Ask to Join Pokemon Masters League

[Frontier Master]

—Battle Zone Airport, Sinnoh—

Ajax stepped off the private chartered jet into the gentle breeze of the open air, pulling his collar up as he slipped on his crimson leather trench-coat all while his dog tags clinked quietly as he walked, striding confidently into the airport.
‘So this is the location where I’ll be crowned the strongest Pokemon Master, it’s quaint but it’ll do well enough for the ceremony’ he thought as he glanced around and grabbed his bag. A somewhat harsh clattering revealed a portion of his badge case had opened within his bag, setting badges from Unova and Kalos free within the fabric folds. Ajax cursed under his breath and knelt down unzipping the bag to find one of the clasps of his badge case had buckled at some point during the turbulent flight from Canalave city. “...seven, eight-nine-ten... fifteen... seventeen wheres that last badge?" murmured the young frontier brain finally retrieving the legend badge from beneath a box of ultra-balls.

—PML registration building—

Despite trying to keep a low profile on route to the tournament’s official registration building, Ajax had managed to be recognized enough on the island that by the time he arrived at the registration building the staff were already ready and waiting for him
“Ah yes, Mr Xavier here is your trainer ID, your first match is scheduled for later this afternoon. If there is anything we can do to make you comfortable please let us know. I hope this isn’t too unprofessional but I must say I’m a big fan of yours” the smiling receptionist replied, her comically blue hair pulled back from her pale face in a neat pony-tail and she fumbled with the necessary paperwork
“Thank you” smiled Ajax a visible artificiality in his tone before walking off toward his hotel villa, he hated pointless social interactions like these

—Ajax's private villa and estate—

“Alright guys time to get acquainted with the area” Ajax threw his poke balls high into the air releasing his team into the area in-front of him. Bastion and Rose made side-ward glances toward each-other on appearance, the two steel types had hatched together and thus were inseparable at times, though the return to the Battle Zone was always a rough time for the pair, bringing back memories of hard times almost 20 years ago. Similarly Toph and Navi were already prancing around the private area, Navi darting between trees and under brush while Toph plowed right through it all, the pair had hated being couped up in the hotel suite in Canalave so were more than happy to finally be able to stretch their legs and run freely again. Genji and Hot-shot on the other hand had immediately raced toward the highest perch atop a large oak tree, both wanting to claim the lookout for them-self, more than happy to sit there stationary for hours just observing the world around them.
Separate from the pairs sat Naga, the forbidden Pokemon was still relatively new to Ajax’s roster and was yet to warm upto any of the others, so often simply sat alone in the shade and casually watched the others play, though he was absolutely petrified of Navi, letting out hails and taking a defensive stance whenever the Sylveon came near.
"Ok everyone, don’t tire yourselves out too much we’ve got out first battle in a couple hours” Smiled Ajax as he opened his laptop and begun researching what he could about some of his competitors, a few names were familiar from past tournaments, a greater number were at least somewhat similar though most names belonged to total strangers.
‘Let’s hope there aren’t any dark horses in the race this year’ he thought to himself as he scrolled through the list of participants.

 

[aurivee_]

On her plane, Talia listened to music quietly. Music was her inspiration for battle, and it helped her get prepared.
When the plane landed, she pulled out her phone. She selected a contact reading "Little Sis".
just landed, going 2 register now, wish me luck ^.^ she typed, before hitting Send.
A few moments later, a text appeared on the screen.
we all believe in you, go get em! ♥
Talia couldn't help but smile, before putting her phone away. She got off the plane, walking down the stairs with a serene expression.

~~~~~Registration Building~~~~~
In the building, Talia drew some looks and eager whispers. She was rather well known, not only for her battling prowess but for her music as well.
She kept to herself, remaining humble. Even with her fame, she didn't like to seem like a stuck-up spotlight-loving girl. That just wasn't her.
After registering, she received her ID and headed to her accommodations.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

"Hello, Battle Zone!" Shiori exclaimed, finally reaching the Fight Area dock. The actor quickly jumped off of the back of his Milotic, doing a flip in midair before landing on the dock with his hands stretched to the sky. On the back of the Milotic, a lady dressed in a leather jacket with long, black and red hair, sighed and shook her head. There were piercings on her lip, nose, and ears, and her whole outfit and stance gave off a punk vibe, not unlike certain members of an Alolan Team. The lady paused only a moment before jumping off of the water serpent herself and landing next to Shiori. She had made sure to grab a large suitcase of Shiori's before jumping off.
"Well, we did it Raza! It's early as well, plenty of time before the tourney." Shiori said. The actor had an excited smile on his face, and whipped out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket before quickly sliding them on his face. The lady, Raza, let out a small huff before crossing her arms and looking away. Even so, the punk lady had a smile on her face. The pair had been together long enough that Shiori knew Raza was excited about the tournament, even if she wasn't going to show it. The Milotic let out a small cooing noise, and Shiori turned to face his sea serpent-like Pokemon. The Milotic cooed again before nuzzling her trainer, and Shiori embraced the Milotic back.
"Thanks for the ride, Tethys." Shiori said, still hugging the Milotic. Returning Tethys back to her Pokeball, Shiori turned back towards the Battle Zone.
"Alright, Battle Zone... Prepare yourself." Shiori said with a smile. For the hero of justice.... Picking up his suitcase, Shiori began running into the Battle Zone. Raza watched for a moment before rolling her eyes, then quickly running after Shiori

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Registration Building~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shiori and Raza cautiously peeked around the corner. In the plaza before the Registration Building, multiple reporters loitered about. Great. Just what Shiori had been hoping to avoid. Still, it wasn't unexpected. It was the Pokemon Masters Tournament, for pete's sake! This tournament probably had the most intense entry conditions he had ever seen. Shiori was surprised they accepted him even though he had Beast on his team. Well, Hyper Tsunamu probably balanced it out. Shiori glanced down nervously at the Mega Ring on his wrist. Even though he had spent a few month harnessing it's power, Shiori was still nervous about using it. If he had to, this tournament would be the first time Shiori would be using the Mega Ring in a battle against another trainer.

A gentle growl from Raza, and her hand on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts. Shaking the thoughts away, he turned to Raza and gave the punk lady a confident smile.
"Alright. Let's go. Operation: Sneasel Ninja Disguise." Shiori said. Raza nodded and closed her eyes, and a few moments later Shiori face and hair looked completely different. His nose was now crooked, and his chin jutted out quite a lot more. Not only that, his eyebrows became much more bushy and his hair was now much shorter. Raza nodded at Shiori, and the trainer smirked. "Showtime."

Emerging from their hiding spots, the two began to make their way towards the Registration building. A couple of the reporters glanced at the pair, but none recognized the two. So the reporters kept to themselves. Shiori and Raza made their way towards the building, acting calmly and cooly.

Making it inside the building and out of the reporter's view, Shiori's face turned back to normal. The actor ran a hand through his hair before turning to Raza and smiling. The punk lady smiled back, and the two bumped fists.
"Nice." Shiori said, then began to make his way towards the registration desk.

 

[Merciless Medic]

A subtle wind picked up near the registration building. Some people got out of the way as they were a little startled at the sudden slight vortex of a breeze swirling around one area. A small dim light could be seen in the midst of the street as the wind got slightly stronger, and the light grew. The light kept growing until a white silhouette of a young adult and an Alolan mouse could be seen before the wind dissipated and a flash erupted from the silhouettes. Some people didn't pay any heed while others watched on and had to cover their eyes from the flash. Standing in the midst of the light, which was now gone, was a young adult lady wearing a trench coat and her Alolan Raichu floating about and looking a bit exhausted before shaking it off and squeaking happily. Looking about at the Battle Zone and the Registration Building for the Pokemon Masters League she teleported in front of, she smiled with a sigh of relief as she scratched her Pokemon's head and gave her a Pecha Berry as a treat.

"Thank you for getting me here, Chu. Now, we should probably register.... And I just realized... My profile on that site is completely blank. I'll need to fix some things up, just so people can have a bit of a chance against me," she talked more to herself, but Chu nodded while she nibbled on her treat.

The young researcher went inside and noticed a punk lady and a... Familiar looking man near the entrance as she walked in. Raising an eyebrow, she couldn't quite make him out, as he wasn't facing her. Well, she didn't pay any mind to this, as she briskly walked towards the reception desk to get everything set up.

She set out her Trainer ID and a sizable case filled with badges, ribbons, stamps, and keys she had obtained throughout the regions. The woman typed away, staring at her name for a good few seconds longer due to the weird spelling of the middle and last names. She put in her age, gender, basic appearance of her face, height, and name before opening the badge case. She checked to make sure all the trinkets were legitimate before adding in the accomplishments in her computer. All badges from the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, and Kalos regions and the Orange Islands were all in the case, including the stamps she received from her time in the Alolan Island Trials and the Contest Ribbons she has received from the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions and the Princess Keys she had received in Kalos. In total, she has 54 badges, 18 stamps, 12 ribbons, and 3 keys. Raising an eyebrow at these accomplishments, she looked up at the strange figure and asked: "Is there anything else you have accomplished in your journeys? Did you participate in any leagues?"

The young lady thought for a second as she peered over at her profile and her Raichu was preoccupied with the scenery around her. "Well, I never fought any of the Elite Four members or Champions, and I never participated in any leagues, grand festivals, or master class tournaments, official or not, due to my occupation as a researcher for some famous Professors. But I'm assuming you are wanting any battle experiences I have had besides all the gyms and contests I have beaten. Well, I have a preference for Psychic-, Ghost-, and Dark-Type Pokemon, and have graduated from all of my grades early and excelled at all the battle tests I was given. I was even asked to participate in the Indigo League before I even received any badges, but I quickly denied as I knew I wasn't ready, yet. This will be the only tournament I will be participating in and my first one at that."

The receptionist copied down the facts on the profile, leaving out the school experiences. She also put in her occupation and asked the lady one more question: "What kind of work do you do for these 'famous' professors?"

The young woman almost deadpanned at the tone she heard from the lady and decided to make herself seem a bit more impressive. "I do field work in just about anything and everything, including genetics which I'm researching right now. I have been working alongside the likes of Professor Sampson Oak, Aurea Juniper, and Kukui for a good few years now, and they chose me due to my Master's Degree in Psychology and some Pokemon-related topics, and I'm attempting to get a Doctorate's Degree in Biology."

The receptionist quickly changed her tone as she copied the last bits of information down, her tone becoming quite cheery and almost apologetic. Chu looked back between her trainer and the receptionist as if expecting a fight, but was glad there was none. "Your profile is now up-to-date and any tournament participants can now view your profile. Here is some paperwork you can sign. The paper just talks about any policies that, once you sign, you will adhere to and follow or else you will be disqualified from the tournament. Are there any questions you have for me?"

As the young woman sped through the page and signed her name in neat cursive, she thought for a second and smiled before shaking her head. After retrieving her badge case and Trainer ID and setting them in her trench coat, she waved goodbye to the receptionist before making her way out of the lobby. Now it was time to set her sights on a nice place to relax for a bit. After finding a seat near a cafe, she pulled out her phone and checked her profile before signing in and editing a few things, mainly the Pokemon she might use in the tournament. She decided to throw in curveballs, such as adding in Pokemon she actually may not use. It didn't say anything about that being a cheatsy thing to do and even though her family values honesty, she wanted to be tricky. She included one Pokemon she wouldn't use in the tournament, even though she does have them at home and was her preferred typing. After filling out basic entries for 7 different kinds of Pokemon, the 6 of which she hid in those 7 that she will actually use in the tournament, she went through the rest of her profile and edited a few key grammar and spelling errors the receptionist had made and spelled her name correctly and added in that she preferred to be called "Shade".

Now that Shade was done editing everything, she stretched and looked about as she set her phone in her trench coat and leaned back in her chair, basking in the sun. She thought it would be better if she trained her Pokemon a bit or give them some fresh air, but she didn't really find a good place to do this at as she scoped about from her comfy position. Seeing that she wasn't getting any further with this though, she decided to travel around the Battle Zone until the tournament starts, her Alolan Raichu floating about happily and flying circles her trainer in excitement for the upcoming battles.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

As Shiori made his way towards the registration desks, he noticed that one of them was already handling a competitor-to-be. She was a lady about his age, with purple, wavy hair and pink tips. By her side was an Alolan Raichu. She seemed kind of familiar for some reason, but Shiori brushed it off and went to the next desk. The receptionist there had a bored expression on her face, watching something on her computer screen and not bothering to look up as Shiori and Raza approached.
"Name?" The girl asked in a monotone voice. Shiori put down his suitcase leaned on the desk with a smile.
"Shiori Fujimoto." Shiori said. The receptionist began to type the name in, then paused halfway through. Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Shiori. The actor flashed a winning smile and lifted his sunglasses, winking at the receptionist.
"You... you're..." The receptionist stammered. Shiori raised a finger to his lips, and Raza rolled her eyes.
"Just check me in, please." Shiori said.

The receptionist nodded, and continued typing in the name. Sure enough, Shiori's profile popped up. The receptionist took a moment took look through the profile. The badges from Kanto, Johto, Unova, and Kalos, as well as the stamps from the Alolan Trials. The profile said that three years ago, he had attempted to challenge the Unova Elite Four... but had lost on the fourth battle. For some reason, this confused the receptionist.
"You battled the Elite Four... but then never tried again? Why was that?" The receptionist asked.
"Oh, that's right, I put that down, didn't I?" Shiori said, crossing his arms and thinking for a moment. "Well, I was going to when my agent called me for another movie. Then another. Then after that, well... I was busy training with something else. Then it slipped my mind. I want to face them again eventually, though. I still have to pay back Marshal for beating me."
Shiori turned back to the receptionist.
"Oh! That reminds me!" Shiori said. Reaching into his bag, Shiori pulled out four more Gym Badges. The Beacon Badge, the Fen Badge, the Relic Badge, and the Cobble Badge. "I have four more badges I need to add on to my profile."

The receptionist nodded, adding in the extra information to the . She handed Shiori his ID, and the actor thanked the receptionist. He was about to head out, when the receptionist cleared her throat and nervously scratched her cheek. "Uh... I was just, uh, wondering... Could I get an autograph?"
The reception held out a sticky note pad and a pen to Shiori. The actor looked at the pen and paper for a moment, before chuckling and shaking his head. Quickly, Shiori signed the sticky note.
"I don't suppose there's another way out of here besides that way?" Shiori asked, pointing a thumb to where he came in. He could have Raza do 'Operation Sneasel Ninja Disguise' again, but he'd rather not.

A few moments later, Shiori and Raza were making their way out of the side exit of the registration building.
"Man, I'm glad we're done with that." Shiori said, lugging along his bag of luggage.
"Y-y-e-a-a-h..." Raza said. She spoke in a growling voice that sounded almost human, but not quite. Not pleased with the way she sounded, the punk lady growled softly before kicking up some dirt. Shiori smiled at Raza.
"Hey, you're getting there! You've almost got it." Shiori said. Finding a place to sit, Shiori leaned against a tree. He could head to the hotel and chill there, but it was a rather nice day out. He began to consider what to do next. This was probably the most difficult tournament Shiori had ever entered. Should he start looking up who his competitors were? Shiori wasn't really one to do that. He always preferred attempting to battle through 'blind', only trying to gauge his opponent's based on the fights he watched. Sure, it was a lot more difficult and dangerous and gave him a bit of a disadvantage, but it made the battle more... fun, and carefree. And while winning the tournament would be nice, Shiori had battled for long enough to know that he'd just be satisfied with having a good time and fighting strong opponents. And from what he could tell from registration, this was definitely going to be the place to find strong opponents.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Shade walked about the registration building, thinking about just roughing it as it would allow her to sleep in her training field and she felt more comfortable doing so. Of course, she felt like she couldn't go anywhere without bumping into someone she recognized. Walking around the side of the building, she looked over to see the same guy and the punk girl exit from the side. Raising an eyebrow, the gears began turning as she saw his face. Why was he so familiar?

She stood there staring at him with an off-setting gaze as she recollected her memories. Her Alolan Raichu had better recall than her and immediately sped off towards the two, squeaking about happily. Going over to Raza, she spun about happily, clearly excited. She said something to the extent of "I'm Chu! Remember me Raza?" in her own little speech.

It took Shade a couple more seconds before it finally dawned on her. Shiori! She only met him once at a tournament long ago where her brother participated. She ran up to Shiori, smiling at him happily. "Hi, long time no see. Remember me? Shade? From that one tournament?"

 

[Captain Cardboard]

Raza watched her trainer consider what to do, the punk lady was surprised to see an Alolan Raichu surf up to them. For a moment, the disguised Zoroark looked at the Raichu with a complete blank expression. How did she know this Raichu? Better yet, how did this Raichu know her? Raza looked back in the direction where Chu had come from, and saw Shade. Oh, that's right! That one tournament, that lady had been there with Pyros. And this was her Raichu. Smiling, Raza knelt down to the level of the Alolan Raichu.
"Zoro, Zoroark. <Hey, it's been a while, huh?>" Raza growled.

Shiori had started to check his schedule from his Xtransciever when he noticed Chu approach. A little confused, he watched as Raza and the Alolan Raichu began talking to each other like they knew each other. Did they know any Alolan Raichu? But as Shiori was thinking, the lady he had seen at the reception desk earlier approached him and introduced herself. And now that he could actually see her face, coupled with the Alolan Raichu that was undoubtedly hers, Shiori suddenly remembered where he had met the girl.
"Oh, hey! Yeah, I remember you. You're Pyros' sister, right?" Shiori said, quickly jumping to his feet and closing down his Xtransciever. "How's it going? How's Pyros? Are you here for the tournament?"
The actor found that he just couldn't stop the flood of questions that he had.

 

[Mango137]

A boy walked through the busy streets. His head was angled downwards and the gray hood of his red sweatshirt was pulled over his navy hat. He kept his hands in his jean’s pockets as he walked quickly to the main building, hoping to avoid drawing attention to himself. His dunsparce, Tsu, followed him close behind, fluttering at about head level. While Tsu was not a competitive battling Pokémon, he often traveled with this trainer just as a companion.

The boy finally reached the registration building and approached the desk. “Acacia Song.” He mumbled, nearly whispering. He didn’t want attention drawn to himself. Fortunately, the receptionist caught on and was very discreet handling the general registration process before pointing him towards a booth that would scan his ID as well as the pokeballs of the Pokémon he wished to enter, thus saving him the trouble of manually filling out a form.

Acacia looked at the six pokeballs he was carrying with him (seven counting Dunsparce’s) and began to place them into each indentation. He had recently signed on for a sponsorship with Silph Co. after winning the Indigo Plateau Conference so he was required to exchange his old pokeballs for “special” ones as advertisement. He ran through his competitive team once again. Sol in the Fast Ball, Vito in the Heavy Ball, Topaz in the Luxury Ball, Kaiju in the Timer Ball, Alfyn in the Friend Ball, and, of course, Omi in the Dive Ball.

After registration was complete he decided to treat his Pokémon to a good pre-battle vacation. He walked outside the registration building and sent out Kaiju, instantly jumping onto the Dragonite’s back. His hood came off in the process and his identity was revealed, but just as people began to point fingers at the youngest trainer in the Pokémon Masters tournament they flew off, leaving behind a gust of wind.

Acacia flew on Kaiju to a nearby beach where he sent out the rest of his team for a little vacation before the ensuing competition. His Pokémon enjoyed fruit, relaxed, and warmed up on the beach while Acacia sat in the sand, slurped a smoothie, and meditated, planning possible strategies for today. Kaiju and Sol raced across the beach, seeing whose extreme speed is faster. Vito used rollout at Alfyn, who stopped it with cotton guard. Topaz and Tsu napped together on the sand. Omi sat next to his best friend, meditating as well. Acacia leaned against the side of his partner Pokémon as he savored the last bit of tranquility they would likely experience for a long time. “I can’t believe we made it here.” He whispered to his best friend. “I owe it all to you, I’m counting on you big guy.” He told the large blue turtle as he looked down and clutched the key stone that was hanging around his neck, even now he could feel the power of his and Omi’s bond. Omi looked at his trainer and nodded, smiling slightly. He was grateful to have such a capable leader to follow.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Shade smiled happily and just about bounced on the balls of her feet as she was happy that Shiori recognized her. It had been awhile, but at least he recollected some and it seemed Raza had remembered, as well. Chu floated about happily on her tail and hugged Raza squeaking happily like a small mousy child before looking up at Raza with adoring eyes and nodding with such bubbly excitement. In Chu's own little squeaky mouse voice, she communicated with Raza. <Uh-huh, been a bit. So glad to see you again, Raza. How's life? You getting better at your illusions?>

Shade couldn't help but get just as excited as her Raichu. She nodded to all questions as she talked with such enthusiasm, it was almost hard for some people to keep up. "I'm doing good, just a tad tired is all. Pyros is doing wonderful and has so many clients he's working for right now, it's unbelievable. And yes, I am also here for the tournament and I had just signed up. How's your life been? Busy?" she asked with a sly smile. She knew how busy it was for actors and was kind of teasing that fact with a half-rhetorical question, but was soon replaced with a genuine, excited smile.

 

[Frontier Master]

“Attention all registered trainers, the opening ceremony is about to begin, please make your way to the Main Arena immediately” the bland voice blared from various loudspeakers across the island.
Ajax lazily rose from his desk and transferred the trainer biography he had been reading to his phone before packing away his laptop and wandering out to his Pokémon
“Alright guys, ceremonies about to start so it’s time to get back in the Poké-balls, I want to be there for the start of the ceremony I’ve heard there is meant to be a huge performance to open the tournament”

—Main Arena—

Ajax wandered into the stadium alone finding a seat in the participants stands before many others had arrived. Lucky for him the fans and media personnel were not allowed in this area so he could relax a little and start surveying his competition.

As the stands slowly begun to fill up Ajax noticed the gradual increase in the volume of the drumming and music throughout the stadium

Finally when all audiences were seated the music stopped entirely before rising up once again to silence the crowd.
“Welcome Trainers to the 21st annual Pokemon Masters League, as is tradition we will begin the conference with a performance from the 18 Sentinels” boomed the disembodied voice of an announcer as 18 hooded individuals entered the central stage, each of them carried a large ornate staff with them, everyone one of them unique from their peers. Ajax was amazed by the appearance of the best monotype masters in the Pokemon world, each of them was never allowed to reveal their identity as a Sentinel which only further fueled the conspiracy theories regarding the group. Regardless of the theories and rumors the sentinels were still deeply respect across the world.
Once all 18 members were standing in a circular formation in the center of the stadium, all facing inward they begun to raise their starves in unison as each emitted a bejeweled light before a Pokemon appeared behind their respective sentinel, the stadium fell completely silent as the risen starves came slamming down with a thunderous crash before each Pokémon sent an elemental blast night into the air. The blasts all collided in a shower of blinding colour and intense power, once again in unison the sentinels and their Pokémon spun around to face outward and fire the blasts again though this time each individual blast hit a matching cauldron and creating an individual living display for each Pokémon type equally spaced round the stadium. With this final flourish the sentinels streamed silently out of the stadium much like how they entered again their Pokémon already returned to the hidden poke-ball within their starves.

“And with that great display of Pokémon mastery. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is now my honor to officially declare the 21st annual Pokemon Masters League has officially begun!” Cried the announcer once more to a thunderous round of applause

 

[Mango137]

A beeping on his pokégear alerted Acacia it was time to leave. “Alright lets go guys.” He announced as he returned all his Pokémon except Tsu and Kaiju. The trainer hopped on the Dragonite’s back and soon landed near the entrance of the arena. It was hard not to draw attention flying in on a Dragonite, but Acacia was able to quickly escape the crowds by entering the competitor area.

He walked in about halfway through the Sentinels’s performance, and gave an unimpressed look. To him being a sentinel meant nothing, as it was simply specializing in one type of Pokémon and never learning to appreciate a the others. Acacia felt confident he could beat any of them in battle due to their lack of adaptability. He made his way over and found a seat a few rows back, deciding wait out the ceremony there. His heart began to race as he saw familiar red hair a few seats ahead of him. Could it be? Thought Acacia. He had battled a trainer with hair like that about a year ago, when he was still new to using mega evolution. It was a long and hard fought battle but he had lost because of his inexperience utilizing mega evolution and his inability to react to the trainer’s incredible combination moves. Maybe he could win this time around, after all he had been practicing creating his own combination moves and working on mega evolution with Alder almost every day since then. His training allowed him to win the Indigo Plateau Conference. Still if it was the trainer he believed it to be, he was probably the most favored competitor in this elite tournament.

The audience roared and broke out in applause, a slight shift in angle due to clapping allowed Acacia to see more of the competitors face. Sure enough his fears were confirmed, it was the ruin master Ajax.

 

[Captain Cardboard]

The punk lady couldn't help but to smirk when Chu asked if she was getting better with her illusions. She had definitely been practicing hard with her Illusions, nearly every day now. Helping out Shiori with the movies he had been in also allowed her to practice her Illusions on a massive level. After all, it was a lot easier to get a Zoroark to make the special effects seem like they were happening, rather than put them in using computers or dangerous props. And there was more...
"Y-e-s-s-s." Raza spoke in English. "Wor-r-r-rking-g-g on sp-e-e-a-king."
The words still sounded off and animal-like, but a lot better than actual growls and yips.

"That's awesome! Yeah, I've been pretty busy lately. My agent's been putting me in a lot of movies, and it's been a lot of fun. But it was about time I got a break from the movie biz. Even if it's only for a little bit." Shiori said. "This is actually my first time in Sinnoh, and it's been pretty great. I got here a few days early, and managed to check out a few of the towns here. Relax and have some fun before the tournament."
An announcement blared from the speakers nearby, and Shiori watched the speaker for a moment before turning back to Shade.
"Well, it looks like it's showtime. Want to sit together?" Shiori asked, grabbing his suitcase and putting his sunglasses back on. Raza stood up, and the pair started to make their way towards the arena.

 

[LegacyBladeworks]

So this is the Battle Zone huh?...It had been several years since Jaden stepped foot last in Sinnoh, and when he had, he never got to properly pay a visit to this location. Stepping off the plane he had taken, the young man made sure to take in every last detail. Leaving no stone unturned, he wanted to etch this memory into his mind forever. His ragged appearance seemed to help with that, as no one seemed to pay him much mind as he made his way to the registration building. Guess when you go off the radar for a while, people tend to forget about you. While he hadn’t slacked off in his training, it had been a long time since he participated in any competitions that had this many eyes on it. No doubt many of the other competitors that were here had more recent accomplishments, even though he was no slouch at that. Cracking a small smile, it didn’t get him down. He wasn’t participating to gain fame or recognition. This tournament was a special opportunity. Plain and simple, whether he won or lost, he just didn’t want to let this slip by him.


Reaching his destination, the building seemed to be clear of a large majority of people. There were some who were still walking around and talking, but it seemed like he had missed the initial rush for registration. As he approached the desk, the reception worker looked up to him with a curious expression. “Sir, this is the sign ups for the Master’s tournament. Do you need help being directed somewhere else?” Chuckling a little, Jaden reached into his brown duffel bag, and dusted off three badge cases. “No, I’m in the right place. Jaden Nutrova” he replied, handing over his badges to the receptionist. Although still not seeming to recognize his name, the lady was able to find his information after a lot of digging. Handing him his Trainer ID, the mysterious competitor thanked them, and waited until the opening ceremony was set to start.


Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long. He must have been a late arrival, as it seemed only minutes had passed before the announcement blared over the speakers, ushering the competitors to head towards the ceremony. Casually striding along, the ceremony was supposedly a special ordeal, but he wasn’t one for those types of things. As Jaden got closer to the Main Area though, he could feel the adrenaline and blood pump through his body. The thoughts of exciting battles raced through his head, against some of the toughest opponents he would face yet. If that doesn’t excite someone who’s a Trainer, then I don’t know what would. Finding a seat, he flipped the hood on his tattered red coat up. While many people here so far hadn’t seemed to hear of him, he didn’t expect no one to know him. It was amusing to him, so he figured he would see how long it lasted before the secret was out. I’ll give it till my first battle. That’ll be a fun way to make an entrance. As the spectacle wrapped up on the stage, Jaden scanned the area, looking over the rest of the competitors. Even if many of them were new faces to him, there were still regions he hadn’t visited, and people he had yet to meet. Each and every individual here was recognized for their strength, and had earned the right to be here. He wouldn’t underestimate any of his competition, nor did he plan on pulling any punches.


These battles are for you Seria. Promise I won’t disappoint.

 

[Mango137]

An alert told Acacia he was up first. He made his way through the competitors area and walked out into the stadium. Audiences roared as the announcer declared that the Indigo Conference Champion and Pokémon World Tournament icon had arrived. Acacia had his gray hood pulled over his navy hat as he reached his stand. Tsu fluttered close behind, though he would not be competing. It was then that it dawned on him that he still had no clue who he was facing. Oh well he thought it’s just first round so I’ll probably be alright. It was time for a little showmanship, though Acacia hated seeming cocky. He tried to maintain a humble appearance as he removed the hood that was covering his face and smiled at the audience while raising both arms to wave as he slowly spun around to look at everyone. He then turned towards the VIP box where the organizers of the tournament would be sitting and offered a slight bow that was little more than a head nod to pay his respects. Acacia then waited for his opponent, not sure what to do.

 

[Frontier Master]

Hyōga entered the arena in fabulous robes of cyan and jade, his Snow White hair tied back in a single tight braid striped with cyan streaks.
“Ah so you shall be my opponent then, very well. Let’s go Rumbletusk!” He Yelled throwing an intricately decorated pokeball High into the air to reveal a large Mamoswine “Now Rumbletusk use hail!” The twin tusk Pokemon launched a ball of ice into the sky which shattered and begun to fall back down onto the ground though oddly the sun remained undiminished and no rain-clouds formed

 

[Mango137]

A Mamoswine would prove to be a difficult opponent for Acacia, he knew his best bet would be to finish it off as quickly as possible. “Let’s go Sol, Sunny Day then Flamethrower!” He shouted. The Arcanine emerged from the Pokeball and almost instantly a shining sun replaced the hail storm. The large canine then shot a powered up flamethrower directly at the large Mamoswine.

 

[Frontier Master]

“Gaia shield!” Yelled Hyōga as his Mamoswine used rock tomb to encase itself in a stony defensive shell which the flames licked but were unable to penetrate, the earth them begun to crack and huge portions of earth flew out in all directions as a result of an EarthQuake. Hyōga simply smiled

 

[Mango137]

Acacia didn’t want to have to reveal his new combination moves in his first round battle, but the earthquake left him no choice. “Extreme Flare!” He shouted to the fire canine. Though Sol took some damage from the initial shock of the earthquake, he was able to avoid the worst of it by jumping into the air with an Extreme Speed. The Sol put the charcoal that was hanging around his neck into his mouth and created a blazing fire around himself, Flare blitz. With the speed of Extreme Speed and the Power of Flare Blitz, Sol rocketed down towards the Mamoswine.

 

[Frontier Master]

The remaining rock tomb took the brunt of the attack, crumbling away to reveal Rumbletusk mostly unharmed.
“Stone edge!” A sharp circle of stones suddenly rose from the ground around Rumbletusk hoping to spike Sol while he was so close to he Mamoswine

 

[Mango137]

“Heatwave!” Acacia shouted. It would not protect the Arcanine from all the stones, but if the Mamoswine planned to continue its attack it would be hit from an equally strong one from close range. Sol let blew through the charcoal and an orange ring emanated out from him, melting about half the stones but he still took a fair amount of damage.

 

[Frontier Master]

The attack hit Rumbletusk square and centre but the huge mammoth like Pokémon did not let out an cries of pain and instead begin to thrash around wildly, trying to ram Sol with its large tusks or slam it’s heavy body into the fire type
“Rumbletusk May be an ice-type but you’ll find that you fire attacks will have a lesser effect upon him!”

 

[Mango137]

Ugh stupid Acacia mentally criticized himself how could I forget that Mamoswine’s hidden ability is thick fat!? Still, he focused on maintaining a confident composure externally, he could not let his opponent think for a second that he had the mental edge. Acacia calmed himself down, even with thick fat fire type attacks would deal normal damage, Sol’s fire type moves boosted by sunny day and charcoal would be a massive threat to any Pokémon so there was nothing to get too worried about.

He watched as the Mamoswine used thrashed and viewed it as an opportunity to gain the advantage, “Sol use extreme speed and get out of there.” He ordered. The Arcanine quickly escaped from the Momoswine’s rampage and put a large amount of space between the two. “Morning Sun.” Sol began to glow with a yellow light, his injuries from before seemed to fade away and the Pokémon seemed revitalized. Acacia couldn’t help but smirk as he thought about the situation That’s what’s so amazing about Sol, unless you finish him off quickly we’ll just come back stronger and with a new strategy. Acacia knew the thrash would eventually confuse the opponent if he let it be so he simply had Sol wait, prepared to make his next attack.

 

[Frontier Master]

Rumbletusk finished its Thrashing and seemed a little unsteady on its feet but not too badly
“Now hail!” Once again the Twin tusk Pokemon fired a ball of ice into the air which exploded and begun showering the field with icy chunks, though the bright sun did not really diminish nor did any large clouds form. For whatever reason the move has failed... “Stomping Tantrum!” Rumbletusk let out a frustrated cry before lowering his tusks to the ground and charging toward Sol, the huge Pokémon involuntarily taking a weaving path due to the unsteadiness of his own confusion. Each of his footsteps sent shockwaves radiating outward thanks to the moves powerful attack boosts, the first from the Mamoswine’s Ground typing and the second from Stomping Tantrums inherent boost after an unsuccessful attack

 

[Mango137]

Acacia’s happiness from the failed hail soon faded away as the Mamoswine came barreling towards them. He suspected that the opponent would be waiting for him to try an air dodge since he had already used a jump once before. He couldn’t jump to the sides as the shockwaves will still damage Sol, and waiting for Mamoswine to get close was out of the question as the shockwaves would have dealt massive damage by then. Well I guess the only option is to face him head on. “Fire Blast than Extreme Flare!” Sol shot a blazing fire symbol at Mamoswine before speeding towards it with his signature combo. Acacia hoped the fire blast would be enough to stop the Pokémon’s momentum so Sol wouldn’t have to be in a head on collision.

 

[Frontier Master]

The fire blast hit Rumbletusks charging body, clearly hurting the Pokémon however the speed of the mammoth like Pokémon created a small layer of air around the Pokémon’s hide, though it’s outer fur did appear singed revealing a collection of assault vest pads hidden under the Pokémon’s long thick fur.
Rumbletusk though injured continued charging toward Sol, unshaken by the oncoming fiery attack

 

[Mango137]

“Keep going Sol!” Acacia knew that it would be a brutal collision for the both of them, but he also knew that the assault vest only helped defend special attacks, and Mamoswine was about to be hit by Sol’s two strongest physical attacks, one of which had been boosted twice. Acacia clenched his fist, anticipating the collision.

 

[Frontier Master]

When the two pokemon came together Rumbletusk's significantly larger mass meant he was only pushed back slightly from the collision sight. Though the Fiery attack had hit him hard regardless of his ability, he somehow managed to return himself to his feet but was swaying dangerously due to confusion and exhaustion.
“Rumbletusk final attack Rock slide!!”

 

[Mango137]

While it may have looked to be a mistake on Acacia’s part to send Sol into a head on collision with a much larger Pokémon, it was a calculated decision. Everyone knows F=Ma and P=Mv, but not everyone would be thinking quickly enough to apply it. The Arcanine’s far greater acceleration and velocity allowed it to hit the large Pokémon with equal force and momentum, only being blown a little farther back than the Mamoswine was. “Quick use Dig!” He shouted as rocks came crashing down, Sol fled underground. Acacia was no fool though, he knew they would be in trouble if Hyoga ordered another earthquake so he quickly had Sol us his next move. “Flare Blitz!” He shouted as the Arcanine appeared from below Mamoswine cloak in fire, jumping up at the pokemon’s exposed stomach. He wasn’t sure Sol would survive the recoil, but at least this way they would go down together.

 

[Frontier Master]

“Endure then Super power!” Rumbletusk braced himself for impact and was launched backward slightly by the force of the attack, taking a few moments to regain its proper footing before raising its heavy body once more and with a final determined cry the mamoswine charged at Sol with tusks glowing ready to hoist the fire type up with into its tusks and throw him high into the air.

 

[Mango137]

“That’s enough!” Acacia shouted and returned his Arcanine moments before impact. “Sol had already passed out from the recoil, there was no need to further attack.” The trainer was now furious, he would no longer hold back at all. “Vito lets go!” He sent out his Donphan. The elephant roared as it emerged from its pokeball, determined to avenge Sol. “Stealth rocks then ice shard!” Vito slammed his trunk into the ground, sending pointed stones floating above the opponents side of the field, waiting for an enemy to strike. Then immediately he formed an ice shard right in front of his mouth and launched it at the Mamoswine. Acacia knew the attack would not do much damage but having to use endure meant the Pokémon was probably just a scratch away from fainting.

 

[vaultie]

To her surprise, the Battle Zone was rather... warm, actually! Atty had heard stories of Sinnoh before, the region known for it's tall mountain peaks and vast, underground cave systems. Though the aspect of venturing out into barely-charted territory excited the young woman, she was instead visiting the region for a tournament. There was no hesitation as she stepped off the boat, the sweet-salty smell of the ocean following her inland. Palm trees danced in the breeze, towering over Atty and reminding her of her time spent in Alola. With fond memories still fresh in her mind, she couldn't help but see a likeness to the tropical region, especially with so many other trainers out and about. Granted, it was obvious that many of the trainers in the zone were primarily focused on battling than relaxing, hence the name Battle Zone.

She stretched, giving a small grunt and looking down to the Weavile at her side, the short Pokemon mimicking her trainer's movements. It wasn't long until she managed to procure a map of the Zone, taking note that she had landed in the Fight Area. With time on her side and a good while before the ceremony was to begin, Atty had no issues lounging about and taking in the sights before heading over to the tournament arena.
--
Confirming her registration was easy enough, giving her name and Trainer Card to the receptionist. Afterwards, in an attempt not to let her curiosity get the better of her and lose track of time, the brunette made a beeline for the arena. "Oh, believe me, I'd love to look around some more and maybe even get a snack," She spoke, her words mainly directed to the Weavile at her side. "But it's probably better not to risk it, right?" Her expression turned sheepish as her gaze met the red eyes of her Pokemon, the two of them knowing more than well enough a similar scenario had happened before in the past.

"Myah!" Ruby, the Weavile in question, snapped back with a mewl, pouting as if she was being accused. Atty raised her hands in defense as the two continued to walk to the stands and converse at the same time, giving her own rebuttal. "Hey, I'm not saying it was entirely your fault! I'm saying we both made some stupid choices, you know."

Ruby merely rolled her eyes instead of continuing to squabble with her human, the two seating themselves inside the area where competitors would be watching and waiting. With Ruby on her lap, trainer and Pokemon both observed the opening ceremony and the following battle that was to take place. It would have been a lie for Atty to say she wasn't intimidated- After all, the tournament was designed for rather experienced trainers to show off their talents. While she was no stranger to battling and had plenty of experience as a trainer, being in such a large-scale arena did frighten to to an extent. So, it was then she kept quiet and kept to herself. Watching, waiting, and taking mental notes as the first battle began. Hyōga and Acacia's Pokemon fought it out, attacks of all types flashing and flying through the battlefield, kicking up dust and causing quite a spectacle.

 

[Frontier Master]

Despite Rumbletusk’s assault vest, ability and typing the ice shard proved enough to take down the twin Tusked Pokemon who collapsed in an exhausted heap in the middle of the field
“Excellent work Rumbletusk! Now Nero, let’s reset the stage with defog and then surf!” Yelled Hyōga as he tossed another pokeball to reveal a shiny Empoleon. Nero didn’t even wince when the stones dig into his body he simply raised his arms and let out a cry as strong winds blew the remaining stones way. Then with a colossal cry and movement of his arms Nero called forth a huge tidal wave from the reservoirs around the field. The wave begun to arc about halfway across the field toward Vito

 

[Mango137]

“Ugh oh.” Acacia muttered to himself out loud. This could not be a worse match up, he had to think of a new strategy and quick if he wanted to have Vito stand a chance. “Clear a path with earthquake, then use rollout!” Vito slammed the ground with his tusk, creating an earthquake that plowed a path going directly towards Nero with upturned rocks diverting the water out of the way. The elephant then curled into a ball and rolled at Nero with great speed.

 

[Frontier Master]

“Drill peck evasion!” Nero dived into the wave and begun to spin rapidly, allowing him to move freely within the crashing wave in order to avoid the rollout, once the Donphan had passed him he charged directly at the coiled Pokemon’s Rear hoping to hit him fully or at least land a glancing blow and knock Vito into the crashing wave.
Hyōga knew the key to beating Vito was to limit his mobility so the surf attack also ensured that the battlefield would be a sloppy muddy mess, something his own Pokémon had extensively trained in during the warmer months south of Snow Point City during the Spring Thaw.

 

[Mango137]

The drill peck hit Vito, but he would not be knocked off course so easily. Acacia knew as long as they stayed in the path cause by earthquake they could fight on more equal footing, though if they were subjected to the rest of the muddy arena they would be in trouble as it would not provide enough traction to roll. Emerging from his rollout attack Acacia ordered a Stomping Tantrum, Vito charged Nero with double the power fueled by the anger that his previous attack had failed, sending shockwaves away from him as he ran.

 

[Frontier Master]

Knowing the slowly diminishing water wouldn’t shield Nero from the shockwaves. Hyōga called out “Artic Ocean Ring!” Nero flew out of the still crashing waves surrounded by a plume of raging water, eventually ending up high in the air before surrounding himself in crystal clear glowing water. Which healed the scratches left by the stealth rocks. As the Emperor Pokemon begin to fall from the sky a single Beam of icy-energy flew out from Nero’s mouth. The fact Nero was falling and thus constantly moving made it nigh impossible to aim at Vito with most of the attack missing him entirely and freezing portions of the firmly packed earth created by the earthquake. Finally returning to the water Nero was able to curb his momentum before the last of the surging waves drained off the field revealing a muddy and uneven ground.

 

[Mango137]

“Alright let’s do this! Earthquake then ancient power!” Vito slammed down on the field again, this time with much more force, completely destroying the platform, upturning rocks so the whole field was covered with jagged stones sticking up from the ground with the muddy turf between them. The Donphan launched glowing stones at the falling Empoleon, roaring and seeming stronger afterwords. “That was lucky.” Acacia whispered to himself, it appeared Donphan had received the stat boost from using the attack.

 

[Frontier Master]

“Steel wing!” Nero visibly drained after the last attack begun slicing through and shattering any large stone which came too close to his body, though the fatigue was clear for all to see
“Nero that’s enough for now,I’ll keep you in reserve. Mosa you’re up!” Yelled Hyōga as he seapped his Empoleon for his Lapras.
“Mosa let’s go with blizzard and then Surf!” Mosa opened her mouth wide and let out a icy blast which flew toward Vito obscuring the visibility of the field before summoning an albeit smaller wave. Though the icy winds did begin to freeze portions of it creating ice chunks the size of boulders floating in the wave

 

[Mango137]

“Hmm” Acacia wasn’t used to many people switching out Pokémon in the middle of a battle. While it was allowed it just seemed a bit odd not to at least wait until the opponents Pokémon had fainted. It only irritated Acacia because Vito had finally gained the advantage over Nero just for it to be withdrawn. Unsportsmanlike but admittedly smart the trainer shrugged as he thought. However, there was no time to think, Lapras’s onslaught of attacks directly hit the Donphan as he was blown back. Luckily he just barley survived as his sturdy ability activated (since he only took drill peck as minor damage his leftovers brought him back to full health). Acacia had an idea, potentially it would be enough to wipe out Lapras in one go. “Use rolling thunder but boost your speed by bouncing off rocks!” He shouted to his Pokémon happy with the new strategy.

Vito shrouded his tusks with electricity and began using rollout to bounce from upturned stone to stone, gaining speed and power as he used the move in succession. Once he had reached maximum speed he rolled towards the Lapras with the combined power of thunder fang and rollout.

 

[Frontier Master]

“Ocean Ring!” Hyoga was beginning to wonder if swapping into Mosaryu was such a great idea, regardless the Lapras begin to charge up a huge whirlpool before releasing it into the surging waves of the battlefield, the spinning vortex moved the many floating boulders along with the huge ice chunks. Mosaryu then dove directly into the centre of the attack using the spiral to mask the creation of her own Aqua ring. The electricity of the powerful combo still surged through the intense vortex badly injuring the water type. Though the spirally vortex moving perpendicular to Vito movements did help to mitigate the physical damage of the attack.