A/N:

I didn't expect so many good characters coming my way. O A O Now it makes me feel horrible that I'll have to end up killing a few down the road…

Chapter 1

Max

(feat. Blaise, Samuel and Miles)

His hand closed around the piece of paper, just like it had much earlier around the intricately decorated envelope it had come with - said envelope had been discarded long ago, flung into a wastebasket in the small hut he called home.

Never had he expected this of all things to happen, but then again, there was much the teen didn't expect.

The words on the now-crumpled piece of paper had imprinted themselves in his mind; there was no longer a need to look for him to recall the message on the letter, word for word.

Max Rogers:

You have been chosen as one of the twenty-two, and invited to the Tournament.

The location will be the Indigo Plateau, and you are expected within 72 hours of receiving the letter. You may arm yourself, but bring only one Pokémon with you- nothing more, nothing less.

Attendance is compulsory. Failure to show up will result in immediate banishment from Kanto.

May the odds be ever in your favour.

Signed;

Enoch Maxwell

How did the League even find him anyway? Surely their eyes and ears didn't extend to the forest? But the die had been thrown; the letter had been delivered, and if he didn't comply…

No. Max shook his head, trying to rid himself of the thought. He had to be able to return, just in case. Even if she didn't want him back, even if he never did go back, he needed to at least remain in the region - how else would he be able to find him?

Almost as if sensing Max's distress, his Butterfree slowed to a hover, her wings beating strongly to keep them both in the skies. The sound was usually comforting, but today, the wingbeats registered about as much as audio wallpaper would have.

They were close to the Indigo Plateau now - once they entered, there would be no turning back. "Hey… are you sure about this?"

A reassuring hand patted her head, but she could feel the slight trembling the teen was trying to hide. Even though Max didn't understand her, he knew she was concerned; there was no other reason to stop just outside the area, after all. "It's alright. Just take us there, okay?"

"Got it, Max," Butterfree returned an acknowledgement, before beginning to fly forward once more. In a few minutes, she would begin the descent, and they would arrive at the entrance to Victory Road. Beyond that waited the Indigo Plateau - but just what awaited them there?

The cold air rushed past as their descent began, further messing his scruffy black bangs. Max pulled his white-and-navy jacket closer to him, refusing to take his gaze off the imposing tunnel that they were quickly approaching.

Now! The teen jumped off just as his Butterfree sailed past the tunnel mouth, landing on his feet in what would have been a perfect landing.

Key word: would. If only there hadn't been someone in the way.

"Look out bel-" CRASH!

"...Oops."

"I do believe 'Oops' is correct, yes."

Max groaned, pushing himself off the ground - though surprisingly, the ground wasn't as hard as it seemed. Come to think of it… why was the ground squishy? And how hadn't he broken his nose from the faceful of ground yet?

"I'm sure that you could've landed in a better place than between my breasts, but at least you didn't crack your skull." The voice was mildly amused, but he didn't have much time to register it (or the embarrassment that came with realizing just where he had landed) before he was none-too-carefully shoved away, landing on the actual ground with a thud.

"Ooooow..." The black-haired teen winced, before pushing himself into a sitting position. "What the heck-"

His next words died in his throat, however, when he saw just who he had crash landed into.

Seated on the floor was a young, willowy woman, with shoulder-length, dark auburn hair and tyrian purple lipstick. Her dark red cloak was a little dusty, but none worse for the wear; not even the small lantern-like trinkets that hung off hooks on its hem had been displaced.

He didn't recognize her, but instead, the object lying next to her, which gave away her identity.

The long piece of black metal had one end that ended in a spike, with the other ending in a handleless candle holder with a wax basin, surrounded by a series of iron spikes bent inward - no doubt to give the impression of a sceptre.

Even as Max continued to stare, molten wax dripped from the head of the staff, pooling on the tunnel floor. It was quickly swept away by a black candelabra with ghostly violet-blue flames, however, though the lady seemed to pay it no heed, instead choosing to pick up her staff and get to her feet. His hazel gaze met the glowing eyes of the Chandelure; Max felt a chill go down his spine, and the strange sensation of-

"You know, I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to Hex him."

A familiar, feather-like touch across a cheek brought him back, causing the black-haired teen to hastily look away when he realised he'd been staring. "You okay?" He questioned, to which Butterfree nodded, a little exasperatedly. "You nearly get Hexed and you ask if I'm okay? Really?"

But he didn't reply, instead turning to the other, more human presence. "You're the Wax Witch." It wasn't a question, and neither did he expect an answer in return.

"I see my reputation precedes me. How quaint." She giggled.

Max nodded once, slowly. "I've heard of you," but gave nothing else. It wouldn't do to give information so freely; it was common knowledge that walls had ears, after all. "I suppose you've been invited to the same thing I have?"

A light chuckle was his only reply, as she began walking further into the heart of Victory Road. The Chandelure followed his auburn-haired lady in silence, sweeping up the wax left in her wake. Though, Max supposed, it really had been a redundant question.

Who else would want to be caught dead - or alive - in this part of Kanto?

A gentle breeze filled the tunnel; Butterfree had taken to the air, and was now hovering beside him. His hand reached, almost automatically, to the quiver and bow that was slung across his back. The metal felt cold beneath his fingers, reminded him of who he was - and just where he was.

He couldn't lose.

"Let's go." In a confident voice that betrayed none of his fears, Max took a deep breath; and with Butterfree by his side, began walking further into the tunnel.

The walk was mostly silent, with the Chandelure in front and Max bringing up the rear, Butterfree right next to him. Only the quiet clinks of the lanterns were heard, but then again, it was an uneasy silence; the fact that both of them were Marked hung over them like the gleaming blade of a guillotine.

"Stop right there!"

Oh? Max looked around warily, not finding anything but the dark walls of the cavern, illuminated by the glowing Chandelure and the miniature ghostly balls of fire that floated around it. Voices without people? Please, that has to be the oldest ghost-related trick in the book.

"I said, stop right there!" The voice was definitely louder now, and accompanied by… footsteps? No, it was multiple thuds, implying that there was definitely more than one person.

"Hm?" The auburn-haired Witch smiled, and with a wave of her hand, the lights went out, leaving only her Chandelure's eyes glowing like orange lamps in the darkness. "Seems like we have company. Lundstrom, if you will?"

Both humans and Pokémon remained still as the footsteps rounded the corner messily, cautiously. Max gripped his bow, readying himself to draw an arrow, when-

Light and flames flooded the tunnel, causing the teen to hurriedly shield his eyes. "Will-o-Wisp!" was the Chandelure's gleeful smile, as his lady chuckled, having averted her gaze - she had predicted what was coming, after all.

"Are you mad?!" Max yelled, blindly searching for Butterfree, who was perfectly unharmed but just as inconvenienced by the bright flare as he was. "What the heck was that all about?"

Shing! The sound of metal slicing through air caused both to freeze.

"Alright, commoners. Step away from your Pokémon." Apparently, their 'pursuers' had been mostly unaffected - not a good sign. "This part of the Victory Road is off-limits; now state your business, including a good reason why we shouldn't kill you."

"Wait, what?" Baffled, Max raised his hands in the air - the universal gesture for surrender. "Doesn't the Victory Road lead to the Indigo Plateau?"

The swords lowered slightly. "Are you trying to say that you're Tournament candidates?" Still wary, but a little less likely to kill…probably.

"Indeed," affirms the Wax Witch. A small snap of her fingers serves as a signal, with Lundstrom lighting up the tunnel once more. The blue light reflected off the swords and metal armour of their pursuers, identifying them as enforcers of the League. "Blaise Candeloro. My friend here is… Well, he's here."

The darkened visors turned to Max, who hastily identified himself. "Max Rogers." He really didn't need to die any time soon, after all. "I thought the Victory Road was a one way path? Why is there a section with restricted access?"

"No questions." comes the harsh statement, but the swords were sheathed in their scabbards. "Take the road back; at the first split, take the other fork."

"Wait, so-" Max began, only to be cut off by someone else.

Or rather, something else.

The tunnel was further lighted up, courtesy of the large, yellow Pokémon that entered the scene. It was not as tall as either of them, but the black stripes, white belly and red orb on its forehead indicated that it was an Ampharos.

It held up a stubby arm, and as soon as they saw it, the enforcers immediately jumped to attention. "Sir!"

"Woah, woah - stand down." Running a hand through short, honey-blond locks, a person walked into the tunnel, moving to stand beside the Ampharos. "Didn't I already mention that there isn't a need for the 'sir this, sir that'?"

His dark brown gaze fixed on both candidates, narrowing when he saw the staff. "Oh? Now just what do we have here?" His casual tone never changed, but the sudden chill in the atmosphere definitely did not go unnoticed.

Max's gaze travelled from the Ampharos to the man, and back again. It clicked - he knew who this was. Only by reputation, but if the rumors were to be believed, then this man was definitely someone to be feared.

His dress shirt and trousers were as black as night, but the snow-white trench coat, while deceptively clean for someone who had been walking in a tunnel, concealed a dangerous machete. "Ampere?"

"-ros." The light dimmed back to comfortable levels.

Rubbing his eyes, he adjusted back to normalcy as the blond man sighed, "So, care to explain why you're in here, and not at the Indigo Plateau?"

The situation really couldn't be called life-threatening, but it somehow felt that way. Though, Max supposed, the fact that even the Ampharos was glaring at them didn't help their situation much.

"As was previously stated," Blaise stated calmly, "we were on our way to the Indigo Plateau, but somehow ended up… lost."

The man said nothing, only raising an eyebrow in clear disbelief.

"If you'll pardon the interruption, sir," began one of the enforcers, "we were just about to-"

"Leave." was all the man said, waving a dismissive hand.

The enforcers were silent for a while, before they complied with the order. As soon as they left, however, all tension seemed to drain out of the air, with the man letting out a long-drawn sigh. "I probably should apologise for that. The enforcers expect a certain behavior, and frankly, it's easier to just meet their expectations than to break them."

"I… see." Max stated, shooting a sideways glance at Butterfree. Actually, I don't.

The man chuckled, patting Ampere on his head gently. Looking pleased, the yellow Pokémon relaxed a little. "I guess I had better bring you both to the Indigo Plateau, just to prevent any more… ah, adventuring."

"I see no reason to follow you, given that you've given us absolutely no verification of just who you are." Blaise remained unmoving, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Max blinked. "Wait, how could you not know who he is?" The black-haired teen gestured to the man in utter disbelief, "Heck, I've been in and out of the forest for years, and even I know who he is. How could a city-dweller like you not know such basic information?"

"I never said that." She looked at Max for the briefest of moments, before her gaze returned to the man standing before them. "I said only that he has given us no reason to believe just who he seems to be - aside from the Ampharos, of course." This last afterthought was added after a particularly sharp glare was thrown her way, courtesy of aforementioned Pokemon.

The man merely laughed, before walking out. "Forgive me, but I see no reason to give you adequate evidence, or as you put it, verification, to prove my identity. Whether or not to trust me is your choice, but I can assure you that anyone else who finds you in this area won't be as forgiving."

"I don't know about you, Ms. Witch, but I most certainly don't feel like being arrested any time soon." Max's words were muttered, but clearly audible, for the auburn-haired lady turned to face him, giving him a sly smile.

"Brave words, don't you think? And this is coming from a mere teen who couldn't even make a proper landing, and had to be cushioned by yours truly, no?" As if to prove a point, Blaise subtly puffed out her chest. "And I'd also like to add that you took full advantage of my assets, tsk tsk."

Max sputtered, but no coherent sentence was formed.

She chuckled. "Come on, let's go already." Blaise's grip really was deceptively strong, Max thought to himself as he was shoved back out, and pushed to keep up with the man and his Ampharos. Being in front, however, the black-haired teen failed to notice the small smile playing on the witch's lips.

They had been walking for some more time before conversation was struck up again. "If I remember right, the Victory Road used to only be passable if your Pokémon had Strength?" Blaise questioned from her position at the rear of their little ragtag trio, Lundstrom floating in the air next to her. "What happened to all the movable boulders?"

"Yes, well…" Their newly self-affirmed guide paused in his speech to take a left turn, before continuing. "Strictly speaking, we abolished that, because it would be far too much of a stretch to assume that every single one of the contestants would bring a Pokémon with the move Strength."

That was totally a ploy to buy time, just so he could think of an answer. Max sighed. "Tell me we're reaching the Indigo Plateau soon, wherever it is?" If we haven't, I swear I'm gonna break something.

"Max, we're reaching the Indigo Plateau soon, wherever it is." Butterfree deadpanned, earning a few snickers from both the glowing Ampere and Lundstrom. "What? He asked for it- oh, right. He can't understand me."

"Actually, we should be there right about…now." This last was said with a flourish, and a rather triumphant air.

A few meters ahead lay the exit to the Victory Road; a doorway cut in the rock, beams of light streaming through and giving light to this part of the tunnel.

"Ladies first." The blond man waved a hand, "After all, I have no doubt that at least one person is waiting right there, on the other end, for your arrival."

Blaise raised an eyebrow, but it was with an upward quirk of her lips that she stepped through the doorway, Lundstrom close behind her. "It wouldn't happen to be a certain announcer, would it?"

To say that Max was confused would have been the understatement of the year. "What?"

"Well then, you next. I look forward to seeing your performance, boy." With the barest hint of a smile on his face, the man turned to leave with a wave - just as Ampere suddenly shoved the black-haired teen through the opening of the tunnel.

The teen's strangled screams were abruptly cut short.

"Well, that was certainly a chore." The man sighed, running a hand through his honey-blond hair, as his partner caught up to him with just a few running steps. "What did you think of those two, Ampere?"

"Amp. Ampharos." was the reply, accompanied by a small shake of the Pokémon's head. Really, Ampere didn't know why he still bothered trying to communicate with his 'chill pill' of a trainer. "The Chandelure and his lady may prove to be bothersome, but the boy… unsure at the current moment."

Nodding just as if he understood whatever Ampere had just said, the man made his way back to the restricted area. The enforcers on patrol saluted him as he passed, but he paid them no heed, deep in his own thoughts.

The yellow light flickered, before melding with a cold blue light to form a turquoise shade reminiscent of the raging sea. "Ampharos."

Jolted out of his reverie by Ampere's low cry, the man was acutely aware of another presence in the tunnel. "Who's there?" He asked, a hint of steel in his tone - a subtle warning.

But it was one that the other presence seemed not inclined to heed, or perhaps it was just simply ignored. "Wandering the tunnels again, Samuel?" was the laugh from the other, even as the blue torch was turned off, once again casting the tunnel in a warm yellow glow. "One would think that you'd be so sick of the Victory Road after eight years, that you actually would be trying to get out, but I guess not."

Samuel chuckled. "Tunnels and caves have always been a fascination of mine. I presume you'll be observing the tournament as well, then?" His knowing dark brown gaze fixed on the other man, and was graced with a chuckle and that ever so familiar smile - that admittedly, looked more like a half-smirk.

"Naturally. Enoch wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I did anything but." Both men laughed at that, the inside joke obscure to all but them.

"See you around, then. And Samuel?" The other man paused mid-sentence, before tossing the torch to the blond, who caught it with what was almost absurd ease. "Try not to injure the challengers too badly."

Samuel laughed, leaving the tunnels for his intended destination only after the other man had gone. "As you so wish, it shall be done… Champion."

The tunnel was once again cast into darkness, the remaining light source having finally gone out, as the Ampharos followed his trainer out the tunnels and into a different section of the Indigo Plateau.

Just outside the restricted zone, his path now lighted by a burning spear, a man with piercing emerald green irises dashed through the tunnel, dark blue hair messed by the force of the air currents against his run. It's time to get this show on the road.

That was… embarrassing, to say the least. Max would have cursed, but honestly, he was too busy trying not to die.

Thankfully, the fall - which really wasn't quite a fall at all - ended with him landing on his feet. Really though, it was just as well that he hadn't landed on Blaise for a second time; the black-haired teen didn't think he could live through the teasing.

"What took you so long?" Aforementioned witch chuckled, all the while playing with Lundstrom's ghostly flames. "I was beginning to tire of waiting."

Max huffed. "No one said that you were obliged to wait for me, you know." He took off, walking down the path that would lead to the Indigo Plateau. I'm just amazed that this isn't a yellow brick road, and hopefully, it stays that way.

Butterfree snickered, flapping her wings just a little faster in order to keep up with the brisk pace set by Max.

"Someone's a little touchy, it would seem." Blaise and Lundstrom too followed after the black-haired teen, easily keeping up with the duo with minimal effort. "Come to think of it, what happened to 'ladies first'?"

"You did get us lost last time, little Miss Know-it-all." Butterfree would have rolled her eyes, but in the end, decided not to. Lundstrom's reaction was plainly clear to see, though, even without the aid of her compound eyes. "Please. If you haven't yet gotten a name, how about naming yourself the Queen of Sass?"

"I should think not," was the prim reply, and that was the end of the discussion.

Meanwhile, the discussion between Max and Blaise too had whittled down, eventually coming to a stop at about the same time. The atmosphere, while not as tense, was still thick with anticipation, as well as what seemed to be worry, and to a lesser extent, fear.

"..."

"How can you still be smiling at a time like this?" It was Max who finally broke the silence, turning his hazel gaze to the auburn-haired lady beside him. "Just who are you, anyway, to be able to enter so confidently, Wax Witch?"

A chuckle was his only reply, for they had reached the entrance to the Plateau. Pressing a finger to her lips in the universal gesture for 'shush', Blaise pushed open the elaborate iron-wrought gates.

"Oh, thank Arceus, finally! I'd just about gotten tired of waiting for someone to arrive-"

The first thing Max noticed was the fuchsia-coloured gaze that seemed to bore into him.

"-and I was pacing back and forth so much my soles were beginning to wear thin but luckily I got a brand new pair from a shop out front but they were selling at twice the usual price-"

Well, them - the black-haired man kept looking back and forth between him and Blaise, jabbering away at a mile a minute, which was getting really hard to keep up with.

"-but hey, the shopkeeper was insistent and she even gave me a kiss on the way out-"

"I'm beginning to wonder if he's dumb, or if he's just plain dumb." Resisting the urge to facepalm, Max sneaked a glance at Blaise, who actually seemed to be mildly amused by the long speech - if it could even be called that.

"He's apparently always like this, especially when he's hosting." She informed. A small, subtle jerk of her head also hinted at the fact that the black-haired man's spiel was about to end.

"-one thing led to another and now, here I am!" Finally done, the man took a deep breath, before resuming his smile. "Max Rogers. Blaise Candeloro. It's my absolute pleasure to welcome you to the Tournament at long last!"

The last comment caught him by complete surprise. How did he know my name?

"Well, Max Rogers," the man continued with a knowing smirk. "I happen to be the official interviewer and announcer for the Tournament itself - seriously, didn't any of you watch me on TV?"

"I don't believe the forest has any reception, let alone electricity." Max deadpanned back.

"Ah...right. You're that guy." The man shrugged, twirling a finger through his raven hair. "Well, then a short re-introduction is in order. It's all smiles for miles here with me, Miles Fletcher! I just turned twenty a while ago, my favourite colour is opalescence-"

And just like that, he began another long spiel. So much for 'short'.

"-and I'm single, ready to mingle!" Miles laughed. "Not like I'll be going the extra mile to find anyone to date so soon, unless any of the female contestants feel like getting a little extra attention in the spotlight."

He winked at Blaise during that last one. "If you know what I mean."

She giggled. "Sorry, loverboy, but I'm gonna pass. Play with this fire, and you'll get burned."

"Oh, that won't be a problem...In any case, will you both step aside for a bit - at least before you meet the other contestants, that is, now?" Not waiting for an answer, Miles led the way to a small tent set up a little ways away from the castle entrance.

...please tell me we're not in trouble? Max grimaced, heart sinking at the prospects of being banished from the region. Why did today have to be so calamitous again?

The large tent was entirely white, both inside and out. Inside it, however, an entire studio had been set up - from filming equipment to wardrobe, everything was present and accounted for. People were milling about, checking and double-checking equipment, or simply grabbing a bite to eat.

Well, Max supposed, no one ever said that a life in the media industry was easy.

"So, who would like to go first?" was the question from the black-haired announcer, to which Blaise immediately pointed at Max with a small smile. "I volunteer him as tribute."

"Wait, excuse me?" Needless to say, said tribute was absolutely perplexed - but the damage had already been done. "N-No, I mean, ladies first-"

"You're excused." With a wink, both lady and Chandelure promptly left the tent, a trail of molten wax in their wake - no doubt just to rub it in.

A chuckle was heard, before it became full-blown laughter. "You seem to have trouble believing that that just happened." Miles wiped away a single solitary tear from laughing too hard.

"Yes, well…" Max muttered, "I'm usually the one being witty."

"You've lost your touch, Max." Butterfree 'tsk'd, but it was with laughter that she did so.

Motioning for the boy and his bug to take one of the armchairs that were situated in front of a few cameras, he signalled to someone out of Max's view. Once he was satisfied, he took the adjacent armchair, settling himself comfortably on the plush seats.

"So, just to confirm it once more," Miles asked, arranging a small stack of papers in his hands. "Your name is Max Rogers, yes?"

Max sighed. "Yes, and if I may ask, since you already know my name, just where are you going with this?"

"Simple. I'm going to ask you questions, and you're gonna give me answers. Got it? Ready, set," he snapped his fingers. "Action!"

Composing himself, Miles waved to the camera as background music began to play. "Gooooooood evening, ladies and gentlemen! It's all smiles for miles with me, your host, Miles! I'm coming to you live from the Indigo Plateau, home to the Pokémon League, and the location for our very next Tournament! Joining me today is a very special guest - he's a participant of the Tournament and has camped out in the forest like a wild animal for goodness knows how long-"

If I was supposed to do something stupid like smile and wave, I'd sooner run out of the tent - and maybe Kanto itself-

"Please give a warm welcome to Max Rogers!" At the announcement, canned applause was played from a speaker, before cutting off.

"Wait, what?" Realising that the camera was on him, the teen stiffened. "Was I supposed to do something?"

"Smile and wave to the audience watching you, duh!" was the dreaded response.

A round of canned laughter erupted from the speakers - whoever was controlling the sound must have been having the time of their life.

"... Could we just skip that bit and move on? Like, now?" Because, dear Arceus, this definitely wasn't what he signed up for - not that he had much of a choice, given that the other option was banishment.

Miles' grin wavered ever so slightly. "Fine, have it your way, party pooper! If you don't wanna look pretty for the camera, will you at least tell them a little bit more about yourself?"

"Well, that depends… what do you want to know?" Almost as if it were involuntary, Max's tone was a little colder. Butterfree fluttered her wings a little nervously - this wasn't going to end well.

"Well, for starters, how about why the hell we had to deliver your invitation into the heart of the Viridian Forest?" There was now a noticeable edge of annoyance in his tone.

Max sighed inwardly in relief. He could answer this question rather tamely. "As I'm sure is common knowledge, there are many bug-type pokemon in the forest. Generally, I like to spend time with them - it's also how I met Butterfree here." A fond smile tugged at his lips as he stroked his companion's wings.

"I see - how long have you had this Butterfree, then? I assume he or she will be your selected Pokémon for the Tournament." And just like that, the annoyance had disappeared. How odd.

"She has been with me ever since I was 8." Max stated, but it was with a challenging smile that his next sentence was spoken. "I don't suppose there's anything wrong with choosing her as my partner?"

"Ooooh, touchy." Another knowing smirk. "Well, I certainly bid you and your Butterfree the best of luck. Do you have anything to say to the audience watching you now? Perhaps, something that will get more people to root for you both?"

Max glanced at Butterfree, who seemed not to care about the question. And for good reason too, because why would she? It wasn't as if the audience would affect their battling capabilities. "Well, I guess I do have to give thanks to everyone watching and supporting the tournament. Also, if any contestants out there who are looking down on Butterfree just because she's a bug-type, then all I really have to say is this: get ready to lose."

"Strong words - I wonder how everyone else in the competition will take your declarations, huh? Anyways, that was Max Rogers, so be sure to look out for him in the Tournament! Until next time," the man made finger guns at the camera. "This is Miles Fletcher, signing out!"

The sound of a marker. "Cut!"

Dropping the handsigns, Miles turned to Max. "Okay, that's a wrap for you, so just go find your room at the Main Building or something. For now, I recommend taking a stroll around the facilities we have to offer - we're not starting until everyone arrives, after all. Cheerio!"

With an afterthought, he added, "And send Blaise in on your way out too!"

Surprisingly, Blaise was already waiting when he exited the tent. She stood a few meters away, not close enough to overhear, but definitely not that far away either. It was Lundstrom who first noticed him, however, and notified his lady with a single word.

"Well, my turn, I guess." Standing up, Blaise motioned for Lundstrom to follow her into the tent. "I look forward to seeing you around, Max."

It had been the first time she'd addressed him by name.

He stood there a little longer after she had left, pondering about just why the eccentricities of life had landed him here.

"We should actually be going," Butterfree sighed. She would actually push her trainer to the gathering in the main hall of the castle, but knowing Max, it would probably backfire.

Still, she nudged him a little with a wing, and was rewarded with a pat on the head. "Yeah, I got it. Let's go."

Guess today isn't going as badly...At least I'm one step closer to finding him.

The duo made their way to the huge double doors that were the entrance to the castle. Taking a deep breath, Max pushed open the doors-

"Get out of the way!"

And was instantly slammed into the ground by a pole.

Har har, coincidence. Very funny, was all he could think before he lost consciousness.

Characters:

Max Rogers and Butterfree (Butterfree) - blazelight790

Blaise Candeloro and Lundstrom (Chandelure) - Arcana of the True Self

Samuel Troy and Ampere (Ampharos) - Imagination Heaven

Miles Fletcher and ? - SDproductions

The Champion: ? and ? - ?

A/N:

If your name is present on the list below:

SDproductions

emosewa-13

Arcana of the True Self

HeroineOfDarkness

Penumbro

WereDragon EX

MikeV1

Wolfang1011

maycontestdrew

blazelight790

Revolution921

W. R. Winters

Another Generic Gamer

MetaRaven135

Imagination Heaven

Then congratulations! Your OCs have survived the dangerous selection process - actually, it's not dangerous at all, but okay, who cares? :3c Everyone will play a role in this story, definitely; and while I can't promise everyone will have a big role, they will make and leave an impact.

Probably.

Also, congrats to blazelight790 - Max kick-starts this story as our current protagonist. Naturally, this is not to say that he raises a few death flags - most definitely not. Wait, what do you mean, you don't trust me? O A O

We're still in the introductory stage, though, so the next few chapters will probably be just that. Frankly speaking, I debated showcasing all the current submissions in this chapter, but hey, what do you know, this isn't Danganronpa. O W O

Just for fun, here's a snippet of conversation between SD and myself:

SDproductions - Saturday, 4.13pm Also, our protagonists are people whose first two letters of their name are 'Ma'. Fun.

Sky - Saturday, 4.14pm Also, three-letter name protagonists.

I assure you, this was purely coincidence. Totally. Check out Phantom's Crown Crusade (his fic) if you don't believe me.

(Actually, go check it out please? You'll make this nonprofit beta reader very happy, haha - SD)

In any case, once again, I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter - and also, a gentle reminder that this story is still accepting OCs, so if you wish to submit one, the roster still has slots for you.

See you next chapter! (O u O)/

Next time on Crossroads: Flame On.