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The Tournament of the Abyss

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Renewal

Falling, but Rising Again
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@Oerba, @Yusei Fudo, @Nytie, @Oblivion, @Axl, @xelda57

The Tournament of the Abyss​

Knyte City:

tournament_of_the_abyss_map.png
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A street map of Knyte City​

The heart of Knyte City is a simple grid of eight avenues by eight streets. Though the grid extends outwards into various neighborhoods and boroughs, most of the non-residential areas of the city are located within the grid. Though the grid does not perfectly align with a compass, the avenues run roughly north-south and the streets east-west.

Disrupting the perfect regularity of the grid are Knyte City’s three Plazas, the original settlements incorporated to create Knyte City. Centra Plaza is the largest, located near the heart of the grid; it houses key structures such as the City Government and Centra Academy’s campus.

Verdan Plaza, directly to the north of Centra Plaza, is of middling size; however, it is almost entirely wild, left relatively untouched by the sprawl of the city.

To the east of both Centra and Verdan is Battalia Plaza. Though smaller than Verdan, it attracts much more attention, neighboring the Battle Frontier and housing both one of Knyte City’s Gyms and the Noctis League.

North Boulevard links Centra and Verdan Plazas. Grand Boulevard joins Verdan and Battalia Plazas. Serene Boulevard connects Battalia and Centra Plazas.

The various districts highlighted on the map are:

  • City Government – the complex of offices and civic buildings that manages Knyte City; City Hall, the Courthouse, and the Library are all found within the City Government’s district
  • Financial District – the budding business sector of Knyte City
  • Theater District – the primary entertainment district of Knyte City
  • Midtown – the heart of the city, along with Centra Plaza, linking the various districts together. Knyte Terminal, the city’s major train terminal which connects Knyte City to Unova’s Gear Station in Nimbasa City, is found within Midtown, on Fourth Avenue and Sixth Street. It is the center of tourism within the city.
  • The Heights – the wealthiest sector of the city, home to millionaires, private schools, and various museums and other dignified institutions.
  • Downtown – the major recreational center of the city, along with Midtown. Many smaller businesses and shopping centers are found here.
  • Parks – reclaimed areas of the three Plazas, open to the public. Major relaxation hotspots.
  • PKMN League Facilities – the Pokemon League headquarters within Knyte City, it serves as a de facto embassy for the rest of the world. Though Knyte City is not recognized as part of an independent region, its distinct independence from Unova has allowed the League to recognize a City Champion, though one without an Elite Four. The League’s Facilities also contains several free battle arenas, making it a place of particular interest to Trainers.
  • Centra Academy Campus – the location of the prestigious Centra Academy, a world-class battling school. Though initially open only to city residents, the informal establishment of a Knyte City League has convinced the Academy to open its doors to the world.
  • Gym Facilities – the three Gyms of Knyte City, each associated with one of the Plazas.
    • Centra Gym
    • Verdan Gym
    • Battalia Gym
    - Leader: Yun Deloria
  • Battle Frontier – Knyte City’s local Battle Frontier. Though still under construction, its battle facilities have opened to the public, with the other facilities coming soon.
  • Noctis League Entrance – a series of nondescript warehouses along the edge of Battalia Plaza houses the secretive Noctis League. The warehouses actually contain luxurious rooms and nightclubs, with the arenas of the Noctis League hidden further underground.

Characters:

* * *​

March 29, Evening

Luxury, it could be said, was purely relative, a matter of taste and subjectivity. To someone born in the quaint floating town of Pacifidlog, for instance, something so simple as solid land beneath one's feet could be seen as the height of luxury.

Those who believed that had clearly never been inside the most private rooms of the Noctis League. Plush carpets inches thick, golden chandeliers hanging on chains of silver, works of art thought lost to the ages--all that and more were standard features of the Noctis League. Of course, few people were ever deemed worthy of even seeing such luxury, let alone enjoying it.

In the most luxurious of all the Noctis League's many secret rooms was the office of its Organizer, a rather peculiar being. Clad in rich purple velvet, she wore a simple half-mask of black porcelain, framed with shocking contrast by long platinum hair. Though her features were undeniably feminine--at least those that could be seen from beneath the curtains of hair and the mask obscuring most of her face--her slim body seemed oddly androgynous underneath her rich velvet suit.

A sudden rap on the wooden door of her office snatched her attention away from her laptop, the only acknowledgment of the modern age in the centuries-old luxury of the room. "Come in," she called, eyes returning to her laptop.

An unusual chill filled the room, informing her of her visitor's identity. A pleasant smile came to her lips, and she lifted her eyes once more. "Ah, hello master," she welcomed cheerfully. Whereas the Organizer's fashion, though certainly modern in cut and style, complemented the surroundings quite nicely, her visitor could not be more incongruous in a shabby, torn black cloak that concealed his entire figure.

At the very least, her master's voice was elegant enough. "How are things, Nyx?" he asked conversationally.

The Organizer nodded once. "As would be expected, master. The buzz around the Noctis League continues to grow, though it remains fairly low-key; the major media outlets remain delightfully ignorant of our existence, preferring to dismiss those rumors out of hand. Attendance has been up; the last major tournament saw over fifty participants, and daily visitors to our arena and night clubs remains stable."

Her master brought an arm up, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "And as for the project?"

Nyx pouted, sighing in frustration, with just a hint of petulance. "I've continued negotiations with that fool in red, as you commanded. Though I do wish we didn't need to resort to such methods..."

Her master sighed as well. "Such methods are necessary; if we wish to keep Knyte City out of their control, we must acquiesce on at least some of their demands. This partnership was the best we could do."

Nyx's pout remained. "Still, I wish it didn't need to be done. We've managed to keep the workers silent, and our daily visitors haven't the slightest clue." Her master nodded in approval. "If all else goes as planned, we'll be ready to announce the project at the next major tournament."

Her master nodded once more. "Very good." He turned, tacitly dismissing her, before pausing as he grabbed the doorknob. "Nyx?" he asked. The Organizer made a sound of assent. "Be on the look out for those with the potential. I have a feeling that our 'partners' will be setting things in motion even as we speak. I rather doubt that they will simply leave our next tournament be."

"Yes, master. I'll make my preparations."

"Very good."

* * *​

March 30, Morning

"Wow..." Knyte City, wreathed in morning mist and illuminated by the post-dawn sun, was perhaps the most impressive sight Raine Benedict had ever seen. Straightening her backpack over her shoulders, she swallowed once, before turning her gaze back to the gates before her. Pulling down on the brim of her cap and brushing a lock of unruly black hair from her cheek, she straightened her spine and threw her shoulders back. Entering the glorious city of the future, she whispered, "Mom, Dad, looks like this is where my journey begins..."
 
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As the streets began to clear, Winter Villiers stepped onto the pavement of the sidewalk. Scanning across the streets, she peered from under her hood. "Just another day..." she stated to herself. Even after 5 years of living in this city, she'd found that she had numerous things to do. "Now... who's the next target."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yun Deloria sat outside in a chair near the library, crossing his legs as he peered down into a book. It was interesting, something along the lines of being about a man and some adventure he'd taken into the volcanic mountains in the Hoenn Region. His story of survival; Yun could relate.

Yawning, he closed the book as he finished the final page. "Aaaand, another book done."

Turning, he looked to the empty table next to him. "Hmm..." turning, he looked down at the seven large books stacked next to him; already read front to back. "This was a small load, today."

Turning to yell into the library, he said "Hey Lavi; wanna pass me another one?"

((@Yusei Fudo: Sorry, but I just had too xD))
 
It was late morning by the time Rue Sable dragged herself out of bed. She was sore and feeling rather grouchy, all in all quite undignified for a woman of wealth and (alleged) taste. She stretched, growling at the dull pain in her muscles; she'd gotten careless in her last underground battle, and it had nearly cost her.

After a moment of sulking a bit over her close call, Rue heaved a sigh and trudged off to shower and dress. "And that's what you get for being overconfident." She muttered to herself. "Ugh, at least it's my day off."
 
OoC: @Oerba that's okay :p

---

"What?" Cliff scoffed, opening the pushing the double wooden door open and looked at the books Yun had just read. This man is something else. An average guy would die out of boredom if he was told to read seven books per day. Well, that's Yun, alright. The librarian sat down next to him, handing him a red and gold book, with the picture of Crobat's eyes. The book is titled 'The Bird of The Hermes Is My Name, Eating My Wings To Make Me Tame.' It was surprisingly heavy for its size, and Yun and Cliff is probably the only one that would enjoy reading it. The book contains everything that Trainer needs to know about Crobat, Golbat, and Zubat. Yun might enjoy books like this. "You sure you're not tired?" He said, looking at the stacked books "well, if you don't, you might enjoy that book. Written by a famous writer from Sinnoh. I think his name is Oerba Yun Jay."

Just when Cliff is about to relax, an evil laugh burst from his library "HA! You know how much you suck?!"
The blonde librarian took a deep sigh, and went back to his library, scratching the back of his neck "kid, this is library. Be quiet."
"Meh! No one tells Laharl what to do." A boy crossed his arms in front of his chest. Strapped to his waist, is his Yugioh Deck Box, and Pokeballs. His head held up high, and he whirled, turning to the other kids that played card game with him "who else wanna get kicked in the butt?"
 
At that point, the library doors were opened, revealing a young man, with sunglasses obscuring his eyes and arms crossed. At his side walked his Scizor, Claret, who immediately began casting intimidating glares across the area. The man quickly began walking through the room, he and his Pokemon passing right by the person who was yelling earlier.

He made a beeline for one of the nearby shelves, picking out a rather nondescript, black book. He once again passed by the others as he made his way to a chair closely located, Claret giving a glare in particular to the loudmouth from earlier. All the while, the man made no attempt to speak with anyone, rather deciding to open the book, and start turning through the pages.
 
((OOC: @Yusei Fudo--- Oh i c wat u did there xD))

Turning to Cliff, Yun raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I've got a collection of his stuff," he stated, taking the book. "Never seen this one, though," he stated, looking on the back. Psychic and Poison-types seemed to pique this guy's interest. Alot of his stories had been about his Psychic team he'd raised. As Yun was about to open the book, he heard the loud laughter of the boy; turning to glare into the library.

"Hey kid, shut the hell up!" Yun yelled.
 
At least showering and getting into some fresh clothes had made Rue feel less like a zombie. She fixed up a quick breakfast but was distracted by a rustling movement and a flash of bright green before she could sit down and eat. She set her plate down, glancing over to the corner of the kitchen, just catching a glimpse of something leafy creeping behind a cabinet. "All right, I know you're there. Come on out."

A serpentine head slid into view, looking at her curiously. Rue beckoned the Pokemon closer, offering a bit of fruit from her plate. The gift did the trick, and Servine emerged from his hiding place to take the offered food. Rue sighed and stroked his smooth head. "How do you keep getting out of your PokeBall?" If she had ever gotten into naming her Pokemon, she might have called this one Houdini. He had been a gift from her older brother Gray, to mark her move to Knyte City. Of course, that move had also been marked by Rue blackmailing their father into consenting to let her move their business headquarters here, so it was a bittersweet memory at best.

Rue sighed and finished off her breakfast, already bored. Being something of a workaholic made free days a double-edged sword. Maybe she'd go to the library.
 
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Laharl shot the man with the Scizor a cold look, and his lips curved into a savage smirk and he walked over to the guy and folded his arms "hey you! Yeah, you, if you keep glaring at me like that, you're asking for trouble. Don't you know I'm the greatest trainer in the whole wor--"
Before the blue haired boy could even finish his sentence, Cliff covered his mouth with his hand, and narrowed his eyes at him "this is my library. So you're here with my rules, so I could kick you out at any second."

"Hmph." Laharl grunted, swirling, and walked out of the library, sitting next to Yun, sighing.
the other kids continued to play card game. quietly, this time.
 
Claret, upon being approached by Laharl, had given a rather loud snap of the claws, a sharp sound that reverberated through the room slightly. The man who was presumably his trainer shot him a rather irritated glance, which served to hold back the ferocity of his Pokemon. Claret was definitely an unruly sort of Pokemon, and as fed up as he already was with Laharl's demeanor, he didn't want to hurt anyone. Then he'd have to move out of the area again, and if there was one place that he would find what he needed, odds are it would be here.

He stood and turned to face Cliff. His first couple of days were usually spent gathering information on the locals. Seeing who he should stay away from and who he would be able to be around. Of course, he never tried and figured out who he could trust. Because there was never anyone that he could trust entirely. He knew that for a fact.

"So, you are the one who runs this establishment, correct?" he asked Cliff. His voice rang with a somewhat foreign dialect, hard to discern at first.
 
"Yes, sir." Cliff nodded, fixing his honey blonde hair "I run this library. How may I help you? Are you looking for a certain book, perhaps?"
Normally, he won't be so kind towards the person he just met. His cold and detached demeanor makes him hard to approach, but since this is in the library, Cliff tries his best to be as polite as possible. Cliff also noted that he has a foreign accent. Unovan, perhaps? Or maybe even from Sinnoh?
"You're not from this town, yes? If you are a tourist, you may be interested in that book over there." The librarian pointed to the shelf in the corner of the room, jammed with books about Knyte City and the pokemon that lives around this part.
 
OOC: Are there any pokemon contests?
@Renewal Is it still ok to add another character? I'd like to add a gym leader
--------



After hours of exciting battling at the Battle Frontier where she had been working on training Oshawott and Zorua, Linda Moon hiked to the edge of the city, where a thick forest hid many species of pokemon. She stepped into the shadowy forest, wondering what pokemon lived there. It wasn't long after she started walking that something brushed against her. Linda automatically turned in the direction that she had felt it, but nothing was there.
"Midnight, let's go! Can you help me find a nearby pokemon? It was seemingly tall enough, or at least could jump high enough, to touch my shoulder." Midnight gave an agreeing bark in reply, and darted off silently. Linda walked off in the opposite direction. Something brushed by her again.
"It's over here!" Linda called, and she heard Midnight's footsteps. She turned to see a flash of green and blue and a bit of pink, and she pulled out her pokedex quickly, hoping it would pick up on the mystery pokemon and not Midnight. It identified Lilligant, who was indeed tall enough to touch her shoulder. The colors didn't look right, but she figured that her brief glance hadn't been enough to see the pokemon properly.
"Midnight! If you hear Lilligant, turn and use shadow ball as quick as you can wherever it comes from, OK? Just to slow it down long enough to get a good battle and maybe catch it!" Midnight nodded. They stood around for several long minutes before there was another small noise behind them. Midnight turned, fast as lightning, at the same time getting a shadow ball ready. With perfect timing, he released it, and Linda saw a figure stumble backwards. "Quick! Night Slash!"
Midnight ran forward and slashed the shadowy, unidentified figure. It responded with a powerful leaf storm. Then it stepped into a patch of light in the dim forest and she saw it was indeed Lilligant. So, it had to be female. But this Lilligant looked strange. Linda pulled her pokedex out again, comparing the picture to the pokemon in front of her. Everything that was shown as dark green in the pokedex was blue. And the flower- it should have been red, but instead was pink. The eyes that were shown red were also pink. All else was the same.
"How odd," she muttered, and then realized that the pokemon was about to use Magical Leaf. She didn't have time to react before Midnight was hit with the move. He seemed to have taken major damage, so Linda figured that this Lilligant was really strong, considering that Midnight was usually somewhat better in battle. "Midnight, do you want to keep going? Braviary could take over if you want. You seem a bit tired," she called, but Midnight shook his head determinedly. "Fine, then," Linda replied. "Try a flamethrower!" Midnight did as she said, and the Lilligant fell to the ground, having fainted. Linda threw a pokeball, smiling as it clicked. "You know what?" she said to the pokeball with Lilligant inside. "I'm gonna call you Lily."
She returned Zoroark to his pokeball and went to the pokemon center to rest her pokemon, then sent Umbreon to Professor Juniper so that she could keep Lilligant with her. Besides, the Professor had been wanting to examine Umbreon for a while now. Linda returned to the Battle Frontier, training all her pokemon through battles, getting ready to challenge the Battalia Gym.
 
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((OOC: Sorry for the temporary absence, I'll be slow for a little while.))

~~~

A young man climber the library ladder, his black trench coat covering most of his physical features as book fell from the top by a mere push and he caught it. Looking up, he smiled as his Chandelure gave a happy wave from above him.

"Thank you!" he called as another of his Pokemon gently pushed the library ladder, moving him along and then stopping, allowing him to place the book it's proper place. With a contented sigh, the young man began to climb down the library ladder, taking care to make sure he diidn't slip from the height that he currently resided. After stabilizing himself on the ground, he recalled the Pokemon that had been pushing the ladder and his Chandelure floated down, rubbing up against him with a small jingle of the chandeleir-like body parts. Rubbing his Pokemon's head, he began walking to the library's front desk, his Chandelure following along in the depths of his shadow.
 
Glancing at the teen in front of the library's desk, Cliff forced a polite smile at the man with the Scizor "excuse me please. If you need something, ask away."
The librarian swirled, walking towards his desk, and smiled at the teen "its quite amusing to know that there are some boys who still love to read, not just playing." He muttered.
 
"I am twenty seven miss." he said, "I have restored order to all shelves as you have asked and shall be making my way home now. Good day miss." he said, turning to leave as his Chandelure poked its head out but continued following its master.
 
OOC: @xelda57 - Whoops, overlooked that. I guess there can be. And yes, a second character is fine.

* * *​

March 30, Midday

Finding a place to stay had been easy for Raine; she had simply settled in at a nearby Pokemon Center and dropped off her bulky hiking backpack in a spare room, before strolling off into the city.

Knyte City, of course, did not disappoint. Though smaller than Castelia City geographically, it was just as crowded and alive with people. The sidewalks of the primary streets and avenues were almost overflowing with people, with stands and peddlers lining the curb as well. The city provided almost anything one could possible desire She had even managed to pick up a cheap, secondhand set of Ball Capsules and rather cute Seals not five minutes from the Pokemon Center--remarkable, as the use of Ball Capsules was practically nonexistent outside of Sinnoh. Knyte City, it seemed, had a little something for everyone.

Smiling broadly, she wove through the crowd of people--only to stop as an embarrassing rumble roared from her abdomen. Flushing slightly, she ran a hand through her hair nervously and mumbled, "Sorry," to the few bystanders who had puased and given her strange looks. Raine tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Now... where to eat? I could go back to the Pokemon Center, I guess..." She paled as she remembered one particularly rundown Pokemon Center she had stayed at, whose food had been equally atrocious. Even the best Centers offered rather generic, bland meals. "Or maybe not. Hmm..."

Looking up and down the street, she spied a quaint little cafe across the road, next to what appeared to be library. Embarrassment fading, she smiled to herself. "Lunch, then a good book... Yeah, sounds great!"
 
The man quietly began making his way out of the room, Claret giving a final gaze around the area, much to his trainer's chagrin. "Claret. If you pick a fight with everyone here, nothing good will come out of it. Put aside your pride, unless you'd prefer that I put it aside for you," he scolded, and though his Pokemon did not answer verbally, it gave a begrudging nod nevertheless, as the two went out of the building, the bright sunlight greeting them, making the steel, almost armor-like skin of the man's Scizor gleam in the brightness.

Though he had conditioned himself to be able to function with a reduced amount of sleep, hence why he was able to get up so early this morning, it had proven difficult for him to temper his hunger the same way. And, seeing that he had not eaten a single thing the entire time, he ultimately decided to head over a small cafe. Bringing out another Poke Ball, he tossed it into the air, the capsule releasing probably the only individual that he considered a friend: Premonition, his Absol. The lupine creature looked around momentarily, for he was not not yet totally familiar with the city and its various facilities, before returning to the man's. With that being done, the three began heading for the cafe, Premonition straying from the other two every now and then to inspect various objects and locations that they passed.
 
Having finished breakfast and gathered up her PokeBalls and messenger bag, Rue left her house in the Heights and made her way to the City Government area where the library was. Despite the undeniable luxury of her home, Rue didn't spend much time there, instead preferring to stay in her office or wander the city. Staying home for any extended amount of time inevitably led to her getting cabin fever, which made her already volatile temper worse. Which never ended well for anybody.

She had been to the library only a few times before, but the owner had always been helpful. Rue decided she might ask him for a recommendation on what to read; it had been a while since she'd had a good adventure story to lose herself in.

Reaching the library in a relatively short time, considering Knyte City's foot traffic, Rue was slightly surprised (and a bit put out) to see how many people were already there. She had nothing against these people; she didn't even know them, but socializing wasn't something she did for fun. In fact, the socializing she did usually involved company negotiations and subtle threats to the other person's business. And insults. Lots of insults. And sometimes lots of alcohol too.

Dammit, now she wanted a drink.
 
"Pardon me," the man said, walking past Rue with his Chandelure stopping to give her a curious look.

"Chandelure?" It asked, tilting it's head.
 
"Its boring. Who wants to spar with me? Just a quick match?" Laharl said, his voice was loud enough to be heard by the man with the Scizor... Claret, if he remember the Scizor's name correctly. Laharl, of course, did this on purpose. If the guy act so tough and cool... Then he clearly never seen Laharl in action.
The boy whip out three pokeball to the air, and each ball shoots a red beam to the ground. From the beams, Laharl could make a shape... A shape of Weavile, Espeon, and Glaceon. "Come on guys, let's rock."
 
Linda had decided to enter a contest for fun and for training before she challenged the gym. But first, she must check out Lily's skills in battle, as well as if she could make her moves look nice for contests. She headed to the battle frontier for more training. Linda already knew that Lily was very skilled in battle after she fought her with Midnight. On her way, she dropped by the pokemon center to heal up. She knew Midnight needed some rest, as well as fainted Lily. Nurse Joy, with a kind smile, took her worn out pokemon. While Linda waited, she walked around the pokemon center, conversing with other trainers.
 
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