∴ x ∴
Crash Years (Introduction Pt. 2)

~8:00 PM, Sunday, November

Upon the judge's dismissal, most of the competitors hastily made their way to the exit, eager to go home and rest. Some competitors lingered behind to either consult with the organization members or with other fighters. Kai decided to talk to Lily, since she was the only other fighter he was fond of and Coscrown was conversing with other trainers, so he'd have to stay in the gym anyway. As he approached the absol, she shuddered and tried her best to feign a friendly smile.

Kai became immediately aware of her trepidation. However, if he decided to leave her alone he'd seem weird, for it was too late for him to retreat, so he awkwardly stood next to her and tried to start a conversation as best he could. "What'd you think of the Introduction?"

Stammering, Lily replied, "Fine, fine. How have – uh – you been?"

Kai knew he was unnecessarily getting involved way too much with Lily, and, feeling a little embarrassed, decided it was best that he should never talk to her again. He looked around in hopes that he could find something to "accidentally" get distracted with and put the conversation to an abrupt end. He immediately regretted his scan, because his eyes were met by the scizor's. The scizor grinned and started to advance on Kai from across the gym.

"A snowstorm is coming," Lily mentioned in an almost chirpy tone. "I can sense it!"

Kai looked back down to her and was relieved that she was, for once, smiling.

"You think it'll cancel the Biathlon?" At this point, Lily was practically hopping up and down in excitement and genuine elation.

"I don't think—"

"Kaiser!" exclaimed the scizor, who now stood before Kai, her claws snapping noisily.

"Oh, mercy," Kai groaned and looked at Cinder and reluctantly returned the greeting.

"Ready for the Biathlon? Looks like we've got quite a competition."

"We've got a competition? We've got nothing, Cinder."

Lily backed away, her smile now gone. It was apparent to her that Kai didn't like the scizor. Actually, it was completely obvious to her and everyone else, except for the scizor herself.

"Dammit, Kai. Open up, would you? Why can't we hang out before the Biathlon? Why can't you come out of your shell?" Cinder narrowed her eyes and smirked salaciously. "Literally," she added, looking Kai's body up and down.

"Cinder!" Kai scoffed. "What the hell?"

Maximilian appeared behind Cinder and gently pushed her off to the side, receiving a smile of gratitude from Kai. Max simply stared back at Kai, his red eyes glowing underneath the florescence. "I see your trainer didn't take my advice."

Kai's smile faded. "Huh? Who are you?" his voice faltered.

"Hey! Lay off, Lucario!" Cinder yelled angrily.

Max shot her an intimidating glare which shut her up. "Your trainer should have dropped you out," he said, returning his glance back to the scyther. "What an idiot. Don't you think it despicable that he forces you to fight when you're his only friend?"

"What are you talking about? I wanted to do this for him... Who the fuck are you to pry into my business with him?"

"Ah... I guess he was telling the truth about that," Max mused quietly. "I just wanted to help you out. I know you don't want to be doing this. No one does... except for me and maybe the zangoose and the blaziken, heh. Whatever, your trainer's going to go through a rough time after you die. Idiot should have seen it coming though."

"What'd you say about a blaziken?" One of the fighters, the blaziken herself, came up to the lucario and looked down at him. She wore red pants that seemed to blend in with the rest of her body. Before, they were hidden by her podium's desk. Why she was wearing pants, no one knew.

"What's with the pants, Loner?" Maximilian questioned rudely. "Wear them 'cause you can?" He said, somewhat reflectively. He then turned to the rest and continued musing to himself until he decided that he had no purpose to stay any longer and left the group pompously.

"My name's not Loner," the blaziken said to no one in particular. "It's Imara. What's up with that guy?" she asked, slightly ticked off.

"I don't know. I don't even know him."

"'Seems he's a little too big for his boots," Lily commented.

"He doesn't have boots," the naïve scizor chimed in.

"Dammit Cinder," Kai scowled, averting his eyes from the distant lucario to a group of other pokémon across the gym. It seemed to consist of the armaldo, the grovyle, and the zangoose. The zangoose looked back at Kai, and took his stare as a beckon to come to him. He began to proceed from across the room towards Kai's group. "We've got more coming," said Kai.

"Hello, Scyther!" the zangoose greeted boisterously.

"Hi... Zangoose," Kai awkwardly rejoined.

"How'd our group get so big?" Imara asked as the armaldo and the grovyle joined the zangoose.

"Are you guys all friends or something?" questioned the grovyle.

"Not... really."

"Where'd that lucario go?" The zangoose glared around the room intently. "I'd like to have a word with him."

"Why?" Imara stepped up to the cat ferret and looked down at him, arms folded. "Because he's an independent fighter, like you? So am I."

"Is that so?" The zangoose stood up on two legs and glowered up at Imara.

Cinder was getting fed up with the constant chatter and distractions. She grabbed Kai by the shoulder and pulled him off to the side. "Kai, I still want an answer."

"About the date?" Kai shook away from Cinder. "Why are you so eager to get with me?"

"H-huh!?" The scizor stuttered, wide-eyed. "Get with you!"

"Come on, if we got... er – friendly with one another now, it'll just be pointless. Listen Cinder, I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but in two weeks from now, if I'm not dead, you will be."

"Yeah, I know that." Cinder glared at the absol. "What about her, though?"

"Who, Lily?"

"Yeah, you're so friendly with her, are you not? Huh?"

Kai let out a loud sigh, signifying his defeat. "Fine. I'll hang out with you. But! They have to come too." He gestured to the group.

"What? No way!" she cried. "We should be alone."

"It's that or nothing."

"...Alright, alright. I guess it is better than nothing."

Kai turned to the group. "You guys want to hang out?" he called.

"Right now?" Imara asked, scratching her head. "Where?"

"A restaurant, maybe," Cinder replied.

"Yeah, let's go get drunk!" the grovyle cheered, earning a physical rebuke from the armaldo.

"How are we supposed to go to a restaurant without a human?"

"I've got telepathy," Cinder answered proudly. "They'd be happy to serve us as long as they can understand us (...me)."

Lily approached Kai with a frown on her face. "Kai," she whispered. "I thought you didn't want to befriend any of your competition."

"I didn't want to but Cinder's dragging me into it. You don't have to come if you don't want to."

"I... Whatever. I'll come. I probably won't be talking to any of them anyway."

The group dispersed to go talk to their trainers for permission to leave (as well as money). Their trainers didn't seem to mind their pokémon getting friendly with the other contestants. Befriending other contestants could be detrimental in that it might cause the refusal to fight, but that didn't seem to cross the trainers' minds. And so the group left the gym to roam the streets of Downtown Manhattan, looking for a nice place to eat around the busy, neon-engulfed zone of Times Square. This would turn out to be a big mistake made on their part in the long run.