Sinto VS Hoeto, A Never Ending Battle

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It seems that Swiftswim will be my counterpart in the Sinto region...

Not that I'm complaining. :-)
 
Those of you who have reservations: Could you please post an SU soon? I think I'm just going to have most filled with NPCs, because I would like this to kick off asap.
 
I could also play a second character if needed.

Name: Jasper de Lille (Jazz… if he likes you)
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Appearance: Jasper is tall, as in 1.80 meters. He isn't very bulky, his muscles are more hidden, but don't worry, they're there. His hair is honey blonde, curly and longish. Longish being that it doesn't go longer than his ears. It is very curly and his curls have a tendency to have their own mind. Jaspers likes to compare them to the snakes of a gorgon, but he also likes to over react. His eyes are a very pale blue, it is debatable if they are actually grey or blue. Jasper likes to think it's grey, the little pessimist he is. His eyes are so light they almost seem cold, but they're also quite mysterious. The coldness, however, might be a little bit strengthened by the fact that his features seem to enjoy forming themselves into a frown or a look of deep annoyance.

When on a mission Jasper dresses simple. He usually wears a black turtleneck made of a light but sturdy material, almost leather but allows more movement. The turtleneck has full sleeves and on top of that he wears black leather gloves. Over top of the shirt he wears a padded gray vest for protection of the valuable insides, it helps against small objects that are very determined to slice open his chest. Jasper likes his chest and would rather it to be intact and not splayed over the ground, thank you very much. He wears tight black pants of the same material as the shirt, with two crisscrossing belts with sheaths for his fantabulous krisses. The man likes his krisses, he has several of them and the belts each hold two of them. There is also a strap around his right thigh that has a holder for a small throwing dagger. His has simple black boots, there's not much special about them. They are very low boots, ankle-height, and they have built-in springs(?) to make sure he can land from greats heights.

On a normal occasion Jasper does not dress quite as elaborately. He likes to just wear a white dress-shirt over black pants with sneakers. Sometimes he'll wear a muscle shirt just because it's either too warm to wear a dress shirt or because he feels like it. No matter the weather, Jasper refuses to dress warmly. He is seen in a black muscle shirt when the world is white around him. It's not that he wants to be tough or anything, he just doesn't care enough to dress appropriately.

Personality: Jasper main attitude is if it doesn't involve him, why would he get involved? He doesn't really care about a whole lot, especially not other people. He likes to have fun and do whatever he want without consequences. Needless to say the world doesn't work like that, neither does is revolve around Jasper de Lille. It's a miracle he ever got past the rookie stage, really.
He can be rude, annoying, easily annoyed himself and basically a pig and a pain in the ass if he feels like it. But that doesn't mean that he always is. Jasper has the capability to be a nice guy. He's not always an ass. Especially around women, beautiful women that is, he can very well be a gentle man. Jasper doesn't do bad with the ladies. He knows how to flirt, how to give them compliments and generally how to flatter them enough that they generally like him. But he'd have to be up for the effort.

Jasper especially doesn't like children. Not at all. He thinks they are a burden, they ask stupid questions and they slow him down. He never wanted to be a teacher for some group of brats but he kind of was forced into it. More like bribed. You see, the current Master of Sinto wasn't really impressed with his current performance. Not at all. On the contrary, he has threatened to demote Jasper if he wouldn't get himself together and teach some brats what it's like to be a warrior. Needless to say Jasper de Lille was not happy.
Despite being such a generally unflattering character and perhaps even childish at times, Jasper does have friends. Those people that he likes and that can put up with him. Most of these friends are women, Jasper doesn't fare well with the male race. For some unknown reason they don't like him. Jasper really has no idea why. He might have one or two guys that he calls acquaintance. And he has one real guy friend, and that's only because he's been his friend since the beginning. No, Jasper is not one of the guys.

Pokémon: Gardevoir

History: Jasper wasn't always this uninterested. When he was a kid he was one of those children that knew what he was good at and knew what he wanted to be. He had always been good at fighting, it's what he did, he loved it. He passed his exams with flying colours and he was the pride of his clan. He did some good missions and performances and he even managed to amaze some I great fighters with them. It's just, along the ladder of success he lost interest. He's not sure how exactly it happened, but it did.
Because he had shown so much potential before, most of his attitude was forgiven. Plus, it was only mild then. He was about 16 and he first started to get a big head. He turned down missions and requests he didn't like. The big ego soon evolved into an attitude of not caring. He no longer thinks he is better than everyone else. Instead he thinks something more along the lines as "go sort your own business, I'm sleeping."

It slowly built up to the way he is now. Easily annoyed, is amused by another's failure, doesn't care about the nation. The leader of Sinto was not at all happy with him. They finally had had enough of his behavior. They had lost the hope that he'd grow out of it. Now Jasper de Lille is forced to work with children. If he shows that he still has what it take than he gets to keep his rank. If he stays the way he is, an annoying twit, then he gets demoted. Life is hard, and Jasper is pissed.

Region: Sinto
Clan: De Lille is a very old and big clan. There are several branches and no one really knows how it came to be, they pretty much have always been there. Jasper belongs to a branch that resides at the west side of Sinto. To this date there aren't as many members as there used to be, but they are more spread out. Raising a De Lille is like being raised by half the town. Every member helps the other out. It's true that a community raises a child, but this community is literally one big family.
Clan Symbol - click it is shown in black on the back of his vest and in white on the back of his shirt.

Rank: Expert
Weapons Of Choice: Krisses, he has a lot of them. Really too many to describe. For those who don't know what a kris is, it is a long dagger with a kind of snaking blade. Besides always having at least 4 krisses on him, he also has a lot of throwing daggers hidden everywhere in his outfit. The daggers are for long range. He has one kris that is longer than the others which he mostly uses in close combat, the others could either be used to throw or just for a quick stab.

Bloodline Trait: Not as much a trait as just genetics, but Jasper has the talent of precision which a lot of others from his clan happen to have.
Strengths: Jaspers strength lie especially in throwing, but he is also not bad at coming up with tactics. His strongest trait is his speed, both in running and in throwing.
Weaknesses: Direct combat. Jasper is not a martial artist and he will never be. His laziness could also be a weakness, he prefers to have his Pokémon fighting and not him.
Want The War To Stop: Couldn't care less

RP Sample:
Spoiler:
 
I am willing to play off a second character in the Sinto region.
 
Dutchesse: Accepted, very nice =)
And you guys may have two characters if you want, but that's only if you want. The teams will look something like:

Leader-One Student

I know, it's cut down, but...it makes things a bit easier to interact and such.
 
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Name: Chione Raine (The clothing is brighter than that, just so you know =] )
Gender: female
Age: 13
Appearance: Chione is of average length, standing a proud 5"6. Her skin is a bit darker than olive, a feature the rest of her clan shares. Her hair is a warm brown color, almost auburn. Her eyes are the only thing that stands out of the very warm and brown appearance she carries with her. They are big and a bright olive green.
She wears her hair long, waist length to be precise, no bangs are layers cut. It's very wavy but not yet curly. When in casual attire she wears it either completely down or partly up. When she's on a mission, or needs her hair to be out of her way, she either ties it in a low braid or a high ponytail with hair ties every two inches down. Her hair is very thin and has a way of slipping out of things, this is why she can't just out it in a normal ponytail. Even when it is in a braid it has a tendency of slipping out some place or another.

To allow maximum movement, which she needs, she wears a beige, one-strap leotard as the main piece of her outfit. On top of that is a dark red top that leaves the shoulders bar. It only covers her chest and it has black lines on the top and bottom. You can see the black leather straps that are strapped over her chest and keep the Quiver with arrows in place. It also serves as a holder for her Crossbow when she's not using it. The straps go under the top in the front but over at the back, and there also is a strap across her waist to keep it securely in place no matter what she does.
Over the leotard she also wears loose black shorts made of cotton. They are more for decency's sake than anything else, since she doesn't wear tights or leggings under the leotard. Her shoes are black leather ballet shoes that protect her feet from the ground while still keeping the minimum between the surface and her foot. For protection of her leg she wears red and black elastic stockings with a hole at the ankle and the front. There is a thin line of the fabric that goes around her foot where it curves and nothing else.
When in casual attire she still wears a leotard, but with normal clothing overtop. She likes warm colours such as orange and yellow, but she also likes to wear blue. She is mostly seen wearing a silk oriental type shirt with black Capri's and her usual ballet shoes.

Now about the bow. The crossbow strapped across her back is made to be as light as possible for convenience reasons. It is made of the lightest wood and is quite small. It is about the length of from her hand to her elbow and so there are also smaller arrows that go in. but that doesn't mean it can't fire just as harshly. She also has her ways with a normal bow, but she prefers the crossbow, which fires more accurately and the arrows fly faster. She carries a dagger that is attached to the strap across her waist which she can use to stab, but also to sharpen sticks for emergency arrows.


Personality: Chione is very mature for her age. She is mostly serious and very focused on the task in front of her. She likes to be fully focused in doing anything, from missions to cooking. She doesn't like distractions of any sort. She is also quite hot headed. She gets mad easily and so she's easily provoked. She likes verbal fights more than physical fights when it comes to her peers. She will not hesitate to call you out for anything either. She is a bit ruthless when it comes to "constructive" criticism. She doesn't hesitate to tell you you're doing it wrong, and she likes to gloat when she's doing it right. This is the more 13-year-old side of her.

On the other side there's the Chione when she's in her more social mood. She does like talking to people and she's in the kind of stage where she has found out the wonders of flirting, and she's pretty good at it. She enjoys attention most of the time. Well positive attention that is. She can most definitely be a diva at times. She doesn't like it when the spotlight is on someone else, even though she wouldn't show it outwardly… That much. She doesn't do well with defeat either. She will take it, grudgingly, most of the time. If you really push her buttons however, you have a serious enemy on your hands. Chione is very easy to make an enemy out of and not so easy to make a friend.

Pokémon: Turtwig
I don't personally like Typhosion that much, but if you think he rulez…. I accept that =]

History: The Raine clan is a very closed-of clan. Their people live in their own kind of community and don't take much to others. This is the environment that Chione grew up in. She grew up in a family with a lot of kids, and so she was used to sharing the attention. But that didn't mean that she liked it. No, she was one of those children that always tried to get their parent's attention one way or another. This also meant that she didn't have a very good relationship with her siblings.
She still doesn't like to be home and prefers being outdoors, training or just not being home. Since she was little she had been trained for battle. The Raine clan's training system is meant to make the most of their warrior's natural abilities. This combined with their capability and if they had inherited the Bloodline Trait. Chione had, indeed, inherited the trait, and she had a natural talent for gymnastics. Her balance was great and she was very flexible. And so that was what they trained her as.

She had always been a good student. She over-studied what she had to and asked a lot of questions. Most of this was because of her attention seeking personality. But she did not always do well on tests. No matter how much she studied, there was only so much she could put into her head. Also, the trait she possessed made it difficult for her to concentrate on something very long before developing a headache. This applied most to reading and writing, because it required a lot of focus of the eyes.

Region: Hoeto

Clan: Raine
Rank: Rookie
Weapons Of Choice: A Crossbow that is strapped across her back

Bloodline Trait: Her trait allows her to zoom in with her eyes. When she does this her eyes become gold. She is fairly good at controlling this when it is needed. The downside to it is that while she is not concentrating on it, her eyes might do it themselves. Also her eyes are very vulnerable and she often gets headaches.

Strengths: Chione's strength lies in her balance. She can easily balance on branches and high surfaces. Also she is very flexible and gymnastically oriented, which she can use to her advantage when dodging moves or when fighting close combat. Also she is a sharpshooter with her trait and her bow. She is definitely more comfortable at a distance though.

Weaknesses: Her biggest weakness is her anger. When she is provoked her moves are less sharp and she starts getting more impatient. Also she can be set back for a couple of seconds when her vision goes weird.
Want The War To Stop: No.
RP Sample: Been there, done that.
 
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Oh thank god...it's so nice to see a Rookie right now...XD The others are on the way, fyi. And very good! She gets:
Turtwig-Serious (M)​
I thought it would fit ;)
 
TYPHLOSION RULZ!

Name: Cairne Learas (Lay-ARE-us)

Gender: Male

Age: 13

Appearance: Long straight jet black hair covers his entire face with the exception of his twisted toothy grin which you you look close enough is scarred down from the corners of his lips going down to the base of his jaw. His eyes are a Dark Gray that mystify most of those that see them. He is very tall almost 6'4 but its hard to tell because his lousy posture has him leaning forward most of time, he weighs about 220 and has a, for the most part, slender body type. When he walks around town or somewhere socially he is usually dragging his feet and has a medium speed, in combat though he is much lighter on his feet although he has the appearance of someone with no posture what so ever he displays very agile movements.

His outfit is almost as unique as his personality. He wears long baggy black pants that stretch down to his feet and bunch up a little. He has a white shirt that is torn at the sleeves which he wears under his longer black overcoat which is also town at the bottom. (He rarely wears his overcoat in a fight.) Around his neck he also wears a necklace that contains a pendant with a smiley face on it.

Personality: Cairne is a very... Happy person... As some might put it. He finds something funny in most anything, but he is most happy when he is fighting.

Pokémon: ---DUN DUN DUN---

History:

Region: Sinto

Clan: Learas
Rank: Rookie
Weapons Of Choice: A specialized Bo staff that is one of the trademarks of his family. On one end of the staff there is a small blade that it jutting out lightly and if the staff is twisted in the correct manner the blade will pop out to reveal a scythe blade. he wears the weapon on his back and uses it freely, he will only use the scythe blade when it is required though, it makes the weapon much more difficult to handle.

Bloodline Trait:

Strengths: His whole family has been endowed with higher than average strength and agility, his fighting style is also very unique to him. He can be highly tactical when he wants but....

Weaknesses: Because of his personality he usually doesn't think all the way through to the end of the fight and has trouble taking orders when they aren't "Fun enough".

Want the war to stop?: Why would he its to much fun... He's not a bad person but no war means no fighting...
(Still not done.. Working on it nao)
 
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Name: Matt Obruere

Gender: Male

Age: 11

Appearance: Matt is one who cares about his appearance, thus he tries to be a bit of a "trendsetter" (which in a sense fills the void of his personality), but coming from a richer family, he is able to look the way he likes, and still be respected for it. His favourite attire consists of a well-fit black hoodie, usually partially zipped down, though he decided not to wear a shirt underneath, as he does live in a warmer climate and he figures the style may catch on. The black hoodie jacket is not very thick and has 2 pockets in the front. He will usually wear his ocean blue male cargo capris, giving the benefit of not being too hot to wear, and allowing for lots of pocket space. He wears a bracelet that his mother had originally made for his father, who had no intention of wearing it, the beads are dyed blue and green and made of mahogany, which had appearntly been in abudance in her original home.

He has grass green hair and eyes. Being under the sun quite often, has given his white skin a kind of golden colour, though his neck would often be red due to sunburn. He is also pretty skinny and showing some signs of toned muscles. At 11 years old he is average height (5'1" sounds about right I think).

Personality: Because he is a bit of a pacifist, Matt is seen to be naive and as a result does not listen often. Though this may only be a result of his age, living in a nation that is bent on destorying another, did not really bode well, and he tends to come to his own conclusions.

He tends to have a wild imagination, and blocks others out for subconcious reasons of mistrust. While he is like a shell, he may only need a person to reach out to him and help him along on his journey (thus a reason for the substitute of his imagination).

Because of his imagination and mistrust, he does not tend to listen to people, and does things only when forced to do them, or when he is really interested in doing them.

Pokémon: Haurire, Trapinch (m) Naive

History: Matt's father was bound to become a military man, as eventually Matt was expected to be. Thus it was inevitable, that as part of a sign of diplomacy, after another skirmish, his father married a Hoeto woman. She had lived in a forested region of the Hoeto nation, and was eventually brought to the desert region of Sinto. There he lived with her for a brief time, while going off to fight various campaigns. She did not love him, that much, and yet he would have never known, as he was rarely home. When she had Matt, she taught him to be kind and to respect others. Seeing this influence on his only son, Matt's father was not happy with what might become of Matt's loyalty to the Sinto region. Unable to do it himself, he had hired an assassin to kill his wife, in attempt to make it look innocent. To this day, only the unknown assassin, and Matt's father knows of what had been done. Of course the assassin was paid in a large sum of gold.

Thus it was like the loss of innocence that Matt was now brought int light of the Sinto region.

Matt could still remember the heat of the brand that was placed just below his right shoulderblade, that was the day he had turned four, the day he vowed never to trust anyone, he might not have been at the age to understand it, even at a subconcious level, but the memory of the smell of flesh still haunted him. Any father would have been proud to have his son branded, as this was a privilage usually bestowed to the wealthy. (see clan info)

Being the son of a commander within Sinto's desert region (where Matt has lived all his life), means living up to his father's big expectations. His father is an experienced military man and hardened from many years of service has seen him only become tougher. After Matt's mothers death, Matt hardly saw his father, being busy defending or opressing within Sinto. Because of this, Matt was usually sent to the best schools the government would pay for, learning academic things, appropriate for his age, his father never seemed satisfied with him, he thought that having left Matt with his mother in the past had softened him up, and it was true. Matt would often not listen to his father and he would play in the Oasis near his village. Though being the military man that he was, his father usually won the pasive battles. Thus his father hired a "babysitter" to keep an eye on him, and to properly teach him about the ways of Sinto. Matt felt like his innocence was lost, he was 8 years old, and for the next three years, he was taught innumerable topics, everything from geography to martial arts. His martial arts instruction mostly included that of Akido, with some deviations, as the teacher realised that he could extend Matt's energy (extention of the mind, to keep him focused). He has also trained with a wooden Nagamaki, as well as the real thing. While not relegated to the one weapon he also began training with a concealed tanto when close-combat was encountered.

While Matt trained he believed what he was doing, wasn't for the better of Sinto, but for himself, he did not care for his father who basically abandoned him or any others, what mattered was that he was bettering himself in the skills he was being taught. He may have grown up in a region that has survived on a near unemotionaless whim, but he knew there had to be something better out there. But eventually anyway, there was more to be taught as Matt was sent to a special school and thus his journey and understanding would continue...

Region: Sinto

Clan:
[PokeCommunity.com] Sinto VS Hoeto, A Never Ending Battle
(Dragon-emperor clan) A seal of approval (more or less) from Sinto's emperor, the Dragon-emperor had been in the familie's heritage for the longest time, as a previous decendant of Matt's had earned it from the emperor at the time. Thus serving the emperor, each next generation, filled their duty to serve their emperor, as was expected. It is a rare ceremony and one that is very respected. The symbol is thus branded on every male child that is bourne of the lineage of the original person who had received it.

Rank: Rookie

Weapons Of Choice: Nagamaki, a blackened oak shaft laquered with care, and in excellent condition. A weapon hand made with his Sensei's help, Matt aided in its creation. As money was no object, he designed it to his will. Lacqured over, in Latin, gold letters at the end of the shaft read "Praeceps Lascivus", for the fear it could potentially instill. The blade itself is serated not only to scare the victim, but to add to the damage, when used to stab the victim. The blade too, was coated in diamond, so as to add to the extra toughness of it.

Matt also carries a hidden tanto behind his achilles heal, the sheath, looks as though like it is a brace for a stubborn leg. It is about 4" long, and yet its blade is sharp enough to cut one's throat. This is especially good for close combat, when using the Nagamaki is not as viable.

Bloodline Trait: Nature's Blessing, this ability is found on the male side of his mother's lineage (the trait varies for the women of the same lineage). Because of his mother's early death, he was not aware of it, and nor was his father. Thus it is left nearly untrained. Though when Matt had been in danger in the past (simple childhood activities gone array), he had witnessed a change in the radius around him. It was brief, and yet, he passed it off as nothing.

The true ability of the trait however, allows the user, in great need of it (usually in a dangerous situation), to bend the will of the earth around them. For example, being in a desert, a person with the ability can create a sandstorm, or in a jungle, make the plant life grow. It is as though the user temperairly becomes a sort of Earth in of itself, controlling within the radius what ever needs its aid. This ability differs, depending on where it is being used. The user as a result of using it, becomes very fatigued aftewards.

The ability is nearly undocumented and from Matt's mother's herritage, only a few know of its existence, and how to weild it, though the use of it has not happened in over a century.

Strengths: Matt is the type to persevere, he is also courageous. He handles the martial arts he has been taught, as well as the knowledge with care and purpose.

Weaknesses: He tends not to listen often, unless forced to do so. He also tends to be naive on various subjects, but this could also be considered a turning point. He does not trust people that much and tends to live in his own shell of a world.

Want The War To Stop: No (outwardly), Yes (inwardly)

RP Sample: I think you've seen me RP in the past ;) :P
 
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Feign: Good, accepted! Hopefully we can get this started today.

Here we go...

Part 1: Graduation Day
Weather in Sinto Region: Very hot and sunny today
Weather in Hoeto Region: Oddly rainy but average temperature (which is just right, not too hot nor cold)

For this first post, I have to wait until everyone posts to move on. After that, you don't have to wait until exactly everyone posts to move on. Here is what must happen FOR ROOKIES:
-Recall the events of your graduation test (Which includes: A written exam, battling with a random Pokemon you were assigned, and a physical fight with another student...NOT one of the other RPers, just a random guy/girl with a random face/name)
-Possibly talk to other people such as your former teachers and maybe parents (you get an hour where it's like a lunch break)
-You get told to come to the main room where you will be told your teachers...you can cut off there

FOR EXPERTS:
-Just get ready for the day, really
-End post with going to the academy in your region and about to be assigned your teams.

Obviously you don't know your teams yet, which is what I will tell you after everyone has posted. Oh and incase anyone was wondering, the NPCs will just be randomly hanging about...if you want to have your character talk to one, be my guest. Just make sure they stay IC and don't go way OOC. Oh and another quick thing...I really don't see cars in this RP, so no cars. They can have bicycles though...POSSIBLY motorcycles but don't put that unless you ask. I ALMOST forgot...for Experts, your Pokemon can either walk about with you or they can be summoned through a special scroll you will have with you somewhere.

Part 1: Graduation Day (POST)

Shelby mumbled and rolled over in her bed. Her alarm had gone off roughly half an hour ago, yet here she was lying about. Today's the day I get two new brats, Shelby thought, sluggishly opening her eyes and squinting. She rubbed her eyes and then pushed up from her comfy bed, grumbling to herself the whole time. Shelby stretched and scratched her rumpled hair. I should probably take a shower…urgh, stupid kids, she thought rather grumpily. It was only nine am, and Shelby was not a morning person.

About another half hour later, Shelby was showered and dressed. Now she was in a better mood, though she still had a bit of a headache. Maybe I shouldn't have stayed up so late last night, she mused as she grabbed her cloak off of the hook on the back of her door. She slipped it on and then walked out of her room in the Kamizaki compound. I wish my room was closer to the kitchen, Shelby thought in an annoyed way. Finally she arrived in the kitchen. She silently watched as the cooks moved about. One noticed her and bowed.

"What would you like to eat this morning, miss?" he asked, still half bowed.

"Just a bagel. I think I'll be late to go get my rat—kids, otherwise," Shelby commented.

The man chucked and nodded. Moments later he handed her a bagel that had a napkin wrapped around it. Shelby took it and thanked him. Then she walked to the weaponry that was nearly on the other side of the compound. Shelby munched on her bagel, finding that it helped sooth her angry headache. She stopped outside the doors and knocked, waiting for one of the servants to answer. One did and immediately allowed her inside, bowing as well. I'm getting tired of all of this bowing, Shelby thought dryly.

"Your sword has been sharpened and refined once more. The edges on the wolf head are as sharp as ever, milady," the man stated proudly. He walked over to where her sword was sitting on display. Shelby looked at the angry wolf head carving. "Would you like us to order a new sheath? This one is getting a bit worn…" the servant trailed off, handing her the sheath. It was beginning to look rather worn, especially on the end where it was specially crafted to fit her sword.

"I guess so. I'm going to be doing some little kiddy missions for a bit though, so no real rush. Plus, I can just wrap it if I need," Shelby said. She waited while the man carefully sheathed her favorite sword and handed it to her. Shelby took the strap and slipped it on over her jacket. "Well, I'm off. Tell my parents I say goodbye," she commented in an almost airy way. Then Shelby walked out the doors of her compound, heading onto the streets of Hoeto.

Shelby stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans as she walked. She paused and looked to her right as she went by a particular compound. It was the Bihar compound. Shelby's nose wrinkled and her lip curled up. I don't like those stupid snobbish bastards, she thought in annoyance. Shelby wasn't normally the type to classify people, but for some reason she just couldn't help it with the Bihar Clan. She watched as some kid went inside the doors, and the guards even had the guts to sneer at her. Shelby huffed and walked away.

"I do have an hour…" Shelby mumbled to herself, wondering what she should do. The training grounds suddenly caught her eye. "Blah, I just took a friggin' shower though," she mused out loud. She unconsciously grabbed Ookami's summoning scroll from her weapons pouch. She shook her head and then put it away. "I suppose I could just…" Shelby murmured. She walked towards a tree and brought out her katana.

The wind blew through her hair, ruffling it lightly. Shelby stuck her thumb underneath her headband and shifted it slightly so it wasn't as hot. Then she loosened her grip on her sword and stood there looking at the tree. Suddenly her katana began to glow red with her energy pulsing through it. Shelby wasted no more time. She flew at the tree, slicing it and moving away quickly. The tree crumbled from the inside and fell away in a clean slice. I guess they did sharpen it, Shelby thought. She carefully slipped her katana back into its sheath.

Shelby glanced up as she felt drops of rain fall on her head. It had been fairly cloudy and misting but now the rain really began to pour. Shelby grumbled and began walking towards the Hoeto Ninja Academy once more. Soon she had arrived. She vaguely wondered what time it was as she followed the signs to the doors, and was slightly surprised to find that she was one of the first people there. Let the games begin, she thought, amusing herself slightly.
 
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"Ah, it's a nice day today, you agree Satsu?", a voice called. A sharp cry followed shortly, as a large bird flew overhead, reveling in the warm air all around. As the owner of the voice sat up, the bird, Pidgeot, landed a short distance away. Looking around, the blonde sighed, while wiping off the dust from his shirt. Adjusting his headband, Kei realized that he had slept for far too long, only having just woken up. The sun was high overhead, the trees were filled with life, small Pidgey nested, and Rattata darted in every which way. Kei attributed his long nap to the comfort factor of the long grass he was currently seated in.
"Satsu, we need to head back to the clan. Man, preparing for these Rookies is taking time out of my day, what a bother", Kei sighed as he adjusted his headband once more, while hopping on Satsu's back.

"Pidgeot!", Satsu cried as he charged into the air. Kei watched as the scenery changed quickly, from a forested area, to a more developed area, buildings were popping up every now and then. Smiling, Kei remembered the advantage to having a larger pokemon; traveling is quicker on a faster bird. Even flying directly against the wind, as they were now, Satsu still flew at a great speed. Although, with Rookies hanging off me, I won't be able to fly with Satsu, Kei thought, mildly saddened by this thought. Kei wasn't given long to dwell on this thought, though. Satsu reached the clan home in the next few minutes, landing with a confident cry, announcing his arrival to the clan.

As Kei stepped off of the large birds' back, he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall near the door. It was nearly time for his arrival at the Academy, he'd have to hurry up.
"Satsu, stay here. I'll be back shortly", Kei called as he jogged inside. Upon entering the house, he was greeted by several of his clan. Congratulations and words of approval about becoming an expert rang through the hall. Kei weaved his way through the crowd, while simultaneously giving out thanks to the many people congratulating him, finally making his way out of the crowd after many thank you's. Jogging to his room, the blonde shut his door promptly, and looked around for his things. On his bed sat his favorite item, his kodachi. Grabbing it, he inspected it quietly before returning his attention to his room. Lying on his desk near his bed, sat the letter with the time for graduation. I've got another 20 minutes to get there, I should be fine, Kei sighed as he thought this.

Looking around, then at himself, Kei nodded quickly, then opened his door to leave. The clan had other plans for the hallway, however. He wasn't getting by them, he decided quickly as he turned back into the room. Opening a window, Kei called out for Satsu, and the large bird appeared at the window in the next minute.
"Alright Satsu, we can take our time getting there", Kei told the bird as he eased himself out of the window, and onto Satsu's back. The fly over to the Academy was as uneventful as the fly to the clan was, although Kei did get a bit of relaxing in, as the day was quite hot, allowing him to drift into a trance-like state. Although, once again he was interrupted, as Satsu landed in the Academy grounds.
"Feh, I hate being interrupted like that…", he complained as he sat up, and rolled off his friends' back. Fastening his kodachi to his side, Kei looked around briefly. "Man, I can't believe it's already been 7 years since I was here last…", he mused thoughtfully. As Kei began walking, with Satsu at his heel, he looked around again, almost as though he was lost. Just as Kei was about to pick a random direction, some sudden noise directed him to the center of the school area. Jumping on Satsu, Kei took to the air to find the source of the noise.

Spotting an open window on a nearby roof, with many people inside the room, Kei took it to mean that he was supposed to go there, and the two flew above the window, before flying in. From his position in the air, Kei realized that he was the first expert to arrive, although there was certainly no shortage of students hanging about. Satsu gave a sharp cry, startling nearly all of the students as they looked up to see an expert arriving. Satsu dropped to the ground, as Kei jumped from his back shortly before landing.

"I take it I'm not late?", Kei asked the instructor.
 
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Matt was bored, sitting in a chair, his feet tangling, and swinging back and forth, he was waiting to be summoned into a room, of which his teachers would have something planned for him. He recalled for the hundredth time the events that had occurred that day, and could help but smile.

It was graduation day, and he had passed with flying colours. But it did not come as easy as he had hoped. Nonetheless, he felt that he had had fun. He didn't really care what the result of winning would entail, only that he could really show off his skills. People would comment that his power is a result of his wanting to be at the side of his father, but both Matt and his father knew that would never happen. He only proved to be one of the best because he did it for himself.

As a child, when his father did happen to be home, he always asked his father questions about the war, he never got a straight answer, and this confused him, while at the same time angering his father. And that was pretty much why he was here. At first he refused to be properly taught but his Sensei, the one who had taught him how to wield a Naginata, had shown him otherwise. He may have been cruel and vindictive (a common characteristic it seemed in the Sinto region), but he was more passionate and liberal, teaching Matt that there was more importance in life than just fighting wars.

Having received an education befitted for a family in league with the emperor, Matt's knowledge was vast. It was his education (both physically and mentally) that dominated his life, as his father was never around. Thus the day of his exams came; Matt felt that he was prepared. The exam was 6 hours long, asking what seemed like thousands of questions. Had he not studied whatsoever, Matt would have had a mental breakdown. It came to no surprise though when one student just behind him stood up and began screaming, running to leave the room.

"Poor kid," Matt thought "His family is going to be disgraced now."

Matt after all was torn. He wanted his own name for himself, but did not want to betray his people, in fact he wished the entire war never had happened, but he never told anyone that, least of all his father.

As though some kind of karmic sign, Matt's right shoulder blade, became itchy, he scratched it, only to remember the day when he felt the burning heat of the brand, the mark of the dragon-emperor that would mark him forever. He refused to understand the semantics of the war, and only wished for what it was that he wanted, just to live in peace with his family. Of course his mother was gone, dead, apparently an assassin, who was supposed to target his father, only managed to kill his mother. The loss of which did not seem to affect his father. He did not know what to believe about that night, as even he was too young to remember.

Matt snapped out of his reverie only to recall his Pokémon battle. His father never kept a Pokémon in their house, but only trained with them in his duties, so Matt never saw them often. And being in a desert didn't help it that much.

His mother had liked Pokémon; apparently she had kept a Clefa for a while, until Matt's father ordered her to get rid of it. This did not mean he hated them, but merely that he thought they were only for military gain. He knew his son would train with one though, at his school in due time, but he also understood, that perhaps one day, he would use his Pokémon in the military as well, and hoped the teachers would be good enough to instil that in them.

In Matt's most recent battle, he was loaned an Onix, he had a brief time connecting with that Pokémon, but knew enough to have its trust. His opponent, a girl, of the same age, was loaned a Graveller. They both fought with passion, and the evenly matched battle, seemed to draw out.

Apparently the girl was from a family that was selected in a lottery system, this meant she had to pay her way here, as usual commoners do not usually get chosen, but due to the lack of recruits, the government tried to get everyone they could. In this case, whoever won in the lottery had a chance to send their son or daughter to a descent education, knowing they would help the nation. However, a heavy payment was required as a result, of which not many were able to afford. Thus the girl refused to lose.

It came to a great shock however, when Matt had pulled to be the victor, as Onix's finishing move (iron tail), knocked it out in a middle of its own move (rollout).

Moving on then, Matt finally got to use his martial arts skill against a trained opponent. They boy he was up against was one year older than him. The boy, Matt recalled, had been part of a small talkative clique that enjoyed making fun of others. Because of Matt's status he did not get bullied by them often, but they did see his introvertiveness, and made fun of it when they could. Matt had never decided to "pull the commander's son" card, but at times felt like he would have.

The boy was using a flail, and in his other arm was a shield. He expertly tossed it at Matt, using the shield, to as a weapon, but ultimately, Matt was able to beat him with the versatility that was the Nagamaki. Both Matt and the other boy were suited for extreme protection, so no blood was shed, however Matt found to have quite a few bruises, the majority of them from the shield. The point of the battle was to be the first person to strike the opponent 10 times. Matt was having troubles at first with the weight of the flail, and getting distracted with the shield, but began to realise he could use his opponent's weapon against him. Thus Matt, from the blunt end of his Nagamaki, let the flail's chain curl around it, flipping his own weapon, and sending the flail off into the distance, allowing for Matt's win in ease.

Matt had won his rite to continue forward. For the celebration a lunch feast was served to those who stayed at the graduation day. Matt had tried to seek out his father with little success. He was disappointed that his father had not seen his victory, but at the same time, was unsurprised. There were days Matt had wished he had not joined, or rather that he would have never been forced to join here, but his Sensei always seemed to cheer him up, on that fact.

For that matter he saw his Sensei walking up to him right now.

"You did very well, better than I even expected," He chuckled and with a more stern voice spoke again, "But this doesn't mean you're training is over... It has only just begun.

Matt groaned.

"Don't you dare groan at me!" He yelled. "I know what is best for you and you will be following it to no end."

"But..." Matt began, but his Sensei interrupted him again.

"Follow your heart." He whispered this time, "By the way, you are wanted in the main chamber, I daresay they have a surprise for you."

"Thank you Sensei," Matt said, bowing, "You have taught me well." He said the last part with a somewhat sarcastic voice, looking up as he was bowing smiling.

"You're damn right I taught you well, now get going, or they'll think you're dead." His sensei retorted.

Thus this is where Matt sat, awaiting to be called in, still smiling to himself about the day's events.

"Matt Obuere, you may enter now." A voice spoke.

Matt jumped down from his seat and opened the door to enter the room.
 
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"Did you hear? Our own prodigy passed with flying colors."

"That's not a surprise. All the training we put her through... Though I heard she had a physical fight?"

"I don't think that went over well. From what I hear, she used the techniques we taught her to trip up her opponent's balance.

"Didn't she have to borrow some Pokemon, too?"

"Yeah. She did the best with it, and I think that's what got her to pass."

"Hmm. Who knows, she might even be better than you someday, Roland."

"Wahaha! When that happens, Alph, Tentacruel will be flying high in the sky, too!"

---

The sun's rays brought out the brilliance in the young teenager's face. It had been a while since it was this sunny. The only thing was, her abilities didn't work too well in the sun. If it were cloudy and raining, that'd be another story. If it were snowing, too... Thankfully, though, the girl didn't have to use her abilities too much. The elders of her clan had always told her to use them to a limit. Luna, on the other hand, found herself using her clan's healing trait quite often, except, unlike most children her age, she didn't lose too much energy. This was probably why they had chosen her to be THE female to lead the clan. It was also why they chose Leon. Or maybe it was because his grandfather was the current male leader of the clan, and wanted his grandson to follow in his footsteps. It was so pathetic, seeing how a lech like him couldn't even look at his elders with his perverted eyes without glancing over at a pretty girl. And then... Luna couldn't think about it anymore. The incident. The memory loss. The pathway that lead to Roland, one of the most-respected, most powerful elders. If it weren't for Leon's father, Roland would probably have been the male leader of the clan.

"Oi! Luna!!!"

"Miss Dia? What do you want?"

"Just wanted to say, great job on the final exams!"

"Thank you. But... It means you won't be teaching me anymore..."

"So what? You'll be fine, I'm sure of it!"

"What if I'm not fine with it? Did you ever think about the student first?"

"Oh, Luna. Don't worry, you'll be fine."

"I suppose you're right, Miss Dia. I should probably be going now!"

-Luna's POV-

The written part of the exam... It included all sorts of questions. Multiple choice, vocabulary, essays... Though, it was actually quite easy. I found the questions about the type of techniques to be the easiest. Some of the other questions, though, were a bit more challenging. But, I think I pulled them off well. Oh, who the heck am I kidding? I pulled them off better than well! No, no, Luna, I don't think you pulled them off that well. Let me just call it in the middle. There. I'm happy.

The partner Pokemon. She was a young but bright Cyndaquil, with so much potential... My opponent, some random guy named Fiver, had a Charizard. Both were trained equally. However, though he thought he'd win with his Charizard, he thought wrong. Not after I got paired to the Cyndaquil, I recall us sharing a bond like no other. I'm not one for fire Pokemon, but this Cyndaquil, she was different from the rest. Moving on, Fiver thought he could defeat me with his Charizard's powerful fire attacks. Fool. A couple Smokescreens did the trick, and the Charizard had a hard time seeing. I had Cyndaquil follow up with a most unexpected attack - Rollout. Charizard is to Rock moves as Swampert is to Grass moves, or even Dragonite to Ice moves - the moves mentioned all have greatly increased power when used against said Pokemon. Nonetheless, Charizard was out in a couple uses of Rollout. Next time, Fiver should probably look up the moves Pokemon can learn and use rather than spend time doing whatever Fivers do.

The third part, a physical battle. Not really something I'm great at doing. I went up against this girl named Rive, which is quite a strange name, if you ask me. She started almost immediately with some roundhouse kicks, something I could easily dodge. She then went on to try pulling some punches. I have to admit, they came pretty close to hitting me. But, with a straight face, she fell right into my trap. While she was attempting to hit me, I managed to gather enough trigs to form a straight line connecting from one tree to another. I lured her over there, and pretty soon, she tripped. Honestly, I don't see why Rive didn't notice such a conspicuous trap. I guess I really am rather sneaky. Or maybe she's blind while she tries to hit others. Nonetheless, after making her trip countless times on the SAME EXACT TRAP, it was over. I fail at physical abilities other than agility, and I still beat her. This is saying something, really. Maybe I should become a teacher someday. Then I'd teach everyone how to beat an opponent as pathetic as Rive.

-End POV-

Some days were better for Luna. Others weren't. Mondays, for example, were her better days, even though a lot of other people found them to be rather miserable. But, that was entirely their opinion. If only the others could see what was so great about Monday... Such lovely days, really. And, Monday DOES literally translate to "Moon's Day", after all. Such lovely days...

"Luna!" That annoying voice. Can't that darn Potpurri see I'm busy thinking?

"What do you want?! Can't you see I'm busy?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Luna." Oops, Phillip. Potpurri's twin. Should've known.

"Oh, forgive me, Pip. I thought you were Pop."

"Th-that's OK, Miss Luna. But... Did you hear? The teachers want all graduates in the main room so they can learn of their new teachers."

"Really, now? Thank you so much, Pip." A smile appeared on Luna's face.

"N-no problem, Miss Luna! Good day, now!" And he was off.

"Sh-shoot, I've gotta hurry!!! No time to dawdle!!!" And with that, Luna was off. To the main building. The time to learn of her new teachers had finally come...

---

"Will she be alright, Mel?"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be as fine as a bear in a no-hunting zone, Theo! She is the bee's knees, after all!"

"I wish you wouldn't use all those old-fashioned phrases..."

"What'd you say?"

"Oh, n-nothing. Anyways, you think we should keep an eye on her?"

"Nah. Luna hates being watched over. Let's go speak with Leon instead. We might be able to get him to remember something!"

"Oh yes, Leon, how's he holding up?"

"He still remembers nothing, but nonetheless, he's as tough as a stack of nails!"

"R-right..."

---

(*shot for the many Luminous Arc references* Best I can do with the limits I've had on the computer... So sorry if it's not the best.)
 
Zuzu: Nah, that's a good first post ^^

NPC POSTS:

Sahib yawned and stretched. It was a rainy day and rainy days generally made him feel drowsy. He didn't like waking up early one bit, but he knew that the academy was important so he wasn't going to blow it. A small smile made its way onto his face as he thought about the many exams he had to pass to graduate.

Sahib set his chin on his desk as he watched everyone else finish their written exams. I can't believe they're not done yet, he thought. One of the teachers glanced up at him and cocked an eyebrow. Sahib simply looked back at him with his dark brown eyes. The teacher walked up and glanced at his test. With a soft chuckle he picked it up and walked away, going back to his magazine he had been looking at previously. That was easy, Sahib thought. Well…I guess it was easy for me, anyway, he mused as he noted the half horrified expressions of the other kids.

Finally the written exam was over. Sahib followed the group of students as they were escorted out to the battle area. His Pokémon was a Pidgey—something fairly weak. I'll just have to make him strong, Sahib thought, crouching down and patting the Pidgey on its head. When his name was called along with another student's, his visage hardened as he and Pidgey stood opposite of a Geodude and a girl. Great…type disadvantage, Sahib thought as he analyzed the situation briefly. The battle had gone to a rocky start, but it gradually began to turn in Sahib's favor. The finishing blow was a simple peck attack, causing the Geodude to fall.

The third and final exam was next. Sahib was permitted to use his katana, so he did exactly that. His opponent was another boy that was fairly close to him in the area of fighting. His downfall was his speed. Sahib was much quicker, and he was able to hit his opponent enough to where he was finally declared the winner.

I probably got lucky on the trainer battle, Sahib mused as he walked home to inform his grandfather. He's going to be happy about this, was Sahib's dark thought. His eyes clouded and he half glared at the sidewalk. He heard footsteps and looked up to see a girl staring at his clan's compound. Kamizaki, he thought immediately. His lip curled as he turned into his clan's compound and the gates snapped shut behind him. Sahib walked the way, one of the servants attempting to keep up with an umbrella. Then he walked inside the doors and servants came up and offered him a black fluffy robe. Lovely, he thought, accepting it.

"Ah, Sahib my boy."

Sahib looked over at the sound of the old voice. His grandfather was walking up to him in his finest robes. Sahib bowed to the elder. Then he let his eyes drift over his grandfather's wrinkled tan face. He had a fairly long beard that was (obviously) kept and trimmed neatly. His hair was long as well and had many streaks of grey in it. The beard was completely grey. He used to be close to six feet tall, but now he was just a hunched shell of the man he used to be. Sahib frowned but said nothing.

"Did the exam go well?" his grandfather questioned. Sahib nodded once. "And?"

"I passed all three exams with flying colors, according to my teachers," Sahib reported.

"Excellent! You will make a fine clan head!" his grandfather exclaimed proudly. "Unlike that good for nothing father of yours…marrying that K…" his grandfather grumbled under his breath. Sahib's eyebrows pulled together, I've never heard that one before. He's called my father many things, but he's never mentioned... "Anyway! A feast will be in order when possible. Let me know when you are free from missions, my boy."

"Of course, grandfather," Sahib stated. "I should probably be getting back…graduation is soon…" Sahib trailed off, trying to find an excuse to leave the stuffy presence of his family. His grandfather nodded in agreement, so Sahib handed his robe to one of the servants and set out in his slightly damp clothes once more.

When he got outside of the clan's compound, he paused and looked up at the sky. A bead of water landed on his face, streaking downward and making it look like he was crying. A bitter smile appeared on his face. Now even the sky cries for me? He thought, wondering if he'd ever be able to express his emotions through his own language. Though he wanted to be able to express them, he wanted something even more than that. He wanted parents. Without looking back, Sahib walked to the academy and waited for the little "surprise".

-----------------------------

Kaisashi giggled as she flopped down on the grass under the warm rays of the sun. Some of her other friends were gathered around her, listening to her recalling the exams. They soon had fallen into a fit of laughter when she remarked about the boy who had ran out of the room screaming.

"So then…" Kaisashi continued.

She had finished her exam at around the average time that everyone else did. She thought it wasn't terribly difficult, but there were some things on there that she had to leave blank. She was informed that she received a D on the exam portion, but that didn't bother her too much. With confidence, she followed the others to the outdoor arena and waited as her name was called.

She received a Growlithe as a partner, while her opponent ended up with a meek looking Oddish. Kaisashi smirked and went into mission mode. She won very easily—the boy she was facing didn't seem to be very good at battling. Growlithe finished the battle in just two short bursts of flame. She squealed and hugged the puppy Pokémon, causing Growlithe to blink.

Finally she had to fight. She was facing a much beefier boy, so it took her what seemed like forever to get all of the proper strikes in. She didn't come away unscathed however…she did have a rather nasty bruise on her right cheek. She figured that it made her look tough though, so Kaisashi didn't mind too much.

"Sashi, was the Growlithe cute?" one of her friends asked.

"I suppose so. I think I was more focused on the battle," Kaisashi replied, answering to her nickname. "Besides, that's what you're supposed to be focused on. Not if the Pokémon is cute or not, silly," Kaisashi said with a small laugh. "Oh! I forgot I have to go help my parents with something before graduation!" Kaisashi exclaimed, sitting upright quickly. She waved goodbye to all of her friends and ran away as fast as possible, nearly bumping into several villagers along the way.

She skidded to a stop outside her clan's small compound. Then she lifted the latch on the gate and ran inside. Her parents were sitting and drinking their afternoon tea. Kaisashi walked into the room (after taking her shoes off first) and sat down opposite of her parents. They looked at her and set their cups down. She waited until they were ready, and once they were looking at her she beamed at them.

"I passed! I have to go back in an hour for something though…" she said in a rush. Her parents congratulated her and then asked questions about the exam. "Well, I failed the first part. But don't worry! I passed the last two easily," Kaisashi said with a wide grin on her face.

"Very good," her father said. "We were going to have you help us in the garden, but you had probably better be getting off to the academy." Her parents glanced at each other. Then her father said, "I'm sure you will do exceptionally well in the adult world. Just try to work on that brain of yours." He chuckled. Kaisashi huffed but smiled slightly anyway.

[FONT=&quot]"Thank you," Kaisashi said. She stood and bowed hurriedly. Then she got on her shoes and ran out the door, leaping over the short front gate instead of bothering to unlatch it. She ran back to the academy, and then went towards the room where she had to wait with the others. I'll make you guys proud! Kaisashi thought while she waited. [/FONT]
 
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Chione was sitting in the drizzling rain outside eating her lunch with her two friends. They didn't mind the rain, and her lunch wasn't too good anyway. She knew she shouldn't be here right now. Instead she should be at the lunch that the clan organized for all their graduated children. But Kia and Chris had also graduated, so it wasn't like she would be missed. Instead she celebrated quietly with Naomi and Micah. Naomi came from the draw program and therefore there wasn't a whole lot of celebration for her. Her parents both worked anyway so she would have been home alone. Micah wasn't going to his clan because he thought he had failed. It wasn't entirely sure if he had or hadn't passed. He had apparently missed the calling and he had lost the physical and won the battle only because his opponent had tired his Pokémon so much it couldn't battle anymore. Now, Micah was desperately doubting his ability in the written exam and he didn't want to go in to inquire if he had or had not passed.

"Come one Micah, you're gonna be fine!" Naomi was munching on a bit of wet bread while she tried to cheer Micah up, but he just kept ranting.

"I can't come home. How could I possibly come home? They wouldn't let me in anyway. I'm a failure. I failed the test."

"You don't know that for sure though."

"Yes I do. It's not the same for you, you passed with flying colours Nao. And even if you didn't…"

"Even if I didn't, what?! Micah, you know as much as I do that you just can re-enroll yourself in the last year and do it over again. I can't. It was do or die for me and I passed."

"I know, and I'm sorry Nao, it's the nerves talking"

Chione was listening to her friends while not really paying a whole lot attention to them at the same time. She wasn't sure if Micah would pass his test, but he wasn't such a good fighter either. He had good teamwork, that was a given. Micah was good at taking orders. But he had a slow reaction time that didn't help him that much. He was good with Pokémon though, a real softy at heart. But he would never make an excellent Expert. He might make a good one someday, but not an excellent one. She loved him anyway, silly Micah, and would miss him.

Naomi, however, was a very good fighter. She was of lower class which meant she wasn't stuck up and she took orders well. But she could also take the lead when it was necessary. Physical fighting wasn't her forte, but with the ancient old scythe she had inherited she could definitely be a worthy opponent. Her skills with Pokémon were even better than her physical skills. She knew exactly how to use a Pokémon to their best advantage and that was how she won that battle. She had great potential. Chione found herself wishing that she was in Naomi's team, and not just because they were friends. But friends mostly got split up on purpose. Some sort of broadening your horizon thing that she didn't really get. All Chi hoped for was that "broadening your horizons" did not mean camping with the enemy.

"Who do you think you're going to be with Chi?" As if on cue, Naomi had asked her.

"I don't know. All I know is that they'll probably split us three up. I really hope that Ami is not in my team. I really hope so." She had said three on purpose while looking at Micah, who still looked quite nauseous.

Chione was already exhausted, even thought there was a lot more of the day to come. Looking back, it wasn't so strange that she was exhausted. It had all started with the dreadful written. Her eyes had started acting up again halfway through, but she had made it mostly through. She had done fine until her eyes started acting on their own. Good thing the easier questions came first. She was sure she had passed it, even though she might barely.

After that there had been the Pokémon Battle. She had received a Pidgey while her opponent had a Magby. She had relied mostly on her Pidgey's speed and dodging while the Magby had rapidly fired Ember attacks at it. The Pidgey had dealt quite some damage along the way with peck attacks and gusts, but in the end the fire had burned Pidgey pretty badly and she had lost.

The Physical had been easier. She had stood against a girl with the name of Phia who primarily worked with daggers. Chi hadn't been able to fight with her Bow, but she had one dagger to work with. When the starting call was called the girl had immediately started throwing three daggers at Chi. But with her skills in gymnastics Chione had easily avoided them. Of course the distance between them was a head's up also. Chione had waited to cross the distance between the two until a few more daggers had been thrown. The girl now only had one more and was forced to come closer. She had tried to hit some kicks and stabs, but Chione had easily kicked her feet from underneath her and pressed her own dagger to the girl's throat. She heeled and Chione was the victor. She had passed two of the three tests and therefore was now a whole new Rookie.

But she had no idea what was in store for her now. All she knew was that there was half an hour left to kill. And Micah still had no clue if he had passed.

"Micah, you really need to go check if you've passed. There's half an hour left!" Chione pushed Micah away from their spot on the grass, and he finally decided that it was time to see if he had passed the exams. Ten minutes later he came back with tears in his eyes, shoulders slouched and a face that told the story. He had failed.

Chione and Naomi both hugged him and told him he would be doing better next year, for sure. He did look too confident but she was sure he would do better. She and Naomi stayed with him until there was absolutely no time for them. They had to go and present themselves for the sorting out of the groups. After one more big hug the walked away from him and he returned to his family to tell them the bad news…
 
OOC: I hope my post is on a par with everyone else's...
IC:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lesley gazed out of the window of the nurse's office in the academy. She positioned her blond-haired head so that her face was inches away from the window, past which rain pitter-pattered and a light mist gathered on the ground, shrouding the feet of passersby. As she gazed out in the direction of the marketplace, empty now due to the weather, she thought about times when she wandered about the town in the rain. She found that people were easier to pickpocket in the rain, because they usually had one hand on an umbrella. Lesley, though, would just let the rain wash her hair and tickle her face--her shawl would protect her belongings.

But Lesley's smile wavered after that initial recollection, for the memory of the exam she had taken just a while ago was still fresh in her mind. She began to wonder why she had gotten an A- on the exam, when in her opinion she didn't do that well at all. Her thoughts immediately navigated to the written portion of the test, which was harder than she had expected. The question she had the easiest time with asked her to draw a diagram on eight different types of blocks, and describe a counter-attack one can use after that particular block. Most of this was common sense, and Lesley paid special attention to the various fighting forms, likening them a bit to dance moves. Thus she was able to pay more attention to her studies by attributing them to something fun--like dancing--a strategy that really seemed to work for her. Then there were multiple-choice questions about certain details of body positioning in certain moves, much of which Lesley just figured out using common sense. But many of the other questions were rather confusing. During this portion of the exam, Lesley kept a close eye on where the instructors were, moving only her eyes to as to not make them suspicious. When they were looking away from her, she took out a small magnifying glass she had concealed in her glove, and used it to observe an answer on another student's exam. It was probably this that gave her a near-perfect score on the written portion of the exam.

One other thing Lesley paid special attention to was Pokemon, especially the different species of Pokemon that existed, their types, and the attacks Pokemon could use. By the time of the exam, Lesley could identify nearly every attack a Pokemon could use, getting a picture of what the attack would be like when the trainer commanded the Pokemon to use it. This, she figured, would help her in the second part of the exam. In this portion, the Pokemon she was loaned was a Hariyama; her opponent, a boy two years older than her, was given a Skuntank. The Skuntank immediately used Smokescreen, obstructing Hariyama's view of the battle, but Lesley instructed Hariyama to blow away the smoke with his broad hands. This tactic was probably the strongest point of her performance in the battle, for the smoke blew over to Skuntank instead, who could do nothing about it. Then Hariyama shouted to alert Skunktank where he was, upon which the giant skunk ran towards him, having been instructed to use Slash. Lesley, knowing Hariyama had strong legs, instructed the bulky fighter to jump to dodge. After jumping, the Hariyama landed right on top of Skuntank, upon which Lesley told him to cover his nose. For the crushed Skuntank let loose noxious fumes from her behind the instant she was jumped on. Naturally, Hariyama's weight resulted in serious damage, rendering the Skuntank unable to continue. It was an unexpectedly quick battle.
"And you utilised your knowledge of Pokemon characteristics to the best in that battle," an instructor had commented when Lesley received her results. "Had you not told Hariyama to cover his nose, he would have fainted as well."

Then came the part of the exam Lesley dreaded the most: the physical fight with another student, without any help from Pokemon. Before learning about the exam (naturally, she snuck into the principal's office to find out what was going to be on the exam before anyone else did), she had held in her mind that on her journey with the Pokemon she received, she would do the sneaking and spying, while her Pokemon would do all the fighting, especially the hand-to-hand stuff. Thus, Lesley was really nervous before the third part of the exam, fearing--or rather, knowing--she would fail miserably. When the actual fight took place, she found herself up against a girl her age, who had a sword that looked to be one made by a well-known and maybe legendary sword-maker. With its hilt of pure emerald and its markings consisting of esoteric ancient hieroglyphs, it astounded several spectators as she drew it out, spoke a sort of prayer towards it, and resheathed it. This was Mara Miyazuke, often the object of jealousy in her classes, especially with that sword of hers. Besides the presence of that sword, Mara looked formidable anyway, with the serious and focused expression on her face, the intimidating glare she tried to give Lesley, and the way she immediately took a fighting stance when she stepped out onto the battlefield, bouncing on her toes. The boots she wore looked like they could dole out some serious damage in a kick.

When the fight started, Lesley was standing on the other side of the battlefield, looking innocent as usual, her hands folded behind her back. She looked much like an ordinary peasant girl. Immediately Mara threw a flurry of kunai at her, probably concealed within the folds of her shirt. Lesley stepped back to dodge, sounding surprised and a little frightened. In actuality she was faking this expression, but nobody could tell. She even blurted out, "What was that for?!?" In the next few moments, Mara threw more kunai at her, and often times she had to jump to the side to dodge them. However, every time she dodged, she squatted down after the jump--a seemingly natural landing--but she slipped a fallen kunai or two underneath her shawl as she did so. After a bit of that, one of the little knives stabbed Lesley in the thigh, and as that happened, Lesley pretended to panic and freak out, as she pulled the kunai out and threw it--weakly--at Mara. It landed some distance before Mara's feet. Smirking, Mara took this opportunity to run at Lesley, preparing to hit her with a series of kicks and a blow or two from her sword. As she threw one kick, she had to hold out her arms for balance, but the kick was powerful anyway. Lesley ducked just in time for the kick to barely graze her back. Immediately she scuttled underneath Mara, spun around on her heel, and stood up. As she did, she reached out and grabbed the hilt of Mara's sword, pulling it out of its sheath and holding it away from her so Mara couldn't snatch it back. What Mara did do, however, was launch a back kick at Lesley, knocking her backward. Lesley found this kick very painful, and she found it hard to get up past a squatting position after that. At that time, Mara turned around and took a few steps toward Lesley, but as she did, Lesley thrust Mara's sword at her throat. She was careful not to cut it, but rather held it there as Mara froze... and then the gong sounded, signaling the end of the fight.

When Lesley's exam results came in, the instructor criticised her on her complete ignorance of standard fighting techniques, making her even more nervous than before. She recalled that conversation well:
"What happened to what you learned in class?" the instructor snapped. "What happened to your form, your technique, your courtesy?"
"I-I-I didn't think... I had the necessary..." Lesley began, but her voice trailed off as much to her surprise, the instructor smiled.
"Your fighting style is very unique, and you are excellent at utilising the element of surprise and deception, two key ninja virtues without which even the most skilled martial arts masters can hope to aspire to the likes of us. You are a bit unconventional, and that's not really what we look for here at the academy, but because I can see that you are clever and that you really put your heart into it, I shall award you a few bonus points, bringing your score to an A minus."
Lesley was speechless--all she could do was bow and smile.

Lesley thought about all these past occurences as she continued to sit there. She still felt the pain in her leg and chest, where she was stabbed and kicked; her uncovered thigh had a bandage around it, and her bloody trousers lay on a table nearby. Presently a woman was unwrapping the bandage on her leg, smoothing a sort of clear serum over it, which to Lesley's surprise didn't sting at all. And, as the stuff was applied, the wound started to heal somewhat, though the skin was still pinker than her cheeks. The nurse applied the same to her chest, which had a large bruise on it; the colour of it faded somewhat and the bruise stopped swelling.
"Injuries like these are why I don't really like to fight," Lesley commented.
"They are a common occurrence among anyone who fights," said the nurse, "yet they are the mark of courage and perseverance."

Just then, Ren walked in, carrying a new pair of trousers, nearly identical to Lesley's old ones.
"I just rushed out to buy these," Ren explained, sounding slightly out of breath. Her chocolate-brown hair was soaking wet, although she wore a bright red raincoat, which she took off as she entered the room. "Are you feeling okay, Lesley?"
"Technically, no," Lesley answered, indicating her injuries, "but these are things I should be careful to avoid, of course."
"Since you're not fond of fighting, that shouldn't be too hard for you," Ren commented, helping Lesley put on the trousers.
"If I were to have a mission in this war going on, I'd opt to be a spy for Sinto. Maybe I'd steal some weapons like I did here."
"Maybe," Ren giggled. "Now, I know the typical mother would worry at this point for their child's safety. But, I know that that's gonna have little effect on you, so I won't bother."

"LESLEY!"
A young boy burst into the room, rushing to the bed on which Lesley sat. He had a small paper bag in his hand, and proceeded to take something out of it.
"Oh, hi Jamar," Lesley greeted. Jamar was a boy whose parents frequently traveled; thus he frequently stayed over at the Merrimac household and made good friends with Lesley. Sometimes the two of them wandered Hoeto together; their most memorable experience together was when they climbed a tree and peered into an instructor's house, where they watched him spar with his wife. Lesley also snuck into the house while they were sparring, and stole an ornately decorated teacup. Collecting things in this manner was a much enjoyed pastime for her.
"Hey, I brought you something," Jamar said to her, removing from the bag a samosa, which were Jamar's father's favourite thing to cook.
"It even has vegetables from my garden in it," Ren mentioned. "These are delicious as usual. It's a shame Jamar's dad isn't home more often."
"You're right," Lesley said as she took a bite.
"By the way, you were awesome out there," Jamar commented. "That last blow with Mara's sword was epic. You looked pretty scared though..."
"I wasn't," Lesley bragged. "I completely faked it."
"Either you're lying now or you were lying then!" Jamar complained playfully. "Do you always have to be so darn mysterious?"
Lesley would have remarked then, but her mouth was full.

About half an hour later, Lesley was walking down the hallway towards the main room, where she was supposed to meet next. It was here that she parted with Ren and Jamar.
"We're gonna head home now," Ren explained as she and Jamar turned to leave. "Why don't you come home for a little while as well after you're done?"
Lesley smiled and nodded in reply, feeling a mixture of sadness and excitement as she walked into the room. (By that time, her wounds were nearly healed and they hardly hurt at all--whatever that serum was, it really worked.) Excitement, because she was anxious to learn what was in store for her, and sadness, because now there was a high possibility that she would be seeing her mother, her friends, and her home village less often. Her very life seemed now to harden into seriousness, whilst she herself struggled to hold on to whatever bit of levity she could find.
 
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