Pokémon: Tournament of Riddles [IC]

[Durandamon]

"I like this gal's spirit! Bring it on, girlie, I'll take on four! 

 

"Flattery will get you nowhere, guy! And don't call me girlie. It's Ms. Abigail Summers to you!" As Tangrowth started intercepting attacks at blinding speeds, Abigail's jaw dropped to the ground.

 

"Trick Room doesn't go away just cause Misdreavus did. Its effects descended on the battlefield with your ally, and now it's cost you. My Tangrowth is a master of defense, and almost never moves from its spot in battle! A paragon of steadfast power! And now you've cracked the lock on its speed with this Trick Room! Go, Tangrowth! Focus Blast!" 

 

 Perplexed at what the battlefield had become thanks to her Trick Room, it was hard for Abigail to keep her cool. Anyhow, she bluffed a half-grin, "Y-You think I forgot about that? Your Tangrowth may be fast, but so is my Long! Point blank, Flamethrower!" Eelektross slid across the floor, zigzagging and barely dodging the Focus Blast aimed at him, before pointing his mouth at the Tangrowth once having reached a melee range. From the eel Pokemon's mouth a burst of flames erupted, the range making it hard for Tangrowth to dodge.

 

 "Do not underestimate my bond with my Pokemon! If we say we'll defeat you, you're as good as dead! And besides...just who the f*ck are you people?!" 

[~Faytl~]

The Flamethrower was battered back, before it could even reach Bronzong it was battered by the onslaught of attacks that threw it back, hissing in the pouring rain. The Thunder was the straw that broke the Camerupt's back; the attack crumpled like a paper towel, the bolt of powerful electricity flying from Tabitha's Ampharos and slamming into the Rampardos, the Pokemon bellowing in pain as Earth Power caught up, blasting open the ground beneath it.

 

"Sh*t!" the man commanding his Pokemon swore as his Rampardos was enveloped in smoke and flames, the Pokemon crashing to one knee as Bisharp's Metal Claw slammed into its leg. "Tangrowth, cover Rampardos with Power-"

 

He was cut off as Tangrowth let out a cry, flames now licking up around this Pokemon as Eelektross struck true, acid hissing as it made contact. The glint of hazel eyes behind the hood narrowed as the man took in his Pokemon. The battle was clearly starting to get to them. The only thing he saw that was going well was that Heliolisk's Rain Dance had weakened Fire Blast and Flamethrower, so Pidgeot and Tangrowth had gotten off relatively easy.

 

"To think Noble relies on Trainers with this little honor, eh?" he asked, sweeping an arm through the air. "To bring out your legions of Pokemon just to take on three? Where's your sense of fair play, eh?" His tone was playful, taunting, but there was a notable edge to his words. "You KIDS aren't worthy of Blackdragon Isle... Not if this is how you need to battle to take me on!"

 

He shook an arm, a sleeve falling back to reveal a muscular hand, wreathed in a gauntlet of polished silver metal, one that looked large enough to crush a man's head within its palm. But what was noticeable was what was set in the back of the gauntlet's palm: A rainbow-colored stone that glinted and shone, even in the cloudy light of the rainstorm.

 

"I can't beleive I need to bust this out already," he went on, reaching up towards the Key Stone with a free hand. "You'll leave Blackdragon Isle, alright... but its your fault that it's in peices!"

 

- - - - - - -

 

"Water Shuriken!" 

 

Greninja lobbed another Water Shuriken as it tried its best to intercept Banette, trying to keep it away from Wobbuffet, who was standing guard before its trainer, waiting patiently with only the occassional fidget of anticipation. Greninja leapt into the air as it rained blows down at Banette, scores of shurikens flying down at Showstopper. 

 

"Gre! Nin! Ja! Gre! Nin! Ja! Gre! Ni-" The Pokemon's rhytmic grunts were cut off as Machamp leapt up at it, uppercutting it with a Bullet Punch directly in the back. Greninja bowed, eyes widening as his pupil shrunk from the impact, right before Hitmonchan hit it in the front, slamming the Pokemon back to the ground, where it slowly stood up, facing down Melody and Reno on shaky legs.

 

"Greninja!" the woman yelled, her tone different. It sounded frantic, almost concerned. She took a step towards her Pokemon, but a warning squawk from her Wobbuffet brought her attention up to the descending Reno. She quickly raised her arms, crossing them over her head as Reno's foot clanged down hard on her arms, something underneath the cloak hard and unyielding under his heel. His kick pulled her sleeve back just enough for him to see the brace on her forearm, one made of the same metal as her fellow assailant's gauntlet, and bearing the same stone.

 

"Listen!" She grunted, raising her arms high with a grunt to throw Reno off her. "I don't want to be in this battle either, and it's not about my EGO," she added, looking to Melody. "I've tried to keep you from here for your own safety, but it's been brought to this point... brought to this point by Noble for not leaving when we told him to!" 

 

"Oh, piss on that! Mothim, use Energy Ball!" The woman turned with shock to see Nemu screeching back onto the battlefield, the Mothim she had tried so hard to use now out of its ball and launching a sphere of green energy directly at the shaky Greninja.

 

"Greninja!" She moved instantly, and like a flash was standing before her Pokemon, the attack slamming directly into her back and exploding with green smoke. Greninja's eyes widened, and he dived forward, grabbing his trainer from the epicenter of the blast and leaping back behind Wobbuffet, crouching protectively over her as he glared daggers at Nemu and Mothim.

 

Nemu drew back, surprise across her face, hastily trying to wipe it away as she yelled out: "We have a right to be here, dammit! I don't care what your squabble with Noble is, this island belongs to him, every bit of it, he had it all paid for nearly two years ago!"

 

"You don't... understand..." the woman forced out, breathing heavily, barely audible over the chaos and noise leaking over from the battle before the hotel.

 

- - - - - - -

 

"Pidgeot! Get ready!" Pidgeot shook it's head, the long plume of feathers attached to its head flying in the wind, a solitary glint of light issuing from within as the man clapped his hand over the gauntlet. "Get ready to feel my true power, you runts!" he yelled out. 

 

"Oh, please, you big idiot." The man jerked as he looked to his side, seeing that a smaller hand was placed over the Key Stone underneath his own, blocking his touch to it. It belonged to yet another hooded figure, this one smaller than he, slight and wiry. His cloak was in better shape than the other two's, and had a slight violet tint to it. Cold blue eyes peered out from within the hood, appraising the challengers gathered around them.

 

"I see you two have been having fun without me," he said casually, as his larger compatriot stiffened, quickly averting his eyes. "You know, like I requested you NOT to. Stop the battle, you great oaf." He looked over his shoulder briefly, shoulders raising as he chuckled slightly.

 

"I see you've encountered quite a bit of trouble, eh, Houki?"

 

The woman stood, staggering a bit, but clearly taken aback. "But... My name, you-"

 

"Please," the man laughed, sweeping a hand out towards Edwin and Peter, who were white as sheets. "These clowns know who you are already, it's pretty damn obvious." He lazily placed a hand on his hip and looked at the boys. "Or is Noble as stupid as he looks?" he asked flatly,challengingly.

 

The use of the word "clown" seemed to rouse Edwin from his stupor. He stepped forward, Magmortar stepping up behind him, shrugging its shoulders againt the rain. "Get off our damn island, you bunch of hooded shadow pricks," he growled. "We're TRYING to run a tournament here, you guys showing up to scare people and throw out attacks in crowds doesn't exactly make us sympathetic."

 

"Ah yes, sorry about that," drawled the new arrival, not sounding sorry at all. "My colleagues are a bit... IMPULSIVE, shall we say. EAGER."

 

The larger figure shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Look, I'm sorry, alright, we got excited and figured now was the time-"

 

"You've done enough talking for one day," the figure snapped harshly. His friend shut up immediately. He went on speaking, as if nothing had happened.

 

"You'll be seeing us again, I assure you, but now... now is not that time."

 

"What, are you afraid, huh?" barked Edwin, Magmortar raising its arm cannon. 

 

"Let's settle this right now, you freakin' terrorists!" yelled Nemu, running around the perimeter of the arena, the grid of Trick Room underneath her feet disappearing as she pulled up beside Edwin, Mothim hovering in the air above her.

 

"Everyone get back!" Peter seemed the only one of the three not filled with the bravado his fellows were. "This guy's more dangerous than the other two put together! He's even beaten Ms. Vaccaro!"

 

"I certainly hope SHE'S not the measuring stick you use to determine a challenge. Otherwise this tournament will be finished before it even begins."

 

"October! Get ready!" Nemu called. "... October!" October didn't reply. She was still cowering behind Iori and his Umbreon, Shelly pulling at an arm to no avail. Nemu snarled in irritation, turning back to point aggresively at the newcomer. "Fine, then, screw it, we'll take you on!"

 

The figure shrugged, pulling back a sleeve to allow a Pokeball- No, an Ultra Ball, in fact, to fall from it. "Fine," he said carelessly, the ball striking the ground. "We'll be on our way in just a moment," he called over his shoulder as a mass of white light coalesced before him, forming into a tall, massive four-legged shape. "Get ready." He turned back to the three, the light fading to reveal...

 

"I take it you're not sure what you're looking at?" he asked, in reference to the stunned looks on the aides faces. "Not surprised, really."

 

The four-legged beast before them raised its head, letting out a warbling, robotic cry that shook the window panes in the hotel from its helmeted head, a large tomahawk-like object surmounting it as green eyes glinted out from within. The muscles in its strange, mismatched body rippled as it squared itself up, impassivey staring at its adversaries. The three aides took a step back, uncertainty in their faces. 

 

 

"Pete," Edwin said, forced calm in his voice. "That Pokemon: What is it?"

 

Peter shook his head, eyes wide. "I... I don't know, Edwin."

 

Edwin let out a strangled laugh. "C'mon Pete, now isn't the time for jokes, you're a walking Pokedex, don't act like you don't know what that is. Vaccaro not knowing it, THAT I buy, but not you." Peter didn't reply, and Edwin's face grew grave again. The figure chuckled once again.

 

"Oh? What happened to wanting to settle this now, eh?" the man asked, words clearer as the rain started to abate, fading to a drizzle. "Have you lost your nerve?"

 

Edwin forced a vicious grin. "Just waiting for a change in the weather. Hotshot, Fire Blast! Pete, Nemu, now!"

 

"Energy Ball!"

 

"Air Slash!"

 

The Pokemon in concert unleashed their attacks: A green ball of sparking energy on the left, a lancing blade of blue-white wind on the right, and a flaming star in the center, all bearing down on the strange, unknown Pokemon. The Pokemon, and its Trainer, stood unfazed. Only two words came from the trainers lips:

 

"Tri Attack."

 

Three orbs, one a sparking yellow, one a blazing orange, and one a misty blue, materialized in the air, orbiting around its large head. It lowered it's helmet, the tomahawk-like structure atop it pointed forward, sending the orbs rocketing off, slamming into the attacks head-on and continuing, the power of the moves folding in on themselves and collapsing as the orbs, unfazed, struck their targets.

 

A pillar of electrical energy engulfed Hotshot, the Magmortar screaming with agony. Mothim spasmed within a column of fire, and Lakewing was blasted out of the air, ice and frost flying from its body. The three Pokemon all were thrown back from the force of the attack, slamming into their trainers. Nemu fell to the ground, tangled in Mothim's wings. Peter was smacked into the shrubs by Swanna's flailing body. But Edwin easily got the worst of it, the massive Magmortar bowling him over as the two flew back until they crashed into and through the glass of the hotel doors.

 

"E... Edwin?" called October, shoked out of her fear as she stood, running through the ruined doorway. "EDWIN!" She didn't get far. She was sent falling to the ground again as the ground shook slightly, thowing her off her balance. The competitors and their Pokemon would all find that the ground they were on trembled lightly, not enough to topple them if they stood still, but enough to make standing a touch difficult. Even the new arrival wasn't unflapped, grabbing onto his stable, larger companion for support.

 

"Oh no... No no no no!" The girl with the Greninja was on her feet, running towards her fellows. "We have to leave, now!"

 

"But... But we have them!" the big one protested. "We can take these kids together!" 

 

"Shut up, we're leaving," the leader said in response, strolling back towards the girl he had called Houki, his strange Pokemon reducing itself to a spasm of red light and flying into his cloak as the small earthquake ceased. "You were supposed to wait to engage in the first place."

 

"What the hell?!" barked Blake, throwing his hands up in the air. "You can't just attack us and LEAVE!"

 

"Oh, don't you worry, my friend... You'll see us VERY soon, like I said," assured the leader as the three congregated in the middle of the plaza, their various Pokemon being returned to their balls, leaving only Greninja to support his trainer.

 

Blake looked to the other competitors, fire in his eyes. "Go, Pupil!" As one, their Pokemon lurched forward, following the Ninjask, readying an attack of some kind. Houki looked to Greninja, nodding. Greninja let her go to fall into the arms of the big one, and raised his arms high, before slamming the black orb he had crafted in his hands into the ground.

 

The orb exploded, a plume of smoke enveloping the group in the space of a second. Hitmonchan, Eelektross, Roserade, everyone pulled up as the smoke hid their opponents from sight.

 

"Pupil, blow it away, now!" Blake yelled. The shakily flying Ninjask flew over the smoke, flapping its wings at high speed and generating a strong gust that blew the smoke to ribbons.

 

All that was left of their attackers was a single hole scored in the flagstones of the plaza, with no sign of the cloaked figures or their Pokemon.

 

"Dammit!" Nemu swore, kicking at the debris around the hole. "They got away again! Mr. Hikari, Ms. Ventura, are you guys alright?!"

 

"Is everyone alright? Nobody seriously hurt?" asked Peter as he pulled himself from the bushes, stumbling towards Tabitha and Blake, looking them over with a harried gaze. "None of their attacks hit YOU guys, did they?"

 

"No... just you guys," Blake said absently, as Edwin and October appeared from the hotel, Edwin slumped over the girl's thin shoulders as she struggled to keep him upright, his eyes bleary, head bleeding from a gash on the side of his head. "But... what the hell WAS that, Pete?" The question that was no doubt in all the competitor's minds fell heavy on the suddenly silent plaza as the sunlight began to filter back through the fading clouds. Until an automated, chipper voice that was completely at odds with the setting kicked in, sounding out over the intercoms laced through the plaza, the echoes from the rest of the island complex audible in the distance:

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you've enjoyed this battle demonstration. But this is only a fraction of what you can expect from our truly talented competitors! Be sure to come to the arena at 1 o'clock sharp, and you'll truly see what you're in for!"

 

Edwin coughed awkwardly, avoiding the eyes of Shawn and Abigail as awkward, scattered applause sounded out from the crowds of people that had stayed close enough to see the fight. "Looks like Noble's trying to get this under control... We... Maaaaay not have been completely honest with you guys about what's going on."

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Their efforts was actually working. With the Rain Dance from Sanda, the flames died out tremendously and Shogun's Metal Claw hit the target: the leg of the Rampardos. Things were going the right way.

 

"Heh, great job, Shogun." Iori smirked, before turning his attention towards the hooded figures once more. "Last chance. Leave now or be defeated by those gathered here!"

 

"To think Noble relies on Trainers with this little honor, eh? To bring out your legions of Pokemon just to take on three? Where's your sense of fair play, eh? You KIDS aren't worthy of Blackdragon Isle... Not if this is how you need to battle to take me on!"

 

That's when he saw it in the man's gauntlet. A Key Stone. Iori's eyes widened slightly, before breaking out into a grin. A Keystone? So that means one of his Pokémon has the Mega Stone... he thought, adjusting the glove on his right hand, which showed a Key Stone as well. The moment he does that...Konoha will take the stage.

 

"You'll leave Blackdragon Isle, alright... but its your fault that it's in pieces! Pidgeot! Get ready! Get ready to feel my true power, you runts!"

 

Iori's hand slowly made its way towards Konoha's Pokéball, smirking all the while. Pidgeot huh? Well...looks like an easy one for me. he thought, finally grabbing the Pokéball. Preparing to remove it from his belt, Iori stopped quickly before seeing a newcomer appear in the fray. However...this new person didn't attack. Rather...it demanded a retreat.

 

Then...it appeared....

 

"I take it you're not sure what you're looking at? Not surprised, really."

 

The Pokémon that emerged from that Ultra Ball was...was...to be honest, Iori was unsure what this Pokémon was. It was like something he never saw before. His hand moved from Konoha's Pokéball to his pocket, quickly pulling out his PokéDex. What even is that...? he thought, moving to see if his PokéDex would give an entry. The PokéDex, unfortunately, gave no information on what that thing even was. Damn...must be from another region altogether...the PokéDexes aren't updated anywhere past Kalos...but still...what IS that?!

 

"Tri Attack."

 

Iori snapped back into reality when he heard the declaration of the attack from this strange Pokémon. It was a Tri Attack, and when it hit...it hit HARD. The ground beneath Iori's feet began to tremble greatly. The young trainer had to shift his stance slightly, as to make sure he didn't topple over. He looked up at this new hooded figure, his eyes most likely meeting the newcomer's. This one...this one was different than the other two. Sure, the trainer with the Rampardos and the Pidgeot was an interesting one, full of surprises from what he could see and strong... The one with the Greninja was impressive as well... But this one...something about him was different.

 

Could it have been this new mysterious Pokémon that was by his side? Or was it something else that was making him enigmatic? Iori couldn't figure out those answers right now... But nevertheless, Iori watched as the trio made their escape, utilizing a smoke bomb-esque escape via the Greninja. He had to hand it to them, he hated the fact that he never thought of utilizing a Greninja on his team, but that was to ponder another time.

 

They had won...for the moment anyway. Iori called his Pokémon to his side, smiling at all three of them. "Sanda, great job with the Rain Dance." he said, rubbing the Heliolisk's head, before recalling her into her PokéBall. "Shogun...you did fantastic as well."

 

Bisharp... Shogun spoke, seeming a bit downtrodden from this battle.

 

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Shogun." Iori smiled, putting his hand on the Bisharp's shoulder. "We've learned...so if we see him again, we'll be ready." He watched Shogun nod firmly at him, before recalling him as well. Finally he brought his attention to Kage. "Great job protecting Ms. October, Kage..." he said, watching the Umbreon leap onto his shoulder.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you've enjoyed this battle demonstration. But this is only a fraction of what you can expect from our truly talented competitors! Be sure to come to the arena at 1 o'clock sharp, and you'll truly see what you're in for!"

 

Iori heard the voice of Noble from the plaza, as he made his way to face the attendants. Something was off...this was a tournament, wasn't it? Why on earth would strange hooded figures try to run them off? This wasn't like the old stories regarding the old crime organizations...Rockets, Magma, Aqua...no this was something else entirely.

 

"Looks like Noble's trying to get this under control... We... Maaaaay not have been completely honest with you guys about what's going on."

 

"That much is obvious." Iori spoke up, stepping forward. His eyes met those of the attendants as he slowly began to cross his arms. "In Bushido, we live by the code it provides. Righteousness, courage, benevolence, respect, honor, and loyalty...and from where I stand, you and Mr. Noble are beginning to lose us in a few of those regards." he spoke sternly, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So...try and regain the respect you've begun to lose and tell us the truth."

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

"Okay, new plan! Ippo, Toka, give the Greninja some colliding fists with Drain Punch and Bullet Punch! Lagann, Curse the Wobuffet! I got the trainer!"

"I hope you're not trying to talk her down," Damian remarked, "She's a bit too thick in the head for..."
 
"Water Shuriken!" the girl intervened.
 
"...case and point," with a sigh, the gothic-attire-dressed "woman" waved a hand carelessly for Show Stopper to do whatever. Funnily enough, "whatever" seemed to be the perfect order for the Banette to follow at this current time.
 
"Gre! Nin! Ja! Gre! Nin! Ja! Gre! Ni-" the Greninja had tried desperately to keep him away from the Wobbuffet, but Show Stopper, being the sly bastard that he was, had decided to use the incoming Water Shurikens to his advantage. As he was dodging, he'd wound up positioning himself right in front of the Wobbuffet, only to slip into the shadows and leave it to take a few of the hits. Shortly afterwards, the Greninja was dealt with for good, leaving Show Stopper to continue to harass the Patient Pokemon.
 
It was then that Damian discovered Reno's true intent, as he had recklessly ran right up to the girl that had commanded the Greninja and tried to axe-kick her. She blocked the physical attack with relative ease, but had revealed that she had a Mega Stone on her person, which shocked Damian. A glance over to his right, and he would see that the meathead had unveiled his own Mega Stone. This could only leave Damian wondering... had these two been holding back this whole? Were they just waiting for the contestants to slip up or fall into some kind of trap, before unleashing their Mega Pokemon and annihilating them? Suddenly, neither of the two felt as hopeless of trainers as Damian was originally lead to believe.
 
He couldn't make out the Mega Stone that the girl had wielded, but Damian felt certain that the meathead had a Pidgeotite on him. Before his suspicions could be confirmed, a third figure had appeared from nowhere, covering the Mega Stone with his hand before its true owner could make contact with it. Something was clearly wrong with this picture.

"I see you two have been having fun without me," the newcomer scowled, evidently not happy with what his lack of presence had apparently brought upon the two others, before turning to the female, "I see you've encountered quite a bit of trouble, eh, Houki?"
 
"But... My name, you-," the girl was quick to retort, but then...
 
"Hmph, cute. A carelessly-thought-of name to go with a brainless broad," Damian intervened, throwing another insult her way and masking the shock that was written all over his face moments ago, "Personally, I don't blame you for reacting so defensively,"
 
This second man, however... something told Damian not to take this man lightly, and it would've told him that even before he saw the two goons' Mega Stones. So he was supposed to be the leader of this farce, huh? Well, first impressions were horrible for showcasing that sense leadership; that much Damian deduced right off the bat. But as a Pokemon Trainer? That could very well have been a different story. He had defeated a girl named Vaccaro and scoffed when reminded of such, essentially claiming that she was hardly a challenge. Not the sort of man one should battle unprepared. He said one more thing.
 
"My colleagues are a bit... impulsive, shall we say. Eager. You'll be seeing us again, I assure you, but now... now is not that time."
 
With that, he turned to leave, but not before purposefully dropping an Ultra Ball on his way out. A never before seen Pokemon... assuming one could even call it that, stood before the contestants and their aides, unleashing a warped, mechanical-sounding shriek that smashed the many window panes in the area. How in Yveltal's name that was supposed to be guttural, Damian hadn't the slightest clue at all. Equally confusing was the creature's actual appearance.
 
"What is that garish thing?" Damian couldn't help but muse aloud, immediately whipping out a PDA that he'd brought to try and research it. Nothing. Nothing came up in any database that Damian could access.

"I take it you're not sure what you're looking at? Not surprised, really," the man said, as though to goad Damian and the others for their futile efforts. Cursing under his breath, Damian could only watch as three of the four aides tried to take the creature on... only to be the first to witness its sheer power; not only was its Tri Attack able to intercept three attacks at once, but it had carried on to decimate the Pokemon that had launched those attacks. Damian grimaced as they smacked into their respective trainers. But he'd tried his best to stay calm and appear unphazed. At the very least, he learned one attack.
 
"Well then, we know it can deliver a powerful blow. But can it take one?" with that said, he'd turned to his trusty Tyrantrum, who had been itching to actually hit something while he was out of his Poke Ball, "Warchief, Head Smash!"
 
More than happy to oblige, Warchief bolted after the creature that Damian had pointed towards, the ground quaking under his steps as a pink aura formed around his head. However, just as he would otherwise connect, the ground shook more violently than anyone could have anticipated, throwing Warchief off-course and sending him careening towards the few brave spectators that were left and smashing into another building. He wasn't the only being that had been affected by the sudden earthquake. Damian had been struggling to maintain balance, and had barely lost his footing when Atlas thought to lift him up into the air.
 
"I... I owe you one, Atlas," he stated in his thanks, but just as he said this, the other three had vanished under a gargantuan plume of smoke, which was thankfully blown away by the Ninjask. Left to pick up the pieces, Damian turned to Warchief, who'd only just pulled himself out of the building that he'd ran into in his attempt to attack the unknown creature. This time he'd let out more of a groan than any kind of roar; and it sounded oddly apologetic. Damian let out a heavy sigh.
 
"I can't fault you for what happened," he started off sincerely enough, but his tone had evidently soured once he saw the full extent of the damage that the Despot Pokemon had inadvertently caused, "I sure hope we're not expected to pay for it though."
 
His tone soured further as he grew angry at himself. He did not like to admit fault for letting go of his ego. He hated admitting fault for letting go of his ego. But perhaps this was he needed as some form of reality check. Before he could invest much thought into it...
 
"Damn it! They got away again! Mr. Hikari, Ms. Ventura, are you guys alright?!"
 
"Define 'alright'," Damian snarled at Nemu, only growing more hostile by the second, "And define 'again' while you're there, too! Because had you told us what we needed to know right from the start(!)... this whole travesty could've been averted."
 
And then suddenly he simmered down, no longer running on fumes.

[👀 REP 👀]

Blackdragon Isle

---

 
"To think Noble relies on Trainers with this little honor, eh? To bring out your legions of Pokemon just to take on three? Where's your sense of fair play, eh?" Despite trying to sound confident, it was clear that, from the tone of his voice, things weren't going as he had planned. "You KIDS aren't worthy of Blackdragon Isle... Not if this is how you need to battle to take me on!" It was then that the man unsheathed his arm to reveal a gauntlet - a familiar looking stone engraved into the back of the metallic hand. "I can't believe I need to bust this out already. You'll leave Blackdragon Isle, alright... but its your fault that it's in pieces!" Shaun simply smirked at the mans boasts, before reaching over towards his Pokeballs. However, he stopped when he realized whom the recipient of the Mega Stone was - his Gallade would have an unfavorable match-up against a Mega Pidgeot. However, before he could order any of his pokemon, another hooded figure appeared. This one seemed to not want to fight. Not yet, anyways. Shaun stood back and watched as the new figure released a Pokemon he didn't recognize. His PokeDex didn't seem to be able to recognize the thing either. He grimaced as the unknown beast released fury upon the assistants Pokemon, sending them flying back to their trainers. His eyes caught the Magmortar flying back as it and his trainer went crashing into the glass hotel doors. "Edwin!" He yelled, before turning back to the assailants. "Poseidon, Hydro P-" His instructions were interupted by a sudden Earthquake. It wasn't enough to topple him over, but he and his Pokemon had to take a moment to regain balance. By the time he looked back up the group was in the process of disapearing. "Damn It..." He spitefully cursed under his breathe, before turning to his Pokemon. "You guys are ok, right?" Both the Empoleon and the Roserade nodded. After confirming that the pair of mons were ok, he turned his head towards where Edwin had crashed. He seemed badly injured on October's shoulders. Instinctively, he rushed towards the pair, resting the unoccupied half of Edwin on his own shoulders. 

 

"Looks like Noble's trying to get this under control... We... Maaaaay not have been completely honest with you guys about what's going on." It was true that they had a lot of explaining to do. But now was not the time, as they had a bleeding man on their arms. "That much is obvious." The trainer that he fought alongside seemed to be the first to speak up. "In Bushido, we live by the code it provides. Righteousness, courage, benevolence, respect, honor, and loyalty...and from where I stand, you and Mr. Noble are beginning to lose us in a few of those regards. So...try and regain the respect you've begun to lose and tell us the truth." It was clear that the other contestant wanted answers, and they wanted them now. Shaun did too, but there were other matters at hand. He turned to the others, Edwin still on his shoulders. "We can start with an easy question." He gestured towards Edwin. "Dude's bleeding. Where can he get medical help?" Turning to his Pokemon, he gestured them with his head to come towards him. As the pair of Pokemon walked towards him, the Roserade seemed to bow towards October before jumping onto Shaun's available shoulder. The Empoleon stood behind him, rolling his eyes at the Roserade.

[King K. Azo]

Reno grunted as his heel connected with his attacker's arm. Underneath... she was wearing some sort of brace. Great, now he probably injured his heel for nothing. Oh well, it was nothing he couldn't walk off. 

"Listen!" She grunted, raising her arms high with a grunt to throw Reno off her. "I don't want to be in this battle either, and it's not about my EGO. I've tried to keep you from here for your own safety, but it's been brought to this point... brought to this point by Noble for not leaving when we told him to!"

 

"Well, you know WHAT?!" Reno roared, causing all his Pokemon to take a step back. "What the hell do you think attacking us would accomplish?! If you talked to us like normal fuckin' people, there would be a MUCH higher chance I'd listen to what you had to say! But no, now you have to endanger my family, and the innocent bystanders?! THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'M LISTENING NOW!!!" 

 

By this time, Nemu had recovered and fired off an Energy Ball, which the woman's Greninja took the initiative, grabbing his trainer and leaping away. Then, a new man came in, calling the woman by a name...  Houki... He'd have to remember that. However... the man released the strangest Pokemon Reno had every encountered...

The... Pokemon... he supposed, looked like a horrible Chimera. A fish tail, dragon front legs, hind legs resembling a wolf's with poison sacs, ghost like eyes, and a tomahawk shaped rock on top of its head. Reno didn't want to even approach it. He felt frozen in place... was it... fear? He was caught in a trance, blanking out and unable to move, even as the group left... until a voice brought him back to reality.

 

"Looks like Noble's trying to get this under control... We... Maaaaay not have been completely honest with you guys about what's going on."

"Start then. NOW," Reno stated, his voice harsh and dripping with venom, a complete opposite from the quiet tone he had earlier that day. His pokemon quickly slipped back into their pokeballs.

Even if Reno would never hurt them, they hated to see him angry.

[Mr. Hyde]

 

"To think Noble relies on Trainers with this little honor, eh? To bring out your legions of Pokemon just to take on three? Where's your sense of fair play, eh? You KIDS aren't worthy of Blackdragon Isle... Not if this is how you need to battle to take me on!"

 

Tabitha smirked, she knew the lad was referring to her and her....tactics.

 

"Coming from a terrorist, that's pretty sweet that you think I have such little honor.  Listen kid...I play to win...and against lowlife creeps like yourself...I want to win hard!"  Eveything was going to plan, her attacks that landed on her opponent's pokemon had looked incredibly effective, not that she was planning on them being weak or anything.  The guy across the battlefield seemed to be losing his nerve, until he brought out a new pokemon.  A pokemon that, honestly, almost scared Tabitha.  It was a frankenstein of a monster...different parts of all types of pokemon were scattered about it's body.  It certainly was an abomination.  "W-w-what the hell is that?  Some sort of freak-o science experiment?!"  She screamed.  But as soon as the pokemon arrived on the scene, the terrorists withdrew their position.  

 

"Is everyone alright? Nobody seriously hurt?" The voice made her almost cringe...she knew who was approaching. "None of their attacks hit YOU guys, did they?"

 

Tabitha sighed.

 

"Nyah...I'm fine.  If they had lain a single hand on me or my pokemon...they wouldn't have left this place in one piece."  

 

"Looks like Noble's trying to get this under control... We... Maaaaay not have been completely honest with you guys about what's going on."

 

It looked like everyone was gathering to one spot.  Tabitha let out an audible sigh again and placed her fingertips to her forehead.

 

"So...there was more to this huh...well spill it so we can at least be prepared!"  

[Draconus297]

"Well, if you haven't been honest with us prior, the time to start is now," Harrison growled bluntly. "Anything you know about these terrorists, their plans, or that monstrosity they threw our way is officially information we are to be given."

 

Silently, he was contemplating the identity of the mystery Pokémon. Obviously, it had to be a recent discovery if Harrison's up-to-date Pokédex had no information on it whatsoever- he'd checked every Pokémon in that thing at least twice each. It looked unusual- was it perhaps a Dark-type? Grass-type? Ghost-type? Rock-type? It knowing Tri Attack amounted to nothing given the distribution of the move, but perhaps it was a clue as to its preferred method of combat. All theories, however, needed to be shelved until any hard evidence could be gathered.

[~Faytl~]

(I gave you as much time as I was willing, Durendal. Please try to be more prudent with posting in future)

 

The aides shrunk under the scrutiny of the competitors, avoiding eye contact. October was the first to break, catching Iori's eyes as he lamented. She burst into tears, covering her face as the others winced.

 

"We're sorry!" she forced out through her tears. "We wanted to tell you, we really did, b-b-but Ms. Vaccaro forbid us to!"

 

"That's true," Peter supplied weakly to Tabitha, looking ashamed of himself. "Ms. Vaccaro didn't want us to alarm you-"

 

"Cause she's a damn Miltank of a woman, is why," Edwin spat, Peter gasping at his words. "Well she is, Pete!" he yelled,  pushing himself off October and hobbling over to a booth, sliding down it to sit on the ground. He waved Shaun away from him, "I'll be fine," being his only response. "She told us we'd lose our jobs if we told you, alright?" he explained, reaching up and yanking down a scarf bearing many small Pidoves, the price tag dangling over his eye as he pressed it against his head wound. "Said we'd never work in anything even resembling a tournament or Pro Circuit. We wanted to let you know as soon as you got here... We admire and respect you, okay? We wouldn't want you in danger." His voice fell despondently on that last word.

 

"These guys have been trying to sabotage the tournament for the last six months," Nemu went on, wrapping an arm around October to comfort the girl as Shelly hugged her ankle. "You saw those guys, they're WAY too strong for us to take down. That... THING," she said, shuddering violently, "Even managed to defeat Ms. Vaccaro."

 

"Really?" asked Blake, probingly. "I mean, she looks strict and all, but not like she's a great shakes a battler-"

 

"She was a Pro League member for two years," Nemu interrupted flatly. "Lower-tier, but Pro League, nonetheless. He crushed her."

 

"And he had even less trouble with the three of us," Edwin groaned from the ground.

 

"Not like that's difficult." The four aides turned to see a troupe of men in dark green uniforms march out from behind a nearby restaurant, strictly regimented in three columns of five men. Glints of golden light gleamed from their breasts in shiny badges affixed to their uniforms. Only one didn't carry himself with utmost precision, and it was a blonde man at the head of the group, a veritable giant wall of a fellow with chiseled face and massive arms visible from his rolled-up sleeves, outside the columns as he downright strolled towards the group, flanked by a brawny Pinsir.

 

"DAMN YOU, KADE!" Nemu was suddenly in front of him, bashing her fists ineffectively against his broad chest, the blows bouncing off despite her snarling vigor. "You were supposed to back us up, you fat-headed-!"

 

"Wrong," Kade said lazily, placing a hand on her head and pushing her back with some force, causing her to bump into Reno. She looked up at Reno, face pinched and rueful as Kade went on, as Nemu mouthed the words 'I am so sorry.'. "You were supposed to back ME up, at least that's what Noble wanted you to do. I would prefer you just stay out of my way and let me and my men take care of things."

 

"Yeah, great job, Kade!" Edwin yelled at him. "They attacked the damn competitors, and you didn't do anything!"

 

"My name is Kade," the man said now to the competitors, Edwin giving a sputter of indignation at being ignored. "I'm head of tournament security," he went on, as Edwin swiped at his ankles, trying to stand before his face whitened and he quickly returned to the ground. "And I was ABOUT to move in to help... But I decided that my presence was risky to include, what with the competitors striking back. Things could have gotten... out of hand." His eyes swept over Reno, Tabitha, Damian, Abigail, Shaun, Iori, Harrison, and Blake individually, and his face morphed into a sour expression. "Very out of hand indeed."

 

Nemu looked at him in horror as Peter stammered out "B-b-but it's your JOB to protect these guys, you can't blame them for defending-"

 

"It's my JOB to protect them AND everybody at this TOURNAMENT, Sheen," Kade spat, rounding on Peter, who instantly fell back to hide behind Blake. "If they want to make that harder for me, well, that's their business." 

 

He reached up to his badge, tapping the gleaming stone that held within it a familiar shape. "Noble placed me in this position because he trusts MY judgement... NOT yours. Maybe if he did, you guys would have one of these as well." He reached out and rested a hand on one of his Pinsir's horns, lingering on a dark green band fixed to it and the brown gem that nestled within. Pinsir flexed as it glared at Peter, who was silent. 

 

Kade now turned his attention back to the competitors. "Noble and Vaccaro have instructed me to get you to the Stadium," he said, glaring at the competitors like they were something he was scraping off his boot. "Hopefully we can get you there without you endangering the lives of everybody here, think you can manage that?"

 

"You rat bastard, Kade!" Nemu yelled, Edwin joining her in shouting coarse insults, even Peter and October raising their voices in indignation. "You can't talk to them like-"

 

"I will talk to CIVILIANS any way I choose. And I suggest you remember that before I suggest to Noble you be relieved OF YOUR POSITION," Kade snarled, shutting the four up instantly, Edwin visibly fuming. "Now, come on," he said, stomping a foot on the ground. Instantly his men split into two columns, closing around the competitors, forming three lines that pointed towards the main arena. Kade looked distastefully at Edwin before turning to Nemu.

 

"Get him to medical, and be at the ceremony on time if you know what's good for you," he said, before looking over his shoulder at the competitors. "Mr. Noble has assured me you'll all be filled in on any questions you have later tonight, when you meet him for dinner." His eyes narrowed. "So until then, I suggest you do as I say... If only for your own safety, which is of HIGHEST importance to me, you can be sure." The men around him all noticeably had their hands on the Pokeballs attached to their waists.

 

Blake looked awkwardly around before coughing loudly. "Well, uh... How can we refuse you, Mr, uh, Kade, was it? Lead the way!"

 

Kade rolled his eyes before shouting "Ten-HUT." His soldiers fell into line, shepherding the competitors towards the stadium and the Blackdragon Isle Advanced Tournament.

 

End

Of Episode One

 

Stay tuned for Episode 2

[Super Chaos Sonic]

"We're sorry! We wanted to tell you, we really did, b-b-but Ms. Vaccaro forbid us to!"

 

Iori kept his arms crossed, looking at October as she said this. It definitely obvious that she wanted to say something to them before...hell, all of them wanted to. But as it was mentioned, Vaccaro told them to keep quiet about it. The were told to keep quiet about something of this magnitude? Why? It doesn't make much sense... he thought, closing his eyes as he continued to listen to the aide's explanations.

 

And that's when things went a bit south for the competitors...

 

"Not like that's difficult."

"DAMN YOU, KADE!"

 

Iori's eyes opened as he saw this newcomer walk towards the group, with a Pinsir. This man, Kade, had quite a few things written on him from what Iori could read first glance. He had an air around him that said 'I'm better than everyone else...I'm an elite'...the type of style that some would see as them looking down on others. These were the types Iori hated...

 

"My name is Kade. I'm head of tournament security. And I was ABOUT to move in to help... But I decided that my presence was risky to include, what with the competitors striking back. Things could have gotten... out of hand. Very out of hand indeed."

 

It was obvious from the way Kade talked to those around him, he KNEW he was better than the others. Iori's hand tightened on his arm, keeping them crossed as he kept constant eye contact with this tournament security head. But every action he did made Iori want to take him down. Every moment he could, when the aides tried to speak or even defend the actions the other competitors took, he struck at them.

 

This wasn't a man with honor, Iori knew that for a fact.

 

"Noble and Vaccaro have instructed me to get you to the Stadium. Hopefully we can get you there without you endangering the lives of everybody here, think you can manage that?"

"You rat bastard, Kade! You can't talk to them like-"

"I will talk to CIVILIANS any way I choose. And I suggest you remember that before I suggest to Noble you be relieved OF YOUR POSITION!"

 

It was it...Iori had held his tongue long enough.

 

"If I may...Kade, sir." Iori said, shutting his eyes for a moment. "While you may talk to us in such a manner...however..." His eyes shot back open, giving off a strong glare at Kade. "I would suggest holding your tongue, due to the fact that it was...not you or your security that took this threat head on...but us the competitors. We're Pokémon Trainers...we assessed the situation and took action when it called for it. We made sure not to have any civilians in harms way when we conducted battle." Iori moved his hand, gently scratching Kage's ears as he purred slightly.

 

"Just keep that in mind, Kade, sir..." Iori simply said. He spoke this all as calmly as he could, before letting the head of security continue on.

 

"Mr. Noble has assured me you'll all be filled in on any questions you have later tonight, when you meet him for dinner. So until then, I suggest you do as I say... If only for your own safety, which is of HIGHEST importance to me, you can be sure."

 

Iori sighed slowly, shaking his head. "I've said what I needed to say. There's no need right now to fight against those sworn to protect..." he simply said. Correction...SUPPOSED to protect... he thought, only following Kade and the others to the stadium.

[Draconus297]

Harrison was incensed. This "Kade" was considerably delusional if he believed that by standing off to the side while people were actually causing destructive damage was going to accomplish anything, and his suck-up demeanor was definitely not appreciated.

 

This, on top of all the secret-keeping, drove the typically stoic tournament professional to scorchingly tranquil fury. "Civilians, you say . . . Tell me, Kade, where do you get off acting holier-than-thou when you accomplished a grand total of nothing today?" The tall, if rather slight man walked over to Marlboro the Cradily and gave get an affectionate pat on the head as Belltower gently glided behind him. "We civilians handled protecting ourselves and everyone else with reasonable success, while you sat off to the side with your thumbs wedged firmly up your backsides. So, if you do not mind, I will head off to our venue without your help. Obviously, I or any of these other professionals would be better suited to protecting yourself and your men than the other way around."

 

With that, Harrison recalled Marlboro and Belltower, calling out Greataxe and Cassandra to head up to the stadium (whose location he had made a point of assuring) at his side. "Let's be going."

[Admiral_Stalfos19]

"These guys have been trying to sabotage the tournament for the last six months. You saw those guys, they're way too strong for us to take down. That... thing... even managed to defeat Ms. Vaccaro. She was a Pro League member for two years. Lower-tier, but Pro League, nonetheless."
 
And here the owner of that monstrosity was openly stating the woman was "hardly a challenge". This didn't bode well for future encounters, as it was clear that that one man in particular knew what he was doing. Damian still couldn't say the same for that meathead and the girl... at least not yet. But one thing was for sure... they were serious about trying to kick the competitors off of Blackdragon Isle. Now Damian just needed to know who they were.

"And he had even less trouble with the three of us," Edwin ground, Damian unable to help but roll his eyes and stare at him as if to say, 'Well we gathered that.'
 
"Not like that's difficult," a face new to Damian had goaded towards Edwin, before figuring he should at least have the decency to introduce himself... him not actually being a decent man aside, "My name is Kade. I'm head of tournament security, and I was about to move in to help. But I decided that my presence was risky to include, what with the competitors striking back. Things could have gotten... out of hand. Very out of hand indeed."

"B-b-but it's your job to protect these guys, you can't blame them for defending-" Peter tried to muster a defense, but...

"It's my job to protect them and everybody at this tournament, Sheen," Kade intervened, "If they want to make that harder for me, well, that's their business."

 

"Um, I believe the word you were looking for there was... 'easier'," Damian stated nonchalantly, "And the man has a point; if not for our intervention, the collateral damage this city would've suffered could easily been... doubled... tripled... dare I say five-fold?"

 

In any case, it was clear that this... Kade, thought he and his men could do better. He already lost his chance to put his money where his mouth was, and it was doubtful that he'd ever seen the likes of the Pokemon that everyone else had bore witness to. But Damian would put any amount of money that those facts wouldn't stop the man from rubbing his arrogance all over their faces. Kade scoffed, and told everyone he was instructed to bring them to the arena
 
"Hopefully we can get you there without you endangering the lives of everybody here; think you can manage that?" he asked spitefully.
 
"You rat bastard, Kade! You can't talk to them like..." Nemu's retort was drowned out by those of the other aides. Damian, meanwhile, was quick to slam an open palm to his face. True, all four were provoked, but that wasn't an excuse to throw professionalism to the wind.

 

"Those idiots," he muttered under gritted teeth, though the next thing Kade said had gotten him enraged.
 
"I will talk to civilians any way I choose. And I suggest you remember that before I suggest to Noble you be relieved of your position."

 

Angrily sliding his hand away from his face, Damian trudged towards Kade in a heavy-footed manner to make his presence known, Warchief, Atlas and Show Stopper following closely behind him. He tried his best to maintain the last few ounces of composure he had left, but with that gleam of pure venom being present in his narrowed eyes, it was clear that it was taking all the mental strength that he could possibly summon.

 

"Oh I hope you enjoy ruling your roost over your men and our aides, because if you even dare try to extend that to us competitors, then I'll make sure you regret it," by the time he finished his ultimatum, Damian had walked right up to Kade's face; he had to look up slightly to keep eye contact, but one would be thankful that he would spare the taller man the humiliation of being brought down to his height... for now, "I think I speak for us all when I say we've had enough of your insolence."

 

With that off his chest, Damian turned his back to Kade, and called for Warchief and Atlas to return to their respective Pokeballs, which he'd held out in each hand. Red beams of light shot out from both, before he reattached the Poke Balls to the belt around his hips, and noting one of the competitors broke from the group.

 

"I'll also make my own way to the arena, thank you very much. Come, Show Stopper," that said, Damian set off after the man in the grey suit.

[👀 REP 👀]

Blackdragon Isle

---

 

Shaun just stared at the group as they explained themselves. Whatever was happening on the island, it was clear that the competitors were to not know about it. He simply shrugged; it didn't quite bother him that they were suppose to be left in the dark as much as he imagined it bother the other competitors, nor did he care as much as they did. The main concern about the news that they had learn Shaun had was how it would impact the tournament. It was clear that they were not able to keep whatever it was they wanted to keep a secret a secret, and that it might interfere with the tournament. Before Shaun could continue pondering, however, a new figure showed up.

 

"My name is Kade. I'm head of tournament security. And I was ABOUT to move in to help... But I decided that my presence was risky to include, what with the competitors striking back. Things could have gotten... out of hand. Very out of hand indeed." Shaun glared back at Kade, whom gave all the competitors a rather bitter look. Kade went on with his spiel, his words stinging like venom. Shaun spat on the ground, clearly frustrated. if there was something he couldn't stand is people talking down to him, especially when they're so clearly cowardly like Kade was. Still, as much as he wanted to deck the bastard, he wanted more to get on with the tournament. "Hopefully we can get you there without you endangering the lives of everybody here, think you can manage that?"

 

"Think you can manage to do your job next time?" He muttered under his breath, following Kade and the others whom decided to follow Kade to the stadium. 

[~Faytl~]

Episode Two

 

Commence the Clues

 

The arena was packed to the top rows. People were crammed in, seemingly everyone on the island, all talking and laughing and excitedly clamoring as they awaited the commencement of the tournament. It was less than five minutes until the event was to begin, and the matchups were to be declared. The excitement was palpable, but for one section of the stadium: The competitor's box that sat right in the middle of the seats, the best spot closed off and containing the competitors of the Blackdragon Isle tournament in three rows of five luxurious padded seats, who were thoroughly ill at ease, by and large.

 

Kade and a detachment of his men were out of sight of the crowds, leaning up against the back wall of the box as he stared holes in the backs of the heads of all the competitors. He had especially been keeping an eye on those who had spoken out, Iori, Harrison, and Damien. His Pinsir was glaring at them as well, eyes narrowed as it flexed its arms threateningly.

 

Probably the thing the contestants would notice first about the arena, barring the palpable animosity in the box, was that the battlefield was extremely unconventional. There was nothing of the traditional battleground, traced out in a white rectangle with the symbol of a Pokeball centered within. The battlefield was a flat expanse of gray metal, with several dimly glowing lines of green glass-like substance running across it in regular patterns. 

 

"Looks odd, doesn't it? Don't worry, it'll be explained soon." The competitors heard a familiar voice, and could turn to see their aides entering the box, shooting looks of irritation at Kade before they fell in to the empty seats next to the competitors, looking dejected and tired. Edwin had a large white bandage wrapped around his head and looked a bit peaky, but otherwise appeared to be fine.

 

"We're sorry about what happened back there," Nemu continued, looking over at Reno and Damien especially before addressing the group as a whole. "We... We just wanted to keep our jobs helping trainers like you..."

 

"We thought we could take those guys," Peter went on, looking down between his knees at the floor. "But we talked it over, and we should have told you what was going on."

 

"We hope you can forgive us," October added hopefully, not sounding like she believed the idea was likely.

 

"And we're sorry about Kade, too," Edwin chimed in, leaning on the seat in front of him as he whispered this bit. "Guy's a bastard, through and through."

 

"Now the Meowth's out of the bag, we figure we should keep you guys informed," Nemu went on. "So come on: What do you want to know?"

[Super Chaos Sonic]

Iori and Kage had Kade and his Pinsir giving them the glare the entire time. He said what he needed to say, but in a respectable manner. It was simply the fact of what Kade's actions showed that truly upset the Ecruteak trainer. Nevertheless, they arrived at the arena, still having the Pinsir making glaring eyes at him and Kage. To this, Kage only responded by growling defensively.

 

"Take it easy Kage...no point in making a scene." Iori sighed, rubbing Kage's ears some with a smile. "Its already happened, let's move on from it."

 

Kage only seemed to purr and nod at Iori's words as the group stopped and beheld a strange sight of the stadium arena that was before them. It was strange for him to even see something like this. He had made it to the Pokémon League and was used to their style of field...but this...this was different.

 

"Looks odd, doesn't it? Don't worry, it'll be explained soon."

 

After taking a seat, Iori noticed the voice and saw the attendants/aides joining them. Disobeying orders from Kade? Well, at this point, Iori would understand why. The man was a pr-

 

"We hope you can forgive us."

 

Iori looked over at October, simply nodding. "I may not speak for all of us...but you did what you all thought was right. Whether it was the right or wrong decision is entirely something that you have to look inside yourself to find." he said. "If you think what you did was right, then it doesn't matter. Regardless, I hold no hate against your actions."

 

Yes he got a bit defensive when they told them at the last minute, but still, he understood why. Just flat out telling competitors that there was a terror movement going on would throw everything into a complete state of chaos.

 

"Now the Meowth's out of the bag, we figure we should keep you guys informed. So come on: What do you want to know?"

 

Well...time to get some answers... Iori thought, before nodding. "The group that attacked us, who are they? Or rather, what is the group? Are they like those other organizations of old, like the Rockets?"