[PKMN FULL] [IC] In a League of their Own

Alexandria Dragic
confusion​

It was hot.

That was the first observation that Alexandria made. It was hot and it was dark. Much hotter than Snowpoint City would ever get, or even Sandgem Town in the summer. This heat was more reminiscent of the inside of a car that had been left for several hours in the sun in Sandgem Town in the summer.

There was a pinstripe of light to her left, bright enough to be sunlight. She stood up and shuffled her way along a wall, each step echoing and reverberating in whatever type of enclosure this was, until it was in front of her. She pushed gently, and it swung open with very little protest. Sunlight flooded the room, exposing the corrugated metal walls and the bodies of several other unconscious people inside. Then her shoes met dirt as she stepped out of the container and began to look at her surroundings.

Pounding sunlight. Houses. The distant sound of a helicopter. A woman. A Mightyena. Cameras.

Where is this? Where am I?

Logan Ellsbury - Littleroot Town

Logan awoke on the floor of the storage container, feeling a throbbing pain in his head, as if his brain was trying to break its way out of Logan's skull and get away from whatever mess Logan had got himself into. The whole container reeked of body odour, as there looked to be eight trainers crammed in a storage container. The air was thick and musty, it was almost impossible to breath inside the container. Logan laid in silence as the container landed on the ground, sending a shock throughout Logan's body. He saw the door to the container open, and a voice yelled,

" Time to rise and shine!"

Logan rolled over onto his back, and stared at the roof of the container. The door was slammed shut again, and Logan laid there in pain, worried about what would happen next. He observed as another trainer inside the container got up and exited the container, and Logan made the plan to follow. Logan slowly got up on his hands and knees, feeling a sense of nausea to add to the pain. Logan scrambled over to his backpack, and picked the pack up. Logan rose to his feet, and attempted to leave the container.

He stumbled immediately, just barely avoiding falling on another sleeping trainer. Logan stumbled his way to the door, and pushed it open. He felt the bright light shining onto him, a dramatic change from the dark and humid storage container. Logan collapsed to his hands and knees, feeing weaker than ever. Logan struggled to pick himself up, but eventually returned to his feet, and took a good look around. Much to his embarrassment, there was a camera crew pointed right at him, and a red-headed woman and her mightyena facing away from Logan. He took a look back at the other trainers, and no one else had risen yet, so Logan waited for what would happen next, and if he would make it out alive.

The Return of Herra Brennan​

It stinks in here, Herra thought. She shook her head and rubbed her forehead slightly. Where am I anyway? I can't remember at all... As Herra tried getting up, she hit her head on the roof. She sniffed around to see where she was, but all she could smell was bodies and sweat. As she got up, she pressed her forehead on the wall and tried to recall where she was. I can't remember where am I. How did I end up here? And why does it stink?

As Herra forced herself to remember, she heard a voice outside.

"Time to rise and shine!"

As Herra heard the voice, she took time to analyze it. She sounds like a female, not too old or young. Obviously her voice is not just a casual talk, but not so loud that it scares everyone. Must be for show. As Herra thought about this, she flinched. Wait, a show?! But how? And where? As she gave this more thought by pacing around, but all of a sudden, the door in front of her opened. She feel strait to the ground and crawled out of the stinking container she was in.

As she did so, she breaths in the fresh air, feeling relieved that she was out of that place that smelled like rotting dead. As she looked up, two others were already coming out two. By the looks of it, they both looked like trainers. Trainers? Okay, so a show and pokemon trainers. What does that equal? Obviously, for entertainment, but what else? Whoever they are, what are we going to do? Just battling? As Herra slowly got up, she saw a red haired woman with a camera crew and a Mightyena all looking at them. So I was right. Show business it is. But wait a second, this place seems familiar... Oh forget about it. Show time.

Once she was on her feet, Herra brushed herself, and she smiled and waved to the people ahead of her.

"Good morning everyone!" Herra yawned as she said this. "I sure had a rough morning alright. You?"

Damien Walker​

Damien woke with a start at the woman's voice. He was lying down when his eyes shot open, his body immediately soaking in the fact that he was in an unfamiliar environment. Where could I possibly be...? He got up, realizing he was in a large steel box. Seeing a sliver of light seeping through what seemed to be a door, he walked towards it and stepped out. His eyes winced at the sudden flood of light. When he stepped outside, he first realized three things: first, his backpack was one, presumably filled with all of the things he packed in it; second, all of his Pokémon were in place on his belt, which he was relieved at; and third, there were four other people standing outside the box, three of which looked like innocent and confused Trainers, and one with a very striking appearance alongside a very menacing looking Mightyena. Damien's confusion only deepened further at this, but he decided to stay and listen quietly, and maybe focus on figuring out why his head hurt so much.

Percy Princeton - A Rude Awakening


Hot, dark, and smelly. Not the ideal conditions to wake up to. Add to that the pounding headache and Percy was looking at a bad day all around. On the plus side, his head was cushioned against his backpack.

Then the crate hits the ground, jostling everyone inside. Percy is suddenly regretful that he packed cooking supplies, when his poor head bangs against his cooking pot. Hr groans, trying to sit up. The door is opened a bit, and a woman can be heard yelling at them to get up.

"Not now, babe, I got a headache." Percy's witty comment is drowned out by the door slamming shut, but he thought it was funny. He climbs to his feet, shaking off the hangover, slapping himself to wake up, and trying to limber up. By the time he's done, a few others have already left the box. He rushes to join them, slinging his pack on as he does.

When he gets out, he sees the others standing around, but more importantly, he sees the cameras. He flashes a smile, waving at the closest one. "Well, hi! Make sure to get my good side, alright? Ah, who am I kidding? They're all good sides!"

Elias Akurus

​

​

Elias didn't move yet. This kind of thing was far too common in Orre, especially against successful criminals like himself. From his position face-down on the floor, he could make out the metal ground he was laying on... some kind of metal from the feel of it... slowly opening one eye, he could see flashes...

Then he remembered - the Hoenn League! The flashes must have been cameras - and if anyone truthfully wanted to hurt him they'd have taken his pokémon, but reaching down, he could still feel his balls exactly where they should be. Resolving that he could safely pick himself up from the ground, he staggered to his feet, finding the same array of cameras and Mightyena-accompanied guard that the others did, but he paid them no heed, brashly storming straight past them and marching straight out of Littleroot - clutching a pokéball in his left, Snag-equipped hand whilst from the other he dropped another pokéball at his side.

"Let's not waste time, Maxi."

Elias may not have known much about Hoenn, but he at least knew that Wild Pokémon existed - and he was going to get some.

Tch... There was always one. Overeager, frightened, or just plain stupid. Always one. She was quite used to the procedure by now.

"Mightyena..?"

The wolfish pokémon growled understanding, and led his trainer towards a temporary set-up by the camera crew, laden with cables and briefcases galore. After running her hand along a certain one - silver and reinforced with some thick-looking steel hinges - and unlocking the combination lock on it, the blind woman shouldered a gun that looked very much like some kind of rifle, though she held it easily with just one hand, and crouched down to her Pokémon's level, bringing the gun down to his eye level.

"Ready?"

The Mightyena gave his apparently signature growl once more, and the woman pulled the trigger, sending a brightly coloured dart towards Elias, on course to strike him square in the back of the head. The contents of the dart were a tranquilliser, of sorts: it made a person less sleepy, and more dizzy and disorientated - the stuff had the same kind of results as proper tranquilliser, but didn't knock a person unconscious, although the downside of that was pain was still a very present factor. Oh well. It would be an entertaining precursor to the torturous death of the first unfortunate loser.

She turned back to her briefcase, and replaced the firearm, trading it in for a pokéball from the self same case, which she threw behind her, apparently uncaringly.

"Arcanine, go fetch the imbecile back so we can get to filming this thing properly."

The fluffy canine barked, and bounded off in the direction of the runaway trainer, apparently thinking the entire thing a marvellous game, to do just that.

"And don't bother being gentle!"

The call came before the Arcanine had quite reached Elias, and produced another happy-sounding bark from the fire-type. He then proceeded to sink his teeth into the boy's arm, and drag him back to the others, in the same kind of bounding gait, which bumped and bashed the human across pretty much every rut in the ground.

She then resumed staring down those assembled, as if nothing in particular had occurred. She simply beckoned her Arcanine over with a gesture of her free hand, when he'd dumped Elias unceremoniously on the ground.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering what happened. I'm here to fill you in, that is if you don't have any particular ideas of your own," She shrugged - there would be some, of course, who'd worked it out, or just knew in the first place, but this was for the viewer's benefit, more than theirs, so she continued, "This is the Hoenn League - You will begin here, at Littleroot, and visit every gym in Hoenn. Some of you will not survive the experience: at the start of each gym, you'll have to vote to either save or condemn your comrades, with the one with the lowest point total at the end facing a delightful surprise. Which, of course, all of you are free to view if you so wish," she paused, as an aid scurried over with an armful of odd devices, "For those of you without Pokénavs, these are for you, and for those who do have them, you'll find a new programs installed, one of which allows you to vote, and the other allows you to see the fates of the losers here," She paused, letting the Pokénav-holding man scurry around to hand the items out, and then scurry out of shot to collect more items, "In addition, in just a moment, some aides will be over to fit your collars and bracers. These are designed to encourage battling strategy through electroshocks - simply put, they help you feel what your pokémon might feel in battle. Please don't struggle against them, or you'll be tranquillised, like our little runaway there."

She turned towards a camera whilst the collars were passed around and fitted snugly onto each person, informing the audience of general facts about the league and Hoenn itself, finishing neatly as the last collar was fitted.

"Now, why don't we get started on our grand adventure?" She walked a little, towards the first route of Hoenn, before pausing, "Oh, I almost forgot: my name is Seraphina Windham, but you should call me ma'am."

The Return of Herra Brennan​

As the woman took out a dart gun, probably more to slow than kill, Herra raised an eyebrow. Seriously dude? What is wrong with you? You wake up in a place where a strange lady has lots of cases beside her and pokemon, and somewhere in your head it occurs to you to run?! She aimed at fired at the boy, and down he fell. She then she ushered the Arcanine to fetch the boy. As he dragged him with his teeth in his arms, Herra began to analyze the situation. Well, she did say not to be gentle. But still, by this, she is giving us a warning; abide by her rules. She is obvious serious about this production, although I highly doubt this part is filming right now. But still, what did she shoot him with? It needs to be more than sleep, or he might try to run away again. I guess I'll find out later.

After her Arcanine got the boy back, she started walking like nothing ever happened, which impressed Herra. This is obviously not her first time. I bet she's used to this by now... Then the lady began to speak:

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering what happened. I'm here to fill you in, that is if you don't have any particular ideas of your own," She shrugged like this was nothing . Herra rolled her eyes as she continued, "This is the Hoenn League - You will begin here, at Littleroot, and visit every gym in Hoenn. Some of you will not survive the experience: at the start of each gym, you'll have to vote to either save or condemn your comrades, with the one with the lowest point total at the end facing a delightful surprise. Which, of course, all of you are free to view if you so wish," she paused, as an aid scurried over with an armful of odd devices, except Herra knew what these were. She practically grew up with them; pokenavs. So I'm back to Hoenn, or what's left of it. But north of Littleroot is...

"For those of you without Pokénavs, these are for you, and for those who do have them, you'll find a new programs installed, one of which allows you to vote, and the other allows you to see the fates of the losers here," She paused, letting the Pokénav-holding man scurry around to hand the items out, and then scurry out of shot to collect more items, "In addition, in just a moment, some aides will be over to fit your collars and bracers. These are designed to encourage battling strategy through electroshocks - simply put, they help you feel what your pokémon might feel in battle. Please don't struggle against them, or you'll be tranquillised, like our little runaway there."

As they passed around and fitted collars to everyone, Herra remained so still so that she wouldn't give these people any trouble at all. As they were connecting it, Herra could see the woman face the camera and explain to the viewers something. This just has to be one of them new shows trying to get viewers by slaughtering pokemon trainers. I'm pretty sure the loser isn't going to get out of here alive. She did just shoot one for running. But that means I have to put my A game with these battles, even if it is with that Torchic. Still, the main point is that I will not loose.

"Now," the lady spoke again. "Why don't we get started on our grand adventure?"

If grand means bloodshed and adventure means struggle, I know exactly what you mean. But yours too? Oh yeah, your the host and you have the cameramen. As Herra's mind swirled with thoughts, the lady walked up north towards the route and stops to turn back at them.

"Oh, I almost forgot: my name is Seraphina Windham, but you should call me ma'am."

"Yes ma'am, pleasure to meet you," Herra said.

She was pretty nervous to do one wrong move, but she took her time to walk before she was a good yard away from Ms. Windham.

Alexandria Dragic
welcome to the show​

What an idiot.

Alex watched on as the runaway was shot down with a tranquilizer and dragged back.

He brought that upon himself.

Then the woman went onto explaining the situation. They were in Hoenn - she had gathered that much since she had entered a lottery to take on the Hoenn League. Some of them may not survive - that seemed less likely. Murdering however-many people and broadcasting it on television doesn't sound exactly legal, and - let's face it - it was a 'reality' show. Nobody was really going to die, right?

Then came the Pokénavs. She had always wanted a Pokénav, but had been fooled into buying a Pokétch during a vacation to Jubilife one time. That now sat somewhere in her room with a certainly-dead battery, but now she got loaned a Pokénav, so that's a good tradeoff.

Then the shock collars, which were a more realistic prospect than almost-certain death, especially considering her strategies involving Curse that she used to always use. She flinched slightly as it was attached.

And when that was over with, the woman decided it was the time to start the adventure, when most of the trainers were still groggy and/or rather disoriented.

"Ma'am," Alex started, appearing to shoot a glare at the woman (however, that was, in fact, her natural expression), "What are you going to do about him?" She motioned toward the kid who had tried to run away earlier and now lied on the ground, unable to move himself.

Percy Princeton - Let's Get This Terrible Party Started


While Percy had been having fun with the camera, one of the others had decided to run. He wasn't sure why, all the fun was right here. Also, the lady had a Mightyena. Not exactly something you can outrun. Surprisingly, she instead went for a gun, shooting the boy with a sedative. "So that's how it's gonna be, eh? No rules, no limits. Glad we established that right out the gate."

He wasn't really paying attention to her opening spiel, in fact he even yawns at one point. The PokeNav was new, but he didn't really care. He'd never cared much for machines, so he'd use it to vote, but little else. The collar was another thing. He let the tech do his job, but he tried talking to him during his fitting. "So when my friends get hurt, I get shocked by this device? I don't exactly need the extra incentive. I think it's just that you want us to hurt. Either because the fans like seeing us in pain, or you guys like hurting us."

The lady, apparently Seraphina, turns to address them, inviting them to begin their adventure and telling them to call her "ma'am". Percy shrugs, offering his hand to Elias. "You heard the lady. Up and at 'em, Speedy."

Everything happened so fast that it took Damien a second to gather his thoughts. He watched as one of the other Trainers tried to run off, only to be shot by a tranquilizer and dragged back by an Arcanine. Whatever's going to happen to him isn't going to be pretty... Then the woman known as Seraphina Windham began talking. Damien's eyes widened a bit when she said that some of the Trainers would not survive the Hoenn League. They can't actually kill us, right? Then he looked down at Elias and made grimly realized that this is serious business.

Damien checked his Pokénav when Seraphina mentioned the two new programs. When he found them, Damien fell into deep thought. He didn't even move when the attendant put on his shock collar. This is the real deal. They've turned this into a survival game. But why? And who's running this? Damien put away his Pokénav and removed Volta's Poké Ball from his belt. I don't know what I've gotten us into, but we're going to get through it. Damien reattached Volta's Poké Ball just as one of the female Trainers asked Seraphina what would happen to the runaway.

Elias Akurus

​

Elias barely got time to wheeze out a "Son of a..." before he fell to the ground. Although he might have expected Maxi to come to his aid, if the Kirlia could have laughed at him it probably would have and he only watched as his master was dragged back to the group by the overeager canine.

Thanks to the pain and the drugs now coursing through his system, Elias elected to neither stand up or really listen beyond a few words that gave him the gist, just sitting, mopily clutching his bleeding right arm in his left hand, but looking around, he could see everyone else seemed to be in some kind of realisation - didn't they watch this on the TV before they signed up? Losers died, and it looked like Elias' competition didn't seem ready for that possibility. He was shaken out of his thoughts by a hand outstretched in his direction - and given he didn't exactly want to be putting weight on his punctured arm, he took it in his left, Snag Machine equipped hand.

"Thanks." He sighed, before quickly turning back to Windham for a quick shot. "And I'm still alive, thanks for checking, b*tch."