Hayle Chapter 2: Down the Rabbit Hole

[Arcran]

Oh is that what we get? Puck asked, a bit of his old humor returning to his voice. To be one of the strongest trainers ever? You're sounding like all those Champion wannabe's now. But I'll help you train. Green Seeds has
already accepted me in everything but formality, so its not like I have much to lose. What did you have in mind?

Spoiler

Show

And now I think you may have a bit of meta sneaking in there. Just a bit though.

"I mean, come on, between Dawn and Quicksilver we're already far more powerful than we have any right to be. If they end up as powerful as Toto is, we'll walk all over the Elite Four. Not that I'm complaining, mind you," Marcus states, looking around at his team. "But basically, I have a Pokken battle in two days to get into the dorm I want, and I've never actually done a Pokken fight. If he specializes in Fire Types I think I know the Pokemon I want to go with, I just need to figure out the nuances of it all. I'm guessing you've at least seen a battle or two of it in your time here?" Marcus asks hopefully, calling forward Gelver, Pix and Comiter.

[CosmicOccurence]

"I mean, come on, between Dawn and Quicksilver we're already far more powerful than we have any right to be. If they end up as powerful as Toto is, we'll walk all over the Elite Four. Not that I'm complaining, mind you," Marcus states, looking around at his team. "But basically, I have a Pokken battle in two days to get into the dorm I want, and I've never actually done a Pokken fight. If he specializes in Fire Types I think I know the Pokemon I want to go with, I just need to figure out the nuances of it all. I'm guessing you've at least seen a battle or two of it in your time here?" Marcus asks hopefully, calling forward Gelver, Pix and Comiter.

I've seen a few, but none over anything terribly serious. A lot of people have been competing for spots in the Sky Battle class. It'll be my first time actually battling one though, so I can't garuntee that I'll be of any use to you.

The two of you walked down the road to one of the few battle parks around in Armedius. It was empty other than the two of you. Your battles, consisting of your three Pokemon vs his Ludicolo, Ivysaur, and Tropius, went fairly well. It was odd trying to get the hang of fighting to one fainted Pokemon, making type advantages especially important.

After a few practice battles, Puck returned his Pokemon. Best not to push too hard, especially if you've got a battle in a few days. No use in going in weaker than you need to be! Shall we head to the Center?

Spoiler

Show

You gain xp for those three as if you trained them for the day

[Arcran]

I've seen a few, but none over anything terribly serious. A lot of people have been competing for spots in the Sky Battle class. It'll be my first time actually battling one though, so I can't garuntee that I'll be of any use to you.

The two of you walked down the road to one of the few battle parks around in Armedius. It was empty other than the two of you. Your battles, consisting of your three Pokemon vs his Ludicolo, Ivysaur, and Tropius, went fairly well. It was odd trying to get the hang of fighting to one fainted Pokemon, making type advantages especially important.

After a few practice battles, Puck returned his Pokemon. Best not to push too hard, especially if you've got a battle in a few days. No use in going in weaker than you need to be! Shall we head to the Center?

Spoiler

Show

You gain xp for those three as if you trained them for the day

Marcus returns his team as well, wiping a bead of sweat on his forehead. Practicing with those three against Puck would be perfect exercise anyways; if they could compete at a heavy Type Disadvantage, then when it comes to the fight against Kirk would be a breeze, especially if he could pick up the few extra toys he wanted for his team before then.

"Yeah, might as well let our teams rest. Thanks again," Marcus states, jotting down some quick notes about Puck's Tropius. "It actually helped a lot. Weird way to battle though, right? Have to focus a lot more on, well, everything," Marcus finishes lamely.

[Prehysterical]

To the right you saw several doors for storage rooms and operating tables. At the end of the hallway was a door labeled with 'loading dock'. The hallway straight ahead of you had a few offices branching off from it before hitting a set of stairs that ran upwards.

Senga paused only to have her Pokemon once again seal the exit, ensuring Skull wouldn't be able to open the door. Well? she asked, obviously unable to see what you could. Which way?

Grabbing her hand to guide her, Angus runs toward the stairs. Lamorak finds it easy to follow the knight in his armor, regardless of the darkness. Angus says in a low voice, "We're going out the front door. We need outside eyes to help us."

[CosmicOccurence]

Marcus returns his team as well, wiping a bead of sweat on his forehead. Practicing with those three against Puck would be perfect exercise anyways; if they could compete at a heavy Type Disadvantage, then when it comes to the fight against Kirk would be a breeze, especially if he could pick up the few extra toys he wanted for his team before then.

"Yeah, might as well let our teams rest. Thanks again," Marcus states, jotting down some quick notes about Puck's Tropius. "It actually helped a lot. Weird way to battle though, right? Have to focus a lot more on, well, everything," Marcus finishes lamely.

Well, it seems like a good skill to learn with how popular they are here Puck replied as your Pokemon got healed up. The two of you finished you conversation, got your Pokemon back from the Pokemon Center, and Puck bade you a quick goodbye before heading back up to the academy to tour the greenhouses.

[CosmicOccurence]

Grabbing her hand to guide her, Angus runs toward the stairs. Lamorak finds it easy to follow the knight in his armor, regardless of the darkness. Angus says in a low voice, "We're going out the front door. We need outside eyes to help us."

As you hurried up the stairs, you came into another hallway. Here you recognized the map that Gladia had drawn for you earlier. The exit was just down the hallway and through the lobby. However, if Gladia's map was still accurate, there was a person in the second viewing gallery on the left.

[Prehysterical]

As you hurried up the stairs, you came into another hallway. Here you recognized the map that Gladia had drawn for you earlier. The exit was just down the hallway and through the lobby. However, if Gladia's map was still accurate, there was a person in the second viewing gallery on the left.

Continuing to speak softly, Angus asks Senga, "That goo your dragon makes... Is it permanent, or temporary? There's someone in that second room on the left and I don't know if they're Jamba or not. If we can seal that entrance, that will help cover our escape."

[Arcran]

Well, it seems like a good skill to learn with how popular they are here Puck replied as your Pokemon got healed up. The two of you finished you conversation, got your Pokemon back from the Pokemon Center, and Puck bade you a quick goodbye before heading back up to the academy to tour the greenhouses.

"Let me know if anything comes up," Marcus states as the other boy leaves, waiting to get his team back before heading up to get some rest. Today had been a big day; he'd won his first Gym Battle, he'd met his best chance of getting into Shooting Stars, he'd found Puck after all this time and managed to catch up and, most of all, he was registered at Armedius Academy.

Still, that joy was somewhat tempered by the fact that Jamba was after him. The only thing he could really do to prepare for that was to train, but he'd been training anyways. He'd have to keep an eye out and keep Quicksilver safe, otherwise he could go the same was as Jenn.

Once Marcus gets his team back he heads up to one of the Pokemon Center rooms, letting Arista out to sleep, directing the Grimer towards the door. Was the smell fairly unpleasant? Yes. Would Arista be the perfect alarm if somebody tried to enter? You know it.

And so Marcus falls asleep, head racing with the discoveries of the day and exactly how to beat a Fire Type Trainer in Pokken.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

I figured it'd be late enough in the day at this point for heading to bed to not be unreasonable. Let me know if I'm wrong!

[CosmicOccurence]

Continuing to speak softly, Angus asks Senga, "That goo your dragon makes... Is it permanent, or temporary? There's someone in that second room on the left and I don't know if they're Jamba or not. If we can seal that entrance, that will help cover our escape."

It doesn't disappear on its own, but it isn't that hard to blast it away. It isn't the toughest stuff around. Senga replied as the two of you crept forwards. Of course, if they don't know that there's even anyone on the other side of the door, then they'd have no reason to try and open it, meaning the slime likely won't be detected.

Spoiler

Show

Going to need stealth checks if you want to do it without them realizing you're outside their room.

DC is - (2d6)[6]

[CosmicOccurence]

"Let me know if anything comes up," Marcus states as the other boy leaves, waiting to get his team back before heading up to get some rest. Today had been a big day; he'd won his first Gym Battle, he'd met his best chance of getting into Shooting Stars, he'd found Puck after all this time and managed to catch up and, most of all, he was registered at Armedius Academy.

Still, that joy was somewhat tempered by the fact that Jamba was after him. The only thing he could really do to prepare for that was to train, but he'd been training anyways. He'd have to keep an eye out and keep Quicksilver safe, otherwise he could go the same was as Jenn.

Once Marcus gets his team back he heads up to one of the Pokemon Center rooms, letting Arista out to sleep, directing the Grimer towards the door. Was the smell fairly unpleasant? Yes. Would Arista be the perfect alarm if somebody tried to enter? You know it.

And so Marcus falls asleep, head racing with the discoveries of the day and exactly how to beat a Fire Type Trainer in Pokken.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

I figured it'd be late enough in the day at this point for heading to bed to not be unreasonable. Let me know if I'm wrong!

You had a peaceful night's sleep and woke for the penultimate time in the rather uncomfortable beds of the Pokemon Centers.

Spoiler

Show

I don't have any plans for you today, so do whatever you'd like

[Arcran]

You had a peaceful night's sleep and woke for the penultimate time in the rather uncomfortable beds of the Pokemon Centers.

Spoiler

Show

I don't have any plans for you today, so do whatever you'd like

Marcus wakes up with a groan, rolling out of the Pokemon Center bed. Only a few more days, and Marcus would have a real bed and wouldn't have to sleep on the rock-stuffed monstrosity that was a Pokemon Center bed. Still, you got what you paid for, right?

The exciting day of Marcus' life begins with eating breakfast in the Pokemon Center, eating the fake eggs, slightly burned toast and barely overripe fruit while reading through the books Koon had gotten him. The rest of Marcus' team worked through their respective meals, causing Marcus to feel a slight pang of guilt as Icon eats a rather prodigious amount of food. Hopefully the dorms included a meal plan, otherwise there was no way Marcus could afford, well, just about anything.

After that it was off to training, both for Marcus and his team. Quick switching, rapid attacks against a nearby tree and, of course, practicing the signature techniques Marcus has worked so hard with his team to develop. Even some of Marcus' reserve team got a chance to flex their muscles, with Era, Nibil, Pentax and Sima getting a chance to work. Afterwards, Marcus sat on the grass, reviewing switching techniques with Gelver and Comiter as Pix and Era roam free, hunting for honey and items in the park. As he does so, Marcus notes some of the reserve team watching rather closely as he reviews combat techniques; if he wasn't wrong, he had a halfway decent Pokken Team just sitting in reserve at the moment.

With those thoughts in mind, Marcus heads to the town square, hunting for both a Tutor and an item shop. Comiter was tough, extremely so, but Fire Type Trainers had a habit of making use of overwhelming strength, and without a Type Resistance Comiter was especially vulnerable, unless he happened to have a Move that would let him dodge even within a blazing inferno. One purchase for defense, and then two items that will give Gelver and Pix much more firepower and Marcus was feeling much more prepared for tomorrow.

Of course, for Marcus, there was no such thing as too much preparation. The next few hours were spent borderline stalking, using both digital and physical means. Battle footage of Kirk, his friends, his family, anything that might tell him something about what to expect in the battle. He was mostly focused on the team used by Kirk; if he needed to make a last-minute adjustment, now would be the best time to figure that out, but also his battling style. Was he going to have to expect overwhelming force, or more of a nuanced assault?

Next on the list was simply exploring the Academy. With his team by his side, Marcus attempts to cover as much of the grounds as possible in an hour, focusing mostly on the common battle arenas. If Marcus knew the arena, his team would be at that much more of an advantage, especially if the Fire Types attempted to use smoke or heat to distort the attacks.

As the day came closer and closer to a close, Marcus goes to buy school supplies. A stack of journals, few pounds of pens, a new backpack and even a stylus for his Pokegear later and Marcus was ready for his first day. Marcus even spends a little time in the library, hunting for information about Arceus, Cryptids, and just about anything else that could help him with Quicksilver.

As his day comes to a close, Marcus hunts for somebody he could train with for a little bit longer and, hopefully, win a little cash. A battle to get out the nerves, and get some last minute practice in. The Shooting Stars job was his in all but name.

Spoiler

Show

Oh boy, so many things!

Bind Studies in Scarlet and Cryptid Hunters using my Lore Badge AP.

Train my team! Brutal Training, Focused Training, and Ace Trainer. Also, everybody gets EXP!
Gelver: 21 EXP
Comiter: 21 EXP
Icon: 21 EXP
Quicksilver: 21 EXP
Pix: 21 EXP
Arista: 21 EXP
Era: 17 EXP
Nibil: 17 EXP
Pentax: 20 EXP
Sina: 19 EXP

Going to use Era's Pickup and Era and Pix's Honey Gather!
Pickup: (1d20)[8] - A random Berry!

Now time for shopping! This is fun...
Use Egg Tutor to teach Comiter Detect - 4k
Buy an Expert Belt for Gelver - 3.5k, total 7.5k
Buy a Water Type Gem - ??? - No listed price, but I assume a little less than 500?
Aaaaaaaaand we're out of money.

Other stuff is in your court, but I feel like a few rolls can't hurt[
Kirk Research: (4d6+2)[22]
Academy Profiles (focusing on wherever the fight tomorrow will likely be): (4d6+2)[19]
Cryptid Research: (3d6+2)[8]

[CosmicOccurence]

Marcus wakes up with a groan, rolling out of the Pokemon Center bed. Only a few more days, and Marcus would have a real bed and wouldn't have to sleep on the rock-stuffed monstrosity that was a Pokemon Center bed. Still, you got what you paid for, right?

The exciting day of Marcus' life begins with eating breakfast in the Pokemon Center, eating the fake eggs, slightly burned toast and barely overripe fruit while reading through the books Koon had gotten him. The rest of Marcus' team worked through their respective meals, causing Marcus to feel a slight pang of guilt as Icon eats a rather prodigious amount of food. Hopefully the dorms included a meal plan, otherwise there was no way Marcus could afford, well, just about anything.

After that it was off to training, both for Marcus and his team. Quick switching, rapid attacks against a nearby tree and, of course, practicing the signature techniques Marcus has worked so hard with his team to develop. Even some of Marcus' reserve team got a chance to flex their muscles, with Era, Nibil, Pentax and Sima getting a chance to work. Afterwards, Marcus sat on the grass, reviewing switching techniques with Gelver and Comiter as Pix and Era roam free, hunting for honey and items in the park. As he does so, Marcus notes some of the reserve team watching rather closely as he reviews combat techniques; if he wasn't wrong, he had a halfway decent Pokken Team just sitting in reserve at the moment.

With those thoughts in mind, Marcus heads to the town square, hunting for both a Tutor and an item shop. Comiter was tough, extremely so, but Fire Type Trainers had a habit of making use of overwhelming strength, and without a Type Resistance Comiter was especially vulnerable, unless he happened to have a Move that would let him dodge even within a blazing inferno. One purchase for defense, and then two items that will give Gelver and Pix much more firepower and Marcus was feeling much more prepared for tomorrow.

Of course, for Marcus, there was no such thing as too much preparation. The next few hours were spent borderline stalking, using both digital and physical means. Battle footage of Kirk, his friends, his family, anything that might tell him something about what to expect in the battle. He was mostly focused on the team used by Kirk; if he needed to make a last-minute adjustment, now would be the best time to figure that out, but also his battling style. Was he going to have to expect overwhelming force, or more of a nuanced assault?

Next on the list was simply exploring the Academy. With his team by his side, Marcus attempts to cover as much of the grounds as possible in an hour, focusing mostly on the common battle arenas. If Marcus knew the arena, his team would be at that much more of an advantage, especially if the Fire Types attempted to use smoke or heat to distort the attacks.

As the day came closer and closer to a close, Marcus goes to buy school supplies. A stack of journals, few pounds of pens, a new backpack and even a stylus for his Pokegear later and Marcus was ready for his first day. Marcus even spends a little time in the library, hunting for information about Arceus, Cryptids, and just about anything else that could help him with Quicksilver.

As his day comes to a close, Marcus hunts for somebody he could train with for a little bit longer and, hopefully, win a little cash. A battle to get out the nerves, and get some last minute practice in. The Shooting Stars job was his in all but name.

Spoiler

Show

Oh boy, so many things!

Bind Studies in Scarlet and Cryptid Hunters using my Lore Badge AP.

Train my team! Brutal Training, Focused Training, and Ace Trainer. Also, everybody gets EXP!
Gelver: 21 EXP
Comiter: 21 EXP
Icon: 21 EXP
Quicksilver: 21 EXP
Pix: 21 EXP
Arista: 21 EXP
Era: 17 EXP
Nibil: 17 EXP
Pentax: 20 EXP
Sina: 19 EXP

Going to use Era's Pickup and Era and Pix's Honey Gather!
Pickup: [roll0] - A random Berry!

Now time for shopping! This is fun...
Use Egg Tutor to teach Comiter Detect - 4k
Buy an Expert Belt for Gelver - 3.5k, total 7.5k
Buy a Water Type Gem - ??? - No listed price, but I assume a little less than 500?
Aaaaaaaaand we're out of money.

Other stuff is in your court, but I feel like a few rolls can't hurt[
Kirk Research: [roll1]
Academy Profiles (focusing on wherever the fight tomorrow will likely be): [roll2]
Cryptid Research: [roll3]

It wasn't hard to find Tutors or Item Suppliers on campus, as many of the students were setting up shop so that students could purchase their school supplies (potions, TMs, and tutoring services in this case) for the start of the semester. You also did a quick tour of campus. While many of the facilities were closed, you got a closer look at the Quad, the Dorms (though not inside), and the Training Facilities. A few quick questions about dorm rush to some of the students told you that it would take place on the quad, and your battle would be far from the only one.

Your research was much less fruitful however. While the library was technically open, you were not yet an official student meaning that your access to books was extraordinarily limited. The Kirlia librarian flat out refused to let you into anything more than the atrium, where a wide variety of books was kept for public consumption to lure students to the resources of the Academy. You only found the information that you already knew in the few books that mentioned them: how rare and powerful they were and how you really shouldn't go trying to capture them because its super dangerous. One book had a mention that most people thought the storms around Stormwrack were caused by a cryptid, but it went into no more detail than that.

Your research into Kirk was more fruitful, although only slightly. You found a newspaper clipping from Wrystone with his name on the list of new trainers, with the species Charmander listed next to it. Aside from that you couldn't find any more official records by the league. You did, however, get his face from his PikaSocial account, as his badge list (Central, Serenity, Armedius), and though it didn't list his team, his profile picture was of him with a Rapidash. His mother also had a blog, which was mostly pictures of Skitty, but there was a single mention of her son 'Fire Blasting the competition away'.

In your search for a battling partner, you found a young girl, perhaps 16. Like you, she was a prospective student, a Psychic who hoped to join Telepathtron, a exceedingly small dorm exclusively of mind readers. Want to do a Pokken? she asked. I'm ok with pretty much any bet.

Spoiler

Show

Iappa Berry (sorry, unlucky roll there).
400 for the gems say

[Arcran]

It wasn't hard to find Tutors or Item Suppliers on campus, as many of the students were setting up shop so that students could purchase their school supplies (potions, TMs, and tutoring services in this case) for the start of the semester. You also did a quick tour of campus. While many of the facilities were closed, you got a closer look at the Quad, the Dorms (though not inside), and the Training Facilities. A few quick questions about dorm rush to some of the students told you that it would take place on the quad, and your battle would be far from the only one.

Your research was much less fruitful however. While the library was technically open, you were not yet an official student meaning that your access to books was extraordinarily limited. The Kirlia librarian flat out refused to let you into anything more than the atrium, where a wide variety of books was kept for public consumption to lure students to the resources of the Academy. You only found the information that you already knew in the few books that mentioned them: how rare and powerful they were and how you really shouldn't go trying to capture them because its super dangerous. One book had a mention that most people thought the storms around Stormwrack were caused by a cryptid, but it went into no more detail than that.

Your research into Kirk was more fruitful, although only slightly. You found a newspaper clipping from Wrystone with his name on the list of new trainers, with the species Charmander listed next to it. Aside from that you couldn't find any more official records by the league. You did, however, get his face from his PikaSocial account, as his badge list (Central, Serenity, Armedius), and though it didn't list his team, his profile picture was of him with a Rapidash. His mother also had a blog, which was mostly pictures of Skitty, but there was a single mention of her son 'Fire Blasting the competition away'.

In your search for a battling partner, you found a young girl, perhaps 16. Like you, she was a prospective student, a Psychic who hoped to join Telepathtron, a exceedingly small dorm exclusively of mind readers. Want to do a Pokken? she asked. I'm ok with pretty much any bet.

Spoiler

Show

Iappa Berry (sorry, unlucky roll there).
400 for the gems say

Marcus awoke the next morning, thinking about the draw with Lara as he goes through the exact some routine as the morning before. Reading, breakfast, training. He'd only fought the girl to a draw yesterday, but he had managed to get a real Pokken under his belt which was more experience than he could have expected to go into the next day with. The Cryptid research had mostly been a bust, but once he was a real student here that would change. At least Marcus certainly hoped so...

And so, Marcus walked into Cosmos Arena, waiting for the group orientation to begin. He wasn't honestly sure what to expect; would they just get a basic overview of the Academy and be sent on their way? Or would their be more to it? Either way, the Trainer tries to find Puck, hoping to sit with one of the few people he actually knows, eagerly waiting for his true tenure as a student to begin and nervous for his battle with Kirk.

Spoiler: Morning Training

Show

Train my team! Brutal Training, Focused Training, and Ace Trainer. Also, everybody gets EXP!
Gelver: 21 EXP
Comiter: 21 EXP
Icon: 21 EXP
Quicksilver: 21 EXP
Pix: 21 EXP
Arista: 21 EXP
Era: 17 EXP
Nibil: 17 EXP
Pentax: 20 EXP
Sina: 19 EXP

[CosmicOccurence]

Marcus awoke the next morning, thinking about the draw with Lara as he goes through the exact some routine as the morning before. Reading, breakfast, training. He'd only fought the girl to a draw yesterday, but he had managed to get a real Pokken under his belt which was more experience than he could have expected to go into the next day with. The Cryptid research had mostly been a bust, but once he was a real student here that would change. At least Marcus certainly hoped so...

And so, Marcus walked into Cosmos Arena, waiting for the group orientation to begin. He wasn't honestly sure what to expect; would they just get a basic overview of the Academy and be sent on their way? Or would their be more to it? Either way, the Trainer tries to find Puck, hoping to sit with one of the few people he actually knows, eagerly waiting for his true tenure as a student to begin and nervous for his battle with Kirk.

Spoiler: Morning Training

Show

Train my team! Brutal Training, Focused Training, and Ace Trainer. Also, everybody gets EXP!
Gelver: 21 EXP
Comiter: 21 EXP
Icon: 21 EXP
Quicksilver: 21 EXP
Pix: 21 EXP
Arista: 21 EXP
Era: 17 EXP
Nibil: 17 EXP
Pentax: 20 EXP
Sina: 19 EXP

As you shuffled into Cosmos Arena, you were handed a small card from one of the seating hosts. It seemed there were assigned spots. Somehow, among what seemed to be the 200ish new trainers who had joined the academy. Some of them you heard speaking languages other than your own, telling you they were from overseas. Others seemed to be pushing the 25 year old threshold to study at the academy formally as a student. It was truly a mix of trainers like you had never seen before.

Somehow, you ended up sitting next to Puck. Who quickly took his portable grower off your seat and tucked it underneath his own chair. While your group only filled a small portion of the massive arena, the sheer size of it remained impressive despite the empty seats. You were seated near the floor, and a large stage was set up next to the section where you and the other trainers were sitting. The entire arena was lit with natural sunlight, as the skylight had been opened after a short morning rain had ended.

Ready? Puck whispered to you as Koon emerged from one of the passages leading from the inner chambers of the arena and advanced onto the podium to the single microphone, on an old stand, which sat at the front of the stage.

[Arcran]

As you shuffled into Cosmos Arena, you were handed a small card from one of the seating hosts. It seemed there were assigned spots. Somehow, among what seemed to be the 200ish new trainers who had joined the academy. Some of them you heard speaking languages other than your own, telling you they were from overseas. Others seemed to be pushing the 25 year old threshold to study at the academy formally as a student. It was truly a mix of trainers like you had never seen before.

Somehow, you ended up sitting next to Puck. Who quickly took his portable grower off your seat and tucked it underneath his own chair. While your group only filled a small portion of the massive arena, the sheer size of it remained impressive despite the empty seats. You were seated near the floor, and a large stage was set up next to the section where you and the other trainers were sitting. The entire arena was lit with natural sunlight, as the skylight had been opened after a short morning rain had ended.

Ready? Puck whispered to you as Koon emerged from one of the passages leading from the inner chambers of the arena and advanced onto the podium to the single microphone, on an old stand, which sat at the front of the stage.

"Only been waiting for today for the last ten years," Marcus whispers back, pulling out a journal as Koon approaches the microphone, glancing about slightly at the other students. The 25 year old students would never actually be able to graduate in time. Fortunately, Marcus had eight whole years for that little bit of work. Easy enough, right?

As he waits for Koon to speak, Marcus briefly scans the crowd for any familiar faces or more like him and Puck before returning his focus solely to Koon, intent on not missing a single word.

[CosmicOccurence]

"Only been waiting for today for the last ten years," Marcus whispers back, pulling out a journal as Koon approaches the microphone, glancing about slightly at the other students. The 25 year old students would never actually be able to graduate in time. Fortunately, Marcus had eight whole years for that little bit of work. Easy enough, right?

As he waits for Koon to speak, Marcus briefly scans the crowd for any familiar faces or more like him and Puck before returning his focus solely to Koon, intent on not missing a single word.

In the front row you noticed Kirk, and two rows behind him was Lara. Other than those two however, all of the faces were alien to you.

Koon turned the microphone on slowly, deliberately. He was dressed more formally than a few days before. Instead of an untucked shirt, he wore the official graduation robes of Armedius Academy, a deep rich purple color with stripes of gold dancing across it. He wore his hair down, and it brushed his shoulders. It was ... a different look for him. He seemed less casual and more intense in this apperance. He had ceased to be the Gym Leader and had become the Headmaster.

Welcome new students, he said, voice amplified so that it bounced around the largely empty arena. to Armedius Academy, the greatest school for trainers that this world has ever seen. You are following in the footsteps of many great trainers who have shaped this region and our world more than you could have ever imagined. Each of you have accomplishments as well, or else you would not have gotten this far. You all know the basics of battling and this world, but what you will find here is something completely different from what you have ever known.

You got to where you are today through hard work. Maybe you did some research, and maybe you thought you knew what training was like. You created obstacle courses for your Pokemon and trained alongside them. You crafted movesets to take advantage of your team's greatest strengths and sought to balance and skew your team's makeup to most effectively utilize your skills.

This was all nothing more than trial and error; the lucky wanderings of a soul who does not know what true skill is. The crowd shifted nervously at this, many looking concerned and angry at the thought that their accomplishments had been looked down on. While you are here you will be completely deconstructed as a trainer, and, as you rebuild yourself, asked to painstakingly analyze every single choice you make, technique you employ, and strategy you plan. Battling will become less a skill than a science: a meticulously crafted process to maximize your ability to effectively achieve your goals in your own unique brand of Pokemon training.

Koon paused, here, a soft smile playing across his lips. And most of you will fail. You will attempt to critically examine the very basics of being a trainer and you will find yourself wanting. You will spend too much time in your studies in an attempt to master techniques beyond you, or you will frivolously waste your time and energy with meaningless pursuits. I will be able to count the number of people who successfully complete this process and graduate from the Academy on a single hand.

The rest of you are nothing but stepping stones for these few.

You will improve your abilities to be sure, but in the end your presence is merely to push and shape those around you destined for greatness. Pray that you are one of the few, because if you are, you will have the opportunity to do more than anything you ever dreamed of. And with that, I would like to welcome to the stage the nine other professors who, in addition to myself, will be teaching you this trimester.

An extremely tepid applause broke out as Koon abruptly ended his speech and nine individuals walked onto the stage. Of note were Guard, a grizzled old man with quite the large moustache, Crystal, who was pushing 35 and continued to wear her signature ponytails and specialty capture boots, and Lt. Surge, a monster of a man who wore several tasers and was decked out in full Kanto uniform.

Well that was interesting Puck commented as he clapped alongside the rest of the group.

[Arcran]

In the front row you noticed Kirk, and two rows behind him was Lara. Other than those two however, all of the faces were alien to you.

Koon turned the microphone on slowly, deliberately. He was dressed more formally than a few days before. Instead of an untucked shirt, he wore the official graduation robes of Armedius Academy, a deep rich purple color with stripes of gold dancing across it. He wore his hair down, and it brushed his shoulders. It was ... a different look for him. He seemed less casual and more intense in this apperance. He had ceased to be the Gym Leader and had become the Headmaster.

Welcome new students, he said, voice amplified so that it bounced around the largely empty arena. to Armedius Academy, the greatest school for trainers that this world has ever seen. You are following in the footsteps of many great trainers who have shaped this region and our world more than you could have ever imagined. Each of you have accomplishments as well, or else you would not have gotten this far. You all know the basics of battling and this world, but what you will find here is something completely different from what you have ever known.

You got to where you are today through hard work. Maybe you did some research, and maybe you thought you knew what training was like. You created obstacle courses for your Pokemon and trained alongside them. You crafted movesets to take advantage of your team's greatest strengths and sought to balance and skew your team's makeup to most effectively utilize your skills.

This was all nothing more than trial and error; the lucky wanderings of a soul who does not know what true skill is. The crowd shifted nervously at this, many looking concerned and angry at the thought that their accomplishments had been looked down on. While you are here you will be completely deconstructed as a trainer, and, as you rebuild yourself, asked to painstakingly analyze every single choice you make, technique you employ, and strategy you plan. Battling will become less a skill than a science: a meticulously crafted process to maximize your ability to effectively achieve your goals in your own unique brand of Pokemon training.

Koon paused, here, a soft smile playing across his lips. And most of you will fail. You will attempt to critically examine the very basics of being a trainer and you will find yourself wanting. You will spend too much time in your studies in an attempt to master techniques beyond you, or you will frivolously waste your time and energy with meaningless pursuits. I will be able to count the number of people who successfully complete this process and graduate from the Academy on a single hand.

The rest of you are nothing but stepping stones for these few.

You will improve your abilities to be sure, but in the end your presence is merely to push and shape those around you destined for greatness. Pray that you are one of the few, because if you are, you will have the opportunity to do more than anything you ever dreamed of. And with that, I would like to welcome to the stage the nine other professors who, in addition to myself, will be teaching you this trimester.

An extremely tepid applause broke out as Koon abruptly ended his speech and nine individuals walked onto the stage. Of note were Guard, a grizzled old man with quite the large moustache, Crystal, who was pushing 35 and continued to wear her signature ponytails and specialty capture boots, and Lt. Surge, a monster of a man who wore several tasers and was decked out in full Kanto uniform.

Well that was interesting Puck commented as he clapped alongside the rest of the group.

Marcus looks at the stage in shock at the end of the speech, momentarily forgetting to clap. Here he was, after literally years of work, finally having accomplished his life's goal, only to have Koon tell him that it literally meant nothing. His studying, his training, his careful planning. He was saying that, out of this giant group, less than five would actually graduate? How was that even possible.

As Marcus thinks, his face grows flat. Was this Koon simply trying to intimidate them, or a warning? The headmaster seemed to believe that the greatest error made by those that would be Academy graduates was hubris; attempting to focus on rote tricks and powerful techniques rather than perfecting the basics. Fortunately, analysis was a strong suit of Marcus', and if anybody in this Arcues-damned room was going to be able to look at what they do with a critical eye and improve, it was him. Either way, one of Koon's fingers was spoken for, leaving the question of who Marcus' four competing Trainers will be.

"Well," Marcus says simply, voice lacking any humor as he begins to clap, "we'll just have to be the ones using the stepping stones then, right?"

[Prehysterical]

It doesn't disappear on its own, but it isn't that hard to blast it away. It isn't the toughest stuff around. Senga replied as the two of you crept forwards. Of course, if they don't know that there's even anyone on the other side of the door, then they'd have no reason to try and open it, meaning the slime likely won't be detected.

Spoiler

Show

Going to need stealth checks if you want to do it without them realizing you're outside their room.

DC is - (2d6+1)[8]

"Oh, all right...," Angus grumbles. He creeps forward... as much as one can when wearing armor.

Spoiler: Stealth checks

Show

Angus: [roll1d6+1[/roll]
Spending an Action Point to augment the roll.
Lamorak: (2d6+1)[8]

[CosmicOccurence]

Marcus looks at the stage in shock at the end of the speech, momentarily forgetting to clap. Here he was, after literally years of work, finally having accomplished his life's goal, only to have Koon tell him that it literally meant nothing. His studying, his training, his careful planning. He was saying that, out of this giant group, less than five would actually graduate? How was that even possible.

As Marcus thinks, his face grows flat. Was this Koon simply trying to intimidate them, or a warning? The headmaster seemed to believe that the greatest error made by those that would be Academy graduates was hubris; attempting to focus on rote tricks and powerful techniques rather than perfecting the basics. Fortunately, analysis was a strong suit of Marcus', and if anybody in this Arcues-damned room was going to be able to look at what they do with a critical eye and improve, it was him. Either way, one of Koon's fingers was spoken for, leaving the question of who Marcus' four competing Trainers will be.

"Well," Marcus says simply, voice lacking any humor as he begins to clap, "we'll just have to be the ones using the stepping stones then, right?"

Puck quickly agreed as each of the professors introduced themselves, but even the cheerful Puck seemed a bit taken aback by the statements. As the professors filed out, the Dean of Students was introduced, a bald woman named Naomi. She gave a more standard welcome speech, focusing on the importance of building community while spending time with your studies in a more upbeat talk than Koon had given. She also gave a quick overview of how courses were handled, graduation requirements for those parties pursuing a degree, and living situations. She even described the travel policy, which was basically that, so long as it didn't conflict with your coursework, you could leave whenever you wanted.

After that you met some current students, mostly Ranks 4 or 5, who gave you a tour of the campus. You'd seen most of it already, but they did give you a more in depth look at some of the training facilities and walked you through the process of reserving training grounds. Then it was a meal in the cafeteria after your trainer cards were upgraded to also serve as Armedius ID cards as well.

Finally, they took you to the library, where you were finally allowed into the library proper by the strict Gardevoir Chief Librarian. Your guide noted that you could check out books for a full semester, but that otehr students may seek you out to challenge for the book if they need it for their research as well. Of course, most of the most highly specialized books are either checked out by professors or located in Alcoves. In order to gain access to specific Alcoves you'll need specific permissions from the supervising professor. Usually if you need access to an alcove for a class your professor will grant you access for that trimester.

After that you nabbed a quick dinner and headed out to the quad, where about a hundred tables were set up. On a small stage stood seven individuals, each wearing the characteristic badge noting them as a member of the Armedius Seven, the most influential and powerful students on campus. Devyn was there, as was Terry, as were the five other trainers.

A boy with a mohawk stepped forwards, introducing himself as Apu, the 3rd Seat of the Armedius Seven. It is time for you all to select a dorm with which to associate during your time here. In many ways a Dorm is like your family. You will study together, eat together, train together. You will fight each other's battles and have each other's backs. When you gain notoriety, so will your dorm. If you fail miserably, that failure will reflect on the place you choose to call home.

Spread around the quad are the 122 Dorms at Armedius Academy, with another table for those not wishing to affiliate with any dorm and will live in Rolvaag Hall like myself. By the end of the night, each of you are required to have your name on one of these lists. Any dorm can accept or reject you at their whim, and all are limited by the physical space which they occupy. Do your best to find the best fit for yourself, because it will define your time here. You can find a map here - a map appeared, projected onto a screen held aloft by several Driftblm. Good luck to you all. Apu switched off the microphone, and the Armedius Seven dispersed to the various tables with which they were affiliated.

Among the trainers, there were two main types. About half of the students immediately headed for specific tables, having already done their research on which dorm they wanted to rush. The other half wandered somewhat aimlessly, unsure of which way to turn. Puck, who had been with you the whole day, waved and quickly headed off to the Green Seeds Dorm, where the Dorm Head greeted him with familiar ease and quickly jotted his name in the official ledger.

[CosmicOccurence]

"Oh, all right...," Angus grumbles. He creeps forward... as much as one can when wearing armor.

Spoiler: Stealth checks

Show

Angus: [roll1d6+1[/roll]
Spending an Action Point to augment the roll.
Lamorak: [roll0]

You were rather unsuccessful, and the man inside the room heard the loud clanking of your armor. Fortunately, between Senga's gunk-spewing Dragon and a few quick dashes, you managed to make it out of the funeral home without too much more trouble. The two of you dashed across the road and hid in the shadows of an alleyway just as a skylight opened and a black-robed figure riding a Charizard burst from the building and began to fly in lazy circles around the building, searching for something ... searching for you.

That was close, Senga whispered. I've got a hostel room about ten minute's walk away, or we could camp outside town. Which do you think would be safer?

[Arcran]

Puck quickly agreed as each of the professors introduced themselves, but even the cheerful Puck seemed a bit taken aback by the statements. As the professors filed out, the Dean of Students was introduced, a bald woman named Naomi. She gave a more standard welcome speech, focusing on the importance of building community while spending time with your studies in a more upbeat talk than Koon had given. She also gave a quick overview of how courses were handled, graduation requirements for those parties pursuing a degree, and living situations. She even described the travel policy, which was basically that, so long as it didn't conflict with your coursework, you could leave whenever you wanted.

After that you met some current students, mostly Ranks 4 or 5, who gave you a tour of the campus. You'd seen most of it already, but they did give you a more in depth look at some of the training facilities and walked you through the process of reserving training grounds. Then it was a meal in the cafeteria after your trainer cards were upgraded to also serve as Armedius ID cards as well.

Finally, they took you to the library, where you were finally allowed into the library proper by the strict Gardevoir Chief Librarian. Your guide noted that you could check out books for a full semester, but that otehr students may seek you out to challenge for the book if they need it for their research as well. Of course, most of the most highly specialized books are either checked out by professors or located in Alcoves. In order to gain access to specific Alcoves you'll need specific permissions from the supervising professor. Usually if you need access to an alcove for a class your professor will grant you access for that trimester.

After that you nabbed a quick dinner and headed out to the quad, where about a hundred tables were set up. On a small stage stood seven individuals, each wearing the characteristic badge noting them as a member of the Armedius Seven, the most influential and powerful students on campus. Devyn was there, as was Terry, as were the five other trainers.

A boy with a mohawk stepped forwards, introducing himself as Apu, the 3rd Seat of the Armedius Seven. It is time for you all to select a dorm with which to associate during your time here. In many ways a Dorm is like your family. You will study together, eat together, train together. You will fight each other's battles and have each other's backs. When you gain notoriety, so will your dorm. If you fail miserably, that failure will reflect on the place you choose to call home.

Spread around the quad are the 122 Dorms at Armedius Academy, with another table for those not wishing to affiliate with any dorm and will live in Rolvaag Hall like myself. By the end of the night, each of you are required to have your name on one of these lists. Any dorm can accept or reject you at their whim, and all are limited by the physical space which they occupy. Do your best to find the best fit for yourself, because it will define your time here. You can find a map here - a map appeared, projected onto a screen held aloft by several Driftblm. Good luck to you all. Apu switched off the microphone, and the Armedius Seven dispersed to the various tables with which they were affiliated.

Among the trainers, there were two main types. About half of the students immediately headed for specific tables, having already done their research on which dorm they wanted to rush. The other half wandered somewhat aimlessly, unsure of which way to turn. Puck, who had been with you the whole day, waved and quickly headed off to the Green Seeds Dorm, where the Dorm Head greeted him with familiar ease and quickly jotted his name in the official ledger.

Marcus jots down notes throughout the day as he goes from place to place, trying to get anything that he might have missed earlier. As always, preparation was important. Still, he can't help but feel like he wasted some time yesterday looking around since he was given a better tour right now anyways. Still, there was useful information. He could leave whenever he wanted, meaning he could hypothetically catch Dorothy's next fight which was a relief, even if being in proximity to the powerful Trainer could be dangerous.

When they finally reach the most interesting part of the day, Marcus allows himself a small grin as he waved goodbye to Puck, idly brushing his fingers over his trio that would beat Kirk's team senseless. While some others were dashing about to get to their dorms, Marcus takes his time, almost strolling over towards the Shooting Stars table. After all, there were only two of them, right? What was the rush?

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Who/where all can I get Profiles on throughout the day?

[CosmicOccurence]

Marcus jots down notes throughout the day as he goes from place to place, trying to get anything that he might have missed earlier. As always, preparation was important. Still, he can't help but feel like he wasted some time yesterday looking around since he was given a better tour right now anyways. Still, there was useful information. He could leave whenever he wanted, meaning he could hypothetically catch Dorothy's next fight which was a relief, even if being in proximity to the powerful Trainer could be dangerous.

When they finally reach the most interesting part of the day, Marcus allows himself a small grin as he waved goodbye to Puck, idly brushing his fingers over his trio that would beat Kirk's team senseless. While some others were dashing about to get to their dorms, Marcus takes his time, almost strolling over towards the Shooting Stars table. After all, there were only two of them, right? What was the rush?

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Who/where all can I get Profiles on throughout the day?

Spoiler

Show

Assume that you have Travel on the vast majority of places on campus. Really the only exceptions include individual dorms, the Headmaster's mansion, Student Council Building, and the Tower of Alvis.

As for Profile, important ones would be Dewey (male Gardevoir in charge of the Library), the Professors, and the Dean of Students. You can also get Apu, seat 3 of the Armedius 7. I suppose you could get the others as well, but as of right now you don't really know much about them and I don't want to think of all of their names quite yet.

The table for the Shooting Star dorm was small, smaller than all the others, and it only had three people sitting behind it, whereas most had five or six. One was Devyn, who was sitting next to a girl who looked extraordinarily like him, although she was much, much more animated in her movements than him. The third was a boy who looked to be in his mid20s with a muscular build, his feet propped on the table. Kirk was there as well, standing awkwardly as the three members were having a conversation.

- checked only last week and nobody else aside from that Puck kid was qualified, and he's over at Green Seeds. Why don't you just let him in arleady. The man asked.

Because Dev said we needed to wait Rosso the girl said. Just because he isn't as loud as I am doesn't mean you should ignore him. I know you're about to graduate and everything, but try to be a little less biased about your brother getting into your dorm.

Well actually, there was one - Devyn tried to interject, though he was quickly interrupted by Rosso.

- Look Jun, its not a matter of bias. He's quite literally the only one, Rosso drawled, looking incredibly bored.

Jun flipped her hair and turned to look at him, a sassy look on her face. So what? If he is then he'll become a member like ten minutes later than he would otherwise. Not the end of the world. He should count himself lucky for not having to beat ten different opponents to get in like the rest of us.

Um Rosso Devyn finally managed to break into the conversation, although he still seemed smaller than anyone else there. There actually was one who took the test a few days ago, and he's actually right here. He pointed meekly at you, and Jun and Rosso's eyes quickly focused on you. Jun was smiling. Rosso was not. Kirk looked astonished; it seemed he was expecting to not have any competition.

However, Rosso didn't ask for any more confirmation than Devyn's words, and he addressed you calmly. What's your name kid? And what's your Rank? This is my brother Kirk he jerked his head at the boy whose name you already knew. And he's your competition today.

You know I can introduce myself right Rosso? Kirk said, a disgruntled look on his face. You couldn't tell if it was because now he had to fight for the spot or because of his brother speaking for him though. Rosso ignored him, waiting for your reply.

[Arcran]

Spoiler

Show

Assume that you have Travel on the vast majority of places on campus. Really the only exceptions include individual dorms, the Headmaster's mansion, Student Council Building, and the Tower of Alvis.

As for Profile, important ones would be Dewey (male Gardevoir in charge of the Library), the Professors, and the Dean of Students. You can also get Apu, seat 3 of the Armedius 7. I suppose you could get the others as well, but as of right now you don't really know much about them and I don't want to think of all of their names quite yet.

The table for the Shooting Star dorm was small, smaller than all the others, and it only had three people sitting behind it, whereas most had five or six. One was Devyn, who was sitting next to a girl who looked extraordinarily like him, although she was much, much more animated in her movements than him. The third was a boy who looked to be in his mid20s with a muscular build, his feet propped on the table. Kirk was there as well, standing awkwardly as the three members were having a conversation.

- checked only last week and nobody else aside from that Puck kid was qualified, and he's over at Green Seeds. Why don't you just let him in arleady. The man asked.

Because Dev said we needed to wait Rosso the girl said. Just because he isn't as loud as I am doesn't mean you should ignore him. I know you're about to graduate and everything, but try to be a little less biased about your brother getting into your dorm.

Well actually, there was one - Devyn tried to interject, though he was quickly interrupted by Rosso.

- Look Jun, its not a matter of bias. He's quite literally the only one, Rosso drawled, looking incredibly bored.

Jun flipped her hair and turned to look at him, a sassy look on her face. So what? If he is then he'll become a member like ten minutes later than he would otherwise. Not the end of the world. He should count himself lucky for not having to beat ten different opponents to get in like the rest of us.

Um Rosso Devyn finally managed to break into the conversation, although he still seemed smaller than anyone else there. There actually was one who took the test a few days ago, and he's actually right here. He pointed meekly at you, and Jun and Rosso's eyes quickly focused on you. Jun was smiling. Rosso was not. Kirk looked astonished; it seemed he was expecting to not have any competition.

However, Rosso didn't ask for any more confirmation than Devyn's words, and he addressed you calmly. What's your name kid? And what's your Rank? This is my brother Kirk he jerked his head at the boy whose name you already knew. And he's your competition today.

You know I can introduce myself right Rosso? Kirk said, a disgruntled look on his face. You couldn't tell if it was because now he had to fight for the spot or because of his brother speaking for him though. Rosso ignored him, waiting for your reply.

"Hey Devyn," Marcus says with an awkward wave as he sees the only Shooting Star he knows, before going quite as Rosso and Jun argue, rocking from heel to toe as he waits, a grin slowly growing across his face. If Kirk hadn't expected him, well, that made things considerably easier. After all, if only one of them was prepared...

"Marcus, Rank 3," the Trainer states, pointedly offering a hand to Rosso even as he shoots a quick glance at Jun, his grin remaining. "Nice to meet you," he adds, before turning to Kirk. The Fire Type Trainer had no idea he was coming and, unless it was his ego getting to him, Marcus would say that the boy was a little scared. This was going perfect.

"So, uh, how do we do this? Just go to the training areas, quick Pokken, winner is in?"

[CosmicOccurence]

"Hey Devyn," Marcus says with an awkward wave as he sees the only Shooting Star he knows, before going quite as Rosso and Jun argue, rocking from heel to toe as he waits, a grin slowly growing across his face. If Kirk hadn't expected him, well, that made things considerably easier. After all, if only one of them was prepared...

"Marcus, Rank 3," the Trainer states, pointedly offering a hand to Rosso even as he shoots a quick glance at Jun, his grin remaining. "Nice to meet you," he adds, before turning to Kirk. The Fire Type Trainer had no idea he was coming and, unless it was his ego getting to him, Marcus would say that the boy was a little scared. This was going perfect.

"So, uh, how do we do this? Just go to the training areas, quick Pokken, winner is in?"

Usually we just do it wherever we happen to be at; no use standing on formality or anything Jun said. Training areas are usually for people to work on stuff independently without people spying on them.

Besides, there should be a couple other battles starting up about now. Rosso added, and a quick look around told you that there were two battles underway already, although they were being held fairly quietly. We ready to start this thing then Devyn, or are there any other surprise candidates you've been hiding from us?

Devyn blanched. No ... I umm checked with Koon this morning. Marcus is the only ... there isn't anyone else ... and since they're both Rank 3 we don't need to ... I mean -

- Wonderful, thanks for that succinct answer brother. Assertive as always I see. While her voice was dripping with sarcasm, she was smiling broadly, and Devyn didn't seem to mind her interjections. Jun turned to the two of you, her smile growing wider. Plus it looks like we've got a bit of an audience for this. 'Course we always have an audience, what with Dev being the first seat and us only taking one person per trimester and everything. It means the school is watching the two of you! Try not to mess up! Obviously she was taking enjoyment for this whole scene.

When you turned, you saw a small collection of students, none of them new, standing near the sidelines watching, having formed a small circle around the group. One of them was Terry, who was standing next to a small girl who didn't look a day over 15 with wildly frizzy hair, the sight of whom got your sense tingling again in a familiar way.

Kirk walked forwards to the middle of the circle of watchers and pulled out three Pokeballs. You know the Pokken rules right? he asked you.

[Arcran]

Usually we just do it wherever we happen to be at; no use standing on formality or anything Jun said. Training areas are usually for people to work on stuff independently without people spying on them.

Besides, there should be a couple other battles starting up about now. Rosso added, and a quick look around told you that there were two battles underway already, although they were being held fairly quietly. We ready to start this thing then Devyn, or are there any other surprise candidates you've been hiding from us?

Devyn blanched. No ... I umm checked with Koon this morning. Marcus is the only ... there isn't anyone else ... and since they're both Rank 3 we don't need to ... I mean -

- Wonderful, thanks for that succinct answer brother. Assertive as always I see. While her voice was dripping with sarcasm, she was smiling broadly, and Devyn didn't seem to mind her interjections. Jun turned to the two of you, her smile growing wider. Plus it looks like we've got a bit of an audience for this. 'Course we always have an audience, what with Dev being the first seat and us only taking one person per trimester and everything. It means the school is watching the two of you! Try not to mess up! Obviously she was taking enjoyment for this whole scene.

When you turned, you saw a small collection of students, none of them new, standing near the sidelines watching, having formed a small circle around the group. One of them was Terry, who was standing next to a small girl who didn't look a day over 15 with wildly frizzy hair, the sight of whom got your sense tingling again in a familiar way.

Kirk walked forwards to the middle of the circle of watchers and pulled out three Pokeballs. You know the Pokken rules right? he asked you.

Marcus looks at the gathering crowd, trying to not allow any nervousness to creep into his demeanor as the crowd gathered. Marcus locks eyes with the girl for a brief moment, focusing his senses to try to make our her Sign, wishing that he could have Puck go to her. If he was right and Terry was dangerous...

But that had to wait. Right now, Marcus has a Trainer to beat, and a dorm to join.

"Of course," Marcus states, calmly pulling Pix's Pokeball from his belt and bouncing it lightly in his right hand as he also grabs Gelver and Comiter's Pokeballs. "How do we wanna do this? Just on three?" he asks lightly, already running through contingencies in his mind. Fortunately, Fire Types were rather predictable...

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Chronicler on Ms. Frizzle.

AP: 6/7
Studies in Scarlet: 1/2

[CosmicOccurence]

Marcus looks at the gathering crowd, trying to not allow any nervousness to creep into his demeanor as the crowd gathered. Marcus locks eyes with the girl for a brief moment, focusing his senses to try to make our her Sign, wishing that he could have Puck go to her. If he was right and Terry was dangerous...

But that had to wait. Right now, Marcus has a Trainer to beat, and a dorm to join.

"Of course," Marcus states, calmly pulling Pix's Pokeball from his belt and bouncing it lightly in his right hand as he also grabs Gelver and Comiter's Pokeballs. "How do we wanna do this? Just on three?" he asks lightly, already running through contingencies in his mind. Fortunately, Fire Types were rather predictable...

Spoiler: Actions

Show

Chronicler on Ms. Frizzle.

AP: 6/7
Studies in Scarlet: 1/2

Just like any other battle, right? Regardless, I'll be starting with Monty. Kirk asked as he tossed a ball up into the air, its red beam materializing a Pokemon.

As you turned on your Symbolsight, no noticed that the girl didn't have one of Arceus's symbols above her head, but rather her whole body seemed to be suspended in a massive cylindrical vessel filled with greenish liquid. Tubes extended out of the top into the air, and wires snaked out across the ground, ending without entering a plug. Her eyes glowed green.

Spoiler

Show

Enemy Mon Initiative 20; If you send out a mon that's quicker, you'll learn its initiative before you attack.

[Arcran]

Just like any other battle, right? Regardless, I'll be starting with Monty. Kirk asked as he tossed a ball up into the air, its red beam materializing a Pokemon.

As you turned on your Symbolsight, no noticed that the girl didn't have one of Arceus's symbols above her head, but rather her whole body seemed to be suspended in a massive cylindrical vessel filled with greenish liquid. Tubes extended out of the top into the air, and wires snaked out across the ground, ending without entering a plug. Her eyes glowed green.

Spoiler

Show

Enemy Mon Initiative 20; If you send out a mon that's quicker, you'll learn its initiative before you attack.

The girl covered in tubes was of interest but, for now, Marcus can't worry about it. He and Puck could investigate later.

"Then I'll be using Pix! Let's go!" Marcus cries, throwing out his Surskit. "Alright Pix, just like we practiced! Bubblebeam!" Marcus cries, watching as Pix launches a web forward, pulling herself forward and using the momentum to throw herself into a tight spin, bubbles swarming around her body before they erupt towards the Ponyta, the Water Gem exploding in a flash of light.

Spoiler

Show

AP: 5/7
Studies in Scarlet: 0/2

Pix: 81/81 HP, Focused, Brutal, +1 Sp. Attack

Marcus uses Chronicler on the Ponyta!
Marcus uses Focused and Brutal Training on Pix!
Marcus uses 1 AP to boost Pix's AC roll!

Pix activates Maelstrom Pulse!
Pix activates her Water Gem!
Pix shifts Adjacent to the Ponyta!
Pix uses Bubblebeam!
AC 2: (1d20+3)[23], Critical 18+, -1 Speed CS 16+
Damage: (4d10+41)[68]
Critical: (4d10+10)[28]
Keen Eye should apply here.

[CosmicOccurence]

The girl covered in tubes was of interest but, for now, Marcus can't worry about it. He and Puck could investigate later.

"Then I'll be using Pix! Let's go!" Marcus cries, throwing out his Surskit. "Alright Pix, just like we practiced! Bubblebeam!" Marcus cries, watching as Pix launches a web forward, pulling herself forward and using the momentum to throw herself into a tight spin, bubbles swarming around her body before they erupt towards the Ponyta, the Water Gem exploding in a flash of light.

Spoiler

Show

AP: 5/7
Studies in Scarlet: 0/2

Pix: 81/81 HP, Focused, Brutal, +1 Sp. Attack

Marcus uses Chronicler on the Ponyta!
Marcus uses Focused and Brutal Training on Pix!
Marcus uses 1 AP to boost Pix's AC roll!

Pix activates Maelstrom Pulse!
Pix activates her Water Gem!
Pix shifts Adjacent to the Ponyta!
Pix uses Bubblebeam!
AC 2: [roll0], Critical 18+, -1 Speed CS 16+
Damage: [roll1]
Critical: [roll2]
Keen Eye should apply here.

The preemptive strike worked: Pix's onslaught of bullet-like-bubbles found their mark and completely coated its fiery mane and tail, putting out the fires. Thrown backwards and to the ground with the force of the blow, it tried to stand up once, but then fell weakly back to the ground.

The crowd was silent for a second; even Kirk didn't seem to really process what had happened. Finally Jun, who seemed to have taken on some sort of adjudicatory role, commented, Well that was quick. And as if on cue, the crowd began to murmur to each other. Rosso was laughing loudly, which snapped Kirk out of his phase, and he returned his Ponyta, placing the ball back on his belt.

Well I suppose its your victory by anyone's standards, he said, clearly unhappy with his loss.

Spoiler

Show

25 exp for Pix and 1Txp

[Arcran]

The preemptive strike worked: Pix's onslaught of bullet-like-bubbles found their mark and completely coated its fiery mane and tail, putting out the fires. Thrown backwards and to the ground with the force of the blow, it tried to stand up once, but then fell weakly back to the ground.

The crowd was silent for a second; even Kirk didn't seem to really process what had happened. Finally Jun, who seemed to have taken on some sort of adjudicatory role, commented, Well that was quick. And as if on cue, the crowd began to murmur to each other. Rosso was laughing loudly, which snapped Kirk out of his phase, and he returned his Ponyta, placing the ball back on his belt.

Well I suppose its your victory by anyone's standards, he said, clearly unhappy with his loss.

Spoiler

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25 exp for Pix and 1Txp

Marcus quickly conceals his smirk as the battle ends, returning Pix in one smooth action. He'd say he was surprised, but he'd planned every part of that battle. Easy enough.

"Well done girl," Marcus says, walking over to Kirk and offering a hand with a forced apologetic grimace. "Sorry about that. Want me to walk you and Monty to the Pokemon Center?" Marcus asks, hoping it would somewhat make amends. After all, he already probably had hidden enemies present; he couldn't exactly afford to have the visible variety as well.

[CosmicOccurence]

Marcus quickly conceals his smirk as the battle ends, returning Pix in one smooth action. He'd say he was surprised, but he'd planned every part of that battle. Easy enough.

"Well done girl," Marcus says, walking over to Kirk and offering a hand with a forced apologetic grimace. "Sorry about that. Want me to walk you and Monty to the Pokemon Center?" Marcus asks, hoping it would somewhat make amends. After all, he already probably had hidden enemies present; he couldn't exactly afford to have the visible variety as well.

No, Kirk said. I've got to go find myself a dorm now, and he'll be fine so long as he stays in his Pokeball. He turned and began to walk back into the crowd. However, he was quickly stopped by Terry, who handed him a card and pointed him over to a what seemed to be an increasingly popular table across the quad where several different battles were all happening at once.

Jun walked up to you a, her smile still firmly in place. Water Gem huh? she asked. Seems like you're somebody who does a lot of preparation for their opponent. That's good: it's how you survive here. Now come on, its time to get you formally registered.

She took you over to the table, where Rosso handed you a pen. He didn't seem to have any grudge that you beat his brother at least. Before you could sign your name however, Terry had advanced to the table. I'd like to challenge for the right to block the Shooting Star Dorm from accepting this candidate. I met him when he was a starting trainer and am interested in hosting him in Elba. she said confidently.

Rosso rolled his eyes, but when Devyn didn't immediately speak up, he broke into her. You're a top notch bitch, you know that right Terry? If keeping this guy from us was so important you could have done it before the Pokkne happened. Why not just be honest and challenge that we don't accept candidates at all this trimester?

Terry glared at him. To be quite honest Rosso, someone who's about to graduate and never managed to get into the Council isn't worth my time. I'm talking to Devyn.

Devyn scratched his head and grimaced at Terry's glare. I'd rather not to be honest, he said, lamely trying to raise his voice to be authoritative. Marcus seems like a competent trainer, especially considering that victory. It'd be a shame to lose such a good candidate to a dorm that almost has a majority in the Council. So I'm afraid that, for now, I'll have to decline. Hopefully we can work this out some other way though Terry.

Well then how about I offer you something that you can't refuse, Terry said, voice sickly sweet. I'll offer up my spot in the Mega-Evolution masterclass in exchange.

Done Devyn said without hesitation, his eyes lighting up in a way that you hadn't seen before in the small man. Suddenly more assertive, he pulled out three Pokemon from his belt. Take the book Rosso, and the muscular man did just that, removing the book from the table to stop you from signing. He gave you an apologetic shrug, but was still laughing in his eyes.

The previous whispers of the crowd spread like wildfire, and many people vacated their tables completely to watch the match. Apparently two of the Council having a Pokken was something that wasn't seen every day. Both Terry and Devyn walked to the middle of the circle, palming the balls they would use carefully.

Jun, who was still standing next to you, leaned over and spoke softly into your ear. Don't worry, brother won't lose. Terry hasn't fought him before and is getting overconfident because of her recent promotion as Fourth Seat on the council. Besides, it'll be good for you to see Devyn battle. He's kind of a pushover usually, but when he pulls out his Pokeballs he turns into a monster.