Welcome/Welcome back, you crazy diamonds!

[spiritcrystal]

[An island! This is most certainly not where everyone was just a few moments ago. ...Alright, maybe some of you were on an island. Don't get cheeky.

At everyone's feet is a small note. It gives no description of their location or explanation, of course; it only says one simple thing.

Please choose one.

The note comes along with three Pokéballs with different "starter" Pokémon in them- the three Pokémon can be anything, from a Froakie, Charmander, and Treecko to a Rattata, Patrat, and Bidoof if you're particularly unlucky- and everything in between. If it's not a legendary Pokémon, it's fair game.

Of course, you can only pick one! Trying to go for a second will leave you thinking that you better not get too greedy. If you're one of those types that wouldn't care either way, the other two Pokéballs will simply disappear.

Now go forth, and into a world of Pokémon!]

Comments

[rivalheroics]

It's a legendary Pokemon that lives in an alternate dimension--err, well, it lives in this place called the "Distortion World" or something, and it has the ability to travel between there and our world. The Distortion World it lives in doesn't seem to be fond of physics though, since you can walk on walls and stuff while you're there. [It was both cool and creepy there, and he's not entirely sure if he ever actually wants to see that place again.

Let's see, what else did we have written down here--] Giratina is a ghost and dragon-type Pokemon, and some legends even mention it with Dialga and Palkia as being part of a trio that helped create Sinnoh and the world and stuff. But then it supposedly got banished to the Distortion World for being too violent in comparison to the other two.

[tomboygirl]

[Wow, that's a lot. Dragon and ghost, huh. That's cool. Maybe it looked like a skeleton of a dragon that flew between worlds. Or not, seeing that Palkia didn't really look like a water dragon. She'll tease him a little.]

You actually sound pretty smart, Jun. I guess it makes sense why I'd never heard of it before then if it was banished and all. The Distortion World sounds messed up. You sound like you've been there, too. So what happened?

[rivalheroics]

[Now it's Jun's turn to be a little embarrassed--Dawn called us smart aaahhh]

Yeah, I've been there before. It's really weird--at one point, we had to jump over onto some rocks that were floating sideways when running through that place. [Running along the wall, even upside down at one point. Anyway, let's see...] Basically, after Team Galactic's plan to capture Dialga and Palkia didn't work, this guy named Charon didn't know when to quit I guess and decided to take over as the new leader of Team Galactic, this time trying to capture Giratina instead. My friends and I had to go after them into the Distortion World so that we could stop them from catching Giratina.

[tomboygirl]

[That sounds kind of wicked. The Distortion World physics. Lack of physics. Reminds her a little of that low gravity room back at the testing place. That was fun.]

That's amazing. So you're really a hero, huh? It makes what I did sound pretty trivial in comparison. Just Palkia by itself. [But she is not bothered by that in the least. It was mostly the Lake Guardian's doing, after all. They stopped Palkia from messing up Sinnoh too badly.]

[rivalheroics]

[Hero oh wow do you see that, his ears are burning red now. On one hand he is so tempted to brag, but on the other hand, if he was honest with himself, Hareta is probably the real hero and Jun's...side-kick material. Or comic relief.

...but uh what was that about Palkia there--]

Huh, what happened with Palkia? Did you get to battle it?

[tomboygirl]

[Dawn nods, setting the papers aside and sighing.]

Team Galactic wanted to use Palkia, so they tried capturing it and the Lake Guardians stopped Palkia from warping space and all... I battled it and calmed it down. I didn't think it'd be right to upset the balance more than it had been by capturing it. Just a small incident compared to what happened with you.

[Not that big a deal. She makes it sound like it was nothing, to her it was just a case of "at the right place at the right time" kind of thing, that sort of deal.]

[rivalheroics]

Just a small--no way, that's pretty huge! [He never got to personally battle Palkia or Dialga, the latter of which being an actual dream of his--that was all Hareta. So yes, color him impressed.] That's amazing, Dawn--not everyone can say that they've had the chance to battle a legendary Pokemon like Palkia before, you know! You're practically a hero too!

[tomboygirl]

[Nooo stop she's gonna punch him agaaaain. Not really. More of shrugging and smiling sheepishly. She pushes some hair behind her ear and gets back to sorting. To hide her pleasure. Being a hero was never something she dreamed of, but something she accepted all the same because she had to. Kind of glad it's not all that a big thing here.]

Sometimes I wish I wasn't. I'm happy just being the girl who works for Solaceon's Newspaper. But it was really cool, standing up to Palkia and saving the world... Even if things just felt like they went back to normal afterwards.

[rivalheroics]

Haha, yeah, I think I know that feeling--it kinda felt like everything went back to normal really quickly too after all that stuff with Galactic happened. Even the Pokemon League tournament just started right back up again as if nothing happened.

[Even though there was a bomb threat at the stadium that kind of interrupted everything for a while, but then it got settled AND THUS POKEMON BATTLES WERE TO RESUME ONCE MORE. /o/]

[tomboygirl]

[The world of Pokémon is amazing and resilient!]

Did you participate in the tournament? I think I would've been too tired to do anything but fall asleep where I stood. [Which almost happened. She at least managed to get to Sunyshore before she did.]

[rivalheroics]

Yeah, as a matter of fact I did! After that stuff with Team Galactic, I actually felt more fired up than before, so taking part in the tournament seemed like the best way to have even more exciting battles!

[tomboygirl]

[Yup.

Just like Barry.]

And, to no one's surprise, you have plenty of energy to spare. Did you place?

[rivalheroics]

Err--[And here's where his smile is a little more awkward and dim than bright and glowing like before.] I, uh, kind of got knocked out of the tournament more quickly than I thought I would.

[He didn't even make it to the semi-finals...or even the place before the semi-finals maybe...]

[tomboygirl]

That's too bad. At least you got some battles in while you were still energetic. Maybe we can hold a tournament here instead, or something like that, to reclaim your honor.

[Wigbi croons his agreement from the side, and she waves at him. She'll be back soon. Maybe. She's actually enjoying sitting next to Jun!]

[rivalheroics]

Yeah, that could be fun! Plus I'm sure there are trainers here who would love the chance to kill time with some friendly competition, right?

[And surely he will do better here than getting put in a match against a guy like Koya...]

[tomboygirl]

[She nods!]

I might enter, too. Battling isn't really my thing - capturing is - but I know my team wouldn't mind it at all. We'd just need someplace to hold it and all. The open area here would be choice, but I wouldn't want to wreck any Pokémon's homes my accident.

[rivalheroics]

Hm...okay, then we'll just have to look around and find a good spot for us to hold a tournament at!

[Whether it's checking here in this open area to make sure they're not disturbing any Pokemon, or somewhere else, he doesn't mind having to explore further. That's probably a good idea anyway, just to get an idea of the layout again.]

[tomboygirl]

We still haven't found your new Pokémon, and you already want to explore for a new area for a tournament. Get back to sorting, you moron.

[She'll smack him lightly too! Means business. Really wants to see his new friend.]

[rivalheroics]

Okay, okay, no need to be so forceful, Miss Dawn. [But he's just teasing a little as he does focus on sorting his stuff again...but soon it becomes quickly apparent that it just doesn't seem to be here, even after he's located the poke'balls for his other Pokemon.]

Ugh, I know I put it somewhere, where could it possibly have--[And then he stops as his hands are in his pockets. There's a slight pause as he shifts a little and pulls out a poke'ball from his pocket.] Oh, it was right here the whole time!

[.........Jun.]

[tomboygirl]

[...

She's gonna hit him again. Hard as the first time. Three strikes and you're out, buddy. 'Miss Dawn' or not. No words, nope. Don't deserve any.

Let's just see the Pokémon, you dunce.]

[rivalheroics]

[Jun sends the pokeball out and...



...is that a floating sword?]

[tomboygirl]

[Oh, wow, it's a floating sword... Buckbi LEAPS over to meet the new Pokémon! Hi! Hi hi!]

... Cool! [Maybe it's part Psychic, like Bronzor and Bronzong. Definitely Steel by its appearance though. Dex doesn't have anything, naturally.] I wonder if there's a library here, too, that we can find out what these two are.

[rivalheroics]

[The sword turns in the air slightly as it seems to regard the other Pokemon here. Definitely doesn't seem to be a talker, but maybe it is at least listening to Buckbi's excited chatter.]

Yeah! I can't say I've ever seen a Pokemon that looked like a sword before--it must be from one of those regions that's farther away from Sinnoh. [heh] Still, it's really cool!

[He reaches a hand up towards the hilt of the sword, but then it smacks his hand away with that blue cloth of its before his hand can make contact with it.]

Oh, I guess it doesn't like people trying to grab it like you would with a regular sword. [Oops, sorry about that Mystery Pokemon.]

[tomboygirl]

Well, would you like it if someone you didn't really know grabbed you? Of course not. [Unless you're into that.

Okay, well, bag's sorted and Pokémon (Bladebi?) found. She could hop back over to Wigbi... But she's going to see if she can touch the sheath part of the Mystery Pokémon instead.] You'd probably hurt yourself trying to wield it anyway.

[rivalheroics]

Aww come on, I could totally wield a sword! I could be like one of those heroic knights from the stories!

[Jun moves an imaginary sword through the air as a demonstration as he says this. The sword Pokemon's one eye may or may not be rolling a little, as if scoffing at his amateur movement in the air.

Otherwise though, it doesn't seem to mind if Dawn tries to touch the sheath part of it instead.]