Are Pokémon that don't naturally touch the ground (Birds, Flying Bugs, other things that levitate in their sprites eg. Magnezone) immune to ground-based Terrain effects?
Writing Mysteries of the Forgotten Island (Version Zero) (Complete)
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PMJ
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Good question. The answer is "I don't know." Athena's story had a plot that was driven by the characters who lost their matches. No such plot exists in this version. What happens once they lose also depends on the character. Some characters probably wouldn't stick around if they lost right away, but I can use creative license to make them stay. We'll see.
If you're asking what I think you're asking, you're reading too much into the fields. They aren't actual "terrains" like in the video games; just different areas of battle. If you're asking about actual terrains if someone were to use, say, Grassy Terrain, then the answer is yes, they would be. This is anime-style battling, so the rules of VG don't exactly apply. Whereas something like Beedrill would be affected by Grassy Terrain in the games, it would have no such bonus in the anime.
PMJ
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Some of you guys are messaging me moves for your Pokemon. This isn't necessary for a few reasons. The biggest is that The Great Randomizer decides who lives and who dies, so even if you are at a severe type disadvantage, you can still win. As for how, that's going to be on me to write. The second is because it's unnecessary. Pokemon in the games can only learn four moves to make things fair and give Pokemon a way to get countered. If your Pokemon could learn six or seven attacks, they would be able to handle tons of threats. The games deal in hard numbers - anime-style battling does not. "Dodge it!" is a command not available in the games, and things can happen that would be unheard of in the games, like a Pokemon using something on the field to dodge an attack or attack an opponent. I also find it silly that a Pokemon would spend all this time perfecting an attack and then just forget it because reasons.
Outside of your Pokemon's signature attack, the moves they use in battle will be determined by me depending on the situation. (edit: that doesn't mean they will use it in every battle) (edit again: this also refers to abilities; if there is more than one option then your Pokemon may have both if the situation calls for it.)
Outside of your Pokemon's signature attack, the moves they use in battle will be determined by me depending on the situation. (edit: that doesn't mean they will use it in every battle) (edit again: this also refers to abilities; if there is more than one option then your Pokemon may have both if the situation calls for it.)
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Heh-
PMJ
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Prologue's here! I'm been on something of a writing marathon today, cranking this bad boy out in, well, all day. I'm pretty sure I got all the spelling errors. If your character didn't speak, that's fine; they will. My goal is one non-battle scene per character. Considering I hit about half of you in the prologue alone, I feel like I'm making pretty good time.
If you have any questions about what I've done or where I'm going, ask, but do know that the answer might be "I dunno lol
" I've tried to be true to all your characters based on the information you've given me. I've had to take some minor liberties here and there based on what cool idea popped in my head, but there shouldn't be anything horribly out of place. If there is, let me know.
Enjoy. Word count: 5923
Cinnabar Island hadn't seen this kind of activity in years.
The normally busy port town was packed to the brim with spectators, fans, and press, hoping to catch a glimpse of the trainers who'd be vying for a hundred million dollars, the largest tournament reward in history. As the ship carrying the contestants came into port, a young woman with a Glaceon trotting faithfully at her side headed to meet them, flanked by dozens of news teams from all over the world, hoping to get a good shot. One by one, the trainers disembarked to cheers from their fans, some louder than others.
"Welcome, Trainers, to the first annual Pokemon League Invitational!"
The crowd roared. The battles leading up to this tournament had been intense, and the hype for this tournament of champions was off the charts. Said champions, from all walks of life, listened as the woman at the port spoke. "My name is Safiri, and this," she said, gesturing to the Pokemon at her feet, "is Glaceon. We are thrilled that you, the skilled sixteen who made it through the qualifying rounds, have accepted our invitation to participate in this tournament!"
Quayle listened to the woman's words, only mildly annoyed with the whole introduction song and dance. All sixteen of them already knew who she was and why they were here - big tourney, lots of money at stake. The whole thing had been televised extensively; she was literally the face of this tournament. Why did she need to make this such a big deal? He crossed his arms and huffed, noticing the Glaceon at Safiri's feet. It reminded him of home, and of Candice, and he found her missing her terribly. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thought to himself. Me and my stupid mouth. It's not like I meant it... I should at least call her and tell her I got here safely.
"...so if you'll all please follow me this way, we'll be on our way!" Safiri turned to go, leaving the sixteen trainers to follow behind her.
Quayle snapped back to reality, unaware that he'd missed the entirety of Safiri's speech. He scrambled to gather his things and keep up with the group. He decided to learn what he'd missed from the only person he knew on this trip. "Lady Nye!" he shouted just a little bit too loudly, jogging to catch up to her. "Lady Nye, wait!"
Nye, a short young blonde in a white dress, barely flinched when she heard Quayle call her name. She could feel the crowd's eyes on her, hungry for rumor fuel. After it was learned that she and Quayle were both finalists from the same hometown, and that they had been friends, the rumor that they were dating spread like wildfire. Even though she had taken that opportunity to publicly deny this, she knew it woudn't stop the tabloids from continuing to circulate the rumor. And it wasn't like Quayle was bad. He was smart, kind - at least to her - and knew his way around a Pokemon battle. Sure, he had his faults, but who didn't? She just wished the boy would exercise some discretion. And more than a small part of her wished he would stop calling her "Lady Nye." Sure, she came from money, but she'd chosen to leave that lifestyle years ago, and Quayle hadn't even started calling her "Lady" until she'd told him about her past. It was embarrassing. She was mortified to read one magazine that had the two of them sitting at a restaurant plastered on the front cover with the headline, "Lady and the Tramp." And sure enough, as the bounding steps of Quayle approached her, she internally groaned at the idea that cameras were watching the whole thing unfold.
"Hello, Quayle," she said without looking at him as he fell into step with her, grinning a fake smile as he did so. She knew she couldn't stop the tabloids from running garbage stories about her, but at least she could look presentable when they did. "What can I do for you?"
Quayle took a moment to catch his breath, brushing a few strands of violet hair from his eyes. "Hello, Lady Nye. I was wondering if--"
"I've told you many times before, Quayle, you don't have to address me like that," Nye said with a sigh. "Just Nye. Please."
"Sure, whatever. Hey, can you fill me in on what Safiri said?"
This time, Nye did look at him, his face barely visible behind his shaggy purple hair and black hood. Her eyes were drawn downward to his tattered jeans and bright purple shoes and almost visibly cringed at his choice of fashion. How could one person have such awful taste? As she went to voice her protest, she looked into a purplish-gray eye and rolled her eyes. Colored contacts? Did he think they made him look cool or something? Still, she knew the cameras were on her, so she made nice. "We're traveling to the airport by limousine, then taking a plane to Viridian City. From there, we'll travel to Indigo Plateau by bus. The actual tournament will start tomorrow, and we'll learn the pairings later tonight. That's it." A pause. "Why do you wear those things in your eyes?"
"You mean my contacts?" Quayle asked, confused. "I told you, it's to--"
"Be one with the night. Yes, I know." Whatever that means, she silently added. "But they're so..." Atrocious? Disgusting? Hideous? A felony against fashion? "Unorthodox," she decided. "And the hair," she said forlornly. Quayle's hair was something out of Nye's dreams. Long and smooth, much like her own, in a beautiful natural brown that she would kill to be able to mimic. But he squandered it by dying it that awful purple and keeping it bunched up in that stupid hoodie. All to be one with the goddamn night. Whatever that meant. It reminded her of that horrid young man with the bright red hair and the bright red shades in the bright red suit. Sure, Quayle's fashion sense hadn't fallen to that level yet, but she figured that at the rate Quayle was going, it was only a matter of time. "I've seen you without all that. You looked so handsome. That's the Quayle I want to remember."
Quayle said nothing, but turned away and kept walking. Of course she didn't understand. No one did. He hadn't told her about his past in Team Galactic, or just how close he'd come to achieving power. She hadn't been there when he was so close to divinity he could literally reach out and touch it, and how the ensuing disaster changed him. He reached up, felt the chain necklace that had been given to him. He felt the roundness of the blue and white Absolite that adorned it. Bad can be good? He still didn't know what it meant, or who it was that said it to him. Not that it mattered. All that mattered was how strong this jewel made his Pokemon, and his dream of controlling Dialga and Palkia. Making more of those chains would be easy - after all, he'd been part of the team that designed it - but it wouldn't be cheap. Cue this tournament and its cash prize, and Quayle couldn't sign up fast enough. He would train hard, do Lord Darkrai and Lady Cresselia proud, and achieve his dream, and when it came time to realize it, no one - not Cyrus, not Candice, not even Lady Nye - would stop him.
* * * * * * *
When the contestants finally reached Indigo Plateau, A young woman came to greet them. She looked a lot like Safiri, so much so that they could be reasonably mistaken as twins, or even clones, if it weren't for this woman's short red hair. She spoke in a warm, inviting tone. "Greetings, everyone. Welcome to Indigo Plateau. My name is Ruby, and I'll be serving as the announcer for the tournament. I'll be giving you all a tour of the facility while Safiri gets everyone registered. Follow me, please." The group grabbed their things and walked as Safiri swiped a card and led them down some stairs into a long hallway, with dozens of doors on either side. "This is the residential section of our VIP area, where we house competitors during the Pokemon League," Ruby began. She gestured to a nearby door with a plaque on it that said, "J. Duffy." "As you can see, this will be Mr. Duffy's room. You'll retire here at the end of each day. Each of you will be given a key card that unlocks your room, so please don't lose it. Also, I don't know if Safiri mentioned this, but you won't be fighting today. We know you've all had quite a long trip, and we want our audience to see you at your best. Therefore," she continued as she lead them back up the stairs and down another hallway, "you and your Pokemon are free to rest and gain your strength. We have a wide variety of amenities here that you and your Pokemon are free to take advantage of. The practice wing, where you can hold practice battles against each other or yourselves, can be found to your right. Our Pokemon Center facilities can also be found there. To your left is the cafeteria, where we have five-star chefs on hand to prepare you delicious meals for the duration of your stay. All of these things are yours to take advantage of as our honored guests - the public will not be permitted to enter this section.
"The main arena can be reached by going to the lobby, then entering the doors behind the reception stand. Follow the signs to the competitors' room. We will be holding two battles per day," Ruby continued. "We will hold the first in the morning, break for lunch, and do the second battle in the afternoon. If you are not scheduled to battle that day, you are welcome to explore at your leisure, but we ask that you do not leave the security of the VIP area for your own safety. If you need something, dial the front desk following the instructions on the phone in your room and someone will assist you. Does anyone have any questions?"
A young man raised his hand. Ruby judged him to be roughly sixteen, but would have to look up his information to know for sure. His lack of shirt revealed a toned, tan body that was sculped from a life on the ocean, and his bright blue eyes and easy smile made many a young lady quiver. He took his eye contact with Ruby as acknowledgement. "D'ya got a pool here?" His mellow voice and Hoenn accent was like velvet in ladies' ears. "I know my Pokemon could use a swim and I wouldn't mind getting a lil wet myself."
Ruby coughed. "Yes, of course. You can find it in the practice wing. I'm sure you'll find it to be to your liking. Does anyone else have any questions? All right," she said when no one said anything. "It is... 5:30 right now. We'll meet for dinner at 7 PM. After dinner, you'll learn the pairings for the tournament. You'll have the rest of the evening to rest, train, strategize, or do whatever it is you need to do to mentally prepare yourself for your upcoming battle. Out of respect to your fellow competitors, we ask that you be in your rooms no later than 11 PM. Breakfast will be at 8 AM, and the first match will start at 10 AM sharp. Don't be late."
* * * * * * *
That evening, Safiri and Ruby joined the competitors for their first meal together. The cafeteria was large, with lots of tables, enough to seat nearly a hundred. The food was laid out on one side of the room, featuring dishes from each champion's home country, and some were surprised to learn that the chefs had duplicated their favorite local recipes thanks to the information they had submitted way back during signups for the preliminary rounds. They did their homework, and it showed.
At a table by herself, away from the others, a young lady sat and ate, careful not to stain her uniform. After a close call with a too-large bite of cheesy noodles with broccoli (good lord, these chefs really were something else), she decided to remove her jacket and drape it around the back of her chair, leaving her in a black T-shirt and brown shorts. Another girl, not much older than her, approached the table with a tray of food and smiled. "Mind if I join you?"
Recognizing the emblem on the older girl's hat, she smiled back. Another Ranger. She gestured to a nearby chair as she swallowed her food and used her napkin to wipe her delicate mouth. She extended a hand. "Scarlet Jung, Ranger Rank 4."
The older girl set her tray down, all smiles. She eagerly took the other girl's dainty hand and gave it a few solid pumps. "Rose Bersalk, Ranger Rank 10." Immediately, Scarlet's eyes widened. This girl couldn't be any older than her, and she was Rank 10 already! And, as long as she was in admiration mode, she admitted that Rose was really pretty. She was thin, but toned like most Rangers were from being outdoors all the time. They were both redheads, though Scarlet's hair was currently dyed jet black. Where Scarlet's hair was short and framed her face, Rose's was wild and came down just past her shoulders. Her emerald green eyes were a stark contrast to Scarlet's dull brown, and there was something about the way she smiled that made her feel safe. Still, she reminded herself, making people feel safe was part of a Ranger's job, and if Rose was already Rank 10, there was no doubting she was very, very good at her job. A small part of her told her that she should have known this girl's name, but Scarlet couldn't place her finger on it. She wasn't part of her Ranger division... what could it be?
"Scarlet?"
Even the way Rose said her name was music to her ears. She could listen to that all day. She allowed herself a small indulgence. "Rose," she said. It sounded tough, but thinking of the flower for which she was named gave it a bit of--
Wait. Hold on. What was going on? A look of horror came over Scarlet's face as she realized what she'd done, and worse, she was still holding Rose's hand. She jerked her arm back with a start. "I am so sorry, I don't know what came over me, I was just in awe because you're so young and Rank 10 and I was like wow and your uniform is super cute and so are you and your hair is just amazing and... and... sorry," she said, wishing she wasn't feeling her face becoming as red as her name.
Rose simply laughed. "Don't worry about it, and thank you for the compliments! This," she said, waving her "uniform" over, "isn't regulation." She wore a black spaghetti strap tank top and an auburn jacket tied around black shorts that seemed to hug her legs, accentuating her every curve. Her hat, a red and black beret with one of the Pokemon Ranger logos on it, was Scarlet's only clue that this girl was a Ranger. "The hat is, but I wear it so people can tell I'm a Ranger at a glance. You never know who's going to need help." Scarlet nodded, taking in Rose's every word, but didn't say anything. Rose smiled knowingly. It wasn't uncommon for kids to feel nervous around her. She would try again to break the ice. "Rank 4, huh? That's really good. How old are you?"
"Sixteen, ma'am," Scarlet replied dutifully, though hating how meek she sounded when she said it.
This time, Rose didn't laugh, though she found it amusing. She knew Scarlet was on her guard now, and didn't want to give her any reason to clam up. "Please, you know you don't have to address me so formally. We're not on base and and we're not on a mission. Besides, I'm only a year older than you." She cut off a piece of teriyaki Basculin and ate it. "Oh, wow, that's really good. Where are you stationed?"
Scarlet took another bite of her food, not wanting the delicious meal to go to waste on her account. "Pastoria City in Sinnoh." Was Rose really only a year older than her? She clamped down on that thought, filing it away for later. She only got one chance at a first impression and damned if she was going to blow it. "I was born in Snowpoint City. It's a really beautiful place, even though it's cold all the time. There's a large temple at the north end of town that's been sealed since before I was born." She took another bite, washed it down as she considered her next words.
Rose nodded, not breaking eye contact with the girl across from her. She hadn't asked for Scarlet's life story, but if it got her talking, she'd let her talk.
"I've always been interested in Pokemon and its history. My dream was to travel all over and see lots of Pokemon and learn tons of things. I've only been a Ranger for about a year now, and I thought I'd been doing well for myself, having been Rank 4, but..."
"Don't sell yourself short," Rose said with genuine concern. "I have subordinates almost twice my age. They do the job, but they don't have the...soul that really good Rangers have. To get Rank 4 after only a year as a Ranger is wonderful. I mean that. And at your age... you're obviously very talented."
Scarlet couldn't help herself, bursting into a wide grin at the praise. "Th-thank you, ma- er, Rose. That means a lot coming from someone as accomplished as you. Would you... would you tell me more about yourself? Please," she quickly added.
"Me? Sure, I'd be glad to. I've been a Ranger for... let's see, about two years now," she began. "I was born in Goldenrod City in Johto, and that's where I'm currently stationed."
"Oh, you're part of the new Johto chapter! That's so cool! I remember reading about it in Ranger Monthly."
Rose smiled. "Not only am I part of it, I'm its co-founder. I was part of the planning and design team, and I pushed our Champion for help with the funding. That's the reason I'm Rank 10. Otherwise I'd still be Rank 6."
Hearing this, Scarlet relaxed a little, but still felt a huge surge of admiration for the senior Ranger. "That's so amazing. I had--" and then it hit her. "Wait. Ranger Monthly. That's where I recognized your name from! The story about the new Johto chapter. Oh, I'm such an idiot! I knew your name sounded familiar. There was even a picture of you and--"
"Stop that," Rose said, just letting the barest hint of authority slip into her voice. It was more of a request than a command, but it was all Scarlet needed. "Don't beat yourself up over something as trivial as that. Besides, I hated that picture." Before Scarlet could continue feeling sorry for herself, Rose decided to get her back on track. "So you're Rank 4. To do that, you must have quite the list of accomplishments."
Scarlet paid attention to her food, and nodded.
"Tell me about your biggest accomplishment as a Ranger."
Scarlet didn't even have to think. "It was when I saved Julia. A while back, a Shaymin was spotted near Route 224."
Rose nodded. "Yeah, I heard about that. Wish I could have been there, but I was in Hoenn at the time."
"I was part of the team that investigated it."
Rose's eyes widened. "Really! Now that's cool. Was it legit?" Scarlet nodded, and Rose broke out into another of her wonderful smiles. "That's great! You got to meet a Shaymin? That's awesome."
"I didn't just meet it. I caught it."
Rose nearly spit out her drink. She coughed hard as the water entered her trachea, taken aback by this sudden revelation. She held up a hand as Scarlet scrambled to help her. She took several deep breaths, and the feeling soon passed. Scarlet could feel the eyes of the other contestants boring into her, and she quickly shrank back into her seat. Soon, they resumed eating, and everything was as it was before, minus one awestruck Rose. "You caught it? You're kidding, right? You're not serious, are you?"
Scarlet nodded. "I am. Julia has been my partner Pokemon since that incident. We've become very close. She's very strong."
Rose felt a tingle of excitement she hadn't felt in quite some time. "Don't tell me you have it with you. Are you using it in the tournament?" When Scarlet nodded, afraid she'd broken some rule, Rose squealed. It was barely audible, but it was enough to drive all the embarrassment out of Scarlet's head. "I love Shaymin. It's the cutest thing ever, but I've only heard about it in books. To think you actually caught one! Will you come to my room later and show it to me?"
Scarlet blushed heavily. "S-sure."
* * * * * * *
As the battlers ate, one man, older than the others by far, quietly watched the scene unfold from a table away from the rest of the competitors. Most people had no problem making friends. They'd avoided him, of course, but that was nothing new to him. He was nearly five times their age and stood nearly a foot taller than the next tallest competitor. His skin, a rich ebony, was wrinkled and worn; his hair, white with streaks of gray, told the tale of a long life. His hands, calloused and rough, told the tale of a life well-lived, rich with adventure. His old, but gentle, eyes, yellowing with jaundice, had seen more in twenty years than many of these young Trainers would in all their lives. The monk known only as Taikyu held no ill will towards those who avoided him, and he would neither antagonize nor hide from them. He loved nothing more than to share his vast wealth of knowledge, but knew better than to offer his advice when it was not wanted.
One girl caught Taikyu's attention. More than once, someone made an attempt at sitting with her, but she would say something to them, and they would quickly leave. He didn't know what she said, but the look on her face as she said it made it clear that she wasn't happy about their proposal. Taikyu himself valued his privacy, so he didn't think anything of it the first few times she sent them away. It was what she did after that that gave him pause. He couldn't hear her, but it was clear she was talking to herself - and it appeared that she could burst into tears at any moment. She reminded him of the young girl he cared for during the war. Her father, a man of faith not unlike himself, had been killed in action. Taikyu cared for her for nine years, until she grew up and married, so she wouldn't be alone. Overcome by those memories, Taikyu stood, bowl of soup in hand, and slowly headed over to the table where the young girl sat. Immediately, all eyes were on him; his massive height meant his every move was watched by curious eyes, wondering who this strange man was and why he was so damn tall.
Sure enough, Taikyu noticed, she was talking to herself, but there was something... different about her. As he drew closer, however, Taikyu could feel the dark energy emanating from her. If he were a few years younger and his senses sharper, Taikyu would be able to see a blackish-gray aura surrounding the girl; though he could not see it, he could feel it, and it gave him pause.
Taikyu approached the table and bowed as low as his old back would let him. "Good afternoon, young lady," he said. "I am Taikyu and--"
"Piss off, old man!" the girl screamed, her eyes red like fire for just a moment before they faded to a brown so dark they were almost black. The room fell silent. She looked around the room in horror to find that everyone, even Safiri and Ruby, were staring in awe at what she'd said. She looked back at the old man she'd screamed at, who showed no signs that he'd been fazed at all by her words. "I'm sorry," she squeaked out, barely above a whisper, unable this time to stop the tears from coming. "I'm so sorry!" She rose from her seat and ran, bawling, from the cafeteria.
When the other patrons continued to look at him, Taikyu said, "What?" This was enough to get them to stop staring and go back to their own conversations.
Taikyu sat and wondered about this strange girl. Surely this was the work of whatever malevolent force that was taking residence inside her. Did no one else see her burning red eyes, or maybe he the only one who could see it? What had happened to this poor girl to cause a dark spirit to lurk within her? Did she know it was there? And, more importantly, how could he get it out? He needed answers. He had agreed to join this tournament to prove himself to be a formidable opponent, but while he and his Pokemon would fight with all their strength, he could not bear to see this young girl suffer all alone. With new resolve, Taikyu decided to retire to his room for the evening and formulate a plan.
* * * * * * *
As he got up to leave, Safiri called everyone to attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, the pairings for round one have been announced!" She turned on a television, and there, on its large screen, sat an image containing the tournament bracket:
Some were happy with their matches. Nye breathed a sigh of relief that not only was she not paired against Quayle, but they would both have to win two matches if they were to face each other. The less time she had to spend with him, the better. That relief was short-lived, however; instead, she would have to fight...
"Who is this lucky Nye who gets to do battle with the amazing Eldan?" The young man with the dyed bright red, well, everything, turned to the crowd. He knew a few people's names, but only thanks to hearing them in passing. He didn't care to actually learn them, because then people might think they were friends, and these plebes were simply not stylish enough to be seen in his company. Perish the thought! He would, quite honestly, rather die. He would have to be seen with them as far as the battle was concerned, but that was okay. Nobody was dumb enough to think they were anything other than opponents. It was a necessary evil. He'd be seen with them, crush their hideous Pokemon, win this snore fest, and take the 100 mil back to Kalos to enjoy the good life - after giving the boss his 85% cut, of course. He may have been a criminal, but he wasn't mean.
Maybe Nye was that chick with the green hair and huge melons. She ranked about a 1 on the style-o-meter, but that body was out of this world. He imagined her in a Team Flare uniform, her top bursting at the seams, barely able to hold itself together. Oh yeah. He'd definitely make an exception for that. He'd be a fool not to. He was kinda hoping that chick in white was Nye. He figured she was rich, from the way she carried herself, and from the clothes she wore. Brand name, high-end stuff. That kind of stuff didn't come cheap. She wasn't as stacked as Miss Melons over there, but she definitely had style, and she'd look just as hot in a Team Flare getup. Maybe he could convince her to join. He wouldn't mind finding her in his bed every night. When he looked at her, she glowered at him, and he knew he'd hit the mark. "Oooh, yeah! Hot damn! I'm paired with the hottest girl in this joint in round one! Hey, listen, baby, I've seen how that purple-haired freak looks at you. Just say the word and Team Flare will make that loser--" he snapped his fingers in Nye's face. "Disappear. Then maybe you can come be with a real man!" He flashed a winning smile, revealing two rows of perfect, pearly white teeth.
"Really?" Nye said, feigning interest. "That's great. Where can I find one?"
Chuckles were heard throughout the crowd, but Eldan didn't even flinch at the rebuke. This was a game, and these were simply the opening moves. He would see her in his arms or his bed - either was fine with him. To him, the only question was when. "Right here, babe. Maybe after I trounce you in battle, you'll see the error of your ways, huh?"
"Not in a hundred thousand years, you horrid little troll. Did you dress yourself in the dark this morning? Do you have any idea how utterly ridiculous you look? And you dare to speak to me in such a manner and call yourself a man? You disgust me. I will be more than glad to defeat you and send you home crying."
"Actually," Safiri interrupted, "In the event you lose your match, you will remain here for the duration of the tournament. You will be free to use our facilities as you see fit, but you will not be allowed to go home until the tournament has concluded."
Nye's words actually had struck a nerve - how dare a peasant like her even think of him as anything but having the utmost style - but Safiri's news made him laugh. This was perfect! He'd make a believer out of Nye yet, and while he was at it, he'd try his luck with the Baroness of Bazongas. No sense in casting such a small net! Defeated, but unnerved, Eldan decided to head to his room to have what he hoped were pleasant dreams involving his two ladies of the moment.
* * * * * * *
Later that night, Frisk was lying in her bed, awake, dressed in a simple blue nightgown. She wanted so badly to just fall asleep and forget about this awful day. She'd worn herself out crying, so thoroughly embarrassed by the things she'd said to anyone who came close. Well, she admitted, it wasn't her that said them.
You just keep telling yourself that, a voice not her own said from within her mind.
"Shut up, Chara!" Frisk yelled, audibly. "You made me say those awful things!"
Really? And who's going to believe you? "Sorry for being such a bitch, I'm possessed!" Get real, sis! The voice cackled inside Frisk's head. This, Frisk thought, was the worst part of having to deal with being possessed. Never having a moment alone was hard, but they made it work. They fought, but all siblings did. In life, Chara was kind, but in death, he became the total opposite. He took control of her at the most inopportune moments and forced her to say things she would never even think of saying otherwise. Worst of all, whenever he got particularly ornery, he would laugh. He'd laugh and laugh and laugh, sometimes for hours at a time, driving Frisk to the brink of insanity. He reveled in how much misery it caused her - after all, he was a part of her now, and he could read her every thought. He knew that she wanted a way to get him out for good, and he also knew how much she hated herself for thinking it, because she did love him, and his death was untimely and wrong.
Pokemon became one of her outlets, her methods of dealing with the constant struggle of sharing your mind with someone else. Only by focusing intently on something did Frisk find the will to expel her brother from her mind, if only for a short while. But he always came back, furious at being locked out even for a short time. Sometimes, when he got really mad, he would hijack control of her body - and that was scary. When Chara was in control, the shoe was on the other foot, and there was nothing Frisk could do but wait until the powers that be decided to switch them back. Fortunately for Frisk, these episodes were rare and only lasted a few minutes, but she'd rather not have them at all.
Frisk sighed. "Why are you ruining this for me? Is it so bad for me to make friends here? Everyone back home already thinks I'm weird, and now I'm stuck with you and I'm also the worst and most stupidest person on the planet would you stop that already?!"
Chara just giggled. Oh, sis. You don't know the half of what I could do if I wanted to. You think me telling some old guy to piss off is mean? Did I hurt his wittle feewings? Hahahaha! Who cares?! That guy is, like, 300 years old! He's probably going to keel over before this tournament's done!
Frisk thought of that tall man who approached her - Taikyu, was it? He was the only one who didn't get disgusted and leave after Chara yelled at him. She owed everyone an apology, but Frisk felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep unless she got her feelings off her chest.
Don't even think about it, Chara said, his voice dripping with venom.
"Wh..what do you mean?" Frisk asked hesitantly, but she had a feeling she already knew what the objection was.
That's right. I think I want you to stay here with me tonight. And if you open that door, I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll want to scream uncontrollably. Who knows? Maybe I'll make you wet yourself in fear! Frisk felt her hands move unbidden to her waist, bunching up her gown in an effort to remove it. Maybe little Frisk will get a strange urge to run around outside in her underwear!
"Stop," Frisk pleaded, but her hands didn't stop.
Are you going to listen to me and stay in your room tonight? Chara asked, stripping off the flimsy garment and forcing Frisk to walk towards the door.
"YES!" she screamed through a fresh stream of tears, not caring who heard. "Please, Chara, stop!!"
Chara opened the door and Frisk bawled even though she could see that no one was there. She stood there in the cold air, against her will, for a good thirty seconds before she finally felt Chara release her. Immediately, she slammed the door shut, locked it, and hurled herself into bed. She wrapped herself tightly in the covers and cried harder than she'd ever cried in her life. And Chara just laughed.
Night, sis. I'll see you in the morning!
If you have any questions about what I've done or where I'm going, ask, but do know that the answer might be "I dunno lol
" I've tried to be true to all your characters based on the information you've given me. I've had to take some minor liberties here and there based on what cool idea popped in my head, but there shouldn't be anything horribly out of place. If there is, let me know.Enjoy. Word count: 5923
Prologue: Opening Moves
Cinnabar Island hadn't seen this kind of activity in years.
The normally busy port town was packed to the brim with spectators, fans, and press, hoping to catch a glimpse of the trainers who'd be vying for a hundred million dollars, the largest tournament reward in history. As the ship carrying the contestants came into port, a young woman with a Glaceon trotting faithfully at her side headed to meet them, flanked by dozens of news teams from all over the world, hoping to get a good shot. One by one, the trainers disembarked to cheers from their fans, some louder than others.
"Welcome, Trainers, to the first annual Pokemon League Invitational!"
The crowd roared. The battles leading up to this tournament had been intense, and the hype for this tournament of champions was off the charts. Said champions, from all walks of life, listened as the woman at the port spoke. "My name is Safiri, and this," she said, gesturing to the Pokemon at her feet, "is Glaceon. We are thrilled that you, the skilled sixteen who made it through the qualifying rounds, have accepted our invitation to participate in this tournament!"
Quayle listened to the woman's words, only mildly annoyed with the whole introduction song and dance. All sixteen of them already knew who she was and why they were here - big tourney, lots of money at stake. The whole thing had been televised extensively; she was literally the face of this tournament. Why did she need to make this such a big deal? He crossed his arms and huffed, noticing the Glaceon at Safiri's feet. It reminded him of home, and of Candice, and he found her missing her terribly. Stupid, stupid, stupid, he thought to himself. Me and my stupid mouth. It's not like I meant it... I should at least call her and tell her I got here safely.
"...so if you'll all please follow me this way, we'll be on our way!" Safiri turned to go, leaving the sixteen trainers to follow behind her.
Quayle snapped back to reality, unaware that he'd missed the entirety of Safiri's speech. He scrambled to gather his things and keep up with the group. He decided to learn what he'd missed from the only person he knew on this trip. "Lady Nye!" he shouted just a little bit too loudly, jogging to catch up to her. "Lady Nye, wait!"
Nye, a short young blonde in a white dress, barely flinched when she heard Quayle call her name. She could feel the crowd's eyes on her, hungry for rumor fuel. After it was learned that she and Quayle were both finalists from the same hometown, and that they had been friends, the rumor that they were dating spread like wildfire. Even though she had taken that opportunity to publicly deny this, she knew it woudn't stop the tabloids from continuing to circulate the rumor. And it wasn't like Quayle was bad. He was smart, kind - at least to her - and knew his way around a Pokemon battle. Sure, he had his faults, but who didn't? She just wished the boy would exercise some discretion. And more than a small part of her wished he would stop calling her "Lady Nye." Sure, she came from money, but she'd chosen to leave that lifestyle years ago, and Quayle hadn't even started calling her "Lady" until she'd told him about her past. It was embarrassing. She was mortified to read one magazine that had the two of them sitting at a restaurant plastered on the front cover with the headline, "Lady and the Tramp." And sure enough, as the bounding steps of Quayle approached her, she internally groaned at the idea that cameras were watching the whole thing unfold.
"Hello, Quayle," she said without looking at him as he fell into step with her, grinning a fake smile as he did so. She knew she couldn't stop the tabloids from running garbage stories about her, but at least she could look presentable when they did. "What can I do for you?"
Quayle took a moment to catch his breath, brushing a few strands of violet hair from his eyes. "Hello, Lady Nye. I was wondering if--"
"I've told you many times before, Quayle, you don't have to address me like that," Nye said with a sigh. "Just Nye. Please."
"Sure, whatever. Hey, can you fill me in on what Safiri said?"
This time, Nye did look at him, his face barely visible behind his shaggy purple hair and black hood. Her eyes were drawn downward to his tattered jeans and bright purple shoes and almost visibly cringed at his choice of fashion. How could one person have such awful taste? As she went to voice her protest, she looked into a purplish-gray eye and rolled her eyes. Colored contacts? Did he think they made him look cool or something? Still, she knew the cameras were on her, so she made nice. "We're traveling to the airport by limousine, then taking a plane to Viridian City. From there, we'll travel to Indigo Plateau by bus. The actual tournament will start tomorrow, and we'll learn the pairings later tonight. That's it." A pause. "Why do you wear those things in your eyes?"
"You mean my contacts?" Quayle asked, confused. "I told you, it's to--"
"Be one with the night. Yes, I know." Whatever that means, she silently added. "But they're so..." Atrocious? Disgusting? Hideous? A felony against fashion? "Unorthodox," she decided. "And the hair," she said forlornly. Quayle's hair was something out of Nye's dreams. Long and smooth, much like her own, in a beautiful natural brown that she would kill to be able to mimic. But he squandered it by dying it that awful purple and keeping it bunched up in that stupid hoodie. All to be one with the goddamn night. Whatever that meant. It reminded her of that horrid young man with the bright red hair and the bright red shades in the bright red suit. Sure, Quayle's fashion sense hadn't fallen to that level yet, but she figured that at the rate Quayle was going, it was only a matter of time. "I've seen you without all that. You looked so handsome. That's the Quayle I want to remember."
Quayle said nothing, but turned away and kept walking. Of course she didn't understand. No one did. He hadn't told her about his past in Team Galactic, or just how close he'd come to achieving power. She hadn't been there when he was so close to divinity he could literally reach out and touch it, and how the ensuing disaster changed him. He reached up, felt the chain necklace that had been given to him. He felt the roundness of the blue and white Absolite that adorned it. Bad can be good? He still didn't know what it meant, or who it was that said it to him. Not that it mattered. All that mattered was how strong this jewel made his Pokemon, and his dream of controlling Dialga and Palkia. Making more of those chains would be easy - after all, he'd been part of the team that designed it - but it wouldn't be cheap. Cue this tournament and its cash prize, and Quayle couldn't sign up fast enough. He would train hard, do Lord Darkrai and Lady Cresselia proud, and achieve his dream, and when it came time to realize it, no one - not Cyrus, not Candice, not even Lady Nye - would stop him.
* * * * * * *
When the contestants finally reached Indigo Plateau, A young woman came to greet them. She looked a lot like Safiri, so much so that they could be reasonably mistaken as twins, or even clones, if it weren't for this woman's short red hair. She spoke in a warm, inviting tone. "Greetings, everyone. Welcome to Indigo Plateau. My name is Ruby, and I'll be serving as the announcer for the tournament. I'll be giving you all a tour of the facility while Safiri gets everyone registered. Follow me, please." The group grabbed their things and walked as Safiri swiped a card and led them down some stairs into a long hallway, with dozens of doors on either side. "This is the residential section of our VIP area, where we house competitors during the Pokemon League," Ruby began. She gestured to a nearby door with a plaque on it that said, "J. Duffy." "As you can see, this will be Mr. Duffy's room. You'll retire here at the end of each day. Each of you will be given a key card that unlocks your room, so please don't lose it. Also, I don't know if Safiri mentioned this, but you won't be fighting today. We know you've all had quite a long trip, and we want our audience to see you at your best. Therefore," she continued as she lead them back up the stairs and down another hallway, "you and your Pokemon are free to rest and gain your strength. We have a wide variety of amenities here that you and your Pokemon are free to take advantage of. The practice wing, where you can hold practice battles against each other or yourselves, can be found to your right. Our Pokemon Center facilities can also be found there. To your left is the cafeteria, where we have five-star chefs on hand to prepare you delicious meals for the duration of your stay. All of these things are yours to take advantage of as our honored guests - the public will not be permitted to enter this section.
"The main arena can be reached by going to the lobby, then entering the doors behind the reception stand. Follow the signs to the competitors' room. We will be holding two battles per day," Ruby continued. "We will hold the first in the morning, break for lunch, and do the second battle in the afternoon. If you are not scheduled to battle that day, you are welcome to explore at your leisure, but we ask that you do not leave the security of the VIP area for your own safety. If you need something, dial the front desk following the instructions on the phone in your room and someone will assist you. Does anyone have any questions?"
A young man raised his hand. Ruby judged him to be roughly sixteen, but would have to look up his information to know for sure. His lack of shirt revealed a toned, tan body that was sculped from a life on the ocean, and his bright blue eyes and easy smile made many a young lady quiver. He took his eye contact with Ruby as acknowledgement. "D'ya got a pool here?" His mellow voice and Hoenn accent was like velvet in ladies' ears. "I know my Pokemon could use a swim and I wouldn't mind getting a lil wet myself."
Ruby coughed. "Yes, of course. You can find it in the practice wing. I'm sure you'll find it to be to your liking. Does anyone else have any questions? All right," she said when no one said anything. "It is... 5:30 right now. We'll meet for dinner at 7 PM. After dinner, you'll learn the pairings for the tournament. You'll have the rest of the evening to rest, train, strategize, or do whatever it is you need to do to mentally prepare yourself for your upcoming battle. Out of respect to your fellow competitors, we ask that you be in your rooms no later than 11 PM. Breakfast will be at 8 AM, and the first match will start at 10 AM sharp. Don't be late."
* * * * * * *
That evening, Safiri and Ruby joined the competitors for their first meal together. The cafeteria was large, with lots of tables, enough to seat nearly a hundred. The food was laid out on one side of the room, featuring dishes from each champion's home country, and some were surprised to learn that the chefs had duplicated their favorite local recipes thanks to the information they had submitted way back during signups for the preliminary rounds. They did their homework, and it showed.
At a table by herself, away from the others, a young lady sat and ate, careful not to stain her uniform. After a close call with a too-large bite of cheesy noodles with broccoli (good lord, these chefs really were something else), she decided to remove her jacket and drape it around the back of her chair, leaving her in a black T-shirt and brown shorts. Another girl, not much older than her, approached the table with a tray of food and smiled. "Mind if I join you?"
Recognizing the emblem on the older girl's hat, she smiled back. Another Ranger. She gestured to a nearby chair as she swallowed her food and used her napkin to wipe her delicate mouth. She extended a hand. "Scarlet Jung, Ranger Rank 4."
The older girl set her tray down, all smiles. She eagerly took the other girl's dainty hand and gave it a few solid pumps. "Rose Bersalk, Ranger Rank 10." Immediately, Scarlet's eyes widened. This girl couldn't be any older than her, and she was Rank 10 already! And, as long as she was in admiration mode, she admitted that Rose was really pretty. She was thin, but toned like most Rangers were from being outdoors all the time. They were both redheads, though Scarlet's hair was currently dyed jet black. Where Scarlet's hair was short and framed her face, Rose's was wild and came down just past her shoulders. Her emerald green eyes were a stark contrast to Scarlet's dull brown, and there was something about the way she smiled that made her feel safe. Still, she reminded herself, making people feel safe was part of a Ranger's job, and if Rose was already Rank 10, there was no doubting she was very, very good at her job. A small part of her told her that she should have known this girl's name, but Scarlet couldn't place her finger on it. She wasn't part of her Ranger division... what could it be?
"Scarlet?"
Even the way Rose said her name was music to her ears. She could listen to that all day. She allowed herself a small indulgence. "Rose," she said. It sounded tough, but thinking of the flower for which she was named gave it a bit of--
Wait. Hold on. What was going on? A look of horror came over Scarlet's face as she realized what she'd done, and worse, she was still holding Rose's hand. She jerked her arm back with a start. "I am so sorry, I don't know what came over me, I was just in awe because you're so young and Rank 10 and I was like wow and your uniform is super cute and so are you and your hair is just amazing and... and... sorry," she said, wishing she wasn't feeling her face becoming as red as her name.
Rose simply laughed. "Don't worry about it, and thank you for the compliments! This," she said, waving her "uniform" over, "isn't regulation." She wore a black spaghetti strap tank top and an auburn jacket tied around black shorts that seemed to hug her legs, accentuating her every curve. Her hat, a red and black beret with one of the Pokemon Ranger logos on it, was Scarlet's only clue that this girl was a Ranger. "The hat is, but I wear it so people can tell I'm a Ranger at a glance. You never know who's going to need help." Scarlet nodded, taking in Rose's every word, but didn't say anything. Rose smiled knowingly. It wasn't uncommon for kids to feel nervous around her. She would try again to break the ice. "Rank 4, huh? That's really good. How old are you?"
"Sixteen, ma'am," Scarlet replied dutifully, though hating how meek she sounded when she said it.
This time, Rose didn't laugh, though she found it amusing. She knew Scarlet was on her guard now, and didn't want to give her any reason to clam up. "Please, you know you don't have to address me so formally. We're not on base and and we're not on a mission. Besides, I'm only a year older than you." She cut off a piece of teriyaki Basculin and ate it. "Oh, wow, that's really good. Where are you stationed?"
Scarlet took another bite of her food, not wanting the delicious meal to go to waste on her account. "Pastoria City in Sinnoh." Was Rose really only a year older than her? She clamped down on that thought, filing it away for later. She only got one chance at a first impression and damned if she was going to blow it. "I was born in Snowpoint City. It's a really beautiful place, even though it's cold all the time. There's a large temple at the north end of town that's been sealed since before I was born." She took another bite, washed it down as she considered her next words.
Rose nodded, not breaking eye contact with the girl across from her. She hadn't asked for Scarlet's life story, but if it got her talking, she'd let her talk.
"I've always been interested in Pokemon and its history. My dream was to travel all over and see lots of Pokemon and learn tons of things. I've only been a Ranger for about a year now, and I thought I'd been doing well for myself, having been Rank 4, but..."
"Don't sell yourself short," Rose said with genuine concern. "I have subordinates almost twice my age. They do the job, but they don't have the...soul that really good Rangers have. To get Rank 4 after only a year as a Ranger is wonderful. I mean that. And at your age... you're obviously very talented."
Scarlet couldn't help herself, bursting into a wide grin at the praise. "Th-thank you, ma- er, Rose. That means a lot coming from someone as accomplished as you. Would you... would you tell me more about yourself? Please," she quickly added.
"Me? Sure, I'd be glad to. I've been a Ranger for... let's see, about two years now," she began. "I was born in Goldenrod City in Johto, and that's where I'm currently stationed."
"Oh, you're part of the new Johto chapter! That's so cool! I remember reading about it in Ranger Monthly."
Rose smiled. "Not only am I part of it, I'm its co-founder. I was part of the planning and design team, and I pushed our Champion for help with the funding. That's the reason I'm Rank 10. Otherwise I'd still be Rank 6."
Hearing this, Scarlet relaxed a little, but still felt a huge surge of admiration for the senior Ranger. "That's so amazing. I had--" and then it hit her. "Wait. Ranger Monthly. That's where I recognized your name from! The story about the new Johto chapter. Oh, I'm such an idiot! I knew your name sounded familiar. There was even a picture of you and--"
"Stop that," Rose said, just letting the barest hint of authority slip into her voice. It was more of a request than a command, but it was all Scarlet needed. "Don't beat yourself up over something as trivial as that. Besides, I hated that picture." Before Scarlet could continue feeling sorry for herself, Rose decided to get her back on track. "So you're Rank 4. To do that, you must have quite the list of accomplishments."
Scarlet paid attention to her food, and nodded.
"Tell me about your biggest accomplishment as a Ranger."
Scarlet didn't even have to think. "It was when I saved Julia. A while back, a Shaymin was spotted near Route 224."
Rose nodded. "Yeah, I heard about that. Wish I could have been there, but I was in Hoenn at the time."
"I was part of the team that investigated it."
Rose's eyes widened. "Really! Now that's cool. Was it legit?" Scarlet nodded, and Rose broke out into another of her wonderful smiles. "That's great! You got to meet a Shaymin? That's awesome."
"I didn't just meet it. I caught it."
Rose nearly spit out her drink. She coughed hard as the water entered her trachea, taken aback by this sudden revelation. She held up a hand as Scarlet scrambled to help her. She took several deep breaths, and the feeling soon passed. Scarlet could feel the eyes of the other contestants boring into her, and she quickly shrank back into her seat. Soon, they resumed eating, and everything was as it was before, minus one awestruck Rose. "You caught it? You're kidding, right? You're not serious, are you?"
Scarlet nodded. "I am. Julia has been my partner Pokemon since that incident. We've become very close. She's very strong."
Rose felt a tingle of excitement she hadn't felt in quite some time. "Don't tell me you have it with you. Are you using it in the tournament?" When Scarlet nodded, afraid she'd broken some rule, Rose squealed. It was barely audible, but it was enough to drive all the embarrassment out of Scarlet's head. "I love Shaymin. It's the cutest thing ever, but I've only heard about it in books. To think you actually caught one! Will you come to my room later and show it to me?"
Scarlet blushed heavily. "S-sure."
* * * * * * *
As the battlers ate, one man, older than the others by far, quietly watched the scene unfold from a table away from the rest of the competitors. Most people had no problem making friends. They'd avoided him, of course, but that was nothing new to him. He was nearly five times their age and stood nearly a foot taller than the next tallest competitor. His skin, a rich ebony, was wrinkled and worn; his hair, white with streaks of gray, told the tale of a long life. His hands, calloused and rough, told the tale of a life well-lived, rich with adventure. His old, but gentle, eyes, yellowing with jaundice, had seen more in twenty years than many of these young Trainers would in all their lives. The monk known only as Taikyu held no ill will towards those who avoided him, and he would neither antagonize nor hide from them. He loved nothing more than to share his vast wealth of knowledge, but knew better than to offer his advice when it was not wanted.
One girl caught Taikyu's attention. More than once, someone made an attempt at sitting with her, but she would say something to them, and they would quickly leave. He didn't know what she said, but the look on her face as she said it made it clear that she wasn't happy about their proposal. Taikyu himself valued his privacy, so he didn't think anything of it the first few times she sent them away. It was what she did after that that gave him pause. He couldn't hear her, but it was clear she was talking to herself - and it appeared that she could burst into tears at any moment. She reminded him of the young girl he cared for during the war. Her father, a man of faith not unlike himself, had been killed in action. Taikyu cared for her for nine years, until she grew up and married, so she wouldn't be alone. Overcome by those memories, Taikyu stood, bowl of soup in hand, and slowly headed over to the table where the young girl sat. Immediately, all eyes were on him; his massive height meant his every move was watched by curious eyes, wondering who this strange man was and why he was so damn tall.
Sure enough, Taikyu noticed, she was talking to herself, but there was something... different about her. As he drew closer, however, Taikyu could feel the dark energy emanating from her. If he were a few years younger and his senses sharper, Taikyu would be able to see a blackish-gray aura surrounding the girl; though he could not see it, he could feel it, and it gave him pause.
Taikyu approached the table and bowed as low as his old back would let him. "Good afternoon, young lady," he said. "I am Taikyu and--"
"Piss off, old man!" the girl screamed, her eyes red like fire for just a moment before they faded to a brown so dark they were almost black. The room fell silent. She looked around the room in horror to find that everyone, even Safiri and Ruby, were staring in awe at what she'd said. She looked back at the old man she'd screamed at, who showed no signs that he'd been fazed at all by her words. "I'm sorry," she squeaked out, barely above a whisper, unable this time to stop the tears from coming. "I'm so sorry!" She rose from her seat and ran, bawling, from the cafeteria.
When the other patrons continued to look at him, Taikyu said, "What?" This was enough to get them to stop staring and go back to their own conversations.
Taikyu sat and wondered about this strange girl. Surely this was the work of whatever malevolent force that was taking residence inside her. Did no one else see her burning red eyes, or maybe he the only one who could see it? What had happened to this poor girl to cause a dark spirit to lurk within her? Did she know it was there? And, more importantly, how could he get it out? He needed answers. He had agreed to join this tournament to prove himself to be a formidable opponent, but while he and his Pokemon would fight with all their strength, he could not bear to see this young girl suffer all alone. With new resolve, Taikyu decided to retire to his room for the evening and formulate a plan.
* * * * * * *
As he got up to leave, Safiri called everyone to attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, the pairings for round one have been announced!" She turned on a television, and there, on its large screen, sat an image containing the tournament bracket:
Some were happy with their matches. Nye breathed a sigh of relief that not only was she not paired against Quayle, but they would both have to win two matches if they were to face each other. The less time she had to spend with him, the better. That relief was short-lived, however; instead, she would have to fight...
"Who is this lucky Nye who gets to do battle with the amazing Eldan?" The young man with the dyed bright red, well, everything, turned to the crowd. He knew a few people's names, but only thanks to hearing them in passing. He didn't care to actually learn them, because then people might think they were friends, and these plebes were simply not stylish enough to be seen in his company. Perish the thought! He would, quite honestly, rather die. He would have to be seen with them as far as the battle was concerned, but that was okay. Nobody was dumb enough to think they were anything other than opponents. It was a necessary evil. He'd be seen with them, crush their hideous Pokemon, win this snore fest, and take the 100 mil back to Kalos to enjoy the good life - after giving the boss his 85% cut, of course. He may have been a criminal, but he wasn't mean.
Maybe Nye was that chick with the green hair and huge melons. She ranked about a 1 on the style-o-meter, but that body was out of this world. He imagined her in a Team Flare uniform, her top bursting at the seams, barely able to hold itself together. Oh yeah. He'd definitely make an exception for that. He'd be a fool not to. He was kinda hoping that chick in white was Nye. He figured she was rich, from the way she carried herself, and from the clothes she wore. Brand name, high-end stuff. That kind of stuff didn't come cheap. She wasn't as stacked as Miss Melons over there, but she definitely had style, and she'd look just as hot in a Team Flare getup. Maybe he could convince her to join. He wouldn't mind finding her in his bed every night. When he looked at her, she glowered at him, and he knew he'd hit the mark. "Oooh, yeah! Hot damn! I'm paired with the hottest girl in this joint in round one! Hey, listen, baby, I've seen how that purple-haired freak looks at you. Just say the word and Team Flare will make that loser--" he snapped his fingers in Nye's face. "Disappear. Then maybe you can come be with a real man!" He flashed a winning smile, revealing two rows of perfect, pearly white teeth.
"Really?" Nye said, feigning interest. "That's great. Where can I find one?"
Chuckles were heard throughout the crowd, but Eldan didn't even flinch at the rebuke. This was a game, and these were simply the opening moves. He would see her in his arms or his bed - either was fine with him. To him, the only question was when. "Right here, babe. Maybe after I trounce you in battle, you'll see the error of your ways, huh?"
"Not in a hundred thousand years, you horrid little troll. Did you dress yourself in the dark this morning? Do you have any idea how utterly ridiculous you look? And you dare to speak to me in such a manner and call yourself a man? You disgust me. I will be more than glad to defeat you and send you home crying."
"Actually," Safiri interrupted, "In the event you lose your match, you will remain here for the duration of the tournament. You will be free to use our facilities as you see fit, but you will not be allowed to go home until the tournament has concluded."
Nye's words actually had struck a nerve - how dare a peasant like her even think of him as anything but having the utmost style - but Safiri's news made him laugh. This was perfect! He'd make a believer out of Nye yet, and while he was at it, he'd try his luck with the Baroness of Bazongas. No sense in casting such a small net! Defeated, but unnerved, Eldan decided to head to his room to have what he hoped were pleasant dreams involving his two ladies of the moment.
* * * * * * *
Later that night, Frisk was lying in her bed, awake, dressed in a simple blue nightgown. She wanted so badly to just fall asleep and forget about this awful day. She'd worn herself out crying, so thoroughly embarrassed by the things she'd said to anyone who came close. Well, she admitted, it wasn't her that said them.
You just keep telling yourself that, a voice not her own said from within her mind.
"Shut up, Chara!" Frisk yelled, audibly. "You made me say those awful things!"
Really? And who's going to believe you? "Sorry for being such a bitch, I'm possessed!" Get real, sis! The voice cackled inside Frisk's head. This, Frisk thought, was the worst part of having to deal with being possessed. Never having a moment alone was hard, but they made it work. They fought, but all siblings did. In life, Chara was kind, but in death, he became the total opposite. He took control of her at the most inopportune moments and forced her to say things she would never even think of saying otherwise. Worst of all, whenever he got particularly ornery, he would laugh. He'd laugh and laugh and laugh, sometimes for hours at a time, driving Frisk to the brink of insanity. He reveled in how much misery it caused her - after all, he was a part of her now, and he could read her every thought. He knew that she wanted a way to get him out for good, and he also knew how much she hated herself for thinking it, because she did love him, and his death was untimely and wrong.
Pokemon became one of her outlets, her methods of dealing with the constant struggle of sharing your mind with someone else. Only by focusing intently on something did Frisk find the will to expel her brother from her mind, if only for a short while. But he always came back, furious at being locked out even for a short time. Sometimes, when he got really mad, he would hijack control of her body - and that was scary. When Chara was in control, the shoe was on the other foot, and there was nothing Frisk could do but wait until the powers that be decided to switch them back. Fortunately for Frisk, these episodes were rare and only lasted a few minutes, but she'd rather not have them at all.
Frisk sighed. "Why are you ruining this for me? Is it so bad for me to make friends here? Everyone back home already thinks I'm weird, and now I'm stuck with you and I'm also the worst and most stupidest person on the planet would you stop that already?!"
Chara just giggled. Oh, sis. You don't know the half of what I could do if I wanted to. You think me telling some old guy to piss off is mean? Did I hurt his wittle feewings? Hahahaha! Who cares?! That guy is, like, 300 years old! He's probably going to keel over before this tournament's done!
Frisk thought of that tall man who approached her - Taikyu, was it? He was the only one who didn't get disgusted and leave after Chara yelled at him. She owed everyone an apology, but Frisk felt like she wouldn't be able to sleep unless she got her feelings off her chest.
Don't even think about it, Chara said, his voice dripping with venom.
"Wh..what do you mean?" Frisk asked hesitantly, but she had a feeling she already knew what the objection was.
That's right. I think I want you to stay here with me tonight. And if you open that door, I have a sneaking suspicion that you'll want to scream uncontrollably. Who knows? Maybe I'll make you wet yourself in fear! Frisk felt her hands move unbidden to her waist, bunching up her gown in an effort to remove it. Maybe little Frisk will get a strange urge to run around outside in her underwear!
"Stop," Frisk pleaded, but her hands didn't stop.
Are you going to listen to me and stay in your room tonight? Chara asked, stripping off the flimsy garment and forcing Frisk to walk towards the door.
"YES!" she screamed through a fresh stream of tears, not caring who heard. "Please, Chara, stop!!"
Chara opened the door and Frisk bawled even though she could see that no one was there. She stood there in the cold air, against her will, for a good thirty seconds before she finally felt Chara release her. Immediately, she slammed the door shut, locked it, and hurled herself into bed. She wrapped herself tightly in the covers and cried harder than she'd ever cried in her life. And Chara just laughed.
Night, sis. I'll see you in the morning!
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OH MY GOD. YOU'VE DONE FRISK PERFECTLY. YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING PERFECTLY. I NEED TO STOP MYSELF BEFORE I LOSE CONTROL FROM FANGIRLING AND EVERYONE'S FORCED TO STAY AFTER THEY LOSE AND AAAAAAAAH
*cough* Excuse me. I need to regain control of myself.
Seriously though, I love everything you've done with all these characters. I especially love how you've brought Frisk to life, and I'm interested to see more of the relationship between Scarlet and Rose. I can't wait to see more!!
*cough* Excuse me. I need to regain control of myself.
Seriously though, I love everything you've done with all these characters. I especially love how you've brought Frisk to life, and I'm interested to see more of the relationship between Scarlet and Rose. I can't wait to see more!!
This was quite an entertaining read! I quite enjoy your writing style. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how you write Jethro!
Of particular note, I'm highly intrigued by Taikyu. The way you wrote him makes him seem like the kind of person I would choose to sit next to, to hear stories of the past. I'm also impressed at the style you chose for Frish/Chara.
On another note, your command of the English language, specifically your eloquent usage of adjectives. Makes reading much more entertaining.
Of particular note, I'm highly intrigued by Taikyu. The way you wrote him makes him seem like the kind of person I would choose to sit next to, to hear stories of the past. I'm also impressed at the style you chose for Frish/Chara.
On another note, your command of the English language, specifically your eloquent usage of adjectives. Makes reading much more entertaining.
Woah! 6,000 words, and all of it's written really well! This puts to shame anything I've ever done or ever will do, and gives a lot of published books a run for their money! Awesome job!
And I really like Rose's character! You did a great job going with what I gave you! And as for her last name... nice use of my username. I almost missed that!
Just asking, in the bolded sentence, did you mix up Rose and Scarlet's names? Since Scarlet's was supposedly long, and Rose's short, I just thought it was typo, no biggie.
And I really like Rose's character! You did a great job going with what I gave you! And as for her last name... nice use of my username. I almost missed that!
PMJ
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Just asking, in the bolded sentence, did you mix up Rose and Scarlet's names? Since Scarlet's was supposedly long, and Rose's short, I just thought it was typo, no biggie.
And I really like Rose's character! You did a great job going with what I gave you! And as for her last name... nice use of my username. I almost missed that!
No, that was correct. I made her hair longer than Scarlet's but not super long. Scarlet's hair is based on the image Reshiwott gave me.
And yeah. Not asking people for last names is something I goofed on, I shoulda asked more once someone did because not having them is a minor inconvenience.
Taikyu is the exception because creative license.
So, I rolled the winner of the first round yesterday. I don't want to give any hints as to who it is, so I'll just say that I've done my best to create an interesting battle that will keep you guessing until the final blow. The play by play is already done; now I just need to come up with the filler.
Ah, I'm sorry. I guess I got a couple of the descriptions mixed up.No, that was correct. I made her hair longer than Scarlet's but not super long. Scarlet's hair is based on the image Reshiwott gave me.
And yeah. Not asking people for last names is something I goofed on, I shoulda asked more once someone did because not having them is a minor inconvenience.
Taikyu is the exception because creative license.
So, I rolled the winner of the first round yesterday. I don't want to give any hints as to who it is, so I'll just say that I've done my best to create an interesting battle that will keep you guessing until the final blow. The play by play is already done; now I just need to come up with the filler.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of Taikyu. It'll be cool to see how he interacts with Frisk! But most of all I'm excited to see Rose's battle!
Here, have some random bullshit.
Kiria Gramarye (first G name I thought up :U). She's kind to people and Pokémon and has a good sense of direction. She has a hard time keeping down a steady job due to wanderlust, but is a hard worker and has no problems performing menial tasks or anything else that will pay for her next meal. She has an addictive personality and has learned the hard way that she needs to stay out of towns with Game Corners or she'll blow all her savings. She's always willing to chat, but has few close friends outside of her Pokémon; similarly, she flirts a lot but has never been in a serious relationship. Every time someone gets a bit too close, she finds an excuse to skip town and head on somewhere else. She has a good head for numbers and figuring out problems, though she refuses to admit it and claims that she acts solely on her "intuitions" (even though her own actual intuition is generally pretty horrible). She strongly dislikes any confrontation outside of a Pokémon battle, and will turn cold and distant (or flat out run away), rather than provoke a disagreement or argument about something. The first thing she checks out in any new city are the clothing shops, usually hunting for new colour combinations, and she also knits in her spare time when she's living on the road. She once dressed up Eleanora in a custom sweater for a local costume contest and won second place and spent the next couple months selling custom knitted Pokémon clothing out of a market stall until the weather turned warm and no one wanted knit goods anymore.
Nye Wright. Cold, distant, preferring to accomplish things by herself without anyone else's interference. Despite being skilled at battle, she prefers to solve problems with her quick wit and sharp tongue. Polite, yet sharp until someone strikes a nerve. Due to building her life from the ground up, she knows a lot of various menial skills that you wouldn't expect and has excellent stamina. Streetwise and very familiar with Landmarks and cities across the world. Master of Etiquette and regional customs and always tries her best to remain calm and polite until someone starts irritating her. Cares about her appearance greatly. Allows nothing but perfection in her life and battle style, anything less is an affront. Will not tolerate people hitting on her, unless they're her friends doing it jokingly.
Full name: Lenny Beckett
Some personality traits:
- I have already mentioned his stubbornness; this may translate into either prolonged grumpiness if he doesn't get his way, or relief when he does. Because not getting his way in his line of work can lead to disastrous results...
- Leads a simple lifestyle back home which is reflected in his choice of clothing, food, friends etc and intends to keep it that way for the most part... though from his admittedly surface-level observations of others in his brief travels so far, he may yet learn a thing or two from others that way.
- Not a very worldly man, despite being of middle age - he has only recently set foot outside near Lavaridge ever, much less Hoenn itself. As a result, he can appear generally ignorant at times, though he has some faint self-awareness of this fact.
- Has excellent (very specific) wildlife skills from being in a geographically challenging area all his life.
- Despite leaning towards an aggressive style of battling, he does not make rash decisions, another habit presumably worn in by his job experience as a kindler.
PMJ
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This is almost exactly how I thought of her so woo