The ‘pressure’ of the dream world within the mountain was incredible and strange. It felt like nothing Elizabeth had ever felt before, like being deep underwater but able to breathe. Thousands of lights and points of brilliance shimmered and sparkled all around, marking the dreams of other monks.
It was even more disorienting than trying to find her way around the mountain regularly, and Elizabeth felt a ‘pull’ on her. Something trying to draw her into a particularly bright ligh...
2025-03-01 18:05:28 +0000 UTC
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I woke up, sweaty and gasping from my dreams. They had been bad; I was being hunted down by... someone. Or something? They were strong, and- my alarm clock screeched and brought me to full wakefulness, banishing any memories I could cling onto from my haunted dreams.
The discomfort still stuck with me as the memories faded, though I did my best to shake it away, but still it niggled in the back of my mind, ungraspable yet unavoidable. What had it been? Null or one of the other heroe...
2025-02-26 15:55:19 +0000 UTC
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Dress for the Position you Want
Professor Ozpin raced down the hallways of Beacon, cursing his laxness. He had never expected she would show up here, of all places. Not without an army of Grimm at her side. Has she come to give me an ultimatum with hordes of Grimm waiting outside? They'd have to be outside Vale; we've lost a few cameras in Forever Fall recently but nowhere near enough to hide an army.
Over the millennia of combating the creatures of Darkness, it had bec...
2025-02-21 03:31:16 +0000 UTC
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Montenevera was definitely more bustling than the scant amenities surrounding Grusha’s Gym, but it was still smaller than any other city I had been to. Even Zapapico felt livelier than this place. Not that I could truly blame them - we were deep into winter in one of the coldest parts of Paldea. The fact that people even built a civilization here is remarkable and speaks to how hardy humans can be.
One element it wasn’t missing was a proper arena to battle in. Rath...
2025-02-20 04:48:47 +0000 UTC
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Geeta POV
Placing down my pen, I sat down behind my desk, allowing myself just a moment to relax. The piles of paper on my desk were neatly organized and not urgent. Though there is enough of it that even with my larger desk as Vice Chairwoman of the League, I have less free space now than I did when I was just a regular worker.
A knock on my door interrupted my peace, and for a moment, I imagined the notion of simply not answering it. That dream was sadly interr...
2025-02-20 04:47:14 +0000 UTC
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While some members of my team were less helpful than others (Nightwing and Phantasm for lack of enthusiasm, Bahamut with too much enthusiasm), we eventually got the area in passable shape, heading off to the Pokemon Center.
Can’t believe I didn’t recognize the signs before. Most Mega Evolutions come with increased aggression instead, but still. She even insisted that I power up her rival! Let’s hope I can break her of that pattern with having her father have to sacrifice ...
2025-02-20 04:46:09 +0000 UTC
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The next few days passed in similar fashion, with my parents checking out the ranch most of the time. Even on vacation, there were still some emails to answer and calls to make to ensure things ran smoothly in their absence. For my part, I made sure to give my team some basic training while waiting for the auction. I also spent a fair amount of time with Mom and Dad at the ranch and even tested myself against one of the handler Pokemon.
It was a short affair, Nightwing easily crus...
2025-02-20 04:42:48 +0000 UTC
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“So, what sort of Pokemon should we get?” O’Nare asked expectantly of me, eliciting a surprised blink from me, sitting opposite her. The wind rushed by us as the Flying Taxi rapidly took Billy, O’Nare, and me to the Porto Marinada for the upcoming auction.
That wasn’t the only place we were stopping by, however, as there was a Pokemon ranch not far off the port city, nearby the plains around Caseroya Lake. We elected to stop by there first to get my parents their first P...
2025-02-20 04:34:42 +0000 UTC
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After recalling my Pokemon I strode over to Grusha, offering him a handshake. “All that training, all for nothing,” he muttered, seeming in a daze.
“Huh? But- that wasn’t for nothing! That was an awesome battle and it happened because of all the hard work we both put in!”
The former snowboarder didn’t seem convinced. “I was utterly crushed, just a speck on the mountain before your might.”
“If I hadn’t recognized that Perish Song strategy, it would have be...
2025-02-20 04:33:27 +0000 UTC
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I realized why Grusha had told me to take the trial despite there still being a few hours before my challenge, and it wasn’t just him being overeager. Can’t believe Grusha hasn’t installed a lift or anything here yet. Does he expect everyone to march up?
Apparently, or maybe there were special Flying Taxis you could order to take you up such a small distance, but I hadn’t checked for anything like that. Despite my internal complaints, if pressed, I would admit I enjoyed...
2025-02-20 04:32:21 +0000 UTC
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The Pokemon Center within the Dalizapa Passage was a fair bit larger than the others I had seen, with a small building past the pavilion built up against the rocky walls, looking like it could house at least a dozen people. They must get more Trainers lost on this route than on other ones and have them be in desperate need of a safe haven. Probably still have the underground structure part too here, but hopefully don’t need it too often.
There was also a good deal of grass ar...
2025-02-20 04:30:13 +0000 UTC
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“Hyper Voice!” I called out, and Phantasm eagerly grinned, baring her sharp teeth for a second before opening her jaw wide and letting out a piercing howl that echoed across the frost-dusted field.
For her part, Riolu winced but pressed onward, unerringly hunting down the Ghost Type. Her eyes were closed as she marched forward, not letting herself get distracted by the uncountable number of copies Phantasm had conjured around.
Darting in close, her claws dripping with Poison, ...
2025-02-20 04:29:20 +0000 UTC
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POV - Dun
[“Human dialogue is in square brackets”]
I stretched my body out, slithering over to dusty ground to where the rest of the team was camped out. Nemona stood off to the side, talking on the phone, but since Miles was possessing it, I didn’t have any worries for her safety.
Not that there’s much reason to worry; we cleared out this spot fairly well with our training today. I doubt any wild Pokemon will be coming back to harass us anytime soon. Th...
2025-02-20 04:23:54 +0000 UTC
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Elizabeth walked up to the Adept as she was called. “Elizabeth Wry?” She nodded. “Perfect. You’ll be taking the door on the left. Head down the hallway and then take the… hmm... the third door, yes. Take the third door on the left; your trial will begin in there.” Why the hesitation? Was he unsure of which way to send her? But he felt perfectly sure.
She didn’t have the time to question him on that as others were being called up, so she left and went th...
2025-02-20 04:16:51 +0000 UTC
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As Dawn promised, she woke Elizabeth up early to head out. Luckily the travel through Folding was brief this time, taking them out of the city but just to a dirt road path leading to the mountain.
“Are we not going to use folding for the next part?” She asked, hopeful and relieved.
“Nah, it’s only a mile to the base of Mount Dawnbreaker; might as well not leave you too sick or anything. Besides, you can take in the sights while we walk and mentally prepare your...
2025-02-20 04:15:53 +0000 UTC
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She went out into the streets, just exploring around the city. The streets were so smooth and clean, the people dressed so fancily (to the point that Elizabeth felt she stuck out a bit, not dressed like most of the ladies there with their fancy tight dresses that buckled on a diagonal seam that ran up them), and so busy; it was all incredible.
Elizabeth had some money, a fair bit her parents had given her just in case, and while becoming a monk meant she wouldn’t really need money, th...
2025-02-20 04:14:33 +0000 UTC
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“How long do you think it will take us to get to the Central Temple?” Elizabeth had heard the Capital was many weeks away from home, yet Dawn had warned her not to take any rations. Were they going to be roughing it?
“Not too long. It’s only 700 miles away, so about 4 hours if I push it.”
“4 hours? Not like, 4... hundred?” Elizabeth wondered if she had misheard her.
“Ah, might not want to push it then. Alright, let’s get started, and as we...
2025-02-20 04:12:56 +0000 UTC
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They went to Fredrick’s house, where they found some town guards standing around it. They tried saying, “No one is to enter until Margrave is finished,” but that didn’t hold up too well to two actual Dream Warriors here to save the day.
Inside the house, Fredrick was lying asleep still, but he was still now, deathly so, while Margrave was twitching beside him, stuck in a trance. Even though she’d reached the epicenter, Elizabeth wasn’t worried or distraug...
2025-02-20 04:11:43 +0000 UTC
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The school was a set of small, semi-interconnected buildings. Altogether, the different classrooms and field space allotted for it made it the second largest property in the town, next to the manor Lord Tukesh owned (though still a fair bit smaller than his sprawling estate). Elizabeth got there early, taking her seat at the front as she usually did. The other students streamed in, making up most of the kids over 11 in the town, save Margrave, who had his own private tutors.
She h...
2025-02-20 04:10:47 +0000 UTC
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I sat back in my chair, waiting for class to begin, idly experimenting with the tablet in front of me. It was fancy, even fancier than my SuperTech smartphone, and user-friendly too, but I still liked the feel of a pen and paper in my hands more than these computers.
Alex sat beside me, seeming to have fully regained her natural cheer now, practically bouncing up and down as we had walked to class. Breakfast before with the rest of my class had been good, but I didn’t have time or the...
2025-02-20 04:08:52 +0000 UTC
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Janet Fontaine/Nursegirl POV
I woke up at the chirping of my alarm, groggily, but shaking it off fast. Turning over, I shut up the incessant beeping and worked on getting out of bed. It was 6 AM, which felt far too early. C’mon Janet, focus, I thought to myself, and soldiered on, getting dressed quickly.
A light touch of make-up and one of my regular floral dresses would do. The white dress with the yellow flower pattern was a bit low...
2025-02-20 04:05:18 +0000 UTC
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Once I trusted myself enough to shift my voice box back along with remaking a left arm, I walked over to the young healer, Miss Fontaine.
“I can’t approve of how far you pushed yourself in that fight,” the teacher chided me as she raised her glowing hands over my body. “Even if you can heal yourself. The fact that you’re coming to me for help tells me there are some serious limitations.” Jumping to conclusions much there, or just putting your own power on a pedestal? Not...
2025-02-20 04:01:00 +0000 UTC
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As we walked down, I immediately took in the environment and began planning out battle strategies. It was the arena with the most blocks raised around it, something that could help me with her fast rushes. Some of the geometric shapes raised about mimicked small buildings, cars, or even things that might be like playground equipment.
Both of us reached the bottom, and I was about to walk past Alex to my side of the arena when I saw the young girl had some doubt in her eyes; something wa...
2025-02-20 03:34:45 +0000 UTC
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Kadir didn’t bother with the stairs (like he had with his first match) and simply teleported down to the arena opposite of me. It was the first arena, the one with the most obstacles, just to make things difficult (for a moment I had misread it as the fourth and nearly wandered into the wrong arena).
“Oh wow, you’re actually kinda hot,” he commented breezily as he took a proper look at me. “How about we don’t fight; I’d hate to mar a pretty face like that. If you just make...
2025-02-20 03:33:08 +0000 UTC
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I leaned against the wall, looking down at the students fighting below. Clearly few of them actually knew how to fight, let alone how to fight effectively with their powers. Students would flail about (it looked like two boys with ranged powers actually got into a slap fight of all things) and throw kicks and punches so sloppy that it hurt. I’ve never picked up much by way of a coherent fighting style personally, but I’ve trained and practiced long enough to have decent form when thro...
2025-02-20 03:31:08 +0000 UTC
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The class had gathered in clumps around the sides, looking up at a huge holographic projection that showed the tournament brackets, though no names yet. I felt Null’s gaze on me as I left the room, mentally marking me off in his mind even as he was busy with the tablet, changing the fight program.
It’s unnerving how that man always seems to have such amazing awareness of his surroundings. To be fair though, it’s really my fault he’s that good. Gunther only had a ‘sharp eye...
2025-02-20 03:29:35 +0000 UTC
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A ripple passed through my skin a moment later. The change would make me look awkward and stilted, but better that than revealing the true rage boiling under the surface.
Him? Him! Of all people, they got Gunther ‘Null’ Kiren to be the headmaster of the greatest attempt at a superhero school?! All the effort I’ve seen put in, all the expenses and equipment to make Seltron, wasted! Tainted by his-
“Wait, is that Null himself there?” Alexandr...
2025-02-20 03:27:31 +0000 UTC
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“You’ll have plenty of chances to take it all in on the way there, so grab your things and let’s start this tour.” Mr. Beachwood (I made a mental reminder to call him that and not... anything else) said as he waved us forward. The bus driver had unloaded our bags to the entranceway, but it looked like we’d be carrying them at least a half mile to the school.
Much grumbling was had by many of the other students, including a scrawny boy in the back whining a bit too loudly. “R...
2025-02-20 03:25:03 +0000 UTC
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The bus was already about half full, so I made my way to the back of it and found an empty seat across from a girl with wings. I would have sat beside her, but those feathery appendages actually took up a fair bit of room around her and might make it uncomfortable to squeeze in. Being polite, I introduced myself, extending my hand across the aisle as the bus started moving again. “Camila Einsburgh.”
“Oh, hello! I’m Alexandra. Alexandra Herron, but you can just call me Alex.” S...
2025-02-20 03:09:36 +0000 UTC
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An insistent knocking on her door roused Elizabeth from a dream she was having. Not exactly pleasant or unpleasant, but real in a way beyond the most vivid of regular dreams. She’d been in her neighbor’s house, ghosting around, invisible to Mr. Sampson or the rest of the occupants. When she walked through him, she felt a weird force pushing at her yet not really impeding her. The man swiveled around, saying, “What was that?” She knew he couldn’t really see her, looking...
2025-02-20 01:51:31 +0000 UTC
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