((A roleplay between @Nebula-Newt , @Charlespark , @MegaAbsol (once your character sheet is present), and myself. Feel free to follow along))
'The first line of every story is the hardest. A grand tale is about to unfold before the readers curious, wonderful eyes full of awestruck inspiration and anticipation. Where does one start? Spindle words together to fabricate a world of breath-taking scenery; the gems of the imagination? Strike the minds of onlookers with the intense barrage of adjectives and verbs to paint the picture of action and adventure? Or perhaps, begin with the dialogue of the eyes, a crystal gaze that revels in mystery and foreshadowing?... The first line is the hardest, though once the quill sprays ink on the paper, that precious, pure moment of difficulty evaporates silently, into an air of welcoming creativity. No idea should ever go to waste because of the fear of difficult beginnings.'
A pause bombarded the air with it's suffocating grasp; no movement was to be made in the dimly lit room. Hand lifted millimeters above the paper of a crisp, white sheet of paper- any writer's easel- the young adult sitting vigil at the desk looked over the torrent of thoughts she had released upon the little book. Her eyes were narrowed, brows furrowed in a solemn concentration. Inside her lungs, a voice screamed for a whiff of air. Suddenly, as if a spell was broken, the pause ended its forceful reign over the room, and the young adult released the breath she was unaware of containing and took a satisfied breath or rejuvenation. Nodding, she returned the pen to the paper.
-Nikki; November 2nd, 20xx- "The Day of Precious Starts"
With a snap, the little book closed, sealing the imagination between its slim sheets of paper. Nikki stood from her chair, replacing the pen to on top of her book, and pushing the chair in behind her. A high-pitched chirping sound emitted from a familiar mouth behind her, and Nikki couldn't help but smile widely at the welcoming sound. "Cirrus? Good morning. Isn't it such an exciting day" She asked, turning around to set her blue eyes upon the floating white creature behind her. A Togetic hummed happily in response, her warm brown eyes filled to the brim with joy. "Tic, Togetic!" Cirrus cried, speeding forward and embracing Nikki with her stubby arms. The hug lasted a single, warm moment before the Togetic raced around the room, opening the curtains and grabbing Nikki's bag concurrently, happily extending the small, brown shoulder bag out to her trainer.
In the warm, morning sunlight, the room was much clearer. A tiny alarm clock resembling the mythical Pokémon Jirachi sat directly left of an unmade, unkempt bed atop a small, bedside table. The carpeted floor was patterned dully with an intricate pattern of snowflakes and some indecipherable shape that vaguely reminded Nikki of mountains, though the pattern was hard to make out unless she was nose deep in the cheap, thin flooring. Standing right of the bed was a desk in disrepair; it's legs were scratched and scarred by apparent claws and the surface was stained with a bleach that looked similar to the residue of a Seviper's poison. This room, though not her own, would be her home for many days on end- at least until she felt the need to evacuate the vacancy for any reason.
Looking around the room, Nikki's gracious smile dropped to a humorous one. "Good Arceus Cirrus, I had no idea that this room was so unkempt until moments ago. Though..." Nikki grabbed the bag extended out to her and gently placed it over the Togetic's shoulder, to which the Pokémon lit up in happiness, "I find that perhaps checking into our room at two this morning might have warped our idea of 'home'. We had a bed- that's all we need." With a laugh, the red haired young adult shuffled over to the bed, throwing back the covers, only to release a squeak at the sight she was greeted with.
Underneath the covers was a mass of Pokémon, and at the rude awakening, a Meowstic lifted his head groggily. His two tails were wound protectively around a snoring Noibat, whose wing was blanketed over an awake Larvesta, who looked quite irritated with the sudden flood of light. Nikki giggled softly at the sight, "Morning, sleepy heads. Come on, get up. And Ammy," she said, louder, "considering that you're the Torch Pokémon, I'm surprised that you prefer the dark." Her hands extended to her baby Pokémon, wrapping her hands gently around the sides of the large larvae, who was slightly warm to the touch, and lifted her up to eye level. Ammy made a tiny purr at the gesture that sounded slightly like the crackle of a fire.
With a sigh of content, Nikki replaced the Larvesta onto the bed and pulled out her pokeball, to which the Pokémon gladly entered. In a flash of red, Ammy was gone. "Up, up, up! I'm herding children here!" She demanded, smiling and prodding her sleeping Pokémon awake. At the touch of her hand, Echo, her Noibat, flinched and shook awake, flapping his wings desperately to get into the air in his surprise. His tiny wingspan fluttered incessantly, and a moment passed before his wings, covered in a thin layer of skin and muscle, took flight, and he hovered in the air above Nikki's head, squeaking. A snort from Eros drew Nikki's undivided attention from the struggling, blind Noibat to the smug Meowstic.
For a split second, the comforting patting of Echo's wings ceased, and the blue psychic cat reacted on instinct, thrusting himself forward and lifting both ears- his four eyes glowing a brilliant teal blue. Nikki, herself, had also lunged for the descending bat, as did Cirrus. There was a second of held breath, but the relief washed over all three of them as Echo was suspended in the air- held up by Nikki and Cirrus's hands and Eros's psychic power. "Noi!" The little purple bat chirped happily, squeaking softly to find his pokeball, which had incidentally fallen on to the floor from Cirrus's sudden movement from out of her bag. In yet another flash of red, he was gone.
"Perhaps we shall move on? Registration confirmation and introductions begin soon, Cirrus, Eros." The red headed trainer announced, glancing briefly in the direction of the counting Jirachi alarm clock- counting down the minutes until adventure. No sounds were formed from the throats of her Pokémon, but the warm, happy, and excited looks in their curious eyes told more of a story than any sound could have implied. Nikki wandered slowly into the small bathroom, removing her sleepwear and replacing it with a denim jacket, a white camisole, and black jeans; braiding her hair into a Dutch braid on the left side of her head, then finishing the braid into a fishtail over her shoulder. A tiny makeup kit demanded her attention- flaunting its silver coloring and iridescent patterns. Angry eyes met its surface. 'Why did I bring that?' Nikki asked herself, a voice in her head scolding the action of bringing such a temptation. There is no beauty in a mask of powder and liquids; only a fake, cold exterior that derives from the real beauty of the human face. A puff erupted from her lips as the young adult opened up the door of the bathroom.
Upon her re entry to the room, she was met with a the rushed figures of Eros and Cirrus, both floating around the room- Eros with his mental capabilities- tidying the place. The bed was made, clothes folded, and her shoes and scarf were unpacked. "You guys are the sweetest!" Nikki exclaimed, interrupting their work and pulling them into a deep embrace, smiling at their surprise. A moment passed and she released them, trotting towards her cream boots and pulled them up to her mid-calf, then proceeded to place the warm, fuzzy scarf around her neck. Her icy blue eyes scanned for something else; the missing piece to her puzzle. The full length mirror stood in front of her, demanding the finishing part. "Toge!" Cirrus chirped, zooming towards her with a warm cap in the exact same color as her scarf with a Pom at the end, bouncing gleefully with the Togetic's excited movements. The Pokémon placed the hat atop Nikki's head, then nodded in satisfaction, earning a laugh from both the red headed adventurer and the blue psychic cat.
Snow swirled in intricate patterns across the air, dancing to an invisible tune in the sparkling rays of sunlight that touched the frost-bitten ground tenderly. Smoke puffed from houses and hotels; the heater working on overtime to supply warmth for all the thirty competitors of the Frozen Air Tournament. A spare few people walked the iced roads, but most of the activity and bustle occurred across town where many strong Pokémon and people bonded in challenge, anticipating the beginning of the beloved tournament of Dendemille. Power surged through the air, jolting onlookers and passerby with its severity and ferocity; a glowering Pyroar over a shivering Snorunt. Frost billowed out from the warm, busied breaths of people around and began to swirl and dance with the snow until they merged into one, beautiful painting of glittering silver.
Stepping outside proved to be no easy task, for the warm air of the hotel seemed far more inviting than the bitterness outside in the town itself. Nevertheless, Nikki wordlessly braved the cold, walking as briskly as the light, fluffy, swirling snow around her. Before her, a glowing ball of excitement manifested itself within Cirrus, and the Togetic hovered around, elated at the sight of snow. A muffled laugh emitted from her throat in watching the Pokémon whom she had started her journey with, and she removed her scarf from her mouth for a momentary bit of dialogue for her own story of life. "Cirrus, is snow that exciting for you?" Nikki asked increasing her pace to walk in stride with her Pokémon. The tournament was in sight.
Ahead- a massive dome! Sparkling ice blue, the brilliant building stood erect upon the slopes of Frost Cavern's entrance; the arenas must be fantastic in size! Waves of shock and surprise gripped the young adult and her Togetic for seconds before continuing to move on to others. For once, Nikki's bright blue eyes widened in curiosity and intimidation as she spoke softly, "Cirrus, welcome to our victory." The paved path ahead was smooth, but in a metaphorical and paradoxical way, it was rocky, rugged, arduous. There was no easy path to winning, and the pressure of this victory laid heavy on Nikki's shoulders. She had to win- or how else would she fund her dream? How else with her measly earnings, would she travel the world; Cirrus in toe? How else? Their path of introspection had ended; the door was upon them.
The interior may have been ever more impressive. White wood tiled the floors, and every wall was colored an icy blue, though upon looking towards the sky, skylights illuminated the dome. People mulled around leisurely, judging their competition. There was a woman there; there at the desk. "Hello ma'am, good morning! Have you your trainer ID?" She asked, her own green eyes bright with a formal excitement. Nikki's hand reached for the bag around Cirrus's shoulder, and with little difficulty, she revealed a card of plastic- seemingly useless, but to Nikki, it was her existence, her very reason to live. "Yes, I do." The red headed trainer responded. "Wonderful!" The lady exclaimed, gently taking the card and swiping it through a machine which made a lovely trill sound in turn. "Ms. Irving, welcome! You are fully registered- we have a meeting group outside in the courtyard, and we highly advise your attendance."
The courtyard was just as frosty as the outside, and rivaling the great outdoors in temperature as well, for it was just slightly warmer due to the amount of propel gathered. Lines of little tents and attractions dotted the lane, bright colors of the rainbow lashing out in the onlookers eyes. A sudden tap on her shoulder followed by a panicked hum drew her attention away from the scenery. Cirrus held out her belt of poke balls.
One was missing- Echo.
"Wha...." Nikki had not a second to form her thoughts. The Noibat- all on his own, fending for himself, in crowds of people. "He's blind! He's blind, he's blind..." she whispered in panic to herself, not moving an inch from her spot in blind fear. Cirrus could only watch the dreamy trainer tear herself apart in guilt. "Toge..."
'The first line of every story is the hardest. A grand tale is about to unfold before the readers curious, wonderful eyes full of awestruck inspiration and anticipation. Where does one start? Spindle words together to fabricate a world of breath-taking scenery; the gems of the imagination? Strike the minds of onlookers with the intense barrage of adjectives and verbs to paint the picture of action and adventure? Or perhaps, begin with the dialogue of the eyes, a crystal gaze that revels in mystery and foreshadowing?... The first line is the hardest, though once the quill sprays ink on the paper, that precious, pure moment of difficulty evaporates silently, into an air of welcoming creativity. No idea should ever go to waste because of the fear of difficult beginnings.'
A pause bombarded the air with it's suffocating grasp; no movement was to be made in the dimly lit room. Hand lifted millimeters above the paper of a crisp, white sheet of paper- any writer's easel- the young adult sitting vigil at the desk looked over the torrent of thoughts she had released upon the little book. Her eyes were narrowed, brows furrowed in a solemn concentration. Inside her lungs, a voice screamed for a whiff of air. Suddenly, as if a spell was broken, the pause ended its forceful reign over the room, and the young adult released the breath she was unaware of containing and took a satisfied breath or rejuvenation. Nodding, she returned the pen to the paper.
-Nikki; November 2nd, 20xx- "The Day of Precious Starts"
With a snap, the little book closed, sealing the imagination between its slim sheets of paper. Nikki stood from her chair, replacing the pen to on top of her book, and pushing the chair in behind her. A high-pitched chirping sound emitted from a familiar mouth behind her, and Nikki couldn't help but smile widely at the welcoming sound. "Cirrus? Good morning. Isn't it such an exciting day" She asked, turning around to set her blue eyes upon the floating white creature behind her. A Togetic hummed happily in response, her warm brown eyes filled to the brim with joy. "Tic, Togetic!" Cirrus cried, speeding forward and embracing Nikki with her stubby arms. The hug lasted a single, warm moment before the Togetic raced around the room, opening the curtains and grabbing Nikki's bag concurrently, happily extending the small, brown shoulder bag out to her trainer.
In the warm, morning sunlight, the room was much clearer. A tiny alarm clock resembling the mythical Pokémon Jirachi sat directly left of an unmade, unkempt bed atop a small, bedside table. The carpeted floor was patterned dully with an intricate pattern of snowflakes and some indecipherable shape that vaguely reminded Nikki of mountains, though the pattern was hard to make out unless she was nose deep in the cheap, thin flooring. Standing right of the bed was a desk in disrepair; it's legs were scratched and scarred by apparent claws and the surface was stained with a bleach that looked similar to the residue of a Seviper's poison. This room, though not her own, would be her home for many days on end- at least until she felt the need to evacuate the vacancy for any reason.
Looking around the room, Nikki's gracious smile dropped to a humorous one. "Good Arceus Cirrus, I had no idea that this room was so unkempt until moments ago. Though..." Nikki grabbed the bag extended out to her and gently placed it over the Togetic's shoulder, to which the Pokémon lit up in happiness, "I find that perhaps checking into our room at two this morning might have warped our idea of 'home'. We had a bed- that's all we need." With a laugh, the red haired young adult shuffled over to the bed, throwing back the covers, only to release a squeak at the sight she was greeted with.
Underneath the covers was a mass of Pokémon, and at the rude awakening, a Meowstic lifted his head groggily. His two tails were wound protectively around a snoring Noibat, whose wing was blanketed over an awake Larvesta, who looked quite irritated with the sudden flood of light. Nikki giggled softly at the sight, "Morning, sleepy heads. Come on, get up. And Ammy," she said, louder, "considering that you're the Torch Pokémon, I'm surprised that you prefer the dark." Her hands extended to her baby Pokémon, wrapping her hands gently around the sides of the large larvae, who was slightly warm to the touch, and lifted her up to eye level. Ammy made a tiny purr at the gesture that sounded slightly like the crackle of a fire.
With a sigh of content, Nikki replaced the Larvesta onto the bed and pulled out her pokeball, to which the Pokémon gladly entered. In a flash of red, Ammy was gone. "Up, up, up! I'm herding children here!" She demanded, smiling and prodding her sleeping Pokémon awake. At the touch of her hand, Echo, her Noibat, flinched and shook awake, flapping his wings desperately to get into the air in his surprise. His tiny wingspan fluttered incessantly, and a moment passed before his wings, covered in a thin layer of skin and muscle, took flight, and he hovered in the air above Nikki's head, squeaking. A snort from Eros drew Nikki's undivided attention from the struggling, blind Noibat to the smug Meowstic.
For a split second, the comforting patting of Echo's wings ceased, and the blue psychic cat reacted on instinct, thrusting himself forward and lifting both ears- his four eyes glowing a brilliant teal blue. Nikki, herself, had also lunged for the descending bat, as did Cirrus. There was a second of held breath, but the relief washed over all three of them as Echo was suspended in the air- held up by Nikki and Cirrus's hands and Eros's psychic power. "Noi!" The little purple bat chirped happily, squeaking softly to find his pokeball, which had incidentally fallen on to the floor from Cirrus's sudden movement from out of her bag. In yet another flash of red, he was gone.
"Perhaps we shall move on? Registration confirmation and introductions begin soon, Cirrus, Eros." The red headed trainer announced, glancing briefly in the direction of the counting Jirachi alarm clock- counting down the minutes until adventure. No sounds were formed from the throats of her Pokémon, but the warm, happy, and excited looks in their curious eyes told more of a story than any sound could have implied. Nikki wandered slowly into the small bathroom, removing her sleepwear and replacing it with a denim jacket, a white camisole, and black jeans; braiding her hair into a Dutch braid on the left side of her head, then finishing the braid into a fishtail over her shoulder. A tiny makeup kit demanded her attention- flaunting its silver coloring and iridescent patterns. Angry eyes met its surface. 'Why did I bring that?' Nikki asked herself, a voice in her head scolding the action of bringing such a temptation. There is no beauty in a mask of powder and liquids; only a fake, cold exterior that derives from the real beauty of the human face. A puff erupted from her lips as the young adult opened up the door of the bathroom.
Upon her re entry to the room, she was met with a the rushed figures of Eros and Cirrus, both floating around the room- Eros with his mental capabilities- tidying the place. The bed was made, clothes folded, and her shoes and scarf were unpacked. "You guys are the sweetest!" Nikki exclaimed, interrupting their work and pulling them into a deep embrace, smiling at their surprise. A moment passed and she released them, trotting towards her cream boots and pulled them up to her mid-calf, then proceeded to place the warm, fuzzy scarf around her neck. Her icy blue eyes scanned for something else; the missing piece to her puzzle. The full length mirror stood in front of her, demanding the finishing part. "Toge!" Cirrus chirped, zooming towards her with a warm cap in the exact same color as her scarf with a Pom at the end, bouncing gleefully with the Togetic's excited movements. The Pokémon placed the hat atop Nikki's head, then nodded in satisfaction, earning a laugh from both the red headed adventurer and the blue psychic cat.
Snow swirled in intricate patterns across the air, dancing to an invisible tune in the sparkling rays of sunlight that touched the frost-bitten ground tenderly. Smoke puffed from houses and hotels; the heater working on overtime to supply warmth for all the thirty competitors of the Frozen Air Tournament. A spare few people walked the iced roads, but most of the activity and bustle occurred across town where many strong Pokémon and people bonded in challenge, anticipating the beginning of the beloved tournament of Dendemille. Power surged through the air, jolting onlookers and passerby with its severity and ferocity; a glowering Pyroar over a shivering Snorunt. Frost billowed out from the warm, busied breaths of people around and began to swirl and dance with the snow until they merged into one, beautiful painting of glittering silver.
Stepping outside proved to be no easy task, for the warm air of the hotel seemed far more inviting than the bitterness outside in the town itself. Nevertheless, Nikki wordlessly braved the cold, walking as briskly as the light, fluffy, swirling snow around her. Before her, a glowing ball of excitement manifested itself within Cirrus, and the Togetic hovered around, elated at the sight of snow. A muffled laugh emitted from her throat in watching the Pokémon whom she had started her journey with, and she removed her scarf from her mouth for a momentary bit of dialogue for her own story of life. "Cirrus, is snow that exciting for you?" Nikki asked increasing her pace to walk in stride with her Pokémon. The tournament was in sight.
Ahead- a massive dome! Sparkling ice blue, the brilliant building stood erect upon the slopes of Frost Cavern's entrance; the arenas must be fantastic in size! Waves of shock and surprise gripped the young adult and her Togetic for seconds before continuing to move on to others. For once, Nikki's bright blue eyes widened in curiosity and intimidation as she spoke softly, "Cirrus, welcome to our victory." The paved path ahead was smooth, but in a metaphorical and paradoxical way, it was rocky, rugged, arduous. There was no easy path to winning, and the pressure of this victory laid heavy on Nikki's shoulders. She had to win- or how else would she fund her dream? How else with her measly earnings, would she travel the world; Cirrus in toe? How else? Their path of introspection had ended; the door was upon them.
The interior may have been ever more impressive. White wood tiled the floors, and every wall was colored an icy blue, though upon looking towards the sky, skylights illuminated the dome. People mulled around leisurely, judging their competition. There was a woman there; there at the desk. "Hello ma'am, good morning! Have you your trainer ID?" She asked, her own green eyes bright with a formal excitement. Nikki's hand reached for the bag around Cirrus's shoulder, and with little difficulty, she revealed a card of plastic- seemingly useless, but to Nikki, it was her existence, her very reason to live. "Yes, I do." The red headed trainer responded. "Wonderful!" The lady exclaimed, gently taking the card and swiping it through a machine which made a lovely trill sound in turn. "Ms. Irving, welcome! You are fully registered- we have a meeting group outside in the courtyard, and we highly advise your attendance."
The courtyard was just as frosty as the outside, and rivaling the great outdoors in temperature as well, for it was just slightly warmer due to the amount of propel gathered. Lines of little tents and attractions dotted the lane, bright colors of the rainbow lashing out in the onlookers eyes. A sudden tap on her shoulder followed by a panicked hum drew her attention away from the scenery. Cirrus held out her belt of poke balls.
One was missing- Echo.
"Wha...." Nikki had not a second to form her thoughts. The Noibat- all on his own, fending for himself, in crowds of people. "He's blind! He's blind, he's blind..." she whispered in panic to herself, not moving an inch from her spot in blind fear. Cirrus could only watch the dreamy trainer tear herself apart in guilt. "Toge..."
