Ch.105: Arrival in Gelid Peak City! Fierce Competition Awaits!

Days of travel through the Snow Zone were long and arduous. The Tauros marched through the varying levels of snow, pulling the train of wagons with all their might against the high winds. Vince stayed outside, braving the snow to make sure they could still keep moving. If there was one thing about Tauros he knew from experience, they were stubborn reaching a goal.

The passengers inside took to the confide space as best they could, passing the time as they closed in on Gelid Peak. Tony and Cheri were timing each other to see who could solve a puzzle cube the fastest. Griffin and his friends took to playing Mythic Heart with Faye since they were getting more comfortable with the game. Flint and Gwyn ended up falling asleep, cuddled together on a couch.

Wes and Ella were taking the initiative for their team, however. Wes was hard at work writing up new strategies and potential combinations to use in the tournament, with Ella giving her input here and there. It was unlikely she will compete in the tournament since she was only a substitute, but a girl can dream.

"…So, we'll have Gwyn on defense to zone out the other team, then we'll have Tony and Flint on first offense. They're our fastest attackers, so they can rack up a lot of damage."

Ella nodded. "True, true…and that leaves you and Griffin to do the heavy hitting."

"Right. Although, I want to try something. Since Griffin might only be allowed to register one weapon, I figure he'll use Endless Regret. So, maybe we can have him absorb our magic and fire it out with his in combination."

"Couldn't you do that with the Dark Mirror?"

"I could, but…" He pulled out his Star Amulet. "From what I read, only one magical item is allowed per person and…I kind of need this."

Ella giggled. "A shame, but whatever. Well, you could hand the mirror off to either Tony or Flint."

"Huh…yeah, that's a good point. I'll see if they want to borrow any of my amulets." He went back to writing.

A knock sounded on the door and Morgan and Ava let themselves in. "How you kids holding up in here?" Morgan asked.

"We're getting there," Wes replied, not taking his eyes off the sheet. "We're winning this tournament. No ands, ifs, or buts."

Ava chuckled. "Now that's the attitude we need. But be careful. Benedict is one of the strongest mages in the group. He won't be like the rest of them."

Ella waved it off. "We'll cross that bridge when we get there."

"Well, start crossing, because we're actually about to reach Gelid Peak."

"Seriously?!" Wes exclaimed. He raced over to the window and pulled it open.

The cold wind that rush through startled everyone. "AAHH!" Faye shrieked as her cards started scattering around the room. "NO! That deck cost me six months' salary!"

Tony used Light Speed and swiped the cards from the air, gathering every last one before dropping to a knee in front of Faye. "For you, my lovely lady."

Faye giggled bashfully (and relief) and took the cards from him. "You're a life savior, Tony! I owe you one!"

"Perhaps a dinner and a show would suffice-AGH!" Griffin pulled on his collar and threw him across the room. "Ow…hey, watch the clothes, asshole!" Griffin rolled his eyes.

Holly chuckled. "Awfully rough of you."

"Don't think much of it…" he grumbled. Holly sniggered to herself.

Flint was roused by the cold winds brushing over his fur. He groaned and wrapped Gwyn in their blanket to keep her warm before shouting, "Wes! Close the window!"

Wes ignored his brother as he smiled out the window and at the approaching landscape ahead of them. As the caravan ascended the snowy hillside, they came into view of a city completely surrounded in a glass dome, made up of hexagonal shapes.

Wes closed his eyes and grinned. "Guys!" He pulled his head back in, now seeing he had their attention. "We're about to compete in our first tournament as a team! Let's bring our A-game!"

Tony smirked. "I'll bring more than that."

Griffin huffed. "You can count on me."

Gwyn threw her blanket off and cheered. "This is going to be friggin' awesome!"

"I'm pretty stoked myself," Ella joined in.

Flint sighed, then grinned exasperatedly. "Well…what was I expecting?" He punched his paw pads and shouted, "I'll give it everything I've got!"

Seeing the energy their team brought to table lit a fire in Ava, a long-forgotten pride in the competitive spirit of a team. She looked at Morgan and grinned. "They get more and more familiar as the days pass."

Morgan smiled softly. "These kids are nothing short of fascinating…"

The Tauros finally arrived at the Gelid Peak entrance. The guards at the gate checked with Vince's credentials before letting his wagon on through. Instantly, the difference in temperature was felt. The dome used to keep Gelid Peak insulated from the bitter winds worked its magic. While there was nothing but high winds and endless gray skies, it was paradise to those who have known it their whole life.

The team stuck their heads out to get a look of the land. The buildings were mostly around a story or two tall, with some of the major landmarks towering over all else. The first of these drew Ella's attention.

"Hey, hey, hey, check out that place!" she pointed out.

Passing by, they got a brief glimpse at a large, emerald hotel with a casino aesthetic to the outside. What caught her attention was the myriad of Pokémon going towards it, many of different ages.

"That place sure knows how to drum up business," Tony commented.

"The Lucky Roulette Hotel," Griffin explained. "I heard it gets a lot of business around this time. This is the hotel that the competing teams stay in during the week."

Ella squealed and cupped her cheeks. "WE get to stay there?! HUZZAH!" She threw her forelegs up and fell backwards.

Wes chuckled to himself. "Guess we don't have a choice either way. Is it an actual casino?"

"More or less. It's one of the…friendlier ones, to put it lightly." Griffin hung his arms out the window. "Just don't do anything stupid like blowing your money on drinks. That place knows how to get you wasted if you're not careful."

"Noted."

Cheri poked her head out. "Alcohol?"

Tony grabbed her shirt and pulled her from the window. "You are not joining us in there!"

"Aww…"

Gwyn tilted her head. "But…wouldn't it be cheaper to stay in the caravan?"

Ava smiled. "You kids should at least have the experience."

"I'll be paying for everything," Morgan brought up.

"Oh, we can't let you do that, Pops," Tony objected.

"No, no, it's fine. I have…ahem, amassed quite the fortune in my…five hundred years…" he mumbled awkwardly.

Ella glared a bit. "Right…should've remembered that…"

Morgan could hear that slight coldness in her tone, but tried to ignore it. "I-It doesn't matter to me. It won't make much difference if I paid for sixty rooms. The rest of us will be camping out in the caravan."

"Sounds like a plan!" Gwyn cheered.

The caravan came to a rolling stop, parked out in an empty lot so they'd be out of the way. Vince hopped back inside and eventually came to their room. "Registration for the tournament should be where the colosseum is. Just go there and get yourselves signed it."

"Alright, we're on it." Wes waved over his team. "Come on, guys, we're burning daylight."

"Um, actually…" Griffin muttered. "You guys go on without me…"

Ella tilted her head. "Why's that?"

Faye snickered and pulled on his jacket. "He promised to let me help him out with something and this is the perfect place to do it."

"Why did I let you talk me into this?" he grumbled.

"Quite whining and come on!" She pulled him outside and started for the streets.

Mack laughed and jumped out after them. "I've got to be there for this! Let's-a go, Holly!" The Lurantis giggled behind her claw and followed the Sudowoodo out.

The team watched them leave with mixed confusion. "Odd…wonder what that was about," Tony said aloud.

Wes shook it off. "F-Forget, I'm sure Griffin will want us to register Endless Regret for him. Let's get down to registration and get ourselves signed in." He sprung out, with the others following behind.

Cheri raced out with them, shouting back, "Tell my mom I'm with Tony!"

Ava waved to them. "We will, sweetie! Stay safe!" Ava closed the door, then looked seriously at Morgan. "…So, how do their chances look?"

Morgan crossed his arms. "I have faith in them…" He glared. "…They've been quiet."

"The kids?"

He shook his head. "The shadows. Not much on their activities since Ironworks. Place still looked like a wreck when we went back." He subconsciously scratched at his arm, right over the tattoo. "…You don't think they're here, right?"

Ava wanted to say 'no,' but she couldn't be sure. In her best interests, they had to wait and see for themselves. "For our sake, I hope not…"

"So…this is Gelid Peak City?" An annoyed squawk followed after. "I am done with the snow, I swear…"

Disguised and walking through the crowded streets of Gelid Peak were a familiar band of pirates out on recon. Within the group were Indigo, Ambrosine, Jeffery, Cheshire, and Lyra, who was munching on a caramel apple. They wore basic jackets and such to keep their identities hidden.

News of the attack on Ironworks spread like wildfire and it didn't take long for someone to trace the enemy pirates as a part of the invasion. In fact, as they were walking by, a bulletin board with a wanted poster of their ship caught their attention.

Ambrosine gripped her hood and pulled it over her face. "Ugh…"

Indigo ripped it off and tore it to pieces. "Of all the rotten luck. Why did they make us go out on recon?"

Jeffery rolled his eyes. "Probably because the clown suggested it and knew it would make us miserable."

Cheshire snickered. "He's quite the schadenfreude!"

"You are a part of this, too!"

"My point still stands."

Ambrosine pressed her back to the bulletin board and covered her face. "What are we even doing out here?"

Jeffery sighed. "Zaros said to keep an eye on Team Ravenfield when the time is right. They want to try and put an end to them before they can get to the next key." He glared. "I still can't believe the key is being held by the tournament champion."

"That's what the boss figured," Indigo mumbled. "Which reminds me, we need to get Edwin and his team signed into the tournament. We don't want them causing a confrontation should they run into Team Ravenfield." She glared. "That comes during the tournament."

Jeffery sighed, then rubbed his wings together deviously. "Well, if it rids us of Ravenfield, I'm all for it!"

Indigo frowned. "Yeah…great…"

Jeffery glared at her. "What's with you? You've been mopey ever since we attacked Ironworks."

Indigo blushed as she thought back to Tony and what he said to her. She grabbed her arm tightly. "It's…nothing…"

Jeffery wanted to press on, but Lyra grabbed him by the head and tossed him over her shoulder. "GAAAAH!" He crashed against a building and slid to the ground.

The silent Zangoose crouched down and patted Indigo's back with an understand look. Indigo looked at her, then smiled. "You always know what to do, Lyra." Lyra beamed proudly.

Cheshire chuckled. "So, who's going to sign the team in?"

Indigo wasn't particularly thrilled about doing it herself. There was a chance she'd run into Tony and she didn't feel like confronting him…yet. "I'll…pass. Lyra?" She shook her head. "Alright. What about Jeffery?"

Cheshire snickered. "You expect that birdbrain to be discreet?"

"You little SHIT!" Jeffery screamed.

"Point proven." The Banette threw his head back and laughed.

Indigo deadpanned. "Clearly sending you is the worst option ever." She turned to Ambrosine, who tried to remain distance from the conversation. However, now feeling the sets of eyes on her, she shuffled away and covered up her face shyly.

"…What?"

Jeffery wasted no time slapping some papers into her hands. "These are the information sheets on the fighters. It covers all the basics…and a few loopholes Malcolm was able to exploit."

Indigo crossed her arms. "How do we know they'll get to the final round?"

"Oh…they will. And they'll break out the big guns should they have to fight Team Ravenfield." Jeffery rubbed his wings together and laughed. "The plan is foolproof!"

"But why do I have to do it?!" Ambrosine shrieked, nearly dropping the papers.

"Because you're our newest member and they're less likely to recognize you. I mean, they're hardly familiar with you."

Ambrosine looked away with a slight frown. "I…got myself acquainted with the other Ravenfield…" she admittedly bashfully, with a tint of red in her cheeks.

"BAH!" Jeffery scoffed. "Don't worry about him! He's harmless!"

"He could kick your ass," Cheshire mocked, annoying the Chatot. "Though, that's overselling it. Anyone can kick your ass. Me, Tyrone, Ray, Ambrosine, Smith, this flower pot…" He actually pulled out a flower pot from out of nowhere for emphasis.

Jeffery poked him in the forehead, scowling. "I'll be putting you on chore duty for a MONTH!"

"Sweet! Thank you, sir!"

"Don't thank me! Be miserable!"

"Of course! Thank you for informing me, sir!"

"SQUAAAAAAAWK!" Jeffery cried furiously.

Ambrosine sighed, then looked to Indigo for help. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?"

She waved it off reassuringly. "All you need to do is speak to the registration desk and hand them the forms. It's that simple."

"Easy for you to say…"

Indigo hooked her arm around her. "It's a piece of cake. Just don't attract too much attention to yourself."

Ambrosine breathed deeply, then touched her weary heart. She felt it speeding up from stress, but a little of her magic helped her calm it down. She sighed in relief, then tucked the papers under her arm. "Alright…I'll get this done and meet you back at the ship soon."

Indigo winked. "You'll be fine."

"Yeah!" Cheshire exclaimed, throwing the flower pot into the air. "You got this! Nothing to it!"

Ambrosine nodded, then turned away. "Nothing to it…nothing to it…nothing to it…" She repeated the mantra under her breath as she headed off to the colosseum.

Jeffery groaned, then took off flying the other way. "I'm heading back to the ship. Don't stray behind or I'll-" Without warning, the previous thrown flower pot crashed down on his head and sent him diving into the ground. "AGH! I've been hit! Take cover!" He tried to stand up, but slipped on broken ceramics and faceplanted into the soil.

Cheshire smirked smugly. "Annnd…you played yourself." Jeffery scowled through the dirt as his crew laughed.

Team Ravenfield, plus Cheri, made their way to the tournament colosseum and got a good view of its imposing size. A large, white structure, possibly composed of marble or some similar looking stone, with entrance gates on all sides. It was active with crowds, most of whom coming to claim a ticket for their seats.

Ella tilted her head. "Huh…shouldn't the troupe be getting their own tickets?"

"Ava said they'll do it later once the crowd dies down," Flint explained. "It's no rush. They rarely ever run out of tickets for the tournament here." He shrugged, grinning awkwardly. "Guess not a whole lot of people can make it to a tournament in the middle of the Snow Zone."

Ella smirked. "A fair point."

Cheri walked close behind Tony as she marveled at the sights. "Wooow! The city is AMAZING! This colosseum is HUGE!"

Tony grinned. "Eh, this is nothing. Trust me, I'll buy us a house BIGGER than this!"

Cheri pouted. "That sounds like a waste of money…and a lot of useless space."

"A mansion with a swimming pool, then?"

"Throw in a room for myself and a bunk bed and I'm in!" she cheered. She turned her head, then looked curiously at something going on nearby. "Tony, what's going on over there?"

The Dewott cocked his head and observed eight guys in cloaks drawing on the ground with chalk. No one seemed disturbed by them, so they must've been a part of the event. "Huh…not sure. We'll have to ask someone when we get signed in."

They headed inside and looked around for the checkout area. In their search, they saw quite the combination of different teams gathered throughout. Varying sizes, equipment, and character to challenge. Some were looking off with absolute seriousness, some looked like a gang of hoodlums, and some looked like a bunch of bumpkins that got lost of the way in.

Ella pointed out to one fighter. "Hey, check out that battle axe he's carrying! That thing looks like it packs a punch!"

Flint pointed over to another competitor. "That one has an updated spell book. He must be a skilled mage."

Gwyn giggled, coiling her tail snuggly around Flint's. "They're not as skilled as you, Flint! You'll beat them for sure!"

Flint grinned like a goof. "I guess you're right. Haha!"

Wes rolled his eyes playfully and said, "I know you two are still giddy with each other, but just remember to put it off to the side when we're fighting."

Gwyn saluted. "Gotcha, big bro!" Flint chuckled as Wes turned away with an embarrassed blush.

"Hehe…yeah."

"Hey Wes, I see registration up ahead," Tony pointed out towards the wall of informants sitting behind a layer of glass. Many teams were lined up and getting checked in. There was one line completely open. "Sweet! No lines!"

"Not yet, at least," Ella cut in, pointing out one group heading towards it, headed by a Machoke.

Tony smirked and rubbed his wrist. "Leave that to me." Activating Light Speed, he cut around the crowd and zipped over to the empty registrar.

The rival team was almost in front of the registrar, but were thrown back from a burst of light. They stumbled back, then glared at the smug Dewott who leaned against the glass with one hand.

"Sorry, gentlemen," he said in a sly tone. He blew on his knuckles and rubbed them on his vest. "Seems it's the back of the line for you."

The Machoke glared, then got up in Tony's face. "Listen here, little man! Gene doesn't like it when someone gets in Gene's way! You best be moving before Gene has to get physical!"

Tony smirked. "Oh, that's rich. You speak in the third person?"

"Gene doesn't need to explain himself to you!" He grabbed him by the vest. "Now move! We were here first!"

Tony chuckled, then raised his sparking finger. "Make. Me."

"Hey, hey, hey, that's enough!" The Machoke dropped Tony and glared at the Dewott's team as they approached. Wes smiled apologetically at the Machoke. "I'm terribly sorry about him. He can get like that. We wouldn't mind letting you go first."

"We would mind," Ella stated bluntly, but Flint nudged her in the side. "Ow…"

Wes laughed. "We're just here for some friendly competition, that's all." He held his paw out to Gene. "My name is Wes Ravenfield! Nice to-ACK!" The Machoke grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him to eye level.

"Listen up, Cravenshield!"

"It's, uh, it's actually-"

"Gene doesn't take orders from pipsqueaks like you! Gene is here to win! You little punks are our stepping stones to the top!" He dropped Wes, then struck a mighty pose. "Gene will take home the trophy and titled of champion! Then all will look upon Gene in awe! WOO!" He struck another pose, then another, then…another- wow, this guy really loved posing.

The others shared dry looks with each other while Wes brushed himself off. "Uh, so…"

Gene held his head up and marched away with his team. "We will register somewhere else…then CRUSH you in the competition! Enjoy last place, Tavernpeeled!"

"It's Ravenfield! How hard is that to remember?!" They were already gone. Wes groaned. "…Of course we get the jerk wad on the first day."

Ella patted his cheek. "Forget it. We got the front, so might as well get signed in."

Wes sighed, then grinned. "Fair enough." He turned and greeted the Purugly on the other side. "Hello there! We're here to register!"

"Do you have the proper applications?" she asked. Wes pulled some papers out and slid them through the glass. The Purugly quickly skimmed through them. "A team of six, one acting as a substitute. That correct?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"You will only be allowed to substitute a team member should they be injured, sick, or have a sudden family emergency that needs to be taken cared of immediately."

Ella crossed her forelegs and smirked. "Guess I'm breaking Flint's legs to compete."

"Okay, why me?!" Flint shouted. She just giggled in response.

Purugly shuffled through the papers again. "And everyone has an assigned magical item to use for the tournament. As explained in the application, you are only allowed to register one per person, though they can be shared among teammates."

Tony held his hip. "Wait, when did we register items?" he asked, pointing between him and Flint.

Wes smiled. "Hope you guys don't mind. I'm letting Flint take the Dark Mirror while you get my Vortex Amulet, Tony."

Tony smirked. "Ooh! Nice!"

Flint grinned. "Good thinking, Wes."

Wes grinned proudly, then the Purugly cleared her throat for his attention. "I see one of your teammates is a registered potion maker."

"That'll be me!" Gwyn waved over.

"Do you have any identification?"

"Yes, I do!" She searched through her bag, then pulled out some papers for her. "I took the exam some years ago with my mother, though they may be a bit outdated." She blushed sheepishly. "Never…got my photo taken, so…"

The Purugly, again, skimmed through the papers. "They're official, but they seemed to have expired five years ago."

"Expired?" Ella questioned. "Gwyn, you were illegally running your mom's shop?"

Gwyn tapped her fingers together sheepishly. "Err…no? Hehe…"

The Purugly narrowed her eyes at the papers. "Hold on…Belladonna? You wouldn't happen to be related to Clara Belladonna, would you?"

Gwyn blushed and looked away. "Um…yes, I'm…her daughter."

This made the large cat smile. "Your mother helped provide a potion that cured my son of a dreadful illness he was suffering from. She was a remarkable woman when I first met her. My son is doing much better these days. He's working as a blacksmith, though he was afraid he couldn't with how he was feeling."

Gwyn smiled. "That's great!"

Purugly looked around, then whispered, "We'll just ignore that whole thing about unofficially running a shop without proper forms. Tell you what. My break will be in an hour. I can get your forms renewed so that you can fully participate."

"Fully participate?" Cheri asked. "How so?"

"Since potion makers are viewed as support fighters, we allow them to bring in their standard equipment under the approval of the tournament committee."

Gwyn grinned. "Really?! Oh my gosh, thank you!"

Purugly smiled. "No trouble at all. A small debt repaid for your mother." She looked back over the application, then gave if the official stamp. "Alright, you're all set. And your team name is Team Ravenfield?"

"Yes, ma'am," Wes confirmed.

She handed back the papers, then handed him a ticket. "On the first day of the tournament, you will need to pick up special badges to confirm you are a team. This ticket will prove you've seen me."

"Alright. Thank you very much, ma'am." Wes took the ticket, then waved to her as the team headed off.

They took up space in a mostly vacant part of the room, finding some benches to sit on. As Wes shuffled through the application, Flint said to Gwyn, "I didn't know you had papers as a potion maker."

Gwyn nodded. "I needed them to run the shop. The test I took doesn't qualify me as a Potion Master, but it gave me enough legal leeway to run the shop with my mom…before she passed away, at least. Since…I was impersonating my mom, I had to renew the forms once. I barely passed when I took that test. I was lucky to get away with the current photo."

"I need to hear more of this story. Sounded like a stressful day."

"You have NO idea."

Wes combed through the application some more, then froze when someone grabbed him from behind. "Guess who, Ravenfield?!" He and the team spun around, then smiled. Standing before them was the one and only Team Shatter Star. Krystal spun on her foot and struck a dynamic pose. "That's right! Team Shatter Star! Back in action!"

"Champions of Might!" Oswald exclaimed.

"Slayers of the Wicked~!" Saffiro sang.

"Mavericks of Dreams!" Cybil exclaimed.

"Kickers of Evil's Ass!" Ebony laughed.

Hugo, unenthusiastically, said, "and Guardians of the Light…"

"Behold and be amazed! Our stunning return!" They posed dramatically, explosions going off behind them.

Team Ravenfield stared with casual amusement. These guys…

Cheri gasped and held her cheeks, staring at them starry eyed. "So cooool!"

Gwyn grinned. "That's what I said!"

"You guys should have a dramatic entrance like that!"

"That's what I said, too!" They laughed and high-fived each other.

Tony rolled his eyes at the two, then pointed at the newly arrived team with a devious smirk. "Hey, Shatter Stars, the floor's on fire."

"Eh?" They turned around, then shrieked as a blue blaze roared behind them.

"Dammit! Not again!" Krystal stomped on the flames. "Saffiro, help me put these out!"

Ebony held her gut and laughed, falling over on her back. Cybil glared sternly at her girlfriend. "Krystal, I warned you not to do that indoors."

"But the explosion is always the best part!" Krystal whined. "You can't just end an epic introduction without an explosion! It's criminal!"

"So is arson."

Saffiro stuck Salamander in the flames and sapped them away before sheathing the blade. "All fixed. Just…a singed floor." He lightly rubbed his foot against the black spot before awkwardly shuffling away.

Wes laughed under his breath, then smiled. "It's great to see you guys again. How was your month off?"

Krystal grinned. "We did get some major training in a few days ago, but we were mostly hanging out with my folks."

"Her dad cooks some wicked meals!" Oswald exclaimed. "I've always wanted to learn to cook over an open flame, but I always burn the food!"

Saffiro rolled his eyes. "Actually…no one besides me knows how to properly cook."

"Whaaaat? I can cook!" Krystal boasted.

"You use explosions to cook popcorn…"

"It gives them that nice burnt flavor! My favorite!" Saffiro facepalmed.

Ella snickered to herself, then greeted Cybil with a sympathetic smile. "And…how are you holding up? Still bummed about back home?"

Cybil looked to the side, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "A little. My parents were pretty upset when they saw what happened, but they're just glad I'm alive." She smiled. "Though…spending time with the team did take my mind off things. I…probably won't be able to forget, but…"

Ella touched her shoulder. "I understand…" Cybil smiled in thanks.

Hugo walked up next to Team Ravenfield and cleared his throat. "I am also glad to be reacquainted with all of you, but I'm afraid I bear troubling news."

Tony frowned. "Of what kind?"

Hugo glared and looked around at the other tournament goers. "They all hide behind a façade of ease, trying to drown out all negative activity with the single goal of winning this tournament. What their hearts say cannot be hidden by me. The news of Ironworks destruction has reached far and wide."

From Hugo's perspective, he could see the auras of all competitors, and their hidden emotions. Stress was evident in each of them, a wavelength very similar to how Holly can perceive the sorrow of others. One mention of the fallen kingdom and a mood shift occurs in their hearts. No one was at ease, no matter how much they wanted to hide it.

Flint frowned. "…Do they know who did it?"

"Queen Margo has been desperately trying to keep any involvement of the shadows secret," Krystal chirped in, now acting serious. "The subjects of Ironworks swore never to speak a word of it to outsiders…but I guess some don't feel they're bound to her word. All they do know is that some force invaded Ironworks, along with those pirates."

"The Desert Beasts," Wes uttered.

Cheri's ears drooped. "That must be horrible…"

"It is," Ebony replied. Even she couldn't crack a smile over the subject. "Everyone might act like things are fine, but that's because they weren't caught in it yet. And that's what's on their minds: am I next?" She sighed. "The shadows made their message loud and clear, even if there is no one to credit it to."

Gwyn glared. "And if they get the rest of the keys, we'll be in more trouble."

Wes nodded. "So, we can't mess up in the tournament. No matter who gets in our way, we're taking them down."

Krystal chuckled to herself. "Assuming you don't run into us along the way. Don't get us wrong, but we're not passing up a chance to fight the champion. So, you better hope you keep promises, because we're coming in hard."

Wes smirked. "Please do. I love a good challenge."

"You're acting more confident than last time. You are the same Umbreon I meant, right?"

Wes grinned. "Heh…personal stuff. Nothing big."

"Did you guys already sign in?" Tony asked.

"Yeah. We got here like ten minutes ago," Cybil answered. "We're just about to head out to the hotel."

Ella grinned. "Maybe we can try out the drink bar when we get there."

Ebony smirked. "Sister, you read my mind!"

Gwyn smiled. "I'll have to take a pass. I need to stay behind to get some forms renewed."

"I'll stay with you if you want," Flint offered.

"Aww! Flinty!" She kissed his cheek, making him blush.

Krystal and Ebony blinked at the two, then jumped forward with their hands clasped together. "AWW! LOOK AT YOU TWO!"

"EEP!" Flint flew back and fell off the bench.

"This dork's the guy you were drooling over?" Ebony asked. Gwyn pouted angrily. "Hey, chill! He's a cute looking dork! I'd probably take him up on a night out, too!"

Flint groaned and pulled himself back up. "…I take it you asked them for dating advice, too?" Gwyn grinned sheepishly.

Wes rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Guess we'll leave you two be. We'll wait for you in the lobby once we get our rooms."

"Cool, thanks." Flint grabbed Gwyn's hand. "Come on. How about we get to know some of the competition? New friends?"

"Ooh, sure thing!" Tails wrapped together, they wandered off into the crowds.

The rest of Team Ravenfield and Team Shatter Star headed out of the colosseum, now fully registered for the tournament. As they walked out, Cheri once again saw those hooded figures and the chalk drawing on the ground. She pulled on Tony's vest and pointed over at them.

Once Tony got the message, he tapped Krystal on the shoulder. "Yo, Krys, got a question. What are those guys over there doing?"

"Hmm?" Krystal looked over, squinting a few times, then smiled. "Ah. They're setting up the first obstacle for the initial trial."

"Initial trial?" Tony asked.

Ebony grinned. "Do you see how many teams are here? There's no way they can host a tournament with so many lively competitors on the scene! So, they set up an obstacle that'll determine which teams will be qualified to enter the tournament. Survival of the fittest."

"Dang, that sounds tough," Wes commented. "What is the obstacle?"

"Don't know. It's different every year, so it's really if you've seen it before that you might have some advantage." Krystal grinned. "Since we have a common goal, how about a little alliance so that we're both guaranteed to the finish?"

Wes grinned back. "Sounds perfect! I'd love to work with you guys in a less…heh, stressful environment."

Krystal smirked. "Well, don't get any ideas, because we're rivals the second we leave that obstacle. I won't even show off my best moves."

"Like your little team combination attack?" Ella teased.

"Oh darn it, you saw that one!" Krystal growled, stamping her foot down. Cybil patted her head, giving a dry smile. "W-Whatever! We've got other team combinations that you totally haven't seen before!"

Wes smirked. "I await with nervous anticipation." He raised his paw, prompting the Delibird to smile and fist-bump him.

Ambrosine kept her head low as she wandered through the city, trying to find the colosseum. She kept apologizing for bumping into strangers, meekly hoping there wasn't much information on the crew. Running for her life was the last thing she wanted to deal with on her list of grievances.

She adjusted her hood and looked up. To her utter relief, the colosseum was in sight of her. Finally. That wasn't so hard. She took one step forward, then froze.

Walking out of the colosseum were some faces she didn't want to run into. Team Ravenfield and that other group from Ironworks. She didn't know where the rest of their team was, or who the Pikachu tagging along was, but it didn't matter. If they see her face, she was screwed.

She looked around for a place to hide, but she was too afraid of getting close to a stranger who might recognize her. Instead, using the forms Jeffery gave her, she slapped them against her face and walked straight.

She listened to their chatter as she strolled by. They didn't seem to notice her or her odd behavior. She'll put up with an eternity of embarrassment to save her the trouble getting found out as a wanted terrorist.

She peeked out from behind the forms, then sighed in relief to see they hadn't once looked back at her. They must've been too engrossed in their conversation to pay her any mind.

That's all I want right now. To be completely invisible and get through this…this unearned life of mine. She clenched her teeth, gripping over her beating heart. Don't…get worked up…don't get worked up…

She breathed slowly, eventually feeling her heartrate slowing down. She drew one last, very long breath, then continued on inside. Nothing to it…nothing to it…nothing to it…

She repeated the mantra in her head as she entered the colosseum. Once more, she kept her distance from strangers, keeping the papers close to her chest and her hood pulled tightly over her face. Their constant chatter echoed as white noise in her head, trying to drown them out.

She felt confined with so many people around her. Why did she let those guys talk her into doing this? What if she's the one who ends up blowing their cover? She can barely keep herself under control in stressful situations. She couldn't fight. Running wouldn't do her much good.

The white noise grew louder. She clenched her eyes shut and marched ahead blindly. Nothing to it, nothing to it, nothing to it!

"Hey Ambrosine! Let's play!"

"Okay!"

She clenched her teeth, now feeling sweat dripping down her forehead. Nothing to it, nothing to it, nothing to it!

"B-Be careful, Barry! That looks dangerous!"

"Haha! I'm king of the world!"

"Big brother! Please!"

The white noise invaded her head like daggers, stabbing into her with screeching persistence. She didn't realize she dropped the papers as she covered her ears. What's worse, her heartrate was going up dramatically.

G-Get out…of my head!

"Come on, Ambrosine! Dance with me!"

"O-Okay…"

"See, isn't this fun?"

N-No! It's not fun! It wasn't fun!

"What was that shaking?!"

"What shaking-?"

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

Her eyes flew open as a stabbing pain pierced her heart. She collapsed on the ground and clutched her throbbing chest. She bit down on her tongue, drawing blood, as she applied her healing magic onto it. Tears streamed down her face from the excruciating pain flying through her body.

"BARRY! HELP ME! BAAAAARRY!"

"Are you okay?"

Her whole body froze instantly. The brief shock was enough for her to forget the pain and apply her healing magic with greater ease. Her chest heaved with exhaustion after rolling on her back. She covered her mouth, feeling like she was going to throw up.

"Hey…are you okay?"

She looked up at the red-orange face looking down at her with concerned, blue eyes. The light made it difficult to match a face, but the voice sounded familiar.

"Y…Yeah…" she mumbled, almost to a whisper.

"Here." A paw extended out to her. "Let me help you."

She obeyed wordlessly and let him pulled her into a sitting position. She held her head and breathed out. She was shaking like a Growlithe after being thrown into a bathtub. Better than another one of her heart attacks, at least. She covered her face and shuddered with a loud sigh.

"Hey…you are okay, right? You gave us quite the scare."

"Y…Yeah, I…I'm just…" She removed her hands from her face, then her face went dark red with a mix of terror.

It was Flint Ravenfield. And his face was few inches from hers.

"AH!" She sprung up and covered her face behind her hood. "I-I'm fine! Don't worry about me! Perfectly okay now!" She raised the pitch of her voice, hoping to throw off any suspicion she was the same pirate he met.

Fortunately, he didn't seem to place a face, or sense her magical aura. That would've been a dead giveaway, but she was still in danger if he accidentally decided to look at it.

He smiled in relief. "That's good. We were just walking around for a moment when we saw you breakdown on the ground."

"Y-Yeah, uh…stomach…cramps…" she mumbled. "Really…bad ones…don't buy food from a shady fast food restaurant…"

Flint chuckled. "Noted."

Ambrosine, while keeping one hand at the side of her face, realized she had dropped the application papers. "Oh shoot, where are the-?"

"Here you are!" She jumped as the papers appeared at her face. They were handed to her by Gwyn, who smiled cheerily at her. "They might be a little mixed up, sorry."

She pulled on her hood and quickly snatched the papers from her, though not too roughly. "Th-Thank you…"

"So, are you entering the tournament, too?" Flint asked, walking up beside Gwyn.

Ambrosine really wanted to leave and not talk to them, especially Flint since she has already spoken to him before, but it might come off as suspicious. She covered her face with the papers subtly and said, "N-No…I'm…doing it for a friend. They're…very busy at the moment."

"Aww, that's nice of you," Gwyn said. "Too bad about the stomach cramps. I hate it when I eat bad food. I speak from experience."

"Y-Yeah…not fun…" Ambrosine bit her lip. Please leave me alone…

"Well, it's nice meeting you, either way. I'm Flint," he introduced himself before gesturing to Gwyn. "And this is my girlfriend, Gwyn."

Gwyn giggled, wrapping her tail around his. "Hello! What's your name?"

"Amb-" She nearly said it without thinking. She sucked her lips in and searched every 'A' name she could think of to rectify this mistake. "Am…Amber! I'm Amber!" Why did I pick a name that close to mine?!

Nonetheless, they bought it. "Nice to meet you, Amber," Flint greeted properly. "Do you need help finding the registrar?"

Ambrosine blushed and covered her face. "N-No, I'm…I can take care of myself."

Gwyn frowned. "You sure? I could probably make you a potion for that stomach ache."

Ambrosine waved it off. "No, it's…all good, now." She clutched over her heart. "I…don't want to keep you folks up for any longer than I should. I need to get this done."

"Oh…" Flint smiled. "Well, that's alright. Maybe we'll see you again over the week. Be nice to know potential rivals."

Ambrosine bit her lip nervously. "…Y-Yeah…I'll think about it…" She marched stiffly away from them, keeping her eyes on the floor.

Gwyn tilted her head after she left. "She looked like me before I met you guys."

"She did seem pretty shy," Flint agreed. "Maybe she's not used to strangers."

"I've been there." Gwyn smiled. "Still, she seemed nice."

"Oh yeah, definitely." He looked at the wall clock hanging over them. "Still fifty minutes before you have to meet with that Purugly. Let's go meet some of the other fighters, then maybe get ourselves some ice cream."

Gwyn grinned and clasped her hands together. "You're going to spoil me to death!"

Flint nuzzled against her. "Just want to show I care."

"Aww! You're sweeter than any ice cream!" She hugged him, nuzzling against his cheek. However, as she did this, her hand snaked around into his pocket and snatched his bit bag. "Buuut, ice cream does sound nice. You're paying!" She laughed and ran off with his money hanging over her head.

Flint shrieked and looked in his pocket before chasing after her. "Darn it, Gwyn! I knew Tony was a bad influence on you!"

"Can't catch me! I'm getting ten scoops!"

"Gwyn, give me back my money!"

"Maybe twelve!"

"GWYN!"

Griffin scowled at nothing, sitting on a bench with Faye and his friends. "This…is so stupid."

Faye waved his negativity off. "You said you needed to find a lover to repopulate your village. Nothing beats some casual flirting." She gestured out to the Pokémon wandering about, most clearly prepped for the tournament. "A lot of cute girls your age. And some look like your type. Strong, feisty, bold! You have a shot at this!"

"I don't flirt," he pressed sternly.

Holly chuckled. "Hey, you can't be as bad as me. Give it a shot, at least."

Mack grinned. "Yeah! The worst you can do is call her fat! That's when we need to pack our bags and get the hell out of here!"

Griffin sighed. "…What do I say?"

Faye shrugged. "I don't know. Tell her she looks nice and that you want to consider a date. Just be honest and open."

"…Alright." He stood up and walked off to the first female he saw, a Heliolisk.

The electric lizard walked by herself, gripping the sword at her waist. She stopped when she saw Griffin approach her. "Oh…hello. Nice to meet you."

Griffin blinked apathetically at her, then looked back at the others. They were giving encouraging waves and smiles. He sighed to himself. Alright, be firm and straight to the point.

Heliolisk looked him up and down, then blushed, hiding her face behind her hand. Man…he's really hot…and he looks really strong. I wouldn't mind a night alone with him~.

Griffin took a deep breath, then said, "You are…exceptionally attractive."

Heliolisk was brought out from her lustful fantasies and stared with mild bewilderment. "Uh…thank you…I think?"

"Would you consider engaging in…sensual activity so that we may produce powerful offspring together? I request your total compliance so that we may repopulate my village. I do not really care how many children you are interested in. Two, three…I can settle for twenty if that's what you want."

Heliolisk was thrown back, staring wide-eyed at the straight-faced bounty hunter. "Uh…come again?!"

"Perhaps we can handle the union by way of an outing where we engage in light conversation, followed by displays of affection. Or, if that isn't your cup of tea, we could skip the formalities entirely. I am on a mission, though, so if you are willing to wait-"

"I have a boyfriend!" she quickly shrieked, red faced. She smiled nervously and walked away slowly. "Uh…what I meant to say was…uh…I have…things to do, so…" She turned and bolted out of there, covering her red face, internally crying.

Griffin blinked dryly, then looked back at the others. "…How'd I do?"

He got a round of shocked, utterly repulsed expressions, even from Mack! And he kills people! For pleasure!

"I was expecting you to do some awkward fumbling!" Mack shouted. "I didn't think you'd be getting your pick-up lines directly from a perverted Porygon!"

Faye felt embarrassed for the Heliolisk and covered her own red face. "Oh my gosh, that is not what I meant when I said be honest and open!"

"That was my intention," Griffin reminded, raising his brow. "I'm not exactly marrying for romance."

"Even so…REALLY?!" Holly exclaimed. "You had to start off by telling her you wanted 'powerful offspring?!'"

"Gwyn did the same thing with Flint and they're still together."

"They know each other!" Holly shouted. "You were a random, admittedly hot creep in her eyes!"

Griffin rolled his eyes. "I told you I don't do this kind of stuff."

Faye sighed as her cheeks cooled. "Um…okay, wow, we have a lot of work to do." She got up and grabbed his hand. "How about I give you index cards to read off of before you make every girl in the city throw themselves into the snow?"

"If you think that'll work…"

Mack groaned, shaking his head. "This was not the fun I was hoping for…I am both disappointed and strangely sympathetic! What have you done to me, Griffin?!" He flew back and cried into his hands.

Holly rolled her eyes. "Okay, it wasn't that bad."

"You were just as shocked as me!"

She grabbed his arm and pulled him right up. "Quit being a weirdo."

Griffin pinched between his eyes. "I knew this was a stupid idea."

Faye grinned. "No, no, you did fine for your first try."

"…Really?"

"…No, that went really bad." She laughed to herself. "Buuut…could've been worse?" Griffin rolled his eyes. "How about we make those index cards and try again with another girl? There are plenty of single ladies looking for a strong guy like you!"

Griffin crossed his arms. "Good grief…" He closed his eyes for a moment, then flung them open as a presence echoed through his mind. What the? Griffin turned his head towards the crowd of Pokémon. He narrowed his eyes through it, then looked at Holly and Mack. "Holly, Mack, do you-?"

"We feel it," Holly said grimly, with Mack nodding in agreement.

Faye blinked. "Feel what? What's wrong?" She gasped. "Is it the shadows?"

Griffin kept a protective arm in front of her. "I assume so, but that's not what has me on edge." He pointed at the crowd.

In plain view, Faye was able to see five figures walking out in the open. They looked thuggish, wearing dark clothing and cloaks. The one that stood out to her the most was the Simisage leading the pack. He was in a purple jacket with a green stripe running down both sleeves, bare chested, and gray, loose fitting sweatpants. Adding to the look was the pointed sunglasses, making him look more like a street punk than needed.

He and his team passed by the four. In their passing, the Simisage tilted his head at Griffin, sharing an exchange of stares with him. He tipped his sunglasses down, showing his cold, merciless eyes, with a green illumination bouncing off them. When Griffin bared his teeth at him, the grass monkey responded with a cheeky smirk. He pushed his sunglasses back, then continued on his way.

Faye stared in confusion, wondering what the interaction was about. The faces she saw on the bounty hunters told her it wasn't a welcoming greeting. Their faces were twisted in mixes of shock, rage, and discomfort, like that one stare from the grass monkey sapped away a small portion of their confidence.

"Whoa! What's gotten into you three?"

"That guy definitely works for the shadows…" Mack mumbled. "I sensed a familiar darkness inside him."

Holly nodded. "Yeah…but I wish that was all it was…there was something else. He has something else…familiar."

"Familiar? What are you talking about?" Faye asked.

Griffin clenched his fists tightly. "His aura…it's the same on the elder council that ran our village." His red aura blazed through his fist. "I don't know how, but…that aura fills me with disgust…pure apathy to the world itself. Abhorrence to anything deemed bad towards the individual. A survival trait found in all when things look bad.

"I don't know how…but that Simisage…was infused with the Revulsion Anima of the Grim Ash Clan's former council!"