Ulterior Motives

[Sem]

OOC: Woo, quite a few new RP's today. Here's the one some of you knew I was scheming. ^^;

BIC:
Dear Trainer,

You are one of the select few who have been chosen to participate in a contest. This is a private event and is not official. The event shall be hosted on my large estate in the Johto region. A map has been included with this e-mail.

Please bring:
-Six Pokémon.
-Clothes, toiletries, personal items.
-Trainer supplies and accessories.

Food will be provided three times a day along with dessert, though our fridge is open to anyone at anytime. Rooms will be provided for you as well, rooms equipped with the most modern accessories money has to offer. Other conveniences include indoor and outdoor pools both with spa tub, a gymnasium, and a path from the building that leads down to a lake and more.

But I'm tired of making this sound like some fancy hotel; I do hope you'll accept the invitation. Tickets to a ship port or Airport nearest you have been included with this email a long with a map to the property.

If you accept you are asked to enter the property at a certain gate. Your gate number is 3. At the gate you'll find a box with instructions inside. Please take one and read it. I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,
Mr. Lanow

Sem sat back in his chair and stared at the writing on the screen. "Strange." He thought as he exited out of his email account and closed the window. Sem was about 16 years of age, he was rather short, standing at only 5' 3". He had straight, dark brown hair which had some strands of a light brown, giving his hair a silvery shine. He was thin and had a rather normal musculature, except his legs were exceptionally strong. He wore grey cargo pants which went past the heels of his black shoes. He wore an aqua blue t-shirt with a black hooded sweater. A dark grey scarf was tied around his neck; the ends of the scarf went past his waist. He dressed rather light for a citizen of Snowpoint City, located in the Sinnoh region.


He sat and stared at the now blank screen with his blue-grey eyes and thought about what he had just read. Sem had just receive an invitation to… some sort of competition. What's more is that it was from Mr. Lanow, who was widely known for being a famous land owner. He owned large parcels of land in almost every region of the world. The land that was mentioned in his letter was in Johto, which intrigued Sem, partly due to the fact that he had never been to the Johto region.

"What do you think, Mime Jr.?" Sem asked to the creature that stood atop his head. The creature was mostly pink in color; its legs were blue, as was the part of its head that resembled a hat. It had a big red nose, causing it to resemble a miniature clown.

"Mime…" it responded in an unknowing tone. It looked down at Sem and waited to hear what he had to say. Sem thought about it. He did think it was weird that he received an invitation from someone he had never met, let alone someone famous, but what was the harm? Competing against various people should be interesting, and who knows what you could win as a prize, especially since the host was bloody rich… the prize couldn't possibly be small.

Another thing Sem was asking was why. What did he do to make him worthy to recieve such an invitation? After bringing a few more points to mind he said, "Wanna go?" Sem asked his friend.

"Mime mime!" it said happily. Sem opened up his email account and viewed the ticket. There was an option to send it to an electronic device such as a Pokétch, PokéNav, PokéGear, or a PokéDex. He typed in the information for his Pokétch and the ticket showed up on the screen of the device in mere seconds. He was to board a ship at the port in Snowpoint tomorrow at 10:00 am. The trip would take about four days until it arrived at the port in Olivine. He then would have to make his way East near the Ecruteak area.
-----------------------

The sky was grey as usual and a chill flowed through the air, which made Sem feel fresh. It was morning, about 9:00am. All was silent except for the calls of random Pokémon, and the sound of snow crunching under Sem's feet as he walked. This was a beautiful day by his standards, and it was one of the things he loved about living in Snowpoint. He arrived at the port after about half an hour of walking. Sem turned on his Pokétch and brought up a holographic image of the ticket as he neared the gate that led to the ship he was to board. The man at the gate looked and the hologram and gave the ok.

Sem boarded the ship and searched around the ship for about twenty minutes until he found his cabin. The walls were white, and the carpet was a nice, clean, grey color. There was a small, white desk under the window. Wingull could be seen flying outside. Mime Jr. hopped from the top of its master's head to the top bunk, where it proceeded to scan the room. Sem put down his bag and settled onto the lower bunk. The sound of a loud horn filled the air after ten minutes, and the ship began to set sail and head south, towards the Kanto and Johto regions. Sem had no idea what was lying in wait for him in Johto, and perhaps it was better that he didn't know at all.
______________________________________________________
OOC: Right, there it is. A few things I have to say though, so LISTEN UP! >:0

About the gate numbers mentioned in the letter, there are 4, and only two may be assigned to each one. So since I took gate 3, only one more person may enter through that same gate.

Also, you all don't have to take the ship at Snowpoint, unless your RP character's actually in the area. You can be anywhere. So you can depart from pretty much anywhere you wish, Vermilion, Lilycove, whatever. As long as its logical, you're ok. So no flying half-way across the world on the back of your Charizard

Also, don't get too far a head of everyone in your posts. Arriving in Olivine or Goldenrod is the farthest I allow in the first post. So that's about it, enjoy. ^^

 

[Sem]

OOC: Right, posting. I only see one of you still around, so if the rest of you don't post it'll be like you were never here. =D Anyway back to RP, anyone can still join in if they want to. *hint**wink**plead*

BIC:
The skies were dark and thunder could be heard in the distance. It wasn't raining, at least not yet, and there was strong wind blowing; it's howling sent chills down Sem's spine as he looked up at gate number three.

The gate was nice and expensive-looking; it stood out like a sore thumb in such a dreary setting. The number 3 was engraved in two golden plaques which were mounted on either side of the gate.

"This is the right place, Mime Jr." Sem said, looking at a piece of paper which he printed out from a new email he got from Mr. Lanow when he arrived in Olivine. The property was hidden deep within Route 38, and could've been easily missed without directions of some sort.

The wind began to pick up blowing Sem's scarf and Mime Jr.'s 'hat.' Sem put his hood up and the tiny Psychic-type hid inside Sem's jacket for warmth, only its head was visible. The trainer and his Pokémon walked closer to the gate, noticing a small green box on the left side, the wind was causing the lid to open and close. Sem grabbed one of the papers inside, it read:

Welcome to my home! I'm so glad you accepted the invitation. You'll have to follow some instructions in order to get to the house itself. They're rather simple to follow really.

Walk through the gate and into the forest, here you'll have to wander around until you find a flare gun. There are four hidden throughout the area. Take the gun and fire it into the sky above you. That is all you have to do.

Many Pokémon inhabit my property, and not all of them are benevolent I'm afraid, so be cautious. You're free to capture as many as you wish, it's all fine by me.

I ask that you don't have any Dark-type Pokémon out with you when you fire the flare, as they may not be with you once you arrive.

And that is all I need to say really, I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,
Mr. Lanow

Sem folded the paper and stuck it into one of his pockets. "Ready, Mime?" He asked, walking towards the gate

"Mime." he responded to Sem. The gate creaked open on its own as the trainer approached it. Sem walked through it and into the dark forest. Inside the forest it seemed the time of day had shifted. It seemed like dusk, while in actuality it was mid-afternoon. The large, dark trees hid the sun from view and cast an eerie veil on the ground, which, by the way, was mostly bare, despite a few dying patches of grass here and there.

There were no directions to follow, it was just mindless searching. Simply blundering through the forest looking for a flare gun. Something small enough to seem impossible to find in such a place.

Sem could hear various noises as he walked, but the forest itself was as quiet as a graveyard, besides the wailing of the wind. So the random rustlings meant something was following them. What could it be? Such surroundings could really make the mind wander. Sem heard the rustling closer this time, and a chill in the air.

Sem quickened his pace, Mime Jr. began to whimper a bit. Sem looked behind him but saw nothing, but the noises continued, getting closer and closer. Sem was flat out sprinting now, running away from an invisible and sinister force. He breathed faster, his mind began to panic. He turned and still saw nothing, but he was in shock as soon as he faced forward again. He stopped cold in his tracks, only starring at the most awful thing he had ever seen.

It was a face, floating there. It used to be human, but was decayed. Eye's were gone, leaving only black holes that seemed like endless abyss. Pieces of skin were missing and rotten flesh was torn in so many places. The whole head was a ghostly blue, and it simply floated there. The decapitated head began to laugh and its visage was twisted, revealing its true form: a mischievous Gastly, laughing cruelly at Sem's misfortune. Mime Jr. had covered his eyes with his tiny hands, but uncovered them once Sem sighed.

The Gastly was joined by others of its species, drinking in the amount of fear the soaked the air. Sem gathered himself and tried walking past the group of ghouls, but they would not let them. They wore devious looks on their faces, looking like they had much more in store for this trainer and his Pokémon, which they undoubtedly did.

Sem would have to fight his way out if he wanted passage. He exhaled slowly, trying to quickly think up a strategy. His eyes shifted about, counting the number of enemies, 4, 6, 7... The leader was easy to recognize, being the one that had frightened Sem originally, it also bore a very cocky attitude. Sem knew what he would do.

"Mime Jr., Confuse Ray all the Gastly." Sem said. The tiny Pokémon jumped out of Sem's jacket immediately and followed orders. He began to dance and spin around slowly, then faster and faster, making motions with his arms. Small white orbs appeared in each of his hands, they grew a bit bigger to the size of tennis balls, before they were launched everywhere, bringing disorder to the mind of every being they touched.

"Good now Shadow Ball the leader! Let's get out of here!" Mime Jr. spun around again, holding his arms up above his head, a ball of darkness formed in-between them. The ball pulsed with energy as it grew; longing to unleash itself upon a victim. The little clown-Pokémon stopped rotating and wound up facing the lead Gastly, his right arm was thrust in said Gastly's direction, launching the powerful Ghost-type move. The attack hit dead on, Sem wasted no time and grabbed Mime Jr., and began running deeper into the forest.

After about five minutes Sem slowed and stopped. He put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. Mime Jr. mimed his trainer's actions as he stood on Sem's shoulder. Sem smiled at his friend.

"Well, we got out of there, but there's no doubt they'll be back. So let's take the big guns out, shall we Mime?" Sem said, pulling out a Pokéball from inside his jacket. "Let's go, Lygoison." Sem said to the creature inside the ball. He tossed it into the air, the ball cracked open and released its contents onto the forest floor in the form of white energy. The energy took shape and faded, revealing a giant, scorpion like creature. It was purple, and had many body segments. The creature was much large than Sem himself. The species was called Drapion, an intimidating creature indeed.

Sem hopped onto his Pokémon's back, anything in the forest would think twice before attacking them now. Lygoison roared and checked its surroundings briefly. "We're supposed to be looking for a flare gun Lygo, but we have no directions to follow, so we have to find it on our own. You're out here to protect us from the wild Pokémon." Sem smiled and patted the creature's hard exoskeleton. Lygoison began moving, keeping a sharp eye on everything. Sem sat on his partner's back, looking for any sign of this gun. Mime Jr. stood atop Sem's head on one foot, one arm was above his eyes as he surveyed the area, mimicking Sem.

The searching seemed to go on for hours, but at least they were left undisturbed. It had become easier to discern where they had been and where they had not. Places where they had been would be marked by Lygoison's passage, his incredible size left a mark everywhere they went.

Sem looked up, realizing that a good amount of time had indeed passed since he entered the forest. They'd better find this thing soon; Sem would hate to be here at night. The temperature was dropping steadily, though, it didn't bother the trainer whose hometown was condemned to be covered in snow for all eternity.

Sem had been looking at his Pokétch for a while now, having it set to the Itemfinder app. It would home in on any in-organic items in the forest, but so far it had picked up nothing. He sighed and leaned back. "Why did we come here again? A contest?" pretty soon it would seem like it wasn't worth it. But he was already here, what else could he do?

*Beep.*

…

*Beep Beep*

It was the Pokétch, it was picking up something, and its beeps came faster and louder as they walked. "We're near! Keep an eye out guys." Sem said, looking around him through the trees. Lygoison stopped and shifted its course, moving through the trees and bushes to the left. "You find something, Lygo?"

"Mime?" Mime Jr. asked as well. The large poison type gave an affirmative grunt and they were in a clearing. In the center of this small clearing was a white pedestal with the flare gun resting on top. "Good job," Sem said smiling as he leaped off the Drapion's back.

The human ran up to the pedestal and was about to grab the flare gun when Lygoison gave a low growl. He got closer to Sem, ready to defend his trainer from any harm. Slowly, Gastly began to fill the clearing, but they were not alone. A few Haunter appeared as well and there was a single Gengar.

Lygoison attacked without a second thought. He lunged at a few Gastly, easily taking them out with Crunch and Bite attacks. A few more swarmed him while some of the ghosts came after Sem. The trainer quickly returned his Drapion into a Pokéball and grabbed the flare gun. He shot it up into the air, hoping the Ghost-types would be intimidated by the flash. The red light soared into the sky until exploding, resembling a small firework. The Gengar was right in front of Sem, its haunting smile and its blood red eyes being the only things visible in the dark. Sem heard it cackle malevolently before stepping closer, and then it jumped. The trainer closed his eyes and held onto Mime Jr. tightly and braced himself.

…

It was quiet for a while; there was no sound, no laughing, and no impact. Sem opened his eyes. There were no ghosts, there was no forest even. No sky above their heads, no ground under their feet. It seemed that they were inside a house, elegant, very elegant. Both confused beings had opened their eyes and surveyed the new setting. A large and grand staircase was before them. It was marble, white marble with a red rug that led from the top of the stairs to a large set of doors behind them: the front door most likely.

The ceilings were high and large chandeliers lit the room. Two large windows were on either side of the door, letting in the eerie light from outside. The floor under them was the same marble as well, and covered with a red rug. Scented candles covered the room and the light brown walls made the room feel very warm.

A loud voice was heard, it seemingly came from no where, yet it was everywhere. "Welcome to my home, I'm so glad you could make it!" No one was in the vast room, at least not from what Sem could see.

"Th-thank you…" Sem said as loud as he could manage given the situation he just got out of. There was a pause, and the voice started up again.

"Please head up the stairs and take one of the rooms on either side. You may unpack and make yourself at home. Dinner is at seven o' clock sharp." The voice was definitely Mr. Lanow's, though he sounded… odd. Almost like a recording.

Sem did what he was told however and walked up the stairs. Mime Jr. had jumped out of Sem's jacket and was happily hopping up the stairs. Dancing and spinning as it did.

As Sem reached the top he looked to the right and left, either side was filled with dozens of rooms. Sem took the left corridor and choose the room closest to the stairs. It was on the left side of the left hall.

The room itself was as elegant and expensive looking as the foyer. Large queen-sized bed with red covers, a beige tiled floor and red curtains that hung on a large window that overlooked the property, the forest where Sem was not two minutes ago. A nice chandelier hung in the room, and a small fireplace off to the side gave it warmth. The walls were of the same color as the ones in the entryway. He assumed that all the other rooms were similar.

Sem settled in and unpacked. Mime Jr. had climbed up onto the large bed and began jumped up and down and spinning mid air. Sem laid back on the bed once he was done, putting his hands behind his head. Mime Jr. mimicked this and they both stared at the ceiling.

"Here we are finally." Sem said, staring at his Pokétch for the time, it read 5:13pm. "Let's see what this little adventure could possibly have in store."

OOC:
Yeah, as a note to any who want to catch something in the forest, here's a list of the native Pokémon.

Common:
-Gastly
-Pidgey
-Rattata
-Sentret
-Hoothoot
-Natu

Un-common:
-Haunter
-Pidgeotto
-Raticate
-Furret
-Noctowl
-Spinarak
-Murkrow
-Misdreavus

Rare:
-Gengar
-Ariados
-Xatu

And remember to make the capture good. XD None of:

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikkkaaaachhhuuu!"

"Go Pokéball!... I caught ya! ahahaawfdgrte...."

Make it good and juicy.

 

[StellarWind Elsydeon]

If you accept you are asked to enter the property at a certain gate. Your gate number is 1. At the gate you'll find a box with instructions inside. Please take one and read it. I hope to see you soon.

"I don't like the looks of this, Sihaya." the trainer muttered as she read the email. Her experience has taught her that rich mysterious folks with large estates are often eccentric (best case scenario) or downright psychotic (most-case scenario). She has already done a background check on this so-called Mr. Lanow, except that nothing she found seemed particularily incriminating. Sure, a conspiracy theory here, a conspiracy theory there, but every rich-mysterious-person had those about them.

"I don't think I like it either." came the voice in her mind. A Gardevoir, a pair of strange, fin-like red blades growing out of her shoulders (rather than from her chest, as most Gardevoirs' blades), turned her deep red gaze towards the trainer. "Should we take this invitation, we must be cautious."

the trainer sighed, shutting off the computer, rubbing her weary eyes. A part of her was drawn in by the sense of mystery that seemed to shroud this so-called private and unofficial tournament - it's been a while since the Hoenn League, and after her completion of the Sinnoh gym challenge she had some time to kill.

... But the sensible part of her mind had its suspicions. And Cori was one to follow the sensible part of her mind.

She stood up and stretched, when she suddenly felt a pair of slender arms wrap around her waist. She sighed appreciatively, leaning back into the Gardevoir's arms, feeling her stress melting away in the psychic-type's comforting, reassuring embrace. Deities knew she needed that comfort.

"What do you really think?" Sihaya asked "Look through the stress and suspicions. Do you want to take on this challenge? Do you find it intriguing enough to be potentially worth a potential risk? Bear in mind that we have been through harsh times before and strange situations and always pulled through somehow."

The trainer paused, closing her eyes.

"I do."

~*~

"Well, all packed up and ready to go."

The trainer surveyed herself in the mirror for a moment. She was in her early twenties, of average height had short-ish light brown hair with a somewhat assymetric fringe, and icy-blue colored (yet inexplicably warm-looking) eyes. She was wearing a long pair of baggy blue jeans, black hiking boots and a black T-shirt. She wasn't particularily regal or charismatic or beautiful looking, and no one would have probably given her a second look - just another trainer out of many others. No one would have suspected that her name was added to that illustrious list of those who have conquered the Hoenn league, alongside her PokéMon. She did not flaunt her title and was content in her obscurity. Those who would underestimate her did so at their own peril.

A moment of consideration, and she pulled a jacket on herself and zipped it - it was made of a rich red material and had goldish Pokéball designs on the shoulders, was exceptionally comfortable and, while it kept her warm, the nature of the fabric made sure that she wouldn't overheat. She then donned her trainer belt, observing the six PokéBalls that were attached to it. Three of them have been with her through her Hoenn adventure, the other three she acquired in Sinnoh in various ways. They were a strange bunch, but they had diversity and power by their side - and prepared to conquer whatever challenge was placed before them. A smile came to her face - She was ready.

Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, the trainer emerged from the PokéMon Center to the peaceful streets of Eterna City. The morning air was cool, but she knew that she was in for temperatures that were a LOT colder if she was to head for Snowpoint. She picked a small PokéBall - a nest ball - and expanded it. With a grin, she cast it into the air. "Rise and shine, Hayate!"

The ball burst open, and out poured the majestic form of a large, regal-looking Staraptor. Stretching its wings and unleashing a cry of challenge into the air, the large, silver-feathered avian turned its eyes to his trainer, and then squawked in greeting.

"Good morning, Hayate." the trainer smiled, scratching the large Staraptor's feather crest, illiciting what sounded almost like a coo from the large bird-of-prey "I hope you had a nice sleep... Up for a quick morning flight? I could use your help to reach Snowpoint City..."

The Staraptor puffed its plumes, spreading its wings and nodding in response. Hayate was the most adventurous of her entire team, and as far as flight was involved, the more challenging their path was, the more at home he felt - and reaching Snowpoint was a worthy challenge for the bird - the area was treacherous and often plagued by massive blizzards. There was a spark in the bird's eye.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised." The trainer grinned. "Not surprised at all."

~*~

And they were off. The electronic ticket she recieved was properly bought and paid for, and with one last look at the region she's been spending her latest few months exploring, she boarded the ship. From what she gathered, the ship was bound to Olivine City, Johto's most active port town. She's never been to Johto before, and the thought of exploring another new region fascinated her. Maybe after this whole thing was over she'd stay a while and explore the region...

She shook the thought. "Let's not count our Torchics before they hatch. First I have to survive this tournament..."

 

[Carrie_Slovak]

Carrie's day wasn't going too badly. Well, not if you counted the intense burn that marred her right hand, wrapped carefully in a medicated cloth. Charles, her Charizard, crouched as low as he could by her side, flames sprouting in worry from his nostrils. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's nothing Charlie, you've given me worse than this. Anyway, your aim wasn't that bad. At least you didn't set my hair on fire this time."

Charlie still seemed concerned, and Carrie knew it would be awhile before he would calm down enough to continue his training. She loved the creature to death, but sometimes he was a bit too soft-hearted.

From his place fifteen feet away Espeon snorted rudely, returning his head to rest upon his forepaws in a show of sleepy nonchalance. Carrie sighed as his attitude, a sigh that turned into a groan when Charles shot him an offended look. It was hard to believe the two got along, but get along they did, and rather magnificently compared to Espeon's relationship with the rest of the household.

As if she had been summoned Raichu appeared at the door of the house and gestured to her, a spatula in one paw and the other waving jerkily in the air. Carrie raised a hand in acknowledgement and hauled herself from the grassy knoll upon which she sat, giving Charles a final pat of reassurance before heading to the door. On the way Carrie passed by Espeon's spot in the sun, but the antisocial Psychic didn't look up at her, even as her shadow temporarily blotted out his warmth.

The inside of the house was far cooler than the lawn, and Carrie spared a brief moment to bask in the change of temperature before Raichu appeared before her again, untying the off-white apron from around her robust middle.

"What is it, Rai? Out of ingredients for lo mein?" Carrie questioned, half-joking. Raichu shook her head seriously and gave a sharp tug to her trainer's sleeve, pulling her towards the end of the hall, where the living room was. Carrie allowed herself to be led, confusion steadily creeping up on her as Raichu gestured to the computer in the corner of the living room. It was on, the screen displaying the template for her e-mail account. Carrie approached and regarded it in puzzlement, absently taking a seat as she clicked on the only message in her Inbox. It read:

Dear Trainer,

You are one of the select few who have been chosen to participate in a contest. This is a private event and is not official. The event shall be hosted on my large estate in the Johto region. A map has been included with this e-mail.

Please bring:
-Six Pokémon.
-Clothes, toiletries, personal items.
-Trainer supplies and accessories.

Food will be provided three times a day along with dessert, though our fridge is open to anyone at anytime. Rooms will be provided for you as well, rooms equipped with the most modern accessories money has to offer. Other conveniences include indoor and outdoor pools both with spa tub, a gymnasium, and a path from the building that leads down to a lake and more.

But I'm tired of making this sound like some fancy hotel; I do hope you'll accept the invitation. Tickets to a ship port or Airport nearest you have been included with this email along with a map to the property.

If you accept you are asked to enter the property at a certain gate. Your gate number is 2. At the gate you'll find a box with instructions inside. Please take one and read it. I hope to see you soon.

Sincerely,
Mr. Lanow

Carrie frowned at the unfamiliar signature, scouring her mind for her memories of Johto. It had been not that long ago, but she never had paid any attention to celebrities or the like. It took her a moment before she recalled that old fellow who had been attempting to buy out the land preserved for the Towers in Ecruteak. She wondered what he could possibly be up to. She remembered him as the harmless sort, though anyone trying to buy out sacred land probably wasn't all that harmless.

She sighed and considered for a moment, trying not to be distracted by the smells coming from the kitchen. Pearl must have taken over cooking for her mother, who still stood silent vigil beside her. Carrie regarded her for a moment.

"Should we go? We've been on vacation for awhile, and though training's all well and could we can't have you all going and getting fat and out of shape."

Raichu nodded her head enthusiastically. "Rai!"

Carrie smiled. "I thought so. But only six, huh? Looks like some of out group's going to have to stay here." She pursed her lips, thinking. "Well, if we go I'm definitely bringing you, Lapras, and Jolteon along. I'll probably bring Mischief and Charles as well. Should I bring Espeon? He has an attitude, but he's strong..."

Rai remained silent, knowing it was best for her trainer to decide these things. At last it seemed as if she made up her mind, and she smiled down at the electric mouse. "Alright! I've decided. Get everyone packed up, Rai. We're leaving tomorrow."

Carrie stood in front of the gate labeled number two, tired and sore from riding on Charles all the way to Vermillion. They had almost missed the ship, and though she could have ridden Lapras if that were the case, she admitted to herself she'd much rather travel in luxury.

But that was neither here nor there. She exhaled softly and plucked the sheet of paper out of the green box that rested to the left of the gate. Things were looking interesting.

 

[StellarWind Elsydeon]

"Well, this is it, then." Cori murmured. It was quite an impressive gate, but something did not feel quite right. There was some kind of a vibe from the reasonably-dark forest beyond the gate - which Cori's mind interpreted as either paranoia or psychic presence. Possibly both.

Her eyes scanned the instruction letter left in the box beside the gate. So, she was to find a flare gun in this forest, and there were no further leads. What's more, there could have been wild PokéMon in there. She would definitely need a guide, something that understood forests well.

She reached for a PokéBall on her belt - A mostly clear ball, upon which there were stickers that resembled small blue flowers and vivid-green leaves - seals she picked up in Sinnoh. Yes, she will do just fine...

"Ixora, I summon you!" Cori said and tossed the PokéBall aloft. The sphere burst open in a shower of leaves and azure petals, and out emerged a sleek form, roughly the size of a wolf - a creature that seemed to be a mid-point between Feline and Vulpine yet neither one nor the other. Its fur was a blend of cream and pale gold, fading into a darker, chocolatey-brown at its paws. Fading seamlessly into its fur were leafy growths in a vivid shade of green at the tips of its ears, its tail and occasional points along its body, a soft, refreshing scent that was reminiscent of mint, dewdrops and freshly cut grass emanating from them. The Leafeon (for that is what the creature was) opened her eyes - a warm brown nestled within darker eye-markings - and emitted a soft cry, and turned her head to her trainer.

"That's right, Ixora, I need your help." Cori smiled at the Leafeon, gently running her fingers through the grass-type's short mane. "I need you to help me find something in this forest. Something man-made, a flare gun." The Leafeon purred, then nodded - She has seen a flare gun before, but even if she hadn't, Grass-types were deeply attuned with plantlife and her keen senses would have allowed her to sense something manmade in the midst of a forest.

"Great. Let's go, Ixora." Cori smiled, and the two have crossed the gate.

~*~

Their journey through the forest was fairly quiet. Cori followed Ixora's footsteps slowly as the grass-type seemed to be immersed in the forest around it. Save for the silent cries of Pidgeys and the occasional Hoot-Hoot or Noctowl and a rustle of Sentrets and Rattatas in the underbrush, none of the other creatures of the forest seemed to regard the newcomers with any unneeded curiosity or hostility.

Suddenly the Leafeon stopped, twitching her ears. She emitted a sharp cry, almost bark-like, and dashed further into the forest. "She found it!" Cori grinned, and gave chase, her footsteps crunching through the leaf litter. A single brush through a few bushes - and there they were - in a clearing where a small white pedestal held the prize she sought: the flare gun.

"Way to go, Ixora." Cori grinned, lightly scratching the Leafeon behind her ears, illiciting a soft purr from the grass-type as she rubbed her head against her trainer's leg. "Ready to return now?"

The grass-type nodded, grinning, and with a flash of green light, she was gone, drawn back into her PokéBall. Cori clipped the ball back on her belt, and surveyed the flare gun for a moment, as she picked it up. She half-heartedly wondered if firing it up would call a guide or something to guide them to the house. When she felt the world spinning for a moment and suddenly found herself in the foyer of a mansion. She couldn't help but mutter "I was expecting psychotic. NOT psychic."

And suddenly there was a voice in the air. "Welcome to my home, I'm so glad you could make it!" a pause. "Please head up the stairs and take one of the rooms on either side. You may unpack and make yourself at home. Dinner is at seven o' clock sharp."

"That's probably this... Lanow... Person. Either that, or a recording of him. Seems more plausible... He probably wouldn't be hiding in the shadows to greet every single person that comes here. Maybe he'll introduce himself officially during dinner." Cori muttered, surveying the hall. "Well, I guess I better catch myself a room and settle down..."

 

[Carrie_Slovak]

Carrie surveyed the forest proper beyond the gate, mulling over the task before her.

"A flare gun, huh? I wish I had brought Bell along. She'd find it in a jiff." Carrie sighed, her hand meandering thoughtlessly to clasp the bolt charm around her neck. "Oh well. Lessee, who'd be best at finding something in the woods?"

No immediate remedy came to her, and with another sigh she took off at a brisk pace, making mental notes of her surroundings as she once again went over the Pokemon she had brought with her. Raichu wouldn't be good for this job, and neither would Lapras; those two were out. It would take a miracle and some buttery croissants to get Mischief to take that kind of job seriously, so he was a no go. Espeon would refuse to comply altogether, leaving Jolteon and Charles as her only two hopes. Charles would be the obvious choice, as he could scout from the sky, but if the gun were hidden somewhere invisible from the skyline (say, beneath a bush) then his advantage would no longer be an advantage.

She patted Charles' Pokeball comfortingly. "Not this time, Charles old boy."

Jolteon's Pokeball was the first on the right, and she unclasped it from her belt. With a click and a toss the Pokeball expanded and hurtled through the air, coming open with a burst of red energy. The energy coalesced on the ground beside her, taking form and appearing as her old companion. The electric dog greeted her with a sharp growl, a friendly gleam in his eye contradicting the predatory manner of his greeting. Carrie smiled and him and patted him atop the head.

"Hey old man," she welcomed him warmly, "think you can find something for me? It's a flare gun--you've seen one before, haven't you?--and it shouldn't be too hard to find. It's probably the only modern thing in this place."

Jolteon eyed her for a moment, as if skeptical she even had to ask before putting his muzzle to the earth, dirt flying up as he exhaled strongly. He breathed in again, deeply, his eyes closed and his body tense with focus. After a few minutes his frame relaxed slightly and his eyes opened, nose coming up and sniffing tentatively to the northwest. He yelped an affirmative and bounded off in that direction, three leaps enough to cover the distance to the end of the clearing. Carrie, who had been standing silently off to the side hurried after him, pushing low-hanging branches out of her way, breath short in excitement. He had found something already...?

They spent the next forty-five minutes cutting through the forest, Jolteon leaping past natural barriers with ease. Carrie stumbled and struggled after him, sloshing through a small brook, climbing over a fallen tree and skipping past mud puddles from last night's rain.

Suddenly he stopped, and Carrie halted awkwardly behind him. His nose was in the air again, anxiousness quickening the rate of his sniffs. His ears twitched at the sound he himself was making, and a dissapointed whine caught her attention.

They were in a clearing, and ten feet away stood a white pedestal, solitary and exceptionally clean for being in a forest. Where she figured the gun was supposed to be nothing lay, and she huffed in dissapointment.

"Someone must have gotten this one already," she murmured in a small moment of discouragement. Her moroseness didn't last long, as Jolteon brought attention back unto himself with another low whine, this one as anxious as he had been before. He sniffed the air deeply, making sure of himself this time, before bounding off again. Carrie followed with a groan.

For the next hour Carrie tussled after him through the vegetation, irritation slowly clawing its way into her mind. She called out to him for a halt in their march, and to her surprise he stopped. She came up next to him, curious, before she spotted what was before them. She smiled.

A flare gun, that object for which they had searched for so long, rested upon another white pedestal, in the center of a clearing. With a genuine, hearty smile she called Jolteon back into his Pokeball with an exclamation of praise and a pat on the head. When the ball was returned safely to her belt she started forward and picked the gun up, waiting with baited breath.

For a moment nothing happened, but suddenly the air fizzled out around her and the forest faded away, replaced instead by the grandeur of a manor's foyer. She started in surprise at the sudden change, jumping again when a voice mysteriously began speaking from nowhere.

"Welcome to my home, I'm so glad you could make it! Please head up the stairs and take one of the rooms on either side. You may unpack and make yourself at home. Dinner is at seven o' clock sharp."

Carrie stood as silence once again gripped the foyer, shock slowly fading away. Had that been a recording? She had fought her way through that forest only to be greeted by a recording, not the real thing?

Irritation once again clawed at her mind as she ascended the stairs, turning right without thought and selecting a random door. Inside was the most comfortable bed she had ever seen, and with a burst of gratefulness she collapsed upon it. She took no note of her surroundings, instead choosing to take a quick nap. She'd wash up later...

 

[Spincut]

Dram inched cautiously along the tree's branch, clinging to it for dear life. The berries were a mere few feet away, and his fingers were already grazing the luscious fruit. He inched closer...and closer...his breath slowing as breakfast was within reach...

Suddenly, his laptop began to make the most cacophonous noise, startling Dram. He lost his balance and slipped, dropping off the branch. At the last second, his hands flung up, grasping the branch, which creaked terribly from the strain. He hung there for a second, glaring at the laptop which rested at the base of the tree with his other belongings. Then, he kicked his legs up and wrapped them around the branch again, assuming his initial position. He deftly snatched the berries off the branch, then dropped to the ground.

Waiting for him with his belongings was Darkness, Dram's Absol. She sat and stared at the laptop, her tail flicking with anticipation. Dram walked to Darkness, laying his hand on her head. The act instantly calmed her, and her gaze turned to him. He turned away to his laptop and opened it. He found that the terrible sound had come from the laptop receiving a new e-mail, something that hadn't happened since Dram's loss of memory.

The e-mail was from one Mr. Lanow. It described a type of tournament being help at Lanow's estate. It stated to bring six pokemon, proper clothes and toiletries, and any other belongings deemed necessary. Dram stared at the e-mail for a long while, questions darting through his mind. Who is this man? Why is he holding a tournament? Why did he invite me? Most importantly, how does he even know me? Dram shut the laptop. He had decided.

"Darkness, we're leaving. We're going to this Mr. Lanow's estate to participate in the tournament and learn just how or why this man knows me." Darkness looked at him for a few seconds, then sat up and walked to his side. She was ready. Dram's mind went back to the e-mail. Six pokemon...but I only have Darkness. Unless...

*~*~*~*~*

Dram stepped into the Pokemon Center hesitantly. It was bright and sterile, with busy nurses and trainers moving to and fro. The sight of so much people made Dram...anxious. He gingerly stepped to the counter and waited. Soon, a friendly-looking nurse greeted him.

"Welcome to the Pokemon Center, sir. How may I help you?"

"I wish to access my storage PC and check my stored Pokemon," Dram mumbled. He avoided eye contact with the nurse as they spoke.

"Of course, sir!" She pointed him to a nearby doorway, and he left without so much as a good bye or thank you. Darkness silently followed him, stealing a glance at the nurse, who looked after them with a hint of confusion.

Dram tapped the computer's power button, and the screen quickly lit up. The screen asked for Dram's user name and password. Dram typed while hardly thinking, then glanced at the results when he realized what had happened. Under user name, "Dram" was entered, as expected. Under password, only asterisks greeted him, masking what he had actually typed. He wasn't even sure what he had typed, but he hit the enter key anyway. The computer worked for a second, then a window showing "Welcome, Dram!" popped up. He hit enter again, and the window disappeared. Replacing it was another window. Dram was taken aback by what it showed.

Five Pokemon were neatly stored in the PC, bringing Dram's total Pokemon up to a perfect six. The Pokemon stored were a Gardevoir, a Glaceon, a Lucario, a Luxray, and a Ninetales. None were nicknamed like Darkness, and there were no specifics uploaded besides a gender symbol beside each one. Dram hastily downloaded each Pokemon. He watched as each Pokemon's "essence" was transferred to a Pokeball and placed in a dispenser tray. When the machine was finished, Dram took each Pokeball and attached them to his belt. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should let them out first to inspect them, but decided against it. There would be ample time later.

Attached to the e-mail was a plane ticket to Goldenrod City, a town in Johto. The trip would be long, but once Dram arrived, he hoped that things would pick up quickly. Dram looked at the six Pokeballs adorning his belt, then to Darkness, who returned the glance. He nodded slowly, and she did as well. They were ready. Dram started off towards the airport...

 

[Linkachu]

OOC: I think I've covered most of the bases within this post, but just in case there's any confusion… this is the same Katie who appeared in the Hoenn RP, and this is how she was MEANT to end up by the completion of the story. This post also takes place approximately 1 year after the Hoenn RP was supposed to end. Katie's unique Dragon ability (explained fully in this post) relates to Lance's ability in the Pokemon Adventures/Special manga. Annnd… I guess that‘s enough detail for now. I haven't had the chance to fully read through this and fix up typos so apologies in advance. Just wanted to get it posted before heading to bed…

BIC:

Little over a kilometer outside of Blackthorn city, there existed a large, grassy clearing, surrounded by towering trees with trunks so thick it‘d take two people connecting arms to encircle them. Near the edge of was clearing was a tall, rocky ledge, partially hidden beneath the trees, yet directly before it lay a quiet, crystal clear pool of water, virtually untouched in the wake of the fierce battle that raged high above the earth.

The human combatants, who stood firmly and determined as they commanded the beasts in the sky, knew this area well. This location was especially memorable for the younger of the two, who was only mere months now from her 20th birthday. It was by this same pond had she captured her very first Pokemon - a tiny, lost and disoriented Pichu - so many years ago. The teen was decked out in baggy, dark blue-grayish jeans that almost seemed black under certain light, while her jacket - a light, windbreaker material just perfect for this time of year - was a deep shade of cyan. On its left sleeve was the black design of a Dragonair, its neck and tail slightly curled in a rather tribal manner. Said jacket hung open in the cool breeze, revealing the t-shirt beneath made up of vertical, wavy, almost fire-like designs which consisted of lighter blues and blacks overlapping and fading together. Her straight, dark brown hair hung slightly below her shoulders, while her dark brown eyes were subtly hidden by bronze, invisible bottom-rimmed glasses. Aside from the PokeGear worn on her right wrist, the girl only wore a single piece of jewelry - a golden, Dragonite-pieced necklace.

"Flygon, dodge it with Quick Attack!" the 19 year-old cried at once as the foe, a large, full grown and battle familiar male Dragonite, swooped down from above with its claws glowing a dangerous fiery turquoise. The mystic Pokemon gave a high pitched cry, beating its wings at blinding speed and rocketing forward through the air, leaving the Dragonite to swipe furiously at nothing more than air.

"Trying to beat me with speed? You know that won't work, Katie," the older female, who stood on the opposite end of the field, crossed her arms and smirked. While only in her early 30s, the woman resonated an atmosphere of great wisdom and strength, even if she was currently dressed in casual travel gear verses the velvet, black dress she traditionally donned during ceremonies and official Gym battles. Her pale, blue hair was tied up in its usual fashion, though (she hadn‘t changed her hairstyle in ages). "Dragonite, show these rookies what true speed is. Agility!"

"Rookie? Thanks a lot, Clair!" Katie laughed hopelessly, watching grimly as the Dragonite let loose a threatening bellow and seemed to virtually disappear as it shot after the Flygon. The two dragons danced through the air at blinding speed, each narrowly dodging the other's attack time after time, but the experience of the Dragonite over its opponent was rapidly becoming apparent. The Blackthorn Gym Leader was right, after all. Over the past year and a half Katie had definitely come a long way - in more ways than one - but compared to her long time friend and rival she truly was still a rookie.

Her gaze shot from the Dragonite to her own companion, focusing hard on the desert dragon and letting her mind relax. An indescribable sensation then seemed to sweep through her entire being, and the girl could feel the ancient power sleeping within her boil up as it reached out for the Flygon.

The Dragon Masters of Blackthorn City held within their blood line the power to communicate with and control dragons on a deep, powerful level, may they be captured or wild. Only little over a year ago Katie would never have allowed herself to tap into the mystic force, memories of tragedy tainting her appreciation of the family legacy she'd been bestowed with. Throughout her travels in the Hoenn region, though, the teenager had grown to be more accepting of her powers, and of herself. What had begun as a simple Pokemon trade to help out a friend with his snap-happy Trapinch had transformed into intimate relation - different from, yet equally as powerful, as the one she held with her Raichu and best friend, Raiden. The Vibrava, now the magnificent Flygon that flew before her, had given her the second chance she never thought possible.

"Take it head-on, then use Super Sonic…" whispers from the girl's mind transmitted to the Flygon, for it was not the thoughts themselves that reached the dragon. It was the intent; the feelings she conveyed with the message that reached it, a similar feedback emitting from the Flygon to show the girl that it'd understood.

"Flrrry!" the monster cried as it shot up high into the air and did a sharp 180, the pursuing Dragonite mere feet away - right where Flygon wanted it. "FLLLLLLLLLYYYYYY!" the pitch of its screech suddenly shifted, becoming almost deafening to the humans below, yet the Dragonite felt it for what it was. It immediately cried in frustration and came to a halt, trashing about with its arms clasped to its head as if something was wriggling around inside its brain.

"Hold it together, Dragonite!" Clair called up to it firmly, but her expression translated her worry. The moment she noticed it opening its mouth wide and beginning to gather energy her hand flew up with a PokeBall clutched tightly within. "Dragonite, return now!" In a flash, the orange dragon was enveloped within the pulsating energy and zapped back quietly inside its PokeBall. The woman lowered her arm slowly and sighed, shaking her head and eyeing Katie with a smirk. "Now that's what I like to see from my star pupil. Nice usage of Flygon's abilities."

"Hey, I'm not your pupil! I just help out at the Gym because I have nothing better to do," Katie smirked in return. Her expression softened a bit then, "Thanks, Clair."

With that the pale blue-haired woman gave a sounding yawn and stretched her arms behind her head, "That's enough for today," she started, breaking into a leisurely walk towards Katie. "I have challenger arriving in a few hours and there's still a few things left to sort out with the Gym. It's been fun."

"That it has," Katie replied, smiling warmly at the Flygon as he landed quietly beside her. The two eyed each other with soft laughs. Maybe Clair was still the superior trainer, but they were steadily learning her tactics and catching up.

"Why don't you come watch today's match? The challenger's sure to have a few interesting tricks up his sleeve. Sounds like he made it through the previous seven Gyms with rather ease."

"Oh? Heh. I'll consider it then-" the young adult was cut off by the noisy beeping of her PokeGear, gazing down at it at her wrist and tapping the ‘ok' button a few times, "A message, eh? Wonder who it's from…?" It was a rather long message that required her to scroll through it, her expression twisting with intrigue.

"I'm going on ahead. Take care!" Clair piped up then, Katie looking up from the message to see that the woman was already several feet away.

"You too!" she laughed and waved back but quickly returned her eyes to the PokeGear. "Get this, Flygon. That rich land owner, Mr. Lanow, who's been all over the news lately is holding some sort of private trainer event at his estate. He wants people to bring six with them to boot. Says there's a map included…" Katie quickly toggled the screen to bring up said map. "Cool! It's just a short distance East from Ecruteak City. We'd be able to fly there if we wanted."

"Flyyy!" the multi-green dragon screeched in reply.

Katie exited the message and looked up to the clear blue sky, zoning out in thought. "Another challenge, eh? … Yeah…" she murmured to herself. At once she jerked back to reality and looked to the Pokemon beside her, "Let's head home, Flygon. Raiden's probably getting annoyed at us for being away so long."

With a nod from the dragon it opened its wings and beat them fast, shooting back up into the sky. Katie watched him silently for a minute before beginning her own trek back to the city, thoughts of the message lingering at the back of her mind.

***​

Katie lay stretched out on her bed, eyes unfocused as they gazed at the white ceiling. She was only partially conscious of her actions as she rotated the golden Dragonite pendant in her right hand, her left free to scratch the head of the furry, darkish brown Raichu that slept peacefully by her side. Raiden had still been fast asleep when she'd returned home and probably wasn't even aware of the fact that she'd even been away.

"Six Pokemon, eh? … That's an easy enough choice," the girl thought, images of her Pokemon team flashing through her mind. For the longest time it'd just been her and Raiden, but her journey through Hoenn had brought with it radial changes. Katie had been forced by her mother to take with her the beloved, deep red Charizard of her late father, Kaji, who'd always held a strong dislike and jealously for the girl. Then she'd been given the hyper and happy female Mudkip by the local Pokemon Professor, Prof. Birch, and named her Tsunami at the advice Gad, a male whom - minus Clair - she'd come to consider one of the best human friends she‘d ever had. Him and Raab, the other boy and good friend they'd traveled with, might've been long gone now, but she'd never forget the times they'd shared together. Felt only like yesterday…

With Tsunami's help Katie caught a Taillow, named Twistado after one of her mother's own birds. The Taillow was the first of her Pokemon to evolve, and one of the most brave and courageous of the team. The bird's sense of justice was a beautiful thing that never failed to put a smile on her face.

Then there was Lucky, the oddest Pokemon she'd ever encountered. The Shroomish had taken to the girl with a rather extreme, and often times painful, sort of affection. On top of that, it was virtually a pacifist who would never fight unless forcefully provoked to - or if Katie was even in the slightest danger (sometimes its protectiveness scared even her). When Lucky had finally evolved Katie thought it would finally curbs its odd quirks, but instead left her with a Pokemon that could be described as nothing less than a ‘hippie'… a hippie with an even more disturbing, protective nature. But that was Lucky, and she loved the Breloom as dearly as the rest.

The road through Hoenn was fraught with challenges and perils, Katie's very life and that of her friends being threatened time and time again by the deadly group behind the mysterious and secretive "Project Rising Helix". The stakes had been high - the danger even higher - but together with their Pokemon the trio of teens had managed to pull through, some more whole than others. It was through her endless battles against the agents of Rising Helix that Katie and Kaji came to be an unbreakable duo, Tsunami evolved to her final evolutionary stage, and Flygon was given the chance to show Katie she no longer need run from her past. Through all the pain had come wisdom and acceptance, and a powerful team that'd managed to break through the 8 Pokemon Gyms of Hoenn.

The team had changed a bit over the last year, though. Shortly after Katie had returned home from Hoenn, Naien, a Pokemon previously belonging to Gad, arrived unexpectedly to live by Kaji‘s side. The Fire/Dragon-type Pokemon, known as a Dracorona, was originally from the Miato region and had developed a strong affection for the Charizard during their time together. Now the two were never seen apart, and Katie had no intention of separating them. Instead, a new creature had joined the main team, one which had been inhabiting the surrounding areas of Blackthorn. Katie still had much to learn about the female Sneasel but already the Pokemon had become a solid member of the crew. The girl couldn't imagine traveling anywhere without her.

"We'll go. We've been biding our time here for far too long as it is. Another challenge is just what we need to liven things up a little," Katie spoke up at last, clutching her pendant tightly in her hand.

"Raiii…?" she heard Raiden grunt as he finally stirred from his sleep. Katie quickly jumped off the bed then, making it rumble and shake the Raichu fully awake. "Raiichu, raii aii?!" He glared up at her for ruining his nap.

"We're going, Raiden!" Katie simply exclaimed with a bright grin. Her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"Chuu?" Raiden pushed himself up into a sitting position and titled his head curiously. He hadn't seen her this fired up in awhile now.

"We're leaving Blackthorn for another adventure! Grab everything you need, because it doesn't sound like we'll be back anytime soon. I'm gonna go tell mom, but after that it's off to Ecruteak! I hope Flygon's up for the trip after today‘s match with Clair… Ack! I gotta go tell her about this, too!"

The Raichu wasn't quite sure what the girl was on about, but he mimicked her feverish glee all the same with an excited, "Rai!" He couldn't help but chuckle as she tore out of the bedroom and raced down the hallway. Whatever it was they were off to, he couldn't wait to get there.

 

[Spincut]

Dram stood before the massive iron gate before him, examining it. For the first time in a long while, he was actually feeling a glimmer of happiness. To his surprise and delight, he now had six powerful Pokemon and a team that was sure to be unbeatable. After winning this contest, Dram would question this wealthy land-owner on why he knew Dram and maybe, just maybe, Dram's memory could begin to return. But that would be later. For now, there was the question of actually getting to the estate.

Dram walked closer to the gate and noticed a small green box resting against it. He crouched down and picked it up. Opening it, he found some papers. He pulled out the first one and read it. As he did, his eyes narrowed. No Dark Pokemon...? he thought, looking slowly down at Darkness. He sighed.

"Sorry, Darkness, but you must go into your Pokeball. If I fire off this flare gun when I find it and you are out, you might get left behind." The Absol hesitated, but then nodded. Dram pulled out Darkness' Pokeball. "Return, Absol." A beam shot from the ball and engulfed Darkness, pulling her essence back into the ball until there was nothing left. Dram stared at the Pokeball, sighed again, then clipped it back onto his belt.

Well, since Darkness must be put away, I might as well bring out a different Pokemon to guard me and help me find this flare gun... He reached for a random Pokeball and drew it to his eyeline. Gardevoir...this should be helpful. "Go, Gardevoir!" he exclaimed, tossing the Pokeball. It hit the ground and exploded into a grand display of light before returning to the trainer. The light cleared and the Pokemon turned to him. Dram's eyes widened in shock. This...was not a Gardevoir.

The Pokeball that Dram threw unleashed a Psychic-type Pokemon, but this...was a Bronzong. The giant metal bell floated a few feet off the ground and eyed Dram as thoughts sped through his head. What...the...hell? How could this happen? The computer definitely said that this Pokeball held a Gardevoir, not...not a Bronzong! Was there a glitch in the computer? A mistake? Or...was my account hacked somehow? Making up his mind, Dram grabbed the rest of his Pokeballs and threw them all to the ground, each releasing their respective Pokemon.

The creatures that stood or floated before him were absolutely not the Pokemon that came from his computer. All in all, there was the aforementioned Bronzong, a Flareon, a Tentacruel, a Froslass, and a Vespiquen. This wasn't the team Dram ordered, but he would take them nonetheless. A team is a team, after all. He returned them all to their Pokeballs except for the Flareon.

"Flareon, I want you to help me find a flare gun. Try to sniff for the scent of humans, as they probably put the gun there." The fire Pokemon nodded and put its snout to the ground, inhaling deeply. It spent a few minutes like this, sorting out the various scents. Pokemon, trees, berries...humans. The Flareon's ears perked up and it looked in the direction of the smell. In a flash, it was off, with Dram running behind it.

The two ran, the forest speeding past them. Dram ducked under branches and leaped fallen logs in an effort to keep up with the agile Flareon. When the path was somewhat clear, he quickly looked around him, spying Pokemon out of the corner of his eye. They were watching him, it seemed, and keeping track of where he went. Flareon stopped abruptly, and Dram did so as well, panting audibly. He doubled over and put his hands on his legs, catching his breath.

"Flare..." the Flareon whispered. Dram looked up. They were in a clearing now with a stone pillar in the middle of it rising to waist-height. Resting atop the pillar was the flare gun Dram was searching for. A small smile crossed his lips as the Flareon barked happily.

"Excellent work, Flareon!" Dram said happily. "Now, back to your Pokeball. You'll need your rest for when the battles start." Dram called the Pokemon back into its Pokeball, which he clipped back onto his belt. He slowly approached the pillar, wary for any hidden traps. He snuck up to the pillar with no mishaps. Satisfied, he took the flare gun, held his hand to the sky, and fired. An arc of fire flew from the gun, speeding towards the sky. Once it reached a considerable distance up, it exploded like a firework, raining sparks down on the clearing. Dram wasn't there to see this, however. He had disappeared entirely. The clearing looked exactly as it was before, with the flare gun resting exactly how it was.

Dram looked around. The setting had changed entirely. Somehow, he had been teleported. Now, instead of a forest, he was in a grand and elaborate mansion. This must be Mr. Lanow's estate, Dram thought to himself. Suddenly, he heard a voice.

"Welcome to my home, I'm so glad you could make it! Please head up the stairs and take one of the rooms on either side. You may unpack and make yourself at home. Dinner is at seven o' clock sharp."

"A recording..." Dram scoffed. This Lanow probably wouldn't be seen until dinnertime at least, perhaps even later than that. For now, Dram would rest. He walked up the stairs and took the furthest room away. He stepped into a magnificent bedroom. Dram gave a quick glance around and set down his belongings. He quickly released Darkness again. "Sorry to keep you in there for so long, Darkness." The Absol looked at him and nodded, almost saying "It's fine." Dram sat on the bed and glanced at the clock. There was still a bit of time until dinner started, so Dram decided to wait until seven to head out.

 

[Linkachu]

OOC: Apologies for taking awhile to post. Life is busy, and I do the best I can. Hope everyone understands...

BIC:

"I think we should be just about there now…" Katie murmured, her eyes scanning the darkened horizon. She rode alone on the Flygon's back, her jacket zipped tightly to protect against the chilly wind and a black and crimson backpack slung over her shoulders, stuffed rather full with supplies for the coming challenge. The two of them had been flying all day, having taken short breaks every few hours to rest and grab a quick bite to eat, but it wasn't dusk's arrival that painted the sky with foreboding. The blackened clouds and rumbling of the distant thunder sent shivers down the girl's spine.

Moments later she spotted it: a large, extravagant gate, and beyond it the magnificent estate Mr. Lanow had spoken of. The sight was rather breathtaking.

"Flygon, let‘s land by that gate!" she girl found herself yelling over the howling winds. Even if the mansion was only a minute or two further by air, the message had said to find the next instructions by the gate. Not just that, a nagging in the back of Katie's mind was telling her to land as soon as possible. It wasn't just the fear of being struck by lightning - though that was a valid reason in its own right. She couldn't explain it. There was just something about the storm that unnerved her...

The Blackthorn trainer found herself breathing a sigh of relief when they finally touched down on solid earth. Generally there was no better sensation in Katie's mind than flying, but her growing unease had tainted even that. All she wanted to do now was find this so-called box.

It didn't take long to spot.

"Guess that's where our next instructions are," Katie said as she climbed down from Flygon's back and hurried over to the box. She retrieved the papers from inside and read the note, giving a grunt at the message. "Seems we need to find a flare gun hidden somewhere in the forest beyond this gateway… and no Dark-types are allowed." The girl stared at those last few lines quizzically, yet soon gave a shrug and stuffed the letter into her jacket pocket. Turning back to her Pokemon, she smiled warmly, "Thanks again for the ride, Flygon. That's all I need from you for now. Rest well."

The dragon-type nodded and smiled with its eyes. Katie didn't need to affirm his weariness with words. She could feel it, just as the Flygon could sense how grateful the girl truly was. He simply bowed his head and waited, letting himself be enveloped by the red beam and returned safely inside his PokeBall. After placing the sphere securely on her belt, Katie retrieved two others and tossed them to the earth, bursting open in unison to release Raiden and Lucky.

"Chuu!" Raiden squeaked happily, though his expression soon shifted when he noticed the black sky above. He eyed Katie coolly, who returned the gaze with a nod. So it wasn't just her who'd felt it…

The tension was soon broken by Lucky, who piped up in his usual, laid back tone. The mushroom-hatted Pokemon stretched his arms out with a yawn and folded them behind his head, tilting it towards the gate and murmuring, "Loom loom?"

"Yes. Let's get this over with," Katie replied reluctantly and started towards the gate. "I'm getting hungry…"

Raiden joined her in shoving the large doors open. They paused a moment to gaze into the shadowed entrance of the forest, but Lucky simply walked past them with a cheerful, "Brelooom!"

The trainer took off after him with a cry, "Hey! Wait up!"

***​

The canopy of leaves kept the forest path shadowed, making it tough to see where they were going at times. Katie and Raiden's eyes revolved around the trees suspiciously as they went, but Lucky was being blasé as ever while walking a short distance ahead.

"I can't help but feel like something's watching us…" Katie whispered down to Raiden, who nodded in reply.

The Raichu came to a halt then and closed his eyes briefly to concentrate, whirling 90 degrees with a threatening cry and releasing a violent bolt of electricity high into the trees. The shrill cry of "Gastleeeee!" rang throughout the area as the ghost-type rushed out of its hiding place and vanished deeper into the forest. Raiden merely grunted and looked back to Katie, giving her another nod.

"Why am I not surprised that this forest would have Ghost-types hanging around?" the girl said dryly. "Let's keep moving… It's getting late, and I'd rather not be venturing around a place like this in the dark." When the girl turned back around to face forward, though, something caressed her face. "What the-GRAAAAH!"

"Spinarak!" the green spider screeched in fright, clearly as spooked by the girl as she'd been of it. Before it could flee back up its web string, something leaped up at blinding speed to bash the Poison-type and send it screaming through the air. It crash landed several feet away in the brush, no further sounds of life following.

"Err… Thanks, Lucky?" Katie whimpered sheepishly at the snarling Breloom, who's eyes were still deadlocked on the spot the Spinarak had landed.

It was as if something in his mind suddenly snapped back then and the Breloom looked up at the girl with a silly grin. "Loom!" he chuckled, folding his arms back behind his head and spinning around to continue on his way. Katie and Raiden simply stared blankly after him.

"… He really me scares me sometimes…"

"Rai…" Raiden replied with the same terrified awe. Neither said a word as they watched Lucky walk ahead and disappear into the trees.

Moments later their dumbfounded state was shattered by the excited cry of the Grass/Fighting hybrid, who appeared from the trees holding something in his clawed hands. "Loom loom!" the Pokemon chirped happily.

"That… That's the flare gun!" Katie exclaimed wide-eyed as she stared at the man-made device. The ivory pistol had a fancy golden symbol down the side and looked brand new. "Thanks a bundle, Lucky! I'll take it from here," the female smiled brightly and retrieved the weapon, looking up and pointing it towards the sky. "Cover your ears."

With a short, thundering "BOOM!" the flare shot through the tree tops and high into the sky, exploding in an array of red sparks. Katie smirked and opened her mouth to speak-

In a flash the world seemed to fall apart and rebuild itself, the forest melting away and being replaced by the interior of a house. A very fancy house at that. The Blackthorn trainer gazed around the space with a mixture of shock and awe, soon remembering that Raiden and Lucky had been with her. She sighed with relief to find both Pokemon standing safely at her sides, their expressions as bewildered as she felt.

The girl opened her mouth to speak yet again, but another voice cut her off. "Welcome to my home, I'm so glad you could make it!" Katie eyed Raiden quizzically, but then the voice continued. "Please head up the stairs and take one of the rooms on either side. You may unpack and make yourself at home. Dinner is at seven o' clock sharp."

"… Huh. Interesting recording. But I guess that means we're in the right place..." the teenager murmured, glancing down at her PokeGear. "Eep! 6:45 PM… We better hurry up and get settled in. I'm starving!"

Without another word Katie headed for the stairs with hopes that all of the room's weren't already taken.

 

[Carrie_Slovak]

Carrie awoke a few hours later, sore, groggy and not the least bit feeling clean. She groaned and flopped over onto her back, blinking in irritation at the lights flooding into her eyes.

She stood, slowly, looking around. A digital clock on the bedstand told her it was almost time for dinner. She took this in, waving her hand in dismissal of the fact. She was about to go back to sleep...

She threw the covers off, eyes wide and fully awake.

"What?!"

By the time she was cleaned up and ready to present herself to the world dinner would start any moment. Carrie flung the door to her room open, hurrying down the hallway. She reached the staircase, noting that no one else seemed to be around.

She thought it odd. She was about to descend when something occured to her. She groaned, putting her face in her hands.

"Great. I don't know where the dining room is."

 

[Linkachu]

Katie barely had the time to pick a room - thankfully nobody had taken the second last door on the right - and unload her stuff before it was time for supper to start. She slipped her heavy backpack off and tossed if atop of the comfy-looking bed, continuing to unzip her jacket and slip it off. Raiden and Lucky stood quietly by as she hung it up in the currently bare closet.

"So..." the girl started to say, turning back around to face the two Pokemon. "Who'd like to join me for supper? I'm assuming it's allowed since Mr. Rich-guy didn't make a specific 'no Pokemon allowed' announcement."

"Raiiii raiii!" Raiden raised a paw and squeaked happily, rushing up to join Katie (he never turned down a good meal). Lucky on the other hand merely gave a yawn and hopped up onto the bed, flopping back against the fluffy pillows and laying with his arms still crossed behind his head.

Katie cleared her throat with a chuckle, "That's great. Enjoy yourself now, Lucky, 'cause I'm kicking you off when I get back..." She dropped her voice then and added darkly, "Count on it." With that the girl gave a happy "Heh," and smiled down at Raiden. "Shall we?"

"Chu!"

The duo headed out of the room quietly and down the hallway, which was still clear for the moment. When they reached the staircase, though, they came to a halt. Another girl was standing paused on the top step muttering to herself.

"Hey! Human life!" Katie laughed a bit too loudly, adding with a sheepish grin, "Err... Sorry. I was wondering when I'd run into another person." She cut herself off there before rambling on further. Last thing she needed was the first person she'd met thinking she was an idiot, especially since this girl was a potential rival...

 

[Carrie_Slovak]

Carrie turned at the call, smiling slightly when she saw another Trainer approach. A Raichu followed at her heels, making Carrie think of her own Raichu.

"I should be saying the same to you," she replied, hands on her hips. She looked around before asking hopefully, "you haven't seen any others around, have you? I have no idea where the dining room is and dinner is about to start."

She felt sheepish, and irritation welled up within her. The least Mr. Lanow could have done was tell them where dinner was...

 

[Linkachu]

"You're the first I've met, and no. No clue... but I know how to find it," Katie replied. She looked back over her shoulder at Raiden and smirked, "Time to follow your nose, pally."

"Raii-chu!" Raiden thumped his chest with a 'leave it to me' expression, stepping past Katie and squeezing by this new girl to scurry down the stairs on all-fours. He halted at the bottom and sniffed the air, giving a satisfied, "Chuuu," before taking off down an open hallway to the left.

"You better be right about this, Raiden!" Katie laughed after him, looking to the new girl and adding, "After you."

OOC: Yeah. Your call with this one, Sem. Raiden can be right or wrong about the direction to the dinning hall, but I won't actually write getting there until after you post something xp

 

[Carrie_Slovak]

Carrie chased after the Raichu, his behavior strongly reminding her of her own Electric mouse. Perhaps she should let her out at dinner. It was rare enough poor Rai got to meet another Raichu, and she knew the creature would want to judge the mansion's cuisine.

 

[Sem]

OOC: Yos! This RP can get moving! I must post now while I have the chance, considering I'll be gone for a few weeks starting tomorrow and whether or not I'll have internet access at my destination is beyond me. Anyway...

Yes, Katie, I assume that you find the dinning room. I would not doubt the nose of a Raichu.

Also on another note, this RP is now CLOSED. This means no new people may join the RP at this point onwards.

BIC:

It was currently a few minutes before seven and Sem began descending the elegant staircase, Sem wore the same clothes he had on before, minus his jacket and scarf. His destination being the dinning room, but its location in this grand house was currently unknown to Sem. Mime Jr. pranced behind his trainer, totally lost in a world of his own. The trainer thought it would be best to get to the center of the house, and then perhaps the dinning hall would be easier to find. Sem wandered through the halls towards what he thought to be the center of the house.

The boy only managed to reach a dead end however. He placed his hand on the wall and sighed. "Well that didn't work, did it Mime?" he asked, the tiny Psychic shook its head in response as it too touched the wall. Sem noticed the table that rested against the same wall, an exotic looking plant rested on top. "Oh that can't be real." He stated, reaching for it. He felt its leaves and the bright blue flowers. "Yep, fake. Real nice though… What's this?" He reached for a small object hidden in the faux plant. It seemed to be a lever, Sem pulled it. Nothing at first, but noise began to come from inside the wall.

The wall parted, as did the table… and the plant! They were all one object. Sem wearily entered, forgetting all about dinner, this was the sort of thing you only saw in movies after all, he would certainly explore. He stepped into another hallway that looked the same as every other hallway. At the end was a room… a circular room. His footsteps grew louder as the noise they made echoed into the round room. He stopped at the entryway; he heard the secret passage close behind him.

A very ominous place. The room itself sent a chill down Sem's spine. He had no idea why, it looked that same as any other part of the house, but there was something about it that sent out bad vibes.

"Help us..." it was a soft whisper, barely audible and it came from nowhere, it flitted away the same second it came.

Sem held his arms and took a step into the room, Mime Jr. followed carefully. Time seemed to stop, and it seemed that the sounds of Sem's steps would echo on forever. He felt something tugging at him, but it wasn't physical. The young trainer walked more to the center of the room where he felt the presence pulling harder. Sem's heart beat faster and he began to sweat. Mime Jr. had ceased following and was cowering, frightened out of his mind.

A pounding noise grew in Sem's head, though it seemed to come from everywhere, the ground pulsed with each sound and standing became a chore as the racking of the walls in Sem's head felt they would be shattered in any second. Then it began, a terrible noise that can not be explained by words. An awful noise that threatened to break everything into millions of pieces. It came from everywhere and bore down on the two beings. Sem didn't notice that he had began screaming, though it seemed that his voice was drowned out by all the other screams he heard vibrating throughout the room. Gargled screams of pain, fear, agony, and sadness, they wailed and called out to him, asking for help.

The large chandelier hanging above their heads shifted back and forth, looking as if it was about to fall. The screams and pounding grew even louder when it seemed they couldn't anymore. It felt like hours, or even days were passing by, but in reality only a few seconds. He fell to the floor and held himself in the fetal position as he felt that he would explode under the extreme pressure he felt on his brain, his mind… And then it stopped. No noise... just the sound of him still yelling. The walls and the floor didn't seem like they were moving.

Sem stayed there on the ground for a few minutes, breathing hard, his heart beating at an insane rate. The room had become calm and there was no force in the room. It had taken on a warm feeling. The trainer was able to stand up, and he stood, staring at the walls and the floor. Plain walls, plain floor, just the circular red carpet in the center. He grabbed Mime Jr. and ran out of the room through another hall, opposite of the hall he came through, there were four in total. He did not know what had happened, but he really wanted to leave before it happened again.

He was too confused and afraid to think about anything, the only thing in his mind was running away from that godforsaken room. He did not notice the smell of food flowing into his nostrils as he sprinted down the hallway. Mime Jr. whimpered in Sem's arms, his hands covering his own eyes as he was held in the safety of his trainer's arms. The two of them reached another dead end, but it was the exact same as the other. They found the lever and pulled it, running through the opening and into another hall that had a large double door at the end.

Sem burst through the large doors and stopped. A large table lay before him, people were already sitting, looking up the person who walked in, examining his pale white face.

"... Didn't they hear all that noise? Didn't they hear the screaming, the walls moving the floor shaking?" Sem thought to himself, all seemed normal in the room. The teen looked back and forth through the room, seeing various trainers, sitting in elaborate cherry wood chair at a table with the most expensive looking tablecloth you've ever seen. Beside each plate was a name tag, Sem composed himself as much as he could and took a seat at his designated seat, hands in his lap, back straight, looking much like a statue.

Other people blundered into the room as the minutes passed, it was already a bit past seven and there was no Lanow person in sight, until finally, at 7:05, a figure walked into the room. He was of a normal height and weight; and he wore an expensive looking suit. His brown hair was graying and there was a small bald spot on the back of his head. He walked briskly to the larger chair at the end of the table and stood there.

"Welcome everyone!" he said, raising his arms. "I'm really glad so many of you could come." He smiled, showing his set of perfect teeth that shone brighter than diamonds and pearls. "Sorry for being late, and sorry for not being able to formally greet you when you arrived, there have been a few minor complications, but they've been resolved." He stopped and surveyed the people, looking into each and every face with his kind, soft blue eyes. "Name tags have been provided for you, it would be nice if you would wear them that way we would all get to know each other a little more." People grasped their pins and put them on, Sem did so as well. "Now, I won't bore you right now with the details of the competition since I'm sure you're all ravenous. So you all can dig in immediately! Enjoy" He put his hands together and bowed before sitting.

People began to eat and drink, filling their empty stomachs. Sem just sat and stared at this Mr. Lanow. He wasn't eating or drinking anything, perhaps he wasn't hungry? All he did was sit and smile. The boy's mind began to wander. Perhaps the food was poisoned? No… The various Pokémon in the room would've sensed it. Sem pushed aside his thoughts and his fear and reached out for the plate in front of him, still steamy and warm. Chicken steak with a side of rice and vegetables and biscuits. A plate of salad accompanied the main dish as well as a bowl of soup.

After the majority of the people were finished the host stood up. "Right, I hope you're all full, if not there's plenty more. But I must get to explaining these rules. First, on the underside of some of your plates is a name; that is the name of the first person you are to face in battle." At once the shuffling of plates could be heard as people flipped them over to see if their's had name, and if so, which name.

Sem turned his plate over only to find the name Joseph. Sem looked around, turning his head left and right looking for this Joseph. Sem soon found him on the other side of the table to his left, the guy was tall and strong looking, he was laughing with some other people next to him. Short blond hair, spiked, he looked like a jock. Mime Jr. also examined Joseph, in the same manner Sem was.

"Starting tomorrow the battles will take place." Lanow explained. "You and your partner's name may be called at any point during the day, so it's best to always be ready. This will go on for three days, the losers may go home and the winners advance. The rules for each battle may differ, and you may even have a Contest battle!" he exclaimed. "As I said in my invitation, you may wander the grounds all you wish and you're free to consume any food we may have in our kitchen. The pool is free to use at whatever time, as is any other facility, just be courteous to your fellow trainers…" the man paused, wondering if he forgot anything. "Oh! That said, you may have also seen another card with your plate, it's a basic map of the building, makes it easier to find things, yes? Anyway, that's all really. Have fun and enjoy your stay!" The man briskly left the room, leaving the contestants to ponder all his words.

Sem left immediately, not caring to stay and meet any of the other people. He continued down the same hallway he came from. He needed to see that room again, though he certainly didn't want to. He opened the passage and slowly went through, first making sure that no one saw. He carefully and quietly walked down the hall, Mime Jr. had latched onto his trainer's head.

Sem felt none of the weirdness he had experienced before, but then again he wasn't even in the room yet. He stood at the end of the hall, mere inches away from the room. He sighed and took a step forward, only to walk into something. He stepped back a bit, reaching out and feeling some sort of surface. It was invisible, and it blocked him from the room. "What now?" he whispered as he felt the surface, wondering why it seemed so familiar. He turned to walk away before he heard a barrage of voices entering his mind.

"Are you here to save us?" said a female voice, abruptly, yet calmly, breaking the silence.

"What makes you think he can save us?" responded a male voice, coldly. "He'll be just like us soon…"

"He can do it… you'll help us, right?" she pleaded.

"He'll fail like all the other's!" he yelled.

Sem backed away from these voices, not responding to any of them. There were other voices, but the male and female ones were more audible. The female voice began to cry.

"Please, please avenge us!" she screamed, Sem was running at this point. He ran back through the opening and towards his room. He snatched his stuff and ran to the front door of the elaborate house.

"I must be going crazy." he said as he struggled to open the doors. He walked through them and started down towards the forest. It was night and it was very cold. Snow flakes began to fall, soft at first, and then harder and harder, faster and faster until standing in it became unbearable, the snow stung whenever it hit his warm flesh. Snow piled up on the ground, inches in mere minutes! It was so clear when he first stepped out. He certainly couldn't leave with this freak blizzard blowing and howling. He was from Snowpoint for Arceus' sakes, and he had never experienced something like this.

The trainer trudged back into the house unwillingly, the doors closed behind him as he reentered. The intercom system crackled to life as he ascended the stairs.

"Ladies and gentlemen, due to the blizzard that has hit the area, it would be in your best interest to stay indoors." Mr. Lanow said, another recording-like voice. Sem sat on his bed, figuring out what to do… He swore he almost died twice today and he was hearing voices, all the while being in a queer mansion that seemed to be more than was let on. The trainer decided to head to one of the pools. That would be good, the water was calming, and he could swim off all these thoughts.

Sem walked out, bathing suit on, towel draped around his shoulders, he followed the map on the little card, being sure to steer clear away from the room. He walked into a large area; the pool was at the center, a couple of spas on each side. Above them was a giant skylight covered with snow. The area was empty with no people in sight; he placed the towel on a chair and dived into the warm water. Mime Jr. pranced around on the edge, happily splashing Sem whenever he passed by. The little Pokémon tried to always be as happy as possible, an optimist, despite whatever may be happening. Thus he made a good spirit lifter, and Sem was glad for that.

"Let's just hope we can go home soon, eh?" he said as he dived under the water. This contest was turning out into something he wasn't expecting.

OOC: Yos, it feels rushed, and it may be, especially towards the end. But my will to write was failing and I have to finish this. XD Anyway, yeah. Few things.

1. The room, its alright if other people find it, I don't care. XD It can be blocked or unblocked, your character's mind and be viciously asualted or not, your choice.

2. Most of you know this but I'll say it again just to be sure, the person you battling is someone you make up, battling amongst other RPer's would really slow UM down. And you make up the rules for your battles obviously.

I think that's it... Right then PM for questions and get me on MSN or the chat. If I do have internet access that is, if not it'll have to wait till I return. See ya! ^_^

 

[StellarWind Elsydeon]

OOC: Obviously, if I won't post, no one will. >>

In her newfound room, Cori unpacked and settled in - it was a rather luxurious looking room, but Cori knew better than to be lulled into a false sense of security. Something about this entire estate made her uneasy - she couldn't put her finger on it, but it was there, like a splinter in her mind - a nagging presence in the corner of her subconcsious warning her something was not quite right.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid." she sighed to herself, brushing her fringe away from her eyes for a moment.

She sat on the bed, checking the time on her PokéNav. She had some time to kill.

With a small sigh, she removed her six PokéBalls from her belt and gave them a polish, smiling at each. Gracilis and Sihaya's PokéBalls and Vila's Premier Ball were the oldest and most travel-worn of the six - and yet, their luster hasn't faded, and the scratches and wear that adorned them gave them somewhat of a personalized touch, to her. It might have been nothing but sentimentality, but there was nothing wrong with that. After all, those three and her went through the Hoenn league together.

After she was done with the three PokéMon that got her through the Hoenn league, she turned to her other three balls. One was the almost clear, seal-covered ball capsule that contained Ixora, which she polished more carefully to avoid damaging the seals. Another was Hayate's Nest Ball, and the last was a customized PokéBall, painted black except for a single stripe of gold on its top half and twin dusty lavender sprites on its bottom half - Seth's PokéBall.

She paused for a moment, thinking of the strange connection her three primary PokéMon in the Sinnoh region had. She recalled the day she caught Hayate (a Staravia then) near Moss Rock, in Eterna Forest (the same battle in which her then-Eevee evolved into the Leafeon she was today), and the sequence of events that followed that left her with a mysterious egg from a different region - one that hatched into one of her most powerful PokéMon today... It was a strange day full of contrived coincidences.

For a moment she paused to think of how her life felt like a strange plot device at times - but then she dismissed the thought, smiling to herself - she had her PokéMon by her side, and that was all that mattered, in the end of the day. And with them, she had no reason to fear any force of nature - or supernature - in this world.

~*~

Cori found the dining room easily enough - it almost felt like she was guided to it by some unseen hand (A part of her mind wanted to blame it on coincidence, but a different, more sensible part, suspected otherwise). She found the seat reserved for her rather quickly - to the left of a brown-haired girl who seemed to have a Raichu in her lap (Slightly darker than the ordinary, she noted with interest to herself). Dinner was fairly uneventful - the name of her first rival assigned to her was apparantly Dustin. She did not look for him - she wanted the battle to be somewhat of a surprise. She silently placed the map card in her pocket and left as soon as she could. It was time for a shower and then, some rest. Then, maybe she'll hit the pool later, when it got late enough.

Strangely enough, she seemed to sense a motion at the corner of her eye, but it was gone before she could put her finger on it

I -am- being too paranoid. she thought I should just take this experience for what it is and enjoy it as much as I can.
You keep telling that to yourself, girl, and it may be true. said the sensible voice in her mind.

She would tread lightly in this mansion.