My mind has been on two things lately, Elden Ring and the Normal specialists in the E4 we made for the Region we built on Spacebattles. So, obviously, my mind tried made boss intros for them in my head.
Here's a quick write up of them:
The stadium was in an uproar.
Cheers and roars shook the rafters as you ascended the stairs, a smile plastered on your face as you waved. You could make out a few familiar faces in the crowd: your mom, the gym leaders, your rivals turned friends. They all beamed up at you, in their various ways.
At the top of the stairs, in front of the various burning torches and before the various cameras, stood Walt. The current Pokemon Champion of Lawarda.
Like everyone else he smiled at you, the edges wobbling as he clasped your hand with both of his. "Thank you. Thank you so much." He said, his voice remaining steady despite the emotion building behind his eyes. "You are so close to what I've been working for all these years. So close."
You gripped his hands back, you knew how much this meant. How much he had out into Lawarda to make it into a Region instead of a series of city-states.
He blinked his eyes clear as he stood straight and adjusted his suit. He had to look good for the crowd. And he did. His pencil thin mustache framed a genuine smile that seemed to erase the wrinkles on his face.
"To all who come to this happy day; welcome!" He called out to the crowd, to the Region, to the world. Spreading his arms out wide to the applause of the crowd. "Lawarda is your land. Here we relive fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Lawarda is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created our various cities…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. To ourselves."
The crowd grew more reserved at his words, excitement still brimming within them but now they were focused. No longer a riled crowd but a nation filled with pride. They were at the edge of their seats listening to their cultural leader, to the one who made the Region what it was today.
"I have waited for this day for a long, long time. Many have forged their constellations over the years but few have reached this height but none have been as ready for the next step." His gaze looked straight passed the crowd and into the past. "It takes more than being the Champion of the Pokemon League to be the Champion of Lawarda, more than a tournament to prove that you have what it takes."
"And this young one," His hand landed on your shoulder, a surprisingly strong grip latching onto your shoulder. He looked at you with eyes filled with more than unshed tears. "I believe, has what it takes to make that next step possible.That they have what it takes to match our Elite Four, to face me. Or so I dream."
-0-0-0-0-
You exited the Stadium flushed, be it from excitement or nerves or just plain exhaustion. Whatever the case, the rush in you refused to die.
Your Journey wasn't done.
You were to travel the Region again. To search and hunt for the Elite Four, to find them where they are and Battle them. As always Lawarda had to do things differently, so wonderfully different.
As soon as the morning came, as soon as you restocked your supplies, you would be one your way. You'd start with the three local members of the Four's hometowns. The Ranger would be a bit more difficult but…
The air around you was buzzing. Mundane bees wisping through the air, gathering and swirling towards an alley across from the Stadium entrance. Footsteps echoed within the buzzing as a figure, a woman, stepped from the shadows.
A hot wind followed the woman, her long curly rustling. She was familiar to you, you had met her before as you helped dismantle the villains within the Region. Her sharp and serious gaze has not lessened but it felt very different when it was pinned to YOU.
What was left of the Stadium's crowd, and whatever bystanders were left that late, had taken notice. And if they hadn't before the various Porygon and Rotom Drones flowing towards the approaching woman.
"I thought I'd get my match out of the way early." She said, pulling a Pokeball from her waist as she stopped a distance away. "If you can't beat me a bit tired than there's no way you're ready to be the true Champion of Lawarda."
You gulped at her logic but didn't deny, nor did you back down. Instead you gripped your Pokeball and tried to remember all the strategies you made to take her on.
She smiled at your bravery, more like smirked, and raised her Pokeball. Behind her, falling from the sky, a Vespiquen and a Volcarona appeared at each of her shoulders.
"I am Tina, the Bug-Catcher, weakest of the Four." She says this as if she had drudged a sense of pride from the statement. "I took what was called the weakest Type, taught the naysayers not to underestimate us, and brought my Team to the pinnacle of Pokemon Training. So, still think you can take me?"
-0-0-0-0-0-
You turned the letter over in your hands, brows knitting together as you made your way through the town of Sirius. People whispered and waved as you passed, some even going so far as to trail behind you. You tried not to mind, they were all going to the same place after all.
When Walt said that you were going to have to search for each member of the Elite Four throughout the Region you had thought it was going to be difficult to find them. Instead one walked right up to her as soon as possible and the other had sent you a handwritten letter, an invitation. On paper, with ink.
Who even did that anymore?
Still, you found yourself arriving at the time and place the letter specified. The courtyard of Sirius Academy of Minds and Auras was stiflingly bright in the noon daylight. Students were at every window and the familiar drones floated in the air.
At the center of the well manicured grass sat a red haired young woman. She was primly dressed and had been peacefully reading a book as she waited, a Sylveon dozing at her feet.
Then, as the noise from the students rose, she snapped her book shut,
"It is about time." She snipped, the chair she was sitting on floating away in a blue speckled pink aura that spluttered as it went. The Slyveon stretched before following its Trainer. "As a noble of these lands I would not have someone chasing after my back, even if it was the would-be-Champion."
She smoothed her skirt one last time as she took her place on the other side of the field. She cleared her throat once and pressed a single finger forward. "You now face Lynette des Serer, friend of Fairies, holder of Aura and Psychic might. The honour is yours."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Despite your experience with the first of the Elite Four the last two were not making her quest any easier. The first two had come to you, made time out of their days for your challenge. Those who remained, well, they never stopped.
After the pomp and ceremony of the Championship they had gone straight back to their duties. Jumping from city state to city state with little care if you could keep up. And maybe that was part of whatever extra test they had going on. And if that was the case, well, you weren't going to back down that easily.
Luckily neither were particularly stealthy in how they operated, doing every little good deed they could as they went about their duties. Leading to a very large social media presence that you used and abused to find them.
Starting with the prematurely graying young man in front of you.
He had given you a quick smile before going back to what he was doing. Completely ignoring your presence in favor of the task at hand. Which, to be fair, was fairly important. A large cart had busted a wheel and he had gone right to fixing it. Going so far as to have his, rather short, Empeleon hold the cart up while he worked beneath it.
Not that you had to wait long, quick and skilled hands make short work of the repairs. The cart's waiting owner vigorously shook his hand, receiving a soft smile in return.
A smile that didn't seem to fade as he turned to you.
"Ever since I was a kid," He started, ignoring everything from the forming crowd to the fleet of drones above. He gave you, and only you, his attention. "I had wanted to be the Champion of Lawarda. I trained every day, took on every challenge, helped everyone in front of me, but it wasn't enough. Not even when I reached the top. Walt said I was missing something. I never figured what that was."
He sighed at the admission but the smile he gave only became more genuine. "I don't mind losing to someone but I can't lose to myself. So, consider this a test for both you and me." My name is Akira, Lawarda's Hero of Steel, show me how brightly you can shine."
-0-0-0-0-0-
The last of the Four did not hide, nor did he stop his duties.
It took a few days but you managed to find him just outside of Corona Tower, staring up at the scientific institute with a faraway look in his eye. He was the oldest of the Four, in his late thirties to the others' early twenties.
With close cropped hair and a scarred face it was hard to believe that he was the most open of the Four, always willing to talk to whoever approached him. Maybe it was the way his Castform and shiny Porygon Z floated around him, happily playing a game of chase as they waited for their Trainer to finish.
"Y'know, this Lawarda hasn't always been like this." He said, not turning to you quite yet. "The International Police had been worried about its 'inevitable conflict' overflowing into other Regions. Now look at it, a forerunner in aerospace technology, a meeting place of cultures. Who could have dreamed it but Walt."
He laughed, shaking his head as he finally turned towards you. "Win or lose, it all comes down to these next few minutes. Everything he's dreamed of comes down to you. Make him proud. Make yourself proud."
From his shadow a Smeargle emerged, glowing blue paint dripping from it's tail and searing the grass.
"They call me Ranger Wright, the ever adapting Normal Specialist. Welcome to your final Challenge."
-0-0-0-0-0-
You were back at Nebula's Stadium, the crowd now in a hush.
You stood on one side of the field, he on the other. No more words needed to be spoken. Everything that needed to be said had already passed your lips, all that needed to be done now was one last Battle.
With a final nod the Stadium filled with red light as Champion of Lawarda defended his title one last time.
AN:
Lost steam there at the end but it was fun… Not promising I'll get back to the Region we built here but my attention is back at least.
If nothing else it did a good job at helping me remove some of the rust. Telling more than showing but I think I did decent.
Here's a quick write up of them:
The stadium was in an uproar.
Cheers and roars shook the rafters as you ascended the stairs, a smile plastered on your face as you waved. You could make out a few familiar faces in the crowd: your mom, the gym leaders, your rivals turned friends. They all beamed up at you, in their various ways.
At the top of the stairs, in front of the various burning torches and before the various cameras, stood Walt. The current Pokemon Champion of Lawarda.
Like everyone else he smiled at you, the edges wobbling as he clasped your hand with both of his. "Thank you. Thank you so much." He said, his voice remaining steady despite the emotion building behind his eyes. "You are so close to what I've been working for all these years. So close."
You gripped his hands back, you knew how much this meant. How much he had out into Lawarda to make it into a Region instead of a series of city-states.
He blinked his eyes clear as he stood straight and adjusted his suit. He had to look good for the crowd. And he did. His pencil thin mustache framed a genuine smile that seemed to erase the wrinkles on his face.
"To all who come to this happy day; welcome!" He called out to the crowd, to the Region, to the world. Spreading his arms out wide to the applause of the crowd. "Lawarda is your land. Here we relive fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Lawarda is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created our various cities…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world. To ourselves."
The crowd grew more reserved at his words, excitement still brimming within them but now they were focused. No longer a riled crowd but a nation filled with pride. They were at the edge of their seats listening to their cultural leader, to the one who made the Region what it was today.
"I have waited for this day for a long, long time. Many have forged their constellations over the years but few have reached this height but none have been as ready for the next step." His gaze looked straight passed the crowd and into the past. "It takes more than being the Champion of the Pokemon League to be the Champion of Lawarda, more than a tournament to prove that you have what it takes."
"And this young one," His hand landed on your shoulder, a surprisingly strong grip latching onto your shoulder. He looked at you with eyes filled with more than unshed tears. "I believe, has what it takes to make that next step possible.That they have what it takes to match our Elite Four, to face me. Or so I dream."
-0-0-0-0-
You exited the Stadium flushed, be it from excitement or nerves or just plain exhaustion. Whatever the case, the rush in you refused to die.
Your Journey wasn't done.
You were to travel the Region again. To search and hunt for the Elite Four, to find them where they are and Battle them. As always Lawarda had to do things differently, so wonderfully different.
As soon as the morning came, as soon as you restocked your supplies, you would be one your way. You'd start with the three local members of the Four's hometowns. The Ranger would be a bit more difficult but…
The air around you was buzzing. Mundane bees wisping through the air, gathering and swirling towards an alley across from the Stadium entrance. Footsteps echoed within the buzzing as a figure, a woman, stepped from the shadows.
A hot wind followed the woman, her long curly rustling. She was familiar to you, you had met her before as you helped dismantle the villains within the Region. Her sharp and serious gaze has not lessened but it felt very different when it was pinned to YOU.
What was left of the Stadium's crowd, and whatever bystanders were left that late, had taken notice. And if they hadn't before the various Porygon and Rotom Drones flowing towards the approaching woman.
"I thought I'd get my match out of the way early." She said, pulling a Pokeball from her waist as she stopped a distance away. "If you can't beat me a bit tired than there's no way you're ready to be the true Champion of Lawarda."
You gulped at her logic but didn't deny, nor did you back down. Instead you gripped your Pokeball and tried to remember all the strategies you made to take her on.
She smiled at your bravery, more like smirked, and raised her Pokeball. Behind her, falling from the sky, a Vespiquen and a Volcarona appeared at each of her shoulders.
"I am Tina, the Bug-Catcher, weakest of the Four." She says this as if she had drudged a sense of pride from the statement. "I took what was called the weakest Type, taught the naysayers not to underestimate us, and brought my Team to the pinnacle of Pokemon Training. So, still think you can take me?"
-0-0-0-0-0-
You turned the letter over in your hands, brows knitting together as you made your way through the town of Sirius. People whispered and waved as you passed, some even going so far as to trail behind you. You tried not to mind, they were all going to the same place after all.
When Walt said that you were going to have to search for each member of the Elite Four throughout the Region you had thought it was going to be difficult to find them. Instead one walked right up to her as soon as possible and the other had sent you a handwritten letter, an invitation. On paper, with ink.
Who even did that anymore?
Still, you found yourself arriving at the time and place the letter specified. The courtyard of Sirius Academy of Minds and Auras was stiflingly bright in the noon daylight. Students were at every window and the familiar drones floated in the air.
At the center of the well manicured grass sat a red haired young woman. She was primly dressed and had been peacefully reading a book as she waited, a Sylveon dozing at her feet.
Then, as the noise from the students rose, she snapped her book shut,
"It is about time." She snipped, the chair she was sitting on floating away in a blue speckled pink aura that spluttered as it went. The Slyveon stretched before following its Trainer. "As a noble of these lands I would not have someone chasing after my back, even if it was the would-be-Champion."
She smoothed her skirt one last time as she took her place on the other side of the field. She cleared her throat once and pressed a single finger forward. "You now face Lynette des Serer, friend of Fairies, holder of Aura and Psychic might. The honour is yours."
-0-0-0-0-0-
Despite your experience with the first of the Elite Four the last two were not making her quest any easier. The first two had come to you, made time out of their days for your challenge. Those who remained, well, they never stopped.
After the pomp and ceremony of the Championship they had gone straight back to their duties. Jumping from city state to city state with little care if you could keep up. And maybe that was part of whatever extra test they had going on. And if that was the case, well, you weren't going to back down that easily.
Luckily neither were particularly stealthy in how they operated, doing every little good deed they could as they went about their duties. Leading to a very large social media presence that you used and abused to find them.
Starting with the prematurely graying young man in front of you.
He had given you a quick smile before going back to what he was doing. Completely ignoring your presence in favor of the task at hand. Which, to be fair, was fairly important. A large cart had busted a wheel and he had gone right to fixing it. Going so far as to have his, rather short, Empeleon hold the cart up while he worked beneath it.
Not that you had to wait long, quick and skilled hands make short work of the repairs. The cart's waiting owner vigorously shook his hand, receiving a soft smile in return.
A smile that didn't seem to fade as he turned to you.
"Ever since I was a kid," He started, ignoring everything from the forming crowd to the fleet of drones above. He gave you, and only you, his attention. "I had wanted to be the Champion of Lawarda. I trained every day, took on every challenge, helped everyone in front of me, but it wasn't enough. Not even when I reached the top. Walt said I was missing something. I never figured what that was."
He sighed at the admission but the smile he gave only became more genuine. "I don't mind losing to someone but I can't lose to myself. So, consider this a test for both you and me." My name is Akira, Lawarda's Hero of Steel, show me how brightly you can shine."
-0-0-0-0-0-
The last of the Four did not hide, nor did he stop his duties.
It took a few days but you managed to find him just outside of Corona Tower, staring up at the scientific institute with a faraway look in his eye. He was the oldest of the Four, in his late thirties to the others' early twenties.
With close cropped hair and a scarred face it was hard to believe that he was the most open of the Four, always willing to talk to whoever approached him. Maybe it was the way his Castform and shiny Porygon Z floated around him, happily playing a game of chase as they waited for their Trainer to finish.
"Y'know, this Lawarda hasn't always been like this." He said, not turning to you quite yet. "The International Police had been worried about its 'inevitable conflict' overflowing into other Regions. Now look at it, a forerunner in aerospace technology, a meeting place of cultures. Who could have dreamed it but Walt."
He laughed, shaking his head as he finally turned towards you. "Win or lose, it all comes down to these next few minutes. Everything he's dreamed of comes down to you. Make him proud. Make yourself proud."
From his shadow a Smeargle emerged, glowing blue paint dripping from it's tail and searing the grass.
"They call me Ranger Wright, the ever adapting Normal Specialist. Welcome to your final Challenge."
-0-0-0-0-0-
You were back at Nebula's Stadium, the crowd now in a hush.
You stood on one side of the field, he on the other. No more words needed to be spoken. Everything that needed to be said had already passed your lips, all that needed to be done now was one last Battle.
With a final nod the Stadium filled with red light as Champion of Lawarda defended his title one last time.
AN:
Lost steam there at the end but it was fun… Not promising I'll get back to the Region we built here but my attention is back at least.
If nothing else it did a good job at helping me remove some of the rust. Telling more than showing but I think I did decent.
