Poke-people: Chapter 2: Your first Exam

[Chevaleresse]

Maximus, after frantically patting his shirt out, watched the remainder of the battles with mild interest. He was mostly thinking about how he was going to train his Feebas. The poor creature was almost impossible to use in battle. Sarcus's battle in particular was hard to watch, mostly because of the despondent look on the other guy's face when he lost. The guy disappeared after the battle to somewhere, though he hadn't seen where. Max did get a bit of a boost to his mood when he saw the scores, though. A perfect score!? That never happens! He drew a bit of attention to himself when he let out a whoop of excitement.

His stomach growled, however, distracting him momentarily. Max remembered the loser of Sarcus's battle. I wonder how he's doing. After looking around for a moment, he spotted the other boy looking at the results. Maximus ran over to him, bumping into a couple people with quick apologies. "Don't mind Sarcus. He likes to give people a rough time."

[Ojama Yellow]

"Don't mind Sarcus. He likes to give people a rough time." Lionel was surprised when the other boy just walked up to him. Then he relaxed and smiled. "I-I'll keep that in mind, thank you." Suddenly he remembered. "Wait- aren't you Maximus? The guy with the powerful Arcanine and the perfect score?" He realised his sudden outburst. "Uh... S-sorry for the stream of w-words... That r-reminds me, I haven't i-introduced m-myself yet... I'm L-Lionel, and this is m-my partner, Ms. Mime..." he said as he pointed at the Mime Jr.

[Absol-lutelty awesome!]

As Jake walked towards the lunchroom he looked through the gym doors and saw Max talking with some dude.

He trudged over carefully avoiding other people.

"Max, you did pretty good!"

His gloomy eyes loomed slowly over Lionel.

"Who's this?"

[Chevaleresse]

Max laughed. "Yeah, that's me. I have no idea how I got that score, though I'm sure Tiberius appreciates the compliment." The Arcanine puffed up his chest and strutted about, doing his best to impress. "Nice to meet you, Lionel. And Ms. Mime, too." He was then interrupted by Jake walking over. "What's got you in such a bad mood?"

[Absol-lutelty awesome!]

"Oh, you know. I'm just disappointed... I really thought I would've scored better for my big plan... I really think I shouldn't be gloating over it though. It's not about the grade, it's about what you bring to that grade. I'm pretty sure it was because all my pokemon lost control, especially Deino... Oh well... I'm surprised you had a perfect score though... Really unusual..."

He sarcastically remarked.

"The teachers ALWAYS score me badly for something. I MUST be their favorite..."

[Sutoratosu]

after a while, Ethic finally saw the light blue of the surface of the lake as he continued his trek through the undergrowth of the forest, Ambar bouncing off of Trees and stones as he followed closely behind his trainer. He broke through some bushes and entered out onto the shore, turning to see Ambar at his heels.

"Alright," He said "We're here..."

He began to scan the shoreline, looking for anything that might be wondering around. he didn't see anything but sand, twigs, and stones.

"So much for that idea." he muttered, walking over to a nearby tree and picking up a relatively straight branch that had broken off and now lay at the base of the trunk. he reached into his bag and pulled out a spool of kite string, measuring out about ten feet of it and then reaching inside his fatigue jacket, searching for something...

Come on, I no I couldn't have possibly lost it...

His hand finally closed around what he had been looking for; the old combat knife he had found in the same box in the attic of his family's home back in kanto that he had found the broken ball that hung around his neck. he pulled it out of the outer pocket, taking it out of it's sheath and staring down at the weapon he had smuggled in with him when he first arrived on the isle.

I never knew him... was all Ethic thought before he forcefully ended the train of thought and used the blade to cut the length of kite string. He then took of his bag and rummaged around, pulling out a sitrus berry before long.

"This should do well enough..." he said to himself as he took the knife and began to make a circular notch following the circumference of the Berry's stem, giving the string a place to get hold in. he tied one end of the make shift line to the notch he had made in the stem and the other end to the stick he had found, completing the cobbled together fishing rod.

He cast a look to Ambar as he picked it up at one end and cast the line out onto the lake's surface, the sitrus berry dissapearing underwater

"Be ready," he warned "You might have to take out what ever's on the other end of this quickly to make sure it doesn't get away."

Ambar simply responded with a silent stare as the line continued to bob back and forth on the water...

then after several minutes, the line dissapeared beneath the waves, Ethic could feel a tugging at the end. He pulled upward on the stick hard, taking several steps backwards and watching as a Magickarp burst forth from the waves and onto the shore line, flopping around for a while before finally managing to sit itself upright on the sand. it stared up at Ethic with the blank stare that was characteristic of the Species.

"Of all the things.... I could catch in this place, I manage to get a magickarp on the line?"

he was about to order Ambar to use Seed Bomb in order to send the useless fish back into the lake... then he stopped himself from giving the order, remembering what happens once a Magickarp evolves. he had seen the result of that first hand on his previous journey...

On second thought... I'm not dealing with one of those things again... it was a nightmare back then, wiped everyone out... lucky my sister stepped in and saved me...

Fearing that this thing may evolve and try to retaliate if he ordered Ambar to take it out, he simply walked further down the shore away from it, notching another sitrus berry and casting the line again as he eyed the magickarp, who returned his stare... then it seemed to almost nod at him...well, as close to nodding as a fish could come, before rolling itself off the sand, back into the lake and swimming away.

I hope to Arceus that that thing didn't just try to... Nod... at me... because that's just creppy as hell....

Deciding to just forget about the Magickarp's strange behaviour just now, he returned his attention to watching the line, calling out to Ambar again.

"This time Ambar... we'll get what we need this time..."

[Ojama Yellow]

The other guy that walked over - Jake, right? - was clearly in a bad mood. Seems like Maximus and him were friends. "Uh... Hi, I-I'm Lionel...and my partner, Ms. Mime..." He didn't quite know what to say. Not that he liked to admit it, but Jake intimidated him. "I-I heard you're not q-quite satisfied a-about your s-scores... At least y-yours are higher t-than mine..." Lionel said as he tried to stroke the Arcanine's head.

[Chevaleresse]

Max shrugged. "You have Pokemon that are tough to control. It happens." As he spoke, Tiberius nuzzled Lionel in response to the petting with a fair amount of (accidental) force. The big dog was playful, and loved attention. "As for you, Lionel, well, I don't have much to say. I have to admit that Sarcus is pretty strong. It's not fair that they judge you without taking your matchup into account."

Max sighed. "Speak of the devil, and he appears." Sarcus was making quick strides toward Lionel. He looked over the three quickly, a hint of distaste showing as he noted Max's presence. He waved hello to Jake without saying anything to him, and spoke to Lionel. "Sorry about running off like that. Want to grab some lunch, then I can help you out with that. . . homework?" The tall Trainer paused briefly, unsure of whether Lionel would be embarrassed about needing help with one of his Pokemon.

[Ojama Yellow]

"I-it's only l-logical that S-Sarcus outmatched me... He has way m-more experience in b-battling than I do." He looked at Ms. Mime. The Psychic type has been quiet for some time now. H-hey, d-did I maybe do s-something you didn't l-like? However, he got no response. And at that very moment, Sarcus walked over.

Lionel stopped patting the head of Tiberius, and looked from Max to Sarcus. It was clear that both students didn't like each other very much. However, he also knew that they were both among the best in the academy. "O-oh yes... I f-forgot to tell you g-guys... Sarcus was g-going to help m-me with...a p-project." He didn't know how to say it otherwise. He took a quick glance at the Heal Ball in his pocket. "O-okay then... Let's go... M-Max, Jake, I'll see y-you later..."

[grasssnake485]

"What sort of illusions do you need me to make? Is it going to be big and scary?"

Alina paused for a moment. "Eh, I'll tell you later. Meet me in the gym 15 minutes before lunch is over." She stuffed her papers in her bag, and disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

Reappearing in the gym, the girl's hands started to glow. A table, followed by a couple of chairs, a mat, some assorted weapons, and a dusty first-aid kit floated out of the supply room's slightly ajar door, coated in a pearly glow. With a snap, Alina began rearranging the gym in preparation for the second part of the test.

~~

Grace watched Sarcus, Lionel, Maximus and Jake exchange a couple of words from the lunchline. Looks like some of them arent happy to see each other. But really, what's gotten into Jake? Sheesh. Darting out of the lunchline and almost spilling her food (much to Guardian's annoyance) to catch up to Sarcus, she called, "Hey! How were the battles? God, I was so freakin nervous, I could barely think straight."

[Sutoratosu]

Ethic yanked the rod back once again, trying to bring whatever was on the other end of it onto the bank. it been like this for a few minutes now, him locked into a tug-of-war with an invisible opponent. he took a step back, pulling upwards as hard as he could, falling to the sand of the shore as a splashing sound came from the lake, Ethic saw a small shadow fly over him and a creature land in the grass behind him.

He got up, Ambar at the ready, charging up a seed bomb to make sure their victim catch wouldn't escape. He looked at the small creature, recognizing it as a Skrelp.

The thing got up as well, shifting it's gaze between Ethic and Ambar, almost as if trying to find an escape route from it's current predicament. It spewed some type of black substance at Ethic, presumably a Smoke screen, then Ethic heard sand shifting as the thing tried to hurry away, followed by a small explosion. he waved away the smoke with his hand, looking to his left and seeing the Skrelp on the ground, injured and unable to move any further. he looked to Ambar, knowing he'd done just as he'd asked him.

"Good aim." Ethic said simply, taking out a vacant ultra ball and tossing it at the Skrelp, watching as it engulfed the creature and shoke for a few moments before the Trigger flashed red, signalling a successful capture. he walked over and picked up the ball, putting it in his pocket before taking out Ambar's ball and the Ball for Nova. he recalled Ambar in a flash of Scarlet light, at the same time releasing Nova.

He walked over to the tiger, looking her in the eyes as he spoke.

"Nova," he began "We need to get home real quick, you think you can get us there and back without being late for the next part of the Exam?"

Nova gave a roar in approval, confident enough in her speed that she felt she could easily accomplish it.

"All right." Ethic said, climbing onto the Arcanine's back, as if mounting a horse. he tucked hold of some of the fur in Nova's mane before ordering her to get going.

"Extreme speed." He said simply, ducking his head down low as the beast toke off, tearing through the forest so fast that the landscape became a blur beneath them as the traveled.

[Aqua Severwill]

Aqua headed out as the lunch bell went off. He started to head off to the forest after he ate a quick snack that he brought with him before classes started. Once he got outside he just climbed the nearest tree and waited for the bell that would call everyone back to class to ring. As he rested he thought to himself, "I really should just go and talk with everyone... hmph..maybe later today".

[Jory]

Sonny grinned and shook his head as Alina disappeared right before his eyes. Whatever Alina had in store for him could wait until after he had eaten his full. Sonny proceeded out of the gymnasium and into the hallway, following the mass of students toward the cafeteria. He stood patiently in the lunch line for a few minutes before grabbing a tray and carefully selecting the parts of his meal. As a scout, he knew that it was important for him to stay in shape, so he liked to make a habit of rewarding himself with desserts every once in awhile. He stared longingly at a brownie before tearing his gaze away and taking his seat at the instructors' table.

[Chevaleresse]

Sarcus spoke to Grace first, though he felt rather awkward for a reason he couldn't identify. It's probably the outfit; it is rather over the top. . . "I don't know, my battle went pretty well. Tests have always been my strong suit. I gotta say though, thinking of Emerald judging these freaks me out a bit. I don't think she likes me." He started to turn away. "Anyway though, I promised I would help Lionel here out over lunch. If you wanted to come along, I wouldn't mind. As long as you're good with it." The last part was directed at Lionel.

[Ojama Yellow]

Lionel watched as the girl started talking to Sarcus, completely ignoring him. "I promised I would help Lionel here out over lunch. If you wanted to come along, I wouldn't mind. As long as you're good with it." "O-oh, uh..." If he was honest, he would rather not have Grace to come over, but there was such a thing as courtesy. Besides, Sarcus wouldn't be all too happy if she was a friend of his. "U-uh, sure, w-why not? The m-more the m-merrier right?"

Edited June 11, 2014 by Bibarel

[Absol-lutelty awesome!]

With a blank stare Jake had left the gym. He looked at his Houndour knowing something was different about him. He just didn't seem to be the same old young, cheery, Demon. He seemed older, more experienced.

Jake thought to himself surprised,

"He's getting very close to becoming a lot bigger and bonnier... I fear he's about to become a Houndoom quicker than I can fix his problems..."

Brushing past some people he made his way to the lunchroom, grabbed a tray, and walked to the usual spot.

Seeing Grace and Sarcus, he quietly skulked towards them, and noticed his new acquaintance, Lionel, at the table too. He quickly stated,

"... Kept you waiting huh?..."

Edited June 24, 2014 by Absol-lutelty awesome!

[grasssnake485]

Grace's POV

"Anyway though, I promised I would help Lionel here out over lunch. If you wanted to come along, I wouldn't mind."

"Eh, no thanks. I want to train my chimchar. He's still hanging at level two; how in the world am I supposed to use him in a real battle?"

Grace rolled her eyes. Just then, Jake strolled by.

"...Kept you waiting, huh?..."

The girl turned around. "Not really," se said dismissively. "But hey, would you battle me? Like, now? 2 on 2?"

~~

Tami's POV

Tami watched a serperior followed by a stantler trot through the lunchline, cutting everyone, but still receiving pats along the way. Hey, isnt that the serperior that's always by Alina's feet? It sure knows like it knows what its doing.

"Hey, would you MOVE it?" a boy growled behind Tami's back, and shoved her forward.

She snapped out of her daze and realized how far she was holding the line back. Jogging a bit to catch up, she caught sight of the serperior grabbing a couple bluk, pecha, micle and lansat berries, and a hunk of bread, before jumping off the counter with her food stash wrapped up in vines.

~~

Harry's POV

Harry lounged in the shade of an old tree as he munched on a sandwich he packed for himself. "Tera, you need to work on your dodging skills. Try dodging Star's pin missile five times in a row. Star, use pin missile, and make it fast."

[Absol-lutelty awesome!]

He glared dismissively. His pokemon definently didn't have too many good things to think of her either.

"You sure make me feel loved. What do you want to battle me for? I'll just make some long drawn out battle. If you want training, I can train. Battles aren't what I do to make my pokemon stronger. But if that's what you want..."

Edited July 2, 2014 by Absol-lutelty awesome!

[grasssnake485]

"Meh, just want to see how well my new chimchar does in battle."

[Absol-lutelty awesome!]

"Fine. Demon, Whisper, lets see what she's got..."

The pokemon jumped with glee for some payback. They happily raced up to Jake, Demon, pouncing onto his shoulder, and Whisper glaring a horrid death stare at Grace from behind Jake's leg.

"Ready when you are..."

[grasssnake485]

Grace pulled out a pokeball. "Okay, Sakura. Youre up too. Go ahead and make the first move," she called out to Jake.

[Absol-lutelty awesome!]

"That florges has focus blast attack... Obviously a knockout... I need to think fast here... Whisper, use screech, Demon! Use this!"

Jake threw a king's rock atop Demon's head.

Whisper let loose a terrible scream at Sakura, making an attempt to weaken it.

"Now use bite, and make sure it flinches, or I swear, we will get wrecked!"

The houndour, feeling confident from the king's rock, lunged at Sakura baring its teeth, but instead of bite, his teeth lit aflame, he was using fire fang!

"Demon!!! Come on! You're not listening to me!"

(He's becoming more and more independent. His evolution is coming...)

He remembered reading a textbook that verified that houndooms don't care about packs, and leave them to hunt entirely alone. They can be very hard to control.

[grasssnake485]

"Sorry. Not going to work either way." Grace smirked. Right at that moment, Char popped out of the ground, aiming for the houndour, but his inexperience left him a couple of feet away from his target, and without an element of surprise. "Sakura, a fire fang's nothing; use draining kiss!" She pointed two fingers at the houndour, signaling the flower pokemon.

[Absol-lutelty awesome!]

Demon strangely, mid flight stopped it's attack and barrel rolled directly at sakura's lower body while whisper began using taunt on char.

None of his pokemon where obeying, maybe they just didn't like Grace that much...

"What're you guys doing? You're just asking for it!"

(Fitting theme here XF)

[Chevaleresse]

Sarcus watched Jake and Grace walk off for a moment, then turned back to Lionel. "Shall we?" He gestured in the general direction of the practice fields.

Max shrugged and walked off toward the pair, watching their battle quietly.