Writing Mysteries of the Forgotten Island (Version Zero) (Complete)

yay, words \o/

Reasons why some characters have gotten more screen time than others, using Lenny as an example because he's had the least time out of everyone:

1. It's their turn to battle. Obviously if it's their turn, they're going to have more screen time than the others. The characters that they interact with more frequently are likely going to get more screen time than ones that don't. Lenny's match isn't until chapter six, so even if I did the bare minimum for every chapter, you still wouldn't be seeing him for a while.

2. Advancing a character's subplot. Think of all the ships subplots introduced so far:

- Quayle and Nye
- Quayle, Candice, and Team Galactic
- Frisk, Chara, and Taikyu
- Scarlet and Rose
- Eldan and Nye (there's gold in them thar hills, and I intend to mine it for all it's worth)
- Windra and no one else in particular (which you'll learn more about in chapter 3)
- Diamant Industries

It's easier to bring in characters that are involved with these subplots than those that aren't. Lenny doesn't know about any of these characters' problems. He's not very insightful or knowledgeable outside of his area of expertise. Compare him to someone like Kiria, who is younger and has traveled the world, and it's easy to see why no one--so far--interacts with him a great deal. And that's not a bad thing! On the one hand, I don't think that every character needs their own fic inside this fic (there are a few who you could write an entire story about, like Eldan, I'm sorry Jabberwock D: Quayle or Frisk). Lenny isn't involved with any of the other characters (yet???), so he kinda gets pushed to the side. On the other hand, NotJim gave me plenty of good details about his character and I am still going to try to flesh him out some at some point.

3. I haven't found a reason to talk about them. Inspiration hits me at the weirdest times. The whole bit with Kiria telling her story wasn't planned at all, but I needed to find a way to make Scarlet a more legitimate character and not just a hoe (despite Reshiwott's insistence that it was okay and even preferable) and that just happened to be a perfect reason to bring Kiria into the story. Windra got lines because she just happened to be there - I had originally planned on "introducing" her in chapter three in a similar vein I did for Jethro. (I'm still planning on doing that, so I hope you guys like Windra.) Tsomu is a chef literally only because Ribombee uses its pollen puffs to make food. In Lenny's case, I haven't had a reason to go into a lot of detail with him, and that relates mostly to #2 above. He isn't invested in anyone else's story and I haven't taken the time to give him a reason to, which, again, is fine because it fits with his character. Usually if I think, "oh, this character hasn't done anything in a while" I'll find a way to inject them into the scene - hence Lenny's few lines towards the end of chapter 2. Those lines could have been given out by anyone, so I gave them to Lenny just to put him back in the reader's mind and let them know that no, I haven't forgotten about him.

I always enjoy speculation, so feel free to speculate on whatever - where you think the story is going to go, etc. Place your bets on who's going to win the remaining matches! random.org doesn't seem to like legendary Pokemon - both of the people who lost so far were using them.

So I guess that means Tsomu and Scarlet are automatically out of the competition :p
 
I've been around; just not commenting in-thread. I absolutely love the story so far though, and the battles were outstanding. The amount of detail and work put into them pays off so much, and each one has had me at the edge of my seat. The ending of that first battle especially was just... aaaaaagh, how could someone have the nerve to do that with a straight face?! You just don't do that to a Pokémon, let alone anyone! I mean, unless you're Chara you have no idea how much I've wanted to do that shut up I'm not Frisk

Anyways, the second chapter was really good. I enjoyed Scarlet's scene with Kiria and Windra a lot; it was nice to get some depth into Scarlet's love for Rose and realizing why she liked her, and why she may simply be blinded by her sexual drive. I also really liked the scene with Taikyu and Frisk (excluding the last little bit because it's not really right for a teenage girl to be doing what she did in front of an old man, even if a spirit is possessing her), as it gave me depth into Chara I admittedly hadn't even thought of. Interested in seeing how that plays out!

there are a few who you could write an entire story about, like Eldan, I'm sorry Jabberwock D: Quayle or Frisk
Funny thing is, I've actually been trying to write something with Frisk, but I haven't really gotten anywhere. I guess if you want to see what I have, here you go, but I haven't really made much progress recently.
 
(excluding the last little bit because it's not really right for a teenage girl to be doing what she did in front of an old man,

I know that. So does Frisk. And that is precisely why Chara did it.

I've been spending like 20 minutes explaining my thought process behind this scene but it gave me ideas to where I want to go in terms of the relationship between Frisk and Chara (aside from making the undisputed best pairing canon). I was like, why am I explaining all this now when I could just put it in a chapter? :D so that's what I'mma do instead.
 
and especially how he talks like a Pirate

That's... not exactly how I imagined it. I wrote it with a Scottish accent in mind. Some of the terms he uses are Scottish slang as well. I didn't want to go too overboard with it, since I don't have the way they speak 100% down, and not everyone in Hoenn talks like he does. But if the way he talks sounds a bit off, that's why.
 
I didn't expect Kyro to be so, clueless, but I love it!
I get the feeling he'd make a great comic relief character.
 
Think of all the ships subplots introduced so far:

- Quayle and Nye
- Quayle, Candice, and Team Galactic
- Frisk, Chara, and Taikyu
- Scarlet and Rose
- Eldan and Nye (there's gold in them thar hills, and I intend to mine it for all it's worth)
- Windra and no one else in particular (which you'll learn more about in chapter 3)
- Diamant Industries

The whole bit with Kiria telling her story wasn't planned at all, but I needed to find a way to make Scarlet a more legitimate character and not just a hoe (despite Reshiwott's insistence that it was okay and even preferable)
Quayle is pretty much set up to receive some major character development. I think he'll change for the better, although I'm not sure how he'll make it up to everyone (hopefully Rose won't attack him like Windra did). Something that's been sitting in the back of my mind is if Team Galactic will attack the Indigo League.
I've already said my piece about Frisk and Chara and Taikyu, although I'm curious to see what characters you make up to be Taikyu's fellow sages.
I personally think the possibility of Scarlet and Rose will hang around for a bit, before eventually falling through in one way or another.
Calling it right now. Eldan will try to hook up with Nye when she's with Quayle, and he'll effectively tell Eldan to piss off, showing off a bit of character development. Eldan will also probably be stupid enough to flirt with Nye during their match.

And I laughed at the last bit I have quoted more than I should have. Although Reshiwott may or may not prefer it, that's a good thing to avoid for obvious reasons:p.
 
I swear to Arceus Darkrai, if Eldan (sorry Jabberwock, your cool to me) tries to do something creepy to Nye, I will sic Absol on him for hurting a friend. I think I know what Nye and Quayle are doing. The relationship between Frisk/Chara and Taikyu is very interesting.
 
I didn't expect Kyro to be so, clueless, but I love it!
I get the feeling he'd make a great comic relief character.

I aged him down; he's nine. Does what he says make more sense now?

Here's how I see him. He's the stereotype of that kid who you see playing the game and you ask to see his team and it's like a level 78 Typhlosion and everyone else is level 20 and it's clear that he's been using the Typhlosion all game long just because it's his favorite.

Now look at his team and translate that to the anime. He's a kid who uses his favorite Pokemon and kicks ass with it. He's a battling prodigy who has no idea how good he really is. Remember, all the competitors are tournament champions, and Kyro won his tournament using only Archeops. Consider also that Orre has no organized play - it has no gyms and no league. It speaks to Kyro's raw skill as a trainer that he was able to get this far without having Gym Leaders to fight and test his skill against.

He doesn't care about the prize money. He's just a kid playing in a tournament where almost everyone else is grown up. Making him a child also provides a contrast in a cast where most of the others are adults or close to it. Here is a list of the ages of everyone in the cast, from oldest to youngest:

Kyro - 9 (aged down)
Frisk - 14
Alex - 15
Scarlet - 16
Rose - 17
Windra - 17
Eldan - 18
Cody - 19
Tsomu - 20
Quayle - 20 (aged up)
Nye - 22
Thresher - 23
Jethro - 25
Kiria - 31
Lenny - 43
Taikyu - 70

So as you can see, there's quite a bit of variety there. I don't know if I would agree with calling Kyro comic relief, but he's definitely one of the more laid back characters, if only because he's a little naive.

I'm also abysmal at comedy, so I don't want to label a character "this person is for funny times" and then have people be like "but wait that isn't how I imagined him" or "this person isn't funny" or "Eldan wouldn't act like that, what are you doing PMJ."

I think I know what Nye and Quayle are doing.

I know what they're doing. ;)
 
I hope they're not doing what Kiria and Windra presumably think they're doing. It wouldn't make sense for Nye's character whatsoever for her to go from wanting to distance herself from Quayle to doing him in a day. But you're the author, so obviously you have the final say.

I've been enjoying it so far, your ability to write battles is phenomenal, and I've been able to get into the characters' heads really easy and just understand what you've been thinking. It's really easy to get caught up in what's happening, and I find myself rereading these several times just to get more of them. Excellent job, I can't wait to see where you take this next.
 
I hope they're not doing what Kiria and Windra presumably think they're doing.

If Nye walked out right now and told both of them she slept with Quayle, Kiria wouldn't believe her, and Windra would be mostly indifferent about it, but neither of them actually think that's what's going on.

Keep in mind that Nye feels sorry for Quayle and how far she feels he's fallen. He seems sincere on the surface, and all of that combined with their existing friendship is what makes her agree to speak with him. He already knows he's on thin ice with her (hence not referring to her as Lady and being uncharacteristically polite to her) so he wouldn't dare try to make a pass at her.

You'll find out what they talked about in chapter three.

...probably.
 
I honestly don't really care what you do with Kiria. I made her up in five minutes based on mostly on my recent fondness of Slowpokes after seeing them so often in PGO and my fascination with the various Pokémon "evil teams". Trying to keep 16+ characters accounted for and decently written is a difficult enough task on its own without a whole bunch of backseat-writers whining about how you handle their characters. Do whatever makes the story most interesting and you have my blessing.
 
PMJ if I hand you an OC and have you do whatever you want with it, you can do whatever you want with it. :p
I swear to Arceus Darkrai, if Eldan (sorry Jabberwock, your cool to me) tries to do something creepy to Nye, I will sic Absol on him for hurting a friend. I think I know what Nye and Quayle are doing. The relationship between Frisk/Chara and Taikyu is very interesting.
^Fully expecting this to come up eventually. I mean, that cape? Please. No respect for proper style at all. >.>
( :p )

Next chapter should be fun. Many more stylish battles to come.
 
"Capes are cool" - Lance, probably
 
Truth be told, I didn't expect you to take that route with Windra. However, I've grown to really like it. It makes her a lot different from the other characters I've made. Most of them are the same old "doesn't like violence, but stands up for their beliefs!" "very forgiving and loving, they can see the best in everyone :)" "wants to protect everyone and wants everyone to be happy" and so on.
I'm honored that you would choose Windra to have a lead role in chapter 3, which isn't even her battle... Seriously, it made me pace excitedly for 10 minutes. (That's what I do because I'm weird.) I can't wait to see where this goes. (Very interested in that "and no one else in particular"...)
And I completely agree with Jabber and Athena. I want you to take Windra wherever you feel she fits. I, like Athena, made my character up in about an hour. If she's different from how I imagined, that's good. Do whatever you please with her. :)

I'm interested to hear what Quayle and Nye talked about, and very anxious to see how Taikyu's and Frisk's story plays out.
I'm also wondering why exactly those who are eliminated have to stay... In the old Forgotten Island, the plot was driven by those who were eliminated, because they discovered the Evil Plan. Here, they mostly just kinda...stick around. Talk and argue. You've already begun to hint that Diamant probably doesn't have the purest intentions, but I personally can't see much of an Evil Plan, just a Plan. He's lying to make more money, which is something lots of IRL business-people do every day.
I shouldn't be pressing this so hard when you're just starting chapter 3... It's supposed to be hints and stuff at this point. I guess I'm just impatient, and excited for when Evil Plan 2.0 starts to show itself. :)

"Capes are cool" - Lance, probably
Me too.
 
Do whatever you please with her.

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I'm interested to hear what Quayle and Nye talked about, and very anxious to see how Taikyu's and Frisk's story plays out.
I'm also wondering why exactly those who are eliminated have to stay... In the old Forgotten Island, the plot was driven by those who were eliminated, because they discovered the Evil Plan. Here, they mostly just kinda...stick around. Talk and argue. You've already begun to hint that Diamant probably doesn't have the purest intentions, but I personally can't see much of an Evil Plan, just a Plan. He's lying to make more money, which is something lots of IRL business-people do every day.
I shouldn't be pressing this so hard when you're just starting chapter 3... It's supposed to be hints and stuff at this point. I guess I'm just impatient, and excited for when Evil Plan 2.0 starts to show itself. :)

In my defense, plot has always been secondary. As Athena I said in the OP, this is a writing exercise first and foremost. Unlike Athena, who is a literary goddess and deserves all the thanks for helping me make my fic not blow ass, I did not go into this with an intent to have this huge, over arching plot.

That doesn't mean that this story won't have one, but right now the plan is no plan. I'm going to continue with the side stories that I've started developing and see where it leads me. It's already brought me to some interesting places already, so I'm confident that, if nothing else, things will be enjoyable to read.

To answer your questions more specifically, they are forced to stay out of convenience to me more than anything. The story can get much more interesting if I have access to sixteen characters for the entire time than slowly having people leave. Plus, who wants to spend time submitting an OC just to have them gone from the story forever in round one?

In that vein, I briefly thought about killing someone off, but decided against it.

In regards to what Quayle and Nye talked about, I've decided to add it as separate "bonus" chapter, because it doesn't fit anywhere in chapter 3. I originally just had their talk narrated to the reader but decided that there was potential for both Quayle and Nye to get a little development and didn't want to squander it.
 
Ideally, by this time next week. I told Jesi I'd try to have chapter 3 done by the time she got back, and I'm well on my way to doing that.

As always, no promises.
 
Interlude 1 highlights:

- What did Quayle and Nye talk about? Did they bone? Did they talk about boning? THE SUSPENSE IS REAL. FIND OUT BELOW
- I plant some seeds :D :D :D Will they sprout??? Who knooooooooooows :O
- forum censors are dumb lol
- just a little baby ficlet starring Nye to tide you over until chapter 3
- it's friggin dope

Word count: 3371

Interlude 1: Deal or No Deal

"Please, sit down," Quayle told Nye.

Nye was wary, but did as she was told. Quayle didn't say anything, at first - just paced around the room, occasionally looking at his phone, which rested on his bed. "Is there a point to this?" she said, a little more forcefully than she'd meant to. She hadn't intended to sound rude, or even sympathetic, but she disliked the way it sounded all the same.

Quayle pulled up another chair and sat in front of her. He buried his face in his hands and sighed. "I messed up," he finally said, staring into Nye's cool blue eyes. "I messed up big time."

"Yes, I imagine you did," she replied, crossing her legs. "Your behavior is inexcusable. I'm ashamed to be called your friend."

"Come on, Nye, don't say that," Quayle said, getting to his feet. He resumed his pacing around the room as he spoke. "Okay, look, you're right, okay? I know I messed up. You saw me, I tried apologizing to that girl for calling her a bitch."

"Stupid bitch," Nye corrected. "Her name is Windra, and she was right for not forgiving you. I wouldn't have, in her place. You did horrible things to Rose's Gardevoir, and the entire world knows it. Did you forget that millions of people are watching us? Have you seen the news? They're talking about having you arrested, Quayle."

"They won't do it," Quayle said, still pacing. "What I did was awful, but it wasn't against the rules."

"Who cares about the rules, Quayle?!" she shouted back to him. "What about basic decency? What about respect for your fellow trainers? What about that?" Now she stood up, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "I swear, Quayle, if you're even thinking about trying to rules lawyer your way out of taking responsibility for--"

"No! Nye, no, not at all, okay? Please, listen," he pleaded. "I was serious when I said I was sorry. I'm scared, Nye. Look at this." He picked up his phone, showed Nye the display. "She called me, Nye. She called me right about when my match was over, and I haven't listened to it because I'm scared of what she's going to say."

"And what do you think she's going to say?" Nye said, crossing her arms. She already knew the answer, but she wanted him to say the words himself.

"She's going to leave me."

"Then why not just listen to the message and find out? Better to take the knife out quickly than to slowly drag it out."

"It's not the same. This knife is in my heart," Quayle said, borrowing her analogy. "If I yank it out, I'll die."

Nye rolled her eyes. "Get over yourself, Quayle. You made your bed, and now you have to lie in it. And what will you do if it turns out that she didn't break up with you? You're simply going to ignore Candice forever because of what you think she said? I knew you were a coward, Quayle, but I didn't think you were this much of one."

"Why are you so mean to me?" Quayle asked. "I came to you for help and you've done nothing but say mean things to me."

She sighed. "Goodbye, Quayle," she said, turning towards the door.

"Wait!" he practically shouted, rushing to put himself between her and the exit. "Okay, I'm sorry, I deserve everything bad you said! Just... listen to it with me, okay? Please sit. Please, Nye."

Nye didn't know what made her listen. Maybe it was pity. Maybe it was friendship. Whatever it was, Nye took her seat, but Quayle didn't move from his spot by the door. He opened up the voice mail and played back the message a frantic Candice had left him.

Jesus, Quayle, are you insane?! You almost killed that poor girl's Gardevoir! And for what, some stupid tournament?! Money? You didn't even win! I... I don't know what to say, Quayle. Team Galactic is one thing. If that had been all it was, I would have looked past it, but this... Candice sighed, and Quayle could hear the hurt in every syllable she spoke next. I can't be a part of this, Quayle. I'm sorry, but I'm done. I'm going to stay at Mom's house tonight. I'll have the rest of my stuff out before the end of the week. Another sigh, and a sniffle. I'm sorry, I have to go. Goodbye, Quayle.

Quayle stared at his phone display, teary-eyed. He slumped against the door, unwilling to believe that this was really happening. Candice, his love, his everything, was gone. He noticed Nye had gotten up from her seat and was now standing in front of him. He looked up at her, expecting pity, but saw only hot fury in those icy blue eyes.

"What did she mean by 'Team Galactic', Quayle?"

When it rains, it pours, he thought. There was no point in trying to hide it from her any longer. "I used to be an administrator of Team Galactic. I-"

Impossibly fast, Nye slapped him across the face. "How dare you?! Do you mean to tell me that you willingly consorted with the same people who burned Celestic Town to the ground and defaced the sacred murals? Answer me! No, don't. The very thought of hearing you speak repulses me. Get out of my way. You'll waste no more of my time today." Quayle held a hand to the spot where Nye had struck him. He balled up his other hand into a fist, clenched it tight. Nye noticed this and immediately went back on the offensive. "Do you intend on hitting me, too? I can't speak for Windra, but I am quite capable of handling myself. You--"

"No, Nye, I'm not going to hit you. You're my best friend. I'd never put my hands on you in anger. I deserved that hit. I'm sorry for deceiving you. Truly, Nye, I am. I didn't join Team Galactic until after that incident happened. I was there when it all went down. I'll never forget that day. I was so weak back then... I was powerless to stop them. I ran and hid and cried like a baby as they did as they pleased. And after they'd had their fill and left, I swore I would do whatever it took to bring them down. I joined them and I was this close, Nye, I was this f*cking close to doing it. Do you remember the incident at Spear Pillar?"

"No, I don't," she said plainly.

"That's because it never happened. Cyrus wanted to make a new world using Dialga and Palkia's power, and I stopped it from happening. Me. I tried controlling the legendary Pokemon for myself, but I couldn't do it. They escaped, but not before taking out one of Team Galactic's commanders and a handful of their scientists. I was lucky to get out alive."

Nye scoffed. "Do not lie to me and say you had Celestic Town's best interests at heart when you just said you tried controlling the legendary Pokemon for yourself."

"Nye, I swear on our friendship that I am telling you the truth. Yes, I wanted the legendary Pokemon's power. I wanted to bring Team Galactic to their knees, to make them answer for what they did to our town, to make them beg for their lives before I snuffed them out like a wick."

"Listen to yourself!" she yelled. "You speak of bringing them to their knees... murdering them? I agree they should be held accountable for what they did, but not with their lives!" The fire in her eyes calmed a little, but Quayle didn't like the sadness that replaced it. "I had wondered why you changed so abruptly all those years ago. I didn't want to believe it was permanent, but having heard this... it seems I was wrong about you."

Alarm bells went off in Quayle's head. First Candice, and now... "Nye, hold on, that's not--"

"No, it is," she said plainly. "It is, Quayle. You used to be so kind and sweet. Did you know there actually was a time when I was jealous of Candice? The first time she told me that she loved you, I was, frankly, shocked. How could she possibly love someone as fashion backwards as you? You never stopped talking about Darkrai and the night and you look like a teenager chose your entire wardrobe. But then she explained to me how much of a gentleman you were. She told me that you made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world. She called you ambitious, driven, powerful, words I would never have even thought to use to describe you until she said them to me. And I thought... what had I done? I was so caught up in what other people thought of you and I together that I missed the forest for the trees.

"I stood up for you, you know," she continued, the sadness slowly giving way to anger. "I took all that teasing from people who constantly ridiculed you. 'You don't know him like I know him,' I said. 'He's not a freak. He's my friend.'" She stepped closer to him, her eyes flaring and her voice low. "But you aren't a freak. You're a monster. You are no better than Cyrus. 'Master of Darkness,' indeed. The Quayle I know would never have used the tactics you used to win a fight. Your blatant disregard for others' lives is appalling and it sickens me to think that I might have once felt something for you."

Nye's harsh words sliced through Quayle like a blade. He sighed heavily. "You're right. You're absolutely right," he began. "When we lost the village, all I could think of was revenge. I rose through the ranks and became an admin within months, and I became drunk on the power that position gave me. It wouldn't be a stretch to say it consumed me. But if you don't believe anything I say ever again, believe one thing: I want to see Team Galactic's end. I have been blessed with a great power," Quayle said, displaying his Absolite, "and I will use that power along with my abilities as a trainer to see them undone by whatever means necessary. They will answer for their crimes, Nye. I swear it. Everyone who lost their lives that day will be avenged.

"Look," he said, carefully removing the contacts from his eyes. He knelt in front of her and, for the first time in years, she could see his rich, mahogany-colored eyes. "For the past year, I've been living a lie. I kept my past from the two people I care about most in this world. I won't give up on Candice, and I hope and pray that you won't give up on me. I am more than my job, Nye. Forest for the trees, remember?" He reached up and took her hands into his own, and was thankful that she didn't immediately jerk them away. "I lied to the woman I love, and to you, and I'll regret that for as long as I live. This was the wake-up call I needed, Nye. I won't ask for you to forgive me right away. All I ask is that you reserve judgment until the tournament is over. If at that time you honestly think I haven't treated this with the seriousness it deserves, I'll never speak to you again. You don't have to stick up for me when the others yell at me. I'm not going to tell them they shouldn't be mad at me."

Nye hesitated. In her heart of hearts, she wanted to believe him. As angry and betrayed as she felt, there was a small part of her that was overjoyed to see that finally, finally, Quayle was starting to take things seriously. And yet, as the logical part of her brain pointed out, all of this seemed awfully convenient. If he truly was serious, Nye needed to be completely sure. "Two conditions."

Quayle stood up so quickly he nearly fell over. "Anything."

"Do you honestly mean that, Quayle? If I tell you my conditions and you don't accept, the deal is off."

"Yes," he answered immediately. "If it will help prove to you that I want to change, I'll do anything."

Nye took a Poke Ball off her belt and held it out, releasing the Dragonite within. "Give me your contacts."

Quayle hesitated for a moment, but nevertheless picked them up off the table and handed the delicate eyewear over. Nye held them in her open palm in front of her Dragonite. "Eat them," she instructed. Before Quayle could say two words, Nye's Dragonite complied, swiftly licking them off her hand. "That is the first. If you want to show people you have changed, a new look is a very good start. Next, I'm going to have Dragonite cut your hair. Do you object?"

"You better believe I do. I love my hair... but that's your point, isn't it? Very well. Do I have any say in how it looks afterwards?"

"No. Turn around." Quayle did so, and Nye ran her fingers through his unnaturally purple hair. She'd let him keep the color - at least it was a pretty shade of purple. She settled on a length of about five inches and instructed her Dragonite to slice the hair at that point. Once he'd done so, she ran her fingers through it again to make sure the cut was even. It wasn't perfect, but it would do. His hair reached his shoulders now, instead of ending up in a tangled mess somewhere down his back. "Where are your glasses?"

"Right there, by the bed," Quayle said, pointing to them. "I suppose I'll have no choice but to wear them, now, won't I?"

Nye brought her Pokemon back to his Poke Ball. "Bingo. Now, for the second condition: Apologize to Rose. You owe her that much."

"Yes, of course," Quayle said, putting on the thick, black, square frames. He hated the way they looked, but admitted he felt smart in them. "I'll go see her right now."

"I would advise against that. She's with Taikyu right now. She mentioned wanting to learn more about his legendary Pokemon, and they left together. You should do it at dinner tonight."

Quayle shook his head. "No. I don't think I'll be eating with you all tonight. I don't want to make things awkward for everyone. I'll catch her sometime tomorrow. And hey," he said, smiling for the first time since his loss, "if she's interested in legendary Pokemon, I can use Shifter to break the ice."

"Very well," Nye replied, preparing to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yeah. Thanks for hearing me out. And thanks for having faith in me. I won't let you down."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Quayle."

Nye slipped out of his room, somewhat pleased with how the visit turned out, only to come face to sunglasses with Eldan. Noticing her, he grinned devilishly, looking over her figure and whistling approvingly. He caught a glance of the name tag attached to the door she'd just come out of, and his grin was replaced with a look of disgust. "Ugh, really? You're still wasting time with him? What do you see in him? What's he got that I haven't got?"

"Respect for himself, apparently," Nye immediately countered. "I see you still dress as though you were color blind."

"And I see your temper is still as hot as you are," Eldan replied, his grin returning. "And give me a break. I dress way better than your boyfriend."

Nye crossed her arms, glaring daggers at Eldan. "He is not my boyfriend."

That got a laugh out of Eldan, who slowly started pacing around her. "You sure about that? You know everyone thinks you two are way more than just friends, right? They don't say it to your face, but there's talk. They figure the only reason you're even giving him the time of day is because he's good in bed."

Nye spun on her heels to face him, incredulous. "That is not--!" When Eldan only smiled wider, she'd realized she'd taken his bait. "Quayle and I are just friends. He has someone else," she said calmly.

"Is that a fact? In that case, why don't we keep each other company tonight? I have a feeling we would have quite a bit to talk about," he said, raising an eyebrow.

Now it was Nye's turn to smile. She wouldn't be hooked again. "Oh? And what would we talk about? Your obsession with the color red? Why you think it's acceptable to wear sunglasses indoors? How Quayle is more of a gentleman than you'll ever be?"

"That guy is no gentleman," Eldan said, quite seriously, gesturing towards Quayle's door. "Am I less of a gentleman for telling a beautiful woman she's beautiful? For appreciating the finer things in life, and wanting my girl to do the same? Team Flare is dedicated to the preservation of the world's beauty. We would never use underhanded tactics like that. Seeing him do that to that girl's Gardevoir made me think about my own Gardevoir, and what I'd do to anyone who thought they could get away with what he did. What he did is disgusting, plain and simple."

Nye was taken aback by Eldan's sudden normalcy, but she wouldn't let her guard down. "At least on that, we agree."

And instantly, Eldan's smile was back. "So, what do you say? Care to be my guest tonight? Maybe you can tell me more about the $300 dress you're wearing? It's one of... Jeremiah's designs, is it not?"

Nye stared at Eldan, unable to fathom what was happening. "Yes, it is," she said dumbly. "How did you know that?"

"Come to my room later and we can chat all about it," he replied.

Nye scoffed. "I wouldn't be caught dead in your bedroom, Eldan."

"Wanna bet?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. A bet," he said. "I bet you one date that I beat you in our match."

Nye laughed before she could stop herself. "That is rich. You think you can beat me? Does your Pokemon team have the same ridiculous sunglasses you do?"

"Come on, be serious. If I beat you, you have to be my date for one night. I'm more than just handsome, you know," he said, winking. "If you're so sure you can win, then you have nothing to be afraid of, right?"

Nye was about to deliver a scathing retort, but reconsidered. What was the worst case scenario here, really? They'd go to his room and talk, the same way she'd done with Quayle. If he tried anything funny, Dragonite would kick his ass, and that was only after she got done with him, so she didn't really fear for her safety. It was simply an aversion to being seen with him, which would be mitigated by them meeting in private. For one night. And not even the whole night, just a couple hours after dinner. And he'd have to beat her in battle first.

"And what do I get if I win?" she asked.

Eldan shrugged. "I don't know. I'm trying to spend time with you here, cut me a break."

Nye tried to think of something. She didn't want anything in particular from him, least of all a date. She gasped softly, inspiration having hit her. "If I win, you are no longer allowed to solicit me or any of the other girls for a date or anything even remotely sexual, for the duration of the tournament."

"Oh, come on, that's way harsh!" he objected.

A sly smile came across Nye's face. "If you're so sure you can win, then you have nothing to be afraid of, right?"

Eldan smirked. "Well played. Fine, fine, I'll agree to those terms. Do we have a deal?" He held out his hand.

Nye shook it, confident that regardless of the outcome of her match, she'd be coming out on top. "We have a deal."
 
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