"Hello and welcome back to ESP-ON! We've been leading up to the Hoenn League which will open up the gates to Victory Road shortly! We are close to the preliminary rounds, and have begun recapping the trainers to look out for! The Hoenn League has a very long and renowned history, the contestants somehow seem to get better each and every year, this year being no exception! So without further ado, here's a brief recap on who to watch out for this league!
"…Next we have Ranger Hillary! We saw Ranger Hillary make her debut last year in the Unova League, being one of the few to return after the whole Castle incident…Anyway…Ranger Hillary surprised us all with her kick-off match which showed us all just what we were in store for in the Unova League. We were all amazed with her Shuckle, who although will not make an appearance this league, has raised all of our expectations. We have seen her team over her bouts with the gym leaders, yet each time it seems to change drastically, there is just no real way to tell what she will be bringing to the table. That being said, I would not be surprised if she has some tricks up her sleeves. Her current hot rankings to look out for are as follows! Intelligence at a 9, we've seen some expert strategies and clever moves from this trainer, she definitely knows how to get out of a situation. However, her Team Balance is currently at a 6, from what we last saw there were some definite issues with her team, leaving large gaps open to be taken advantage of. However, she did show she could stay calm under pressure, with a Temperament rating of a 4. But, from what we saw, she didn't have the greatest EV's, yet she also didn't have the worst, with a rating of an even 5. From what we can see, down the board with her rankings is that she seems to be in the upper epsilon, primarily due to her patience and cunning which help her get through any obstacles in her way! Without a doubt, I for one do not expect anything less than an impressive display from this expertise trainer!...
"…Onto our next trainer, a Hoenn native, Iian. You see Iian has been making quite some noise all across Hoenn…that noise primarily being the word 'Bloody'…He's shown quite some skill in his matches, many gym leaders noting his raw strength and hidden intelligence. From what we've seem, Iian seems to make his opponents think he's just a powerhouse, and then he actually uses some interesting stratagem to take them down. We saw his League debut last year at the Unova Leagues were he gave us all quite a match to behold when he took on his own friend for a spot in the top. For such a young upcoming trainer, Iian has really shown some potential. Let's take a look at those hot rankings for this young sawsbuck. There you go, clearly from these key categories we can see where Iian excels and where he falls short. With a Pokémon strength rating of 9, Iian is packing some serious punch. But he also has some major temper issues with a temperament rating of 9 as well. Our bleepers will get a workout with him, that's for sure. However do not count this trainer out early, known for turning matches around, we had to give him a comeback rating of 8, sometimes at even the worst moments we've seen him turn the entire match on its head. And that's likely due to his knowledge of Pokémon. Without a doubt, Iian knows his stuff when it comes to type matching and abilities, with a Pokémon knowledge rating of 8. Do not underestimate the skill of this trainer, he's sure to be a heavy hitter once again in this League!...
"Some of you may not have a clue of who this next trainer is due to his early knockout in last year's Unova league, but doesn't mean you shouldn't know him. Ranger-in-training Josue is a seriously underrated trainer. We've seen him make his way across the Hoenn gyms leaving a trail of victory. To give you an idea of just how strong this trainer is, he defeated our eight gym leader Juan without losing a single Pokémon. That's right, not a single faint. Josue is a force to be reckoned with. Trainer under Ranger Hillary, another trainer to look out for, Josue has a family history for excellence, that's right, Josue is a descendent of Serenity herself. Further than that, Josue has a military history in his side of the family, both his father and mother working in some way for some branch of the Ranger Reserve. This child knows how to strategize, which brings us to his hot rankings. Offhand we have to mention this kids spirit, he does not back down and he never gives up, with a fortitude ranking of 9 never count Josue out. However although known for being a mellow trainer, Josue has had a history of outbursts, once being disqualified from an Unova gym due to unnecessary aggressive assault. Much like a firecracker, you do not want to set him off otherwise you'll be risking yourself. As such, we had to give Josue a Temperament ranking of 5, because he could go either way. Another issue is the lack of experience Josue has. Although related to some of the best trainers in the world, Josue is very young and just not quite as adept at utilizing his Pokémon's nature nor abilities to the best he can. So yet again we have to give Josue a low mark in his Experience, with a 4. Despite some issues, do not count this trainer out, he is far from weak and he has the spirit of a Pyroar…
"Alright this next trainer is a big one. Although better known throughout the coordination circuit, recently Raian has been making an impact on the league. Making his debut appearance last year at the Unova League, Raian impressed us all with his not only spectacular but also devastating attack combos. But that isn't the only reason we've had our eyes on this trainer, we've been watching this young coordinator turned trainer because he is none other than the brother of Mica. That's right, the second best ranked trainer in the world, Mica. A grandson to the owner of the Serenity Garden, Raian has many reasons to be looked out for, but they are all with merit. Raian has not let down our expectations, taking the Hoenn gyms by storm, he is beginning to make some waves. Let's take a look at those hot rankings. Off-hand we have got to mention his resourcefulness, this is a trainer that does not allow himself to be limited by convention. With an innovative score of 9, we have seen Raian preform some amazing moves previously unseen, as well as take advantage of the battlefield in ways completely unexpected. It has got to be that coordinator blood running through his veins, he is finding the strangest ways to make the most out of his environment. Speaking of which, this guy is one of the most calm-minded trainers you will meet. Friendly and an overall great guy to be around, Raian is known for making matches fun and helping his opponent really attempt to try something new. A temperament ranking of 3, Raian is unbelievably calm. Raian is also very resourceful and strategizes well, with an intelligence rating of 8, Raian has been able to think his way out of a jam or two. However, Raian is not the best with type matching, often making extremely rookie mistakes, Raian has a Pokémon knowledge rating of a 4. And going with that, Raian is much more used to the coordination hall than he is to the battlefield, often using extremely ineffective moves or failing to use items in general, earning him a battlefield experience rating of 4. Although blood to one of the best trainers alive, Raian is still a rookie in the battlefield and has some flaws, that being said, he is extremely cunning and really brings some speed with his Pokémon which can overwhelm opponents, keep your eyes out for this upcoming coordinator.
"This show just keeps repeating itself…" A voice spoke in an annoyed tone as its owner walked through the dim room towards an elderly wooden table adorned with crystal vials and extravagant liquids.
"What do you expect?" A second voice asked from the room, their silhouette visible on the ground aside the first speaker, it looking much different in that it had a cartoonish large head with two round ears atop it, giving it the shadow of a cartoon mouse, "It's just trying to raise hype over the league."
"Did you see how many trainers are eligible to compete in this league?" The first, unamused, voice asked as it turned around, its long straight hair whipping through the room with an air of condescension, "And we have to look at the same forty trainers over and over."
"Well, these are the ones they expect to do well." The bobble head like shadow replied as it made its way to a large window covered with well covering curtains
"Yeah, but what if they lose in the preliminary rounds? Or what if they don't even make it through victory road?" The condescending voice asked with a huff, "Why am I supposed to care about these snot nosed trainers that haven't even really begun to battle."
"Yeah, yeah…" The ambiguous bobble head voice replied smacking its hand open and shut as it peeked past the curtain, "You were the one that wanted to show up early, I don't think you can complain."
"I can complain if I feel like it…" the other huffed once more
"You always feel like it…" The ambiguous voice sarcastically retorted
"Well, I wouldn't if they would impress me!" The first voice retorted annoyed as its owner slapped their heel into the ground with a small thud
"Nothing impresses you." The mouse head snickered as it threw itself into a large leather chair sitting in front of a fine glass table surrounded by four more leather chairs
"Oh boo hoo." The snooty voice mocked as she sat down in one of the leather chairs
"Hey, look on the bright side, you don't need to deal with the gym leaders…" The reclined figure began, "You would go insane if you did. All the betting and horsing around, the good food and the relaxed atmosphere…you would hate that, too much joy in one place… might make you starve to death as we all know others misfortune sustains you."
Elsewhere
"So you really can't talk about it?" Josue asked looking at Raian as the small group walked through the path, Iian shaking his feet with every step, attempting to shake something off
"Honestly I don't think I'm even supposed to say I went on a mission for the rangers." Raian replied walking forth
"Oh boo bloody hoo." Iian retorted as a large plop of mud finally dislodged itself from his shoe
"Ah Iian, you haven't changed a bit have you?" Josue asked looking at Iian and his scuffle of a beard along with his wiry longer hair, "Well…aside from the obvious…"
"I'll 'ave you know I'm quite possibly the strongest trainer in this region at the moment." Iian proudly boasted
"Well, we are literally on our way to the Pokémon League, so I guess you can prove it." Josue replied with a smirk looking back at Iian
"Maybe I will!" Iian snapped back
"I can see you weren't kidding about him…" Beth whispered to Raian
"I heard that!" Iian snapped once more, "Eliza, Beth, Potato, Potato, whatever your name is! I haven't seen you battle yet so you can't say a thing!"
"Huh?" Beth questioned with a lift of her brow
"I've said it once, I'll say it again…" Iian began before he stopped suddenly and looked down with a grimace of both surprise and disgust.
"What?" Raian asked as he too stopped and looked down at what Iian gazed at
"I stepped in gum..." Iian replied in a sad tone as he lifted his foot revealing a large pink glob melding from the ground to his shoe
"Where on earth would gum come from?" Beth asked looking down, a small gust of wind flapping the cleanse tag on her shirt a bit, "that's really od…"
Before the girl could finish her sentence her eyes settled upon another peculiarity in the path. She stared for a moment before the rest of the group slowly turned their attention to a small mammalian creature. A very short creature, less than two feet in height with large pointed ears forming a V shape. It had large blue eyes and a round cream head with the tops of its ears, crest, and extremities all retained an orange coloration. It had two bulbous arms and legs rounded off making a 'cuff' before ending with small three-fingered hands and two-toed feet. It had two pointed teeth visible from its upper jaw and two cream wing-like tails. Yet most peculiar of all was that the little Pokémon wore a Gyoji perfectly fitted to its small body, and grasped within its small paw was a paper fan folded up.
"Vic-tini!" The small Pokémon called out happily as it stared at the group.
"No way…" Iian said in surprise as he saw the small Pokémon
"That's a Victini!" Hillary called out as she, Beth, Iian, and Josue gathered around kneeling down to look at the rare Pokémon
"You don't see this every day." Beth said happily as she held her hand out towards the Pokémon, everyone with a large smile across their face.
"Yeah 's neat." Raian said casually as his thumbs clicked across his phone's screen
"Where did it come from?" Josue asked looking around
"They aren't native here." Iian added as the small creature suddenly leapt backwards, everyone jumping slightly before it began to scamper off, every member of the group quickly following after it, Raian casually walking forth still looking at his phone.
"What if we catch it?" Iian asked as the creature suddenly bounced forth a few feet
"Let's try." Hillary added in a whisper as the creature suddenly began hopping forth on its small legs
"Follow it!" Josue added in a whispered command as the small Pokémon scampered forth, the group shuffling forth after it
"Alright, sure." Raian replied casually following the group as he watched his phone.
The group watched with wide eyes and intense focus as the Victini hopped forth a few feet. Everyone carefully and quietly shuffled their feet forth in a group, looking quite preposterous to onlookers as they followed the creature. At first the petite mammal moved in small hops, yet upon noticing the following group, it suddenly took off as fast as its small legs would take it, the group quickly following suit, chasing it down the street.
"Umm…guys…?" Raian asked looking up from his phone seeing the group chasing the small Pokémon.
The group followed the Pokémon, taking no note of the people they passed by as they did so. They followed the Victini in a wide circle for a few minutes before the blissful Pokémon smirked as it ran up to a mountain of flesh, quickly scampering up its leg. The group watched as the victini circled up a trunk of a leg, up to a wall of a chest, and finally resting on a bowling ball of a shoulder. Even Iian, the largest of the small group stared upwards in awe at the massive being before the group.
"Hello…tiny…" The enormous being spoke simply with an odd thick accent, the Victini happily sitting atop his shoulder
"He-llo…" The group managed to say in unison as they all stared up at the enormous man before them, every last muscle on his body somehow flexed in its enormity and bulging out of his blazer.
"Did Vic-tini botha you?" The massive man asked looming down on the group, his massive shoulder width practically as long as the entire group
"No sir!" Josue quickly blurted out in a bit of panic
"Hey guys did you…" Raian began as he walked up behind the group before realizing he was standing in a massive shadow, "…woOoah…uhh…Hi…You uhh…competing in the league?"
"Nah, just spectating." The Massive muscular man replied in his thick accent as his pectoral muscles began bouncing, Beth's eyes glued to each and every bounce which oddly enough seemed to match the rhythm of Sprach Zarathustra, "What about you tiny ones? Competitors?"
"Uh-huh…" Beth managed to say practically slack jawed
"Well, Victini says good luck." The mountain of muscle said as his Victini opened its fan and began fanning him off, his neck practically thick enough for a belt, "And I say good luck as well, now I must go, but I'll be back."
"Well…" Hillary spoke up as the group watched the man walk off, each of his steps practically shaking the earth as he moved, oddly enough he seemed to flex his arms in a unique pattern each step, "That was odd…"
"Meh, not the weirdest thing I've seen today." Raian sarcastically replied glancing at Iian out of the corner of his eye.
Elsewhere
"The Hoenn League eh?" A familiar voice spoke as two sets of feet clacked against a series of fine stairs clearly polished and meticulously cleansed, "Expecting anything?"
"Like what?" The second individual asked as its owners fingers clacked against a phone, the thin fingers accompanied by glossy clean nails
"I don't know…" The first being began, its thin blue boots making a small thud against the steps, "What about the gathering of the leaders? Looking forward to it?"
"A bunch of drunken idiots placing bets on young trainers as they argue and get into fights…?" The first asked a bit sarcastically adjusting her fur coat, "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
"And what about the trainers, looking forward to the tournament?" The first asked with a smug grin on her face, "Isn't that rain kid competing in this one?"
"Raian? Yeah he is, isn't Iian?" The fur coat wearer replied in question
"No clue, haven't talked to him in months." The first replied, "But I bet if he is in this league, he'll beat rain boy."
"Care to wager?" the second female asked haughtily as she placed her hand on a door and slowly pushed it open to come into view of a large clean room where two well-dressed workers stood at the ready
"Hey now bruda, no wagering until victory road opens…." A warm familiar voice began
"Yeah Elesa, Skyla, you know the rules." The pink haired barefoot girl added as she chewed on a toothpick
Evergrande City
"So then…" Hillary began as she turned her head around, a large shadow cast over her and the group which appeared to be part of a slightly larger gathering, "Anyone nervous?"
"About what?" Iian asked in response staring down the overlapping crowd, which now appeared about three times the size of the initial group
"Perhaps the plethora of trainers?" Josue replied holding his hand over his brow to see farther, only able to see a couple of dozen more trainers
"It's only slightly more than the number of trainers at the Unova League." Raian spoke as he jumped up a small bit to try and get a glimpse of the entrance before the group, the enormous wave of trainers still far too large
"There's at least six hundred people here…" Beth added as she turned around giving her the chance to see that the small group of friends was an insignificant speck in the gigantic horde of trainers, every single one distinct from the last, every single one facing forwards towards the large gate doors of the Hoenn Victory Road. A helicopter flying overhead appeared as a yanmega in the air from its height. The sun was on its way to the middle of the sky, bright and warm, yet the cool ocean breeze compiled with the rays to make a gorgeous day to spend in a cave attempting to get to the Hoenn League.
"Hello one and all…!" A loud buzzed voice called out with reverberations from its PA system which did its best to speak to every trainer within the vast sea of human beings, "And welcome to Evergrande City! Are you guys excited?"
The crowd let out a series of claps and cheers, the small conglomerate of friends also adding in a few applause. Iian stood with his arms crossed and a sour look on his scraggly face as he watched the small dot in front of the gate which held the microphone. The sun overcast a shadow which only made the bean sized speaker harder to see.
"Alright for all the viewers watching across this wonderful Hoenn land of ours! To all those watching from the other great regions: The Johto Region! The Kanto Region! The Sinnoh Region! The Kalos Region! And even those somehow finding the time from the Frontier!" The small speaker spoke out enthusiastically, "And of course, for all those joining us today to tackle the Hoenn League! We will now go over the basic rules of what you are about to experience! Shortly we will open these gates to the Hoenn League Victory Road and you may begin to traverse it."
A few trainers amongst the crowd found themselves cheering at the speaker, yet others were deadly silent. Beth stared down the field of trainers with a small grin on her face. Not quite boastfulness nor cockiness, Beth was simply content to do her best and she felt good about attempting to do her best. The cleanse tag pinned to her was her badge of honor which she proudly displayed, which somehow matching her contentment.
"The Victory Road is a long and challenging road filled with obstacles and our very own trainers who may at any moment challenge any trainer to a battle. If a trainer loses, they are out. If a trainer fails to traverse the Victory Road in the given time, they are out." The speaker continued, the crowd on looking with tense faces, Josue staring a bit uneasy at the speaker as his nerves began to get to him slightly, "However, those that manage to make it through the Victory Road and reach the Hoenn League Arena, will move onto the preliminary matching's'! The preliminary matching's will alter as needed, yet those who pass said matching's will be the few to move onto the official Hoenn League!"
Hillary's cap overcast a shadow across her face, keeping the sun from her eyes while allowing her to retain her determined look. She had no grimace nor grin, she was simply ready to tackle this league with everything she had. The waves of trainers around her made no difference, she was willing to face every single one, she was ready to prove just how powerful a trainer she was. She had traveled far in her journey, even taking up an apprentice in Josue, and she was more than confident in her ability, looking for a chance to test it.
"The Hoenn League is a long standing tournament made to test the strength, strategy, and integrity of the best trainers from all around!" The speaker continued on with his speech, Raian taking a moment to close his eyes and take in a deep breath, the world slowing down for him as he cleared his mind, "Once one wins the Hoenn League they will be given the chance to face the Elite Four! And if they manage to defeat the Elite Four, then they'll have the honor of facing our very own Hoenn Champion! Now, all of you have struggled obtaining the gym badges of this land, so now without further ado…let the gates open!"
Elsewhere
"There's going to be gym leaders here mostly…" A familiar voice spoke as dirt covered high heels clacked on the fine stairs leading upwards, several dirty tracks already covering the steps, "Only a few Frontier Representatives hang out here, most go to the area made for them."
"Bah, we see those guys enough as is…" A voice began
"…But the gym leaders, now there's a different crowd." A second voice added on followed by a small musical strum of some string instrument
"Alright, I warned you…" The first began as she slowly pushed open a door revealing a wide room and a scene most fascinating to behold. There within the room several men and women filled the area, some sitting and talking, some at a large table of food, others doing random shenanigans.
"Arachide!" A voice called out as the woman walked into the room, revealing her large dark purple conical hat with a wide brim alongside a flowing strapless purple dress revealing black stockings leading to her dirt covered black high heels. Her arms were covered with dark purple sleeves which faded into mesh just under her shoulder. Her hair was mostly dark purple along with several strands of light blue accentuating it.
"I see almost everyone's arrived." Arachide smiled as she walked into the room followed by the two she had been talking to, two men quite different than one another. One had straight blonde hair roughly reaching his shoulder, along with this he had a thin mustache attaching to a goatee, his large green eyes quite bright and cheerful. He wore a floppy red long sleeved shirt along with brown short pants reaching just below his knees, and grasped within one of his hands was a small guitar like instrument.
The second of the two men was a lanky man taller and a bit darker than his comrade. He had greasy long black hair tied into a pony tail behind his long neck. He had dark blue eyes along with a thin black goatee on his chin. He wore a blue long sleeved shirt with its cuffs rolled up to his elbow. He accompanied this with a dark brown vest and greyish-green pants which stopped just inches above his short dark brown boots.
"Takes a league for you to get out of the Frontier?" The pink haired girl asked as she rose to her feet to greet Arachide
"It's been busy." Arachide replied, "Had the largest Contest of the season recently after all."
"How'd that go?" The pink haired girl asked as she and Arachide made their way to the banquet table where the enormous man known as Crasher Wake was busy piling food atop a small plate, already chewing on a mouthful.
"Ugh…I'm sure you'll read about it." Arachide sighed as she looked back out of the corner of her eye to see the two men exchanging some words in Spanish, "Miguel! Julio! Get some food!"
"Alimentos?" The Blonde haired asked turning to his comrade
"Alimentos." The taller of the two replied
"Bebidas?" The blonde asked once more
"Ambos?" The other replied
"Ambos." The shorter of the two reiterated
"Ambos." The two replied in unison turning their heads to Arachide before making their way to the table
"Do they speak English?" The pink haired girl asked looking at the two as one grabbed a small piece of finger food and tossed it backwards, the second catching it in the air with his mouth
"Yeah, they just like to be different…" Arcahide sighed as they made their way down the table, tossing different foods back and forth to each other as their plates gained a small pile of edible delicacies.
"Everyone!" A familiar accented voice called out, "Y'all best get ready, cause them gates are open!"
The entire room let out a cheer in unison as the large man known as Clay slammed his foot onto a low coffee table, taking a bit of a pose as he adjusted his hat and looked around at the gathered group, quite filled already. There was a solid number of people scattered throughout the room, some visible in the adjacent room where several billiard tables could be seen, and a figure visible in the glass of a door which held a sign stating 'Calm Area'.
"The cameras are all set up in the Road, you know the rules, if you place your bet while they're in the road you get triple payback, if you place it while they're in prelims you get double, and if you place while in tournament you get normal." Clay called out as the large screen behind him began showing the horde of trainers making their way into the Victory Road, "So keep your eye out so you can decide if…"
"1,000,000 Poke Dollars on Ranger Hillary!" A voice called out prompting everyone to gasp before turning around to see the pink haired Maylene standing with a smile across her face and a thick wad of poke dollars in her hand
Victory Road
"You dry yet?" Raian asked looking backwards to see Iian walking forth, his feet squishing with each step, his hair retaining some droplets within it.
"No I'm not bloody dry yet!" Iian yelled back as he walked forth through the cave, his wet footprints leading a trail to him
"I did warn you to be careful." Beth called out as she returned her Pokémon, an unconscious medicham lying on the ground
"I don't take orders!" Iian barked back as he rustled his hair, a few of the droplets coming loose.
"It wasn't an order, it was a warning…" Hillary said rolling her eyes as she returned her Pokémon, an unconscious Golbat before her atop a pile of unconscious zubat
"I'll have you know, I could have done it if you guys didn't distract me!" Iian yelled back as he boldly stomped forth, "I happen to be very ski…"
As Iian continued on his rant he suddenly and violently struck his foot against a thick rock, causing him to leap up in a moment of shock and pain as he grasped his foot, squeezing it as he began to unleash a cursing which could make a hydreigon feel bad about itself.
"Stupid bloody piece of…" Iian shouted as he took ahold of the rock he had hit and threw it backwards with force, the large chunk hitting the wall beside Beth, making a loud thud as it skidded down to the ground.
Elsewhere
"A million?" Arachide asked looking at the pink haired girl who boastfully slapped her money down on the table, "Maylene, you can't bet that much."
"The rules don't say that." Maylene happily retorted as she sat down in a large leather chair, "As long as you're confident, you can make any bet you want, and I'm confident."
"We-he-ell, she's got some moxy, I like it!" Clay called out with a large belly laugh as he waved his hat around as though to fan himself off, "Anyone else wanna give a go?"
"Shoots!" A familiar voice called out holding up a half-eaten shish cabob of some kind, "Put ya' bruda Marlon down for 1,000 poke on pinky that's next to Maylene's ranger."
"Wait, are you seriously just making blind bets now?" the red-haired Flannery asked as she walked into the adjacent doorway from the game room, a pool cue still in her hand.
"What the hell…put me for 3,000 on ranger-in-training next to Hillary." Arachide called out with a shrug as a small pumkaboo floated about her head like a halo.
"5,000 on Iian!" Skyla called out holding her hand up with a small collection of bills.
"5,000 on Raian!" Elesa retaliated holding up a contrary collection of bills.
"Qué piensas? Cuatro?" One of the two, Miguel and Julio asked.
"4,000 on that one!" The blonde of the two, Miguel, proclaimed as he pointed at the screen showing a trainer battling another.
"4,000 on this one!" The black haired of the two, Julio, happily exclaimed as he pointed at the other of the trainers on screen.
"Seriously…you really shouldn't just bet on random…" Viola began as she lowered her camera
"That one, 5,000!" Flannery called out pointing at the screen which now showed some other trainer
"Well, I see you guys started without me." A familiar voice called out as through the entrance a small group of people entered led by the one and only Sam, hoisting his frying pan over his shoulder, to his left standing Serenity and to his right standing both Elsa and Anna.
"And I see you…" Another familiar voice began, "Are late, as always."
Sam turned his head to see none other than his greatest friend, Mica, sitting atop a bar-stool at a high table with Kiera and Burgh sitting across from him. At his feet laid the purple coated espeon known as Fey who casually looked up, gave a small sneeze, and then laid its head back down.
"There was an issue at the garden we had to take care of first…" Sam replied looking back at Elsa and Anna for a moment before turning forward yet again, "Besides, if we're making blind bets, I think I'll have to participate…"
"He was not kidding about the gambling…" Elsa whispered back to Anna as Crasher and Marlon suddenly took each other to the floor and began rolling around as they tussled back and forth
"Nor the fighting it would seem…" Anna replied with a grin as she watched Marlon start hitting Crasher atop the head with a half-eaten churro
"Hey you idiots, you spilt my drink!" A black haired woman wearing casual clothing such as a white pair of pants and a pinkish purple tank top called out waving her hand about angrily, the thick black bracelet with glowing green lights shaking about.
"Wow, people really arrived quickly, didn't they?" Sam asked as he walked forth away from Serenity and the girls
"So what exactly do we do?" Elsa asked turning to Serenity
"Difiverfertirfirsefe." Serenity replied casually as she made her way to the room entitled 'Calm Area' whereupon opening the door Elsa and Anna could immediately recognize the purple dress wearing, thick cane holding, elderly friend of Serenity's known as Agatha.
"4,000 on who's going to open the tournament!" Sam's voice could be heard calling out
"Well, all the shenanigans remind me of home." Elsa smiled as she crossed her arms looking around, "Except now its humans and not Kecleon."
"Haha, yeah, now all we're missing is Sly to stare at us with his cold dead eyes." Anna joked with a chuckle as she turned to see Fey squinting at the two girls before letting forth a small sneeze.
Victory Road
"What's his problem? He seem angrier than you said." Beth spoke with concern watching Iian angrily move forth in the road.
"Honestly, I don't know." Raian replied clipping a pokeball back to his holder, lucario walking up beside him, "Things must not have been going very well for him lately. Normally he's angry, but never this type of angry."
"Shouldn't you talk to him?" Beth asked a bit concerned
"Iian isn't the type of guy you talk to when he's mad." Raian replied watching Iian push against a large stone, "Trust me, he got his hand bitten in half and refused to hurry to the hospital, if I talk to him about his anger, he'll probably deny it, call me a wanker, refuse to acknowledge that he's a human being, and storm off ten times angrier than before."
"Is there anyone that he can talk to?" Beth questioned, "It can't be good to just bottle up anger like that."
"Honestly, no clue." Raian replied turning to see the concerned look on Beth's face, "Hey, cheer up, I know Iian. He'll be pissed for the next few days, then he'll wake up one day completely oblivious to why he was angry, and then he'll be back to his normal grumpy self."
"I guess you do know him better than I do." Beth replied with a small comforting grin
"Come on, we don't want to fall too far behind the group." Raian smiled as he took off in a rushed jog towards the others, Lucario following behind him.
"Iian is his friend, I guess he knows him well…" Beth reiterated to herself as she began moving, the chunk of rock Iian had smashed catching her eye, "What on earth…?"
Beth squinted her eyes at the chunk of rock which seemed to glimmer multiple colors as the light hit it. The girl carefully knelt down to examine the rock when she noticed a very distinct growth in the stone which reflected a rainbow of colors at her. It took the girl a few seconds of looking at the piece to change her gaze from curiosity to astonishment. She quickly dug through her bag and pulled forth a bracelet, holding it up to the rock for a moment before a wide grin overtook her face. Beth quickly grabbed ahold of the stone and struck it against the ground, cracking it in half and freeing the smaller growth inside of it which she quickly grabbed and threw into her bag. A near ear to ear grin overtook the girls face as she moved forth, the bracelet now wrapped around her wrist proudly displaying a leaf-like sigil amidst
