[X] My Assistant

[Kamaitachi]

The main arena, a gargantuan colliseum overlooking the vast sea, has separated into 8 fields, each with its own set of stands, while the higher seats have a lovely view of all eight battles. Each battle is televised on the giant screens located along the walls, giving spectators the nitty gritty close-up views of each battle.

The battles to come would be fierce, and with so many raging simultaneously, and to be distracted by the neighboring fights could easily spell a loss.

The Match for this field was slated for Douken Sota and Joey J. Sweet. The field in question resembled a laboratory, with sleek tiled floors, and several jutting instruments that looked suspiciously like tesla coils. Upon contact, they would deliver a shock to any unlucky combatant.

The referee, holding the trademark flags, floated nearby on what could only be described as a hovering disc; yet another technological marvel of Daioh Scientists. The ref tapped his fingers on his poketch, which revealed a rotating triangular pyramid on the main screen. Once it stopped rotating, it revealed a large number 2:

"This will be a three on three battle conducted in Doubles-Style, with One Pokemon in Reserve. If one of the combatants falls, the reserve must be sent in immediately. Trainers, summon your pokemon now!"

This battle seemed ready to erupt. The stakes? Continuing participation in the tournament.

The crowd roared in anticipation.

[LittleShadowPoke...]

"Is she even watching these? How will she know if I wear the costume or not?" Joey muttered verbally for once, referring to his pseudo-tyrannical sponsor, as his hands were too busy clawing at fabric to sign.

"Believe me, she'll know," Bartholomew responded with certainty as he manipulated one sleeve for Joey to wiggle into. In the near pitch dark of the changing tent, Joey wasn't even sure what he was working so hard and fast to get into, and he was less sure he wanted to ask.

On the way to the battle tent, Bartholomew had briefed Joey on the arena environment, which unfortunately would make things difficult for his two strongest Pokémon. Claw and Jet would be out of the picture for his round, because while he considered that the environment was not the deciding factor, how his Pokémon moved within it would be. He recognized that they weren't yet skilled enough to trust with an inherent disadvantage.

They entered the arena and Bartholomew quickly branched off to settle himself in the stadium seating and Joey quickly lost sight of him. The new-found light of the laboratory instruments illuminated his newest outfit which betrayed a purple and pink pattern displayed in a stylish tuxedo fashion and adorned with green sequins across the collar bone and swept into diagonals closing in on the young boy's chest. With a twinge, he realized that a set of fluffy purple ears adorned his sleek, purple fedora. He was the perfect anthropomorphism of a Purrloin, and he could almost feel Bartholomew's snickers as he took his place at his end of the arena.

He had been a little late, but ready now and reached into his blazer jacket to access the dress vest within that was tailored to house Pokéballs, and also was the pale tan as viewed on the Purrloin species. With a sigh, Joey gripped Mally's Pokéball and caught himself succumbing to prayer. Babylon was in his other hand, ready to fight allied with Mally, despite Mally's inevitable best effort.

He flung the Pokéballs out and Mally appeared arching her back nonchalantly and Babylon looked astonished while scanning the packed stands and arena, and his gaze ended at his own trainer, a smile which quickly dissolved in a flash of white light. In one heartbeat, both of his Pokémon were sucked back into their Pokéballs in his hands. It felt like lead in his stomach as he puzzled over what happened. He could feel the crowd's eyes on him and the pressure of making a bad impression so early.

He would peg Mally being a pain in the ass at such an important moment, but Babylon? And that white light… it didn't look familiar or even remotely voluntary. The deaf trainer's thoughts were broken by a cascade of exploding bright lights landing all around him. Vibrations rocked the ground and his nervous system. Caught completely off guard and stunned, Joey fell to his knees and cautiously glimpsed skyward to see dark, whirring shapes hovering. His attention was brought back to his level when an Electrode whizzed by. All around him trainers had called out their own Pokémon to contest the unwelcome intruders, and Joey got a grip on himself and decided to do the same. His own expression matched those of the surrounding shocked trainers. Joey had called out Mally, but before him was not Mally.

Joey rose to his feet quickly, but that didn't level the height difference between the trainer and his monster. It stood on two feet and towered over him with a fierce gaze. The nearby trainers even took fearful note of its presence. It was made of rock, it was huge, and its tail alone rivaled the size of Joey. Around the beast, sand started to rise and whip around around it and engulfed Joey quickly. Within a matter of seconds, the arena was ablaze with harsh, unforgiving sand. Joey choked and tried to cover his eyes. There was no way to take in a breath. He desperately fumbled for what he had thought to be Mally's Pokéball, and thankfully was able to recall the vicious monster. As he did, the sandstorm waned, and died, much to the relief of the arena.

However, explosions were still occurring and even more trigger happy than before. Joey cursed his luck and tried to rub the sand out of his eyes, but it was useless and he stopped for fear of making it worse. A deaf boy who couldn't use his eyes was almost as good as a goner, he thought. He wandered around the arena, heading in the direction he remembered as the entrance he had used (he hoped), and avoided touching anything resembling a sphere. He went as fast as he could, stopping only to brace himself for every explosion that threatened his balance, and attempted to suppress his rising terror.

When it first started happening, he had humored the thought that this were a choreographed part of the competition, an added challenge to keep things lively. But as the panic escalated around him and having glimpsed the bright orange of the rescue workers through burning eyes, Joey perished the thought. The pit in his stomach was confirmed, and something had gone terribly wrong.

As his last futile attempt to break through the crowd was failing, he tried to make his way towards the arena exit and also to find Bartholomew. His assistant was nowhere in sight, at least what Joey considered sight at the moment, and after being knocked down several times, a rescue worker grabbed him protectively and ushered him towards the lobby, and Joey was succumbing to shock too much to resist. He was just numbly grateful.

Where was Mally? Did he still have his other Pokémon? Did he have the guts to check? What if he didn't?

Thought after thought flashed through his mind, each more grisly than the last as he himself was rushed towards safety.

Continued in main thread...