Ask to Join The Jet Black Tournament

[BurbleBurble]

(Feel free to join here)

Waves softly came ashore onto the island. Generated by quite a few boats coming to dock at a grand port. The Jettison hotel's, to be specific. A glorious, cutting edge hotel by all means. And the first visitors to it were arriving just then, a litany of trainers from various walks of life. All convinced to come there for one very specific event.

The Jet Black tournament, of course! A week in paradise, butting heads with some of the greatest trainers in the world! With luxurious prizes promised to the winners, valuable goods that would catch any eyes. Key Stones, Mega Stones, sets of training vitamins, rare candies, and many more cash prizes. So not only was this a week of all expenses paid vacation, there was a chance to launch your training career into the next gear. You'd have to be a fool not to take up the offer.

One such trainer lured by the prizes. Top eight Unova league- Arte Parris.

Though it'd be hard to tell at a glance. He walked with an odd stride, head in the clouds. Hair unkempt and long. Hands in his pockets, stepping onto the pier. Following him, a fluffy creature- His fluffy creature, a Cinccino. The chinchilla Pokémon seemed far more aware than it's trainer, as they deftly avoided the feet of fellow tournament-goers and kept pace with their trainer.

And Arte came to a stop at a desk. Reception, at the end of the pier- making sure everyone's name was down right. Three stations, receptionists ready with a thick list of arrivals- And a thinner list of 'excluded individuals'. The receptionist spoke first. "Name?"

No response. Arte glancing into the sky.

"Um...Name?"

And Arte was dragged back down to earth. "Oh. Arte. Parris. Arte Parris."

The receptionist began looking through her list, half expecting to not see the strange boy's name there- But she found it. "Alright, just need to see an ID."

Arte did so, pulling out his wallet. Flashing his trainer ID, it was enough for the receptionist. "Alrighty, head to the Pokémon Center to finish your registration, and enjoy your stay. Next please!"

Leaving behind the reception desk, Arte was about to go back to his aimless gait, when there was a squeaking at his feet. The Cinccino. "Oh, Sugar. You want up?"

That wasn't quite what Sugar was going for. It was more 'pay attention you poor fool', but hey, he wasn't one to decline a ride. Besides, closer to Arte's face meant it was easier to grab his attention. The trainer leaned down, picked up the worrywart Cinccino, and began his gait again- Paying a little more attention this time.

"She said center, right...?" He said aloud, to no one in particular.

 

[Cupcakeus]

Top five Hoenn league - Fiona Grover

Fiona stepped onto the pier graciously and elegantly, as did her Altaria "Skye", her other pokemon were kept in pokeballs since you might not want a living volcano tortoise on the pier. as Fiona started to walk among the other trainers, "Skye" the Altaria was taking too much space, so the Humming Pokemon opted to flight instead, while keeping pace with it's trainer of course.

Fiona soon came upon the Reception desk, with her Altaria now beside her, the Reception was making sure everyone's name was written down right. Three stations with receptionists ready to help arrivals.

"Fiona Grover"

Fiona spoke right before the receptionist could even ask her, she then flashed her trainer ID, before the reception could even ask once more, "uh, alright, head to the Pokémon Center to finish your registration, and enjoy your stay. Next please!"

As Fiona left the reception desk, she could feel something was wrong here, she looked around all the other trainers, nothing seemed wrong, but Fiona could just sense it, like how you could know a storm is coming, you can't see it but you can feel it, "Taria~?" Skye chirped at her trainer confused, almost concerned, "it's nothing, Skye, we better get going to the Pokemon Center" Fiona replied.

As Fiona left to go to the center, she passed by a boy with unkempt blond hair, Fiona sighed, "people fought in the league looking like that?" she whispered to herself, and her Altaria chirped happily as if laughing at the joke.

 

[SylvitheSylveon]

Sylvi walked up to the reception desk, preparing herself for another boring tournament. All her Pokémon were in Pokéballs , resting from the long trip.
"Name?" Asked the receptionist.
"Sylvi Lee," she answered. She flashed her Trainer ID and waited for the receptionist to confirm it was her.
The receptionist then answered: "Head to the Pokémon center to finish registration and enjoy your stay! Next please."
She let out her Sylveon out of its ball. The Sylveon stretched and nuzzled against Sylvi.
"Alright Sylveon we have to head to the-" She stopped. She felt a sudden feeling on her, like someone was sneaking up on her and planning to attack her. She twirled around but saw only trainers registering and nothing out of the blue. Sylveon must've felt something wrong too because it was looking around with a puzzled expression, as if in confusion. "Let's just get to the center," Sylvi whispered, though she had no idea why she was whispering.
She took one last look around for anything suspicious but failed to notice anything. She started walking to the Pokémon center, realizing that this might not be another boring tournament.

 

[Snowflake_14]

BRRRRRRRRRRR

Skyla arrived at the pier fast asleep alongside her Mincinno, Mia. The loud horn of the ship startled them and brought their power nap to an abrupt end. After a few moments of pondering why she had woken up on a cold metal seat, Sky snapped back to reality and realized where she was.

"The Jet Black Tournament right!" she exclaimed, quickly realizing how loud she blurt out her train of thought. As she got up and stretched, her Mincinno climbed onto her back where it usually liked to reside, and the two friends walked towards the reception desk.

After waiting for a girl with pink hair accompanied by a Sylveon to finish checking in, Sky bolted to make sure she got in.

"Name?"

"The name's Sky. Though, my mom set up all of this so it might say Skyla Soto there, I don't know, but I hop-"

"Skyla. Got it. I just need an ID" The receptionist interrupted.

"Oh right! Here I got one of those" Sky turned to her bag and fished for Trainer ID, lip balm and other random bits of junk flying off in the process. Dissapointened in its trainer, Mia the Mincinno jumped down to gather all the items Sky was leaving on the floor. As it was cleaning, it noticed the pokemon all around. Fierce, mighty, and powerful pokemon. It was glad not to be the one fighting.

"Here we are, one trainer ID!". Sky showcased her ID to the receptionist, still proud of the fact she had even found it.

Suprised you actually have one. The receptionist whispered under her breathe. "Just head to the Pokemon Center and you'll finish checking in"

"Awesome! Thank you kindly!"

Mia shoved the dropped items back into the bag and hopped into Sky, as they bolted in a certain direction, not having enough time to take note of their surroundings and the mass amount of powerful trainers there, or what danger they may possibly be in.

 

[Merciless Medic]

It was a wonderful day out, but it wasn't as beautiful to a certain traveler. The shaved head of this individual had little bits of black hair jutting from his scalp, giving it a velvety texture if rubbed across. His dark eyes held anxiety and fear as he darted his eyes across all the hopeful trainers. Some were even as young as thirteen and he grimaced. What if something bad happened? What if what his gut was telling him was true? He shivered and looked up at the sky, but it felt like the lightly clouded blue sky was going to swallow him whole. He shivered as he looked down, but found the vast sea before him just as daunting.

What in the world was he doing?

He looked over after he heard a cheer and some boatmen yelling, and found the dock was beside the boat he was on. He gripped his shoulder bag tightly, fishing out a singular, chipped PokeBall he had kept with him since he was ten. He pressed the button and can feel the warmth of his first Pokemon radiating into his calloused hand. He released his Pokemon in a flash of blue, the long green serpent with glowing green markings and curly leafy foliage appeared before him. He looked at the water surrounding him and then at the people in front of him. Being towards the back of the boat, the Serperior's gaze did not alert or frighten most of the travelers, whose attentions were on the landing platform. However, some of these trainer's Pokemon had looked back and shivered as they saw the imposing Serperior look right through them with an intense glare, causing Miles to lightly jab his elbow into his partner's slender torso.

"I know you want to let everyone know you are the best here, but I suggest you keep it to yourself, Louis. I don't want to get thrown out for disorderly conduct before we figure out what is going on here." The Serperior seemed to scoff at his order, but listened regardless, averting his gaze from the other challengers with a few antagonistic glances every once in a while.

It was funny having a Pokemon acting so regal that it almost hurt seeing him shrivel every time the serpent felt like there was a slight against their character, be it a look or a passing comment that might not even be directed at him. Miles knew what why and it was due to the fear of not being taken seriously, to be cast aside like dirt that he so cautiously and meticulously kept his appearance above. Which was probably why this Pokemon listened to him so well, after their little spat when they first met. They were both scared of something (in Miles' case, quite a few things) and they protected each other from their own fears, becoming each others' strength.

Once the crowd of people in front of him, among others in another boat, filed into three separate lines, he found himself people-watching. It wasn't uncommon for him to do so. It was rather soothing to him, and he was able to get a mixture of what to expect if he were to battle these people. As he dragged on, closer to the front of the line, he overheard some chatter with one of the hopeful challengers and a receptionist getting their attention. A silky smooth and fluffy Cinccino stood beside him whilst the man stared into space. He looked to be as tall as himself, with a mane of blonde hair and inattentive green eyes staring into space. When the tanned individual heard the receptionist, he broke away from his daydreaming and spluttered out his name.

So, he was socially awkward and seemed younger than him. At least, that was the first impression Miles got from him. But if he was here, then there had to be a reason why. Maybe he was in a tournament league, but didn't win. Like he had. Maybe he lost a Pokemon. Like he had.

No, he wasn't going to go back to that. He moved on and, while it still bugged him, he was not going to let it fester his mind like it had for several years.

He watched as the guy in a jacket and jeans gave the lady his ID before moving on past her. He watched the young man as he bent to pick up his Cinccino before walking, what seemed to Miles, aimlessly around the place, looking for something.

His line grew shorter, but he found these people too interesting to pass up. Another challenger caught his attention as an Altaria landed by her side as she walked up to the reception. She seemed to have just reached adulthood, but was quite short. She had short black hair and a fiery red in her eyes that Miles thought was something else, but realized it was her eye color. Her fair skin accentuated by her black and red attire. Who would go dressed up for a journey like this, when he knew there might be perils?

She was sent forward and Miles watched as she talked with her Altaria, and hearing the Dragon/Flying-Type laugh at something. He didn't know what, as his attention was pulled to another line with another challenger. She didn't have any Pokemon by her side like the multitude of hopeful challengers around him. She seemed quite young to be here, yet she had some skill if she was here. She had pink hair and blue eyes. Her attire was nothing short of average, but there was an odd necklace from her neck. Once she was let through, she had released a Pokemon. The pink and white Fairy-Type quadruped stretched and nuzzled her partner's leg affectionately before the two of them looked around in fear. Miles knew what she had felt then. He didn't feel it then, but he felt it when he obtained the invitation to go.

A person in front of him startled him from his reverie. The boy was denied access and he tried to reason with the receptionist, but was denied. In a fit, the boy with the Charizard at his heels walked back to the boat, his day clearly soiled. He couldn't have looked to be any older than twelve, and Miles was a little glad for his denial. He went back to watching somebody else, who was behind the lady with the Sylveon in line, and as this other short girl with a Minccino on her back rushed to the receptionist. She had curly-dark brown hair and she looked to be wearing a bright pink and blue sweatshirt with what looked to be a flowery bracelet on her wrist. She seemed really loud, but he was interrupted when the receptionist in front of him yelled out for the next person.

Miles' attention snapped back to the receptionist. She seemed to have a tireless expression on her face, like she had drank several cups of coffee before getting to work. Miles spoke, his voice bass-heavy. "Miles Harding. Unofficial Top 8 of the Kanto League Tournament." He pulled out his Trainer ID, which held his height, weight, eye and hair color, his nationality being Unovan, and his picture he had to recently take for something like this. The receptionist, not having to say a word, took the ID and found his name in the list of accepted before giving back the ID to the challenger.

"Head to the Pokemon Center to finish registering. Next!"

Miles bowed politely, his Serperior doing the same as Miles walked past the booths, his brown hiking boots resounding with a dull thud as he walked by. His green long-sleeved shirt shone dully in the light, as if he had no life left in him, which was the complete opposite. His dark blue jeans and brown shoulder bag that he had to sow back together on several occasions also shone with a dullness of someone who had been through quite a bit. However, while his face was stoic, his eyes glinted with a curiosity he normally hid away. Finding the first person he found interesting, he walked over to him, spying the Cinccino on his shoulder before speaking.

"Hello. You seem lost. Need a help finding the Pokemon Center?"

His Serperior, having seen the young man and watched how utterly aloof he was, glared at him and his Cinccino to get their attention. While it wasn't meant to be mean-spirited, there was something about it that was supposed to show off how regal he looked. Miles looked at his Serperior and shook his head lightly, causing the snake to hiss in slight contempt before finding somewhere, or someone else to glare at. Of course, he naturally turned his attention to the girl with the Altaria and glared at the bird. He had fought one before and he knew how strong they were. If he were to fight her, he'd watch her closely to judge her abilities.

Of course, what he was doing was nowhere near subtle.

@BurbleBurble @Cupcakeus

 

[Gamingfan]

Bron. We need to move.
A mental voice spoke in Bron's head, waking up the trainer from his slumber. He faced beside himself, towards the Aura Pokemon sitting beside him.
"Wha-Whahapen?" He groaned groggily. His lucario, nicknamed Auro, rolled his eyes, nudging his trainer to further awaken him, speaking again through aura.
We've reached our destination. I'd propose we make haste.
Another groan "...Alright, let's do this"
Now 97% awake, Bron rose quickly, grabbing his backpack and making his way out the boat. With a bit of speedwalking, he managed to land near the front of the trainer mass exiting the ship.
That is, until he was overtaken by said mass, the hurrying trainers gradually pushing Bron backward in the line. Not one to shove people aside, Bron simply tried not to crash into anybody as they passed.
Auro, however, wasn't having it. Once he realized they were far too behind, he snatched his trainer's wrist with one paw, using the other to shove people aside whilst returning a few annoyed glances.
Eventually they managed to secure a spot in one of the lines, near the front. It was only a few minutes of waiting until Bron was face to face with the receptionist. She didn't even glance at him before speaking.
"Name?"
"Oh, uhhh, Bron Capman."
"ID?"
"Right. Ummm..." Bron fumbled with his pockets, searching while Auro looked at his trainer expectantly.
"Ah, here it is! Sorry."
The receptionist glanced at the ID. " Head to the Pokemon Center to finish registration. Have a nice stay."
Bron could barely manage to finish his thanks before Auro pulled him along.

 

[| Korutesu |]

Wilbur was walking down the road with his Gengar, toward the Pokemon Center. His Gengar floated behind him as he went to register for the so-called "Tournament" He'd enter the Registration to register to see three, maybe four other trainers there already.
"Wilbur. Wilbur Lux, Here's my Trainer Card. Is that everything?" The receptionist nodded, as Wilbur walked past and sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting area. His Gengar floated off to see what it could see, Seeing someone with a Serperior, Mincinno, A Cincinno, A Sylveon, And an Altaria, and another one with a Lucario.

"Gengar. Come back here" The Gengar went back to Wilbur, but due to boredom it flew off again, but this time, Wilbur didn't mind since it was pretty boring.

This wasn't the first time Wilbur had partaked in any Tournaments, but this one was a little bit too out-of-the-ordinary since Wilbur had never seen a tournament like this. His Gengar also had a bit of suspicion of the tournament anyway. But with the prize, it was too hard to resist.

 

[Cupcakeus]

The only thing Fiona loves are her pokemon, Skye, Timber, Spade, and Omega, but sometimes Skye the Altaria can get a bit too friendly, which is what Fiona is concerned most about, "you shouldn't show kindness, Skye, strike first and strike hard, got that?" Fiona whispered to her Altaria without facing the pokemon.

After not hearing a chirp or even sound, Fiona turned to see her Altaria skipping to two trainers with pokemon with them, there was a Serperior which was probably glaring at them, and a small Cinccino, Skye must have thought they were her friends, since the humming pokemon had met these kinds of pokemon before.

"Taria~!" Skye chirped at the Serperior while hugging it with its cloud-like wings, Fiona however stood frozen, she was just speaking about not showing weakness, and Skye does this, Fiona wont let distraction or "friends" claim her victory, and thus became quite mad, stomping after her Altaria.

As the girl neared the pokemon and the other trainers, Skye turned around and saw the angry face of her trainer, the humming pokemon knew it did something wrong, but it turned it's head to the other pokemon, mainly the Serperior and Cinccino, "no Skye, these aren't your friends, now let's go" Fiona said quietly, but her lecturing was cut short when she realized, "if this is a tournament, then i should know all about my enemies", the girl blinked and looked at the pokemon completely ignoring their trainers, "Serperior, that will be easy, it's weak against Flying types, but that Cinccino, it might be small but if the trainer knows how to use an advantage, it will be my downfall" Fiona thought, before smiling and joining in on the conversation

"Oh yes, you must be lost, well you are not the only one, i'm pretty lost too, can i come along?"

Fiona sarcastically said, she needed to know information about them if she wants to win, and she'll do anything to redeem herself, Skye on the other hand was confused, one second her trainer was angry and mad, and the next she's kind and nice... and lost?, it was for a moment when Skye realized what her trainer was doing, she's making friends, Skye had wanted for her trainer to have friends for a very long time, and now she's actually doing it!

@BurbleBurble @Merciless Medic

 

[BurbleBurble]

Arte was quite unaware of the insult slung at his appearance. Who was privy to it? Sugar was! Oversized ears weren't just for show, as he caught the comment about Arte's hair. And while he may of been a poor fool, why, Arte was his poor fool! Of course, Sugar couldn't hop down or attack the offending trainer and their high flying Altaria, so he did the second best thing-

Squeaking incessantly. This just got Arte's attention, however. "Huh? What is it?" The Cinccino looked back to Arte, who just believed that Sugar was...hungry or something. He wasn't great at reading the exact meaning behind the squeaks. He disregarded the chinchilla for now, going back to his original goal. Finding the Pokémon center.

"Center...Center...Oh."

His look around was interrupted by a newcomer. Around the same height as Arte, but much more put together. Even had another Unovan native Pokémon next to him. It took a moment to register that this man was in fact talking to him. He also thought maybe the Serperior was what got Sugar all miffed.

"Oh, no, I was just...the Center. Pokémon Center. That's where I'm goin'."

Somehow Arte must've missed it in the plaza...Despite the decent crowd, it was pretty clear cut where everything was. Even a sign posted with directions. A large, tall complex, rendered in whites and golds- No doubt the hotel the trainers would be staying in for the next seven nights. There was a single story building- it extended from the grassy land it sat on towards the beach, no doubt a restaurant for vacationers. One was a simple path to the beach, where umbrellas and lounge chairs were already prepared.

The last building connected to the plaza wasn't quite single story, but not as tall as the hotel- Though that tell tale shade of red on the roof would tip off any trainer to what it was. Even in it's sleek, elegant design, matching with the rest of the island's architecture, it was very clearly the center they were seeking.

"Oh hey, that looks like one." Arte said, pointing towards the Pokémon Center, in a surprisingly clear statement.

Meanwhile, the girl who had insulted Arte (Who was still unaware of that, by the by) decided to join up with the two, asking for directions as well. Arte nodded at her presence, looking back to his new acquaintance. "I'm uh, Arte by the way. Figured I should get that out of...process."

Though Sugar wasn't quite as neutral, giving Fiona one heck of a stink eye. Letting out a low grumble towards the girl. Why was she so...patronizing? Sure, he did the same thing to Arte...But that was way different!

Meanwhile, back at the docks, a new arrival walked up to reception. Her red hair in a bob cut, eyes covered by a pair of sunglasses. Two Pokéballs strapped to her belt, and a camera hanging from her neck. A decent sized carry on bag behind her. The receptionist that took her did the same thing they had done to everyone else.

"Name?"

"I'm not here for the tournament," She said with a smile, "I'm a freelance journalist! Teresa Sparks. I have a press pass to prove it!"

She did provide that Press Pass. With an "International Journalist Union". The name listed did say Teresa Stevens, but it was certainly her picture on it. The receptionist looked at it with some scrutiny. Then shuffled away the standard guest list to the 'excluded individuals'. Running their finger down it, there was most major press entities- But nothing about a Teresa Stevens or Sparks, or that International Journalist Union. "Mmm...A moment, ma'am."

The Receptionist pulled out a pager and called in to their superior. "There's a journalist up here, Teresa Sparks, or Stevens...No, she isn't on the exclusion list...Do we have space for one more?...Alright."

The receptionist turned back and spoke to Teresa once more. "Fine, you go ahead. Talk to the hotel front desk, they'll give you a room."

"Aha! Thank you so much!" She said, quickly heading towards the plaza, dragging her luggage behind her. This was the journaling opportunity of a lifetime...Sure, Teresa had chased some less than stellar stories before. But all her sources said that this tournament was going to be huge, and that no big press had been even offered a chance to get on it! Even if it was a bust, she couldn't complain about getting some sunlight. But she was certain, this was her big break!

In fact, she even spotted someone already! Pink haired, young, with a Sylveon in tow...That Sylvi girl that had come out of nowhere and practically dominated the last Kalos league! The fight she had done with Diantha had been a huge hit, the champion had just barely edged out a win. Getting an interview with a talented upcoming trainer...She was starting this off on the right foot!

"Hey! You! With the Sylveon! Miss Sylvi!" Called out Teresa, camera already in her hands.

 

[SylvitheSylveon]

Sylvi groaned. A lady with a camera was approaching her, calling her name. Another news reporter, probably. Ever since her fight with the champion, reporters had been trying to interview her, begging for information. Her mother just made it worse. Her mother tried to get every journalist to interview her. Ever since her brother had become champion of a foreign region, her mother kept pressuring her to become one too. After the battle with Diantha, her mother welcomed every interview in wide arms. Sylvi decided to stop answering questions. Every time she was asked a question, she refused to answer or answered with a simple "Yes" or "No". She WAS NOT going to be mother's fame making machine. When she was invited to this tournament far away from home, she immediately accepted. Even if she didn't like tournaments anymore, she needed to get away from home, from the press, and from mother. She hoped no one would recognize her but then, being there for not even a hour, a journalist came to bombard her with personal questions.
"Sylveon, its a reporter, run." Sylveon was already running. Sylvi ran after Sylveon, hoping the reporter wasn't on her tail. She ran into a crowd, where she could blend in. She ran to the Pokémon center, since that was where she was heading in the first place. Surely the reporter wouldn't follow her THAT far. She kept running, until she bumped into Arte Parris.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Miles raised an eyebrow at the individual. He seemed quite awkward and it was endearing at best. He looked over at the same time the young man had noticed the hotel they were to be staying at and the Pokemon Center nearby. He let out an amused huff and shook his head. "In something like this, you need to be more observant. I don't trust this place as far as I can throw it."

Louis the Serperior had looked back to the Cinccino and Arte when he felt something fluffy and airy hug him. He stiffened and he peered below him to see an Altaria hugging him. The hug was an unfamiliar gesture and he was certainly uncomfortable. Miles looked over and softly put his hands on the Altaria's fluffy wings. "Please, do not touch him. He isn't anyone you know." His soulless eyes peered at the Altaria and he looked back at the woman who came by. She seemed outright mad at her bird and he felt something bubble within himself. Was this resentment? Anger? He didn't know, but she seemed quite young regardless. He listened to the patronizing tone and saw the young man's Cinccino grow slightly more irritated. He glared at the woman, a fire lit in his eyes that would even have his own Serperior shrink back. He made a mental note that the man he was with was named Arte. But he made no show of formalities.

"If you weren't so obviously patronizing, maybe we would help you. I didn't come here to win favors, but I sure as hell didn't come here looking for your petty drama." He growled something sinister, his shoulders tensed up before becoming rather relaxed. His Serperior hissed and snarled at the young lady and her Altaria, feeling the anger bubble within his own body, as well.

However, his attention was interrupted when he saw someone run up at them and bump into Arte. It was that young girl with the Sylveon. Who was she running away from? He looked behind her to see what looked to be a reporter through the crowd. It was unmistakable who that was. He shot the lady with the Altaria a dagger-filled glare, his eyes looking like something you'd see in horror movies about someone who had lost something close to them and they were about to snap.

Just cold darkness.

Cold.

He felt numb doing so, like he wasn't himself as he stared at her. But it was something primal.

She should've acted a bit nicer, that was for sure.

 

[| Korutesu |]

Wilbur walked outside, seeing a boy with the messiest hair he's ever seen. Arte Parris, who was just bumped into by a girl. Sylvi. The girl who struck the Kalos Elite Four by a storm. His Gengar saw a reporter that was chasing?... Sylvi, or maybe somebody else. Since the day he went to battle the Elite Four, the world for him hasn't been the same.

"Well, until this crowd goes away, we're gonna be waiting here Gengar." His Gengar, being the mischievous one of his team, pushed people out of the way for both him and Wilbur to pass through. "Gengar! What the heck? i mean- you did make us a way through." He walked past the crowd. Making his way to the dock.

 

[comic]

The Sensational Celine. That's what they used to call her. The trends she set, the fashion she'd put out, it was all inspirational. Unique. Things she'd poured her heart and soul into, and just as quickly as she rose to fame, it faded when the next young girl with promise emerged. A fashionista is what she was, what she still is... even if nobody's interested in her work anymore. Her name had been forgotten in the last seven years, and as much as she tried, the retail store she worked at wasn't going to let her continue living the lavish lifestyle she had grown so accustomed to.

But this? She wasn't much of a tournament player but this would put her back on the map. Everyone would see she was far more than just some one-trick pony, but that she had potential. Skill. Ambition. And this time, she wasn't going to let the recognition slip through her fingers again.
At least, this is what she hoped. There was so much more going on in her mind, but the idea of regaining her lost fame was often at the forefront of it. She found herself becoming somewhat frustrated after the twentieth or so trainer she spoke to didn't recognize her.
"Celine Florence? Ringing any bells?"
The young trainer appeared really awkward as he shook his head, and the fashionista let out a sigh. "It's fine, she wasn't important." She waved her hand dismissively and wandered to the other end of the pier to speak with another trainer, before the only Pokéball she carried wiggled violently against her hip, catching her attention. She pulled it off the clip to her flashy diamond-encrusted (not real diamonds, she couldn't afford that anymore) belt, and gazed through the slightly transparent red side of the ball, eyes locking with the miniaturized Milotic within. "I know, I know..." She said, glancing over to the receptionist desk. "But I mean, c'mon. At least one person has gotta know who I am, right? I mean- at least a quarter of the people here are wearing clothing that I fashioned!"
She paused, gazing back at the Milotic, who tilted her head, a silent exchange made between the two. "Alright, alright, if you're so eager." The young woman tucked the Pokéball back to her belt and skipped into the forming line of trainers, some of which were still taking their time getting off the boat.

"Hm?"
"I said; name."
The receptionist appeared rather annoyed. With her or in general? Oh no, had she already messed this all up? She'd been so interested in that fluffy cloud overhead, it looked so much like a Stantler. Wait, where was she? Oh right, she needed to give a name. Wait-
"You don't know who I am?"
"I would if you told me your name." The receptionist replied, probably done with these trainers by now.
"...That shirt you're wearing. Cotton fibers made from Mareep wool, meshed with Incineroar mane hair, threaded and stitched into a dense structure making the shirt warm, comfortable, stretchy, and hard to rip." Once again, Celine didn't receive the response she'd expected.
"Okay, and?"
She was taken aback by this, used to people seeming impressed with her knack for clothing. "Well, uh... I pioneered that design." She stated, feeling slightly offended. "I started the whole trend of meshing Mareep wool with other Pokémon fur."
"Good for you. Do you have an ID?"
Defeated, Celine begrudgingly pulled her purse away from her side and to her front, digging in it for a moment before pulling out an ID and handing it to the receptionist, the card between her index finger and her middle finger as she pointed them out to her. The receptionist accepted it, glancing it over before checking her list, then handed the ID back. "Head on to the Pokémon Center to continue. Next."

"None of them, Lavie. And I mean, nobody here appreciates the work I put in for the progress of comfortable and durable fashion. I mean- look over there! I designed that brand of pants! And that kids hat? That logo I created. Are people really so... disconnected from their providers?"
This wasn't the first time Celine had had this discussion with her Pokémon, who simply listened away through her Pokéball. Celine often had this heated debate with herself when somebody wearing clothing she'd helped design, laid the blueprints for, and especially created herself, didn't appreciate her hard work, or even recognize her. She'd always just assumed people paid close attention to fashion and the people behind it.
Even now she still thought this. Regardless, as she vented to Lavender the shiny Milotic, she made her way through the talkative crowd of trainers, varying in age, from young teens to even a man with a full beard extending down to his massive gut. He had to be at least thirty. On top of that, Pokémon milled about as everyone mingled together, discussing the tournament and what was to come.
Something Celine herself hadn't put a whole lot of thought into.

 

[Snowflake_14]

As Sky bolted towards the bright red building, she saw many trainers whizz by. A giant grass snake, a fluffy chinchilla, and a dragon of clouds. Sky saw these ferocious beasts capable of mass destruction at a level nearly unheard of, and her eyes twinkled in awe.

Such powerful trainers! Such powerful opponents... such powerful friends!

Her Mincinno on the other hand, simply gripped Sky a little tighter than usual

Before the duo could make it to the center, however, they saw a reporter approach that very same pink-haired girl with a Sylveon.

"Mia is that person famous?! Cmon, lets go introduce ourselves!" Sky told her faithful yet nervous pokemon. Mia begrudgingly nodded her head, and the two shifted course to the two trainers. Still sprinting as fast as they could in amazement and pure excitement.

"Hey there!!" Sky said making a hard stop. "The name's Sky, and this here Mincinno's called Mia!". Mia waved its paw at the strangers, intimidated by the powerful evolution of Eevee.

 

[SylvitheSylveon]

Sylvi panicked. This was not the situation she wanted to be in. She just wanted to finish registering peacefully at the Pokémon center but instead was surrounded by other trainers and a reporter who would chase her to death. She couldn't keep running from the reporter. Then a cheerful looking trainer and a Mincinno started approaching them. Great. This was definitely not the place Sylvi wanted to be in. Being interviewed about what her favorite food is while being caught up in the middle of a bunch of tiring drama. Sylvi had a reputation for being at the wrong place at the wrong time a lot.
She didn't see how she could run away in this situation. She was trapped. Her Sylveon seemed to be looking around for a way to run away. Sylvi thought of a plan. Simply running away wasn't the best plan. She could've used her other Pokémon to cause a distraction but that would attract too much attention and would cause chaos. Even she didn't want to ruin her public image. Even though she didn't care about what the public thought, she didn't want to be on the news for 'Attacking tourists and innocent reporter'. The famous trainer Sylvi Lee, Age 14, attacked an innocent journalist trying to interview her and caused harm to the nearby tourists. Witnesses say...
Nope. Terrible idea. The only thing she could do was take her chances with an interview and hopefully prevent the Journalist from trying to interview her any farther. Plus, there were more interesting trainers surrounding her.
"I'm probably insane but.... Here goes nothing..." She took a deep breath and faced the reporter.

 

[BurbleBurble]

"Sylveon, it's a reporter, run."

Five words that made Teresa go from ecstatic at her luck to coming off as quite desperate.

Her interview was running away! Some start this was! Her journalistic instinct made her pursue the girl, still waving back at her all the while. Even leaving her luggage behind as she dashed off. "Uh- Please, Miss Sylvi! Just a moment of your time, I swear...!"

But back with Arte, he was surprised when something bumped into him. Someone, actually. He turned to see a pink haired girl, followed by an Eevee evolution, the name of which slipped him. It was, uh...Stalloneon, right? She seemed to be worried about something, but he didn't get a chance to ask. Besides, the source of her worry seemed to be coming towards them, actually, a thin lady with a camera in her hands, looking quite worried herself. He didn't get time to comment on the situation, as the journalist finally caught her target.

"Miss...Sylvi!" Teresa said, taking a breath. "I just wanted to ask you a few...A few..."

Teresa then stopped. Looked at the crowd of trainers, and that it was quite a...unfriendly...vibe. Except for the one kid who seemed pretty confused by the whole situation unfolding around him. And she realized that maybe she was coming off too desperate, like a jackass paparazzi looking for a half decent scoop to fill out her repertoire. She took a breath, collecting herself.

"I'm sorry for chasing you, Miss Sylvi." She started, hoping an apology would help smooth things out just a bit. "My name is Teresa Sparks. I'm a freelance journalist, and the...spirit of journalism took hold on my heart I suppose. I understand we're all a bit busy- I know I just got off a boat about twenty minutes ago- And I'm sure you're very busy. So if you'd meet me in front of that restaurant there at about, uh, five? Gives us both time to settle our affairs...And me time to secure more interviews, like with...this gentleman!"

She gestured to Arte. His response? "Huh?"

"Anyways, pleasure meeting you, good luck in the impending tournament, see you then!" And then Teresa went to go grab her luggage again.

Now Arte may not of been very bright, but he did realize Sylvi didn't even get a word in with the woman. Poor kid. Whoever she was...

...Didn't that guy say to stay on his toes instead of being distracted? Probably to avoid predatory journalists like that!

But another problem was brewing for another trainer. As his Gengar shoved people aside, clearing a path for Wilbur, he was about to get a bit of a visit. It began with an "Ahem." Then a hand on his shoulder.

"Excuse me," Asked a voice. And when the boy would turn around, he'd realize that there was an absolute monster of a man looking down on him. Easily had a foot on the young trainer, and appeared to be quite muscular as well. Long, black hair, half covering his face. And said face seemed to have some form of contempt for the incident being caused. Emblazoned on his white shirt was a simple patch, ironed on- "Jettison Hotel Security". Below it, a pin- His name, 'Daryl'.

"Is that Gengar yours? I'm afraid it's causing a disturbance."

And at Daryl's side, a very stern looking Houndoom. As if the man himself wasn't enough of a deterrent, he had an equally intimidating Pokémon. It whipped it's tail around, glaring at the Gengar with it's red eyes. Seemingly willing to deal with the issue if Daryl could not talk down the trainer.

 

[Cupcakeus]

"Oh no, i'm so sorry about that, Skye can just get a bit friendly, that's all" Fiona apologized to the man, "taria~" Skye chirped sadly as if saying "sorry", Fiona smiled when the boy introduced himself as Arte, the girl nodded and introduced herself as well, "and i'm Fiona, nice to meet you", her plan was going well until the bigger man noticed, Fiona was surprised but she had to fix this as soon as possible, "what?, oh no, i didn't mean it like that, i'm sorry if i sounded so patronizing" Fiona pleaded, though in the back of her head she was smiling.

Fiona watched as a new girl bumped into Arte, a pink haired girl followed by a Sylveon, they seem to be... chased?, who would chase a trainer in a tournament surely it would be reported, unless it was an interviewer, and Fiona was right, the girl was being followed by an interviewer, who promptly apologized.

But all the while this was happening, the man Fiona apologized to, was glaring at her, to which Fiona replied, "again, i'm truly sorry" while holding a small smile to the man, which grew into a grin, like someone trying to befriend people.

Present a smile to a glare, never show weakness.

 

[silverwind2020]

Galar's Light in the Darkness, Cole Silverwind

He walked onto the pier, alongside his best friend and teammate, Cinderace. "Alright, Cinder, we're gonna win this tournament right?!" Cinder/ace nodded, it's head-flare, well...flaring up. "Alright, then, lets head to the sign-ups." The Trainer stretched. The duo then began to dash at high speeds, kicking up dust behind them. They would skid to a stop in front of the Center, and enter. "Cole. Cole Silverwind." He held up his ID. The receptionist accepted his card, so he and Cinderace ran to the Pokemon Center to continue registration.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Miles glanced over to the two women, noting their names as Sylvi and Teresa Sparks. He didn't know why, but their names both sounded extremely familiar, but he was not able to put a finger on it. But he returned his attention to the woman with a name. Fiona.

There was something about her. Her smile was off and her intentions didn't seem pure. He shook his head, his gaze still looking through her. "I don't expect you to understand my struggles, but I'm seeing a pattern here. If you are here for the same reason as we all are, then it is likely you were forgotten after getting a dosage of fame. Good for you, but I'm not about to deal in someone so obviously fake. Words don't mean shit and even your smile looks patronizing. Good first impression you got there."

His words spat venom as he grew increasingly dangerous. The aura emanating from him was enough to even make his Serperior back up. A comforting grassy tail was set on his shoulder to bring an easiness in his trainer's soul, but it didn't work. He felt like his tail was being jolted and the Serperior flinched back, recoiling his tail.

Leaving Miles absolutely frothing.

However, he kept himself from doing anything he shouldn't. No matter how badly he wanted to hurt her for the blatant disrespect and untrustworthiness, he shouldn't. He saw a security guard in a white shirt nearby, so it wasn't like he would get away with anything dangerous anyway. He pointed an accusatory finger at her, his eyes still staring at her with that cold void, never breaking eye contact.

"And if I'm starting to remember why they decided to choose me, and after seeing nobody else wear the burden of losing a Pokemon in front of millions, then your words will never mean anything. They never have, seeing as most people have forgotten about you as easily as the tragedy in the Kanto League, and they never will, due to your obvious facade and untrustworthiness. You give no respect to your future opponents and have deliberately made yourself look like you lack sportsmanship, therefore you are weak."

He relaxed a bit. He felt a bit better but was still seething mad. He decided to leave the group, obviously done with the issues at hand. "Come, Louis. I am done with this fake." He walked past them, not paying any heed to what they had to say, unless she did end up doing something, but he didn't spend any time around them to want to know if she had what it took.

He just wanted to disappear as the memories of his Gyarados came swirling to the forefront of his mind and he attempted to push it back.

 

[Snowflake_14]

...Well that was a bit rude, wasn't it?

Sky and her companion stood dazed as the reporter and trainer simply ran off. For a moment, there was a pause of silence between the two. Then, they looked at each other awkwardly and started on the trek back to the Pokemon Center, with a bit less speed as initially.

However, the bright sun was still beating to the ground, and the ocean's breeze filled the air under the endless blue sky. Despite this failure to socialize, Sky would not let it get rid of her momentum. Today was the day she would prove herself to all the other trainers she was sure of it! There's a reason she was invited to this prestigious tournament...right?

Sky paused, and then took out a dark black and yellow Ultra Ball from her bag. She looked at it for a moment, before pressing the big white button on the device. Suddenly, a burst of light emerged from the ball forming the shape of a snake-like being. After the light had dimmed and faded away, it revealed a new pokemon: Diamond the Dragonair!

The powerful pokemon stood, looking intensely at its trainer and the Mincinno on her back. It then scoffed and looked around at its surroundings. It saw many powerful opponents, of which seemed to have much experience and training. Dangerous Pokemon. Dangerous trainers. A dangerous environment. Diamond came closer to its trainer, it's tail almost completely surrounding it. Diamond had one duty, of protecting Sky from harm's way, and the aura of this event was flaring up a bunch of internal red flags.

For a brief moment, Sky and Mia could feel it too, this overwhelming feeling of danger and uncertainty.

Is this right? This is real right? It cant be too good to be true.

But Sky brushed off this uneasy feeling as just nerves getting the better of her. After all, she had a tournament to win! Being anxious should be normal for this. So, Sky continued running to the Pokemon Center, wiping away the long face. Mia still felt uneasy about all of this, and Diamond simply stayed close to its trainer.

 

[SylvitheSylveon]

Weird. The reporter just chased her down... only to apologize, leave and invite her to dinner? Very suspicious and weird. Then again, all reporters were weird and suspicious. And even worse, she'd made the messy hair kid come too.
She looked at the messy haired kid, then the 'fake smile' girl. She didn't trust either one of them, especially not the 'fake smile' girl. The way she regally held herself, the fake kindness in her voice, that deceiving smile that tried to trick you. She knew those girls. She had encountered a lot of those girls in the crappy private schools her mother had sent her to. They were more common than Bunnelby, no Level 2 Rattata. Her Altaria looked friendly though. Then there was the messy haired kid. He kept zoning out, getting caught up in his own thoughts. He reminded her of a Slowbro. It was a Pokémon that was so slow it was slow to notice its surroundings and looked pretty harmless. But in truth, it was a powerful Pokémon. The messy haired dude was the same. Even if he was inobservant to everything around him and looked like a harmless teen, he probably had talent in battle. That didn't make her trust him any more.
"This is a good chance for you to make friends...." Her brother's voice rang in her head. Friends. As if she'd ever be able to make friends. First of all, everyone hated her. But... no matter how stupid her brother's advice sounded, he'd always been right. "A good chance to make friends..." She usually didn't talk to people but... if she was going to be forced into a nightmare interview with them, she could get to know them. Why not? She regarded them with her cold, blue eyes. Maybe they wouldn't be so bad...
Sylvi spoke up. "I'm gonna go to the Pokémon center, anyone wanna come?"

 

[silverwind2020]

He ran into Sylvi on his way to the Pokemon Center, and heard her ask if anyone wanted to head to the Pokemon Center with her. His hand shot up almost in half a second. "I'm up for it." He said. He wanted to at least make a few new friends on this Island, so the Tournament could be a lot more fun, battling with friends and rivals.

 

[Cupcakeus]

"dont worry, that won't be the only tragedy you will face" Fiona thought mischievously

"Well, that was quite an introduction" Fiona said to Skye, as she saw the man leave, Skye the Altaria on the other hand didn't even understand what was going on, the humming pokemon was too busy staring at the new girl which is named "Sylvi", quite a name.

Fiona raised her hand slightly, "I'll tag along, i guess" she said clearly annoyed by this newcomer. But what Fiona was more interested in, was the Sylveon, it had potential to defeat Skye, but why think about those thoughts, when you clearly need information here, "forget about that boy, this girl poses new danger to us" Fiona thought to herself once more.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

The familiar tropical breeze, gently picking up and tousling strands of his hair. The occasional spray of the ocean hitting anyone who took in the scenery against the railings of the cruise ship, him included. The bright sun in the blue sky speckled with clouds, eagerly shining its light and heat onto the back of his neck.

He knew this all too well.

Travelling to many coastal cities throughout Hoenn and Sinnoh had left Kyran Kang rather indifferent to the near perfect weather during the trip to Jettison Hotel, which was located on a remote island somewhere far away. Of course, it wasn't like his mind could focus on something like the view anyway, as he was currently ruminating on the same thing that occupied everyone else's minds. This..... tournament for 'elite trainers'. 'Elite trainers such as himself', the invitation had said. In his naïve desire to battle competitors of such caliber, Kyran had immediately rescinded his Sinnoh League registration and, rather, accepted the request to join whatever would be happening here.

Sure, there were some suspicions he had, brewing since he boarded the ship, but at the time of the request, it had seemed too promising to pass up. The prizes, free lodging, and the prospect of reestablishing his presence in the battling world had enticed him to quickly sign in. The building apprehension during the trip to the island had been discarded as mere nervousness in anticipation for the battles... or was it something else?

Kyran's train of thought—well, cruise ship of thought, for a more fitting term—was abruptly interrupted as a cheer erupted from the vessel's occupants and the ship began to dock at the island. Though most hurried off the cruise and immediately made haste toward the registration table, Kyran opted to stroll along with the crowd at a more relaxed pace, not minding the several minutes' wait before he finally arrived at the front of the line.

"Name and ID," the receptionist sighed, clipboard at the ready as she looked up at the trainer with dull eyes.

"Right. Uh, K-A-N-G, last name," Kyran responded, already reaching into his pocket as he spoke before pulling out his wallet and showing his ID to the woman.

After taking a brief look at the Trainer Card and flipping through her stack of paper, the receptionist wrote a few words down and gestured with a thumb behind her.

"Kyran Kang.... got it. You wanna keep going this way and finish up your registration at the Pokemon Center; enjoy your stay."

Nodding briefly in gratitude, Kyran pocketed his wallet and continued on his way, and once he had enough space, he unclipped a Pokeball from his belt and opened the capsule, out from which erupted a brief flash of bright blue light that formed the silhouette of a reptilian figure. The light particles then dispersed to reveal a Sceptile, and Kyran rubbed the Forest Pokemon's neck.

"Well, we're finally here, Sage. Ready to win this thing?"

The corners of Sage's mouth seemed to curl upward into something akin to a smirk followed by a nod, and after Kyran took off his sunglasses and hung them on his collar, the two continued their walk into the plaza.

Looking around, there was definitely an abundance of strong trainers, just as the tournament invitation had promised; most interesting, at the moment, was a rather well-built man with a Serperior looming threateningly over a girl with an Altaria, and not too far away was a security guard and his Houndoom confronting a trainer while a Gengar ran rampant in their midst. Commanding the most attention from passersby was a girl with bright pink hair like some sort of anime protagonist, but Kyran kept his focus on the next step of his registration process and headed straight for the Pokemon Center, Sage following closely at his side.

 

[| Korutesu |]

Wilbur felt the hand on his shoulder, looking behind him, he saw a big, hulking man that said 'Jettisen Hotel Security'. "About my Gengar? Oh- I'm sorry for the disturbance. Really, I'm Sorry." He scratched his head in embarrassment as he saw what his Pokemon did. "This will never happen again, Right Gengar?" His Gengar was snickering while he was confronted by Hotel Security. His Gengar had gone back into the shadows still snickering at his trainer. "This'll never happen again. Again, i'm sorry for the disturbance my Gengar had caused."

His Gengar came back out of the shadows, nodding to what his trainer said that it'd never happen again. "Well- Uh... Is anything else needed... Daryl?" He asked. If there was nothing else wrong, then both of them could just get on with their lives.

 

[SylvitheSylveon]

Awkward silence. It was the first thing Sylvi felt when they were all walking to the Pokémon center. She usually didn't mind quiet but, it was getting awkward. The girl named Fiona stealing glances at Sylveon wasn't helping either. Sylveon seemed to be a bit uncomfortable, since it wasn't used to meeting humans. Fiona kept looking at it, studying it like an interesting food she wanted to try. She wasn't a Psychic. But judging from Fiona's expression, Sylvi guessed that was what she was thinking.
"Probably analyzing Sylveon. She could be considering Sylveon a threat because her her Altaria, a dragon, has a big disadvantage against Sylveon."
She turned her attention to the Altaria. The Altaria looked friendly and almost harmless.... even for an Altaria. At first glance, you would think it was built up for a contest. Arte's Cincinno didn't look very intimidating either, but Sylvi knew it could use its small size and speed as an advantage.
"The most harmless looking Pokémon can sometimes be the strongest Pokémon," her brother had once told her. She remembered that day like it had just happened. Sylvi recalled the warm Alolan beach, small blue waves crashing onto the beach, the Wingull and Pelliper flying overhead, children building sand castles and playing in the water.... She must have been no older than ten. Their mother had left them for a few minutes on the beach to go shopping. Mareanie and Sandygast crawled around the beach. This was one of the few rare times Sylvi was away from Mother. She sipped the berry juice her brother had bought her, watching her Eevee play in the sand. Her brother watched with his deep blue eyes, his black hair blowing in the wind.
"There," her brother suddenly pointed to a Slowbro resting near the water. "Its a Slowbro, a Pokémon that evolves from a Slowpoke with its tail bitten by a horn-shaped Shellder. It seems harmless, but it actually has amazing Psychic powers."
Sylvi was confused. Slowbro didn't seem like a powerful Pokémon with amazing Psychic powers. It seemed more like a lazy creature that got beaten up by other Pokémon. But her brother wasn't the type to lie. Then, a blue turtle Pokémon with a rocky shell burst out of the water.
"A Drednaw... they only live in Galar. I wonder what one is doing in Alola." Her brother shrugged. The Drednaw, clearly angry about something, suddenly charged at the Slowbro. What happened next was too fast for Sylvi to process. One second, the Drednaw was about to Headbutt the Slowbro. The next second, it was flying back through the air, crashing back into the water. It nearly flew into a group of children playing in the water, who all scattered before the Rocky Turtle Pokémon crashed into the water.
Her brother smiled. "I told you. Its a powerful Pokémon despite its looks. The most harmless looking Pokémon can sometimes be the strongest Pokémon," he said.
She looked at the Altaria and Cincinno, and saw how friendly looking they were. She couldn't underestimate the Altaria though. It was still a powerful Pokémon. Even if Sylvi was a fairy type trainer, she couldn't let her guard down to a friendly looking cloud dragon. Even if her Pokémon had a big type advantage, she still had to be careful. Even the slightest mistake could turn a win to a loss.
Sylvi snapped out of her thoughts. She realized they were at the Pokémon center already. She started to enter the small building as a feeling of dread washed over her...

 

[Cupcakeus]

All the while walking to the pokemon center, it was awkwardly silent, this wasn't a problem for Fiona, she just needed to know this Sylveon's behavior pattern, should it can be confused in battle.

But this girl seemed to also analyze Skye, Fiona's Altaria, sure it could be friendly, but when it comes to battle Skye sweeps the battlefield with one earthquake, this thought made Fiona remember when she was a youth, she couldn't remember her age back then, the only thing she can remember is the happy feeling when her parents gave her Skye, the pokemon was still a Swablu, but it was the only thing she loved, her parents never cared after that, maybe they even just gave her a pokemon to distract her, but still this was the time Fiona knew her pokemon, she knew how they wanted to fight, to be praised in the eyes of others, how Skye used to be just a lowly swablu in the tall grass.

She trained endless nights and days, fighting other pokemon until Skye evolved, the humming pokemon was basically unstoppable to Fiona's eyes, that was until she lost in the Hoenn league, she was embarrassed, she was disappointed, Fiona never wanted to be champion, she did it for her pokemon, but she failed and her team was badly injured, she never blamed any of her pokemon... she blamed herself, that man might think Fiona doesn't understand his loss, but he lost a pokemon for the stupid title of "champion", and he thinks he can still protect the others.

"Foolish" Fiona whispered to herself, with Skye chirping along.

As Fiona entered the Pokemon Center, she noticed the pink haired girl named "Sylvi" was looking quite scared?, "Dont wory Sylvi, it's just for a time being, you can get them back after the tournament" Fiona assured her, now being more genuine since her own pokemon were also being stored

But now that she's said it, Fiona started to realize how crazy it sounds, her face shifted to confusion, as she looked at her other pokemon stored in pokeballs, "how could one pokemon take out an entire league?", she never doubted Skye's ability to fight, but this just seemed like too much.

@SylvitheSylveon

 

[BurbleBurble]

The interior of the center was...surprisingly normal? It was certainly larger than your typical Pokémon Center, but could probably be compared to any major city Pokémon Center. The only thing it seemed to lack was some of the typical dormitories for traveling trainers, since it was located right next to a hotel. The second floor, as a result, seemed to be offices- The stairs blocked off with very sturdy protections...A thin rope with a sign hung on it, "Employees Only".

This didn't stop the Pokémon Center from being bustling though. A table was set up, and another sign was hung- 'Registrations'. Another sign hung below it, "Deposit all Pokémon before Registering". Which was a fairly clear cut statement.

Deposit options were pretty clear cut as well- A trio of PC Terminals were set up in a corner, the newest, sleekest models. Though the real deposit option seemed to be at the decently sized line towards the main desk. Behind the desk, there did seem to be a small crew- Though there was one in particular taking the brunt of the trainers Pokémon into caretaking. It was an older lady, donning a lab coat. Dark skinned, long hair tied back. Despite fulfilling a similar role to the receptionists, she seemed to take her role in stride- Happily greeting each trainer one after another, shaking their hands, ensuring that their beloved Pokémon would be in capable hands.

To the point it was a little repetitive, even. Maybe she had been practicing it.

"Hi! I'm Doctor Aisha- I'm head caretaker here! Trust me, your Pokémon are in very capable hands." She'd put the Pokéballs in a tray, hand them off to a caretaker, and point them back towards the registration table, with a parting "Good luck!"

Though some may of noticed what was presumably her Pokémon behind the counter- A Mismagius. It's face unfeeling, though it did make a slight, ethereal, laughing noise. Laughing at what, one might wonder.

Though Arte wasn't one of them that wondered, as he waited in the line. His Cinccino still on the look out for him. Glanced at the Mismagius, accidentally locking eyes. It was awkward for both parties, exchanging glares. And then the two broke it. Neither particularly fazed by the other. Pretty typical for a normal and ghost type- both unable to touch one another with their strongest attacks.

Seemed things were going smoothly enough for everyone to get finished up in about five minutes, provided no extraneous circumstances.

As for Wilbur, the security man had let go of his shoulder, crossing his arms as the Gengar stopped it's mischievous ways. The teenager promised he'd keep the Gengar under control, and read out his name tag. Asked him if Daryl needed anything else.

The officer was quiet for a moment. Glaring his eye down at Wilbur. Contemplating whether or not to give this kid a hard time. But eventually, he settled- "No, that's all. Stay out of trouble, kid." Just as soon as Daryl had come, he left. Though his Houndoom remained for a moment longer. Metaphorically burning a glare at Wilbur. But even it didn't last, as Daryl quickly noticed it was missing. With a whistle, he spoke up again.

"Doris! Come on girl."

The Houndoom, with a name much less menacing that her appearance, turned away from the teen trainer, tail still whipping as she caught up with her owner. If anything was to be learned from this encounter, it was that the security was not to be trifled with.

 

[Snowflake_14]

Immediately as Sky entered the Pokemon center, she felt the cold air conditioning brush away the heat of the beaming sun outside, and after only a few short moments, the nice breeze brought a sense of relaxation and ease to Sky and her Mincinno, both taking long deep breathes. The Dragonair guarding the two, however, was unfazed by the change of environment and kept around its trainer.

Diamond had this uneasy feeling of dread ever since it came out of its ultra ball. It looked around the room at PC devices various trainers took turns depositing their Pokemon into for safekeeping while they battled and slept in the hotel next door. There was also an elderly woman at a booth labeled "Registration", personally taking the Poke Balls of trainers away on metal trays, accompanied by a Mismagious. The Dragonair looked up to its trainer to relay its discomfort, but Sky and Mia had their sights at something else.

Shortly after they entered, a tall blonde hair trainer walked in, who dawned a black jacket. They seemed... distracted. Or rather, distracted from the real world. They looked lost in thought like they had a brain that was always spilling new ideas and things to think about, that you stay inside your head for so long until

Snap

You're back to reality. But more importantly, alongside this peculiar trainer was a Cincinno, the evolved form of Mincinno. Sky and her partner noticed it's fluffy white fur, and how comfortable it must be around it's neck and ears.

After Sky got in line to put away her Mincinno (who planned to take a long vacation in its Poke Ball while its trainer was out battling), she turned to the boy to try her hand at conversing once more.

"Heya! The name's Sky, and this is little fella here is Mia-" Mia waved its paw at the trainer, though its eyes were still locked onto the Cincinno. "Oh, and this sweetheart down here is Diamond" The Dragonair looked up at the boy fiercely. It hated when it's trainer started conversations with strangers, running head first into trouble. Diamond kept her guard and distance from the trainer.

"What brings you here to this awesome tourney thing? I know I'm here to have some fun, but much more importantly win the grand prize! My mother would be so proud of me, and so would the rest of my town!" Sky declared, Mia raising its paws in the air in support of its aspiring trainer.

@BurbleBurble

 

[SylvitheSylveon]

As Sylvi entered the Pokémon center, the most visible thing was the lady putting Pokéballs in trays. Trainers lined up to put their Pokémon in trays. Oh great. Best case scenario, this whole tournament was a scam made by idiots who thought Pokémon were that easy to steal. Worst case scenario: These scammers were trying to use their Pokémon for an illegal experiment or was trying to attack the trainers, but stripping them from their Pokémon to prevent them from fighting back.
"I'm probably paranoid. Plus, all the scam tournaments I've been in were messy and so obviously fake. I would notice if this was another scam." Sylvi thought. She noticed a trio of brand new PCs, surrounded by caretakers and a lady in a lab coat. A scientist. Sylvi did not have good experiences with those. Ever since her mother had hired and paid a bunch of researchers to turn regular Pokémon into shiny Pokémon, she had a dislike for anyone in a lab coat. She then heard someone yell about grand prizes. The loud voice came from a cheerful girl accompanied by a Minicco. She was yelling about winning and something about the grand prize, causing people to look or stare. Awkward silence. The trainers stared at her for a second, then went back to whatever they were doing.
Sylvi walked up to the front desk, where the lady greeted her. "Hi! I'm Doctor Aisha- I'm head caretaker here! Trust me, your Pokémon are in very capable hands." Sylvi hesitated. These were Pokemon she raised. She couldn't just put them into these hands of so-called 'caretakers'.
But reluctantly, she started putting the balls on the tray. If this was a scam, she could always get these Pokemon back. She had to.
Her Togekiss. She'd hatched it from the egg she'd received as a prize from a tournament, and was one of her first team members. She could almost hear its sad chirping.
Her blue Gardevoir. The one she'd rescued from her mother. Her mother had ordered the scientists to do so many horrible experiments on it, Sylvi lied that it died from the experiments and she had buried it outside. She then trained it in secret, cautious that her mother wouldn't notice. It played such a big role in the fight against Diantha, she didn't want to let it go.
Her Azumarill, her Mimikyu, and the Ninetales her brother had caught her in Alola. She couldn't give them up to some idiots who were possibly scammers. But it was that, or mother. If this wasn't a scam, her Pokemon would be resting in PCs peacefully while Sylvi and Sylveon battled other trainers, the only chance she'd ever have to escape mother. She whispered to the caretaker, "If you do anything to these Pokemon, you and your crew are dead. And this whole Pokemon center is BURNING. DOWN."
She scowled at the Mismagius laughing at her. She wasn't going to let the Pokemon of curses and incantations scare her. She'd had enough of those in her life. Her Sylveon glanced at her concerned, as if worried about its trainer's bad mood.
As Sylvi walked towards the registration, she whispered to Fiona. "I don't trust this place. Tell me if you see anything suspicious, like evidence that this whole stupid tournament is a scam."
She then walked up to the registration desk.

 

[comic]

So much... variety. It was stirring something within her, the familiar feeling of needing to design something. So much chaos went on around her as she made slow progress to the Pokémon Center, urged only by Lavender, who was much too large to be let out of her Pokéball in such a crowded space. On the ride over on the cruise ship had been her time to shine. Many other trainers with water Pokémon had had the same idea of letting out their fast-swimming water Pokémon to race alongside the cruise ship, though one boy had nearly lost his Tentacruel when it fell behind.

In Celine's honest opinion, Lavender outshined them all as she seamlessly broke the water for a leap through the waves, her movements flawless as her body glistened. There were plenty of trainers who'd admired her beauty, much to Celine's delight, and it wasn't until somebody sent out their Wailord that she called Lavender back to the Pokéball.
Her eye caught a girl with a camera nearby, and she nearly ran over to her- but the violently shaking Pokéball on her hip said no. "Oh come on, it's publicity!" She complained, earning herself a reassuring shake. To anyone else, she'd just seem crazy, talking to the air. "Ugh, fine. Pokémon Center. Then we get the publicity we're due."
No shake. Lavender had no objections. Perfect.

Celine skipped her way over to the Pokémon Center, nearly tripping over somebody's Salazzle as the door opened and she marched her way in. It was packed to the brim- no wonder so many people were mingling outside, this was even more chaotic and even more inspirational. She could imagine a new special design of splashes of colors in unholy matrimony on a layered silk dress. It wouldn't be a best seller, but it would definitely be a special product, limited time even to get people to buy more quickly.
Lavender rattled her ball again, regaining Celine's attention so that she could step to the side and allow a burly kid to lumber in past her. Her bright blue eyes scanned through the sea of people and Pokémon, and there were plenty of faces she could recognize. League players, other contest competitors, hey that guy even took her on once! She'd won, of course, but that was before her shameful fall into obscurity.
Lavender urged her on, and Celine hissed through her teeth, speaking a little louder so that her Pokémon could hear her over the crowded room. "Patience is a virtue, Lavie. This place is packed, we're gonna have to shoulder ourselves into line if we want to get this over with. Kind of exciting though, innit?"

 

[Merciless Medic]

Once Miles had walked inside the room, it was jam-packed. It was difficult moving around, but his Serperior's size (who was twelve feet instead of being ten-feet-ten-inches) aided in moving people away from him. Finally, some space. The grass snake slithered around his trainer, protecting him from the people around him.

He found the line and walked to the end, watching the people around him. He let some others he had seen before pass by him, but there was one lady he vaguely recognized. He swiftly checked the tag on the back of his shirt collar and saw the symbol.

That symbol. Was that her?

He remembered she had a Shiny Milotic, but he didn't see such a magnificent beast nearby. He patted his Serperior to stay put and walked past several people to see her in person.

That dark brown curly hair, chocolate brown skin, and the clothing... It had to be her! What was her name?

"Ms. Florence?" Miles was now in front of her, trying to remember if this was actually her. "Hey, you are that fashionista long ago. What happened to your fame? My family would mostly buy and wear clothes you helped made. Your clothes were actually really good." He wasn't exaggerating, given that he was wearing one of the shirts she had pioneered, as well. Comfortable, warm, and simple, yet was made by wool from a Mareep and Wooloo and the fur of a Simisage, lending to the vibrant green it showed. His collar, while the shirt had the look of a sweater, shone with a vibrant yellow from some Pokemon Miles had forgotten.

He wasn't sure if she could tell by looking at his shirt, but he had to try. He wondered if anybody had forgotten about her.

 

[Cupcakeus]

"so it's not just me" Fiona whispered to herself, after seeing Sylvi whisper past her.

Fiona looked around herself, noticing how crowded the center is, "Skye, it's a bit crowded isn't it?" the Altaria whipped it's head to Fiona, before letting out a small chirp, Fiona grabbed Skye's pokeball and called the humming pokemon back to it's pokeball.

After putting Skye in it's pokeball, Fiona looked at her other pokemon, her Tropius "Timber, she remembered how the Fruit pokemon loved flying alongside Skye, her Lanturn "Spade", Fiona remembered how fascinated she was when she saw Spade when he was just a Chinchou, her Torkoal "Omega", she remembered how it bellowed and spew smoke out of it's shell making her nearly fall off a rock, Fiona smiled, "don't worry, you'll be fine" Fiona whispered to her pokemon.

But even she was doubting her words, she failed them once, she can't do it again, she won't allow it.

Fiona saw the whole center through her sunglasses, there was a lady putting pokeballs in a tray, and three brand new PC's, she feared what would happen to her pokemon, but there's no turning back now, literally, she slowly walked to the front desk.

"Hi! I'm Doctor Aisha- I'm head caretaker here! Trust me, your Pokémon are in very capable hands." the caretaker said, Fiona doesn't like this one bit, especially the Mismagius behind the counter, it looked intimidating, Fiona can only wish nothing bad would happen.

"Welp, here goes nothing" Fiona silently said as she put her pokemon in the tray, she hesitated when putting her Torkoal in the tray, she could hear the sad bellows of the Coal Pokemon, before putting it in the tray along with the others except for Skye, who was still in a pokeball, "please, take care of them..." Fiona said sadly before turning her back and hesitating once more, she looked at her pokemon one last time, "i'll be back" Fiona whispered as she turned and headed to the registration desk.

 

[comic]

Perhaps dreams do come true. Well, not that this was a dream, it wasn't like this never happened, but it was always a very pleasant surprise. Her head turned before her body when somebody behind her said 'Ms. Florence', and she nearly cricked her neck. Her eyes lit up as she saw the boy who had recognized her. "Your whole family?" She asked, grinning widely at this. She knew there were still those that still requested her work, loyalists after she'd proven her value years ago. Few and far between, but they existed, and here was one right now.
Her gaze drifted over his attire, and her smile didn't fade. "Ooo, the Mareep and Wooloo combo. Not exactly anything new, but with that Simisage and Ampharos combination your clothing is absolutely vibrant, I'm so glad you know good fashion when you see it." She tapped on her own shirt, tugging at the collar with her other hand for a second. "This one's a newer design I made, made with Linoone fur and Ariados silk, overlayed with Gyarados scale sheddings, that's what makes it so shiny. It's really silky, smooth, comfortable, and quite durable."

Her ball wiggled against her hip. "Oh, sorry, where are my manners. As you know, I'm Celine Florence, and who might you be?" She stuck out her hand as part of formal greeting.

 

[BurbleBurble]

"Damn, Bandit. No one else here I even recognize."

Teresa was talking to her longtime companion, Bandit. After having retrieved her thankfully still there luggage, she had let the Luxio out to stretch his legs. "Mrow." He said in response to Teresa's comment, in half-acknowledgement.

She was currently scanning the crowd with her camera, trying to get a nice, all together shot. The tournament was a significantly large event- 256 competitors. However, soon enough they'd all retreat to different parts of the island. Restaurant, beachside, main hotel...She didn't have too much time to suss out anyone big and important for a pre-tournament interview. There was Sylvi, but honestly...Teresa didn't know what was going on. The person who tipped her off to all this said it was a big event for the elite. Teresa would like to think she was on the cutting edge of who was 'hip' and 'famous'.

But these guys...Some of them were has-beens. Failed runner ups trainers from two league cycles backs. Some infamous. Like a girl who had been caught apparently hocking fake Gym Badges, in a shady but highly publicized case. Maybe some were local heroes, which Teresa naturally wouldn't know. Where the hell were the elite, then? Keeping a low profile, maybe?

Though speaking of 'low profiles', she spotted someone else with hot pink hair. Not Sylvi- Instead this appeared to be some gaudy grown man, and his Musharna. Looked like a trainer, with his flowery tropical style shirt, but there was something weird about it. He didn't walk like he had places to be, but more like he owned the place. Pretty strange, even in the crowds. Probably some sort of gimmick he was going for. All pink Pokémon or some crap.

"Mrow!" Bandit let out a cry to get the attention of his owner. Trainer wasn't really the term for the relationship the two shared- Teresa just kept Bandit fed and happy, and he helped by keeping his eyes peeled for a variety of things. Whether it be inbound security, some sort of immediate danger, or more rarely, a person of interest.

He had found the last of those- A young man and Sceptile. At a glance he blended into the crowd, just another trainer. But Teresa and Bandit were not massive strangers to this young man's work.

"Wait, he's here?!" Kyran Kang was a particularly special case for Teresa- When he had his gym battle in Snowpoint, she had been one of the first ones to write a first hand account of the battle. Turns out, she had also been one of the only ones to do so- Which allowed her to sell her article to a well known publisher, and actually get a decent audience. None of her other articles had been quite as enticing since, which was certainly going to be rectified here! "Nice catch, Bandit!"

Of course, the Sylvi encounter earlier was easy to repeat if she got too excited. No one wanted to be hassled by reporters, definitely not on vacation. So she needed to subtly let on to this guy...

She glanced at Bandit. And had an idea.

"Come on boy, follow me."

The Luxio did as he was told, walking alongside Teresa as she approached the Pokémon Center. She'd just wait outside for Kyran, posing as just another competitor, that way he was definitely all wrapped up in the Center, and no one looking for attention would come for her. With the definitely unintended side effect of not tipping off Kyran...

The Doctor had gotten to work discerning every trainer who came up to her, and entrusted their Pokémon with her and the rest of the caretaking team. The one who had caused her most pause was the pink-haired teen, who handed over her Pokémon with a very grave warning. Dr. Aisha's face faltered a bit in shock, but quickly returned to normalcy.

"Trust me, I'll be sure to treat your Pokémon with utmost respect and care! Cross my heart, hope to die." And hopefully not at your hands, she added in her head. Aisha made a mental note to make sure those Pokémon got special treatment. And she caught the scolding glance Sylvi shot towards her Mismagius- "And trust me, Missy might seem like a scary ghost type, but she's really a sweetheart."

Though these were likely not super reassuring to the girl, as the Mismagius looked right back at her. It still wasn't really malicious, but to call it "friendly" was a stretch.

This continued onto the next trainer she assisted, who seemed similarly unsure of the Mismagius and handing off her Pokémon. Aisha once again attempted to reassure her, "Absolutely, they'll be well off with me and my team. Heck, you can even come by and pay them a visit!...Probably for the best if you've got any testy ones..." Trainers usually knew how to deal with their Pokémon best, of course. "But really, I wouldn't of taken this job if I didn't love these guys so much. It'll be a lot of work, but I'm gonna figure it out."

And Arte had been absentmindedly waiting in line, until someone had yanked the hook of his attention. Girl with a Minccino, cheerful and grabbing. Arte looked at her Minccino for a moment- like 'Oh, I had one of those!', without saying a word. Also a big serpentine dragon at her feet, glaring up at him.

"Neat dragon," He said, pointing at Diamond. Of course, the girl had said other things, but Arte clearly just wanted to get that out of the way. "I'm Arte. He's Sugar." The Cinccino stood to attention, looking towards it's fellow chinchilla. Nodded, squeaked. She also asked why he was out at the tournament.

"Well, I uh, lost in the league. But like, my training career shouldn't be over, right? I got a good chunk of prize money, but, I have bills and all that. I got the letter and like...I realized that I have a Gallade? And if I got that key stone and mega stone for winning, I could have like, a Mega Gallade. Or maybe a...Mega Cinccino." His eyes lit up on those last words, as if he had just had the greatest realization in the world. Despite the fact there was no scientific evidence that a Mega Cinccino had, at any point, existed. "Anyways, so that's why I'm here. I dunno what I'll do if I win, like, maybe go to Kanto. Galar is pretty big too, might be fun."

In an unprecedented move, he asked Skyla a question. "So, what're you gonna do if you win? Other than makin' your town proud. I come from Virbank, so like I'm never gonna outshine Roxie, but...Like, you ever wanna leave your home for a year or two, maybe just wander? I mean, I know I considered it, but..." He trailed off, seemingly waiting for a response.

 

[SylvitheSylveon]

Sylvi glanced at the older guy with the Serperior again, talking to a young woman.... that Sylvi knew. She couldn't think how she knew her. Something about her was familiar.... then she realized. Celine Florence. The lady that had designed the very coat she was wearing. Not long ago, her mother had requested someone to make a jacket for Sylvi. She was told that it was the same fashion designer her mother had been paying for years. The name popped into her head. Celine Florence. She knew that her mother was spending at most a million Pokecoins a year on her clothes. And her mother had specifically requested "A coat made of Jigglypuff fur, Whimsicott cotton, and White Grimmsnarl hair, all dyed in Pink." Her mother had even provided the materials to make the coat. Sylvi told her mother she didn't like clothes, but her mother insisted that she wore it.
If Celine Florence recognized the coat, Sylvi would just get more unwanted attention. So, she decided to avoid Celine. Instead she noticed Arte again and decided to talk to him. She saw him talking to a girl, accompanied by a Minccino. She decided to talk to them, hoping Celine wouldn't see her. Blending in a crowd was her best chance to go unnoticed. She heard Arte ask the girl what she would do if she won the tournament.
Sylvi knew what she wouldn't do. Sylvi would not give the money to her mother, she would not let her mother let her make her a fame machine, and most importantly, she would use the money to run away from home, like her brother did.
"Hello.... What are you going to do if you win? It's a lot of money and there's many things to do with that much..."

 

[Snowflake_14]

Sky's eyes glowed with excitement at the thought of a "Mega-Cincinno", likewise did Mia's.

"Imagine how fluffy a Mega Cincinno would be? Oh! And how about how super duper fast it would be? It would be AMAZING! I hope I get to see one, one of these days it would be so cool an-"

Diamond used its tail to wrap around Sky's hand and eyed her down as if saying Please calm down, we're in public.

"Right, right" Sky assured her wise guardian as she settled down.

Diamond was a gift from Sky's mother to protect her, considering after she caught her first Pokemon, Mincinno, she got into an encounter with a wild ferocious Herdier, and came back home with many scratches and bruises. Diamond has been by Sky's side ever since and supervised all of her gym fights. Sky was not actually allowed to use Diamond in battle, mostly since it would refuse to listen, but on completion of her 4th gym, and this one occasion of a tournament, her mother granted Sky permission to use Diamond, to the thrill of Skyla, and the discomfort of Diamond.

Sky soon realized what Arte had said. "Hold the phone, you said you lost in the league? You got to the league? That's awesome! Oh my goodness did you get to see Caitlin? I've been a fan of her ever since I was little, isn't that right Mia?".

The Mincinno beamed with excitement hearing Caitlin's name, remember watching her spectacular psychic Pokemon live on TV for hours on end, enchanted by the sight.

Arte had also asked what Sky would do in the event she one, and Sky heard another voice from a pink-haired girl ask the same, bringing up the large prize money that came with the event.

"Hmm. If I won that large prize money... I'd probably hand it to my mom. She'd know what to do with it, and she deserves for all she's done for me to get this far. Oh but don't think it's all going to her! I think I might Me, Mincinno, and Diamond matching friendship amulets!" Sky remarked excitedly.

"And once I do win, I think I'll just going back to beating gym leaders til' I can face the elite four and nab that Champion spot for myself!"

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Oblivious to the rather loud "Mrow!" of a Luxio (as well as his owner's reaction of similar volume) among the clamor of trainers on the way to the Pokemon Center, Kyran now waited patiently in line, hands in his pockets as Sage continued to silently stand at his side. The trainer yawned and stroked his chin as the line progressed, albeit one or two steps at a time, and his voice was laced with a tired edge as he spoke up.

"For a tournament of 'elite trainers', you'd think they'd try to cut the list down a notch, eh? Seems a bit too crowded for my liking..."

His partner Pokemon let out an amused chortle as the two continued on and eventually reached the front desk. The nurse introduced herself as Dr. Aisha, assuring Kyran that his other Pokemon were in 'capable hands'. The Mismagius behind her was definitely a bit of a disconcerting sight, but the trainer showed no sign of discomfort or reluctance as he nonchalantly deposited his other Pokemon into the plastic tote. A direct contrast to the pink-haired girl from earlier, who had a fierce look as she turned away from the doctor after leaving her other partners, Kyran instead flashed a friendly smile, which was positively beaming with warmth.

"Well, Doctor Aisha, I suppose I'll be leaving them in your hands; you'll find that my Pokemon are a bit calmer, so that should take some pressure off of your shoulders. I trust that you'll take care of them!..."

Though his smile remained, a brief glance at his eyes would detect a small but intense flash of darker, almost menacing resolve.

"...It'd be bothersome to think about what I'd do should you betray that trust, so I certainly hope you keep them safe."

With nothing more to say, the trace of hostility in his gaze vanished as quickly as it came, and Kyran swiftly turned to leave the Pokemon Center, Sage following by as silent as usual. As they exited the doors, the two came across a young woman and Luxio. Just another competitor, the trainer first assumed, but another cursory glance caught him by surprise. Her eyes betrayed intense eagerness, foiling any hope to stay inconspicuous, and as he moved... they were moving... as well.... was she staring at him? A nervous grin pulling at his corners, he inquisitively pointed a thumb at his chest as he met her gaze as if to ask, 'Me'?

"Uh, can I help you?"

 

[BurbleBurble]

The Doctor continued her job of collecting Pokémon from trainer after trainer. Though one in particular stood out- His face seemed familiar but she couldn't quite place it. She said the same thing she had assured everyone else of, and this one seemed to believe it for a moment...And then for another moment, the façade ever so slightly dropped, giving her a reminder to not betray that trust. She commended him internally for at least trying to mask the intense distrust around it all.

"Of course, wouldn't dream of it!" Considering you're the twelfth to threaten me, today. She once again added internally. Then he left just as he had come. Still, where had she seen his face before...Aisha felt there had to be a reason for that but really couldn't think of one.

And in the same breath, Arte's question had been answered. She was gonna give it to her mom. Well that made sense, she was probably only a handful of years younger that he was. She also seemed impressed by his league status, which was pretty good- No champion, but she also brought up a Caitlin. Right, she was one of the Elite 4, the type masters. Arte had not fought them, but had bumped into one.

"Yeah, Caitlin...Yeah I think I met her. I shook her hand."

He hadn't. He had actually bumped into Shauntal, who had proceeded to call him 'The most interesting trainer she had ever met', which was about the best compliment Arte had ever received. Still, he hadn't registered the name precisely, thus why he was now referring to Caitlin. Who was a woman, and a part of the Elite 4, and apparently that was close enough for a spaced out Arte to make that mistake.

"I think she even gave me a book..." Once again, this made more sense when you realized that he was talking about Shauntal. "Didn't fight her though. You have to win the tournament to do that."

It was then Arte realized he had made it to the front of the line, Dr. Aisha looking at him enthusiastically. "Hi, Doctor Aisha, taking care of your Pokémon for the week, so you can focus on the tournament."

"Oh, right."

Arte clipped off one Pokéball after another. "Bye Parsley," He told his Gallade, "Bye Seasalt," to his Carracosta, "Bye Garlic," to his Scrafty, "Goodbye Pepper," to his Torkoal, "Bye Hobart," and his Golurk. One might wonder why he decided to break the naming conventions with Hobart, but it was also possible that Arte just forgot...And he was very casual about giving them over too. Clearly most of the trainers were!

With his Pokémon handed over, he stepped aside, for Skyla to do the same.

And Teresa meanwhile was waiting for her moment, sitting on her luggage, Bandit sitting by her side. Watching each and everyone who would walk in and out of the Center. And then, there Kyran was, strutting out- She was watching him. Then she noticed that he had noticed- Pointing to himself while looking right at her. And asked her if he could help!

So she got up, and started to speak- "HimynameisTeresaI'dliketointer-" She caught herself. "Ahem! Sorry, my name's Teresa Sparks. Freelance journalist. Big fan of your work, Mr. Kang."

"Mrow." The Luxio at her side went, clearly looking to insert himself into the situation.

"Oh, that's Bandit, he's my assistant. I- We would love to get you for an interview, if you don't mind. Not right this moment, I know it's all still a little hectic. Maybe at the restaurant at say...four o' clock? Or six, whichever works for you?"

She was displaying a smile, but it was somewhat nervous. She was quite scared of the idea that she just wouldn't land this interview, that she had betrayed some sort of trust the two had never even established. Teresa did not want to mess this up.

 

[OmnipotentOnion]

Kyran raised a brow as the 'freelance journalist' shot up from her seat, hastily greeting the trainer in a rushed string of words, and he stifled an amused chuckle before she abruptly stopped and regained her composure, finally introducing herself as Teresa Sparks. Both he and Sage gave the journalist a brief nod in greeting, and upon hearing her address him as 'Mr. Kang', Kyran laughed and waved dismissively before responding. As he began to speak, he also crouched down to pet Bandit and stroke the Spark Pokemon's head.

"Ah, please, just 'Kyran' is fine—no need for an honorific. As for my 'work', I'm flattered, but...." Kyran chuckled once more with a modest shrug before continuing. "...I'm just a traveler who enjoys training and coordinating with my Pokemon. Nothing too special."

The trainer was actually very aware of his really-quite-special reputation in both the Hoenn and Sinnoh regions, as one would be with a successful career like his; however, Kyran wasn't one to relish the fame he received. It was definitely nice to meet fans or kids who were inspired by his accomplishments, but the time he spent with his Pokemon, training and growing stronger together: that was the main reward.

"An interview, you said? Hm... why not? I just wrapped up registration at the Pokemon Center, so things have actually calmed down on my end—in fact, I'll likely be good to go once I check into my room at the hotel in a few minutes. Have you had lunch yet? It'll be my treat, and you can get something for the press earlier. Of course, I'm fine with either option, so whatever works for you."

Kyran spoke with a warm and friendly tone, indicative of his amiable demeanor; while Teresa, having corrected her previous eagerness, spoke with more composure and formality, her smile betrayed a hint of nervousness, so the trainer attempted to display himself as more sociable and approachable to ease the journalist's worries.