OOC: Whew, I'm here (Finally). I arrived at 2 AM today, my head was still pounding a bit because of the same illness that left me bedridden for the whole of monday (Apparently food poisoning, excess of foreign bacteria or somesuch rot <.< Pfft...don't care too much though, it's passed now.), and I hadn't had a minute of sleep in like 24 hours. So when I came home to see some 4+ pages in this RP I just figured 'Hell no...' and went to sleep instead. Sorry for the lateness. -.-
On the plus side, my Emerald team has grown quite significantly (I really need to update my T-Card). PH33R teh Bubu Swampert! XO (Level 47, I really need to move on from the Fiery Path now. XD)
As for what has happened here during my absence...
*Dies*
Dang, I'm not quite sure how to put it...
On one hand, there are some things that happened which were not according to plan. Namely;
1. You shamelessly relocated the Waiwai Inc. Building where the sign-ups would be held. I just can't picture any sensible bussinessperson (Or even Slythe) leaving as blatant a security hazard as a public lift straight beneath his company's headquarters. Especially a lift leading to the less reliable part of the city. Meh, I can live with it, though.
2. Reeve (Whose name you misspelled by the way, BB -.-) mysteriously vanished without as much as a 'goodbye'. Odds are that you just plain forgot about him. But whatever, let's just assume that he went off since they found their way.
3. Technically, the monk-type people aren't in charge of handling the pok?mon. They're just skulking around the pens for reasons of their own (Which are separate from the interests of the actual handlers). But actually, I think I can figure out a sensible explanation for that. So yeah...
4. The receptionist-situation got kind of changed too. Although it does make sense that there would be more than one. Still, for future reference, please don't take that kind of liberties with key sidecharacters, m'kay BB/ any other people who made up their own but whom I can't remember at the moment? I usually have some special things planned for those and it's such a bother to ask people to edit. It doesn't matter too much here, though.
5. Character note, BB; I notice an alarming trend in your character...this far he has (With the sole exception of Valen) yet to meet a single person who has anything negative to say to/think about him and hasn't really expressed any negative emotions beyond his (self-(J/K XD)) righteous indignation over pok?mon treatment (Although I still don't understand his thoughts on Valen's little fight seeing as he only order his to fight in self-defence, not to pick on the trainer like JJ saw it. o.O). Anyways, he's also got his ever-so glorious league record too, and a successfull grandfather, and his prettyboy looks...I just see too many positive things here. -.- So just...please don't go Gary-Stu on me, m'kay? Let's see some of his flawed side too...it's their flaws and quirks that make characters interesting anyway.
That being said, I see some good things here too. The tour-thing was a nice save from the receptionist change, and I love the RPing that was done for Lori. Melissa, you caught her personality really well, although perhaps it should be stressed that her feelings for sharp pok?mon (Can't believe I forgot to mention that to you, sorry. >.<) are better described as covetous or possessive than loving. That's just the kind of person she is. Although since you didn't have the proper information for it, I can't fault you for not knowing *Slaps self with the red herring of quality*. And Charon, her outfit was spot on, exactly Lori's style. Somehow I had a feeling that you would do best in describing it and I was right. ^-^ Also, the monk-type people were RPed well too...yes, the important plot characters were well taken care of. Other than that, well, you kept the RP pretty much together, and there will be a big announcement thingie once the tournament starts so any stray chars will be told to assemble then. Overall, this RP made it a heckuva lot better through this than many others that I've seen so congratulations on that. It's not an easy job to take care of a story when you don't know how it will develop.
And Yibber, far be it from me to dissapoint you. *Slaps Yibber with the red herring of quality, twice, as requested, although not overly hard* XD
There will be an IC to come...just give me a moment to gather my thoughts.
EDITNESS:
IC:
"Pray enter..."
The dangerously calm, male voice sounded, just as soon as Valen had opened the door of the office located at the very top of the gigantic Waiwai Inc. Building, the tallest, most flashy skyskraper in all of Overcity, and also the headquarters of not only the largest and most influential multinational in the region, but also the very seat of power for the greatest criminal organization in the area as well...Team Viper. And there was Valen, about to meet the head of both, his boss, Slythe D'Argent, and once again, he had the distinct feeling that Slythe wouldn't be pleased with his report. Valen merely remained quiet, walking towards the only lighted area of the room; a large sturdy desk, made of some foreign strain of tree which Valen didn't recognize but which simply screamed 'expensive'. It was of a black colour, not all too different from ebony, with various subtly different shades of grey convering dotting it, the different colours blending so smoothly with each other that it was hard to tell where one ended and the other begun. The boy didn't have too much time to spend on the desk however, nor on the various papers and writing implements arranged across it, as he knew that Slythe hated being ignored, and he really didn't want to hear another one of his little polite sentences...they were certainly creepy, Valen gave them that, and he had actually taken up using quite a lot of them to scare his own opponents. Not that he was scared himself, though, he added in his mind, fear was the emotion of prey, not predators.
"Sir?" he asked, standing in front of the desk in a disciplined manner as he pushed all his other thoughts out of his mind, focusing on the person occupying the large, black armchair on the other side. He was a fairly tall man, and seemed to have a definitely serpent-like figure to him, with his reddish eyes, the two protounding teeth, much like a viper's, standing out whenever he opened his mouth, and his generally slim frame. The rest of Slythe didn't exactly make him look any more hospitable either, with his pale skin and the thick purple hair that hung over his right eye, giving him a definitely shifty look. Slythe was doing his best to look like a respectable bussinessman, dressed in a tailor made suit, black with grey pin-stripes, and a white shirt just barely visible beneath it, as well as a long, dark purple tie. The clothes didn't look like they had seen very much use, and if anything, they made Slythe look even more like a godfather from one of those old gangster movies, which actually wasn't very far from the truth. Although of course there was the distinct difference that there was a sizeable Seviper coiled up on his lap, the poison type's head leaning on one of his arms while the other arm was busy stroking the Seviper's head, the serpent's eyes closed in contentment.
"Do you mind telling me..." the Viper leader begun in a steadily calm voice, focusing his eyes on Valen and noting with some amusement that he recieved an unflinching stare in return, "Exactly what happened out there? No, let me rephrase that..." he added, leaning forward, his expression hardening, "What exactly where you thinking? This is the second routine assignment that you've blundered on Valen, and you know how I feel about failure!"
"It wasn't my fault sir..." Valen replied quietly, clearly struggling to keep his voice even and wishing intently that Seirini was there with him right now.
"Not your fault?" Slythe repeated in an overly silky voice, "You not only throttled a random bystander but also started out a brawl with him that forced our security force to intervene! In what manner is that not you fault?!"
"He was trailing me, sir." Valen said, his voice quivering with rage and his hands tightening into fists, "And not only that." he added, "That little twerp attacked me from behind! And he had that-that disgusting plant creature attack my Seirini! He had it coming to him! He-!"
"Enough." the viper leader interjected, raising a hand and taking a moment of silence, leaning back in his chair a bit and studying the boy in front of him, keeping his face in a cipherlike state of expressionlessness "Let me make this clear for you Valen." he said, focusing his stare on the boy's eyes again, "Were you a normal grunt and were these normal times I would already have sacked you without a second thought for the level of incompetence that you have shown in your recent work..."
Valen nodded, now staring at the floor, his face still considerably reddened from his recent outburst.
"However..." Slythe continued "Much to your fortune, I am aware of certain...unusual circumstances concerning this particular incident."
The boy looked up and, unable to contain his curiosity, spoke up "Unusual circumstances, sir?" he asked, his full attention now focused on Slythe.
"Indeed." the Viper leader replied curtly "Circumstances that are none of your concern! Do not interrupt me while I'm speaking, Valen, remember conduct rule number 18..." his eyes flashed dangerously, "'Never interrupt your leader'. You're on thin enough ice as it is."
Valen nodded, falling into silence again, although it was obvious that the matter was still on his mind.
"Now then-" Slythe began, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door. The man cast a distinctly annoyed glance at the source of the disturbance before speaking up again.
"Come in." he said coldly, the door soon creaking open, revealing a person whom Valen definitely wouldn't have wanted to join them...it was Lori, and the way she was dressed...the boy gave her clothes a distinctly distastefull look, to him, she looked more like a glorified prostitute than anything else. He quickly hid that expression though, turning it back to neutral as he realized that it was most probably she who had vouched for him, and knowing that it would be foolish to push his luck further with anyone in power anyway.
"You called, Slythie?" the woman asked, putting on her usual smile as she walked towards the desk as well, "Oh, I see you've called in Valen as well, how delightfull." she now turned her predator-like smile to Valen, recieveing a carefully indifferent look in return, "Long time no see, loveh." she said, acting as if she didn't notice the boy's reaction, although there was definite amusement in her expression again.
Not long enough... Valen thought for himself, but remained quiet.
"Ah, so you've answered my summons at last, Lori." Slythe said, nodding at the woman, "Good, I was just about finished with Valen here anyhow. But do remember conduct rule 13 my dear." he added, "'Always refer to the leader as 'sir'. As an excecutive I need you to set a good example for the rest of our little family."
"As you wish...sir..." Lori replied in a flowery voice, performing a mock-salute, "Do you boys need your private time? I can wait outside..."
"That won't be necessary." Slythe said, turning briefly to Valen, "Here are your new orders; I want you to scout out this year's competitors for any and all suspicious individuals and report them and their activities to me, immediately. Your sign-up has already been dealt with and the beginning of the tournament will be announced soon. If you can win, all the better, but the important thing is that this competition remains firmly under our control. Understood?"
"Yes sir." Valen replied, nodding before he turned to leave the room.
"Oh, and Valen." the Viper leader added.
"Sir?"
"This is your last chance." Slythe said coldly, "And I mean it. If you put as much as a toe out of the line there will be no more lenience for you. And stepping out of line includes prying into the circumstances behind my generosity in this matter. Do not make me regret my judgement, Valen."
"I won't, sir." the boy replied in a carefully neutral voice.
"Good." the Viper leader said, "Then you are dismissed. I trust you can see yourself out?"
"Yes, sir." Valen replied, turning around once again and walking out of the room without casting as much as a glance behind him.
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A moment later, the boy stepped out into the clean and carefully ordered streets of Overcity, standing in silence in the sunlight for a moment and taking in his surroundings, a frown on his face. The whole placed seemed to be the very incarnation of everything he loathed, everything was so clean, so ordered, so...perfect, the grandiose office buildings, lavish manors, posh restaurants, flashy boutiques and peaceful parks making the boy feel even more conscious of how out of place he was in the world, a sensation he didn't like one bit. He couldn't for the life of him understand why he should care though, why would he ever want to belong in such a hypocritical and artificial place? Why would he want to be accepted by its narrow-minded and dull-witted populace? He didn't need them...didn't need anyone of them...not all the faceless people of this city, or any other city for that matter, not anyone of those he had run into on his way to there, not Avery, or Cona, or Rosairie, or that blonde hypocrite, certainly not that twit who had tried to ambush him, none of them. And neither did he need Slythe...that man was mad. Granted, he had provided him with a home of sorts and a chance to grow up, but he had also made sure to profit from the boy all the way. No matter, he didn't need him anymore. He wasn't a child any longer. He was independent, knew how to take care of himself. And Lori...her annoying pressence was certainly the very last thing Valen would ever find himself needing. And to top it all, she was keeping something from him, and so was Slythe...they were plotting something behind his back, and he was going to find out what. Valen scoffed, pulling out a pok?ball from his belt. His first reaction would have been to call Seirini, the Arbok's presence always made him feel better, but at the moment, what he really needed was something to divert him from his brooding. And he knew very well who was best at that.
"Kachiko, come on out!" the boy called, unleashing the steel type from her pok?ball and onto the street.
The Mawile peered around for a moment, noticing a definite lack of meanie poopie-heads in her surroundings and turning to Valen, her maw taking up a smile.
{Papa?} she asked, tilting her head, {This place is boring...aren't we going to do something fun?}
The boy permitted himself a small smile at the steel type, "That was exactly what I had in mind." he replied, beginning to walk down the line of various stands on his left without really focusing on anything, Kachiko running ahead and occassionally performing small skips or jumps, her eyes darting busily across her surroundings as she searched for something that would be amusing.
