In Her Image: a Pokémon RP

[Evrant-Knight]

Caleb sat there with a coffee in his hand, as he listened to Looker's proposition with a measure of interest. The way that these mysterious criminals acted, reminded him of both Team Aqua and Team Magma that had plagued the Hoenn region some ten years ago. Whilst their methods were different, the overall outcome was the similar, anarchy.

From what he could gather, Daria, Tom and Matt had agreed to help the detective; with Darius begrudgingly agreeing to assist as well, although not quite as enthusiastic as Daria was. Whilst Remy on the other hand, sounded very much reluctant; basing it on the grounds that Looker hardly knew any of them. Caleb pondered his own decision whilst drinking the coffee that was provided for the group.

"I shall help in whatever capacity I can Mr. Looker. And my team of Pokémon are also willing to assist." Caleb remarked in a calm tone as he continued to drink the coffee. He looked at his team, who all nodded in agreement.

 

[Anayna]

Darius' Whismur didn't seem to respond all that well to Cubone's attempts at calming her down. Instead she chose to snuggle even closer to her's trainer's chest, leaving the Ground-type feeling slightly dejected. He couldn't help but think back to a time when he and Whismur hadn't been so different; a time when he was all alone in a large, frightening and unknown world. That's when Rupert had found him. Cubone sighed. He recognized that Whismur was facing an uphill struggle, but at least she trusted her trainer.

Darius did seem to appreciate the Cubone's well-meaning intentions though, and offered him a homemade pokeblock. Cubone, true to its proud nature, initially refused it. Accepting "treats" was demeaning. However, after catching a whiff of it the cube suddenly appeared extremely delectable. So delectable that after a momentary duel between his pride and his stomach the normally so disciplined Cubone snatched the pokeblock out of Darius's hand. He then gave what he hoped was a nonchalant nod to the Kanto trainer, before scampering off to find a quiet corner to eat, trying hard not to seem too excited about his treat.

At the moment, quiet was not what The Sleeping Sunkern could be described as though. At their table the trainers were all voicing their opinion to Looker's suggestion. Rupert remained perfectly still, just listening. This wasn't because he had nothing to say about the aforementioned suggestion. Oh no. He had plenty to say: namely that he wanted no part of it. The though of running into Eres again terrified him. The shame over this fear was all that kept him quiet. Remy was first to speak up.

"Are you kidding? Just like that, you want us to start playing Cops n' Robbers?? You don't even know us! Some of the people here are barely adults!! How can you just ask something like that from people you've just met!?!"

Yeah, this is completely unfair. You can't ask me... us to go looking for these people. That crazy talk! This is your responsibility.

From amidst his little smoke cloud Darius wasn't too eager to help either, albeit for entirely different reasons.

"I'd be willing to help if I saw some way I could help, but I'm not seeing any here that can't be done better by a few officers with their pokemon."

Yes, exactly! We... I wouldn't be of any use anyway. I should just go home. Nothing I can do about this. There is no shame in going home now, right? I did what I came here to do.

Rupert winced as Daria smacked a hand upon Darius' shoulder in response.

"We're Pokemon trainers. When we pick up our first Pokeball, we accept a power beyond human understanding. Training is more than a hobby, or a game. It's a responsibility, not just to ourselves and our friends, but to ALL Pokemon, and their trainers."

I... But... Whu?

To this Tom agreed loudly. As did Lee. And Caleb. Even the quiet Matt was eager to help, and this despite the fact that he seemed pretty scared himself. Rupert felt deeply ashamed. He really hadn't expected it to be the boisterous Daria who would knock some sense into him. Of course he was going to help Looker in any way he could. He really didn't want to. No, Rupert wanted nothing more than to get on the next whatever to Lavender Town, but he knew that he could never live with himself if he did. Not now. Being a less than great man does not make one incapable of great acts.

"... I'm in."

Rupert was glad that the table concealed his shaking knees. He looked over at Cubone who was now eying Lee's Duskull with suspicion, all the while trying to conceal his treat.

 

[JokerboyJordan]

A familiar face entered the Sleeping Sunkern, accompanied by an altogether much more strange one. Soon they were all gathered together on a single table, with Daria, Remy and the strange detective who called himself Looker explaining the situation.

"The 10 of you... You seem proficient as Trainers. It can sound like a big thing to ask but... Would you be willing to help the International Police with this matter? As combatants in the tournament you have access to areas restricted to the regular public. You are also talented battlers. It wouldn't be the first time that young Trainers such as you would be of great help to this old detective..."

Sav stared at this strange detective who was enlisting the help of complete strangers. She had always thought that the International Police had to be quite clever to hold their position, even more so if they were a detective, but now she could see that her previous assumptions had proven false.
As she began slurping away at the last few droplets of her berry milkshake, she listened as turn by turn those around her accepted to help, all in all, it seemed like her own decision had been made for her.

"Okay Mr. Looker, I am willing to offer my help in whatever way I can, both as a Trainer and as a Breeder."

 

[JdaS]

Ryan watched as one by one the others, barring Remy offered their help to Looker. With a hearty grin, the Sinnoh native joined in.

"Me an' Mightyena might not be much lads, but we'll do everything in our power to help!"

Remy stood, dumbfounded as everyone, every single Trainer at the table pledged to aid Looker in his efforts to stop this possible new threat to people an Pokémon everywhere. Even Matt was willing to put his well-being on the line if it meant he could be of help.
Suddenly he felt very ashamed. Ashamed and angry at his selfishness. What if it was Zangoose that was abducted? The Zangoose he had been with for over 12 years... With a sigh and a chuckle Remy sounded off.

"Heh... So all of you wanna play hero, eh? Well in that case, count me in!"

Looker... looked on with a satisfied smile on his lips.

No matter the times. Young Trainers and their fiery spirits blazing with justice can always be trusted.

"Very well then! On behalf of the entire International Police Force I, Looker, deeply appreciate your co-operation. Oh my goodness, look at the time! You all should rest, that you should! I must rendezvous with my partner now, as waiting. He hates it. Tomorrow, enjoy the city as you normally would, as well as the tournament. I have given you my number, you should share yours as well. If something unusual were to occur at the tournament, do not hesitate to call."

Looker then made his way towards the exit.

"Goodnight all. And until we see again, be wary of evildoers."
______________________________________________________________________________________________

With Looker gone, Remy, as the designated guide to Johto cleared his throat to call everyone's attention.

"Ahem... So, the tournament tomorrow won't resume before 6 p.m. Until then, we'll have time to do some sightseeing, as well as some much needed shopping. Let's meet here at 8 a.m tomorrow and leave for the commercial area together. Let's also meet here at 5 p.m before heading to the tournament grounds. Sound good you heroes? In that case, I bid you goodnight and until tomorrow!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Remy made his way to his room. It was high time the rest of his team got some time out of the confines of their PokéBalls. As Sneasel jumped off its master's shoulder and nestled cozily at the feet of Remy's bed, the red haired Trainer released the rest of his rogue gallery.

"Come on out you mugs!"

A Premier Ball released Zangoose, who after shooting a glare of disapproval at its partner for keeping him in there for so long, made his way to the balcony where he would sleep for the night. Zangoose loved little more than sleeping in the moonlight.

Zan Zangoose Zan...

"I know, I know. Sorry brother, it's been hectic. I'll tell ya all about it."

Next, a Great Ball split open, revealing the Primeape inside. He opted for his hammock, which Remy usually installed wherever they would be crashing at that time.

Prrhhime! Rrrimeape!

"Heh. glad I got you that thing. Impossible to make you sleep otherwise..."

Last but not least, Remy threw a Lure Ball into a small inflatable pool of water. A Tentacool came out, seemingly happy to be in the water and to see his Trainer again!

Cooool. Coool. Tennntacool.

"No problem lil' buddy. Now, what say you to some sleep?"

The 4 Pokémon agreed and with everyone tucked in, the next morning was only a few hours away...

 

[CJ1145]

Daria watched as Looker made for the door, a devious smile on her face. Whether it was true or not, she believed herself responsible for convincing the others to help. A successful speech, and a victory in her eyes. She beamed as she stood up, already certain of where she needed to go. She walked off out of earshot, and plucked a Pokeball off of her belt, aiming at the floor and opening it up. The shape that formed was Ventus, the Pigeotto, who looked up at her with a mix of confusion and slight fear. She kneeled, to look him in the eye. Her mouth was flat.

"I'm trading you back to your trainer now." she put a finger on his feathery breast, and glared. "You're gonna treat him with respect, and you're gonna obey every order he gives ya. We clear?"

The bird hesitated for a moment before nodding precisely once. His temporary trainer's expression lightened considerably, and she grinned again. "Good!" she exclaimed, calling him back to his ball.

She stood up, walking back to where most of the Sleeping Sunkern's patrons were still gathered, and approached Matt from behind. She poked him on the shoulder, getting his attention before handing a Pokeball to him.

"Ya probably want your Pigeotto back, right? Thanks for letting me borrow him."

 

[Pappytech]

"Ya probably want your Pigeotto back, right? Thanks for letting me borrow him."

Matt had studiously avoided meeting Daria's eyes for the entire evening, and he had no intention of voiding his efforts now. That, combined with the fact that he couldn't think of anything to say to her, resulted in a fairly short exchange.

Accepting Ventus' Pokeball, Matt muttered something along of the lines of, "Yeah, thanks," before reaching to his belt and removing Slagger's ball from its temporary spot. Wordlessly, he handed the ball back to Daria, his eyes hidden by his hat's brim.

The exchange completed, the silent trainer turned around, and began to slowly trudge towards the stairs, and eventually his room. He had a lot to think about.

 

[Shakomaru]

"Ahem... So, the tournament tomorrow won't resume before 6 p.m. Until then, we'll have time to do some sightseeing, as well as some much needed shopping. Let's meet here at 8 a.m tomorrow and leave for the commercial area together. Let's also meet here at 5 p.m before heading to the tournament grounds. Sound good you heroes? In that case, I bid you goodnight and until tomorrow!"

Tom thought for a bit. That plan sounded good to him, but the tournament didn't allow items to be used as were the official rules for all tournaments. Do I need any supplies? The word echoed a few times in his head however and a memory came back to him. As Tom, Rupert, and Ryan were making their way towards their rooms he decided to ask.

"I was wondering if you guys wanted to go with me to catch some pokemon? We could go buy some pokeballs, and I brought a friend ball with me from one of my friends back in Ecruteak. It's probably a good idea, especially for you Ryan. I'm not saying that your Mightyena isn't strong, but if you look at Rupert, he only lost because my team outnumbered his. If he had another team member he would've defeated me easy! The longer a battle is, the more fun it is, and the more team members you have, the longer the battle will go! You don't have to come if you don't want though, and I'm going to mostly train Trapic. But if I find something that looks like it would be a great new teammate I'll try my best to catch it! So what do you say?"

Tom really hoped that the two would accept. It'd be nice to see Ryan battle, and Rupert could use a bit of training as well. Catching pokemon was just as fun to him as battling and training, and he really did love to make new friends.

 

[Redryhno]

"Very well then! On behalf of the entire International Police Force I, Looker, deeply appreciate your co-operation"

Darius nodded to Looker as he left the inn, deep in thought and still puffing on his pipe, even though the embers had cooled long before. Eventually noticing this, he pulled out his tobacco pouch, and took note that he'd need to buy some more soon. He'd never had Johto-grown tobacco, but it it was anything like this city, he didn't have much to worry about. Lighting his final pipe for the night, he sipped the tea that had been set in front of him and looked the old woman and her grand-daughter over, just a cursory inspection, as the younger of the two he hadn't seen before Whismur's outburst.

Taking his mind off those things, he pondered Inspector,Dectective, International Police Officer, whatever, Looker's words. He needed help against someone more ruthless than the Rockets, which wasn't saying much, but still, the brainwashing of pokemon was something he couldn't wrap his mind around. The personalities of individuals was what made many stronger, taking that away made them much less effective in battles, and infinitely less enjoyable to be around, he suspected. Looking over to Daffy and Knuckles,he smiled as they'd somehow conjured a sheaf of paper and were now playing some kind of game, what he wasn't sure about, but they seemed to be enjoying it. a short time passed and his pipe finally went out, and many of the others had gone off to their rooms. Daria was still below in the training center, he could feel the thumps and weight of pokemon and woman alike being thrown around through the floorboards beneath his feet. Gesturing to Daffy and Knuckles, the trio ascended the stairs, Knuckles supporting Daffy as the Psyduck had much shorter legs and wasn't able to climb as well as the other two.

They reached their room and Darius opened it, locking it shut behind him and putting the key on top of the wardrobe, out of reach of the two criminal pokemon before taking off his pokeball belt and cinching it around the bedpost, much tighter than he had the night before. He didn't want another incident of waking up to find it in a dresser or under his bed the way he had that morning. Knuckles found himself a spot in a corner, and curled up into a ball, giving the illusion of a mound of dirt in the area. Daffy looked around for a place to sleep for some time before deciding on the wardrobe. The Duck pokemon opened the doors, stepped inside, and closed them again, leaving a small sliver of light peeking through. The breeder and his pokemon were soon asleep, not even bothering to turn off the lamp in the room.

 

[CJ1145]

Daria gave a somewhat lackluster chuckle and waved as Matt walked off, hoping that he'd cheer up soon. It was kind of... awful knowing she was responsible for that. She tried her best to put her thoughts behind her, giving a quick mention that she'd be doing some last-minute training before tomorrow. With Slagger safely returned to her, she walked down the stairs and emerged in the training room.

She surveyed the place. Nice, quiet, and empty. The perfect place to continue her team's regimen of physical exercise. In quick order, she tossed three Pokeballs into the air, letting them pop open and release white lights, quickly morphing back into her Pokemon team. Spiegel, Jet, and Gemini promptly saluted.

"Char!"
"Leelee!"
"Hya!"

Daria gave a wicked grin, surveying the three of them. They were all set for tomorrow, to be sure. Only one was missing. She hefted her fourth Pokeball and smiled down at it before tossing it out with the rest. "Come on out, Slagger!"

The ball hissed as it opened, and she watched the white energy spill out into the floor and begin to take the shape of Slagger. Then, just as it formed the basic outline, it stopped. It shifted towards something else, then back to a Graveler, then back again. Daria watched the process as she recognized what was happening: Evolution.

"Groovy..."

Finally, the white light faded, and Slagger stood before her.

Spoiler: Slagger

"GOLEM!"

Daria stared on in silence, eyes going a bit wide as she took in her partner's new form. She stepped up to him and leaned down just a tad, as he'd grown taller, and held out an open-palmed hand. "Dig the new look, Slagger! Ready for some late night sparring, new secret weapon?"

The Golem stared at her, its new eyes red and narrowed. Her own eyes fixated on his, and they both stared in silence for moment. And then...

Slagger's brows raised, and it gave a happy smile. "Gol, Gol!" He high-fived his trainer and hopped over to the side of his teammates, who gave him a bit of a concerned leer. Spiegel in particular was a bit intimidated, and gave a careful poke to the strange new body of Slagger. The Rock Pokemon did not notice, however, his attention devoted fully to Daria. She marched in front of the four of them, arms folded behind her back.

"OK boys! And, uh, girl, Gemini."

"Hya!"

"We're gonna be fighting again in tomorrow's tournament, and the Teddi-Bear in the Blue Tunnel's gonna have it out for us. I want all of ya in top shape, and working creatively. I want ya to be able to swap between attacks and think on your feet. So, tonight we'll be going all out. The four of ya again me, ya ready?!" She gave a malicious smile, a thumb pointing up at her. Slagger and Spiegel immediately broke into a cold sweat on hearing this, holding each other for comfort on instinct. When she fought all her Pokemon simultaneously, Daria tended not to hold back. Jet and Gemini seemed less fazed, though the latter only because it hadn't been present for one of these "extreme" sessions before. Jet was actually kind of looking forward to this. Just more training before he fought that Hitmonchan; and no way it could pack a bigger wallop than Daria.

If he lasted through this, victory tomorrow would be certain. Daria retracted herself into a fighting stance, and her quartet of Pokemon did the same. "Hehehe... GO!"

Gemini began to spin, flying off into the fringes of the arena, and Slagger rolled off to Daria's left. The trainer herself charged headlong towards Spiegel and Jet, who shared a nod before going for a combo attack. The Hitmonlee dropped to the ground, using a Rolling Kick to try and trip up his opponent. At the same time, he used his arms to give a boost and launch Spiegel into the air, who came careening back down with a Fire Fang.

Seeing the attacks coming up at her fast, Daria ducked and rolled to her right, avoiding Jet's strike entirely. Spiegel was still coming for her, but that was simple enough. As he snapped at her, she juked to the right and let him go past her; but not too far. She waited until he began to pass, then snapped out with both hands to grab his tail.

"CHAR?!"

"HEAVE-HO!!~" She yelled, giving a strong effort before tossing her Charmeleon high up into the air. He smacked straight into the ceiling, thankfully not leaving behind a crack. He clung up there by his claws, watching the proceedings below as Slagger and Jet moved in. The former had been charging up a Rollout for a little while now, and was moving straight towards her.

"NO, NO, NO!" she shouted, ducking and winding up a leg for a kick. "YOU FELL FOR THIS AGAINST REMY, TOO!" She swung out with her best imitation of a Low Kick, aiming to take down Slagger in the first strike. She was more than surprised when, at the last possible moment, the Golem hopped over her leg, timing it just right to let a Toxic drip down and smear on her jeans. It seeped through to her leg quickly, and a fair amount had already touched her skin by the time she got a hold on her pant leg. With a few quick tears, she removed the entire pant leg under the knee, letting her get a good look at the very painful purple blotches. She gritted her teeth, throwing a thumbs-up to Slagger as he came to a halt and looked back to her. "THAT'S RIGHT, THINK ON YOUR FEET! NEVER FALL FOR THE SAME TRICK TWICE!"

She stood back up, nearly faltering for a second as she adjusted to the new pain of the poison in her system. Pokemon Toxic had lost its fatal effects on humans generations ago; didn't mean it was a pleasant experience. She'd need to be more careful. Especially once she caught a glimpse of what Spiegel was up to.

She looked up to see a Smokescreen billowing out and shrouding the entire ceiling. The lizard was hidden somewhere up there, waiting to pounce. But that wasn't the worst of it. Gemini's up there too...

Daria had little time to think about this with a Hitmonlee moving in. With swift jabs and kicks from well out of her range, Jet moved in. Ducking and weaving, the trainer was able to avoid the first four blows, only stopping to block at her midsection when the second blow of a Double Kick came too fast. The impact was strong, and lifted her off her feet. She stumbled back, grinning as she wiped some sweat from her nose. "NOT BAD!"

She lunged back, delivering a brutal punch into Jet's face and bowling him over. "BUT STILL OPEN TO COUNTERS, DAMN IT!"

"HYA HYA!"

"Hup?" Grunted the trainer, looking up just in time to see a Swift attack begin. A trail of stars came blasting out from the smoke, Gemini still hidden within, as Daria was forced to begin moving. Jukes, quick dashes, and backflips were the order of the day as the Pewter Fist barely stayed ahead of the barrage, when she saw Slagger gearing up for his next strike. Perfect...

Flipping onto her feet, Daria sprinted straight for the Golem flipping over him with the Swift continuing unabated.

"GOL GOL GOLLLLL--" KABOOM

An eruption of impacts dazed Slagger as he took the blow for his trainer; albeit unintentionally. He didn't have any time to regain his senses before Daria flipped over him again, facing him head on as she lifted her leg into the air. This is how Jet does his Brick Break, so maybe...

"KIYAA!!" she screamed, tensing her muscles as she brought down a brutal strike to the top of Slagger's boulder-body. Its entire self shivered and reverberated for a moment, and it looked ready to strike back. Then, the twinkle of consciousness faded out of its eyes, and he fell straight over, unconscious.

Daria gave a holler of joy, before immediately groaning as she leaned down to feel her left leg. She'd pulled a muscle doing that; and with her other leg poisoned, she was at a severe handicap against the other three.

She turned around, to see Spiegel drop down from the ceiling, popping his own neck and cracking his knuckles in anticipation. Gemini landed beside him, flexing its arms before preparing a Water Gun attack on its top limb. Finally, to her left she could see Jet using Focus Energy to give him an edge. All the odds seemed stacked against her.

With a dramatic flair, she tossed her hat off, and went into a front-leaning stance. About time we had somewhat even odds...

She charged, bellowing at the top of her lungs as she closed the distance.

[hr]

One hour later...

"Char-har-har... mele..."

Spiegel was the first one back to Daria's room, slowly opening the door and hobbling in. He was nursing a massive shiner on his right eye, and his right arm had been twisted and hung loosely at his side. The bruises hurt so bad he wasn't keen on so much as tensing the muscles.

Next came Daria and Jet, each leaning on the other for support as they limped in. Jet seemed oddly satisfied, even with a hobble in his left leg, and fantastically purple bruises all across his torso and face. Daria wasn't looking particularly good either, dried and cracked blood running from her nose all the way down to her chin, and a bit dripped onto her shirt as well. Both of her legs were torn up beyond belief, half the skin scraped off her left leg, and the blotchy purple marks of poison still torturing her in the other.

Finally, Slagger dragged in a still-unconscious Gemini, proud holder of "Last Pokemon Standing" that night, who was now beeping and blinking quite rapidly. It was difficult to gauge the Staryu's opinion, but the Golem seemed quite cheery, all things considered. They each went to their favorite spots in the room. Daria flopped onto the bed, Spiegel climbed up to the windowsill and looked out at the city's nightscape. Slagger curled up at the foot of the bed. Jet laid himself under the sink/counter sitting outside the bathroom. Gemini went into the bathroom itself, before leaning back out.

"Hya, hya?"

"Hiiit..."

Jet got up from his spot, which was by no means easy to get to in his condition, and went back inside the bathroom with Gemini, using his more dextrous hands to turn on the warm tap for the bathtub. The both of them watched in silence as it filled up just short of the brim, and the Hitmonlee shut the water off. Giving another "Hya!" in thanks, Gemini clambered in, eager to have a place to soak for the night. Jet mumbled something in his drowsy, agitated state, and fell straight to the floor, opting to just crawl back to his spot.

With the lights off, Daria stared up at the ceiling as she lazily changed into her nightclothes. "So, ya all ready for tomorrow now?" she asked with a somewhat raspy chuckle.

"Chaaaar..."
"Lee..."
"Golem..."
"Hya!" sounded off her team, somewhat halfheartedly save the starfish.

"Hehe... good." she said. "We'll, uh... we'll drop by the Pokemon Center tomorrow before our match, ok?"

Silence. Her team had fallen asleep already. She gave them a once over from her spot under the covers before shrugging and grinning as she drifted off to sleep.

 

[Anayna]

The trainers slowly dispersed. It had been decided that they were indeed going to help Looker, and it had been a very long day. Perhaps even more so for Rupert than for anyone else, considering that he hadn't slept the previous night. He had been up all night preparing for his battle with Tom. Despite his nervousness about what the new day would bring Rupert yawned. He barely caught anything of Remy's suggestion as to when they should meet up tomorrow.

Not everyone seemed tired though. Daria was apparently planning a training spree down below. Stealing a glance at her before she left, Rupert actually couldn't imagine the fierce trainer tired. Making his way to the stairs leading to the rooms he somehow found himself walking with Tom and Ryan. Maybe it wasn't all that odd that they had gravitated together; Tom and Ryan were definitely the two people he had had most contact with in Goldenrod, but Rupert was still surprised over how natural their company felt. This was something new for him. Before Rupert could reach his room Tom spoke up.

"I was wondering if you guys wanted to go with me to catch some pokemon? It's probably a good idea, especially for you Ryan. I'm not saying that your Mightyena isn't strong, but if you look at Rupert, he only lost because my team outnumbered his. If he had another team member he would've defeated me easy! You don't have to come if you don't want though, and I'm going to mostly train Trapic. But if I find something that looks like it would be a great new teammate I'll try my best to catch it! So what do you say?"

Rupert was taken aback by the suggestion and was about to decline as per his usual instinctual response to invitations of any kind, but stopped as he thought more about it. What Tom said made perfect sense. Rupert losing due to having fewer pokemon than Tom was admittedly a flattering exaggeration (he hadn't forgotten his massive blunder with Tom's Shieldon), but there was some truth to it. If he was going to start standing up for himself and his team, especially to the likes of Eres, he needed to get stronger. Rupert also remembered his promise to Cubone and Haunter about how he was going to be as dedicated to them as they were to him.

"A-actually... yeah. Yeah, I'd like that. Um... C-count me in, Tom!"

Tom seemed inordinately pleased and the three trainers later parted with a 'good night'. To the tune of a few faint crashes from Daria's training Rupert found Room 311 and made his way in with Cubone and Haunter in tow. The room was spacious and better furnished than Rupert had expected at the price range. More than anything else though he was just happy that the bed looked very inviting. The two pokemon were pretty tired themselves. It had been an eventful day. Haunter yawned and before Rupert's eyes disappeared into the deep shadows in a corner of the room. Cubone climbed the bed and laid himself belly up near the footboard, still clutching his bone club. Rupert too made for the bed after a quick teeth-brushing.

Lying there in the bed, staring at the ceiling, he felt like a completely different person. No, more like there was a side to him hitherto unknown even to himself. The way he had handled that battle with Tom; his new found resolve to be a proper trainer; him trailing a suspected criminal; promising to help the police capture a notorious crime gang. Rupert couldn't imagine himself doing all this just 24 hours ago. He was still extremely nervous about what the new day would bring, but he couldn't deny that with that nervousness there was now some excitement about it all to be found.

 

[Shakomaru]

"A-actually... yeah. Yeah, I'd like that. Um... C-count me in, Tom!"

With Rupert and Ryan both agreeing Tom decided to get some rest. Smiling to himself, he unlocked his room and released his team.

"Guess what Aeolus, we won." He said softly to the Feraligatr.

"Gator?"

"Yeah, and everyone was great too. Even the opponent had tough pokemon. And some of the other participants as well. I'm really sorry that I can't use you yet, but maybe if we battle Daria."

"Skor."

"Oh, that's right. Her Graveler evolved, didn't it. Everyone here has such strong pokemon... I'm sure that I'll get to use you soon, ok buddy?"

"Gator."

"Oh yeah... That was so long ago... Just you and I here in Johto... Too bad I'm busy with all this tournament stuff, or we could go visit all the old places. Remember playing around in the ruins by Violet city? Remember how all the Natu would just sit there watching us?"

"Gator..."

However Tom was once again lost in thought.

"You know, a Natu would probably be a good addition to the team... Anyway, let's get some rest."

 

[Pappytech]

Matt's ascent was slow, serious, and silent. Each stair seemed to form an insurmountable obstacle, each footstep seemed to last a lifetime. His journey was a solitary one, and as Matt wound his way up the stairwell the sounds of conversation and other people soon faded away, leaving the young trainer to stew in his own thoughts.

Upon reaching his room, Matt shoved the door open unceremoniously, carelessly tossing his key onto a nearby desk without bothering to re-lock the wooden apparatus. Likewise, he ignored the room's light switch, venturing into the darkened area and recklessly risking stubbed or broken toes. Luckily for the lad, a few rays of pale moonlight shone through his windows; the slivers of light were just enough to make his way to the bed.

The mattress' soft embrace was a welcome comfort after a long day, and Matt's eyes nearly fell shut the moment he flopped onto the soft surface, pajamas or teeth-brushing be damned. However, there was one responsibility that the trainer would never neglect, regardless of exhaustion or his state of mind. Sighing as he sat up, Matt's hands went once more to the belt around his waist, skillfully plucking the trio of Pokeballs from their holsters. Three brilliant flashes of light lit the room; as he blinked the blindness away from his maladjusted eyes, Matt heard his Pokemon stretch and purr, coo, and moan in relief.

"Pidgerrrrrroooo" Ventus' keen eyes were unaffected by the lack of light, and the Pidgeotto flapped around the room a few times before settling on top of the wardrobe. Turning a watchful eye to the rest of the room, eagerly looking for any signs of dinner, the flying-type began to preen his feathers.

"Ga-ga-gastly!" It had been a while since Persephone had been out of her Pokeball, and even if the floating ball of vapor didn't have limbs or even a solid body it was still nice to be able to get out and move around. Bobbing through the air, the Gastly sped around the room at a decent clip, shooting through walls and obstacles like they didn't exist as she worked off her pent up energy.

"...Quil?" Instead of scampering about like its companions, Spike kept its half-open eyes focused on its trainer, worriedly watching as Matt tiredly stumbled over to his backpack. Ignoring the two bowels of food that his trainer was setting up, Spike cautiously made his way over to Matt's leg, nudging the limb with his (Thankfully extinguished) head. "Cynda-cyn? Quil?"

Surprisingly, Matt ignored the Cyndaquil's questions. Despite the stung expression that spread across Spike's face, the young man refused to answer, simply setting the twin bowels on the ground before tiredly staggering over to the bed and collapsing onto the blankets. As Ventus happily swooped to the floor and began to chow down, Matt began to slowly curl up, closing his eyes and willing for oblivion to come and claim him.

If only it could have been that simple.

"QUIL QUIL! CYNDAQUIL!"

Even if sleep hadn't been skillfully eluding Matt's grasp, the bundle of flaming fur that slammed into the trainer's chest ensured that he'd be awake for a while yet.

"Oooof!" Empty lungs gasped for air as Matt reeled from Spike's Quick Attack, nearly tumbling out of the bed as he recovered from the blow. As breath slowly returned to his body, the irate trainer glared at the fire-type crouched on the bed next to him, the flames from Spike's back illuminating the confrontation. When he had finally regained enough air to speak, Matt's voice held a hard edge, "What the hell was that for, huh?!"

It had been a long day, and the last thing the lad wanted to deal with was more of his Pokemon betraying him. For the first time in years of training, Matt was prepared to lash out at his team, but Spike was having none of that. Matching Matt's glare with its own steely gaze, the Cyndaquil interrupted the forthcoming rant with one of his own, his squeaky voice somehow taking on an intimidating tone. "Cyn-cyndaquil, quil quil cyndaquil! Cyndaquil cyndaquil cyn! Cyndaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Finishing its tirade, Spike's gaze shifted from Matt to Ventus and back again, both trainer and Pidgeotto receiving a harsh, piercing gaze from the small fire-type.

Both Matt and Ventus stood/sat in shock at Spike's outburst. Surprisingly, it was Matt who recovered and responded first. "Seriously? You're asking me why I'm upset? Oh I don't know, maybe it had something to do with finding out that my method of raising you guys has been wrong this entire time, that I've been screwing it all up!"

"Quil quil, cynda!"

"Right, because Ventus is just sooooo easy to talk to, isn't he?"

The Pidgeotto in question had finally recovered enough of his head to interject. "Pidgerrrrrroooo! Rrrrrro, Pidgerooo!"

"What?! No, don't you lie to me like that. You're telling me that you didn't obey Daria's every order after she treated you like that?"

"Rrrrroooo. Pidgerrrrrooo!"

"And I get that. What I don't get is why you still treat me like this after I've spent years taking care of you, and you act like that after being threatened once!"

The conversation was quickly devolving into a shouting match; things were not going as Spike had hoped they would. "Cynda..."

"RRRRRRROOOOOOO! PIDGE-PIDGERRRRRRR!"

"So would you be happier if I just traded you away permanently then?! Because if that's what you really want, then..."

"GASTLY!"

There was nothing quite like the icy feeling of a ghost-type flying through your vital organs to cut off the words in your throat. Persephone raced around the room, her usual grin replaced by a grimace, as her gaseous form soared through Matt, Ventus, and Spike. The corporal trio reacted as expected, shuddering and falling silent as their minds processed the indescribable sensation of being violated in such a manner.

 

[Evrant-Knight]

Caleb watched as each of the trainers dispersed into the various rooms of the Sleeping Sunkern, either to sleep, or for preparations regarding the events of the next day. He got up out of his chair, finishing his cup of coffee, and began walking up to his room; Raphael, Raiden, Angelique and Sebastian following on behind him. As he passed one of the rooms that was on the same floor as he was, and from what he could tell, there seemed to be a heated argument between Matt and his Pidgeotto.

"What?! No, don't you lie to me like that. You're telling me that you didn't obey Daria's every order after she treated you like that?"

"Rrrrroooo. Pidgerrrrrooo!"

"And I get that. What I don't get is why you still treat me like this after I've spent years taking care of you, and you act like that after being threatened once!"

"RRRRRRROOOOOOO! PIDGE-PIDGERRRRRRR!"

"So would you be happier if I just traded you away permanently then?! Because if that's what you really want, then..."

Caleb sighed deeply as he turned to his Pokémon.

"Do you think we should help him?" He asked to all of them.

"Com." Raphael replied, before nodding in a sagely manner.
" Luxxxx, ray." Raiden responded with, the odd jolt of electricity jumping across him as he spoke.
"Raavia. Star. Star" Angelique chirped, flying up onto his shoulder afterwards.
"Eevee eve." Sebastian quietly barked, nuzzling Caleb's left leg, wanting to be picked up. After he was, he began to fall asleep.

"Very well then." Caleb remarked, before pushing the already open door with his free hand and entering Matt's room.

"What seems to be the problem here Matt? You know, if you do decide to give Ventus away, it'll be a decision that you'll regret." Caleb asked in a concerned voice to the distraught trainer.

 

[Pappytech]

"What seems to be the problem here Matt? You know, if you do decide to give Ventus away, it'll be a decision that you'll regret."

It took Matt a few moments to recover from Persephone's ploy, but eventually he managed to find the strength to utter a few, short sentences.

"And what makes you qualified to say that, huh? Have you ever watched one of your partners, one that you've raised for years, ignore everything you've done to win their trust and affection? I've done nothing but treat Ventus with love and care since I caught him, and he obeyed Daria more closely than he's ever done with me."

Wiping a few tears away from his eyes, Matt lowered his gaze, eyes locked on something between his feet. "So just how am I supposed to react to that?"

 

[JokerboyJordan]

"Goodnight all. And until we see again, be wary of evildoers."

Heh, evildoers... What kind of weirdo says something so melodramatic?

Nevertheless Sav bid farewell to the strange detective, before resigning to listen to everybody else's particular plans for the night, and also for tomorrow. She was unsure about the status of the tournament, and she had assumed that it would be at least postponed due to today's events.

Almost as if speaking up to address her thoughts, Remy, as the only person who was knowledgeable about the immediate area, to act as a tour guide of sorts to the group.

"Ahem... So, the tournament tomorrow won't resume before 6 p.m. Let's meet here at 8 a.m tomorrow and leave for the commercial area together. we'll have time to do some sightseeing, as well as some much needed shopping..."

"Did someone say shopping?! I love shopping! I've been needing to buy some dolls and some TMs and some Pokeballs and..."

She looked up and blushed, realising she had been rambling on about shopping, how embarrassingly stereotypical of her. Savannah quickly shook off such thoughts, worried that she had exposed more about herself than she'd have liked to to these near-strangers. She had already done enough of that for the day in that damn arena.

Finished with her milkshake, and with no other pressing matters to attend to, Sav decided to retire for the night, in order to rest up and have the energy for both tomorrow's shopping and sightseeing, along with the tournament if need be. Where she was going to give it her all.

"I suppose that's me done for the night then. Goodnight everyone!" she said as she made her way upstairs to her room, Spriggan still in tow.

"Grovyle!" said the Wood Gecko Pokemon, seeming to bid everybody goodnight in a similar matter to his trainer, but far more ceremoniously as he thrust his chin in the air and made some grandiose movements with the leaves on his arms, before ultimately being ushered away once Sav noticed that he was lagging behind.

Sav collapsed onto her bed, processing all that had happened to her today. Even after that upset against Darius, she was still in the tournament. Whatever the reason for it, she was still a contender for the prize money. She still had to think up a way to get back at that asshole for what he did to her in front of that crowd, but she knew that she had a long time to think about that during the rest of the tournament
Darius O'Kere, just you wait...

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"And what makes you qualified to say that, huh? Have you ever watched one of your partners, one that you've raised for years, ignore everything you've done to win their trust and affection? I've done nothing but treat Ventus with love and care since I caught him, and he obeyed Daria more closely than he's ever done with me." Matt said after recovering from the ploy of his Gastly.

Wiping a few tears away from his eyes, Matt lowered his gaze, eyes locked on something between his feet. "So just how am I supposed to react to that?" He then asked with a slightly determined voice.

Caleb then entered the room further, sitting down on the bed, Sebastian jumping off to sleep on it. Raphael stood with his back to the wall, a fierce look in his eyes as he stared down the Pidgeotto. Raiden sat by his trainer's leg, in an attempt at getting a brief nap. Angelique remained on Caleb's shoulder, even as he spoke.

"You obviously care for Ventus Matt, otherwise you wouldn't be in this state. Lets look at it from a different perspective. Surely that Ventus wouldn't of argued so vehemently, if he too didn't care about the bond between the pair of you? You and him are like brothers. Actually that reminds me of something." Caleb remarked before continuing.

"There was this old proverb that I was taught a long time ago back in Hoenn. 'Though brothers may quarrel at home, outside they defend each other from slight. Even though they may get in each other's way occasionally, they'll pull together in times of need, for they're an inseparable team.' Look at it this way Matt, you and Ventus are that inseparable team. No matter what happens, you both have each others back, for that is the power of friendship, trust, and loyalty."

"And that with your talents, you and your team will shall we say, kick some arse in the tournament."

 

[Pappytech]

"...And that with your talents, you and your team will shall we say, kick some arse in the tournament."

As Caleb finished his speech, Matt's shoulders began to quake, trembling as though the young trainer was repressing a chuckle. When the Jhoto native spoke, however, his voice held no mirth or merriment; it was just as icy as it had been during Caleb's entrance. "You know, I've found that when people quote old stories and proverbs, it's because they don't have any real experiences that back up their points. Anyone can tell a fancy story with a happy moral or ending, but we both know that those rarely happen in the real world, don't we?"

Matt re-positioned himself, staring at his companion with a pair of empty, dead eyes. "Please, don't patronize me. Trust me, I fully realize my position and failings in life, but I do think I'm at least capable of sorting out my own problems without being lectured like a toddler.

"Now if you'll please excuse us," Matt pointed a hand towards the open doorway as he spoke, "we've got quite a bit to talk about."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"Now if you'll please excuse us..." Matt pointed a hand towards the open doorway as he spoke, "...we've got quite a bit to talk about."

"Well then, it seems we are no longer needed my friends." Caleb remarked to his Pokémon in a calm voice, hiding the brief feeling of anger he had from the response that Matt gave. After gathering his team, he made for the door, briefly talking to Matt before he left.

"If you ever need to talk Matt, just come and find me, and I'll be happy to help. Good luck for the remainder of the tournament,..." Caleb began to say before walking down the corridor. "...your going to need it." He said, heading back to his room soon after.

Upon arrival, Angelique headed straight for the chair she slept in on the previous night. Raiden curled up on the side of the bed. Sebastian scrambled straight to the bed itself, using Raiden as a platform. Raphael sat with his back to the foot of the bed. All of Caleb's Pokémon were soon asleep, as was he.

 

[toobie]

It all happened so fast, but at the same time every second seemed to drag on for a lifetime. Ryan had dozed off while watching the tournament, but a sudden uproar had woken him. From that moment onward, it all seemed surreal. Everything happened at once; lights went out, people screaming, pushing eachother away while they all simultaneously tried to reach the doors. And ryan just went along with it. He just stared blankly in front of him while trying to make sense of all of it. Back home... This would never have happened if I'd been back home.

Outside Ryan met with one of the other guests of the Sunkern. He had seen him at dinner. Ryan tried to look cheerfull, because his poppa always used to say "fear spreads like wildfire".
"Am I glad to run into you, lad! Me and Mightyena were getting ready for our match when suddenly it got awfully dark in here. We were about to get out and back to the inn. Care to join forces? Mightyena doesn't mind the dark but can't really do the whole light show your Pokémon can, can you boy?" His mightyena responded with what sounded like a gleefull "
Might? M-Might!". At least one of us is enjoying themselves. Of course a Mightyena enjoys himself in the dark. It's their natural enviroment. This might as well have been a brightly lit park with flowers and children frolicking around the pond for Mightyena.

Ryan trusted his partner enough to follow his instincts. He trusted his partner on everything. It was the one thing Ryan could hold on to, the fact that Mightyena would always be at his side. Ryan petted his mightyena.

As Lee and Ryan entered the Sunkern they were immediatley met by the same kind of ruckus that was outside. There was power though. Ryan didn't have much time to settle down though, as a cop had entered the Sunkern shortly after. It seemed like he could need all the help he could get. "Me an' Mightyena might not be much lads, but we'll do everything in our power to help! After that, basically all the tennants wanted to help. Nice.

Once the cop had left Ryan noticed how tired he was of the day. He went towards his room, when an odd request was made by Tom. Not that it was odd in itself. Catching Pokemon was something Pokemon Trainers did. But Ryan had never realised he might've actually needed another Pokemon. Mightyena always seemed to be strong enough to handle anything. Though the recent battles he had watched might've altered that view a tad. "Sure lad, I'll join you!" And with those final words, he went to sleep.

 

[JdaS]

May, 25th. 8:30 a.m.

After a night of much needed sleep, a new day was upon the now deputized patrons of the Sleeping Sunkern. Remy was up early, this time with Zangoose as his partner. The two had just finished breakfast and were now waiting for the other tenants in the lobby.

While Zangoose examined his surroundings, Remy decided that now would be an appropriate time to do some light inventory. Remy's bag was a worn, faded army green rucksack, which he found comfortable to carry, but a real pain to keep organized.

"Hmmm... Let's see here..."

Spoiler: What time is it? INVENTORY TIME!!!

Okay people! Listen up because I want this very necessary part to be taken care of now. Short and sweet. For balance purposes I'm going to put here a list of items you're allowed to have. Also listed is your starting money. Different characters will start with different sums, but don't let that get you down, you'll be raking in the big bucks from now on. SO! Without further ado:

Healing Items:

-max 20 of the following: Potion, Super Potion, Fresh Water, Soda Pop, Lemonade, MooMoo Milk, Heal Powder, EnergyPowder, Energy Root.

-max 15 of the following: Full Heal, Antidote, Awakening, Parlyz Heal, Burn Heal, Ice Heal, Lava Cookie (Hoenn exclusive), Old Gateau (Sinnoh exclusive).

-max 6 of the following: Revive, Revive Herb.

-max 4 of the following: HP Up, Protein, Iron, Calcium, Zinc, Carbos, PP Up.

-the TMs you taught your Pokemon before the start of the RP. List them too.

-15 max of PokeBalls: Any kind EXCLUDING: Master, Safari, Sport, Cherish, Park and Dream.

-15 max Items: This is everything from Repel to Escape Rope to Evolutionary and held items. Be cool with the rarer stuff. If I see anything out of line I'll be sure to let you know.

-Misc stuff: Food, fishing rod, portable TV... Only about 3-4 of these please.

Money:

Caleb: 45.000P
Remy: 28.000P
Darius and Savannah: 25.000P
Daria, Matt, Tom, Rupert and Lee: 21.000P
Ryan: 10.000P

And that's it. Below you'll see an acceptable example with Remy's bag. Use the EXACT SAME template. Any questions, ask.

Remy started rummaging around his bag and took mental notes of all his posessions.

Healing Items: 3x Potion, 4x Super Potion, 5x Fresh Water, 1x Soda Pop, 5x Lemonade and 2x MooMoo Milk.

Status curing items: 12x Full Heal and 3x Old Gateau.

Revives: 6x Revive

Vitamins: 2x Iron and 2x Calcium

TMs: 1x Thief.

PokéBalls: 4x PokéBall, 2x Dusk Ball, 4x Great Ball, 2x Ultra Ball, 1x Luxury Ball and 2x Premier Ball.

Items: 1x NeverMeltIce, 1x Expert Belt (on Primeape), 4x Super Repel, 1x Razor Claw, 1x Nugget, 2x Heart Scale, 3x Escape Rope, 1x Pearl and 1x White Flute.

Miscellaneous: Primeape's hammock, Pokémon food and assorted cutlery, fishing rod.

"Aaaand 28.000P in cash. I think we got it all, Zangoose. Now we just have to wait 'til everyone gets here and we can get started with the day! I sure hope this one goes a bit better than yesterday though..."

Zan... Zangoose. Goose...

Zangoose wasn't too interested either way. In fact, he could do with a good rough and tumble. It had been too long, although Slagger did provide a... hard challenge.

Speaking of which, the remaining Trainers seemed to be making their way into the lobby.