Ask to Join Pokémon: The Whirl Cup!

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Friday, July 22 – 8:00 a.m.

Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle – Whirl Archipelago

Johto Region​

Team On-hand: Pyrrha (Jangmo-o), Pariparisithea (Munna), Halay-Alae (Houndour), L’ Basseau (Surskit), La Bamba (Shellos) In Esther’s care: Feebas​

The Tornare Coliseum was unlike anything Esther had ever seen. For one, it had clearly been built into and around a natural cove. The audience’s seats were constructed in an amphitheater-esque semi-circle of aged stone. Each turned from the city and towards the waters of the battlefield—the cove was the battlefield. The battlefield was almost entirely water excepting—by Esther’s count—a baker’s dozen stone pillars that rose from the ocean floor. Four of these pillars rose high into the sky, higher even than the audience’s seats, while the rest barely broke the surface of the water. In the center of the battlefield, the largest pillar lay, while the remaining dozen were positioned around it. At the far edges of the battlefield, two stone platforms opposed each other and served as trainer boxes.

Esther’s mind was already in overdrive. She had no illusions of winning the tournament. In a straight fight, Reina’s Swampert or Naka’s Ludicolo would wipe the floor with her pokémon; obviously, she wasn’t going to give them a straight fight. But how would she—

An ocean-blue flash drew Esther from the world of her thoughts. The Oblivian turned to a podium that divided the seats in half. The tournament’s overseer and chief judge stood, hoisting a large blue Jewel above her head and clad in silken robes of varying blues. This was the Sea Priestess—Maya—and her toga-like get-up harkened to the ancient history of the Whirl Cup. As ancient things were wont to do, the Whirl Cup held to strict traditions. Esther hummed as she steadied herself in her boat. It was a miniature trireme of sorts that held 4 to 6 people. This was where participating trainers stood for the opening ceremony, not with the audience but inside these small boats, tens of them afloat in the middle of the battlefield.

“Welcome! Welcome to our friends old and new as we celebrate the battle for the Whirl Cup! We are most pleased to be able to share with you our love and appreciation of all water pokémon and at the same time we are so very happy to include each and every one of you as true heroes of the sea! May everyone here receive the ability to communicate with our water pokémon brothers and sisters from the Great Sea Spirit!

“And so, with our unite purpose I shall now invoke the Sea Spirit Union!”

Esther remained polite but uninterested as the Sea Priestess gave her opening remarks. The Great Sea Spirit was a beautiful jewel and the way it captured and scattered sunlight gave it a striking luster, but that was all it was, pretty. Or was it?

As Maya raised the Great Sea Spirit and the jewel overlapped with the sun above, the Great Spirit came alive. Esther was startled as a brilliant glow erupted from the gem and bathed the entire coliseum, dyeing everything blue. A mysterious power lingered in the air as pulse after pulse of blue light came from the jewel.

After a captivating five seconds, the jewel dimmed, and Maya stepped forward.

“And now, let the Whirl Cup BEGIN!”

Spoiler: Esther’s Inventory

$5330
Pokéflute
PokéToy
Practice Ball
Seal Case

Spoiler: Working Towards

Everstone x 1 – $15,000.00

Spoiler: NOTICE

This tournament is a part of the larger Pokémon RP and the discussion thread can be found here: https://pokecharms.com/threads/pokemon-discussion-thread.28773/ (Ask to Join - Pokémon Discussion Thread)

For anyone interested in joining please apply there or PM me directly.

The Whirl Cup is a water-pokémon only tournament. Only three pokémon can be registered and battles happen in a 1-on-1 format.

For any further details please PM me or ask in the Pokemon Discussion thread.

 

[Hecotoro]

Reina Cortez, July 22nd, Whirl Cup.

"Que hermosa es!" Reina's eyes lit up along with the jewel.

The young trainer's right hand tapped impatiently on her thigh while the opening ceremony carried on. This wasn't her first tournament, but the opponents she was to face in them was what had her nervous. Especially Naka.

Reina had an idea of herself and her team's skills. She could buttheads with mostly everyone, but the researcher was on a league above her. This wasn't like those gym battles where the leaders adapted to her level, this was more similar to her battle with Claire. Putting Naka aside, other trainers in the competition could prove to be a surprise, unlike the Unova tournament.

"This is exciting." Reina took a deep breath, eager to know who her opponent was going to be.

 

[Sir Krazz]

Friday, July 22 – 2 a.m.
Pokemon Center – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Johto
Mentions: Naka (Merciless Medic)

In the dark of the night he was tossing and turning. And the nightmare he had was as bad as could be. A corpse writhing around. Strange characters dancing abound! Before the song could become more distorted and disturbing Theo would find himself mid bolting up right on the bed he had claimed for the night in the pokemon center, the reflex action causing him to his head of the bunk bed above him. He fell backwards on to the bed, hands alternating between holding his head and rubbing his upper body furiously. He hadn't told Naka, whom he was thankful had decided to help him out the day before as well, that at night his skin felt like the Unown were still on him. Still suffocating him. Still...he didn't want to think about it anymore, trying his best to shake the feeling before he moved to get off the bed and stand. Shinx was sleeping quietly at the foot of the bed, Theo looking to the feline pokemon for a few seconds before back to the room around him.

It really happened he had to keep reminding himself. He was sure the night before that when he went to bed he would wake up and be back in his living room with a crazy story to tell his folks. As you can imagine, that didn't happen. He awoke the day before still here in the Pokemon world, where he again found himself this early morning. It really happened. Looking to the moon and the stars in the sky through the window, Theo wondered how differently the constellations here were aligned than the ones back home. Would he see those stars again? Did he want to? He wasn't sure of the answer to either of these questions.

Head pounding from both the questions and the pain, Theo would at least put some pants on before leaving the room he was sharing with other trainers, needing to wash his face. It had been an....interesting couple of days. One of the biggest challenges he still faced was memorizing the letters' of this world's alphabet. It seemed their sentence structure and definitions matched up more or less with what he had grown up with, but the symbols for the letters themselves were different. It made filling out all the necessary paperwork to have his Trainer ID assigned not only difficult but also a bit embarrassing.

Staring in to the mirror in the bathroom Theo would pool cold water in his hands before splashing himself in the face a few times, rubbing the cold water in to help him try and better focus. “Theo. What are you gonna do? You could try to go home. But...there's a whole new world right here. A dazzling place you never knew existed.” His parents were well known back in Earth's archaeology circles. They had made names for themselves there. It was only natural he would follow in their footsteps. But how could he ever set himself apart from them? No matter what he accomplished, he knew he would always be met with “Well, he is their kid after all.” But here? No such preconceived notions of his family existed. He literally just came out of thin air, and could be anyone he wanted to be. Did that mean he had to be an archaeologist? No, but it's what his skill set comprised of. And much like Naka said, he needed to get a steady influx of cash and soon. He couldn't count on freebies and the generosity of others forever. He would need to get out there and actually do something. With a light sigh Theo would head back out of the bathroom and return to his bunk, laying there for what felt like an eternity as all these thoughts and more ran through his mind until he finally passed out, hoping that he wasn't doing so with a concussion.

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

Friday, July 22 – 8 a.m.
Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle - Johto

A tournament of sorts was under way. That's what he had gathered from one of the conversations he and Naka had had, and she was here to participate in it. Only water type pokemon were allowed to enter, Theo wondering if the ass pinching crab was one such type of pokemon. That, or maybe a Sand type, if that was even a thing. Having arrived just days before the tournament, the Whirl Cup he had learned it was called, was to take place his selection of seats was between terrible and nonexistent. From where he was he wasn't even sure he would be able to see what was going on, so he gave his seat up and opted to stand at the bottom of the stairs on the upper theater. From here he could see people in boats floating center ring, a sight that reminded him of a scene from a Harry Potter movie. He kept a pen and notebook at the ready, ready to take down the names of any water type pokemon that were used. His plan was to write them down phonetically and look them up later, though he wasn't sure how well that would work.

A flock of what looked like white birds with blue bands flew overhead, Theo watching for a second until his attention, like everyone else, was drawn to a woman stepping out wearing what appeared to be weathered clothing and hoisting a large blue jewel over her head. The explosion of blue light cause Theo to become mesmerized by the sight, wondering how many other of his fellow Smurf colored tournament watchers were just as enamored as he was. With the announcement that the Whirl Cup was now officially beginning the crowd erupted in to an almost deafening roar of cheer and applause, Theo focused more on the crowd for a moment. Naka hadn't been joking, though part of him wished she had been. Pokemon battles were a favored past time here. This crowd alone was enough to convince him of that. Looking back to the tournament sea bed he wondered how well this was going to go.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 19th)
​

"At the very least, this event should make the strife of this area having been worth the trip."

These words exited the mouth of Desmond, as he seemed to be on the east side of the massive stadium and rather than take one of the seats he seemed to position himself by the railing; as he had set up a tripod and already seemed to be snapping some pictures of this opening ceremony as the crowd seemed to be in quite the fever pitch.

Desmond had had an eventful period so far on these islands, but now he seemed to be in the relaxed spectator's role for a change. He had no pressure on him, just get shots of the action and try to capture the experience as several of the people he traveled with battled to claim Whirl Cup glory. The place was packed as he had gotten a shot or two of the crowd but mostly focused on the stadium as once the pop and pageantry was done the action would begin which had been the meat of what he looked for. Yep, while the thought of multiple Pokemon battles had been an uneasy one for him, least he had his fair distance this time so he'd be able to deal with it. Yep, just sit back and relax for a change this seemed a nice....

"Tune!"

"Poli!"

"Bah!" Desmond cried out as Politoed and Kricketune popped out as if on cue and both seemed to gaze upon the stadium and cove-themed arena ahead of them with wonder. Desmond course seemed less in aww as he glanced at them once he settled his breathing and passed a scowl.

"Once more, if you desire to come out...give me a warning." Desmond muttered as Krickteune blinked innocently while Politoed rubbed its head sheepishly.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

July 22, Whirl Cup
Savannah

"Whoa! This is amazing!" Like all the other contestants that have signed up for the Whirl Cup, Savannah currently found herself on one of the 10 boats afloat in the middle of the battlefield. The girl was leaning over the side of the vessel, seeing her reflection staring back at her on the water below. The stage of the Whirl Cup had been the grandest thing Savannah had seen since she left her home, pillars taller than any trees she had ever seen and water clear enough to act as a mirror. Despite the start of the tournament being imminent, the young woman did not appear to have a care in the world. "Hehe, I can see myself waving at me." She said out loud as she did just that.

Savannah continued to mess around until her attention was drawn towards the center of the stadium, a bright blue flash gathering all eyes towards it as a young woman wearing fancy looking clothing and holding a pretty blue rock above her walked out and took center stage. Following her appearance, the woman gave her opening speech, seemingly raising the spirit of the entire arena with her words. However, the weight of her words mostly went over Savannah's head as she did not understand their importance for the Whirl Cup, but seeing as it caused such a high energy reaction from the crowd, it must have been quite the speech.

When her declamation concluded, the overseer held the blue rock in her hand high above her. Suddenly, the overlap of the gem and sun caused a blinding wave of light to sweep over the entire coliseum. Savannah reflexively moved her arm in front of her eyes to shield them from the flash. The light was overpowering, but also captivating. The way the blue swept over the whole area was beautiful, no other way to put it.

Following that demonstration, the official start to the Whirl Cup was announced, and Savannah could not be more pumped for it.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

July 22, 8 a.m., Whirl Cup...

Charlotte was surprisingly nervous. She hadn't expected this many people, or for Splash to have actually convinced two Water-type Pokémon to help her win the competition. Splash was presently chattering at Charlotte's side, eager to start the event.
"Careful," Charlotte cautioned while patting the Floatzel's head, "you don't want to wait to waste your energy."
Her Floatzel replied with a huff. Evidently, she thought that she could carry the team all the way through the tournament. Charlotte wasn't convinced. The Cloyster she and Splash had caught seemed to have some decent moves. He would be especially useful if anyone was packing a Gyrados, or a Water-Ground-type like Gastrodon. Their third team mate had the advantage of being part electric-type, which would take care of most of the pure water-type opponents. However, Charlotte had not bounded or properly trained with either Pokémon before hand. She had no idea if they would recognize commands or what strategies they would use once released from their Poké balls. She did not confess any of this to Splash, however. The Floatzel's hopes were higher than a Wingull in the clouds. Better to wait and see what happens.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo

Interactions: Savannah Mable (Grand Master Koop), Reina Cortez and Ron Towers (Hecotoro), Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce), Esther Sophys (kyuukestu), Theo Hightower (Sir Krazz)

Naka had woken up earlier that morning. Completely wide awake and unwilling to move from her bed. This was the day. The day of the challenge.

She had fought Gardenia's prestige fight. Today, she was going to be fighting people who weren't at that level, possibly. Still, it worried her. Not that she was battling, she loved it.

But that audience... So many people, more than those during that prestige fight, but she wasn't sure if this localized tournament was going to be televised. Honestly? Most likely.

She wanted to drink again, but caving to that what felt like a carnal need would only turn her into an alcoholic, and she wasn't going to destroy what she built up over the years. Seeing Tornare Coliseum in its glory, and standing on the stern of the ship, hands on the bars, the mere sight of this near natural, coral theater was sobering. This wasn't a dream, yet it didn't instill fear or anxiety. Instead, Naka felt like she was more than just here, but a part of the coliseum. A part of the battle.

One with the sea.

To be here, to fight her anxieties and fears, to feel the bobbing of the small ship that held her fellow opponents... It was awe-striking, but not surreal. Inspiration coursed through her, steeling her resolve. But she knew her limits. She knew she was going to crack under the pressure.

Pulling out the three Pokeballs at her hip, she held them to her face, smiling at them. "Ludwig, Iwa, Mudster... I know you three can fight well by yourselves. If and when I ever falter in my commands, do what feels right. Dodge and give me time to get back my bearings, or fight if you think you can best them without my guidance. I trust you three. I know I should trust myself." She looked up at the audience, sighing. She wondered if Ron was here. "We'll just have to see."

Pocketing the wiggling Pokeballs, she pulled out her phone. She had sent a message to Ron yesterday. "I'll be at the Whirl Cup on Red Rock Isle of Whirl Islands. If you can make it to watch me or find it on a channel, that would be great. I'd love to have someone cheering me on. If Gwen is still with you, hope she can watch, too. I know how much she likes to watch us fight."

Rereading that message had her eyes misting up. She didn't know why. The thought of support was nice, but that's not why she was tearing up. Maybe she missed him...

She hoped he missed her, too. She knew it would be best if he didn't, so he can focus on what he needed to do. His mission. But she couldn't help but wish he were selfish with her.

A flash above caught her attention and the speech sounded and she looked up to see the sea priestess there. Those robes were always gorgeous. She wanted to see if she were able to get some outfits in a similar design herself. The traditional culture of these people were absolutely beautiful and it captivated her. Maybe it would help put her into a different frame of mind - a different headspace that aided in making her feel different and more confident. More like the field she was on.

Only wearing her blue jeans, black tank top, and white lab coat with her black combat boots, she felt oddly naked. Raw and bare for all to see. Her self.

The speech took Naka from her internal ponderings and she couldn't help but smile with appreciation. True heroes of the sea only had Naka blush at the title. She was no hero, but a vigilante disguised in a lab coat. But clearly, her fans back in Sinnoh, no matter the meager number, saw her differently.

The Great Sea Spirit, the stone Maya held, was of great interest to Naka. If what Maya said was true, then she would be able to communicate with the Water-Types, and understand them better not only for her research but to help them, as well without the need for telepathy.

The stone glowed to conclude the speech, and Naka couldn't help but let a tear cascade down her cheek. She felt the power of the stone. Maybe it was delusional for her to think it was calling for her, but the pulsating light of power really felt like it. Like she was able to reach up and grab it.

Then, it begun.

She looked at who was with her, and saw some familiar faces. With an easy smile that belied her growing anxiety, she spoke out to all who were here. Not for some grandiose idea that she felt obligated to - being the possible strongest of the group - but to lift them up if they were feeling nervous.

Fighting the Meowth that caught her tongue, she spoke. "I know you all will do great out there. Let's have fun, yeah? No need to be so serious for a fun tournament. All be one with the sea, go with the waves. Unless you get seasick then don't worry, that nervousness some of you feel is being seasick." She said with a playful grin, trying to mask her own nervousness with an attempt at a joke. Sometimes, a little white lie to yourself can help.

She looked up at those trainer boxes and sighed. She both wanted to be up there, and yet not at the same time. To feel the itch of battle and feel one with her Pokemon again, but to also hide away and wish she wasn't here. She looked back at everyone, then tilted her head. "So, do we know who we're fighting who?"

Naka, unluckily, was too nervous to notice if there was a battle board with their names on it.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce

Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floazel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

Charlotte looked up at the names displayed displayed on the board. "It looks like I'm in Group A. First and second round." That is good. She thought. It was better to get her battles out of the way as fast as possible. Gave her lest time to squirm. She read the names in each bracket aloud to herself. Round one: Charlotte v. Ester. She scanned the group of trainers wondering which one Ester was. Round two: Naka v. Charlotte. She looked at the lab coat wearing female at the head of the pack. The combat boots were an interesting choice, though Charlotte didn't criticize. At least she made an impression. Charlotte looked down at her own blue jeans and maroon t-shirt, wondering if she should have picked out something different. Naka... Why did that name sound familiar? Had she seen it in the Sinnoh newspaper? Charlotte studied Naka once more, getting the distinct impression that she had seen her somewhere before.

Charlotte scanned the rest of the names. Savannah, Reina, Theo. All three were in Group B. Neither of them she recognized.

"Well, I'm relieved to be going first," she confessed to the group. "I haven't done this in a while."

Splash rubbed her chin affectionately against Charlotte's arm. Charlotte patted the Floatzel's head. "Still, it will be fun. I can't wait to get started.

Beforehand, Charlotte had talked to each of her Pokémon. According to Dini's translation, Splash was set on leading the team in the first round. The Cloyster and Lanturn were fine with second or third. Charlotte had not names these Pokémon as she didn't think it was fitting considering they were just caught. She had no idea if they'd want to stick around after the tournament. Besides, she already had her hands full with Tiburon.

"Now, I know you won't have time to learn the code," Charlotte told Cloyster and Lanturn."But just do your best, and follow your instincts. If I see an opening, I'll holler to you."

Charlotte did not know how much Cloyster and Lanturn understood, but they seemed to get the gist. She would sort out where they wanted to go after the tournament.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Friday, July 22 – 8:00 a.m.

Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle – Whirl Archipelago

Johto Region​

Team On-hand: Pyrrha (Jangmo-o), Pariparisithea (Munna), Halay-Alae (Houndour), L’ Basseau (Surskit), La Bamba (Shellos) In Esther’s care: Feebas​

“Fun...?” Esther hmmm-ed. A nice sentiment but...it was almost grating to hear it from Naka’s lips. She was already an established trainer. Her pokémon were strong and well-trained. The Whirl Cup was more of a side note on her trip. A thing of curiosity. Of no real consequence. Neither win nor loss would make nor break Naka’s career and, to be fair, it wouldn’t make or break Esther’s either. But the Whirl Cup wasn’t about Esther, and it wasn’t about having fun anymore. This was about Feebas, and this was about proving a point. What point? Well, Esther wasn’t exactly sure. Did Feebas want to show it was capable of independence? Was it just a rebellious phase? Did it want to live up to the expectation of its mother? All of the above? Esther didn’t know, nor would she claim to know, but she one thing was certain—“We’re here to win.”

It was wholly impossible. The Oblivian held no illusion that any form of strategy could pry a tournament victory from the hands of her opponents. Eveline had disdained to fight her partner, her strongest, Pyrrha, and Esther was fairly certain Naka was even stronger than Eveline, not to mention her water types weren’t nearly as strong as Pyrrha. One miss-step would see her fall flat on her face, her pokémon washed up like the underdogs they were.

The was a gap. A chasm. An insurmountable abyss that lay between her and her goal. Esther sighed. She grinned. Then, she jumped.

“The first Phase of the Whirl Cup will begin soon! Trainers will be divided into groups of three where they’ll battle it out in a round-robin format, only the winner of each group will advance to the final round! You’ll have 5 minutes to prepare yourself! Good Luck heroes!”

The Sea Priestess dismissed them, and nearby ushers guided the trainers to a large lounge beneath the stadium. It was a comfy little area with refreshments for trainers and pokémon readily provided. A display screen hung in the middle of the room and reflected the empty battlefield, Esther presumed it would allow trainers within the lounge to watch the ongoing battles.

The screen flickered and blinked, a list of names appeared and was rapidly sorted until...

“Ohoh?”

The brackets were set. Esther spotted her name at the forefront; Group A, match 1—Esther vs Charlotte. But that wasn’t what had drawn the Oblivian’s attention. That honor belonged to the match-up at the far end of their grouping.

Group A, Match 3—Esther vs Naka.

Spoiler: Esther’s Inventory

$5330
Pokéflute
PokéToy
Practice Ball
Seal Case

Spoiler: Working Towards

Everstone x 1 – $15,000.00

 

[Hecotoro]

Reina Cortez, July 22nd, Whirl Cup.

"Suertuda." Reina spoke up as she walked up to Esther and stood next to her.

The Metztli trainer wasn't aware of the strength of those trainers outside of her current traveling group. All she knew was that Naka was the obstacle to overcome if she wanted to even imagine winning first place. There were so many mysteries the ocean around her home region held, so it was only natural that such a price would help further discover more about them. Not only that, but she needed to build a winning streak again. As much as she didn't want to admit, Eveline had her Lapras against the ropes before the battle was interrupted. Her newly caught Blastoise was way out of her league and the catch had been but a lucky one.

Reina turned to face Esther, with a cocky smirk on her face. "You or Naka in the finals, I'm still going to win." She blew a kiss at Esther and walked away, to measure her opponents.

The first one she knew a bit, Savannah. Reina wasn't that aware of the wild girl's battling skills but she knew what it was like to be a rookie and have that fresh air pushing forward at the start of a journey. If she wasn't careful, Savannah could surprise her with a win. Reina offered her hand to her first opponent, "Glad we're finally getting to battle. But, I'm not holding back, so you better be prepare to feel our full force!"

After her interaction with Savannah, Reina approached the other member she would eventually battle. "Theo, right?" She offered him her hand, "My name is Reina Cortez. We're going to battle today, so I hope you give it your all!"

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce

Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floazel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

5 minutes...

"She certainly didn't give us much time." Charlotte said, releasing her remaining water Pokémon from their Poké Balls. Splash gave an excited bark and wagged her tails.

"Don't let all that hero talk go to your head," Charlotte warned. "We need to stay focused if we're going hold our own against these guys."

She glance over at Reina who blew a kiss at Ester before walking away.

"They don't seem to think we're a threat," Charlotte told her Pokémon. "That's good. They won't be expecting an underdog."

"Yip?"

"Sorry, Splash. I meant, underdogs. We are a team after all."

The Floatzel nodded and gave Charlotte a high five.

"Right on! Now, as for the rest of you---Hey!"

Dini's Poké Ball shook and popped open. Charlotte clutched her heart. "Arceus! You scared me."

The Alakazam pointed one of it's six fingers at Charlotte's backpack. He wanted to speak.

"Here," Charlotte unzipped the front pouch and tossed him a bag of Scrabble letters. The Pokémon grabbed a handful of letters and levitated them in midair.

CAN WE WATCH?

Charlotte was stunned. No matter how often Dini spelled words out with scrabble letters, he never ceased to amaze. "Um, sure. That's very thoughtful of you."

Charlotte released Hatari, Bolero, and Fernando from their Poké Balls. The latter pumped his fists in the air, cheering for his companion. Splash hid her face in her flippers, blushing. Charlotte grinned.

TIBURON TOO.

Dini's words caused Charlotte's smile to plop like a Stunfisk on the pavement. "I don't know Dini..."

The Alakazam rearranged his letters: SHE'S ONE OF US.

Charlotte sighed. It was still too early. She hadn't gotten the opportunity to bound with the Garchomp the way she had bonded with her other Pokémon. The last time she let Tiburon out, things got hairy. The Alakazam starred at her with expectant eyes.

"You'll have to keep an eye on her," Charlotte said firmly. "And you'll have to make sure no one in the audience sees her. We don't want to create panic."

The Alakazam raised his spoon into a half salute. Charlotte handed him Tiburon's Poké Ball. He winked before teleporting himself and the rest of the team to somewhere in the audience. Charlotte prayed they had the sense to smuggle themselves in the back row.

"Well, shall we go meet our opponent?"

"Yip!" Splash thought that was a good idea.

 

[Sir Krazz]

Friday, July 22 – 8 a.m.
Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle - Johto
Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic), Reina (Hectoro)
Mentions: Esther (Kyuuketsu), Savannah (Grand Master Koop)

Theo didn't have to look around to tell some of the other trainers were nervous. The tension surrounding him was thick enough one could cut it with a knife. What was going on with everyone? Why did the majority of them seem to be on edge? Theo himself wasn't, if only because he didn't truly know what to expect. The rest of them did however, and for whatever reason they were on edge to varying degrees. As the opening ceremony went on he heard various names whispered, though the names themselves meant nothing to him. Well, with the exception of one. Naka. Was she actually some big time celebrity or something and he just hadn't realized it? He was sure he even heard one person say “Esther's there? Maybe I should just drop out now.” Were their pokemon really that strong? Who was the stronger trainer he wondered. Esther or Naka?

It was Naka's voice that pulled him out of his though processes, Theo looking to her as she told them all to have a good time. “Just...go easy on me if we end up on the opposite end of each other, yeah?” he called once she finished, even knowing full well he wasn't going to make it that far, assuming they were in opposing brackets. Speaking of brackets, the brackets themselves were displayed then, Theo looking up and, as he predicted, he and Naka were on opposite ends. Which was fine with him. What was more promising though was that this Esther person was also in the opposing bracket, so even if he did by some miracle manage to make it to the finals his chances of facing them there were still slim.

With that the boats were rowed to a platform that lead them all down to a lounge area, Theo grabbing a few quick snacks before finding a spot to sit so he could watch the first few matches. It was high time he saw first hand what pokemon battles were really like. He and Naka had done some training, so he had an idea of what to do, but seeing one on the big screen might give him a better idea of what really to expect. He wanted to meet the people he would be facing off against, but having no idea who they were or what they looked like, it didn't seem like it would be a feasible thing to do. Yet here one came to him, offering a hand. He stood and wiped his hand before accepting hers, giving a nod “I'll....give it my best shot. I'm new to all this, but I'll still try. Let's have a good, clean match, yeah? And do you know where our other group B contestant is? I'd like to introduce myself to them before its our turn.”

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo

Interactions: Reina Cortez (Hecotoro), Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce), Esther Sophys (kyuukestu)
Mentions: Theo Hightower (Sir Krazz), Savannah Mable (Grand Master Koop)

Naka had noticed the way Esther had looked at her. Was she bothered by something she said? Was she not willing to take this as seriously as she was? Huh, interesting. She must be taking it more seriously than she had thought. Granted, Naka also had a philosophy to at least insert a bit of fun with what she wanted to be serious about to not burn out and to actually enjoy what she was doing.

If Esther was doing this to prove something, then she was going to help with that. If that was even possible. Even if that meant making her lose.

Getting into the waiting room, Naka saw the board and her earlier question was answered. She'll be up against Charlotte on the second round, then Esther the third. She looked at who Theo was fighting and chuckled sheepishly. Savannah and Reina. Oh boy... She wasn't sure if her Pokemon were going to help Theo secure a win, but she was sure that with some training she did for Theo, he should do well against Savannah. Then again, she didn't see Savannah train, it was likely she was a fast learner.

She knew Reina and Esther were strong, Savannah and Theo were newbies. That left the girl who had her Floatzel with her and earlier had her Pokemon teleported to watch the match. She looked over and... Why did she look familiar? Was she a researcher in the science community? Was she from Sinnoh? Both?

Why did everything feel so... Familiar? She decided not to think about it too much, instead looking over upon hearing Reina look so cocky. She chuckled, shaking her head. "Then don't disappoint, Reina." She called out, then realized Reina was going to be talking to Theo. Smiling, she watched their interaction for a brief moment. Seeing them being amicable enough, she then made her way to Esther.

"Something I said bother you earlier, Esther?" She smiled, looking at her with a smile. "I only say have fun because if you're too serious, it can cause burn out faster and being a trainer stops being enjoyable and more of a chore. Seeing as I work too much, it's a trick I learned to not end up destroying myself in the process. It's something that I did, even as a fledgling trainer. Plus, we got a couple newbies. If you want to be serious, I'm not gonna stop you. But I won't be playing either. Good luck." After giving time for Esther's response, she turned and noticed Charlotte, and she waved.

"Heya, don't you look familiar? Charlotte, yes? From the team you had earlier, they looked rather strong. I'm assuming you're a pretty advanced trainer, yeah." At least she was helping Esther gauge how strong Charlotte was before their match as an apology for bothering her.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte was a little taken aback by Naka's comment, but tried not to show it. She waved back.

"Yeah, I'm Charlotte. I was coming over to introduce myself to...Ester right? I saw we'd be facing off in the first round."

"Bui bui?" Charlotte's Floatzel extended a fin-paw, expecting a handshake.

"Oh, yeah. This is Splash. She's my main water-type." My only water-type until a few days ago. Charlotte added in thought. "This actually works out better, because I saw all three of us are going to face off with each other at some point.

"Yip!" Splash was really excited.

"I have done similar tournaments before," Charlotte confessed to Naka. "But not for quite a while." Not since my exposé got me fired and banned in the same month, was what she was really thinking. "But this will be a new experience. Besides, Splash has been dying to compete ever since we left Sinnoh."

That part there was no use covering up. Most of Charlotte's Pokémon were native to Sinnoh. She only hoped that no one else recognized her or her work. If Naka was who Charlotte suspected she was, she probably heard about her essays on Pokémon behavior and mental health. Hopefully that was it, if she even remembered anything about Charlotte at all. She only hoped The Battle Enhancement incident hadn't spread this far south.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Friday, July 22 – 8:00 a.m.

Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle – Whirl Archipelago

Johto Region​

Team On-hand: Pyrrha (Jangmo-o), Pariparisithea (Munna), Halay-Alae (Houndour), L’ Basseau (Surskit), La Bamba (Shellos) In Esther’s care: Feebas​

Amusement quirked Esther’s upward into an ironic smile. Naka was sweet but that sweetness was exactly what she was complaining about. It wasn’t that she was talking down to Esther, but her tone was more of a veteran talking to a novice. It wasn’t wrong, their relationship was exactly that of a more experienced trainer and a novice, but wasn’t that all the more reason to take things seriously? She was a fellow competitor, not a protege! There was no wariness in Naka’s voice—and she couldn’t have that now, could she? The fire inside had been lit.

Naka aside, Esther’s first opponent—Charlotte—had come over to introduce herself with her Floatzel in tow. Esther raised an eyebrow, Charlotte must’ve been pretty confident if she was flaunting her pokémon to all her future competitors. Esther hmm-ed and eyed her opponent critically.

The moment passed and Esther stopped forward, offering a handshake. “Hi, I’m Esther—with an H.”

Spoiler: Esther’s Inventory

$5330

Pokéflute

PokéToy

Practice Ball

Seal Case

Spoiler: Working Towards

Everstone x 1 – $15,000.00

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce

Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floazel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

"Pleased to meet you, Esther with an H." Charlotte said, and returned her opponent's handshake. She had the suspicion that she was being sized-up, both by Esther and Naka. She hadn't felt this criticized since entered that Hyper Rank contest with Bolero. Hopefully, this tournament would be more enjoyable.

Splash the Floatzel wrinkled her nose at Esther, wondering why she couldn't sniff out any of her Pokémon.

"Splash, personal space." Charlotte looked up at Esther. "Anyway, I--we," she caught herself just in time, "look forward to facing you and your team. Good luck, and may the best water Pokémon win."

"Bui-yip!" Splash agreed with that statement. Though from the looks of her smile, she seemed to already know who the best water Pokémon was.

 

[Godjacob]

Desmond Andrews (Unranked)
Red Rock Isle (Scarlet City), Whirl Islands, Johto (July 19th)​

"So the bracket is up huh?" Desmond mused knowing the projected bracket which listed all the matches present. Esther was taking on someone named Charlotte and Savannah was taking Reina. Desmond had been far from the best at evaluating battle prowess so he had no idea who really had the edge in these or future rounds though Politoed and Kricketune seemed excited.

"Kricketune, Krick Krick Tuunnne~"

"Politoed Politoed~!"

Both his Pokemon seemed to begin a light performance as Desmond had gotten fresh film prepared for his camera, as Kricketune had a little tune it sung while Politoed danced and clapped. A few fans in the front found this little sideshow amusing including some young girl who giggled and asked her mother if she'd be able to have one.

"Well, suppose it is good you are enjoying yourselves...just try not to do that during the matches, I'll need to focus." Desmond muttered to the pair.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

July 22, Whirl Cup
Savannah

Savannah followed the ushers into the lounge area below the stadium after the announcer lady finished her opening act. While other trainers showed their nervousness in the face of the tournament, Savannah didn't even fathom that thought. The wild girl was simply happy to be here, to be able to experience what pokemon battling feels like.

"Oh, I think I'm in that group." Savannah said to herself, staring at the announcement board while stuffing her face with snacks. Reading isn't her strongest subject but she knew enough to recognize her name in the bracket of contestants. "Hmm, Reina... and Theo." She muttered, reading the other names on the board. "Ok, if I understand this right, I will be battling Miss Rei Rei first and then this Theo person." She summarized in her mind. "Oh, Miss Naka and Miss Essy's names are not placed in the same place as mine." She added as she read more. "I wonder if we will be battling, it looks like we are put in different areas."

While she pondered the mysteries of this brackets board, her attention was suddenly drawn towards Reina who had walked up to her and offered her hand. Savannah was confused at first, but soon figured out what this gesture was after hearing the other trainer's words. "Oh, this must be a 'handshake', they say people sometimes gave each other these as a sign of friendliness." She thought. Savannah quickly grabbed Reina's hand with both of her own after hearing her declaration to her first round opponent. "Uh, yeah." She answered.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Friday, July 22 – 8:00 a.m.

Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle – Whirl Archipelago

Johto Region​

Team On-hand: Pyrrha (Jangmo-o), Pariparisithea (Munna), Halay-Alae (Houndour), L’ Basseau (Surskit), La Bamba (Shellos) In Esther’s care: Feebas​

“Likewise,” Esther nodded.

She had a few special preparations to complete before the first round, so Esther stepped away and fiddled with her pokéballs until she heard the call for the first match. That call didn’t take long and Esther found herself winding through the hallways on the lead-up to her first battle.

The first round would be a 1v1 and Esther had already decided which pokémon she’d use. She plucked the third pokéball from her waist, its surface was littered with billowing depictions of smoke and haze. Small tricks, but she’d need every advantage!

She’d have to be sharper than sharp, laser-focused, and perfectly on-point! The butterflies in her stomach weren’t it. Esther rifled through her memory for a tune, something to help her readjust, something to vanish her reservations, she had just the thing.

“Tsuna-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-mi~♪
Tsuna-na-na-na-na-
TSUNAMI!
Tsuna-na-na-na-na-na-na-na-mi~♪
Tsuna-na-na-na-nami-i-i~♪”

A steady tempo, the swell of a crescendo, Esther all but felt the music as she danced down the hallway and Tsuna-na-na-na-ed right into her trainer’s box.

“Comin’ at ya, comin’ at ya
Comin’ ‘round again
Shake it up when I step in
Richter scale TEN!
Storm and thunder, going under
Yeah, I get intense
No remorse, full force ahead!”

Without any thought to her opponent, whether they’d arrived or not, Esther took aim—the highest pilar on her right—and let her pokéball sail! The bright red flash that would reveal Esther’s pokémon did not appear; instead, the pokéball cracked open just a notch and blenched out clouds of sinister black smoke.

The Contest Seals Esther had purchased in Olivine made their debut—Smoke and Sinister seals ensured her pokémon would be concealed from her opponent for a few moments. She’d thought about saving this for Naka but ultimately decided against it. It didn’t matter if she started dipping into her bag of tricks, since the bag ran deep.

Spoiler: Esther’s Inventory

$5330

Pokéflute

PokéToy

Practice Ball

Seal Case

Spoiler: Working Towards

Everstone x 1 – $15,000.00

 

[Hecotoro]

Reina Cortez, Whirl Cup, Group B, Round 1.


After a quick exchange with Theo, the Metztli trainer had joined Savannah in enjoying the snacks and watching the battles of the first group. Although her eyes were on the screen, her thoughts were on the possible matchups she might have. Out of her three water Pokemon, they all seemed to have a pretty good balance. From dual types to variety of moves. Although, teamwork wouldn't matter much for the first round. She needed to choose which Pokemon would take on whatever Savannah had in store for them.
Swampert was her strongest and more experienced Pokemon. But his x4 weakness to grass was a dangerous gamble. Then there was her Ludicolo. Although he was perfect to face other water Pokemon, he didn't have much practice in his new body, which could end up in a disaster. Last, Reina's Lapras. The youngest and most energetic of the three. Storm was a strong Pokemon, able to push through until the end, but she was the most inexperienced, which could be a problem.

While Reina's mind raced with thoughts, until the announcement of her battle snapped her out of it. It was finally time!

"That's us, Savannah. See you out there!"

Reina checked her three PokeBalls were strapped to her belt correctly and left the room. She followed the path that led her to the other side of the battlefield. Upon entering the arena, her heart began to beat faster and her fingers began tapping her thigh impatiently. Was she ever going to get used to the rush a tournament provided?

Once Savannah was present and ready, Reina reached for her PokeBall, holding it with a confident smile as she waited for the round to start...

Begin!

Reina tossed her PokeBall directly to one of the pillars in the center. The ball landed and opened up with a flash, revealing the dancing Pokemon, Ludicolo.

"Let's do this, Chente!" Reina shouted, clenching her fists and raising them up as if she was about to fight herself. "No mercy! We're going all out to show Savannah what a Pokemon battle can be!"

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floazel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

Most of what Charlotte learned about Pokémon Battles, she learned from her uncle.

Don't speak. Your words can betray you. Don't smile. Your opponent will want to get inside your head.

The moment Charlotte stepped onto that stage, she knew the second step would be impossible. Her lips curled into a slight grin. She bowed to her opponent, her ritual before any match, and held up a Dive Ball. She felt this part was unnecessary, especial since she had Splash out earlier, but her Pokémon insisted on making an entrance.

She watched as Esther let her Poké Ball fly. Upon seeing the cloud of black smoke leak out, Charlotte was both amazed and terrified. She had not considered using Contest stickers as a tool for battle. She looked at down at her Floatzel's Poké Ball. There were a few stickers of bubbles and a few in the shape of stars. No tactical advantage to be sure, but they were Splash's favorites. Clearly her opponent had a few tricks.

That's alright, thought Charlotte. So do we. She tossed her partner's Poké Ball straight up. Amidst the shower of bubbles and stars emerged a confident Floatzel, who did a backflip in the air before landing on her feet.

Show off.

Charlotte still could not see Esther's Pokémon. No doubt this was what her opponent wanted. Fortunately, Charlotte didn't need to see to plan her first move. Splash looked over her shoulder at her trainer. Charlotte snapped her fingers. Stick with the plan.

Her Floatzel nodded, and sprang into action. Now it was time to see if all that speed training payed off. Splash leapt into the air and fired a barrage of stars. Swift. A move that practically never missed.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Friday, July 22 ~ 8:00 a.m.

Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle – Whirl Archipelago

Johto Region​

Team On-hand: Pyrrha (Jangmo-o), Pariparisithea (Munna), Halay-Alae (Houndour), L’ Basseau (Surskit), La Bamba (Shellos) In Esther’s care: Feebas​

Floatzel. Esther cringed. From what Charlotte had said it was the strongest pokémon on her team, meaning it was the one Esther least wanted to meet. Still, It could be worse. She could’ve thrown out one of her mystery pokémon and it could’ve been something Esther had never seen before. Floatzel was still okay. At least Esther knew about Floatzel, she’d known it was an option and they had Floatzel in Oblivia, she’d been able to prepare a few plans. Whether she could execute them was another matter entirely.

But as Charlotte called for Swift, Esther felt things were off to a good start.

“I should’ve said still waters run deep~♪
Nothing is ever what it seems!
As you stare in disbelief, we're going up, going down
Spinnin' around, 'round, 'round~♪”

The golden stars tore through the smoke and the effect of the seals faded; the offensive revealed that at the top of the pillar was—absolutely nothing! Where had Esther’s pokémon gone? Had it even been there to begin with? From Charlotte’s point of view, Esther’s pokémon had disappeared—well, it had never appeared at all—perhaps it had vanished away into the water? perhaps somewhere else? It was mystery! But not for Esther...or anyone on her side of the Coliseum. After all, they could clearly see Bambi—Esther’s Shellos—slithering down the vertical surface of the pillar. Hidden from Charlotte's eyes and Swift by the solid-rock pillar, but quite visible to anyone looking from another angle.

Esther knew she had to act quickly. Wouldn’t take long for Charlotte to find her Shellos and she could already see a few of the golden stars twisting in the air—were those...circling back around? She’d deal with them first.

“Alright, shoot down those stars «Mud Bomb»!”

Gunk-shots of mud flew through the air and exploded on contact with the swift stars.

“Now, once more, «Mud Bomb»!”

This time their opponent would Bambi clearly as the Shellos stretched its neck, periscoping around the pillar to take aim at Floatzel before it fired a large ball of mud.

Spoiler: Esther’s Inventory

$5330

Pokéflute

PokéToy

Practice Ball

Seal Case

Spoiler: Working Towards

Everstone x 1 – $15,000.00

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floazel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

Charlotte was astounded. Why, that clever little slug! The Shellos of course, not the trainer. Though she had to admit, using the pillar and Mud Bomb to counter the Swift stars was admirable. When the Shellos took aim and fired another ball of mud at Splash, Charlotte was forced to think fast.

She whistled a short tune that sounded like the soundtrack of a sci-fi movie. Her Floatzel recognized it. Stealing the Shellos's idea, Splash fired a few more Swift stars at the ball of mud to counter it. She then obeyed Charlotte's command, jetting around the pillar peek-a-boo style and sending a wave of purple sludge at her opponent.

Charlotte quickly did the calculations in her head. Toxic. Status move. Accuracy: 90%. She forgot what the accuracy for Mud Bomb was, but if memory served, a direct hit could mess up Splash's aim.

The Swift stars collided with the mud ball causing it to explode, but Charlotte noticed that a small amount ended up on Splash's face.

Distortion! Charlotte looked anxiously at Esther's Shellos, wondering if Toxic had taken effect.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo

Interactions: Theo Hightower (Sir Krazz)
Mentions: Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce), Esther Sophys (kyuukestu)

A Floatzel.

Already, Naka was studying the Floatzel. Strong, fast... Probably as strong as her Ludicolo, just around there. Granted, after having beat Gardenia, it was likely all of her Pokemon aside from her Swampert and Wishiwashi were stronger than her Floatzel. She knew Floatzel as a species can learn Ice Fang, Swift, among other moves. Thankfully, from what she could remember, Floatzel couldn't learn a single Grass- or Electric-Type move. They had eight attacks though, so she had to be careful and watch Charlotte carefully. It was likely she'll send Floatzel out on her first match against Esther, and then probably again in her second match against her. Main Water-Type meant it was on her main team, which meant her other Water-Type Pokemon weren't on par with Floatzel in terms of battling experience.

Similar tournaments? Naka watched tournaments rather religiously. It was always great background noise or a break from her research to watch and listen. But she didn't know where she remembered her from. Since she was in Sinnoh, Naka had to think now. Charlotte... Sinnoh... Hm, she now had to look up Charlotte. "Good luck, you two." She told Esther and Charlotte, before taking a stand near the tables to eat some snacks and watch their fight.

As she looked through her phone about who Charlotte was, she found a research paper she made. Something about Pokemon behavior and mental health. She nodded with an impressed grin. Huh, she remembered her. She began looking through news articles if Charlotte was on any of the news and-

Oh?

What's this?

Alleged Battle Enhancement Scandal...?

This was a good read, but she focused on the television to watch Esther's and Charlotte's Pokemon. Naka had to fight all of Esther's Pokemon in their last round, and two in the round with Charlotte. Floatzel: Swift, Toxic... Toxic? That was an interesting choice. Shellos: Mud Bomb...

Her Floatzel either had Swift Swim or Water Veil. To avoid those abilities, she shouldn't try burning or making it rain to avoid wasting her time. As for Shellos, it had either Sticky Hold, Storm Drain, or Sand Force. She didn't recall if Esther gave her Pokemon items. If not, she won't either. Which meant Sticky Hold was useless as of now, but it probably meant the Shellos was stickier to remove from surfaces. If it had Sand Force, that meant leaving Sandstorm out of the equation. If she had Storm Drain, that meant she couldn't use any Water-Type attacks.

Let's see which was which. Considering Storm Drain was a far more possible idea she may have, Naka will make sure not to use Water-Type attacks on the Shellos on their future battle.

She walked on over to Theo, standing beside him and offering him a cookie. "Fascinating, right? It's like a game of chess out there. Figuring out how to maneuver around your opponent without getting outright annihilated is something most new trainers had to figure out if they're going to be tussling with the big dogs. You can learn from her. Esther has only been training her Pokemon recently, so they aren't too strong, but battling experience doesn't equate to creativity. Just as long as she plays it smart, she can win, even if that Floatzel has been trained for far longer than Esther has been a trainer." She nodded towards the screen that was showing the periscoping Shellos. "She's also using the Pokemon's biology to its advantage, peeking around the pillar like that. Shellos are sea slugs, they have no bones and are incredibly stretchy." She chuckled, the long necc Shellos absolutely hilarious looking.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Friday, July 22 – 8:00 a.m.

Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle – Whirl Archipelago

Johto Region​

Team On-hand: Pyrrha (Jangmo-o), Pariparisithea (Munna), Halay-Alae (Houndour), L’ Basseau (Surskit), La Bamba (Shellos) In Esther’s care: Feebas​

It was fast! Esther observed as much as Floatzel jetted around the pillar. Bambi wouldn’t be fast enough to keep up with it, so Esther abandoned that idea. No, instead of dodging she’d do the opposite!

"Get closer and «Yawn»!”

Shellos’ neck stretched forward letting the toxic splash across her skin so she could get as close as possible before she opened her mouth and YA~WN~ a drowsy bubble floated towards Floatzel. It was similar to swift and difficult to dodge, Esther figured it’d be even harder to dodge without much space between them.

If Charlotte wanted to play the status game, then Esther was game.

Spoiler: Esther’s Inventory

$5330

Pokéflute

PokéToy

Practice Ball

Seal Case

Spoiler: Working Towards

Everstone x 1 – $15,000.00

 

[Sir Krazz]

Friday, July 22
Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle - Johto
Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic)
Mentions: Reina (Hectoro), Savannah (Grand Master Koop), Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce), Esther (Kyuukestu)

His interaction was...rather brief with Reina. And he never did find out who Savannah was. Guess he would have to keep a closer eye on their match. It was good, in his opinion, that he was going to get to see them battle it out first. It would give him some insight in to what their pokemon were, their strategies, and what attacks their pokemon could use. He took the time to find a seat to sit on and pull out one of the notebooks and pens Naka had hooked him up with, flipping to the back and turning it sideways. He drew a line down the center of the page, writing Esther's name in the upper corner of one and Charlotte's in the upper corner of the other. As their battle started he wrote down ? Under Esther's category, not seeing her pokemon yet. Under Charlotte's he wrote brown sea otter, having not caught the pokemon's name yet. As the battle began to play out he would write down the names of attacks used by either side, hoping to study the information later. It likely wasn't going to do him much good in the long run, but seeing what other trainers had taught their pokemon might help him better understand how to raise his own pokemon, once he had more of them. He hadn't started to learn the languages programmed in to his Rotom Phone yet, so the notes he was taking was sure to be useless to anyone other than himself.

While focused on the match Naka approached, Theo nodding to her question. “Never was one for chess, but if watching these matches will give me some sort of idea on what to do when its my turn, I'm all for it.” he saw the offered cookie and accepted, taking a bite. When the Shellos stuck its neck out to a disproportionate length Theo couldn't help but shake his head, pointing with the remainder of his cookie. “That's just not normal.” Nothing here was, but he was adjusting. Somehow. He updated Esther's pokemon's info from ? To purple water slug. Stars and mud were flying, as were clouds of different colors for some reason. One purple, the other looking like a regular cloud to him. “If you, and by some miracle I, make it to the finals I don't think I'd be comfortable going against you with your own pokemon. But if that does happen, I'd like to propose something: We postpone that battle until I become a strong enough trainer to stand on my own two feet and have a match ourselves following the rules of the Whirl Cup. Three water types each, no holds barge. It might take some time, because I'm getting the feeling you're actually stronger than you've let on to me this whole time.” he tossed the other part of the cookie in to his mouth then, glancing to the screen with Charlotte and Esther's battle.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floazel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

Despite her pokerface, Charlotte was feeling rather worried. Toxic was good at wearing opponent's down after long battles, but Esther's use of Yawn could end this battle in a flash. Especially considering Splash was a deep sleeper. This could throw her whole plan off balance.

Unless...

Charlotte did not like where this was going. Unless I play my trump card early. She was hoping to avoid this situation from the start. Not only was she down to her last Power Herb, the move she had planned was one long forgotten among the Floatzel line. Using it meant greater risk revealing herself to the crowd. She doubted many people knew who she was, but she knew one who had at least an inkling.

Naka...

If her future opponent saw her use this technique, it would be very easy for her to find that video. The one that the battle enhancement company claimed was "proof" of Charlotte using their battle enhancement drugs. After all, how else could a mere Buizel defeat a doped up Garchomp with a flying-type move? Granted, the footage had been doctored, and Charlotte had only called out Splash after the rest of her Pokémon had fainted. Still, it had been her word against theirs and their million dollar lawyers.

Charlotte closed her eyes. She listened to the roar of the crowd. It was loud and soothing, like the wing beat of a Combee. She opened her eyes again and saw Splash, sleepy but smiling. In that moment, Charlotte realized this is what they both had been missing. The excitement of battle. The thrill of a challenge. For Splash, it was a test of skill, but for Charlotte, it was a test of mind.

For the first time in her career, Charlotte broke both of her uncle's rules.

"Splash! Eat up!"

The Floatzel stifled a yawn and looked at her trainer. Charlotte was twirling her finger in the air. About time! Splash pulled out an item that, until now, she had conceal between the tips of her tails. Tossing the power herb into her mouth, Splash steeled herself and whipped the air with her tails. The result was Razor Wind, a flying-type move with an increased critical hit ratio, and at this range, contact was imminent.

 

[kyuukestu]

Esther

Friday, July 22 – 8:00 a.m.

Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle – Whirl Archipelago

Johto Region​

Team On-hand: Pyrrha (Jangmo-o), Pariparisithea (Munna), Halay-Alae (Houndour), L’ Basseau (Surskit), La Bamba (Shellos) In Esther’s care: Feebas​

It all happened too quickly. Yawn had landed but then Floatzel had plucked something from its tails and then stuck it in its mouth. Esther knew berries could remove status conditions, but whatever Floatzel had eaten certainly wasn’t a berry. Moments later raking winds rushed outward from Floatzel, scything down Bambi faster than Esther could react. It was over in an instant.

“Wha—?” The referee called the match while Esther was still grappling with whatever had just happened. Floatzel had consumed some... some... power-boosting item? That...that...was doping allowed in tournaments? The referee hadn't said anything, so it must’ve been legal.

Esther ground her teeth and returned Bambi. Bloody smurfettes and their poké-steroids. At least she could save the rest of her tricks for Naka. Oh well, at least she’d forced Charlotte to use her poké-steroids and that was a small win in Esther’s book.

Spoiler: Esther’s Inventory

$5330
Pokéflute
PokéToy
Practice Ball
Seal Case

Spoiler: Working Towards

Everstone x 1 – $15,000.00

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo

Interactions: Theo Hightower (Sir Krazz), Charlotte (Charlotte Pryce), Esther Sophys (kyuukestu)
Mentions: Savannah Mable (Grand Master Koop), Reina Cortez (Hecotoro), Desmond (Godjacob)

Naka chuckled, looking over his notes. While she had seen his new world's symbols and even took a picture of it earlier so she can read some of his handwriting to help correct things, she was still a novice and didn't understand. However, provided by the number of letters, she figured one was Esther and the other was Charlotte. She laughed at his comment about the Shellos, shaking her head. She began spouting out the Pokemon and the moves they used. "That weasel is a Floatzel, a Water-Type. That slug is a Shellos, it's pink form being West Sea. There's a blue form that's called East Sea. Water-Types. As for those moves, Swift is a Normal-Type Special homing attack. It rarely misses. As for Toxic, a Poison-Type Status move, it has a reduced accuracy when used by non-Poison Pokemon, but it causes a status ailment called Badly Poisoned. Poisoned and Badly Poison gradually reduces the health and stamina of a Pokemon, with Badly Poison's reduction being greater and greater the longer the Pokemon is out and battling. It can be cured with Pecha Berries." She pulled out a heart-shaped pink berry from her bag, smiling. "These are also pretty sweet and they're my favorite."

"Mud Bomb, a Ground-Type Special attack, has a chance to lower the opponent's accuracy. Yawn, a Normal-Type Status move, causes the Pokemon to be drowsy. After a moment, it falls asleep, but unlike the poisoned status, the Pokemon can wake up later. As for... Oh, Razor Wind." Naka watched with wide eyes, then chuckled.

"That red leaf thing the Floatzel ate was a Power Herb. It gives the Pokemon the power necessary to use moves without needing to charge them up. Moves like Solar Beam and Razor Wind, which is a Normal-Type Special move, and it has a high chance to cause a critical hit, which is a fancy way of saying it hits through an opponent's weak spot easier or catches them off guard. Ah... I think I explained this before, but I'll say it again. We have categorized moves based on their impact on the target. Special moves use the user's Special Attack - as we call it - and have to contend with the target's Special Defense, except in one case. We don't talk about that yet. Meanwhile, Physical attacks use the user's Attack and have to contend with the target's Defense."

However, that Power Herb Razor Wind combo had her wondering... She remembered seeing that before. Floatzel rarely had Razor Wind anymore, and it wasn't something Pokemon usually had anymore. "I think I saw her fight before... It was years ago though..." She pulled up a video on her phone and watched as Charlotte had her Buizel use a Razor Wind, defeating the Garchomp which looked absolutely on something. Like a battle enhancement of some kind. Something wasn't right though, how could Charlotte beat a Garchomp like that unless it was weakened beforehand, but looking closely at the Garchomp, it didn't look battered...

Hm... She'd have to ask her.

As for what Theo said, she smiled. "Oh? I'm not sure if you'll get there yet. But, regardless of what happens this tournament, I wouldn't mind having a three-on-three Water-Type only Pokemon battle with you in the future. Gotta find a good place like this tournament to have it though. Can't exactly fight without good water and good obstacles." She then smiled at his assumption on her power and she grinned. "There's a thing called a prestige gym battle." She held out a sparkling Forest Badge. It glittered brighter than the other badge she held out, another Forest Badge. It was rather dingy with age, even if she polished it earlier. "These are Forest Badges. This one-" She held up the old badge. "-is one you get when you defeat a gym leader in a normal fight. This one-" She held up the glittering badge. "-is when you defeat a gym leader at their strongest with only a few handicaps. I beat the Grass-Type gym leader from Sinnoh using her strongest Pokemon." She smiled, the glittering badge instilling her with courage for her upcoming fight. "We were down to our last Pokemon, and she had caused her Pokemon to Mega Evolve, something I don't have yet but it boosts your Pokemon's battling capabilities by a lot."

She looked up and saw the fight was over.

Next up was Reina versus Savannah (which she aided in explaining the Pokemon and their attacks), and once that battle concluded, it was Charlotte versus Naka. She knew what she was going to use and she grinned.

"Alright, wish me luck." She got up, and walked over to Esther. "Sorry about that last fight, Esther. Power Herbs are fascinating items, aren't they? I can't wait to see what tricks you have in store for me." She grinned, walking away and giving her two Pokemon some items while she was hidden away in a dark part of the corridor she was walking down, and then climbed up the steps leading to the trainer's box.

Now, it was her versus Charlotte. "Alright, give me what you got, Charlotte! Iwa!" She held out her Pokeball, and the flash of a white sardine appeared in the air with a half-eaten apple held in a band around her head, gave a little twirl for that camera she spotted manned by Desmond, and fell into the water with a nice dive, only to resurface in her Schooling form, the Leftovers now within the mouth of the great many-fished maw. She had trained her Wishiwashi, Ludicolo, and Swampert with Theo, so she was sure he would have remembered them and the moves they'd be using. "I hope you're as strong as what I saw earlier!" She said, hoping to strike the fear and anxiety in Arceus within Charlotte for sounding like she knew something about her.

Of what, she had no idea. But she saw how nervous she was in her match against Esther and she wanted to make it worse.

That's when she remembered the audience. Her face paled, and she had to stop the shaking in her hands. Damn it...

 

[Sir Krazz]

Friday, July 22
Tornare Coliseum – Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle - Johto
Interactions: Naka (Merciless Medic), Esther (Kyuukestu)
Mentions:

As Naka began to fill in the information he was missing from the match he would begin to write it down in their respective columns, marking through his previously written information rather than erasing it to keep up with Naka's pace. It had spelling mistakes, Shellows for example, but small things like that he could fix later. He even included the information about Badly Poisoned for Toxic and how to easily cure it, figuring that information would come in handy well after the Whirl Cup ended. He was able to write quickly, having years of practice from taking notes for his parents. When the video was brought up Theo would watch over Naka's shoulder, starry eyed at the Garchomp. “Whoa. Whose that pokemon?” And how could he get one? It was, so far, the most impressive pokemon he had seen.

“I've got more questions, but they can wait. Badge. Prestiege gym battles. Mega Evolution. I'll keep a note of it so we can talk more later. I'll...yeah. Good luck!” He was glad she wanted to have a match with him, and more surprised at himself for even suggesting it. Did that mean he was going to walk the path of a trainer? He wasn't sure. All he was sure of was that he would need more pokemon on his team to keep himself safe. If that just so happened to mean becoming an actual pokemon trainer, so be it. He started considering which water pokemon he should bring to their eventual battle, figuring if he caught those first he could train them for longer. An image of a pokemon flashed through his mind, a pokemon that fit the bill, Theo not having realized he had started walking with Naka until she spoke up, speaking to Esther. Walking with Naka had become something he had started to do out of habit, her being the only friend he had made so far since coming to this world.

Looking up, Theo's eyes would come to rest on Esther. So. This was the trainer that scared off another trainer. The same trainer who had just battled and lost with her purple slug, Shellows. He would offer the group A challenger a hand and a light smile “What she said. That was a good battle, however short it was. I'm Theo. Here's to...a good rest of our competition?” The notebook was in his unoffered hand, closed and pen stuck down the spiral binding.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floatzel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

For a moment, Charlotte couldn't believe it. It--it worked. Razor Wind had an increased critical hit ratio to be sure, but there was only 1/8 of a chance of dealing additional damage.

"Wahoo! Nice work, Splash!" Charlotte called, but Splash was fast asleep.

Yawn had taken affect. Still the battle was over. Charlotte felt pretty good. She was about to congratulate Esther for a well fought match, then she saw the look on her faced. Esther was miffed to put it mildly. Charlotte felt her stomach drop.

Should I have held back?

She knew that Shellos typically didn't evolve until level 30, but that didn't mean anything. Esther could have given her Pokémon an Everstone, in which case, the Shellos's level could have been anything from 1 to 100. Charlotte had learned this the hard way, when she once faced off against a trainer with a Wynaut, thinking it would be an easy fight. It turned out that Wynaut was level 65. After one hit from Counter, Charlotte's Pokémon was toast.

What was she thinking? Of course, Esther would not use an Everstone. Shellos was arguably far cuter than Gastrodon, but it has the added benefit of being part ground type. Charlotte heard the Gym Leader in Sinnoh had one and that it was a menace in battle. She watched Esther walk off stage. No, Charlotte should not feel guilty. This was a tournament after all. It would have been an insult to hold back.

As Esther walked away, Naka entered the ring. Charlotte watched as her next opponent consoled the first. Was she offering advice? Cheering her up? Either way, she was glad to see that Naka wasn't cold-hearted. She recalled Splash to her Poké Ball as Naka entered the stage. Charlotte bowed. Her face paled at the sight of Naka's Wishiwashi and at Naka's words. Maybe Naka wasn't cold-hearted, but she was intimidating. Ugh! Leftovers. The most annoying healing item a opponent could have in their arsenal. Hopefully, her next Pokémon would even the score.

"Good luck, Lanturn," she whispered to her bright red Poké Ball as she tossed it into the air. A blue fish with a yellow mask and two glowing bulbs dangling from a lure-like attachment on it's head bursted into the arena.

"Start with Aqua Ring," Charlotte instructed. The Lanturn complied, enveloping itself in water. Good, Charlotte thought. Now, pray to Arceus we can stay in the game.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

July 22, Whirl Cup
Savannah

"Oh uh alright." Reina's declaration has caught Savannah off guard. The first round was about to begin and along with it, Savannah's introduction to a real pokemon battle. Without wasting any more time, the young woman ran up to the scene of the battle.

Stepping out onto the battlefield, Savannah could feel the atmosphere change. Perhaps it's because she was overcome with excitement or maybe it's the raging crowd watching over the battle. Nonetheless, it didn't matter for the girl, she was here to have a pokemon battle and that's that. Taking a quick scan of the spectators, Savannah was able to identify two distinct figures amongst them. Her two other partners, Zap Zap and Rhy Rhy were there to watch over her battle. "Ah they're here too, that's good. I didn't want them to miss out on this." She mumbled as she waved at the two pokemon.

The stage was set and the combatants were ready, the start of the battle was imminent. "Now, who do I use? We can only use one pokemon for this first round if I remember right." The young woman thought to herself, trying to decide who to start with.

While this was happening, Savannah watched as Reina sent out her choice for the first match, her Ludicolo. "Ooh it's that dancing pokemon, it looks really fun." Savannah commented before taking out a pokeball. "Alright, I'll choose this one. Come out Co-'' Before she had a chance to finish, one of the other capsules in her possession quickly shook itself open, sending out a crossed armed Golduck onto the battlefield. Everything froze for a second as a wave of confusion and surprise rushed through Savannah's head. "Wait Ducklan! Why did you come out on your own?" She asked out loud. The Golduck simply gave his trainer a side eye glance before scoffing and turning towards the Ludicolo. Ducklan took a battle stance, ready to get started.

Behind Ducklan, Savannah was starting to go from confused to frustrated. "Alright fine, you will be the one battling here."She declared, sounding kind of fed up with her pokemon's attitude.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo

Battling: Charlotte and Lanturn (Charlotte Pryce) vs Iwa the Wishiwashi
Mentions: Theo Hightower (Sir Krazz)

Naka would have liked to elaborate more and answer Theo's questions, but she had told him that she shouldn't bog his brain down with too much. She'll explain the Garchomp later. At least he was willing to wait.

Naka watched Charlotte and knew that if Charlotte was worth her salt in battling, she would have picked up a Pokemon with the ability to use Electric- or Grass-Typed moves. And lo and behold, it was Lanturn. It had the possibility of Volt Absorb, Water Absorb, and Illuminate. Illuminate did nothing in battle, and she had no Electric-Type attacks on any of her Pokemon, so avoid using Water-Type moves it was. Lanturn also weren't that great at physical fighting than they are at using Special moves, so it would be advantageous for them to get up close and personal to put the pressure on.

"Alright, Iwa. Let's show them what we've trained for!" The eye spots on the Wishiwashi's amalgamation glowed a light blue, which in contrast to the darker blue body looked rather eerie. Imagine seeing that in the deep sea depths.

"Aqua Ring!" Iwa's body glowed and a water orb surrounded her, then multiple rings rotated around her, rejuvenating her just in case her Leftovers got knocked off. But she didn't think this Lanturn had that. And since Scale Shot didn't lower her Wishiwashi's Special Defense, she didn't have to worry about using it if it wasn't trained for physical fighting.

"Sc-Sca-!" Naka's nerves broke her voice and she couldn't speak, and she grunted in frustration. Still, her Wishiwashi understood, and acted as if it were code for something. The Wishiwashi charged ahead, then immediately circled around, firing off five fish-shaped scales that were glowing with draconic energy. If the Lanturn moved or ducked under the water, she'd lead the target, the Scale Shot not losing speed in the water.

Even though the Wishiwashi was lowering her physical defenses she was getting faster as a burly amalgamation of sardines can be.

 

[Hecotoro]

Reina Cortez, Whirl Cup, Group B, Round 1.

"Golduck? Okay, this will be good!" Reina raised her right fist into the air, "Fake Out and Dance!"

Chente, the Ludicolo, clapped his hands, sending a quick shockwave across the field and towards his opponent. Next, he began dancing, balancing his body on one leg and then quickly shifting to the other, clapping his hands and twirling in the air as he jumped and began sending odd waves emerging from his body, Teeter Dance.

Reina smiled, she wasn't expecting Savannah to have a Pokemon like Golduck already. If she wasn't careful, the wild girl could come out with a surprise and win. For now, they would look for an opening and then strike.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floatzel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

Charlotte cringed. The moment Naka's Wishiwashi fired those scales, she knew Lanturn was in trouble. As Naka predicted, the Pokémon attempted to evade the fish-shaped scales by ducking underwater. This failed, as three of the scales were direct hits. The remaining two were thrown off course thanks to Lanturn's serpentine maneuvers. Aqua ring recovered some HP, but it wouldn't last against a full frontal assault.

Charlotte tried to recall Lanturn's moves. Wishiwashi was a pure Water-type Pokémon. That meant Electric-type moves were her best bet. Trouble was, Naka's Wishiwashi had at least two layers of protection with Aqua Ring and the Leftovers. No doubt she was expecting an electric special attack.

"Set yourself up!" Charlotte hollered. Lanturn heard her, but misinterpreted the instruction. Springing out of the water, Lanturn summoned balls of colored light, and sent them at the opposing fish Pokémon.

It used Confuse Ray. Charlotte realized. She knew she shouldn't have tried to use code.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo

Battling: Charlotte and Lanturn (Charlotte Pryce) vs Iwa the Wishiwashi

Naka wasn't only paying attention to what the Lanturn and Iwa were doing, but also Charlotte. Of course, it was a little difficult to see facial expressions from this far, but she can see her body posture, and she knew she was having a hard time. This Pokemon must be new to her team or one she hadn't worked enough with.

That was when she called out for Lanturn to use... Something. And it used Confuse Ray. That wasn't exactly setting itself up, but it was going to set up Naka for failure if her Wishiwashi got hit with it.

"Aqua Tail Vortex!" To avoid the Confuse Ray, the Wishiwashi's tail became cloaked in water, she faced downward, and she began to spin. The spinning was enough to cause a small vortex around her and the water around her tail grew longer. Due to the vortex, she was able to go horizontal and create a wall of water from Aqua Tail, disrupting the ghostly orbs and making them dissipate. The wall of water made by the elongated Aqua Tail was also heading towards the Lanturn, which would let Naka know if it had Water Absorb.

Humming, Naka knew that if the Wishiwashi was too close, that Confuse Ray was going to hit and she couldn't allow her Wishiwashi to get hit by something like that. She waited to see what the Lanturn was going to do, Iwa trying to right her senses from spinning around like that.

 

[Grand Master Koop]

July 22, Whirl Cup
Savannah

Reina made the first move. Quicker than Savannah could react, Ludicolo sent out a shockwave with his clap, causing Ducklan to flinch. Following that, the Grass Water type began performing a strange dance and generating an equally strange aura with its movements. After regaining his bearings, Ducklan took a quick glance at the incoming aura before turning to Savannah, hoping the girl would at least be competent enough to issue the correct order. "Heh, that's a funny looking dance. What is it doing?" What he saw however, was the young woman simply staring at the dance performed by opposing Ludicolo, she was even laughing at it! Did she not know she was supposed to be in a battle?

Letting out an audible grunt as he grit his beak, the Golduck returned to the battlefield. He quickly kicked off the floor and surrounded himself in a layer of water. Using Aqua Jet, Ducklan propelled himself backwards and under the water, getting out of the way of the Teeter Dance. A moment of silence would follow before the Duck type would suddenly rise from the water right beside the opposing Ludicolo. He held 2 fingers to the gem on his forehead as both the fingers and gem glowed. Then, Ducklan would point his fingers at Ludicolo, shooting a Psybeam at the dancing pokemon.

 

[Charlotte Pryce]

Charlotte Pryce
Date: July 22
Age: 21 years old
Location: Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokémon Team: Splash the Floatzel, Cloyster, and Lanturn.
In the Audience: Fernando (Infernape), Dini (Alakazam), Bolero (Roserade), Hatari (Luxray), and Tiburon (Garchomp).

The bad news was that the opposing Wishiwashi's Aqua Tail move hit Lanturn head on. The good news was Laturn actually looked...happy? Of course! Charlotte palmed her forehead in realization. Water Absorb was one of Lanturn's abilities. That had been a wonderful stroke of luck. Lanturn's healing ability combined with Aqua Ring made Lanturn appear more refreshed.

Perhaps, it was time to change tactics. Charlotte whistled to Lanturn to get his attention. Lanturn turned around. I can't coach him the way I coach my other Pokémon. Charlotte discerned. He's only been with me for two days, and it took weeks for the others to learn code. Besides, being a Pokémon that lived at the bottom of the ocean meant that Lanturn didn't get many chances to learn human-speak. Still, if there was one thing every Pokémon understood, it was trust.

Lanturn stared at his trainer for a split second. This was the first time he registered Charlotte as his trainer. When the kooky Floatzel asked if he'd like to be part of a team, he only went along with it because his buddy Cloyster agreed. Lanturn really wasn't one for showing off. The Floatzel said she could handle the entire competition by herself, she just needed support, so when Charlotte had tried teaching him the names and moves associated with commands, he mostly tuned it out. Why bother learning when he'd soon return to the peaceful the depths of his ocean? But seeing that look in Charlotte's eyes, like she was depending on him, made him feel like he was truly needed.

I have faith in you, Charlotte mouthed.

She wasn't sure Lanturn understood, but she knew that she couldn't expect the deep sea fish to trust her instruction over his own instincts without proving herself. The Lanturn turned his back to Charlotte and swam off. He had understood, and he knew exactly what he needed to.

Propelling himself at the dizzy Wishiwashi, he fired Confuse Ray again. This, however, was only part of his plan. His blue and yellow body crackled with electricity, charging himself for his next attack.

 

[Hecotoro]

Reina Cortez, Whirl Cup, Group B, Round 1.

"Huh?!" Was Savannah some kind of trainer genius?!

Reina watched as the girl had the Golduck do a combo move without giving any sort of hint to it. Was she able to train it so fast? Maybe living in the wild gave her special bonds with Pokemon? Whatever, she wasn't going to lose!

"Fight back, Bubblebeam!"

Chente jumped back as Golduck emerged from the water, quickly gathering water and shooting a stream of exploding bubbles that collided with the Psybeam, causing a misty explosion. However, that gave Reina an idea. If the Golduck was going to hide underwater, they would hide above it!

"Mist!"

Chente began shaking his body vividly, causing a thick mist to emerge from his body, that began to cover his side of the battlefield. For now, it was just going to make things a bit more difficult for both trainers and Pokemon to find each other.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Nakano Saito​

Date: July 22 (26yo)
Location: Tornare Coliseum - Scarlet City, Red Rock Isle, Whirl Archipelago, Johto
Pokemon Team: Mudster the Swampert, Iwa the Wishiwashi, Ludwig the Ludicolo

Battling: Charlotte and Lanturn (Charlotte Pryce) vs Iwa the Wishiwashi

So, it had Water Absorb. Naka clicked her tongue. "No Water-Type attacks!" Iwa knew what she meant, she was able to see the now refreshed Lanturn charging after her.

Naka grinned.

While Naka let the girl have her reprieve with the Lanturn, it was now time to get serious.

"B-... Bulldoze!" I wasn't going into a competition without a Ground-Type attack for this very reason.

Having righted herself, Iwa ducked, then jumped into the air, her tail glowing with earthen energy. She then smashed the water's surface, creating a loud slap as if it were rock hitting concrete. The ripple caused by the attack was large, but what made it very dangerous was the Ground-Type energy going with the wave and heading right in the Lanturn's direction.

However, that Confuse Ray wasn't going to miss this time. Iwa saw the light, and then saw many more. She found it difficult to focus, and soon enough she was dizzy. But those pillars were great for this very thing. "Iwa, swim into a pillar, don't attack!"

But where?

Sensing her Wishiwashi's confusion, Naka helped her. "Behind you!"

Letting out a deep roar reminiscent to the high-pitched squeaky noise a lone Wishiwashi made, she turned around and charged straight for a pillar... Well, not exactly straight, more like a meandering line, but she was going to get there eventually. The Wishiwashi needed to clear her head of the confusion, and this was the fastest way to do it.