Yankee

Symphony of Madness: Beach Trip

Roland

Roland Huang
Max MP: 50 | Current MP: 46
Casting: Touch [0] + Construction [4] = 4 MP

Gear:
Googles (active: Illusion Begone), Pistol (4/4 shots), Medical Supplies (4/4 uses), Cash

Leveraging: --

Jack was not deterred when her instrument bounced off of the craft - the much larger than she'd expected craft. Nor was she when the apparently large purple man (frankly she didn't care if she misjudged some random invader's size while he was zipping around the beach) turned his hand into a bouquet of tentacles and wrapped around the barrel of the now-water gun. She turned to look at him, yanking her weapon back towards her, though when the alien's grip held fast and the tendrils that made up his arm slid down the length of the gun towards her hand her lips curled up into a snarl. She'd been holding it with both hands, but she released one and held it up with clear intent to cast.

She might not be able to hurt this guy -yet- but she still had options. And if he was protecting the ship even after her (rather pitiful for Jack) attempt to attack it, then clearly it he thought that it was possible to damage it. Her golden eyes creased upwards and her expression morphed into a sharp toothed sneer. She'd give him something to really worry about, then.

...of course she hadn't expected the guy to almost immediately back down, disengage, and toss her. Loathe to let go of her instrument for even a moment Jack stumbled into Mika, and after bouncing off of the girl she caught herself on one knee in the sand instead of falling flat on her ass. She didn't offer and apology or ask of Mika was alright given the whole "impossible to be injury" circumstances, but almost out of habit Jack's eyes flickered over to the dark skinned girl and assessed her anyway. Predictably, she seemed fine.

As Jack stood, Dan's imposed reality began to fade away. She blinked as a gust of bitter wind hit her, her battle suit still doing very little to shield her from the elements all things considered. The gray wash over the city, the trash piled onto the beach... yeah, it wasn't pretty bit that was about how she remembered it. Ah, and good ol' Goldie!

"Oh, Beautiful, you're back!" Jack cooed to the instrument in her hands.

The dark but clear plastic topped by yellow foam was gone; in their place sleek was heavy gun metal and sharpened spike and axe blade. She ran one hand down the barrel before bringing it up to adjust her glasses before her gaze snapped back to the alien. Alice had just come out of the ship, so she must have done something to reverse the spell - though it didn't seem like "Tim" was that concerned about it.

"The aliens took anglicized names...?" Jack scoffed as the two extra-terrestrial monsters went back and forth. She could have interrupted, but she wanted to know what was going on too. She wasn't surprised to hear that everything that had been happening in Pax Septimus had been one big ruse.

There was one thing that Tim mentioned that soured the look on Jack's face for a few moments. The only people who are left are on this beach. Meaning every other esper in the city had been captured, even...?

Nah, what a stupid lie.

On the bright side, now that the "causality field" or whatever was gone, the gathered girls could rampage to their hearts' content.

One of Jack's heels began to glow as she backed up a step then stomped down and dragged her foot through the sand in front of herself and Mika, drawing a line from which her melody erupted. Thousands of grains surged upward and rapidly hardened, resembling something like amber sea glass when it took its completed shape: a thick wall with narrow arrowslits, curved slightly around the two espers. It should protect them both at least from the first round of bolts, but as for if it would hold up? She'd deal with it when she found out.

Now that a battle had started - an actual, real battle - Jack slammed the muzzle of her instrument into one of the arrowslits, just barely large enough to fit the bulkier end of the weapon. As much as she wanted to turn that bug-looking armored alien into swiss cheese, an alien monster was still a monster. She'd probably have to get up close first, and make him sliced cheese instead.

Firing on the turrets it was, then.

"You heard her, Cerberus!" Jack said following Ashley's shout, using Mika's field name. She was still a little shaky on the names of everyone present, but with those ears there was no one else that fit the moniker. Briefly, she looked at Mika from the corner of her eye before resuming her aim. "Then let's move up their extinction's time table!"

Jack pulled the trigger to see if these turrets were as squishy as they looked or if they had tangible guts her bullets could penetrate.

Pokemon: Valkyrie league!

@KillamriX08 Oooh yes I remember them! Good stuff!

And coincidental timing since I literally just finished my application as well.

---

Which is right here:

Let's go for gold! Or whatever you get for battling!

"Ladies, please, form an orderly queue!
Guys're welcome to line up too, but head to the back."

Name: Jordan Stela

Age: 19

Pronouns: He/They

Trainer Type: Pokéathlete

Hometown: Goldenrod City, Johto

Appearance:

Standing just shy of six feet tall, Jordan is a young man with an athlete's physique. Makes sense, because he's done sports practically since he learned to walk. From top to bottom their muscles are toned from running, climbing, jumping, tumbling, and more. It naturally comes with strength, though he is more flexible than powerful - less bodybuilder, more gymnast. He has naturally light skin, but develops something of a farmer's tan every summer that he tries in vain to mitigate. Currently Jordan's natural orange hair has a mild fade to blue at the tips from when he tried changing up his image. Ultimately they didn't vibe with the color, probably because it made their pretty turquoise eyes stand out less. As for his style it's athletic wear, athletic wear, and more athletic wear - though with a few accessories thrown on when he isn't competing.

Personality:

Some people look at Jordan and see a stereotypical jock, but they're a nice guy, really. He helps old ladies cross streets, helps them carry their groceries, holds the door for them and gives up his seat for them... okay actually it seems like he's just really nice to old ladies. They're a friendly dude though, the kind that would he happy to inconvenience themself for a friend, but he also actually is a stereotypical jock. He is driven, competitive, and full of bravado. He is diligent enough to never skip workouts or practices. He is also critical, of himself and others, but gets pretty defensive if someone else criticizes him. They'll aggressive defend their Pokémon at the drop of a hat. In Jordan's own words there is no "sensitive side" to them - they're a lean, mean, sports machine.

That's not entirely true of course, he does have a lot of feelings, they're just not worn on his sleeve. It's most easily seen in the roundabout way he looks after people, like making sure they're always hydrated and warmed up before exercise so they don't hurt themselves. He is especially careful with his Pokémon, but he keeps an eye on those of others too. If he ever retires he would probably be a great physical trainer, as he has a special talent to judge a person or Pokémon's fitness, condition, and overall health with just a glance.

Lastly Jordan can be pretty stubborn and loves to see people proven wrong. Although being a Pokéathlete is practically ingrained into their soul, they're planning to take this professional battling thing seriously - even if eventually it just boils down to proving they can be the best in that scene, too. So far he's found it to be fun enough.

History:

Jordan is what you could call a "hometown hero." He's a popular individual in Goldenrod City for his looks, his charm, his willingness to help people... and because he's probably the best Pokéathlete in recent memory. Mostly because of that last part, in fact. He'd always been an active child, but upon first visiting the Pokéathlon Dome with his family to watch a game he fell in love with it. The intense focus, the feats of strength and dexterity, the fierce competition, the humans running alongside their Pokémon as they guided them through events... it was amazing! Intoxicating! And it was something Jordan knew he wanted to do. He started training the next day, and it wasn't long before he became one of the youngest medalists in Pokéathlon history. And he kept on racking up medal after medal after that.

Now the Pokéathlon might have been a big deal in Goldenrod, and maybe even popular in northwestern Johto as a whole, but ultimately it would never become an international sensation like Pokémon Battling was. In fact it had way less interest from common folks than even Pokémon Contests of all things. Jordan never really understood why that was. He genuinely loved the Pokéathlon, watching and competing in it, and always found it to be just as intense as watching battles. Maybe the sport just needed someone to really liven it up and bring it into the limelight. Maybe with the right advocate at the right time, Pokéathlon competition would explode and there would be domes built in regions all over the world!

...but Jordan is not that guy. See, he quit being a Pokéathlete to join the Kanto-Johto Pokémon Battle League circuit. Sure he was a popular and celebrated person in his hometown, and every now and then got recognized in Ecruteak and Violet City, but that was not the goal he strove for. He wanted to be rich and famous! Who doesn't, after all? So he figured that going for a gold medal (or whatever the battling scene gave out) in the world's most celebrated competitions would really propel him into stardom! A true All-Star could preform any time, any where, any situation, right?

He began with Goldenrod City's gym. Moved on to the surrounding ones before packing a bag to try and conquer all of Johto. Turned out this battling thing was a piece of cake. A recruiter for a certain program caught one of Jordan's gym challenge victories and realized that beneath the amateur strategies, the young man had great instincts and battle sense, raw talent and potential. His inclusion in the program that will eventually lead to the esteemed Valkyrie League is intended to really get him on the right track, because for all his bluster its clear his heart is still on the Pokéathlon field. But with time and practice to polish the rough edges away, and true dedication to the lifestyle, Jordan can become a truly powerful battler. And if he and his team go far, bring some attention to the Pokéathlon that trained them and built their strength, speed, and reflexes, then it would just be a happy byproduct of becoming a celebrity.

Goals: Become famous and well-respected!

Pokémon Team:

Jordan's team is currently not built for battling, which makes it all the more impressive that they've performed so well and caught the eye of pro-battling recruiters. His Pokémon are conditioned for literal sports, but he doesn't plan to swap them out despite expert advice. They're his partners, and they'll succeed or fail as a team. That being said he does plan to add new members to said team, especially because at the moment they are leaning heavily into one type (by coincidence, not design).

All-Stars, every one!

Name: Pamela, "Pam-Pam"
Species: Pom-Pom Oricorio
Ability: Dancer
Stats:

Endurance: C+
Power: C-
Speed: B
Adaptability: C
Potential: B+

Personality: Pamela is an upbeat and strong-willed Pokémon. She is very proud to be Jordan's starter, biggest fan, and most importantly their best friend. When he falls into a slump or has a bad day, she'll make sure he never stays down for long. She's also good about encouraging the other Pokémon on his team. If she loses her enthusiasm then something is really wrong, but its in those times that Jordan is the one who encourages her. They trade gossip and jokes together as though Jordan can totally understand what she's saying.


Name: Bolt
Species: Boltund
Ability: Competitive
Stats:

Endurance: A+
Power: B
Speed: A+
Adaptability: D
Potential: D+

Personality: Though he has the usual loyalty and boundless energy of his species, Bolt is stoic and well trained enough not to get into trouble. He follows commands and is wary around strangers, as he is always sizing them up. The only time Bolt's "real personality" as Jordan calls it comes through is when he's competing, as he has a strong spirit. Jordan met Bolt after he was already evolved, so they're not sure what happened to the Pokémon as a Yamper that made him into such a serious dog.


Name: Raitaro
Species: Electabuzz
Ability: Vital Spirit
Stats:

Endurance: B
Power: A
Speed: C
Adaptability: C
Potential: A-

Personality: The largest but youngest of the team. Raitaro is Jordan's first foray into actually raising a Pokémon, having met him as a newborn Elekid. Jordan taught Raitaro like their own coach did them until the Elekid was old enough to join in regular practice. Unfortunately Jordan tended to spoil him a little, so now as an Electabuzz he is pushy and entitled. He is a superstar Pokéathlete though, and loves to bask in praise after performing well. Raitaro finds it hard to keep both his strength and emotions in check.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

_{Friday Morning}
Word Count: 1928 (+3 exp)
Level: 8 - Total EXP: 363/80
Location: Esaka's Pools Tier, the Forbidden Kingdom

Whether in practice spars or official bracket fights, Pit had never played the heel before. Now, surrounded by the screams of tengu in the audience, he thought he knew how it must feel to play the bad guy. He watched Nyotengu's body dissolve even after the Heavenly Principles had declared his win. Her blood seeped into the cracks on the stone floor and ran into the hot spring where it churned pink.

A gentle but firm hand on his shoulder roused Pit out of the strange trance, and he glanced up to see Ashrah looked down at him. A moment later she lifted her head and the hand that held her kriss, holding it up high in a victorious pose. Pit swallowed the lump in his throat. Right, this was a tournament - and one where it would benefit the Seekers if they made a good impression. A beat behind and Pit lifted his fist up to mirror Ashrah's declaration of victory, though his other hand was wrapped white knuckled around the grip of his bow. The screams of the spectators changed, hisses and boos from the tengu drowned by the bright cheering of the other yokai. Some shouted how glad they were that "those damn tengu" had been taken down a notch, while others just expressed their excitement over the bloodshed.

A one-eyed oni leaned back with his arms folded behind his head, letting out a low whistle. "Nice, she didn't know what hit her! I just came to see Kanna, but who would have thought Nyotengu would go down this early! Right?"

He turned to a snake woman next to him, who narrowed her eyes. "Indeed. Ssssshe was a bully too full of herssssself and paid for it. Good riddansssssse."

Their brief conversation sparked a tengu to come over and snap at them, and all three poofed back into the spirit realm, or wherever yokai went when they didn't choose to make themselves corporeal. A lot more of the crowd followed suit, though some remained behind to wallow at their princess' loss or chatter happily between themselves, pulling up ethereal scrolls and screens to note things down or send messages. Some photos were snapped of the victorious duo right after they'd posed, but as a handful of yokai looked back to try and talk with the winners, they found the hot springs arena empty save for scattered ashes.

---

"I don't understand your grievance. Is it not in an angel's nature to destroy demons?"

"I mean, kinda, yeah, but not if they're good ones!"

"...like me, you mean?"

"Exactly! And those two didn't seem bad! Not like that Omen guy was!"

"You didn't know Nyotengu. Just because we caught her on a good day that doesn't mean she wasn't a selfish, sadistic demon. Why else do you think she chose Mortal Kombat?"

"Then what about her partner? She didn't-"

"I don't pick and choose. The kriss direct me toward evil, and I wipe it out. It reacted to her."

"...I just think you could have done something different. What if your sword isn't always right?"

Ashrah looked down at the blade in her hand. The angel and demon were tucked away in a corner of the Pools, beneath a stone arch to keep out of the rain. Pit had dismissed his bow by this point, and his arms were wrapped around his chest with his wings drawn up close against his back. Ashrah didn't look up at him when she spoke again.

"I have to believe that it is," she said solemnly. "I know that it is. I can feel it purifying me. I felt it when I slayed Kanna and Nyotengu too."

Pit's mouth was pressed into a flat line as he sorted out his thoughts. He trusted Ashrah, but he still had his doubts about her kriss. When he'd held it the other day, it had felt... wrong, somehow. But he didn't sense anything now. And technically, Ashrah was right - if yokai could be considered to be demons, then there shouldn't be any problem with slaying them. So why did Pit feel so gross about it right now? He glanced down at the pair of spirits in his hand, rubbing his thumb over the dark wings displayed inside of one of them.

It actually didn't take much thought at all. The female fighters just hadn't seemed evil to him.

"I feel the need to remind you..." Ashrah started, slowly, "...that this is Mortal Kombat. No one chasing victory will escape without facing a few fatalities - whether they are the ones suffering them or performing them."

"No, I get it, just-" Pit stopped and puffed out a sigh. It was hard to articulate his problem to Ashrah when she had been doing this for so long that she was used to it. And he knew it wasn't fair to put it all on the demonness. "I just don't wanna kill anybody. And I don't want you to either."

"These are death matches."

"Unless they really deserve it," the angel amended upon seeing his partner's raised brow.

It didn't seem like the two of them would see eye to eye on this issue, but it wasn't like they were enemies. They were even sort of friends, and they'd have to keep working together. Ashrah dismissed her kriss and placed one hand on her hip, tipping her head down for a moment or two before looking back at Pit.

"Deserving is subjective," she said. "But we can... discuss it. I'll let you know whenever the kriss alerts me to an evil demon. If I get the chance to kill it, I'd like to take it. But there will always be more, and my salvation has been a long time coming anyway."

Pit felt a sense of relief that she was at least willing to compromise. He smiled at her, his wings relaxing slightly. "Okay! Yeah, let's do that! We'll fight first, then smite later if we gotta."

It helped that in these tourney matches the competitors could beat down opponents into official submission and get around Galeem's influence that way, making sparing them easier than hoping they gave up on their own, which almost never happened. It was enough to send them to Loser's, Pit thought, and if Ashrah really felt they should be taken out then they could talk about it rather than slaying them in the middle of the match.

The demonness gave him a tentative nod.

"Thank you. And, um, you did do great. In the match I mean." Pit got a little fidgety as he hoped he hadn't starting driving a wedge between the two of them. Ashrah blinked before she returned his smile, though it was a small thing.

"You too. You held your own well. Although I do think we should work on your combos," she advised.

"I guess." He wasn't enthusiastic about it, at least not right after the rough battle. He looked over at the nearest bracket board that listed the day's fights. "Maybe later though? We got a long to free time before our last match today, right? So... we can do something else first."

Maybe even something fun to take his mind off things. Although since he now had to figure out what to do with these two spirits, that was unlikely to happen unless he dealt with them sooner than later. The thought of fusing with Nyotengu crossed his mind - the feathersword he'd fused with before hadn't granted him the ability to fly, but maybe if he had two fliers... and failing that, the yokai's wind power would at least let him be able to glide anywhere, anytime. But a moment after the thought crossed his mind Pit felt a pang of revulsion and he shook his head. If he did that, it would be like they'd killed her just for her power. That would make things worse.

Ashrah had shifted to lean her back against one of the arch's legs, folding her arms in front of her. She rested the back of her head against it too. "Sareena will be glad we avenged her loss so thoroughly," she said, driving the point home that the brutal nature of the tournament was par for the course. "We could tell her the news ourselves before it reaches her from someone else. I'm sure she'd be willing to help us train again."

She turned her head to look out across the other Pools matches still going on. "Perhaps you'd like to visit your dojo once more though, and get another meal?"

That sounded good. It would take a lot more than this to kill Pit's appetite, and he could feel the bruises already forming. His scrapes stung and the cut at his hairline was still oozing slowly despite wiping at it a few times. If only they could have enjoyed a dip in that hot spring after all. Now the thought of jumping into that one gave him goosebumps. Recalling the blood dripping into it sent a shiver through Pit again now. He pocketed the two spirits and although he'd just suggested that he and Ashrah do something together, he recognized he wasn't actually over what had happened. He would be, sooner than later, but for now... "Yeah, I'll go get fixed up! I can go on my own though. I'll meet up with you again later before our next match so we can get more practice in!"

If Ashrah saw through Pit, she was kind enough not to call him on it. "Alright. It's a plan."

She pushed off the arch and nodded to Pit, and in return the angel kept his smile firmly in place and gave her a wave. When they split up Ashrah headed for the Mid Tier where the Order of Light was housed, so Pit went right to the edge of the Pools Tier and hopped over the wall, only remembering that it was raining when the water pelted him on the way down to the Low Tier. He zipped beneath a random overhang to shake the rain off yet again, then walked a small circle around his little dry area.

He really did plan to get healed, but after that? Maybe he could meet up with some of the other Seekers? Yeah, that sounded like a good idea. He did still have his captain's duties to handle, as lax as they were with this group.

It was total coincidence that just when he'd been thinking of them, one of the Gold Team called in. It was Sakura, who he'd been getting to know a lot lately. Her voice perked the angel up, at least until she delivered the bombshell that Esaka was about to see another Consul.

Huh?! Wait, wait!

What is it?

Oops, sorry Lady Palutena, wrong radio!

Pit cleared his throat and touched the linkpearl in his ear, fully aware of his goddess' amusement and her peering down to check in on what was going on. Pushing everything else to the back of his mind for now, he put on his best serious voice. "This is Pit. Nice job, Sakura! Can you find out when they're coming and where they're meeting?"

After a beat he thought that even though Sakura didn't sound like she was in a dangerous situation (and probably would have mentioned it if she was) perhaps he should be helping to find this info out. So then he added, "I'll look more into it too!"

Which probably meant another trek upward? Well, at least it was definitely something to distract him.

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Videogame Crossover)

_{Friday Midday}
Word Count: 371 (+1 exp)
Level: 11 - Total EXP: 339/110
Location: Esaka, the Forbidden Kingdom
𝙱𝙿 ●●●●●

The massive hospital complex was hard to miss, though one could be forgiven for not identifying it as a hospital in the first place. This would be Primrose's second visit that morning, though she supposed it wasn't all that suspicious for someone to make multiple trips to a place of healing, especially in such a combat-happy city as this one. Her ki-tuning had gone well enough, though she hadn't really been able to test it out. Still, casual enough that she seemed like a local showing a couple of out of town friends around, Primrose gestured lightly to the Jeon Ryok Residence.

"That's it," she told Roland and Big Band. "Impressive, isn't it? While we're here, maybe you two can look into that ki-tuning as well."

Not wanting to fish for sensitive information like the Flame Clock's potential location over the phone magic, the small group was always going to have to stop by the hospital either way so why not get a little power boost while they were at it? It would certainly serve the actual tournament competitors better than Primrose.

The dancer made to start up the staircase to the Residence's entrance when Big Band got her attention, then directed it over to group of people huddled under the awning of a food cart. None of them were familiar to her, but then again she'd only met two UN members so far - and she very much doubted it was a small organization. She would have concurred that they were agents even if Band hadn't confirmed it with his identification of Darli.

"Alright," Prirmose agreed as the detective suggested mingling. "Let's go say hello."

Primrose's "mark" (if one could even call it that when for all intents and purposes this really was just going to be a casual lunch meeting) was Mila, identifying the woman as the easiest to approach out of the three from her body language and the snippets of conversation that the Seekers could overhear as they approached. Primrose slipped away from Band and Roland, making first contact by letting out a bubbly, "good afternoon~!" and brushing shoulders with Mila. "How lucky, we were just looking for a place to eat! How's the food? It smells wonderful!"

Pokemon: Valkyrie league!

I like the idea of these people being scouted. Perhaps the actual 'Valkyrie league' is more like a goal for the players. When they finish training, that's where they will go. In the meantime, they're all in some smaller 'league' for people showing a lot of potential. Still doing professional matches and entering tournaments, but on a smaller scale. A lot more focus on training and friendly rivalries, like you stated. That does feel a lot more like the genre we are going for.

Could the first arc be leading up to like a freshman tournament?

@Birdboy

That sounds great to me!

As for PvP, that makes sense too. I imagine it would be part of training, and possibly like rankings within this pre-league program (if that's what you're going with). I guess it would be slice of life (life on the road or in dorms or whatever), practical training with each other (PvP), and then professional matches with NPCs until tourney brackets pit the characters against each other for real?

I have a few other RP obligations at the moment, but I'll see about submitting a sheet after that. I can say right now my concept is a Pokéathlete that swapped from competing in Pokéathlon to professional battling.

Pokemon: Valkyrie league!

No problem! GMing is tough, but your initial sell was just fine! I just had the follow ups which you answered for me!

I think just using the name "Valkyrie League" for the in-character group/league is perfect because it already evokes the kind of feeling you seem to be going for (the organization looking for the pinnacle of "warriors"). As for what direction you go, whatever you think will be the most fun is probably best so interest stays. Training league with a group of friendly rivals that grow and compete against each other definitely has a more "sports anime" feeling in my opinion, and everybody loves seeing character growth, but there is merit in starting with high level characters too.

Or maybe split the difference and have the recruiters be those dudes in the gyms giving advice to people challenging them, and participants get scouted for Valkyrie training program after X number of badges? To weed out the weak early without spending real time or resources on it lol. Then you can still have recording, practice arenas, and transport going on to test out their chosen trainers against various regional leagues. Really I think either way works so just go with what seems best to you!

Hello!

Welcome to RPG!

Hello!

Welcome!

Pokemon: Valkyrie league!

Imagine a sports anime like Haikyu or Hajime no Ippo, but with the lovable mascots of your favorite game series! Expect training arcs, tournaments, and lots of angst! Do you have what it takes to thrive?

@Birdboy

Alright, you got me. I've been in a sports anime mood for a while and as I work on my own future pitch, I think this pokemon sports could be fun.

I do have some questions though. Given you mention beating a regional champion is "just the beginning" are the characters meant to be beginners just starting out on their journey (or like a couple months in) or are they meant to already have accomplished a championship and the RP is following these vets getting even stronger in "Valkyrie"?

Also, Valkyrie League itself isn't really mentioned in the pitch, so I'm wondering if its a specific league for the best of the best, a training program for trainers akin to people seriously going after Olympic medals IRL, or just the RP title (which would be fine haha). I want to know how and why the characters would be around each other or if they even will be.

New guy free the ocean again!!!

Welcome to RPG!