Yeah. Nothing like a good battle to clear our minds." Replicus said.

"By the way, you sounded like an old timer when you gave me that lecture. And also, let's not forget that in the human myths and stories the grandmothers tell, that kid Red used to walk into everybody's home uninvited. And what did he do? He saved the World." Replicus laughed.

"Anyways, since we are going to spar..."

Replicus immediately transformed into Throh, and used Low Kick, hitting Kent on his back, and then transformed into Dylan, and attacked Lightheart with an Aqua Jet.

"...Might as well start quickly. The sun is going down."

 

[SV]

Gold Tribe

Kent prepared for the spar. They were in an open field, and he was aching for some training before the tournament.

"I'm sorry, and I sincerely apologize for my disrespectful behavior that could hurt the customs of the Gold Tribe and the Citizens of Argos." He heard Fallax say, among other things.

Kent smiled at him, stretching his arms as he spoke.

"Your hearts in the right place, Fallax, but your mind isn't. I was only training Dylan because he's going to be participating in the Tournament under our name, as my pupil. The other one, however, isn't in the Tournament, she's just a little one!"

"Anyways, since we are going to spar..."

Replicus transformed into Throh. Kent bowed to Replicus and Genevieve, and prepared. He saw Replicus launch a Low Kick on Kent. Kent took the hit towards his arm, most of the damage being cushioned by his paws. Kent pushed off of him, and launched forward with a Slash.

Because he didn't want anyone to get injured, he made sure to use the sides of his claws, for sparring purposes, and Slashed at Replicus. Then, without seeing if the hit took effect on the Throh, he turned to Genevieve, and hit her with an X-Scissor, the power reduced, again, for sparring purposes. He then turned back to Replicus and hit him with an Aerial Ace.

Kent backed off, and stepped to the side of both of them, prepared for them to launch their next set of attacks. Kent was smiling. He enjoyed fighting, almost everyone in the Gold Tribe enjoyed a good spar. It was almost like a ceremony for them. They were fighters, after all. It's what they did.

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

Kingdom of Tollen

Zachary had been away from his group for quite a while, and decided it was time to check on them. He wouldn't do it normally in traveling with a group of knights or soldiers, but there were nobles among them in this trip, and Zachary knew to show them a heightened sense of respect. He flew back into the hotel room window that he had left open, and observed the surrounding rooms, which belonged to the others. For the most part, they were silent, until he heard noises coming from one of the rooms, Nova's he believed it was. He decided to let them be, and went to the reception, where he discovered that the nobles never went to sleep there. He figured they found more suitable accomodations. Apparently, everyone was in check. Relieved, Zachary took flight once more, viewing the port city of Abel from the sky.

 

[Aura Rift]

Lorenzo "The Speedster" Aria
The kindom of tollen
​

"Ah Lorenzo, Good Morning." Nova said, Lorenzo could barely hear her giggle as she closed the door with her tail.

"I assure you I'd never want to miss out on such beautiful scenery. My fault for sleeping in, of course." She continued, Lorenzo was filled with awe as he admired the glow of her jewel, he found it beautiful.

"No, no do not blame yourself. Sometimes the most beautiful flowers are the last to bloom." Lorenzo said with a warm smile.

He looked into her dark eyes slowly getting lost in them as she looked right back into his.

"Umm, I'm assuming the others are elsewhere?" Nova said.
​

Lorenzo realized he was staring.

"Oh umm... Your assumption is one hundred percent correct miss Nova." Lorenzo said.

"The nobles left for a different inn last night, the only ones who stayed at this inn are, Zachary, you and I." Lorenzo continued.

"However since Sir Zachary isn't around it would appear its just you and me..." Lorenzo finished with a wink.

"I'll tell you what Nova, how about we travel around this beautiful town together for the last few hours? What do you say?"​

 

[Silver Rogue]

OCC: Hey guys, I will be leaving tomorrow very early (3 AM) for a BWCA trip, and I wont be back until late next Thursday. So, this will be either my last post or second to last post before I leave. Oh yeah, and I give Supervageta permision to use Silver if anything big happens and he needs to be included...

Silver slowly opened his eyes and yawned from the good nights sleep he had. Light was seeping in through a crack in the blinds, illuminating the small room enough for Silver to see. He lay there for a few minutes, then slowly got up feeling more refreshed than he had in a while. He glanced at the clock quickly, then looked back at it. "Wow, 10:30 already? I must have overslept!" he muttered to himself. He decided that he should probobly find Kaiser and see if anything had happened in the last day.

He made the bed he had just slept in and quickly cleaned up the small room before going down to the first floor where he paid for his room as well as a quick breakfast, and then he set off into the city to find Kaiser. He did a quick check of all of the Gyms and other workout areas in the city, and found that no Gold Tribe memebers were there. He sat at a park bench, dissapointed, trying to think of where Kaiser would be. Well, he thought, If I was Kaiser, I would be training, probobly with other Gold Tribe members. Yes, Kaiser would be sparring with others, and a battle like that would probobly be too disruptive to be held in a city without a proper arena. So, I should look for Kaiser outside the city. Silver smiled, then cursed himself for not thinking of that earlier instead of running around the city. He quickly took off towards the outskirts of the city, hoping to find Kaiser or someone else from Gold Tribe.

Silver reached the outskirts of the large city, and realised that he might have to jog for a while till he found anything. "Oh well, I could use a nice jog", he muttered under his breath, and then he took off at a semi-quick pace, running and looking for Kaiser. It took him well over an hour before he found what he was looking for, but he finally did. He sat down on the grass for a moment while he caught his breath, then he looked up to see who all was there. There was Kaiser of course, slashing at his opponents, and there was a pokemon that kept changing, the ditto then. And there was... Genevieve?!?! What in Arceus' name is she doing here? He shook his head and focused on watching the battle. He watched for a minute, then launched himself into the middle of the fray, then used a half power dark pulse to blow the other three away. Then he stood up and said with a grin on his face, "What, no invitation for me? How rude!"

 

[XxSweetDreamsxX]

Nova the Espeon
Kingdom of Tollen

"No, no do not blame yourself. Sometimes the most beautiful flowers are the last to bloom," Lorenzo replied, the Espeon making a hidden smirk under her dark fur. He was trying to charm her. Perhaps it had been obvious all along to the others, though she was often oblivious to the clearest of details. She let it shake off, guessing it would be fun to see what else the little gentleman could come up with to please her.

It appeared he was staring at her, something clicking in the rodent's mind before continuing, "Oh umm... Your assumption is one hundred percent correct miss Nova. The nobles left for a different inn last night, the only ones who stayed at this inn are, Zachary, you, and I". Nova nodded, slightly pleased to know the nobles weren't around. Her full opinion hadn't been completely formed when it came to the higher-class individuals, but so far they were appearing...stuck-up? A common stereotype, though slowly appearing to be a realistic one.

"However, since Sir Zachary isn't around, it would appear its just you and me..." Lorenzo said, a small wink given to her at the ending of his sentence. It tickled her, another small giggle coming out even if it was a quiet one. "I'll tell you what Nova, how about we travel around this beautiful town together for the last few hours? What do you say?"

She felt her shy nature kick in, unable to answer. The Espeon could only hope it wouldn't become awkward that she was taking awhile to reply. "I definitely don't want to refuse him..."

"Well, if you insist, Lorenzo," she smiled clearly, her ears lowering in resemblance to last night, "where should we go, then? Hm?"

 

[Aura Rift]

Lorenzo "The Speedster" Aria
The kindom of tollen​

"Well, if you insist, Lorenzo," Nova replied smiling, her ears lowering.​

"where should we go, then? Hm?"​

Lorenzo froze he hadn't thought about that.​

"Well Nova, the general idea of exploring is that we don't know where we're going, Haha! But there is a quaint resteraunt just a little bit away." Lorenzo said.​

"Well a little bit for me, it would be quite long at a walking pace... lets just have a look around shall we, come now no time to lose!"​

Lorenzo rushed Nova out the door and the smell of fresh incense came over him, not just incense but a variety of other smells aswell. Lorenzo turned his head to see a marketplace, it seemed to be clebrating the Dark tournament as a sign on the front said it would be open till its end.​

"How wonderful!" Lorenzo exclaimed.​

"What better way to get to grips with a location and its culture than to visit a market! Come Nova let us have a look around." Lorenzo said as the two pokemon approached the entrance.​

There was a large map and information board outside showing just how extensive the markets reach was, it covered at least a quarter of Able and was set up overnight by stall owners and workers and was set to commemorate the beggining of the dark tournament.​

Upon heading inside Lorenzo saw a crossroads, left, right and straight.​

"Ummm... Nova which way would you like to go?" He asked​

 

[Roserade]

(Sorry, short post, in a hurry.)

Training. It was the most exciting thing she had done this entire trip. But, as she looked around, she squeezed into the corner. She had never seen them fight and they had never seen her skills. What if they weren't impressed? What if they teased her for her lack of ability. Worst of all, what if she didn't work well in a group. If that was the case, it would only get worse from this point. She decide to strengthen up a bit. he lifted a weight into the air and back down. This wasn't that bad. Then, she swept her tail in a circle and formed an Aqua Tail, splattering water around her. She finished with a Ice Beam, sp precise it froze the little droplets in mid-air. She looked spectacular. She kept working on her skills as the day began to end.​

 

[Yagerbomb]

Azar Polterus​

Azar drifted back into the City. Azar chuckled at his recent victory, only five hundred and nine fighters left, joked Azar. Even if the Sudowoodo recovered, the Pokemon would have no idea that Azar was the one behind the crime. Azar turned down an alleyway, looking for somewhere to think. Azar liked to think sometimes, just about whatever came to mind. Azar found that this form of "Meditation" helped him ease up when he was stressed. There was pressure on Azar, after all he knew what he was here for. Little did the others know of Azar's plans. Azar started to drift off. Money, power, fame, Azar thought, that is all that matters in this corrupt world. Azar knew the risks associated with such a tournament, but there is nothing left to lose and everything to gain, Azar thought. Azar knew that betrayal would be part of the process, and no one would need to know until the time is right.

(OOC: Sorry for the short post, but something else calls :) )

 

[SV]

Gold Tribe

Kent looked around when he heard a voice speak to them.

"What, no invitation for me? How rude!"

It was Silver.

"Argentum! You're most welcome to join us! " Kent spoke, preparing his next attack. More than half of the Gold Tribe members that originally came here were now part of this sparring session. Kent enjoyed it. It was a chance for him not only to get to know the fighting moves of his companions, but it was also a way for him to get to know the Pokemon behind the moves. Suddenly, another attack came from the side. It was an Aqua Tail, followed by an Ice Beam. The attacker was Ambrosia Dusklore, the Tactician. Kent evaded the powerful attack, but it still hit him a bit on the shoulder. The attack was powered down as well, for the purpose of sparring. He looked at Ambrosia, nodding to her.

Kent now looked over everyone that was here, participating in the sparring session, most of the Gold Tribe, including Genevieve "Lightheart", Replicus "Fallax", Ambrosia "Tactician", Silver "Vesica Argentum", and himself, Kent "Kaiser". He couldn't be more thrilled. He knew that, as Gold Tribe members, the others probably had similar emotions.

Kent decided to spread his attacks to everyone, so he charged up and launched a Thunder at all of them, seeing how they would respond. The sun was setting slowly from the midpoint of the sky as the Gold Tribe members battled it out.

 

[-Nocturnal]

Dylan and Anna landed onto the floor with a thump after the pouncing, and Dylan looked at her from above, their eyes locking onto each other's once again. Anna had a large blush on her face, and Dylan's face went red as well, as if their cheeks were also communicating with each other, and the blushing thing was a gesture of happiness...or...love...Dylan smiled, hugging her, blushing even more when thinking about that. The Buizel giggled and rubbing his nose against hers, a large, warm, happy smile on his face.


"You shouldn't move so much, Dylan. You were severely hurt." Anna said softly, then gasped when she was hugged, "I just used some potions. I didn't do much. And I'll pay your mom back for them. Really, I will."


"The potions you used seemed to be more effective than normal potions...or is that me?" Dylan smiled, winking, then shook his head, "You don't have to do that Anna. I'm her son, and if she knows that the potions were for me, she wouldn't charge you anything. Even if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't charge you either. She's a good Floatzel. So don't worry Anna!"


Getting off her slowly, Dylan looked out the window, and spotted some other Gold Tribe members. They were preparing something, probably a little battle, or training. Maybe Dylan could join the 'fun'...looking at Anna and helping her up, Dylan hugged her once again, tighter than before, then spoke softly, "I'll be right back. I'm going to join those members...oh and one more thing...when I said I saved you because we're both Buizels...well...it wasn't the main reason, nor the true reason....when I saw you, I...kinda had this feeling...and....I-"


Just then there was a large electrical explosion, and Dylan quickly turned, managing to see some sparks of electricity spreading towards the other Gold members. Kent had started the fight, and the attack stopped Dylan from saying anything more. Shooting Anna a glance that meant, I have to go, be right back, Dylan stepped out, and joined the battlefield.


Observing the other Gold members, there was Replicus, a Ninetales, an Absol, and a Dragonair, all with different but similar insignia on them. Suddenly there was another boom, and another pulse of electricity was fired towards the Buizel as well. His eyes widening, Dylan leaped into the air, dodging the electric attack, then did an aerial somersault, generating a ball of water in his paws. When he was right side up in the third somersault, Dylan pushed the water ball in hadouken style, sending the ball flying towards the Zangoose. Then spun around in mid air, a fast 360, releasing a strong water pulse towards all members, spreading outwards like a wave.


"I'm joining!"

-Dylan Demetrius

 

[Ray Maverick]

Alistar the "Firestarter"
Order of Alcantus
Just outside the city

"Here we are..."

Alistar mumbled, with an twisted grin on his face. His amber eyes reflected not only the setting sun, but his dark intentions as well.
The Typhlosion had arrived late, as he was unwanted among the other warriors of the Order. But he was still one of the best champions, even without fighting -they had seen the fire of the north-, and his leaders recognized that. That's why they had reserved a spot without him arriving earlier, showing his invitation to that Kabutops under the spire.

Some of the Order members had settled down, stopped their training outside the city and were headed towards the city.
Alistar half closed his eyes and licked his bottom lips. That made him look like a ruthless predator as he was looking upon the Order's warriors. He was searching for someone strong to pick up a fight with, just to brace himself for the tournament.

A Tangrowth, a Rhyperior and a Magmortar were sitting on a rock, talking about the tournament. Alistar left the main road and approached them.
When they noticed him, they understood that he wasn't there for chit chat. An eye game started between the Typhlosion and the Rhyperior. Alistar spoke first.

"I challenge you," Alistar baring his fangs and revealing his claws. The fire on his back was still down though, "to a duel."

Rhyperior wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating him. The warriors of the Order wouldn't make such mistakes. He stared back at Alistar's amber eyes, examining his opponent. Alistar considered his options and smiled with his wicked smile, taunting him.
The others backed off to make room for the duel.

The two dark figures standing in the clearing of the forest were clearly experienced, dangerous warriors. Alistar didn't seem like it, but he was meditating, he was in a stasis of extreme focus, looking at his opponent straight into his eyes just like his master taught him. He took the berserker battle stance, opening his arms in a big hug pose. But it didn't seem like it - his eyes were burning with determination, his fangs and claws were bared.
Alistar performed a taunting move with his right hand. Come on.

Rhyperior instanly dug his arms to the ground and threw a barrage of rocks at Alistar.
They all hit their target, Alistar enduring the hit. Rhyperior thought just wasn't quick enough to avoid it and went ahead in a Giga Impact while smiling. Alistar returned the smile and the huge Pokemon performing the dangerous attack knew its mistake until it was too late.
Alistar, launched himself from the ground to the right to avoid the incoming force, got behind his target with great agility and performed a Dynamicpunch in the back of the Pokemon. The Rhyperior's body shook as he almost fell forward, on the ground, from the force that hit him.
Alistar backed off as he knew his opponent was in range for another Giga Impact.

"How do you like THIS.. RAAAAAARGH"

Alistar made a move with his arms like he was ripping off his chest with his own claws, and instanly fire popped from his back and consumed his arms and then his whole body. he became a moving fireball as his opponent cringed in fear after hearing Alistar's battle cry. The dark sky of the night was lighted up by the flames produced by the Typhlosion. The heat was as intense as a volcano itself.
The grass in the clearing was totally burned off as Alistar launched an Eruption on the whole place.
Molten lava fell all around Alistar and a huge, burning rock fell on the Rhyperior, which was only quick enough to avoid being hit in the head. The rock hit him on the shoulder. The attack was powerful enough to make him back off, even if the type matchup was in favour of the Rhyperior.

Alistar awaited for his opponents next move. The rocks that had hit him had done their damage - more scars on Alistar's body, but he was used to pain. His master was only hitting him with his weaknesses to tough him up.
The two friends of the warrior had backed off even more, to a spot where the lava couldn't -hopefully- reach them. In the meantime, the lava had cooled off, forming a new ground. Alistar and the Rhyperior noticed it.
The rock type Pokemon stood up on its feet, but sat back down, Alistar smiling.

"You won. Tomorrow's the tournament, I don't want to get any more hurt."

"Too bad 'cause I'd be there to help you get hurt." Alistar's eyes glowed with hatred. The same Pokemon were making fun of his appearance when he was a Cyndaquil. Rhyperior didn't seem to return the look full of hatred, making fun of Alistar when he was a kid might have been one way to laugh, but the Typhlosion didn't care. He wasn't going to let anyone push him around.

Alistar simply turned around and slowly -he had been hurt- walked away from the Pokemon and the burned off clearing.

 

[Stingray]

Shiro finally left his motel room, and started walking through the town browsing the wares, but more than anything watching the actions of competitors he had seen before. He really didn't find anything of interest in the noble markets. None of the fancy art, rugs, foods, and clothes caught Shiro's attention. He then decided to go to the commoner's side despite his own reservations. The crowds in this area were much worse and he missed Nova and Lorenzo when he past by them. A shop down the middle path had caught his eye.

Walking in the dusty shop he nodded at the Cacturne who ran the shop. The Cacturne didn't seem to notice the water pokemon and continued to inspect some wooden statue someone was trying to sell him. Shiro looked among the many "artifacts" many of which were fakes. Shiro was disappointed that the "Ancient Treasures" store seemed to be filled with nothing but fakes trying to be passed off for real artifacts. He continued to browse until he found some dusty scrolls stuffed back in a corner. He carefully reached back and grabbed them carefully. Inspecting them Shiro was pleased to see they were actually authentic. He opened the first of the three and to his disappointment it was a shipping log. He looked through two more and noticed they too were shipping logs, and finally he opened the last (and most damaged one). A huge smile appeared on his face and he discovered what seemed to be one part to a story about some legend of the past. Most of the scroll was hard/impossible to read, but that didn't matter to Shiro. He carefully rolled it back up and walked up to the counter and purchased it. He looked very pleased as he left the store with his new treasure carefully packed under his arm.

 

[Roserade]

Ambrosia felt the electric attack before it hit her. She prepared herself and once it hit, she absorbed it to shoot out a Thunder Wave, most expertly aggrandized. IT was sent flying back in the direction of the attack. She heard a rushing of water come from the other dirtection and she blasted an Ice Beam through the arena, freezing the water on the spot among other things. She checked her surroundings before turning back around and continuing to lift weights. She was excited and also scared about the oncoming tournament. She swirled the gold chain on her tail and began to lead the Training Arena. She was starving, after all.​

It's wierd when something scares you. What goes through your mind? Something that makes you look behind your back, even when you're in public. The third letter was being held by a man at a local pub. He walked up to her saying he recognized her from the picture on the envelope. She tore it out of his hand to see a wide angle photograph of her talking to Matilda. But all she could see was Matilda's hand. She was real! All she had to do was show the photo to someone and then-it was gone. The picture had disappeared and she was left with an empty feeling inside. She began to open the envelope, frightened at what she might see.​

Those who wish to terrify you, are many. Do not be frightened.​

She gulped. They knew about the othr letter, yet this one was different from the last letters. This one had a pink bow at the top, and the letters were awful feminine. She had an idea of who had written the letter and she raced to the construction scene. The houses were then fully constructed and there was no sign of the Machamps. She slowly walked up to the house and pulled back the door.​

Inside, there was a note. She pulled it off the floor and read.​

I can no longer contact you. The farther you make it in the D.T. the more hope we have to survive.​

 

[SV]

Gold Tribe

It was now the little Buizel Dylan who joined the fight. Although he was young, he was still able to keep up with the others. Kent was impressed. The sparring between the Gold Tribe members lasted for a while longer, but as the sun began to go down, they stopped fighting. Kent bowed to each of them as they left, as a sign of respect, and soon, they said their goodbyes.

"So you won't forget, here is the location of our inn. I wouldn't want you all sleeping on the streets again!" He said, giving them the paper with the location of the inn they were staying at. He looked at Dylan and spoke to him as well.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning in front of the Spire, where I'll let the Keepers know you'll be participating under me apart of the Gold Tribe."

Kent departed from the rest of them, heading to the inn. It was late, and Kent wanted to get up bright and early, as well as rested. It was going to be a big day.

He lay on his mattress for a second, looking up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. He was far too excited, and also a little bit scared. He felt he couldn't sleep, no matter how he tried. But eventually, sleep took him, and he was awoken next day by the chattering of Pokemon outside.

"Come on! We need to get good seats!"

"Every seat is a good seat, Roger, don't you remember?"

Kent shot up quickly. He shouted at the others around, any who were still there.

"Gold Tribe! Let's go. Today's the day of the Tournament! We don't want to be late!"

Kent quickly put on his emblem, and made his way downstairs, and exited the inn. The town was in an uproar. Lines formed everywhere of Pokemon going towards the direction of the Spire. He wondered how this would all work. Was there really something at the very top of the Spire? Was the Arena there?

That couldn't be possible, Kent thought. The Spire couldn't support and arena that extended too far in length. It was physically impossible. Whatever would happen, Kent would find out once he made it there.

As he made his way closer, beyond the lines of Pokemon who yelled, he noticed some of the familiar faces of the combatants from yesterday. He saw the familiar hooded Pokemon surrounding the Spire: The Keepers. They didn't check for invitations as they did the day before. Somehow, they just knew who were the combatants, and who weren't. He met Dylan in front of the Tournament. Kent nodded at him, and walked with him in front of the Keeper.

In reality, Kent never actually intended Dylan to fight. He agreed he would let Dylan participate under them, but he was sure the Keepers would refuse because he wasn't invited. He didn't want the young Pokemon to get hurt, after all. Still, he played along for now. He saw an Armaldo now in a hood allowing the fighters to pass. He walked up to him and presented Dylan.

"I wish for this little one to participate in the Tournament under me as a member of the team from the Gold Tribe." Kent said, a smile on his face, waiting for the rejection.

The Armaldo smiled from behind it's hood. "Very well." Kent's smile disappeared. "We had an unexpected death in one of the other teams anyways, so we have allowed for two new members to join, making the total to 511, and now this makes 512."

Kent didn't speak, he just walked into the familiar waiting room at the base of the Spire, where he saw the other fighters already gathering. They were all mostly familiar faces, except for one he didn't see the day before. A giant among the others, a Regigigas. He knew this Pokemon. He was a servant of Galleon, back in the Order of Neoverse. Kent shot a glance to Silver and Geneviev, who was standing next to him as well. They exchanged looks, as they were apart of the Gold Tribe back then. The others might not have known who this was. This confirmed on thing, though, and Kent needed to tell the entire Gold Tribe. "The Order of Neoverse is here." He spoke softly to the Gold Tribe. He worriedly looked at Dylan, then turned away, waiting for everyone to arrive.

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

Kingdom of Tollen

Zachary had done what training he could on the day before the Tournament, and turned in early for the night. He had not been in contact with any of the other Emissaries, except for Nova and Lorenzo, who were also staying in this hotel. Shiro and the Duchess must have found different accommodations. He assumed they would all meet in front of the Spire anyways, or inside of it.

Zachary took flight and flew over the city of Abel, towards the Spire. He noticed the crowds of people that were in attendance. There was no way that these people were all from Abel. He was certain that many of them probably made their journey out from the other parts of the Region of Argos, and maybe some came here from other nations. There were so many of them.

Zachary landed in front of the Spire, where he assumed he would meet up with all of the others, once they arrived, if they weren't already there.

He reached for his invitation which was below his wing, but the Keeper Kabutops stopped him, and spoke.

"That won't be necessary Zachary Orthanius of the Kingdom of Tollen. We know who you are." Zachary eyed him suspiciously, then walked into the Spire, waiting, while also looking around for his comrades.

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

Region of Argos

Derrick Onkai pushed his way through the crowds of Pokemon around, many of them gathering around the Spire. He noticed them actually not going into the Spire, but forming a line to the left of it. He saw what was at the head of the line. At first, he only saw a glimmer of light. He saw Pokemon in the line approach it, and then in a second, they were gone. The Pokemon in the line were going to a portal. But where did it lead?

Derrick stopped caring now, and headed towards the inside of the Spire. He was sure he would soon discover what exactly that was anyways. He noticed the Ninetales he bumped into yesterday, and saw that she was among the fighters in the Tournament. He looked at her for a while, then finally looked away, shaking his head.

It's like they'll make anyone fighters these days...

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

Order of Alcantus

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! I wish to participate as well!" said Regigigas, responding to Zion. Regigigas, Zion and Hydra were having a discussion on whether Regigigas should join the Tournament as well, as he was still eligible, according to a Keeper he talked to yesterday. In the end, they all agreed to participate, at least one of them would be able to fight and win.

"This would confirm to the Alpha Alliance that we are of the Order of Neoverse, you know." Zion said.

"So be it. Better they know now and fear than find out after we've killed them."

With that, the three of them made their way to the Spire. They knew their recruits would already be there, waiting for them, including a new one, Alistar, a tough Blaziken of the Order.

Upon arriving, many cowered in fear,while others stared in awe at the Regigigas. He was an imposing being, standing over 12 feet tall. In many of their minds, the crowd knew that he would be a favorite to win.

Inside the Spire, many of the fighters eyed Regigigas as he entered the room. He had already left his mark of fear in their hearts. Many took glances at the hooded Pokemon, and the Mechanical Hydra as well. As most of the appeared confident still on the outside, deep down, many in the room had a strange feeling that this group of Pokemon would be one of the toughest.

And they wouldn't be mistaken.

***************************************************************
Gold Tribe, Kingdom of Tollen, Region of Argos, Order of Alcantus

The room was filled with the fighters of the Dark Tournament. Just as before, a Pokemon flew into the Spire opening from the very top: Rector, the host. He came to the sounds of cheers from the crowds of Pokemon. He landed on an open spot just above where the fighters were standing, and spoke to them.

"Welcome back to the Spire, brave fighters from distant lands. All of you have arrived, which means it is time for the Dark Tournament to begin. Everyone, stand still."

Kent remained motionless as he waited for something to happen. Rector closed his eyes and waited. The hordes of crowds outside couldn't see what was going on, and only saw Rector, closing his eyes, and waiting. The entire room inside was silent, while murmurs of thousands occurred outside.

And then it happened. The entire based of the ground where the 500 combatants stood shook. Some panicked for a second, other remained calm and cool. Others stared at the ground, wondering what was happening. Some assumed it was an earthquake. Slowly, the ground began to shake even more. Zachary had to plant both feet firmly on the shaky ground to maintain his balance.

Suddenly, the ground below them began to lift up, and rise through the Spire. Zion realized that the ground they were standing on wasn't really ground. It was a platform, almost like an elevator.

The platform continued to rise and rise through the tall Spire. The journey to the top took almost a few minutes, even with the speed of the rise of the platform, but it eventually halted, and Rector opened his eyes.

They were above the clouds now, and what they saw around them...was nothing. There was no arena here. All there was were the combatants and Rector...until Derrick decided to turn around and observed there. He noted the glimmer of blue light emanating from a door-like structure: a portal, just like the one on the ground.

Rector hovered and landed right beside the portal, and stuck out his wing, pointing towards the portal.

"After you, combatants. This is the doorway to the Dark Tournament."

At first, not many moved. Who wouldn't be a bit reluctant to enter a strange portal that might very well lead to Oblivion itself.

But Derrick broke that trend, as he stepped up first into the portal, and walked inside.

Kent nodded to his Gold Tribe, and together, they made their way in as well, along with everyone else.

Blue light covered Kent's body as he felt as if his mind and body separated for a second, before reuniting in a new location. His eyes adjusted to the new location. The first thing he noted wasn't the area, but the noise. Screams filled the air. At first, Kent though they were screams of death and torture, before he turned his head and saw around him. They were the screams of the audience. All around him were thousands of Pokemon yelling and cheering from their seats. He was awestruck at this for a moment, not seeing this many Pokemon in one place since the Battle of Cape City, two years ago.

This caused Kent to adjust his eyes to where he was standing. He realized that he, along with all the other combatants, were standing in the arena. The arena seemed to extend for almost an entire kilometer, enough room for all of the combatants. And encircling the arena was the thousands of Pokemon which made up the audience, sitting in this domed structure. Directly above them appeared to be some kind of screen that displayed video pictures of the Pokemon on the arena in a close-up form (Television, human joke, haha!). There were individual screens for some of the fighters, and it often changed to other fighters and showed their faces on screen as well.

Kent now turned his attention to what directly was in front of him. In front of him and the other combatants stood another set of Portals, all of them a different color, or a different shape, some with strange things surrounding them. Kent couldn't count them all at once, but there seemed to be over a dozen portals in front of them. They all had names labeled on the top of them. He stopped counting once Rector began speaking again.

"And now, I formally welcome the combatants, and the audience, to THE DARK TOURNAMENT!" The entire arena erupted in loud cheers and howls, and yet somehow, Rector's booming voice managed to reach all of them just fine.

"Combatants, today is the beginning of the Tournament, the First Round. Every Round is different, and there might be different rules that accompany each round. You must follow the rules of each round if you wish to advance to further rounds. This Round is called...

The Battle Royale

Zachary listened eagerly as Rector spoke. He looked over the other combatants to see them also eagerly awaiting. Rector continued.

"This is a favorite among the Tournament staff as a primary round. The rules are simple. Along with all of the other rules of the Dark Tournament, the purpose of the this round is to defeat your enemies. You have all already been sorted randomly by the Keepers into 16 groups of 32 combatants. In front of you lies 16 portals that will take you to each of your battlegrounds. 16 different battlegrounds, some of which are harsh climates, while others are mysterious deathtraps. 32 Combatants will enter into each of these 16 portals depending on which you were assigned to. The portal will lock behind you, and the battle will commence. The 32 of you will fight each other, until only 16 remain standing. Once only 16 remain, the portal will open again, and the remaining 16 combatants of each of the 16 portals will have advanced to the next round. You lose if you die, get knocked out, are unable to continue fighting, or forfeit. One Keeper will accompany each group to make sure nobody breaks the rules."

Kent looked at each of the portals, wondering which one he would be assigned to. Rector spoke once more.

"Some of you may appear in a battle area where all of your enemies are right in front of you. Other battlegrounds are much more elaborate, and you might have to search for your enemies. Be warned, some of these battlegrounds have lasted a few minutes, while others have lasted days. I certainly hope you had a good breakfast."

Kent gulped. He hoped he wasn't placed in one that lasted that long.

"The Keepers will now announce where each fighter has been assigned. You will line up in front of your portal, and proceed inside. Good luck."

16 Keepers came forward, holding papers in their hands, and read out where the combatants were assigned.

(OOC Here's where you guys are assigned :) Check the OOC thread for information on your portal after you read this post. For now, just post up to the point where you enter the portal, and anything else you want to add in as well from before. )

Hydrulon "Hydra" Rex: Magma Portal
Zachary Orthanius: Ice Portal
Replicus Decendas: Desert Portal
Vincent Paine "Stingfist": Desert Portal
Ambrosia Dusklore "Tactician": Forest Portal
Toro Blaze "Bellator": Forest Portal
Silver "Vesica Argentum": Cavern Portal
Shiro Jinkiro: City Portal
"Kaiser" Kent Reed: Skyscraper Portal
Nova: Mountain Portal
Derrick Onkai: Plain Portal
Alvah Cavan: Darkness Portal
Regigigas: Nightmare Portal
Duchess Caitlyn Charporé: City Portal
Lorenzo "The speedster" Aria: Mountain Portal
Dylan Demetrius: Skyscraper Portal
Damian King: Arena Portal
"Lightheart" Genevieve: Plain Portal
Zion: : Bog Portal
Alistar: Magma Portal
Tennille Nakumi: Arena Portal
Azar Polterus: Darkness Portal


Kent, Derrick, Zion, Zachary, and Regigigas walked into their portals. The Dark Tournament had begun.

 

[Stingray]

Shiro stepped through the portal into the vast city he quickly identified as Abel. Looking around he didn't see any enemies in the vast city yet, but he pulled out his shells in preparation for combat. He had seen the Duchess in the same line as him and he quickly decided to find her first. He started darting through the streets in search of the Duchess. All of a sudden a shadow appeared over him and he quickly dove to the side just in time to dodge the talons of a Braviary. Shiro did a quick roll to the side and glared up at the bird who kept out of his reach.

"Come down and fight with honor," declared the Dewott. The bird just gave him a mocking smile and darted down tearing off a piece of a shop and trying to drop it on Shiro. Shiro barely escaped the falling rocks and he stabbed his swords in the ground and said a little chant. All of the sudden the ground shook beneath him and a torrent of water burst under his feet launching him at the bird. The "flying" Dewott took the Braviary by surprise and the Dewott was able to strike the bird's wing with a solid strike. The shocked bird struggled to stay in the air with its wounded wing. It retreated behind a building while the Dewott caught himself with a focused column of water. Before he could hit the ground there was a massive blast of fire that hit the pillar of water right in the middle of it. Most of the water instantly evaporated and it was all the Dewott could do to land on a nearby roof without hurting himself too badly.

'Cowards,' thought the Dewott as he started to stand up from his fall. His body ached as he stood to his feet. He then noticed the ground below him was getting hot. The unseen fire pokemon had caught the building he had landed on fire. He quickly darted off the roof and landed on the ground with a "thud." Muttering to himself the Dewott looked around the fire type was nowhere to be seen. At this rate the Dewott would need to be more careful. Shiro was disgusted with how dishonorable his foes had been so far.