[IC] Pokémon Knights

Hello and welcome to the Knights' Academy of the Rallen Region! Set in the distant past of the Pokémon World, the Knights' Academy trains youths who possess the ability to use the Unity Phenomenon. You can read the full synopsis and setup in the OOC tab. With that said, this rp is open to anyone who is interested. Just shoot me a DM or write in the OOC tab and we'll try and find a place for you. The basic rules are simple:

1. Be nice to people. We're here to have fun.
2. Don't make yourself a broken character.
3. Don't expect real-world issues in this story (i.e. politics, social issues, etc.) I'm trying to keep this fun for all parties invovled.
4. This rp is going to tackle some darker themes though, most notably war and violence so be prepared for that.
5. Characters run the risk of dying in this story. If your character enters a battle with someone else, make sure you are in agreement about the outcome. DM has final say on combat rulings.
6. HAVE FUN!

[RisingRobin]

The sun was barely starting to rise as Kaizer slowly pulled himself out of bed. The ageing knight took a deep yawn as he moved towards the window of the headmaster's room. From his tower at the Unity Knights Academy, Kaizer had a stunning view of the surrounding hills and valleys to the distant silhouette of Gift City - the kingdom capital - on the horizon. The academy had once been located in middle of the capital, but one too many complaints about leveled houses had caused the king to relocate the academy to the mountains.

The trees surrounding the academy were starting to change into various hues of crimson, yellow, and orange; signaling the end of summer and the arrival of a new batch of students to the academy. Kaizer had been disheartened to hear the number would be even lower than last year's. With Decree actively seeking out and hunting youths possessing the Unity Factor, it was becoming harder and harder to find them even with the Crown's resources. Nevertheless, the headmaster forced a smile onto his face. The students would be arriving this morning and he made it a point to meet them at the front gate with Ignis when they did.

After taking a moment to let the crisp morning air wash across his skin, Kaizer threw on his tunic and leggings before donning his armor. Even on days when he never saw combat, he never seemed to be comfortable if he wasn't wearing it. Besides, he'd need to make a full presentation today if the new arrivals wanted to know what sort of discipline would be expected from them in the coming years. Before, leaving, Kaizer flipped down on small portrait of Queen Sophia Valecourt that sat on his bedside table and he made for the paddocks to wake Ignis.

Ignis was slumbering peacefully in the paddocks; his tail flickering like a candle flame in the low light. After several minutes of trying to jostle the Chrizard awake, Kaizer eventually woke him by dumping a bucket of water on Ignis' tail, the sudden shock causing the dragon to roar in suprise, "Heh. Finally awake, you lazy beast?" The old knight laughed as he caught an angry punch in mid-air, "We can't have you sleeping late today. You should already know what today is, Ignis. We have some fresh meat coming." This got Ignis' attention and he smiled at the thought of getting some new sparring partners. Seeing him awake, Kaizer gestured for his partner to follow. Even before anyone arrived, they still had morning exercises.

"One! Two! Three!", Kaizer shouted out as Ignis punched the air in time. Even if Ignis had his own magic, Kaizer knew his powers could only go so far. As a result, the duo had spent every morning for the last twenty-five years diligently practicing to ensure they could fight without the use of magic or Unity. After Ignis was finished, Kaizer took his stance and repeated the manuver while Ignis roared out the count. They continued in this manner for several other drills: kicks, throws, tail strike, sword skills, etc. Kaizer was so ingrained in his task that he didn't hear the sound of sandals crossing the training grounds until a voice cut through his focus.

"Ugh... Good morning, boss. Another day of classes I take it?" Kaizer sighed as he turned to meet the face of Okido.

"You've been here for two years. A little more decorum couldn't be too hard could it?" The ronin shrugged as he walked over to rub Ignis's head.

"Hey, I've come quite a bit from the kid you knocked senseless on that beach. Before we met, you'd be lucky to catch me awake at this hour. Although..." Okido flashed a smirk as he unsheathed his katana, "If you wanna see me get serious, I think it's about time we had another duel. I still plan on defeating you." Kaizer just waved it off.

"Then what will it be? One to... fifty-four?" He, laughed at Okido's downtrodden face, "We'll battle again soon enough, but for today we'll need to focus on the incoming recruits. Now..." Kaizer turned to see the second and third year students making their way down from the dormitories. A few perked up at seeing Okido and Kaizer with their swords drawn. The battles between the headmaster and the man from Kanto had become something of a spectacle over the years. Their interest dissipated when they saw them sheath their swords. Kaizer noticed there were several absentees among the crowd."It seems our day is about to begin. The new first years will be arriving soon. Would you take care of morning warm-ups? It seems I have to wake some stragglers."

Okido shivered as he saw Kaizer head for the dorms. He remembered all too well being on the receiving end of one of Kaizer's 'wake-up calls', and he didn't wish that on his worst enemies. Turning on his heel, the ronin called the students over to him and began running them through their own drills. Meanwhile, a carriage was making its way on the road leading up to the Unity Knights Academy. The first years were arriving.

[Ryik]

Alan

The sun marched ever onwards, creeping up from the horizon, just as it ever has. Its rays pierced through the windows, ripped through the curtains, and assaulted Alan's eyelids as if he had formed a bond with a Tauros and had bull's-eyes.

This morning, like most mornings, he woke up naturally, sitting up in his bed and wiping the sleep from his eyes. He had had a strange and terrible dream where he was being whipped by his own tails in a Tauros' unity armor just to satisfy some horrible joke. What the joke was, he already can't remember, but the ignorance itself somehow gave him a sense of relief, like he was narrowly avoiding a catastrophe. Best not to dwell on it, perhaps.

Today was the first day of the Knight's Academy school year. He got out of bed and began going through his morning routine. Spewpa was still sleeping soundly in its makeshift nest of pillows and blankets. Spewpa was one of the few pokémon that didn't need to eat. He simply can't, given that he has no mouth. It's a bit of a shame that they can't share a meal together, but on the other hand, it made Spewpa extremely low-maintenance. When he was ready to go, he only had to pick up Spewpa and put him in his knapsack, with his head sticking out from under the flap. Sure, he could make Spewpa walk, but he wouldn't be able to do so very fast. Spewpa was just so portable that it was more convenient to carry him places. If nothing else, the extra weight was good physical training.

He eventually arrived at the front gate along with some other students, prompting headmaster Kaizer to head towards the dorms. Being an early bird has its perks. Okido waved him and the other students over for morning drills. Jumping right into it, then. Well, guess there's no need for orientation for a second year in a military school. He waited patiently as Okido assigned the students exercises until finally it was his turn.

[FrogRFlowR]

As a recruited new member of the Academy, Willow had been given - paid for - a room inside of a inn in the city. She had arrived the day before, and being the first time in a few months she had a comfortable bed to sleep in, the green haired girl made the most of it by sleeping in kind of late. As a result, she was now frantically gathering her very few belongings around the room before she was really late. It mostly consisted of the clothe she had on as well as a change of clothes and her diary. Iris, her Kirlia, was near the door and seemingly sighed at the sight of her owner going around - not an unusual occurrence.

Despite everything, and despite being the last arriver, Willow was indeed in the carriage when it made it's way up to the Academy and finally passed it's great gates. True to herself, she didn't say much to the other students in on the road saved for an obligatory Hello here and there before looking at the Horizon, in her own head. Before she knew it, the carriage stopped and they were asked to exit and gather close by. Willow hopped off, followed closely by Iris, but seemed distracted as she began looking around. Curious.

The other students made their way to the designated location, but Willow kind of lightly stepped in the general direction while looking around; at the walls, the people, the Pokemons and so on. Eventually her eyes laid on the students that were probably her seniors, training in the courtyard some distance further. That was when Iris tugged on Willow's dress and pointed towards the group - she was the last not there!

Willow hurriedly made her way with the others and waited for further instructions on what to do next.

[Crimson Flame]

Lillian had woken up bright and early, as she often did. She never was one for sleeping in. After getting dressed, and eating breakfast, she spent the extra time she had brushing Apollo, her Togekiss’ feathers, and feeding him.

It was her third year at the academy, and she was the princess to boot. It was on her to set an example for the younger students. It wouldn’t do for the future queen to be late. When it was time for lessons to begin, her and Apollo gracefully arrived.

She was there with some of the other students, but apparently their were a few that were late. Forcing Kaizer to head for the dorms, Clearly, some of her classmates did not share the same respect for other people’s time as she did… Lillian did not pay the latecomers any mind, and focused on her drills for the day.

[LuckyBlackCat]

@FrogRFlowR

"Taaaaaaaria!"

The high-pitched warble roused Calliope from her sleep. Through bleary eyes, she glanced at the dorm window to see the first rays of dawn. "Just a little longer..." she mumbled, rolling over, prompting Seraphine to nuzzle her cheek and chirp again. She groaned - and sat bolt upright as she realised what day it was. "Ah! I hope we're not late!"

She hurriedly dressed and rushed from the dorm, Seraphine in tow. Shivering, she jogged faster, as much to warm herself up as to avoid being late. It had been a year, and she still wasn't quite used to the chill mountain air, especially in the mornings and evenings. Of course, getting to meet the Rallen Knights, and the prospect of becoming one herself, made it all worthwhile.

A chance she didn't want to jeopardise by getting in trouble.

"If we're gonna get there fast enough," she panted, "looks like we'll have to make a dramatic entrance. Unity Mode Activaaaaate!" A brilliant blue glow surrounded Calliope, her entire body feeling lighter as the transformation took effect. Once the light faded, revealing her blue battle outfit and fluffy cloak, she threw her fist in the air. "Alright, you ready Sera? Let's take on our newest opponent: Time! Dragon Dance!"

As Seraphine twirled by her side, Calliope spun and leapt, sky-blue auras forming around both of them. Their pace sped up, surroundings rushing past. When the gate and courtyard came into view, Calliope winced. A good few people were already there. She danced forward at full speed, towards where the others trained. "Ahhhh! Look out!" Unable to stop herself in time, she barreled right into one of the newcomers, a green-haired girl with a Kirlia.

"Ooops! Sorry about that!" De-transforming and staggering to her feet as Seraphine chirped in alarm, Calliope held out a hand to help the girl up. "Are you alright?"

[RisingRobin]

As the second and third years poured down from the dorms, Okido checked the training grounds. As usual, Kaizer had already laid everything out for him. The other professors would be preparing their classrooms for the day so he likely wouldn't have any help on that front. Not that he needed it, but Okido always felt off when it came to teaching students who were barely younger than him.

"Alright, knights," he said as he addressed the crowd. "I'll be overseeing morning training today. We're going to run through non-unity combat. The new year means the Profs want you all starting with the basics." The collective groan that went through the crowd was palpable. After experiencing Unity for himself, Okido had to admit the power was something you could get addicted to easily. It even seemed to excite Genzai; his scales looking a few shades brighter every time Okido donned his armor. "I know it's not the fun stuff, but grab a training weapon from the barrels and find a sparring partner. The grounds are open now."

With a gesture to the open barrels of training weapons, Okido watched as the students hurriedly chose and began breaking off into groups. He was surprised to see the princess herself choosing a second-year as her partner; a young blonde-haired boy with a Spewpa in his rucksack. Okido began walking through the crowd to observe their forms when the sound of hooves at the castle entrance caught his attention. He turned his head to see the carriage containing the new crop of students had pulled up into the courtyard. The sight of only five children departing the carriage made his heart sink. Kaizer had mentioned some organization within the region was hunting down children who possessed the Unity factor and the idea that someone would be willing to harm a child made Okido's blood boil.

"Welcome stu-" Okido was cut short when a blue-haired girl and an Altaria crashed into one of the new first-years. As the Unity armor faded away, Okido rubbed his forehead, "Really, Bird-Girl? I know you're eager to greet the rookies, but this is a bit much isn't it?" Okido had first met Calliope and Seraphine last year. It had been one of the first times Okido had seen an Altaria up close and he struggled to wrap his mind around the fact that it was a dragon-type despite CLEARLY being a bird. As a result, she'd earned the nickname Bird-Girl whenever she tried to defend her claim that Altaria was in-fact a dragon.

Before anyone could continue, there erupted a loud shout from the student dormitories, "WAKE UP!" The shout was followed by an impossibly loud clanging of a sword on a shield. Judging by the sudden screaming, it seemed as though any of the oversleeping students were finally awake. Well... Okido glanced down at Calliope, "Seems you dodged a Donphan.

@LuckyBlackCat@Crimson Flame@FrogRFlowR@Ryik

[FrogRFlowR]

What drew Willow's attention first was Iris' agitation as she tried to warn her trainer of Calliope's impending catastrophe landing. Willow turned just in time to see the girl crash right into her. A few barreling in the ground and a cloud of dust later, Willow sat up, a hand to her head trying to get back into it. Her Kirlia was jumping around the green-haired girl and looking to see if she was safe while throwing Calliope an angry stare once in a while.

"Ow.." Willow looked up to see the hand the same girl that threw her down was now extending. Hesitantly, Willow took it and stood back up, dusting herself a little bit before looking at Calliope briefly, then looking away. It wasn't anger that made her avoid the girl's eyes, but plain old avoidance as would be made obvious by the low tone Willow used to answer her, barely a whisper; "Y-yes. thanks..."

Willow was 'saved' by their instructor calling out the girl, which provided Willow with a window of opportunity to walk away slowly and join her fellow first year peers. They were smiling and laughing about what happened, which was natural, and only served to make Willow feel even worst for having briefly been the center of attention.

Her stare briefly looked up at Calliope before going back down at Iris.
"This girl... she's dangerous." she thought, referring more to the fact that she might drag Willow in the spotlight again with her aloof attitude if they got any closer rather than literally having dive bombed the shy girl. Her eyes then tried to avoid both Calliope as well as Okido and her students and briefly fell on a girl with long, blond hair that looked pristine.

"Is that...Princess Valecourt?!"

What had she gotten into...

[GingerBaron]

Drake Ivans

What a morning to sleep in, Drake soundly asleep half his body on the floor thanks to his tossing and turning overnight. The light piercing through the window glistening off the dribble on his cheek. A slight groan and suddenly "WAKE UP!" A booming voice causing almost a miniquake freely rolling the rest of him out of bed.

Drake slapping himself to wake up a bit more sticking whatever clothes he had available to him. Lucky for him he was able to sneak out his window down the drainpipe onto the lower dorm roof and dropping onto the ground. He had hoped no one noticed him do it as every time he used it as an escape route. He knew Blue would be at the training grounds readily waiting and greeting fellow pokemon and human alike. As his ran past the walls across the field Blue arms crossed patiently waiting for him. He deliberately place himself there so Drake would have to walk past the teachers and classmates alike.

The academy had already begun the morning exercise leading to some sparing, this was a good opportunity to move through the groups to greet his pal. Blue honked as Drake approached causing the close groups to peer round "Morning everyone" he said sheepishly. "Why do you have to increase this embarrassing moment?" Drake asked in a low gritty voice as Blue chuckled to himself. His noticed Okido was leading this morning as he was surveying the group his grazed passed the two of them, Drake simply gave a salute and picked up a quarter staff and joined one of the groups for the start of the day.

[LuckyBlackCat]

@TheNoCoKid @FrogRFlowR

Calliope's sigh of relief came out as a strained laugh. The new girl was thankfully ok, but still, that wasn't a great start to the year for either of them. As Okido was quick to point out.

"Ehhh..." Calliope couldn't help inching back. As much admiration as she had for the ronin, he still intimidated her, even after a year of having known him. It was his air of mystery, his tales of his achievements, and of course the fact that he'd tamed a Gyarados. Trying her best to hide this, she forced a chuckle at the nickname he'd called her by yet again. "Technically that's dragon girl! Rawwwwrrr!" She considered reminding him that an Altaria was more of a dragon than a Gyarados was, but thought better of it.

By her side, Seraphine chirped with laughter, before fussing over her and neatening up her hair. "Oh Sera." Grinning, Calliope reached up to pet her. "No need for that, it'll get messed up again anyway..." She and Seraphine both startled at the sudden yell from the dorms, followed by a cacophony of steel on steel. She nodded up at Okido. "Wow, sounds like it." Okido wasn't the only one who could be scary, Kaizer having quite the impressive presence too.

A glance around the training grounds revealed the task ahead - pick a partner and, ugh, go over the boring old mundane drills. Calliope bit back a sigh. Why couldn't they all train with their Unity abilities? Weren't those their main skills? There was nothing quite like the sensation of lightness and freedom that Unity mode granted her, even if the occasional accident did happen when she kept up Dragon Dance too long. Even so, she grabbed two wooden swords from a barrel and headed over to the green-haired girl, who looked rather less than comfortable as others chortled about the mishap. Calliope winced inwardly. She had to make it up to her somehow.

"Hey, again, apologies." She gave a friendly smile, hoping to put her at ease. "You up for sparring?"

[RisingRobin]

"That won't be needed, Miss Voland," came Kaizer's voice as he walked across the courtyard. A group of bleary-eyed second-years followed behind him with their heads lowered. They sheepishly walked past and grabbed their own weapons to begin drills. "The first-years will be spending their morning classes with Professor Blackwood today. She wishes to test their proficiency with Unity before we begin putting them into combat. From across the courtyard, a tall raven-haired woman could be seen leaning against a pillar, notebook and quill in hand. When she locked eyes with Calliope, Morgana offered a smile and a curt wave before returning to her work.

Kaizer returned his attention to the students and addressed the crowd, "Alright, students! If you are warmed up for the day, we'll begin with morning announcements! First of all, I would like to personally welcome back each and every one of you to the Academy. I know you've all likely heard the rumors about Decree's influence spreading within the kingdom, and I commend you for your willingness to return. I assure you, you are all safe here. Now... As you may be aware, we have some new students joining us this year." He gestured to Willow and the other four first-years who suddenly felt a multitude of eyes fixed on them, sizing them up.

"I'm sure you'll all get to know them later, but for now, you'll be breaking off into groups. First years, you'll meet with Professor Blackwood today. She will be testing your skills with Unity and how strong you are with your partners. Third years, you'll be joining Okido at the lake for mock-battle training. Finally, second years are with me today. We're going out in the field." The old knight watched as the second years perked up at this news. Kaizer accompanying the students outside the academy was rare.

While the students broke off into their groups, Morgana Blackwood strode forward and gestured offered a hand to the first year students, "Come with me please, children. You'll be getting started with me today." As the little group debated whether or not to follow, they felt a gentle push from behind. Turning, they saw Titania the Hatterene looming over them and pushing them forward with her long ponytail.

[Ryik]

Alan Cross & Lillian Valecourt

Deep breaths. A pair of wooden swords. It was just a practice battle with pretty much zero stakes, but it got Alan’s heart racing anyway. He must have a wire crossed somewhere, because it seems to happen every time. It wasn’t quite excitement, nor fear. It didn’t feel like much of anything, really, or perhaps it was more accurate to say it felt like too many things at once. It was an odd mixture of anxiety and drive, a fight or flight reaction but with flight dismissed out of hand. He knew what getting competitive was like; he’s no stranger to friendly competition, but fights and fights alone always felt different.

For her part, Lillian was placid and poised to rip out Alan’s throat. Perhaps not literally, given the weapons, but the vibe was the same. Why she chose him as a sparring partner, Alan couldn’t imagine, but he nonetheless reflected her calm intensity like a mirror.

Lillian struck first. She lunged towards Alan, swinging the wooden blade with speed that was hard to track. Alan did his best to defend, and managed to deflect her strike, only for Lillian to spin with the momentum and kick Alan in the chest. He slid back, but didn’t stumble, recovering quickly for a counterattack of his own. A thrust, a slash, a wide swing, a low sweep. Lillian continued to dodge any attack he threw at her. A sidestep, a backstep, a duck, and a crouching leap back at him. She grabbed his shoulders and vaulted over him, then lifted him by the shoulders and tossed him overhead. He caught himself before hitting the ground, tumbling into a crouch, but Lillian was quick to follow up.

Lillian feinted an overhead swing, pulling back to slither around the sword Alan raised to block in response. She went for a direct stab, only to catch sight of blood blooming out along her sword. The wooden blades weren’t sharp, but they weren’t just sticks either. It was reasonable to expect the tip to break skin, but the resulting bruise should be of more concern than any shallow puncture wound. Likewise, the edges probably wouldn’t cause any cuts, unless someone was dumb enough to try grabbing the blade thrust at them with a single bare hand. Like Alan.

Despite the surprise, Lillian did not abort half way. Her sword was stopped solely by Alan’s grip, holding it tightly despite his hand leaving a bloody skid mark on it. If Alan was feeling the pain, he didn’t show it outwardly, simply staring Lillian in the eye before using the leverage on her sword to tackle her, shoulder-first.

She stumbled back a bit. It was refreshing, having a sparring partner who wasn’t afraid of taking things too far with a princess. Lillian gave Alan a smirk as he shook some of the blood off of his hand before going back to a two-handed grip on his sword, never taking his eyes off of Lillian as he did so.

They continued, trading minor blows, never able to get a decisive strike in on each other. Lillian was clearly the superior duelist, setting the tempo of the spar, but she couldn’t dismantle Alan’s guard, and whenever she took a risk, he’d pull off something crazy to turn the tables on her, if only for a moment. Eventually they were the only ones still sparring. Kaizer had long since returned, and it was starting to become clear that they were probably going to continue all day long if left uninterrupted. Since some basic sparring wasn’t the only thing on the agenda for today, Okido had to step in to stop the duel so that they could all get on with it.

Amidst the post-fight panting and bandaging, Alan broke the silence of their long spar. ”You’re amazing. You just dodge everything I throw at you, don’t you?”

”Well, you certainly didn’t fail to leave a scratch. Every time I thought I had you cornered, you’d hit me with a surprise. Really, you’re quite excellent for tempering my patience.”

If the compliment was meant to be backhanded, Alan didn’t notice in the slightest. ”Thanks! I try.”

”...”

[FrogRFlowR]

"...are you kidding me..." Willow thought as she saw Calliope come straight for her.

As she apologized about the whole thing and offered her sparring, William's stare went up and down the girl and, in a funny display, Iris did the almost exact same to Seraphine. Nevertheless, the 1st year was about to answer when Mr. Drachen interrupted them.

"I..." she looked to the old man, making herself scarce when he gestured to them. Willow and Calliope had to - fortunately or unfortunately - split up. Still, the shy girl bid her good day as best she could before walking away with the first years, pushed gently by the Hatterene in the right direction while Iris was giving Titania mean eyes for pushing Willow.

"It's fine, Iris..."
Despite everything, Willow made her way up to the professor and, making sure no one else was near them, gently asked;

"So...w-what exactly will be the 'test' of our skills?" she asked, slightly worried.

[LuckyBlackCat]

@TheNoCoKid

Calliope turned to face Kaizer, who led a group of exhausted-looking students. "They get to use Unity? Aw, lucky first years." She glanced at the green haired girl, who shuffled away with her peers, gently guided by Blackwood's Hatterene. Her own Unity training last year had been exhilarating - why couldn't the second years begin with that? Surely that was the most important skill to hone? "Still, I'm gonna give it my all!" She hurried to where the other second years trained and joined them, sweeping and parrying with her wooden swords as Seraphine watched.

She was only a few seconds into the drills when Kaizer's voice boomed through the courtyard once more. Her head perked up, a thrill coursing through her. Field training, at the side of an accomplished knight. Instead of merely singing about adventures, she was finally going to experience one. "Ooooh, a mission?" She dashed to Kaizer's side, bouncing on her heels. "What's the task? Whatever it is, we've got this!" Grinning over her shoulder at her fellow second years as they gathered, she raised her fist, attempting to bolster morale.

Exciting as this was, a hint of trepidation nagged at her - the deeds of Rallen's heroes were a lot to live up to. Would this go like it did in the songs?

[RisingRobin]

As the students broke into their respective groups, Kaizer addressed the second years, "You will all be assisting in a Pokémon hunt today. It seems a wild Metagross has taken up residence in the nearby mountains and some noble brat wishes to have it brought in as his personal pet. Metagross are notoriously tough opponents so this will be a good opportunity to test your battle skills as well as your Unity abilities. Orders are to subdue and bring the hunk of metal in, but you can faint it if you must. If there are no objections or questions, you have ten minutes to gather your equipment and meet me at the academy gates! Move out!" The second years immediately broke off running for their dorms in order to prepare for the incoming ordeal. Turning his attention to Okido, Kaizer saw the samurai moving the third years down to the lakeside. The headmaster had long since planned for them to begin with full contact sparring before moving into the command-oriented aspects that were commonly associated with third year studies.

Morganna meanwhile, had brought her pack of first years into the castle and up a flight of stairs to her classroom, "Now students, I trust many of you are aware of what Unity is, but I have doubts that you have seen it performed properly. Titania, if you please..." The Hatterene gleefully bounded over to her mistress as Morganna reached out a hand, placing the other over her chest. A bright pink light emanated from the duo and covered the room; nearly blinding the new students. When it cleared, Morganna stood before them, now clad in a flowing pink dress, witch's hat, and carrying a long bejeweled staff. Her once-black hair was now pale blue in color and tied back into a long ponytail to match her partner.

"Hehe... Do you see?" Morganna twirled for the students as she fought to keep the encroaching grin off her face. Even when it was for the purposes of demonstration, she couldn't stop Titania's influence from forcing her to smile while in Unity form. It just felt so... wonderful. "With the power of Unity, you and your partner will truly become one and the same. You share the same sensations, feel the same stimulations, and in return, the Pokémon shares their power with you!" To demonstrate, Morganna aimed her staff at a wooden target in the room and fired a Psybeam. The beam struck and obliterated its mark. As the students gawked and clapped, Morganna released herself from the Unity form and composed herself, "Ahem... As such, the purpose of my classes will be to test how strong your Unity is with your current Pokémon partners. For those among you who don't have one..." She eyed the few students who stood without a Pokémon at their side, "We'll see to it that you are paired with a partner that will best bring out your latent abilities. Now... who wants to go first?" Morganna stepped aside and retrieved another target from her desk.

Back in the courtyard, Kaizer stood at attention as his students returned carrying their equipment for the day's journey. He didn't like the idea of securing such a powerful Pokémon to be some noble's pet, but orders were orders and he could at least get an opportunity to see how well Morganna had trained this crop of students in the last year. With a smirk, Kaizer mounted Ignis and signaled for his partner to take flight. He addressed his students from the air, [color=orange]"As for my role in this assignment, I'm simply to navigate you to the last known location of the Metagross! I will simply be observing your progress and will step in only if absolutely necessary. I trust I'm understood." Without waiting for a reply, Kaizer and Ignis turned and began flying away, expecting the second years to follow.

@LuckyBlackCat@FrogRFlowR@Ryik@GingerBaron@Crimson Flame

[Crimson Flame]

After her sparring session with Allan that was a lot more challenging than she expected for a simple practice session, Lillian was all warmed up. Professor Drachen gave the morning announcements, and then they were all split off into groups. The third years were all sent to the lake for mock battle training. She dutifully went along with the other third years to the lakeside. There was discussion of Full Contact Sparring. Lillian raised her hand. ”I beg your pardon Professor Okido, but how is this different from the sparring we were just doing?”

[LuckyBlackCat]

@TheNoCoKid

Eyes shining, Calliope eagerly awaited the command. What would the students' heroic deed ahead be? Drive away mischievous ghosts? Rescue a missing Pokemon? When Kaizer announced the second years' task, her expression fell.

"Wait... what?" She stood stunned, her peers' footsteps drowning out her murmur. Subdue a Metagross and bring it to a noble as a pet? Against its will? This wasn't the kind of thing the knights in the songs did. Was there more to the situation than Kaizer had said? There had to be. Rallen Knights were known as a force of good. With a sigh, she headed after the other students.

Once she'd gathered a bag of supplies from her dorm - she didn't need to bring weapons, being able to summon them while transformed - she rejoined Kaizer in the courtyard. As he took to the air atop his Charizard, Calliope hopped onto Seraphine's back. "Ready?" With a nod and a chirp, Seraphine spread her fluffy wings and took off.

It was usually a pleasure to fly, to feel the wind against her face as she watched the land spread out below her and Sera, but the task ahead rather dampened Calliope's enjoyment. "Uh, sir?" Steadily catching up with Kaizer, she turned her head. "This Metagross is actively causing trouble and needs to be stopped, right? Or it's lost and lonely, and needs a good home? And what's this noble like?"