Disclaimer: Same as before. I claim ownership to nothing but Maecenas, Mycroft and the plotline. Full OC credits below.

Over the next few days, the letters began to reach their destinations.

It was a beautiful summer day in Lilycove City. Wingull wheeled in lazy circles across the clear blue sky, an invigorating salty breeze blew in from the sea, and the sun gleamed off the many walls and windows of the metropolis, some of which showed signs of recently repaired damage.

In a small, but clean and tastefully decorated house near the heart of the city, the well-known trainer and battle scholar Mycroft Williamson leaned back in a chair near the window, reading his invitation with interest. He was a tall, thin man of twenty-one, with slate-colored hair and deep violet eyes, and was dressed as usual in a suit and top hat, a rose corsage and small, decorative pince-nez. His Mesprit, Thalia, was currently perched on his shoulder, its eyes glittering with excitement.

"You think I should enter, correct?" he asked, setting the letter down on his desk. The Emotion Pokemon nodded and took flight, soaring around the room.

"I won't pretend it isn't an attractive concept. But you do remember the last tournament I entered, don't you? I've just spent a good deal of the family fortune helping to repair the city."

Mycroft shuddered in a refined way, thinking back to the Lilycove Tournament, which had concluded several weeks ago. The tournament had turned out to be a ruse designed by forces of unspeakable evil, and between that and an easily offended Trainer with a Gyarados, large portions of Lilycove City had been decimated. Part of the stadium, which was normally the Contest Hall, was still in wreckage. The city's residents had been hypnotized at one point, and Mycroft himself had fought a battle to the death with a rampaging Lugia, been eliminated in the first Tag Battle round and even lost a cufflink.

On the other hand, though… Mycroft gazed at the poster of the Seafoam Islands on his wall. There was nothing he enjoyed more than traveling the world and meeting interesting new Trainers. The thrill of battle was still important to him, and as bizarre as it might sound he had even enjoyed being in the Lilycove Tournament. He should be jumping at this new chance to hone his skills. Besides, he had been to Pokѐtopia many times before. What could go wrong there?

He would attend, he decided – reading his emotions, Thalia did a happy flip – but, he told himself as he began to fill out the information required in flowing script, he would do a few background checks beforehand.

*****

Gazing out of the window while wrestling with the difficult task of describing his own personality, Mycroft spotted a large dark bird which he quickly identified as a Honchkrow flying overhead. Honchkrow weren't native to Hoenn, and as he looked closer Mycroft spotted a scarlet ribbon tied around its head. Beyond a doubt, this identified it as belonging to his old friend and traveling companion, Maecenas. Throwing the window open, Mycroft waved it in.

The Honchkrow landed heavily on the desk in a flurry of feathers, gave a weary caw of greeting and tossed Mycroft the scroll it had held in one claw before slumping to the ground. Mycroft brought the exhausted bird Pokemon a bowl of water, which it gulped down gratefully, then unfurled the scroll and began to read his friend's message, written in a familiar scrawl:

Hi, Mycroft!

I hope you're OK with the weather out in Lilycove. What a summer – Sinnoh has been a total oven! Route 228 has been totally deserted for about a week and I'm spending all my time in Snowpoint City.

Anyway, what am I doing talking about the weather? I'm guessing you got invited to this new tournament in Pokѐtopia, too. I got my invitation yesterday and I'll be leaving for Pokѐtopia as soon as Honchkrow gets back. This should be a ton of fun – we've both been to Pokѐtopia before, and it's one great place! My team is in top form! I heard something about an opening banquet, too …

Well, I'll see you there! You can tell me about that tournament I saw you were in earlier. It looked … interesting.

Lucario sends his regards!

Valѐ! Maecenas

Mycroft chuckled at the letter, which was very typical of his enthusiastic friend. Maecenas' Lucario was one of the toughest members of its species, and one of the few Pokemon that Mycroft's polished team had never stood a chance against. He turned the letter over and wrote on the back,

I will indeed see you at the tournament. Lilycove's weather has been perfect, and I believe that a cooler front should hit Sinnoh soon. And for heaven's sake, buy yourself a boat ticket in Snowpoint City. Don't fly on Honchkrow the whole way there. You don't want her to be worn out before the tournament even starts! I shall probably see you at the banquet regardless.

Yours,

Mycroft

Rolling the paper back into a scroll, he turned to Thalia, who had been waiting patiently for him all this time. "Come, my friend, we have a boat ticket to purchase," he said, recalling the Pokemon back into its Quick Ball. He added to Honchkrow, who was now perched on his bookcase, "We can stop at the Lilycove Wharf restaurant on the way to give you a good meal before your next long flight. How do fish tacos sound to you?"

The Honchkrow gave a satisfied squawk and followed him out the door, both of them thinking of the adventure awaiting them in Pokѐtopia.

Mossdeep City.

It was early in the morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise. The island was still blanketed in mist, and silence filled the air. On the beach of a small ocean inlet stood fifteen-year-old Xavier Omnik, his Milotic by his side.

Xavier, a tall boy with messy red-orange hair who was wearing his trademark headphones, was in an unusually reflective mood. He picked up a small rock from the ground and tossed it into the water, watching the ripples spread slowly outward.

"Remember, Milotic?" he asked his Pokemon, grinning. "This is where we did all of that training back when you were still a Feebas, before we took on all of those Wailmer. It's amazing how far we've come since then, isn't it?"

Xavier pulled a crumpled map of Pokѐtopia from his pocket-he had already returned the invitation with all of the necessary statistics filled out-and gazed at it happily. He had had been thrilled to be invited to another tournament so soon, after all off the friends he'd made in Lilycove City. The decision to go had been easy, even without the tantalizing mention of an opening banquet…

Abruptly recalling Milotic to its Pokѐball, Xavier settled his headphones more firmly around his ears and cranked up the first song of the day on his portable radio: an inspiring melody of determination, adventure and infinite possibility. Already more energized, he tossed a Pokѐball into the air.

The red-and-white sphere exploded into a titanic Flygon, which rose and flapped its wings dramatically, superimposed against the gorgeous sunrise.

"Let's go, Flygon! To Pokѐtopia!" shouted Xavier, jumping onto the Pokémon's back. The Flygon let out a roar, thwacked its tail onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and took to the sky. Mossdeep Island fell away behind them as they soared into the morning air, the music swelling into an inspiring chorus.

From a house near the coast, a tall Trainer in a green samurai outfit watched them depart with interest, then turned away.

"Good luck, Xavier. You might need it," said Kane Yaiba to himself.

Route 226, near the Survival Area.

Kricketune chirped and warbled faintly in the distance, and the shadows of the few clouds in the sky darkened patches of the surrounding mountains. The air was full of the heat of summer. A nineteen-year-old girl with dark blue hair and gray eyes was sprawled on the grass of the outcropping of a cliff, arguing with the Camerupt that stood next to her.

"I told you no," said Lucianne Delaray, with an air of finality. The Camerupt snorted inquisitively.

"You know I don't like to do things like this. I was invited to the tournament in that Lilycove place last month and I didn't go. Look what happened there-it turned out to be, like, a literal disaster. Someone unleashed a Lugia! And besides, Pokѐtopia is a big city. I'd get lost looking for my first battle!"

The Camerupt, whose name was Boomer, chose to ignore this and merely stared out over the valley between the mountains, disinterestedly watching two Fearow squabbling far below.

Luce sighed, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. "I know that you and the rest of the team would really like to go to this, but I'm really just not sure it would be a good idea. Can you give me one good reason that we should attend?

For an answer, the Camerupt reached out and nudged one of the two decorative feathers that hung from the girl's hair, the red one. The color of flames, of impulsive passion, of…

Luce gasped, then sat down abruptly and gazed into the distance for a while, a wistful impression etched onto her face. Finally she got up and turned to Camerupt.

"I-I think you're right. It's something he might have done. We should go." The Camerupt looked at her peacefully.

Recalling it to its Pokѐball, Luce jumped expertly off the outcropping and ran lightly down the side of the cliff. If she was going to reach the Fight Area by the afternoon, she'd have to start now.

Although she tried not to think about it, she was grateful that she was going to the tournament. Maybe Camerupt had been right after all.

Veilstone City.

The Veilstone Pokemon Gym was bustling with noise and activity. Bricks shattered, punching bags swung dangerously from their fixtures and shouts of exertion filled the air. A full-scale martial arts lesson was taking place.

In the center of the mayhem stood two sixteen-year-old girls and a Pokemon, excelling more than anyone at the frantic display of athleticism. One of the girls was Maylene, the Veilstone Gym Leader, and the other was her best friend Megan Rayme. Both of them were currently wearing white karate outfits and panting with exertion. Maylene's Lucario stood beside them.

A sudden disturbance made Megan look up. Someone or other was pushing through the crowd, causing many Black Belts to stop what they were doing and move out of the way. Eventually the newcomer made their way to where Maylene and Megan were standing, revealing itself to be Vera, Megan's own Lucario.

Vera dashed up to them, but upon noticing Maylene's Lucario forgot where it was and ran straight past them into a punching bag, which swung back and knocked it to the floor. Getting herself up with some difficulty, Vera sheepishly walked up to Megan and gave her the letter she had been holding. Megan read through it quickly, then, with a satisfied expression, folded it and stuffed it into a pocket of her karate uniform.

"What's up?" asked Maylene, coming over.

Megan's eyes shone as she responded, "I just got an invitation to a Pokemon tournament in Pokѐtopia! People from all over the world are supposed to be coming, and it starts next week!"

"That's great!" said Maylene enthusiastically. "So are you going to attend? I know that last tournament was…kind of a disaster…."

"Not so much for me," Megan responded brightly. "I won a tag battle against Volkner and Cynthia, remember? Besides, I've always wanted to go to Pokѐtopia-it's supposed to be amazing!"

"Well, if I know you you'll be leaving right away. So have a great time! Maybe I'll come to watch some of…"

Maylene was cut off by the gym doors slamming open to admit a wild-eyed Trainer, who roared something along the lines of "I hereby challenge this Gym and its Leader! Victory shall be mine!"

"Black Belts, into position!" called Maylene, before turning back to Megan with a sigh. "Then again, maybe I won't be able to make it. Go win a few battles for me!"

"Will do! Keep an eye on the Gym," and with that Megan ran out the door, her Lucario following in her footsteps. Vera swiped a clawed paw in the general vicinity of the challenger, and he jumped back a foot, promptly falling into one of the platforms. Maylene sighed, knowing that it was going to be a long day.

Well, there we go-the first real chapter is completed! Thanks to everyone who submitted your OC's; more of them will be introduced in the chapters to come. This is only the beginning! For the meantime, here are the credits of the characters I did use already:

-Mycroft and Maecenas-yours truly

-Luce-kyuuketsuki fang (referred to as fang or from here on, which will save space and my sanity)

-Xavier-LastPrelude

-Kane-KK the Prophet

-Megan-Fire Drastar

I figure that those just joining us deserve an explanation of Maecenas and Mycroft's characters, seeing as how there aren't any full descriptions of them available in the reviews with all of the other characters. The short of it is that they're based on the Trainers I designed in Pokemon Battle Revolution for my two Pokemon Pearl teams, and that my account name is after Maecenas rather than vice versa. Mycroft was previously featured in Lilycove Tournament: And the Battle Begins! The long of it is here, for those interested:

Name: Mycroft Williamson
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Occupation: Trainer, battle scholar
Hometown: right here in Lilycove, but has been traveling abroad for years.
Appearance: Tall and somewhat thin, with blue-gray hair and violet eyes. Dressed in a top hat and suit (the Formal Set A from Pokemon Battle Revolution, to be specific) as well as a rose corsage and small pince-nez. He's very particular about his appearance.
Personality: Mycroft is rich, upper-class and refined, but not snobbish to others, and he's a really nice guy to get to know. Always very polite, and clever to a fault, an excellent strategic battler. The thrill of battle is the spice of his life, and his excitement can sometimes overpower his refinement in a tight situation. Any trainer who always acts superior and snubs others is just begging for a challenge from him.
History: Raised in Lilycove City high society, spent years traveling throughout all regions and honing his team to perfection. Traveled for some time with a trainer named Maecenas. He has spent some time on the ocean, making him used to maritime conditions. Due to his travels, it's extremely likely that he's met at least one of the competitors in the past, and may have an old rivalry with them. Maecenas' Lucario is one of the few Pokemon who's ever bested his team, so he knows a good deal about that species.
Accomplishments: Badges from all four regions, championships in Hoenn and Sinnoh, all Hoenn Frontier Symbols and was interrupted from his Sinnoh Battle Frontier quest for this tournament, currently has Castle and Factory prints. Has had some training in Fiore as a Pokemon Ranger, which gives him an unusual bond with his team.

Pokemon:
Thalia the Mesprit-Mycroft spent a year hunting it through Sinnoh, and has finished training it recently. It has very high attack power, which usually surprises opponents who expect Special moves from it only to be smashed by Iron Tail. Also a Trick Room user.
Welzz the Whiscash (male)-sort of a team mascot, it's happy and carefree and has a habit of bursting from its Pokѐball unasked and trying to eat Mycroft's top hat-rather in the manner of James' Carnivine. Its Hydro Pump is rarely known to miss.
Gawain the Gallade (Male)-The warrior of the team, empathetic and loyal. Has used its Skill Swap in many clever strategies and has a long standing rivalry with Lucario.
Watson the Electivire (male)-A slightly uncommon Special-attacking Electivire and a more recent acquisition to the team. Tough, weathered and loyal, like an old sailor. Some of its attacks are Focus Blast, Flamethrower and HP Ice, along with the usual Electric assortment.
Carnegie the Shiny Metagross-The pure power behind the team. Being a chunk of metal, its personality can be hard to read but it seems to be fairly easygoing. Mycroft can fly to different destinations on it thanks to its Magnet Rise.
Magellan the Walrein (male)-a tough and burly Walrein, Mycroft's first Pokemon. Its favorite strategy is the Hail/Ice Body combo (make it snow in the stadium!) and other moves include Blizzard and Brine.

Favorite Memory as a Trainer: Probably when he finally caught Thalia after hunting it through Sinnoh for a year using nothing but his wits, Maecenas' Lucario, which he'd borrowed temporarily for its useful Extremespeed, and fifty Quick Balls. A close second would be his climactic battle with Maecenas a while ago, despite his loss.

Favorite food will be mentioned later.

That was pretty lengthy, and seeing as Maecenas hasn't appeared yet and I haven't composed a full summary for him yet, I'll upload that one with a later chapter.

In other notes, I've fixed my Word program to automatically add the combining acute accent to "Pokѐtopia" and related phrases. The only one I can't do that to is Pokemon itself, but whatever. You guys all know what I'm talking about anyway.

In response to KK the Prophet's question, some Legendaries are indeed allowed, although I'm guessing Thalia's appearance sorted that out for you already. It's everyone allowed in the Battle Tower, plus the "small, cute" types like Mew and Manaphy. I added those mainly out of convenience to myself, since Mycroft is, again, based on one of my Pearl teams, which includes Thalia, and I didn't want to change it. :) Maecenas has a Manaphy, as well, and one of the OCs I got has a Celebi. But you guys will still have to check your Darkrai at the door!

Thanks again to all my readers! I welcome your questions, comments and feedback. In particular, let me know if there's any way I can portray your character better and I'll try my best to implement it. Thanks for all of the positive feedback I've gotten so far!

Maecenas out.