Lapras Valley High- It starts! LSUs Welcome!

[Drusilla]

OK, so I lied. I can't wait!

The first thing you notice as you walk through the gates is the immaculate feeling of new. The lawns, the trees, the bushes along the main drive and in front of the buildings... everything is perfect and in order. There are no cracks in the sidewalks, the windows everywhere look fresh out of the packaging, and the pool beyond the administration hall looks like it was just filled. Everything looks like it's just waiting for the rush of students, eager to try their hand at any number options now open to them.

This is the first Pokemon trainer's school sanctioned by the Pokemon League. The project itself is unprecedented in any region; located to the northeast of Cerulean City along the coast, it offers a prime location for young trainers to expand and develop their skills and bonds with Pokemon, while giving a good foundation in fundamental educational subjects.

Most students come from a trainer background, many of whom belong to gym families. A few are selected at random from orphanages by the League from a list of prospective youngsters who otherwise wouldn't have the chance. All come for the chance of a lifetime: to live away from home, meeting others like themselves, at a school licensed and staffed by the Pokemon League in hopes to further their dreams of becoming Champions!



This is reverting back to the original, yet takes place before the fan fic did. The Univeristy does not exist yet, either. Think about 20 years before the games.

Name:
Gender:
Age:
Class: Freshman (Age 13-15), Sophomore (Age 14-16), or Senior (Age 16-18) Note that the youngest age is a rare occurance, that that person usually has a birthday right after school begins. No more Juniors, please.
Pokemon: Pick ONE. No legendaries, of course. Nickname, if applicable, in parentheses. Third-level evolution OK... but, please, have a REALLY good reason as to why they're fully evolved.
Physical Description:
Personality:
History: If you are not a Freshman, perhaps tell us where you went to school before, if you did.
Relationships: Friends, significant others, relatives at the school.... ect...
Other:

The Towers:
Each is comprised of four floors, the first being a common area including kitchen and laundry room. The second floor is made up of the girls’ rooms, and the same for boys on the third. The fourth floor is another common area with pool table, couches, a TV, and coffee tables. Each tower is decorated in its own colors; red and light grey for Flaria, blue and sea green for Aquaria, deep green and light brown for Solaria, and yellow and white for Joltaria.

Flaria
Ivan Faust, Male, 18, Senior; Spiritomb
Joey Ip, Female, 15, Sophomore; Charmeleon
Dru Pyronson, Female, 15, Sophomore; Flareon

Aquaria
Eric Foley, Male, 16, Junior; Wartortle
Tad Jonas, Male, 16, Junior; Golduck
Ellen Thompson, Female, 14, Freshman; Eevee

Solaria
Lumaria Tasmern, Male, 17, Junior; Carnivine
Ryan Craig, Male, 15, Sophomore; Nidorino
Jimmy Skulls, Male, 16, Sophomore; Cubone

Joltaria
Lyzolda Kuro, Female, 15, Junior; Riolu
Alexander Angel, Male, 15, Sophomore; Buneary
Saiga Aliester, Female/"Male", 14, Freshman; Ditto


The 'Rules and Regulations' booklet given to each character at check in is attached to this post.
Grounds Map

Schedules will be posted later; there will be no classes on the first day. I'm trying to get this done before I have to go to bed.


Name: Dru Pyronson
Gender: Female
Age: 15
Class: Sophomore
Pokemon: Flareon (Torch, female)
Physical Description: Standing at 5'5 with a lean build, what stands out about her is her personality manifesting in her appearance. Her hair hangs past her shoulder blades and never stays quite the same color for more than five weeks at a time (currently, it's a rich purple with one-inch midnight blue streaks worked evenly through). Her eyes are almost the same blue as the streaks in her hair. Her ears are pierced three times in each lobe, with two cartilage piercings in her left ear. Her left eyebrow is pierced twice as well (the outer with a spiked bar, the inner with a hoop ring), and she has a small black labaret in the middle of her lower lip. She does have a few tattoos that she's gotten on the sly, mostly on her back, though she does have one on her upper right arm; a blue and black band of Celtic knots works around her bicep. Her wardrobe leans towards the bizzare and extravagant; mostly dark, rich colors and heavy fabrics that both compliment and contrast each other. During the warmer months, she'll wear a dark colored (usually purple or black) tank top with tight but comfortable black pants and heavy black leather boots. Elbow-length black arm warmers (which really don't warm the arm) accent the outfit, along with many plain silver rings; one on every other finger, starting with her left pinky. Several silver necklaces dangle around her neck, including a western dragon and a cat with a pentacle.
Personality: She's as quick to smile as frown. She hasn't had the happiest life, and has known loss from an early age, which can sometimes give her a gloomy outlook. She's much more aware of her own mortality than most are at her age, though most that know her would think the opposite. She is a daredevil and loves walking on the wilder side of life. Her trust is hard to win and can be easy to lose, but once she is a firm friend she will go all the way. She can be strong-willed and difficult to get along with, though she does try to be open minded about other's views. Intelligent, quick-witted, and shrewed, she could be your best friend or your worst enemy.
History: Her mother and twin brother were killed in a series of fires that swept through Cerulean City ten years ago. Since then, she has been the ward of her mother's cousin Blaine, gym leader of the Cinnabar Gym, and last known living relative. She hardly remembers her father at all, though has never heard anything to suspect that he is dead. She has no name to go on, only a few brief memories from her toddler years. She has one good friend, Nayia, a member of the Cerulean City Waterflower family and cousin to the gym leaders, that she visits often, especially during the summer.
Relationships: None. Nayia was to attend, but her plans were changed last minute and made it impossible. Those who have visited the Cinnabar gym will recognize her as an apprentice there, but she doesn't actually know anyone.
Other: She has a blue and black Suzuki motorcycle that she has ridden to school, and is a highly accomplished musician. She sings and plays guitar (both electric and acoustic, though she prefers electric most of the time) and bass. She has a black Gibson SG (and required set up) with her.


Dru Pyronson, 15, Sophomore, Flaria Tower
Keep loading shit into my head, it makes me feel like an empty drone...

I came to a stop at the front gate, which was closed. I saw a Gengar and an Alakazam on the other side, one on each side of the driveway. A man stepped forward, a rather tall, thin blonde, but otherwise unremarkable. He had a lightning bolt on his polo shirt.

"Can I help you?" he asked, very politely. I pushed up the visor on my helmet.

"Yeah... I'm a student here now?" I said, not sure quite what he wanted.

"I need to see your letter and a valid photo ID, please."

I nodded, and reached into the pocket of my black leather jacket. It was hot, wearing all of my protective gear, but I'd promised my cousin, Blaine, and my best friend, Nayia, that I would do it anyway. The jacket covered everything except my hands, and I wore black leather chaps over my jeans. My boots were leather, anyway.

I pulled out the letter, and my license, and he glanced them over before handing them back to me. "Park in front of the main building, they'll tell you inside where to go."

I flipped the visor down, nodded, and went through the opening gate, glancing at the Pokemon 'security' as I went past. They weren't fooling around here...

I parked in front of the building as he said and went inside. I flipped up my visor again, not wanting to bother removing it until I was sure I wasn't going to be riding anytime soon. A smiling lady sat in front of a table covered in stacks of papers. She was small and blonde, but very pleasant.

"Hello, and welcome to Lapras Valley High!" I noted the sun on her shirt, right where the lightning bolt had been on the man's. "I'm Martha Banks, Dean of Solaria Tower. Your name?" She reached for a file box full of oversized index cards.

"Dru Pyronson," I said, ready to show ID if I needed it. It seemed she didn't.

"Ah, yes, here you are... What I need you to do is take this card, check to make sure everything is OK in your room, and sign it. You'll turn it in to your dean, Tiffany Straights. Her room and office are right outside of your tower, hard to miss. You can slide it under the door if she's not there, since I think she may be working somewhere on the grounds this afternoon. Here is your room key, which you also need to get into your tower... and here is your temporary ID, which will allow you back into the grounds if you leave. Official IDs will be taken tonight after dinner, once everyone is here. Here is a copy of Rules and Regulations, very important stuff... Please remember that all gates will lock at 10 PM tonight, and everything else closes at 11 PM. Be sure you read that booklet, now, rules are important... Oh, here's a map of the grounds, and a schedule of when meals are served. Is there anything else?"

"Yeah, is there any student parking...?"

"Oh, yes! Here, you need to fill out this form, and take this, this is very important. This both lets you into the parking lot and marks your vehicle as on record. Very important..." She glanced at the form, making sure I had my license plate number written down. "That seems to be in order! Have a great day!"

I turned and left, wondering if her face hurt from smiling so much. As I was leaving, a bus load of students came in, most carrying bags. It looked like those who had come in on the train... just before I snapped my visor shut, I locked eyes with an older boy, his piercing glare unnerving me as I walked past. He didn't look like the overly friendly type, though he wasn't hard on the eyes at all. I wondered who he was briefly before the heat of the sun began to heat up my leather outfit again. I started up my bike, went around the circle, and parked, swiping my parking pass through a card reader to open the gate. I grabbed what few things I had in the saddle bag before hanging the parking pass on my sideview and turning towards the main building.

The tower was nice and cool; the carpet was a light grey, the walls slightly darker, and the trim a fierce, bright red. I supposed that it would be overwhelming to have everything red. I went up the spiral staircase in the middle of the tower to the second floor, where I found my room.

It was nice. The bed was in the middle along the wall to the left, with a desk on the opposing wall. The window was open, with red curtains that matched the trim. My things, shipped a few days before hand, sat, still boxed, in the corner near the closet. I stood, taking it all in, and I felt a tension that I hadn't noticed before melt away from my shoulders. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my Pokeball, tossing it into the air.

"Come and see our new home, Torch," I said, smiling.

"Flare, FLARE!" she cried, glad to finally be free, as she jumped up onto the bed. I pulled off my helmet, my hair stuck to my head, face, and neck, and set it on the desk before I pulled off my jacket. I left the chaps on, too lazy to mess with them at the moment. It felt right, and for the first time in ten years, I felt I was home.

"I don't think there's anyone else here yet, Torch... what do you say we go downstairs and meet people as they get here?"

"Eon, flare!" Excited, she leapt off of the bed and bounded down the stairs. I grabbed my room key, stashing it in my pocket so I could put it on my keyring later, clipped my bike keys to my beltloop, and followed my ecstatic Flareon.

I reached the bottom of the stairs, laughing, as she bounded towards me, flying into my arms. The lock in the door to the hallway outside clicked, and the door swung open.... Still laughing, I turned to face the newcomer.

TAG Blade and/or Crys!

[Blademaster]

(Mario voice)

Let's-a go!


Name: Ivan Faust
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Class: Senior
Pokemon: Spiritomb M (Zandios)
Physical Description: Ivan Faust is a frightening human being, a full 79 inches tall and 205 pounds. His hair is jet-black and tied in a ponytail that hangs down to his shoulderblades. His skin is pale as death, and his eyes are a steely blue color colder than frozen hydrogen, hidden behind glasses so thin they're almost invisible. His attire, as one may suspect, is black - he wears a long black coat that resembles a cape, loose black pants, and shiny black shoes and gloves.
Personality: Ivan is a dark, brooding, and mysterious figure who seems to be lock himself off from everyone and everything in existence. He has an impressively extensive vocabulary, which he often uses merely to inspire fear and/or pain in others. Regardless, once his respect has been earned by someone (a rather difficult endeavor at best), he will quickly warm up to them... still pretty coldly and quietly, though.
History: Ivan's history is as dark and mysterious as he himself is - he never talks about his past, and refuses to answer if the subject is brought up. All that is known about him is that he was selected from an orphanage to attend Lapras Valley High due to his cold and calculating mind and tactics. He has since attended the school, living on the campus grounds themselves. He spends more of his time outside than in a dorm. A survivalist by nature, he rarely does as he is told and only attends classes when he is forced to. The only reason he hasn't been yet expelled is because his grades are nearly perfect, despite his abundant amounts of absences, etc..
Relationships: As much as Ivan distances himself from everyone, he does long for love on some level deep down, though he very rarely shows it. So, in other words, open to whoever can tolerate him, as either a friend or a lover (Good luck!).
Other: Ivan is much more active at night then during the day. He also has a sword, which he keeps well-hidden; on some nights, the whoosh of his swordplay can be heard coming from the tops of trees and buildings on-campus, as well as the bach and the forest nearby, though nobody has ever discovered the stealthy swordsman due to his keen senses and survivalist precautions...

---------------------------------------------


Ivan

The tall man stopped at the front gates, the Gengar and Alakazam on either side of the gate giving him a look as though to say 'Oh, great... It's him again...'

Though he lived on campus, he, unlike many others, lived there year-round - he had no other home to go to. For that reason, he was a more well-known student - especially to the guards.

And the man in the lightning-marked polo shirt was no exception.

"Ah, Ivan, you've come back." the guard said, trying his best to sound polite. "And where have you been today?"

"Off the campus grounds." the man, Ivan, replied in a frigid voice. "Away from supercilious simpletons like you."

"How nice." the guard said, smiling through his teeth at Ivan. "Well, since there's no mistaking your charismatic personality, I suppose you can go right in."

'Because I'm frankly not in the mood to deal with punks like you right now.' he thought to himself.

The Gengar and Alakazam evidently agreed - they opened the gate, allowing Ivan to walk right in.

Ivan was just beginning his senior year, and he was almost nineteen, making him quite likely the oldest student on campus. Between his age, his immense height, and his 'colorful' personality, he was a rather unique student, if not a totally infamous one.

As he began to make his way back towards his dorm, Ivan glanced back over his shoulder, seeing that a bus had just pulled up (full of more students, no doubt).

'The newest recruits have arrived...' he thought, his expression darkening as he passed the main building. 'Just what this academy needs - more talentless imbeciles to annoy me and make class that much more of a reason to avoid...'

He was about to turn back to continue on his way to his dorm, when he saw her.

She was a younger woman, rather gothic in appearance but otherwise somewhat attractive. She and Ivan locked eyes for a moment, before the two both looked away at the same time - she went her way, while Ivan made his way to his dorm.

Ivan entered the cool tower, ascending the staircase and entering his room, finding his bed, desk, closet door, window... the whole room exactly as he'd left it. The bed was so well-made, it almost seemed to have a layer of dust on it. Same with the desk, despite the fact that Ivan had been in the room not four hours ago...

A satisfied look crossed the man's face - as little time as he spent in his room, he often kept the door unlocked when he was out due to him not knowing where his key was.

And he absolutely hated when unknown people messed around with his things.

Confident that nobody had been in his room, Ivan shut the door with a silent 'click,' and then he made his way back downstairs.

As he silently descended the stairs, he heard something down below. Peering over the banister, he saw that same girl again, this time close enough to make out her abundance of silver jewelry and facial piercings.

Ivan sneered at this, but he kept his mouth shut - not in the mood for a meet-and-greet with this mobilized pin cushion, he grabbed onto the banister, waiting for her to reach an area of the spiral staircase where her back was to his position; then, with ninja-like stealth, he swung over the banister, dropping a good ten or fifteen feet before landing in a crouching position, the only sounds he made being a flutter of his coat and a few soft thuds as he landed, which the girl ascending the stairs overhead obviously mistook to be her own footsteps.

A few seconds later, Ivan heard a door one floor up being unlocked. Assuming it was the girl, he stood up and promptly left the dormitory again - just in time to avoid the rush of new students.

----------------------------------------

(throws a fire hydrant at someone)

Tag!

[Drusilla]

I'm opening a topic in the Lounge about details and such, so I don't clutter up this topic. Check back in a few minutes.

[Toxicity]

Letting you know that time between posts may be edgy considering college and such has me packed between 6:30 am until probably 6:30 pm at the earliest. And since I'm not sure how long it will be like this, it's best to let it be known early.

Name: Erik Foley
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Class: Junior
Pokemon: Wartortle (female, "Nereid")
Physical Description: Erik stands at a slightly above average height of 6'0", his entire body rather lanky, but also developed with a small amount of muscle on his biceps and a flat, well-toned stomach. His head is topped with the thick, messy mass of dark brown waves and curls that defines his hair, and his eyes are a wild, almost haunting bright green color, almost a marbled mix of greens and the occasional yellow. His skin has a natural ruddy tan to it, which may or may not be related to his outside exposure.
Erik's clothing, although simple, seems to hint towards the surfer culture; his shirts usually vary from tees with button-ups to thermal sweaters in almost any color (the only colors without love here are purple, pink, and yellow). He is rarely seen outside of a pair of jeans (unless, of course, the occasion demands otherwise) and his footwear can alternate between flip-flops and sneakers during any season. Around his neck is usually a bead choker or some sort of necklace bearing a cross, and on his left wrist is a bracelet made of hemp rope with a silver star lined between two puka shells.
Personality: Erik is a gentle and bright young man, seemingly the type to get along with everybody, teacher and student alike. Although normally emotionless in appearance, as if always calculating in his mind, he brightens up with a usual smile and occasional laughter when around his friends, being more talkative then than elsewhere. However, he has been known to put on a facade as playing a cold, hard smartass that's "hard-to-get" for most girls; his closest friends know, however, that this is only his play to keep him away from those who he doesn't want to associate with - the dishonest.
Many joke that playing "hard-to-get" connects to how Erik's "love interest" is a troubled girl back in his hometown. However, there's no evidence to suggest that there's more than a close friendship.
History: In spite of the wave-battered exterior that screams of an exotic origin and always being outdoors, Erik's true passion of technology got a start from his father, a technician in the Silph Company who had input into the development, and had always aided in the production, of many of the company's ground-breaking creations. His love for Pokemon came from his mother, a close, sisterly cousin to Erika from Celadon City.
Although born in Saffron, Erik and his parents didn't move too long after his birth to Vermillion City, both his mother and father longing for a life on the coast. Ever since, he had grown into what he is today - a technology-obsessed boy with a love for surfing and Pokemon, as well as a deep loyalty to his friends regardless of the situation.
Relationships: None. Maybe open...depends.
Other: Erik does seem to get a little uneasy when reminded of the "girl," usually triggered by even the slightest topic that could make him connect the two thoughts. As a result, he's been known to go into restless fits at night over this type of thought.

Erik Foley - Aquarian Junior
Could you be there, 'cause I'm the one who waits for you? Or are you unforgiven, too?

Half of my high school days already gone, and even then I wasn't so sure of what I was supposed to do once beyond the walls of whatever campus, hellish or not, I was supposed to end it all within. And since last year, after being deemed "too superior" for what was offered at Silver Cables Technological Academy in Goldenrod - the best tech school in the country - it was decided that I should just hone my abilities as a trainer closer to home.

So we agreed upon Lapras Valley...

Even then, I still regret the fact I chose the colder north shores beyond the oddly celestial aura of Cerulean, rather than something closer to home like something in Celadon; my "aunt" Erika and her family would've easily tried to offer accommodations. Would've been easier to have not gone through being eyed by next to every girl and the occasional guy from various parts of the country, but that may have been a necessary evil. But even then, nothing would've been the same as going to school in Vermillion City with friends.

Annie...

My glance then shifted from my bags to the rope around my wrist; a brief moment then became forever as I suddenly found myself reminiscing over the friendship I've shared for a long time with Anahid. And I also now longed to just have her sitting with me, her sweet voice and personality trying to assure me she was okay...

"Tor?" a jazzy feminine voice broke my musings. I shook my head, a little stunned. Only then did I realize that the only other person in the room was my pet and trusted partner, Nereid. Even for a female of her kind, her appearance was a little gruff and wave-battered even for one tamed from the egg. The faint tinge of teal in her tail and ears reminded me of the sea.

"I'm fine, Nereid." I answered, a small smile of honesty forming on my face for a moment before I starting again at unpacking. "I promise we'll still go to the pool once we're done."

Ironically the Aquaria tower, housing mostly Water and Ice trainers, was the closest to the pool. It was fairly nice in layout, although I still thought sandy browns and stone greys would've been a lot better than sea green. But I wasn't the type to complain.

After having everything set, I lightly rested the keys to my car on my nightstand; I'd promised Annie that I'd try to visit her before the semester break were I given a chance, although the car might be needed to go into town for supplies or anything else. Then lightly kicking the flip-flops off and laying them close to bedside, I laid down face-up on the bed and tried to lay my head down. My eyes blinked several times as I tried to get out of a daze, yet obviously, the feeling got the best of me.

It may have been a few minutes, I wasn't so sure, but I was dragged back into reality in what felt like a split second or so by a knock at the door. I got up almost immediately, checking to see where Nereid was - not too far from me. I then gave in with a sigh and got up completely, walking towards the door - barefoot on the wooden floor - and slowly opened the door.

I accepted my fate then; my roommate was a near identical. His calm smile, large eyes, and wild, possibly bleached hair assured me that he was, at least, somewhat different.

"Uhm...hey, dude. You're my roomie?" I spoke, a smile forming on my face before I held out my hand to him. "Erik Foley."

...hi Heald. Also, sorry if the post seems a little..."short." Once again, college.

[Magi of all]

Blademaster, I though you knew that only thrown chairs started riots

Name: Ryan Craig
Gender: Male
Age: 15
Class: Sophomore.
Pokemon: Nidorino (Juggernaut).
Physical Description: Standing at 5’7”, Ryan’s height is not his most interesting characteristic. Weighing in a 290 pounds, he is easily one of the heaviest kids in school. His hair is light brown and cut very short, except for his bangs, which are longer, coming down over his entire forehead. He wears small round-framed glasses that constantly slip down on his nose. Parts of his front teeth are also false, though its not really noticeable. During the warmer months he usually wears black or blue shorts with red, white, blue or green tee shirts. During the winter he wears Sweat pants in the same color as his shorts, as well as gray ones. He also wears hoodies all the time, usually with amusing slogans or cool pictures. He has never worn jeans in his life. No matter what the weather, he always wears tennis shoes.
Personality: A complication hidden in a simpleton, Ryan is not a very open person. Even with people he likes and knows well he often keeps his true opinions to himself. Combined with his shyness around new people, Ryan has trouble making new friends. Underneath this exterior, Ryan is a thinker. While not particularly bright, Ryan enjoys mind games and thoughtful discussion. This is best expressed in his poetry. Beneath this thinker is a die-hard nerd. Reading epic high fantasy and RPGs are two of Ryan’s favorite hobbies
History: Ryan’s biological mother died while giving birth. He was given up for adoption and taken in by the Craig’s. He always knew that he was adopted, but he never really cared. He grew up living in a good home, doing decently in school and enjoying the water. That’s the history he knows. Behind the scenes, a different tale is told. His mother was a cousin of the Kanto Gym leader and underground crime boss Giovanni. Most of the family has been involved in mob activity, with Team Rocket being one of the more recent ventures. In a bid for escape, his mother ran for it. Hiding in Blackthorn city in Jhoto, she met a man and got married. Then things took a turn for the worse. Pneumonia claimed her husband’s life three days before she was scheduled to give birth. The next day, word of her mother’s death reached her in Blackthorn. Taking a plane to Viridian city, she goes into labor after arriving. Giovanni, hearing about the birth through contacts at the hospital, arrives just in time to see the child being born. As her last words, Ryan’s mother asks Giovanni why he is there. He replies “I always take care of family.” The only knowledge of any connection Ryan has to Giovanni is the mysterious birthday gifts he receives. Usually they are cash, but there are two exceptions. On his tenth birthday Ryan received a male Nidoran with a note from the mysterious man. It simply said, “Make him your family.” The second gift came five years later, as a sponsorship and recommendation to Lapras Valley high.
Relationships: None at this point
Other: Ryan has conscious control of his epiglottis, can play the piano and is shy around girls.

Ryan Craig

We are your average ordinary, super-human, punishers of evil, rock-n-roll band

My shoes made a rather satisfying crunch sound on the road leading to the main gate. The fact that I was walking towards the school might have surprised some people, given my weight. Seriously, why does obesity have to come from a lack of exercise? There are other ways to get fat. Not many, but still.

I was broken out of my thoughts by the sight of the school as well as the guards at the gate. The Gengar looked menacingly creepy while the Alakazam just looked bored. You would thing they would have a fighting type as well. I mean, ghost and psychic types are both weak to dark types. For some reason the Alakazam is shooting me a weird look. Like a duh mixed with indignation. The Gengar just snickered. The guard next to them just looked confused. I noticed his shirt had a lightning bolt on it. What’s the point of that? NO funny picture or cool background. Thank god I was there with “I beleve in higher educashon” or this scene would be completely boring

“Can I help you,” he asked, eyes drifting towards my shirt, understanding dawning on him.

“The shirt says why I’m here,” I retorted, hoping for an interesting first impression. Thankfully, the guard laughed. I think the Gengar did to, though it’s hard to tell if it though I was funny or just like laughing.

“I need to see your letter and a valid photo ID.”

I handed over my rarely used driver license and my anonymous letter. “I don’t know who the letters from, but it said you would know.”

The guard just nodded, apparently lost in thought. “You can go on in, registration is in the front”

I walked past him, giving the Gengar a knowing wink as I past. The specter laughed again, returning my wink. Kick ass, I’m friends with a ghost. If only living people were that easy.

I entered the building, noticing the reception right away. I got a smiley, greaaaaat. Love the smileys. She waved me over enthusiastically. Please do not be my dorm leader person thing.

“Hello, welcome to Lapras Valley High! I’m Martha Banks, Dean of Solaria Tower. What’s your name?”

“Rusty Schakleford,” I replied, hoping she would miss the sarcasm. It seems she did.

“I don’t see that name on this list. Are you sure you registered.”

“Yeah, but I registered under Ryan Craig. Rusty Schakleford is the name I order pizza with.” Martha Banks just blinked. God I hope I don’t live in her dorm.

Ah, yes Ryan. Here you are. Oh, you’re a lucky one. You get to live in Solaria Tower. That’s my dorm if you didn’t catch that earlier. I need you to check the information on this card and sign it, kay.”

“Can I sigh with an imprint of my head?’ I asked, really wanting to hit something right now. Like a puppy. Kicked puppies were always good for a laugh, and rabies shots. Gotta love the rabies shots.

She just gave me that blank look again, to which I deepened my frown. I signed the card and pushed it back towards her.

“Alrighty then, here’s your room key, which you need to get into the tower. This is a temporary ID, which you will use until you get a real one tonight after dinner. Grounds close at ten and everything shuts down at eleven. Here’s the Rules and Regulations booklet, which you need to read, very important. Oh, and a map of the grounds and a meal schedule. That’s everything you’ll need”

“What, no towel?”

“There are towels in the dorms if you need them.” I just sighed at her comment, not looking forward to things here. I walked towards my dorm tower, wondering who I would be sharing classes with this year.

I entered the tower and looked around. GREEN, GLORIOUS GREEN, everywhere the eye could see. So tranquil and peaceful and outdoorsy, I could totally live here. Climbing the stairs, I noticed the girl’s dorms were on the second floor. Crap, and I hated walking up and down stairs with a passion. Sucking it up, I made my way to the third floor. Finding my room quickly, I entered, hoping to sit down for a rest. The bed was on the right side of the up against the wall while the desk took up the left wall. A large window looked out at the sports arenas and got a good view of the pool to. Wait, POOL! Kick ass. I wonder if I can take a dip today, just to see what it’s like. Oh, see, right. Juggernaut needs to take a look around our new home. Enlarging my Pokeball, I let Juggernaut out n the middle of the room. He looked around for a bit, nodded to himself and promptly hopped up on my bed. Avoiding the poison spikes I patted my friend on the head.

“That’s right buddy, were gonna take this place by storm. Do they know who we are! WERE THE JUGGERNAUTS BITCHES!

So, here I am, pop culture references and all. SQUWEEEEEEE

[Drusilla]

But I'm the Juggernaut, biiiiiitch....

I love that thing. Hehe!

Aaaand... I'm basing Tiffany Straights off of one of my sorority sisters. Be nice to her!

Dru Pyronson, 15, Sophomore, Flaria Tower
I'm the one that you wanted... I'm the Superbeast

"Oh, hello!" A cheery voice greeted me as I turned around. A woman, slightly shorter than I was, stood there, with shoulder-length black hair, a cheery smile, and overly-pierced ears. Finally, someone who wouldn't look at me like a freak of nature! She had silver hoops all the way around the edge of the cartilage in each ear, and had each lobe pierced twice. She offered her hand to me, which I gladly took.

"Tiffany Straights; I got a call saying that two of my students were here all ready!"

I grinned. "Dru Pyronson. I haven't seen anyone else here, though, have you, Torch?"

"Flare FLARE! Eon, flare!" She cried, still bouncy from being freed finally.

I frowned. "Well, I haven't seen anyone, but if she says she smelled someone else, I believe her. Oh! Yeah, my room card..." I pulled it out of my pocket, a little beaten up, along with a pen that I always kept with me. I looked it over, checked a few boxes, and handed it to Ms. Straights. "Everything looked good upstairs, here you are."

She glanced over everything and nodded. "All right, that seems to be in order. Welcome to Flaria Tower. I believe that Ivan Faust is the other resident here, judging from the description I got. If you see him, you'll know him, trust me. I met him a few days ago when I went around collecting forms from people who couldn't mail them in."

I paled slightly. "I... I didn't get any forms..."

She waved her hand. "Yours were taken care of, about a week ago. A quiet older man came in and took care of both yours, and another student's. I think he was a gym leader from somewhere... Anyway, both of you are up-to-date and paid for in full."

I blinked in surprise. "Well... damn. I was so worried about having to pay off everything..."

"No worries, though you don't know who this man is?"

I thought, wondering if I could trust this woman. "Well... I'm not sure, but he might be my father. I never knew him, but all of my life needs have always been taken care of by some mysterious man. It was a real help after... after my mother died..."

She nodded, smiling. "I understand. If you have any questions, just let me know. My office is right outside the hall here."

I nodded absent mindedly as she left and closed the door. A mysterious man... Well, at least this meant that someone had seen him. Before, such things had always been done by mail or electronically. I looked at Torch, who leapt down and looked up at me, expectantly.

"So... you wanna go look around the grounds?" I asked her. This set off another wave of excitement, which was fine by me. She had been rather quiet the past few days, probably in response to the stress I had been under, but now was overjoyed that I was myself again. She'd quiet down in a few minutes, especially if I let her roam around a bit.

Checking to make sure I had all of my keys, I left the tower and started off down the hall past a few offices. At the end of the hallway was a tower with a blue door, much like the red one to my own tower. I turned, following the corner, and came to the door that opened up to the grounds. Opposite it was a large set of double doors that I assumed, from the smells in the hallway, went to the cafeteria. My stomach rumbled slightly, and I remembered that I hadn't eaten anything since I'd left home at dawn. I decided that I'd go into town in search of food after walking around the grounds.

I pushed the door to the outside open, and took a deep breath. Torch bounded outside, running randomly through the grass, zigzaging her way around. It lifted my spirits to see her so happy; after all we'd been through, she and I still had each other. I owed her my life on more than one occasion, but she seemed to want nothing more than my companionship. It was such a simple, yet complex, bond between us. Nothing, no disaster, no loss, no nothing would get in between us, not even a-

I saw him leaving through a side gate, the same guy from before. His full-length coat moved around him like some dark cloud, and I stood, staring at where he had been.

"Eon?" Torch asked, not impressed. I saw my reflection in her big, black eyes, and I shook myself. He was just a guy, and a nameless one at that, nothing special about him. Sure, he was tall... and dark... and, yes, even handsome... but still a male. I'd had more than my share with such creatures, and at fifteen years of age, I swore off of them. They were nothing but trouble. I didn't care what they had to offer, because the downfall was too great. A virgin I might be, but no way was I going to get mixed up in all of that mushy no-good bullshit. I'd seen what it had done to my mother, and I wanted none of it.

I shook my head, clearing it, and blinked a few times. I pulled a pair of sunglasses from my pocket and put them on, my eyes trying to adjust to the brightness. Nearby, the pool sparkled, perfect and new, just like everything else. A locked greenhouse stood to the right, and beyond that the basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts. A large concrete structure rose farther back; a glance at the map identified this as the arena. Beyond that stretched the continuous wall, with its rear gate to the beach. It was several acres back, but from here, everything looked perfect. I wondered how it would look at the end of the year.

There were a few people milling about on the pool deck, some talking under umbrellas, one or two lounging in pool chairs, and a handfull in the water all ready. I made a note to go back after sundown, not wanting to get too much sun on my skin. I burned too easily, and maybe by then there wouldn't be so many people there. I didn't want stares as I swam, if I even dared to...

In the fire that killed my mother and brother, I had been caught under part of the burning ceiling. Before Torch could rescue me, my legs were severely burned. The scarring was horrendous, and I never wore skirts or shorts in public. I felt marred, tarnished, and the stares bothered me almost as much as my own hatred of my body.

"FLARE!" Torch barked at me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked a few times, clearing my mind, I started out over the lawn.

I found myself drawn towards the forest gate. I was hungry, but my curiosity was stronger. My hair shone like a beacon in the sunlight, drawing eyes towards me, and I was glad I had my legs covered. The light reflected off of the bright colors in my hair and the metal of most of my piercings; some people whispered to each other as I walked past, but I took little notice. It wasn't my problem what they thought of me.

I reached the gate, and making sure Torch was still with me, I opened it. I looked down at her. "Remember, this is a wild area, so stay close, OK?"

She nodded quietly. I'd known she'd calm down after awhile.

I pushed the heavy barred gate open, walked through, and heard it slam shut behind me. I reached in my pocket, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and started down the path between the trees, looking around at the beauty before me and taking drags every once in a while. I was probably a sight to see, a definite city girl actually taking interest in nature. I'd taken many trips to the Safari Zone and the Seafoam Islands with my cousin, Blaine. I loved the outdoors, as did Torch. She padded along beside me, ears alert for danger.

We'd walked quite awhile when a noise up ahead caught our attention. Torch growled softly, and I stopped as she walked forwards, sniffing. Suddenly, a swarm of Beedrill burst through the trees, agitated about something. I wasn't sure if I was the reason or not, but I wasn't about to try to question them.

"Agh... Torch!" I yelled. My Flareon was spitting fire at the aggressive insects as fast as she could, but they just kept coming. Something else zoomed out of the trees, but instead of attacking me, it attacked the Beedrill.

I threw myself to the ground, trying to avoid being torched (no pun intended) or stung, and as soon as it started, it was over. I looked up at Torch, who was staring at the Pokemon who had come to our rescue.

"What the...? A Spiritomb? Here? In daylight?" I wondered aloud.

"You know, it's not that wise to go out into the forest by yourself unprepared like that." A cold voice said behind me. "I'd go so far as to say it's downright stupid."

I had a feeling I knew what person that voice would belong to.


Whenever you're ready, Blade. *throws a bar stool into the crowd*

[Mystic_clown]

Name: Lumaria Tansmern
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Class: Junior
Pokemon: Carnivine (Venus)
Physical Description: He stands at 5’10 with the lean, yet well toned build of a dancer and a healthy tan. His brown hair falls ruggedly to his shoulders and contains traces of pink, his eyes are a cooling blue. His face has a handsome beauty, which tends to attract you.

His attire is a blend of hot pink and black. He wears a black shirt with a pink jacket over it, a pair of black, leather pants and pink Cuban heels. He wears an earring with an amethyst on his right ear. And three rings on his left hand.
Personality: calm, friendly, with an eye for beauty and grace. He is often giving tips on how to make themselves and their pokemon more attractive (however, he’s not the kind of person who goes “Oh, that is soooo last year”, he’s the kind of person who respects peoples images). His tastes do not make him weak. He believes anyone can be beautiful, and strong. He acts supportive unless he believes they are truly doing the wrong thing. He can be a bit of a flirt at times, playfully flirting with both men and women. However, he explains that this is only playing and that he has no intention on anyone taking it seriously.
History: Lumaria grew up Eterna City and is the cousin of the Gym Leader Gardenia. It was from her that he developed his love for plant pokemon and that strength is just as important as beauty. His father was a hair dresser and his mother was a florist, so he gained his taste in style and beauty from them. When he was asked to attend, he was excited to go to Kanto, especially after hearing about the Celadon City gym. While he’s disappointed that the School is near Cerulean and not Celadon
Relationships: open
Other: Despite his actions, he’s not gay…he’s bisexual.

Lumaria Tansmern

“Name?”

“Lumaria Tansmern.”

“We’ll need to see some ID Mr. Tansmern.”

Lumaria pulled out his driver’s license, along with his letter to attend to the school. The tall, blonde, and in Lumaria’s opinion, slightly handsome man looked over both of them before handing them back.

“Everything seems in order,” he said, “Head to the main building. They’ll tell you what to do.”

Lumaria nodded as he took his stuff back, “Thank you.”

The brunette strode confidently to the main building, Stepping inside, he saw a pleasant young woman with rather nice blonde hair. She smiled when she saw him.

“Hello, welcome to Lapras Valley High,” she greeted cheerfully, “I’m Martha Banks, Dean of Solaris Tower. Your name?”

“Lumaria Tansmern,” he responded politely. Martha flipped through a box of index cards before plucking one out.

“Here we are, Lumaria Tansmern from Eterna City. Well, you’ll be living in the Solaris Tower, so go over, check out your room and sign that card if anything’s in order. Then you’ll just have to bring it back to me. If I’m not here, my office is outside the tower. If I’m not there, slide it under the door, though chances are I will be.”

She gave Lumaria a small card.

“Here’s your temporary ID. You’ll receive the official ID later tonight. This is just for when you leave the grounds.”

She gave him a small book.

“Here’s a copy of the rules and regulations. They will also include a map of the grounds and when meals are served. Be sure to read it. Do you have any questions?”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Lumaria smiled, “I will see you later.”

He turned to leave before pausing.

“By the way, I just love your hair. What do you use?”

Martha was a little taken aback by the question. Lumaria laughed.

“I’m sorry. You’re probably busy now. I’ll ask you later ok? Bye!”

--------------~*~--------------

Lumaria sighed as he flopped back on his bed. The room had an earth feel to it, something Lumaria loved, due to his love of grass pokemon. That reminded him…

Pulling a pokeball from his side, he lobbed it lazily.

“Come on out Venus.”

“Carnivine!” Lumaria’s grass pokemon said breathily as it was finally free of the pokeball. She looked around the room, inspecting it almost.

“Welcome to your new home dear,” Lumaria said, “What do you think?”

The Carnivine look around before nodding in approval.

“Nivine, vine Car.” Lumaria smiled.

“I knew you’d love it.” Lumaria walked over to the window and opened it. The Carnevine smiled in delight as she levitated over to the window. Curling her vines around the window sill, she perched herself, her head craning back as far as it can go, awaiting any insects foolish enough to come close. Lumaria chuckled.

“Well, enjoy yourself dear. I’m going to see who else has arrived.”

“Carnivine.”

“I know, I’ll miss you too.”

[Emotional Faun Chiko-sai]

Signup


Alexander Angel, sophomore, Joltaria
I said "tell me your name, is it Sweet?"
she said, "my boy, it's Dagger"

The Buneary flattened his face against the window of the train. It was dark out and most of the humans around were asleep, including his own. They'd been on this train for at least five hours now, and the Buneary himself had travelled for much longer periods prior to this, and suffered far more indignities than he could count in the process: kidnapped from his forest home by a strange blonde man with attention-deficit disorder; stuffed into a minute ball with no room to stretch at all; shipped in a very uncomfortable box over the sea and far away to a place the humans called Lavaridge; upon release from the tiny ball, pulled at by small children, glomped by somewhat larger children and subsequently saved by his present human from a fate worse than death.

And that was just the first day. Various other escapades on various other days included being thrown into a hot spring without warning. He was taken to 'train' near a volcano where he was choked to distraction by the constantly falling ash; forced to moonlight as a doll (he would dislike lace and the colour pink for the rest of his life); called 'Bunny', 'Eary', 'Mimi' and 'Loppy' at random intervals (before they finally settled on Risso, which had apparently been the name of a deceased Growlithe); given the tinkly bell collar of the deceased Growlithe to wear...

...Among other things. There were more, but he did not wish to dwell on unpleasant memories; he might get nightmares later.

He still had the tinkly bell collar around his neck. Half-heartedly, he scrabbled at it in a futile attempt to get it off, then made a point to bring the problem to his human when the silly human was not asleep and drooling onto his sleeve.

So far he was pretty satisfied with the conduct of the human. The human had been aware of Risso's needs and wants, and defended him against the malicious actions of the children, and on the whole been very obliging. He had shown Risso an object of miraculous and marvelous wonder that played sounds that were something like Pidgeysong but infinitesimally better, and though the volume had to be turned down because it hurt Risso's sensitive lagomorph ears, the Buneary was absolutely convinced that headphones (attached to a music player, of course) were the greatest invention known to Man and Pokemon.

The human could make sounds like those, too, on a mysterious stringed object, but he hadn't lately since he'd handed it down to one of the older brats. Risso understood that his human felt the gee-tar's absence acutely. He tried to make up for it by generously being extra affectionate to his human, but his human had merely mouthed some gibberish and continued strumming the air.

Ah well. Where they were going, there would be no dangerous children running around tying ribbons on his ears; it would be a rest cure. He'd rather be made to battle every single day of the week than stand what he'd had to stand in Lavaridge.

He rummaged in the human's bag, found the magical headphones, and settled down for the long wait.

*

Joltaria Tower was yellow and white, both colours not being favourites of Alex: he liked things a little less bright and a little more warm. There was something intimidating in the clinical, unnatural tones of the decor, and the large, airy dimensions of the rooms. Back home they'd lived in a small, tatami-matted cottage, all weatherbeaten stone and thatch, never enough room for anyone or anything, but all the cozier for it. His new dorms would take him some getting used to.

Risso was currently attempting to read the Rules and Regulations booklet. At length the Buneary gave up trying to connect syllables to words and curled up on the bed. Alex decided that the next time his uncle called, he would dispel Palmer's assumptions about his nephew's likes and dislikes once and for all.

He walked into a girl on his way down to explore, on the lowest flight of stairs - well, he'd thought it was a guy at first, since the person was taller than him and in his limited experience females did not grow to heights of six feet (and in any case he was too preoccupied with deciding when he would hit town to scout for dearly-missed musical instruments; in such instances he was blind and deaf to all outside influences). He was to shortly wonder how he could have been so mistaken, for the figure in front of him, though tall, otherwise offered several reference points for those lacking of brain to conclude that it was indeed of the fairer sex.

The girl gave him a Glare.

(It was a bone-chilling, spine-tingling sort of Glare, the kind of Glare most evil overlords aspire to perfect so that they might more effectively strike fear into the hearts of disobedient minions, a Glare that the tall girl executed with no visible effort involved whatsoever.)

Alex felt his courage lace up its trainers and run far, far away, over the horizon of his undersized ego. Nevertheless, he rallied sufficiently to croak out an apology. Sort of.

"... wow... you're some kind of scari- er, I mean - sorry!"


...2/3 Buneary POV. This.. will not be repeated in future posts. HAY THERE CEB *waves madly*

[Magmar]

Name: Ellen Thompson. Her middle name is "Dina", but she hates it with a passion and tells people she has no middle name.

Gender: Female.

Age: 14, born on 5 March, Pisces.

Class: Freshman.

Pokemon: A female Eevee (Mercury).

Physical Description: Ellen has the physical appearance of a girl who spends a little too much time dreaming, mainly because she can usually be spotted with her head in her hands, looking out the window. Ellen would rather be laying in a field and watching the clouds pass by than be in school, but she can't, due to her severe allergies. These are usually well-maintained and treated with allergy medication; otherwise, she would be allergic to any Pokémon with fur. Her finnicky food allergies can be a bother, but usually the cafeteria can serve up something she can eat.

Ellen stands about 5'4" and has waist-length, light blonde hair and deep, sea-green eyes. Ellen's face resembles her mother's, which is rare in her family. She has five younger sisters; all look like her late grandmother, whom her mother seems to idolize. As such, Ellen often feels like she won't measure up, so she would rather dream of an alternate reality where such things as personal appearance wouldn't exist.

Ellen is slim but not scrawny, with average curves for a 14-year-old. Her skin is white but not pale, and you can detect just a hint of freckles on her arms and face. She usually dresses preppy with her own twist; as such, classmates generally like her style, seeing it as more unique than bizarre.

Personality: Outside of class lecture, Ellen is outgoing. She genuinely adores people and Pokémon. She tends to be popular wherever she goes. Ellen is rarely seen without a smile, except for when she overreacts emotionally to scolding from a teacher. Ellen will battle with her Eevee, but prefers not to fight unless it's for training purposes. She would rather breed Pokémon. Ellen also loves to cook.

Ellen's eyes hold a deep secret.

Ellen's distaste for battling stems from her own securities; despite being pretty enough to not get snide remarks from cliquey girls (which she tends to be a part of, anyway, although she usually avoids gossiping), she's not very graceful. She has frequent mishaps where she may, say, trip on a shoe. It's assumed that she can't walk and chew gum at the same time, but she insists she can, and often proves it just to shut people up.

Ellen's favorite subject is art and physical science; her least favorite subject is history.

History: For the first ten years of her education, Ellen went to Twelfth Street Elementary School, which is a school for pre-school through eighth grade. She did very well there, probably due to the hands-on approach the educators had for their curriculum. Ellen graduated with honors in Art, Science and Modern Languages. She played volleyball and basketball, and would like to continue playing sports if possible. (She wasn't an all-star athlete; she did moderately well, though.)

Relationships: Ellen doesn't know anyone at the school yet, a situation many freshmen find themselves in.

Her father wasn't a famous Gym Leader or Pokémon Master. He owns the grocery store in Middlebury, Ellen's hometown. Her mother works as a nurse at Suffolk County Hospital. Ellen worked at a nursing home starting in March and over the summer to make some money, as she came of age to work during Grade 8. Her family is well-off; the money is hers to take to school. She is not snobby, though. She's generally modest about her financial status.

Other: There is a secret behind her eyes being deep sea-green. She doesn't know it yet; her family doesn't know it, either.

Ellen Thompson

Freshman, Aquaria

...I'm not a popsicle, I won't melt away...

Ellen had picked her clothes out very carefully that morning. Several t-shirts and pairs of jeans had been cycled through before she found the outfit that seemed to fit her body just right: a pink tube top and a pair of jean shorts, with her favorite pair of Vans skate shoes. Ellen had carefully straightened her hair, applied just a dash of make-up, and said goodbye to her hometown of Middlebury for only the second time of her life.

Approaching the glamorous gates of Lapras Valley High School, Ellen was shocked at just how many people there were around her. Coming from a no-name town in the middle of a rural county with regional schools, Ellen was so used to the comfort of small that it was to be an adjustment to get used to something quite so big.

She knew nothing about this academy. All she knew was that in January, she and her Eevee, Mercury, had rescued a gentleman from a Team Rocket burglary and that her team had performed "the best Take Down technique that he had ever seen" and that he was a professor at this school, named Professor Herring.

The professor was young, looked to be about 23, and very good-looking. Ellen was hooked on the man for a while, but after meeting Troy, a boy in the 11th grade, she fell for him instead. That relationship collapsed, however, and Ellen swore she would never date a boy much older than her again.

Ellen approached the main gate, several bags on her shoulders and pulling two trunks behind her, one with each hand. She looked buried in all the stuff she was bringing with her, but freshmen had such a large supply and book list, and she didn't have a dormitory to leave everything behind yet.

The security guards and the two Pokémon at the gates eyed her with a bit of a humored look about them. Their serious faces seemed to loosen at the sight of a normal-looking young girl. "Ahoy there, young lass! How much stuff did'ya bring with 'ya?"

Ellen turned a little pink. "I'm a freshman, sir!" she retorted. "My supply list is a lot longer than the others'!"

The other security guard rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but did you really need that much stuff..."

"Yes, I do," said Ellen. "Now can I please enter the school?"

"Sure, just let me see your acceptance letter," replied the security guard. Ellen threw down one of her huge bags and produced it from her bag. Ellen rarely used "purses"; she usually carried one of those bags you toss over your shoulder, big enough to put a few books in. This particular bag had a couple cute pins on it; they were bought at a concert for her favorite band, "Zolof".

The officer spoke. "Everything seems to be in order, Ellen. Just take a name tag as you enter the building and report to the assembly hall, where you'll receive your dormitory assignment. You can leave your bags at the gate, and the Machokes will bring them up to your room."

Ellen nodded and entered, feeling a little nervous about her new school once again. It was once she heard the gates slam behind her that she finally realized what a beautiful place she was in.

Taking in all of the sights, the green, blue and rainbows of flowers, she called out Mercury.

"Eeeeui!" Mercury chirped as he leaped from the Poké-Ball on her waist. He began to frolic in the flowers, chirping and laughing in his own language. Ellen smiled.

"Time to go, Mercury! Let's go find our room!" she cried, recalling Mercury into his Poké-Ball. Ellen then entered the building, once more taking in the sights and feeling somewhat at home. She dropped her bags off and entered the clearly-labeled assembly hall and taking a seat in the second row. Looking around, she saw several freshmen, but didn't recognize any of them from her hometown.

"I wonder if they'll introduce us all, or if the professors will be cold..." she said quietly, rubbing her hand on Eevee's Poké-Ball and feeling the comfort of the warmth and heartbeat of her Pokémon.

[Crystal Tears]

Joey Ip
Everybody wants me to be their angel
Everybody wants something they can cradle
They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn
They don't know I burn


~.* ARRIVAL *.~

Joey looked quietly at the papers and other such nonsense in her hands. She had intently listened to everything that introduction woman had to say and then had even thought on it, yet she couldn’t find it in her to really care. It was a bad habit, most would say, not to give a damn about school, and Joey Ip was infamous for it. To say the girl hated school was an understatement, and the fact her ‘parents’ had sent her here to live on campus, made her all the more bitter towards the idea.

On the outside though, Joey was all smiles, she said hi to a few of the other students who were amused by her sheer lack of height, and her upbeat nature. She knew they were looking down on her; everyone did, whether it was figuratively or literally. Someone had always looked down on her, and it was a bit annoying at times. She wasn’t going to let it get to her this time around; she was safe in her dorm, which had found in a tower void of all signs of life.

The head of this particular tower was a nice enough lady, though Joey hadn’t been paying attention. She had been thinking of various things, and after checking that her things were in order, and signed off the check form. The woman had then left the little girl well enough alone, and Joey preferred it that way, she had a major problem with authority.

“Quite nice in here.” The new student mused, lying on her bed comfortably. “What need do I have to go any where else?”

As if on cue, Joey’s pokéball wobbled for a moment before becoming dormant again.

“Right…”

~.* FOREST *.~

Joey admitted mentally that this forest was probably a lot larger because she was so entirely short. She realized then her height didn’t bother her… Hell, it amused her. Everything seemed like such a challenge; such an adventure, why not enjoy it? She probably wasn’t going to get much bigger. She was doomed to a life of walking amongst giants. If anything people assumed that she would grow to five feet straight on the dot and that would be it, no taller. At least then she might be considered somewhat normal. People often took her for being a child, yet when they realized how smart and how *rude* she could be, they seemed to take it back almost immediately, accepting her for her age. However, her age was not the issue, the forest was. A vast expanse of wood and wilderness: something to be enjoyed and remembered for all time. Yes! This was brilliant; this was it!

… That log is HUGE.

Joey gawked; the thing blocked her path, and easily made her feel incapable of exploring this forest. She growled, her hands reaching up and grasping the highest point on the log she could manage. Her fingers found a crack, allowing her arms to heave herself up so she looked like a cat clambering awkwardly up a tree. She repeated this procedure, lifting herself higher up the grotesquely large log before reaching the top. She sat there for a moment, spying her surroundings with curiosity.

“Take that!” She slammed her open palm onto the bark of the fallen tree. “In your face giant tree, you can’t stop this shorty.”

She wondered why this tree had fallen over, it was much larger then the one’s standing around it, and giving the decay on it, hadn’t been a log for long. Lying back on the log with a content smirk on her face.

‘Zzzzzzzz’

Joey cracked open one eyeball, and looked to her left, a single bug buzzed next to her, gazing at her with emotionless eyes. Holding herself together, Joey sat up and crouched on the log, looking at it curiously.

“Well hi.”

The Beedrill did not seem pleasant; it launched itself at Joey, its twin needles brought forward in an aggressive manner. Joey let out a small yelp of surprise and leapt clear off the log, flying through the air to hit the ground and roll through the bush before coming to a complete halt behind a tree. Joey gulped, peering around the corner to see the utterly confused Beedrill flying around in circles trying to find the teenager who had stumped it. She snickered, inching around the tree and tiptoeing away.

She was nearly at the far end of the log when the bug finally turned around and let out a sound that could only signify it was angry. It swooped at her, and Joey was forced to roll out of the way.

“Alrighty; fine.” The adventurer growled, taking the ball from her pocket and tossing it into the air. “You ask for it!”

The beam of light imitated from the pokéball fizzled and formed into a reptilian shape. The creature was almost as tall as Joey, but looked for more intimidating then she ever would. Its skin was as black as the night, with a wicked flame that lit as soon as the monster’s eyes opened. It looked at the distraught Joey for a moment before turning its fiery glare back at the Beedrill who had backed away several feet.

“Char!” Charmeleon hissed, the flame on its tail growing larger as it opened its mouth and expelled a stream of flames at the bug type, scorching the flyer’s entire left side.

Joey looked at Artanis with pride, he was a powerful Pokemon. He had come along way from a small baby Charmander with an odd coloration. He stood there, holding his ground while the Beedrill struggled on the ground, unable to fly due to a completely charred wing. Quickly getting to her feet, Joey grinned evilly at the defenseless bug.

“Artanis, finish it.”

Charmeleon had a similar wicked smile on his face as small embers began to escape from his nearly closed jaw. Artanis then expelled everything; the flames flew from his mouth directly on Beedrill, the bug type let out something of a mangled cry before finally giving into the flames. Joey grinned, seeing the bug type defeated on the ground means that neither she nor Artanis had lost their touch.

But the buzzing, what was supposed to stop with one, came again. Louder, stronger, a sheer increase in numbers no doubt. Joey looked at Artanis who tilted his head in return; she gulped and clambered back on top of the log.

“Uh… oh….”

Joey assumed there were hundreds, possible one thousand Beedrill streaming through the thicket, enraged by the call they had heard from their companion. She knew she was one to exaggerate, but that was still a lot of bugs. With a gulp she looked at Artanis.

“A smoke screen if you don’t mind.”

Thick, black smoke poured from Charmeleon, who was quickly returned into his pokéball as Joey leapt off the log took shelter in the darkness. She covered her head with her hands and stayed pressed up against the log as the buzzing and possibly twenty Beedrill zoomed over her head. They blew away the smoke as they passed, yet none stayed behind to even see if the culprit behind their fellow bug’s attack was still around. Not that Joey was complaining, she climbed up the side of the log again and watched as the bug’s zoomed off.

She sighed in relief and began to head back the way she came. Content with the idea she defeated one Beedrill and evaded about a thousand others. She scurried off, evading detection for anything else in that place.

~.* SCHOOL GROUNDS // NEAR TOWERS*.~

“La, la la la laaa.” Joey sang quietly to herself, attempting to amuse herself as she passed a couple of students. She noted how many already seemed to have made friends, yet Joey had not made any. Odd, Joey was usually quite a popular kid, so it was unacceptable that she was going to be a loner at this place, especially if she was stuck here.

Joey watched, and there was someone like her, with no friends apparently. He looked strange, with a black shirt, a pink jacket. The teenager crossed her arms and approached him, with a friendly smile on her face; she poked him, causing the pink wearing man to turn around.

He was a good foot taller then her, plus a couple of inches probably. He looked down at her, curiosity in his eyes.

“Well hi!” Joey grinned, “I’m Joey, who are you?”

~.* END POST *.~

*tosses slinky at Mystic_Clown* Tag!

[pokemon4eva]

Name: Jimmy Skulls/Tale Regan
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Class: Sophomore
Pokemon: Cubone M (Mr. Skull)
Physical Description: At 6'7", and 145lbs, Jimmy Skulls/Tale Regan is big for a sophomore. Jimmy's/Tale's hair is rose blond and is loose. He normally wears a black leather jacket, red t-shirt, black chino(fancy suit pants) pants, and black canvas sneaks. Jimmy/Tale also his an old silver skull ring that's a family heirloom. Jimmy's/Tale's body is tanned and he's fairly ripped. Jimmy/Tale sports a pokeball painted fully white. Jimmy's/Tale's eyes are also different colored his left is red while his right is blue.
Personality: Jimmy/Tale has a split personality when he's happy and cheerful he likes to be called Tale Regan who acts pacifistic, but when he looks angry he only wants to be called Jimmy who is dangerous. In battle you cant tell the difference.
History: Seems to change school annually usually for the reason, "Physical attack of another student." Otherwise he is as mysterious as the dark side of the moon.
Relationships: Himself... sometimes others.
Other:

Jimmy Skulls/Tale Regan
I'm just your regular physcopath


Jimmy takes a glace around to admire the beauty around him. "Disgusting, vile place," Jimmy snickered. He then noticed a man standing at the gates of Lapras Vally High.

"Can I help you?" The man asked nicely.

"I Have a feeling that you cannot." Jimmy said without ever looking at the man.

"May I see your ID and Letter please?" The man asked.

"I guess if it can get you to shut up....... what, where am I?" Jimmy started but Tale finished.

"Uhhhh your at the gates of Lapras Vally High, and your ID and letter check out so your free to enter." The man stated.

"Ok thanks Ill see you around sir," Tale said walking past the Alakazam and Gengar. 'Man Jimmy just wont stop, he's making me look like a punk.' Tale thought staring at the ground and then it happened.... he hit the door...

"Are you ok sir?" a nice woman with a name tag reading Martha Banks asked.

"It's just my head Miss Banks," Tale said.

"Ok then your name?"

"Its under Jimmy Skulls."

"You don't seem like that monster named Jimmy Skulls I've heard about, you were so polite earlier."

"Sadly thats me and may I please have a map or somthing?"

"Oh! I almost forgot here you go."

"Thanks Miss Banks," Tale said. 'So I'm in Solaria room 23 and... thats alot of green.' Tale thought. "Mr Skull up and attem boy.

"Bone, bone bone," The skull faced creture said.

"So you think we'll last long here?" Tale asked.

"Booooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnneeeee," Mr. Skulls says using fake tears.

"Aaaawwww dont cry little guy," Tale says. 'Or I'll beat the living snot outta ya' a voice from Tale's head says, 'Oh and look at that guy behind us.'

--------------------------------------
Tag Blademaster.

[Drusilla]

Uhm... OK now, there are a few problems with your post. One is the lack of details that I requested. One falls under the category of "grammatical massacre". Then there's the problem that you seem to have ignored... *checks* at least two posts that make note of where Blademaster's character is. It's critical to an RPG that you know where and when every one is, and you seemed to have missed that. I'm willing to work with you, but I have to have something to work with first.

If you have a problem with this, you can take it up with the mods, but this is where I stand. Improve or remove.

[Drusilla]

*blows whistle* Before that takes off much farther, I want everyone else to catch up. Feel free to keep posting, but I'm writing the headmaster's address still. Keep up the great work, people, I love it so far.

If any of you are on MSN, please feel free to join our little chats. My handle is wednesdaygirl13@hotmail.com. I'm currently not using any other IM program because this computer just plain sucks. Any questions may be directed to me there, in the lounge topic, or via PM.

Cheers.

[Blademaster]

OK, Dru, I promised you two posts by tomorrow - I don't wanna have to play catch-up, so heeeeeeere's #2!

----------------------------------------------

Ivan

As Ivan exited the dorm building, he quickly caught notice of the rush of students rapidly coming his way, spreading out as they saught their separate dorms.

The tall senior scowled - he loathed crowds.

Quick as a flash (Or in his case, a shadow perhaps.), he made his way off the beaten path and hid behind a tree, not wanting to be annoyed by anyone while he considered what to do to occupy himself until the new student rush died down.

'Ivan...'

The tall, gothic student perked his head up at the sound of a deep voice - a voice that sounded like a conglomeration of dozens of voices all speaking simultaneously.

That wasn't the odd part, though - the odd part was that the voice was coming from inside Ivan's mind.

'What is it, Zandios?' Ivan mentally responded to the voice. It belonged to his Pokemon - the one creature in the world Ivan truly considered to be a friend.

'Ivan, you seek refuge from the arriving students, do you not?'

'Yes. And I can deduce that you've been perusing through my thoughts again if you know that.'

'Oh, calm yourself, Ivan - it's not as though your mind is a library of secrets. Huh huh huh huh huh huh...'

Ivan narrowed his eyes.

'Do you have any idea of where I can keep myself occupied while waiting for the rush to end or not?' he mentally snapped.

'Tsk tsk tsk... Impatient as always, are you?' his Pokemon chided him. 'Try looking straight ahead of you, my oh-so-intelligent master...'

'I am not your master.' Ivan thought, his tone suddenly different. 'You should know that, Zandios... We have been over this so many times before...'

A sigh echoed in Ivan's mind.

'I'm sorry, Ivan...' the voice said, its masculine tone a bit more somber than it had first been. 'You're correct... At any rate, the forest will more than likely be empty. We can train there for a while until the commotion settles down here.'

Ivan nodded and pushed himself up and off the tree trunk.

'Very well.' was his only reply as he walked off, leaving through the side gate that led out into the forest.

Once off the school grounds, Ivan quickly made his way through the labyrinth of trees, eventually finding himself in a small clearing.

His own private training ground...

Ivan reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a Dusk Ball, expanding it in his hand and then pressing the button on its front.

'Zandios, come forth.' he thought.

The ball split open, and a flash of white light surrounded by a faint black aura emerged, warping and taking form on the ground before Ivan before finally settling in the shape of... a rock. A rock with two small pits on either side of a crack that gave the stone the appearance of a frowning face.

But then, an eerie purple mist began to issue from the crack, spiraling outward and upward from the keystone, until it took on a solid-looking, five-sided and five-pronged shape, a quintet of dreary green spheres spiraling around its interior edges. At the bizarre entity's core was an eerie face like that of a jack-o-lantern, with a fang-lined mouth and two wicked eyes, all the same color as the orbs spinning about the creature's being. One of the eyes was slightly larger than the other, and had a black spiral at its center.

"Sssspiritomb..." the creature hissed in that same echoing voice.

Ivan pocketed the Pokeball, then reached for a small round rock on the ground and lifted it up.

As he expected, Ivan found a small hole beneath the stone, hidden in which was a short wooden handle. He grabbed it and pulled it out with a quick, fluid motion.

Attacked to the handle was a thin 'blade' of wood Ivan himself had carved, a good meter in length and almost perfectly straight. Campus rules forbade weapons on campus, but a stick was easily disposed of, and easy to find...

The Pokemon and Trainer nodded to one another, and began their training: Zandios began practicing his attack arsenal, while Ivan began to swing and parry with his makeshift sword like a Samurai warrior.

----------------------------------------

A short while later, the duo were each practicing their own combinations of attacks, when a commotion from further in the forest caught their ears. They couldn't immeditaely identify the noise, but it sounded to be drawing nearer and nearer to the duo...

'Zandios, prepare yourself.' Ivan thought, assuming a fighting stance.

The Spiritomb nodded and drifted beside his Trainer, his eyes ablaze and ready to glare death at the closest possible threat.

The noise - a buzzing, it sounded like - seemed to grow louder and louder...

And then, just like that, it was over. The buzzing faded into the distance behind the duo.

The pair remained stoic and positioned for a few seconds, before Zandios relaxed and Ivan 'sheathed' his wooden sword, replacing the rock over it.

'Perhaps we can accomplish more than just simple solo training if the wild Pokemon here are-'

Ivan's thoughts were cut off by a scream from somewhere in the direction the buzzing had come from; immediately afterwards, several streams of flame whizzed through the air, just high enough over the trees to see.

'Ivan,' Zandios' voice alerted his Trainer, 'it sounds as though someone is in danger. We should go and help them!'

Ivan didn't particularly like this idea, but he didn't want to argue with Zandios, nor did he want for someone to have gotten hurt (or worse) in part due to his own negligence.

'Alright,' Ivan responded, nodding to his Spiritomb, 'you phase through the trees and use whatever attack you deem fitting to help whoever was screaming just now.'

Zandios gave a faint nod before turning semi-transparent - stone and all - and zooming through the trees, with Ivan chasing close behind, bobbing and weaving through the dense forest like a wild cat.

Seconds later, Zandios came upon the source of all the noise: A young woman (who looked, in Zandios' opinion, like the daughter of Hellraiser's Pinhead) and her Flareon, who were trying to ward off a swarm of at least two dozen frustrated Beedrill.

'Beedrill...' Zandios mused. 'Bug and Poison hybrids... This shouldn't be difficult...'

Zandios' eyes glowed an eerie pink, as did every single Beedrill in sight; they all turned to the Spiritomb, as did the girl and her Flareon...

And then, in a vicious display of mental mastery, Zandios' Psychic energy struck; every last Beedrill began to zip about in wild circles, slamming into and stinging each other at random. Strained buzzes and cries filled the air as the Beedrill were hurled about mercilessly, involuntarily tearing each other apart. Shreds of wings, broken stingers, and snapped antennae soon littered the ground before finally Zandios let his grip of the Poison Bees go; they all dropped like stones, then scrambled, flying, crawling, and limping back into the forest from whence they came.

Not too far away, Ivan burst through the trees, behind the girl and her Flareon, who were both fixed on Zandios. He glared in the direction the Beedrill had fled; once he was sure they were gone, he turned and smiled his jagged smile at the girl.

"What the...?" she mumbled, apparently shocked. "A Spiritomb? Here? In daylight?"

"Not the most grateful or wise of people, I see..." Ivan said.

She didn't seem to hear him, but her Flareon did; the dog-like Pokemon's growls alerted her Trainer, who quickly got up and turned to face Ivan. Her Flareon growled at him, until Zandios drifted over both her head and that of her Trainer and alighted in mid-air beside Ivan.

"Is that your Spiritomb...?" she asked. "If it is, you just helped us out majorly." She offered a smile and a handshake. "Thank you... I'm Dru Pyronson, by the way, and this little lady is Torch."

"Flare!" her Flareon barked.

Ivan looked down at her hand, which she held out for a few seconds before awkwardly pulling back. He then looked at her face - she almost seemed to flinch from his icy, steely glare.

"Um... Do you... have a name?" Dru asked.

Again, no response.

"Um... Do you speak English?"

Ivan ignored her questions, replying rather snidely instead:

"It is unwise for one as unprepared as yourself to enter this forest alone. And I am being generous by saying 'unwise' - in perfect honesty, what you did was downright foolish..."

The girl's smile faded.

"I can see that now. There's no need to be rude about it." she replied.

"I wasn't being rude." he replied coolly. "I was stating a fact. Coming into this forest unprepared and by one's self is dangerous at best."

Dru blinked.

"And... at worst?" she asked.

Ivan's eyes seemed to become even colder.

"...Certain death." he said.

Dru blinked again, not entirely sure whether to believe him or not, though she doubted that he was lying...

"Um... OK..." she said slowly. "Well, thanks to you and your Spiritomb-"

"His name is Zandios." Ivan interrupted.

"Spirit..." the ghoulish creature replied with a nod.

"OK... Thanks to you and Zandios for the help, then." Dru finished, a bit annoyed at being interrupted.

"Don't thank me." Ivan replied in an icy voice. "I saw a situation where I was needed, and I reacted in the manner that any creature with an iota of decency would."

With that, Ivan turned and began to walk back towards the campus grounds, Zandios following close behind him.

"If you truly wish to thank me," he responded over his shoulder, "then I suggest you leave this forest immediately: If you find yourself in another dangerous predicament, I won't be here to rescue you again..."

And without another word, he was gone.

--------------------------------------------

OK... Finally done here.

Next.

[Heald]

Name: Tad Jonas (sometimes known as TJ)
Gender: Male
Age: 16
Class: Junior
Pokemon: Golduck (M) - Kage
Physical Description: He stands at six feet, with an athletic physique. He has medium-length blonde hair, either scruffy or gelled into wild, elaborate spikes. He has large, bright ice blue eyes and usually seen with a grin or a smirk on his face. He usually wears loud Hawaiian or Caribbean-style shirts with swimming shorts and flip-flops, although he tends to wear baggy green cargo pants and black trainers in cold weather. Usually carries a small red bag over one shoulder with his kit inside.
Personality: Wild, loud and cocky, he loves to be the showman and loves nothing more than praise and an audience. He has a habit of annoying or teasing others just for fun. Some mistake this as bullying, but he only intends harmless teasing. As such, he sometimes earns the ire of other students. He is a fierce battler, but he is normally lazy and laid-back. This is not to say he isn't athletic, but he feels that if something doesn't need to be done, it can wait until later.
History: Hailing from Pacifidlog Town, the young TJ bonded with the tame Pokemon that lived around the town well, leading to him becoming an adept fisherman by the time he was 8. By 10, he was a great swimmer and rescued a lost Psyduck in the nearby waters. The Psyduck felt he owed a life-debt to TJ and followed him around, leading to him eventually being trained by TJ. When he was 14, while swimming TJ was attacked by a school of wild Carvanha, leading to Psyduck to evolve to Golduck to protect his master. Since then TJ has become an accomplished surfer and windsurfer, even making it to the Sky Tower, an island usually reserved for Pokemon champions, although the retinue of strong Pokemon there soon repelled him and his Pokemon. TJ has made it one of his life ambitions to conquer the Sky Tower.
Relationships: He is a bit of a lady's man and is known to have had on and off relationships with girls his age, and will probably run into old flames at the school.
Other: An accomplished surfer and fisher

---

*~* Tad Jonas *~*

On the road again...

Tad had decided to take a little break. He was not familiar with the Kanto region, or in fact with most terrestrial geography, him being a lifetime resident of the largely artificial Pacifidlog Town. Seas and oceans were more his style. He looked at the map sent to him by the school via Pelipper a few weeks ago, and it appeared he had taken the right directions. He had come in from the South into Vermillion Port, and then proceeded to walk up to Cerulean. Having reached Cerulean, he proceeded to take the road up towards the coast, up to where the school was meant to be. He heard the characteristic yawn of his Golduck, Kage, and he turned and looked at the Golduck. It had been a while since they had seen a large water-mass, and although Kage didn't mind walking, he prefers swimming any day of the week. Tad grinned and ruffled Kage's head.
"Come on mate! Not far now until we hit the school!" he loudly declared, gesticulating wildly in a charismatic display. Kage gave a forced smile, mostly in embarrassment of his overenthusiastic trainer. Tad's arms were getting a little tired; being poor, he couldn't afford a taxi or to send his luggage forward by post, so he had to carry his suitcase in one hand and his surfboard in the other. He put his belongings down briefly, grabbed a drink of water from his bag and then proceeded down the road.

Tad arrived at the front gates and, after being checked by security, whose Machokes took an instant dislike to the seemingly sarcastic and arrogant Kage, proceeded to registration.
"Can I see you I.D. please? ...Yes, this all seems to be in order, please wait a moment."
Tad wasn't really paying attention; he was too busy marvelling his surroundings. The hall was huge, at least, compared to anything else he had seen in his life, and the number of other young trainers here astounded him. It was quite overwhelming. He looked up and saw some signposts directing towards different classrooms and areas. He noticed one heading North reading 'Beach'. He turned back to the lady registering him.
"So, is there a good surf at the beach here?" he asked, trying to hide his hope and instead trying to sound macho. The lady smiled.
"The East side of the beach can get some pretty big waves, although you'd better be careful, there are some fairly strong rips there."
"Probably not as strong as the ones back at Pacifidlog Town!" he grinned. The lady paused, smiled and said,
"Well, don't say I didn't warn you."
Kage sighed. His arms were behind his head in a very laid-back pose. He wasn't really too interested in the other trainers or Pokemon; he'd rather go take a nap than anything else at the moment.
"Okay, you're all done! Here is your room key and temporary I.D., please deposit your luggage in your room, your domitory is in the Aquaria tower!" she beamed. Tad nodded and grabbed his effects and headed towards the dorm.

The doors were already wide open and as he walked in, he was taken aback by the colours, the architecture, and, most importantly, the pretty girls. Kage gave a sigh and growled,
"Duck, Goll...", which Tad had come to understand meant, 'Here he goes again'. Tad began looking around, trying to attract some attention by drawing attention to his surfboard, and, in turn, the bicep on which it was cradled. Unfortunately, although he noticed he was catching the eyes of some of the freshmen, he failed to notice that two Squirtle were playing in the fountain and had splashed water all over the floor. He walked straight onto the slippery part and began unexpectedly sliding, before slipping up and landing flat on his back. He cringed slightly, hearing a few giggles from nearby girls, and looked up and saw Kage looking down at him, before saying,
"Goll...", which had come to mean something along the lines of 'idiot'. He grimaced as he looked up and saw a bunch of freshmen. He grinned and put out a huge thumbs-up while grabbing his surfboard.
"Don't worry ladies, I'm alright!"
Kage rolled his eyes and sighed.

They headed up to their room and found the door was already ajar. He opened it and found he was sharing with another guy. The other guy, another Junior like Tad, introduced himself as Erik. He outstretched his hand for a handshake, but Tad, always the elaborate one, outstretched his hand into a thumbs-up and grinned.
"Tad Jonas! Pleased to meetcha!"
Erik was somewhat taken aback by this display, but both students paused as Kage entered the room, eyes closed and hands behind his head, and then proceeded to jump on the free bed that was Tad's. Erik turned back to Tad.
"So...that's your Golduck?"
"Yeah...his name is Kage. Had him since he was a Psyduck. He's a good Pokemon but...sometimes a little too laidback...he probably got that from me."
Erik's Wartortle wandered over to the bed and gave a little wave, saying,
"Tor tor?"
All three of them watched to see if Kage would do anything, but instead a huge sleep-bubble began emanating from his nose. A large sweatdrop appeared on Tad's brow.
"Heh...guess the little guy is just tired!" he grinned.

Tad began to unpack and took his surfboard out of its case to inspect. Erik noticed it and said,
"So, you surf, huh?"
Tad smiled.
"Sure! Back in Pacifidlog Town, I practised on the best waves in the whole of Hoenn!"
They looked at the clown and thought it was perhaps time to head to the assembly hall. Tad took a Pokeball out of his pocket and aimed at Kage, returning him.
"They might want us to bring our Pokemon," Tad noted. Erik nodded.

Sorry I took so long! Anyway, for those who have seen Naruto, imagine Tad's thumbs-up and grin to be like Might Guy's/Rock Lee's 'nice-guy pose'.

[Drusilla]

Dru Pyronson, 15, Sophomore, Flaria Tower
'Cause you think you're hot to trot, but you're not...

"And I wasn't alone, I had Torch with me!" I yelled at his retreating back, flushed with frustration. He ignored me, which was pretty much what I expected. It dawned on me that the sun was starting to set, so I hurried after him. Torch was giving me an 'I told you so' look, which I caught out of the corner of my eye.

"Shaddup," I grumbled.

"Eon..." She said snidely. I rolled my eyes, ignoring her otherwise.

Yeah, he could act all cool if he wanted to, but there was something in his eyes. Small, tell-tale signs of stress that had been etched there far before his time betrayed... something. Some dark secret that he was holding. Fine, he wanted to be silent and menacing, not my problem, right? I had the feeling that this was far from over, though.

I tried to move faster, but pain lanced up my right leg and I stumbled, landing on my hands and knees in the dirt of the path. I looked up; he either hadn't noticed or chose to ignore it. It was possible that he was far enough ahead that he hadn't heard... though I had a feeling his hearing was good enough to know that something had happened. Torch hovered beside me, worried.

I smiled at her. "It's nothing... just that old pain coming back again. I'll be fine..." I brushed the dirt off of my palms, noting that I was just barely bleeding, and struggled to my feet. The shadows around us were growing darker, and I really didn't want to get stuck out here alone. The pain was dull, aching, and constant. I'd have to take one of my pain pills at dinner if it didn't fade soon. Between being on my motorcycle all day and the old injury, my leg was angry and wanted me to know it. The muscles were stiff all the way down, and limited my mobility. I limped along towards the gate, and swore as I remembered that my dorm was the farthest away from where I was. Dancing around me like a worried mother, Torch kept a close eye on me as I struggled to move. I hadn't counted on my leg acting up; it had been so long since it had really been a problem like this.

Reaching the gate, I slid my temporary ID through the card reader and opened it with some difficulty. Torch bounded through the gate, heading towards a pair of students near the main building, the only two in sight. The pool was abandoned, the underwater lights coming on as I watched, along with a few ground lights around the edge of the deck. I could hear Torch barking furiously at the two that were talking, and they turned to see me limping across the grounds towards them. Instantly, they ran towards me.

"Are you all right?" The guy asked me. He seemed rather... flamboyant in my eyes, dressed in black and hot pink. The girl was short and wore a really cool outfit that, under other circumstances, I would have paid more attention to.

I nodded, Torch practically running in circles about me. "I'm fine... it's an old injury, I just need to take something for it, that's all..."

"Well, let's have a look..." the guy began. My eyes widened in horror.

"No, no, that won't be necessary," I said, a little too quickly. "It's just a muscle cramp, that's all, I'll be fine. I just need to get to my dorm."

"What dorm is that?" The girl asked, eyeing Torch. It seemed pretty obvious.

"Flaria... Tower," I gasped as another shock ran up my leg. "No no no, I'm fine, really..."

Followed by now three hovering attendants, I made my way to the school, hell-bent on making it there by my own power. I saw movement at the door; someone had been watching, but hadn't bothered to help. I flushed furiously; I wouldn't have accepted the help had they offered, but at least there were kind enough people around to care. No teachers came running out of the building, so I assumed that whomever it had been didn't go running off for medical attention. Figured.

I made it through the doors just in time for Ms. Straights to come around the corner, hand full of papers and apparently on her way to something important. She looked at me and my limping, glanced at the other two and my Pokemon, and figured out what was going on. "You'd better come with me, Miss Pyronson."

I protested, but she took my arm and draped it over her shoulder. The other two trailed after us; I glanced back, but a mixture of worry and curiosity was on both of their faces.

"What happened?" Ms. Straights asked me.

I sighed. "I was out in the forest with Torch, and we were attacked by a swarm of Beedrill-" Here, the girl following us make a choking sound "-and Torch tried to fight them off. I fell, and I think it aggravated an old injury. A Spiritomb came out of no where and chased off the Beedrill, and some guy popped up and pretty much called me stupid and irresponsible, then left. It was his Spiritomb, and they came back to the school..."

"He came back without you?" She asked, concerned.

I nodded. "Yeah, in a nutshell he said that he wasn't saving my ass again. On the way back, I fell because of the pain, but he didn't notice or something." I sniffed, angry. "Not my problem if he's an as-"

"You'll find that Ivan Faust has a rather... self-preserving attitude, I think," she interrupted. "He won't let someone die, but if he thinks you're suffering for your own mistakes, he won't intervene. He probably didn't realize that this was something unrelated to your misadventure, or that it was more severe than a simple fall. Here we are..."

She opened the door to our tower with her free hand and helped me inside. I caught a glimpse of a long, black coat disappearing around the curve of the spiral staircase. Asshole.

"Sit here, I'll go get someone-"

"No, please don't... I'll be fine, I have something that will relax the muscle. It's happened before, I don't need to raise a fuss. Really, I'll be fine."

She looked at me closely. "OK, but if it gets worse, I'm going to sic our RN on you." She glanced at her watch. "We're going to have to delay that assembly... please make sure that you're all at dinner, we have some very important information to cover that you'll need for your classes tomorrow, and everyone needs to take ID pictures. I expect all of my tower to be present." She glanced at the staircase as she said it, then turned and left the tower.

I looked at the other two who were standing there, silently. "Look, thanks for the concern, but I really-" I began.

"Hey, it's my tower too, I didn't want to start things off badly," the girl said. "I'm Joey, by the way... I guess we're kinda roommates or something." She grinned at me.

"And I," the guy said, drawing my attention to him. "Am Lumaria Tansmern, but I live in Solaria Tower."

I guessed I was supposed to tell them my name, but with the ache in my leg, I didn't really feel up to the whole meet and greet business. "I'm Dru Pyronson..." I grimaced. "And I'm in a lot of pain right now. If you'll excuse me?"

I didn't wait for a reply, but made my way towards the stairs, took a deep breath, and climbed them to the second floor, glad that my room was the first off of the stairway on the left. I unlocked the door, let Torch in behind me, and closed it. I didn't so much sit as collapse on the bed and dug through the pockets of my riding jacket until I found the bottle I was looking for. I slipped it into my jeans pocket and glanced at the clock on the desk.

"Five until dinner, Torch... let's go." I hauled myself off of the bed, closed the door behind me, and made my way down the stairs, slowly. Joey and Lumaria were still down there, talking, but fell silent as I came down. I tried to smile, but didn't really pull it off.

"Well... it's almost dinner time... I'm going to make my way down there. Feel free to join me... I'm just starving, I haven't eaten since I left home at dawn." I turned without another word and began to make my way, slowly and painfully, towards the cafeteria.

[Magmar]

It should be noted that the assembly that Ryan and Ellen are attending is a freshman orientation, not the official welcome address that Dru is making up ^_^ Also I added a bit with Ellen *not* ignoring Ryan in the first part!

Ellen Thompson, 14, Aquaria
I'm blue, da-ba-dee da-ba-di...

Gradually the auditorium filled up until the marked-off section was completely filled, and Ellen was sitting nervously between two other freshmen, who were both also smiling sheepishly and taking in their surroundings.

The girl to Ellen's left was about three inches taller than her, wearing a navy blue t-shirt decorated with a Marshmellow Pidgeys slogan. Ellen thought she seemed friendly; her wavy brown hair seemed to indicate an air of natural upbringing. To Ellen's right sat a heavier girl about her height, wearing a pink name-brand sweatshirt and tight blue jeans. Beneath her beautiful brown skin, her eyes shone with a sort of passion for life; she seemed extremely excited to be there. Both had a single Poké-Ball attached to their waist.

Ellen turned to the girl to her left. "So are you excited to be here?" she asked a little nervously. Ellen never had much trouble making new friends; however, breaking the ice was always the most awkward part for her.

The girl smiled a bit more casually, allowing her brown eyes to fall upon Ellen's face. "Yeah, I'm really excited! I came all the way from Cinnabar Island for this!" she said. "My name is Marissa Keegan!"

"I'm Ellen Thompson," replied Ellen with a smile, shaking her hand lightly. "I come from a small town near the Indigo Plateau, named Middlebury."

"Excuse me, did you just say Middlebury?" said the girl to the right. "I have cousins who live there; do you know Eric and Jacob Merris?"

"My sister's friends with Eric," replied Ellen. "It's nice to meet you, by the way! I'm Ellen."

She smiled back at Ellen. "I'm Courtney Summers, from Pallet Town," she said. "It's very nice to meet you. Oh I wonder when this meeting will start."

"Yeah, it feels like we've been waiting all day," said Marissa. "Well I'm sure it will start soon. So what Pokémon do you have, Courtney? Oh, I'm Marissa, by the way."

"I'm Courtney," said Courtney. "My Pokémon is a Vulpix."

Ellen gasped. "Really? I love those! What's his or her name?"

"Her name is Glenda," said Courtney. "How about you, what kind of Pokémon do you have?"

"I have an Eevee named Mercury," said Ellen.

Marissa's eyes opened wide. "I've always wanted an Eevee!" she squealed. "All I've got is this stupid Exeggcute."

"What'd you name it?" asked Courtney.

Marissa shrugged. "It's named O'waimi."

"Sounds exotic!" said Courtney. "What made you think of the name?"

Ellen couldn't help but stifle a laugh. "Did you say your Pokémon's named Oh-why-me?"

Marissa slowly nodded her head. "My father asked me what I wanted to name this stupid, useless, lazy thing, and I just looked at it and said, 'Oh, why me!' No, I'm not spoiled--" she quickly said, waving her hands in the air. "--I just really wanted a Meowth or a Skitty or something like that. Instead, I got... ugh."

Ellen then turned and noticed a boy with heavier stature and an older look to his face sitting next to Marissa. She smiled at him; he had a cute face. "Are you a freshman, too?" she asked, smiling. Marissa also turned to face him. Courtney, however, was talking to the girl next to her.

"I'm actually a sophomore," he said. "I saw on the schedule that they're divvying up the freshmen first! Also, it says here that they're having an official welcome reception later on at dinner, so I don't see the point..."

"My name's Ellen!" said Ellen with a smile. The boy seemed to be a bit sarcastic; she likes sarcasm. "Ellen Thompson, from Middlebury. You've never heard of it," she added.

"Nope! You win, points to you!" said the boy. "My name is Ryan Craig and I'm in Solaria. They've already given me my room. Only freshmen are really required to sit through this initial orientation, but all students are welcome, it said. What's your name?" he said, turning to Marissa.

Marissa smiled. "I'm Marissa Keegan! I'm not sure what Solaria means, by the way..."

"You--" Ryan started; ending that thought was a brief dimming of lights and a round of applause from the audience. An older gentleman, wearing brown corduroy pants and a button-up shirt with a very well-chosen ebony tie approached the podium. Glasses sat upon his balding head; he resembled a kindly elementary school teacher. As the clamor died down, he began to speak.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen!"

"Good afternoon," replied the freshmen.

The man picked up the microphone. "My name is Professor Jeremy Stevens, and I am headmaster of this school. I would like to welcome each and every one of you to the Lapras Valley High School Freshman Orientation. We are the first accredited Pokémon Training secondary school in this region.

"Of course, many of you are wondering where your rooms are and when term begins. Term will begin tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. Athletics and other extracurricular activities will commence during the second week of school; tryouts will be held this week. Anyone who expressed interest in extracurriculars has these noted on their schedule.

"This term, you will be studying core subjects of Language, Science, Geography and Mathematics. Also, you will be studying Defensive, Offensive, Wild and Official Battle Strategies. As freshmen, you are required to meet with your adviser once a month to receive academic progress reports and to help you prepare for tests at the end-of-term. Students who do extraordinarily poorly on these examinations may not be allowed to enter their sophomore year.

"We expect compliance to our rules and expect punctuality. Vandalism, racism, any acts of intolerance are not allowed here. A full list of rules will be reviewed when you meet your Tower adviser.

"Now, many of you are currently more pressed about your housing situation, class schedules, and meeting your suitemates than you are in hearing me talk." A few students chuckled. "Now that check-in is over, I am going to introduce you to a few familiar faces, who will be calling the roster as to who will be residing in their Towers. Please grant a round of applause to Professors Paul Darrens, Tiffany Straights, Fredrick Schroeder and Martha Banks."

The students clapped politely as the four professors stepped onto the stage, each holding a stack of papers in one hand. It was the stout, kind-faced woman with dark hair that spoke first.

"Welcome to the Lapras Valley High School!" she said proudly. "My name is Professor Straights, and I will be taking under my responsibility about a quarter of you, into the Tower of Flaria. The Tower of Flaria expects certain things from its students, like the other Towers."

Professor Straights pointed to the backdrop behind the podium. It was laced with a curtain with a Poké-Ball in the center, surrounded by loops decorated with a menagerie of colors. In each quadrant, there was a dominant color; but all were intertwined with the shining strings of thread. "The Flag of Four Corners has a special piece for each of the Towers," she said. "The Red Quadrant shines proudly with the passion of the element of Fire. Without all four elements, this alchemy couldn't exist. Now, I'm going to call the names of those I have selected, based on your survey results."

Ellen remembered the survey they were required to submit with their application. The survey was arduous and asked a great many personal questions. Professor Straights called out a bunch of names, and the students chosen stood up and approached the stage. One of the last names she called was Courtney's.

"Good luck, Courtney!" said Marissa. Ellen gave her a nod and a smile. She also wished Courtney good luck.

"Thanks, girls! See you in class!" she said with a smile as she approached the stage. Professor Straights led those students behind stage, presumably to the Tower of Flaria to receive their dormitory assignments and schedules.

Everyone waited silently as the last of the freshmen was taken behind the curtain. The next professor to approach the podium was a tall, handsome man with a lanky stature--roughly the build of a basketball player or martial artist, slim but not scrawny. He had milk chocolate hair and didn't look much older than some of the older students Ellen had seen scurrying back and forth.

"Welcome to the Lapras Valley High School!" he said with a grin. "You are the first class that will sit all four years through this education endeavor. My name is Professor Schroeder and I am the head of the Tower of Aquaria."

The crowd gave him light applause. "The Tower of Aquaria represents the elements of Water and Ice in all its forms, from steamy fog to rolling springs; to frigid oceans to the frozen glaciers. We are represented by the Blue Quadrant on the Flag. After carefully reviewing your survey results, the following students are admitted to Aquaria Tower..."

Ellen listened patiently to the list of names that were selected. Among them was Marissa Keegan. Ellen wished her good luck, then sat patiently, waiting to see if her name would be called. Finally, "Thompson, Ellen" was called to the stage.

Ryan's face looked slightly disappointed that both of his new friends were chosen into a different tower than he; however, he still smiled at Ellen and wished her good luck.

Ellen, slightly nervous and giving Ryan a goodbye glance, walked towards the stage and towards Marissa Keegan. "Hey, we got the same dorm!" whispered Marissa. "Maybe our rooms will be next to each other!"

"Students selected to Aquaria Tower are to follow Professor Schroeder to their dormitories," said the headmaster. Ellen and Marissa followed, walking in the middle of the queue. On the way, they passed the yellow, gaudily-decorated Tower of Joltaria; Ellen hoped that their tower wouldn't blind her with overexaggerated decor.

The group turned around one more hallway, and found themselves facing a beautifully painted, rounded wall. All sorts of marine life were painted on the wall; Ellen and Marissa whispered excitedly to each other about how beautiful it was. Professor Schroeder walked in front of the plain, wooden door that was centered on the wall.

"There is a key required to open this door," said Professor Schroeder. "All of you will receive a key to your suite, a key to your room, and a copy of this key. You are not to loan those keys under severe penalties, including the potential loss of your privilege to live on-campus. Several Psychic Pokémon have been hired by the school to use the Future Sight technique amongst other minor psychic enchantments on the foor doors to the different towers; anyone who tries to enter without being the rightful owner of a key will be blasted with a powerful psychic attack that no Pokémon can resist."

Marissa leaned over to Ellen and whispered, "That sounds scary!" Ellen nodded in agreement. She felt, in the pit of her stomach, a twinge of pity for the poor soul that steals a key from a member of the Tower of Aquaria.

Professor Schroeder twisted a key in the doorknob, and the door clicked open. A white glow eminated from the room, the glow of sunlight. The students followed him eagerly into the first floor lounge, where there was a laundry room, kitchen and a few couches for lounging around. Professor Schroeder directed all the students to sit on or nearby one of the couches.

Ellen and Marissa, being near the front of the queue, were able to sit on one of the couches. Ellen looked around the open room and realized there wasn't all that much to it, besides a television and the various other niceties like the elaborate kitchen. The decor was very plain, with white walls and a plain white ceiling. The floor was tiled, primarily in an ecru shade with occasional sea-green and deep blue tiles in an eternal pattern.

"Welcome to Aquaria," said Professor Schroeder; the low murmur in the room was immediately silenced. "I am your Tower Dean and am your academic adviser. I also am a substitute teacher in the school and teach academics, and will coach of the school swimming team if interest is high. My office is located in room number 307; it is the one room in the regular classroom area that can be accessed from Aquaria.

"Before I give you your schedules and dormitory assignments, I have some basic rules and regulations to go over with you. First off, any student who needs housing during the winter break needs to register with Professor Stevens by 15th October. Also, any student with any allergy that requires an Epi-Pen or any learning or physical disability needs to come see me in my office within the first week of school."

Ellen groaned. "I'm allergic to chocolate and mushrooms," she whispered to Marissa. Marissa's eyes bugged out in a 'Oh My God How Do You Survive' sort of way.

"The school's gates will close at 10 p.m. and will not re-open until 7 a.m. Any student outside those walls without being accompanied by or without the explicit permission of a professor in the form of a sealed letter will not be allowed back into the school. There is no legitimate reason to leave the grounds after 10 o'clock.

"At 11 p.m. all boys must return to their dormitories on the 3rd floor and all girls must return to their dormitories on the 2nd floor. The 1st and 4th floor common areas are still open, but quiet hours will be strictly enforced. Only in the event of an emergency will these rules be ignored.

"Any damage to school property will be taken from your damage deposit; any additional repairs costing greater than that deposit will be billed to your account. Certain things are not allowed in this school, such as alcohol, drugs, explosives and weapons. Tobacco is to be smoked outside, but none of you are of legal age to possess it. Anyone caught with a controlled item off-grounds at the beach or in the forest will be turned over to the police without the protection of school policy.

"All other rules, including these, are listed plainly in your welcome and information packet. Please fill out your room check cards and return them at dinner time."

Ellen and Marissa turned to each other. "Sounds easy enough," whispered Ellen. Marissa nodded.

Professor Schroeder shuffled a few papers in his hands, then reached for the stack of manila folders he had placed on one of the wooden coffee tables. "When I call your name, you may collect your welcome and information packet, which contains your schedule, keys and a complimentary keychain. You may then head to your room where you will find your possessions. Some of you will be placed in doubles." He added, with a warm smile, "Dinner starts promptly at 5 o'clock. I have great faith in this group to do great things this year. Also, the Headmaster will be giving his welcoming address at that time--so don't be late!!"

---Aquaria, Suite B, Rooms 205-208---

To Ellen's relief, she found herself in a suite with three other girls, all in single dormitories with a common bathroom. One of the girls, assigned to the room to Ellen's left, was Marissa Keegan. The two other girls, Jenna Hill and Deborah Fitzpatrick, seemed to be very relaxed. Jenna was slim and had a childish but cute voice, and long, brown hair; Deborah was tall, had frizzy, brownish-red hair and owned a large collection of shoes. "I love shoes," she told Ellen. "But I always seem to lose them. Maybe I do have too many."

When all the unpacking was done and their rooms were thoroughly decorated to the point of exhaustion (Christmas lights had been strung up all around their suite), the girls all collapsed together onto the heap of bean bags, clenching their schedules.

"Hey, we have all the same classes together!" Marissa said excitedly to Ellen. Ellen was looking over Deborah's schedule; they had Defensive and Wild Battle Strategies opposite each other, but they were otherwise in the same classes.

"Ohh, my schedule's pretty different," said Jenna a little sadly. "But only on the days we have Pokémon-related classes. We all have the same academic classes together."

Deborah reached for her waist and pulled her Poké-Ball off her belt loop. "So what kind of Pokémon did you all bring with you? I brought my Goldeen, Nancy Drew!" Deborah compressed the button on the ball, and it opened in a ray of pink light, Nancy Drew the Goldeen flopping on the rug hopelessly.

"Oh that's not good," said Jenna a little wearily. "Fortunately, you brought that huge fish tank with you, eh?"

Deborah looked embarassed. "I really don't like the fact that the only Pokémon I was allowed to bring was this Goldeen. There's not much I can do with it..."

Marissa blushed. "That's okay, I think my Pokémon is even more useless. I have this waste of space." Marissa allowed her Exeggcute, O'Waimi, to exit its Poké-Ball. All seven of O'Waimi's heads rolled its eyes at Marissa; Marissa rolled her eyes back and recalled O'Waimi back to its Poké-Ball.

"Is O'Waimi a boy or a girl?" asked Deborah, curious.

Marissa rolled her eyes again as Deborah recalled Nancy Drew. "How the hell am I supposed to know? It's a group of broken eggs with faces that does nothing."

"Yeah, that's pretty useless," said Ellen. "I'm sorry. Maybe you'll catch something better."

"I wish," replied Marissa.

Jenna released her Pokémon next. It was a Luvdisc named Pinky-Pie. "It's... a boy Luvdisc," said Jenna. "But how was I supposed to know? But Pinky-Pie it is." The Luvdisc lay there, its mouth uselessly flapping as its fins became entangled in the carpet. "Oh, what the hell," groaned Jenna. "I might have to keep Pinky-Pie in his tank when we're not in class. This sucks."

Finally, Ellen allowed her Eevee, Mercury, out of its Poké-Ball. Clutching a stone on a beautiful silver chain in her paw, Mercury playfully looked up at the new people surrounding her and began to rub up on Marissa's leg.

"It's so cute!" yelled Deborah, reaching over and scratching its mane. "What's his name? What's that it's holding? I love him!"

"It's called an Everstone," replied Ellen, smiling. "Mercury holds an Everstone because he and I don't believe it's time for him to evolve yet. He usually wears it around his neck."

The four girls sat and combed Mercury's fur, then began to take care of and admire each other's hair, getting ready for dinner. From then on, Mercury was the official pet of Suite B, and the four girls became friends. At least, for now, all was well in Suite B.

[Blademaster]

Dinnertime. Better post.

----------------------------------------------

Ivan

As stated earlier, Ivan hated crowds, so it should come as no surprised that he was absent from dinner that evening. He'd already memorized the Rules & Regulations book he'd been given, so he didn't miss much at the dinner speech; upon reading the booklet, he promptly disposed of it - much of it was gibberish that he saw no need to pay heed to. He was as stealthy as a ninja, and his Spiritomb provided him with some extra cover.

At the moment, while every other student on campus was likely in the cafeteria, Ivan was on the beach off the school's grounds, staring out over the ocean from his perch atop a small jetty. His black hair and wardrobe made him almost indistinguishable from the rocks he knelt on. Only his pale face made it known that there was even anyone present on the rocks.

A noise to Ivan's right drew his attention: It was a soft whooshing noise, like a tiny wind tunnel. Without even turning, he knew what the source of the sound was.

'You are late.' Ivan said to Zandios in his mind. 'Did something happen to you?'

The Spiritomb drifted out of a small black vortex, which promptly shrunk down to nothing behind him.

'Bitch, bitch, bitch...' Zandios mentally replied, his body surrounded by that same pink aura again. 'Possessing two students and waiting on three separate lines takes a Ghost time, you know.'

His Psychic powers aiding him well, the glowing Ghost/Dark-hybrid set down his cargo: a pair of cafeteria trays loaded with food. On one tray sat a pair of hot dogs loaded with relish and mustard, a cardboard dish of cheese fries, and an unopened can of Dr. Pepper.

Starkly contrasting this was the other tray, settled on which was a small salad, a dish containing a sizeable slice of poached fish, a bowl of rice, and a bottle of orange vitamin water.

Zandios' smoky body billowed and formed a growth shaped like a chef's hat atop his head.

'Dinnehr is sehrved.' the Ghost said with a forced French accent, chuckling at his antics.

Ivan looked down at one tray, then at the other; his face twisted with disgust.

'How could you bear to eat that filth...?' Ivan mentally asked, looking at the hot dogs as though they were fat, slimy worms coated with sludge.

'Hey, I'm a Ghost, remember?' Zandios replied. 'It's not like I have to worry about counting calories.'

Ivan sighed - he couldn't argue with that logic.

Zandios' Psychic levitated one hot dog, which the greedy ghoul brought to his mouth and gobbled down whole.

Ivan sneered and turned away slightly, digging into his own meal and looking out over the horizon...

--------------------------------------

Within ten minutes, the hungry pair had finished their meals; Zandios quickly disposed of the garbage and trays, then returned to his Trainer, who was still looking out at the ocean, his ponytail and coat billowing in the wind, but otherwise, he was utterly silent.

'Hey, tall, dark, and whiny!' Zandios' voice barked. 'Snap out of it! You look like a statue, just sitting there doing nothing.'

'I am thinking, Zandios... This academy... Something about it doesn't sit right with me...'

'You're just being paranoid. Again.'

'It pays to be vigilant, Zandios.'

'You mean like the last fourteen or so times that you were 'vigilant' and nothing happened?'

'...'

'Come on, Ivan - you seriously need to stop worrying so much. It's not good for your heart, especially with your condition and all...'

'...Perhaps...'

'There, that's much better! Now, c'mon, let's go back to the dorms: Dinner's almost over, so I might be able to grab some chocolate cheesecake if we get back fast enough.'

Zandios turned and began to float back towards the campus; rolling his eyes, Ivan followed close behind. Zandios may have been right...

But he may also have been wrong, and that thought nagged at Ivan all the way back to his dorm and beyond...

-------------------------------------------------

Just to clarify, this takes place about 10-15 minutes before Dru or Mike show up on the beach, which is why nobody runs into each other.

(slams a traffic cone into someone's face)

Tag!

[Mystic_clown]

Lumaria Tansmern
-----------------------------------------
The flamboyant brunette yawned and stretched as the sun filtered into his room. From her perch on the window sill, Venus squawked in greeting as Lumaria climbed out of bed.

“Good morning to you too darling,” he chirped, planting a small kiss on the plant pokemon’s head. The Carnivine mewed softly as she released herself from the sill, following her master as he did his hair.

“First day of class. You ready?” The floating grass pokemon nodded as Lumaria pulled out the pokeball.

“Now, you’ll have to go in here for a while. Sorry darling.” Venus nodded in understanding as she was called into the ball. Lumaria pulled out his timetable.

“Advanced Battle Strategies first huh? Well, a good chance to show off our stuff!”

Quickly getting dressed and grabbing his things, Lumaria headed off to find his class. It didn’t take long, thanks to the map he got yesterday. Not far from the Joltaria Tower.

It wasn’t much of a first lesson, merely and introduction to what they would learn over the year. There were also a couple of practice matches, to determine each student’s capabilities. A nice fun way to start the year.

“Great job Venus,” Lumaria chimed, hugging his Carnivine. Venus merely squawked happily. They had won their match and were ranked pretty high in their (not at the top, but it was still good).

“Now then, what do we have next?” Lumaria pulled out his timetable and scanned it.

“Official Battle Strategies huh? From one battling course to another. You ready darling?” The plant chirped happily, nodding. She perched herself on Lumaria’s shoulder, almost like a parrot.

It only took the pair a few moments to find the room.

“You ready?” he asked. All he got in response was the snap of his Carnivine catching a nearby fly.

[Toxicity]

Well, I finally manage to post! Although now I wish I could insert my "I like where this thread is going" image using a scene from 300 to sum up my opinions about the RPG so far.

Erik Foley - Aquarian Junior
No; don't, leave me to die here, help me survive here alone; don't, remember, remember...

Erik shot up almost suddenly out of his slumber, almost unaware of his surroundings. Groggily, he turned his head to the digital alarm clock at his bedside, constantly blinking and shaking his head to gain a little sobriety; at least, enough to be able to determine the time.

4:30 am...he repeated to himself mentally. He still had about two hours before it was necessary for him to get up. Sleep suddenly sounded delightful, even if his dreams proved to be a constant foe. This time, however, he had consumed enough nighttime cold medicine to knock him out cold...to lessen his worries brought on the day before. But now, he was awake, and would be expected to tolerate the struggle of a headache, cured only by time.

And even then, what he tried to avoid in sleep only came to haunt him during his active hours.

You really shouldn't be using medicine as an escape, Er, her voice quietly nagging, albeit with concern and honesty, in the back of his mind; young, yet seemingly wise. It'll come back later and make it only worse.

And even then, Erik didn't understand it - a girl with as many issues as she did placing those she was close to first. The sacrifices obviously made did deserve a little honesty time, he guessed; afterall, there were some significant instances where she would come unglued and weep, speaking unsteadily and confused. He recalled how she always said that something about him made her feel the need to be honest. A safe place. But even then, it could've been just that as easily as it was too much weight on her heart and mind.

At this point, Erik slowly began to drift back and forth into slumber, a familiar bittersweet, relaxed song playing in the back of his mind on just one alto saxophone. This relaxed feeling continued until he woke up one last time at around a quarter past six. Early enough, the young man thought. Turning off his alarm to not disturb a still-sleeping Tad Jonas in the parallel bed, he washed his face clean with warm water and soap, knowing there was no use to take another shower after one right before bed, his bright eyes occasionally staring at his own reflection in the mirror.

Tall, lanky, healthy. He was always told that he could probably hold a relationship with any girl he wanted. However, unlike an undefined amount of his peers that to him seemed like the majority, what he wanted out of a relationship was what one could consider a "very close friendship," as apposed to a lot of physical action and publicity. What he wanted, he basically had with the girl back home - scrawny and scarred against her own will; the girls that were attracted to him such as the latter - too beautiful to be true and self-centered - were all that he had since as early as middle school. The ones that were known to push his original friends aside; the ones, as a result, he chose to sever himself from at all costs.

This was all on his mind as he continued cleaning himself - brushing teeth, applying deoderant and only a minor splash of cologne, never having brushed his hair much in his life. He did straighten it with a few fingers, however, before he walked to his portion of the closet and figured out what he'd wear for the first day of classes; dark red shirt and plaid shorts mixing the same red with tan and navy. He slid the pair of brown flip-flops back onto his feet, and added the usual necklace and bracelet to his attire all before stuffing a great majority of his thick hair underneath a navy baseball cap. Clutching his keys with the newly-added dorm key as well as his wallet and student I.D., and Nereid's PokeBall, Erik was fully set as he stuffed one pocket with all of this and began towards the door, opening it quietly. He slung his nearby, already pre-planned backpack according to his schedule for the current day, over one shoulder, before turning back for a brief, long moment before closing the door behind him, a deep sigh escaping his lips.

He began to walk with a moderately quick pace downstairs and out of the dormitory, into the open sunlight of the campus, now thankful that he had his hat. He slinked his way around the groups of students that began to fill the walkways more with each new minute, occasionally nodding to show some amount of respect to his peers. In the cafeteria, he moved a little slowly as he carefully tried to pick out something that would hold him over for some time - two plain bagels, small packages of cream cheese, and a bowl of fruits he had combined together. He consumed this slowly, downing this with pure cranberry juice and water, as he reviewed his schedule for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays once again, reassuring himself that he knew where each class was. First for him, according to his schedule, would be with Mr. Darrens - Advanced Battle Strategies. And for the next class he would be staying in that same class for Official Battle Strategies.

Erik chuckled a little at the thought of it; a word like advanced being slapped onto a class for something clearly so simple. Or else this was what he thought would be simple, basing from the dim-witted minds he's seen from even the greatest of battlers. At his last school, battling was understood from the start as something that wouldn't be too terribly complex - or else, things were different here. He finished quietly and got up, making his way towards the area surrounding the Joltaria Tower, through an even more packed crowd. Entering the door quietly, Erik huffed a single sigh as he sat down in a desk in the middle of the classroom, the teacher coming in only moments after he. Turned out that Mr. Darrens was the thin blonde man that stood guard at the gates yesterday; the one he swore he recognized from television somehow as a comedian. The one he now regrets waving to in such an awkward manner out of shock.

"Ah, yes. Mister Foley..." he called out, recognizing the student in his classroom. Erik's nerves ran cold as he turned to see him standing at the back of the classroom, close to the doorway. The student calmed down quickly to show him that he had his instructor's attention. "I apologize if you were too shocked yesterday. First day; no exceptions. You know how it is."

"Of course," Erik answered, a nervous laughter faintly audible in his response. "Don't worry about it."

Erik could tell that this teacher wanted to continue the conversation, yet more students began to open the doors and pour into the classroom. He assumed it was all juniors, basing from Tad making an entrance, yet said nothing of this as his roommate chose a desk next to him.

"Hey, never really saw you after dinner," the roommate began, starting to chuckle and snort as he continued. "Besides you being out cold, of course."

"Heh, sorry 'bout that," Erik said, his apology as honest as a minor need for one could go. "I've been a little sick lately, I guess. Nothing serious, but still enough for medicine."

"Hah, it's alright," Tad replied, the grin still wide on his face. Sometimes Erik wondered if it hurt to hold a grin for way too long, but seeing Tad proved that one could get used to it. The small conversation continued until the class was set to start.

[Magi of all]

Ryan Craig

When I nailgunned my hand to the wall, i startd to wonder if that could be true

At home, my alarm clock was my mother, gently shaking me awake the five or six times necessary for me to completely enter wakefulness. She always did it with a gentle smile and a calm voice. At school, my alarm clock is my alarm clock and she is much less… gentle is the word I’m going to use. At any rate, I’m pried from my bed far earlier than I want to be by a rather annoying beeping that is close enough to hear, but far enough away to prevent smashadge.

I pry myself out of the sheets and dress rather quickly. A t-shirt with a flaming chain and some black pants cause black goes with anything. As I shoved my feet rather forcefully into my shoes, I got a rather funny feeling. I couldn’t place my finger on it but something was off with the world today. Perhaps it was the apocalypse, and I without my mace. Recalling Juggernaut I stumbled down the stairs looking for the cafeteria. Turning left down the white halls I passed three urinals on my way to the cafeteria. I blankly stared at the fish serving meal today, very aware of a piece of food between the teeth she shouldn’t have. Around the time I sat down next to a houseplant and Superman clone I finally realized what was wrong. I was completely bald. Turning to Super man I preceded to ask just what was wrong. Instead of answering he opened his mouth and beeped loudly.

POP

My eyes snapped open as I again found myself in bed, hair intact. I sat up groaning, looking around the room for Juggernaut. He looked normal enough, which assured me I hadn’t begun a chain of waking dreams. I hate it when that happens; I never remember what’s real and what’s not.

“Hey bud, I’m in school right now, right?” the large pokemon gave me a knowing look and nodded in reply. I sighed gratefully, knowing I would at least be awake this time. I got out of bed, sprayed on some deodorant and put on the same outfit I had worn in the dream. After all, I should at least be consistent. Recalling Juggernaut for what felt like the second time, I made my way down the stairs.

As I navigated the halls, sans urinals this time, I looked at my schedule. It didn’t seem too tough. All pokemon classes on the even days. Still, I wasn’t the best battler, only average grades at my last school. Plus, I had classes with sophomores, who I didn’t know all that well. I’m horrid at making friends, so what if they think I’m the weird guy that only annoys people in class. Or, what if I don’t talk and they think I’m some stuck up kid with rich parents. For what seemed like the fiftieth time, I regretted coming here. I just don’t fit places like this very well. I flounder on my own, but have no idea how to ask for help. Why the hell did I come here anyway?

Him. That’s right, I came for the guy who sent the letter. He gave me Juggernaut. Even if it’s only in some small, insignificant way, he is the first person besides my parents who believed in me. He actually thought I could do this, so I’ll be dammed before I let him down. If I only knew who he was?

Thanks to the amazing ability of my feet to operate without my brain I arrived at the cafeteria in time for breakfast. Spying Ellen over at a table with her friends from the day before, he gave a jaunty wave.

Sitting down next to Ellen, mostly because she was the only one who’s name I could remember with any certainty, I grabbed a plate from the buffet. Quickly loading up with bacon, sausage, eggs and French toast, I prepared for the glory that was breakfast. A man wheeling around two medium sized tanks interrupted my glorious gorging process. He coughed lightly to get my attention.

“You got any water pokemon that need feeding,” he asked with an exasperated look on his face. Wheeling around those tanks must suck sometimes. His features relaxed when I shook my head. As I swallowed my bacon, I decided to satisfy my curiosity.

“Can pokemon be let out in the cafeteria to eat with there trainers?” I asked, tilting my head to the side, as I was prone to do. He though about it for a minute before deciding to answering.

“Well, I suppose it depends on the pokemon. What one do you got?”

“A Nidorino.” I answered, resisting the urge to begin eating again.

“That ones fine. Might be a bit of a problem if he evolves though.”

I thanked the man as he walked away, getting ready to wheel around more tanks. Releasing Juggernaut onto the floor, I reached for another plate. Piling a lot more sausage on it, mixed with some grapes and lettuce that, I assume, was there for the pokemon. After all, who wants lettuce with breakfast? I set he plate down before him, to which Juggernaut yipped happily. Turning back to my own meal, I dug in once again, listening to idle conversation and adding in when I found something interesting to say. Before long a very annoying sound know as the warning bell told us that it was time to get to class. Grabbing my thing, (I mentioned those right), I walked along to the first class of the day with Ellen and her friends.

Room 217
Class: Defensive battle strategies
Teacher: Martha Banks

I just can’t escape this woman. Deciding to break character and be optimistic about this one, I entered the large room. Maybe it seemed larger cause several students hadn’t arrived yet. Fortunately, the teacher had. As my trademark frown found its way to my face, she gave me a goofy grin.

“Now, now Ryan, not need to exercise in my class.”

Ignoring the questioning looks on the others faces; I sat down at a desk. ‘Oh well, I though, today can’t really get worse.’

Hopefully I have appeased you all. Sorry this update took so long. BM, if your reading this, i'm still slugging along. *writer block*