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Post by Godai on Oct 29, 2019 4:11:40 GMT -8
With the Setting of the sun on the last day, we call an end to the Solstice Festival The same arena used for the opening ceremony has been set up for the awards ceremony. Crowds cheer while officials stand around, trying to look stoic or busy. At the center of the field, those contestants who could be found or roused out of bed stand in a loose parade formation. In front of them are the three winners. One by one they are called forward and presented with their prizes.
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Post by seenter on Oct 30, 2019 8:57:08 GMT -8
Chris stood with the rest of the participants lined up before the crowd. The people in the stands were cheering as loud as they were during the actual battle. Guess we put on a good show. The thought left a slightly bitter taste in his mouth. Like others he was defeated pretty easily in his battles, and he felt he wasn’t strong enough to have done much to earn the crowds praise.
Next to Chris stood Rein his Heracross. When he had stood before the crowd the first time it was him and Samis his Skiddo, but Rein had been the one who actually fought in both battles. It was only right that the bug/fighting Pokemon be present for the award ceremony. He had fought well against impossible odds.
Looking back Chris reviewed his battles in his mind. The first was his battle against Bailey and her Trapinch. That was a good battle in his opinion, and he hated that it ended so quickly. It was there that he fought his first Pokemon who could hide underground. In his opinion he did a good job ordering Rein the chop the branches in order to provide a cushion to deaden his footfalls. And it worked. The Trapinch had no clue where the Heracross was and actually ended up near Chris.
The second battle was against the trainer Luke and his Gliscor. Now that was a battle Chris was proud of. Even against a stronger opponent he and Rein managed to hold their own and make a true battle of it. It ended in their defeat, but still he was proud of Rein and the battle fought.
Chris had watched the other battles going on after his. And he was impressed with the skills displayed by those that one. And while he wished he had made it farther in the tournament he knew that he wouldn’t have stood a chance against them as he was now. That just meant he’d have to try harder and train for the next tournament. Turning his attention back to the moment he waited for the ceremony to start so he could cheer for those who had earned their prize.
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Post by Revelation on Oct 30, 2019 17:44:37 GMT -8
Luke stood with the other top finishers and clapped as the participants were all announced. The stadium was filled to the absolute brim for this ending to both the tournament and the festival. Even people who hadn’t cared at all about the battles had pushed and shoved their way in so that they could see the grand finale.
The woman on the stage finished announcing the names of the other trainers and paused, smiling brightly at the crowd as she allowed them to settle down a little bit. Once deemed acceptable, she spun around and pointed at Luke, beckoning him to join her on stage.
Luke gave a small wave to the crowd as he walked towards the wooden steps at its base. While he moved, the announcer continued. “And now, please give a great big cheer to our third place contestant. Welcome, Lucas Windsor!”
The crowd roared as he stepped up next to her. She motioned for them to calm down again and turned to him. “Congratulations, Lucas. We are so very proud of you and your hard work! You certainly made quite a splash with that gliscor in the first round, getting quite a lot of fans even in that loss! And you finished in just as big a fashion, burning down an entire arena with that cute candle! Third place is a great honor, and we have something special for you!”
A large man came out from the side of the stage, carrying a large bundle in his hands. As he reached Luke, he tore the black covering off with a flare to reveal a canvas roll in his arms. Luke could make out a black background with some streaks of yellow and red.
“Here we have a full Bushmaster deluxe package with your name on it! We went all out on your prize, to show the world just how wonderful their new product line really is!”
Music began pouring out of the loudspeakers as Luke grabbed the bundle, startling him. Lights started flashing above, and he looked up to find that an infomercial was showing on the stadium screens.
“That’s right folks! Bushmaster Camps are now released to the public! These sturdy tents come with lightweight aluminum poles made to last a lifetime! Folded seams and double stitching means this little tent is ready to stand up to the elements! A tub floor keeps you nice and dry during those pesky downpours, while hidden mesh and roof vents make sure you can stay nice and cool no matter where you are! But that’s not all! Luke here has won our top-of-the-line Luxury Ball Variant, which includes extra padding and a high-quality mesh top to keep those pesky critters out while you watch the stars!”
The helper who had delivered the tent also grabbed a few more items, each one boxed up in brightly-labeled packaging proudly displaying the producer. He tossed them into Luke’s arms, piling them up high.
“Outside of the tent, a Camp also comes with a portable cooking station and fire starter, as well as an easily collapsible seat. Luke has also been so generously given two of our optional mods to start off with! A Water Collector, because we all know how useful that can be out west!” She winked at the audience, who absolutely ate it up. Laughter rolled throughout the audience.
“And, finally, a very special gift! Considering the Luxury Ball has all the benefits needed for watching one of Godai’s famous meteor showers, why not make it just that much more exciting? Bushmaster, therefore, decided to be extra nice and give a Sieve and Stardust Collector to Luke! He can collect remnants of those light shows, and who knows? Maybe he can get really lucky and get more than just stardust!”
Luke’s face was blasted one last time across the screens, and the crowd cheered once again. The poor man stood there, arms filled completely with the tent and all its add-ons. The assistant half-helped half-pushed Luke off the stage.
“Goodbye, Luke! Thank you so much for participating, and we all look forward to seeing you again next year! Just like we look forward to seeing what amazing thing Bushmaster comes out with next!”
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Post by pandafox on Oct 30, 2019 21:06:54 GMT -8
None of it felt real. This day had started out in a state of panic. It had stayed that way for most of the day for various reasons so much so that being in the semi-finals had snuck up on him. He'd barely believed that when it happened, but now this?
He hadn't ridden out on his onix this time. Sunder had worked long and hard today, the Onix deserved a rest, and Luther didn't want to feel like he was showboating now that it was all over. Instead he walked with one hand wrapped by vines extending from the back of Azalea, his precious Ivysaur. She hadn't seen much action today; but Luther knew that without her, he wouldn't even have the rest of his teammates, let alone be nearly as in-synch with any of them. She was nearly as much their trainer as he was, and it seemed fitting that she should share the limelight with him. What was more, he knew he couldn't do it on his own.
There'd been too many crowds today. The roar of the stadium was far more powerful than he'd ever dreamed it would be as a kid. It had been terrifying, exhilarating, awe-inspiring even. Wanting to be out from under it had stirred him to act more aggressively in some cases, and the reactions had helped push him and his partners to more daring maneuvers. They'd also driven him to the edge of his nerves between rounds, being hounded by reporters when he reached the semi-finals, and fans who had only just heard of him as well as those that knew him way back when were close on his heels, his world of seclusion and solitude would be completely shattered now and it would take some doing to get a shred of that peace back. His frayed and exhausted mind had somehow mustered the strength to worry about the future rather than acknowledge the present until they called his name.
He'd been too distracted to wonder about the egg, or be jealous of the new tent. His was getting worn out after all. Instead he'd been dwelling on just the weight of everything; but when they called his name the weight of it all finally hit him and it broke everything else.
There was a lump in his throat as some small part of him, a part that had been mostly destroyed, and he'd done his damnedest to finish killing came back to life. The part of him that used to live for the crowd, and the simple love of Pokémon. He failed to fight back the tears as he walked onto the stage with Azalea beside him and was presented with his prize. He could barely perceive what they had to say about his victory and did his best to nod when it seemed appropriate. To their credit the organizers were experienced enough to work with emotional winners before. Someone else grabbed his hand and thrust it into the air and Luther, despite the tears grinned wildly at the thunderous applause.
They'd done it. A small step, but a momentous one. This wasn't something even his obtuse levels of denial and self doubt could ignore or discredit as much as it might want. This was no tempered challenge like a Gym Battle. It had been a real contest of training, bonds, and ability and they'd done it. He'd fulfilled a childhood fantasy he'd never truly thought would come to pass, and had long since forgotten. It was proof that after everything, the pain, the months of travel, the life threatening injuries and the heartache, it had been for something. He wasn't just kidding himself, there really was a chance that his pipe dreams would become realities.
Luther looked down to see Azalea looking back at him with a curious head tilt that looked concerned. Luther gave her a smile despite the tears of joy, pain, relief, and exhaustion on his face and she trilled happily. With her beside him, there was nothing they couldn't do.
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Post by chaosonex on Oct 31, 2019 19:35:57 GMT -8
Josh's steps were wobbly as he approached the main area. They called his name and he did his best to avoid succumbing to the swelling roar of the crowd. The woman handing out the prizes reached on the table and handed him something black and large. Josh held it for a few seconds before a thought was able to pass through his benumbed brain.
It was an egg.
What on earth he was supposed to do with it was beyond him. He didn't even have the foggiest idea how one cared for an egg.
Gingerly, he tried to balance the egg in one hand while shaking hands with the officials. The whole thing downright proper and unsettling to him.
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Post by Godai on Jan 14, 2020 20:58:36 GMT -8
The stadium was pregnant with noise, clasping a chittering sea of voices and static in its gleaming opal shell. It glowed like an ochre gem, reflecting the deep red sunset that hurried itself away from the purplish canvas of incoming night. Whatever stars were brave enough to reveal their idle light peaked through a tapestry of wispy scarlet clouds, their singular gazes barely visible above the floodlights that encased the Solstice Stadium.
In the warmth of the evening air, an announcer cawed into his microphone, spittle and corporate sponsorships dribbling off of his tongue like a liberated sewerage pipe. It was a sickly performance, the man-shaped marionette jiving through the commands on his teleprompter as his suited puppeteers got drunk in one of the many executive boxes. It was all a part of the song and dance, another feature of the ceremony and the structures that enabled it.
But none of that mattered of course, for victory was to be the focus of the night. It was a celebration of human exceptionalism, a saccharine ritual performed for the thousands of onlookers that watched on from their ketchup stained arena seats.
In the center of the field stood the three totems of success, a trio of young men who’d danced to the tune of violence and come out unscathed. They were the supplicants of Solstice, victors who now suckled at the teat of newfound glory. Wealth and recognition would follow of course, for strength begets strength and such power could not go ignored by the many unseen eyes.
”A round of applause again for our top three finalists of the day! Luther Hartmann, Joshua Warden and Luke Windsor!” The balding chairman announced, thin lips stretched into a cavernous grin as his cigarette stained fingers conducted a sea of clapping from the ravenous audience.
Bwaaaaaaaam!
Horns ushered in more celebration as confetti was violently propelled into the air, showering the competitors in a pastel torrent.
Bwaaaaaaaam!
The uproarious applause continued. An anthem played. Cameras flashed. A helicopter whirred. From his birds eye view, Barry Trover began to speak. He now sat alone.
”There you have it folks! The final three receiving their much-deserved congratulations on this year’s Solstice festival. It’s been a day full of highlights and awesome plays, here’s our-ur…o̹̣u̺͌ͭr̾̐̋ ̙ͦ̑ǧ̖̇u̐ͣe g̗͎̹u-g̲̪̯-͎̱̭G̶̞̜o͖̭͇d͜a̢i.̧̙̠ R̵͚͔e̘͇̩m̨̭̼ǫ͇̠v͚͉͟e̸ ͉͖̦y̜̟̭o҉̣͉͕u̵r͕͖̺ ̱̳̘bl̺͔̠i̦͍͚n̛̮͉d͘er͉̝͡s̝̦̱.”
Darkness enveloped the stadium in an instant.
Laughter and celebration immediately curled into confusion, the tide of cheers abruptly halting as a singular screen in the centre of the arena flickered to a harsh chemical blue.
‘REMOVE YOUR BLINDERS’
It screamed silently, the text flashing across the humming monitor at the sea of onlookers.
Smoke poured from beneath the stands, obscuring the field and exits. There was another horn blast, this one flat and discordant. As the smoke cleared, the field was covered in black clad figures, each holding a strange blue Pokeball.
Lights slowly returned, coming to focus on a lone figure in the center of the field. She stood tall, holding a clay tablet in her hand. Her face was stark canvas of bright light and the darkest of shadow, pale blonde hair falling down slender shoulders like a ghostly sheet. Narrowed eyes scanned both the contestants and the onlookers with a piercing judgement.
“We of Nexus also wish to congratulate the winners.” The woman motioned with a gloved hand. A black clad figure approached each of the tournament finalists, holding out one of the strange crystalline Pokeballs. Luke’s Pokeball was placed gingerly atop the pile of camping goods he’d been handed.
The items handed to the finalists, the figures stepped back.
“Godai, times are changing. The question is, will you change as well? Will you remove the blinders? There are things kept beyond your sight!” The woman held up the clay tablet, and the very air seemed to grow in tension. There was a snapping sound, and a crack of light appeared in the air above her. Light bent as translucent tendrils forced their way through the gaping threshold, the gate only closing once the wriggling entity forced its way through.
The jellyfish looking creature seemed to be made of glass. It regarded the onlookers, then shot off towards the crowd. There were screams, and the creature took off into the air.
“Turn that fear into something productive, Godai.” The woman uttered cooly, one manicured hand outstretched to the panicking masses.
Smoke again began filling the arena, and the figures retreated, leaving chaos in their wake.
“Remove your blinders.” Remained on all the screens.
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