Like Reaching for the Sun

[Alter Ego]

Eh-heh...sorry, folks, I've been a bit preoccupied with this and that, not to mention agonizing over my verdicts and the starting time far beyond what can conceivably be called 'productive'. >.<

In other news...we now have an official OOC Thread. So go ahead: read it, post there, mingle, say something that you think will make you sound smart and/or funny, bump your post counts, you know...whatever. XD

In the mean time...let's see what we've got here:

@Zore: Oh, dear...what to say about the biggest of my decision-making headaches? Deep down in my little heart I've always held a soft spot for the manipulative sociopath characters, and the idea is certainly something you don't see often in such a generally happy, go-lucky fandom. But...no, just...not this time, not this RP. Sorry. >.< I do appreciate you sticking to your guns and not compromising Elliot's disposition and I strongly encourage you to keep on breaking the norm with your characters, but this time around, for complicated plot/incentive reasons that I can't even begin to explain without completely spoilerizing...~Declined~

*Meebles* That was such a hard decision to make. ;;

@KatouBot: Passable quality thus far, but it's still very much unfinished. ~Pending~

@Phanima: Oh drat, here I thought I'd have shaken you off in your absence. And another Japanese inspired character?! What's wrong with you?! >.<

Just kidding, of course. XD Glad to see you around, and I actually like what I see of your character thus far, but do finish that profile in a timely manner, please. :3 ~Pending~

@Gummy: Yep, yep; you seem to be covering what needs to be covered. Just put the rest of the flesh on those bones and you should be good to go. ~Pending~

@Kogenta: Oh come now, you should know I love long profiles. XD Anyhow, I see no issues here at all; quite the contrary, actually. Without a doubt, this profile is ~Accepted~

@Thesis: Hectopascals? Who gives a digit about hectopascals anyway? My RP Mastering powers constitute a transcendental in and of themselves, a hyperbolic function even! AND THEN SOME! They let me do stuff like this: ~Accepted~


EDITNESS: Long-waited opening IC...go! We are officially in business. ^^

IC:

The sun rose slowly over Zenith island that morning, ascending past the island's many plateaus and hilltops with calm, dignified grace, like an emperor heading for the top of his castle to greet the unwashed masses under his rule. And what masses they were! Below the glare of the midday sun, at the lowest of the five distinct plateaus that constituted the majority of the island's flatland, a bizarre congregation had spread across what seemed like every last available piece of living space, a steady flow of their comrades still ascending the cliffside path from the multitude of ships moored below. There were people both young and old, of every color and creed, children laughing and playing amongst tired seniors and flocking around the occasional pro trainer - cool and collected - who made their entry. Pokémon were compared, challenges issued, bets made, refreshments and souvenirs bought from the colorful stalls that had - very prudently - been set up the day before. Laughter and chatter mingled with the strident cries of the most bizarre menagerie of pokémon that the sleepy island had ever seen, the occasional balloon fleeing the chaos into the cloudless sky above, much to the annoyance of the Wingulls nesting above while the queues to the registration booths grew ever longer. The very air itself seemed alive with excitement, all centered around the only space in sight that had not been subjected to this peculiar invasion: a wooden stage set up with its back pointing straight to the tallest peak of Zenith Island and the renovated observatory at its peak. Currently, the stage was occupied by nothing but a solitary microphone and loudspeaker set, save for the occasional stressed-out aide who ran in to perform yet another last-minute check on the speakers, but even so, the crowd milling around it was already abuzz with speculation. This was where the tournament's first round would begin, after all, and by none other than an evil land developer who had been suspiciously quiet and reclusive after his grand announcement - even coquettish, some would say. None of those gathered, particularly the hopeful competitors, wanted to miss his speech, and as such the jockeying for the front places was fierce, often kept in check only by the grim-looking black suits who hung about the area, casting warning glares from behind their shades and occasionally adding in a bit of suitable body language to intimidate potential troublemakers.

The person at the front of the right-hand registration booth queue faced intimidation of a completely different sort, however.

"Next, please." the receptionist's voice was friendly and pleasant to the ear, like a cool breeze in the sweltering summer heat, and the moment he caught sight of her face, Laure felt the temperature around his cheeks rise even further as he half-stepped, half-stumbled closer. His head throbbed, he felt caged in and ill, the sweat ran down his face and neck in rivers, disappearing beneath the sweater - far too warm for this kind of weather - and so fervently did his tongue move as he tried to explain his case that he was surprised a few seconds later when he realized that it had failed to make a sound.

"I-I..."

Rather than the chastisement he had expected to receive, the receptionist - apparently well-accustomed to this type of thing by now - treated him to a sympathetic smile, "Your ID, Ms Whitendon..?"

"Mister."

"Excuse me?"

"Mister." Laure repeated, a bit louder, his face now bearing an even deeper shade of red than before, only intensified as his own voice - shrill and frightened - resounded in his ears, the trainer hastily shoving a trainer card forward for examination, "I'm a boy."

"Oh." the receptionist looked slightly taken aback, chuckling in an embarrassed manner, "I'm sorry, Mr.Whitendon, just a moment, then." with routined flourish, she grasped the piece of plastic, running it through a small reading device mounted onto the desk and turning to consult the computer by her side, her fingers dancing gracefully across the keyboard. As he waited, Laure could already hear the laughter spreading out behind him; quiet, muffled, as if they thought he couldn't hear it. Gritting his teeth, the male pulled the baseball cap on his head a bit further down, focusing his gaze on his feet while he tried to tune out all sounds but the rhytmic tap, tap, tapping of the keys.

After what felt like an eternity, the receptionist finally spoke up again.

"So, it's Laure Whitendon. Gender Male. Age 15. Born in Kanto region. Trainer ID 6281 - 3217 - 5534. Registered pokémon: Growlithe, Jolteon, Butterfree, and...an Alakazam." she paused, frowning a little as she turned her gaze back to the teen and asking, not unkindly, "Is that correct?"

He managed a weak nod, and the woman didn't press the unspoken matter further, but he knew. It was the question that had been on the lips of everyone he had encountered since disembarking the ferry in Zynthre's company, the question everyone inevitably came to ask, in a very carefully worded manner so as to not sound rude, of course: how could such a weak trainer have such a powerful pokémon?

It was even more embarrassing when he had been arrested on charges of pokémon theft for his guardian, not to be released until Mrs. Whitendon had come over and given the investigators both a full testimony and a piece of her mind, though they would probably have been satisfied with only the former.

"Here you are."

At the receptionist's words, Laure snapped out of his reverie, just in time to notice his trainer card heading back towards him, accompanied by a small, white ID card that was a bit smaller, bearing his basic information on the front.

Catching the boy's quizzical glance, the receptionist elaborated, "That card is proof your participation in this tournament." she explained, "In addition to pass and fail verdicts, you will also be graded on your overall performance throughout the tournament and be awarded Prestige Points for your performance. While basic accommodations are provided, you may also trade any points you gain for items or additional services between rounds. Some of the stores on this island will also have discounts and special offers available only to tournament participants, so make good use of that card during your stay. But be careful; if another competitor bests you in battle, a number of your Prestige Points will be transferred to them. So stay on your guard and use your points sparingly, but don't get too greedy or you may loose them all." returning to her previous smile, she then added, "I wish you good luck in the tournament."

With another hesitant nod, Laure quickly pocketed both his trainer card and competitor ID, taking special care to make sure that they were properly contained, before hobbling to the side as quickly as possible, gasping for breath like he had just run a marathon, still feeling the crowd's collective stares boring into the back of his skull as he found himself a spot by the edge of the plateau facing towards the sea, leaning over the railing as he allowed the fresh sea breeze to brush over his sweat-covered face. It was not fair, the teen told himself, not fair that no-one else had to struggle like this, to muster all their courage and push themselves to the outmost just to manage something as simple as a tournament registration. How pitiful he must have looked, quivering like a leaf and stuttering incoherently, blushing at the first sight of a pretty face. Weak, that was what they thought of him now, weak and pathetic, a Rattata thrown out to a flock of ravenous Persian, and they were right.

"I take it, the registration was a success?"

Laure did not seem the least bit fazed by the sudden entry of a foreign voice to his mind, nor the equally sudden appearance of a humanoid creature with a fox-like head - decorated by a large moustache- by his side. The opened can of yogurt floating in mid-air in front of the psychic type and the sizable spoon that was shoveling its contents into the pokémon mouth on its own accord, however, were a slightly different matter.

"Y-yeah...I guess so..." Laure replied, "But Zynth, what-?"

"Yogurt." Zynthre replied matter-of-factly, continuing to consume his snack, "A human treat which I must confess is quite tasty. A vendor was offering free samples, would you like some...?"

"No-no, I'm fine." Laure replied hastily as the yogurt can made a tentative move towards him, "I really couldn't eat anything now, I..." he paused, briefly tearing his gaze away from the absurd sight in front of him and turning it to the countless crowd members still making their way up the slope, "...I just didn't think there would be so many people."

"It is a big tournament." Zynthre replied, "The biggest investment since the last national championship, I gather, and advertised in overseas media too. A big crowd is to be expected. Some celebrities, even, respected names from the competitive circuit."

"Oh..." Laure felt his heart sink even further. The tournament had seemed like the right idea at the time, but the moment he had stepped onto the ferry and caught a glimpse of the competition he had had half a mind to quit the contest already. When they finally disembarked and he found that his ferry was only one of what looked to him like a small fleet, he had come very close to a nervous breakdown, and now...

"Zynth...do you...think I made the right decision?"

"Absolutely not." the abrupt bluntness of the response caught Laure off guard, but before he could muster a single sentence, the Alakazam continued - with what Laure thought was the tiniest hint of a smile - "This yogurt is absolutely delicious."

The boy frowned a little, "I meant about entering the tournament."

"Oh."

For a few moments, there was complete silence between the two, save for the occasional slurp of yogurt leaving spoon and entering mouth, but eventually Laure spoke up again:

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Was it...?"

"A good decision?" the Alakazam finished, taking a brief pause from his treat to shake his head slowly, "Who am I to say if one decision is better than the other? Who am I to say that such a thing as 'right' even exists? Only the future will reveal such things, if they reveal themselves at all, and the future is not for us to decide. You can only do as you think best, then deal with the consequences as they come."

Laure looked somewhat crestfallen, "That...wasn't very helpful." he said at last.

"A completely truthful answer rarely is." his companion concurred with a light shrug, "To answer the question I believe you intended to ask, however: yes, I believe that Rebecca would have come to a similar decision."

"I see." Laure replied, looking slightly relieved; this was his mother's prized pokémon, after all, and he would know her better than any. Even if he still wasn't sure of his decision, at least he was not letting his family down. This fact was enough to raise his spirits a little, eliciting a shy little smile, "That's good to know."

"I do believe that the terms she would have expressed her approval with would have been a fair bit more colorful, however." Zynthre continued conversationally, "'Damn straight! I'll kick their lilywhite butts all the way back to prep school', or something to that effect, I believe."

"You're kidding..." Laure replied, repressing a guilty fit of laughter at the mental image of his prim and proper mother, chairwoman of the local trainer school's parent council, wielding such expressions, "Mother seriously didn't say things like that, did she?"

"Well..." the psychic type conceded, "I confess to leaving out some of the more vulgar terminology, yes. She was quite the outspoken young lady in her younger days." the tiny hint of a smile briefly graced his features once more, "I would appreciate it if you did not betray any knowledge of this in her presence, however."

Chuckling genuinely for the first time since he had set foot on the island, Laure offered his pokémon a grin, "Didn't hear a thing." he replied, finally raising his head from the depths of the hoodie's collar and pulling up the baseball cap just a little to grant him a better view of his surroundings, "Did that vendor still have samples left?"

"A fair amount." Zynthre replied, "It appears that his products were not viewed with particular enthusiasm, despite the very generous pricing. Shall I lead you there? It would appear that we still have some time before the tournament begins, after all."

"...why not?" Laure replied in cheerful forfeit, his recent embarrassment now all but completely wiped from his mind, "Why not?"

 

[Gummy]

"So... hot..."

Cato impatiently fanned himself as he stood on the registration line, awaiting his turn. That morning on Zenith island had been way too hot for the young trainer to be wearing his usual sweater vest, but the ugly piece of clothing had almost become a part of him after all these years. If that wasn't bad enough, the line was formed in a shadeless area on the isle with people standing shoulder to shoulder. The anxious teen could literally feel the body heat of a nearby man rubbing off on him. If it weren't for the opportunity of a life-time being presented by this mysterious tournament, Cato would have surely stayed home with his beloved air conditioner. He turned his gaze to sky, hoping the heat would at least create hallucinations of oncoming rainclouds, but frowned at the sight of a sky void of such things.

"Next up!"

The surprisingly manly voice brought Cato out of his trancelike state, and he quickly adjusted his glasses to give the impression that he was actually paying attention. The sweaty trainer ran his hands through his curly, black hair, gave a slight sigh, and stepped forward. He let out and unintentional gasp as he eyed the employee sitting behind the desk buried into a computer screen. Despite the deep, masculine voice, he was looking at a female— or at least, something that once was a female. The overweight receptionist barely fit into her small seat, let alone uniform— and unless Cato's eyes where playing tricks on him, she sported a fancy tattoo on the back of her neck. Just his luck to be stuck with odd one out of all the beauties.

"Ya deaf, kid?"

"Oh, I apologize. Can you please repeat that?"

The obese woman groaned loudly and turned to the trainer. "Give. Me. Your. ID," she said slowly as if Cato had a hearing disability. Not wanting to get into an argument, especially with all these people watching, the trainer reached into his wallet and retrieved the ID that was assigned to all trainers. The large woman snatched the rectangular card from his hand and began typing away at her keyboard.

"Cato Cornelius. Gender, male. Age seventeen. Born in Johto Region. Trainer ID 6497 – 3914 – 0684. Registered Pokemon: Feraligatr, Houndoom, and an Elekid," she finally said, almost robotically.

"Actually," Cato interrupted, "it's an Electabuzz. We had a recent evolution and I guess the database has yet to update my profile."

"Yeah, sure," the lady commented unenthusiastically before returning to her keyboard.

"Is that all?" the trainer asked disappointedly, hoping she would mention the fact that he had won all eight badges of the Johto League so all others could hear. Unfortunately, she didn't hear him— or more likely was ignoring him— and continued typing. She moved one of her hands to nearby machine that spat out a card similar to the trainer cards.

"Have a nice day," she said while handing him the cards, although it sounded a bit forced. "NEXT!"

After sliding both cards into his wallet, Cato hastily moved aside as to not agitate the man standing behind him. Well, it was official. He was now a contestant in the Zenith Island Tournament. But first things first, he needed to cool down.

Seeing as most trainers were collected around the main desks to retrieve their competitor IDs, it didn't take long for the boy to find a nice, empty spot. After reaching into his messenger's bag for a pokeball, he pressed the small button twice— once to enlarge the ball, and a second time to release the blue, bipedal alligator inside. The Feraligatr gave a slight smile to her trainer and awaited her commands.

"Okay Aquarius, can you give me a light water gun?" Cato requested.

The Pokemon gave a nod of approval and released a stream of water from her mouth. A joyous grin appeared on the trainer's face as the cold liquid splashed against it, cleansing it of the copious amount of sweat. He didn't mind getting his clothes or bag wet, as long as he was relieved from this mind-boggling heat. When the attack finally ceased, Cato wiped his face with his sweater vest and recalled his Pokemon.

"Time to find some shade."

 

[Chabz]

Walking through the crowd, the brown haired woman was clenching her teeth, the vein on her head pulsing with rage as the two yellow creatures tagging along at her feet squealed with joy - the thought of punting the mouse like pokemon over a cliff was zooming around her head, just waiting to be followed through. Pulling out the Competition ID she had just recieved, Corey glanced it over and read everything in her head.

Corey Stenson, Female, Seventeen, Born in the Sinnoh Region, ID# 1683 - 2660 - 9541, Registered Pokemon: Charizard, Mantine, Tropius, Plusle and Minun.

Plusle and Minun had to be added to the card today, the system hadn't updated her info since she caught them such a short time ago - even though she wished they had never been caught, the pestering vermin. Even now, the Pikachu look-a-likes played gleefully at her feet with not a care in the world.

"Plusle. Minun. If you don't stop goofing off I'm going to feed you to Charizard, do you understand me?"

The mouse pokemon stopped immediately, glancing up at their trainer, and froze with fear. Being new to her team, they weren't sure if she would actually follow through on her threat - and they weren't planning on finding out. They stood on their feet and followed Corey, as she had begun walking through the mob again, in the most serious manner they could muster from inside themselves. After a few more minutes, they escapes the suffocation of bodies pushing into bodies and walked towards a near by location - quite large for such a packed island, and Corey called out her Tropius. The grass-flying pokemon surveyed the scene then quickly turned his attention to Corey - hand signs immediately began as she was telling Tropius they'd be doing as much training as possible before the tournament. That pokemon nodded and then flew a short distance away, landing near the water to practice his Hyper Beam control.

"Plus..le..plusle..plu" the little pokemon squeaked to his sisterly companion.

"Min..un..mi..minun" replied the blue and yellow mouse.

"You two, quit the chit chater and get to training aswell. I want you to go practice your lightning attacks - there are some rocks over there, use them as targets."

The mouse pokemon ran off, obeying their trainers commands, as Corey called out Charizard and Mantine. Mantine, as usual, just glanced around and floated in the air not paying much attention to Corey. Charizard, as expected, picked Corey up and began flying around the air and cling close to Corey.

"Charizard we don't have time for this" said Corey, a smile escaping on her face - but quickly disappearing.

The Charizard landed and placed Corey back on her feet and then took off past Tropius, practicing his Fire Blast attack is what Corey had ordered him to do earlier in the day - before they had arrived on the island. Corey then turned her attention to Mantine, and prepared for a battle that was sure to come.

"I'd like for you to practice your Giga Impact attack on the rocks over there. You can do it whenever you feel like it, I'd just like it to be done at some point."

The water-flying pokemon turned, looked at Corey, nodded, and then looked away again - letting Corey know she would indeed practice the attack.

"Good," said Corey to herself, " now I'll go and practice my meditation."

And with that, off she walked to a nearby tree and sat down - immediately closing her eyes and humming to herself, aloud, every few seconds.

 

[Scarlet Weather]

"What. The. Hell."

"That kid, who is he? Do his parents know he's out there dressed like that? I mean, that outfit's just-"

"Like hello, that outfit wasn't in style thirty years ago, dorkus."

"I swear, kids these days, dressin' however they want to- back in my day we took care of our appearance, dammit!"

"Son, are you sure you're okay with bein' dressed like that? Folks are gonna be laughin' you out of the arena."

"Oh. My. GOD."

"Whoah dude, did you see that guy? Totally trippin' out. What a dweeb."

Alex rolled his eyes, attempting to ignore the crowd around him as the catcalls and murmurs of shock slowly escalated. He was annoyed by the negative reaction, but at the same time it meant that his strategy had worked out, and he pumped his fist in the air enthusiastically, savoring his triumph. He had caught the crowd's attention on day one. He would have preferred their eyes on him because of past accomplishments as opposed to his taste in clothes, but the fashion statement would do for now. Really, it was only a... what was the word? Gimmick? Yes, a gimmick. Sure they'd laugh now, but once he made it to the top, they would all fall in line for him. They'd probably even pick up his taste in clothing. A smirk played across Alex's lips as he imagined the possibilities. Even if he didn't win this tournament, a slim possibility in his mind, it wouldn't matter just so long as everyone went home talking about that crazy kid who had busted through the tournament with the wacky clothes. Yes, it was all in his favor now. There would be no escape from his name. Fame, infamy, it didn't matter which. All he needed was one or the other.

"Excuse me? Sir? Your trainer ID?" The girl behind the counter asked impatiently. Alex started suddenly before flashing it to her with a toothy grin. The girl stared at him for a moment before accepting the ID and quickly entering his information into the database. Then, with a smile that was only slightly forced, she returned it to him and read off the information. "Now let's see... Alexander Cyril Almassy, Nineteen years old, Pokemon- Misdreavus, Kadabra, and Murkrow. Is that correct?"

Alex opened his mouth to reply, when he saw it. The purple head sticking out of the tall grass near a kid's leg. Discreetly, he flipped up his Pokedex and depressed one of the buttons. The device whirred momentarily before beeping. The signal was clear- that Pokemon wasn't owned by the kid. And it looked hungry. "Could you hold that thought? Kaythanksbye!" Alex shouted, diving towards the Pokemon and grabbing it just as it lunged towards the kid's ankle. With no little amount of force, Alex swung the Ekans over his head and hurled it down at his feet, causing the snake to hiss in pain as the boy, a seven year old kid with an "I <3 Pokemon" hat, stared in shock. "Dammit, Nag!" Alex raged. "What did I tell you? We can eat later! Stay away from the people's food, ya half-witted, legless excuse for an Ekans!" He pointed with an accusing finger towards the fried chicken the boy had been about to raise to his mouth. "Think I wasn't gonna see that? Huh? Huh? Do I look blind to you today or something? Or are you just-"

Oh for the love of Pete, will you shut up already? the Ekans hissed in annoyance. I only wanted a little bite. It's been soooo looong since we last ate.

"Yeah, all of three hours!" Alex shot back, still fuming. "And don't you go telling me that three orders of scrambled eggs, five sausages, and your normal helping of PokeChow on top of half the vitamin supplements I bought back in Mahogany, and spent good money on too, wasn't enough to hold you over! Like I said: first the registration, then we eat! Don't make me put you back in the Pokeball." He tapped his belt meaningfully.

Nag's already reptilian eyes narrowed even further, if that was possible. Let me remind you that I am an Ekans. We don't eat. We gorge. Do you see the food in my stomach? I don't. That bump is barely enough to last another fifteen minutes. You'd better think quickly.

Alex's hand reached into his pocket and he disgustedly counted out two thousand yen in paper money. Handing the bills to the Ekans, who accepted them with an open mouth, he pointed to one of the stalls. "There. Go and get yourself something to eat. Knock yourself out. And please... stop stealing the chicken from the kids. Save that for whatever berries your opponent slips to the other Pokemon once we get into the arena, 'right?"

Sure. Whatever you say, boss, the Ekans replied saracastically as he slithered off.

Alex returned to the registration counter to face a very confused reception lady. "About my profile? You'd better make that one Misdreavus, one Murkrow, and one extremely hungry Ekans who wants to empty out my bank account with his demands for food!" The last part was a parting shot after the departing Ekans, who responded by flicking the tip of his tail in Alex's general direction. Not a very polite gesture by Ekans standards. Then again, very little about Nag was.

OOC: For those of you who want to know how Alex can talk to his Pokemon, it's because Dreave, having some psychic ability, is able to establish a one-way link between the minds of Alex and his two non-psychic Pokemon.

 

[Legend]

A burning hot sun and the lack of suitable breeze. Various trainers ranging from rookies with a Tailow to experienced trainers with a Swapert. A small island for a tournament. These qualites that the Zenith League were ultimately unimpressive to Malic. In fact, it left a sour taste in his mouth. Great, another heap of worthless maggots for my team to toss around. At least a few beatings here and there will teach a few what true battling is all about, he thought to himself. Rather than waste time and money via boat to Zenith, Malic chose to fly on his Salamence. Traveling from Hoenn, a long journey accompanied him. Getting lost several times getting to the island, anger and rage overwhelmed him. Sinnoh, no problem. Zenith, big problem. Regardless, the seasoned trainer dismounted his dragon and returned him to his Pokeball. Slowly walking towards the registration building, glares and looks of terror beamed towards Malic. Many rookies and even trainers with some experience had bothered to give Malic some expression of "Wow, he looks like a creep." It probably didn't help that he had worn dark themed clothing with various Dragon Emblems, punk style jewelry and that he had dismounted a fully evolved dragon. The unkempt hair began to tumble down into his face due to the buckets of sweat that had been generated by Malic's fit and built body. His layers of dark clothing did not assist his predicament at all. Hastening his walk, Malic entered the building and took his place within the line. Some air conditioning circulated threw the room granting Malic some relief. His face, however, conveyed nothing. The line was fairly, streching for miles upon miles. The only thing that kept Malic from annihilating the competition in front of him was the air conditioning and the premise of showing off in the actual rounds. After all, destroying rookies now would lack the competitive spirit that he had desired.

"Next please." A young receptionist requested. The voice was fairly happy and upbeat and considering it came from a young women no older than Malic, it didn't really shock him at all. Sitting in a chair, she towered over her desk and her soft features would have made any man with real feelings faint due to her beauty. Being devoid of those features, Malic simply stared at the women with a grimace of impatience. "Your ID?" The sickening and evil face that he gave made the women want to desperately finish her job.

Malic reached into his pocket and handed her a old card that had seen better days. Scratched, dirty, and torn it was clear that Malic had been traveling and training for many years. Malic stared at her holding his card for several moments before the lady snatched the card from his hands. Tension built from fear of being wailed on had filled the air.

"Malic Levesque. Age 24. Born in Blackthorn City but raised in Lilycove. ID Number is 02..."

"Do you have to feed me information that I already know? I would think I would know myself pretty *$#%&!* well. Even so, just give me the number and move on. It doesn't mean much anyway." Malic interrupted the women's small confirmation of information. A curse of frustration was uttered under his breath and the cheery woman was influenced by Malic's lack of compassion and understanding.

"This is just protocol sir."

"Well I could careless about your damn protocol."

"At least confirm your team. Salamence, Sharpedo, Gallade, and Metagross." Malic nodded and could hear a few gasps of suprise behind him from a few people who could hear the women's ridiculously loud voice. With is ID returned and his form within the database, Malic trudged out of her sight and returned to the outdoors, parking his body under a tree. Removing his ruby jacket, he preceded to sit calmly with a book he removed from his small leather backpack. The book was a plain hard cover, with no noticeable title or anything. Just a large black, tightly bound book that almost seemed to resemble the bible. Obviously it wasn't as Malic had no use or care for religion or faith. Hopefully no cannon fodder come and interrupt me. Otherwise they won't make to the first round.

OOC: Not my best post, but it gets the job done.

 

[Ibuberu]

The girl released an irritated grunt, wiping the beads of sweat off her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt before folding her arms tightly, a look of slight impatience upon her face. The weather was intensely hot, and she had already forgotten just how long she had been waiting in the line, everyone was towering over her and her current attire was of no help either. Sighing with hesitation, she began folding the sleeves of her shirt up the middle of the arm, before resuming her previous position. Her index finger tapped, with no particular tempo, against her arm, as she took a few steps forward as the line proceeded forth with the completion of another registration. Far beyond her, in the distance, she saw someone wrestling a snake-like Pokemon, shaking her head in disapproval at the act. She glanced to her left, sharing a look of disbelief with the Wartortle standing beside her. The Water type nodded her head obediently, before flashing her trainer a bright smile as the line moved up once more.

"How do you manage to keep such a face when it's so sweltering?" she softly questioned the turtle, who shrugged her blue shoulders in return, her cloud-like ears perking with energy as she pointed her paw towards the girl, her joyful grin reluctant to leave her face. <Because of you!> she croaked back.

Adeltruat cracked a tiny smile, possessing the ability to partially interpret what the Water type had meant. She placed a hand onto Ophelia's head, rubbing the turtle's head with affection.

As the seconds twisted themselves into minutes, the young female was relieved to find herself only two people away the booth. Rolling down the sleeves of her shirt and straightening her scarlet tie, the girl ran a hand through her raven hair. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she stepped forth as she exhaled, flashing the counter lady a friendly smile. The receptionist replied with a grin, her short, chestnut brown hair bouncing as she held a hand out. Adel gave her a curt nod, reaching into her bag and pulling out her trainer card, handing it over to the older female. The woman in uniform shifted her gaze between the computer screen and the girl's card, typing in the necessary details as she hummed a small tune.

"Adel.. Adell-true-aute Haert, yes?" She struggled to pronounce the name, looking to the girl for approval. She hastened to continue her duty as soon as the young trainer nodded yes. Her fingers tapped expertly on the keyboard, as Adel motioned for Ophielia to jump into her arms. The Wartortle was more than willing to do so, clambering into the girl's arms and resting her head on the girl's shoulder as the counter lady spoke up once more.

"Okay! Well… Gender, Female. Age, 15. Born in the Kanto region. Trainer ID is 6331 - 3278 - 5892. Your registered pokémon are Wartortle, Pidgeotto, Sandslash, and Magnemite, correct?" She asked in a pleasant voice.

"Yes," Adeltruat said in a seemingly cheerful tone as the lady entered in the final information required. The girl found it hard to believe that the woman could maintain such a disposition throughout the long day. Before long, her thoughts were interrupted as the receptionist returned the fifteen-year old her trainer card, along with a second card, an unfamiliar one of white. The girl examined her competition ID cautiously, before pocketing it with her trainer card. "Thank you." She told the receptionist politely, before quickly exiting the queue and walking away from the booths, determined to find a place to rest and cool herself down. The day was far too hot for her liking.

 

[Phanima]

"Excuse me Miss, could you possibly take our picture?"

"Hweh?"

Standing in line like many of the other trainers awaiting reception for entering the Zenith Island Tournament, Kaoru turned to face a rather pleasant looking couple now standing by her side, the hubby holding out an inexpensive camera in his hands. Complying with their request, she eagerly riddled her fingers around the disposable device and ushered the two to brace themselves for the shot. In a few quick snaps the pair retrieved their camera before giving her a number of bows and nods in thanks. Slightly taken aback, Kaoru simply waved off the couple before returning her attention to the seemingly endless line that lead to registration. To her surprise and much to her distress, during her brief detour with the tourists she had unintentionally stepped out of line and seemingly lost her place.

"Buah! What happened?!" she exclaimed in a rather heightened tone, causing more than a few heads to turn, tears of defeat now streaming down her cheeks. "Gah...I don't think I can go through waiting all over again."

"Oi, little girl...over here."

Called to attention, Kaoru turned towards the head of the line where she scanned the mass of trainers and Pokemon alike before pinpointing a certain individual with their hand raised above their head; the source of the voice. Almost immediately regaining her composure and now somewhat curious, the girl of fifteen slowly made her way towards the now distinguishable woman who had initiated contact with herself.

Dressed in quite similar clothing to her own, Kaoru noticed that the woman in question was actually a lot younger than she had anticipated, no more than seven years her senior. Several extra and rather unique accessories also caught her eye but she decided not to question them, finding out what the woman wanted was her main focus.

"Hweh?" Kaoru chirped, her trademark blank look coming into effect.

Tilting the front of her tattered wicker hat with the tip of her sword, the first of her unsual accessories, the older girl looked down at her mark with sharp eyes.

"You were in front of me," she started bluntly, "you can cut back in if you'd like."

"Really? Thanks a lot Miss," Kaoru piped, her expression now much brighter, "I didn't know what I'd do if I had to go back to the end of the line, I was even thinking I'd miss out on the tournament."

As she let out a hearty laugh, the older woman took a single step back, allowing her to rejoin the approaching line to reception. A number of the other awaiting trainers looked back curiously while those behind seemed a little off put by the sudden intrusion, but for reasons unknown (although much suspicion lied in the elder girl's weapon) no one decided to question the rather random gesture of kindness.

"Oh! I'm Kaoru by the way," she chirped quite casually, "nice to meet you."

"Meiling," the woman replied with a slight nod, "nice to meet you."

"Heh, I guess you'll be competing in the tournament too?" Kaoru started, quite pleased with the fact that she had met a new friend so soon after arriving.

The older girl nodded.

"I guess that makes us rivals then," Kaoru continued with a determined grin, "although if I ever have to face someone like you, I'd probably give up."

Laughing at the thought, the chestnut brunette failed to realise that her turn for registering for the tournament had arrived.

"You're up," the woman informed, pointing at the free counter by the receptionist.

"Hweh? So I am," Kaoru noted as she turned to complete her induction, but then turned back to the older girl just before doing so, "oh and if I don't ever see you again, thanks a bunch and good luck in the tournament!"

The woman known as Meiling simply nodded in acknowledgment and watched on as the younger girl proceeded with registering for the tournament.

 

[Kansas]

The sun beat down heavily on top of the trainers who seemed to be gathered from every possible nook and cranny of the entire planet to participate. Standing with eyes closed, enjoying the warmth, Crossford Hale stood quietly with his partner beside him. A waist high Medicham who was standing quietly on one foot with both palms pressed together in front of it with eyes closed. It definitely appeared to be deep in concentrated thought while his master did the same. Definitely an odd sight to see. The medium height shaggy blond slowly opened his eyes after taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly.

"We need to find that check in place, Crash. I really don't like all of these big notable get together events but all in all I think its probably good that we at least test our abilities every now and again, aye?" The boy said calmly to his partner who was listening but just didn't give the appearance. "Come on... we need to go check in at least. This could actually be a hassle."

The Medicham slowly opened its eyes while lowering a foot and the two began to walk for what seemed like a grueling eternity in the heat. Finally finding the check in counter, Crossford approached slowly, inhaling one more time while whispering to his partner.

"welp... here it goes, little buddy."

"Hello! How are you today, are you here to register?" The cheerful woman behind the counter asked quickly.

"Sure am, how do I do it?" Cross replied.

"All I need is your I.D. and I can take care of everything else." She replied cheerfully.

"My what?" he quickly responded.

"Your ID sir."

"I... uh...um... sure." he replied uneasily, pulling out a small card from one of his many vest pockets. He handed the receptionist the card and twiddled his thumbs as her face contorted in annoyance.

"Sir, this is just a sheet of paper with your name on it and a crudely drawn stick figure portrait." She responded sternly. "I'm going to need a real I.D."

"...I don't have a real one."

"Well lets get one made for you then, thats not a problem. Your name?"

"Crossford Hale."

"oookay, Crossford... Hale..." The said aloud as she punched it into the computer to her side.

"Just Cross if you don't mind."

"Cross it out? why?"

"No... Cross. Just the name. I go by Cross" He responded uneasily.

"okay then! Now I'll need a hometown please."

"...I don't know it."

"You don't know it?" She replied again with the previous annoyed tone. "How do you not know your home town?"

"Well its been a while, I've had a lot of homes. Um... I was born in the Kanto Region, can I do that?" He responded.

"No ID... no home town... Sir do you even know your age?"

"19." He quickly responded.

"Well thats a start. And Mr. Hale, you DO know that this is a Pokemon Tournament right? You DO have Pokemon?"

"Yes... this little guy right here, Medicham. And a Venusaur."

"Okay then that'll do it. You're officially somewhat registered. Sir please go find yourself a proper form of ID at least. Thats all I request when you leave my company. It'll help you out a lot. But on another note, we have here... Cross Hale, Gender Male, Hometown.. Kanto Region, Your ID number is 4124 - 1468 - 4444, and registered Pokemon will be... Medicham and Venusaur. Looks like we're done." She finally finished.

"Thanks a lot. Sorry about the inconvenience. Lets go, Crash." Crossford responded, hastily leaving the awkward scenario.

After walking a distance away he finally settled at a stop to survey the surroundings.

"Well Crash, the hard parts over. Hopefully." He said as he continued to walk with no particular direction once more. "I guess we just kill time until the thing starts now?" He questioned to his little partner

The Medicham looked up to him with a face that seemed to see 'Don't look at me, i don't know either'. Out of the corner of his eye, Cross spotted a quaint cafe with outdoor seating complete with umbrellas. He took a quick seat, escaping the sun's heat and ordered a large glass of ice tea. The cool liquid flowed through him, quickly turning the intense heat into a tamed day. He finally began to relax, thinking with excitement of the new challenges he would soon face.

 

[Kogenta]

[OOC: I feel . . . late.]

("Ugh. Why is it so HOT?") Waving her sleeve-like arms toward her face, Crystal stirred up a frigid breeze that surrounded her hollow body for a moment before moving on to grant temporary relief to those nearby. ("I don't see how you can stand this. It's awful.")

Receiving no reply--sympathic or otherwise--from her trainer or the Natu that rode on said trainer's shoulder, the Froslass twisted her face into a pout. ("Well if I'd known you two planned on ignoring me, I wouldn't have come out of my Pokeball at all. I was curious to see the competition, but now I see that even my friends aren't so friendly.") She sniffed angrily. ("Some teammates you are.") In the silence that followed, Crystal glanced to and fro, searching for something to say. Here she noticed something peculiar enough to draw her mind from her bout of complaining. ("Roz, why aren't you in line? Have you already registered?")

The girl slowly shook her head before raising a hand to brush away a drop of sweat from the bottom of her chin. Melanie, seeing that Roz had no intention to give any further elaboration on the situation, explained, "Roz stood in line a while ago, but the crowd was milling about too much and pushed her out of place. After the third try, she stopped moving and has been standing here ever since."

("What?! So why don't you tell her to go back, hold her ground--something. Or least quit standing in one spot staring . . .")

"In her own time."

Crystal sighed, unconsciously releasing another current of cold, and rolled her eyes. ("Forget it. I'm going back into my Pokeball where I won't melt away from the heat and stupidity.") The Froslass transformed into scarlet light and vanished.

Melanie shifted on Roz's shoulder and turned to study the human. Roz certainly appeared to be staring, but her expression was not quite blank, and her eyes were not quite still. Minor pupil dilations and shifts of irises indicated that the girl's mind was active. Two minutes later, Roz started toward a registration line. Even after she had reached the end of the line and moved with it for a considerable amount of time, she offered no explanation for this particular location choice, and Melanie chose not to ask.

Halfway to the front of the line, the movement of the masses caused another trainer to fall back against Roz. Though she stumbled a little, Roz straightened afterward and did not seem to notice the interruption until the other individual turned and apologized. Roz merely smiled and motioned with her hand as though to brush the incident aside as unimportant.

"I see fourth time's the charm, Roz?" Melanie looked at the female human.

Roz tilted her head in a mild shrug.

At the front of the line, Roz was met with a polite smile by a woman with red hair and friendly mannerisms. A few freckles dusted the receptionist's cheeks, which seemed to add to her charm rather than detract. Her short hair swayed easily when she spoke or even changed expressions. As though sensing something childlike about Roz, the redhead unconsciously leaned forward a little as she spoke. "May I have your name and trainer ID?"

Roz removed the asked-for card from her bag and handed it to the woman, leaving her index finger briefly above the place at which her name was printed. Accepting the ID with her habitual pleasant expression, the receptionist checked Roz's information in the computer and read off the information displayed on the monitor. "Let's see . . . Roz Saia, Female, 17 years old, born in Kanto . . ." She scrolled down. "Trainer ID number is 2872 - 4365 - 9113; Pokemon currently registered are Arcanine, Natu, Froslass, and Electrike. Is that right?"

Though Roz's name had been mispronounced, such an issue did not seem important enough to warrant the effort needed for correction or mention. So the blonde nodded; but the red-haired female was looking down at Roz's card and did not notice. After a moment of silence, the receptionist glanced up and repeated, "Is that right?" Roz nodded again.

"Alright."

Keys clicked, something hummed, and Roz was handed two cards: her original trainer ID and a new tournament ID. As Roz studied the latter object curiously, the receptionist explained its basic function, finishing with, "Does that make sense?" She received another nod in response. "Good. Enjoy the tournament." The older woman smiled, and Roz left.

 

[Phanima]

"So, Mizuhara Kaoru; gender: female; age: fifteen; birth place: Canalave City; current residence...?"

"Hweh? Oh, uh, Veilstone City was my last mailing address but I'm mostly a free roam trainer now."

"Ah, I see, very well, I'll need your Poketch or any other mobile device you may have for registration then."

"U-Uh, I don't think I have anything like that, sorry."

"That's fine Miss, I'll just leave it as it is. Now, onto Trainer ID: 0602-7788-1704 and registered Pokemon: Ivysaur, Elekid and Claydol, is that all correct?"

"Yup! That's them."

"Very good. Well Miss Mizuhara, your registration is complete, here is your Pokedex and identification card, as well as your new Zenith Island ID. Please take care of that card as it will serve as proof of your participation in the tournament and your pass to almost every service available on the island. Accumulated results from your performance during the tournament will also be recorded and stored on that card in the form of an electronic counter, known as Prestige Points. These will serve as the standard currency on the island and will invariably allow you to access the many services, from shopping to battling, provided as long as you have the required points available."

"..."

"Miss?"

"Y-Yes, I accept!"

"...Alright then, well, thank you for your co-operation. Your registration is complete. I wish you luck in the tournament."

Nodding, the chestnut brunette retrieved her belongings and strayed away from the registration counter, a placid expression addressing her features.

"Too hard to understand..." she breathed, finding a small spot in the clearing in front of a vacant wooden stage, "but I guess now I can relax and just wait until it starts, should be fun."

"It's best not to become too lax in a place like this," a familiar voice piped, "it's still a tournament after all."

Turning around to see who the voice belonged to, Kaoru came face-to-face with the young woman she had met earlier. A grin spread across her lips as she recognised the familiar face and immediately stood up to greet her.

"Meiling! So I did get to see you again," Kaoru beamed, giving the older girl a hearty thumbs-up, "and ugh...I know what you mean but when that lady started talking about cards and points, all I could think about was this show I used to watch back at home. It was really confusing."

"I see... But I trust your registeration was successful?"

"Yup! Sure was," the little girl started, trying hard not to think about it before eagerly changing the subject, "so Meiling, what're you gonna do now?"

There was a slight pause in the taller brunette's response, her face still moderately concealed by her large round hat, making it almost impossible for Kaoru to tell what she was thinking or what her current expression was.

"I'm going to go train," the older girl replied, although without much enthusiasm despite her hardened eyes.

"Oh, okay, well, I won't get in your way then," Kaoru laughed, "I'll see you later."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Meiling tipped the front of her hat as a gesture of her departure before wishing the younger girl good luck and disappearing into the crowd. As abrupt as the subject had changed, the chestnut brunette wouldn't have thought that her new friend would take the joke so seriously. In all actuality, she was far more interested in finding out more about the young woman and her Pokemon than worrying about being polite, not that the thought had ever graced her mind in the first place. Hoping to rectify her mistake, Kaoru helplessly searched the crowds of tourists, Pokemon and trainers alike, all in the vain hope of finding her mark but to no avail. As quickly as she had come, Meiling was gone.

"Buah..." she sighed in defeat, her arms folding onto her hips in a typical irritated manner, "I guess I should've been more up front...but honestly, what a serious girl."

Hearing herself admit such cliche mannerisms, Kaoru simply shook her head in both embarassment and laughter before quickly coming to.

"Oh well, I'm sure I'll see her again," she thought eagerly, now turning her attention to her current situation, "hoe...but I wonder what I'm supposed to do now."

 

[Alter Ego]

"All of it?"

The stall owner's expression was sympathetic. He was one of those older men who looked and behaved like everyone's long lost grandpa, authorative without being intimidating, and it was precisely this countenance that had made their conversation move as smoothly as it had. Laure had only stuttered at a few parts during the very beginning of the conversation, and had since even gained a measure of confidence.

No confidence in the world, however, could remedy this particular problem.

"Sorry, son." the older male replied, shrugging briefly before he returned to the process of packing up his stall, "I'm as confused as you are. First I had to give the stuff away just to avoid it getting spoiled then the next thing I know, this tournament official just up and bought the whole batch. Official orders. Nothing left to buy, I'm afraid."

"...oh..."

Unsure of what to say on the matter, or if there even was anything more to say, besides the painfully trivial 'I guess someone really likes yogurt, huh?' which he was not about to resort to, Laure merely continued with untangling the knot he was working with, one of the three remaining to support the once erect little tent that had served as the storekeeper's storage room.

"...it's alright." Laure replied at last, finishing a last fold on the tent and tying it up before placing it down next to the rest of the assembled equipment and wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow, "I'm sure they had good reason to buy that yogurt. Is this all of it?"

The older male nodded in response, "Yes, it is. Thank you kindly, son; it's not often that a youngin stops by to help just like that, these-" he paused in mid-speech, suddenly realizing that the male had already turned around and was walking back towards the crowd, "Hey, wait up, son!" he called, hastily digging around within the pockets on his vest as Laure turned a quizzical glance towards him, "Here." with a bit more energy than the youth was prepared for, a single, slightly battered can of yogurt had been thrust into his hands, the storekeeper offering him a toothy grin, "Now I said there was none for sale, sonny, but a gift from one fella' to another is a completely different matter, no?" he winked in a conspiratory fashion, lowering his voice a little, "That's the name of the game, I hear; things ain't what they look like at face value. Soak in those instructions they give you right down to the letter or you'll miss out on the real game, you follow? And no, I won't be takin' no for an answer, so just enjoy. It's my treat. Now if you'll excuse this old timer, I've got to go see a man about a Gyarados. Good luck with the tournament, 'kay?"

With a last pat to Laure's back, probably meant to be paternal, the old man was on his way, long before the startled boy had managed more than a startled 'thank you'. In all honesty, he had not really understood a thing about the old man's rant, but at least he had gotten some yogurt for his troubles...well, yogurt that had seen better days maybe, but yogurt nonetheless. Still, he couldn't help the question nagging at the back of his mind.

"What on earth would the tournament arrangers want with-"

"YOGURT?! DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THE BIGGEST EVENT IN COMPETITIVE BATTLING SINCE LAST YEAR'S LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP HAS BEEN DELAYED FOR AN HOUR JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE SMEARED YOGURT ON THE-WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS THING IS ON?! SOMEONE CUT THE MIC RIGHT NOW BEFORE I FIRE ALL OF YOUR SORRY-" even from this distance, the sound of the loudspeakers was quite formidable, quickly commanding the attention of the crowd with their rather unorthodox message, even as one of the keener sound technicians cut it short. In the brief pocket of stunned silence that followed, Laure made a vain attempt at moving a bit closer to the source of the commotion, though being at least a head shorter than the average crowd member made this process rather difficult. From amidst the sea of foreign heads and backs and things that a bashful boy of fifteen really didn't feel comfortable discussing, he could vaguely make out some kind of commotion going on behind the scene, a flushed-looking tournament official soon rushing to the scene, microphone in hand.

"Ahem, ladies...gentlemen? On behalf of Sunrise Enterprises, I would like to apologize for the...ahh...minor technical difficulties that have delayed our schedule. The...ahem, glitch in our speaker system has now been corrected, so without further ado, I present to you the man you have all been waiting to see: the host with the most, a man with the vision and courage to aim for a bright future, our very own CEO, George Lesaile!"

A wave of polite applause spread through the crowd, and relief was clearly visible on the aide's face as he retreated from the scene, leaving way for a somewhat more imposing figure. Mr. Lesaile's appearance was...regal. Yes, Laure could find no better word to describe the man in the slate gray pinstriped suit and light blue tie who, despite being in his mid-forties, carried himself with a straight-backed and confident gait, wearing his slowly graying and thinning blonde hair - neatly combed - with pride rather than attempting to hide it. To the timid boy, this kind of self-confidence was awe-inspiring but as the man's light blue eyes briefly swept over him, he couldn't help but cringe. Regal he was, but it was regal like a bird of prey, a Pidgeot swooping to tear up a hapless little animal on the ground below. His expression may have been a polite, even inviting, smile, but there was no concealing the hard glint in those eyes as he ascended the small podium that had been put in place for his speech, clearing his throat before speaking up.

"My dearest guests, competitors and spectators, words can not describe how pleased I am to see you here in such large numbers. I am aware that there are many who have questioned my intentions, indeed, some still do, but let me assure you..." the friendly smile warmed a notch, even as the eyes remained as icy as ever, creating quite the peculiar contrast, "All I wish of this tournament is to create a memorable spectacle, hopefully one whose legacy others will be willing to carry on after my passing. The bond between human and pokemon is one that has always held a special place in my heart, and though I am, perhaps, too old to realize my childhood dream of becoming a champion trainer, it truly pleases me that I shall at least have the pleasure of granting that honor to one of you. Ah, but I digress." he gave a polite chuckle, "I am aware of what you all have come here for, and I know that it is not the nostalgic ramblings of an old man. So, without further ado, allow me to explain the workings of the tournament. Tournament participants, if you would be so gracious as to take the IDs you have received and insert them into the plug-in socket of your pokédex?"

A wave of rustling and confused mumbles spread across the crowd at the last statement, countless handheld devices appearing from various places of storage. Taking up on the queue, Laure briefly fumbled around the pockets of his own apparel, finally discovering his own pokédex, its screen painfully dirty and unkempt, embarrassedly rubbing the screen with the sleeve of his sweater a bit before inserting the tiny white card as instructed. Much to his surprise, the tiny piece of plastic slid in neatly, the screen of the tiny device immediately lighting up. Instead of the usual pokémon analysis, however, the display was dominated by a large box of text:

"Qualifier Round - Trial of Courage
Time Elapsed: 0.00
Time Remaining: 2.00

Objectives:
- Proceed to Zenith Town and complete your registration within the time limit.
- Overcome challenges and obstacles as encountered.
- Player co-operation permitted.

Restrictions:
- Time Limit: 2 hours.
- No direct interference with other players.
- No flight.
- No teleportation.

Penalties:
- Failure to complete challenge: 20 minutes added to timer.
- KO of own pokémon: -5 points per KO.

Rewards:
- Trial cleared: +20 points and advancement to the next round.
- Fastest completion time: +15 points.
- Most opponents KOed: +10 points.
- KO of wild pokémon: +1 point per KO.
- Completion of challenge: +5 points or 15 minutes deducted from timer.

Player: Laure Whitendon
ID: 6281 - 3217 - 5534
Prestige Points: 10
Status: Active
Commendations: N/A
Infractions: N/A"

"As you have no doubt deduced..." Mr.Lesaile's amplified voice continued, "Your pokédex will serve as your personal status monitor in this tournament and will be updated with both instructions and other information of note as necessary. If some of you do not already own this device, I strongly urge you to purchase one before the next round, using the points you will earn for this round's completion. Now, for the benefit of those who do not have the privilege of confirming this with your own eyes, yes, this round is a time-based gauntlet. If you would please to turn your gazes to my right for the moment..." he gestured towards the sizable cliff face towering high above them in the distance, dotted by countless tiny crevices and holes as well as a multitude of trails snaking in an out of view along its side, "As you all no doubt know from experience, orientation and travel skills are just as important for an aspiring trainer as actual battling skill. On the top of that plateau, the rooftops of Zenith Town, the first human settlement on this island and the central location - your home base, if you like - for the remainder of the tournament, and also your first challenge. Once the start of the round has been declared, you will have precisely tow hours to ascend to the top of plateau and orientate yourselves to the Zenith Town pokémon center, where you will be able to hand in your registrations for the second round. As those holding pokédexes already know, flight and teleportation are banned, and any attempts at such will result in immediate disqualification. Therefore, my dear contestants, you have two options: you can either brave the cliff face and the pokémon that dwell there, or make use of the cavern network within. Both paths will lead to your desired destination and will pose both their own advantages and challenges, so you will have to use your own judgment to determine which you are better suited for. To add interest, however, there is an extra twist. While player versus player battles are banned for this round, wild pokémon will still interfere. For each pokémon you defeat in battle, one prestige point will be added to your score, while each of your own that is lost to the fight will cost you five. At the end, an additional ten points will be awarded to the top battler. What's more, there are a number of challenge points located throughout the course, which may prove of interest. Completing a challenge will yield you either five prestige points or a relief to your timer, both of which may prove crucial for your success, and they often come with a quicker or safer route to victory too boot. But be careful, if you fail a challenge, not only will the better path be sealed off for you, you will also lose valuable time from your counter. In other words: you, my dear contestants, must use your judgment to determine where your priorities lie. Completion should be fairly easy, but the true rewards of this challenge, the ones that will better prepare you for rounds to come, only yield themselves to those with the courage to reach for them."

The CEO took a brief pause to allow his words to sink in before his temporarily serious expression was replaced by the previous smile, "Please...do not be alarmed." he continued in a friendlier tone, "While the dangers of this tournament are most certainly as real as they sound, you are not without protection. At the beginning of the round, you shall each be handed a distress beacon. If, at any time, you feel overwhelmed by the situation at hand, all you have to do is activate that device and the aid shall come to you. It will cost you your future in the tournament, but that is certainly far preferable to having your life end in tragedy. My staff shall also maintain supervision of the proceedings an will interfere as necessary, so take heart, muster your courage, and do your best. Now, I shall leave you in the competent hands of my staff. Thank you all for displayed interest and good luck in the tournament. I shall see you...one step closer to heaven." he briefly raised his hands to the sun at this statement, the well-known slogan of his company, before turning around and descending from the podium.

A polite round of applause ensued as the resident evil land developer left the podium, but it ended quickly as the aide from before stepped back up, "Tournament participants, please follow the designated route to your starting positions! Repeat, head to your starting positions! The qualifier round shall begin momentarily. Spectators, please follow me. Everyone, please conduct yourself in a swift yet calm-"

The rest of the announcement was hopelessly drowned in the noise of the human sea as it started flowing in two, vaguely defined directions. For a few moments, Laure struggled in a vain attempt to orientate himself, finally conceding to letting the crowd carry him along and hoping that it was heading in the right direction.

 

[Scarlet Weather]

As the developer concluded his speech, Alex couldn't help but snicker a little bit. "One step closer to heaven, eh? If there's a God, He's probably about ready t' smite th' hell outta you for claimin' that." Amused by his own turn of phrase, he laughed- loudly and raucously enough that nobody in the crowd could possibly ignore him. Obviously, this turned a few heads. That suited Alex, as everything else had in the tournament, just fine.

He had to admit, he was surprised by the format of the preliminary rounds. He had expected, from the promotional poster he had seen, that this would be a standard league tournament preliminary round format. The usual "three trainer cell battle, draw nets one point, loss nets zero, win nets three, winner moves on" set-up portrayed in the movies. But this wasn't a movie, and it was certainly interesting. Alex noted three things in the speech almost immediately- the first being "No direct interference with the other compeititors." That, in Alex's book, meant that any indirect interference was A-Okay. And while he was certainly no master of deception or sabotage, Alex was definately a determined kid who was willing to do whatever it took to win. His mind was already whirring with possibilities. Climb the cliff edge and then bait some wild Pokemon to attack the trainers below? Possible, but wholly dependent on the wild Pokemon on top of the cliff not eating Alex first. "Accidentally" triggering a cave in, blocking off some portion of the tunnel? Possible, but if he got caught it would probably be considered "direct" interference, and get himself knocked out of the tournament before the end of the first round. Besides, cave-ins were risky, even if they were somewhat controlled, and he doubted that any member of his team had the raw power needed to create one on that scale.

It was at this point that Nag, his belly now swollen, dragged his way over to Alex's feet and released a long, bubbly hiss, the Ekans equivalent of a belch. Aaaahhh... his voice whispered in Alex's head, Full at last.

"Ya don't say," Alex replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Well, we've got out first mission. We gotta get our way t' th' top of that mountain," he said, pointing. "Any ideas?"

Nag shook his head. This isn't in the contract, he protested angrily. You do the feeding and the ordering, I do the figthting. You said nothing about navigation.

Alex slapped his own forehead in frustration. "You're just a barrel o' laughs, Nag," he groaned. "Really, ya are."

"ATTENTION: ALL CONTESTANTS AT THE STARTING AREA: READY- SET- GO!!!"

"Wha- when did-" Alex had no time to protest as a veritable human wave launched out, forcing him forward. He managed to quickly snatch a Pokeball from his belt and point it at Nag, recalling the chuckling Ekans, before they could be separated from the crowd. The stampede pushed and pulled him along for a few minutes, during which he felt a disturbing sensation of being unnoticed, until it finally thinned out, leaving Alex staring at a large cave mouth.

"Th' cave..." Alex muttered to himself as he stared at the yawning entrance in front of him. "Well, why not? Let's go. Can't lose anythin', anyway." Quickly, he unbuckled another Pokeball from his belt before tossing it into the air. "Dreave, come on out! We got work to do," he told the Pokemon that emerged from the white light which came bursting from the ball.

The Misdreavus rolled his eyes and floated into the air. So, we're going into the dark, lightless caves in an attempt to reach the top of the mountain, and you want me to guide you. Am I right? he asked, with just a hint of irony in his voice.

Alex clapped his hands solemnly. "An', ding-ding-ding! We have a winna!" he announced in tones of mock excitement. "So can ya get us up there?"

Dreave sighed and shook his head- well, more like his entire body, considering its relative size. I could get up to the top and back and report the path, but it would take considerably more time than we have available- and yes, I know about the time limit. I'm always listening, remember? This last was an interjection, just as Alex opened his mouth to question him. No, I can't get you through here. What I can do is suggest that you have Zetta, Nag, or I beside you at all times. I can already tell that this place will be crawling with Pokemon.

Alex remembered the rest of the announcement- a point bonus for the best battler. He grinned.

"Sounds perfect."

OOC: I know that Alex's speech is a little odd, but I wanted to give him sort of a pseudo-accent by making him sound a little uncultured, and I just didn't follow through in the last post. So yeah, he's got a tendency t' talk like this, y'all hear?

 

[Chabz]

(Are we allowed to catch wild pokemon? And how about sending pokemon to storage?)

"ATTENTION: ALL CONTESTANTS AT THE STARTING AREA: READY- SET- GO!!!"

The sudden start of the preliminary round caught Corey off guard, her attention had soley been focused on the training of her pokemon - which had been going quite well and Corey even admitted, to herself of course, that her pokemon were really great. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Corey qucikly recalled Charizard, Mantine and Tropius and called for Plusle and Minun to jump onto her back and stick to her like glue. The small pikachu wannabe creatures did as they were told and climbed atop their trainers back, Plusle on the right and Minun on the left. Thankfully, Corey had been out of the way of the massive swarm of trainers who immediately rushed forward at the sound of the announcer - and even though it left her somewhat behind all of them, Corey knew this would not be much of a problem. From first glance it appeared that most of the trainers were novince to moderate trainers and wouldn't make it far, but then again even if they did somehow make it up the mountain the wild pokemon would have crushed half of their pokemon and deducted their points considerably.

"Plusle..plus..le..plus..plus" the little mouse pokemon squeaked to his female companion.

"Minun..min..min..un..minun" replied the blue and yellow electric type.

"Both of you be quiet, we need to keep our presence unknown to the others - it wouldn't be pleasant to be ambushed by any wild pokemon in front of them, because then they'd be able to scope us out before the tournament even started, in my opinion. Its best we just blend into the surrounding area, avoid as many wild pokemon as possible and take out the ones that are stubborn enough to stand up to us."

The mouse pokemon both closed their mouths, completely agreeing with what they had just been told. Knowing Corey, they'd be the first ones to battle since they'd been with her the shortest amount of time and needed the most training. It was then, as Corey was walking further in the direction of the hill, that she took notice of a trainer who had just recalled his Ekans. The kid himself didn't look to be a novince, or even a moderate trainer, and Corey took a mental image of him to remember for later - he looks like he'll be a good rival for the competition. Corey decided it was best to focus on gaining entrance into the tournament first and she pulled out her pokedex - sliding in the car the registration booth had given her, Corey began reading over the information now plastered across the screen.

Qualifier Round - Trial of Courage
Time Elapsed: 0.00
Time Remaining: 2.00

Objectives:
- Proceed to Zenith Town and complete your registration within the time limit.
- Overcome challenges and obstacles as encountered.
- Player co-operation permitted.

Restrictions:
- Time Limit: 2 hours.
- No direct interference with other players.
- No flight.
- No teleportation.

Penalties:
- Failure to complete challenge: 20 minutes added to timer.
- KO of own pokémon: -5 points per KO.

Rewards:
- Trial cleared: +20 points and advancement to the next round.
- Fastest completion time: +15 points.
- Most opponents KOed: +10 points.
- KO of wild pokémon: +1 point per KO.
- Completion of challenge: +5 points or 15 minutes deducted from timer.

Player: Corey Stenson
ID: 1683 - 2660 - 9541
Prestige Points: 10
Status: Active
Commendations: N/A
Infractions: N/A

"Hmm..lets see," Corey spoke allowed to herself as she began scanning the entrance to the cave. "Plusle and Minun, do you think you could each take turns lighting our way through the cave? Or could one of you light and the other recharge when the power runs out?" Both pokemon giggled allowed and nodded that either or plan would be possible, that Corey just needed to inform them when to begin.

Or would it be better to stray from the cave seeing as most of the other trainers are heading that way? It'd probably be much easier to scale the cliff face itself, wouldn't want to get lost in the caves and miss the tournament - not to mention fail to be accepted. The cliff face it is.

"Nevermind you two, we'll be climbing the cliff face instead - no need to follow everyone else into the cave. You can get down now, but stay close to me - as much of an annoyance as you both are, i'd like to keep you around and not have wasted my time training to just watch you run off."

The pokemon nodded and leapt off Coreys back, quickly running to catch up with her as she had not stopped walking.

 

[Kogenta]

Roz stood vaguely near the back of the crowd of trainers, sipping quietly at her water bottle as she scrolled down her Pokedex screen to review the first round rules. Her face, as it had been throughout the opening ceremony, was expressionless. Once she reached the end of the given directions, the female's gaze shifted toward the now-empty stage. The man who had addressed the assembly--the tournament's sponsor--had a notable air about him. He was proud, but not in the pile-of-tinder way of a street-brawler, and had an odd way of speaking. His words were ones that encouraged ease, and his tone was tailored to perfect openness and charm. Yet somehow, the more he seemed to ask for trust, the less a listener was inclined to grant it. At least, that was the general sentiment Roz felt--even if her ideas were not so clearly defined.

Looking down at the Pokedex from her perch, Melanie asked,"Do you have any plans for the opening round?" Roz shifted her right arm slightly in response. "I see."

A sudden voiced blared out. Melanie's gaze snapped upward. "ATTENTION: ALL CONTESTANTS AT THE STARTING AREA: READY- SET- GO!!!"

The mass of competitors swept forward, dark sand pouring into the pan of the landscape. Despite her earlier fortune in regard to being moved by the crowd, Roz somehow remained almost untouched by those around her. The girl closed her water bottle and slipped it into her bag, the sun continuing to heat the air that weighed mercilessly down upon her and the rest of those unfortunate enough to be outdoors. A plain Pokeball dropped down from Roz's sleeve into her pale hand. Undisturbed by the fact that she was one of the last trainers to leave the area, Roz lifted the object and released the creature that inhabited it. Shapeless light, a ruby silhouette, then a massive dog-like beast found placement on the ground before Roz. An aura of unwavering assurance surrounded the being, warming the porcelain-cold of Roz's demeanor.

Vulcan turned. ("It's good to see you well. Have you need of me?")

The female youth lifted her Pokedex for the Arcanine to view as Melanie explained, "We can either take a set of tunnels to Zenith Town or go up the mountainside. Along the way, we'll find various 'challenges' that we can either decline or accept. If we beat the challenge, we get five points or extra time, and maybe an alternate path. If we fail, the path is sealed. We've also been given a distress beacon to use in case of an emergency. Roz hasn't decided yet whether to go through or over the mountain."

"Anything else?"

"Lesaile lives up to his reputation. I can tell you more while we move."

Taking his cue, Vulcan finished reading and lowered his head, allowing Roz to climb onto his back. He shifted about to face the mountain. For a brief moment, the fire Pokemon was still--his muscles gathering power like the breath before a battle cry. Then he sprang forward. The wind that now rushed through Vulcan's white fur also provided unexpected, albeit temporary, relief to Roz from the Zenith Island heat. Though the rate at which he ran was certainly not top speed, Vulcan was not exactly ambling along either. Before long, he fell into an easy lope that allowed him to approach the base of the cliff before many of the trainers who were still on foot. As he ran, the Arcanine explained, ("Both the paths and tunnels will have their own challenges. Theoretically, trainers will be more likely to get lost in the caves. But since the paths would appear easier--more sure, I suppose--I'm guessing they have extra perils and deceptions to compensate. Conversely, my power can be more easily utilized in an open area. What is your decision, Roz?")

Her brown eyes faintly shifting behind the hair that blew across her face, Roz said nothing. But no one present had expected her to. Without pause, Vulcan leapt up onto the first ledge, then started on a trail upward. ("As you desire. We go over the mountain.")

 

[Ibuberu]

Adel turned her head away from the can of iced tea she had just purchased, looking on the as the crowd that had encircled the podium began to clap. Curiously, she slowly strolled closer to the large mass of people as the CEO, George Lesaile, began his opening speech. The young girl listened intently to the man's words, notably impressed by the way he had presented himself. After browsing through the new information that had flashed onto her pokédex screen after insertion of the ID card, she clapped softly along with the crowd as the man ended his speech. Disposing her empty can into a nearby waste bin, the female turned and followed the numerous trainers that were heading to the starting line, her Wartortle sticking close to her, eyes glancing this way and that, clutching tightly onto Adeltruat's hand as they weaved their way through the sea of people.

<Which way will we be taking?>Ophelia cocked her head innocently, wondering if her trainer had already made a solid decision. The girl shot her Pokemon a look of pure disbelief, her eyes flashing dangerously, causing the turtle to be taken off guard.

"Obviously the cliff! Why, the cave would be.. suicide! Don't you know what kind of things could be hidden there?" Adel had to restrain herself from bursting out in alarm, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper, cautious not to attract unwanted attention from any of the other competitors. The girl thought that it would have been straightforward for the turtle to assume that they were going to climb up the mountainside. Sure - perhaps she wasn't dressed in the appropriate attire for hiking, but still, Adeltruat would willingly climb over any mountain of desired height just to avoid a possible chance of a supernatural encounter. Ophelia nodded in agreement of the choice - though she may a sprinkled a tad too much enthusiasm.

<Of course, Adel, no doubt about that. What an excellent choice!> The Wartortle croaked in agreement as they proceeded forth, quietly and carefully allowing others to lead them to their starting point.

"ATTENTION: ALL CONTESTANTS AT THE STARTING AREA: READY- SET- GO!!!" The speakers sounded, signalling the start of the competition. The people around the girl rushed forth the moment the statement came to an end, the Water type jumped into her arms in shock, barely avoiding the action of her being swept away. Adeltruat sighed at their haste as she slowly trotted along the trail leading up the mountainside, quite a distance away from the percentile of the people who had started off running. As the amount of trainers gathering around her thinned, Ophelia landed firmly onto the ground and began steadily up the ledge, turning to look over her shoulder to observe Adel tying up her long hair into a tight ponytail. A thoughtful look appeared on her features, as she scrutinized the surroundings, eyes surveying the mountain, before returning to her loyal Water type. One hand reached to her belt and unclasped an empty Pokeball, resulting in a polite nod from Ophie.

In a single beam of scarlet, the turtle vanished back into her capsule, and while Adel clipped the sphere back into it's respective space on her belt, she released another companion to accompany her in her ascent. When the red light died down, a bird emerged, stretching her feathery wings as she sprang into the air and circled her trainer expectantly.

"We're supposed to go up this mountain to reach the goal," Adel explained, "I was hoping that you wouldn't mind following me." she smiled slightly as the Pidgeotto shrugged her head, before giving her trainer a playful smile. Kinah flapped her wings, eyes averting up as she started ascending.

Wiping a few beads of sweat from her forehead, the girl inhaled, and then exhaled, one hand firmly on the strap of her carrier as she began her journey up, after her leading Pidgeotto.

 

[Phanima]

Ever since waking up so early in the morning Kaoru was definitely looking forward to some time to sit back and relax and after finally making it through registration that was exactly what she was planning on doing. But much to her surprise, a commotion suddenly broke out around her as a sea of cheers drowned out what she assumed to be the end of an official announcement regarding the tournament. Crowds of trainers and pokemon alike immediately swept past her, most of them on their way towards the first round's destination; the mountainside behind the town. Having not paid attention to the announcement, Kaoru could only recall what she had heard, which was invariably only a part of her initial task. There was something about a cave or tunnel inside the mountain that would lead her to some sort of place at its peak, then from there she had to do something or another in order to qualify for the second round... It was all really quite confusing.

Soon enough, most of the crowd had dispersed, leaving behind all those who had come to spectate, a number of ground workers and a few odd trainers who had yet to decide what to do, not much unlike Kaoru's current predicament.

As she started to fiddle around with her attire's numerous attached accessories, reluctant to move out on her own, inspiration struck her in the most sudden and unexpected way. In an impressive display of both strength and speed, the source of the immediate rise in temperature brushed past her, warping the air around their bodies as they too made their way towards the mountainside. The sheer heat radiating from the fire-pokemon was enough to cause her to break into a sweat, something much unappreciated on a day such as this. Still, despite the weather's amplification, the little urban girl couldn't help but be impressed.

Now a little more inspired, the master of ceremony's announcement quickly began to piece itself together in the recesses of her mind. Recalling what she could only evaluate as being important, Kaoru unsheathed her pokedex and threw in her petite tournament ID, watching the equally small screen buzz into life. What followed was everything she needed to know for the first official round of the tournament, in which she hesistantly wasted no time in skimming.

Wiping her brow as she concluded taking in her objectives, the city girl looked up to see that she was really starting to fall behind, even the stragglers had finally moved out. Seeing this as good of a chance then any, Kaoru dug into her sides before retrieving a rather scuffed and discoloured ball of red and white, a small push-pop button gracing its centre. With a simple press, the ball inflated to the size befitting of her outstretched palm before a seemless white light poured out from within. At the point where the streaming light struck the paved ground, a solid figure materialised.

Eight red eyes immediately blinked into life as a short round body preceded it, a stubby pair of arms and legs wriggling afterwards. Significant white markings lit the pokemon's front as a similar pattern lined the upper rims of its eyes.

"Hokay Kato! Up for some tunneling?" the brunette piped, cupping her hands behind her head as she shot their destination a slight sideways glance, "or would you rather carry me all the way up?"

Experiencing many a mannerisms expressed by its less than introvert trainer during their past five years of travel, Kato had picked up on a number of useful although rather inappropriate reactions for almost any situation. This one in particular called for a feigned yawn, signaling the pokemon's lack of will to take on such an endeavor.

"Good choice," Kaoru grinned, giving the levitating doll a hearty thumbs up, "alright then, let's go."

 

[Alter Ego]

OOC: Y'know, Chabz; this is precisely the sort of thing you could just take up in the OOC discussion. (totally not saying that just because I want to use it again but can't because the last post is my own xD)

Anyhow, yes, you can technically catch the wild pokémon and access PC boxes (provided that you are in town to do so, of course), but keep in mind that only the pokémon your character has registered for tournament use in your opening post are actually allowed for use in the trials. If your character tries to use any others, she'll get disqualified for a gross violation of tournament rules. Your choice, though. ;D

IC:

To say that Laure was bewildered was, at this point, truly an understatement of the highest order. One second, he had been smack-dab in the middle of the human stampede, force to run for dear life and zig-zag beside his fellow competitors to avoid getting trampled, and the next thing he knew, they had all left him behind, leaving the boy standing alone in front of his first obstacle for this tournament, peering indecisively first at the cliff in front of him, which - to his eyes - seemed to reach all the way up to the sun, and was already crawling with trainers to boot, and the lightless abyss of the tunnels stretching out right in front of him, into which a fair number of his fellow competitors also had charged without a second thought.

The boy gulped, "Zynthre..." he mumbled hopefully at the worn pokéball in his hand, but the brief signal that was shot back towards him was loud and clear to his mind; this was Laure's test; not Zynthre's. Nervously fiddling with his cap, the boy allowed his glance to travel back and forth between the two paths. Laure had never been a good climber, an aspect that his lacking height only made amplified, but who knew how far those caverns extended? Or what lurked in their depths? He swallowed once more, casting another hopeless glance at the cliff-face. There were small crevices and plateaus aplenty for footing, he saw, if one was a good jumper, a brave explorer, and a good head taller than him.

Laure, needless to say, was none of these things, and so he hung his head dejectedly, feeling the cool cavern air brush against his sweat-covered brow as he stepped inside. The first few steps were easy enough, but after that things got complicated...

The cave was dark, really dark. Laure instinctively pressed his back towards the nearest wall, seeking comfort from its solidity. If there was one more thing he hated more than heights, it was darkness. The boy's already quickened pulse hit an ever faster tempo as something flitted past him in the gloom, and were those...voices over there? That settled it, trouble or no, he would have to ask for help from...her.

Fumbling with his belt for a few moments, the boy finally found the pokéball he had been looking for, enlarging it with a simple click and tossing it at what he hoped was floor in front of him.

"Stella...come out, please."

Even in the semi-darkness, the Jolteon's displeasure was practically tangible as she took form, slowly stretching herself as she glanced at their surroundings before turning an accusing stare at Laure, as if to say 'what is it this time?'.

"I-I'm sorry to bother you." the boy spluttered out, his voice once again bearing far closer resemblance to a pre-pubescent girl's than he would have liked, "But...could you light this cave up with your Flash attack?"

The electric type shot back a look of purest indifference, {And just why should I do that?} she inquired haughtily, {In case you forgot, you promised me that I would not be bothered until the tournament!}

"Please?" the boy pleaded, oblivious to the pokémon words but understanding the sentiment behind them well enough, "I can't go through here blindfolded, you know that! And-and I really don't want to lose before I get through the qualifier round so please-"

{Qualifier round?} the Jolteon interrupted sharply, immediately straightening her posture a bit, {Why didn't you say so right away, you helpless ninnie? My glorious future in the spotlight lies ahead and here we are wasting time on your innanities. Cover your eyes!}

Still lacking any form of comprehending the agitated barks, Laure barely had the time to cover his eyes with his arm as the Jolteon suddenly rubbed the spikes on her fur together, the crackles of static briefly filling the air as countless tiny sparks gathered all over her glossy coat, the luminosity hitting a painfully bright level that sent a small colony of Zubat fleeing in a cacophony of agitated screeches before the Jolteon managed to bring it under control. The boy blinked for a few minutes as his eyes slowly adjusted to seeing what was now a fairly well-lit cave, courtesy of the fiercely glowing pokémon by his side, requiring a few more moments to take in the terrain before he finally noticed him.

Once he did, however, Laure found himself quite unable to stop the noticing. This guy's attire was...very...well...distinct, with its bizarre union of bell-bottom jeans, muscle shirt, tie, and fedora, and the color scheme that seemed to scream for mercy. More eye-catching for Laure, however, was the ghost pokémon hovering beside the older male, a sight which immediately brought his mind back to real time. This was a tournament, a pokémon tournament, and even though competitors were prohibited from interfering with each other, that was no guarantee that this strange person wasn't one of those 'challenges' Mr.Lesaile had mentioned.

Laure took a small step back, getting into a slightly more battle- or escape-ready position as he spoke up, "Umm...excuse me?" no, that wasn't right; that wasn't right at all, too meek and scared, Ah-I mean-identify yourself!" the challenge sounded even more futile than his first starter, the blush rapidly spreading across Laure's face, "I-I mean...I guess what I want to know is-are you a competitor or a tournament proctor?"

 

[Scarlet Weather]

"Nyeh?"

Alex took a few minutes to get accustomed to the fact that two developments had occured- almost simultaneously, in fact. First, the previously dark caves were suddenly flooded with light. Second, the person responsible for the first development had approached him and was asking him whether or not he was a tournament proctor or a fellow compeititor. Alex paused for a moment, unsure of whether to simply blow off the younger trainer or to claim that he was a "challenge" and send him off down the tunnels to accomplish some meaningless task. While the second idea appealed to Alex, he decided that it would be too close to "direct interference" to risk taking action, so instead he opted for the first approach. "Listen, sistah," he growled, "I'm not interested in whateva y've got ta say, and I ain't a proctor, so get the hell outta my way. I've gotta long way ta go before I reach the top." Just as Alex finished his sentence, a fairly large pebble suddenly thwacked into the back of his head, and he turned to face his floating partner angrily. "What the hell didja do that for?" he demanded, rubbing his aching scalp.

Dreave floated in mid-air, shaking his head- and by association, most of his body- dejectedly. Because you just made two mistakes that could cost us big time.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Dreave sighed audibly. First of all, that human is a guy. Second of all, he's got an Alakazam, meaning he's an experienced trainer, meaning you could work this situation out to our advantage.

Alex was unrepentant. "I don't care whetha he's a guy or a girl, I just wanna get the hell outta heah before-" he paused mid-tirade, and lowered his voice before moving closer to Dreave. "Whadidja say? Alakazam?" he whispered.

Dreave rolled his eyes, leaning in closer to his trainer. He has an Alakazam. And I could tell- it was a fairly strong-looking one. That means he's probably an experienced trainer, which means if you follow him...

"We stand a betta chance o' reachin' the exit!" Alex finished excitedly.

What was it you said before? "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winna!" Dreave groaned. Think next time before you insult someone!

Alex turned away from his Pokemon, and took off his hat before stumbling into his apology. "Sorry 'bout that, I'm just on edge. My Ekans ate all o' my cash, so if I don't do well in this round..." he let the sentence hang, before extending his hand. "I'm Alex, and I'm a traina. Say, were ya lookin' for some human company? Maybe we could help each otha out!"

 

[Chabz]

OOC: I will be gone August 20th - August 25th and I won't have ANY computer access. Just wanted to give the heads up. My character can be controlled, but I'd prefer it if someone who would actually do a good job with her be the "Puppet Master" so to speak.

Qualifier Round - Trial of Courage
Time Elapsed: 0.30
Time Remaining: 1.30

The pulsing vein on Coreys head seemed to be becoming her trademark, her rage always boiling over very easily - the cause as usual was of course, Plusle and Minun. The two mouse pokemon had run off ahead and begun to jump up and down on some rock formations on the cliff face, then Plusle accidently knocked Minun off the rock and she had fallen to the ground that left her with a small scrape. The blue and yellow creature was now wailing from her 'wound' and Corey was currently bandaging it, not wanting it to become infect before the actual fighting in the tournament. It was then that Plusle came crashing down from above and bounching off Coreys head before hitting the ground next to Minun, who instantly stopped her crying feeling karma had done its work.

"PLUSLE! WHAT THE HECK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?!"

"Plusle..plus..le..plus" the tiny mouse squeaked as his eyes were dazed and confused.

"What? Use your hands you rodent!"

The mouse pokemon then raised its tiny hand and pointed upwards, just in time for Corey to leap out of the way of an Aerial Ace attack from a Fearow and the combination of Tackle and Wing Attacks from the flock of Spearows that followed their leader. Corey quickly snatched up Plusle and Minun, leaving behind the rest of her medical supplies, and begun leaping up the cliff face to try and get some distance between the flying pokemon. Corey bounced off a tree and landed atop a couple of rocks a few feet higher, glancing back again to figure out just how much time she had before the Fearow and Spearow caught up to them. The Fearow had already begun speeding and swerving through the trees to catch up, but the Spearow had lingered behind and were slowly beginning to follow one by one.

"Crap..this is not good. Time for some back-up."

Corey tossed two pokeballs into the air and watched as the burst open, the tremendous white light flooding the area for a few seconds. Then, standing in the place of the white light were Coreys Charizard and Mantine and both had a look of confusion on their face - both of them expecting to be in a crowded stadium.

"We have a problem. Fearow. Plus flock of lots of Spearow. Take them out and catch up after. Understood?"

Charizard nodded and took off towards the Spearow, while Mantine floated there for a few seconds then sped off after the flying fire type to take care of the Spearow. Corey glanced down, both Plusle and Minun still in her arms - Plusle still dazed, and Minun just looked up at her trainer and giggled. Pulling out their pokeballs, she clicked the buttons and watched both mouse pokemon engulf in red and vanish in an instant. It was then that Corey had an idea, but she wasn't sure if it was allowed - then again they never said it wasn't. Pulling out her last remaining pokeball and released the grass flying type, Tropius.

"Tropius, do me a favor and use Hyper Beam to clear the way a little. Be careful though, don't hit any of the other competitors. Don't worry about any pokemon who may be caught up in it, they are apart of this competition too and we receive points for every knock out. Only do short bursts, just to be on the safe side. Let me know once you get tired and you'll be able to go rest - I just want to get out of here as soon as possible."

Tropius nodded as he read Coreys hand movements that had followed what she spoke aloud to herself, then the grass pokemon turned around as it charged it Hyper Beam attack. Mere seconds later, it unleashed the large orange beam as it shot forward through the trees and rocks - debri immediately began flying everywhere, but a path had been created and it was now a straight shot for awhile. Corey looked back, both Charizard and Mantine returning without a scratch on them - their trainer glanced over their shoulders, the Fearow leader and four Spearows lay unconcious on the ground with the remaining Spearow fleeing. Corey then looked forward up the new path and saw a couple of small pokemon laying unconcious - after doing a quick head count, the grand total, including the Fearow and Spearow, came out to be ten knock outs.

"Good Job everyone. Time for some rest."

Corey recalled all three pokemon and then began taking off up the 'path' that had been created by Tropius.

 

[Ibuberu]

OOC : If the obstacle/challenge in this post didn't seem right, tell me asap. I just typed the first thing that came into my mind xD;


IC :

Adel released an ear piercing scream as another gust of wind blew against her, gripping precariously onto the edge of her skirt as she regained her bearings and cautiously continued her ascent, one hand on the wall as she walked steadily up the path. The girl's other hand busied itself as she consciously stroked her hair and straightened her crumpled tie, a look of utter exhaustion plastering itself onto her tomato-red face. Her Pidgeotto held a smug grin on her feathery face as she hovered by her trainer's side, clearly amused by the girl's actions. The teenager grunted, swiftly turning away from the Flying type to face the path ahead, surprised to see another human not too far up ahead. She had been so preoccupied with her attire and hair, Adeltruat had been lagging behind the rest of the competitors for quite some time now. Carefully jogging up to the older woman, she caught her breath as she realised she had come to a fork in the winding path up the cliff.

The female had a short, emerald-coloured hair and was clad in a white sundress with a strange red dot imprinted in the middle of the chest area. She blinked her ruby eyes before giving Adel a warm smile, gesturing to the right path that seemed to lead straight down with a heartening lack of irritating pebbles and annoying twists in the road. Adel raised her eyebrow suspiciously; it seemed too good to be true as the fifteen-year old casted a gaze to the path leading to the left. It continued to lead up the cliff, and was littered with large rocks and gravel for most of the distance she could see from her current position.

"Are you sure it isn't that one?" She asked, pointing a finger to the left.

The woman ignored her question as she carried on waving her white-gloved hands to the right, beckoning the girl and her Pidgeotto to leave quickly. <This doesn't seem right.> Kinah chirped, landing on the ground and hopping up to the abnormally silent woman, cocking her head as she examined the smiling lady. Instinctively, the bird flapped her large wings and blew up a tide of sand at the female's sundress, hoping to ignite a reaction. Adel opened her mouth, ready to give the naughty avian a good telling-off, however, that was before she realised that the woman stood unfazed by the cloud of dust, and simply remained in her position - Arms gesturing to the right path, a smile plastered on her face.

Adeltruat gulped, an eerie feeling engulfing her and nearly causing her feet to root themselves to the ground in fright. She instantly sped up the left road, flailing her arms wildly over her head, Kinah flying behind her. Suddenly, the girl's entire frame knocked into something hard and the impact resulted in the girl tumbling back and falling onto her rear in genuine shock. She rubbed her eyes multiple times, forcing herself to believe that there was something in front of her, clutching onto her equally spooked companion.

<I... I don't see anything blocking the way!>

Adeltruat looked over her shoulder, flinching at the sight of the creepy woman who was just a few feet away. Raising a shivering hand, she extended it and whimpered as it came in contact with an invisible solid. Opening her palm, she then realised that it was large, invisible wall that was blocking her way. Her eyes widened, as something clicked deep within the confines of the girl's mind. She reached her hand into her bag, and pulled out a small red device. She pointed the notebook-sized device in the direction of the waving lady, and flipped it open.

The Pokedex whirred, analyzed, detected, and then… sprang to life.