Pokémon: The Return of Team Galactic (PG)- RPG Thread

[Purplepassion]

Brielle Tenner
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Duskull, Cottonee
Ribbons: ---

Liam Withers
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Ducklett
Badges: ---

So his choice was a Piplup, thought Liam, flipping his Pokedex open to get information on it. Every time he'd walk past the town's Day Care, there was often a Piplup left there by several trainers. It was a popular choice, and technically, it was a bird as well, even if the penguin Pokemon wasn't a flying type. He was looking forward to seeing how the boy would fight using it.

Brielle had taken out her trusty journal and began scrawling out the next part of her story, previously interrupted by Liam spying on her on the way to the town. Though she did take an occasional look upwards, it was obvious that the most important thing on her mind was writing.

"Okay, then," said Liam, ready to start the fight. "Ducklett! Start off with a...oh." It turned out that the only moves Ducklett had, according to the Pokedex, were Defog and Water Gun. "Use Defog to make sure that Piplup won't be dodging that attack. Then, follow it up with a... Water Gun!"

Educational TV programs Liam had watched taught him that moves like Water Gun would hardly work against another Water-type Pokemon. Brielle also knew this, and as she glanced up, she saw his Ducklett preparing to attack. Opening her own Pokedex, she learned of the moves just like Liam had, and sighed. From the looks of it, her friend had rushed himself straight into a near-impossible situation.

Ducklett, loyal as ever, released an obstacle-clearing wind from her wings. Then she sent the blast of water towards Piplup, aiming for any weak points.

 

[Morpher01]

Elliot/Jason Trey
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Piplup
Badge Count: 0
Ribbon Count: 0


Elliot's opponent scanned Piplup with his Pokedex upon the penguin's arrival. After he was finished with Piplup's information, he began to order an attack to his Ducklett...only to realize that he did not actually know his own Pokemon's attacks.

Really? Elliot mentally sighed with a visible frown of impatience. And just how long has he owned that Ducklett, dare I ask?

Who knows and who cares?! the voice of Jason snapped. It's time for battle, so let's get on with it!

"Use Defog to make sure that Piplup won't be dodging that attack," began Ducklett's trainer. "Then, follow it up with a... Water Gun!"

Ducklett first released a wind from its wings that impeded Piplup's movement. It followed up with a jet of water fired from its mouth, clearly aiming for some sort of weak spot on Piplup's body. Elliot quickly ran through the scenarios of how he could best turn this attack into his advantage.

And then his brown eye began to twitch.

Elliot's confident smirk turned into a hateful sneer, and an enraged growl escaped from his mouth. Now fully in control, Jason glared viciously at the approaching Water Gun before giving his order.

"Piplup, use Peck now!" Jason roared.

"Pip?" Piplup squeaked, looking in confusion at its trainer's rather odd change in demeanor.

"I said now!" Jason snarled. "Go through the Water Gun and attack!"

Piplup obeyed, charging directly into Ducklett's Water Gun. Due to being a Water-type as well, Piplup was only lightly damaged by the attack, instead powering through beak-first just as Jason had ordered. Piplup came closer and closer to Ducklett, and a direct hit seemed to be imevitable...

 

[Double-oh-Platypus]

Taylor Lightwood
Jubilife City
Current Team: Treecko
Badge Count: N/A

Ellie Toews
Jubilife City
Current Team: Pichu
Badge Count: N/A
Ribbon Count: N/A

Jubilife City was just as grand and innovative as the travel guide had advertised. Tall buildings stretched their way to the sky, as if hoping to scrape the heavens and break them open. Taylor marveled at the sheer size of the towers, all of them taller than anything he'd seen besides the Sunyshore Lighthouse.

"Wow," he breathed, letting his eyes wander from building to building. Signs advertised all sorts of things from food to adventuring gear to Poke Dolls. Screens flashed everywhere with the newest productions from Jubilife TV.

"There's so much to do in this city and you want to put on a frilly dress and enter a contest?" Taylor asked Ellie, stepping around a street vendor who was trying to sell him a hot dog.

For once, Ellie didn't rise to Taylor's baited remark, her own eyes traveling the city in wonder. She tugged her hair out of its ponytail and twisted a lock around her finger.

"There's plenty of time for us to look around," she said after a minute. Behind her, Taylor pumped his fist in excitement.

"What are we waiting for, then?" he asked, grabbing Ellie's wrist and dragging her down the street faster.

They passed more street vendors and buskers and trainers and business people. Everyone looked like they had somewhere to be, someone to meet.

"Taylor, slow down," Ellie said, her feet tripping over each other as she tried to match the hockey player's long, loping strides.

Suddenly, something caught Taylor's eyes and he slammed on his brakes so hard that Ellie ran right into his back. Instinctively, Taylor tugged on Ellie's wrist, making sure she didn't topple backwards, but a moment later she was tugging it out of grip.

"What the heck?" she asked, annoyance tinging her voice. She followed Taylor's gaze though and saw exactly why he had stopped so suddenly.

Several Pokemon battles were taking place in a closed off square. Behind the battles was a large tent with the Pokemon Watch company logo splashed across the awning.

"Let's go check it out?" Ellie suggested, and pushed at Taylor's back so that he would start moving.

Trainers wandered around the square, some taking in the battles, others congregating at the tent. Taylor and Ellie squeezed their way through the crowd until they came to the front of a stage where a man was standing with a microphone.

"Enter our battle competitions for your chance to win a free Poketch from us!" the man called out. "Our new, top-of-the-line watch is out now and we are looking for trainers who will advertise their greatness. Sign up in singles or doubles and win yourself a brand new watch!"

Taylor's left wrist suddenly felt heavy with his older model Poketch. It was a chunky, square-shaped thing with a large screen. The watch that the man was waving around, however, it was sleeker and more oblong-shaped. In other words, it was simply fantastic.

"Let's sign up!" Taylor said, turning to Ellie excitedly. "As doubles. You know we could take them!" He had seen Ellie's Pichu battle occasionally for fun back in Sunyshore and he knew his own Treecko was a fighter. They could win some brand new Poketches easily!

"I don't know, Taylor," Ellie began, but Taylor cut her off.

"Please?" he whined, pouting obscenely, which made Ellie roll her eyes. "You know you want to. It'll be fun, and besides, we could use some practice for the Oreburgh Gym."

That seemed to be the deal breaker for Ellie. She finally nodded her head and Taylor smiled, tugging on her wrist again as he made his way through the crowd to the sign-up table.

"Taylor Lightwood and Eleanor Toews for doubles, please," Taylor requested, and he felt Ellie huff against his shoulder.

"Sure," the registration lady replied. "Here are your numbers; please pin them to the front of your shirt. The rules are simple: one Pokemon each. The first team to knock out both of their opponents Pokemon win."

"Easy," Taylor replied, grinning. He dragged Ellie from the tent as she shouted a thank-you to the lady.

Their numbers were called within five minutes for battlefield five. Adrenaline rushed through Taylor's veins, the same kind that he felt when he jumped over the boards for a shift. Their two opponents were a couple of teenage boys, probably a year or two older than himself and Ellie. They leered at Ellie, who simply flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and held her head high.

Taylor was suddenly filled with a strange and uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He disliked the way that those guys looked at Ellie, as if she were a prize they could win. Taylor knew Ellie and he knew that she was a strong girl and certainly no prize.

"Battle begin," an electronic scoreboard announced, breaking Taylor from his thoughts. He glanced at Ellie who grinned back at him before letting Pichu scamper from her shoulder and onto the field. "Go Pichu!" she cheered.

"Go, Sandshrew!" one of the boys called, releasing a small brown shrew-like Pokemon.

"Buizel, you're up!" the other called, revealing the orange and white weasel Pokemon.

Taylor inhaled deeply. This was it. His first real Pokemon battle as a real trainer. He wanted that new Poketch badly, but more than that, he wanted to win. He wanted to taste the victory, to see Ellie cheering as he knocked out that final Pokemon. He wanted to succeed.

"Go, Treecko!" Taylor called finally, letting his only Poke Ball fly.

 

[Monster Guy]

Leo Silverstone
Co-ordinator
Sandgem Town/lab
Pokemon: Shawn the Munna

Lilly Silverstone
Trainer
Same location as Leo


After a three day journey from Vielstone City, the Silverstone siblings finally made it to Sandgem town.

"Finally we're here!" Lilly blurted out, as she and her brother went toward the Pokemon lab. "We would've gotten here faster if we weren't attacked by so many wild Pokemon on the way, and only a Munna for protection. Leo, why couldn't you have gotten a more competent Pokemon?"

Shawn the Munna, who was sitting on Leo's shoulder, tilted his head. "Mun?"

"Shawn is plenty competent. He handled those Pokemon pretty well." Leo said as he patted his Pokemon on the head. "Except that Houndour, but that's not his fault."

"Of course, you'd trust your own safety to a stupid pink thing, your a Co-ordinator. However, I intend to catch a Pokemon that actually beat things. Not stand around and look pretty."

Finally, they made it to the lab. After knocking on the door, and waiting a few seconds, the duo walked right in. Professor Rowan was already waiting for them, and he greeted them at the door.

"Ah, if it isn't the Silverstone siblings. You two must be here to begin your journeys as Trainers."

Lilly rolled her eyes. "No, this is a hold up. Give us all your Pokemon and money, and no one gets hurt."

"She seems spirited." The Professor said to Leo.

Leo put his hands behind his head and laughed nervously. "Heh, she is... Anyway, yes we are. Lilly's also here to get a starter."

"Ah, certainly. First, here's your new trainer's starter kit." He handed the siblings a red Pokedex, 5 Pokeballs, and a Badge/Ribbon Case. "Now come with me." He escorted the two to a table containing three Pokeballs. One labled "Chimchar" one labled "Piplup", and one labeled "Turtwig" "Pick any one you like my dear."

Without hesitation Lilly immediately blurted out, "Chimchar." She had done a lot of research on the evolved forms of those three before going on this journey, and she had already made the choice based on whom she believed would be the best one. She took Chimchars Pokeball, and took off out the door.

Again, Leo laughed nervously. "You'll have to excuse her... She's like that a lot."

Professor Rowan smiled. "Oh, it's no problem. I've seen many trainers like her before. She'll learn and grow as she progresses along on her journey. That usually happens, from my experience."

"Well, anyway, thanks a lot professor. Bye!" Leo said with a smile as he waved and went after his sister.

 

[Torpoleon]

Jubilife City!

Zach
Sandgem Town, Sinnoh
Current Team: Piplup, Magby & Budew
Badges: 0/8

Caroline
Sandgem Town, Sinnoh
Current Team: Chimchar & Misdreavus
Ribbons: 0/4
(So, I PMed you guys about the Jubilife Contest. We should just play it by ear and see what happens. Anyone want their character to win?)
Zach and Caroline were walking around Sandgem Town, but were kind of bored.

"Zach, let's got Jubilife City alright. I wanna enter the contest!" Caroline said as she stopped in front of him.

Zach thought for a while and replied, "Eh, let's walk around for a bit more though."

"Aww, pleeeeease?" Caroline asked, putting on her hands together and a putting on a puppy dog face.

Zach blushed. He hated when Caroline, or anyone else, did this. It always makes Zach feel bad for them and makes him want to do what ever they want.

"Fine, but please don't make that face again. Makes me redder than a tomato," Zach sighed as Caroline backed away bit.

"You're so cute and nice, but I don't think I'll stop," She blew him a tiny kiss, which made him blush even more.

Zach put his head down and they walked to Jubilife City.

As they entered the big city, they were stopped by 2 big clowns.

"Hello, we sponsor the Pokétch Company? Would you two lovebirds care to get some at our company building?" One of them asked.

Zach & Caroline looked at each other nodded. "Sure we would!" Caroline responded, smiling.

Just then, the two clowns picked up Zach & Caroline and carried them to the building.

Inside, Zach was placed on a chair and Caroline was placed on top of him. This made Zach blush like crazy.

"We'll be right back with our boss," One of the clowns said as they entered an elevator.

"You're blushing like crazy, sweetie," Caroline said as she rubbed Zach's face. "If I put on red lipstick and kissed you, it wouldn't even look like I kissed you. Wanna try it?"

The thought of getting kissed by her made Zach go crazy on the inside. He said nothing about that, but did say, "Uh, y-you're on on my hand. Can you get up for just a sec?"

Caroline nodded as she wrapped her arms around Zach and lifted up just a bit as Zach moved his hand out of the way.

"Now we wait, I guess," Zach commented, still in shock that Caroline was on top of him.

 

[Double-oh-Platypus]

Taylor Lightwood
Jubilife City
Current Team: Treecko
Badge Count: N/A

Ellie Toews
Jubilife City
Current Team: Pichu
Badge Count: N/A
Ribbon Count: N/A

Battling was something Taylor was familiar with, something that would always feel normal to him. The way his blood almost sang as it courses through his veins, the way his mind raced at one hundred miles a minute as it processed the scene. Being in a battle put Taylor back in his element and he was itching to prove that he could be one of the best.

"Treecko, get that Sandshrew with Leaf Storm!"

He watched patiently as his green gecko-like Pokemon twirled in a circle, its arms outstretched and its tail flying. A few leaves, seemingly from nowhere, gathered around Treecko's spinning form, and after a moment, he stopped spinning and directed the leaves towards the opponent's Sandshrew.

While Treecko had gathered up its weak storm of leaves, the Sandshrew had kicked up its own storm. It was kicking sand towards Treecko and Pichu and it was giving Ellie a hard time as she tried to direct bolts of lightning towards the Buizel opposite her.

Treecko's leaves shot through the cloud of sand and struck the Sandshrew, who immediately stopped kicking up sand in order to cower from the highly effective attack. As the dust began to settle, Taylor called out, "Now, Treecko, use Quick Attack!"

"Pichu, use Thundershock!"

Shocks of electricity followed Treecko to the other side of the battle field as he raced in for a close range attack. The opponents Sandshrew quickly slashed out, but Treecko plowed ahead, slamming his body into the ground-type Pokemon.

"We can so win this," Ellie muttered, smiling as she ordered her Pichu to use Volt Tackle. Their opponents were commanding attacks as well and soon the field was filled with fallen leaves, sand, and puddles of water. It's like a beach, Taylor thought comically.

Buizel was the first Pokemon to faint. It had just finished clubbing Ellie's Pichu away with its tail when it was struck again by another wave of electricity, Ellie's call for Thundershock echoing slightly in their small arena. The electric attack jolted the water weasel, who fell backwards in a faint. Immediately, a bell pinged from the electronic scoreboard and the light faded from behind Buizel's picture.

"Only one more!" Taylor cheered. It would be easy now that Pichu was able to help out Treecko.

Taylor's fantasy was short-lived, however, when their lone opponent called, "Sandshrew, use Dig!" In a flurry of dirt, the Sandshrew was gone, only a hole left in its place.

"Be careful," Ellie warned, her eyes scanning the field for any sign of the Sandshrew.

The small crowd that had gathered to watch suddenly gasped as the ground began to shake. Sandshrew appeared, bursting from the ground beneath Pichu and flinging the electric mouse into the air. It cried, out, electricity flying from its body in a last-ditch attempt at an attack, but it was too late. When Pichu landed again he was knocked out.

Taylor could practically feel Ellie's anger radiating off of her as she recalled her fallen comrade to his Poke Ball. She turned to the hockey player, eyes blazing like ocean water in the sunlight and growled, "Kick his butt, Tay."

The battle was over fairly quickly after that. It was almost as if Ellie's emotions were fueling Taylor too because suddenly he had the drive to win. He wanted it, needed it, and he wasn't going to stop until those Poketches were secured firmly on his and Ellie's wrists.

"Treecko, use Leaf Storm and then follow up with Quick Attack!" Taylor ordered. Another storm of leaves raced towards the Sandshrew, who dove out of the direct line of fire. It whimpered slightly as a few leaves scratched its scaly exterior, but before it could regain its footing, Treecko was already slamming it backwards into the ground. After a moment of rolling around in the dirt, a third bell rang and the light behind Sandshrew's picture diminished.

"Congratulations to Taylor Lightwood and Eleanor Toews," a voice on the sound system announced. "Winners over on battlefield five!" Taylor and Ellie shook the hands of their opponents before making their way through the crowd back to the stage.

"Here you are," the registration lady said, meeting Taylor and Ellie near the microphone. "Two new Poketches for you."

"Thanks," Taylor beamed, slipping the new watch onto his wrist and handing the lady his old one. He watched Ellie do the same before he flung an arm over her shoulders and waved at the crowd. Shrieks could be heard and Taylor just knew Ellie was rolling her eyes.

"No need to be jealous, Elles," he whispered into her ear. He could feel her stiffen under his arm, but a moment later, Ellie relaxed. She leaned up to Taylor's ear and whispered back, "I think you should be telling that to them." She ducked her way out from under his arm, waving sweetly to the crowd before bouncing off the stage, leaving Taylor alone, confused, but still grinning.

 

[Purplepassion]

Brielle Tenner
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Duskull, Cottonee
Ribbons: ---

Liam Withers
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Ducklett
Badges: ---

'"I am not going to let go," she insisted, grasping her lover's hand tightly. "Help us up, please," she called, so her best friend to help both of them up off the cliff they were dangling from. Loyal as she was, the best friend agreed to do so, grabbing onto the first girl's arm tightly and beginning to pull. The lover, however, had other plans; letting a quiet apology escape his lips, he began to loosen his grip-'

At that point, the pencil in her hand dropped, and Brielle stooped down to pick it up. Clicking the mechanical pencil to load more lead, Brielle decided to look at the battle's status once more. Liam's opponent ended up being directly in her line of sight. Looking over him, he seemed to have changed. He had looked so calm and confident before - understandable given the situation, Brielle thought - but that smirk quickly faded, in place of a menacing look of contempt. Liam, on the other hand, noticed the sudden hostility in his opponent's voice, and decided to ask him if he was alright after the match.

Said opponent snarled at his Piplup, telling it to dive straight into the Water Gun and towards Liam's Ducklett. As Liam had feared, the barrage of water was not nearly enough to make the penguin falter at all. Brielle winced as the penguin's beak collided straight with Ducklett's body.

"Duck-LETT!" the little duck cried, crashing to the ground as the water stopped spouting from her mouth. Liam bit his lip in frustration. The attack seemed to have hurt Ducklett more than he thought it should have. However, she didn't stay on the floor for long, as she slowly got up again in a battle-ready pose. Just attacking straight on wouldn't work at all, Liam realized. Perhaps if he tried some sort of evasive tactics, he'd win soon; it would take a lot of patience, but a win would be a win.

Or, at least, he thought that was how it went.

Liam decided he would try that. "Ducklett, are you all right?" he asked his Pokemon, who turned around to nod in determination. "Okay then...er, just keep using Water Gun and try to dodge as much as you can!"

The Ducklett flapped its wings to fly off the ground a little, sending more blasts of water towards Piplup, but she was obviously growing weary herself - as much as she or her trainer hated to admit it. Brielle closed her journal, putting the pencil and notebook back into her backpack. She had the feeling that the battle would soon be over, judging from how tired Ducklett appeared to be, and had always been the type to prepare for departure ahead of time. Standing up, she put her backpack on and went to the shop, deciding to return when the battle was over.

 

[Morpher01]

Elliot/Jason Trey
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Piplup
Badge Count: 0
Ribbon Count: 0


Piplup's Peck hit home and, judging by the sharp pain Ducklett appeared to have experienced, a weak spot had been struck. Nonetheless, the duckling tumbled across the ground, only to get up seconds later.

"Ducklett, are you all right?" the duckling's trainer asked, recieving an affirmative nod. "Okay then...er, just keep using Water Gun and try to dodge as much as you can!"

Ducklett began to flap its wings, rising into the air, as it sprayed multiple Water Guns at Piplup. Despite the duckling's show of bravado, it was clearly weakening.

A sinister Cheshire grin slowly crept across Elliot's face.

It was time to finish this.

The blue eye twitched. Jason's persona faded away for the moment as Elliot's more arrogant demeanor returned. The grin, however, remained.

"Oh, dear," Elliot said through his malevolent grin. "I see you're getting somewhat worn out. Let us help you with that. Piplup, use Bubblebeam to launch yourself into the air!"

"Pip?" Piplup squeaked, looking at its trainer to make sure it heard the command correctly. One of Ducklett's Water Guns slapped Piplup's head, however, and the penguin grew too angry with its opponent to care for the quality of its trainer's orders.

As Elliot had ordered, Piplup fired a stream of small blue spheres into the ground, the force of the attack's recoil launching the small penguin high into the air. One Piplup was above Ducklett in terms of height, it awaited further orders.

"Now, let us finish this, Piplup!" Elliot grinned. "Use Peck once more!"

Piplup positioned itself in such a way that, when it began to fall, it would barrel towards Ducklett. With its beak primed and ready, this time Piplup aimed to finish what it had started...

 

[Purplepassion]

Brielle Tenner
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Duskull, Cottonee
Ribbons: ---

Liam Withers
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Ducklett
Badges: ---

Ducklett blinked, trying to fly out of the way as Piplup started to descend. She was nearly out of the penguin's range when it rammed into her once more. Again she crumpled to the ground, this time not having enough strength to get up. "Oh, no," said Liam, running over to his Ducklett and picking her up. "Hold on for a moment, I've got to heal Ducklett up first!" With that, he returned his Ducklett into the Pokeball, dashed over to the Pokemon Center, and headed to the town's resident Nurse Joy.

"Oh, what do you need, young man?" asked the nurse, who was currently looking over at some of her Chansey that were taking care of other trainers' Pokemon.

"My, uh, my Ducklett...well, I just lost a battle and-" Liam was suddenly cut off by Nurse Joy.

"Is that so? Not to worry; we'll have it fixed up in a bit." With that, she took the Pokeball from Liam's hand and with her into another room, and although it was merely a few minutes, it seemed like hours for the impatient bird-keeper. "Here," said the nurse, emerging from the room with the Pokeball in her hand. "It should be completely revitalized now!"

"Thank you," Liam said with a grin, taking back his Pokeball and running back outside.

Brielle had watched the end of the battle unfold, and as Liam returned from the Pokemon Center, she shot him a blank stare. "What?" Liam asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"See, it's just like I told you, you shouldn't be battling people so quickly like that," Brielle replied, a bit harshly. Her voice quieted to a near whisper as she continued. "And to add insult to injury, a guy seemingly younger than you defeated you."

"You're right. I guess. Not that there's a problem with that." Liam shrugged and grinned sheepishly, before remembering his opponent was still there. He walked up to him and smiled. "Sorry for leaving so suddenly. But anyways, you're pretty good! Also, are you okay? You seemed kinda...er...less calm for a moment."

 

[Slipomatic]

Sherry Wilson
Jubilife City
Current Pokemon: Zorua

I was thankful that most of the trainers were too busy with their own pokemon to notice me. I didn't have anything against trainers, but I was a tad nervous with battling right now as I had spent a while not battling at all, unless you considered virtual battles battling. I was glad when I stepped Jubilife City as my zorua was wiped out with the constant practicing and battles against wild pokemon. It was worth it though. In the process of all that battling, zorua learned fury swipes. I needed to get zorua attended though as those starlys were very annoying after a while. I was glad that zorua was generally getting better though. Those first few scratches were embarrassing to say the least. She would attempt to scratch and miss and then stumble while the opponent would either laugh or take advantage of the still recovering zorua. I was glad that she quickly became quicker with each progressive battle to the point where I didn't have to worry so much about accuracy and could worry more about power and timing. Granted, she had fake tears down packed real good. Those first few battles where she had lost due to inexperience, after those battles, she would put up a real good cry and then when I tried to comfort her, she would hit me with her paw with a pouting face. It took me a while, longer than I'm ashamed to admit, to see through her fake tears.

I also realized that if I was going to keep travelling, it would be nice to have a map to work with as I was prone to getting lost. I was just lucky this time. I admired the city, even though in my mind it didn't look as pretty as Celadon City did. I eventually found the pokemon center and walked eagerly in. Although I wouldn't train zorua for the rest of today, I needed her to be healed just in case something happened. I greeted the nurse at the counter, not questioning how there were a lot of Nurse Joys and how eerily they looked similar, and asked her to heal my zorua. While she was off doing that I sat in one of the lounge chairs, watching the news. One bit of the news did cause to me to listen carefully. It was something about contests and while I normally didn't care for showing off, what the contest was about did sound interesting. I did blanch at the idea of having to dress up as I wasn't a big fancy of dresses. I could wear them, but I'd be very irritated at the end of the day, especially if it was something I didn't want to wear. After watching the promotional contest video, I relaxed in the lounge, waiting for Nurse Joy to call me over with my healed zorua.

 

[Morpher01]

Elliot/Jason Trey
Sandgem Town
Current Team: Piplup
Badge Count: 0
Ribbon Count: 0


Piplup's last blow finished Ducklett, sending it crumpling down onto the ground. Piplup made an equally-abrupt landing, slamming head-first into the ground due to a lack of mid-air control. Elliot grinned, knowing that this victory was the first step towards greater things. Ducklett's trainer, however, had other ideas.

"Hold on for a moment, I've got to heal Ducklett up first!" the duckling's trainer cried, recalling his bird and dashing into the Pokemon Center.

"Pip?" Piplup squeaked, waddling up to Elliot. The dark-haired trainer nodded.

"You did quite well for your first battle, Piplup," Elliot said. "We will, however, have to work on your skills in aerial combat. Your landing was...how should I phrase it...less-than-graceful."

Piplup gave an embarassed chuckle as it rubbed the back of its head. Ducklett's trainer came out of the Pokemon Center, and after a quick conversation with a somewhat moody-looking girl, he approached Elliot once again.

"Sorry for leaving so suddenly," the boy said. "But anyways, you're pretty good! Also, are you okay? You seemed kinda...er...less calm for a moment."

Having multiple personalities would most likely be a hinderance in this situation. Elliot, however, did not particularly care whether or not people knew of his disorder. Only if it interfered with his plans would he keep it a secret, and at the moment, that was not the case.

"Ah, I assume you are referring to Jason," Elliot said. "Forgive me. My name is Elliot...and yet that identity is only half of the larger puzzle that is my body. The other half is represented by Jason, who you are already familiar with."

He smirked.

"They say that two heads are better than one," Elliot grinned. "If that is so, than two minds in one body would naturally be superior to a single mind in a single body."

Piplup only stared at its new trainer. Its trainer had a multiple-personality disorder? No wonder his behavior was so odd! But...how had he become this way? And how would it affect his relationships with his Pokemon? The disturbingly casual tone he took when describing his condition was a sign of unpleasant things down the road, to say the least.

"Well, as I'm sure you understand, I must be off," Elliot said. "I must thank you for an excellent warm-up for my future battles. Until we meet again."

And with that, Elliot recalled his Piplup and turned to leave Sandgem Town.

 

[Purplepassion]

Brielle Tenner
Sandgem Town/Jubilife City
Current Team: Duskull, Cottonee
Ribbons: ---

Liam Withers
Sandgem Town/Jubilife City
Current Team: Ducklett
Badges: ---

After Liam had asked his question, the boy responded politely. "Ah, I assume you are referring to Jason," he said, and Liam raised an eyebrow before the boy started to speak again. "Forgive me. My name is Elliot...and yet that identity is only half of the larger puzzle that is my body. The other half is represented by Jason, who you are already familiar with."

Multiple personalities, remarked Brielle in her head. She made a mental note to use that in a future story.

Liam realized this a few seconds after, and Elliot smirked. "They say that two heads are better than one. If that is so, than two minds in one body would naturally be superior to a single mind in a single body." The bird keeper blinked. Elliot seemed more casual about the subject than he thought. And with that, Elliot announced that he would be leaving, thanking Liam for the warm-up. Before Liam could say anything else, he was already walking off.

"Aw, darn it," Liam sighed, turning towards Brielle. "I forgot to tell him our names." He clicked the center of Ducklett's Pokeball. A white light shone, and out came Ducklett, fully refreshed and smiling a little. As usual, she flapped her wings and landed on Liam's shoulder.

"I have a feeling we'll see him again," the writer replied, adjusting her backpack. "Come on, shall we head back to Jubilife? There's a contest there, and I need to get started on earning the ribbons."

"Oh, sure, sure," Liam said with a wave of his hand. He turned around and started walking back the way the two of them came from, Brielle quietly following behind.

"Sorry, Ducklett," he said to the duckling perched on his shoulder, who only gave him a happy, forgiving look. Then Liam looked to Brielle. "Not sending your Pokemon out?"

Brielle simply shook her head, her pace quickening a little. "I'll send them out later."

---

Jubilife City's Contest Hall was really not too hard to spot; it was one of the more eye-catching buildings in the bustling city. The two neighbors stood in front of it, taking in their surroundings.

"Well, Brielle. Are you going to go practice or something? I bet there's a practice hall somewhere in there," Liam said, scratching the back of his head.

Brielle shrugged. "I suppose I do need to get ready. I highly doubt I'll do well otherwise."

"Aw, don't say that," Liam said, putting a hand on her hat and grinning. "I'll go catch a Pokemon while you're practicing. We'll meet back here when we're done, okay?"

Brielle nodded. Liam began to walk quickly towards the path to Oreburgh City as she opened the door of the Contest Hall and slipped inside.

 

[Morpher01]

Elliot/Jason Trey
Route 202-Jubilife City
Current Team: Piplup
Badge Count: 0
Ribbon Count: 0



With his first victory under his belt, Elliot traversed Route 202, a smirk across his face. The Ducklett boy was just the first. Soon, dozens--hundreds--of trainers would fall beneath the power of his Pokemon. And then...then, once he was strong enough...his father would suffer.

Oh, how he would suffer. Every minute of loneliness and torment...Elliot would make his father pay for it in full. It would be so deliciously perfect that a Champion's son would prove his downfall.

"Starly!" chirped a small dark-colored bird that rushed out of the bushes. It stared at Elliot, as if expecting a battle. The boy merely sighed and released his Piplup.

"Piplup, use Peck and get this over with," Elliot said with as bored a tone as possible. "I've no interest in this miniature excuse for a bird."

Piplup slammed its beak into Starly's chest, quickly striking a weak point and instantly fainting the Starly. The fallen bird now lied flat in front of Piplup, who turned around and posed proudly.

"Yes, you executed that quite well," Elliot chuckled. "Now, come along."

"Pip?" Piplup squeaked, using one wing to indicate the unconscious Starly. "Pip, piplup?"

"I'm not catching that stupid bird!" snapped the Jason persona following a quick twitching of Elliot's brown eye, angrily punting the Starly into the grass. "Now shut up and return!"

Jason whipped out Piplup's Pokeball and sucked the penguin back inside. Once it did so, his blue eye twitched again, and Elliot returned.

"Well...now that this little business is settled, let us move on," Elliot smirked. "I dare say we may be winning our first ribbon soon."

****

Jubilife City was one of Sinnoh's largest cities, but by far the two most noticeable buildings were the Contest Hall and the Poketch Company's building. Elliot, however, had no interest in the device. He instead entered the Contest Hall, looking around. There was at least one practice hall for new Coordinators to devise routines, which would greatly aid virtually every user. A devilish grin spread across Elliot's face.

It was time to get the work.

 

[Torpoleon]

Signing Up For The Contest!

Zach
Jubilife City, Sinnoh
Current Team: Piplup, Magby & Budew
Badges: 0/8

Caroline
Jubilife City, Sinnoh
Current Team: Chimchar & Misdreavus
Ribbons: 0/4
(I'll have my characters wait in the contest hall and my next post will start it. Caroline's appeal is going to be first. By the way, after the Jubilife Contest, how about we have our characters go to sleep at the Pokémon Center or something? We could do that frequently throughout the RPg.)
"Zachy, hug me!" Caroline said to Zach when she noticed she was hugging him, but he wasn't.

Zach sighed as he noticed he had laid his hands down. As if getting hugged by Caroline was already crazy enough for him, but hugging her would just be insane.

"N-No," he protested. Suddenly, he noticed her about to cry and impulsively hugged her and pulled her close.

"Wow, Zach! I'm so surprised at you! Now you're hugging me back? Awesome!" She said out loud as she hugged Zach tighter. "Ya know what? For being such an awesome person to me so far, I've got a little gift for you." She reached into her backpack and put on red lipstick. Caroline proceeded to kiss Zach.

Just as her lips touched his cheeks, a man in a purple suit appeared. The very small kiss left an equally small mark on Zach's cheek. He wiped it off, which prompted Caroline to whisper, "Don't wipe off my kisses."

The man in the purple suit introduced himself as the president of the Pokétch Company and offered Zach and Caroline each a Pokétch. "I hope you don't mind red for the gentleman and pink for the lady," The two nodded as the Pokétch Company president left them to their business.

After Caroline got her Pokétch on, she smiled and put Zach's on for him.

"Now give me a thank you....." She started.

"Thank you!" Zach replied.

"....kiss." Caroline finished.

Zach was shocked, but still gave her a tiny kiss on the cheek. Though it was quick, the kiss felt amazing for Zach.

"Oh my gosh! You are just surprising me so much! Next thing you know, you'll say you love me!" Caroline said before she saw Zach's shocked expression. "Come on, let's go sign up for the contest!"

Caroline got up, much to Zach's relief (a little) and they exited the building.

Outside, Zach asked, "Do you have to use the bathroom before we go to the contest?"

Caroline shook her head no. "My bladder is empty." She did have a tiny urge to pee, but shrugged it off. Zach was a bit skeptical, but sighed.

First they went to the Pokémon Center and got a badge case and ribbon case, which they placed in their bags.

Then, they went to the contest hall, where Caroline signed up for it. She found out that the contest would start in a little bit and she'd be the first appeal. As she made her way backstage, she noticed how huge the stage was and panicked.

"Oh god, I'm so nervous," She proclaimed.

"Like pee your pants nervous?" Zach asked.

"A little," Caroline sighed as she sat down.

Zach sat right next to her, rubbed her legs and said, "Just stay calm and relax. You'll do fine!"

 

[Morpher01]

Elliot/Jason Trey
Jubilife City Contest Hall
Current Team: Piplup
Badge Count: 0
Ribbon Count: 0



"Now, Piplup, use Peck!" Elliot cried.

Piplup leapt into the air and directed a Peck towards the ceiling. Although it reached a suitable distance, the penguin flipped back onto the ground after a moment.

"Excellent," Elliot grinned. "I believe our appeal is ready."

"Pip-lup," Piplup nodded, proudly putting one wing on its chest.

With an amused smirk, Elliot recalled his Piplup and left the practice hall. He noticed the girl whose friend he had defeated in Sandgem Town, but paid her no mind as he went to the registration desk and signed up for the Contest. Once he had done so, he simply seated himself in a chair, distancing himself from the other entering Coordinators.

Elliot put a hand to his chin as he observed his competition. The Ducklett trainer's friend would most likely enter, but she had no Pokemon out that he could identify. A pair of other trainers, one male and one female, were engaged in a rather lovey-dovey conversation. Elliot snorted arrogantly. The girl would probably be too distracted by her boyfriend to pay attention to her own appeal.

No, the one he had to worry about was the other girl, the Ducklett trainer's friend. She appeared calm, reserved, and seemed to know what she was doing. In addition, she appeared to have two Pokemon in contrast to Elliot's lone Piplup. With this in mind, she had the potential to be something of a problem.

But all Elliot had to do was visualize his father's downfall, and a sinister smirk came to his face. Experience was the prime factor here. Should he win, his Piplup would become stronger. Should the girl win, the experience would allow Elliot to learn from his defeat and grow stronger regardless. Either way, he benefitted even if he did not win the ribbon.

Elliot grinned. Once he was strong enough...once he had conquered the League and Grand Festival...his father would pay. Oh, yes, he would pay. He would pay dearly for abandoning his son. And the pain, the humiliation, that he would suffer would be glorious.

Just as long as Elliot took things one step at a time, his eventual victory was assured.

 

[Double-oh-Platypus]

Taylor Lightwood
Jubilife City
Current Team: Treecko
Badge Count: N/A

Ellie Toews
Jubilife City
Current Team: Pichu
Badge Count: N/A
Ribbon Count: N/A

After a lot of arguing and shouting, Taylor and Ellie finally wound up at the Pokemon Centre in the middle of Jubilife City.

"We're going to need cases and stuff for all the badges we're going to win," Ellie argued. "You can't lose those badges, Taylor."

Taylor rolled his eyes. He had had every intention of just throwing the badges into his backpack upon receiving them, but Ellie had grown red in the face at the mention of it.

"You need to present all eight to the League or else they won't let you compete in the end."

"What does it matter to you?" Taylor asked. "If I don't get in there's a better chance of you winning." He watched in amusement as Ellie's mouth opened and closed as she tried to compose a response. He knew that she was trying to decide whether or not she wanted to argue the fact that she could beat him easily or if she wanted to continue talking about the badges.

She chose the badges.

"Tay, please," she said, and Taylor was a little dismayed to discover how uncomfortable the request made him feel. This was probably as close to begging as Ellie was going to get, but even then, to see past her normal bravado was a little unnerving.

"Fine," he grumbled, pushing the door open to the Pokemon Centre.

They had spent so much time arguing about the badge and ribbon cases ("You're getting a ribbon case too?" Ellie had asked Taylor, eyebrows raised. Taylor had shrugged indifferently. It didn't hurt to try a contest every once in a while, right? And he would probably win them too, because he was just awesome like that.) that by the time Ellie checked her Poketch she discovered that the contest would be starting soon.

"Now look what you've made me done," Ellie grumbled as they ran through the city towards the contest hall. "Made me late for my first contest."

"Not like you're going to win anyway," Taylor replied, which earned him a smack in the arm.

The lady at the registration table took one look at Ellie and Taylor's disheveled looks and handed them paperwork right away.

"Oh, I'm not entering," Taylor said, handing back the forms as Ellie scribbled in her name and address.

"Just here for moral support?" the attendant asked, winking. Taylor didn't really want to think about what that meant so he pushed Ellie along towards the dressing rooms in the back before the lady said something else equally embarrassing.

"I don't think you should be back here," Ellie said as she disappeared into one of the curtained stalls to change into a dress. Taylor had no idea why Ellie needed to change. Her clothes were fine enough for him.

She's not trying to impress you, Taylor thought to himself. The idea was so obscene that he blushed. "Whatever, just hurry up," he said, tapping his Poketch experimentally. It had a lot of new apps on it that his old one hadn't ...

The curtain swung back revealing a very refreshed looking Ellie. Her jeans and t-shirt were discarded for a floral print sundress that showed off her toned legs and arms. Her hair had been artfully arranged into a messy looking bun and her make-up had been readjusted. It was a good look for her.

"You clean up nice," he said, trying to sound casual.

"Thanks," Ellie said. She was clearly still distracted but she smiled at Taylor and pushed him towards the door. "Go find a seat in the stands," she said. "You're making me nervous."

Taylor wanted to ask why but with a final shove on his lower back, Ellie pushed him out of the dressing room, leaving Taylor standing awkwardly in the hallway. He wasn't quite sure why his heart was racing a little more than usual or why he had the sudden urge to flatten his hair where he constantly ran his fingers through it, but he also knew that if he took the time to think about the issue, he wouldn't like the answer. So, instead of dwelling on it, Taylor took Ellie's advice and climbed into the stands, settling himself in a prime position to watch the action of Ellie's first contest.

 

[Torpoleon]

The Contest Begins!

Zach
Jubilife City, Sinnoh
Current Team: Piplup, Magby & Budew
Badges: 0/8

Caroline
Jubilife City, Sinnoh
Current Team: Chimchar & Misdreavus
Ribbons: 0/4
(Now we can get the contest started. I do wish some people would get to the contest hall soon. Anyone who hasn't joined yet can still join, but just have your characters (if they enter) sign-up first.)
Caroline tried to calm down, but she found out that she was going to be doing her appeal first. This made her really nervous and now she really had to go pee.

Caroline crossed her legs and groaned. "Caroline," Zach said. "You like you have to go to the bathroom. Why don't you go and then change into your contest clothes? I don't want to see you wet yourself on stage." He was speaking quietly so no one else could hear and so Caroline wouldn't be embarrassed.

"I-I'll just hold it. I'm first and could be called down any minute for my appeal," Caroline explained. She continued crossing her legs.

Zach sighed. "Alright, fine. Good luck."

They did have to wait a bit, in which time Caroline could have easily went to the bathroom and also changed into a dress.

Marian, Sinnoh's MC of contests, appeared on the TV screen backstage and said, "Hello and welcome to the Jubilife Contest! I'm host, Marian! Let's meet our judges." The judges, Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo & Jubilife's Nurse Joy introduced themselves before Marian took over again.

"We have 16 hopeful contestants, but only 8 will make it onto the appeal round. Now, may our first contestant please come on stage!"

"OK, that's you, Caroline. Just stay calm and hopefully you can ignore the urge to pee," Zach said.

Caroline nodded as she kissed Zach and then wobbled to the stage.

On the way to the stage, her urge to pee grew stronger. She crossed her legs, tightly, but peed a little. It didn't seem like much and now the urge to pee went away for a little. Caroline had her Misdreavus's Poké Ball in hand and ran to the stage before anything bad could happen.

At the stage, a curtain opened, which revealed Caroline. The thousands of fans that were in the audience made Caroline a bit nervous, but she put that aside her.

"Misdreavus, come on out and use Mean Look!" Caroline called out as threw the ball in the air and Misdreavus popped out.

Misdreavus' eyes glowed red as the audience seemed trapped and were glued to Misdreavus.

"Awesome, now spin and use Psywave!" Caroline commanded.

Misdreavus floated into the air as Misdreeavus' eyes glowed blue this time. A multi-colored beam appeared and as Misdreavus spun, it created many sparkles from the attack.

"OK, I'm done!" Caroline said as the audience clapped.

"Now let's see what our judges have to say," Marian said as everyone turned to the judges.

Caroline casually crossed her legs because she felt she might have to pee soon.

"I understand that this was your first contest, young lady. Fairly decent for a first time," Mr. Contesta explained.

"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo commented.

"Very nice job. I like how you had the audience trapped and made such beautiful sparkles from Misdreavus and Psywave." Nurse Joy complimented.

Caroline thanked them as she recalled Misdreavus and went to backstage. When she left the stage and was heading backstage, she gasped as she started peeing!

Caroline ran and when she was backstage, she grabbed her bag from Zach and went into the bathroom.

"Can't believe I just did that!" Caroline said, completely shocked. She peed her jeans!

Zach knocked on the door. "Everything alright?"

"I'll be out soon!" Caroline called back, feeling very sad, almost at tears, as she changed into cleaner jeans and wiped off her makeup.

She reemerged from the bathroom and sat down next to Zach.

"I just peed my pants. Must've still been a bit nervous. Ugh, this is so annoying!" Caroline complained as she rested her head on Zach's shoulder.

"Well now everything is good. You changed and your appeal was pretty good considering this is your first time and how nervous you are," Zach explained.

Now it is time for the rest of the appeals.

 

[Slipomatic]

Sherry Wilson
Jubilife City Contest Hall
Current Pokemon: Zorua

I didn’t have to wait long to be called from the lounge to pick up my pokemon. Although I was told to let zorua rest for the rest of the day, I had plans that didn’t involve zorua exerting herself at all, at least physically. I thanked the nurse and clipped zorua’s poke ball onto my necklace. I walked out of the pokemon center after getting some directions from the nurse as to where the contest hall was located. I admired how the buildings looked modern, but it was way too city like as there wasn’t much greenery in the town. Unlike Celadon where we had a pond in town, this town looked more like it was suited for business people and less on trainers. I easily found the contest hall since it had a fancy appearance on the outside with a ribbon above the entrance. I walked through the doors and saw that it wasn’t too crowded. I walked up to the reception desk and was greeted by the woman.

“Hello, are you here to enter the Jubilife City contest?”

I shook my head and said, “No, I don’t feel ready yet to enter the contest, but if possible I would like to go ahead and have the registration done so I won’t have to worry about this.”

The woman smiled and replied, “That’s okay. You missed the deadline to enter this contest anyways, but I can go ahead and get you registered so you can enter contests held in the Sinnoh Region. I just need a form of identification, preferably a pokedex.”

I nodded and rummaged through my bag and grabbed my pokedex and handed it to her and she nodded and placed the pokedex in a slot. After entering a few commands, she handed me my pokedex back and then placed a few items on the desk that intrigued me. When she saw my questioning look, she explained each item to me.

“What I’m giving you is the starters kit that all new contest trainers receive when they register for the first time in the region.” She pointed at the ball capsule and said, “This is a ball capsule that you will use when you first start the appeals round and battle rounds.” She pointed at the star sticker and said, “This is a capsule sticker that you can place on the capsule. By using different stickers or even adding the same stickers, you can enhance your pokemon’s entrance which can help or hinder you. Be careful though as these stickers are one time use so be sure to buy more when you stop at a pokemart.” She then pointed at the last item which appeared to be a license and said, “This will serve as your ID and contest pass in Sinnoh. You will be able to enter contests with this and gain access to training grounds nearby to practice.”

I smiled and said, “Thank you. I will be sure to think about this when I decide to make my entrance. But for now, is the contest under way and can I watch it? I’d like to see how it works and then decide on what to do after that.”

The receptionist smiled and replied, “Of course, there is a contest that is just about to start. You have to pay a small fee to watch though.”

I nodded and paid the small fee to watch the contest and entered the room where they would be starting the contest in. To me, it looked like an auditorium with a large stage that had a battlefield on it, down the trainer boxes and lines. I found a seat near the middle of the auditorium. I released zorua who looked tired. I quietly spoke to her, “Hey zorua, would you like to watch this contest with me? I need to know if you’re interested in doing this.”

Zorua looked up at me and nodded so I held her in my arms so she could see over the seats. Of course she could have transformed into an identical version of me, but I guess she was more tired than I thought she would be. I focused my attention when a voice announced that the contest was starting.

I watched as she did her routine and saw that the attacks that were called out were done differently. Instead of going for effectiveness, the attacks relied on being more showy so some of the power from the moves were lost and that the moves themselves required more effort to affect their appearances. Then again, it could be from special foods that were cooked just for people interested in contests that the effects came from the moves. It appeared to be interesting for me as it meant that in contests, you needed a fine control of power and creativity. Although I didn’t know how appeals went, I think the appeal was sort of okay. I sat there as I watched several more do their appeals.

 

[Double-oh-Platypus]

Taylor Lightwood
Jubilife City
Current Team: Treecko
Badge Count: N/A

Ellie Toews
Jubilife City
Current Team: Pichu
Badge Count: N/A
Ribbon Count: N/A

It felt suddenly strange to be without Taylor's presence.

After spending so many days with him, Ellie felt almost like she was missing a limb as she waited nervously backstage. She watched as the first girl went out, looking as nervous as Ellie felt, and performed her appeal. The judges seemed to like it and now Ellie was wondering if she should have practiced at all; she hadn't done anything to prepare Pichu for the contest and now she was going to have to rely on the fact that they'd been together for ages and knew each other well in order for her appeal to look good.

"Can we have our next contestant please?" the MC called from the stage and, steeling her nerves, Ellie took to the stage.

The bright lights trained on her prevented the basketball player from seeing into the stands, but it helped her to know that Taylor was out there somewhere. Or, at least, she thought he was. The idea that her lab partner wasn't there was a little frightening to Ellie, but she couldn't allow herself to think like that. Taylor wouldn't leave her at the contest. He was mean to her sometimes, but that was just cruel.

"All right, Pichu, let's do this," Ellie murmured, tossing her only Pokemon's ball out in front of her.

Her Pichu appeared in a flash of white light, shaking out his fur as he materialized on stage. He grinned cheekily at the crowd and sat up on his back legs, charming the judges.

Perfect.

"Let's start things off with Thundershock," Ellie ordered. She watched as electricity gathered around Pichu's face, sparks appearing from the pouches on his cheeks. With a squeaky cry, he released the pent up electricity, letting the small bolts and waves explode from his body. The result was dazzling and the audience applauded politely.

"Great, and now, use Volt Tackle," Ellie said. It was an attack that they hadn't quite mastered yet and while it was still an effective tool in battle, Ellie knew that it would be awhile before her Pokemon would be able to fully engulf himself in electricity. Still, she was pleased to see as a faint yellow glow surrounded her Pokemon. "Now jump and spin!" Ellie called.

Pichu smiled again at the crowd and leaped into the air, spinning rapidly. Once again, bolts of electricity went flying from his body, dissipating over the crowd. The audience cheered and Ellie curtseyed before recalling her bowing Pichu to his Poke Ball.

"Let's see what our judges have to say," the MC said over the applause.

"Quite remarkable," Mr. Sukizo exclaimed, beaming at Ellie.

"Short and straight to the point," Mr. Contesta added. "I like that."

Ellie thanked the two judges and turned to Nurse Joy, the third and final judge. "I think you have a lot of potential," the nurse said kindly. "I can't wait to see you as blossom and grow."

With a final curtsey, Ellie turned and strode off the stage. The judges' comments made her confident that even if she wasn't going to the second round, she had a lot of natural talent when it came to appeals. It wouldn't be long before she began winning contests, she figured.

 

[Purplepassion]

Brielle Tenner
Jubilife City
Current Team: Duskull, Cottonee
Ribbons: ---

Liam Withers
Route 203
Current Team: Ducklett
Badges: ---

"Excuse me."

The contest hall's receptionist blinked, looking down at the quiet young girl at her desk. "Yes, what would you like?"

"My name is Brielle Tenner. I'd like to apply for today's contest, if that isn't much of a problem." Brielle adjusted her hat, then glanced around.

"Do you have a ribbon case?" asked the receptionist, raising an eyebrow. The fourteen-year-old shook her head. "Well, then, you should take this," said the receptionist, handing her a ribbon case. She then turned to the computer to the right of her and began to type Brielle's name into the contest list.

"Thank you," Brielle said politely, seeing this and knowing she was registered. She then walked into the practice hall, a must-see for any fresh, starting coordinator, and placed her backpack on a chair. She zipped it open, taking out her outfit and Duskull's Pokeball. She figured she would use the ghost here, because she couldn't actually see what an appeal would be like with just a Leech Seed and Stun Spore combination. Then she looked towards the practice stage.

It was about time that she get started.

---

Liam looked around expectantly in the grass, trying to find any interesting things to catch. Clearly his Ducklett wouldn't be enough firepower to get to the top alone, so he'd have to catch something else. But what? thought Liam, putting a hand on his chin and thinking for a moment.

Nothing to see here, thought Liam, looking around. Trees, trees, grass, trainers, roads- hey, what's that? His eyes stopped on a little red bug lying in a grass patch. Of course Liam had seen those before; they were Kricketot. Regardless, he flipped his Pokedex open and read what it said about the cricket Pokemon.

"So it's a short-legged creature that can make xylophone sounds with its head," Liam said, closing his Pokedex and grinning. He reached for a Pokeball. "Sounds like a nice catch! Go, Ducklett!"

---

"Now land, and end with a bow," instructed Brielle, and Duskull did just that, ending the appeal Brielle had thought up for the fifth time. "Excellent," the girl said, smiling slightly. "I think we're ready enough now. Let's go."

She entered the dressing room, and closed the curtain behind her in one of the stalls. In just a few minutes, her usual cardigan and skirt were replaced by a more professional outfit made by none other than her sister. She had a pea coat on now, azure as always and unbuttoned, and complemented that pea coat with a business skirt in a shade of black. Her shirt was now a tint of gray, but her hat remained on her head - if there was any nickname she'd have to be called by the other competitors, she'd have preferred to be called "that girl with the hat." Or "the writer." Either one worked for her, really.

She looked at her short self in the mirror with her vacant stare, before nodding and walking out of the dressing room. She was ready, she assured herself as she walked to the contestants' waiting room, taking a seat and opening her trusty notebook.

---

Ducklett had executed a well-aimed blast of water, and Liam grinned in excitement. While the Kricketot had caused complications with its Bide attack the first time, he knew his little blue bird wouldn't fall. "Great job, Ducklett! Fly back quickly, it's going to unleash Bide again!" Ducklett recoiled, flying into the air with a smile just as the Kricketot charged towards the duck Pokemon. The little bug couldn't jump that high, it seemed, and all the energy it had stored up had been wasted.

"Now, Ducklett! Water Gun from behind!" Liam called, fumbling around in his backpack for a Pokeball. The bird did as he asked, and spat out a jet of water as fast as it could. The water rammed into Kricketot's back, knocking it over temporarily. The bird watcher found a Pokeball at this point, and threw it straight towards the fallen red bug.

The ball released a flash of light, and dropped to the floor. It wiggled and continued to wiggle for a couple of seconds. Still, the hasty boy felt as if it would take forever before he'd know the answer. Ducklett herself looked across on the opposite side in a battle-ready pose.

Ding.

Liam's grin got even wider, and he scooped the Pokeball up happily. "That's that!" he said to Ducklett, who flew back onto his shoulder. "All right, let's go heal up and then we'll troop over to the contest hall, understand?" The little duck nodded, and the two went back into the city.

---

The contestants Brielle faced were certainly eye-catching - at least, a certain few were. At one side of the room there were two kids, younger than her no doubt, engaged in romantic conversations. Brielle couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at them and smirk - she knew better than to interrupt them, though. Across from her was the boy with the multiple personalities; Elliot was his name, the girl remembered. She would have to pay attention to him, seeing as he had easily beaten Liam in his first battle. Then there was another girl, with a very toned body, waiting on her own like Brielle and Elliot; Brielle assumed that she went outside often.

Marian's voice announced the contest's start right then, and the first one to appeal turned out to be the little romance girl. She got up, and then after her, the sundress girl stood to perform her appeal. Both had impressive appeals, and as the girl in the sundress went back to her seat and some other random person stood up, Liam entered the room.

"I saw those appeals on TV," Liam said, sounding slightly out of breath as he took a seat next to Brielle. "But, y'know, you'll do as good, right?" He didn't give Brielle a chance to respond, continuing with, "Of course you will. When that person gets back to their seat, you're next, so good luck!"

Brielle stared at the screen. She would probably need that luck in a matter of moments.