[IC] Pokemon: Among Stars Together

[Damon]

The sun was bright the day Conor arrived for the Starlight Festival on Calla Island, the main island of the Delphinium Archipelago. It blazed brightly as he wandered the streets bright and early. He arrived only just a hour ago, claiming he wanted to be on the island before any serious traffic was going to be there, but obviously with the festival being as big as it was there was going to be a lot of traffic and people for awhile.

As he wandered through the main village of Forie he was greeted with smiles and laughter by tourists and villagers alike. Being the odd man he was he returned the favor with a simple nod or an awkward, half-assed smile. Conor was excited to be at the Starlight Festival even though he didn't show it much through his facial expressions his mind was jumping for joy. He was participating in the tournament and couldn't wait to start battling others. Battling and raising Pokemon is something the young man is passionate about, and being able to show his and his Pokemon's skills in a tournament to others was exciting.

"Can we eat yet?" A voice chimed in, tugging on Conor's right pant leg. "I'm starving!"

The trainer's train of thought was broken and he paused in place, looking down at his feet. He gave the source of the voice a real, warm smile. "How about some breakfast? I'm sure there are a few booths that are open with food."

"Yes! Yay!" The little Pichu at his feet cheered, jumping for joy. Bo quickly climbed onto his leg and made his way to his trainer's shoulders, rubbing his cheeks to Conor's with affection. The little mouse shocked Conor slightly, but the trainer only laughed as the Pichu was still learning to control his powers. "Let's go!" He said, pointing straight ahead as the new navigator for the two.

The trek to find food took only a few minutes of wandering. As they arrived they were greeted by a plump, round woman with the biggest smile. "Good morning, keiki, what can I do for you today?"

Conor stood there silently, looking over what the woman's booth had to choose from. Everything seemed so exotic and smelled delicious, he didn't know what to pick.

"I want EVERYTHING, please!" His little partner chimed, jumping onto the booth. "Oooh! This smells so good!"

The trainer was studying every little dish the woman had and as he was about to order he felt something shocking his spine, and froze in silence. Something didn't feel right, and it wasn't about the food. Conor took a breath and ignored the spine tingling feeling as his stomach grumbled, he had to deal with one problem at a time. Returning his attention to the woman with a respectable smile he ordered his food, "I'd like one order of this curry here and a dozen order of these fruit shish kabob's, please."

"Coming right up, keiki!" The woman sang, piling up his food together.

[Gnome]

The sun rained down mercilessly. Fortunately for Stephen, the large straw hat he had was perfect for defense from solar rays. He had Ludicolo following him now, and the two of them couldn't help but to stare with awe at the colorful plants, buildings and banners of Forie. Stephen snapped a few pictures with a cheap disposable camera he had bought. For all my high-tech pokegear, none of it has a camera function... Seems like an oversight, Stephen thought. He could smell food and fruit-trees from all over, and the whole town was awash with aromas. The air reminded him of Verdanturf, and he was glad to forget the constant briny smell of his boat-ride out here. Even now he could see more and more white boats arriving at the shore, bringing in more trainers and vacationers.

Then, Stephen spotted it. There was a loud, dust-kicking wave coming up the street, straight toward him and Ludicolo. The danger became imminent, and as the shouting grew close Stephen and Ludicolo unfroze, and their feet quickly carried them to being glued onto a nearby doorway. Five were running ahead of the rest, sprinting to escape a liquid mass of people in tropic-patterned shirts. The street shook, and as the five bandmates bolted past, one of them carrying nearly a dozen suitcases shouted, “RIGHT! TOWARD THE PLAZA!”. They looked like some kind of musician group and their manager, and Stephen was impressed they were outpacing the crowd while carrying an entire stage set.

A short man from the crowd carrying a flash-bulb camera peeled ahead of his peers, and dove to catch onto one of the girl band members as her group rounded the bend toward the plaza. Time slowed down, and Stephen watched as the man drifted through the air, one arm outstretched, his finger resting on the trigger of his camera, like some kind of action-movie hero in bullet-time. Then, leaping down from the girls collar was an especially tough looking Minun. In moments it landed on the mans head while he was still mid dive, and Thundershocked him sending him off-course. As the man rolled log-ways acrosst the ground, the Minun agilely hopped back to its trainers collar.

After the thunder of feet had passed, the people remaining on the street were Stephen, his Ludicolo and the cameraman who had tumbled into the gutter. Stephen and Ludicolo peeled themselves off the door, welcoming being 3-dimensional again. They gazed at the less fortunate, whose camera had automatically printed out a picture it had snapped; the scowl of a Minun. The photographer was more or less decommissioned, laying in a heap just off the sidewalk. Stephen held up the photo and admired it. The Minun really captured the essence of fearsome, and no doubt had guarded its trainer like this on many occasions. Stephen could feel its glare through the picture, and quickly replaced it on the photographer.

“Norville, you think you could wake him up? Atleast he'll find out he hasn't failed entirely. That Minun is something else, he should be glad he caught it in its element.” Stephen turned to his Ludicolo, who nodded and used Water Gun on the unconscious man. This caused him to snap awake, and he scrambled to his feet and away from the Ludicolo, giving Stephen and the pokemon dirty looks. “He'll dry off quick enough, don't feel bad.” Stephen put his arm around Ludicolo, and the pair approached the central plaza.

[Makatsume Haru]

Raphael couldn't believe how damn hot the whole island was, well, after all, it WAS a tropical island. "Maybe it really was a mistake to come all the way here. I feel like I'm gonna die!" He let his whole body hang, as he walked lazily through the city. A guy like him, accostumed to cold weather really had no place in the island. However, as his Kirlia danced elegantly ahead of him. With a happy growl, she showed how happy she was to finally have a change of weather. This brought a smile to Raphael's face. He patted Rinna's head. "Well, if you're happy then I can't complain." Rinna then insisted on being carried by Raphael, since he often did so when she was still a Ralts. "God, you're such a baby, Rinna. When you evolve into a Gardevoir I won't be able to carry you, ya know?" Rinna pouted and looked at him as if trying to say. 'I won't be that heavy, you could still carry me.' Raphael let out a hearty laugh.

He takes Rinna and puts her in his shoulder, where she sits crosslegged and pats Raphael's head, as he did a while ago. He starts walking, wandering through the many stands of food and whatnot. He decides to buy.... Something, since he can't really tell what it is. It looks, well, exotic? Raphael can't deny it, it looks weird, but since he isn't picky about his food, he gives it a bite. It was better than he expected. He offers some to Rinna, but she doesn't want to try it, as she motions with her hands to tell Raphael that she doesn't want to try it. "Alright then, you're the one missing it." He finishes the strange dish in the blink of an eye. "Ah, I hadn't eat anything since boarding that boat. That really hit the spot."

He starts walking away, but Rinna pulls his deep blue hair to make him turn around. A little too forcefully at that, though. "Ouch! Hey, you coulda've just called!" He rubs where Rinna just pulled and turns around to see what she wanted to show him. Rinna points at a poster, where they announce that a Pokemon Contest will be held later on. "Hoh˜ Good eyes, Rinna! This is exactly what we came for." He hurries over and rips the poster off the wall it was in. "Hmm.... It doesn't say at what where it'll be. Should I ask someone...?" He searches for someone nearby who can answer that, but he doesn't find anyone. However, Rinna once again finds what he was searching for before him, but this time she taps more gently on Raphael's head. She points at a police officer. "Perfect! You're on a roll today, Rinna!" Rinna puffs her chest and Raphaels approaches the officer.

Even though he had clear on his mind what he was going to say, it instantly vanished as he approached the officer, his shyness taking over. In a stiff voice, he asks the officer. "Um... H-hey, do ya know where the Pokemon Contest will be held? 'C-cause I, well, I wanna participate. I-it isn't too much to ask right?" The officer looks at him with puzzled eyes, but answers shortly after. He points at where Raphael should go, and Raphael thanks him, as well as Rinna, with a motion of the hand. Shortly after, he runs off at full speed towards where the officer pointed. "We will totally win this, Rinna! Just you wait!" Rinna growls happily.

[Solita]

On a beach near the docks where people were continuing to arrive by boat, there was a small crowd that had gathered to watch a seemingly spontaneous battle which had broken out on the sand. On one side, an imposing man with a bald head and a torn up leather vest was standing behind an even more imposing Garchomp. On the other side, a young looking girl with bright red hair was standing behind her Infernape, both their faces set in matching determined expressions. There was some cheering coming from the crowd, and both pokémon looked like they were near their limits.

"Alright Garchomp, this is it!" The man shouted, extending his arm to point dramatically. "Show these punks who they're messing with! Dragon Claw!" At the man's command, the Garchomp immediately shot forward, closing the distance between it and the Infernape in an instant, as it raised its claw up to strike.

"Dodge it, Inferno!" Marcie cried, though her Infernape didn't have to be told twice, as he was already rolling nimbly out of the way of the potentially devastating strike, which sent a plume of sand up into the air. "DonMt underestimate us just because we're punks! Close Combat!" She shouted, grinning as Inferno easily pivoted on his feet the moment he was upright, jumping up while the Garchomp still had its claw buried in the ground and letting out a simian cry as it loosed a barrage of fists upon its opponent. The massive dragon was sent staggering backwards by the force of the attack, until it finally ended, the Infernape springing off its opponent with one final punch. Surprisingly, the Garchomp remained standing, glaring at its opponent as he landed on the sand in front of it. There was a brief moment of silence, then the dragon opened its toothy maw to let out a loud roar that echoed all across the shore... then, with one final huff, it collapsed to the ground, utterly unconscious.

"Haha! You did it again, Inferno!" Marcie cried out happily over the cheers of the crowd, rushing forward to fall on her knees and grab the smiling victor in a tight hug while the biker dude cross from them stared at his defeated Garchomp in disbelief. After a moment, Marcie stood back up, Inferno remaining clinging to her as he easily swung his way around back to his usual spot hanging on her back. "I think that was a victory worthy of celebration!" She said, earning an affirmative noise from her Infernape. "C'mon, let's go get something to eat!" She said, as she turned toward the village of Forie sand set off at a run, her hair flowing behind her in much the same fashion as her Infernape's flame, as she remained grinning the whole way through the streets on her way to the central plaza.

[Fieryfly]

Now this, Esra Walker thought as she walked along the beach, this was the life. Blue skies blazing with a bright sun, sandy beaches in which you could lose your feet if you didn't look out, and a cool sea to the side that could bring refreshment whenever you wanted. This was the good stuff. Oh, Lumiose City was grand and all with its splendor and energy, but it didn't have the relaxing factor and it most certainly didn't have the heath. Esra loved the warm climate, the warmer the better so the tropical islands of the Delphinium Archipelago suited her just fine and the sand between her toes made her feel even better. The little Aron next to her, however, seemed to have more trouble with the small specs of dirt that were heaping up all around him. His small feet were struggling with every step and sometimes he seemed to disappear temporaritly into a particulary loose part. Watching him struggle for a while Esra smiled and stopped. The Aron peddled on without noticing, totally consumed by his efforts, until Esra scooped him up.

"Just let it go, Kay." Esra said shaking her head. "You have proven you can do it so there is no need to strain yourself more. Besides you'll need your energy. The day has only just started."

Kay shot her a look, but then settled for being carried and closed his eyes to the warmth of the sun that heathed up the iron armor that covered the entirty of his small body.

In the distance a battle was being completed. With mild interest Esra strolled over only to hear the deafening roar of the Garchomp and the slight shudder in the ground as it fell down. Because of the crowd it was difficult to see what was going on, but slowly the people started to disperse, a girl with red hair setting of first, following by, presumably, her Infernape. In the end only the man and the Garchomp were left. He looked a bit broken and Esra shook her head again. It was a pity she had missed it, battles gave pretty pictures. Involuntary one of her hands moved to the bag that was hanging on her side to check if her camera was still there. It was.

"You should find yourself a Pokemon Centre." Esra advised the man, before turning away. Even though it was sad that the battle had happened without her knowing, she would get enough chances to see more either in the battle competition or the Pokemon Contests. She had contemplated for a while, but had then also decided to enter the Battle Competition herself. Sure, she was not an avid battler, but she could hold her ground and it would be great to see her team in action again, not to mention give herself some experience. Maybe she could even get some flashy new pictures of them during the fight. Esra wondered if it was allowed to take pictures while battling. Musing, lost in her thoughts the young woman followed the path of the other girl towards Forie.

First and before everything else she needed a tropical drink.

[Keyblade87]

Alex smiled feeling the sun on his skin. He could get used to the warm climate here. He and his brother had left shortly after his brother had gotten his Chikorita and left for the tournament held here on the Island.
"Come on Riolu lets see if we can find the tournament." He said with a smile to the small Pokemon. They walked around the a small town looking in all of the shops and enjoying the views. After a while Riolu whimpered quietly and tugged at Alex's jeans.
"Alright buddy lets go get something to eat." He said lift Riolu to sit on his shoulder and walking to one of the nearby restaurants and ordering some food. As they sat down to enjoy their lunch Alex spotted a poster for the tournament and grinned.
"There it is. That's the reason we're here....well that and doing some research." He said eyeing a flock of bird Pokemon flying above. "Hey maybe you'll evolve while were here!" He added looking to the Riolu who smiled with cheeks full of Pokemon food.
"And here I thought I had taught you better manners than that." He said with a chuckle as before continuing to eat and watch the people and Pokemon around him.

[Crimson Flame]

Andre's was in the bathroom of his hotel room, getting ready to go out. He had arrived the night before, and with his fortune, was able to afford a room at a fancy hotel. Andre couldn't imagine staying in a Pokemon Center like the other trainers. The only downside was being in this huge room all by himself. He only had his Pokemon for companions. Andre wasn't too bothered by that, because he knew he was going to be surrounded by people the minute he stepped out of this room.

The young movie star was busy studying his reflection in the bathroom mirror, making sure he was presentable before he stepped off the plane. One has to look good at all times, because you never know where there will be someone with a camera who wants to take his picture. He couldn't afford to have a bad hair day, or else that picture would end up in a magazine, and the tabloids would rip him to shreds. Such is the life of a star. In the end, it was all worth it for the fame and fortune that being a star brings.

Once he finished brushing his blonde hair, he adjusted his tie, and checked the mirror one last time. "C'est magnifique!" He exclaimed once he was satisfied, he sprayed on some lavender scented perfume, and put on his pink beret. He completed the look by grabbing a pair of pink sunglasses, and putting them top of his head. Just in time too, because the plane had finally landed. Andre grabbed his pink messenger bag. If you didn't know better, it was easy to assume that it was a girl's bag. He put the sunglasses over his eyes, then, he gestured to his Sylveon, who was sleeping on a red velvet pillow. "Come along Jeanne, it is time for us to go!"

The Sylveon's ribbons and ears twitched when her name was called. "Sylveon." she said calmly before gracefully leaping to her trainer's side.

"Très bien!" Andre said to his Pokemon as he put her pillow away in his bag. Then he put the sunglasses over his eyes, and stepped out of the room.

---

Less than a second after stepping out of the hotel building, there was a horde of papparazzi outside waiting for him. All of them shouting Andre's name, and flashing their fancy cameras. Andre was amazed that they were able to find him all the way in a far off place like this, but he was cool with it nnevertheless. He smirked as he calmly walked past all the photographers. Every now and then giving them a smile, posing for a few pictures with Jeanne, who also enjoyed the people squealing how cute she was, and signing some autographs for fans that asked for it. He loved all the attention. After all, these people were supporting his career, it was the least he could do to give them what they want. Any star who complains about the constant media attention is lying. They wouldn't be stars if they hated attention.

After a few minutes of that, Andre strolled over to the local Pokemon Center. Before walking into the building, he turned around, smiled, and waved goodbye to his fans. "Merci beaucoup! You're a wonderful audience! Au revoir!" Then he took a bow, stepped inside, and shut the door behind him. Once inside the center, he put the sunglasses back on top of his head, pulled out a hair brush from his bag, and took a seat at a nearby chair. His Sylveon sat took a seat in front of her trainer. Andre decided that the Fairy type was in need of a good grooming before they headed out into the festival.

"Syllllveon." Crystal purred as her trainer gently stroked her fur with the brush.

[Damon]

Time had flown by and it was now lunchtime, and with Bo, more food was always involved. The duo made their way to the Pokemon Center in search of the registration for either the Battle Tournament or the Pokemon Contest and were met with a crowd of paparazzi. He knew the festival were going to attract a lot of people, but he never expected it would attract famous celebrities. Conor actually wondered which one was there, inside the Pokemon Center, not that it really mattered to him.

"Maybe we should just come back later," the trainer muttered after thinking about it for a few seconds. The sea of paparazzi covering the enterance to the center were a bit much for him to handle at the moment.

"Let's go eat now then!" Bo cried, rubbing his tiny stomach as it growled.

"Why are you always so hungry?" Conor sighed, patting his little Pichu on the head as it rested on his shoulder. "You eat so much for a little guy." He looked at the mob of fans and cameras and knew what he had to do. Registration was going to close soon for both the Battle Tournament and Pokemon Contest, so he had to get into the center to register if he wanted to participate. So with a big, deep breath, he charged his way through.

"Excuse me," The trainer shouted, making his way through every nook and cranny he could find. "Sorry, trying to get through." When he finally made his way to the front, by the door of the center he fell in, feeling the much needed air conditioning. "Wow," he said with a big sigh of relief, "It feels great in here." The trainer and Pokemon pair made their way to the front desk, glancing at all of the trainers who were in the center before them.

Each had their very own unique style and aura to them, but there was actually one that stuck out like a sore thumb. A man in pink with his Sylveon, now he looked different and strangely familiar. Conor squinted his eyes and examined the trainer closer as he walked past, there was something oddly familiar with him, but Conor couldn't quite put his thumb on it.

Once he reached the desk, the trainer turned and smiled to the always angelic Nurse Joy. "Hi, I'm here to register for the Battle Tournament."

"Oh great!" She replied cheerfully. She began typing stuff up onto her computer before turning back to Conor once again with a big smile, "I'll just need your name and Pokemon party that you'll be using!"

The trainer nodded in reply, smiling happily that he now ready for the tournament.

[Keyblade87]

After Alex and Riolu had finished they set off for the Pokemon Center. They wandered around for a while before Riolu pulled at his jeans and looked up at him confused.
"We're not lost...I don;t think so anyway." he said as they rounded a corner to see the Pokemon Center right in front of them.

"See I told you we weren't lost." he said grinning and walking in smiling at the amount of trainers there. He walked eagerly up to Nurse Joy and smiled.

"I'm here to enter the tournament is it to late to sign up?" he asked still smiling.

"Nope not at all I'll just need your name and the list of Pokemon you'll be using and we can get you registered." she said as she began typing away on her computer.

"Sweet thank you." he said before giving her his name and list of Pokemon." If that's everything ill just wait over here." he said pointing and walking to one of the empty benches nearby.

[Synchronize]

No matter which way Sadie looked, bodies of tourists flooded the streets. Some wore too much floral, while others barely wore any clothing at all. But not only was the festival crowded and loud, but the sun beat down on anyone who dared to step out of the shadows, boiling their naked flesh to a crisp. Ok, so the heat wasn’t that bad, but it was still really hot. Luckily, Sadie had landed a spot at one of the bars before the festival got too congested. Though she had to push her way through a crowd of sweaty tourists, being able to rest under the shade of the bar was well worth it. There she stayed perched for most of the early hours, ordering ice cold drinks with her fake ID. “Bartender, could I get one more? Extra ice as well, please.”

The drink was a margarita and came with its own silly straw and a floral lei with flowers so gaudy it would make any Bellossom jealous. After taking her first sip, her glossy lips curved into a grin. The chilling beverage gave the girl goose bumps as it traveled down her esophagus, causing her to giggle with glee. Sadie wasn’t one to loosen up, but I’m on vacation for Heaven’s Sake! she thought. If I’m gonna partake in illegal activity, now would be the perfect time to do so. And with that, she took another swig from her drink, this time savoring the flavors for all they had to offer. There were hints of citrus and berries, but the most notable flavor was… fruit punch!? Swallowing what was left in her mouth, she immediately turned to the bartender and asked, “Have you been serving me fruit punch this entire time!?”

The bartender chuckled at the girls accusations. As he cleaned a glass with a rag, “You finally noticed? It only took you three drinks,” he responded.

Not only had she been smeckledorfed, but he was laughing at her as well. There were many ways Sadie could have gone about the situation, but she settled on the easiest: threaten. Sipping her fruit punch, she placed the cup down and looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look, I’m not sure why you did it, but I paid for those drinks. So either you give me what I ordered, or I want my money back.”

The bartender raised his hands in defeat, a smirk slapped across his face. “Alright, alright, you caught me. I’ll get you want you wanted,” he said. Taking the cup from the bar, he mixed a drink for her and even added a tiny umbrella to it. “Here,” he said, passing her the glass.

Sadie sneered at the bartender as she took the glass from him. It didn’t look all that different, sans umbrella. She raised the silly straw to her lips and took a sip of the drink. Pausing for a moment, the brunette sloshed the drink around in her mouth, deciphering what new tastes this drink had to offer. Hmm… tastes like… fruit punch!? “What the fuck!?” was all she could muster. “This is the same exact drink as my last one!”

The bartender was in a fit of laughter now. He practically had tears rolling down his eyes from laughing so hard. After collecting himself, he leaned over the bar and motioned for her to come closer. In a soft tone, “We both know you’re not 21. So if you wanna be a bad girl and drink yourself into a stupor, you’re gonna have to find yourself a different bar. And good luck with that. You might make it through the line in 90 minutes if you’re lucky,” he explained. “So what’s it gonna be? You gonna stand in line with all those sweaty plebs for a beer or do you wanna stay here with your fruit punch like a good girl?”

The bartender had given her an ultimatum and a shitty one at that. Stay with the guy who just pulled a ruse over her twice in a row or bare the heat so she could maybe get some liquor? And who’s to say they won’t turn me away at that bar either? Though she’d hate to admit it, she had been defeated at her own game. After a short deliberation, she took hold of the glass of fruit punch and drank from it, sighing between her sips. Fuck.

[Sumable]

As I awaken from my unconsciousness, I stand up groggily. I rub my head and moan, and look down at my leg. It still had metal stuck in it. I, now feeling the full-fledged pain from not being unconscious from the shock, scream loudly. Louder than I ever have before. I begin crying, and I stand up, wobbling as I hop on one leg away from the plane. I hear a lot of noise and commotion going on to my left, and I turn a little as I limp and eventually fall down. I sit and take hold of the thickest part of the metal and tug, only making the wound sting and hurt worse. I pull myself up on a low-hanging tree branch and look at the blood oozing from the wound, most likely going to get infected. I wipe my eyes and start climbing up a steep hill. I trip a few times, but don't tumble down, and I eventually just start to pull myself up.

Once I get to the top, I look around and, past probably a kilometer of trees, I see a town. I can get help there! I think as I wipe my tear-covered face. I carefully make my way down the hill and start walk-hopping again. When I get there, I see that I'm high up and I jump onto a roof, slightly hurting my bad leg and I look at the giant group of humans standing on the roof. Suddenly, one looks at me and yells "SHINY POKEMON!" and I see him take out another one of those balls. I jump away from the ball and feel my metal spike get caught on something as I'm walking, twisting my ankle and pulling it out. I squeal loudly as this happens, and the human's faces get filled with disgust, and my vision gets blurry as I limp backwards into a wall. One of the humans walks over to me and picks me up, and he says "Don't catch this one until AFTER we heal him!" and he carries me downstairs like a mother would to her baby, and I feel my entire left side go limp.

After about 15 minutes of the agony of having a hole inside of my leg, I see the large building that my previous trainer would take me to when I got hurt. Except it was a little different... He takes me in and sets me on the counter. The doctors get excited at seeing a shiny, and then frightened when they saw what was wrong. They pick me up and put me in some sort of pod, and push it into the wall, and I get sprayed everywhere with some sort of healing juice, and a machine inspects me to see what it should do, and then it stitches up the hole with artificial skin, and it also replaces whatever was lost. It seals it up with another layer of artificial Scraggy Skin, and then sprays me again, and they pull the pod back out. "Ah, the full-body machine works, I think!" The nurse says, as she hands me back to the trainer. I get a test to see if I can walk properly again, and when I see that I'm able to walk, I bolt out and away from the group, into some thick, albeit fake bushes.

I look at all the different shops, and see a bar with a young-looking girl sitting. She looked angry, and I peek under the bushes at her. I slip and fall behind some piping, and turn my way around to climb back up. When I do so, I bolt up back into the bushes, and continue spying. To be honest, I think the guy messing with the piping may have seen me, but I continue hiding anyways, and he makes no move for the bushes, and I smile. I see she has some type of drink and I align myself up with the counter, and I pounce onto it and run, make a quick jump, and grab her drink, then I jump off of the counter, and start gulping down the drink.

[Fieryfly]

The tropical drink she had been thirsting for was easily found and now rested snuggly in her hand. Esra sipped from it as she walked casually through the streets. Kay again had found its way to the ground and was stiding next to her. Occacionally she gave him a look and couldn't help but smile to see how proudly he strode. Like a true knight, she thought chuckling slightly. Somehow the drink was suddenly finished and she dumped the plastic cup in one of the many garbagebins that littered the streets. For a second she paused and her hands lifted up her camera.

Snap.

A picture of Kay to join the many others she had. She just couldn't resist. He was fucking adorable when he tried to be impressive. She couldn't imagine him ever evolving. Aggrons were badass sure, but Kay was just not fit to be a powerhouse like that. It didn't fit him at all. She snapped a couple of other pictures of the street, but none were very much to her satisfaction and she slowly dropped the camera again.

It was time to find the Pokemon Center and register, she figured. That could never be very difficult. She already knew where the building was and found it back easily. Something had changed however. It was swamped with people. People she knew quite well because she, in some way, shared a job with them. Paparazzi. With interest Esra tried to search the crowd for the celebrity that would undoubtedly be in the victinity. But she found no one. That meant he had just entered the center. How lucky that she had to enter as well. Maybe she could get a couple of good pictures now and have more time for other stuff. She knew her paper would want some celebrities, but she herself was not even that interested in them.

"Sorry, coming through." She said as she pushed through the crowd and entered the building. Even though it was busy inside too it felt like nothing compared to the pressing people outside. Esra breathed out slowly and first made her way over to the counter. After a quick registration Esra turned around and confidentally strolled to the left side of the Center where a guy was seated. A guy she knew. A guy that everybody knew really. André Bellamy was a sensation in the acting world. She wondered how she should go about this. Direct approach would probably work the best, she thought after a couple of seconds. Mister Bellamy was not one to shy away from cameras.

"Mister Bellamy." She said as she walked up to him. Kay trotted behind her. "Would you mind?" She asked as she gestured to the seat next to him.

[Sketcher]

Iron woke up, the comfortable feeling of unconsciousness slowly fading away. The boy rubbed his eyes and looked outside, seeing the tourists in the streets with their new souvenirs. He threw the sheets off his legs and curled up into a ball. He glanced over at the pokéballs laying on the table beside him, one of them open. There was a Lucario on the ground next to him.

"Rio, time to wake up," he muttered, trying to yell. The pokémon's ear flickered and it rolled, yawning. A small smirk curled up on the boy's mouth. "Come on, we can meet more of the trainers we'll be up against."

He got up and walked over to the small bathroom right in front of the door. He grabbed his toothbrush and started cleaning his teeth as Rio watched him from the door. "Whuh?" he asked, pausing.

After putting his shirt and shorts on, the boy grabbed his bag and short-sleeved hoodie. He took the pokéballs and attached them to his belt, from where he could easily and quickly summon the pokémon, perfect for a battler. He opened the door and grabbed the keycard from its socket in the wall and marched out to the corridor where there were dozens of other rooms like his.

Time was passing by quite quickly for Iron and Rio. They were exploring the island. At one point, they even flew off with Meta and Char, visiting the other islands for an hour or so.

When he got back, he saw another trainer with a Riolu. He smiled and walked over with Rio, seeing this as an opportunity to get to know his opponents. "Hi! You have a Riolu? That's neat!" He had a friendly and warm tone when he spoke and Rio was mimicking his facial expressions.

[Bigg Slamm]

Benjamin Teague had been awake for about an hour when the sound of the commotion came through his open window into his room. His room was small, so much so he couldn't even let North his Cryogonal out to eat breakfast. The reason he was still in his room was he was kind of nervous. The excitement he felt on the boat ride over had ran out and now the realization of being in a whole new region was getting to him. It was the commotion from down stairs that piqued his curiosity and motivated him enough to finally want to leave the Pokemon Center. He got changed into his day clothes, shouldered his ruck sack, and made his way out the door. Once in the main lobby he walked on over to Nurse joy to register for all the Starlight Festival events.

"Hello Nurse Joy I'd like to register for the festival events please." He adressed to the pink haired womn behind the counter speaking to a Chansey holding a clipboard. She turned with a smile and a small bow. "My apoligies sir for keeping you waiting. I would be delighted to help you sir if I could have you give me your name, your pokemon party, and you'll be all set." Benjamin gave what she ask him and a few moments later he was off towards the front door a registered competitor. That was true until he heard one little thing, "Mister Bellamy!" "No way!" Thought Benjamin as he swiveled his head back and forth looking for who adressed the star. He heard the voice again and there he was, Andre Bellamy, sitting with Jeanne. Across from the star standing was a girl with a camera. Benjamin knew Andre loved the paparazzi, but Benjamin took the opportunity.

Benjamin walked over to the pair and said, "Hey Andre, this chick bothering you? I'll get rid of her for you. By the way, big fan." Benjamin readied his hands as if he was going to grab the girl's shoulders and looked to Andre with a 'So?' look on his face. Benjamin really tried his best to keep his cool in front of Andre for both their sakes. He really didn't want to act like a complete fool in front of a chick with a camera next to Andre Bellamy.

[Crimson Flame]

As Andre was brushing his Sylveon's fur, he was approached by a young woman with a camera around her neck, and an Aron following behind her. Judging by the fancy camera she had, she was either one of the papparazzi he had just seen outside, or a professional for some newspaper. Either way, Andre didn't mind posing for pictures. The camera loved him, and he loved it in return. The young movie star smiled, and got up from his seat. "Oh, bonjour ma chérie!" He exclaimed as he greeted her the same way he greeted everybody, with a kiss on both cheeks. "It is no problem. I do not mind at all."

Jeanne on the other hand did mind. While she loved getting her picture taken as much as her trainer did, this photographer had an Aron on her. While Jeanne was at a higher stage of evolution than it, the fact that there was a Steel type present made the Sylveon uncomfortable. Even as an Eevee, she still had problems with Steel types, after an attack from a wild Ferroseed that she was unable to do anything to. Evolving, and becoming weak to them did not help the matter. Even Andre's Klefki, despite being a fellow Fairy type made her nervous whenever Andre had both of them out. She lowered her ears, gave the Aron dirty looks, and occasionally made hissing noises at it.

As he was talking to the photographer, he was then approached by another fan. This one, was a boy with dark blue hair that looked to be close to Andre's age. In Andre's opinion, he had a cute face, and he also seemed to be nervous being in the presence of a star. The Kalos native couldn't help giggling at the sight of him. Guys like this were his favorite type of people to be around. They were much easier to befriend, especially if they were fans of his to begin with. "Oh no, there is no problem mon ami. She is not bothering me at all." He then gave the new guy the same kissing greeting that he had given to the photographer moments before. He then turned to face both of his new companions. "Now tell me, since you two know me, what might your names be, hm?"

[Synchronize]

By now, Sadie was almost sick of drinking fruit punch. Unfortunately, it was either stay under the cool shade of the bar or traverse the festival and risk rubbing up on some mans sweaty gut. Id rather drown in this stuff than go out there, she thought, gazing out towards the festival. Switching her focus for just a second, she decided she should pull out a pair of sunglasses. As she dug into her bag, she heard some unusual noises coming from the bar. Thinking nothing of it, she wielded her sunglasses and placed them on her face.

“Grr… what did I do now!?”

Reaching for her drink, it seemed to have disappeared when she had turned away. It was that bartender, I just know it! The brunette was seething. “Fine! You win,” she said, pounding on the bar table. Little did Sadie know that it wasn’t the bartender who took her last drink, but something else altogether.

As she gathered up her belongings, the bartender wished her luck in a sarcastic tone. As she left the bar, she could hear him mumble “Crazy bitch…” under his breath. Instead of responding with a comeback, she simple gave him the finger as she marched off into the crowd. But it wasn’t long until Sadie found the real culprit that stole her drink.

Hanging around some bushes near the outskirts of the bar, a familiar rustling could be heard. But this time, it was accompanied by a sloshing sound and a smell Sadie knew all too well. Getting down on her knees, Sadie brushed aside some of the foliage and found a lone Scraggy sipping on a cup of fruit punch. Her cup of fruit punch to be exact. “Is that my fruit punch?” she asked. Sadie already knew the answer, but intended to instil as much guilt into the Pokemon as she could. “Didn’t your trainer teach you that stealing is wrong? Now just hand it over and ill forget this ever happened, okay?” Closing in on the Scraggy, Sadie slowly reached her arms out and proceeded to attempt to swipe her drink back.

[Sumable]

I am about halfway done with the drink. It was cold, and tasted like a bunch of fruits. Perfect. This was all that I could need. It made my leg feel better, and tasted gooooood... I hear something approach as I sip on this tangy drink, and my spot of hiding is revealed. That same girl that I stole the drink from. She says something in the human language, which I did understand, and I did feel a little bad about taking the drink, but when I heard she wanted it back, I held it farther away and hissed. I see her come closer and she has her arms out, and I glare at her. She swipes for the drink and I hug it and curl into a ball to defend it, and I continue drinking from a tube inside of the drink until it was all gone. I grab my head, as a very bad pain settles in, and I hiss and growl as my eyes squeeze shut. My trainer got this a few times when he was eating a Castelia Cone. Hmph. The pain eventually stops and I continue glaring at the girl even though I had nothing left to defend other than my 'rare colored skin' as my trainer called it. I spit a weak, and pitiful amount of acid onto her finger tip and it bubbles before evaporating.

[Fieryfly]

Ugh, that was just gross, Esra thought as Mister Bellamy kissed her on both her cheeks. That man got way too comfortable with people way too fast. She, personally, would have settled for a handshake and a polite smile. That would have been enough. Esra wondered briefly if Mister Bellamy was wearing lipstick or lipgloss and if her cheeks were now covered with that stuff. "That is very kind of you." She replied despite her disgust and she smiled.

Kay, in the meanwhile, felt totally intimidated by the Sylveon before him who gave him angry and honestly quite frightening looks. The little steel Pokemon might be named after a knight, he certainly did not have the courage to step up to an angry lady. So as Jeanne hissed he shrinked away behind Esra's legs. Oh, he liked to pretend he was super strong, but the fact of the matter was that he had a hard time battling anything. He had been beaten a lot when he was small - smaller then he was now! He had grown! - and that had left a mark. Esra was super nice to him though and had tried to help him regain that confidence. But this Pokemon before him looked really tough and pink.

Just as Esra was about to start with a question she was interupted by some guy that came up from behind. She turned her head slightly towards hmi and gave him an unbelieving look. Bothering him? Didn't that guy see how Mister Bellamy greeted her? That basically screamed that he didn't mind having her around. And what was with the "getting rid of her"? He would have to get up a bit earlier if he wanted to achieve something like that. She could take him any day. Esra rolled her eyes and turned back to the star before her, not even gracing the boy with a reply. But Mister Bellamy had to do the kissing thing again... Esra rubbed her eyes before smiling again. "Esra Walker. I work for the Journalist Bureau in Lumiose City as a photographer." She said. "It is an honor to meet you sir."

Her eyes flickered to his Sylveon and searched for Kay. Was she really afraid of him? "Oh and I can assure your Sylveon that Kay is a total pushover. She doesn't need to be afraid of him." She continued and she chuckled but didn't offer to return him to his PokeBall.

[Damon]

Once he had finished registering his team for the tournament, Conor made his way back out to the tourist filled streets. The liveliness of the festival was growing and growing exponentially by the hour, hyping Conor for the tournament. It wasn't going to start until tomorrow, but no matter what, he was excited and prepared to actually be battling competitively again.

With Bo still by his side, the duo wandered the streets checking out every single stall they missed out on from their little walk through from earlier, hoping to find something they possibly missed. Minutes into a new stall, looking at Pokemon accessories and treats, there was a loud, vicious roar exploding in the air. The roar shook through the air, causing many people to stop in their tracks and look up at the sky. The loud roar was coming from a few streets over, causing Conor to grow with curiosity.

"Let's not go to the scary sound!" Bo cheerfully said, knowing full well that his trainer was going to ignore him anyways.

"You're right, we should check it out, shouldn't we?" Conor sarcastically replied, patting his Pichu on the head. Hustling through the streets he slithered through the crowd in minutes, making his way to another huge crow circling a battle. He wiggled his way into the front of the circled crowd and once in the middle he saw that there stood two trainers and their Pokemon. Two gigantic beasts roared at one another, their eyes angered and roars full of rage. To the right stood a blonde trainer with an Ursaring and his opponent was another boy with jet, black hair and a Beartic. Both trainers and their bears roared in unison as they clashed, matching blow for blow.

"Their strengths are on par," a voice chimed in next to Conor. He looked like a native to the island, having darker skin and an islander accent, similar to the first woman he met that morning. "This battle will make for an exciting one, don't 'cha think?"

Conor gave the man a nod in agreement, taking note that the two could possibly be his competition in the tournament the following day. It made his blood boil even more, watching the two bears fight.

[Bigg Slamm]

Benjamin was not prepared for the informal greeting Andre had given him. He was more surprised than disgusted. Next the Kalosian asked Benjamin and what was soon to be revealed as Esra their names. Once Esra introduced herself as a journalist from Kalos Benjamin felt even more embarassed. "My name is Benjamin Teague, and I'm from Black City." He then adressed Esra, "Sorry about that whole 'get rid her' thing. We cool?" Returning his attention to Andre, "Like I said, I'm a fan and I think it's cool you're here." Benjamin's nerves were kind of starting to show just when the roaring started. He was relieved the attention wouldn't be on him yet he was wondering what that horrible noise came from. "You think we should check it out?" He asked sort of wanting to anyway.