[PKMN FULL] Unific: The Challengers' Journey [M][IC]

gimmepie · Jan 6, 2020

Unific: The Challengers' Journey

Chapter One: The Opening Ceremony - Crescendo City

You have all found yourselves gathered in a clump in the centre of the enormous Crescendo Stadium, dressed in your brand new League uniform, surrounded by your fellow challenges, many on their first go at the Amateur League like yourself, others returning for another attempt.

The grassy battlefield is as perfectly maintained as ever, kept in perfect condition despite the numerous battles that take place upon it by the handy application of Grassy Terrain. The crowd, not as vast as for a Pro Event, but still plenty large and lively, cheer and call out the names of returning favourites.

Your presence comes on the heels of a "rousing" performance of the Unific Anthem by a B-Grade (at best) popstar and a truly exciting and rousing exhibition battle between Gym Leader, Vendaval with his signature Dracozolt and Champion Cherry Torres with her partner Leafeon.

Now the more tedious formalities have begun. PLA Chairman Alonso Mora, a rotund and greying, but immaculately groomed, man in his mid-fifties has taken up the microphone and is addressing you as much as the audience.

"Today, we begin yet another chapter in the Unific League experience. Behind me stand assembled our hopeful challengers, all with dreams to find fame and success in the Professional League. Some of you have been here with us before, some of you are new faces and, on account of the difficulties that lay ahead, surely some of you we will yet see here again next year."

Chairman Mora turns slightly, smiles at the assembled trainers, catching the eyes of some of you as his gaze sweeps over you. Then, his speech continues.

"Yes, it is a long and difficult road ahead, and certainly not all of you will still be with us at the end. Do not be discouraged though, the journey is more important than anything, and from what I have seen, this may well be the strongest Amateur League we have had since our own Cherry Torres and Leader Chi Akintola stood where you all now stand. So look forward with hope and hunger for the goal at the end, enjoy the experience ahead of you. We will all be watching as you strive for greatness. Good luck! Now, when you hear your name, please come and collect your official PLA Amateur League membership ID. Fernando Araya…"

One by one, you all walk up to the small podium and collect your ID Trainer Card.

"Adran Calderon, Janice Carter".... "Eddie Jones".

After much standing around, talking and polite, but loud, applause, the presentations finally reach the later part of the alphabet.

"Carmen Sylvia, Elleni Vargas" The names keep coming, until at last, "Dilan Zavala."

With that final name, there is one more raucous round of applause for you all, then a semi-popular rock band and a volley of fireworks close out the show.

You all head to a nearby hotel, the entire building having been rented out for the Amateur League challengers and PLA staff involved in the ceremony. It's not an uncomfortably fancy place, being primarily used for business, but the floors are marble, the staff are all in suits and the bar, which none of you are allowed in, is well stocked.

Chapter Information

A meet and greet is being held for you all in the hotel's ballroom. Here you can enjoy tasty free food provided as a buffet by the hotel, mingle with one another or, if you're feeling brave, talk to Chairman Mora, Gym Leader Vendaval or Champion Cherry, all of whom will be in attendance for a short while.

Of course, the meet and greet is optional. You could also retire to the hotel room that has been provided to you and turn in for the night, or explore the bustling capital city at night. Time is short though, in the morning, your journey truly begins.

Pokemon cannot be caught this chapter. I'd like to make it through most chapters in about a week, but this one especially as it's barely more than a prologue.

Juno · Jan 6, 2020

1-1: "EDWIN"

"Eddie Jones."

Edwin grimaced, but managed to turn it into a tight-lipped smile as the applause erupted around him. He made his way up to the podium and bowed deeply before returning to his spot, nearly throwing Theodore off his shoulder. The Rowlet hooted indignantly.

The boy looked at his shiny, new Trainer Card and sighed. Guess they went with 'Eddie'. Maybe a little correction tape and permanent marker will... nah, I don't want to ruin it. There were a couple more names after his, but he ignored the rest of the ceremony and spent the next few minutes practicing how to show off his card while strategically hiding the name portion with his finger. Soon, the announcement to leave for the hotel ballroom rang out.

"Oh! Theodore, let's go," He whipped around so fast, the Rowlet shot up from his shoulder once again, and perched himself on the nearest banister. "There will be a lot of important people there, and we are going to meet them all! So, let's straighten up your hat-" Edwin fidgeted with the new silk hat sitting askew on Theodore's head and beamed at the small Pokemon, who was still a bit miffed at the boy for throwing him off his shoulder no less than twice within the last ten minutes. "There! All good. Oh, come on, don't be grumpy. I'm sorry! Once these jitters go away, I promise I'll be less jumpy. Reeaady to make some good impressions?" He gestured towards his shoulder.

"Koo." Theodore ruffled his feathers. Placated by his apology, he hopped onto Edwin's shoulder, but made sure to really dig his talons in this time. "Ow! Careful with the suit, please, this was expensive."

budube · Jan 6, 2020

Carmen Sylvia
Chapter 1 - Part 1: Overture

Crescendo City, Crescendo Stadium

Carmen walked up the podium at her normal pace the moment Chairman Mora called her name. She already had her experience with large crowds, so nerves were something she didn't have at the moment, but being the center of attention of a loud round of applause made her feel something she hadn't felt since her last concert. She knew her aunt was sitting somewhere in the crowd cheering for her, she always went to her concerts after all, and this wasn't really that different to one.

She saluted the Chairman and then bowed at the expectators before returning with the rest of the challengers, with Presto waving at everyone while standing on her shoulder as if he was the star there. Carmen smiled and nodded at that action and followed her Pokémon. "Keep it that way, Presto. They are here for us, so keep it that way."

The last minutes of the ceremony were grim for her, though. She didn't like the sound of the rock band playing in the background, especially the lead singer. Presto and almost everyone around her were perfectly fine with the band, but Presto liked anything that was upbeat, so it was her musical ear's and personal preferences' doing. On the better note, though, they sounded way better than the popstar that opened the ceremony, and the song itself had an interesting beat. They still made it hard for her to believe they were kind of successful, but she knew sometimes people liked to listen to bullshit, and that was something she had to cope with, sadly. She still couldn't make herself like them and wanted to be back at the hotel to clean her ears from the aberration she was forced to listen to since the ceremony started.

Stinging Bea · Jan 6, 2020

[PokeCommunity.com] Unific: The Challengers' Journey [M][IC]

Janice Carter

Current Party:

/

Chapter 1-1: Posh Party

Crescendo City

Janice's eyes narrowed as she gazed down at the shiny ID card held in her hand. Was all of this really necessary? She honestly didn't understand what all of this celebration and hoorahs were all about if she could be honest. She got the point of the opening ceremony. It was important that all of the fans watching the challenge got a feel for the new faces, so they could pick an underYamper to root for in the hopes that they make it all the way to the pro-leagues... and hell, maybe even a chance to lay a smackdown on the champion at the end. A party, however? It seemed a bit much to the blonde all things considered. There was a pretty decent chance that over half of the challengers going out of this thing wouldn't even make it past the first few gyms. It seemed to be a bit of waste to have some grand celebration, as if they were all winners for even trying in the first place.

"Well, it ain't any of my business to go worryin' 'bout it..." Janice muttered quietly to herself. "The grub's free, might as well enjoy it."

Prying herself off the wall she was currently slouched against, Janice carefully tucked her ID card away into her pocket and walked her way over towards the buffet. A slight limp in her step with every walk caused her to wince every so often, but all in all it was proving to be a good day for her leg. She'd made a mental note to make sure to pop a couple of pills later. After all, what good would it do her if it decided not cooperate tomorrow?

As she neared the food spread, she felt a small tickled against her right shoulder. A small smirk graced her lips as she glanced over, her eyes spotting a rather energetic Joltik wriggling about in anticipation at the delectable treats sitting before them.

"Too shy to make an actual appearance durin' that ceremony, but as soon as the food's served up you come runnin' like a Snorlax chasin' after a weddin' cake? You're really a weird one, Iris," Janice told the tiny bug Pokémon. Though difficult to see, the blonde trainer was sure that her partner was blushing profusely. Despite it all however, Janice could also tell that it was practically drooling at the sights before them. "Alright, alright... Just chill for a sec, yeah? I'll get us somethin' to eat so just don't have a heart attack in the meantime..."

Janice's Current Thoughts: Parties Should Be For The Winners.

WizardOfOdd · Jan 6, 2020

Matthew "Matt" Callista
Location : Crescendo City
Partner Pokemon :

New Beginning

Matt sat outside the arena while sipping the Lemonade he bought from a nearby vending machine, already changed to his casual clothes. He quite enjoyed the festivities given by the organizers, especially the battle between Gym Leader Vendaval against the Champion Cherry which was an absolutely marvelous sight to behold. The mingling, though? As great as it was to know a lot of important people, with a lot of business talks thrown away left and right, Matt was already familiar with all of this back at Castelia, it's uncomfortable as hell.

"Leave the business aspect to the adults right, Sherry?" Matt took another sip of his lemonade while glancing towards his Hatenna. He was surprised that Hatenna was glancing the other way seemed to be completely disinterested with whatever Matt was trying to say.

"Give me a little break here, little princess. You were the one who literally begged me to go away from all of that commotion. So give me some attention here..." Matt pinched the cheek of Sherry, which left her struggling and trying to punch her trainer with all her might.

Matt cheekily dodged all of them while gloating. "Haha, you'll never ever going to--" He spoke too soon, Sherry eventually used her protrusion to make a strong jab that landed square on his face knocking him over the bench while Sherry fell down in tow due to Matt still holding her cheek.

The pair quickly laughed together. "Still energetic as ever, eh? Sherry." Mat patted the head of Sherry much to her delight. The Calm Pokemon swung her wig-like feature to resemble rapid punches, this was a very familiar sight that left his trainer still on the grass sighing.

"Sherry, you do realize how late it is, right?" Matt complained to Sherry for the fact that his Pokemon wanted to train at unreasonable hours.

Sherry pouted and turned away her face away from her trainer.

"Come on, we can do those things tomorrow… Urgh, fine, fine… Why don't we take a night walk instead?"

The pouting princess quickly turned 180° hearing the words, and quickly nuzzled her cheeks against his trainer.

"Geez… I wonder how the hell you ended up this spoiled."

Matt lifted himself from the ground and after dusting away dust from his clothes, took his lemonade and walked towards the city center accompanied by Sherry who bounced in joy beside him.

gimmepie · Jan 6, 2020

Elleni Vargas

Chapter One - Part One

Elleni sighed as she walked down the street outside the stadium. There was a large crowd around her, which was putting Perdito on edge and making it difficult to focus on the list she was trying to write on her crappy old PokeGear's memo function.

The Cubone was making every effort to cling as tightly to Elleni's leg as possible, occasionally accidentally digging in his claws a tiny bit too tightly. The little Ground type had issues with people ever since Lucia had first given him to her, she was one of very few he was comfortable with and even that had taken a lot of work.

"The hotel isn't far from here," Elleni said, looking down at her cowering Pokemon, "You can tough it out until we get there."

Truthfully, she could have just returned Perdito to the safety of his ball, but she was trying to get him more used to being around others. She'd made some small progress, he could tolerate smaller groups - albeit uncomfortably. This would get to be too much for him soon though, and she knew that it wouldn't be long before she was either picking him up or returning him to his capsule.

For the time being though, she returned her focus to her list.

Not everyone had a Pokemon out, but there was a big difference between some of those that did. I guess the ones with the really tough Pokemon were returning challengers.

Elleni continued pondering to herself as she walked, careful to look down often at her partner to make sure he was doing okay. He still looked supremely uncomfortable, but with the goal of the hotel in mind, there was also a determination to him now. Elleni really liked that quality, the ability to put discomfort behind you to do what you have to do.

That guy's Ursaring… definitely too powerful. I saw a girl with a Joltik though and another with a Noibat. They both looked pretty weak, but Galvantula and Noivern can both be really strong.

Elleni sighed again, feeling an unpleasant sensation in the pit of her stomach. That was until she felt the much sharper sensation of a Cubone digging his claws into her bare leg. She yelped slightly, glancing down at the now guilty-looking Cubone who had successfully gained her attention.

"Bone?" Perdito queried, tilting his head slightly and gesturing towards the building they were now standing in front of as a handful of chatting Amateur hopefuls past them. It seemed that while Elleni had been intent on her note-making, they had arrived at the hotel.

"Alright, well done. In you go." Elleni smiled at Perdito, reaching for his ball before withdrawing him within. "Party time then, let's go see what all the competition is up to."

She grimaced at her list one more time before putting both PokeGear and ball away and heading into the hotel in search of the ballroom.

the sloth · Jan 6, 2020

Bennett Myrtle

Chapter 1-1: Welcome to the Amateur League

Party:

Current Location: Crescendo Stadium, Crescendo City

The roaring crowd... all the older kids he had to stand next to... the awkwardness of wearing a uniform that didn't cover as much skin as his usual attire would. It was safe to say that Bennett was far outside his usual comfort zone. So far today, he'd just followed instructions with quiet nods of acknowledgement, still adjusting to the hubbub compared to Dolce. Crescendo City was enough of an adjustment to get used to without all the pomp and circumstance! He wished he could've just come and grabbed his trainer's license without the theatrics, but he knew he'd have to adjust to this if he wanted to attempt the Gym Challenge.

Jingles was perched on his right shoulder, and the little dragon Pokemon couldn't be happier. So many people, all cheering and roaring! Cheering for them. It felt like his potential was being properly acknowledged for once, and he hadn't even gotten into a battle yet! He could only imagine when he gets bigger and stronger, when one day he'll be standing at his trainer's side, and they'll be the only ones everyone cheer for.

The silver lining for Bennett and the cherry on top so far for Jingles was the exhibition match that proceeded their inauguration. Bennett didn't get the memo he'd be seeing a member of the Professional League and the champion herself this evening! While not outwardly showing much enthusiasm, his eyes glimmered enviously as he had watched from the sidelines with all the other challengers-to-be, while Jingles hooted and hollered with the crowd in excitement. Seeing it in person was even more surreal than on TV, watching the trainers on each side synergize so well with their partners. Could he really reach that same level with Jingles someday?

"Bennett Myrtle."

Bennett snapped out of his daydream and back into the present as he heard his name in the middle of the list of Amateur League trainers and made his way up to the podium. As he grasped the small card, he looked at it almost in disbelief, the cheers of the crowd briefly intensifying as he was welcomed into the Amateur League. A soft smile spread across his face as he kept staring at the card, even as he walked back to the sidelines. Jingles lightly nibbled on his ear to grab his attention, and as he looked at him, he was smiling in the same way. From the look of it, Jingles was proud of him for taking this first step, and Bennett responded with a soft giggle, nuzzling his partner's scales against his cheek before they sat back and waited for the rest of the evening's formalities to come and go.

Current Location: Apex Hotel, Crescendo City

The boy left the ceremony, happy it was all over, while his dragon was irritated it had ended when it did. Why were the big shots the only ones who got to fight for a crowd? He was sufficiently grumpy, and after Bennett changed back into his normal clothes, nestled into his scarf and around his neck in a moody pout.

He'd been planning to retire to his room for the night, but Bennett, in his rush earlier this morning to get ready, had skipped out on a sufficient breakfast. His lunch had consisted of a snack he managed to grab from a vending machine, nothing more. A free buffet was all too tempting to pass up. He reached the buffet hall and started to scan all the food that was offered to them, stomach growling impatiently before he grabbed a plate. Jingles would occasionally bark when they passed by something, wanting it for himself. Some requests were denied, others Bennett granted, until it got to the point where his plate had more food for his Pokemon than himself. He had to get a separate plate and scoop all of Jingle's food onto it before finally getting something for himself. All the while, he hadn't even realized that a few of the trainers who had been inaugurated today with him were at the same buffet.

Juno · Jan 6, 2020

1-2: NETWORKING
ft. a little bit of Janice Carter

The ceilings were taller than any Edwin had ever seen, and even the floors were beautifully polished. He ran his fingers across the matching marble surface of the bar as he walked in, and felt the coolness under his fingertips. Just then, an older gentleman cleared his throat at him, glancing at the alcohol. "Oh, I wasn't... nevermind," he stepped back from the bar and gave him a polite smile, before turning back to silently marvel the rest of the ballroom. This was where he belonged. No more shucking corn in the backyard or peddling herbs to travelling trainers just to get a glimpse of their world. If he could make it far in this journey, this could be his life. The life he always knew he deserved.

But first, some networking would have to be involved for that to happen.

He walked over to the refreshments table and poured himself a glass of sparkling juice, before holding up a cookie for Theodore. Edwin scanned the crowd eagerly as he sipped his drink. There were more people in this very room than he would see on a good day in his neighborhood. Some of the other challengers were here, too. At the other end of the buffet table, a familiar blonde girl stood, her fingers dangling over the fruit tray with a hungry look in her eyes that made her look she hadn't eaten in years. The girl suddenly glanced around, before picking up a grape off the tray and moving it up to her shoulder... towards a small yellow speck of some sort...

Oh right, her name was called before mine at the ceremony. The Carter girl. He studied her for a few moments, mystified that someone like her would have been chosen to participate in the League. It's the Amateur League, sure, but someone still had to endorse her, meaning someone in or closely affiliated to the PLA saw something in her. His thoughts were cut short as the blonde girl's eyes glanced up and met his own. A visible scowl graced her features... well. Rather, the one she seemed to already be wearing deepened as she gripped the knife in her hand tighter, letting the utensil shimmer slightly in the light. A death threat was protruding forth. Yikes. He quickly gave her a smile, and when it wasn't returned, he dropped his gaze, almost spilling juice on himself.

He continued surveying the room. Not everyone from the inauguration decided to show up, it seemed, or at least not yet. Which was all the better for Edwin - it gave him a bigger chance to leave a good impression on the PLA associates. Aside from the mean blonde, he saw the girl with dark, curly hair. He couldn't remember her name, but the number "297" was printed on the back of her uniform. He recognized her in particular because she carried herself with a quiet grace that made her stand out from the others. She was one to watch out for. Then, there was the young boy... Edwin wasn't actually sure how old he was, but he looked very young. And small. Or maybe it was the smallness that made him look young. This effect was further enhanced by the boy's tendency to shrink down in his posture. All in all, Edwin would have to say that the most impressive thing about him was his Jangmo-o, who seemed to be browbeating the boy into heaping food onto a plate for him.

He might chat with his fellow challengers if there was time, see what he could learn about them. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, after all, he thought to himself.

But there were much bigger fish to fry at the moment, and he knew the most important people here wouldn't be staying at the event for much longer. The person he really wanted to talk to was the Chairman himself, but he could see he wasn't the only person at the party with that idea, and a small entourage had already gathered around him.

"Well, we don't want to look too eager," he told Theodore. The Rowlet only had eyes for the cookies on the table at the moment, but he absentmindedly chirped in agreement, as crumbs fell from his beak and onto his trainer's new tracksuit. Edwin was still busy looking for the right person to approach first at this party, and as luck would have it, his eyes landed on the one and only Cherry Torres. It looked like she had just left the restroom, which explained why she was accompanied by no one but her Leafeon. A popular and beloved figure in their region, every time he saw her on TV, she was usually mobbed by fans. Jumping on the incredible opportunity to introduce himself to her one-on-one, Edwin made a beeline for the Champion.

"Miss Torres! Hi!" Edwin greeted her with just a bit too much enthusiasm, practically shouting at the woman and startling her as she walked into the ballroom. Fortunately, she was quite used to the attention, and composed herself quickly, giving him a warm smile.

"Hello! And please, just Cherry." she elegantly took his outstretched hand and shook it. "You are Eddie, right? I remember you and your adorable Rowlet from the ceremony earlier."

"It's actually Edwin - they must have made a small mistake with my paperwork, but no matter! What an honor it is to be here. And yes, this is my partner, Theodore!"

"A Grass-type, just like my Jada here," She nodded approvingly, as her Leafeon stepped beside her. "And what a lovely hat you have on." The Champion reached out and gently tapped the rim of Theodore's hat, who trilled merrily at the attention. She laughed, and turned back to his trainer. "So, tell me, Edwin, where are you from?"

He glanced over at the Carter girl again. Well, we can't have the Champion herself knowing I come from the same shoddy little village as someone as unrefined as her. What would she think? "I mean, you know... when one travels as much as I do, I don't really consider any one place home..."

"Oh! You travel often? Have you, by any chance, been to my hometown, Largo City?"

"Of course! Beautiful place. I always love shopping there," Not a complete lie, he thought privately. A lot of the online clothing stores he buys from are indeed Largo-based, even though he had never personally stepped foot outside of Fugue.

Just then, a girl of 5 or 6 ran up to them, screeching, tailed closely by her tired-looking mother. She was clutching a glittery, red notebook. Jada's ears twitched at the noise, but she didn't flinch. "Miss Cherry! Miss Cherry! Can I have your autograph?"

"My pleasure, darling!" Cherry turned back to Edwin, and gestured towards the small queue that was now forming behind the girl and her mother. "I should go, but it was lovely meeting you! Congratulations on your new journey!"

He thanked her and waved, before returning to the cookie platter with Theodore. He quietly watched her greet her fans for a few moments. One day, he mused. that could be me.

gimmepie · Jan 7, 2020

Elleni Vargas

Chapter One - Part Two

With two plates placed neatly onto a plastic tray, along with a bundle of silverware and a gratuitous amount of napkins, Bennett found a table that was far removed from any of the other patrons of the buffet, a small corner he could call his own. Jingles glanced around from his nestling spot upon realizing his trainer had isolated himself, and then grumbled in annoyance. As much as he enjoyed his company, they finally had the chance to make some friends, and more importantly, make some rivals! Not wanting this opportunity to be squandered, Jingles hopped down into the chair besides Bennett and started to eat, carefully watching his trainer. Bennett soon got lost on a train of thought about what tomorrow would bring, where would he go, what would he do next? Who would he meet? How was he going to handle it all...

When he believed the time was right, Jingles jumped down from his seat, prowling under the table and sneaking away from his trainer. He started wandering across the dining hall, eventually snooping into the hotel's lobby in search for somebody interesting, strong to compete with. There had to be someone like that around here somewhere. He looked around the lobby, before glancing past a pair of doors that lead into a much bigger room. There were a lot of people there, so Jingles decided to investigate for a worthy adversary.

Elleni looked about, not noticing that a tiny dragon had entered the room just behind her. She wasn't entirely sure where she should go, or if she even wanted to seek out company. She preferred the pleasant atmosphere of the social gathering to sitting in a room alone with her thoughts though, so continued to slowly make her way into the ballroom, glancing about her to observe the other challengers.

Hot on her heels came the Jangmo-o, recognizing Elleni as one of the newbie trainers they spent a good couple hours standing around with during the ceremony. If they'd just become a trainer too, they'd be perfect rival material! Lurching forward to catch up with her moderate walking pace, Jingles catches the heel of her shoe in his mouth, gnawing on it but not tearing it to grab her attention.

Elleni started, nearly tripping over when she suddenly found that one of her feet had a far-from-negligible amount of pressure now clamping down on her ankle preventing her from taking a step.

Balancing awkwardly with her weight on her front foot, her other still hanging awkwardly from the mouth of a Jangmo-o, Elleni twisted to look back at the source of her predicament.

"Well aren't you uh… something. Where's your trainer hiding?" Her slight discomfort had very quickly morphed into utter embarrassment.

Now that he had her attention, the Jangmo-o dropped off her heel and let go, standing before the girl and giving a bark. Her question was nicely timed, as it hadn't taken Bennett too long to catch up with his partner after they gave him the slip. Seeing Jingles biting someone's shoe made his stomach drop, and he ran over before scooping the dragon up, who gave an uppity snarl in response.

"J-Jingles, you know better than to run off like that..." His tone was gentle but chiding, and the dragon crawled from his arms back onto his shoulders. Bennett's attention then turned to the girl who's shoe he bit, his expression a tad grim. "I'm s-sorry, miss. Jingles, he's a r-rowd-, he's a rowdy o-one." He stumbled a little with his words, glancing down at her heel to make sure he hadn't torn her shoe's heel or, even worse, possibly bit her skin.

"No kidding," Elleni responded shakily, looking about to see, blessedly, that most of the others had been too absorbed in what they were already doing to pay much attention. "At least that enthusiasms bound to come in handy in battle. I'm Elleni, nice to meet the two of you… circumstances aside."

"He d-does that when he wants something. I don't know w-what he's bothering you about, though." His voice descends into something of a mumble, glancing aside at his companion as he rests on his shoulder. Bennett was very thankful that they hadn't caused a scene, and all things considered, the girl was a good sport about the whole thing. Jingles seemed content, as he got his trainer to start talking to someone, but now it was up to him to keep that momentum.

"... I'm Bennett. This is J-Jingles." He introduces the two of them, and despite his misbehaving, can't resist petting Jingles' head, although it partially served as a stress reliever and helped defuse some of the tension of making a good first impression. Which Jingles had made a good bit harder.

"Jingles?" Elleni questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Well I have to give it to you, that's an apt name for a Jangmo-o. Won't it feel a bit weird when he's evolved though? Big tough Fighting Dragon named Jing -" Elleni stopped short, realising that this was in fact adorable. "Scratch that, never change it."

Bennett stared a little as she responded, his blank and reserved expression cracking a small smile as she complimented Jingles' nickname. Of course, Jingles himself scowled, snarling irritatedly while his trainer pet him some more. Oh, that tears it. Jingles couldn't wait to fight her Pokemon. He'd see who'd be laughing then!

"Y-yeah, y-you're right. I n-... I n-never thought of that before, but I think it fits. His scales... they make a n-noise like... um... kinda like coins... shaking in your pockets..." Bennett awkwardly gyrates his shoulders to demonstrate, causing Jingles' scales to, well, jingle as they always do. The dragon Pokemon was back into a grumpy pout, looking aside in petty spite from how his name had so quickly deceived his powerful, awe-inspiring image in this girl's eyes.

"... You have a Pokemon t-too, right? I mean, I'd think, since you were at the... c-ceremony and... all that." Bennett asked in a bit of a roundabout way.

"Of course," Elleni replied, showing the other challenger Perdito's Pokeball but choosing not to release him. "A Cubone, but he's not a fan of crowds so he's getting a reprieve after being out at the stadium and the throng after."

Bennett's eyes lit up a little upon seeing the ball, before that glow faded as her Pokemon didn't want to come out. Which he could entirely relate to, people and crowds weren't his strong suit either. "A-aw, that's a shame... b-but I get it. People and crowds g-... people and crowds get me all... nervous too." As much as he wished he could meet a Pokemon he'd never seen in person before like a Cubone, he respected his wishes.

"Well, you're going to want to keep practicing that. There tend to be crowds at stadiums," Elleni replied, putting Perdito's ball away again.

"Y-... yeah." He nodded, eyes drifting off towards the floor and hands going into his pockets. "I was f-freaking out on the inside, today. But... Jingles helps keep me calm, e-even with s-... even with so many people." Bennett pets his friend again, softly smiling while he does. "Did the crowd s-scare you at all? Nobody else looked... intimidated, or a-anything like that."

"It was a bit nerve wracking," Elleni admitted, "I don't know if it was scary as such, but having all those expectant people looking a you isn't super comfortable and it's bound to make anyone nervous,"

Hearing that he wasn't the only one who felt pretty nervous, even if not to the same degree as he was, made him feel just a little bit better about it all. "I mean... I knew what I was g-getting-... was getting into in the first place, I watched l-league matches all the time... and it was still so surreal how many people were... watching us."

Jingles coyly smirked remembering that moment, having a decidedly different opinion on the spectacle and the cheering crowds than his owner did.

"At least Jingles doesn't seem to mind." Elleni indicated the smug look on the Dragon's face. Her comment made the Dragon scowl, grumbling but nothing more. The little scamp was being contrary to her, since he'd unofficially-officially declared her as their rival. Bennett chuckled at the interaction, pets his Pokemon... and an awkward pause ensued as he ran out of things to say.

"... Oh, o-our food, we were in the m-middle of dinner before he... you know." Without much warning, he turned around and began to walk back the way he came, giving a stiff wave back towards Elleni as he did. "S-see ya." Bennett abruptly said goodbye to her, heading back to the buffet's dining hall and leaving as suddenly as he'd first shown up.

"I'll see you later," Elleni said to the empty space where Bennet had just been standing, the boy already half-way out the door in his haste to escape the social situation. Elleni chuckled to herself for a moment before sighing and pulling out her PokeGear to add Bennet and Jingles to her list. "Maybe I'll head back to my room after all."

Feat. Bennet Myrtle

budube · Jan 7, 2020

Carmen Sylvia
Chapter 1 - Part 2: First Impression

Apex Hotel, Crescendo City

Perfect hair, a discrete smile and penetrating eyes, just as her aunt taught her. She liked how she looked in her brand new Trainer Card so much that she spent ten minutes looking at it. The hair and the eyes were qualities she was born with, but the smile took her a lot of time to master. It was a matter of luck that she got it right on a single shot, actually, and she was very, very anxious after the photoshoot that she felt as if the photo would deteriorate for each day that passed that she didn't have her ID on her hands.

Carmen wanted to give a good first impression to the Chairman. For her, this was one of those situations where formality was important, so she went up to her room to get a quick change of clothes, put on some make-up and fix her hairdo, but since she already wasted ten minutes looking at her photograph, she took priority on doing only the last thing.

"Stand still." She said to her Pokémon, trying to comb the messed up fur on his cheeks. Presto gave her an annoyed look back in response, "I'm sorry, but you know what aunt says about personal presentation". He didn't mind having the fur around his neck combed, but he hated when someone touched the fur on his cheeks. "And… viola! Good. Now let me do my hair and- no!" Presto rubbed his cheeks the moment Carmen got away from him, consequently messing up his recently done fur. The girl sighed, but she won't waste any more time with him so she got into doing her own hair instead, and after spending five more minutes in front of the mirror, Carmen and Presto were finally ready to go to the ballroom.

There was a lot of people down there, many of which she could recognize from the event, but most people there were just fans showing a lot of admiration to Champion Cherry. Carmen gave a subconscious look of disgust at that people. She couldn't believe there existed a lot of fanatics with zero class being as invasive as they could, but oh, would she love getting that kind of attention. However, Carmen wasn't there looking for the Champion, nor for the other challengers, they were all rivals for her and it wasn't time to meet competition yet. She had other priorities, she was there for the important people.

Chairman Mora was standing near one of the corners of the ballroom. His appearance gave a feel of elegance, seriousness and status that she respected a lot. He had just finished greeting who seemed to be yet another fanboy and now it was her time to get closer to him and shine.

"Behave." She told her Pokémon as she walked through the crowd to the corner Mora was in. "Mr. Chairman."

"Oh, a new challenger! May I ask your name again?"

"The name is Carmen Sylvia." she answered with her discrete smile and bowing lightly "It's a pleasure being able to meet you on this day."

"Please," he said putting a hand in front of him "no need for such formalities."

"Ugh- Sorry." that felt like a blow on her self-confidence for some reason. She felt as if the Chairman suddenly told her to shut up.

"However… Sylvia? Yes I remember now, you're that girl." Carmen confirmed with a light nod but with a look of confusion. "Are you perhaps related to Veronica Sylvia?"

Carmen's eyes opened in surprise, his last statement put her on the ground but this one put her back on her feet. The girl gave a more confident nod this time. "Yes, I'm actually Veronica Sylvia's niece."

"Now that's a surprise, indeed." his expression and tone were really all about confirming that. "Yes, I had that hunch about you when I called you at the ceremony. Those eyes and that self-confidence… you definitely got that from her."

"How do you know my aunt? If I may ask." she was afraid of being as invasive as the fanboys she didn't want to be as, but her curiosity was hitting harder than her fear now.

"Oh, it was many years ago. I was still a referee back then." He started "Your aunt was quite the trainer. She and her Smeargle were the stars of many battles."

"I… didn't know that. Interesting."

"I haven't heard of her since she gave up the challenge, sadly. How is she doing?"

"She administrates one of Octave's art galleries." But I didn't come here to talk about my aunt. She didn't realize that her tone had turned a little coarse when saying that.

"Good to know that she's doing fine after all these years. But how about you? Are you enjoying yourself with this event we prepared?"

"I certainly am."

"That's great." He said quite proud of himself. "It's what is important in this kind of event. From tomorrow on, things aren't going to be that easy, though."

"I'm aware of that, and you can be aware that I'm not giving up."

"That's what I wanted to hear." The Chairman said with a proud smile. "I'm expecting to see great things from you in the future, Miss Sylvia. But for now, please enjoy the bouffet the hotel prepared for you!"

"I will." And with that, she retired to one of the tables to pick her food.

She made the good first impression she wanted, but she couldn't really call it a win. There were a lot of things worrying her now. Firstly, her aunt never told her that she took the Amateur League Challenge (she didn't even know she was a trainer), but she could understand that, every woman had her secrets. What really preoccupied her was the fact that her aunt gave up the challenge. She always looked up to her, so this made her ask herself is she was good enough for this. Carmen felt how all the confidence she had during the ceremony fell piece by piece. The girl left the ballroom without picking any food in the end, she needed some time alone to reconsider all of this.

Carmen's Current Team:

the sloth · Jan 7, 2020

Bennett Myrtle

Chapter 1-2: The Joy of Youth

Party:

Current Location: Apex Hotel, Crescendo City

In truth, Bennett felt a little bad for ditching that girl so abruptly, but... she was likely busy, had to prepare for tomorrow like everyone else had. His companion was irritated he still hadn't got a chance to fight today, but had given up trying for the night, nestled back into Bennett's scarf in no time. They returned to their spot at the buffet, luckily nobody took their food, spat in it, nor had any of the staff taken it, thinking it was a meal a patron had abandoned. The boy sighed in relief as he slunk back into his seat, the fading scent of his food hitting his nose again... and Jingles' too, who was quick to scamper off of him and back into the seat besides him. He took turns eating, feeding his partner, and going back to the buffet now and then to grab a couple more things for one of them.

An hour or so later...

The night was starting to wind down, the ballroom and dining hall emptying gradually over time. Bennett's eyes were wary, his eyelids feeling heavier as today had really drained him. He yawned, and then looked back at Jingles.

"H-hey... Jingles... I think it's bedtime. Finish up your food..." He told him, the dragon licking up a couple more scraps from his third plate before agreeing, the fire in his eyes having started to dim. All Bennett had to do was hold out his arms, and the Jangmo-o would crawl up them like girders, working his way back into his scarf and around his neck before sinking into the soft cloth for a nap. Bennett took their plates and garbage to the proper disposal facilities, he brushed himself off... time to go back to his room. He'd need the energy for tomorrow, whatever it may hold.

Bennett walked into the lobby, walking towards the elevator at the other side. He yawned, covering his mouth as he winced involuntarily from his mouth opening so wide.

"Turning in for the night?"

An old, warm, and refined voice came from behind him, making Bennett's eyes widen in shock. Firstly from someone sneaking up on him like that, and secondly from realizing shortly after it was the Chairman! The two had intersected at the center of the lobby, the Chairman having been about to leave the hotel for the evening while Bennett had been gunning for his room. He stared blankly in shock, a soft noise coming from his mouth as he'd started to speak before realizing he couldn't come up with any words to respond. His reaction got a chuckle out of the chairman, likely familiar with types who struggled even more to find their words when talking with him today.

"Bennett Myrtle, was it?"

"Y-yes, sir! It's an h-honor t-to-, an honor t-, bleh, it's an honor to meet you, Mr. Mora!" Bennett sputtered, his mouth speaking faster than he could think. The chairman smiled, but put up his hand as if to tell him to stop.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, but the formalities aren't necessary." He gave another chuckle, as some well-dressed people came from the ballroom behind him and looked at him quizzically. "I'm sorry, this will only take a moment or two. Start up the limousine, will you?" Alonso asks of them, getting them to move along before shifting his attention back to the boy before him. "How has today been treating you, Mr. Myrtle?"

"G-... good, sir. Erm... w-would you prefer if I called you 'sir', or 'Mr. Mora'?" Bennett asked, reaching up to his neck and scratching Jingles' back to help calm his nerves. The dragon Pokemon had already fell into a food coma, lightly snoring away.

"Whatever you prefer, Mr. Myrtle, but don't stress to impress." Another snore brought his attention to Bennett's Jangmo-o, which had looked to be part of the boy's scarf at a first glance. "Oh, right, you're the trainer with a dragon Pokemon! I remember now. It's not often we see young trainers begin their adventure with such a... exotic pick, shall we say?" The man then seemed to remember something, lifting one of his hands with his pointer finger extended upwards as if to say "Aha!"

"However, that's not what I wanted to address. I reviewed the information of the trainers we accepted into the Amateur's League today again, and I have to say, you are one of the younger trainers we've accepted into the league this year. I daresay, we might have a young prodigy on our hands!" He laughed, making a light joke that went to Bennett's head, who's face flushed red in embarrassment from the praise. Alonso noticed this shortly after and straightened back his demeanor with a subtle clearing of his throat.

"The Gym Challenge is a momentous task, even for adults older than you. The fact that you are brave and ambitious enough to be attempting it in the first place, that alone is worth celebrating, Mister Myrtle. I suppose what I want to say, is that I can only hope you keep that bravery and ambition that brought you before us today and keep it close to your heart. To be young and so headstrong again..." He seemed to reminisce on days of yore as a young referee, before looking back to Bennett. "Do you understand, Mr. Myrtle?"

"... Y-yes, yes I do." Bennett nodded. Some of what the chairman had been saying was lost on him, but his delivery and rich tone of sophistication and guidance just made him feel the tiniest bit more confident in himself. "Thank you, M-Mr. Mora."

"Think nothing of it, Mr. Myrtle. Now! It is rather late, and I must be off. Do get some sleep, your journey begins tomorrow!" He began to make his way out the door, as one of his people had started to come back in to check on the chairman, before being swatted away with a quick sweeping hand gesture and a brief look of annoyance on the chairman's face from their persistence.

"I w-will, sir... Good night." His voice lost some of its power partway through, but the chairman likely heard him right before he went past those double doors, leaving Bennett standing in the now almost entirely empty lobby. He stood there for a minute or so in contemplation before another yawn reminded him of more pressing matters, and turned to return to his room for the night.

Stinging Bea · Jan 10, 2020

Janice Carter

Current Party:

/

Chapter 1-2: Unwelcome Reunion

Crescendo City | Featuring Edwin Jones

The Chairman was still surrounded by people. Edwin glanced down at his watch and sighed. The party won't be going on for too much longer; he wanted to introduce himself with a bit more dignity and grace, but at this rate, he might have to just wedge himself in there and wrestle the man's attention away from all the other challengers… a little desperate, but better than leaving without having said a word to him.

He picked at the shrimp on his plate idly as he contemplated the best way to get in there, until…

"Theodore, hey! 297-Girl is finally sitting back down, we have an opening. Now's our chance to… Theo?" Edwin glanced around, but the Rowlet was nowhere to be seen. Panicked, he returned to the now-empty plate of cookies he last saw his Pokemon by, looked under the buffet tables, and even stopped by the bar again. He was able to retrieve his little silk hat from under one of the tables, but Theodore was gone. He was baffled. Suddenly, a loud commotion on the other side of the ballroom drew his attention away from his search.

"What the actual fuck are ya doin' ya overstuffed pillow?!" Janice snapped, glaring daggers at the sight of a Rowlet that suddenly came crashing down under her chair. Were there really trainers at this party that weren't even giving a shit about their own Pokémon? It was getting to the point she couldn't even finish her meal without… "...Iris!"

Janice quickly jumped from her chair, glancing over her shoulder to quickly realize the tiny Joltik was no longer present on her shoulder. She quickly glared down at the bird Pokémon, realizing that it was in fact chasing after a familiar, yellow speck.

Edwin watched the debacle with mild amusement, which quickly turned to horror as he realized who was chasing the yellow speck. "Hey-!" He rushed over to the table as discreetly as he could, praying Chairman Mora wasn't watching. Theodore, evidently thinking it was playtime, weaved through chairs and legs with ease while Edwin chased him down. When he finally caught up, a small, trembling creature was dangling from the Rowlet's beak, who looked up at him proudly. Mortified, Edwin yanked the creature, which he was now able to identify as a Joltik, from Theodore. "We do not-" he gasped for his breath, as he set the Bug-type down. "-run off and try to eat other people's Pokemon. I'll get you more cookies, don't do this. Thank god their trainer's not around to see-"

"Not around to see what?" Janice sneered. She glared daggers at Edwin and his Rowlet, stomping her booted foot forward as she jabbed a finger in the boy's chest. "Yer rotten feathersack tried to eat my partner! What the hell were ya even doin'?!"

Oh. Good. Just my luck. Of all the Pokemon you could have tried to eat… "Well, hey, Janice!" Edwin said through gritted teeth. He hoped it looked like a smile. Not that it would have been particularly helpful in this situation. "Been a while since we had a chat. Congratulations on making the League too, by the way. You're looking… um. Congratulations!"

Janice rolled her eyes. "Ya can cut the shit, Ed… We both know ya ain't all that thrilled to see me. And I'd rather be gettin' kicked in the head by Mudbray then have to deal with yer mug." She paused for a moment, bending down just long enough to scoop up Iris safely in her hands, before standing back up and putting the petite bug in her usual spot on her shoulder. "What the hell are ya even doin' here? Does yer family even know yer here?"

Edwin squared his shoulders and stood up a little straighter, slightly insulted by the way she implied he needed his family's approval to attend. "Not that it's really their place to tell me what I can or can't do, but yes, of course they know I'm out here following my dreams. And they've been very supportive." He said indignantly. "What about you? I didn't know you had any skil- uh, who endorsed you again?" And more importantly, why? He thought privately.

Janice locked up ever so slightly. The girl glanced away from Edwin, thoughts of the… rather embarrassing way she had to beg to get that endorsement running back through her mind. "...one of the league execs. What's it matter to ya?"

The boy shrugged, suddenly remembering the crumpled hat in his fist. He smoothed it out and put it back on Theodore's head, who was still eyeing the Joltik in Janice's hands hungrily. "Just trying to make conversation." He muttered. Edwin was still curious, but he could tell the girl didn't want to elaborate, so he didn't push further. "Speaking of family, who's looking after your brother while you're out here doing this? Isn't it just the two of you?"

For just a moment, Edwin probably would have noticed the usual scowl that Janice wore faded away from her face. It was quickly replaced by a small look of what appeared to be guilt, but with the way the blonde girl refused to look him in the eyes probably made it a bit difficult to tell.

"It ain't really any of yer business, but… old man Smitherson and his wife are lookin' after him," Janice muttered quietly. "Said he's over there enough keepin' her company since she retired that they might as well take him in for a bit while I do this."

It wasn't a complete lie. They had offered to look after Will, but only after the girl had more or less sprung it on them… as well as the boy that she was even entering the league this year. And even then it was only after she had gotten the endorsement from that visitor from the league. She was thankful that the two were so willing to take in Will for her, but… the boy didn't seem too thrilled with it. Janice was essentially his entire world ever since they had left Marcato. She couldn't blame the boy for thinking she was just running off on him, and had to spend that entire night before setting off reassuring him that she would be back.

"The runt'll be fine, it ain't nothin' to worry yer pretty head over," Janice quickly spat out, recovering her usual glare.

"Just looking out for my good neighbors," Edwin smiled at her. Her expression did not soften. "But sure, whatever you say. Well! I think we have taken up enough of your time here. Theodore, say goodbye to your new friend," he scooped up the Rowlet, avoiding the accusing glare of the harassed-looking Joltik. "We'll let you guys get back to your meal."

Janice remained silent as she watched the boy leave. She had no intention of having some heart to heart with Edwin. The girl had even taken it upon herself to keep away from him as often as possible back in the village. Of course, she could see right through him as well. He wanted this as much she did after all, or he wouldn't have even been at the opening ceremony. Well, in her mind that was the only thing they had in common. They were both trainers going after the same goal. And while he was doing this for the fame and glory, just like everyone else that had shown up on the pitch, Janice was doing this because she had to… for him. The girl's green eyes cast downward to the floor, gritting her teeth in frustration over it all. On her shoulder, Janice could feel the careful nuzzling of her Joltik against neck. She could feel the spider Pokémon staring at her with curious eyes.

"Forget 'bout it, Iris… Let's just go, yeah?" she questioned, making a Beedrill line for the door. She was tired, and the morning was going to come sooner than she would like. At this point, hanging around for the end of the party was a waste of time anyways. "Shit, I need a smoke…"

Janice's Current Thoughts: Smokes. Now.

Dragon · Jan 11, 2020

► Madison's Log 2

One tall kid with wooly clothing came up. He looked like he needs some experience points for a level up in hair style.

Then there's that girl with blond hair. Her face looks as intimidating and fierce as a primeape. Probably gained enough exp. to evolve from one too...

A Beldum was hovering around the spacious hotel room, overhead a trainer who was dressed quite oddly; she was wearing a lab coat with goggles that rested conspicuously on her forehead. A card sat on the table where she was supposedly writing the notebook she was carrying on her. It was an ID that read, Madison Bloom. Madison had participated upon the ceremony that had her receive her badge, but her interest upon a social meet and greet waned. She would rather just write to herself and all she had witnessed. Mostly, it was the other trainers that had her interest. They were fellow trainers, after all... ones who will also participate in the challenge.

The Beldum who hovered near her was her own partner pokemon. At a glance, it seemed passive and curious, but deep down, it was a fighter at heart. As with Madison's passion with science, it was it's traits that drew into her when she had first received it from her foster father. She named it Iron, even though it probably wasn't even made from Iron. Iron the Beldum hovered closer to Madison as she was writing.

"What is it, you bucket of bolts?" she asked without turning to it. "Are you hungry? Er... do... you even eat?" Iron simply replied with a couple of 'beeps' and 'bops' that were a part of its auditory system. Supposedly. "Ah, a stunning reply from you, as always. Absolutely no idea what you've just said. Hey, if you want, you can head back down to the ceremony if you want. I just can't stand those fancy dos."

Iron stayed put however, as Madison took her notebook and viewed it from where she sat. "Hmhmhm, y'know though, those guys at least don't seem boring. Not very impressive at first glance, but I bet that deep down. they're holding some serious tough, smart, and resourcefulness bonus boints in their stats."

Iron beeped once more, as Madison rose from her chair. "Hmhmhm, ahaha! I'm getting the biggest chill up my spine!"

Juno · Jan 11, 2020

1-3: DARK HORSE

"So it's tragic, really—I mean, of course I don't know the details of what all really brought the Carter kids to Fugue, but a young girl and her kid brother just randomly showing up there one day with no one else looking out for them? Couldn't have been good." Edwin stopped talking long enough to pop half of a cocktail weenie into his mouth, and offered the other half to his conversation partner, who was perched on his shoulder once again. Theodore opened his beak, but stopped and pecked Edwin instead when he noticed the portion size. "Ow! Hey, no! Our journey starts tomorrow, bright and early. You can't be all bloated and stuff, you've had plenty. You get half or nothing. But anyway, as I was saying, we can't let our sympathy get in the way. If it comes down to it, we have to crush her, and her bug, so— oh! I'm so sorry!"

Edwin was so wrapped up in his ramblings to Theodore, he did not notice as he walked into someone else at the hors d'oeuvres bar. As he knelt down to help pick up their plate, he locked eyes with the Chairman himself and froze.

"Oh, no, that's quite alright," Alonso Mora smiled at him as they both stood back up. "I should be apologizing to you—I was too lost in my conversation with Vendaval here, I didn't see you walking our way." The young man next to him nodded at Edwin politely. His lumbering beast of a Dragon was absent from his side at the moment, perhaps retired to his Poke Ball for the evening, and Edwin noted the Gym Leader looked a lot more... ordinary on his own.

"It's an honor to meet the both of you! I'm Edwin." He shifted his plate a bit to free his grip, before reaching out to shake their hands.

"Another one of the go-getters our PLA members handpicked from Fugue! How lovely it is to see such young talents coming from all across the region. I am really having a wonderful time tonight meeting all of you so far." The Chairman said this so earnestly, Edwin's nerves were almost calmed. Almost.

But Vendaval raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're the boy from Fugue! Cherry was telling me that you travel quite often. I guess farming in your backyard is a more lucrative business than I realized."

Edwin had no good response to this, so he just laughed and felt his face redden. Theodore took this opportunity to snatch a cocktail weenie from his plate.

"And aren't you the little rascal who was chasing another competitor's Pokemon all over the ballroom!" Vendaval let out a soft chuckle, and Theodore chirped gleefully, completely unabashed by the ruckus he caused earlier. "That was quite the scene, thank you for providing some entertainment around here. These events can feel so stuffy sometimes."

"Oh, you saw that did you?" Edwin was suddenly aware of how much he had shrunk down in his posture and reminded himself to stand tall again. "Yeah, I don't know what got into him, he's usually quite the little gentleman."

"I'm sure you both are," Chairman Mora said kindly, sensing his discomfort. No doubt the Chairman is used to encountering awkward or shy kids who get flustered around him, but damnit, Edwin was supposed to be different. "And ah, sorry, you did say your name is 'Edwin', and not 'Eddie' just now? Is that what you prefer to be called?"

"According to Cherry, you made a mistake with that." Vendaval quipped.

Edwin opened his mouth quickly. "W— no, she must have misunderstood what I—"

"Oh, come now, stop giving the young man a hard time." The Chairman laughed.

"All in good fun," Vendaval replied quietly, a smirk playing on his lips.

"In all seriousness, though, it was not my intention to make you uncomfortable," The Chairman said sincerely. "We just typically go by birth name on official documents, broadcasts and the like. If you normally go by Edwin, it would be no trouble at all to just use that name going forward."

"I... I do prefer Edwin," he said softly. Admittedly, Vendaval's not-so-subtle jabs, combined with his severely unprepared encounter with the Chairman, were really chipping at his confidence. He cringed to himself as he heard the words come out of his mouth. I sound like a grade school kid telling his teacher what he wants the class to call him.

But the old man smiled reassuringly. "Then Edwin it is! I'll be sure to let the broadcasters know, so we don't get it wrong again."

"Thank you, sir."

"Well! I think we should be getting back to our table. Haven't had much of a chance to eat until now, unfortunately! Pleasure meeting you, Edwin."

With another handshake, the Chairman started walking back towards his table, but Vendaval stayed behind. He looked like he had something he wasn't sure if he wanted to impart or not. A few moments passed, and he spoke.

"Can I give you a bit of advice?"

"I— yes?" Edwin accepted cautiously. This wasn't how he envisioned his first conversation with these two men going down, however, he figured battle or challenge tips from one of the Gym Leaders himself would be invaluable nonetheless. But Vendaval's response was quite unexpected.

"Be yourself." He said simply. "If I could make it here from where I was, you don't have to pretend to be someone you're not. Trust me." He gave a half smile and nod to Edwin before turning to join the Chairman, leaving the boy lost for words.

gimmepie · Jan 12, 2020

Chapter Two: The Journey Begins - Northern Wild Area

One by one, you all wake up on the morning of your journey's true beginning. You exit the hotel and make your way north through Crescendo's streets, eventually finding yourselves in the Wild Area beyond.

The land beyond Crescendo is very green, comprised primarily of open grasslands, although the further north, east or west you go, the more and more trees you will eventually come across until eventually you find yourself travelling through full-blown forests. Although the true lake and river country is further out to either side of you, it's not unlikely that you'll come across the occasional creek or pond.

The land directly around Crescendo is very flat, so the earlier legs of your long trek are fairly easy. The closer you get to your destination, Dolce City, though,the hillier and steeper the landscape will become.

This is where it really begins, the formalities are over and now you're on your own. A great many challenges lay ahead and now it is time to face the first of them.

Chapter Information

There is a wide diversity of Pokemon available already, but the most common types you will come across here are Normal, Grass, Bug and Flying. As is typical of Unific though, just about every type is represented here if you're willing to look hard enough.

The evolved Pokemon you can catch on this route are:
Raticate, Furret, Kricketune, Staravia, Pidgeotto, Greedunt, Trumbeak, Silcoon, Beautifly, Cascoon, Dustox

Juno · Jan 12, 2020

Rowlet images courtesy of Daily Rowlet

2-1: THEODORE BUGSBANE

"Rise and shine, Theodore!"

Sunlight poured into the hotel room, as Edwin enthusiastically whisked aside the heavy, velvet curtains hanging over the tall window next to his bed. A stack of cushions on the armchair across from the window stirred, and he turned his attention to it. The Rowlet's head eventually poked out, blinking groggily.

"It's our big day! Come on, up and at 'em. I'll carry you as far as the Wild Area. Then you need to start working off all those cocktail weenies from last night."

They passed a few familiar faces as they left through the hotel lobby. Edwin gave a few waves and smiles here and there, but now was not the time to stop for a chat. He was focused. As they made their way through the streets of Crescendo, Edwin felt a little sad to be leaving this incredible city so soon—he spent all of last night at the party and returned to the hotel room dead tired, so he never got the chance to explore it. Soon enough, though, they arrived at the northern exit of Crescendo, and it was time to step into the Wild Area.

Fugue was quite a rural place with lots of greenery, but more on the marshy side. The wide, grassy fields that stretched on and on ahead of him right now were something he had only seen in paintings and photographs. The scenery was breathtaking.

The Bug-types were abundant out here; Theodore, as Edwin unfortunately discovered the previous night, and now confirmed in this area, was naturally quite good at chasing and terrorizing them. It gave them a lot of practice and experience in battling the typing, which was really good news considering the first challenge waiting for them in Dolce. "Yeah, Bruna doesn't stand a chance," he said proudly, as he watched his scrappy little bird Pokemon Peck another Kricketune into defeat.

He filled out his brand-new PokeDex eagerly, learning about all their new encounters, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to catch anything yet. I want something... special. I bet half the challengers are going to leave this area with a Dustox or Greedunt, I've seen dozens of those already so far. He peered off into the distance. "Don't worry, Theo, it's still quite a trek to Dolce, and the day is young. We have lots of time to find you a battle partner for the Gym Challenge."

The Pokemon hooted in response, and flew upwards to do a bit of his own reconnaissance. Without warning, he jetted off in one direction, leaving Edwin behind. "Hey, wait for me!" his trainer huffed as he ran after him.

Edwin wasn't a weak boy, but the sun beating down on him, compounded with the weight of carrying almost half his wardrobe and everything he owned on his back, and keeping up with the energetic little ball of feathers was getting to him a bit. He really needed to take a small break. Thankfully, that seemed to be what Theodore had in mind, too. He caught up with the Rowlet by a creek. It seemed that striking fear into the hearts of all those Bug Pokemon earlier worked up quite a thirst for him, and he was trying to drink out of the creek.

The creek wasn't very wide, but it was quite steep and uneven in some sections, so the rapid rushing of water down the rocky steps made the creek somewhat tumultuous. Theodore got a few drinks of the fresh water, but it was impossible to do so without getting his entire face wet. He spluttered after every attempt.

Edwin smiled, as he rolled up his sleeve to fill his water bottle. "Careful there, buddy. If you fall in, I don't know if I can fish you back out." The Rowlet immediately stopped and hopped back to his side, shivering. "We'll get back in the sun soon enough so you can dry off..."

His voice trailed off as something gold and shiny swam past them in the creek. Edwin's heart skipped a beat. "Theo! Did you see that?" He started gathering up his things. "I think it might be a Pokemon, let's get a move on!" What could that possibly be? He wondered to himself, as the two of them set off to follow the creature. Theodore flew directly over the creek, as Edwin ran alongside him down the banks. Whatever it was, the rushing water was definitely helping it move downstream much faster, and he still couldn't make heads or tails of what it was. Still, Edwin was convinced they were on to something special. This is what they were waiting for.

"Theo!" He called out. "Leafage!"

Leaves haphazardly rained down on the creek. The white waters obscured much of what was going on below the surface, but Edwin hoped a few leaves hit their target. "Again!"

After the second shower of leaves, he could see that, even guided by the rushing waters, the creature's movements slowed. Now was his chance.

Edwin hadn't prepared a Poke Ball before he started running, so he was now trying to reach for the right pocket without falling. The Poke Ball he threw missed, and smashed against a rock jutting out instead. It promptly broke in half and disappeared down the creek. Edwin cursed, but he had reached for another Poke Ball the second time around with more ease, and this time, a flash of red light indicated whatever they had spent the past ten minutes chasing had gone inside the Poke Ball. It bounced back towards Edwin and landed at his feet.

It shook once, twice, three times, and then the light was gone.

Edwin's heart beat faster and faster as he approached the Poke Ball. "Theo, we did it," he murmured. "Let's see what we caught."

the sloth · Jan 12, 2020

Bennett Myrtle

ft. gimmepie as Team Reach

Chapter 2-1: Stranger Danger

Party:

Current Location: Apex Hotel, Crescendo City

At eight o'clock, right on the dot that morning, Bennett was wide awake and out of bed. He had his mother to thank for helping to enforce a routine morning schedule into his system. He was up, showered, dressed, brushed his teeth, and even had time to head back down to the buffet and grab some breakfast for the two of them all before Jingles even woke up. The Jangmo-o hadn't been held to a similarly strict schedule because... well, quite frankly, his mother had no problems having a couple more hours of quiet in the day.

A paper plate of warm food was placed down by his sleeping face, causing an eye to lazily open before he licked up some food and started chewing, getting a pat on the head from his trainer.

"Good morning. We've gotta head back to Dolce soon, so eat up." He encouraged his Pokemon with his soft voice, patiently sitting by their side and waiting for them to finish eating. As soon as the plate was licked clean of scraps, the dragon Pokemon stood up and shook himself like a wet Herdier, making his scales jingle and clang as he shook all the sleepiness out of his system.

Within the next ten minutes or so, Bennett left the Apex Hotel and started walking down the street, back to the north exit of town that he arrived from. Crescendo was big and a little scary, he was eager to get back to Dolce as soon as possible.

Current Location: Crescendo Streets, Crescendo City

At least, that was the plan, but no more than fifteen or so minutes after leaving the hotel, an obnoxiously loud voice could be heard from off to his side.

"Oi, Sebas, that's one of them isn't it? The little shrimp over there, from the Gym Challenge."

Bennett froze, feeling eyes on him. He looked around in confusion before taking another step forward. Maybe they were talking about someone else?

"So it is!" A smooth, confident responded.

Any doubt that Bennett would have had that the men had been talking about some other challenger was quickly alleviated by the sounds of footsteps rapidly approaching him from behind.

"Hey, kid, we want to talk to you!" The second speaker called out to him.

Turning around, Bennet was met with the sight of three people making their way towards him. Two in their late teens, the one leading the pack slightly older, probably in his early twenties. All three were dressed similarly, donning torn-up jeans and baggy hoodies in shades of dark blue and purple. All their clothes depicted menacing looking Pokemon. The group's leader in particular had faint prints of various Dark types all over his jumper, and even his short, slicked back hair had been dyed a deep purple colour. These three individuals were very clearly members of Team Reach.

Oblivious to the concept of any "Team Reach", despite how these people looked pretty shady and unnerved him, he gave a polite, stifled wave and had a nervous smile. Jingles peaked his head out from his scarf nesting, and silently watched the people approaching them with a scowl. They might be looking for a fight, and if it was a fight they wanted, he was happy to supply!

"U-um... hi? Can I... h-help you?" Stranger danger wasn't a foreign concept to Bennett, but he naively gave them the benefit of the doubt, while Jingles kept his guard up.

"In a manner of speaking," the trio's leader, Sebas said with a smirk, calmly walking up uncomfortably close to Bennett and leaning down towards him to get a closer look at the boy's Pokemon. "So you are the one with the Jangmo-o then. Tough little guy, is he?"

The boy's eyes followed the taller man's gaze as he got closer... closer... too close. He took a couple steps back as he got closer, his face turning a shade paler, heart pounding, his hands even got a little clammy. Bennett adjusted his scarf a little before putting both of his hands onto Jingles, who didn't break his scowl on the group's leader before them. He even gave a little rebellious bark as he was mentioned, making Bennett clam up even more and defensively cover his partner with his scarf. The Jangmo-o's glare could still be seen, despite his best efforts to hide it.

"Yes, h-he is... I, um... " His mind scrambled, Bennett eventually deciding he should try to dip from this conversation. Something about this guy was really unnerving him, as nice as he might be. "I... I n-need to go... s-sorry..."

As Bennet turned to leave, something small whizzed over his head, exploding in a flash of bright light. From within the flash, something large emerged. In essence, it appeared similar to Jingles. A large reptilian creature, armoured in jangly gold and grey scales. It was bipedal however, with long powerful arms ending in hooked claws. To anyone familiar with the species though, it would be apparent that the Kommo-o was at least a ruler length larger than was typical. The beast's form blocking the sidewalk he'd been walking down only moments before, Bennett looked like he was on the verge of fainting as his legs started to buckle. He quivered, whimpered, slouching defensively on the verge of a panic attack as his partner sized up their opponent. A Kommo-o, a fully evolved member of his own species... yeah, he could probably take him!

... Probably...

"Sorry, Kid," Sebas said cooly from behind Bennet, his lackeys still sniggering, "Unfortunately for you, we have a job to do and you're on our list. We'll be taking your little friend there, and then we're on our way. I'd part peacefully if I were you."

The Reach member's Kommo-o leaned in towards Bennet and Jingles, emitting a low growl that shook its scales. In response...

Bennett screamed.

Backed into a corner, he used it as a desperate out to get somebody's attention and shake these thugs off of him! His shrill cry strained his throat from how hard and loud he shouted, a tear already squeezing past his eye from the pain and the panic. In the confusion, Jingles leapt from his trainer's scarf, and tried to dart past the bigger dragon and back onto the open sidewalk.

Even as the larger dragon lunged after it's smaller counterpart, Sebas grabbed the screaming trainer and jammed his arm into his mouth to muffle the sounds, trying to drag him back out of view. The jingling sounds made by both Jingles and the Kommo-o was going to plenty attention-grabbing on its own.

Bennett screamed into their arm and kicked like hell, even trying to elbow his restrainer as he wasn't going down without a fight, even if he wasn't very strong physically. He dug the heels of his shoes into the pavement to slow their attempts at dragging him out of sight, although the way his legs felt like jelly moments before weren't helping his efforts.

If his scream before hadn't attracted attention, the rustling of scales between the two dragons would bring some attention to the scene, hopefully. As much as he didn't want to admit it... Jingles was outmatched. His glare melted into worry, he could run, but he wasn't going to leave Bennett behind! The dragon Pokemon made no direct attempts at attacking, but simply evading, looking past the Kommo-o at his trainer and trying to find an opportunity to save him. If such an opportunity would ever arise...

"Just behave and be a good boy and nobody has to get hurt," Sebas hissed to the struggling Bennett as his two companions moved forward and grabbed a flailing limb each, the noise of their scuffle very briefly obscured by the sound of the Kommo-o taking a chunk out of the nearest building as it lunged after the scampering Jingles again.

The crushing of concrete definitely caused some panic now, the Kommo-o unintentionally bringing more attention than the struggle rather than snuffing it out. Jingles narrowly avoided the impact, his little eyes nearly bulging out of his head. Between lunges, the Jangmo-o apparently saw something that spooked it into running back out of sight, and before the Kommo-o could follow after it...

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP, THUMP... WHAM!

A gigantic Tyrantrum brutally charges into the Kommo-o with a viscous Head Smash, causing more property damage in the process as it tries to fell the beast in one go. Their sharply dressed trainer follows shortly after, wearing a snapback cap, t-shirt, cargo shorts and sandals, most if not all of it with various branding of the most fashionable and currently "in" trendsetters, giving the impression this lad was likely from Largo City. But on top of that, he also wore an unzipped jacket a size or two too big with lots of fluff around the zipper, bottom, and sleeves over his shirt, wore socks with his sandals, and had no less than three pairs of sunglasses resting above the rim of his hat, all of different colors that looked painful to try and see through. He looked to be in his late teens, if not early adulthood, had sand-tan skin, and under that cap had a high fade and curly brown hair with a short beard on his chin. He had a cocky, fun-loving smirk on his face, shooting finger guns at the hooligans without missing a beat.

Needless to say, Bennett was incredibly confused as to if he was looking at his saviour, or some wacky backup to the goons.

"Yoooo, it's you funky lookin' fellas again! Back at it again, picking on the small fries?" His Tyrantrum shifts his attention to the alleyway where the Reach gang were, a deep growl rumbling from their massive maw. "If you wanted a rematch, all you had to do was ask, bros! No need to get the kid involved!"

"Do I know you?" Sebas spat, leaving Bennett to his two flunkies and stepping forward, looking unimpressed. "You'd think I'd remember someone who looks this fucking stupid but… nothing. Also, you can have that back."

This statement was punctuated by a painfully bright beam of light blasting the Tyrantrum back in the direction it came, leaving it sprawling behind its goofy-looking trainer. The Flash Cannon made it pretty clear that the Kommo-o didn't just look tough.

The tyrant Pokemon roared in pain and reeled, nearly pushed off of its feet as its head slumped to the ground before it picked itself back up, glaring back down at the Kommo-o and showing it still had some fight in them.

"Oh, psshaw, bro! You know, when I said I'd give you a beating you'd never forget, I meant it!" It was... entirely unclear if these two actually had met and battled before. But after those first blows, a battle was certainly brewing, and they both stepped out in the open beside their Pokemon while leaving Bennett on the sidelines. Moments later, the grunts restraining the feeble boy would feel a harsh lashing at their shins, as Jingles aimed a swift Dragon Tail right at them!

"Shit!"

"Damn it!"

Those exclamations and several others left the lips of the two Reach grunts, as they promptly let go of the captive Bennett and dropped to the ground, clutching their legs in pain. Human beings not being designed to take Dragon Tails, even from a small Pokemon, they'd be lucky not to have broken shins.

The yelps and groans of the pair were drowned out over the sounds of battle between Sebas and this new opponent, that and the increasingly loud exclamations of city goers being inconvenienced by the impromptu battle.

Police sirens soon rang as the pandemonium reached a threshold, but the Tyrantrum's trainer was unphased. He pumped his fist and gave a whoop of enthusiasm as their battle ensued, and the mornings of many of those in Crescendo City would be interrupted in perhaps one of the most bizarre ways yet as of late.

As the grunts holding him collapsed onto the ground with some light crunches only Bennett and Jingles could've possibly heard, the boy wasted no time scooping his Pokemon into his arms, and just running. Tears blurred his vision a little as he just wanted as far away from that place as possible, a dissonant, pumped up voice echoing behind him as he did.

"Yeah! I'm feeling it! Come on, Broseph, let's show this dude what we can really do!"

budube · Jan 12, 2020

Carmen Sylvia
Chapter 2 - Part 1: A Bad Start

Apex Hotel, Crescendo City

It was finally the day her journey began and she wasn't really feeling like starting. Presto, with a lot of effort, woke her up two hours and a half before noon. She took a quick shower and took her time to get ready. Make up? Done. Hair? Done. Clothes? Done. Boots? Done. 'Make other people think you're different and better than them just by looking at you.' She said to herself as she adjusted the black ribbon on her shirt, it was the only thing she could think about now.

The breakfast buffet at the hotel was lacking and almost over by the time Carmen went to the dinner room, that she couldn't even eat well before going to the Wild Area. She just woke up and it was already a bad start.

Crescendo Streets, Crescendo City

She was apparently one of the last challengers to leave Crescendo. It was very quiet for a Capital City for some reason, not completely silent but still less noisy than it was yesterday, but as she walked through the large streets of Crescendo and saw some people around a damaged building, she could understand why. Was it a battle? Maybe, but not her problem. She kept walking another way, hopeful that there was no one to give her any problems.

Presto was flying by her side, occasionally taking the lead and calling the attention of random citizens for being a rare, cute Pokémon or just because of how lively it was, Carmen had forgotten how many times she had to tell him to calm down and behave.

Once she got to what seemed to be the entrance of the Wild Area she stopped to take a look at the landscape she had in front of her, quickly losing all of her energy the moment she saw how much she had to walk to get to the next city… and when she realized the risk of getting hurt by wild Pokémon her expression got worse. Just look at how many bugs there were. And the other Pokémon like Skwovet and Rattata? How many infections could they have in them? Looking back at her childhood, she didn't seem to care about this stuff when she used to play her cello at Requiem Forest, Presto himself was a wild Pokémon until Carmen started living in Octave; but now only standing in front of a Wild Area made her nauseous for some reason. These thoughts helped her with nothing other than adding up to her beliefs of not being good enough for this challenge.

"Our lives really did take an odd turn didn't they, Presto?" the girl said in a low voice, with her eyes closed, still unmotivated to walk inside the Wild Area, but she didn't have another choice now, right? "... Do you want to--" she turned to her Pokémon, except that he wasn't there. Quickly looking back at the Wild Area, she could see the silhouette of her Pokémon swiftly flying across the zone, forcing Carmen to take her first step inside. "... keep going?"

Carmen's Party:

Stinging Bea · Jan 13, 2020

Janice Carter

Current Party:

/

Chapter 2-1: Starting Out

Northern Wild Area

Morning came unreasonably early for Janice. Perhaps it was a bubbling feeling of nervousness that surfaced in the pit of her stomach. It could have just been something that she ate the previous night before. There was even the chance that it had something to do with the fact that it was a realization over the fact that this was essentially her final chance, that everything she was aiming for to accomplish would at this point be playing out based on how well she (and to some extent, Iris) performed in the following weeks. Regardless, the young woman soon found herself standing outside of the Crescendo City gates shortly before dawn. The sun was just now starting to peek over the hills and grasslands that stretched out before her, painting the sky a faint hue of orangey-blue in the process. The sky was filled with the serenade of wild Starly, carrying with it a faint chill in the wind.

A cigarette was hanging loosely from the girl's lips as she stared out at the scene painted before her. Over her left shoulder, a somewhat worn yet still durable trainer's bag hung. It had been a parting gift from the Smitherson's when she left Fugue, one that she wasn't particularly thrilled with having. It wasn't because the girl was expecting something nicer. Rather, it made her feel even more indebted to the elderly couple. On top of that, as she was going through her things in the hotel room this morning, Janice quickly discovered that the couple had tucked a town map into her bag as well. A note had been written from Martha, the wife of the duo, wishing Janice luck on her journey and hoping that the map would prove useful to her. They knew that money was not particularly in abundance for the girl, which meant she wouldn't be relying on some fancy Rotom-phone or Pokégear to get around like most of her competition would be.

"Speakin' of, I guess I better get a feel for where we're even goin'..." Janice muttered.

The girl reached into her backpack, pulling out the item in question and unfolding it in the process. The map had certainly a bit of age to it. Some of the ink on the parchment was faded, and the edges had small tears here or there as well. Still, Janice figured it would do for the time being. Maybe if she managed to scrounge up some more cash along the way she could afford to buy something a bit more modern to assist in navigating. For the time being though, the blonde knew she had no room to be complaining. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed down at the map, taking in the artwork and the various symbols placed on the paper. She... really couldn't tell what many meant. There looked to be some writing scribbled across the map in various places, but... it all looked like some weird foreign language, often resembling just some weird shapes and scribbles. She honestly had no idea where to even start.

"...Screw this shit," Janice mumbled, folding the map back up and stuffing it back inside of backpack. All she was going to be doing was walking across some field towards another town that wasn't this one she was leaving from. Exactly how hard could it be to find her way from one place to another? Adjusting her bag over her shoulder a bit, she glanced over her left shoulder and nudged it slightly. Her faithful Joltik was dozing peacefully, making a small gurgling noise as the sudden movement disturbed her slumber. "Rise and shine, Iris... We need to get movin'."

Flicking and stomping the butt of her cigarette out, Janice began to make her way across the plains. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the city of Crescendo, the girl found this to be a much more peaceful jaunt. There were no crowds of clambering and excitement and shouting spectators. There were no sounds of automobiles or the like polluting the airwaves. Just the sound of trees rustling in the wind and chirping of various bird and bug Pokémon. Even if it was nice sleeping in that hotel room, it was honestly soothing enough to make Janice wish she had camped out in the wild area instead. Maybe it was something she would consider as opposed to resting in a hotel room next time. Unbeknownst to the budding trainer however, not all was going to be peaceful on her trip through the rolling plains.

As the blonde and her Joltik made their way across, a pair of crimson-red eyes watched them carefully from high atop its perch in a nearby berry tree. Eyes narrowed, taking in the view of the girl as she walked. In particular, it seemed to focus on the yellow speck that was her Joltik as it wriggled about on her left shoulder. A small grumble echoed out from inside of the creature, a quick reminder that it hadn't had the chance to enjoy its morning meal as of this point. While there were sure to be some Wurmple or Caterpie around if it looked hard enough, the red-eyed creature suddenly found itself with a craving for a hearty Joltik... a craving it would be making sure to act upon. Lurching forward, the creature echoed out with an angry screech before diving off of its branch and making nosedive straight in the direction of both Janice and Iris.

Janice turned just in time to see the flying Pokémon swooping down. A curse slipped past her lips as she ducked to her knees, just barely managing to dodge her assailant. It was almost enough force to knock Iris from her perch atop her trainer's shoulder, but the Joltik managed to just barely hold on while looking quite frazzled from the sudden assault. Janice slowly looked up, her eyes narrowing as she took in the sight of the creature that was attacking them. A bird Pokémon, mostly blue in color with a small, gray beak and a bright, yellow underbelly. The Pokémon looked to be wearing a mask of sorts around its deep, red eyes, but Janice was quickly able to determine it was just a rather bushy patch of black feathers.

"The hell is this thing supposed to even be?" Janice questioned, fishing into her backpack to pull out a small, handheld device.

It was a Pokédex, one that she received from the league shortly after the opening ceremony. The had given her a brief tutorial on how to use it, but it didn't stop the blonde from fumbling around with the device before it suddenly started working. Thankfully, it began to read out information on the creature she had managed to scan with it.

"Rookidee, the tiny bird Pokémon."
"It will bravely challenge any opponent, no matter how powerful. This Pokémon benefits from every battle—even a defeat increases its strength a bit."

A small smirk crawled upon Janice's lips. "Bird, huh...? Well, that sounds like somethin' that'll be useful for our first gym beatdown..." She glanced over to the Joltik on her shoulder. "What do ya say, Iris? Ready to recruit our first teammate?"

The Joltik returned Janice's look with one that did little to hide the wave of nervousness rushing over the spider Pokémon. Still, Iris knew that she had to try and do her best to assist her trainer with this situation. With a small screech in response, the Joltik hopped off her shoulder and prepared to face her attacker in combat.

Janice's Current Thoughts: Let's Kick Some Ass!

the sloth · Jan 13, 2020

Bennett Myrtle

Chapter 2-2: Can We Really Do This Alone?

Party:

Current Location: Crescendo Plateau, Northern Wild Area

Bennett ran until the noise and chaos behind him went away, instead replaced by the sounds of nature. His breath was heavy, eyes watering, this... this was all too much. He almost just lost Jingles, whom he was still tightly holding in his arms as he sniffled and stifled the weeps that were building up in his chest. The harsh reality that the world wasn't all well, and that there were people out there who could and would hurt him or his Pokemon was starting to settle in, his mother's concerns seeming less and less unfounded.

He finally stopped as he'd stumbled just enough into the woods beyond the vast, flat grasslands immediately surrounding the outskirts of Crescendo to cast shade over the two of them, leaning his back against a sturdy tree and crumpling to the ground in defeat. Jingles himself was still a little shook by the run-in as well, but was quick to lean up against his trainer's chest, giving a worried grumble as if to ask "What's wrong?"

"A-are you okay, Jingles?" Bennett instead responded in kind with concern over his Pokemon, hoisting him up and looking him over for any scratches or bruises, but the dragon scrambled out of his grasp and instead barked in irritation. He was far more concerned over his much frailer human companion than himself! Bennett pulled his legs up against his chest and continued to hold back a nasty sobbing fit, making his chest ache. "... Mom was right. W-we should've just stayed home... I j-just wanna go home..." Bennett considered taking out his PokeGear and calling Mom to tell her he was throwing in the towel, that he didn't want to do this anymore. His eyes welled up, reaching a breaking point and yelping as Jingles softly, yet firmly bit the front of his shoe, pinching his toes and making all his tears roll down his cheeks.

The Jangmo-o barked again, lifting his head proudly and showing off how he had no scratches on him, despite the nasty mess they found theirselves in. Bennett was similarly unharmed, physically at least. Emotionally, he was doing pretty bad. Despite how the odds were stacked against them, they got out of that in one piece! Not without some help, but they didn't even have any scars to show for it! Jingles attempts to cheer him up and show they could handle this with his lack of a vocabulary, but Bennett still weeped, and his Pokemon tried nuzzling up against him to help calm him down. The physical affection did wonders for the boy, slowly but surely bringing him back to a stable emotional level again as he picked the dragon up and hugged him tight as he got the last of his tears out.

"T-thanks, Jingles... Do you s-st... still want to do this?" The dragon gave an affirmative nod without much hesitation, and his determination couldn't help but evoke a small smile after all the sobbing Bennett had done. Despite his fears and reservations, one thing in the back of his mind scared him a lot more than what they'd just been through; the idea of letting his dream die, and the nagging feeling of what could've been following him to the grave.

Speaking of grave, a loud cry suddenly rang out from within the woods, making both trainer and Pokemon jump in shock before looking in the direction of the wailing. The voice was chilling in how distressed and grim it sounded, and it also sounded a lot like a little girl. Bennett spent an uncomfortably long time waiting and listening for it again, an unnerving image entering his mind of some poor child even younger than he was lost in the woods... when the scream came again, Bennett stood up, putting Jingles back around his neck while the dragon Pokemon scoped their surroundings cautiously.

"... H-hello? Hello?" He called back, and was surprised to get another cry back in response. "Do you n-need help? Where are-, where are you?" Another cry, just like the last. Whoever was crying, they weren't even responding with any coherent words... right as he began to grow suspicious, another, even more distressed cry echoed from within the woods. Panic and guilt overtaking him, Bennett began to follow the source of the noise, deeper into the forest. "I-I'm coming, hang in there!"

Current Location: Interlude Forest, Northern Wild Area

He wasn't quite sure how far he'd strayed... Bennett remembered that on the way to Crescendo, he'd followed a forest trail on the edge of the woods that was much brighter, and he hadn't ran into any Pokemon then. But now, he would occasionally be stopped by a Skwovet, Wurmple, Pikipek, Foongus, or the like in the shade of the deeper forest. Jingles jumped at the chance to fight anything that approached them, all the practice they had back home proving to pay off as they had little trouble subduing the minor threats and continuing on their way.

Despite the forest's chill and gloom, it was somewhat refreshing and calming being here compared to the safer trail he took before, the chitter and calls of Pokemon filling the air. Any time Bennett stopped, contemplating if he should turn back or if he was going the right way, the cry of the little girl would return to get him back on track. Eventually, the cry lost it's severity and desperation, slowly turning into simply a wordless call to get the boy to not lose his way. So enraptured by the serenity of the forest, Bennett had begun to forget why he went this way to begin with, but at the moment, didn't regret it.

With Jingles prancing right in front of his trainer due to how frequently they were stopped by wild Pokemon, they eventually reached a small clearing in the woods. At first intending to continue right through it as he daydreamed a little, Bennett stopped and gasped as he saw something appear from the shadows of the canopy. He nervously held his breath as the Pokemon showed itself, a spirit with... three horns? As it got closer, Jingles growled and took a defensive stance, before the Pokemon floated past him and before Bennett, at which point he could see it clearer. Those weren't horns, they were branches and a part of the Pokemon's wispy body. The Pokemon simply smiled amicably at Bennett, standing/floating prettily while he dug into the duffelbag hanging off his shoulder to retrieve his Pokedex and scan it like he has been for every Pokemon they'd stumbled upon thus far in their trek through the woods.

Phantump, the Stump Pokemon

"It is born from the spirit of a child who died while lost in the forest possessing a tree stump. They imitate a human child to lure adults or other children into the woods to turn into more Phantump."

The small device reads out the anecdotal information in a monotone, robotic voice... and as soon as what was just said clicks, the Phantump waves its arms and tries to dissuade Bennett from panicking. Too late, as he turns to run, before three more Phantump appear behind him! He starts to go into distress mode again like he did when pinned between the scoundrels and their Kommo-o, while Jingles growls and gets ready to fight for real this time. Yet, now all four Phantump try to clear the air and get them to calm down, waving their arms and nodding no. Bennett picks up on the hint soon enough, picking up the still-aggro Jingles.

"You... you didn't l-lure me out here to... k-kill me, right?" They all nod no, and while he initially takes their claims with caution due to how his naitivity bit him in the ass last time, he can't help but lighten up and trust their word. "Then... why did you bring me here?"

The Phantump who first appeared before him hovers closer, explaining in words he can't understand but also rubbing her eyes with her hands and making a distressed expression to express what she was saying. His crying must've attracted their attention, and they took pity on him...

"Oh... y-yeah... I'm fine, I promise. I just..." He pauses, at which point the ghost Pokemon jump in for a group hug! Their touch sent a chill down his spine, and yet... it also felt reassuring. The four spirits reassure the trainer and Pokemon, with Jingles grumbling in annoyance at the unwanted affection while Bennett ate it up.

They eventually move away, except for the female Phantump that, judging by her voice, Bennett had figured she must've been the one who's voice he heard luring him here. She still hugged him, whispering in a reassuring tone like a mother would to a child, something Bennett was very familiar with. The idea of petting a ghost Pokemon was... weird, but he eventually returns her affection by patting the top of her stump like he would Jingles' head.

Perhaps in a fit of petty jealousy, Jingles growls and wriggles out of his trainer's arms, taking a battle ready stance... before the other three Phantump are all holding berries, and offer them to the dragon. That changes his mood nearly instantly, happily eating the food he was being so generously gifted. To be honest, a dark, spooky forest was the last place Bennett was expecting to find such hospality, and for that he was thankful. Thinking of a way to repay the ghosts, an idea crosses his mind, and he reaches into his bag... there they are! He fishes out an empty Pokeball, but the female Phantump is a step or two ahead of him. She pushes on the ball and nods no, confusing and initially dissapointing Bennett.

"You... don't want me to catch you?" Yet, she nods no, and instead smirks as does a shadowboxing gesture, before looking back at the boy and waiting for him to realize what she wants. He seems to get it, and whistles to grab Jingles' attention. "I k-know we've fought a lot of Pokemon already, but do you have the energy to fight one more?' Jingles barks eagerly in response, what a stupid question! Of course he was ready to fight some more! The Phantump cheers along with him, and her fellow Phantump move to the sides of the clearing to give as much space that was needed for the battle that was about to ensue.

[PKMN FULL] Unific: The Challengers' Journey [M][IC]

Chapter One: The Opening Ceremony - Crescendo City

Chapter Information

1-1: "EDWIN"

Hi I'm Cube

Kirbmeister

Chapter One - Part One

is loafing around

Bennett Myrtle

Chapter 1-1: Welcome to the Amateur League

1-2: NETWORKING

Chapter One - Part Two

Hi I'm Cube

is loafing around

Bennett Myrtle

Chapter 1-2: The Joy of Youth

lover of milotics

1-3: DARK HORSE

Chapter Two: The Journey Begins - Northern Wild Area

Chapter Information

2-1: THEODORE BUGSBANE

is loafing around

Bennett Myrtle

ft. gimmepie as Team Reach Chapter 2-1: Stranger Danger

Hi I'm Cube

is loafing around

Bennett Myrtle

Chapter 2-2: Can We Really Do This Alone?

ft. gimmepie as Team Reach

Chapter 2-1: Stranger Danger